Friends- thank you so much for you continuing prayers and support with our ministry endeavors in Burlington.  This is the online version of our fall update, so it’s longer than a typical post.  You can also download a pdf version here: fall 2015 update.  We appreciate your partnership in moving the message of Jesus forward. 

Autumn in Burlington means an explosion of colors, a return to a more normal rhythm of life, and God blessing our ministry with exciting spiritual momentum.  Here’s just a few ways we’ve seen God at work:

• Marriage & Parenting Retreat– We’ve become especially burdened as each month we hear of another Christian marriage under attack in our community.   Our good friends, Kent & Tami Johnson from Shades Mountain Baptist (along with their son & daughter in law), led seven couples through this vital weekend on Oct.2 & 3 – giving us much more than “information dump” but a new operating system for leading our families.
• Beginnings of a 2nd Gospel Community- Earlier this year we recommitted to starting a “Gospel Community” in every Burlington area neighborhood by relaunching our Burlington Gospel Community.  We now have a small team moving towards starting a second Gospel Community in the South Burlington & Winooski areas as God provides opportunities to share Jesus. With the assistance of a team from First Baptist Church Newcastle they hosted a neighborhood block party on Oct. 17
• Monthly Community Brunch- This idea was pitched by one of our formerly homeless members as a practical way we can show our  Old North End neighborhood we care.  On the last Sunday of each month we host a brunch in the cafeteria of the former Catholic School where we meet on Sundays. We also invite our neighbors to join us in blessing others groups both locally and globally.  For our first community brunch we took up donations for Syrian refugees through World Relief.

We see God at work in so many ways. God giving our people a renewed heart to seek the lost and serve the least. God raising up multiple leaders to lead worship during our Sunday worship gatherings.  Some of the most unlikely people opening up to Jesus and joining us in our community endeavors.  God is building His church in Burlington!

Check out one big way you can partner by sending sleeping bags.

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Exciting news!  After much prayer and many conversations, we’ve decided to merge North Country Church Planting with Vermont Church Planting.  This will eliminate a lot of redundancies and allow Kevin to focus more time and energy on coaching church planters, providing assessments for potential church planters, and organizing leadership retreats.  All of this is with one primary mission in mind: moving church planters forward in engaging communities with the gospel throughout VT.  Our next big event is our annual “Equip Retreat”, January 29-30, where we’ll invest in over 40 church planters from this region.  Our goal is to raise $4000 to minimize costs for leaders.

Interested in supporting our 2016“Equip Retreat?”
Send checks to
VT Church Planting
P.O. Box 52
Poultney, VT 05764
“retreat” in memo line

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POUNDS FAMILY update

With fall’s arrival our family has returned to a more “normal” routine with exciting opportunities and unanticipated challenges.  Jude (6) and Wren (4) enjoy going to school with Jude in first grade and Wren in her second year of preschool.  Skye (1.5) is walking, jabbering, slobbering everywhere and doing his best to keep up with his older siblings.  As you can see by our picture- our kids LOVE super heroes.
One challenging event was Kevin’s father experiencing dementia along with other health issues which required placing him in a memory care facility.  Fortunately Kevin was in GA for a training retreat during the crisis and other family members have stepped up to assist with his care.  During this same season, our landlord approached us about buying the duplex we’ve lived in the past five years.  With rent prices increasing throughout Burlington and a desire to put roots in our neighborhood, we knew this was a gift from God.  We were so blessed to have a landlord to walk through the process with us and neighbors willing to stay as our tenants…
On October 30 Christin & Kevin became the new owners of 404-406 North Ave.

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Prayer Requests:

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

• Wisdom in guiding our children follow Jesus in the midst of a community and culture where many of our friends do not.
• Protection for our marriage and many other marriages in our community,- many believing couples are struggling and separating.
• For Jesus to continue to draw our friends we’re investing in to Him.
• That our Community Brunches will display the heart of Jesus to our community and draw people to Him.
• Spiritual momentum as  prepare to launch a second Gospel Community around South Burlington or Winooski.
• Indigenous leaders to plant churches from within the communities throughout VT.
• For a growing passion within our church to be on mission together in our neighborhoods.
• For God to raise up more workers for the harvest to lead Gospel Communities in the different neighborhoods of Burlington.