Yesterday was a first – baptizing someone on our front porch in a horse trough! It was a sweet privilege to baptize the husband of a couple who just moved into central Detroit to be part of Restore. Man, my heart is encouraged by younger Christians being fired up about making much of Jesus! The [...]
Archive for the ‘Detroit Info’ Category
Front Porch Baptism
Posted: June 28, 2011 by mikehanafee in Detroit Info, Restore Church, Uncategorized0
Six Months on the Ground
Posted: June 3, 2011 by mikehanafee in Detroit Info, Family, Friends, Restore ChurchA few days ago, Clete reminded me of something I had not thought of – we (the Hanafees) have now been in central Detroit for six months! I was not aware of this, maybe due to the strep throat (ugh!) I have battled the last week, or maybe just because of how busy we have [...]
Chicken Nuggets and N’hood Kids
Posted: May 3, 2011 by mikehanafee in Detroit Info, Family, Friends, Restore ChurchMike and Clete left for Buffalo, New York this past Friday to go to a conference. That gave Ruth and me the great opportunity to take all of our boys to play in flag football games Saturday morning at a neighborhood school. A Christian man who lives in the suburbs but has a heart for [...]
(And Michigan almost won too!)
Posted: March 21, 2011 by mikehanafee in Detroit Info, Family, Friends, Restore ChurchYesterday was a great finish to our first run through the Story-formed Way in the 48202. Originally this 10 week overview of the Bible was intended simply to strengthen the Bontrager & Hanafee families in our first months on the ground in central Detroit. But God had other plans. By the end of this study [...]
Restore Church is blessed by Evident Church
Posted: February 14, 2011 by cletebontrager in Detroit Info, Friends, UncategorizedWhat a blessing to have partners in the work of the ministry. God has been so gracious to bring people our way that want to help an under resourced area and show love to Restore and the neighborhood. Evident Church came down to the 48206 and helped us clean out the 11529 Rosa Parks building. [...]
Vision Gatherings!
Posted: February 11, 2011 by mikehanafee in Detroit Info, Family, Friends, Uncategorized, VisionIt has been a really exciting (& busy) last few days. We met a couple down the street that has been praying for a church like Restore to start in our neighborhood. A man released 5 months ago after doing 29 years for armed robbery & rape shared his story in our living room. Clete [...]
God has been so gracious to us!
Posted: February 1, 2011 by mikehanafee in Detroit Info, Family, FriendsGod has been so gracious to us! It has been a crazy busy but also a crazy good last few weeks. Last Tuesday we began the process of moving into a great rental house (at a great price!) just around the corner from the Bontragers, right in the heart of our ministry area. This old [...]
Hopelessness & hope. That’s what I felt on yesterday’s prayer walk. After passing the corner gas station & chatting with the guys who gather there, I came across an old church building. I’d seen these broken down buildings before, but this time my heart was gripped – gripped by both hopelessness & hope. Hopelessness. Apparently [...]
Saturday & Sunday we had the great privilege of sharing a bit about Restore Church in the worship services at Riverview Church in Holt, MI. Wow, it was a blast being with this church that has already been a massive blessing to us! We have been overwhelmed by their kindness & support. In December Riverview [...]
After a very fast-paced last 10 days we have arrived in Detroit and are pretty much unpacked. Thanks much to all who helped us load in Hillsboro and unload in Detroit! The 2,500 mile drive was fun, and at times, a bit harrowing. At the end of the first day of driving we hit minus [...]
