Len and Diane Warden

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Prayer Letter/Ministry Update

Warden’s Pen December, 2011
Dear Friends and Loved ones,
We hope and pray that this contact with you finds you rejoicing in our Lord’s goodness and faithfulness to each one of us, in spite of difficulties and circumstances. I know we just came through Thanksgiving and “Black Friday” and our prayer is that there was way more “thanksgiving” than “Black Friday” on your hearts and minds.
It’s interesting that as Christians through the influences of the ‘prosperity gospel’ and “black Friday’s” we are concentrating more and more on being thankful for things (material/visible blessings) and not remembering to be thankful for the non-material (eternal/invisible blessings).
We, Len and Diane, are THANKFUL for family and friends that pray for us, support us with encouraging words and willingly(an act of their wills) free us to be here in Lagoa Santa (Brazil) investing in the eternal, although being tempted every day by the ‘material’.
God, through His Spirit, has been SO good to us since we got back, showing us very clearly that He is raising up a church here in Lagoa Santa and “the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Just as this promise was given to us through the Apostle Peter’s confession, we hope that not only we can think and pray this promise about our local church, but that you too, can think and pray this about your church.
Some of you will remember us talking about the hospital administrator, Paulo, who came to Christ through mountain biking and home group meetings. He was baptized this past June and is faithfully helping every week with the sound system and is Pastor Fernando’s right-hand man for the Basic Truths course every Friday night. We, with the Apostle Paul, pray that God will continue to produce ‘fruit’ in the lives of those being saved that not only confirms their new life in Christ but also that it would be ‘fruit that remains’. John 15:16
Can we encourage you to take your life to a deeper level of thanksgiving this Christmas season? Christmas should always remind us that the Eternal became flesh so that our flesh would become totally focused on the eternal. Together, let us keep investing more and more on the non-material (eternal) relationships and less and less on the material (Black Friday’s).
In closing, because the Alliance (C&MA) is finding it harder and harder to have people contribute to an overall fund to support missions, they have asked us to solicite those of you that we keep in touch with, that might not be contributing to the Great Commission Fund (GCF) in Alliance churches, to consider supporting our church planting effort here in Brazil. Whatever you could give on a monthly basis or a one-time gift would come 100% to our support. Please, prayerfully consider this request to support world missions on a more personal level with us, and get in touch with us on how to do so to receive the appropriate channels and tax-deductible receipts. Thank you, we do want to finish well our last 3 years here in Brazil! The website for the C&MA is www.cmalliance.org/give/worker and if you go down to the bottom of the home page you can click on “Give” and it will direct you to that page. Also by mailing a check to:
The Christian & Missionary Alliance
P.O. Box 35000
Colorado Springs, CO 80935-3500

Thank you also, to those who continue to give to our Len Warden –Work of Fund. This last trip to the States we were able to purchase: laser printer, a sound system, amplifier, wireless microphones and many other educational items. God bless each of you. We will leave with you a few praises and prayer requests:

Co-laborers in Christ,
Len and Diane Warden

Praise and Prayer requests

Praise
1. Praise God for over 100 women that came to our November tea right in the middle of a terrible hail storm! (We had places for 84.) More than 60 women were visitors!
2. There are 20 people studying the “First Steps” course each week. (This is a course that is given for those interested in being part of the church or recently saved.)
3. In addition to our 4 small groups (Koinonias), next year we have 2 more homes interested in hosting one each week.
4. God is using Pastor Fernando powerfully with messages that are impacting the congregation. His wife, Ester, is heading up the children’s ministry and is such a blessing!
5. On Dec. 3, Community Alliance of Lagoa Santa was officially organized as a church!
6. An official leadership has been elected and begins to lead as of this month.
7. Diane is investing in 5 women for leadership in the church using the course “Experiencing God”.
8. We are at capacity in the actual church location and will have to move or renovate the building.
Prayer
1. Pray for the newly organized church and newly elected leaders. We are seeing people wanting to use their spiritual gifts for the benefit of the Body.
2. Next year our focus is on developing leadership within the church. Pray for willing and dedicated people that will be committed to growing and ministering in the church and be light to those outside who want to know about Jesus.
3. We have a baptism service next Sunday. Pray for this big step of identification for many of our people. We may have 8 people taking this big step.
4. Pray for wisdom for the decision about our future move, either staying where we are and expanding or moving to a larger place.
5. Pray for continued contact with the new people arriving weekly.

Brazil

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