It"s Finally Here!

We have been telling you for some time that that Randy has been working on the Vision, Mission, and Core Values for this new ministry. Several weeks ago when we held our first gathering we shared with those present these statements and now we are finally getting them posted! Sorry about the delay but between continuing to work out the details of the vision, mission, and core values, the busyness of life, and technical difficulties (sometimes I really hate computers!) we are a little behind! Thanks for your patience and understanding and please keep in mind that further changes may occur within the framework of these statements.

“____________ Community Church” (Church Plant)

VISION STATEMENT:

“ _____________” is a DIVERSE COMMUNITY of Christ-followers who LOVE, ACCEPT, and ENCOURAGE one another, GROW in our Faith, and SERVE God and our neighbor.


MISSION/PURPOSE:

To “REACH OUT” to all people, regardless of race, color, or socio-economic levels, by Loving, Accepting, and Encouraging each other, including those from our community, to Grow in faith in God and Serve by being the hands and feet of Jesus to all those around us.


VALUES:

· LOVING RELATIONSHIPS (People/Community)
o We Value a safe accessible place to be together with family, friends, and neighbors.

· INSPIRING SIMPLE WORSHIP
o We Value praising, praying, and proclaiming the
Word of the triune God with simplicity, joy, and excitement.

· PASSIONATE SPIRITUALITY (Discipleship & Evangelism)
o We Value learning about Christ so that we can become
more like Him and lead others toward Him

· MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT (Stewardship)
o We value the gifts we’ve been blessed with and pledge to use them by serving our Lord, each other, and neighbors.

· SINCERE SERVICE (Service)
o We value serving our Lord by being His hands and feet to all those around us.

What's been happening?

• Randy continues laying the groundwork for worship to begin. With much to learn about starting a new ministry like this and much to be done to accomplish a successful start, we are not sure when the actual start date will be yet. We are looking at either late spring or early fall.
• We continue to visit many area churches each Sunday. From each different service we attend we are gleaning much useful information as well as being richly blessed through the different worship experiences!
• We have met with some of the pastors and have more meetings scheduled with other pastors of the churches we are visiting. They have already walked the journey of church planters and are excited to meet with us and share their joys as well as difficulties that were encountered along the way. They have a lot of knowledge and are an invaluable resource for us.
• We had been planning on having another get together this month so that we could get to know each other better as well as ask and answer any questions we may have for each other. Realizing how busy this month is is for everyone we have decided not to to get to together again until January. In the meantime if you have any questions or concerns you can contact Randy through this blog or his email, rsledeboer@aol.com.

What's Next?

• We want to thank you for your love and support for us and this new ministry. Whether your support has been through being actively involved, prayers, words of encouragement, visits, financial, or just reading this blog, we love and appreciated you!
• Continue to think about what your role will be in this new ministry and contact us and let us know what you are thinking!
• Spread the word! We know some of you have been doing this because some of the people whom you have talked to have emailed or called us. Please continue telling your friends, co-workers, neighbors... about this new ministry!
• Keep your eyes and ears opened for the date of our January meeting and plan on attending.

Prayer Requests

• Pray that we will continue to seek and follow God's will for this new church.
• Pray that people will step forward who are willing to be part of the leadership team of this new ministry. Pray that God will reveal to you what He wants your role to be.

Needed

• Recognizing that the devil is alive and well and does not want this new church to become a reality, and realizing the power or prayer, we are looking for some people who would be willing to be prayer warriors for us. If you would be interested in praying for us on a personal and confidential level, please contact Lisa through this blog or at laledeboer@aol.com.

If you would like to make a year-end, tax-deductible, financial contribution to this ministry your check can be sent to: New Church Plant c/o Discovery CRC, 7245 Eastern Ave., Grand Rapids, MI 49505.

Thanksgiving Blessings!

We would like to wish all of you a very blessed Thanksgiving! We hope and pray that you are truly able to see God's blessings all around you. God is so good!

We are thankful for the 20 people who attended the meeting last Thursday. We are praying for you that God will guide you as you discern His will for you in regards to your involvement in this new ministry. We are excited as we have already heard from some you and we are anxiously awaiting to hear from the rest of you!

We are thankful for God's faithfulness and grace as we continue to witness His leading and guiding. We are thankful for God's plan and for His control over all things.

We are thankful for all of your support. Whether it is through your thoughts, prayers, or financial support, we are grateful for all of you!

We are thankful that Randy is beginning to feel better. We realize we have not updated in a while and we apologize for that. Randy has been quite sick and things have been on hold for the last week. We believe he is now on the upswing and soon hope to get back into action. Some of you have been waiting for us to publish the vision, mission, and core values. Thanks for your patience! It's coming...

Happy Thanksgiving from the Ledeboer's

Anxiously Awaiting!!!

We are anxiously awaiting Thursday, November 20th. We will be hosting the first get-together of all those who have committed to or have expressed an interest and want to know more about this new ministry. We are looking forward to this time when we can gather for information, ask questions, and make preparations for moving forward.
If you would like to join us for this exciting evening, we would love to have you present. We will be meeting at Randy's office located at 6534 Clay Ave. (Across from the Cutlerville Holiday Inn Express). The meeting will start at 7:30 pm, snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Also, in the next couple of weeks we hope to be able to publish the Vision, Mission, and Core Values of the ministry. Hopefully soon this new ministry will actually have a name as well!

Other News

• First the good news. Randy has located several possible sites to launch/house this ministry. God has been leading, directing, and providing in this process. Randy will continue to work on this process and we will be sharing more in weeks to come.
• Randy has proposed and submitted preliminary budgets for 2009. This has been a challenge since we know what the anticipated costs are, yet don't know what the membership role and their financial support will look like.
• Just looking at the financial numbers, it is clear to see that this new ministry is going to be financially challenged.

Prayer Requests

• Pray for the meeting on the 20th of November. Pray for a good turnout and that God will bless the meeting and those present.
• Pray for the finances of this ministry. Pray that we will receive some year end gifts from churches and individuals. Also pray for churches as they continue to consider how they might support this ministry in 2009.

If you would like to make a financial contribution to this ministry, your tax deduct able donation can be mailed to Discovery CRC, 7245 Eastern Ave., Grand Rapids, MI 49508.

If you would like any further information regarding this ministry, Randy can be contacted at rsledeboer@aol.com or 698-7787 ext. 321.

Plant Updates

The weeks are going by in a blur of activity!

• Randy is keeping busy doing a lot of administrative tasks, including working on putting together a budget for 2009 (not an easy task when there is no church in existence yet!).
• Support letters have been sent out to all of the churches in classis asking them to prayerfully consider how their congregations can financially support this new ministry.
• The demographic studies have been ordered and the information is beginning to come together.
• Randy is beginning to look at some possible sites for the new church to meet.
• We have had several meetings with people who have expressed an interest in possibly being a part of the planning and launch team for this new ministry.

Upcoming Event!

An initial gathering is being planned for all those who are potentially interested in being a part of the planning and launch team for this new ministry. This will be a time to share, ask questions, and learn more about the plans God has laid on our hearts in regard to this new and different type of ministry. If you are at all interested in finding out more details of this ministry or are wondering if becoming a part of this is something God is placing on your heart, then please join us at 7:30 pm on Thursday, November 20, 2008. We will meet at Randy's office- 6534 Clay Ave. It's off of 68th street, in Cutlerville, between the car wash and Arby's. Refreshments and snacks will be provided!

Prayer Requests

• Letters - Please pray that the churches of classis prayerfully consider how their congregations will financially support this new ministry.
• Land - Pray for guidance and directions as we begin looking into real estate and locations for the new church.
• Leaders - Pray for the future planning and launch team.

Many of you have been asking how you can you can help. Please remember this new ministry in any year end giving you may be anticipating and prayerfully consider financially supporting the church plant. Tax deductable gifts can be lableled "Church Plant" and mailed to Discovery CRC, 7245 Eastern Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49508.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us through this blog or at rsledeboer@aol.com.

Plant Updates

God is Good!

The prayer conference that we attended was once again spiritually uplifting and also provided some valuable bonding time with fellow colleagues and their spouses. God continues to show us what He wants from this new ministry. Prayer will be a strong focus of this new church; including prayer for healing of the inner person.

This week letters are being sent to all of the classis Grand Rapids South churches. We have two specific requests: prayer support and financial support. We can do nothing without your support! It is our prayer that God will continue to work in the hearts of the people within these congregations so that they will eagerly offer their support.

Many of you are still asking, "Where will this church be located?" Demographic studies are in process that will aide in determining where the greatest need is and where this church should be located.

Prayer Requests

• Pray for the churches within classis as they receive the support letters and consider how they will be involved in the plant.
• Pray for meetings with Home Missions that will take place this week to assess progress so far and time lines ahead.
• Pray that once the demographic studies are complete God will lead us to the location He wants this church to be.
• Continue praying for individuals who are considering becoming involved in a leadership capacity.
• Pray for boldness as we seek to listen, hear, and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

For more information contact us at rsledeboer@aol.com

Seeds

Did you know that inside every seed is a tiny plant that is waiting to erupt into a young seedling? At this point in the process of this church plant we are still just a seed! However God is doing amazing things and as He continues to water and nurture this seed we are confident that soon it will erupt into a strong young plant! It has been exciting to hear from so many different people! The excitement is spreading, you are reading this blog, and you are getting in contact with us. Thank You for your interest and excitement!

The DeColores event that Randy attended was very beneficial and a spiritual high for him. He had the opportunity to meet many new people, spend time in quiet reflection, and attend different seminars, all of which proved to be very timely for him. Sunday morning we worshipped at the Grand Rapids International Fellowship. Once again we were inspired and awed by the timeliness of the message we heard. Certain themes continue to reoccur, leading us to believe God is speaking to us and giving us direction through these different situations we find ourselves in. Whereas it is difficult not worshipping with one community of believers, a church family, we have been blessed to experience many different styles of worship. To hear the joy, see the excitement, and participate actively in these different styles of worship, yet all worshipping the same God, is an awesome privilege and blessing!

Upcoming Events

• This Tuesday evening we will be officially installed! The service will be at 7:30 pm at Discovery Church. All are welcome to join us for this event!
• October 5-7 we will be attending the classis prayer conference that will be taking place at The Shack. This is a time of reflection and renewal as well as a time of learning. This annual event is sponsored by the spiritual growth and prayer team of classis and is attended by the classis pastors and their spouses.

Prayer Requests

• Pray that God will continue to stir the hearts of those whom He wants to position in leadership.
• Pray that people capture the vision that this is not just another church, this is going to be a different kind of church. There appears to be much confusion as to what we are really doing and we are trying to clear up some of this confusion!
• Pray for continued direction as the mission, vision, and core values are being defined.

As always, please contact us if you would like to know more or are interested in becoming involved! RSLedeboer@aol.com

Praises and Updates

Randy is settled in his new office and has had a busy week. The meetings with Home Missions and the New Church Development Team went very well. As I mentioned before, we spend our Sunday mornings visiting other church plants so that we can glean some knowledge from them. On Sunday evenings we are visiting churches within our classis and soon hope to be able to present you with more concrete information such as the vision, mission, and core values of the new church.

This week-end Randy has the opportunity to be part of DeColores. This 4 day men's retreat is a time of spiritual refreshment, encouragement, and reflection. This is also a time of no watches, no keys, no cell phones, you are locked in for 4 days! How do you think Randy will handle that?

Prayer Requests

• Pray that meetings with potential partner churches will go well.
• Pray that God will work in the hearts of those whom He wants on the leadership team, and that they would step forward.
• Pray for the administrative work that must be done this week.
• Pray for the DeColores event.

Get involved!

If you are thinking about becoming involved in some way or if you are interested in hearing more please contact us, or you can comment on this blog and we will get back to you!

Moving Day!

Address: 6534 Clay Avenue SW ------Phone: 698-7787 ext. 321

Despite the rain Friday night the move to the new office went relatively smoothly! We'd like to thank Covenant CRC for the use of their trailer. We were able to move everything in only two trips!











We'd also like to thank friends, Rick and Rhonda, for helping us move everything and put it all back together again. We could not have done it without you!







Randy is all ready to get to work! We are grateful for your support and love! God continues to amaze us by the people He places in our paths!


What's Next?

• One of the first steps in this process is to visit other churches, primarily church plants, and learn from them. We began this today by visiting Harderwyk Ministries in Holland. We attended their Fusion service and their Watershed service and came away from both with new ideas and renewed excitement! We will continue to visit different churches each week.


• This Tuesday and Wednesday Randy has three different meetings. One with Classis and two with Home Missions.

Prayer Requests

• Pray for the meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, that they may go well and that God will continue to reveal His plans.


• Pray for the meetings that Randy is setting up with individuals who are interested in being involved in the Plant.


• Pray for direction as the mission statement, vision, and core values of the church are being formulated.

And We're off!

September 8, 2008 marked Randy's official first day as a church planter!
The purpose of this blog is to keep you informed as to the progress that is being made, give you specific prayer requests, and answer any questions you may have.
We are so excited to begin this new work and see God's plans as they unfold!
Thank you for your support, we covet your prayers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do we need another church?

• We do realize that this area has many existing churches in it already. Statistically people who are not currently involved in a church will not walk into our current church buildings and church the way we are used to it is not appealing to them. Some of the aims of this new church are to reach those who have been hurt by the church and walked away, have never been involved in a church, or have left the CRC for some other reason. These people are not easily going to return to an existing church. The need for a church in which these groups can feel accepted and comfortable and come to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior is huge! This church is going to have a very different feel to it. The focus will be on building community, out of which we build relationships with each other and relationships with Jesus Christ.

Where will the church be?

• The location remains to be determined. After much prayer as well as demographic studies, the process of determining the location will occur.

How Can I Help?

• Pray
• Get involved! If you are interested in being actively involved, please contact us
• Financial support. If you are able to help out in this way you can send checks to Discovery CRC, mark them "Church Plant".

Prayer Request

• As we are just in the beginning stages of birthing a new church , pray for clarity and direction, that God's will may be sought out and followed.


• Pray that the move to the new office will go smoothly.


• Pray that the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts of those who have been hearing about this new church and are considering whether God is calling them to be a part of the leadership team.