Ministry Launch Next Weekend!

Our Mission: Why We're Here

"Gathering people around local agriculture to share life, embody the hospitality of the gospel, and discover Jesus.”

In our last post, we shared that as a ministry this year, Gathering Table has been in a time of waiting on the Lord. For anyone who has waited on the Lord can attest, it is not easy... in our flesh, we want to run ahead, doing things in our own strength and with our own ideas... but, as it says in Isaiah 40, those who wait on the Lord will "soar on wings like eagles." This has required us (myself, Kristy and our team) to surrender our own timelines and plans to the Lord. It even required us to surrender words and language we have been using for the past few years to describe the vision and mission of Gathering Table.

We are excited to share in this post that we are beginning to see the Lord answers prayers that we have been waiting on Him for.

1) Vision Strategy Meetings - We have finished a four session meetings where we met with a handful of people we know and trust, including our pastor, to really prayerfully take an honest look at the Gathering Table ministry. The statement above, our "why" as a ministry, is one of the outcomes of those meetings. What was eye opening to me, is that the Lord reminded us that "gathering people around agriculture" is a key part of the DNA of this ministry. We are excited to share more from those meetings in the coming months. What came out of those is going to help shape the ministry in the foreseeable future.

2) Bee Keeping Apprenticeship - We found a location for the apprenticeship! Thank you Jesus. Next Saturday morning, May 16, we will be launching the bee keeping apprenticeship with me (Jeff) and three men from our community who are all veterans. It is going to be a lot of fun as they get to learn about keeping (we will be starting 3 bee hives together). Each time we meet, before opening the hives, we will be spending about an hour doing a Bible study together. 

3) Pop-Up Dinners - On the same day, May 16, in the afternoon, we will be having a team meeting with a group of people who are interested in helping plan upcoming Pop-Up Dinners. One of the things that came out of the vision strategy meetings is that discipleship is a major driver of the Gathering Table ministry. Kristy and I are looking forward to helping the team each grow in using the spiritual gifts that God has given them to bless the church and reach our community. 

The Lord is moving... please keep praying, it is both waiting on the Lord and warfare in the spiritual realm through prayer.

Thank you for all your prayers and support, both financially and through encouragement. 

Photos: Recent pics from our bee hives that support the ministry through the Hive Sponsors. We are planning to do 3 splits from the hives for the bee keeping apprenticeship.