February Update

Our Church

“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

-John‬ ‭15‬:‭10‬-‭11‬

Hello again, friends!

We have experienced two incredible milestones in the past month. Firstly, we had an opportunity to serve at a City of Cape Girardeau community event. The city hosts a Valentine’s pizza and game night for area families, and our church provided 6 volunteers to serve 25 children and their parents. We greeted them, served pizza and refreshments, passed out balloons, and let them make their own Valentine’s cards. Most importantly, we interacted with new people from our community! The evening was full of positive connections. Matt met a family who immigrated to Cape from Sri Lanka. They are practicing Buddhists, but the father said he is interested in “other spiritual ways of thinking.” They said volunteer work is very important to them as they see it as part of a Buddhist’s self-sacrificial life. Matt shared that we were volunteering at this event because Christians also value self-sacrifice. He was able to specify that we hope our volunteering points to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. We praise the Lord that our presence was such a success. The city has already asked us to help with their next event in April!

The second milestone we have reached is the baptism of our church’s first covenant children. Some of our new members, Michael and Pamela, asked Matt to baptize their children, Rodney and Abigail. It was such a beautiful event that gave our worship an additional picture of the gospel. It was also an encouragement to our group to see God’s promises lived out. Unfortunately, Cape is one of many communities in the U.S. where baptizing children is misunderstood. Matt presented the two primary declarations Michael and Pamela were making by baptizing their children: first, they were promising to raise their children in the church through teaching them to know our Triune God; second, they were declaring that they trust God to save all His people. Michael and Pamela stood up front proclaiming that they are trusting the Holy Spirit not only for their own regeneration and  salvation, but also for the regeneration and salvation of their children.

We have spent this month seeking to obey God’s commandments for His church. We move forward trusting that Jesus will keep us abiding in His love.

Our Family

Prayer requests:

• Join us in praising God for these new members and wonderful covenant children. We ask to be able to participate in many more of these pictures of His grace.

  
  

• Thank God with us that we were able to make so many connections at the Valentine’s party. We pray that God will guide us as we look for more opportunities to serve Him as we meet our neighbors.

  
  

• As always, we ask God to bring us face to face with those who need Christ. Whether it is through our worship, Bible study, or at a pizza party, we ask for the boldness to make Him known.

  
  

• We are also praising God that we have 86% of our operating budget pledged for 2026. Thank you for helping the work in Cape continue!!

February has brought such encouragement to our church, and we are so grateful to the Lord for this humble reminder that His work will be done in His timing. However, regardless of the highs and lows that come with church planting, or even with Christian life in general, one truth remains steady and constant: Jesus, the Son of God, paid it all. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 2:11, “for no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ”.

Seasons change, our circumstances change, and throughout this life, there will be encouragements and discouragements. What a blessing to know that the Foundation for those who know Jesus as Savior stays the same. Praise the Lord for this!

We also praise the Lord for you. We love when you respond, and we ask that you would let us know how we can be praying for you!

In Christ,

Matt, Sarah, Simon, and Ember