We’ve had a chilly past week-and-a-half here in the city. Only Monday (January 27) did temperatures climb above freezing – until yesterday when things warmed up again. Temporary staff member Ryan Hurd announced today that he will be leaving New York in mid-February to pursue his seminary education on-campus at the school from which he has been taking long-distance classes and to which he has recently been accepted for a masters’ program. Ryan has been a faithful team-member for two tenures (totaling two years) with New York Gospel Mission. God willing, Ryan will be moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan to continue his education at Puritan Reform Theological Seminary. He is looking forward to the endeavor but regrets having to leave us. And from our end, we will miss Ryan. He has been the “night worker” since I arrived in September of 2013, handling food donations coming in between 7 P.M. and midnight. Pray for the remaining staff – Pastor Bill, Mrs. Jill, the Jones kids, and myself, as we will have to increase our efficiency in many areas and step up to fill in the gaps in our operation until God sends us another temporary staff member. Please, pray for grace and strength for us, effectiveness and efficiency in our work, and safety.
At least one person has been saved as a result of Ryan’s preaching of God’s Word, and for this we are thankful to God. It is interesting to see how God uses preachers, weak and prone-to-sin as we find ourselves, to spread abroad the glorious light of His Word through the power of the Holy Spirit to the salvation of men through faith in Jesus as we simply expound the Scriptures. At least one person was saved also as a result of our former co-worker Kevin’s preaching. Both of these converts live peacefully in the Lord, are involved in our food-pantry ministry to the poor, and are growing in knowledge of God’s Word. One of these recently asked me to begin a Bible study with him. Last night we met and read through Genesis 1-4, reading responsively a verse-at-a-time and talking over things of import and questions as they arose. What a great way to study the Bible!
Our monthly first-Sunday potluck dinner will be tomorrow afternoon at three. Invite a friend, cook one of Grandma’s recipes (or one you knocked off from the diner on the corner), and join us if you live in the New York metro area. Please use transit though, as the Superbowl crowd (at least those from out-of-town) may not realize they are supposed to use transit, and the highways may get crowded. I’m not a football fan, so I’m content to be as far from Secaucus as I can get. A potluck suits me just fine in this instance!
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