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16 October 2011
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| “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23) |
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IN THIS ISSUE
1) LAWRENCE DISCIPLESHIP GROUP
2) CHRISTMAS EVE OUTREACH
3) VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION DINNER
4) OUR SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY
5) PRAYER REQUESTS
U P D A T E S
It has been quite a while since our last e-iNBrieF. There has been a lot of good growth happening in the ministry, but our family has also been dealing with some new challenges. Here is a quick summary of what's been going on.
Lawrence Discipleship Group
In September, we finally saw the launch of a Discipleship Group in the heart of downtown Lawrence at the Ladder House. The Ladder House is a halfway house that is operated by the Lawrence Correctional Facility. We are overjoyed by this new group. Leaders Larry Lerman and Len Piro from Free Christian Church in Andover have a growing number of men joining them each Wednesday night. Please, keep these leaders and the men in prayer. This is the first ministry taking place in this facility in many years.
In addition to the Wednesday night group, Superintendent Joseph Furnari has given his support for other avenues of ministry within the Ladder House. This is a wide open door! God has given us great favor, and we are excited to be partnering with Free Christian in taking advantage of this great opportunity. In fact, Free Christian is organizing a Clean-Up Day in November, and will be helping us stock a Clothes Closet for the men at the house and New Brothers in the community. Ultimately, we want to see a Christian presence in this house on a daily basis, and as we partner with other churches in the area we look forward to a Spanish Discipleship Group, Christian 12-Step, and one-on-one counseling to begin soon. Praise the Lord with us for this fanatastic move of God! Only He could do this! SEE PICTURES
Christmas Eve Outreach
We are preparing for our Annual Christmas Eve Outreach at The Farm, and will once again assemble 325 gift bags, filling them with homemade cookies, candy canes, Hershey Kisses, a packet of hot cocoa mix, gospel tracts, and a Christmas card. Volunteers personally distribute each bag, giving them in the name of Jesus, and letting men know they are a gift from the Body of Christ. These bags are a small gesture that bring the men a bit of Christmas joy, and a big reminder that Jesus loves them. We hope you will help us make these gift bags possible once again this year. Caroline has created an informational flier that should answer any questions you might have: SEE PICTURES & FLIER
Volunteer Appreciation Dinner
If you have volunteered at the Essex County Correctional Facility or the Lawrence Correctional Alternative Center in the past year, you are invited to join us on November 4th at 7 p.m. at New Life Christian Assembly in Haverhill. We really hope you will join us! This is a very special night for us, and for the men you have served, because it gives us all an opportunity to show our deep appreciation for your ministry to men in prison. Won't you plan to be there? Please, click on the link to see the invitation. And, be sure all your volunteer team members are included in this event. We know you will be blessed by the fellowship, worship, and testimonies. Please, mark your calendars now! SEE PICTURES & FLIER
Our Seventh Anniversary
On November 17th we will be marking our 7th anniversary as the Directors of New Brothers Fellowship. Isn't that exciting? We think it's pretty wonderful, and we are happy to say that this seventh year has seen a lot of growth in the ministry. Once upon a time, we held two meetings a month. Now, there is an NBF meeting somewhere in Essex County five times a week! From two to more than 20 meetings a month? That is the work of God! PRAISE THE LORD for the great things He has done! Rejoice with us for His keeping power, grace, and mercy. This is His ministry, and we are grateful He continues to allow us to serve Him through it. To learn about the beginning of New Brothers Fellowship, READ MORE here.
Prayer Requests
We have two very great needs for prayer that we would like to share. First, we would like to ask the Body of Christ to pray with us regarding our finances. Offerings have been down since the summer months, and this has caused us to get behind in our expenses. We know the Lord is more than able to catch us up, so will you please pray with us for God to move in this regard and remove any hindrance that has frustrated giving? Will you also pray that the Holy Spirit would touch the hearts of new partners to join us in this work? Prayer has always been the key to the supply for this ministry, so thank you for joining us in agreement now for this need.
Secondly, we would like to ask prayer for Caroline. For many months now she has had an assortment of ailments that have led to the discovery of a large mass in her abdomen, and the need for a hysterectomy. Surgery has been scheduled for October 26th at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston. At this point, her doctor cannot confirm whether or not the large growth in her abdomen is cancerous, but there are some indications it is not and so we are trusting the Lord that will be the case. Will you please pray with us for Caroline's surgery and recovery? Will you pray for her health leading up to the surgery? There have been some bumps in the road (a blood clot, anemia, pinched nerve, etc.) that have made things more complicated. It's been a challenging time for the whole family, and the surgeon tells us recovery will be six-eight weeks. So, your prayers are really appreciated right now.
IN CLOSING
Thank you for taking the time to catch-up with us and with NBF. We truly value your prayer, service, and giving. The Lord is so good! He is so merciful to us, and His hand of blessing is evident in the work we are doing. We serve a good God, and it is such a privilege. The Lord is doing a great thing, and we count you as partners in this effort.
The Lord bless and keep you all today. We thank God for you!
In Christ alone,
Doug, Caroline, & Hannah
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New Brothers Fellowship
In His Light We Fellowship - 1 John 1:7
DIRECTORS: Rev. Doug & Caroline Gregan
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.NewBrothers.org
P.O. Box 307, Haverhill, MA 01830
Home: (978) 374-5692
Cell: (978) 994-9765
ECCF Office: (978) 750-1900, Ext. 3505
ABOUT NBF: The Gregans serve as home missionaries to the prison and prison aftercare mission field. This is a faith-based ministry that relies entirely on the freewill gifts of the Body of Christ. NBF is a non-profit religious organization and all gifts are tax-deductible based on their 501.[c][3] application currently in process. |
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