Church Planter's conference in Nepal

One of the core values of our church has always been what we call “Extreme Generosity.” Quite simply, we intentionally spend less on niceties for our own church, so that we are able to invest much more on the front lines kingdom work out in our community and world. For the cost of about 1/2 of a typical U.S. church worker, we are able to fully fund these 20 church planters in Nepal. While we have to give up a few things we’d really like, the Kingdom impact makes it SO worth it.

Let me share one story with you:

Pastor Meissner with church planter Bhakta Sijali and his family

While Bhakta has experienced a great deal of resistance and persecution, one by one he has seen people come to faith. Last year, his father (who is now preparing for baptism himself!) donated a small plot of land and the area’s first ever Christian church was built. Since then, their gatherings have swelled to 25 or 30 people, so they are making plans now to take out the back wall and add an additional 10 feet of worship space. Praise God!

In partnering with ServLife Intl we have the privilege of standing side by side with Bhakta, and 19 more doing work just like his, in bringing the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Some of it is money — the total cost for training, equipping and sending a church planter is $1300 a year. Some of it is going, as every year we send a team to help build up and encourage these guys in the work they are doing.

As always, we find that we end up getting much more than we are giving. We are blessed with resources that are very valuable to them as they bring Christ into new areas. They are blessed with a spirit and conviction that has much to teach us in our relatively easy faith environment. Our prayer is that more and more individuals and churches will partner with us in this amazing mission opportunity that God has placed before us. You’ll never be the same…

For information on sponsoring a church planter, please contact Pastor Michael Meissner at pastormichael@lifebridgecypress.org

Easter in the Park 2011

Join us this Easter, April 8, at Bridgeland’s Festival Park for an outdoor community worship service celebrating the joyful news that Jesus Christ is ALIVE. Worship will start at 10 a.m., with a brunch and egg hunt following. Bring lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on, and join the rest of our community as we worship God this day.

If weather is bad, the event will move across the street to the Smith Middle School cafeteria.

Here are a few pictures from some of the service projects. A couple of our families visited with the residents at a local retirement center. They just LOVE visitors, and especially the children.

Others were given $70 to go buy donuts for people at the local donut shop. Some were suspicious at first, but ultimately warmed up when they heard we were buying breakfast!

Best of all, though, was how we were able to bless one very hard working guy. We had pre-arranged with the pizza delivery company to bless one of their drivers with a car full of groceries and a really REALLY big tip. They made sure our delivery was assigned to an individual who was particularly hard working, but who had experienced some challenging circumstances in 2011. What a joy it was for us to be able to start his year off on such a note of encouragement and a reminder of God’s love for him. I think it is safe to say he has never had a delivery like this one before!

When all was said and done, we had met some amazing people and had a whole new list of names of people that we could be praying for. Best of all, it was another affirmation of how rich life is when you love people the way Jesus did.

A cold, wet and yet entirely fitting celebration of Christ's birth

We give thanks that Christ was willing to give up the comforts and glory of heaven to journey down into our broken and sin-filled world. Because of HIM, all the wrongs are made right. Thank you, Jesus!

Hot chocolate on a cold night!

Some of the LifeBridge children singing a closing blessing

Christmas In A Barn 2011

It’s a bit rainy and cool, but we are still ON for our Christmas in a Barn. Come on out and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus! Our King arrived humbly in a lowly stable. We worship Him in a setting of  peace with the same joy as the shepherds of old. Come early for refreshments, animals, games and crafts.

Stay and hear the ageless story of His birth.

Map to Christmas in a Barn

http://www.cyfairmagazine.com/events.shtml

Nepal Pastors' Conference

God has opened doors for us to be closely connected with about 50 indigenous church planters through a small missions agency called ServLife Intl. in planting churches in the most remote villages of Nepal. Many of these areas have never even heard of Jesus Christ, which makes this work all the more urgent and exciting.

After several trips in 2010 and 2011, LifeBridge has signed on as a significant partner in this venture. In addition to physically going each year to be involved in the teaching and encouraging of these church planters, we are also committing to providing the funding and support that they need in order to venture into new and often hostile territory. Church planters are supported for a total of 5 years while the Gospel is shared and a church is established in each new village. The total cost to support a church planter for a year is $1300, which covers their salary, training, support….everything. LifeBridge is actively seeking churches and individuals who are interested in sponsoring a church planter. Please contact us at pastormichael@lifebridgecypress.org for more information.

Below are a few videos that will give you a feel for the passion and challenges that these guys face as they bring Christ to the remote regions of Nepal.

It was a fairly ordinary moment by some standards….just an elderly lady dropping a few dollars in the offering plate. But, for me it was one of the most beautiful acts of worship I had seen in a long time. You see, Rose and her husband were in church for the very first time in a long time. Their health was bad, getting out was an ordeal, you know the drill. But that Sunday…and every Sunday since, Bob and Rose have been in church with broken bodies and grateful hearts.

Why? Simply because they had experienced the grace of Jesus once again through people who bear the name “Christian”. We came across Bob and Rose through a local assistance ministry who were concerned that they may no longer be able to live on their own. Their home was in disrepair, the septic tank was backing up, and they were having a difficult time caring for themselves.

One Saturday workday later, many of the glaring physical problems were taken care of by a servant minded crew from LifeBridge. Since then, others have brought them meals, taken them to appointments, and just kept tabs on them to make sure they are doing OK.

All this is what made the offering that day such a beautiful moment. Her gift was given with great joy, not because she had to, but because she had experienced again the wonderful provision of God through His people. There are so many beautiful lessons in what I saw that day.
– Giving is a response to the outrageous generosity that God first shows us through Christ and then also through his people.
– One of the lessons God wants to teach us by having us give the FIRST portion of our income (rather than the last) is that He is going to take care of us. Things got difficult for Bob and Rose…but God planned all along to take care of them and bless them through us. By making our first check each month out to God, it is a statement of faith and trust that He is going to provide for all of our needs.
– Joy. The Bible tells us that our giving ought to be done with joy, not because we feel forced or guilty. When we remember all that God has done for us….well, our faces should look just like Rose’s did that day as she brought her gift to God.

I pray that our lives are continually marked by outrageous generosity, so that others might experience through us the radical grace of our Lord Jesus.