Miller Family » Church

Please Pray for our Friends

Jenny — Tue, 08 May 2007 22:22:19 +0000

Nathan and I have several friends from our church that are expecting babies in the next several months. One of the couples, Josh and Amy, had to unexpectedly deliver their little girl today at just 26 weeks. Amy had an emergency c-section this afternoon. Little Emma Kate is a little over two pounds, but her lungs are not fully developed. The doctors say she is a strong little baby and has a good chance of making it. I’m sorry I don’t know many details, but I’d like to ask you to lift Josh and Amy and especially little Emma Kate up to the Lord. I can’t imagine the emotions they’re experiencing. Thanks so much for your faithfulness to pray!

Happy Resurrection Day!

Jenny — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 00:02:35 +0000

I hope all of you have enjoyed a special day of celebrating our risen Savior with family and friends! Nathan and I have had a long day, but a wonderful day rejoicing with our brothers and sisters in Christ that the tomb is empty and our Savior is alive.

Dad had a great report at his doctor’s appointment on Friday. He is on the mend! He’s continued to lose weight (most likely from the loss of the excess fluid in his abdomen), but we hope he’s bottomed out now and will begin putting it back on very soon. His appetite is healthy, and he feels pretty good. He and Mom are trying to return to their normal routine as much as possible now. We are so very appreciative of your prayers and support! We have seen God answer our prayers time and time again. He has definitely carried us through the past five months. Please continue to pray for Dad’s strength to return and for Mom to have peace and rest as she helps care for Dad.

We’ll try to be a little more faithful to post updates, but April is looking to be a very busy month for the Millers!

Follow Up to Joy Prom

Jenny — Thu, 04 May 2006 21:17:48 +0000

This link will take you to a letter written to the editor of the News & Observer (the newspaper of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill) from a woman whose son participated in Joy Prom. It’s worth the read. Click here.

Joy Prom

Jenny — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 14:48:49 +0000

Last night was a late night for me and Nathan! In fact, I don’t think Nathan got in bed until after 1 a.m. – which is very late for us. It was our church’s Joy Prom, and it was the most amazing event I think I’ve ever seen at a church. It was started three years ago in an effort to reach out to the adults with special needs in our community. Luke 14:12-14 says, And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you.’ Several months in advance, people from our church donated tuxes, suits, dress shoes, formal evening gowns, etc. Then invitations went out to adults with special needs all around the Raleigh/Durham area. They got to come to the church and choose their outfits for the evening. We had volunteers that altered the clothes for them. Then, on the big night, they arrived in style! As they drove into the parking lot with their parents/chaperones, they were directed to the side of the church where they were moved into limousines. They drove around to the front of the church where we had red carpets rolled out and an area for the “paparazzi.” We had an incredible announcer who would announce their arrival and call them by name while those of us in the paparazzi section cheered, took pictures, and told them how beautiful and handsome they looked. Some of them were in wheelchairs or walkers, others needed assistance to walk, but the smiles on their faces were wonderful. The neat thing was to see the 10th and 11th graders from our church in their tuxes and evening gowns helping the guests out of the limos and walking them down the red carpet. It was difficult not to tear up. Then they entered the lobby and saw the amazing decorations – balloons everywhere! It looked just as nice as any prom or homecoming dance I’ve been to. Once they came in the ladies got their makeup and hair done by volunteers, and the guys got their shoes shined. Everyone got a corsage, and everyone had a host or hostess from Providence to walk around and dance with. There was a hospitality room with tvs for parents and chaperones to observe what was taking place in the other rooms. There was a room with food from Chick-fil-a, and there was another room for pictures. Then, everyone’s favorite place – the worship center was transformed into a big dance floor, complete with a disco ball and everything! We had a DJ playing music, and hundreds of people dancing! There were young adults (17 or 18-year-olds), older adults (50s and 60s), and everyone in between. Nathan’s job was to watch the volume on the soundboard (not a difficult task), so I was able to hang out with him the whole night and just watch. The majority of the attendees had such a great time dancing the night away! Some were a little timid. There were two older gentlemen that didn’t have a dance partner…they kept walking in front of the soundboard. So I asked permission from my wonderful husband to ask these two guys for a dance. Of course, he didn’t mind. But guess what? I was rejected both times. At least I tried. My good friend, Desi, met a younger gentleman just sitting on the perimeter of the dance floor. He couldn’t say much, but he kept pointing toward the balloons. Desi went and found him a turtle balloon, and it made him so happy! * WPG2 Plugin Not Validated * He just held the turtle in his lap all night, rubbing it and admiring it. At the end of the night, he also went home with a big fish balloon. Meanwhile, Tom was breaking it down on the dance floor. He had better luck than me – I think he even got a marriage proposal! Overall, there were about 520 volunteers, and about the same number of guests. It was an incredible night, and I can’t wait for next year’s Joy Prom!

Missions Conference

Nathan — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 00:48:19 +0000

Okay! I know it has been a while since I’ve posted anything, and yes it has been a week since the missionâ€™s conference. However, I must let everyone know about what the Lord has been doing in our lives.

Last week we had our annual missions conference at Providence. As always, it was an incredible time of rejoicing of what God has been doing all over the world. Not to mention it was a challenging time as well. I know that Jenny has already explained a little about the conference, but I want to expand upon that and elaborate on where we stand a week later.

Our speaker for the Sunday was Dr. Ron Kline. He gave two incredible sermons to challenge the people. Two of the people that he challenged were my wife and I. His message was from Matt. 9:35-38. His sermon breaks down into three points. 1) Weâ€™ve forgotten who the workers are, 2) Weâ€™ve forgotten what the work is, and 3) Weâ€™ve forgotten how it works.

Jenny and I have always said that we are open to missions. We know that there is a great need for the gospel to be spread across the world. Not to mention that I get frustraighted with the American church. We sit so passively in our pews, while our brothers and sisters around the world are dying for their faith. Our faith is so shallow!!! (Iâ€™m speaking of myself as well.) CHURCH what is our problem!! The church in China is growing by the thousands every day. There are millions of Christians in China, and Iâ€™ve heard some reports as high as a billion. Yes, we are speaking about communist China where it is illegal to be a Christian. Our brothers and sisters have a vibrant faith that is incomprehensible to the American Christian. They are suffering every day for their faith, yet they do not pray for the persecution to end. Rather they desire for it to intensify. They count it as an honor to suffer for their Lord. It reminds me off the great church father Tertullian who said, â€œThe blood of the martyrs are the seed of the church.â€?

Putting all of this preaching aside, Jenny and I have been challenged to possibly go to the mission field. We do not know if that is where we are to spend our lives, but we are willing if that is what the Lord desires. At this point, we are totally surrendering ourselves to the will of the Father to direct our lives. Nether Jenny nor I have ever been on any sort of a missionâ€™s trip, and that is a shame on our parts. If I am to remain in my previous call of a pastor that is fine, but we both feel that the Lord wants us to have some experience on the field. Maybe we can use it to fire up the American church.

Please remember Jenny and I in your prayers over the next few months as we continue to pray about what the Lord would have us do with our future.

Isaiah 6:4-9a
â€œAnd the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 9 And he said, Go, and tell this people (emphasis added)â€?

Wherever, Whatever, Whenever . . .

Jenny — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 03:02:59 +0000

Happy Sunday, everyone! This weekend was our church’s Missions Festival, “Wherever, Whatever, Whenever,” and it was wonderful! Friday night there was a banquet with foods from around the world and many guest missionaries. Saturday morning was a Senior Adult Brunch, and today just a great day of worship with an emphasis on missions. Nathan and I were both challenged to pray more diligently for missions, to increase our giving to missions, and to continue praying for God to show us where He would have us to serve in our future ministry. It was exciting to hear from our guest speaker, Dr. Ron Cline, and the many missionaries from around the world. Our prayer continues to be, “Lord, wherever, whatever, whenever….here we are, send us.” One very practical thing that Dr. Cline challenged each of us to do is to simply share with someone this week that God loves them. So first I would like to remind all of you who read this that the sovereign God of the universe loves you personally and passionately and gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for you. I also wanted to share a true story that Dr. Cline told us. Several years ago he had the opportunity to speak in a church in Wisconsin. On a Monday evening, he gave the same challenge to that congregation to share the good news that “God loves you” with someone that week. In one pew, a man immediately felt God laying it upon his heart to share with his brother that God loved him. For years this man (Man #1) had been a Christian, but he had never told his brother of God’s love. In another pew a man (Man #2) told God that he would share this message with the first person he would see the next day that was not a part of his family. In yet another pew, another man (Man #3) saw the face of his barber and committed to tell the barber “God loves you” the next day at his hair appointment. So that evening, Man #1 picked up the phone to call his brother. He hesitated, knowing that Monday Night Football was on, and his brother would likely be watching the game. But, like many of us do, he felt the gentle but firm prodding of the Holy Spirit to make the call. He picked up the phone and dialed his brother. When his brother answered, Man #1 could hear the game in the background. He panicked and said, “Hey, I just wanted to tell you that I love you…and God loves you, too.” And he hung up. On Tuesday morning, Man #2 took his trash out to the curb to be picked up. He saw his neighbor pulling out of his driveway to head to work. This was the first non-family member he had seen today, so he walked over and motioned for his neighbor to roll his window down. Before he lost the nerve, he blurted out, “God loves you,” and turned around and walked back to his own car. You can probably guess by now that this man, Man #1’s brother and Man #2’s neighbor, was also Man #3’s barber. And as he was minding his own business, cutting Man #3’s hair that morning, Man #3 blurted out, “God loves you.” The barber had had enough! He spun the chair around and faced the man. “What did you just say?” he asked. “God loves you,” Man #3 replied. Dr. Cline shared with us the joy he had on Tuesday evening meeting Man #1, Man #2, Man #3, and the new believer. Man #3 had the privilege of leading his barber to Christ. What a great story! It was a good reminder that we never know what seeds we may plant when we share three simple words with someone. So tonight, I am thankful that God loves me. If you have any questions about God’s love for you, click here. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

Sunday Morning

Nathan — Sun, 30 Oct 2005 19:08:53 +0000

This morning at church we had three awsome services. This morning was our commitment Sunday for our Capital Campaign, Join in the Journey. The service started with an incredible song called Praise You. The service itself was unusual in the fact that we didn’t have a “normal sermon.” However, it was a powerful one none the less. We had a long praise and worship time, combined with a short commitment sermon, topped off with a wonderful time of prayer. It was a day that will go down in the history of Providence as a day that God moved in the hearts of His people to bring about His work. The city of Raleigh is growing so much, and Providence is located right in the middle of it. We are currently busting the doors open every Sunday. We don’t have enough space!!! However, it has been wonderful to see how God has provided week after week to allow us to continue to welcome new people into the Kingdom. I’m looking forward to see how God will make a way and provide the resources to build our new facilities. We have to make room for those who will come through our doors to hear the Gospel. May God be glorified in everything that we do!!