New Beginnings

It is August first on the east coast (it is still but 11 here in the Midwest) and today is my first official day of ministry at Bethel Baptist Church in Independence, MO. The Taylor house hold has been full of excitement over the last few days. We are settling into our surroundings, meeting new people, and beginning to feel at home.

Today, as we drove around looking at some furniture, we were talking in the car about all the things around us that remind us about our former ministry and home in New York. We were laughing at the "traffic" we experienced on the way to Wednesday payer meeting that made us a few minutes late. We have seen signs and reminders of people and places all around us. Many times we have been brought to tears as we ponder about our ministry with those on Long Island. Tears of sadness, tears of amazement and tears of joy abound these days.

We keep reminding each other that God has directed us each step of our lives: from moving to Louisville to attend seminary, to Long Island New York to serve in our first church, seeing three girls given to us by God to care for, nearly losing one daughter to an undetected illness, bringing us Mrs. Fouskis to help with our daughter,...the list could go on and on.

So it isn't much of a surprise to see God bring us half way across the country to a small city in the Midwest. With God, nothing is ever a surprise, just divine placements for his glory and purposes. As we begin a new today, some things have changed immensely. Some things have barely changed at all. We have two more children this time around. We still have a mini van, although slightly newer. We still live close to church, although not as close. We will begin ministry again during the Olympics although this time it is the summer games. But our God is still the same. Our Savior is still on the throne. Our purpose has not changed.

We still serve by His Grace and for His Glory....
...we still serve in and for His Kingdom, just at a different outpost!!

Are You Green - Reduce, Reuse, Recylce?

Last night at our Youth Bible Study we took a few minutes to look at the life of Gideon. A man, who by his own admission, was not very gifted, qualified or ready to be used by God...so he thought. God tends to use those greatest in his service who are not that great at all, at least not on their own.

As God makes us more like Christ, He begins by "reducing" us...making us humble before Him. As we become more aware with how great and awesome is our Creator and how sinful and wretched we are, humility should be a natural response. The amazing thing is that as God reduces us and our pride, we can easily fall into the trap of Moses or Gideon of questioning whether or not God can really accomplish his purposes if we are really that unqualified; instead of being drawn more to God's power and glory.

But Gideon found out, as each of us need to as well, that God uses the weak things of this world to confound the wise and the strong. He receives all of the glory and yet we receive the benefit. God used Gideon to accomplish something that on his own, Gideon would have fallen flat on his face...yet God promised Gideon victory, not because Gideon could do it, but because God promised him His presence.

God loves taking fallen creatures like us, and...recycling....taking a clay pot and refashioning it after His Son's image to accomplish His purposes. Maybe being a "Green Christian" takes on a whole new meaning.

It's Called Grace

Even those in the church often do not understand salvation. How are we saved from our sins? It is only through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ AND his righteousness counted to our accounts....this is a great video. Amen for Grace!!!

We're On Our Way

In the next few weeks, my wife and I will pack up the kids and all of the stuff we own (which is not much) and make the journey to Independence, MO, where we will begin our ministry with Bethel Baptist Church. We are so excited about what God is going to do in us, through us and at this wonderful church.


We look forward to meeting each one of the members of the church.


Leaving New York is like leaving family. But the joy of the Kingdom of Christ is that they are our family, adopted into the family of Christ with us. Pray for us that our transition is smooth and that the girls adapt quickly to the changes.

You can email us at our new email address any time... Pastor.Brooke@gmail.com