2019 Sonoma State

Dear brothers,

In Philippians 4:15-16 Paul commended the Philippians for their fellowship with him in the account of giving and receiving. Then in verse 17 he said "Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your account." In the past I thought that just meant the fruit in their increasing "heavenly" bank account. But when we pray-read over this verse recently I felt it meant that the financial giving of the Philippians enabled Paul to preach the gospel and bear more fruit and that this fruit is counted by the Lord as the Philippians fruit.

In light of that, I felt we should share with you brothers about the fruit that is increasing to your account and to the account of all the dear saints throughout Northern California who have participated in the Lord's move here through giving and through prayer. This fruit is YOUR fruit and THEIR fruit.

The following is a brief report that the team put together to give a short update from last fall before the spring semester starts next week:

We have had many encouraging things happen this last semester, and we are so thankful for the prayers and the Lord's operating through them! We now have over 30 students who meet with us regularly. We also had 5 baptisms and 3-4 salvations (one brother may have been saved previously), and a very positive core group of 6 students who have been meeting regularly with the church every Lord's day.

In addition, and a definite answer to prayer, we have had 4 brothers added to us in that mix, and we are so thankful! We seem to have a good community beginning to be built up again, and two of the six core students who had fallen away last year have been restored. These two and several new ones have entered more into their function through the Bible Study, Gospel, and Events committees, and we are so grateful for the positive atmosphere among them.

Below are some pictures, including a montage of the 5 who got baptized. The brother in the middle wanted to be baptized in a river like Jesus did, so Sam (one of our serving ones) along with another student who just got baptized himself a few weeks earlier, drove to the Russian River, braved the frigid water, and baptized him there!

We are so thankful for your prayers and depend on the supply of the Body for all our labor here. May the Lord continue to operate all over the earth to bear remaining fruit through the many members of His Body built up together in love.

Pictures:

Baptisms (middle one is at the river); Uno at the Sonoma House; "Friendsgiving"; Students at Celebration Meeting; Students plus saints at Celebration Meeting.