1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,300 So let me give you a quick recap of 2022. 2 00:00:03,300 --> 00:00:06,100 If you were at our member family meeting, then you might have 3 00:00:06,100 --> 00:00:09,100 heard some of this. But one, two, just like kind of 4 00:00:09,100 --> 00:00:11,900 give a quick overview and snapshot, it's easy. 5 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:15,400 I'm not big on setting numbers for goals on things, like 6 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,500 membership, baptism, attendance. Literally, we've never set goals 7 00:00:18,500 --> 00:00:21,100 on those things. I also don't think it's helpful 8 00:00:21,100 --> 00:00:23,200 to overemphasize or focus on those. 9 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:26,800 However, they can be helpful snapshots for you to see what 10 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:28,500 God's doing. And remember because as I was 11 00:00:28,500 --> 00:00:30,600 looking through this, I was like, oh, that Did happen this 12 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,500 last year and God was doing these things and so it's easy to 13 00:00:33,500 --> 00:00:36,900 get narrowly focused and so a few things and 2022, we 14 00:00:36,900 --> 00:00:40,000 celebrated nine baptisms. So that was encouraging 15 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:41,500 throughout the course of the year. 16 00:00:41,500 --> 00:00:45,300 We received 11 new members, we have three more that are in 17 00:00:45,300 --> 00:00:47,900 process. And then many more of you that 18 00:00:47,900 --> 00:00:51,500 have expressed the desire to join at some point, the last 19 00:00:51,500 --> 00:00:54,000 three months of the year, we averaged over a hundred people 20 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,600 here at our Sunday Gatherings, which again, is just encouraging 21 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,800 that God's connecting people. We So, we know when we might 22 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:04,200 need to go to two services or things like that, but that's 23 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:06,300 just encouraging that people are connecting. 24 00:01:06,700 --> 00:01:09,000 We launched the new missional community groups and now we have 25 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,700 a total of four different groups that gather regularly throughout 26 00:01:11,700 --> 00:01:15,600 the week and that's kind of that opportunity for discipleship 27 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:17,700 throughout the week and being on Mission and being family 28 00:01:17,700 --> 00:01:21,400 together, living out our identity and then there's a lot 29 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:23,600 that more that I could mention but the last thing I want to 30 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:25,500 update you on is our Global Partners. 31 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:29,300 We are in the process as you know, of sending two different 32 00:01:29,300 --> 00:01:33,400 couples To be a part of planting churches among unreached and 33 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,900 unengaged, people around the world, that is taken investment 34 00:01:36,900 --> 00:01:40,900 and sacrifice on your part. And on our part as a church, we 35 00:01:40,900 --> 00:01:43,900 began giving $1000 a month towards those initiatives. 36 00:01:43,900 --> 00:01:46,400 Out of our budget this year, just out of our general budget 37 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:50,200 and then we will increase that at some point this year to 1500 38 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:53,500 dollars this year and continue to do that throughout the course 39 00:01:53,500 --> 00:01:55,700 of the Year, you guys gave directly. 40 00:01:55,700 --> 00:01:58,100 So this is regular Tenors and members of new Eden you guys 41 00:01:58,100 --> 00:02:02,100 gave about 5,000. Dollars directly to those 42 00:02:02,100 --> 00:02:04,600 couples just throughout the course of the year and that's 43 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,500 not including people from the outside that they knew that gave 44 00:02:07,500 --> 00:02:10,600 that's directly from you. Guys during Advent, we had 45 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,900 Advent giving you guys gave six thousand six hundred and twenty 46 00:02:13,900 --> 00:02:16,900 one dollars and 36 Cents that comes from some of you guys 47 00:02:16,900 --> 00:02:21,700 covering the processing fees. So that 36 sense, unless some of 48 00:02:21,700 --> 00:02:23,000 you just randomly wanted to do that. 49 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:27,500 But so this will also go directly towards those works and 50 00:02:27,500 --> 00:02:30,600 so that's exciting. So I want to say thank you for 51 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,600 the part that all of you have played in this last year. 52 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,700 And all of that it is ultimately God's work. 53 00:02:36,700 --> 00:02:40,200 It is his church, it is his church that he is building. 54 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:43,100 And so we give him all the credit and Glory but God is 55 00:02:43,108 --> 00:02:45,100 faithful to use his Saints in that Journey. 56 00:02:45,100 --> 00:02:49,500 So thank you guys quick update on our Global Partners, so be 57 00:02:49,500 --> 00:02:51,500 and are who we speak in a little bit of code. 58 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,100 Y'all can raise your hands. They're sitting here we speak in 59 00:02:54,100 --> 00:02:57,800 code because of the livestream for security reasons but they 60 00:02:57,800 --> 00:02:59,800 are very close to being fully funded. 61 00:02:59,900 --> 00:03:02,400 They hope to leave late February. 62 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,300 So we'll have a send-off commissioning service for them 63 00:03:05,300 --> 00:03:09,600 and you'll get to hear from them before they leave, but they are 64 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:11,300 still in need of some monthly supporters. 65 00:03:11,300 --> 00:03:14,100 So if you are interested in supporting monthly Now's the 66 00:03:14,100 --> 00:03:18,200 Time to get on board with that and so, you can learn more on 67 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,900 the back table, along with the case, which is the other couple, 68 00:03:21,900 --> 00:03:26,000 they are in training right now at a school called radius. 69 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,400 You will hear more from them next week. 70 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:30,800 We'll have them up here and let them It you on how that's going, 71 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:32,500 they just finished up the first semester. 72 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,200 And so they're here on break and they'll be going back to finish 73 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,600 up and then completely finish sometime in May. 74 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,800 So what does kind of look like as far as us sending? 75 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:43,900 And the reason I want to celebrate this a little bit is 76 00:03:43,900 --> 00:03:47,100 God has been faithful to send us people that desire to go and 77 00:03:47,100 --> 00:03:50,500 that new Eden is able to send and get behind and you guys 78 00:03:50,500 --> 00:03:53,500 grasp what that looks like, what that the investment and 79 00:03:53,500 --> 00:03:55,600 sacrifice, that the takes from you guys. 80 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:57,700 And so God is continuing to do that. 81 00:03:57,700 --> 00:04:00,800 So, Alyssa, I'm going to call. You up here. 82 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:02,000 Joel. If you want to bring that other 83 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,300 mic pack, we're going to try to make this other awkward 84 00:04:04,300 --> 00:04:06,800 exchange. You can come sit here awkwardly 85 00:04:07,500 --> 00:04:08,800 while I talk about you for a second. 86 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:11,200 So this is Miss Alyssa Higginbotham. 87 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:15,100 We don't have Code name for her yet. 88 00:04:19,300 --> 00:04:20,500 Test. All right, we're going to roll 89 00:04:20,500 --> 00:04:23,400 with this so we're early enough in the process where we don't 90 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:25,800 have to have a code name for her, but you can be thinking 91 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:27,400 about what you already have one. No. 92 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:31,500 Okay, cool. Alright, take a suggest, I 93 00:04:31,500 --> 00:04:33,300 wouldn't take suggestions from some of these this crowd out 94 00:04:33,300 --> 00:04:38,500 here so might not end well but I wanted you guys to meet Alyssa. 95 00:04:38,900 --> 00:04:42,900 She recently joined new Eden. Now I've known Alyssa for a long 96 00:04:42,900 --> 00:04:44,200 time. I was doing the math and I was 97 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,900 like, oh my gosh, it's probably been like nine almost ten years. 98 00:04:47,700 --> 00:04:50,000 That I've known of Elisa and then got the spent a lot more 99 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,000 time with her just the last six years or so. 100 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:57,100 And so Alyssa's has joined new Eden Church as a member if you 101 00:04:57,108 --> 00:05:00,700 remember, you received that email recently but she desires 102 00:05:00,700 --> 00:05:03,500 to be equipped to be sent. And so kind of the way it's look 103 00:05:03,500 --> 00:05:06,000 like we've kind of broken down into three phases. 104 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:07,800 These are things just we've learned as we've seen other 105 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,400 people, as you kind of got Phase 1 which is just being a member 106 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:14,600 at a local church being equipped engaging and we kind of just see 107 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:16,000 what are the what are the giftings? 108 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,900 What are the things we want to? Teach and help grow just through 109 00:05:19,900 --> 00:05:22,500 the local church and so that's kind of phase one that equipping 110 00:05:22,700 --> 00:05:25,300 and then phase two is some type of more extensive training 111 00:05:25,300 --> 00:05:28,600 that's been radius International just somebody who's got more 112 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:30,300 experience and things like cultural and language 113 00:05:30,300 --> 00:05:33,100 acquisition things that we can't teach as a local church here at 114 00:05:33,100 --> 00:05:35,900 new Eden but other people can. And then phase 3 is like getting 115 00:05:35,900 --> 00:05:39,600 them to the field and I guess face for would be just ongoing 116 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,700 support and care for the next, like, 20 years because this is a 117 00:05:41,707 --> 00:05:44,700 long-term Journey. So Alyssa is kind of beginning 118 00:05:44,700 --> 00:05:47,500 that first phase of equipping has a Target. 119 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,400 I get date of kind of 2024 to leave for that training. 120 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,700 So you'll have time over this year to get to know her more but 121 00:05:53,700 --> 00:05:56,800 what I want to do just quickly as interview her kids, I want 122 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:58,800 you to listen as well to miss Alyssa. 123 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:01,100 And if you guys have any questions about her story 124 00:06:01,100 --> 00:06:03,300 afterwards, y'all can go up and find her and ask for those 125 00:06:03,300 --> 00:06:05,900 questions. So Alyssa, why don't you just 126 00:06:05,900 --> 00:06:08,200 quickly? Tell us, just very briefly about 127 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:10,500 your story, your journey with Jesus and what that's been like. 128 00:06:10,900 --> 00:06:16,600 Yeah, so I grew up in a Christian home with my parents 129 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,600 were believers. And so I had grown up hearing a 130 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:26,200 lot about Jesus and who he is and kind of like made a decision 131 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:31,700 when I was pretty young to like, follow the Lord, but my 132 00:06:31,700 --> 00:06:35,300 understanding of who God was is that he was just very like, 133 00:06:35,300 --> 00:06:43,300 angry and unapproachable and so a lot of my like the Overflow of 134 00:06:43,300 --> 00:06:47,500 my heart in that was just kind of like very afraid. 135 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:52,600 And just kind of like didn't want to be like punished because 136 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,500 I like knew I was a sinner knew that I was not worthy. 137 00:06:56,700 --> 00:07:01,400 And so I tried like with just doing good works and being a 138 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:04,700 good person and that was just not enough. 139 00:07:05,700 --> 00:07:08,500 And so it was probably when I joined the summer Crossing 140 00:07:08,500 --> 00:07:15,900 family about ten or so years ago that I really started just like 141 00:07:15,900 --> 00:07:19,800 hearing the gospel. In the songs that we sing and 142 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:24,300 communion, and in the reading and teaching of the word and 143 00:07:24,300 --> 00:07:28,000 through just mentorship and the spirit just opened my heart to 144 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:31,000 really like receive the grace. And mercy that is found in the 145 00:07:31,008 --> 00:07:35,800 gospel and so kind of from there then all those things kind of 146 00:07:35,808 --> 00:07:39,300 just overflow of like we have like a personal and approachable 147 00:07:39,300 --> 00:07:43,200 God and one who desires to like no us. 148 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:47,400 And so it's from that that we like love and serve him. 149 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,900 Not Not like for favor but because we already have it not 150 00:07:50,900 --> 00:07:53,200 because of anything that we bring to the table either. 151 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:57,200 So let's go this. Yeah, thank you, for sure. 152 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:04,000 So obviously you're here and the goal is that you want to play a 153 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,500 part in being a goer. So taking the gospel to the 154 00:08:06,500 --> 00:08:09,500 unreached and so kind of tell us maybe some of the things that 155 00:08:09,500 --> 00:08:12,000 God used in your life to bring you to this point. 156 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:17,100 What was that Journey like? Yeah, so I grew up in a 157 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:18,400 multicultural. Strong Community. 158 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:22,200 I grew up in at Naval community and so, I grew up around a lot 159 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:25,200 of my friends were from, like, unreached, places, and 160 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:30,000 countries. And so in like my education, we 161 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,200 learned about the persecuted church, we learned a lot about 162 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:34,000 different cultures where my friends were from. 163 00:08:35,100 --> 00:08:38,000 And so, like, I knew that there are places that didn't have the 164 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:42,500 gospel, but that didn't really like mean much to me. 165 00:08:42,500 --> 00:08:47,800 Honestly, and it wasn't really until like, I started Really 166 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:53,200 like pursuing the Lord in that, I really found through the word 167 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,800 that there are people who don't have access to the gospel and 168 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:02,100 because of that, like they will like be born the live and 169 00:09:02,100 --> 00:09:05,600 they'll die never hearing the hope that we have. 170 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:11,000 And so it's kind of been like through just like reading the 171 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:14,200 word through perspectives. It's a great class. 172 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:19,600 Go take it and just hearing how the Allocation of resources at 173 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:23,900 the American Church sins for places that have access to the 174 00:09:23,900 --> 00:09:26,000 gospel of versus places that are unreached. 175 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,000 And just seeing that Great Divide that's there. 176 00:09:30,300 --> 00:09:33,700 It's just kind of been kind of some of the Catalyst for. 177 00:09:33,900 --> 00:09:37,500 Yeah, okay, absolutely. Yeah, well, that's good. 178 00:09:37,500 --> 00:09:41,400 Thank you for sharing. What are ways that new Eden can 179 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:44,100 support and pray for you kind of very early stages of this 180 00:09:44,100 --> 00:09:45,500 journey, right? Obviously, it's something that's 181 00:09:45,500 --> 00:09:48,300 been simmering for a long time but saying, Hey, we're putting, 182 00:09:48,300 --> 00:09:51,100 you know, feet to this. We're taking steps towards that. 183 00:09:51,100 --> 00:09:53,500 What are ways kind of in the next six to 12 months that we 184 00:09:53,500 --> 00:09:55,100 can support you and pray for you. 185 00:09:55,600 --> 00:10:00,600 Yeah, I'm just really excited to be a member here and plug in. 186 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:06,500 I'm excited to partner alongside of you guys and bring the gospel 187 00:10:06,500 --> 00:10:11,100 here to Decatur and Beyond. So really, just I want to get to 188 00:10:11,100 --> 00:10:14,400 know you guys. I know some of you guys and I 189 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:18,700 know of some of you guys so just yeah, just Being a part of all 190 00:10:18,700 --> 00:10:22,700 the things. That's kind of the biggest push 191 00:10:22,700 --> 00:10:24,700 for that. And then just, yes, Prayer for 192 00:10:24,900 --> 00:10:27,700 Wisdom and discernment. Like, I'm holding this with a 193 00:10:27,700 --> 00:10:30,900 very open hand, like the Lord is absolutely able to change planes 194 00:10:30,900 --> 00:10:35,700 at any moment in this process. So just yeah, wisdom and 195 00:10:35,700 --> 00:10:40,900 discernment in that as well. So y'all pray for her. 196 00:10:41,100 --> 00:10:42,900 Get to know her. Thank you. 197 00:10:42,900 --> 00:10:44,000 You can start heading down.