Krechnyak Family Update

Kids Choir

2009-12-25T04:15:00.000-08:00

Five Sisters!

2009-12-25T03:58:00.000-08:00

Enjoying Christmas Morning with Church Family

2009-12-25T03:30:00.000-08:00

Great to be with some wonderful people on Christmas. This is Church on Christmas morning followed by tea, coffee, and small desserts!

Christmas Joy!

2009-12-25T03:33:00.000-08:00

Benjamin doing a "running" dance at the party

2009-12-18T02:17:00.000-08:00

Caleb dancing at Church Christmas party

2009-12-18T02:16:00.000-08:00

Church Christmas party

2009-12-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

Church Christmas Meal

2009-12-17T13:11:00.000-08:00

Church Christmas Meal

2009-12-17T13:10:00.000-08:00

Every year at Christmas, we look for ways to enjoy the holidays as a Church family. Each year is different. This year, it seems like there have been a number of challenges that have resulted in us canceling events...such as our usual Christmas choir that would perform at the local nursing home and in the shopping centre...or the craft market that we were going to hold for the first time in our Church building. But out of the ashes, a few of our LifeGroup leaders got together and organized a Christmas party for all of our LifeGroups to join together. We have a resident chef, and for a small fee to cover costs, we enjoyed a "four star" oriental meal!!! With the kids we had over 30 at the event, and what a great time we had!!! We are so blessed to be in relationship with God and with one another to encourage and bless!!!

Grassroots School of Discipleship

2009-12-14T05:03:00.001-08:00

It is hard to believe that 10 years ago we arrived in Ireland. We were sent out by LGOM (Life Giving Outreach Ministries) to find what God was doing in Ireland and join Him. An exciting and daunting task for a young couple just to be married.

Somehow we have survived and remained. Many have come and gone, and somehow by God's grace, He has called us to remain and continue on in this nation once called a "land of saints and scholars." We have always felt a burden for that mission to be restored. The land where 1500 years agi, through St. Patrick and other godly men and women, this nation was changed, resulting in one of the greatest missionary movements in world history.

We believe God wants to do it again. We have invested our lives here for that vision. We are about to take the next step in that vision. After many years of dreaming and dying to the dream, we are stepping out to launch "Grassroots School of Discipleship." It is a six month school geared towards training people in passionately knowing God, and then fulfilling His "call" on their lives to reach the nations.

There is such a great need for laborers. For Church planters. If you or anyone you know may be interested in setting a season aside to pursue God relentlessly and seek His fresh direction, check out the website: www.grassrootsdiscipleship.com for more information and an application. The website is not yet complete, but should have enough information to answer any questions. If you have a further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Precious Moments

2009-12-09T05:03:00.000-08:00

Some moments just strike you as special. Actually, if we live aware, they are very often. Like the day last week I (James) was working on a kitchen cabinet door, taking out the glass, and my little girl decided it was a great moment for a snuggle with dad. How often do we miss these moments? How often with God? Is doing the will of God more important to us than moments like these? I believe the snuggles are much more important than the doing. We just get that wrong way too often...especially in the Church. It is great that it is never too late to learn. So take some time to "snuggle" into God today!

Bubble Mania

2009-12-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

Simply

2009-12-06T00:41:00.000-08:00

Probably one of the greatest challenges in this day and age is to live
"simply." Our children are the greatest reminder that life is more
than activities, accomplishments, and meetings. They had a deep
appreciation for each moment and get joy from the smallest details of
life. As I grow up, I want to be more like them!
They do not have to "grow up so quickly." Maybe it is just "us" who
are too active. Last night we spent an hour just sitting and watching
the fire. More and more we enjoy these kind of moments. More and more
we are aware of the peace and presence of God each and every moment of
our lives.
Jesus said that to inherit the Kingdom of God we must be as children.
I would say, as we are learning, there is a lot more to this statement
than we have ever understood before!

Decisions

2009-11-24T03:21:00.000-08:00

I am continuing my (James) journey through the book of Genesis in my early morning time with God. Genesis 19 today. The story of Sodom being destroyed.

Lot lived near Sodom because of a choice he made over his uncle Abraham to have the better land for his flocks. What were the results?

He remained godly. We and his family was saved.

He met the two angels that came to preempt the destruction of the great city while sitting at the gate. That could very well had meant that he had gained a position of eldership within the community as they often sat at the gates.

In fleeing, his wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. His daughter acted immorally by making him drunk and having children with him.

These are the questions I wrote in my journal after reading this chapter: "How do I influence without becoming part of the sin of the society I live? How do I be in the world but not of it? How do I prepare and train my children to follow in the ways of God?"

We will not always make right choices in this life, but more than the choices we make, we must go back to the root behind those choices. "Why are we doing this?" And after we have thought through this question, we must pause, and with the help of the Holy Spirit ask, "No, really...why are we doing this?"

Pioneer

2009-11-17T02:43:00.000-08:00

Had a bit of fun over the weekend doing this project. As it sat in my office to dry I was reminded of the early pioneers in America. They suffered and sacrificed for new life and adventure. Some of them never saw the fruit of their laborers, but their children and grandchildren did.

Makes one think about what is important in our lives. The closer I (James) grow to God the deeper I understand His great love for me. His desire to bless. But does His blessings result in me "settling" for something less. God is still looking for "pioneers." People to blaze a trail.

Those who know me well, know that over the past year I have thought a bit about America. There are times I have desired to return. I am not saying that the day will never come for us to leave Ireland, but I must always check my heart for the reasons when I want to leave.

I have been reading in my personal time about Abraham. God called him to leave what was comfortable and familiar and go to a new land. For him, he never returned. It was twenty-five years before he received the promise of a son. Though he lived for a season of his life in the land of promise, it was in the purchase of a site to bury his wife that he actually owned any of it. Yet God blessed him everywhere that he went and in the end, he became the father of a great nation. Even beyond the Jewish nation we read in Galatians that the Seed (Jesus) came through him and that by faith we become heirs of the promise with him.

That puts it all into God's perspective. It reminds me that though there are things that can "feel" missing at some seasons, that God really blesses us. No matter how hard and slow things appear at times I would not want to be anything else but a "pioneer."

Teacher Ben

2009-11-09T04:48:00.000-08:00

Homeschooling can be tough but for the most part very rewarding. Ben has been added to the equation now with this being his first year. He really loves to learn and today decided that when he was finished today that it was time to teach some of his stuffed animals. Kids are precious. Eat up every minute with them!

LGOM Building Team

2009-01-19T07:09:00.001-08:00

We literally had one day to celebrate the finishing product of the downstairs of the new Church building. Volunteers from the Church worked until late Saturday evening to have things ready for Sunday. That day James also picked up the team of four. Tom & Sheila Shidler (directors of LGOM), Tommy (Sheila's brother), and Brian (youth pastor from San Antonio area) came for ministry and four days of hard work on the first part of the phase two. Our goal is to get a Sunday School room completed so the kids can have class on a Sunday morning.

Much was accomplished. Most of the main Sunday School room was framed and plaster boarded, as well as what will become the Church office and the men's toilets. We so appreciated the work done by this team. Volunteers in the Church continue to work daily to get the room functional.

We appreciate continued prayers. The work can be tiring and seem unending, but as we celebrate little accomplishments as they come, we are blessed by what God is doing in Portlaoise!

Pre-Christmas 2008

2008-12-14T14:02:00.001-08:00

Christmas draws near and we are getting excited!! It has been a busy year, and the last six months have particularly had their trials. We have felt that this holiday season, we need to make sure that we rest and enjoy in the midst of all the crazy things that are needing to still be done...like finishing a Church building enough to move in and actually move in!

We have also discussed as our family grows, not just in size but in age and understanding, that it is important that we build family traditions. That means taking some of the good things our parents did with us while making them our own, and coming up with some new ones.

We have been going through an Advent calandar, reading Scriptures, viewing Christmas lights, going to stores, putting up our tree, and baking Christmas cookies (as shown in some of these pictures). We want Christmas to be about Jesus, and special family "memory building" times.

We also decided for a little change, and the two of us got our hair highlight blonde...just for something different.

Valentine's Day

2009-03-25T05:29:00.000-07:00

It is great to see people grow in their gifts and talents as they step out. At the Church we have a "hospitality team" that is responsible for things like serving the tea, coffee, and desserts we have every Sunday after Church, organizing meals for builders at the Church, helping to organize social events, and other things.

Over a year ago, Anna took over that ministry. She has really taken it to a new level. It is just seems to be "her thing." In January she approached with us an idea to bless the couples in the Church for Valentine's Day. We have many families with young kids, and her heart was to give the couples a night where child minding (or babysitting...depending on what side of the Atlantic you are sitting while reading this) would be provided. It would be a formal dress occasion, with fancy desserts, a game to see how well we knew our marriage partner, and a bit of dancing!

It turned out to be an amazing night. Not just for the couples, but for everyone involved. The great thing for us was that not only was it great fun, but we had to do nothing of the organizing, promoting, or anything. Now that is Church!!!

Sunday School Room

2009-03-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

In January we had the team from LGOM (Life Giving Outreach Ministries) come and frame a section of the upstairs of the Church for a much needed Sunday School room, bathroom, and Office (as well as temporary second Sunday School classroom). We could have not even come close to getting this much needed room workable without them. When they left our local volunteers had to come in over the following weeks and make it fit for use.

The fininshing work continues, but just three weeks after the team left, the kids had their first meeting in the main room. Shortly afterward, the office section was finished enough for use, which allowed us to create a second Sunday School class (something we have been wanting to do for some time).

We take seriously our role as a Church to invest into the lives of these kids. They face so much pressure and worldly teaching in their schools contrary to God's Word. They are not just the future of the Church, but influence our lives everyday! Please pray for the young ones amongst us. They face many difficulties not faced by previous generations. May they shine into the darkness and bring change to the world around us!

American Trip (part 2)

2009-05-28T04:48:00.000-07:00

One of the difficulties in living in Ireland is the distance it puts between our families. Rachel has family near (which is nice), but James' family lives in America. The longer we live in Ireland and the older our kids get, the more we see the importance of the extended family.

We had several weeks over the time in the States to spend with James' parents. It was not all "play" time, but we were together. While in Michgian, we also had a day to spend with James' sister and her family. Grandma Krechnyak (great grandma to our kids) spent the day with us at the good age of 92. Grandpa died a few months back and unfortunately we were not able to fly over for the funeral.

It is so easy to get sidetrack from the real important things in life, especially when we do not see each other often (unfortunately sometimes out of side does result in out of mind). May we all be renew in our desire to build healthy and deep relationships with our families and friends!

PICTURES: Caleb, Benjamin, and cousin Nathaniel sporting Detroit Tigers t-shirts; James hold nephew Daniel...the youngest of the two clans; Grandma Krechnyak (James' mom) and Brianna; James and his dad; James' grandmother; Krechnyak clans...minus Sheri's husband Daniel who had to take the picture!

America Trip (Part 1)

2009-05-28T04:35:00.001-07:00

It is very hard to concise a seven week trip in just a few short sentences...how about just "awesome"!

It was a time of rest for our family after a very hectic year of church life and church building project. For our family, rest means getting as close to nature as we possibly can. So any opportunity, that is what we did. We hiked the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee, we fished and made campfires in the Petite Jean State park in Arkansas, and even enjoyed free tickets to a rodeo in Lindale, TX. The two love-birds (James & Rachel) even got some time alone in San Antionio (picture of James in front of the Alamo) as Grandpa and Grandma watched the kids.

This was not the only aspect of our trip, but a big part.

We spent nearly three weeks in a borrowed RV (recreational vehicle), traveling around 4000 miles, from Texas to Michigan and back again, meeting with ministry partners and old friends. We ministered 4 times, and had many breakfasts, lunches, and dinners at people's homes and at resturants. We shared vision and ideas, and gleaned as much as we could from those of much greater experience and years then us. People prayed and prophecied over us, and that is always an encouragement in the type of ministry we do, when you sometimes feel you stand alone in what you do. God is faithful and always gives us what we need.

We appreciate all the prayers that were with us. We had several breakdowns in our travel, and with three young kids, that could have went very bad, but God was faithful to work out every situation and bring helpful people in our paths.

He is good, and we are thankful for this opportunity we had!

Back from the States

2009-10-08T06:29:00.001-07:00

Seems like we have been gone from Ireland more than we have been in Ireland over the past five months. We continue to feel "seasons of change" upon us, but as opposed to spending all of our time and energy chasing ideas, we feel God calling us to be at "rest" in Him, work on our relationships with Him and one another, and leave the "door opening" to Him. That does not mean that we are not in prayer and looking at options, but the journey is a lot more pleasant when we leave Him in the drivers seat.

We spent the month of September in Texas, which turned out to be an essential for us. But as usual, we expected God to be showing us direction, and God spent that time "working in us." We are confident in His plans, and will keep you all informed as we know and feel at liberty to share those things He is starting to speak to us! So often we put in identity in "what we are doing" and God is concerned with so much more than that. Painful as it is at times, we are always happy when God reveals when we slip into earthly and religious patterns. Life is always better when it is about Him!!

Pictures are from some of the fun family activities we did while enjoy warm weather after a pretty rough summer here in Ireland. Grandpa (Krechnyak) poses with Caleb as "the men" (Jim, James, Caleb, and Benjamin) went fishing.

We also took a few days "camping" (people kept asking if we needed money they would have helped us but we really do love camping, and not just because it is the cheaper option) in Arkansas, near Hot Springs. We went to a beautiful garden place where this famous glass chapel was built.

It is also good to be back in Ireland and see from another view (after being gone) what God is doing in the Church and more important in people's lives. People are really growing in God and stepping out in what they are called. We look forward to the future and what God will continue to do in this part of the world.

Living The Dream

2009-10-13T01:19:00.000-07:00

After much prayer, study, and work, James has finished his second book. While it continues in his life story from where his first book, "Through the Wilderness" left off, it has an entirely different focus and theme.

James takes a deeper look at the Kingdom of God and how God has been revealing it to him through marriage, children, Church planting, illness, and just in the day to day experiencing God.

Copies can be obtained directly through James and Rachel or at the Church website: www.familyworshipcentre.com

Autumnfest 2009

2009-10-30T09:15:00.001-07:00

The days have been full and exciting for the past few days as we have
just completed a three days kids club. The theme for the confernce is
"The Call" and the kids were taught from the life of Jonah to follow
God's call on our lives. Tonight we start the adult meetings and look
forward to what God will do after an already great start.