Laurel and I just got back to Cleveland this week after having travelled back from a spending several days with the Joe and Angie Steinke and their tribe from their discipleship community there in Madison and then continuing on to spend a week with Peter and Jessica Woehler at a ministry called Source in Minneapolis. I sincerely want to thank those of you who support us– especially those in leadership at our local fellowship, NewSong Church! Without the generosity and partnership of individuals like yourself, it would be impossible for us to do all that the Lord asks of us to reveal Christ to students and people in transition. Laurel and I want to take a moment to thank you for your faithfulness over these years.
Madison, WI
In the setting of a barn converted to a very magical concert space, we had the opportunity to share our hearts with about 70 students in the discipleship community of Mad-City Church. We heard some great reports from several that night, but one in particular I’d like to mention, is that of a woman who said she was a real mess the whole time. When I responded asking her if she was OK, she said, Oh yes… God was really working on her all night while we were ministering, “it was so anointed”. We joined with the worship team at Mad City Church on Sunday to co-lead worship for their 2 morning services. I was really blown away at how the messages in the songs and the message Elliot shared worked somehow in tandem– just one more way I’ve witnessed God weaving things together that may at first appear to be unrelated. Wow!
Minneapolis, MN
Laurel and I packed up the Van and took a 4 hour trip with our group from Cleveland to land in Minneapolis to be a part of the Artist Intensive at Source, a inner city ministry lead by Peter and Jessica Woehler. We were able to meet up with Tracy Howe, Ben and Robin Pasley, Karla and Gary Adolphe, Caleb Friesen, and Kate Hurley, all of whom are a part of our Blue Renaissance family of arts missionaries. During the week we lead worship, prayed over people, lead small group discussions, and taught in mini-seminars to equip artists. The theme of the entire week was about belonging to the family of God and how we operate as the Body of Christ. There was some very powerful worship during these sessions… powerful in that there was a strong sense of unity in the midst of our corporate worship. I remember leading a song that I’d written just a few days earlier that people were singing with me as I was singing it for the first time w/o words or any visual aids as to where we were going. We were going the journey together, into unfamiliar waters taking risks but feeling comfortable in doing so together. Let’s just say God’s kingdom WILL come and HIS will will BE DONE in a people who are willing to walk in that level of unity. We finished off the week with ArtFest, a public street festival that allows us to love on the people in the neighborhoods surrounding The Fallout and just a few block from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. This was the same festival Laurel and I got to participate in 2 years ago, so it was awesome to be back to witness all of the progress made in the last 2 years and to love and encourage Peter and Jessica, and the people they love and serve.
For the remainder of the Summer, things will calm down for us in out travels. In the Fall we would like to travel with our BRCG partners to Recife, Brazil to continue our work sowing into our relationships there. I’ll be telling you more very soon. Please pray and consider partnering with us! We will be helping Brazilians create original worship that will be culturally relevant to Brazilians. And ALSO, after writing a bunch of new material for the next Village Thrift recording, I am endeavoring to complete this recording by the end of 2007. Please pray for key partnerships for collaboration for this recording, our work in Brazil, and our ongoing missionary work here in the U.S.
–Todd
