2010 Is Going To Be Great

I thought I'd update you on my current activities. Last month, Europe Advance held two Church Planter Roundtables. One at Thousand Hills Church, Hilversum, The Netherlands and the other at Power House Church, Zurich, Switzerland. The CPRs provide information to people interested in planting churches in Greater Europe.

Europe Advance's goal is to motivate others to plant churches and provide on-going mentoring and financial assistance during the start up phase of the church plant. The financial support is provided by established churches with the same vision. My role is to support the overall mission strategy and mentor in the area of church administration.

Europe Advance is working closely with an American based ministry called A.R.C., the Association of Related Churches. A.R.C. has been successfully planting churches in the U.S. since 2000.

Admittedly, I have a "selfish" motivation for helping Europe Advance succeed. Besides the obvious of reaching the lost adults in Europe, unsaved children must have a good church to attend so they can learn about the Gospel and develop their personal relationship with Jesus.

Kids are still my main thrust in ministry. Reaching them and adults utilizing every possible opportunity with the Gospel is the most important thing to me.

2010 = Unbelievable
Personally I think 2010 is going to be a tremendous year for ministry and impacting my part of the world for Christ. 2009 was an incredible for First Step Ministries. God opened some amazing doors and He continues to do so.

Tosimies Lehti Magazine
My first "How To" article encouraging fathers to teach their children to pray was published in December in Tosimies -Lehti, a Finnish Christian Men's magazine. My next article, which is part of a series, will be published in the February issue. I really believe that God is going to use these articles to motivate Finnish men to take an active part in developing the spiritual life of children.

Future Travel
I'll be visiting America from mid-February through March, for my annual trip back home to see my family in Florida and to minister in the U.S..

The Baltics and Finland
The last two weeks of May I'm scheduled to go to Hamburg, Germany, Estonia and Latvia with Paul Cole, the son of Ed Cole, founder of Christian Men's Network (CMN). I am also going to Helsinki, Finland and Budapest, Hungry for the first time in April. I am excited because these trips will open some incredible new ministry opportunities in the future.

Blessings,
Rev. Lawrence Blakeslee
Missionary to Europe and Asia.

For more information:
http://europeadvance.org
http://www.relatedchurches.com/
http://www.powerhousechurch.ch/
http://www.thousandhills.cc/
http://www.tosimies-lehti.fi

Miscellaneous Stuff

No Comments
I wanted to let you know that I have turned off the "Comments" portion of my blog. Hopefully this will be temporary. No, it's not because of my "thin skin". For the last few weeks, I've had people use it to promote their products for sale. Putting strange comments and links on it. Nothing really bad thank God, but it was spam and they can go some where else.

I'll try to figure out a way that I can "control" or delay the comments before they are posted. That will eliminate the problem. I'm always happy to hear from you.

Europe Advance
On a better note, I'm working right now on my next posting for this blog. It will be about the European church planting group, Europe Advance, that I am working with in a major way along with my other minstry areas. Stay tuned!


Traveling to America
I'm making my annual trip to America on 16 February. I'll be in Phoenix first for a couple of weeks. Then heading to Florida to see my sons and grand kids. Can hardly wait. I'll be in the States until roughly the first week of April. Then return to a very busy next few months ministering in Estonia, Latvia and Finland. My first time there.

Tosimies Lehti
Just a few days ago, I sent my second article to Tosimies Lehti, the Finnish Christian magazine, about father's helping to teach their kids to pray. It will be published in a few weeks. What a blessing God has opened up for me to reach the Finnish.

Ministry Opportunities
If you would like me to share what God has put in my heart about children's ministry, men's ministry or Europe Advance, the church planting group, I am available. Contact me by email listed here.

Blessings,
Rev. Lawrence Blakeslee
Missionary to Europe & Asia