Brenda Knopp

About Us › Our Family › Locate a Worker

Prayer Letter/Ministry Update

Fall Tour

Summer has come to an end an now it is time to begin my fall tour. I've had a wonderful summer with family and friends, including a trip to North Dakota to visit my brother and his family. It has been special to reconnect with my nephews and nieces! I also had a terrific week at Summit Grove Family Camp. I enjoyed seeing some of you there!

This weekend I began my fall tour at the Oak Grove Alliance Church in Williamsport. What a great group of folks! I enjoyed connecting with many new people and experiencing their love and support of God's work around the world. I will be busy traveling from now until the end of November. I would appreciate your prayers as I minister in these churches.

September 16-17 Towanda

September 18-20 Harrison Valley

September 25-27 Long Meadow Chapel, Dingmans Ferry/Milford

Sept 30-Oct 4 West Pittston

October 5-7 Glenview, Glen Rock

October 9-11 Moosic

October 14-18 Perry Alliance, Shermans Dale

October 19-21 Lancaster

October 24-25 Williamstown

Please continue to read below about some exciting news for our church family in Gjilan and an opportunity to be a part of what God is doing!

(I don't believe in re-inventing the wheel ... so I appreciate sharing this news already written by my team leader! :)

OUR BUILDING IS BEING SOLD!
The building where the Resurrection Center has been since 2004 has been put up for sale! Here is where we really need your prayers. The landlord would very much like to sell his building to us.

For the past month our whole team has spent significant time in fasting and prayer over this question. Should we buy the building where God has had us since 2004? After a great deal of conversation between us, our bosses and a number of supporters the team has unanimously agreed to ask God for the funds for this building. We agree that now is the time to move forward.

We have been praying for a long-term home for the church and center for many years. Over the last year and half we've looked at a number of properties. We've looked at empty lots ($490,000), we've looked at half-finished, big buildings ($1.2 million) and another building down the street from the current location ($322,000).

Our landlord is asking for 190,00 euro (roughly $280,000). He has already had four or five serious offers; two of which have been with cash in hand. So far he has rejected them because he would prefer to sell to us. But for personal reasons he needs to move this property quickly.

Here is why we believe that the time is NOW to buy this building:

The building is located in what is becoming the new "city center". There will always be high traffic in this area and the property will never lose value. As Naim and Jeff have interacted with builders, the urban planning office, and the zoning office everyone is encouraging us to buy this property by whatever means possible.
This building is located right across the street from the university and very near to all the schools. In fact, the university is planning an annex that will increase the number of students and professors making our location even more strategic. Another major grocery store also went in around the corner increasing traffic.
This is the building everyone in town recognizes as an evangelical church. We've spent five years developing relationships with the city in this location. Last week one of the ESL students came up to us in a restaurant. "Where will you go? How will I find you?" he blurted out. He had seen the for sale signs and was concerned we'd disappear.
The city is at the beginning stages of a new "urban plan". Right now we have the opportunity to see this building zoned as a "church". This would be the first evangelical church in the country to be zoned as a "church." It has the potential to be a precedent for the entire country.
I could go on about the rationale for this building but let me ask you two questions:

Would you be willing to pray with us that God would raise the necessary funds?
Would you be willing to give toward the purchase of this building?
This project will be done in two phases. The first phase is the purchase of the existing building. That's going to cost $280,000. The second phase would be renovations to the current structure. The renovations we envision are:

The expansion of the worship space by removing a number of existing walls.
Expanding the basement floor for additional retail, mechanical and/or classroom space.
The addition of a fourth floor for more classroom, office and worship space.
An addition off the front of the building from basement to fourth floor to give us more square feet on each floor.
Over the years the Center has blessed many, many people including a local builder/engineering professor. He has done measurements and general floor plans of the building as a gift to us. He estimates that construction costs for items 3 & 4 from the above list will be roughly $70,000. For our complete phase two renovations we're estimating $140,000.

In summary then, we're asking God for:

Phase one: $280,000 for the existing building
Phase two: $140,000 for future renovations.
But hey! What about the church members? For several weeks we've been asking the members to be praying with us about this decision. They've been unanimously in favor of moving in this direction. Last Thursday night we met for Bible study and asked, "How will you invest in this building, should the Lord provide it?" The answers were amazing. With forty percent unemployment no one has much money. But Naim said, I will volunteer to do all the plumbing in the building. I know how to do this. Another, an unemployed electrician said, I will do all the electricity for this floor. Another said, I've done roofing; I will work to put a new roof on the building. Others said, I have no skills at all but I'll do physical labor. Naim's wife Nexharija said, "I'll clean!" In short, almost everyone enthusiastically volunteered what they have to give to further the project. We'll be working with them to see their "investment" maximized as God enables us to move forward.

Obviously, we're asking for an enormous amount of money, especially considering today's economy. And yet, as we've prayed, we believe God can do even this. You've been praying with us for many years about this very question. We believe that now is the time to move forward.

If you'd like additional information on the project please write me at brendak@ringjallja.com. The team is going to be putting together a brochure and possibly a video in the near term. If your heart resonates with this project would you let me know? Perhaps you've been waiting for this time to step up and help. If that's the case, please let us know. We're looking to God's people to help us discern God's will as we move forward.

If you're interested in this project you can go here learn more, including various ways to pray and give.

Thank you for standing with us!

Brenda

Prayer Requests/Answers to Prayer

No information provided at this time.

Balkans

Approved Specials

If you wish to contribute to one of our specials (vehicle funds, building projects, etc.) you may select it from the Approved Specials List.

Share

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•