Update Tuesday 7/02/12

This promises to be a busy and exciting week in the life of the Hamilton Fellowships!  By way of update this week let me just share a few exciting things that will be happening for which we would really appreciate your prayers:

Firstly, being that tonight is Tuesday we are having our weekly Fellowship meeting in our home.  We are very excited about this evening as we will be welcoming some guests, both some old friends and some new friends who just moved into our neighbourhood.  This promises to be our biggest group yet!  We would ask that you pray that the large group and many children would not feel overly busy and distracting, but rather be an amazing picture of the community we long for our House Fellowships to be.  Our group tonight will be multi-generational and multi-cultural (Korean, Ghanaian, Jamaican and Canadian!) and could be an amazing glimpse of the nature of God's Kingdom.  I would also ask that you pray specifically that I might clearly communicate the vision and direction for our Hamilton Fellowships and an invitation to join us in what we feel God has called us to do here in the city.

Secondly, we are gearing up for our monthly homeless outreach during which we will be going to the city core to hand our blankets, hats, mitts, sandwiches, cupcakes and coffee.  Please be in prayer for those that we will encounter and serve.  Please be in prayer for those living out on the streets, especially through these winter months.  If you are in the area and have new or gently used items that you would like to donate then just contact me and we will see about connecting.

I have also begun to meet with a student who attends McMaster university who expressed a desire to be equipped to reach out to the many friends and room-mates that she has met while at University.  She has made some amazing observations during her time there including the fact that many are very skeptical of anything Christian, that they are smart and no matter how one might try to package it they see right through,  recognize "Christian" events and turn the other way.  She has also started to recognize, however, maybe rather than trying to invite them to a "Christian" event, that God has sent her to them to love, serve and share.  Amazing insights!  Looking forward to walking with her along with my friend Jeremy who is helping me out at the campus. 

Another exciting event this week is the Girls Monthly Bible Club that my wife has a part in hosting.  Please pray for the preparations being made, and for all those who will gather on Saturday afternoon to learn life lessons from some of the amazing women in scripture. 

Lastly, I would ask for your continued prayer for my outreach at the Beer Store with the recycling guys.  I have had some significant conversations with one guy in particular, who tends to hang around a bit after most others have left and wants to speak about the bible.  It genuinely seems that he is interested in more than just humouring me and wants to engage in meaningful discussion.  I am hoping over the next few weeks to steer this into a slightly more intentional opportunity for discipleship if he is interested.  Pray that he might consider going through a gospel together and learning more about Jesus.

Once again, thanks for all the support and prayer!