He has risen just as He said!  And we are experiencing this by watching Jesus transform lives and making them brand new! One by one!

Here are some of the highlights from March

• March 2 – I attended the noon Lent service with Jason Ginsburg at Trinity.
• March 2-4: We took men from the City of Refuge and went to the Engage Men’s Retreat at Old Faithful Christian Ranch.  I preached from the book of II Timothy on Sunday morning – the apostle Paul’s last will and testament.
• March 6: “Warrior’s For Truth” pastors’ fellowship
• March 7: Twelve servants of Jesus gathered for lunch at the City of Refuge to share and pray.
• March 8: Pastor Kent Burchyett shared a devotion during our IFRM breakfast.
• March 8-10:  We participated in the dinner with the First Lutheran family at the College of Eastern Idaho and the LCMC Conference.
• March 9:  I attended the noon Lent service with Susan Speir at First Presbyterian.
• March 11: Fifty-five people attended our Sunday evening opening service at Providence Downtown Church, a vision birthed from prayer.
• March 16:  I attended the noon Lent service with Phil Hagen at St. Paul’s.
• March 18:  We ministered to forty men in the Bonneville County Jail.
• March 24:  We attended the wedding of Jeff and Amy Cale at the Shilo Inn on the river.
• March 25: We joined in Palm Sunday worship at First Lutheran.
• March 28: I took a brother to the Passover/Lord’s Table/Foot washing at Cornerstone Pentecostal Church
• March 29:  Our family enjoyed the Watersprings’ “Outside Looking In” musical.
• March 30:  I drove brothers to the noon and evening Good Friday services at First Lutheran Church and River of Life 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”; (2) Address mission support to Providence Downtown Church, and (3) You are welcome to give directly to me.  For the month of March, I received $1100 in ongoing monthly support and $360 in special gifts.  Thank you so much!

On the home front: My family thoroughly enjoyed seeing Mariah participate in the musical, “Singing in the Rain” on March 13.  Also, we relaxed at Lava Hot Springs on March 23.  God is good to us in Idaho!

Prayer requests:

1. Please pray for Pastor Warren Cuppy, myself, our wives, and the Providence Downtown family.  Pray for the five men who will be baptized this upcoming Sunday evening, April 8.  We are very thankful to the Berean family for the use of the baptismal and sanctuary seating.
2. Please pray for the staff and residents of the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission.
3. Please pray for Emmaus Road Church and all the other smaller church families seeking to be a vibrant witness to the gospel of Jesus in Idaho Falls.

My three main ministry objectives: 

1. Be a servant pastor with Providence Downtown.
2. Minister as a chaplain 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 the Emmaus Road Church with prayers, counsel, and small group.  And seek to be an encouragement to the other local church families.

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

roots by the river,

Todd Wood (downtown missionary)