Man Cooking

This is what the Northern Lights look like when you have a cheap camera.

Happy (late) Thanksgiving!!

We are so thankful for our prayer team and ministry supporters. The work of ministry that we are doing and the impact on church and culture would be impossible if it was not for you! We had a busy Thanksgiving weekend. For Thanksgiving day itself we hosted 8 students from the dorm. Two young men and six young women from 8 different villages around the state. In fact the Galena Bible Church body hosted almost 80 students in our homes for Thanksgiving meals! Never before have I seen a church host 80 strangers in their homes for a family holiday. Such an amazing blessing! Way to go church!

My blog needs smell-o-vision!

The day after Thanksgiving I hosted a young men's event with one of the RA's at the Dorm. We called it "Man Cooking". The general premise is that young men need to know how to do more than heat up a hot pocket in the microwave before they graduate High School. It also has to be something that they can serve their grandpa and feel like a man while doing it. We hosted 8 young men in our home for this event and I taught them how to make Cajun Rice and Gravy with Moose Roast and Bear Andouille with a side of green beans (cooked with bacon and seasoning). To replace the sausage that they used I also taught them how to make Moose and Caribou Andouille sausage which I smoked the next day. And yes it was all as good as it sounds! The young men loved it, and would light up as you affirmed them as they did well at the tasks given them. Several of these young men have no father, or healthy male roll model. I look forward to doing this event again and having more time to build connection with these young men.

We finished preaching through the book of Titus, and I began this past Sunday preaching a series I'm titling "Blessing Home for the Holidays." This past Sunday we looked at Romans 7 and 8 and how we understand what it means to be conformed to the image of Jesus. We talked about family resemblance, and how we were made in the image of God but look like the world as a result of sin. I then showed how Christ brings us into adoption as children of God through His saving work. At the end I decided to give a formal invitation (something we do not regularly do). A young woman came forward and said that she wanted to put her faith in Jesus! Praise GOD! We have been doing some follow up with her to make sure she understands what that means. I look forward to seeing what the Lord does through this.

Things you can pray for:

• Please be praying for the young woman who put her faith is Jesus this past Sunday. Pray that opportunity to disciple her would come about.
• There is a spiritual attack on marriages that I have seen and I would ask you to pray for the Lord's protection and wisdom as we address this battle ground.
• My grandfather is in the final stages of his cancer and we are preparing for what we know is coming. I (Chris) have been asked to preach his funeral, which is a task I am humbled to undertake for a man who is a spiritual mentor and giant to me. 
• It is getting dark and cold. Pray for the community (especially men) who begin in this season to have thoughts of self harm. Pray that the hope of that the church has in Jesus Christ would penetrate the darkest corners of our culture.
• Pray for AKMissionConnection a new ministry that is being lead by a friend of mine who has the desire to web the Christian community of Alaska and beyond to help reach the state with the Gospel.