New blog

We set up a new blog:

http://markandange.com/

We won't be updating this one any more.

Mark

I was recently e-mailing a few friends from church who had asked how things are going and I realized that I had just typed a good summary of where we're at and that it would be a good thing to post on the blog. So here goes:

Currently, our main objectives are:

1. To figure out what organization we'll be under. Current options are: the C&MA, World Gospel Mission, the YMCA camp in the town we're going to, under MAC directly, or just getting a job (very unlikely). Probably it will be some combination of the above, but the big question is going to be who's going to handle finances, insurance, visas, etc.
2. To build a team of folks - some to go with us and some to be a personal and prayer support at home.
3. To raise financial support. We're estimating that we'll need around $3500/month to live there. Plus we'll need to a raise big chunk to get over there. We currently have a few couples and a few churches committed. For now all fundraising is going through MAC, but it will transfer if we hook up with a missions agency.
   

Just this week we finally heard back from the YMCA camp in Newcastle (the town we are going to, not the one in Indiana) and they are very interested in having us come and volunteer with them. This seems like it would be a really good deal - it would be a reason to be there, something to do that would have built-in relationships with people that don't believe in Jesus, and it would be a local organization that could help us with visas, living situations, etc. but they're considered neutral and non-religious in the community.

For those further out of the loop:

Our recent trip was good. We felt that God was asking us to begin taking steps of faith in practical ways so we've set a goal of moving over there by the end of the year (November/December). There are many things that have to fall into place before that can happen, but we figure that we'll never get anywhere if we don't at least have a goal and a timeline.

Thanks for your prayers.

Mark + Ange

from northern ireland

hey guys and gals.

We're actually in Northern Ireland right now. We've arrived safely and everything is going well so far. We'll be here twelve days, of which two and a half are gone already. More later, eh?

Mark

birthdays + ireland = longwindedness

A few weeks ago (December 4th) we celebrated two birthdays. The first was my 26th. We went to a local Peruvian restaraunt called "Machu Pichu" for an intimate dinner with some close friends, and then headed to a little Psuedo-Irish pub called "The Cladagh" for a less intimate, but equally enjoyable time with more folks from our little church. The second was the anniversary of our return from Northern Ireland. (Some of you may remember my birthday party last year--we were still pretty jet-lagged) I thought maybe this would be a good time to give a little update.

We are going back. We're not sure if it will six months from now or six years, but when it's time we believe that God will make a way. As we've prayed about it, one of the things that we began to ask for was for a group of local people who would already wanting to do what we want to do, and who would want us to come over and help them in a pastoral role. Well that bit seems like it might be falling into place.

There was a Northern Irish guy named Cambell Miller who just spent six months at Muncie Alliance Church (our "parent church") and really loved it. He and his friends are mostly from Catholic or mixed-marriage backgrounds, but don't feel accepted or at home in any church there. For one, they've come to believe in Jesus in a more "evangelical" way that makes them uncomfortable in the Catholic church, but their heritage and political views make it difficult to be accepted in most protestant churches.

We want to start a Bible study that would be a "non-church." We would meet on any day but Sunday, probably in a coffee shop or neutral venue. We wouldn't try to get anyone to quit going to mass or church and join our group, but just worship Jesus, study the Bible together, and try to live out Christian community in practical ways. Ideally, Ange and I could get jobs or run a business or something normal people do and be as "un-missionary-like" as possible. Ideally, we could believe in people and help them step into their gifts and God's mission and "work ourselves out of a job," so to speak. At some point, this might involve starting an intensive ministry training program like the Internship at MAC. Who knows?

Or it's possible that we have the whole thing wrong and we'll fall on our face. You never know. Our plan is to go for a week or two in March to meet Cambell's friends. If that goes well, we'll look to move as soon as we can get visa/job/living arrangements worked out (which could be a while, realistically). We don't need any financial support right now, but we *really* need people to pray with us. If you'd be willing to commit to regularly praying for this endevour, please shoot us an e-mail, phone call, or just post a comment.

In other news, I never got around to finishing my theological treatise of last month. I should know by now that saying things like "I'll post more in a few days..." is setting myself up for a bold-faced lie. We love you guys.

Mark + Ange = Guinns

some thoughts on the life of faith

I've been thinking a lot recently about the different approaches we take to the problems of life. Specifically, as a Christian I've been thinking about three angles from which I can come at an issue, and I think the same holds true for churches and groups I've been a part of. For example, if we take the issue of a missionary struggling to raise money for some venture he might think:

1. I need to call more people and be more convincing. I need to make a website, promotional videos, and a big thermometer poster to keep people informed and aware of the need. Ultimately, I have to feed my family, so we might need to go home or call this thing off.
2. Jesus was poor so we can be poor. Jesus has called us to this, so we'll do it even if we have to dumpster dive and fast a lot. Maybe God is trying to teach me something.
   
3. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He will provide. He is seldom early but never late. Let's call a prayer meeting.

My tendency is often to assign various grades of spirituality to each approach and judge others accordingly, but I think maybe all three are Biblical, good, and even necessary as we try to live well, not leaving our calling and also not leaving a bunch of human wreckage.

Just for the sake of discussion, I've associated these approaches with three moments in Jesus' life. Unfortunately, I don't have time to write all at once, so I'll do several posts over the next few days.

funny quote

"There's no way God could have called the creation 'very good' if there had been poodles."
-Ken Hamm

I couldn't agree more.

what have we got ourselves into

Please pray for us tomorrow night. We're having a few of our neighbors over for a "Bible discussion group." We're going to read a chapter or two of the gospel of John and talk about it. My goal is to say as little as possible, but we still really need the Lord's wisdom. Right about now we're wondering what we got ourselves into. I reckon that's about where we should be though. :)

Peace,
Mark