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July Newsletter

 Friends of Shalom,

I’m sorry that it’s been 2 months since my last newsletter. From here on out I hope to send at least one a month. 

Personal Update

Beth and I have had one of the richest seasons of our life. All our kids have had major life transitions. Some of these I’ve mentioned before. Miriam gave birth to our first granddaughter a few days before Easter. Sam graduated from George Fox as a mechanical engineer and got his first “real” job down in Oregon. Ellie got married to a wonderful man who loves Jesus and she is now Mrs. Clark. And Asher graduated from Bremerton High School and is preparing to begin a physical therapy assistant program at Olympic College in the fall! On top of that, my parents came for a 2 week visit as my dad hadn’t been able to travel out here since before COVID. We feel like we’ve been riding a wave of blessings!

Shalom Update

Since we began Shalom, I’ve often said to Beth after our weekly gathering, “Well, I guess we’ll keep doing this because people keep coming!” That has continued to be the case. Here are a few highlights. 

  • We see new visitors almost weekly.
  • The last month we’ve been averaging around 40 adults and kids each Sunday.
  • Our men’s and women’s groups have been rich with discussion and growing friendships.
  • Our first lay preacher preached her first sermon at Shalom a few weeks ago! 
  • I now have 3 trained adults who assist with Eucharist.
  • We’re beginning to make plans for our first baptism.
  • North Sound Community Church gave us a one time gift that will help support a portion of my salary for the next year. 
  • People are connecting outside of our “official” gatherings. A church community is forming! 
  • We continue to provide a space and worship experience for those seeking shalom. We’ve had several folks come who have been away from church or who have gone through significant experiences of church hurt. Many have told us how much they appreciate our liturgy and simple approach to church. 
  • Beth and I got to attend the ACNA’s annual assembly. We met lots of cool people and got to hear from our new Archbishop Steve Woods. 
Prayer Requests
  • For planning as we head into the fall. Specifically for wisdom around beginning our catechism. 
  • For a sensitivity to the Lord and an ongoing contentment with what He’s doing and the pace He’s doing it. 
  • For folks who don’t yet know Jesus to find us, hear the gospel, and come to faith.
  • For All Saints Academy as they prepare for their third year of school this fall. All Saints is our landlord and we’re so grateful for their chapel that we use for our worship services and weekly meetings. 
  • Finally, please give thanks for all the good things God is doing. We are truly thankful and enjoying this season of our church plant. 

Thanks again!

For the Shalom of Kitsap,

Fr. Rob and Beth Steinbach







Comments

  1. Amber AlbanoJuly 23, 2024 at 10:11 PM

    This is fun to check out! Ryan went Anglican, too, a few years ago.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. rob steinbachJuly 24, 2024 at 6:08 AM

      That’s great! I knew there was a reason I always connected with Ryan! I guess we were on a similar journey.

      Delete

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