Farrell Family Update
Hi Friends & Family!!!
We hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
It has been a bit since our last ministry update, but I am so excited to share some of the stories of what we have been up to!
Our Fall Tour came and went, and now our Spring Tour is in full swing! We are so excited to head down south for 10 weeks of meetings in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and West Virginia! The team has grown IMMENSELY over the past few months, and we are so thankful to have a front-row seat to all that God is doing in their lives.
We cannot come close to sharing all that happened the past few months, but we wanted to let you in on a brief overview of the Fall tour and share what we have seen this Spring. We pray this update will encourage you as we celebrate all God is doing!
Our first week of the Fall semester was at FBBC in Rochester, NY (Home!🤍). Sunday went well, and many came forward after Mark’s message. During the week, we know of 3 students who made professions of faith, and about 15 students let us know they were not saved and needed prayer. There were over 50 students who took devotional materials after chapel services. About 150 students came forward at our Friday chapel and stated they wanted to "Live for More." Each one took a bracelet and prayed with a team member. Many other spiritual decisions were made!
While in Orrville, Ohio, we had a great week of services, with many spiritual decisions made. The kids' ministry went well, and an 11-year-old girl trusted Christ as her Lord and Savior! The team was also able to go door to door passing out the Jesus film on behalf of the church. This was a cool experience that got them excited about witnessing in a way that many had never done before.
We had such an amazing week in Athens, Michigan. Many families were carrying heavy burdens that week, and it was a blessing to be able to encourage them. The host home ministry proved to be extremely beneficial this week. Many of the team guys stayed at the home of a young man who had recently gone through a very difficult time. The team members were able to have a Bible study with him and be an encouragement. By the end of the week, he decided to accept Christ as his Savior! In total, we saw 6 teens get saved that week!!
One week in Virginia, the team was having a prayer meeting. One team member spoke up about how God was impressing her heart that God would save three people that week, and she wanted everyone to pray about it with her. Someone else shared that God had placed the same thing on their heart. The team prayed about it, and by the end of the week, 3 people came to know Christ! This was such a cool lesson. The more we spend time with Jesus, the more our hearts align with His. He impresses on our hearts needs, and when we pray, He answers. He always answers: “Yes. No. Wait.”
Another opportunity occurred at the Luray Caverns. The team went to have a nice outing together, but God had ministry in mind! Mark asked them to sing one of their team songs, and they drew a crowd. A worker then asked them to sing in a different part of the cavern that had better acoustics, and an even larger crowd came. Once they finished there, a group having a fifty-year reunion asked them to sing for their group. The team ministered to over 200 people through song in the caverns that day. Ministry opportunities are everywhere. Sometimes you just have to get creative.
One week there was so much spiritual warfare but tons of fruit!
One situation comes immediately to mind. Three kids came to the church who recently lost their dad. He was a warlock, and three months before we arrived, he took his life. The kids were the ones who found him. They were really struggling due to this trauma and acting out during the church services. The team was so burdened for them. Throughout the week, many of us were praying and fasting. By the end of the week, one of those kids got saved!!! Please pray for the two other kids who are still lost (as far as we know) and need Jesus to fill the void in their hearts.
One day we had a class in a coffee shop, and the team closed out their time with a song (we do this a lot 😂). A man at the coffee shop was a reporter, and he asked to interview a few of the team members. The article ended up going live a few days later! What a cool witnessing opportunity!!'
God continues to show up and show off!
Just a couple weeks ago, we were at a church and christian school where we saw 15 kids make professions of faith after hearing a message from Mark on the judgment seat of Christ. Kids were in tears as they confessed sin and found forgiveness in Jesus alone.
We were in another church and school the following week, and 15 more students made a profession of faith. At this same church, many adults came forward after the services to pray, and some even made public that they felt called to ministry.
All right! So that is a quick snapshot of some of the ways God has been using our team over the past few months, but before I close out this update, let me share with you a few more "rapid-fire" testimonies.
- One church let us know that they were convicted about their lack of prayer, and they are planning to relaunch their prayer meeting.
- A church member came up in front of a full church and shared a testimony about what God had done in his life after one of the messages.
- An older student stood up in front of the entire church congregation to publically confess a sin he had been struggling with, and then, he stayed after the service for 2 hours to discuss how he could have victory in Christ.
- The team has the opportunity to minister through song and one-on-one evangelism in many different public places of commerce (coffee shops, restaurants, Good Will, etc.) On a weekly basis, our team members share the gospel with strangers they meet in all sorts of places, from coffee shops to gas stations!
- So far, we have seen over 30 people make professions of faith in Christ this travel year. That is 222 since August of 2021! Praise the Lord for all He is doing in the hearts of people!
- We have seen so much spiritual fruit and growth in the team members. They hunger for the things of God, and they make our job of shepherding and discipleship such a blessing. It has been the gift of a lifetime to get to serve alongside them this year!
Again, this just scratches the surface, but I hope you’re feeling encouraged! I know we are!
As we continue to travel, we are prayerfully expectant that God has more opportunities planned for us to step into. We have six more weeks of ministry in churches, christian schools, public schools, and communities on the east coast. Then Bailey and the team will head to Jamaica to minister on their mission trip (more info about this in our next update!). After the trip to Jamaica, the team will spend a few weeks preparing for Summer camp, which is coming up faster than we can fathom!
All that to say, God is doing so much around us, in us, and thru us that we just wanted to take a moment of your time to praise Him for making it all possible. Hopefully, it was an encouragement to you, and we cannot say thank you enough for all YOU do to make our ministry with ERM possible. We are humbled every time we think of how each of you has given time, prayers, and finances to allow us to serve God in this way.
If you’d like to stay connected with all that the ministry is up to, make sure you follow the Encounter Revival Ministries Facebook Page! Alyssa is posting photos and updates all the time on the ministry’s page.
And don’t forget to watch Bailey’s most recent video update!