Main Newsletter Summer 2019

Hello Friends & Family –

Greetings from the Main family!

Big things are happening with M3 Ministries this summer, and we are excited to share them with you.

Since starting our nonprofit over a year ago, our passion for the future of the church continues to drive our 3 ministries (if you are new to M3, please take a moment to check out our School, our Podcast, and our Network). Here’s a little glimpse of what we are up to…

WATER TO WINE GATHERING 2019

We recently participated in the 2nd annual Water to Wine Gathering – and it was a huge success!

It is surreal to think that the vision the Lord gave us for bringing together people who are on a similar journey and helping them connect to a caring community has now come to fruition – for the second year in a row.

There are so many things we could share about the significance of WTW 2019 for M3 Ministries. A few of the highlights are…

MINISTRY PROMOTION: We were able to connect M3 to almost 250 people before the conference and received positive feedback, people looking to form partnerships, etc.

FAMILY PARTICIPATION: Planning the event as a family was undoubtedly a huge highlight. Memories include crafting our promo water bottles, setting up the table, boys putting together the equipment for our slide presentation, and our whole family just being present.

RELATIONSHIPS OLD & NEW: The impact of relationships formed last year were evident at this year’s conference. To get a chance to be face-to-face with several of the people we have been able to connect with and care for over this past year was a major encouragement to us. We were also able to meet many new people, which opens the door for new possibilities and partnerships.

SOF ANNOUNCEMENT & PROMOTION: For the first time we publicly announced our School of Formation and the 1-year “Jesus Cohort” set to start in September. We gave a presentation to interested students and are following-up with others who have expressed interest. We also have an increasing pool of professors and cohort directors from our conference speakers. This is an exciting step as our school continues to expand.

PERSONAL RENEWAL: This year’s WTW brought an unexpected surprise that became deeply refreshing for us. It gave us the chance to reflect on how it was just a year ago that we launched M3. We remembered that at last year’s Gathering we were just starting M3, fresh with ideas and anticipations, uncertain how it was all going to flesh itself out. To be able to experience firsthand how much we have become valued by this community was truly an affirmation to God’s work and leading.

ETERNITY BIBLE COLLEGE

We are anticipating hosting a team from Eternity Bible College, who will be working with Doug to re-film his entire Bible Study Methods course. This class is one that Doug built from scratch and has taught for 15 years, sometimes up to 5-6 times a year. This is a major project, but Doug is enjoying the process of preparing – and we are looking forward to hosting our friends from EBC.

SCHOOL OF FORMATION & “THE JESUS COHORT”

Fall 2019 holds our biggest project yet! This is when we plan to launch the pilot year of our School of Formation. Starting with the September 6-7 Prayer School at Word of Life Church, Doug and fellow professor and friend Derek Vreeland will begin “The Jesus Cohort” in which they will guide groups of 12-15 participants in a yearlong journey through the story and significance of Jesus in the 21st century. We invite you to follow our progress as the SOF develops. And of course we would welcome any of you who may be interested to sign up and be a part of this journey.

As you can see, this is a full summer for us – and this doesn’t even include any discussion about the “For the Future of the Church” Podcast (which will be launching soon) and our ongoing care for our Network (which is now over 1000 people)!

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Much like a missionary, our new ministry depends on the support of faithful partners. We are currently operating at about 70% of where we need to be in our monthly support.

Would you join our monthly team of partners?

For as little as $25/month (less than $1/day), you will be helping us…

(1) prepare a new generation of church leaders and learners (through our SCHOOL),

(2) promote healthy, helpful conversations between people in the church – in a time when this is greatly needed (through our PODCAST), &

(3) provide genuine care and connection for those who share a similar journey in Christ (through our NETWORK) – so that the next generation of churches will be more like Jesus.

By becoming a monthly partner with us at M3, you will be joining a growing movement of people who are passionate and purposeful about bringing real change for the future of the church.

We never want someone to feel pressured by us in any way. We believe in partnerships – partnerships that are formed and flow from real relationships. You are receiving this from us because we value the relationship with have with you. May the Lord continue to richly reward you with the fullness of the light and life and love of Jesus our Lord!

For the Future of the Church,

Doug, Frankie, & the Main Family