Saturday, July 25, 2009

NH and Maine, Follow Me conference

What a fun filled, exciting few weeks it has been for the Cowperthwaite clan! We went to Walpole, NH for the Follow Me Conference from July 16-19. The Steve and Mandy Pena family were gracious hosts for our family, and their home provided a beautiful venue for the conference. The Pena home is the current meeting place for Berean Gospel Assembly, a young church in the area. This body of believers were quite accomodating of all who attended the conference, with about a dozen staying in the Pena home and many more being housed and hosted by others in the local body.
What a blessing it is to know that wherever you go, family is there! God's family working together for such a gathering, helping, housing, and fellowship is one of the great hallmarks of the New Testament church. Our family parked our camper Thursday evening and met with BGA that evening. Brother Bob Gentile shared from the Word that evening and all were blessed and challenged.
Friday AM began the teaching times by Jesse Gentile, Roy Wahab, and Jeremiah Morrison. All the sessions were recorded and are available online to listen or download. Jesse dealt with spiritual gifts and Bible study methods. Roy Wahab dealt with the balance of truth and love in our outreach messages. Jeremiah Morrison led a discussion/teaching time regarding some Biblical principles of everyday life and pattern of worship. What a rich time of learning and challenge in God's Word!
I was asked to speak on Friday evening, specifically sharing about how God provides strength, encouragement, and in all things. I shared about the death of our son Joshua, and how the Lord kept us and brought us closer to Himself through that situation. I also shared from Nehemiah about the wonderful example of fervent prayer in Nehemiah 1:3-6. Elijah was also a great example of fervent prayer.
The group then spent a period praying specifically for the church at large, for men, women, and young people to be raised up to follow the Lord. We prayed that we would all leave the conference radically changed, more like the Lord Jesus when we left than when we arrived. I believe that prayer was answered in many hearts. The teaching was great and reminded us that we belong to God. We are His and not our own. It was a time of challenge and encouragement, of fun and fellowship, and a weekend in which God was glorified and His name lifted up.
Monday AM we left Walpole and headed to Westbrook, Maine. We are working this week with Spring Hill Gospel Hall and are parked at the meeting hall. We have gone out with local brothers to the doors with the Gospel. The saints here are having a vacation Bible school (DVBS) next week, so we are also inviting folks to that as we go out. We met with the saints here in Westbrook on Wednesday evening for prayer and Bible study and were blessed in this time in the word and before the Lord in prayer. The Cowperthwaites will leave Saturday evening and worship with the saints in Union this Sunday, Lord willing.
The work here in Westbrook has reminded us both of the great need for the Gospel to go out, and that God does work through His saints faithfully sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Matt was one of our contacts that heard the Gospel, asked lots of questions, and realized that God put someone in his path Tuesday to share with him the truth of God's Word and the love that the Father has for His creation. It was another of hundreds of encounters where a person was just going about their daily life with no thought of eternity or the God that holds their life in His hands. Matt was awakened that day to the urgency of being reconciled to God. Matt wants someone to visit again and John Stultz will be following up next week.
Others in need of prayer are Linda, Doris, Leo, and another Linda. There are too many contacts to list, and some have heard the truth presented while others have refused to talk at all. Still others have other religious affiliation that does not teach the truth from God's Word. Many have never just sat down and read the Bible, though they acknowledge that it is God's Word. We rely on the Lord to show us what to say and how to handle each situation. It is our desire that we get out of the way and just let Him speak through us. Please continue to pray with us that souls will come to salvation through repentance and trust in Jesus as the only way to eternal life. He is worthy to be praised and served with all our hearts and we consider it a privilege to be able to continue to preach the word of reconciliation toward God.
While we are here,we have also had opportunity to meet with other believers. Our friends, Gary and Marilyn Watson have hosted us for meals and fellowship a few times. We also went to their mid week service at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Scarborough on Tuesday evening. Thursday evening, we went for supper at the Morrison home in South Portland. We also met with Sara's college friend, Kerry Ellen, on Tuesday. Tonight, we have Erin Niland, a high school friend of Sara's, along with her fiancee for dinner. What a full week of fellowship, labor, and encouragement!