Several people came to our first house group meeting, including Jerry and Lisa, both excited to be a part of this new Vineyard Fellowship. Lisa and Jerry were an awesome couple.
Two years earlier, they were struggling to have a child. Jerry had several examinations and was told his sperm count would never allow them to have children. The lead levels in his blood system were way above normal. He was the son of a painter and worked many years scraping lead paint on the outside of old houses in Newburyport.
During that time, I was leading the Sunday evening worship at the church. We would worship, pray and lay hands on the sick and pray for them. Jerry came to one evening service and asked if we would pray that Lisa would get pregnant. There were probably ten to fifteen people present. We were all sitting in a circle at the front of the sanctuary praying for Jerry and Lisa, along with other prayer requests.
I was filled with confidence, faith, that the Lord would give them a child. So much so, that I began marching around the sanctuary beating the bass drum that was sitting where the band played on Sunday mornings. Jerry and the others followed and were filled with faith, and several months later Jerry and Lisa reported on a Sunday morning that she was pregnant. They were both ecstatic and thanking God for the miracle.
At our first house group meeting as a Vineyard Church Plant, Lisa said she thought the Lord would want us to pray and study about Colossians 1. 27b and this we began to do in earnest.