July 2022 Prayer Needs Brad and Hannah Smith
Hey Everyone!
We pray the beginning of summer finds you well and full of joy and excitement!
We have some exciting announcements! The first is that I (Brad) have been selected to be Communitas' new Training Director! I am both excited and a little anxious. I will oversee the training team and champion development of training materials new and existing to ensure all staff are fully equipped for whatever work they are being called into. I start this role officially the beginning of July. It's a massive undertaking, but I am confident in God who put it all into place.
Our second big announcement is I have switched to working bivocationally. I've been given a position in pest-control, and will work that job for 2 days a week, splitting my time between Communitas and the pest control position. This has God's fingerprints all over it. For the full story click this link to the blog. We see this as provision from the Lord. It has given me a unique ability to get to know Richmond and the greater area, be invited into people's homes, help the community in a practical way, and discover a new culture all at once. We see that God brought us to Richmond, for something in Richmond, we remain committed that a portion of my time is devoted to seeing what God wants to do in this city. I'm super excited for how this position engages us in the city substantially more than we could be otherwise. Check out the blog for more on that.
Finally, we will be in California this summer and we'd like to see you!
We will be at Atascadero Bible Church on Sunday, July 31, and have a luncheon after the services where we will share stories of God's goodness and what we see him leading us into.
We will also be at Waypoint church in Rohnert Park the following Sundays, August 7th and 14th, and would love to see you! Brad will be sharing at the service on the 7th. We will have a booth set up at each and invite you to stop by and connect.
Hoping to see you soon!
Pray With Us:
A few months back I wrote about how God's words in Jeremiah were calling my attention: 'He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?' declares the Lord." As I've begun in pest control, I've seen more desperate living situations in one month than I've probably seen in my life prior. It is sobering to say the least, and we don't know what our response is to be, but we know God is stirring something in our hearts. This is an ongoing prayer for wisdom and discernment.
The trip to Oregon was a huge success! What a blessing. This lead to a Revangelism course which is happening Tuesday nights with some men from that church. It's an amazing group of men who are really committed to having spiritual conversations with their neighbors and I'm excited to share some stories with you as we wrap up in about a week. Continue to pray for willing hearts and boldness among attendees.
We've begun summer in Richmond, which means things are a little more chaotic around the house. Our oldest is also heading into middle school! I know this is normal, but it still feels crazy!
PrayerMap App work has taken a temporary break as I train in pest control, but a promising connection happened with a prayer app developer in Switzerland through the last mailer I sent out. Excited to see what might come of that.Thankful for relative health (finally!).Thankful for you!