With great joy and thankfulness I am delighted to report to you the work that God is doing in building His church in the south metro area of the Twin Cities. In addition to meeting twice this past month for our regular Bible study, the core group has also met two times for prayer and planning. Here is a list of some of the items we have discussed:

1) The consistory and the five core group families are in agreement that our goal is to start corporate worship services in late October. Reformation Sunday on October 30 might be a good day to begin!

2) We are pleased to report that a number of possible facilities have become available for us to rent for the church plant. These facilities include some of the Eden Prairie and Bloomington Public Schools as well as a Community Center in Eden Prairie. The consistory and the core group would like to make a decision on which facility to rent by the end of August.

3) We are in an on-going discussion about some of the "nuts and bolts" related to starting services. Items that we are talking about include: Sunday School and catechism classes, bulletin design, hospitality resources, following up with visitors, nursery schedule, book table for visitors, locating a pulpit and recording device, etc.

4) The church plant website is not yet finished, but here is what it looks like so far: http://emmaus.redeemerrcus.org/. Also, you are invited to check out our blog to follow along with the discussions we are having at our Bible studies: http://www.emmausroadreformed.blogspot.com/.

5) The men of the core group will have a one-night retreat September 9-10 at a cabin just north of the Twin Cities. This will be a time for prayer, fellowship, and planning.

6) At our last Bible Study meeting on July 11, we had 7 first-time visitors. Overall, 28 adults were in attendance on July 11. Three sisters from Redeemer helped out by watching 12 younger children, which means that all together there were 40 people at the Bible Study on July 11. Please pray that God will build his church for the glory of His Name and that the core group and our visitors will have unity together in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:4-6).

7) Let us pray together the words of Psalm 115: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!"

Pastor Ryan Kron
Minneapolis, MN

This past week I was reminded of what a privilege it is to serve as an under-­shepherd of Christ in the Reformed Church of the United States. The 265^th Synod of the RCUS met from May 16-19 in Mitchell, South Dakota. This means the first synod of the RCUS was in 1746, thirty years before the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. The church plant in the south metro is indeed a continuation of a rich tradition of church planting in our denomination that began hundreds of years ago. This is a testimony to the steadfast love and faithfulness of our Triune God (Lam. 3:22-23).

At the synod meetings I was encouraged by the prayers and support of the churches of the RCUS. The men were interested in hearing about the work that the Lord is doing through the Bible study in Eden Prairie. I told them that we are meeting once a month as a core group for prayer and planning. I also explained to them that our Bible study is continuing to meet twice a month in Eden Prairie (with 11 different family units represented).

I was encouraged to tell the men at synod about the variety of visitors we have from myriad backgrounds. It is a blessing to have visitors in their twenties interacting with other visitors in their seventies and with core group members ranging from their thirties to their sixties. It is a joy to have children at our Bible study, as well. I am deeply grateful for the "inter-generational Bible study" that has begun in Eden Prairie, which I pray will lead to a multi-generational and multi-ethnic church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

During synod, it was a blessing to sing and pray together as pastors and elders. We lifted up prayers to God through Christ our Mediator, and we sang psalms and hymns which express the "faith once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). As we sang and prayed together, I was again reminded of the fact that all of the churches and mission works in the RCUS are united together as Great Commission churches. Indeed, by God's grace we are all a part of the continuing fulfillment of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, as we bring the gospel to the nations: "And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' "

As synod concluded, I asked many of the men to pray for the mission work. I also ask you to continue to keep these items in prayer:

4  1. Pray for the members of our core group and their children: Tom and Susan Hebert; J.C. and Susie Keister; Ryan, Colleen, and Isaiah Kron; Sean, Kristen, Jacob, William, Miriam, and Henry Marsan; Dustin and Stephanie Rothwell; Walt, Linda, Nicholas, Rachel, Andrew, and Rebekah Van Heest.

4  Pray for the visitors who have attended: Bradley, Katie, and Samuel Backstrom; Ryan Elofson; Curly and Joyce Fish; Sarah Kron; Michael and Alison Newhouse; Jill Wanous.

4  Pray that each of the members of the core group will continue to invite friends and visitors to the Bible Study, and pray for gracious hospitality amongst the core group.

4  Pray that strong relationships will be built in the new mission work.

4  Give thanks for the prayers and the generous support of classis and synod for the new mission work.

4  Give thanks for the pastors and elders of the RCUS and for the unity that we have as those who have been bought by the blood of the Lamb (1 Peter 1:19). Praise God for our unity in the gospel as it is summarized in the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, and Canons of Dort.

4  Pray that the office bearers at Redeemer will shepherd and guide the mission work with humility and love (1 Pet. 5:1-5).

4  Pray for unity in the core group, the Bible Study in Eden Prairie, the members of the consistory, and amongst the entire body of Christ at Redeemer.

4  Pray that we will have a passion for the gospel and for communicating the truths of our confessions in love and humility (Eph. 4:15).

4  Pray that God will build a multicultural and intergenerational church made up of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation (Rev. 5:9-10).

4  Pray for the consistory as we discuss the location of the new work in the south metro. Also, as you are driving around the south metro please keep your eyes open for church buildings and private schools that we could possibly rent (i.e., buildings around Eden Prairie, West Bloomington, and Chanhassen).

Please also inform your friends, family, and neighbors about our new blog: http://www.emmausroadreformed.blogspot.com/. The goal of the blog is to spread the news about the church plant by letting people know who we are, what we believe, and why we believe it.

Pastor Ryan Kron,
Minneapolis, MN