Catching up.

It is always healthy to admit the obvious. When we do not, it can give the impression of not caring or not noticing (what is obvious to everyone else). This is the first non-social media update since March 30th. It being June 9th today, that is long enough.

There is so much to catch up on, it is difficult to know where to start or what to include. Here we go.

It is Summer! Time for enjoying the changes of the season. Kids are out of school and that brings changes to the lives of those working from home with kids. The Bells are managing well. The kids have a daily checklist of personal and household responsibilities and their desire to interrupt their parents continues to dwindle with age.

My hours are the same at my part time job at the gym. I still enjoy it, especially due to the people I work with. I've also been there long enough to establish trust with some really great parents of students. The idea of working in Broomfield (25 minutes north) was a bit of a head scratcher until recently when we realized 5 different Arvada households we know because of the gym. Some of us are carpooling now which has been great and a sign of healthy relationships formed.

I am still receiving a ton of encouragement and support from The Awaken Network and The Front Range Church Planting Network. Both have monthly meetups with encouragement to reach out with needs at any time.

The Church is very enjoyable. God has provided so much and our team has done incredibly well. We were given a trailer by a Wesleyan Church in Fort Collins that we store our weekend gear and equipment in. At this time, our setup team arrives at 7:30a to unload and setup before our 9:00a worship gathering begins. For the first few weeks, we wondered if that would be enough time. For the past two weeks, we have finished setup with plenty of time to spare. Our systems and our team are doing so well!

The greatest prayer need for the church is simply more people to visit and more people to become part of the family. We are encouraged by those who have joined us but we are far from where we need to be one year from now to be a sustainable church.

We have summer gifts for our neighbors to hand out this weekend and our team has committed, this past month, to daily prayer. We are doing our park and asking God to do God's part. Would you pray with us?

At this time, we have started early conversations with a local friend to join our team as our Children's Ministry Lead. I spare details now but hope to share updates if the process continues.

After 2 years (next month) living in Colorado. We have experienced the highs and lows of stepping out of the boat when God calls you. Recently, God has been reminding us that calling us to do hard things is not a sign of abandonment but of trust.

God trusts us. I need to remember that.

Thank you for trusting us with your support and more.

You are loved and never forgotten, just neglected sometimes. : ) More updates coming soon!

- Jared

PS - I have been regularly preparing and presenting sermons on a weekly basis. Check them out! CLICK BELOW!