March Prayer
Thanks to those who’ve replied in February
affirming the spring cleaning of my address book!
Still working on it.
It’s always great to hear from you.
K!
February
Was full of personal appointments coaching people in their growth and service, establishing good rapport with new participants in the Focusing Leaders Networks Jim started in January. Also a good week in China meeting with ministry leaders to explore opportunities for marketplace mentoring through starting “Kingdom Businesses” in China’s cities. Jim found out there are now 20 Christian bookstores around China, praise the Lord! Above is a photo Jim took of the new church building for one of the TSPM (open) churches in Kunming. Below is a picture of Kimberly’s first rehearsal/class for mentoring young directors.
March
Jim’s back to work here in Singapore with his monthly Pastors Mentoring Networks and the personal coaching appointments with participants. Please pray for their growth in learning from each other and hearing what God wants to teach them.
Join us in praying for a permanent Personal Assistant for Jim. He met yesterday with a gifted woman whose expertise is in starting up businesses. She’s excited about the potential of ministry through coaching and leadership development in China. She’d be a great asset to the development of these inroads to China, but she’s not the PA he’s looking for immediately. He spends far too much time arranging meetings, travel schedule, administrivia and communications.
1,8,9,10 Focusing Leaders Networks (half-day meetings) – please pray for the 8 co-facilitators leading along with Jim, that God would grow them in their understanding of the material and ability to lead the participants through this discipleship process.
2 Another ½ day of coaching appointments for Jim. He continues through the month meeting one on one with the pastors in his Mentoring Networks. Pray for Kimberly in the evening. She will be on a panel discussion with 4 women arts practitioners. Organized by a secular group called Magdalena Singapore, the discussion will deal with questions like this: “What is my role in the world/society? How do I practice my art as an act of giving to society? Am I a social critic, commentator, activist, etc.?†(http://www.themagdelenaproject.org)
3, 4, 10,11, 24, 25 Kimberly’s FIVE STARS continue to meet on Thursday mornings. We’ve invited some new gals and we’ll soon begin Changes That Heal, by Henry Cloud. The Friday morning Journey of Desire group says their day-to-day working relationships have improved, and other’s on that church staff who are not in the group are reading the book too! (http://journeyofdesire.blogspot.com)
5, 6 Kimberly’s singing in worship services this weekend. I had a number of people write back last month, encouraged by the story about our Playback Theatre performance, so there’s another window on my life written below*
8 Rehearsals on Tuesday nights for AT THE BRIDGE a sketch for a local church’s Easter services. Kim’s combined it with a directing class for 12 who come along to watch and learn!
8, 9 Jim leads ½ day Focusing Leaders Mentoring networks.
10 Kimberly teaches “Enacted Prayer†a form of playback theatre used for group prayer.
11 China Peoples Network – please pray for growth in China ministry vision and effectiveness as Jim leads this quarterly meeting of Singapore church and agency leaders focused on reaching minority groups of China.
But the big events in March begin mid-month.
14-19 International Directors Forum. Please pray as Jim facilitates four days of discussion among 23 CRM international directors from countries around the world. This is the first gathering of its kind, and can have a great impact in bringing common vision to CRM’s ministries around the world. Please pray for good relationship-building where participants can learn from each other and find ways to work together.
16 – 20 Tyler has his first international trip alone. During this one week school holiday, he’s going to see his best Singaporean friend since 1st grade, Reuel Tan. The Tans were missionaries until 1999 and were a blessing to us our first year here before they moved to Bangkok, Thailand (as we were learning Singapore for the first time, they were trying to re-adjust to life here).
17th-21 Kimberly and Cameron take our first trip to Bandung, Indonesia. We’ll be visiting some good CRM friends who come visit us often in Singapore.
21 China Marketplace Mentoring – Jim calls together Christian leaders in Singapore to meet half day with CRM USA’s visiting president, Sam Metcalf, and discuss ways to evangelize and disciple China’s growing urban middle class through starting Kingdom Businesses.
29-April3 Jim and Kimberly travel to Australia to officiate the wedding of one of Kimberly’s 5 Stars, Joni, who is emigrating to Australia with her musician husband Trevor. Pray for God’s blessings in leading and providing for them, and pray for the boys to stay out of trouble as they stay in Singapore with a house sitting friend!
And you thought last month was full!
Thank you for your prayers for protection and peace as well as Christ’s continuing rule and reign in our family and ministries.
Fondly,
Kimberly, Jim, Tyler & Cameron
“For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.” –Philippians 2:13
