The map is up and I have two more pages of addresses to go....

Well, not too much has happened since I last posted (probably in reality EVERYTHING has happened since I last posted, but one week goes by and you can forget what you have done), but times are just as much fun and it seems that even though the work has seemed to come to a normal flow...it is still just as exciting and fun as it has ever been.

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The "younger" Associate Pastor @ the Presb. Church in Union has contacted me (said that he was intrigued by my title, heh) and I him and we hope to get together sometime soon to discuss God's desires for Union and to see if any of them are similar and how we can both support one another in God's vision and direction for the people of Union. I hope to meet with him soon....just a matter of getting a hold of each other and not voice mail, heh....

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I am still processing the information we gained from our meeting with Linda. I also have finally finished the first Erwin McManus book (An Unstoppable Force: Daring to Become the Church God Had in Mind) I started reading a year ago this week....and I think I need to just go ahead and start reading it again, heh....it is one of those books for me that I can not just read...I discuss in my reading and it is not uncommon at all to have me form a discussion with the author's words over 30 mins per page...but it is very good and now that Gary is reading the same book maybe we can have some discussions, as well.

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Great news!!! The Union map has been cut, laminated, and it now currently up on the wall in our offices! It is huge...but there is a part of me that wanted it that way...not only is it extremely useful to be that large..but it symbolically reminds me and everyone who walks past it that the task before us is impossible to do on our own and that we are constantly going to need God's help and direction for this Tribe Extension. You can see the pictures below. Basically what I will do is place an indicator arrow at each home that is a current member of FUMC and then I can start to contact these homes to share the vision and God's leading and find out how much help they could provide in support and time and even possibly the opening up of their house to the block parties we would like to sponsor with area businesses. At first I was going to meet with each home and family/individual separately...but then I cam e to my senses and have decided to set cluster meetings of each area of houses. If you look close to the pictures (and you can zoom them a little if you click on the picture) you will be able to see the arrow stickers that are marking the current membership of FUMC in the Union area.

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The biggest event that we are focusing on right now is our:

Free Concert @ Sterling Manor Coffee Shop this Saturday night (17th)
from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

(need directions?)

This is a concert that we are helping put together to promote the coffee shop and to help out a friend of ours that is moving to Nashville to see if he can follow God's leading and possibly join the music industry. His Name is Will Solomon and please feel free to check out his website and get a taste of his music.

So as a reminder...please come by and bring a friend to this free concert @ Sterling Manor Coffee Shop (take the Richwood Exit off of I-75/I-71 and the Coffee Shop is behind the McDonald's) The coffee is amazing...and the music will not disappoint...and it even has free wi-fi access...so if nothing else you can come by and check your email, heh heh

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Here is me in front of the huge Union map...(and BTW it is between the office doors of the Sr. Pastor and the other Associate pastor...it is not what most interior decorators would choose...but it is a wonderful reminder of a need for prayer and support of the ministry God is doing!


And here is a close up of a very small part of the map. Crazy huh? It is huge! And you can see a few arrow stickers that we have placed on the map that show where the current FUMC members live so I will know who to call for a cluster meeting to find out how they can support the Tribe Extension.

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Please KUTPs and pray that God continues to lead us (not us God) and that we stay focused....I am finding out that even I am having preconceived ideas of what this tribe extension might look like...and I am dealing with those....it is a good thing that I am dealing with them with God...but it is a constant challenge to make sure that I stay focused in prayer along with you!

Oh and the prayer team should be meeting some time this month so that is great news! Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers, and please keep them coming!

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Organic Culture Forming: The development of a way of living in relationship through a natural means.