prayer support

We sent this out recently to many close to us. If you're reading this blog, that means you, too.

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Dear friends and family:

We hope this letter finds you well with God and life! We’re dropping this quick summary your way in order to let you know what’s happening on our end so that we might stay connected. In fact, it’s our sincere hope that you will join us in praying through some of the key transitions we are currently facing.

As you may already know, our family has been on a specific journey over the past year-and-a-half to discover how the Lord would have us serve him. This has included everything from leaving our last full-time pastorate in Battle Creek, interviewing with some amazing churches around the country, and taking up residence with Katie’s family in Holland, Michigan.

Meanwhile, Tony has served as an interim teaching pastor for a church, finished up a Master’s degree, and written several devotional books on the side. Katie has utilized her teaching gifts to help the boys learn how to read while also taking on a side job at Panera Bread to help the family out with some “daily bread.” All in all, we have definitely found ways to serve Jesus Christ in the short-term for eternal purposes.

Most recently we’ve moved to Portage, Michigan in order to follow through on the possibility of starting a new church. While our hearts still long to serve God in reimagining what it looks like to reach people with the amazing grace of Jesus Christ, we have come to realize that there is more than one way to pursue this. In fact, in light of where our family is at personally along with an affinity we’ve found with a young church in our area already serving the Lord in the way that we would have intended, we are praying through the possibility of folding ourselves into their community and joining them in touching lives with the Good News.

On one hand we believe that we’re in the city of Portage for a purpose that is divinely led and have already discovered opportunities all throughout our neighborhood to love and serve people. On the other hand, though, we’re in need of discernment about what the long-term possibilities are for us as a family. For instance, if we join the aforementioned church Tony would need to raise financial support through donors or a supplemental job that would allow him the chance to lead and communicate in the way he is gifted. If not, we then would need to look at candidating for a full-time ministry role in another part of the country or finding a consistent marketplace job that would provide a stable income.

Perhaps you can already see the reasons that we’re asking for your prayers. We are in a critical window of decision-making that will affect both our present and future and long to have clarity of God’s plan for our lives. As his story continues to unfold we are confident that the unique part we play in it as well as the resources needed to pursue him will all be revealed. In fact, we’re already experiencing glimpses of this blessing through the simple blessing of being on our own again and having our dog with us again (yay!).

Together,

The Myles Family

P.S. Thanks for this chance to share our hearts with you. We’d love to know if you would become an official prayer partner, so please email us by using the info listed above. Likewise, let us know how we can be praying for you, too!