Live from Pittsburgh

I've been in Pittsburgh since Saturday afternoon with PowerPlant. PowerPlant is a North American Mission Board sponsored initiative that connects youth groups with church planters for the purpose of strengthening their work as well as training the students in church planting. There's a good mix of hands-on assisting the Church Planter and worship/training at the church we're living at. You can learn more about PowerPlant and even check out some blogs & pics at www.power-plant.net


This week we are assisting two full-time church planters, both of whom have relocated to the Pittsburgh area because this is a great American city with a great need for missional churches. We are working with two new church plants- Faith Bridge Community Church & Iron City Community Church. Our students are not only encouraging these guys and their families but they are adding muscle and people-power to a number of projects. Projects such as free car washes, free dog washes (that's pretty creative, huh?), they handed out free bottles of water at a park earlier this week, they are leading backyard Bible clubs in the McKees Rocks neighborhood and hosting a block party tomorrow night. These are all simple acts; but it takes people to make it happen. Our students are providing a boost of manpower and prayer power this week. They are learning about church planting from our Veteran Church Planters. They are learning to "be" the church and not just go to church or invite people to church.

I guess the highlight for me is to get to work with an awesome summer staff. They are all college students who are working their ends off- they started last week in Nashville, and of course they are here in Pittsburgh this week. They have next week off but then they will be in Baltimore, then Chicago, then Halifax, Nova Scotia followed by Ontario, Canada. How's that for a cool way to spend the summer.

I'm going this weekend to Cleveland, Ohio to serve with another Team for another week of PowerPlant. You can pray for me as I continue my little road trip...but please pray for my newest friends as they continue their summer of serving students and Christ through PowerPlant. Pray for their safety as they drive all over the Eastern US hauling a HUGE trailer behind them, pray for them to continue to grow in their relationship with Christ and in community with one another and pray for them to stay fresh and energetic when they need to be fresh and energetic and for their rest when they have those rare opportunities to do so.

Below: Carla Lahey- Project Coordinator for Pittsburgh (headed back to Jacksonville, FL after this week), John Weirick- Worship Leader, Caroline Burns- Missions Communication Specialist, Seth Ray- Program Specialist, Christina Wingo- Office Manager, and Lee Midget- Team Leader and A/V Guru.