Dear friends,

What a joy it has been to share life with you these past few months. One hidden grace in the effort to raise support is contact (both deep and wide) with the Body of Christ. You have all given dimension and flesh to Paul’s words to the Galatian church: “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” You have all “done us good.”

Here is a brief update on things. Josie is now 20 weeks pregnant—we are excited and terrified all at once (mostly excited). You know the feeling? We are thankful to God that Josie and baby are healthy, and thankful that He is teaching us so much about parenthood already. Pray for Josie as she finishes her final weeks at her teaching job because she has built such great relationships over the years.

I am finishing up my studies at Covenant Seminary in 6 weeks. Final papers, projects, presentations are all looming ahead. In addition, we are set to move to Columbus the last weekend of May: crazy. Pray for us in this time of transition.

We have decided to rent an apartment initially, with the intention to buy a home in Grandview when financial support is fully in, and when the right one is for sale. We feel it is important for our gathering stage in the church plant to have a home that is welcome and in the midst of the community. We could use your prayer for discernment here.

We are still trusting the Lord to provide the necessary financial support to start planting by June. As it stands, we are well short of our goal. As many of you could probably surmise, this is not the easiest moment in American financial history to be raising funds. But God has called us to plant, and recessions have never been one to hold back God in His mission. We covet your prayers in this area.

Thank you for your prayers and support. I really do hope this letter finds you well, and I look forward to sending more like it. Know that this support relationship is not one-way. Please let me know how we can pray for you—feel free to drop a line anytime (614-917-3379). Let’s make every opportunity to do one another good these days.

Together in Christ,
Joe and Josie Haack

This morning I read a warning from one of my favorite writers, Eugene Peterson. It reads: “We cannot be too careful about the words we use; we start out using them and then they end up using us.” There was one word in particular that he deemed dangerous. Resource. This word “is commonly used of people who can help us in our work.” You know what he is talking about – how often in our jobs do we view others as a mere resource? How often do pastors view the so-called ‘laity’ as mere resources? How often do church planters (like me) view others (like you) as resources for their project? Isn’t there something wrong with that view?

Peterson identifies what is wrong: “resource identifies a person as something to be used. There is nothing personal to a resource – it is a thing, stuff, a function. Use the word long enough and it begins to change the way we view a person.”

Let me confess to you right now for the times I viewed you as a mere resource in this church planting project. Because you are not. You are not a name and number. You are not a monthly pledge, or a one-time donation. But you are all—in Paul’s perfect phrase—“the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Cor 12:27). United in Christ, there are no mere resources—we are all on mission, imbued with unique gifts and callings. Josie and I are thankful for your support because we believe that Christ fulfills his mission through the diversity of His Body.

In other words, we cannot do it alone. And neither can you. We need each other.

Why Plant Churches?

The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for 1) the numerical growth of the Body of Christ in any city, and 2) the continual corporate renewal and revival of the existing churches in a city. Nothing else--not crusades, outreach programs, para-church ministries, growing mega-churches, congregational consulting, nor church renewal processes--will have the consistent impact of dynamic, extensive church planting. This is an eyebrow raising statement. But to those who have done any study at all, it is not even controversial. -Tim Keller

How to give:

Checks payable to "Grace Central" (you can also write "Joe and Josie Haack Fund" in the check memo line) & addressed: 

Joe and Josie Haack Fund 
Grace Central Presbyterian Church
49 W. 5th Ave. Columbus, OH 43201.

Any questions about giving or this ministry please don't hesitate to contact me @ joehaack@gmail.com or 614.917.3379. 

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