Dear Friend,

It’s hard to believe it’s already October!  Aidan is celebrating his 3rd birthday on the 14th.  And we are in a busy season with LIFE Groups, Cleansing Stream and Step Ahead Learning…for any of you that are runners or marathoners out there, we feel a little like we’re at mile 20 of 26 so please cover us in prayer as much as you are able.  We so appreciate your partnership and support! Below are some quick updates and specific prayer requests…

Cleansing Stream- The retreat is this weekend Oct 16-17 in Richmond.  Emma and I will be traveling to the retreat, along with Caitlyn, our babysitter, and some of the Cleansing Stream Leadership Team (Deonni, Melinda, Beth Ann, Michelle, Mike, and Betsy).  Please pray God’s hedge of protection (physical, emotional, spiritual) over us and that we will each receive new and deeper measures of God’s presence, grace, healing and victory.

LIFE Groups- Are in full swing!  Pray for increases in wisdom, strength, endurance, and God’s refreshing for Rich and all the various leaders that serve so diligently each week.  Please also pray for divine connections so that the people (both inside and outside the walls of KPIC) who need to find life-giving community in its various forms will find groups to plug into.

Step Ahead Learning-  as we mentioned in our last post, I’ve been given the opportunity to provide before and after-school tutoring to low-income students under the provisions of No Child Left Behind legislation.  Please ask God to give us the wisdom we need to train instructors, build systems, develop curriculum and effectively tutor students.  And though we are invited into the schools to help students increase their academic achievement, I believe we need to do more that just that.  I feel Step Ahead Learning is called to engage the whole child, equip them with academic skills and knowledge, and empower them to make a difference in our world.  If you’d like to find out more about what we’re doing and where we’ll be serving, visit us at stepaheadlearning.wordpress.com.

We bless you,

Rich & Merridith

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. –Galatians 5:25

Dear Friend,

September is “back to school” month for many families but for our family it is “step ahead” month.  We’ve got a lot going on from LIFE groups fall semester launch, to the Cleansing Stream seminar starting, to a new community service opportunity called Step Ahead Learning.  In the midst of all that we have to put our hands to, we believe that by the grace of God we’ll be able to “step ahead” to our next levels of maturity, wholeness, and the manifestation of the fruit of the spirit in our lives.  And we are believing and praying the same for you.  Thank you for your partnership in prayer, we need you.

With grateful hearts,

Rich & Merridith

Family Updates:

Aidan is in a wonderful preschool that starts up again, Sept 8th.  Please pray for his character to be shaped through his experiences there with his godly teacher and adorable classmates.

Jonathan is verbalizing more and more each day and has learned to say “mine” quite well.  This month he will start a weekly play date with a few other toddlers his age.  Please play that he will find expression and nurture for his unique interests and talents.

Emma is growing so quickly and continues to amaze us with her sweet and dainty and entirely feminine ways.  She actually sticks her pinky finger out like she’s ready to sip a cup of tea.  It’s too cute!

Ministry Updates:

LIFE Groups- fall semester launch is Sept 27th.  Though this is the second fall we’ll be leading LIFE groups, it’s a time of many firsts…here are a few

• Professionally created LIFE group catalogue with descriptions of each group and leader’s contact info
• LGX- LIFE Groups Executive Team- the highest caliber leaders who are involved with strategic decision making
• LCa’s- LIFE Coach apprentices- up and coming LIFE coaches, who are being mentored in how to lead, support and inspire the LIFE Group leaders.
• LGST- LIFE Groups Solution Team- a new “solutions” focused team of individuals to support the LIFE Group leaders consulting on such things as curriculum, group dynamics, facilitating discussions, etc.

Please pray we would receive all the grace available to us to lead, invest in, encourage, and support the leaders involved as they “step ahead” in their leadership and personal development.

Cleansing Stream- fall seminar begins Tues, Sept 15th.  Partner with us as we ask God to activate the gifts and talents He’s placed within us to serve Him and His people.  Please continue to pray God’s hedge of protection over us as we teach and encourage individuals on how to access the healing and freedom that Jesus died for them to have.

Step Ahead Learning- Merridith submitted an application to the NC state board of education to become a provider of SES tutoring, which is government funded afterschool tutoring in math and reading for low achieving students under No Child Left Behind legislation.  We recently found out that her program, Step Ahead Learning, was approved the board for the 09-10 school year.  We’ll be sharing more with you as details unfold, but ask that you would pray with us that the decisions that we need to make in the coming weeks will be exactly in line with what God would want and that students and their parents would choose Step Ahead Learning as their tutoring program of choice.

Dear Friend,

What a summer of significant change!  And with any significant change there is both rejoicing and grieving– a letting go of what was in order to embrace what is.  In a recent time of prayer I heard the Holy Spirit encourage me with “don’t focus your attention on your limitations and what you or anyone else is not.  Rather, focus your attention on who I AM and what I CAN DO.”  I was so encouraged!  We pray that you too, will focus your attention on who God is, and what He can do on your behalf.

We love and appreciate you,

Rich & Merridith

Family Update:        Aidan (2.5 yrs) • Jonathan (15 mos) • Emma (7 wks)
Please pray for us, specifically Aidan and Jonathan during this time of transition with the birth of Emma.  Pray that they would each find their identity and security in God and His love for them.  Pray for un-interrupted sleep.  And continue to pray for our physical health and protection- stand with us against sickness and disease and any attack of the enemy.  Pray healing, blessing and well being over each of us.

Ministry Update:
Cleansing Stream- Merridith is now the Director of Cleansing Stream!  We are grateful for this opportunity to serve God and His people.  And as curious a time as it is with so much happening on the home front, we really feel this is the timing of the Lord for her to take on this new role.  Please pray for her as she leads this significant ministry and pray for our family- protection, grace, revelation, strength, wisdom, etc.

LIFE Groups- Please pray that individuals would respond as God stirs and draws them to discover the treasures He’s placed in their heart and that those treasures would find expression, at least in part, through leading a LIFE Group.

June was an exciting month!  We are honored to announce the birth of our baby girl, Emma Grace, on June 22 at 2:39p.  She was 6lbs, 15oz and 19 inches long at birth.  She is such a joy to our family; the boys love having a sister.  Aidan asks to hold her everyday, and always wants to help change her diaper- he is a pro at getting a clean diaper and wipes and throwing the dirty diaper away.  Jonathan is very curious about her, looking into her car seat and laughing or saying “bay-bee.”  Thank you for your faithful prayers for our family surrounding Emma’s birth and our adjustment to being a family of five.  We feel so blessed by God and sense His abundant grace each day.

We love and appreciate you,

Rich & Merridith

Our Family                        Aidan (2.5yrs) • Jonathan (14mos) • Emma (born 6/22)

Praise Reports:
Thank you for praying for our children’s health and protection.  All of our children are healthy and thriving.

Please pray for:
•    Physical Health and Protection- stand with us against sickness and disease and any attack of the enemy.  Pray healing, blessing and well-being over each of us.
•    Wisdom in parenting and nurturing our children
•    Restful & Refreshing Sleep- that God would multiply the benefit of the little we get!
•    Grace and strength as we adjust to our new life as a family of five.
•    Breast feeding Emma- we had some challenges at first with severe pain and blocked ducts…please agree with us that the Lord will pulverize whatever blockages might exist and that breast feeding will be a blessed experience for both mom and baby.

Ministry

Praise Reports:
Thank you for your prayers on the ministry front.  Please agree with us that God will multiply our efforts to advance His kingdom in the earth so that He will be glorified.  Supper Clubs are off to a great start, with over 275 people participating at launch.  Remember anyone can join through out the summer by emailing supperclubs@kpic.org.

Please pray for:
LIFE Groups-
•    Supper Clubs- that real encouragement, relationship building and fun will occur
•    God would move on the hearts of men and women to become LG leaders this fall
•    Wisdom in strategic planning and decision making especially as we prepare for the fall semester.
aXcess (Singles & Newlyweds)-
•    Wisdom in strategic planning for this fall and next spring
Special Events/ Guest Services-
•    Planning and transition to the Guest services center
•    Wisdom for time table, leadership core, system implementation