Recently I was in Scottsdale, AZ and as able to spend some time with Josh Neighbors who is a 2002 Northland graduate and now associate / youth pastor at Immanuel Bible Church. For the last several years he has prayed about getting into the large public school that sits adjacent to the church. God has opened that door—not just to have a Bible study but build relationships with teachers and students. Go where the gospel isn’t! This opportunity has also had an impact on his church youth group.

Just last week we learned that Dan Morrell had a tumor on his liver. Today he is with the Lord. It was that fast. The picture above is of Dan, his wife, and his grandkids—taken just the other day.

Dan and his wife, Diane, are professors at Northland and have impacted countless young people through their church and college ministries. Please pray for Diane and the rest of the Morrell family. Diane (my wife) and I were able to speak to both of them Saturday night and were moved by their incredible faith and confidence in the promises of God. Trials reveal a lot about what we really believe. Here is a couple who really was living with an eternal perspective!

The brief story of their journey through this trial is captured on a CaringBridge page. If you are interested I would recommend checking it out and leaving an encouraging note for the family.

It was great to catch up with a few alumni and friends in KC today. Thanks to Bob and Amy Gibler for hosting this at their church—Redeemer Fellowship.

In the picture above you’ll see Jon and Lacy Cummins, Josh and Celeste Brown, Joe and Charity Fox, and Lead Elder Rick and Kristin Dobrowolski of Allentown Bible Church. They joined us with a number of other for our alumni for a get-together in Allentown, PA.

This past weekend Cary Smith and I enjoyed connecting with two groups of Northland alumni—one in Northeast Philadelphia and the other in Allentown, PA. Few things have given me greater encouragement than reconnecting with our grads! Teams of our graduates and their families are pulling together to plant churches in Pennsylvania that in turn are planting other churches. And rather than spending years on the road trying to raise support, these couples are stepping right into the work by securing secular jobs and sharing the leadership and responsibility. It seems to be an effective model. Allentown Bible Church is one example of those who are jumping in and engaging the community. They are building relationships in their neighborhoods, community centers, and work places. As time goes on these churches will grow and be able to financially support the pastors and teachers.

I like the team concept. It gives a synergy and accountability to the work as well as an acceleration to reaching people with the gospel. When we say, “go where the gospel isn’t,” we realize there are still places around us where people have not heard. This particular church plant, like many others I am seeing, is going intentionally to these kinds of places. It challenges us in our roles at Northland to continue to not only strengthen our Bible core but to improve the skill sets that will help bi-vocational ministers (discover, develop, deploy concept). This seems to be the model that is working today—teams going to needy and difficult areas who are willing to roll up their sleeves and accept a bi-vocational roll with enthusiasm.