Stegners On Mission
If the duration between our updates is any indicator, it has been a very full year of ministry. My original intent was to NOT let a full year go by and write an update this fall, but then we had an unexpected emergency (see family update section below). Everyone is OK but it meant in-part that I didn't get to this until now, apologies. Without further delay: In addition to my endless executive duties (which make for more boring reading) here are some ministry high points from this last year! ✨ We again celebrated baptisms several times this year as a church, including outdoor baptism this past summer:
(Above: Summer Baptism Party at the river, five new believers baptized!) I've realized it is high time for another update (how the months slip by) and so much has happened since Spring. As usual I'll stick to the highlights and post lots of pictures. :)
At risk of sounding like the the Apostle Paul, "I have desired for some time to write to you to tell you of the mighty works of Jesus in building his church!" Yet the press of ministry these past six months has been so all-encompassing, the pitch of the battle so relentless, finding a moment to do so has been difficult. Even now I feel the weight of things undone as I pause to write this update. And yet glorifying the name of God by publicly extolling his works is the "one great end" of all of this hustle, and so I am desirous to see that he gets his due. Here's a bit of a snapshot of the last six months:
Well it's been a crazy season of pandemic-style ministry...so much so that it's been over five months since our last report (the Summer 2020 report didn't even happen!). There's so much to share that right away I'm going to mix up the format of these updates and start with our ministry highlights:
As I sit down to write this quarterly report, I am finding it hard to comprehend that it's only been three months since I last did this. It feels more like nine months ago, a year even. And what a "year" it's been! The very first time I read about this "new virus" in Wuhan, China, I remember thinking to myself, "I will always remember this moment as being when I first learned of the virus that destroyed the world." I briefly pictured what it would be like to live in a post-apocalyptic scenario...and then I went on with my life because my brain is always having random thoughts like that and I've learned to ignore them. Thankfully my brain was mostly wrong and we haven't experienced a total meltdown of society, and yet we are in the midst of something historic, something that is going to leave a lasting mark on the way that we do life across the globe. But the amazing thing in the midst of all of this is what we're seeing Jesus do through the Internet during this time. It appears that unprecedented numbers of people are hearing the gospel and responding. And of course it's hard to know how accurate any statistics ever are, all the more so as we're all confined to our homes and families, but in as much as researchers are able to verify anything they say, God appears to be on the move. Just like the gospel initially spread along those reliable Roman roads, the gospel now is reaching new areas and new hearts through the superhighways of the the online world! I'll detail more in a moment about how our own local ministry is going, as well as a family update, but first here is an update on where we're at in terms of our support raising project:
Who is under that hood? It's Emma making snowballs! Severine and the kids went outside today to enjoy a crazy 30-40 cm of new snowfall (and it's not supposed to stop until tomorrow??). Oh the joys of living in Canada! :) Despite the cold it's been a very busy & fruitful winter. Here are our Support Raising, Ministry, & Family Highlights since our last update:
In case you haven’t already seen, I just released my newest book ‘One Thousand Churches: A Movement to Saturate Quebec with the Gospel of Jesus’. And in just under a week I'll be leaving for a 'west coast book tour' in Oregon & Washington. Sadly, Severine and the kids won't be joining me for this trip, but if you'd like to connect with me I'll be having TWO 'Stegners On Mission' open house events in the SE Portland area: Saturday, November 23rd - 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM Sunday, November 24th - 2:00PM to 3:30 PM Come enjoy some fellowship and hear about what Jesus is doing in Quebec! I will be: 1. Sharing a bit about our ministry. 2. Answering questions. 3. Giving away FREE copies of 'One Thousand Churches’ (while supplies last). BONUS: There will also be light refreshments. :) If you would like to come to one of these open house events, please contact me for the additional details. Thanks very much and hope to see you there!
Fall is upon us, school has resumed, and the typical September to August ministry year has launched like a rocket! :) Here are our Support-Raising, Ministry, & Family Highlights since our last update:
