SPOTLIGHT ON MISSIONS: Michael & Laura Beth Strong • Minneapolis, Minn.

Praises

• The Extreme Tour was a success — We were able to impact over 500 people throughout the process and saw our team grow in ministry gifts, including leadership.

• Worshipping together weekly —We have been meeting for over a month for worship and have been working through Galatians.

• Youth group launched — Isaiah is leading a youth group equipped to minister to kids from grades 3-8. We have regular visitors and attendees.

• Baby Eden was born — Eden Elizabeth Strong was born July 12. She was 18.5 inches long and weighed 6 lbs. 11 oz.

• Open doors with children — Two neighborhood children we have been working with for many years who were not open to the gospel are now open to it and one is embracing it! God has also opened the door to use Laura’s gift of speaking Spanish to minister to a household next door. We will begin formal Bible studies with four of the kids soon.

• Discipleship Training multiplying — Isaiah and Mike are working with several people on a Discovery Bible Study through Scripture called The Story of Hope. This is the evangelistic tool the BMA trained them on and gave them access to through Good Soil.

• Baptism discussions — We have had multiple people say they have put their trust in Jesus Christ. As a result, we have held baptism and membership discussions to work through their history in church, the gospel message and what they believe and a biblical view of baptism and membership. We look forward to sharing what happens next in the next newsletter.

• Improvements to our outreach — We are committed to working on our outreach practices including visitations, follow-ups with our contacts and fine-tuning how we reach our community.

• New website — www.FMBCTwinCities.com

Prayer Requests

• Fruit that remains — We are asking God to help us work alongside Him in His garden to see each person we work with bear spiritual fruit. Many of our people are exhibiting the presence of God at work in their life in character growth and increased knowledge. Some are beginning to understand the role of stewardship in the Christian life. We praise God for what He has done, seek His direction for what we should be doing, and ask Him to bring about even more!

• Supernatural provision — God has been taking care of our needs. We praise Him for His provision, and we are asking for people with ministry gifts to join us in the work to make disciples here. We are also asking God to activate all of our people to see how valuable it is to use what God has given them for the good of His kingdom and the way it displays His glory. We have people who desire to grow with us today that we are unable to serve the way we would like, so we are seeking how to serve them as we wait and asking God to send the help we need to invest in these disciples.

• New prayer service — We are preparing to launch a new prayer service in September. We are asking God for laborers to “own” this service and its responsibilities, as well as for His provision for a meeting space. We are asking God to give all of our people a desire to participate in the time of corporate prayer as we grow in unity and the mind of Christ, seeking His will together.

Direction — There are many items we are looking at working on or making decisions on in the coming months. This includes: the next sermon series; expanding our children’s, youth and family ministry; limits on discipleship (how many disciples we should take on formally in personal studies) as we wait on God to provide laborers, etc. The list could go on and on. We need to know where God is working, truly understand and see our weaknesses and needs and better understand what He is wanting to do through us for His glory.

Thanks for your prayers and partnership. We are grateful to serve our good King alongside you.