Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His
eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus
Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious
grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. Ephesians 1:4-6
Our family spent 19 years in Orlando, beginning in 1999. From our backyard, we had a distant view of rocket launches at Kennedy Space Center. It never ceased to captivate and amaze me when a Space Shuttle launch took place. I would have the launch coverage cued up on the television, then would go outside a few seconds later to see the rocket rise into the sky about 35 miles away. The launch was actually a culmination of months of preparation. The mission in space required so much work of so many people that never made the news coverage. Yet it was vital to the mission.
His Pursuit is heading to the launch pad! The mission God has invited us into is engaging men in their pursuit of discovering and living as God’s beloved sons, in community with other men. The engagement will include launching and cultivating communities of men pursuing this adventure together, as well as offering outdoor experiences for retreat and focus on our relationship with God and others. I am initiating a couple communities of men here in North Carolina, as well as designing and promoting some outdoor experiences this summer. Please pray for God’s leadership and favor in these efforts. Thank you.
CONNECTING
For the past several weeks, this has been God’s theme in the development of His Pursuit. A few weeks ago, I went to get a haircut and encountered Sarah. She was always one of my favorites, but I hadn’t seen her for over a year. As we delightfully caught up with each other she asked, What’s new? I began sharing about our vision for His Pursuit and she enthusiastically said, You need to meet my pastor! Several days later, Steve and I had a phone conversation together. He has recently retired from a 26-year career with the US Postal Service to dedicate himself to Agape Corner, a local nonprofit focused on helping at-risk young men with a mentoring relationship and job placement. We got together the following week and had an incredible conversation. As we develop experiences and resources, Steve is eager to looks at ways we can work together. There are other providential connections I could tell you about including BetterMan, Barna CoLab and Mission Triangle. They will likely be part of future updates.Please pray for God’s continued presence, leadership, direction and provision as we take the next step with His Pursuit. As the Father’s beloved son, my heart is to follow His lead and continue to courageously step out by faith.
Thank you!
Yours in Christ,
Patrick