Tuesday, December 15, 2015

December 15 Praises & Prayer Requests

Here are praise reports and prayer requests for this week.  

Praise Reports:
- Praise the Lord: - Our passports have been returned in the post and Cindy has received her biometrics visa card by courier today! Trusting that mine will arrive tomorrow.- Praise the Lord - We will be able to travel to America for Christmas now that we have our visas- Praise the Lord - Val has completely healed from her shoulder surgery 
- Praise the Lord - The trip to the Continental Christmas Market in Belfast was a really pleasant time of fellowship for most of our wee church

Thank you for praying for the following with us- Please pray that our church will remain in close fellowship while we are away in America 
- Pray also for Tim, who will be taking the Sunday mornings that I will be missing, that his message will be well-received and pertinent to their lives. - Pray that the Christmas dinner that we've been invited to join with the folks at Mooreland Close will bring us even closer to them.
- Pray that our time in America will be restful, rejuvenating and encouraging - Pray that the message I will be giving on Christmas eve at Calvary Chapel Norco will communicate the Lord's sacrificial love and missionary heart to those who hear it.- Pray that the Lord will give Tim clear direction of His will concerning him leaving for a position at the Bible College in Edinburgh, Scotland - Keep praying for the salvation of Leanda and Linsey from the women's study. (Linsey is close!)
Thank you for your faithful prayer support
God bless you,
Rick & Cindy Johnston

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

December 8 Praises & Prayer Requests

Here are praise reports and prayer requests for this week.  

Praise Reports:

- Praise the Lord: - The dinner and film night Wednesday was really good fellowship. Good craic watching "Elf" together!
- Jan has healed up well from the bad sickness she had last week
- Praise the Lord - My visit with a prisoner in Maghaberry Prison was a significant time for him
- Praise the Lord - The film night at Mooreland Close was faithfully attended despite atrocious weather as our ministry to the folks there continues

Thank you for praying for the following with us
- Please pray now for Carli Betts who was injured in a car accident shortly after returning to Colorado. Also that the Lord will make His direction for them clear.
-  We are still waiting to receive our biometrics visa card. Praying that we will get them quickly.
- Pray for our friend Debbie in California who just got a diagnosis of malignancy in her esophagus
- Pray that Sandra will receive God's healing touch for her sarcoidosis.
- Please pray that our church trip to the Continental Christmas market in Belfast will be have opportunities to share the gospel and deepen our fellowship one with another.
- Pray that the Lord will give Tim clear direction of His will concerning him leaving for a position at the Bible College in Edinburgh, Scotland
- Still pray for the salvation of Leanda and Lynsey from the women's study. (Lynsey is close!)
- Three week furlough/Missions Conference in California, 21 December through 13 January
- The All-Ireland CC Conference January 22-24 in Athlone, Republic of Ireland

Thank you for your faithful prayer support
God bless you,
Rick & Cindy Johnston

Saturday, December 5, 2015

November Newsletter


We're looking forward to our visit to California December 21 - January 13,

Rick will be speaking at Calvary Chapel Norco for their Christmas Eve Service at 6:00 pm.

We plan to be at Refuge (CCHB) Saturday Dec 26 & Jan 2 for the evening services, both morning & evening services on Sundays Dec 27 & Jan 10, and perhaps Wednesday evening Jan 6. (please check www.refugefamily.com for service times)

We'll be at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa for their Missions Day,Sunday Jan 3 and will be attending the Missions Conference in Murrieta, Jan 4 - 8.

If you are able to come to any of these services, we'd love to see you for a wee chin wag! (you'll have to read the newsletter!)


Blessings,
Rick & Cindy Johnston

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

December 1 - Praises & Prayer Requests

Here are praise reports and prayer requests for this week.  

Praise Reports:

- Praise the Lord: - Thanksgiving dessert potluck was well attended and well received
- Praise the Lord: Gary and Carli were able to meet a lot of folks and got a good feel for the area
- Praise the Lord - Gary sensed a genuine love of Christ and true compassion for one another from the members of CBV. That is an answer to my prayers
- Praise the Lord - The puppet show by the youth for Crocus, the special needs youth group, went even better than we had hoped. It was encouraging to hear the audience clap and sing along!
 
Thank you for praying for the following with us

- Please pray now for Gary & Carli Betts from Colorado, that the Lord will make His direction for them clear where in Ireland they are meant to be.
-  We are still waiting to receive our biometrics visa card. Praying that we will get them quickly.
- Pray that our fellowship of dinner and a film "in-reach" Wednesday evening will be a blessing to all of us
- Pray that Jan will respond quickly to the strong antibiotics that she has been prescribed for the bad sickness she has.
- Pray that the Lord will give Tim clear direction of His will concerning him leaving for a position at the Bible College in Edinburgh, Scotland
- Still pray for the salvation of Leanda and Lynsey from the women's study. (Lynsey is close!)

Thank you for your faithful prayer support
God bless you,
Rick & Cindy Johnston

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

November 24 Praises & Prayer Requests

Here are praise reports and prayer requests for this week.  

Praise Reports:

- Praise the Lord: - The first "Beyond X-Factor" mini seminar this past Saturday went very well as we looked deeper into the person and position of the Holy Spirit.

- Praise the Lord: For the meeting in Athlone for prayer and discussion of details for the up-coming conference with the other Calvary Chapel pastors in Ireland.
- Praise the Lord - The youth's puppet practice went smoothly and well, with all the bugs worked out.

- Praise the Lord -  The Lord blessed Cindy with a really nice birthday. Praise the Lord for side benefits of fellowship with sincere people of the Lord!

Thank you for praying for the following with us:

- Please pray for Gary & Carli Betts from Colorado, that while they are visiting us for a few days this week, the Lord will make His direction clear where in Ireland they are to be.

- Pray that the youth group's puppet show for the special needs youth at Crocus will go well this Friday and that everyone will catch the message of what is the Reason for the Season.

- Pray that the delay in receiving the actual visa biometrics card will be overcome
- Pray that our Thanksgiving dessert outreach Wednesday evening will lead to genuine thanks to the Lord


- Pray that the Lord will give Tim clear direction of His will concerning him leaving for a position at the Bible College in Edinburgh Scotland

- Still pray for the salvation of Leanda and Lynsey from the women's study. (Lynsey is close!)

Thank you for your faithful prayer support
God bless you,
Rick & Cindy Johnston

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

November 17 Praises & Prayer Requests

Here are praise reports and prayer requests for this week. 

Praise Reports:

- Praise the Lord: - The men's Kairos outreach at Maghaberry Prison went extremely well, bearing much fruit. Two or three made commitments to follow the Lord and all who attended were strengthened in faith.

- Praise the Lord: The table quiz, a fund raiser to help towards our visa costs, was a great success!  We raised £655 ($1015)! Thank you Jesus for the support we're receiving from so many here.
- Praise the Lord - Everyone in the church has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit!!

- Praise the Lord -  The women in the study group is showing amazing growth in their faith and trust in Jesus - truly applying what we're all learning about letting go of the fears that hold us.

Praise the Lord - The whole church helped with the audio recording for the Youth's puppet show...it was great for the adults to support and spend time with youth group.


Thank you for praying for the following with us

- Please lift up a couple, Gary & Carli Betts from Colorado, who are coming for a week (Nov 23-28) to Ireland to catch the Lord direction them regarding mission work here.  They'll be visiting the Republic of Ireland and then coming up to us in Northern Ireland. Pray that during their time here the Lord speaks to them, clarifying the call and plan He has for them and their three young daughters.

- Pray for the youth that 1) practice the next 2 weeks for the puppet show will go smoothly as they follow the recorded vocal track and 2) that they and the youth at Crocus will get spiritual fruit from it.

- Pray for the salvation of Leanda and Lynsey from the women's study. (Lynsey is close!)

- Please pray that the ladies of the Bible study continue to take to heart what they are learning.

- We pray for Pat who must retire on Nov 27, from managing Mooreland Close due to MS: 1) that her financial and emotional needs will be met and 2) that the next manager at Mooreland Close to be another godly person so that the people there will continue to be well taken care of and we will keep our good relationship with the Close.

- Three week furlough/Missions Conference in California, December through January

Thank you for your faithful prayer support
God bless you,
Rick & Cindy Johnston

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

November 10 Praises & Prayer Requests


Here are praise reports and prayer requests for this week.  

Praise Reports:

- Praise the Lord: The coffee morning was a great success in many ways!
- Praise the Lord - Pat, even though she will be leaving, made sure that our ministry to Mooreland Close will continue
- Praise the Lord - the Faith Mission outreach Tim was part of went very well, encouraging him greatly
- Praise the Lord: For the support of the church members for Ruth at the coffee morning with so many of them showing up to help 

Thank you for praying for the following with us:
- Please lift up Rick and the Kairos prison ministry while they're in Maghaberry Prison Tuesday through Friday of this week. (Nov 10 - 13)
- Pray that the table quiz Saturday night will generate a good amount of funds to go toward Rick and Cindy's expenses for the visa
- Pray for the youth that 1) the preparation and practice this week for the puppet show will go smoothly as we will be recording the vocal track and 2) that they and the youth at Crocus will all get spiritual fruit from it.
- Pray for the salvation of Leanda and Lynsey from the women's study.
- Pray: for our personal financial position, especially that the Lord will raise up some folks who will be able to commit to contributing monthly to our missionary support.
- Please be praying for our three week furlough/Missions Conference in California, December through January

Thank you for your faithful prayer support
God bless you,
Rick & Cindy Johnston

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

November 3 Praises & Prayer Requests

Here are praise reports and prayer requests for this week.  

Praise Reports:

- Praise the Lord: We have been granted another visa!
- Praise the Lord - Our ministry to Mooreland Close will continue

- Praise the Lord - After teaching on the works of the Holy Spirit as we have been going through Acts, everyone present asked to be prayed for to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and then another one asked for it later in the week!

- Praise the Lord: Val Hoile's arm is out of the sling and she will begin physio therapy on it next week. Just like we were praying for, her recovery from shoulder surgery has been quicker than expected.

Thank you for praying for the following with us

- Please lift up Rick in his preparation for Kairos prison ministry (week of November 10-13)

- Pray that the coffee morning fund raiser for the Christian radio station this Saturday will be a great success. Ruth has been growing in confidence!.

- Pray for the youth that 1) the preparation and practice for the puppet show at the end of the month will occur for all of us and 2) that they will each get spiritual fruit from it.

- Pray for the salvation of Leanda and Lynsey from the women's study.

- Pray for  Kairos, the prison ministry Rick's involved with, especially that prison staff will be made available to allow us to be able to host the Kairos events in the prison and for the Lord's blessing on this year's outreach November 10-13.

Thank you for your faithful prayer support
God bless you,
Rick & Cindy Johnston

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

October 27 Praises & Prayer Requests

Here are praise reports and prayer requests for this week.  

Praise Reports:

- Praise the Lord: We submitted our application for visa today.
- Praise the Lord - the details for the coffee morning are all sorted!

- Praise the Lord - The baking day last Saturday was a great success! 12 folks attended and Lynsey experienced first hand the love of Jesus!

- Praise the Lord: Everyone was blessed Sunday evening when Rick shared his testimony at Culleybacky Methodist church,
- Praise the Lord - Leo's parents relocation to Calif went smoothly, and they are both settling in their new homes.  
 
Thank you for praying for the following with us

- Pray that our visa application which was submitted today will be processed smoothly and quickly.

- Pray for the salvation of Leanda and Lynsey from the women's study. Lynsey came to hear Rick's testimony and was really moved hearing about the Lord's faithfulness in our life over the years and what Rick had been delivered from.

- Pray that the coffee morning fund raiser for the Christian radio station will be a great success and Ruth grows in confidence in the abilities the Lord has gifted her with.
- Please lift up Rick in his preparation for Kairos prison ministry (week of November 10-13)

- Please continue to pray for more spiritual hunger in our youth group. 

- The youth could also use prayer for the puppet show they'll be doing for Crocus, a special needs youth group, on 30 November.

- Pray that church members keep growing in confidence in the Lord, but we're praising the Lord for the growth that we are seeing!

Thank you for your faithful prayer support
God bless you,
Rick & Cindy Johnston

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Busy Busy Busy, So Rest in the Lord





It’s become a very busy time since summer ended. As soon as we returned from the Missions Conference, we needed to set things in motion to have our wee church become a licensed sponsor for the UK Visas and Immigration department. That was accomplished at the end of September.

 

Meanwhile, the work of the ministry has accelerated and expanded, praise the Lord. Exciting things are happening as we get more and more involved in the lives of people around here.  Oh, and we can’t forget that we now have to be getting another visa for ourselves. Busy, busy, busy.



It could be very easy to get tired out or even burn out. But the Lord who carries us is faithful. In Psalm 37, verse 7, God gives His people a place of refreshing when He says, “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him.” Ah, what a place to be – that is, in the Lord. He gives us strength and direction as we wait on him to guide and he gives us peace as He gives the strength to carry on. I recall the words we read as we studied the book of Joshua: “Be strong and of good courage… for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”



That is the secret: to not rely on feeble human strength, but rest in the Lord and receive His strength. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are troubled and weighted down with care, and I will give you rest.” See? He gives us rest!



So instead of carrying the burden of worry for the people, we “cast our cares on Him, for He cares for us.” We are seeing the Lord doing what He promised to do as He spoke to my heart last year. He is bringing more people to our fellowship and it is growing by word of mouth, just as He said it would.  So, we appreciate your prayers for us and our church family as the Lord keeps us busy with the work of the kingdom.

Pastor Rick 

October 20 Praises & Prayer Requests

Here are praise reports and prayer requests for this week.  

Praise Reports:

- Praise the Lord: We are moving ahead with the coffee morning fundraiser for November 7.

- Praise the Lord - The ladies are taking to heart what they are studying and overcoming fears.

- Praise the Lord: We had a full house Sunday morning, literally, as a family and 6 of their kids that we hadn't seen for a while visited us. They're planning to return Saturday for the baking day outreach.
Thank you for praying for the following with us

- Rick will be giving his testimony at a Methodist church in a town nearby. Pray that a message from the Lord will encourage and touch people through him.

-  Pray that the Lord will bless the baking day outreach with good fellowship and an openness to Him.

- Please keep praying for Jenny that God will give her understanding of her personal salvation and assurance of her place in His kingdom.

- Pray for the salvation of Leanda and Lynsey from the women's study.

- Pray that Cindy and I will be successful in getting our next visa. It is only one more week before we can apply!

- We pray for Pat who must retire from managing Mooreland Close due to MS: 1) that her financial needs will be met and 2) for the next manager at Mooreland Close to be another godly person so that the people there will continue to be well taken care of and we will keep our good relationship with the Close. 

Thank you for your faithful prayer support
God bless you,
Rick & Cindy Johnston

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Busy Busy Busy, So Rest in the Lord!




It’s become a very busy time since summer ended. As soon as we returned from the Missions Conference, we needed to set things in motion to have our wee church become a licensed sponsor for the UK Visas and Immigration department. That was accomplished at the end of September.
 
Meanwhile, the work of the ministry has accelerated and expanded, praise the Lord. Exciting things are happening as we get more and more involved in the lives of people around here.  Oh, and we can’t forget that we now have to be getting another visa for ourselves. Busy, busy, busy.

It could be very easy to get tired out or even burn out. But the Lord who carries us is faithful. In Psalm 37, verse 7, God gives His people a place of refreshing when He says, “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him.” Ah, what a place to be – that is, in the Lord. He gives us strength and direction as we wait on him to guide and he gives us peace as He gives the strength to carry on. I recall the words we read as we studied the book of Joshua: “Be strong and of good courage… for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

That is the secret: to not rely on feeble human strength, but rest in the Lord and receive His strength. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are troubled and weighted down with care, and I will give you rest.” See? He gives us rest!

So instead of carrying the burden of worry for the people, we “cast our cares on Him, for He cares for us.” We are seeing the Lord doing what He promised to do as He spoke to my heart last year. He is bringing more people to our fellowship and it is growing by word of mouth, just as He said it would.  So, we appreciate your prayers for us and our church family as the Lord keeps us busy with the work of the kingdom.

Pastor Rick