*|YOUTUBE:iDwEvf2wM00|*

The decision to plant a church has caused us to make some significant changes. Primarily, this means that we will no longer be working with Campus Crusade for Christ as our sending agency. We have had a wonderful 7 years of ministry with Campus Crusade that we are very thankful for, but we both felt very strongly that the Lord was calling us to pursue change. Planting a church needs to be our full focus, and we didn’t feel that remaining on staff would give us that freedom. We are thrilled, however, that Crusade will continue to send teams to work on the university campus in Salerno, and we are eager to partner together in our efforts.

So, the question is, what does this mean? Since we are leaving staff with Crusade, we needed to pursue a different sending option. And since we will be focusing on church planting, we thought it would be best to be sent through CrossPointe Church. From it’s inception, CrossPointe has had a history of recruiting, training, and sending church planters. In fact, they have sent over a dozen church planters in the past 8 years. This means that they are very well poised to provide exactly what we need. Administrative services, pastoral care and development, and ministry coaching and support.

This is particularly important for those of you who financially support us. We will be mailing out a paper newsletter with more details about this transition, and instructions on how you can continue supporting us by transferring your donations. So, be sure to check your mail next week! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask! Thank you for your continued partnership with us. Together, we are making an eternal impact!

With love in Christ,
Justin

- We found a great 3 bedroom townhouse 2 miles from the church I am working with.
- Justin has begin meeting with Pastor Chan, and they have both really enjoyed the time together. Chan has taken part in planting over a dozen churches in the past 7 years and has a lot to offer in regards to training.
- God has provided all the necessary vehicles for us during this season (including a scooter for Justin to hop back and forth to the church office).
- The kids are doing wonderful. They have really enjoyed this transition and love being a part of the children’s program here at CrossPointe.
- Justin just preached his first sermon on January 2nd. If you have 35 minutes to spare, you can listen to it here.

So, that’s the latest. We’ll continue to update you as things progress and we look towards our return to Italy. Please pray as we seek to finish the apprenticeship, raise the necessary funding and return to Italy this summer.

Previous Related Posts:
The Church in Italy, Part 1 (the average Italian)
The Church in Italy, Part 2 (evangelical church situation)
Why We Have Hope for Italy (God is at work)
Our Timeline (why we are staying in America for a season)

What’s Next:
Acts 29 Network
Crosspointe Church (where Chan is pastor)
Chan Kilgore (pastor and church planter)

• Adequate Housing – Ideally a 3/2 or larger in an accessible location. We are taking a day trip up there on Saturday to see what is available. We actually have found one that we are really interested in and hope to secure.
• Our Italy Apartment – In order to afford payment on a home in Orlando, we need to be freed from our financial obligation to our apartment in Salerno. We never intended to be in the USA this long, so we only setup short term solutions for our absence. If we have to cut the cord and lose the apartment, we will. But, this apartment has been a HUGE provision for our family, and we want to keep it if at all possible. We’re currently pursuing our landlord seeking solutions (reduced rent with temporary renters, etc). Pray we can keep it!
• Vehicles – In moving to Italy, we sold both of our cars to help towards our transition expenses. We’ve had vehicles to use since we’ve been in south Florida, but the transition to Orlando means leaving those behind. We need a minivan for Abbey and the kids to use, and something simple (even if its a scooter) for Justin to get around while raising financial support. Borrowing something is ideal, but we are open to other options.

This unexpected stay in the USA certainly comes with its difficulties. But we trust God who always promises to provide for our needs. Particularly regarding the vehicles, if you are aware of anything (or perhaps have something yourself), please be sure to let us know! We’re hoping to secure something in a few weeks. Thank you for your prayers, and we will keep you posted on God’s goodness as He provides.

Click images to zoom. If viewing from email, I’d recommend going here for a slideshow.

To view more pictures of the first few days, visit our extended web gallery here.

We sent this letter out to each of our friends and supporters, regarding our lives. Click on the image to view it in its entirety (or right click to save it to your computer). Please take time to pray for us concerning its contents.

PS. The name “eCiao” is pending a better suggestion. Please leave a comment if you have an idea!