VanAndel Update January 2011

Dear Friends and Family,
We are entering a new season of ministry here in Detroit. Yesterday I was officially approved by congregational vote to be the Associate Pastor of Christian Formation/Discipleship for our church, Citadel of Faith Covenant Church. We are humbled and excited to serve in this capacity for our church body. Over the past two months, we have felt a clear calling from God to pursue pastoral ministry and we are so thankful to be able to serve within our current church family for this next season. After 15 fantastic years of serving within parachurch ministries, it was clear that now is the time to focus more on discipleship and teaching within a local church context.

Thank you for your prayers and support of us through this transition. We had an incredibly blessed time of rest and waiting on the Lord through December and early January. Now we are ready to engage fully in ministry with renewed vision and passion.

Kristen and our boys are doing very well, we have made some great memories together as a family. Instead of a 2010 Christmas Card, I have compiled a 2010 year in pictures update that you can see either on this blog: http://thoughtsfromdetroit.blogspot.com or on my Facebook page. Feel free to check it out so that you can see some of our family highlights over the past year.

As we look ahead to this year, we anticipate God doing his sanctifying work in and through us and we covet your prayers and continued support. We will continue to be raising a portion of my salary in order to keep from burdening our young church with too much financial stress. If you would like to assist in that support, please feel free to send a check payable to Citadel of Faith Church (With a separate note “for the ministry of Mark VanAndel”) to the address below or give online at our website. We are so thankful for the faithful friendship and prayers of our friends and family!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding our new endeavor. We look forward to keeping you updated on what God does around us here in Detroit.

Grace and Peace,
Mark VanAndel

Citadel of Faith Covenant Church
1419 West Warren
Detroit, MI 48208
Citadeloffaith.org

Jeremiah 20:9 But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.