Refreshing, Renewing and Rebuilding

Hi Friends – Just a few quick notes before I catch the “redeye” out of town to attend the InFaith Refresh conference in Asheville, North Carolina.

 First, I want each of you ministry leaders and supporters to know how much of a privilege it is for me to work with you.  As I see the myriad ways our ministries interact, both upfront in functions like camps, evangelism, teaching & preaching, and behind the scenes, in equally important service of prayer, encouragement, ministry administration, planning, logistics, etc., I realize how important it is that the Lord gifted us all differently (Romans 12:6-7), but pointed us to the same purpose (Matthew 28:19-20).  Each one of us is crucial to the mission!   (1 Corinthians 12:20-27)  You are crucial to the mission!

 This week in Asheville, I will be meeting with other brothers and sisters in Christ, each differently gifted and equally essential to the outworking of God’s plan to share His Gospel with America.  While the InFaith conference is called “Refresh” and I do hope to have at least a few hours to REST in the Lord, I also expect to learn a lot: from the speakers, from my fellow missionaries, and from the Lord, as I am praying for renewed vision of His plan for InFaith: Northwest Oregon in the years ahead.  It is possible that the new vision will look very much like the old: that the Lord’s focus for the ministry will continue to be to encourage, equip, advise and assist churches and other ministries in their fulfillment of the Great Commission.  If that is the case, we will charge ahead in the direction we have followed for the past five years, with a few minor tweaks here and there.  But it is also possible that He could reveal something completely new, using gifts of many folks who may not currently be stepping in.  He may tighten our focus, or broaden it.  He may show us new ministry opportunity in our field that we might not have thought about before.  And I am praying that He will be sending in more laborers for the harvest, in His time.  Please pray that this week in Asheville will be enlightening, productive and indeed Refresh-ing for me.  Don’t expect any bold, new pronouncements when I get home, but please know my heart is open to hear what the Lord may be saying.

Praise God! Dodge’s Community Church sanctuary got “buttoned up” against the weather just a day before the fall rains began!

 And if you haven’t taken a drive into the country lately, I encourage you to go out Highway 211, south of Estacada, turn on Hillockburn Road, and see what the Lord is accomplishing at Dodge Community Church.  After the fire a couple years ago, He first rebuilt the community; now He is rebuilding their sanctuary; and He is rebuilding and renewing His church body in Dodge, a small group which has faithfully held strong in the face of incredible adversity, and is prepared to march forward with the Word as they grow in strength and number.

 Let His name be praised!

Tom Hiscox, NW Oregon Area Missionary thiscox@infaith.org