Back when we were planning to purchase the buildings to the south of us on Concord Road, I wrote a letter to some local churches asking for their financial assistance in making the purchase. One of the churches that stepped up with a gift was Immanuel Reformed Presbyterian Church.
Jared Olivetti started Immanuel RPC the same year we launched Lafayette Community Church, and I have always had an affinity for him and his ministry. When they committed money to our purchase I was overjoyed!
Just this last week, he encouraged me once again by sending me this email:
We’re going to be praying for Lafayette Community Church this Sunday morning. Do you have any prayer requests I could share with the congregation?
What a blessing to think that another church in this town will be talking about and praying for US this week as a part of their worship!
I want you to know that we are not alone in our pursuit of God’s Kingdom coming in our city!
This is what I wrote back to Jared:
Awesome! Thank you!
First, let me say once again thank you to you and your congregation for blessing us with $1000 to help us purchase the building formerly known as Filly’s. Please express my appreciation to your congregation for that show of support and for your willingness to pray with us for our needs.
The past year has been fruitful for us as we continue to see people find renewed vigor in their faith and see new people take steps toward deeper maturity in their lives, but our two biggest challenges right now are these:
1. We want 2019 to be a year of outreach for us. Specifically, we will be placing a lot of emphasis on reaching the unreached in our own community and around the world. That will require new financial commitments from our people, but it will also require the willingness of people to step up and be spiritual coaches to the new people we will reach out to in 2019. Pray with us for workers to join the harvest in 2019.
2. We continue to face challenges with our finances and our building. Two specific financial challenges remain for us. (1) Our main building needs a new roof. It is leaking terribly with every rain, and our insurance company has put an exclusion on our policy against covering any damage resulting from a roof failure. We are raising money and pursuing additional financing for that need. (2) The former Filly’s building is an unsalvageable mess. It has no structural value and must be torn down. The demolition and waste removal costs are estimated to be roughly $30K.
Please join us in prayer that God would lead the people of Lafayette Community Church to personal spiritual maturity, to a shared urgency in mission, and to wise financial stewardship so that we can take our next steps on our mission to help people discover life in Christ.
Since Immanuel RPC will be praying these things for us this week, I’m asking you to join them also and pray these things for LCC as well, and while you are at it, why don’t you spend some moments in prayer for Jared and his church as well?
