The Coates family is enjoying life in the Danville area.  Sherri is busy nurturing Brandon and Austin as they are growing like crazy (both are taller than me now).  She is also involved at Creekside Community Church with girls in the Middle School Ministry, with greeting on Sunday mornings in the Frontline Ministry, and helping care for the babies in the Nursery Ministry.  She truly makes our house a home with her laughter and love.   Brandon is now 17 and will be driving soon.  He is enjoying drawing and the High School youth group at church.  Austin is 14 and is continuing in Tae Kwon Do and Gumdo.  Both of them like Venture School (although they think they have too much homework).  This week has been fun for me to be on vacation and spend time with family.  Last weekend was so nice to be at Sugarpine Christian Conference Center’s Father and Son Retreat.  I took Brandon and Austin and felt like it was one of the best times ever with a time of playing paintball, the cabin hang-time, prayer for each other and honest appreciation of each other.  Sherri’s birthday was this week and we’ve had some good moments of celebration.  All in all, we’re doing well.  May God bless you as you keep him first in all you do! If you get a chance, visit me on Facebook, Twitter or MySpace.

I’ve just taken a new pastoral position at Creekside Community Church in Alamo (near Danville and Walnut Creek in California) and we’ll be moving at the end of this month.  This is a huge move for us since we’ve lived in Mount Hermon for 14 years.  I’m very excited about the church, my ministry involvement,  and what it means for my family.  We’ll be living only 5 miles from the church which means no more commuting.  I’ll still be working with Heartfelt Music Ministry, but I’ll be more involved with this local church in the East Bay.  It is clearly a “God-send” and already we can tell God is at work to build His Kingdom in a significant way.  Would you pray for me and my family’s transition, move, and ministry with new people?  There never a dull moment when we let God lead the way!