May 2015-IDC McKinney

MAY 2015 | IDCMCKINNEY.COM | PASTOR: JORDAN STONE

IMAGO DEIGospel Partner Spotlight: the Murphys

“Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised…”

1 CHRONICLES 16:23-25

As we continue in our series of taking

an in-depth look at each of our Gospel

Partners, we are excited to share about

John & Kristen Murphy who lead

Veritas Church in Fayetteville, NC.

We hope this Question & Answer

format will spur our Body into deeper

relationship with the Murphys as well

as deeper prayer for their family.

John & Kristen Murphy with their children Kian, Audra Kate and Jack.

IDC Missions ConferenceSun 5/3, 8am-12pmJoin us for IDC's Missions Conference:

Partners For The Gospel at The Reserve at Westridge Amenity Center (10256 Millbend Dr, McKinney). This free, half day conference will be centered on Biblical teaching, interactive discussion and prayer time as we consider how God desires the IDC body to partner and serve alongside our Gospel Partners in proclaiming Christ both locally and to the far reaches of the world. A light breakfast, coffee and snacks will be provided. Sorry, childcare not provided. To register, please contact Ryan and Mindi Polny at [email protected]

Embrace Picnic Pool PartySun 6/28, 4pm-7pmWe have the wonderful opportunity to

serve Embrace’s foster and adoptive families again this summer at their annual picnic pool party held at Towne Lake in McKinney. IDC will provide a meal to serve at this event. If you would like to contribute food and/or help serve the meal (we need about 10 servers), please contact Mindi at [email protected].

Upcoming Missions Events

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



1) At what point in your lives did God put it on your hearts plant a church in Fayetteville, NC?

John: For me, it started in 2007 to some degree. There was a desire the Lord birthed for church planting and Fayetteville was the city I kept coming back to. My wife and I had a hard time living in Fayetteville while I was stationed here and she didn’t have quite the same feeling I did at the beginning.

We ended up in Texas and while reading in Acts decided to pray through Acts 20:24 togeth-er and apart for a couple weeks. We realized that we did account our lives and comfort as valuable and precious to ourselves. We repented of this together and this was the moment that we both said, “Our 'yes' is on the table” and asked that God do with it what he would.

We decided to take a short trip to Fayetteville to pray in the city at the end of 2011 and it further confirmed a call to plant the gospel, and, Lord willing, a church in this city.

2) Being that Veritas is a young church that was planted in 2013 (the same year as IDC!), can you share some of the primary efforts you are focusing on as your church continues to grow?

We are in the middle of a series in 1 Timothy right now (we got that idea from you!) and together we’re asking the Lord to show us what a faithful church looks like and to empower us by his Spirit to mature in that as a body.

Leadership development has been the big focus the first half of 2015. We started a leader-ship cohort with seven guys who all have expressed some sort of call—vocational or lay—to leadership within Jesus’ church. Four of these men have moved into formal elder devel-opment and two of the four will be put forward as elders in the next couple months. This is very exciting and an answer to prayer!

3) Knowing that one of the primary reasons you planted Veritas in Fayetteville is to the serve the military commu-nity there at Ft. Bragg, can you share how your church has been able to engage military families and personnel?

God has quickly established the work of our hands. Our church is made up of about 65% military and military families. This is a wonder-fully complex thing as it means that 65% of our church will turnover every 3 years. Our definition of a “win” has changed. Our desire now is to share the gospel, disciple and then pass folks off as life-giving members to the next church the Lord calls them to as they leave as mission-aries to carry the gospel to wherever the govern-ment sends them.

A scene from Easter Sunday 2015, where members of Veritas Church shared testimonies and were baptized.



One of the primary ways we engage the military community is through family. We’ve said since we got here that the gospel creates family where there is no family—this is taking root. Our community groups have “adopted” single soldiers at Bragg and surrounded them with family. We’ve helped families move in. We’ve walked closely with wives and families whose husbands are deployed.

Our prayer since we moved to Fayetteville was that the Lord would raise up future church planters from the mili-tary. Two of the guys in our Leadership Cohort are currently in the military and have a desire to plant churches as they transition out of the military. Watching God answer prayers is such an encouragement and bolsters our faith!

4) In addition to serving the military community, what are other ways that Veritas is building relationships within the Fayetteville in order to further the Gospel message there?

There is no getting around it; Fayetteville is a dark place. What we realized when we moved back to the city is that there are other organizations and people who are laboring well to love this city. We started to realize that we didn’t need to reinvent the wheel, but we needed to leverage what we had (people) to come alongside others who are loving and serving the city.

One of these organizations is Agape Crisis Pregnancy Center. You guys did a bottle drive for them last Christmas! There are a high number of young single mothers who see no other option than abortion. Agape comes alongside them with support, training and edu-cation to help them see other options. We’ve loved and encouraged single mothers through this organization and it is our great joy to labor alongside them.

A scene from Easter Sunday 2015, where members of Veritas Church shared testimonies and were baptized.



5) What are each of your favorite Bible passages and why?

John: 2 Corinthians 5:21. This has always been my favorite verse. It is such a concise and beautiful picture of the great exchange that happened at the cross: Jesus became what I was to make me what I wasn’t.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who

knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:21

Kristen: Colossians 1:15-20. The stability, security and hope that He brings is amazing!

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible

and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all

things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to him-self all things, whether on earth or in heaven,

making peace by the blood of his cross.”Colossians 1:15-20

Scenes from Easter Sunday 2015, where members of Veritas Church shared testimonies and were baptized.

6) Can you share about the interests and personalities of your three children—Jack, Kian and Audra Kate?

Jack is 8 years old. He loves to read anything from the Chronicles of Narnia to Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Taking him to the library is like taking a kid to the candy store! He's witty and always makes us laugh. He recently started writing his own comics which I am certain are going to get pub-lished one day. He has such a servant’s heart and is always looking for ways to help others. He's such a great big brother and helps so much with his younger siblings.

Kian is 5 and is "all boy" in every sense of the word! We found him outside last week, screaming because he was stuck in a hole he dug himself! The street we live on has a handful of boys so you can always find Jack, Kian and their friends playing soccer, climbing trees or playing "survival" in the woods. Kian has just started reading and is anxious to start kindergarten in the fall at home with Mom.

Miss Audra Kate is 16 months and is the most beautiful, crazy person our family has ever met. After having two boys we had no idea how much drama one pink little person could bring! She is a dancing machine, a complete daddy’s girl and has her daddy wrapped around her finger!



7) What are some ways that your family enjoys quality time and has fun together?

Friday is a sacred and protected day for us…Family Day! We typically lounge around the house in the morning, the boys and I (John) will go on some sort of an adventure in the woods and then Friday night is “make your own pizza” and movie night. We quite enjoy it!

8) What are some specific ways the IDC family can pray and intercede for you?

The past year has brought highs and lows that we knew were coming but I’m not sure

we could have prepared for them any better. Please pray for our family that we would con-tinue to love God and each other well in the midst of change and in a context that is rapidly and constantly in a state of transition.

Please also pray for the four men and their families who will be put forward as elders over the next 2 to 6 months. Pray for encour-agement, protection and the sustaining power of the gospel to help them shepherd our people well.

For our kids, please pray that they would grow up loving Jesus and his church.

Gospel Partner Prayer Requests

We are thankful for how the Lord has

allowed IDC to partner with several

incredible individuals, couples, and families

who are diligently working to share Christ,

help plant churches, and care for the needs

of orphans. Here are recent updates and

prayer requests from some of our Gospel

Partners. If you are interested in biographies

and contact info for all of IDC’s Gospel Part-

ners, please visit idcmckinney.com/go.

Gospel Partners in AsiaFor security reasons, this partner’s name

remains confidential. However, they are based in a remote area of Asia in order to reach an unengaged people group with the Gospel. They asked us to PRAY:

• For a new friend they have made who asks lots of questions and is really open to hearing about God’s Truth.

• For a woman who befriended them quickly when this team was planted in Asia. She remains to be a close friend of theirs, and she is open to the Gospel.

• For a women who owns a local restaurant that the team has been getting to know.


IMAGO DEIGospel Partner Prayer Requests

JoannaCrossover Communications International

Crossover is a sending agency who brings access to the Gospel to

unreached nations. Joanna’s role at Crossover is both the Care Coordinator and Prayer Coordinator of all of Crossover’s field staff throughout the world. Please PRAY:

• For discernment as she enrolls field workers into Clarion, a comprehensive development and training program. Also, for mental strength as she continues be trained and equipped for using the Clarion model.

• For a new field staff family who was recently planted in an Eastern European country.

• For wisdom and creativity as Crossover plans children/youth activities for missionary children (now known as “third culture kids” or TCKs) at their upcoming Crossover conference in August in Turkey. They expect all their workers’ kids there! Also, for Jacob & Hayley and Rebecca as they prepare to ministry to the TCKs at this conference.

• Last, but by no means least, pray always for protection from the enemy. The enemy is completely under God’s sovereign control, but at times that yucky presence is evident.

John & Jessie ChengCru

John and Jessie Cheng are on staff with Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ. They are based here in Dallas, and they are largely focused on reaching international students at UTD and surrounding areas. Please pray:

• Praise for some recent opportunities for John to connect with students at UTD through mentoring them regarding the importance of business ethics and integrity.

• Pray for Jessie to connect with a couple more students who she can begin mentoring.

• For the Cheng’s upcoming Cru summer project in Kansas City including the necessary funds for this trip, as well as more college students to join them.

• For a deepening friendship with Genene, a local restaurant owner from Ethiopia that John is building a relationship with.


IMAGO DEIGospel Partner Prayer Requests

Bruce & Denise KendrickEmbrace

Bruce and Denise Kendrick lead Embrace, a ministry serving at-risk, foster and adopted children and their families. The Kendricks and Embrace have many significant coming up in the near future, and here is how we can PRAY:

• For continued favor with the Child Protective Services and God’s discernment regarding the Second Story initiative where Embrace will strategically partner with churches in Collin County to see every waiting child in a loving Christian family

• For a much interest and support to grow for Embrace’s second annual Fairways for Families Golf Marathon & Family 5K on Monday June 8th.

• Praise for several speaking engagements they have coming up in near future where they will engage local churches and across the state and country. May God use the Kendricks to ignite the heart of those who attend all these events to fostering and adopting.

• For continued wisdom in planning and preparing for the Kendricks’ Hometown Tour they they are beginning in June.

Trace & Christa HaglerTo Every Tribe

Trace and Christa have been on staff with To Every Tribe since 2010, and they have been planted in Oaxaca, Mexico with the focus on sharing the Gospel with an unreached people group in that area. The Haglers and a couple of other believers took a medical trip to the village in early March: here are some highlights from their trip. Please continue to PRAY for God to open hearts of those in that village.

• Over 60 people watched a movie of the Gospel of Luke! One of the local believers shared with them before and after in their native language, Zapotec.

• As people waited to be seen by doctors and dentists, they listened to the Bible in Zapotec. Other local believers also engaged the people and shared God’s word.

• The Haglers were introduced to a new believer in the village that came to faith after their trip earlier this year. They are excited that God is moving in this heart!

• PRAY for continued opportunities to visit the village, for the locals to continue welcoming them and for more opportunities to share the Gospel!

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May 2015-IDC McKinney