God's Faithfulness In Community

"For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." — Ephesians 2:10 Dear Friends, ​ Mark and I are often just struck by the incredible detail and beauty of God’s creation. He has made each of us unique and significant, with our own specific gifts and heritage. God calls us to honor Him through furthering the fellowship of believers, also called the body of Christ.( both locally in our places of worship and internationally as Jesus followers). "now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." 1 Corinthians 12:27 ​We’ve seen the evidence of these wonderful gifts and community growing—both right here in Dallas and all the way over in Uganda.​​ ​A "God Thing" in the Metroplex ​Christian community doesn’t just happen on its own; it is cultivated. What was a surprise to us has turned into a total "God thing." When we first joined our Sunday school class, we didn't realize our house was located right smack dab in the middle of where all the members live!   ​Our class draws people from every corner of the DFW Metroplex—from McKinney up North to Rockwall in the East, and from Fort Worth out West down to Meridian in the South. God has used our home as a hub for people to gather.   ​Our First Friday Fellowships (food, fellowship, scriptural encouragement and prayer) have grown to 20 or 30 people in our home, but the impact goes even deeper. Margaret has been able to help folks identify who lives just 10 or 15 minutes away from their own front doors. It has made it so much easier for them to develop relationships closer to home, opening the door for potlucks, prayer and care for one another. We also are blessed to see people "lingering longer" to chat after class, learning names, and developing deeper friendships.   ​"They shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people." — Acts 2:46-47   ​Iron Sharpening Iron ​One-on-one discipleship is still the heartbeat of our ministry. In each of our groups, we don't just have one leader, instead we take turns facilitating biweekly studies, allowing for deep, shared wisdom.   ​Margaret’s Ladies’ Group: Every other week, we are discussing the book Bad Girls of the Bible. It’s been such a gift for each of us to facilitate those talks and see how God’s grace applies to our own lives.   ​Men’s Fellowship Groups: Whether working through The Pursuit of Holiness, Confronting Casual Christianity or A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, these men take turns facilitating. These are rich, vulnerable discussions about how these truths apply to their work and families. Mark is a fellow traveler, participating and growing alongside them as they share life together. "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17 ​Trauma and Triumph in Uganda ​Our connection to Uganda is strong. Margaret continues to work with students she mentors via WhatsApp, and one young woman, in particular, has had a profoundly traumatic year. Two of her roommates were killed in a motorcycle accident, and our mutual friend—the Director of Student Affairs at Uganda Christian University—was recently murdered.   ​These things are very hard to put into words, but her faith remains her anchor. We meet for an hour every week just to talk about life and her walk with the Lord. She’s been faithfully reading the Life Application Bible we gave her through the ministry, and she is developing spiritually. Seeing her grow in the middle of such pain is a powerful reminder of God’s comfort:   ​"He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Pamela Tumwebaze, the Director of Student Affairs-Uganda Christian University, in the center cooking with students at Kingdom View when we first became friends. Her murder has impacted so many in the community. We were blessed to know her. The Collin Mugga Ggayi Memorial Bible Fund ​We recently sent Bibles to pastors and leaders in Rukungiri, in Western Uganda, Also we were honored to set up the Collin Mugga Ggayi Memorial Bible Fund.   Most of you didn’t know Collin personally, his legacy is bringing light to many. Collin, the son of a very close friend, passed away recently after a lifelong battle with sickle cell anemia. We are honoring his memory by donating Children’s Bibles to a Ugandan Christian school, BSF International in Kampala and Rukungiri Community Church.   ​"Those who are righteous will be long remembered." — Psalm 112:6 ​We Value You ​We are so encouraged by all these things, and we wanted to make sure you knew how much we value your friendship. Your prayers and your own unique gifts are what make this ministry possible.   ​With grateful hearts,   ​Mark and Margaret