From Edgar
Here are a few thoughts from some of the people that are integral to making The Mill happen in Edgar, WI.
What a fabulous work God is doing in North Central Wisconsin! It is hard to believe that The Mill Church has begun its work in reaching the lost in Edgar after many years of discussion, prayer, and planning. I am truly blessed to be a part of an amazing family of people who tirelessly work to setup equipment, lead a Gospel centered service, and tear down equipment every single week.
I, Along with my wife, Jessica, have been leading worship from week to week in Edgar. However, from time to time, I have been able to use a few of the amazing musicians from Stratford to create a fuller band. My goal for the upcoming year is to find and develop new musicians and grow our team into a beautiful four to five piece band. I have also been exploring different electronic music technologies to help fill in the cracks when musicians are limited. Another role that I have had the opportunity to try is preaching.
This has been a truly challenging opportunity but equally rewarding. My goal this year is to sharpen my skills in expository preaching and better myself in communicating the word with you. On a personal note, I am working on finishing up classes at our district office to become a licensed minister. It has been great meeting people within our denomination and learning more about the Assemblies movement. My plan is to be credentialed within two years. I hope to utilize the skills I am gaining and put them to work in our church.
A big thanks to you, Mill Church family, for a great year.
Respectfully submitted,
Steven Brinkman
When I think about what God has accomplished at The Mill Church Edgar over the last few months, the word "faithfulness" immediately comes to my mind. Just a little over a year ago, Pastor Zach and some members of The Mill Church began approaching the Edgar School District with the idea of holding a church service in the Edgar School Auditorium. In the months that followed, many questions arose, such as, "How will we pay for a new church location? How will we get enough volunteers to staff this site? What new people, if any, will check out The Mill Church Edgar, and how can we get them connected?"
To be honest, at the time, the idea of raising $25,000 and finding a core launch team of several Edgar families to accomplish this seemed daunting and, at times, nearly impossible. However, every time we stepped out in faith, God showed himself to be faithful. When we needed funds to buy a trailer, sound equipment, signage, and the other countless supplies needed to plant a church well, God provided all of the money we needed through the generosity of The Mill Church Stratford and a large grant from our denomination's district office. I don't know of any other church plant in our state that did not have to raise a dime, much less $25,000, to start a new church location. God is faithful to The Mill Church!
Over the summer months of 2015, a core launch team started meeting, praying, and dreaming together about what The Mill Church Edgar could become. Through a series of "preview Sundays" during the month of August, our core team members became united as brothers and sisters working together for the common cause of advancing God's kingdom in Edgar. September 13th, 2015—our official launch date—came, and much to our delight, over 80 people attended our first publicized Sunday service. Since that time, new families have started visiting and committing to our church family in Edgar, and we are growing in faith and numbers. God is faithful to The Mill Church!
One verse that has resonated with me this year is John 15:5: "Apart from me, you can do nothing." These words were spoken by Jesus to His disciples on the night before his crucifixion, the future planters of His church on earth. I don't know about you, but dependency doesn't come naturally to me. I like to come across as an independent, self-sufficient, has-it-all-together type of person. However, what Jesus wanted for his disciples 2,000 years ago and today is the rest that comes in knowing that, apart from Him, we can truly do nothing. I am so grateful for God's faithfulness to The Mill Church in 2015, and I hope and pray we continue depending on Him through every phase of our church's story, knowing that He is faithful and powerful enough to overcome our worries, inadequacies, and sins. God is faithful to The Mill Church!
Serving Faithfully,