Great times of gospel work.
September has been a great month of ministry! We’ve been hitting the streets consistently, getting out amongst the students at the University of Florida. We always have great encounters, and whether we are planting or harvesting, Christ is being preached.
I am greatly blessed to have two brothers who are now accompanying me in evangelism: David and Angel. This gives me the opportunity to both preach the gospel and disciple believers. It’s encouraging to see them quickly use the things that they learn. The steady stream of students gives them many opportunities to put their knowledge to work.
One quick example is when a student asked Angel this common question: why does God allow evil in the world? The answer is that God desires good, and good is not possible without allowing for the possibility of evil. But this answer does not satisfy the mind without a proper illustration. So I overheard him say this to the student: “Suppose you told your brother not to eat the cookies that were on the table, for they were a gift to a friend. But then suppose that you chained your brother to a chair and left. When you returned and saw the cookies untouched, you unchained him and said, ‘You have done well, for you did not eat the cookies.’ But did he really do well? No, it would have only been good if he had the possibility to do what wasn’t good.” I asked Angel where he heard that illustration. He said, “I heard it from you!”
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David and Angel have been a great blessing to me. Over the last two years, I have done evangelism almost always by myself. It is SO much better to have company, for ‘two is better than one, and the threefold cord is not easily broken.’ I hope to bring even more with me in the future. Pray that the Lord will use us to train up more evangelists who can take the gospel to the streets!
Connect Church
Of course, I am still pastoring! And the church is going well. God has been TREMENDOUSLY faithful to provide for our needs and build His church. We have wonderful people who love and enjoy each other. God is moving in our services and we are moving to the next level. Many foundational pieces are getting into place; I believe that we will soon see even greater growth.
On the whiteboard in my office, I have a checklist of things that I have been praying for. God has answered many of those prayers and they are checked off. But as I was reviewing the list, I realized that some of the answers were in progress! For example, we are trying to pay off our utility shed. A check came in that covered a quarter of the balance. I wanted the board to reflect that, so I quartered the check box and checked one of the quarters. Only 3/4 to go! In a burst of optimism, I also read over the prayer that God would grow our church to two services. I said to myself, “We already have one service, so we are halfway there!” I divided the box in half and checked it–we are halfway there! This may seem trivial, but if you are familiar with what our church has been through, having one service is quite a miracle!
The Chaffee Family
The Chaffee family is doing great. The kids are doing great in school. They love the Christian school that they attend. Elmer (4) started school this year. He was hesitant his first day, but after that, he’s been in love with it. As you know, I am teaching two PE classes at this school, which I enjoy most of the time! (Sometimes certain students can be a challenge!) It is neat being on the inside of the school, and observing what my children are doing. I get to see Spencer during lunch a few days a week. He still runs up to me to give me a hug every time he sees me. I’m going to savor each day, for middle school is next year for him, and if my girls (middle and high school) are an indication of what the future holds, hugs in public may not last for much longer.
Please continue to pray for our family. Pray that we manage our time well. Pray that we have the wisdom and strength to say no to things that needlessly take away from family time. Pray that we can balance work/family/church properly. Pray that God continues to meet all of our needs.
Thank you for laboring with us. And please consider supporting us financially! It would be a great blessing!
Click here to visit our giving page: https://halchaffee.givingfuel.com/halchaffee
Hal Chaffee Ministries 