Chris and Colene grew up as members of VGBC. After 12 years of food and clothing ministry in northern Colorado, God has called them to a new area of ministry in Oakland, CA.
Updates from Chris and Colene Watson
Chris arrived in Oakland on September 8, 2010 and began settling in at the Telegraph Center. He met the wonderful volunteers who have kept this food ministry running since the previous director left earlier that summer. The contract to sell their home fell through, so Chris was in Oakland and Colene and the boys were in Greeley for several months. They were finally able to be reunited in April, 2011.
Here is the latest update from Chris. If you'd like to receive these by e-mail, let him know at ccwatson@yahoo.com. Click here for the background on how God called them to this new ministry.
1/6/12 Happy New Year!
We’ve made it to a new year and new possibilities arise. As you continue to pray for the outreach of the Telegraph Ministry Center, I have 5 specific requests for you to keep in mind. I will get to those in a moment, but first I would like to share with you how God answered our prayers in 2011.
On December 21st, we held a special Christmas service for anyone wanting to celebrate the birth of our Savior. We had nearly 80 in attendance! A group of young people from Light by the Bay Church came and led some worship songs and I gave a message about the Incarnation of Jesus and how we are to respond to this great miracle. Afterwards we distributed holiday food to 369 families and gave over 100 presents to children. This was done by our regular volunteers, those from Light by the Bay, and also a group from Tri-City Chinese Baptist Church of Fremont. Altogether we had almost 50 volunteers when you count those who helped set up, wrap presents, and handed out food.
On a personal note, I wanted to follow up with you about our poor van. If you remember from my last email update, we had some issues getting our vehicles registered and ended up having to replace the transmission in our van. The week before Christmas I went out to go to work and the van was not where I left it the night before. At first I thought maybe it just was hiding and wanted me to seek him, but come to find out he was kidnapped. The police found it the next day abandoned at an intersection the next town over. The thief smashed the steering column and did about $1,000 worth of damage. The good news is that we did get it back and it is up and running.
Now for the purpose of this email. Five specific requests you can pray for our ministry this coming year.
1. Pray for the lost people that we touch on a weekly basis with the Gospel. Some are just waiting for someone to share with them the salvation offered by Christ, others are working through their faith, and some are antagonistic toward Christ. Three that fit into this last category that you have been praying for are R, M, and A. Pray that we will be faithful to witness to those God sends our way.
2. Pray for connections to expand the ministry. Needs among the poor in the Bay Area are great and one ministry is insufficient to make the type of impact we need for the glory of God. However, through several churches working together for a common goal, there is an opportunity to help families experience spiritual and financial freedom. Pray that I will find pastors and churches that are interested in reaching the poor and disenfranchised of their community. Over the last couple of months I have worked with four churches to develop ministries and in this way expand my influence for Christ.
3. Pray for financial plans for Telegraph Ministry Center. For years the Telegraph Center has been supported by the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention for the majority of its operating budget. Due to philosophical changes at NAMB, namely its sole commitment to church planting, funding ministry centers will no longer be done. Therefore, for the next year I will be putting together a plan for the Telegraph Center to become self-sufficient. Pray that God will give wisdom and lead in this effort.
4. Pray for disaster relief coordination. As you recall, in November you prayed for a conference I had put on to equip churches to respond before, during, and after an emergency. January 21st we will have a follow up meeting to encourage leaders as they put together plans for their church. Pray that we will have a coordinated effort to respond with the love of Christ when something unexpected happens in our area.
5. Pray for our volunteers. God has been gracious to provide solid workers who give of their time, energy, and effort because they believe in the cause. The majority of our regular volunteers are retirement age and have various health issues. This past year, several young backs have some alongside to help, particularly when it comes to unloading food deliveries. Pray for all of our volunteers as they attempt to represent Christ in all we do particularly in light of the spiritual, financial, relational, and physical issues they face.
Chris
God's Call to a New Ministry, September 2010
Dear Friends,
I would like to let you know of some interesting things God is doing in my life. For the last twelve years I have had the opportunity to minister in northern Colorado through ministry evangelism centers. During this time we have seen some amazing work of the Holy Spirit as we met the physical and spiritual needs of those dealing with issues related to poverty. Colene and I moved to Greeley in September of 1998 believing God had called us to this ministry and trusting he would provide for our needs. The Lord exceeded our expectations and blessed us beyond our dreams spiritually, in our marriage, with a thriving ministry, an expanding family, and strong friendships.
After twelve wonderful years I feel God is calling us to another ministry in a different place. My hope has always been to do my part in building the Kingdom of God, and it is evident to me that the Lord is wanting me to serve in another area for that purpose. I would say that he is leading me to another ministry, but it feels more like he is pushing me to this new position. Because we were so happy and content ministering in Greeley, God would need to send drastic measures in order to get us to the point of considering a change, and this is just what he did. It is through much prayer that we are leaving our home for the past twelve years and on September 1st I will begin a ministry with the Telegraph Baptist Center in Oakland, California. This center is located in the heart of a vast multi-cultural area where we will be ministering to individuals and families who are from all over the world. In the midst of this cultural diversity are several religions, world views, and philosophies that lead away from the truth of Jesus Christ. We will have the opportunity to build relationships, meet needs, and minister to many who have never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Christ.
Just as we moved to Greeley on faith in 1998, we are moving to California on faith in 2010. As you know the cost of living in California is much higher than we are used to in Colorado. I will continue to be supported by the North American Mission Board, but a missionary salary does not go as far in California as it does in Colorado. However, since we are certain that God is calling us to this ministry, we know that he will provide for our needs, as he always has. Our serving the Lord has always resulted in his faithfulness providing what we need, when we need it. Sometimes he has tested our faith, but he has always come through for us and we know he will do the same in this ministry.
I also wanted to let you know of ways you can partner with us in this exciting new endeavor. First is to pray for us during the next couple months of transition. Pray that we will be able to gracefully leave the many wonderful friendships we have and develop new connections with those to whom we can minister and also to those who can minister to us. Pray for Colene to find support for her homeschooling efforts and that Jonathan and Caleb would meet friends with godly values. Pray that our housing situation will be resolved, both in what we are leaving and where we are going. Also pray that God will prepare me with the wisdom, strength, and discernment I will need in this new ministry.
Finally pray that God would meet the financial needs of our family. Like I said we are confident he will accomplish this as we are obedient to his calling. In fact, he may be wanting to use you to make this happen. If this is the case, let me know and we can discuss it more. If you are interested in keeping up with ministry, where God is leading us, and how we are impacting this world for the Kingdom reply to this email and I will put you on our update list. Thank you for loving and supporting us in so many ways.
Chris Watson
ccwatson@yahoo.com
Click here for an update on God's provision for The Lighthouse Mission and Good News Center
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