Comments

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  Andrew R. Wheeler March 23, 2017 8:23

  Lynn,

  Debra and I moved to Knoxville, TN late last summer to be near my parents.  My dad has early-onset dementia, and they have no other family nearby.  He's still doing well and they don't need a lot of help yet, but we wanted to get close so that we could be ready when they do.  It's also been a real God-send reconnecting with my Dad.

  We haven't found a permanent church home here yet, though we've attended a church near my parents a couple of times.  My real hope is to get them out to church.  They're both believers, but my Dad isn't that much of a church person.  My stepmom, Selma, would love to go to church together and I don't think she has a strong preference as to what church, as long as everyone is together.  So we're checking out one that's close to them that will hopefully be easy to get to and will get my Dad out.

  It was difficult to leave Willow Crystal Lake.  We were part of the founding core of that regional, and this year is a big year for them, moving into a permanent space (we had been leasing a warehouse for the last 10-11 years).  The prayer ministry there is strong but not large, and to be honest, I don't think it gets enough push from the pulpit.  Not that the prayer ministry itself is the thing, but more that I'd really love to see WCL move in the direction of being a "house of prayer", which I don't think you could say it is today.

  I don't know if you had heard this or not, but I had a book published a few years ago by Intervarsity Press called "Together in Prayer".  Its aim was to help small groups pray more effectively together, and to help small group leaders guide their groups in prayer (which is typically one of the weakest areas of a small group).  I'm working on another one right now tentatively entitled "Lord, Don't You Care if We Drown?", which is aimed at helping people to connect with God in prayer during crisis situations.  And I'm just starting to develop ideas for a book about praying for the Persecuted Church (which is a particular area of passion for me).

  God was extraordinarily gracious to us in the move here, even allowing me to keep my job at the bank in Chicago and work remotely.  But  neither of us sees that as a permanent solution.  We both sense God's leading for me to leave the bank at some point, going to work for a ministry called Good Sense (which started at Willow) and writing and teaching.  I've been in conversations with Sid Yeomans (the president of GS) - it was actually his idea that I come to work for them once the organization grows to the point that it can afford another employee.

  I'll stop here for now - I've gone on long enough already - but I'll respond to your question about Pray.Network soon.

  Once again, I am so glad you're here!

  --Andrew
• Malva Birch March 21, 2017 14:09

  Welcome, Lynn! God bless!