Even as we felt called to transition back to the U.S. in order to build our family through adoption, we sensed God deepening our call to ministry. Over our last year in Romania, we prayed fervently for God to lead us to a place where we would be able to use our gifts and experiences to serve the same types of young people—hurting, abandoned, and often hopeless. In faith, we resisted searching for the answer to our prayers while still in Romania.
Upon our return to America, God quickly began to answer our prayers in direct and amazing fashion—connecting us with two inner-city pastors who volunteered to pray us through our transition. As they listened to our sense of call, they were amazed to find that quite unexpectedly, we might be an answer to their own prayers. Their congregation had been praying for many months that God would send workers to serve the children and youth of the church and the neighborhood. God had already begun drawing neighborhood children to worship, even without any parents. These children were simply walking in on their own! Through much prayer—on our own, with these pastors and with their church leadership—God gave us a strong sense that he was calling us to step into this ministry.
But it is a large step of faith! The church—Gold Avenue Christian Reformed (GAC)—isn’t financially self-sufficient and is unable to pay us. Instead, we have agreed to serve the church as Urban Missionaries who raise our own support. Beginning Feb. 1, Mark will join the staff of GAC as the Director of Children and Youth Ministries. Rebecca will assist and support this ministry and will later transition to being a stay-at-home mom after we adopt.
The opportunities at GAC and on the lower west side are exciting. Right now, there are a number of families with young children who call Gold Ave their church home. Currently during Sunday morning services there is no age-appropriate worship or teaching for these children, so we’ve spent the last month praying and planning to begin a Children in Worship ministry.
We are also hopeful that we’ll be able to serve the children of this economically and ethnically diverse neighborhood. MANY kids come from broken families or single parent homes where they are often left unsupervised. Children regularly come alone to the church looking for a safe and loving environment—but not only on Sunday mornings. They also stop by throughout the week.
Right now, we’re praying about spaces we might make available for them through the week—a place to nurture them in the love of our Father, countering the lies that they are worthless and unwanted. The stats say that as these kids grow older only about 50% of them will graduate from high school. Many of them will join gangs and fall into a life of crime or welfare. We believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing that will change these stats, and all the pain that comes with them!
We would like to start after school tutoring programs like we did in Romania that will help these young people catch up and succeed in school. We hope that through these and other youth programs many will experience and begin to follow Jesus Christ, and that through us, Jesus will bind up their broken hearts, lead them out of dark places, replace their despair with praise and transform them into righteous men and women. (Is. 61.1-3) We have great hope for what the Lord will do as we pray and serve!
Opportunities to Partner
We are excited to ask you to continue to journey with us as we follow the Lord’s call on our lives. Would you please prayerfully consider making a monthly support commitment? Your partnership will enable us to accomplish this important work. One-time gifts are also welcome, as we must reach 70% of our required funding in order to transition from support-raising to ministry. Tax-deductible donations should be made out to Gold Avenue Church and sent to: Gold Avenue Church, 49 Gold Avenue NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504. Please include a separate note designating the support for our ministry. If you would like to set up a regular electronic funds transfer please let us know or download the forms in the "Ways to Partner" tab.
Additionally, we are looking for partners to:- Regularly intercede in prayer for us and our ministry
- Participate in ministry to the children of the neighborhood
- Donate needed goods for these ministries
We look forward to connecting with you to find out how God might be leading you to partner with us in this exciting new ministry. Please share this letter with other individuals or churches that have a heart for kids and urban ministry. Again, thank you for the love, support, and prayer that you have shown and continue to show us.
With love and prayer,
Mark & Rebecca Essenburg
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