July Update

**By Bret

Dear Friends,

It’s been a month since our last update. It was helpful for me to reread last month’s – we’ve made so much more progress than it sometimes feels like in the midst of all this!

We’ve had a few snags and setbacks, but in reality they’ve been very minor. As of today we have raised over 25% of our total goal and there are several more commitments and donations that we are anticipating in the next few days. Sixteen different individuals and families have partnered with us financially so far! To all of you, your love and support continues to strengthen and encourage us during this exhausting period.

Our Dallas dinner did not happen as planned, but no worries. We were still able to have a great evening with the Prudes, Robarts, Swindolls and Williams – it was great to see old friends and laugh together for a while. Rachel and I appreciate our friends’ willingness to help us out and work on behalf of this call to ministry.

Over the last month, Chris Chappotin and I have been developing a great working relationship. We’ve had several opportunities to spend time with Chappotin family and they are rapidly becoming dear friends and faithful spiritual companions. Chris and I set aside time each week for a staff meeting via video conferencing (free thanks to Skype!) for planning, strategizing and prayer. We’re currently in the process of building up the different leadership development groups at Christ Journey. We decided it would be good for me to begin working with the group responsible for house churches and perhaps expanding that to include other areas of spiritual formation. Obviously there are limits to what can be accomplished over the phone and internet, but our prayer is that the distance issue will be remedied very soon!

Rachel and Heidi have agreed to work together as co-children’s ministers as well. Heidi will focus primarily on the elementary age kids and Rachel in her area of expertise – preschoolers. We’ve adjusted our fundraising goal to include part-time compensation for Rachel – and our 25% raised reflects that total goal figure. I personally am very excited about this because I’ve seen Rachel minister in tremendous ways over the last several years in the lives of preschool kids and their families. Here in Mandeville I have been so proud of the way that Rachel has been a teacher, friend and role-model to several young women and young mothers. People see her with our boys and just know that God has gifted her in some very incredible ways.

On a sadder note, we’re headed back to north Texas tomorrow morning (Wednesday) to attend Rachel’s grandfather’s funeral. Peepaw was one of those rare men that are truly hard to describe. He was able pull of the crusty-old-rancher, always giving someone a hard time (especially the waitresses at Dairy Queen and Sonic) and yet simultaneously was a very godly compassionate man. When I met Peepaw nearly a decade ago he immediately welcomed me to the family by systematically calling me by the names of Rachel’s old boyfriends! Peepaw’s faith in God sustained him for many years and now we continue as part of his legacy.

I am grateful for all the men and women like Ira Conner who have passed on their faith to a new generation. In that same spirit we will, by God’s grace, pass our faith to a new generation of Christian disciples beginning in Burleson / south Fort Worth and spreading on as we are swept up in the advancing Kingdom of God ! Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.

Please feel free to forward this update to anyone not on the list that you think would like to receive it. If there is someone we need to add to the list, please let me know. We are progressing toward our goal but we still need partners in this effort.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support.

Grace and Peace,
Bret, Rachel and the Wells brothers