christmas is coming...

Last night we hosted our first planning meeting for our Christmas season presentation.  We will, Lord willing, present a night of gospel-centered choral music, worshipful dance, and carol singing on Saturday Dec. 22nd and Sunday Dec. 23rd this Christmas season.  We are gaining excitement as we think of the ways Kingdom Life can impact the Nassau community evangelistically throughout the year.  Music is always a draw at Christmas, and our prayer is that God will use these two nights of presentation to bring people from the community who need to hear the gospel.

Though the Christmas presentation will be fairly involved, the bigger thrust for us in the area of music and arts will be at Easter time.  Our goal is to write our own Easter musical, including all original drama as well as the music and or/musical arragements.  We have one couple at Kingdom Life who is gifted in the area of script-writing and drama,  Clarence and Demetria Rolle.  (Clarence is the man who put together our update video last month.)  For a small church, the Lord has blessed Kingdom Life with various gifted individuals.  The Dance Ministry, under the direction of two ladies, begins rehearsing this Saturday.   This is a ministry that has held a place at Kingdom Life for many years, and we are excited to see young ladies in the church use their gifts to augment our worship through dance. 

As soon as things are reasonably in place for Christmas, hopefully by October, we will begin the writing for the Easter presentation.  We appreciate your prayers as we seek to rightly present  the gospel through music, drama, and dance to the best of our little church's ability! 

small churches stay busy!

Good morning friends...Kristin again.  As I wake to the sounds of dogs barking, birds calling, and the whirring of the ceiling fan, I recount our busy schedule for the week.  For a small church, Kingdom Life stays very active!  I'll give you a window into what is packed into this week.

• Sunday past, we had 20 or so students from The College of the Bahamas at our meeting.  We prepared and served them dinner directly after the meeting. I know it's unfathomable from a U.S. perspective, but the expectation in the Bahamas for these students, who are from the "Family Islands" (aka the other islands of the Bahamas) is that they at least attend a local church once while they are here.  We were thrilled to be able to run a bus ministry to have them picked up from their dorms, have them at our meeting, and serve them a good meal. (There is no cafeteria at the college, and students must do all their own cooking!) Over our meal together, Cedric had strategically placed members of our leadership around the tables in order to make personal contact with these students.  We distributed a pamphlet about the Parable of the Seeds and had conversation with them about what they thought the different types of ground represented.  Their answers revealed that many of them had no true knowledge of God's Word or His gospel.  Pray for more gospel opportunities with these students.
• Monday (yesterday) 7:30 pm was Corporate Prayer, a once a month occurrence.  Note here:  I was so affected by this prayer time last night.  No timid pray-ers here!  These dear saints pray with passion, armed with scripture that has been committed to memory.  We prayed for the lost, our need and desire to be more out-ward focused, healing for the sick, and for a fresh movement of the Holy Spirit on our people.
• Tuesday: no meeting agenda
• Wednesday: 7:30pm -Special class on how to personally study your bible.  Guest Speaker to address us. This class will alternate with Care Group Meetings, which also meet Wednesday nights.
• Thursday: 7:30pm--Worship Team Practice  (for the Buntings, this is an all-family on deck night!)
• Friday: 7:30pm--Counter Culture Youth Meeting
• Saturday:  Dance Ministry Practice (This will at least involve our Kara, who is bursting with excitement at the opportunity to use her gifts in this way!)
• Sunday: 10 am Morning Meeting

Well, as you can see there is not a dull moment in our church calendar.  We are feeling the fullness of our family schedule this week as we also dive back into homeschooling.  Pray for us and the church as our fall activities are back up and running...that we will meet and labor for the gospel, sustained by the strength God supplies us.

our sunday morning...

We are having an interesting Sunday morning here in Nassau.  Isaac (though only a strong tropical storm) has hit, and church is cancelled!  This video was taken 1 mile and a half from our house...I know...crazy to go down there this morning, but I just had to!

We trust all family and friends are well and enjoying God's grace in a fresh way as you meet in your local churches.  More to come soon...

baptism service

Goodman's Bay Beach

Yesterday, we participated in our first baptism service since our arrival in Nassau.  What a joy it was to be involved in such a significant event in the lives of these folks...including two Bunting's:  Keaton and Kara.  Kingdom Life's baptism services are held at Goodman's Bay Beach, one of the public beaches on the island.  It is a unique opportunity because there are people at the beach, and these people take notice of what we're doing as we sing and baptize.  It is a great evangelistic opportunity  Afterwards, those who attended lingered as we ate conch stew together.

Here is an chance to get to know a little about each of those baptized as well as others who partipated in the service.  They are as follows from left to right.

David Humes - David is a member of the Kingdom Life Church leadership team and has been for many years!  David assisted in the baptism.

Myrna Wilson - Myrna has been a Christian for most of her life, was baptized as an infant in the Anglican church here in Nassau, and had the desire to humble herself as an adult to participate in believer's baptism.  She is a prayer warrior in the church.

Cedric Moss - senior pastor

Joshua Bethel - Joshua is a humble, godly young man whom I have gotten to know since our arrival.  He is one of our youth and has now made a profession of faith.  He also plays drums on the worship team.

Vernika, Vernal, Janis and Levante Cox (all in the same family) have made professions of faith and desired to be baptized.  Vernal and Janis (husband and wife) have been believers for several years.  Vernal was never baptized, and Janis (like Myrna her mother) was baptized as an infant and wanted to follow through with adult baptism as well.

Me, Kara and Keaton.  One of my greatest joys in life so far was to baptize two of my daughters.  May God's grace rest on them as they continue to grow in becoming disciples of Christ.

Below are photos of Keaton and Kara getting baptized.

Kara getting baptized.









Keaton getting baptized.

Video of singing after baptism...

no boat, but a "ship!"

Hello dear reader....Kristin here.  As I mentioned in the video update, fellowship is a strength of Kingdom Life Church.   This past Sunday we had yet another opportunity for fellowship with our church.  One of the ladies in the church had called last week and invited us for Sunday lunch, or "dinner" as they call it.  I told her we'd be glad to come, but that we had Keith's parents and nephew with us.  She said she knew we had extra family in town and to of course bring them...there'd be lots of people coming, and it would be a potluck.  After attending a few of these potlucks, I have a greater appreciation for what a massive amount of food can result with each family bringing only 1 or 2 dishes!  We had BBQ chicken, fried fish, mac and cheese, peas and rice, potato salad, veggie salad, and BBQ'd baked beans.  This was followed by pineapple upside down cake and chocolate cake with peanut butter icing.  There was plenty!

All in all, our hostess had 26 people.  This is common here at Kingdom Life.  As a hostess, I would be tempted to be nervous about having 26 people over for dinner, but when you divide it up potluck style, it becomes much less daunting.  Isn't this how all of life is meant to be lived in the kingdom of God?  Each of us, using our gifts, coming together to share what we can with the rest of God's people?...It's a beautiful thing.  God mysteriously works in our community, causing each of our small contributions to swell and multiply into something much greater than we could imagine.  I love having the resources of friends within the body of Christ to turn to for counsel, encouragement and help.  Whether I have questions about parenting, homeschooling, home-management or any other area of practical need, I am rich to have so many wise and godly people to turn to for help.  As the days, weeks, and months continue to add up here in Nassau, I am praying that God will cause our small contributions to this local church to mix with all the others already represented and multiply into something greater than we can imagine.  We pray the same for Crossway!  For God's Glory...

Keith's parents here from Florida

God has been very good to us!  As most of you know, my parents have had many health challenges over the past several years.  My mother has battled cancer for the past 7 years (currently in remission), and my dad currently battles Parkinson's Disease.  These two saints are faithful examples of steadfast, daily faith in God who live grateful for every day!

Last Saturday, they both boarded the plane along with my 18 year-old nephew and came to visit us.  This requires long lines, dealing with customs officers and putting up with us for ten days!  They are to be commended for their courage and young-heartedness as they are in their 70's.  It is amazing that they came to visit us already.  God is good!

We actually had them to the beach the other evening, and they seemed to have a great time.  We are hoping to make the most of it throughout the remaining time we have together.  Here are a few photos.

Please pray for them that God will continue to grant them good health.  Also, pray for their traveling safety as they head back to Orlando on Tuesday.

Mall Event in Nassau

The newly formed Kingdom Life Church Youth Choir

Our worship team vocalists

"Passers-by" got balloons, and so did the ceiling above us!

The worship pastor looks very unhappy, but this is NOT the case!

This past Saturday, we were asked by the local mall to sing as a church in the mall center.  What a gospel opportunity!  We are grateful that we can express the gospel so freely here.  We sang very deliberately and intentionally about Christ and the cross for one whole hour, and we had quite a gathering as the youth choir was singing.  We trust that the Lord will produce gospel fruit through this event.