We are still looking forward toward City Reach and praying daily for God's supervision in this whole adventure. I am talking to folks nearly every day trying to bring together these outreach tent revivals in some of our larger cities. The logistics and planning is slightly overwhelming but I have momentary glimpses of God working behind the scenes. That hope is enough to keep me believing that it will all come together.
Excitement
We are hearing from a lot of excited folks about City Reach. There are churches, Pastors, missionaries, members, young people and other evangelists that are reaching out to us to encourage us on purpose concerning City Reach. That strengthens my faith and boosts my resolve. Some of these folks are prepared to help financially, others are able and willing to become physically involved in the actual revivals and still others are taking on the responsibility to hold us up in fervent prayer.
All of this encouragement is a definite shot in the arm for us. We thank God for the inspiration and enthusiastic support. God has sent folks to "hold ropes" for us and what a blessing these friends have been and continue to be.
Home Missions Opportunity - City Reach Crew
I have mentioned before that some churches and youth groups have expressed an interest in sending a group of young people or young at heart to be a tangible help in the actual revivals. I am embracing that wholeheartedly. It would be a blessing to us as well as a tremendous home missions opportunity for a group from your church.
We would love to have groups help with canvassing communities, knocking on doors passing out flyers, intercessory prayer, working the altars, setting up and tearing down equipment, cleaning chairs, cleaning the grounds, helping with seating, distributing and collecting visitors cards and a million other things that will need to be done in each city.
It may even be possible to do some street ministry, tract distribution or outreach to children during the day or afternoon in some of the cities. The possibilities are really endless and I am anxious to see all the avenues to minister that God will open to us through City Reach.
As you can see, we will be able to put folks to work in the actual work of evangelism. If you have any interest in forming a City Reach Crew from your group, your church, your family to join forces with us for a few days or a week in a metropolitan area near you or across the country please contact me or have your Pastor get in touch with me.
I need to know as much in advance as possible since we would like to coordinate the response. There are some cities where we will be working closely with several churches and some cities where our local help will be sparse. It would be nice if groups could rally around those areas where local help could possibly be thin, but I am sure we can put you to work in whatever City Reach you choose to attend.
Since this will be a mission effort, groups that join us and families that travel to help in City Reach would be responsible for funding their own motels, meals and travel expenses.
Schedule
I am in the final stages of determining the best times and dates for some of the early cities. My tentative plans are to be in Arizona and California in February and March, Phoenix, Arizona in April, Ft. Worth, Texas in May, Tulsa, Oklahoma in June and Dayton, Ohio in July and Nashville in September. I will be talking to Pastors in the next several days confirming times and dates. I hope to have many of those dates confirmed by the time PFYC rolls around which is the end of March.
Things We are Thankful to God For
Tent Section
We plan to order the new 22' section of our tent that will allow it to be expanded to 48x92 and seat 500 people under it. This section will join with out current 48x70 tent and we a family has already pledged to purchase this piece for us. I plan to order it in April and pick it up in Miami, Oklahoma in June.
Chairs
I mentioned that we were saving for 200 more chairs and we now have enough in the City Reach fund to purchase those chairs. They will be about $1700 or $8.50 per chair plus shipping. I will order them in late April or early May and have them shipped to Ohio.
Speakers
I also mentioned that we will need to purchase two additional PA speakers for the additional width of the tent. My intention was to purchase two Mackie 450's to match my current speakers. We now have the money saved to do that but there may be a great blessing in the works that I can not tell you about right now. Either way, we are very thankful to God for his help.
Financial Support
I have detailed before how that churches and Pastors and friends have come along side us to help us in City Reach. We are very thankful to God for that. We are no where near the resources it will require to take City Reach to at least ten cities but we are WAY farther than we were a year ago when I first became brave enough to mention this dream. A very, very small handful of churches and individuals have made a huge difference already. Thank you and thank God.
Things We Are Seeking God For
God's Will Concerning Transportation
We really need direction on transportation next year. Right now during tent revivals we drive the BoggsMobile and pull the tent trailer with all of the equipment and the Green Machine inside of it. This works really, really well. However, with the extra tent piece, including the extra poles, straps and stakes, plus an extra two hundred chairs, there will be no room for the car in the trailer. That means Kelly Jo will have to drive separately for thousands of miles in 2016.
Bro. Jimmie Radcliffe will be traveling with us during City Reach by God's grace. We have considered purchasing a used one ton truck and having Bro. Jimmie pull the tent trailer with that and then the bus would pull the car. That would work fine but it would put Bro. Jimmie staying in the tent trailer without adequate facilities.
Since he will be staying as close to the tent as possible it would be nice for him to have a trailer with living quarters. If we could find a suitable trailer that he could stay in AND that would have adequate payload capacity for the tent and chairs AND that he could pull with his own truck, that would be perfect.
So you see we need some direction from the Lord concerning transportation. All these things need to fall in place by December but it would be great if we could sense some guidance now.
God's Will Concerning Location
We want to take the tent to the right place at the right time every single time we set it up in 2016. I want to be preaching on the right street, in the right neighborhood, the Word of God penetrating the right heart and at the right moment. I need God's direction.
There are many more things I would like to mention but this is already too lengthy. Would you join us in praising God for the help He has given already and in fervent prayer that He would reveal His perfect plan to us? Would you forward this post onto others?
Thank you and God bless you, friends.
Davy
