Because of your generosity with year-end-gifts and monthly support, 2018 ended fully funded.  We look forward to moving into 2019 with all of you.  Your prayers, encouragement, support, friendship, and giving truly sustain us.  Thank you!!!
 
I have shared with a few of you that as we entered into 2019 God kept leading me to the book of Colossians for my time with Him.  The theme of Colossians is the complete adequacy of Christ as contrasted with the emptiness of mere human philosophy. My heart is convicted that this book outlines a beautiful strategy for ministry for our not-yet-believing friends. The book is full of clarity, grace, and brutal truth.  
 
Colossians3:16NIV says,“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
 
As I have studied this verse and how it can apply to relational ministry work, I am convicted by its order ... it says to FIRST let God’s Word dwell in me - not simply, but richly - and THEN it talks about teaching and admonishing. 
 
Abide in God’s Word if YOU want to be transformed by it and lead others to transformation. The fruit of God’s Spirit springs up in our hearts first, and from there makes its way out over our lips and into our homes, relationships, and thoughts each day. 
 
It says, “singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”  My personal convictions lead to my gratitude.  If I want to share the gospel with all of those that are sinners, I must first be convinced of the need for the gospel in my own heart. It is through the conviction of sin in my own life that I can share with others their need of a Savior, because it takes me from a place of superiority to a place of equality.
 
It is also through this indwelling of God’s Word that I have “songs from the Spirit”. This is the time where the Spirit directs me when to speak, when to be silent, and what to say. If I speak without His song than it is just hurtful noise. If I speak His song, then it draws people to the cross and the desire to know more of the beauty that is sung. 
 
I am so excited to be entering my last semester of language learning and thinking more about my full-time ministry work. Regardless of the path God brings forth, I feel confident it will be built out of reading God’s word, praying, and listening for His response.
 
May all of your 2019’s be full of God’s voice and songs from the Spirit.

Sincerely,
Brittany
 

My hope is to base our year on the book of Colossians.  Below, I have written out Colossians 4:2-6 as a prayer for us to pray together.  Please consider printing it out and hanging it somewhere you could pray through often for us during 2019.
 
O Lord, may You be praised forever and ever!  You, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is Yours, and Your kingdom will reign in Potsdam. We adore You as the one who is over all things and who works all things for honor and glory.
 
Lord, as the Bruns’ devote themselves to prayer, may they be watchful for Your presence and thankful for Your protection and leading. I pray that You may open a door for Your message, so that they may proclaim the mystery of Christ to those with which they are in relationship. Free them from the bondage of fear, the feeling of inadequacy, and the overwhelming thoughts of the work to be done. I pray they may proclaim it clearly in German, as they should.  Grant that they may be wise in the way they act toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity.  And let their conversations be always full of grace and seasoned with salt, so that they may know how to answer everyone.
 
We ask these things in Your heavenly name.  Amen.