As 2010 Draws to a Close at Germantown…

[Matt Grewe]

Dear friend of Germantown Hope,

Merry Christmas and a blessed new year! We are grateful for your
friendship and partnership in the gospel ministry, and we wanted to
give you a quick update as we head into 2011.

- Continuing discipleship especially among the youth: We are thankful
to see lives coming more and more under the transforming influence of
Christ, especially with our young people. We have seen a growing
maturity as they served as junior counselors at summer street camp, as
they participated in a fundraising talent show hosted by Yuong Sang
Presbyterian Church in Horsham, PA (thank you!), as they took part in
a fall retreat at Ashland Presbyterian Church in Voorhees, NJ (another
thank you!), and as they take more active roles in the life of the
church. As an integral part of the youths’ development, we would love
to make the junior counselors’ position a paid summer employment.

- Back to the basics of our incarnational mission: As we head into our
eighth year as a church, we find that we are again in need of seeking
the Lord for our spiritual renewal and missional direction, and
getting back to building redemptive relationships within the
community. Penny, as our Americorps intern, has done a wonderful job
in this area—we want to see it continue and expand into effective
community organizing efforts. It has been instructive as we studied
our Old Testament roots in Sunday school and in our sermon series
through Exodus to get back in touch with God’s holiness and our need
for sanctification. We as a church need God’s recreating work to
become God’s holy people among the nations in Germantown.

- Challenges: As we respond to God’s call, we need perseverance—it has
been eight years, and we can feel tired at times. Our family lives are
shifting as many of us now have small children. We also face the
continuing challenge of living and serving in a neighborhood of high
need, not to mention our financial challenges. Kyu is part-time and
other areas of the budget face similar limitations.

- Thanksgiving: Nevertheless, we celebrate what the Lord has done and
continues to do among us. Besides what we have already mentioned, new
leaders are developing. Our two elders, Scott and Kurt, are growing in
their spiritual leadership. Others are coming into a position of
contributing more of their gifts in the new year. There have been
encouraging signs of a new resolve in the church to face our
challenges. We also look forward to possible partnerships with sister
churches, especially Mt. Airy Community Church in our efforts to reach
Northwest Philadelphia.

As we draw towards the end of 2010, would you consider giving a year-
end gift? And would you pray with us as we seek the Lord for his
direction and renewal as we begin the new year? Thank you, again, for
your friendship. May the Lord’s Gift encourage you and sustain you and
draw you into worship and service.

Shalom,
Kyuboem Lee and Matt Grewe