Modern-Day Miracle

A couple of weeks ago a young lady in our church reported an urgent need for healing in her body. Her doctor found a mass that was cause for serious concern. The church responded to the need with prayer and fasting: every person in the church committed to praying and fasting until we received news of a miracle. We weren't alone in this response; other friends and family members at other churches also joined in praying for this need.

One week later our friend received a call from her doctor: The mass was gone! The doctor reported that what she had seen and felt was not there anymore.

We celebrated the news of this answered prayer, and faith is building in our church as a result! We are committing to more prayer and fasting for other needs. We understand that prayer and fasting aren't methods of earning the blessings and miracles God has for us. But we do know that Jesus called us to sacrifice and pay the price to see some of the things He wants to provide. I'm so excited to see everyone coming together to meet others' needs!

Dedicated to the Vision for Richmond

One week from today, Joyful Life Ministries will host its dedication service. Together with many friends and family members who have prayed for the church, we will celebrate what God has done and dedicate ourselves to what He still wants to do. Looking back over almost two years of ministry, the hand of God is evident in our short history. From our beginning as a Bible Study Group in a local coffeehouse to our first service in a hotel conference room, God has blessed our efforts and established us more deeply in the community.

JLM now has a great facility and location that allows us to increase the impact we have on lives here in Richmond. It has also enabled us to begin ministries that were impossible to start before, when we were using borrowed rooms and buildings. In January, we hosted our first Marriage Conference in this new location. We've been able to have separate classroom sessions for various groups in our church. We're thankful for what God has done for us and we're looking forward to even more!

Short Time, Big Changes

Blogging capabilities and my knowledge of them have changed so much in a short time. Par for the course in our wonderful age of technology. I'm hoping to update the look of our former Ground Up blog and move all old blogs to this new location. Check back soon for a look at our archived articles and for more updates on the progress of planting a church...always an adventure! We've got so much to share; part of the reason the blog hasn't been updated more often is because the church has been so busy taking deeper root and becoming more established. Still, I'd like to keep you up-to-speed on the blessings and miracles we're experiencing. Watch this space for Good News!

All of Us Are Smarter Than One of Us

The Word on Life gave us an opportunity on Wednesday to hear from each person in the group as we discussed "God's Customer Service Department." It's always great to draw from the unique insights of each person as we have our Bible study discussions.
I appreciate the input and the wisdom apparent in the comments. It's obvious that the people of Joyful Life Ministries have a love for their church and a vision to see greater things accomplished by the hand of God. I'm looking forward to continued labor in the harvest field with each of them.

Mind Expansion Doesn't Have to Hurt

What an amazing time we had together on Sunday! It was so good to feel the presence of God as the people of Joyful Life Ministries came together for worship, Word, and fellowship. Thanks to everyone who helped create an Apostolic atmosphere that allowed God to move like He always wants to!
I'm remembering the words of a college professor who told our class, "Once your mind has been expanded it will never go back to its original state." While you might be thinking of someone right now who seems to disprove that statement, I happen to believe it is absolutely true. I think our minds were expanded yesterday as we saw what's possible every time we meet as believers. Now that we have seen how God can move we won't settle for less than His perfect plan for us each time we meet again.
Thanks again for your sacrifice in our quest to find Christ more completely!

We're Moving!

We're only one week away from moving to our new location! Everyone at JLM is excited about the direction we're headed and it's awesome to see that we're all on the same page as we move forward with God's vision and purpose for us.
The new location on West Main Street has so much potential and offers us some great opportunities to expand our impact in the community. We've seen good, steady growth and progress over the last year in our current location and it's time to move to the next stage of God's plan. It's always nice to outgrow where you are when you know that God has something bigger and better in store!
We're planning some great events to celebrate the new location and the surge of God's Spirit that we are experiencing together. We'll keep everyone informed and hope to see you there!

There is a Tide - JLM Flood Update

Just wanted to put my thoughts down in writing before life speeds forward and covers the moment and the memory in its dust.
I am so thankful for the great people who are coming together at Joyful Life Ministries. Last night was a perfect and inspiring example! There was such a sense of unity that I felt like we could take on the whole world. And we can! Even the crazy Lego Sculpture Event allowed us to grow together and get a vision of what lies ahead for us :)
I shared my favorite Shakespeare quote with everyone last night: "There is a tide in the affairs of men which taken at the flood leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries."
We're experiencing that tide and flood right now at JLM. I'm so glad to see each person sharing in the same vision and moving forward to catch the wave of opportunity and promise that's building for us. The people and events God is putting in the same place at this moment are a great indicator of things to come. I look forward to seeing the spiritual fortune that God has in store.
Dedicated to the Vision for Richmond,