The Lothamer Family Blog

If you're looking for an update

2012-01-23T17:57:00.002-05:00

During our time of transition to life in the UK, we've decided to simplify. We are sending all of our updates via email so make sure you've signed up for our newsletters at our website. Go to www.lothamers.org and leave your email address in the requested slot! We try to send updates at least once a month!

Love to you all, The Lothamer Family

What no one ever told you about Evangelism!

2011-10-30T18:35:00.001-04:00

CAUTION: THIS POST COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE - -

I can't believe that this idea is new to me. This July will mark 20 years of serious discipleship for me. I've spent years at Christian Colleges...Word of Life, Baptist Bible College, Judson College, and MOODY BIBLE INSTITUTE of all places and they NEVER, EVER taught me this! Seriously, I've sat under the teaching of some of the greatest preachers on your side of the pond...Ryrie, Lutzer, Whitcomb, Wyrtzen, Cymbala, Stowell, McDonald, Gentzler :), Stanley, Arthur, Moore, DeMoss and NO ONE ever helped me to understand this absolutely simple truth. I can't believe that I had to come all the way to England to learn this.

I've been reading a book on Evangelism. I dislike books on Evangelism. The last one I read was probably 20 years ago when they made us read, "How to give away your faith" in my first year of College. I hate them for the same reason you do. These books never truly motivate or equip you -- they only leave you frustrated. You walk away feeling guilty about your lack of gospel presentations in every day life. If you're an achiever, you might even commit yourself to finding someone to share with only to have it fall on deaf ears and increase the frustration even more.

Listen, it shouldn't be this way!! Evangelism isn't supposed to be hard, the topic shouldn't make you feel guilty, and when you're done reading this you are going to feel cheated, like I do, that no one told you this before!

The Reign Team here in England have been teaching us how they define and do Evangelism. Darin took some time in our last team meeting to expound on it for us "newbies". He gave us a condensed version of what was taken from a book called, "Sowing, Reaping, Keeping" by Laurence Singlehurst. I picked up the book last week and ever since I can't stop saying to myself, "This makes so much sense, I can't believe I didn't know this."

Ok, I won't keep you hanging anymore. Really - you could just get the book for yourself and you won't be sorry you did...but for those of you who never will - here's what you need to know that will change your life. None of these thoughts are my own - all the props to Laurence Singlehurst and Darin Stevens for enlightening me.

Think of every person and their relationship before God as a continuum of 1-10. 1- being not interested or even negative about God and Christianity and 10 - being the point of commitment to becoming a follower of Jesus. Every person you meet falls somewhere on that scale. Evangelism is the process of moving someone closer towards the 10 point. The reason we all feel so frustrated is because we are prone to define Evangelism as only the 9-10 point. We glorify the 9-10 transformation and totally ignore all the countless other interactions that took place to get the person from 1 to 9!

It's not rocket science really - it's right from scripture. John 4:34-38 He who reaps received wages, and gather fruit for eternal life, so that SOWER and REAPER MAY REJOICE TOGETHER. For here the saying holds true, "One sows and another reaps." I sent YOU to reap for that which YOU DID NOT labour; others have laboured, and you have interred into their labour.

Evangelism is taking someone a step further in their process of coming to learn the gospel truths - - who God is, How much He loves them, His call to follow Him, His sacrifice to set them free to leave the slave master of self to follow God - and hopefully, to choose yes on the day when GOD calls them to a point of decision. If you take someone from a 1 to a 2 or a 5 to a 6 - you are doing the work of evangelism and being a part of the great mission of GOD in this world. Don't sell yourself short by praying and waiting for 9-10 opportunities when there are a million opportunities in so many minutes of your day to leave people more ready and open for the next Holy Spirit moment in their lives.

Lawrence tells a story of how he met a lady on a train whose face went pale when he answered her enquiry about his profession with the answer, "a missionary." He took the next few hours of the train ride to listen to her story about how badly she had been hurt by christians before. In that encounter he tried to build a bridge of restoration in her view of God and His people. As he left that day the lady said to him, "Lawrence, your the first nice Christian I've ever met." That lady was more ready for the next Holy Spirit moment because of his interaction that day. YOU AND I CAN DO THIS KIND OF EVANGELISM and we should applaud one another for sowing - and never applaud someone for reaping because WE really have nothing to do with this whole salvation gig. Jesus she his blood to reap the fruit, He's the one who softens peoples hearts, he's the one who causes the seeds to grow, and when someone believes by FAITH -- let me tell you SALVATION is a supernatural act of God to set a selfish heart free to love and serve God and others!! Personally, I'm just grateful that He lets me be a seed-sower on His team, if you know what I mean. (Okay, now I'm preaching!)

Surely I must have known these things before, but they were never put so succinctly in a way that I could grab hold of like Laurence Singlehurst in this book, Sowing, Reaping, Keeping. If it took me coming to England to learn this truth, it was well worth it. It has changed my whole outlook on my everyday interactions and I hope it will yours as well -- Get the book...or better yet...just get sowing!

Let's pray for each other as we go - much love from the other side of the pond,

Christie

8 quick facts about the Lothamers

2011-09-26T16:44:00.000-04:00

I had super lofty goals of blogging once a week before moving here. Now that we've been here over 2 months - I'm realizing that if I make it once a month, I'm doing good. Honestly, I never imagined how exhausted we would still feel after 2 months. Every morning we wake up with God's new mercies ready to tackle the day and by the time dinner rolls around it's all I can do to keep walking in the Spirit as the rambunctious little Lothamer's run circles around me! They are just being kids and I so wish that I just felt like mommy. Most days I feel more like the foreigner that that new life has made me -- I'm a 37 year old whose just learning to drive, to speak correctly, how to do relationships and read people. Things that I did without thinking just 3 months ago. Oh, how things have changed.

On a lighter note, we've actually been here long enough that our psyche's want to relax but the minute you do that, here's comes a mistake. I can't tell you how many times I've sat down in the car ready to go somewhere only to realize that I'm sitting in the passengers seat. I made the mistake of calling Misty a "Silly Willy" right in front of her little school friend. (Willy is NOT an innocent word here...I'll leave you to figure that out on your own) And for the life of me, I can't learn to say "trousers" instead of "pants" or wrap my mind around the fact that when I do get it right it will be proper English to tell you that "I've learnt to say trousers, now." Yes, "learnt" is the proper past tense of learn in the Queen's English!!

All that to say, "I do hope to begin blogging more consistently when our energy level comes back to some semblance of normal!"

For now, here are 8 things that The Lothamer's want you to know until you formally hear from us again (There's a newsletter coming in October!)

1) We miss our family and friends and America terribly.
2) We do NOT doubt that we are exactly where God wants us to be!
3) We are completely dependent on God and He has been and is being absolutely FAITHFUL!
4) We are so full of gratitude for those of you who are giving to GOD out of your resources to help us shine the light of Jesus here in Bicester and beyond! Every one of our supporters have been completely faithful to their commitments.
5) We see evidence of God at work here everyday. We are beginning to build relationships with a few couples in our neighborhood.
6) Grandma Lothamer is coming to visit in October and we've never been more ready to see family that we are now. (So, whose coming next?)
7) We want you to keep praying...it's almost like we can feel the strength that your prayers bring.
8) We deeply love you all.

Christie, for the Lothamer family!

2011-08-29T16:37:00.006-04:00

Hello Friends & Family,

It’s been a while since we’ve given an update. Life in Bicester has been challenging, yet productive as we set up our new home here and begin serving with Reign Ministries.

Last week we had our first Reign Ministries Team meeting. There were 13 adults and 12 kids. All the kids were at our house while the adults met at our building we affectionately call “the moto shop.” It was very exciting to finally be together and connect with everyone and begin talking about the year ahead. The one thing Christie and I were most excited about was our team leader's desire to have Jesus be our leader. I know what your probably thinking. “That’s good, Jeff.” But often in ministry and life I can say that Jesus is leader, but many times I do not consult with him prior to making decisions. Often I think, talk, make plans, and then ask Jesus what He things. What I really am asking is, “Will you bless my plans, please?”

Our church, The Crowded House, met this past Sunday for our Gathering (see above pictures). It was a great time of worship. I taught from Colossians 1:18 about Jesus being the head of the church, the author of the church, and the firstborn from the dead. Because of who Jesus is, He must come to have the first place in everything. Jesus is our Senior Pastor and leader. We all serve and follow Him. That seems to be the theme that the Holy Spirit is really impressing upon us as we begin this new season. We ended with a time of confession, singing, and prayer. Afterward our church gathered at our home for lunch and an afternoon of Formula One Racing.

Besides our primary work with our church, Christie and I are taking on a couple of roles within the greater ministry of Reign. The team has given us permission to begin slow, which we appreciate. I am beginning my role as the financial administrator for Reign. I’m already beginning to look over budgets and financial accounts, creating a new system of accounting, and overseeing payroll for the ministry. Such fun!

Christie is currently preparing for her first ICY conference. This is the week-long classes for the students earning a Bachelors of Theology degree through us. Christie will be teaching Hermeneutics (The Science and Art of Interpreting Scripture). The conference begins next week. Please pray for her this week as she studies and prepares.

There is much more I could tell you about, but it will have to wait till another blog. Thanks for all your prayers. We think of you often. You are loved.

Jeff

Lothamer update...week 3

2011-08-08T17:42:00.000-04:00

Hello friends and family,

Just a quick note to say hello and to update you on our new life in Bicester. The last two weeks have been full of new experiences. We are taking in so much that our brains feel on overload. Our teammates, the Catons, have taken great care of us and are planning outings every few days for us to make sure we don’t miss the beautiful season of summer and to rescue us from the mountain of tasks on our list that must be completed before we can officially feel settled. I hope you’re following us on our facebook page as we almost daily post photos and updates on our experiences.

As far as I can tell, Jeff and I, are feeling the culture shock most of all. The children are doing very well, enjoying their new rooms and exploring their new environment. We have a great little garden for play and a driveway where the kids can ride their bikes and scooters. There is literally a new park on every corner of our village, so we’ve been having fun exploring those. The strangest thing for Jeff and I is to hear the kids talking about “back in America.” Three weeks ago they didn’t even understand that they were American, now that is a very real part of their awareness.

The culture shock is very real and God is growing us through those moments of absolute frustration with a new culture and a deep sadness of what we left behind. We know that we are where God has us, but the grieving is a very real part of the process. On the other hand, it is an exciting time as we anticipate what God has planned for us here.

We were warned, but their was no way to prepare for how long everything takes and how each task seems to take way more energy than we’d expect. We are in our new house, which is great, but the landlord has yet to clean out the garage so our garden and office are full of boxes and items that need to be out in the garage. Our boiler isn’t working so we haven’t had hot water here yet. Our debit card was mailed to the US instead of here so we still can’t easily access our money. These are a few of the frustrations that assault our patience each day. Even with all these silly little things we see God's hand in so many details each day that our hearts stay full of praise in spite of each days events.

We are so encouraged at our kind and welcoming our neighbors have been. Misty got into some “stinging nettles” so I had to ask another “mummy” how to best treat them. That led to a great conversation and I hope to run into “Linda” again as I felt a rapport with her. We’ve had some neat times of gathering with people from our church - the kids are especially enjoying the attention they get as our church is much smaller. When we have times of worship, our children sing so loud and with all their hearts - thanks to their training in Kidz Praise :)

We miss all of you terribly and appreciate your love, your support, and words of encouragement. We hang on every comment and email as a great source of refreshment right now as we know very few people in this part of the world. So, keep the notes coming :)

A few pertinent requests for prayer are:
*For the fruits of patience and kindness to overcome the frustrations as they arise
*Pray that we have eyes to see the open doors God gives us to meet new people and engage in our new church community here
*Pray for wisdom as we are daily making so many decisions and needed purchases to start up our life here

Love to all, Jeff and Christie

Day 1, Bicester

2011-07-20T16:26:00.001-04:00

We arrived in Bicester late Tuesday night. The flight was great and the kids did super. We could feel the prayers covering us. We forced ourselves out of bed at 8am even though we went to bed at 3am - trying to adapt to the time zone as quick as possible.

We went to the bank and then to see our new house. Its a great space with some added bonus' that make the extra money on the rent much more feasible. The landlord left behind his TVs, dining room table, a couple of wardrobes and 2 beds. We don't really need the beds but the other things are items the we won't have to purchase and will save us a lot of money. We also learned that our rent covers our cable and a security system. The little play house on the porch even stays and Kaci was happy about that.

The kids did great today - they are so curious and took right up with the Caton girls. Here's a picture of them all making music in the garden tonight while Sarah made dinner.

Misty kept making comments that the jet lag wasn't affecting her at all. When we put them to bed tonight it took less than a minute for them to fall asleep. They were VERY tired! And so are Jeff and I. As you can tell, this blog is much less creative than normal...that's because my eyes are only half open as I type. Jeff is sitting in the chair next to me pretending to read but he's really half-asleep.

Tomorrow we take the kids to their schools so they can meet some of their new classmates and see the school in session. School ends this Friday for summer break (5 weeks) so, our kids will begin with them this Autumn.

Thanks for all of the prayers and well wishes!! We feel very loved and supported.

If you'd like to hear the podcast of our commissioning service, you can find that link under media on our website.

Blessings, Christie

10 Days to 29 Mallards Way, Yet Too Many Emotions to Count!

2011-07-09T20:07:00.001-04:00

We've just arrived at Maranatha for our last full week here in the US. People keep asking me how I feel so I'll try to explain: I'm torn. There is an extreme sadness as we say goodbye to our lives and friends here in West Michigan. We have made some invaluable friendships here and the good bye process has only proven to show us how blessed we have been. Then there is an intense excitement about the adventure ahead of us. There is a nervous "flipping of the stomach" that is happening in me... similar to the ones I had just before our wedding day. Like, I know its going to be good because God is in this but I have no idea what it will look like and that scares me. There is another part of me that feels like I'm carrying the emotions for my kids who are such adventurers and from all appearances seem to be going "along for the ride" but Mommy knows and sees how all of the changes are affecting them. Kaci is an ABSOLUTE mess...all out of sorts. Misty is a rock and gets quieter and quieter the more she feels. Then there is AJ, sweet AJ, who wears his emotions on his sleeve.

All of these changes are proving opportunities for God to remind of of His masterful, multi-faceted character. I've been clinging to the simple truth in Joshua 1:9.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened...for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Just now, I dropped Aiden off at an evening class for kids and he was so scared. He was in my arms panicking with tears refusing to go in. I held him, we prayed that God would help him to be brave and to know that God was with him and if He would, bring a special friend for AJ to the class." As we were urging him to go into class, a sweet little boy came down the hallway. Our friend Kimberly introduced Aiden to this little boy, named Caden. When Aiden heard his name was Caden, he got a smile from ear to ear. Caden walked right over to Aiden and said, "Do you want to play with me?" All the tears disappeared and Aiden ran off with his new special friend sent from God. Mommy's tears on the other hand started to flow because I witnessed firsthand how gently God deals with His children. Oh, how he loves us and hears our prayers.

Thanks for letting me share...now to the news. We know you want to know details about the house and what God was up to in all the closed doors. The bottom line is that we have no idea. All the doors that we pursued closed except this one house which was more than we budgeted for but plenty of room for us and it had the one extra room we were praying for. We found out this house was supposed to be rented earlier but it fell through, so that made it available immediately. We grabbed it up without any delay in the paperwork and payments even though we had to work all of that out over internet and phone. We still aren't sure why God wants us in this house but we are confident that for the first year anyway, this is his choice for us. We are praying that God has some special friends for us to meet in that neighborhood that we will be able to be a light to.

Our new address will be 29 Mallards Way! Its a 3 story townhouse (the one on the right) with a large living room where we have plenty of room to meet with the church. I'm already praying that God will fill that room up quickly with open hearts who are being pursued by Him. Pray that with me. We really hope that our home can be a haven for anyone who just needs to experience the love of Jesus. Our hearts are so grateful and ready to give.

Thank you all for praying through this one with us. We will be at Maranatha Bible Camp until Saturday am with Jeff's parents. Saturday afternoon, the 16th, Bryan and Tracy Howard are graciously hosting an OPEN HOUSE for us from 1:30 to 4pm. If, for some reason, we failed to get you an invitation and you live in the West Michigan area, please swing by. Call or email for Tracy's address if you need it. We'd love to have a chance to say goodbye in person.

You are also invited to our Commissioning Service at Harvest Bible Chapel West Olive on Sunday, the 17th at 10am.

Lord willing, Monday morning we travel to Chicago with our parents and then off to the airport for our final "cheerio" bright and early for a 6 am flight from O'hare to London Tuesday morning, the 19th.

We continue to covet your prayers and are so grateful for all of you. XOXO!!

Jeff and Christie