Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I would like to sincerely thank you for partnering with us in the work that God has called us to here in Richibucto, New Brunswick. It is such a blessing to know that prayers are being made to the Father on our behalf for the advancement of His Kingdom here. To God be the glory!
After a cold and snowy winter, the weather here has been slowly growing warmer and brighter. The snow has been melting, the grass has begun to show, and my children are excited to be riding their bikes again as they both look forward to summer. My wife has been busy teaching them at home, and she has recently started a group for home-schooling moms through which the Lord has been using her to bless and encourage other women.
The Lord is gracious and kind. Over the past several weeks of ministry there have been difficult challenges, but God continues to comfort and strengthen me through His Word. I have been especially encouraged lately as I study the book of Ephesians and discover more of the riches of God’s grace in Christ Jesus, of the immense importance of the local church, and of the incredible privilege it is to be called as a saint and made a member of the Body of Christ. This has been refreshing to my soul.
Since first being called to plant a church in this area, I have seen the enemy snatch precious Gospel seed that had been sown in peoples’ lives. And this past month has been no different, as some who we have witnessed to and who showed an interest in the Gospel have since turned back from following the Lord and have cut their ties with us. One man in particular had been attending the church for several months and seemed eager to learn about the things of God from Scripture in order to follow Christ. But one day as a fellow worker and I went to visit him, we were resisted and eventually asked to take our book, the Bible, and leave as we were no longer welcome. The situation was dark and both of us left feeling heavy and discouraged.
But God is rich in mercy and very gracious, and we praise Him that even though we meet with various trials and discouragements along the way there are also many opportunities and encouraging times of seeing His hand at work. I am pleased to report that the church plant is getting stronger and more stable, and that the saints are growing more in love with the Word of God and with the God of the Word. As I write this, we are currently getting ready to receive fourteen founding members this upcoming Lord’s Day! We are very excited as this marks a major leap forward in the growth and development of our beloved church plant.
We thank God for calling us to this ministry and count it a privilege to be in partnership with HeartCry. Please continue to pray for the salvation of the lost and for the edification of the saints in Richibucto. Soli Deo Gloria!
Your brother in Christ,
Christopher Sippley