Hi all,

With faith and trust in Jehovah-Jireh, we jumped into the new year.  Good things have been happening.  During the month of January, nineteen different people came over to our home on Monday nights for Emmaus Road Church small groups.  That very same number of men has popped in for Bible studies at the City of Refuge in the mornings during the week.  We seek to plant gospel seeds among the unsaved and continually teach God’s Word for the strengthening of Christian discipleship in the downtown area of Idaho Falls.  We thank God for every opportunity.

Here are some of the highlights from January

• January 3: Ten ministry servants attended our luncheon for networking and prayer at the City of Refuge shelter of the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission.
• January 8-12: I was the minister-on-call for First Evangelical Lutheran Church
• January 11: Pastor Eli Boragine from Christ Community Church shared a devotion during our IFRM staff breakfast.  He taught and exhorted us on the theme of biblical hope.
• January 11: Pastor Warren Cuppy and I met in the evening with the New Destiny Ministries church family.  They graciously voted in approval for us to meet in their chapel on Sunday evenings for the new church plant, Providence Downtown.
• January 15: Our home “big” group meeting on Monday nights branched into two “small” groups.
• January 21: I picked up a resident of the IFRM Works Program to be water baptized by Pastor Bob Sherwood at CrossPoint Community Church.  The whole church family erupted in applause and praise to the Lord when this brother came up out of the water.
• January 21: On this Sunday afternoon, I ministered to 34 in the Bonneville County Jail.
• January 23: Pastor’s fellowship, Warriors for Truth.
• January 25: I listened to Robert Polleti’s testimony in the biblical recovery group, Pure Word at Watersprings Church.
• January 27: I led the discussion for the sessions on “The Intentional Leader” and “The Reproducible Process” in a day of introduction for Emmaus Small Group Leadership Training.
• January 28: I had the great privilege to join Pastor Steve Winn and preach God’s Word at Fort Hall Assembly of God.
• January 29: I observed a friend’s Eagle Scout award ceremony at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.

Would you like to contribute financially on a monthly basis to my missionary work?  Here are three ways: (1) Send the contribution to my home church, Emmaus Road Church, and mark it as “missionary fund for Todd Wood”; option (2), as soon as Downtown Providence Church receives its EIN, you may send support to Providence; and for an option (3), you are welcome to give directly to me.  For the month of January, I received $750 in ongoing monthly support and $650 in special gifts.  Thank you so much!  May your gifts advance Christ’s kingdom in our midst.

On the home front: My wife and I have been enjoying our unique kids.  We love each one of them.  Our youngest girl, Mariah, will be graduating from high school in June.  She has applied to a number of colleges.  We are eager to see in the next month or two where she will end up being a student.

Prayer requests:

1. Pray for the staff of IFRM.  We have acquired recently two new staff.
2. Pray for the men and women residents living in the emergency shelters, Ruth House and the City of Refuge.
3. Pray for the 7 men connected to our IFRM Works Program: three in the program and four in the candidacy phase.
4. Pray for the start of the new church plant:  Providence Downtown.  Click here to read our introductory letter.  We eagerly seek your prayers, financial gifts, and loving support.  Our launch service date is Sunday evening, March 11, 2018, at 6:45 pm.  If you are in the area, join us for this first night.
5. Pray that Jesus will reign as King in Idaho Falls.
6. Please pray as I preach at Grace Baptist Church (February 4), Emmaus Road Church (February 11), and as I visit Dubois Community Baptist Church (February 25).

My three main ministry objectives: 

1. Be a servant pastor with Providence Downtown.
2. Minister with the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission:  (1) Encouraging and partnering with local and regional churches, (2) Discipling IFRM staff, volunteers, and residents, and providing pastoral prayer, encouragement, counsel, Biblical preaching, and teaching,  and (3) Assisting with discipleship components for the IFRM Work’s Program.
3. Be a blessing to Emmaus Road Church

Thank you all for taking a moment to read this update.

roots by the river,

Todd Wood (downtown missionary pastor)