The map above is the travel plan for a group of pastors from the C&MA Central District. We are going to France and Kosovo in Europe to learn about Post-Modernism’s grip on a culture. We will be talking at length with missionaries from both countries to learn from them over 14 days. God is very cool in letting me have this adventure.

living the call together

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends,

The first month of the church planting residency has been wonderful.  I have been learning a ton and I have many things to tell you that are very cool. Christina’s job continues to go well and she is enjoying her jigsaw puzzles and cross-stitching very much! So far, I would say that lead pastor Josh Franks and I are a good fit in ministry and I am taking a lot away from our staff meetings and prayer times.  Christina and I are truly blessed to have you praying for us and we are praying for you – that you would see God do mighty and wonderful things in the days to come.

Preaching at Center Pointe

I had the honor of preaching my first message at Center Pointe Church on Valentine’s Day.  I would say that speaking there was very encouraging and yet I definitely felt that I didn’t hit my rhythm as a communicator (Christina would say that I wasn’t quite comfortable).  But even though I wasn’t at the highest comfort level, I know that comfort will come quickly and I had a great time teaching about God’s love that endures forever from Psalm 136.  Feel free to listen the message if you like online or download it to your iPod.  I am looking forward to preaching again on Palm Sunday in a message series called Enter the City, Exit the Tomb.

Eternal Conversations

It has been some time since I have been able to share the gospel openly and last week Pastor Josh and I had a great time with two guys from Centerburg.  One of the men had yet to come to a Center Pointe Worship Gathering (until this past weekend).  He has little knowledge of Jesus but has openly said that he wants to know more.  Please pray that God would draw him to himself and also that God would use the people of Center Pointe to lead him to Jesus!  The other gentleman has lived a rough life which he is currently struggling with.  He is trying to “be religious” but as Josh and I were able to share with him, Jesus is bigger than his sin.  Please pray that God would show himself bigger and stronger than this man’s condition and that he would allow Jesus to heal him eternally. This has been a great thing to be a part of and I can’t wait for more conversations like these.

What a month of work has yielded

In the Month of February I had the opportunity to be a part of a large project as well as teach a class forTuesday University.  The project was to redesign the Center Pointe website (www.centerpointecma.com) and to integrate things like sermon audio and church calendar so as to make it extremely useful for those who call Center Pointe home.

Driving, Driving, and more Driving

It seems like all we do is drive and put fuel in our vehicles of late!  Christina is still working in Columbus (which is a real blessing) and I am making the next hour drive north to Centerburg.  I am estimating that we are driving about 880 miles per week just back and forth to work!  Christina and I are filling our time by listening to an audio Bible, talking and listening to music. It is definitely draining having to be in the car this much but we know that this is a part of the journey (literally) that God has us on.

Beginning stages of being ordained

One of the many blessings we are now seeing in being with the Central District of the C&MA is that I have the honor of going through a two year ordination process.  It will be challenging but I have been looking forward to this for about 5 years and now the time has come!

France and Kosovo – European Training

God has given me the opportunity to go France and Kosovo in Europe this April!  I can’t believe I will have this type of opportunity! The over-all purpose of this trip is to see the impact of Post-Modernism on the culture and also see a Post-Christian culture. As we interact with missionaries from both countries the 8 of us who are going will be trying to apply these things in our contexts in Ohio. Unfortunately, Christina is not going to be able to go with me, but I will bring her back something nice!  I will be in Europe for 14 days beginning on April 11 and returning on April 26, 2010.  I will be posting many updates on Facebook and Twitter as well as www.clintbieri.com so that you can stay up on all the action.

Prayer Requests:

• The selling of our house at 520 Buttercup Ave. Please ask God to sell this for us so that we can be more fully involved in what God is doing at Center Pointe Church.
• We desire to have more relationships with people in the Centerburg community.  Please ask God to help us connect with the people so that we might win them for Jesus.
• As I have said above we are on the road a lot.  Please thank God with us that He has kept us safe so far and ask that he would continue to do so.
• We are still actively seeking people to partner with us in the following ways:

1. Partners who will pray with us and for us.  Our goal is 300 people in the next year.
2. Partners who will support Christina and I financially.  If you are interested in contributing please follow this link.
3. Partners who will join us in church planting in Columbus in two years.  If you would, please set your alarm and pray Luke 10:2 with us at 10:02 AM each day – “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” We joyfully anticipate those the Lord will call to join us as we go into the harvest field in Columbus.

The month of March looks to bring just as much excitement as February brought our way.  We are thankful for how God is providing for us, teaching us and helping us along in this adventure of church planting! Thank you again for being a part of the journey!

Clint and Christina Bieri

Request:

• I am preaching this weekend at Center Pointe for the first time from Psalm 136 about God’s steadfast love for people.  Please join Christina and I in praying that God would illuminate the hearts of many who are still outside of God’s family and that He would draw people to himself this weekend and that people would know with their head and their heart that God loves them.

Praises:

• This past weekend was a wonderful time with the Jr High Students at Winter Blast where I had the opportunity to speak.  It was a ton of fun and I wanted you all to know that 5 students came to know Christ over the weekend making first time decisions to know Him!  It was a thrill to be a part of what God was doing in the kids.  Thank you for praying and know that God answered out prayers in a cool way!
• We are currently at 32.5% of our monthly support raised for 2010!  I am so very excited!  Please help us thank God for His provision.  Also, because of one time gifts and such, we have met our income goal for February!  I can’t even believe it!  God is great and worthy of praise!  We still have a ways to go to achieve 100% funding but I am confident that God will provide!

If you would like to know more about becoming a financial partner please click here for more information!

Thanks again friends for praying for us and encouraging us!  We will be in touch with more news about how God is working in us and through us!

p.s. take 30 seconds and pray this scripture with me:

Luke 10:2 “The harvest in plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

I wanted to give you a couple of highlights and so I have posted a few photos!

Toxic stage set

The home of Winter Blast

Toxic slime machine

Toxic slime in the hair

Contamination!

Worship time

Thank you very much to all those who prayed for us yesterday.  We both did very well answering questions and the men who were asking questions were wonderful!  Please continue to pray for us.  We have our home on the market and need to have it sell so that we might move to Centerburg and begin to serve the people in that community 24/7 and limit our travel time. Thank you again for bringing our requests boldly before the father.

Blown Out Blazer Window

So needless to say that I was like – WHAT?!?!  So I started to clean up the glass after calling the glass company to come out and replace the window and I met a guy from Pickerington, Ohio (where Christina and I will be church planting in 2 years!).  He told me a lot about the area and so I figured that my window blew out so that I might become a better missionary…. hhhmmmmm!

Are you hopeful for 2010?  I know that for Christina and I the end of this last decade ended differently than we had planned 6 months ago, but I am so thankful that God’s ways are not our ways. For the last few months I have been writing updates about our journey of church planting.  I have been posting these things because I know that you have meant so very much to Christina and I, as well I know that when presented with a prayer request you all pray!  I am thankful that all of you do take these requests to the Lord on our behalf.  Thank you!!

If you wouldn’t mind praying with Christina and I about the following things we will be blessed!

I wanted to share a little of my schedule over the next few weeks so that you would be praying for Christina and I as I get back up to speed. As well, I would covet your prayers that I would have the wisdom to say no at the right times so that I don’t commit the sin of busyness.  That I would have margin in my life so I can be the best follower of Jesus, husband, friend and man that I can be for God’s glory.

Schedule:
Jan 15 & 16 – Christina and I attend the Center Pointe Marriage Retreat
Jan 19 – Teaching a “How to share your faith” class at Center Pointe Church
Jan 26 – Accreditation interview for the Christian and Missionary Alliance and class two of “How to share your faith” at Center Pointe Church
Jan 28 – Church Planting Coaching Meeting
Feb 2 – Class three of “How to share your faith” at Center Pointe Church
Feb 5-7 – Calvary Baptist Church Jr High Winter Blast in Detroit, MI

I am very excited for all these things to happen and be a part of them.  But I know that my stamina is not where it was 6 months ago.  I know it will come back. But I want my energy to come back in a healthy way and I am trying to have margin or boundaries in my life so that I can not just work in my life but that I can also work on my life.

What about you?  Are you able to set good boundaries and how do you know when you are abusing a boundary?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

It has been just over a month since my last full post.  It has been great to keep up on all of you through Facebook and Twitter.  I wanted to again give an update on what God is doing in our lives. And show you what our Christmas list looks like!

We are now seeing pretty clearly that God is moving us in a direction of Church planting!  We will be doing a “Church Planting Residency” at a church that is 2 years old in Centerburg, Ohio called Center Point Church. Here is the location of Center Pointe for you to get an idea of the area.

View Center Pointe Church in a larger map
Center Pointe is led by Josh Franks who is quickly becoming a person for me to call a friend and a ministry partner.  Josh and his wife Jen are expecting their first child to be born at the end of January I know that they are very excited!

So I said I would let everyone see our Christmas list… ok here it goes!

• Our home is on the market and we are asking God to sell it in HIS time. If you would like to check out our home or you know of some one who has a Christmas list that includes a new home (hint, hint) here is the link so that you can check it out!!
• Finding a rental home or an apartment to rent near Centerburg and still be close enough for Christina to drive in to Columbus!
• God would continue to mold us and shape like he has been over the last 6 months. And that we would continue to answer yes to His leadings.
• God would continue to provide for our financial needs.

Thanks again for all of your love and support. We will be in touch!