We are excited to announce the second installment of our Meet the Team campaign. Each month we will be introducing you to one of our amazing CEF Chicago staff members along with how you can be specifically praying for them. This month is Ben and Karis Jorden, one of our two most influential team members.
Ben and Karis Jorden
Ben and Karis made a massive impact on Chicago-land and on CEF Chicago as a ministry. God has been leading and guiding them in really cool ways these past two months. Below was their last support letter they sent out in November. Take a moment to hear how God is impacting this family and guiding them into a new season of life in 2020.
“God works in mysterious ways. In June, Ben preached at his home church, Grace Community Bible Church in Kirksville, Missouri, after his brother Jeremy’s wedding to Ruth King. The church has been in the process of finding a new Senior Pastor for almost 2 years now after their beloved pastor retired. By the end of July, we received an invitation from the church search committee to submit Ben’s resume as a potential candidate for Senior Pastor. After seeking wisdom from many trusted sources, we decided to walk in faith and submit the resume. In August, we interviewed at the church with the search committee, and by early October, Ben preached as the candidate and the church voted two weeks later almost unanimously to invite Ben to be the new Senior Pastor of Grace Community Bible Church.
I’m writing to you today in the midst of lots of boxes at our home in Bellwood, IL as we prepare to move next week to start on November 17 at the church. It’s been an adventure the past few months as we’ve walked this road that the Lord has clearly laid before us. We are so very sad to be leaving the work in Chicago, our team, and the children, but we sense that the Lord is clearly moving us on to a new phase of ministry in a pastoral role instead of urban missionary. We can’t say enough how grateful we are for your many faithful years of prayers on our behalf and your financial support of our ministry and family. We’re truly in awe of all that God has done to keep us in ministry and how He has used you time and time again to meet our needs and to provide our daily bread. We’re truly so grateful. As the calendar year is ending, your gifts are so important to help our account end in the black as we move on in ministry. We’ve honestly had a few lean months of support and our account is needing to be built back up again in order for our team and the rest of the ministry in Chicago CEF to continue to flourish. If you’re able, please consider a year-end gift to Chicago CEF designated Project BJ to help us meet this financial need.
We’d ask you to continue to pray for the transitions on our team as we go as well. We’ve had a lot of things on our plate that others will be taking over now. Our team is strong and very capable, and we know the Lord will continue to use them in great ways. They all need support as well, so if you’re so inclined, please consider continuing our legacy work in Chicago by supporting the team that is staying to continue the work of reaching Chicago’s children for Christ. Thank you for praying for our family as we transition to this new ministry. Change is never easy, but we know it is the Lord who is going before us each step of the way. Please pray our sons will do well with all the changes, that our marriage will be strong in the midst of stress, that we all stay healthy, that all the details of the selling of our home in Bellwood and purchase of one in Kirksville will go smoothly, for our new church body, and that God will be glorified above all.”
The entire team at CEF Chicago sends our love to Ben and Karis. As we morn the loss of these two incredibly impactful leaders we and are also incredibly excited to see the fruits of their ministry continue to flourish in Missouri.
Again please consider a year-end gift to Chicago CEF. Designate your gift to the “Project BJ” to help them with their financial needs in this transition and to “CEF Chicago” to continue the farthing of the gospel to the unreached children in Chicago-land.
Prayer Requests:
- Sons to do well with the changes.
- Their marriage to be strong in the midst of stress.
- The selling of their home in Bellwood and purchase of Kirksville home.
- New ministry and their church body.
- God will be glorified above all.
- CEF Chicago to be able to transition well.
