Prayer requests for the month...

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to update you all with some prayer requests from the last week. This Saturday we are having our second meeting in the morning with several from our church family. We call this meet up theology and breakfast. It is a time where our people can dig deeper theologically while applying what we learn to our local context. Please pray for open hearts as the Lord shapes the vision of our church and that His spirit gives us a desire to live out what we learn together. The course is called, "daily theology in mission" and it focuses on applying the theological truth of the Bible into our every day lives.

Please pray for our families who come to this event once a month. Please pray that we as a group and family understand the importance of putting theology into the everyday fabric of our lives and families and that these Saturdays are perfect for our people to serve one another.

Justin and Carli

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Yesterday was the International day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Every year we as a church come together with four other churches in the area to have a joint gathering.  This year we had a morning of prayer, worship, and community together. We had a representative from Open Doors Ministry share with us some stories of our Christian brothers and sisters going through persecution and the countries that are the most persecuted. It was hard to hear those stories, but also challenging for our hearts. In the evening we had a prayer gathering in which we learned about persecution in North Korea, Pakistan, and Egypt. The theme this year was to "Pray with Them". It was a good reminder for our hearts that we are praying with them. Here is a link to ways to pray for the persecuted church. There are five prayer points, we encourage you to take one prayer point for the next five days to focus on. Below are some pictures from both the morning and evening gatherings.

Special Prayer Requests for Reformation conference...

Hello Everyone,

This past weekend we had our Reformation conference in Budrio and had more than 50 guests attend. The Lord was gracious to us as a church family to be able to proclaim the Gospel openly and without any hinderance. Please pray for those who heard the good news of the Gospel of grace and that we as a church can continue to stay in contact with those guests and continue to grow our friendships with them. Could you pray for those who attended who want to know more about what the grace of God means for their lives?  Could you pray that the Lord shows himself to them and that they see the beauty of a Gospel that is grace-filled?

We are so thankful for this opportunity but understand that our work doesn't finish with this conference in a weekend but that we continue to ask the Lord to open doors with these friendships so that people can come to know Him personally and have eternal life.

We love you all,

Justin, Carli and Luca

In Christ alone...

This upcoming week we as a Church are studying the sola of "only Christ." It can be quite easy in the cultural context of Italy to spot ways in which Christ isn't central to one's life. This can be noticed in the postmodern pace of the everyday but also in the religion of Catholicism. As someone who isn't Italian, I realize that although I may see Christ in this country hidden in various ways, He can also end up hidden in my life when other things are more precious to me and grab my attention.

The premise of solus Christus "only Christ" is that the salvation which I hold dear to by faith is a salvation that can only be brought about by the work of Jesus. A work that was finished on the cross and through his resurrection. That work that Christ accomplished is what makes salvation that much sweeter to me. When I live however in a way that diminishes Christ and His work, whether it be through my pride, my need for approval of man, my anger and resentment towards others, etc, the beauty and truth of Christ alone shines less bright in my life.

Would you pray with Carli and I that the light of Christ alone is shown brightly in our city and that we as a church understand the implications of basing our salvation only on the work of Jesus. Would you pray with us that our lives show our need for Christ and not our need in what this life and world offers us. This week is a week where we reflect on what we live for and the meaning of Christ alone for salvation. Would you reflect and pray with us?

October and Reforming...

As we start a new month, we have an amazing opportunity for reaching people with the Gospel. 500 years ago, the Lord used Martin Luther in changing the public's perception of the Bible and salvation with God. As a result, churches from all over Europe reformed many of their misplaced practices and doctrines in order to promote the truth of a biblical gospel.

When the reformation started in 1517, many of the roman churches in Italy did not experience reform because of the immense hold the Vatican had on Italian regions. Because of this, almost all of the population in Italy has no idea what the Reformation means and what it accomplished outside catholicism.

We as a church want to use this unfortunate reality in our own city. We are moving through the 5 solas of the Reformation; sola scriptura, (only scripture) sola fide, (only faith) sola gratia, (only grace) solus Christus (only Christ) and soli Deo gloria, (only to God the glory) teaching our people what it means to reform in the light of the truth found in the Bible. During these 5 weeks we will study the meaning of the solas and also invite our contacts and friends around the city to an event hosted by our church on the 28th of October. Please be in prayer for us as we use this evening to share with the public what it means to embrace the Gospel of grace compared to works of religion. Please pray that we speak the truth in love and that the Lord can plant seeds of curiosity and interest in the hearts of those present.

We love you...

Contemporary Idols...

Hello Everyone, 

This past week we have been studying through Genesis 31 together and the issue of idolatry has been on all of our hearts. When one reads this chapter, the first thing that you think about is the absurdity of Laban having household gods like the picture above. I know that for us westerners it's kind of comical to think of someone bowing down to something that was carved out of wood. 

In the same way, the Scriptures show us that we like Laban can be controlled by idols and pursue them because we find our identity in them. Surely these aren't pieces of wood, but it could be a job, money, our time, food, our identity as a good mom or dad, sleep, etc. If we aren't careful, we too can be looking for the joy these idols bring as Laban searched the tents of his family in darkness as he wasn't able to find his idols. Laban symbolically represented humanity in these verses of chapter 31 who search in the darkness as blind men for something that doesn't give them what they ultimately need. 

This is why Cari and I must return to the word of God daily, telling the Lord the idols that tempt us and keep us from Him. Even living in this country for a period of time and the comfort of our town being our home can be an idol. It becomes an idol if it is the thing that you seek every day. Will you pray with us to overcome our idols in Christ by daily giving our hearts to His will for our lives, in the way we parent, serve, preach and love?

What are the idols in your life?

May we be a people of the Word...

Carli and I are going through the Psalms write now and have found so much joy from the promises that are written there for the believer. One such Psalm speaks of the benefit and promise of God's word. It is God's word that holds us as believers together as His church and also holds us to Him. 
Jesus prays in John 17 that 'we may be one' as he and the Father are one and unified. This oneness cannot be achieved solely by speaking the same language, sharing the same culture, holding to the same political views and convictions. No, the unique and beautiful way that Christ holds His church together is by the authority and power of His word. 

Therefore, when we face trails and suffering with one another in the Church, we must remember that our convictions and beliefs, no matter how strong they may be, will not be that with ultimately unites us and leads us through life. No, that which is there for you and me in the body of Christ is Christ Himself, the word of God, the bread that we cannot live without. 

The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.

Love you and please pray that we have a desire to saturate our lives and family with His word. 

A New Start...

Hello Everyone, 

We have just recently come back from the US from a time of rest and holidays with our families. Looking back during that time Carli and I both had some time to think through some of our desires that we have for this new school year. One of those desires was to maintain the blogspot on a weekly basis, not just for our ministry and mission partners but also for our own discipline spiritually. That being said, Carli and I will be alternating writing every week with either prayer requests, devotions, scripture and news about what is happening. We want you all to know that we appreciate your prayers and thoughts for us as we live and serve in Italy!

Summer Camp 2017

Hello Everyone,



We hope you are well. We have been busy with the Summer Camp that happens every year here. It was another great year and we are thankful for the many ways God provided for us and the whole team throughout the week. Please continue to pray for the children and the families that we met through the camp. Pray for their hearts to be open and that we would be ready and willing to love them well and show them the truth found in Scripture. Above is the camp video that the team from Bethel Church created.



Thank you for praying with us.

Carli & Justin

May Update

Hello Everyone,

May has been a busy but fun month for us. We had a team from the Netherlands come down and help us with English workshops in the schools and outreach to a group of young refugee men. They were great at interacting with everyone and the kids had fun practicing their English.  There were many opportunities to share how God has changed their lives and we are praying that these seeds of truth take root in the hearts of the young people.  It can be discouraging at times to think of how little truth and light these students hear on a daily basis. Thankfully we serve a BIG God who can move mountains in the hearts of these kids and that is our prayer.  That God's love and grace would be irresistible in the hearts of these young people.  As you are praying with us for those who have already heard the Good News, please also be in prayer for our Summer Camp that is quickly approaching. It will be the last week of June. We already have 35 kids signed up and a team from Bethel Church in Houston is coming to help.  This is our fourth year of camp and we encouraged to have some returning campers. I will share later in June some specific ways to be praying during the week of camp, but in the meantime please pray for all the logistical details to come together and that the hearts of the team and volunteers would be open and ready to serve God.

Team from the Netherlands

Prayer walk for our city

For our church here, please be praying for unity. We have finished going over the confession of faith with each family and we are pushing forward with church membership. We will have a special service on June 11th to recognize Justin and Stefano as the elders of the church. Please pray for the hearts of our group to be unified under the Gospel and to realize the sweetness of being more than just a group of people the have similar beliefs meeting weekly, but to see the goodness of being a family. A family that encourages one another, is committed to God and the Good News reaching our city, but that also speaks truth into each others lives.

 Our family is well. Luca is walking and running everywhere now. He loves being outside and is excited for our city pool to open next week. He's so friendly and loves people. We are thankful that he continues to open conversations with other parents at the park. Justin is finishing up his teaching job at the middle and elementary school. It has been an amazing opportunity for him to learn and get to know some of the students, parents, and teachers there. We celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on the 19th. God has been so gracious to us in sustaining our marriage. If you have ever prayed for our marriage. Thank you and please continue to pray that the Lord uses our love for one another to display His greater love for the world.

We love you and thank you for praying for us,
Justin, Carli, & Luca

2017 Video Update

Hello Everyone,

We hope that you all had a happy Easter. We had a encouraging time Sunday with our church reflecting on the glory of God and the sacrifice He gave. This post will be short and sweet because we have a video to share with you. It was filmed back in January by one of our good friends and brothers Giosue. We hope that it gives you a glimpse into our lives here and how you can continue to pray for us. We know that the Lord is doing a good work here and we are grateful to be a part of it.

The video is to the right.
Thank you for praying for us.

Love,
Justin, Carli, & Luca

His Grace is Sufficient

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:19
Some days we quickly forget that His grace is all we need. Justin and I both have the tendency to be good at giving grace, but it is hard for us to be grace receivers. We are people pleasers and we look to man's approval all too often. I know this blog post is not our typical one, but we are writing it this way so that you know how to pray for us.  We need prayer that from the moment our eyes open in the morning we would begin seeking God. That the frustrations of living in a culture that is different from the one we were raised in would not steal our joy in bringing together God's people for his kingdom. That we would not just receive God's grace as a gift, but that we would bask in the wonder of His grace and make it our daily treasure. That we would let the beauty of it set in deep into our hearts. That our hearts would love with God's love instead of our human attempts at love. That we would selflessly give of our time and energy for the hope of our city knowing Christ as their Savior.

As you pray those things over us we will be praying for them over you. That you would have a passion for your city, coworkers, friends, and families knowing Christ. We love you and thank you for your love and support.

Below is a picture of us taking a walk in a local park. Luca loves being outside and seeing all the new things that spring brings. He reminds us daily how to slow down and take in the gifts God has given us.

With love from Italy,
Justin, Carli, & Luca

Spring in Italy

Hello Everyone,

We are experiencing an unusually warm and dry springtime here in Budrio. You aren't hearing any complaints from the Mcghin household. Luca enjoys his daily walks to the park. He loves interacting with the other children and sliding on the slide. We are thankful that we live in a place that has fresh air and green grass for Luca to explore. He's trying to walk and has started pointing and grunting for things that he wants. It is so fun to see how his mind is developing. We are thankful for each day that we have with him, each one is a gift. He will be a year old next month and we can't wait to celebrate the little man.

March has been busy for us. We had the privilege of celebrating the Baptism of one of our brothers Marco. He has been a believer for about a year and it has been an encouragement to our entire church to see his passion for God and his eagerness to grow in his faith. Please continue to pray for his influence with his family, friends, and work colleagues. It is hard to be a light surrounded by so much darkness. The picture above is of Marco praying right before his Baptism.

Last week we had to opportunity to host a team from a high school in Arkansas. This is there fourth year coming to Italy to do a baseball clinic at our middle and high schools. The kids teach our Italian kids the basics of baseball, they play, and then one of the teenagers from Arkansas shares their testimony. They always come well prepared and passionate for sharing God's love.  This year they were also able to help us in a spring festival that we participated in as a church. We had a stall in the festival that offered traditional foods from the people that make up our church as well as the book, "A Meal with Jesus". It was great to see our church body come together and share their faith with people from our community. The pictures above are from the Baseball clinics put on by the Arkansas team and the pictures below are from the Spring festival.

Thank you for your continual prayers and love. We are always so grateful for them.
Love,
Justin, Carli, & Luca

Merry Christmas & New Year

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone!

We hope that 2017 has started well. I was studying today and the words that Paul wrote in Philippians really stuck out to me. He was writing to the church in Philippi while he was imprisoned. This is what he wrote, "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:3-11)
It is important for all of us to remember that Paul did not pray for his circumstances or their future suffering to end. Instead he prayed for them to be filled up with the love of Christ. He prayed for their hearts to continually be molded into the image of Christ. That is my prayer for myself and for our loved ones reading this. Don't let the world distract you or discourage you with circumstances. Draw your joy and fulfillment from God and remember that serving Him and living for him is an honor. I have struggled in my circumstances (culture, missing loved ones, new roles as mom/missionary) this past year. After reading this prayer from Paul I was encouraged to see things differently.  I need more prayer and I need my heart to daily be transformed into one like God's.  Please pray that we would love people well and that we would consider joy to run this race set before us.

In Christ,
Justin, Carli, & Luca