The Big News

Dear Friends and Family,

As 2011 closes, we wanted to update you on what has been going on with the Fowlers. Our second son, Shields Lee, joined our family on December 6. He has been a source of great joy to us, as is his older brother Levi (now 2). In July Megan bid farewell to the law firm where she had worked for nearly four years and came home to care for Levi and continue her freelance writing. With that transition Lindon started working full time as a maintenance assistant at a condominium where he worked during seminary. He also completed a two-year pastoral internship at a local EPC church.

Though our job situation has changed somewhat, we find ourselves in the same situation in which we ended 2010 – looking for a full time pastoral call for Lindon. With Lindon’s ministry giftedness and resourcefulness, we felt confident he would be a strong candidate for any position. But it turns out Lindon’s abilities were no match for a horrible economy; many churches have cut staff, halted plans to add staff, and not replaced staff members who left.

As we have added members to our family, our desire to live closer to our extended family has also grown. Many times we talked about Lindon getting a “regular” job in Pennsylvania so that we could live near family while we search for a ministry opportunity. Lindon traveled to Ohio in mid November to attend a presbytery meeting of the Presbytery of the Alleghenies (EPC). This trip was a risk because we did not have any idea what might come out of it. We asked friends and family to pray that the trip would produce helpful contacts for Lindon.

God most definitely answered our prayers. Lindon received particular help from a pastor in Slippery Rock, Pa., who expressed real enthusiasm for getting Lindon involved in the church while Lindon looks for a full-time call. Lindon returned from presbytery on Sunday, and 24 hours later he had a phone call with a contractor in Slippery Rock who needs assistance. Now Lindon has some work lined up in Slippery Rock and a church where he can volunteer. With these two pieces of the puzzle in place, we have decided to move to the Slippery Rock area to be close to family, continue the job search, and explore church planting with the EPC.

We write all of this to you because many of you have been praying for us for years, and we thank you for your continued love and support. We plan to move on January 14, though there are still many details that we need to finalize. Please continue to pray for our family, that the Lord would provide Lindon with a job in ministry, that the job would come soon, and that our transition would be smooth. There is much more that we want to say but cannot fit it in a letter…so we started a blog! See the address below (and to see some recent Fowler family photos). Thank you for your partnership with us over the years, and we hope you will continue to pray with and for us in the years to come!

All for Jesus,

Lindon, Megan, Levi, and Shields Fowler