The Wehrles

So, here are the two most popular questions that a church “planter” gets asked:

1. Where’s your church?

2. What do you call it?

The answer to both of these questions is quite simple: “We don’t know, yet.” Question number three is generally a much more polite variation of:

3. So, what do you do, then?

For that question, there is a very long and complicated answer. Here’s a stab at it:

Over the months of July and August, we have finished moving into our new home and have started to get established in the community. The last of the boxes are unpacked or stored, and the kids are off to school.

The boys kept busy these last two months with swimming lessons, taekwon do, piano and drums. They’ve also made quite a few friends in the neighborhood. The neighborhood “gang” has spent many hours in the boys’ “dorm” room - the very large refrigerator-couch-tv-stereo-air-hockey equipped bedroom that Gabe, Nate and Elliot sleep and play in. They’ve had a sleep-over and a few shared meals as well.

More recently, we’ve been praying and dilligently advocating for Gabe to receive the care he needs during the school day. The school has finally hired a one-on-one nurse to accompany him. And, the boys are now enrolled in school and have finished their first full week.

In late July, the whole family travelled to Orlando where David and Janet received a week of church planters’ training at the United Methodist School of Congregational Development. Last week, we continued that training at the Church Planters’ Boot Camp with Jim Griffith. David journeyed to Dallas to be at the event and Janet attended via webcam.

We learned many things at Boot Camp, but the bottom line - in the words of Jim Griffith - is that “Church planting is a contact sport.”

Yes, we’ve set up an office and done a whole bunch of training and even some paperwork. David has preached at a few churches and been to meetings with pastors, officials in the church, and other church planters. We’re even planning an outreach to 20,000 people at a large concert.

But, by far the most important work that we do is simply to get out into the neighborhood and in contact with people. Find them. Be with them. Take and interest in them. Talk to them. Begin genuine relationships that will hopefully lead to life transformation in Jesus Christ.

Many days, like today, the whole family simply wraps up the day with an evening walk around the neighborhood. Just tonight, we took brownies to a family that moved in down the street, met another family new to us, and got ourselves involved in a book club. These are the activities that plant the seeds of new relationships that lead to a new church that reaches out to transform lives by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Please join us in this important work through prayer! Pray for:

• Gabriel - for continued healing of his airway; thanks for a new medically trained companion at school;
• Gabe, Elliot and Nate - for continued transition to this new home and for continued success with making new friends;
• Janet and Dave - for new friendships in a new place;
• Cleveland Church - that God would put us in touch with the Lydias (Acts 16), Priscillas and Aquillas (Acts 18) we know to be living in our community - these are people who know the Lord or are open to new relationship with Jesus and who will be instrumental partners in establishing the local church;
• An Intercessory Prayer Team - that God would help us identify a small group of true praying people who have no vested interest in this new church, but who will pray earnestly for our success;
• Our Anniversary Vacation - Janet and David celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary on July 10th - from September 9 - 15, we will escape to Denver to spend time alone!

We thank God for you constantly! Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing so that we can pray for you as well.

Yours in Christ,

David, Janet, Elliot, Gabriel, and Nathaniel