Dear Nick,
THANK YOU for giving us the opportunity
to LAUNCH this new church in Jewish New York City. I
cannot begin to tell you how humbling and exciting it is
to pastor this growing church. I am amazed at what God
is doing in the hearts and minds of individuals in
Forest Hills, Queens.
As you will read below, God is producing miracles!
Every Sunday someone gives his heart to Jesus, and every
week multiple people attend Forest Hills Community
Church for the first time. Thank you for sending us to
the Jews and Gentiles of NYC, and thank you for keeping
us here with your prayers and finances.
THANK YOU!
jeremy and christine
P.S. We would be honored to have you pass this email
along to all those you feel will partner with us in
prayer. PLEASE DON'T KEEP THESE TESTIMONIES TO
YOURSELVES!
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Second Month Results
Forest Hills Community Church is
growing! During our second full month of weekly services,
we launched a new Sermon series entitled, "How to: Simply
Follow Jesus." The local people loved the title, and our
Sunday attendance averaged 50 individuals.
To top it off, most of these people are un-churched or
members of another religion who are looking for something
"real." As a result, 20 individuals made a confession of
faith to follow Jesus during the month of October!
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Miracle #4 - Carlos*
The first Saturday of October, I received a
phone call from a church member informing me of a street
fair in an adjacent neighborhood. He felt it would be a
great idea to distribute church invitations at the event.
While it seemed like a good idea, this fair was occurring on
the same day I was planning to rest with my family. . .After
talking it over with my wife, we decided I would go and
handout as many cards as I could while our sons napped.
Unfortunately, with the subway running the typical "weekend"
schedule, this only provided approximately 20 minutes to
distribute.
The next day at church, a young man approached me following
the service. He had tears in his eyes and would not let go
of my hand. He was one of the few people who received a
card at the street fair, which he himself had not planned on
attending. He was so depressed from the situations in his
life that it was all he could muster to attend the fair.
Yet when he read the invitation, he knew God wanted him to
go to church and to change his ways.
Needless to say, Carlos gave his heart to Jesus that Sunday
and has been a Bible-devouring believer since. He attends
every church function, prays for others, and is passionate
about giving his all to Jesus. How true is Psalm 37:23 (NASB)!?!?!?
*name has been changed
for privacy
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Miracle #5 - Alex*
Life is hard, and it is not any easier for
those living in New York City! The high cost of living, the
crime, the poor educational facilites, and the stress of
cramming 8 million people into a meager 23 sq. miles really
takes a toll on those living here--especially when one is a
single dad trying to go to college, earn a living, and
provide a safe environment for his family.
Alex was dealing with the worst realities of life. Nothing
seemed to be going right; in fact, everything seemed to be
going wrong. He knew he needed help, so he began searching
for a church on the internet. He found Forest Hills
Community Church and was interested, but his family
responsibilities conflicted and kept him from attending the
following Sunday.
Several weeks later, Alex and his family were out for a
walk, and he broke down. He confessed to his family his
need for help, guidance, and God. No sooner did these words
come out of his mouth than his mother shouted, "Look--a
church in a movie theater!" Alex and his family had
strolled into Forest Hills and found themselves in front of
Forest Hills Community Church. Alex knew God was talking to
him. Without any more excuses, Alex made it to the next
Sunday's service and gave his heart to Jesus!
Praise God, not only is Alex a key member of Forest Hills
Community Church, but he is bringing his family, too, and
they are finding Jesus. Alex has a new outlook on life: a
heavenly one. He knows life is always going to be hard, but
he now knows he is not alone. For the first time in his
life, he has JOY! God is doing something incredible in his
life, and it all started on the internet.
*name has been changed
for privacy
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Miracle #3 - We Made Rent...Again!
Starting a church without a "core" group and
focusing on the un-saved normally means being financially
strapped...especially at the beginning. However, with God
ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!
I am pleased to announce that our little church gave
adequate tithes and offerings to completely cover the
monthly rental fee for the movie theater! We're now
guaranteed a meeting space until January 1st, 2008. Thank
you for believing with us for the impossible.
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MatchlessFire
MatchlessFire Ministries is a church planting agency of the
Assemblies of God in New York City.
Founded by Jeremy and Christine Sweeten in 2005,
MatchlessFire is committed to seeing a multitude of dynamic
Pentecostal churches raised up in the midst of Jewish
neighborhoods citywide. |
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Items Needed:
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I love how Jesus works! It is a proven fact that
the more we invest in people, the more people He brings in.
As a result of Jesus bringing in more people, we currently
need help with the following supplies:
1 - Bibles - case of 20 for $60 (We keep running out!)
2 - Book of Hope - $1 each (New believers LOVE these.)
3 - Bulletins - $50 printing
4 - Invitations - $300
P.S. THANK YOU all for responding so generously!!!
* All donations are tax-deductible and can be
mailed to our address listed below. THANK YOU!
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Our Promise to You
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The entire Sweeten household is committed to reaching the
LOST, both Jew and Gentile, for Jesus the Messiah. We will
not rest until our mission is complete and the Lord returns
to rapture His Church. Our
finances and your gifts are God's. Every dime that
exceeds our living expenses each month goes immediately into
evangelism. I am convinced
that God does not need large bank account balances!!!
We are in NYC for Jesus, not us.
Thank you for sending us to NYCity! We are honored to have
you praying along with us for the salvation of both Jews and
Gentiles. The fullness of God's plans for this CIty are yet
to be realized, and we look forward to discovering and
sharing them with you as He enables.
YOU ARE LOVED!
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Contact Information |
Jeremy and Christine Sweeten
MatchlessFire Ministries
PO Box 4114
Forest Hills, NY 11375
Phone: 717.785.3229 Web: www.matchlessfire.org
*All gifts are tax-deductible and can be made payable to
Forest Hills Community Church.
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