December 2010 Rhodes Family Church Planting Update

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas!! We are so excited about this Advent season and what God is going to do. It is a busy month for our family. We have Josiah’s 4^th birthday, the impending birth of baby #3 and of course Christmas. It is going to be an exciting month!

Jeremy has started meeting weekly with a group of men that have been really searching for a place of accountability. This group has been an amazing blessing to Jeremy and the others involved as well. God has used them to love each other, lift each other up, pray for one another, and just be each others friends! Elizabeth got a chance to see the bond they had all created one evening when they came to the house to pray for her pregnancy. She was overwhelmed with the love they showed her and one another. This is just one way that God has revealed to us His desire to build relationships and change lives rather than just have a place where people go on Sundays. It goes so far beyond that and it is so exciting to see it played out in our lives.

This month we will be starting three home groups led by different people involved in Fusion. These groups will be discussing the Advent season and meaning of Christmas. We are so excited about what God is going to do through these groups. It is going to be an opportunity to reach out to a different group of people and for more relationships to develop. One of our groups is held in the home of a woman whose roommate is not a believer so we are praying that she will stick around and be a part of the discussion. What an exciting opportunity for her to come to know Christ right in her own home!

This last month we have really felt a battle going on here in Chico. A spiritual battle that is affecting a lot of the people we know. We have several couples we know going through marital problems, job problems, and relationship problems. Elizabeth is also having a hard time with the end of her pregnancy.  It seems that the enemy is trying to derail us from what God is doing. We ask that you pray with us against this attack and that healing can occur in the lives of these people so that we can continue down the path that God has called us! I guess we are doing something right if Satan is trying to stop us!

Last month we asked for help with purchasing some Bible Software and that need has been fulfilled!! We are so blessed and excited that God met this need for us! Thank you so much. We still need additional funds so if you are able we would greatly appreciate any additional financial support. If you have not yet sent in your support for December please send that in as soon as you can.

We are so thankful this Christmas season. We are thankful for all of you and your support and of course thankful for our savior coming to the earth to set us free!! We pray you all have a wonderful Christmas and don’t forget what this season is all about.

Blessings!

Jeremy and Elizabeth Rhodes

 

Email: pastor.jdr@gmail.com                                  

Church Website: www.fusionchico.com            

November 2010 Rhodes Family Church Planting Update

Dear Family and Friends,

Here in Chico it is either cold or hot. We went from 95-degree days to 60-degree days the following week. On morning I left home and it was 35 degrees outside, I had to chip my car out of a block of ice, which is normal for December unusual in October.

We are continued to be blessed by making inroads in to people’s lives. We are starting to see some amazing connections take place. God has brought many of the Pastors in Chico together for prayer and fellowship.  There is a real spirit of unity coming. I also have connected with other men in town that are ministering as missionaries in the community. It is good to connect with them and share stories of the ways we see God at work in our community.

Well last night was Halloween.

Halloween is a huge party in Chico… I was out in my uniform with the Fire Chief late last night. Please pray for the young people in this town and that God will direct me to find ways to share the love of God with people that really need Him. Also pray for the emergency services because in addition to trying to bring order to the chaos they were being followed around by representatives of the ACLU to ensure that the police did not harm criminals. There were also multiple stabbings this weekend in the midst of the parties.

Please pray for us as God continues to shape Fusion into a community of faith, hope and love.  We believe that God has big plans for Fusion. We view our gatherings as a place for community growth and development so that we can be scattered out again. Everyone that comes to Fusion is a missionary to his or her families and jobs.

THANK YOU for your support. Without your prayers and financial support we wouldn’t be where we are today. Thank you for allowing God to use you in Fusion. You are as much a part of the church as those that come to our Bible Studies and gatherings. God has met our equipment needs through donations. Thank you for your help.

One thing that would help, as my time is limited is any additional giving you could do toward the purchase of Bible software would greatly help me. For specifics call 530-518-0505 or email me pastor.jdr@gmail.com

If you would like to commit support to us you may do so by contacting the Converge office at (209) 830-6222 or going online at www.sunergeo.org/donate.html. Thank you all for your prayers and support. We couldn’t do this without you! If you are currently supporting us and have not yet sent in your support for October please do so at this time. Thank you!

Blessings!

Jeremy and Elizabeth Rhodes

Email: pastor.jdr@gmail.com                                  

Church Website: www.fusionchico.com            

October 2010 Rhodes Family Church Planting Update

Dear Family and Friends,

We want to partner with Jesus to build in faith, hope and love all over the city of Chico. We believe that God has big plans for Fusion. We view our gatherings as a place for community growth and development so that we can be scattered out again. Everyone that comes to Fusion is a missionary to his or her families and jobs.

Fall is here! We have relief from the heat and everything is back in full swing. I am back working as a mentor at a local public High School. I have the same student that I had last year and I am privileged to see him take some concern for his grades and put some effort into school. Please pray for him as he is not a Christian and does not come from a Christian family, we have had a couple of spiritual conversations. I also find myself as a guest reader in Gabriella’s kindergarten class. This has been a great way to develop a relationship with the teacher and other parents. Elizabeth has been able to have lunch with a few Moms in the class, one whom is planning on coming to Fusion in the near future.

There is always joy and sadness in the same month. Elizabeth lost her uncle this past week. He has passed away after a battle with cancer. We rejoice that he is a believer and finds himself free from pain in the arms of Jesus, but please pray for our family as they mourn his passing. Also pray as they travel to the services in North Carolina. This is hard for Elizabeth because the doctor has told her that she cannot travel across the country at this point in her pregnancy.

We eagerly await the new life that God is bringing into our family. Josiah is happy that he is going to be a big brother and he has named his new little brother T. Rex. Gabriella is really interested in the baby thing and very curios of the process of labor and delivery. She is also learning that being the only girl has its perks.

Please pray for us as God continues to shape Fusion into a community of faith, hope and love.

THANK YOU for your support. Without your prayers and financial support we wouldn’t be where we are today. Thank you for allowing God to use you in Fusion. You are as much a part of the church as those that come to our Bible Studies and gatherings. We do have some additional equipment needs. If God leads you to give toward that need please email me for specifics.

If you would like to commit support to us you may do so by contacting the Converge office at (209) 830-6222 or going online at www.sunergeo.org/donate.html. Thank you all for your prayers and support. We couldn’t do this without you! If you are currently supporting us and have not yet sent in your support for October please do so at this time. Thank you!

Blessings!
Jeremy and Elizabeth Rhodes

Email: pastor.jdr@gmail.com

September 2010 Rhodes Family Church Planting Update

Dear Family and Friends,

Fall is almost upon us! We have seen Gabriella start kindergarten and excel in here new environment. We have seen Josiah adapt well to being without his sister in the morning. We have seen students come back from summer break. It has been a busy month here in Chico!

This August we had our 5th Sunday workday again. This time we had about double the man/woman power so we finished all the work with time to spare so we had some great fellowship. We were able to love the Boys and Girls Club through much needed cleaning, even the kids cleaned up their area. One of the blessings of our location is the foot traffic. We see people from all walks of life wander by on Sunday mornings; they occasionally stop in and worship with us. This last 5th Sunday we saw an older woman stop by. She was hungry and we had plenty food so we gave her something to eat and even more to take with her. She was overwhelmed by the love that was shown her and could not find words enough to say thank you. These moments are the times that I feel God’s presence among us as a community.

Please pray for us as God continues to shape Fusion. We view our gatherings as a place for community growth and development so that we can be scattered out again. Everyone that comes to Fusion is a missionary to his or her families and jobs. We want to partner with Jesus to build in faith, hope and love all over the city of Chico. We believe that God has big plans for Fusion.

Again we always want to reiterate how thankful we are for each of you. Without your prayers and financial support we wouldn’t be where we are today. Thank you for allowing God to use you in Fusion. You are as much a part of the church as those that come to our Bible Studies and gatherings. We ask that you pray with us that God will continue to nurture the relationships we are building and help us to build new ones as well. Fusion is about relationships and we are so excited to see whom God has brought in our path.

If you would like to commit support to us you may do so by contacting the Converge office at (209) 830-6222 or going online at www.sunergeo.org/donate.html. Thank you all for your prayers and support. We couldn’t do this without you! If you are currently supporting us and have not yet sent in your support for September please do so at this time. Thank you!

Blessings!
Jeremy and Elizabeth Rhodes

Email: pastor.jdr@gmail.com                                   

Blog: http://rhodes-project.blogspot.com/           

Church Website: www.fusionchico.com            

August 2010 Rhodes Family Church Planting Update

Dear Family and Friends,

Well the heat is cooling to a comfortable mid- 90’s and school will be starting this month. We will see our oldest Gabriella off to kindergarten and we pray that she will be a light in her school even at her tender age. Also pray for Josiah, as he will miss his sister as she starts school.

Last month we had a Church Picnic at Fusion. We had a blessed time of fellowship as well as worshipping in a local park. We had great food, great music and a great message. We also closed our day with homemade ice cream. We continue to look for ways to live our faith out in public.

We are focusing on infusing the vision that God has given us into our people. We view our gatherings as a place for community growth and development so that we can be scattered out again. Everyone that comes to Fusion is a missionary to his or her families and jobs. We want to partner with Jesus to build in faith, hope and love all over the city of Chico. We believe that God has big plans for Fusion.

Please send me your prayer requests I do pray for those as I receive them. As the economy continues to struggle we know that are supporters are struggling so we ask that you prayerfully consider increasing your support or supporting us for the first time. We are willing to do what it takes to make the ministry in Chico happen and we can’t do that without your faithful support!

If you would like to commit support to us you may do so by contacting the Converge office at (209) 830-6222 or going online at www.sunergeo.org/donate.html. Thank you all for your prayers and support. We couldn’t do this without you! If you are currently supporting us and have not yet sent in your support for August please do so at this time. Thank you!

Blessings!
Jeremy and Elizabeth Rhodes

Email: pastor.jdr@gmail.com

Church Website: www.fusionchico.com

July 2010 Rhodes Family Church Planting Update

Dear Family and Friends,

We have great news!!! Elizabeth is pregnant with our third child due in December! All of us are very excited!

The summer is finally here in Chico. The last of the rain fell the first week of June and now the heat is on! This is our second summer here and we love it. There is plenty of sun and plenty of ways to say cool. The kids love swimming at the gym and wading in the creek.

This summer we have been blessed to see people get more involved at Fusion. More people have gotten involved with the Children’s ministry and we have more people getting involved with outreach ideas. The folks that are brainstorming ideas for outreach understand our vision and are really excited about seeing us grow in numbers and together. The congregation has gotten really good at inviting new people as well. Also we are seeing more people get involved with serving at the Jesus Center. We are encouraged for the future of Fusion and Chico. Continue to pray that we follow God’s vision for his church.

Jeremy enjoys being Chaplin of the Chico Fire Department. He has a uniform and travels around to different stations visiting the men and women that serve the community. He has slid down a fire pole and already been to scene. He has been able to build a good relationship with all the firefighters. Please pray for this ministry.

Please send me your prayer requests I do pray for those as I receive them. As the economy continues to struggle we know that are supporters are struggling as well and as a result we have a lost a couple so we ask that you prayerfully consider increasing your support or supporting us for the first time. We are willing to do what it takes to make the ministry in Chico happen and we can’t do that without your faithful support!
Please note: If you are not receiving this newsletter in email form and would prefer to do so please give me your email address so that we can save money on postage.

If you would like to commit support to us you may do so by contacting the Converge office at (209) 830-6222 or going online at www.sunergeo.org/donate.html. Thank you all for your prayers and support. We couldn’t do this without you! If you are currently supporting us and have not yet sent in your support for July please do so at this time. Thank you!

Blessings!
Jeremy and Elizabeth Rhodes

Email: pastor.jdr@gmail.com                                        

Church Website: www.fusionchico.com

June 2010 Rhodes Family Church Planting Update

Dear Family and Friends,

We had another baptism in May. A young lady came to faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized. While serving at the Jesus Center Jeremy was able to have a spiritual conversation with her and at the end she wanted to accept Christ. She was then baptized on May 16^th. We have been so blessed to see God at work in the ministry here in Chico.

On May 30^th we had a service project at the Boys and Girls Club. We did not have a message or music but rather worshiped through our hard work. The Boys and Girls Club were blown away by the good work that we did. It was great to work along side the people who have invested in Fusion and made it their Church home. Serving the community is a big part of our vision and the way that we can make it a priority is by doing it on Sunday morning. I was touched by the wiliness of our people to serve in the name of Jesus Christ.

Jeremy has also been made the Chaplin of the Chico Fire Department. He has been taken around to all the Fire Stations to meet the men and women whom he will be ministering. Jeremy is available for their professional and personal needs as well as on call for times that he is needed on scene. This is a great opportunity to meet a number of people who need Jesus in their lives. Please pray for this ministry.

Please send me your prayer requests I do pray for those as I receive them.

Please also continue to pray for our financial support. We are making ends meet, but the money we have in our reserve is slowly going down as we wait for the additional commitments of support that we need.  If you would like to commit support to us you may do so by contacting the Converge office at (209) 830-6222 or going online at www.sunergeo.org/donate.html. Thank you all for your prayers and support. We couldn’t do this without you! If you are currently supporting us and have not yet sent in your support for May please do so at this time. Thank you!

Blessings!

Jeremy and Elizabeth Rhodes

Email: pastor.jdr@gmail.com                                          

Church Website: www.fusionchico.com            

5th Sunday Serve-a-clean-tastic

My wife told me that I need to think of a name for this part of our ministry. This is my working title...


Here I sit on a Sunday morning usually I would be finishing up work on the message, but this morning there is none. I think that this is harder for me than anyone else. I love to bring God's word every Sunday, it is my passion so a Sunday like this is hard for me in preparation. Why is there no message or music today? TODAY WE SERVE!

We as fusion take the 5th Sunday of the month and devote it to serving at the Boys and Girls Club (our regular meeting place). Why? Vision. This is one of the distinctives of our vision  and a passion of my heart.  Matthew 20:26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,  27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,  28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Most of all we serve in response to Jesus. We serve because he served. We desire to live like Jesus and live the call that God gave us in the moment he saved us. So this Sunday is the beginning of a significant piece of our Church. Why are we doing it on Sunday? Because is insures that this is a priority. This is our way of loving the place we meet at in a tangible way.


So here I sit thinking of what could be... will what we are doing change the world? I do not know. Will the Boys and Girls Club be clean? A part of it. Will Jesus be lifted up through our service? YES!


We gather to serve today. Should it be such a strange idea?

a kind word...

I have found out lately what a kind word can mean to a hurting person. The value of speaking and being a person of peace is amazing and so simple. It all starts with how you view people around you.
I recently was told by a young lady that one day while she was working she was having a rough day, everything was coming apart around her and she was in a fog. She said that the sound of my voice, the kindness in my demeanor and the gentle words of encouragement I gave her helped her out immensely. Nothing profound, nothing from my training just kindness. Although she saw me, I cannot help but think that the voice that she heard that brought peace was that of Jesus Christ. Sometimes Jesus works in and through us as we do the routine of our day. Sometimes the most gentle of words can change a person's day and that is of eternal value because every person has eternal value.

There is question here: How do you treat the people you encounter? How do you speak and act toward people who work at coffee houses and restaurants? Do you treat them with value? Do you treat them as if the bear the image of God? Or do you treat them as means to your end, a good customer experience?
The people of the Kingdom of God are not consumers but agents of healing and change. We MUST at all times live that way and then the littlest of things will be done in the name of Jesus Christ.

May 2010 Rhodes Family Church Planting Update

Dear Family and Friends,

We baptized two people on Easter! We were blessed to celebrate our first Easter at Fusion by baptizing two members of our congregation.  We know that God is working in the community of Chico and we will see many more people following Jesus and being baptized.

One of the things that has marked the ministry here in Chico is one of the first things that we did when we moved here. And that is serving the community.  We have worked at the Jesus Center, Love Chico, Special Olympics and many others. This continues to be the case. We continue to serve at the Jesus Center on a regular basis. Many of the people who would not come to Church continue to join us. This has been a way to have amazing spiritual conversations while loving the homeless and hurting. Please pray that these conversations can turn into people following Jesus.

Pray with us as we take May 30^th and do a service project together. We will still be meeting at Boys and Girls Club but we will gather to worship through working together rather than through music and the word. I know God will do amazing things as we love on the Boys and Girls Club in the name of Jesus.

Jeremy has also been made the Chaplin of the Chico Fire Department, which is another amazing service opportunity for Fusion. This month he will be taken around to all the stations and meet the firemen. We are very excited about the relationships that will be forged through this.

Please also continue to pray for our financial support. We are making ends meet, but the money we have in our reserve is slowly going down as we wait for the additional commitments of support that we need.  If you would like to commit support to us you may do so by contacting the Converge office at (209) 830-6222 or going online at www.sunergeo.org/donate.html. Thank you all for your prayers and support. We couldn’t do this without you! If you are currently supporting us and have not yet sent in your support for May please do so at this time. Thank you!

Blessings!

Jeremy and Elizabeth Rhodes

Email: pastor.jdr@gmail.com                                    

Church Website: www.fusionchico.com            

I wrote and prayed early Easter morning

I am feeling strange today- too many distractions on Easter.
God please calm my distractions... help me focus, focus on you not anything else. You are my first love and the knowledge and relationship with you should permeate all that is done today and everyday...
numbers, finances, children's programming, set up... focus
focus on God

like the sun, may I see everything by You
may you be my worldview, my filter
the Way, Truth, Life

calm my heart
You today, tomorrow, all days.




This prayer I prayed Sunday morning during my prep time. A half hour later we arrived at our facility to find that we were locked out. The person assigned to let us in forgot to come and we scrambled to find a place for the gathering, they have since apologized for their mistake.
God still showed up as we crammed people into the place where we were scheduled to have a potluck and baptism after our gathering. I thank God for the immediate application to the prayer and the people that were baptized. Praise God that he does not dwell in buildings but in the hearts of his people.

April 2010 Rhodes Family Church Planting Update

Dear Family and Friends,

April is here, springtime and Easter season are upon us. We will celebrate our first Easter as Fusion Church on April 4th. It is an exciting time in the life of Fusion. On Palm Sunday we had a guest worship leader and 68 people joined us for worship. We are praying that the ones who came without a church home will connect with us and join us again! It was a great experience to see so many new faces and get a chance to share the vision with them.

Please join us in prayer as we continue to build our core group. We are so amazed at how God has brought different people to Fusion. When we thought things would go one way, He would give us a big surprise and a bigger blessing instead. One of the most exciting things about the people we have right now is their heart to serve. As soon as the service is over everyone takes time to help tear down and clean up. It is just one of the ways we have seen the vision of Fusion tangibly lived out in the lives of our church family.

We ask that you pray with us for our gatherings each Sunday. This Easter two people will be baptized and we will be following that by sharing a meal. This will be our second Sunday spent sharing a meal and we feel this is an important part of community, breaking bread together. Please also continue to pray for our financial support. We are making ends meet, but the money we have in our reserve is slowly going down as we wait for the additional commitments of support that we need.

If you would like to commit support to us you may do so by contacting the Converge office at (209) 830-6222 or going online at www.sunergeo.org/donate.html. Thank you all for your prayers and support. We couldn’t do this without you! If you are currently supporting us and have not yet sent in your support for April please do so at this time. Thank you!

Blessings!
Jeremy and Elizabeth Rhodes

Email: pastor.jdr@gmail.com                                 

Church Website: www.fusionchico.com            

struggle, struggle but never break free!

I learned this morning that the reward is in the struggle with scripture. Many times I set out to conquer scripture to explain it plainly, how many times have I missed God in the process...
This morning as I was finishing up my message a man who was a missionary kid on his way out of a coffee house said to me "May the peace of the LORD be upon you." As his words washed over me I saw all of the ministry that I had done over time in perspective.

The struggle with scripture... the struggle with God through Christ, that is the process by which we are refined and our hearts connect with God.

May your truly struggle with God in the quiet times of your life...

March 2010 Rhodes Family Church Planting Update

Dear Family and Friends,

February was a very exciting month for us! Fusion began meeting weekly at the Boys and Girls club on Sunday Mornings. We meet in their gym and the children meet in a youth room adjacent to the gym. We have a great band that consists of college guys and Elizabeth leads vocally.

We have had the privilege of several of our supporters spending Sunday morning with us. Thank you so much to those of you that came. It means a lot to us knowing there are people that believe in what we are doing here.

We are spending these first morning gatherings building a solid core group and then we will do some marketing and have an official launch for the Church. We are very excited about who God is bringing into our midst! We have some people that are still a little on the fence and we ask that you pray with us that they will jump over onto our side! We also have several very committed college students and we are extremely thankful for them.

Our Thursday night Bible Study is also growing. The time and energy we have spent building relationships here is coming to fruit and it is exciting to see these people start participating in the Fusion movement.

We ask that you pray with us for the families that we have become friends with here to come to our church. There are several couples that we know that do not currently have a church home and we are praying they will join for a Sunday and see what we are all about. We also need prayer for additional financial support. We are still short on what we needed to raise for this New Year. The Lord is still providing for us as He always has. We pray that new supporters would come forward to fill the gap that we have.

If you would like to commit support to us you may do so by contacting the Converge office at (209) 830-6222 or going online at www.sunergeo.org/donate.html. Thank you all for your prayers and support. We couldn’t do this without you! If you are currently supporting us and have not yet sent in your support for March please do so at this time. Thank you!

Blessings!
Jeremy and Elizabeth Rhodes

Hallelujah

which means praise Yahweh...

I heard many people say that they love the old song that has become popular again Hallelujah. As a pastor I am curious about this, is it the tune or the words? Lets look at the words and start this discussion...

"Hallelujah"

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

February 2010 Rhodes Family Church Planting Update

Dear Family and Friends,

Here we are at the beginning of a new year and God has blessed us in so many ways. We have been blessed with a great place to meet on Sunday mornings as well as a sound system that meets our needs. We are also very excited about our first Sunday morning gathering coming up on February 7th at the Boys and Girls Club. This is a great spot just one block from city hall in downtown Chico. This is also a place that we will begin serving at as a way to continue to reach out to our community.

As we enter into our second year of church planting, we are very excited about what God is going to do. This last year has been an amazing adventure. Fusion has begun to make a name for itself in the community. We have met many people that we are praying will be involved in Fusion in a more active way. Our vision of being a community filled with Faith, Hope, and Love is something tangible to be seen in the way we do ministry. We still have a ways to go.

We are asking that you pray for leaders to emerge in areas such as children’s ministry and worship. We also need prayer for our Sunday Morning gatherings that are beginning this month. And we are still asking for prayer in the area of financial support. We still need more commitments so that we can reach the goal set before us.

On this subject we ask if you would prayerfully consider increasing your current support or making a first time commitment if you have not already done so. If you would like to increase your support you may do so by contacting the Converge office at (209) 830-6222 or going online at www.sunergeo.org/donate.html Just indicate the additional amount you are able to give and you are all set! You may also do this if you would like to commit for the first time. Thank you all for your prayers and support. We are constantly thankful for all of you. You are as much a part of this team as anyone here in Chico.

If you are currently supporting us and have not yet sent in your support for February please do so at this time. Thank you!

Blessings!
Jeremy and Elizabeth Rhodes

be careful what you pray for...

This morning getting ready I prayed that God would lead me to the person he wants me to speak to today. He did. That was an investment that I was not prepared for, much patience was needed, God granted me to the needed tools and I learned something new.
I spent a long time speaking with a man who really needed someone to talk to, he was a little different but still needing love like all of us. That is the challenge of ministry.
Matthew 25:22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
How could I expect to lead a ministry if I cannot love one awkward person? How could I be a servant of Jesus if I cannot love the least of these? The everyday of following Jesus is being faithful with little things.