Sam Butler pastors GCI congregations in Grand Rapids and Ravenna, Michigan and serves as one of our district pastors. Until recently, Sam’s Grand Rapids church met in the Roosevelt Park community where for several years they ran a food pantry that served dozens and dozens of disadvantaged families. Though many were blessed by this outreach and Sam and the congregation became well known in the community, their efforts did not lead to the hoped-for multiplication of new disciples of Jesus.
This past spring, Sam began looking for a new focus community for the congregation. He discovered the nearby town of Wyoming with its community-based program called One Wyoming. The program brings together church leaders, school officials and local government leaders to help end poverty in the community, to plant new churches and to mentor school-age kids. As Sam became acquainted with its leaders, an opportunity arose for GCI to offer the GenMin Journey with the Master (JWM) emerging leader training program to community teens. Sam asked Greg Williams to facilitate that training and three sequential weekend training events were arranged.
Sam has now been asked to help One Wyoming train mentors of school children. Also, Sam’s congregation has relocated to Wyoming, meeting at an elementary school at the invitation of the school’s principal. There is much work to be done, but forward movement is occurring and Sam is working closely with his church leaders as they seek to discern what their next steps should be. They would appreciate your prayers as they enter a new season of reaching out to the community to join with Jesus in his disciplemaking ministry.
Well done Sam! Keep up the good work.
Dear Sam, Our prayers will be with you as you continue in this transition of work for Jesus. May the Holy Spirit be ever in front of your collective labors for him. May God continually bless you, David and Linda Husmann
Hi Sam, thank you for the wonderful idea and your dedicated efforts in making disciples for Jesus. May God bless your outreach in seen and unseen ways and we appreciate your prayers as we attempt a similar outreach in our areas. Your bro, Tom
Sam, thanks for the detail on what was working, what was not and how the Lord started opening another door. We’re all looking to discern where that “best place” is for us to work. Keep us posted! Love from Mark and Joanne.