NOLA Update (March 12, 2023)

Omri Miles March 14, 2023

On Sunday, I updated our church about the New Orleans church plant. A summary of the update is outlined below.

News

Completed our branding (logo, design, landing page for website – GraceBibleNOLA.org)
registered as a corporation with the state of Louisiana
opened a bank account so we can start receiving donations + giving through the website
Put together a Support Letter
- Describes what we are doing, explains how we got here, and tells potential supporters about the city
Intended launch date: November 12, 2023
My family’s last Sunday in Arizona (Lord willing) will be October 29th.
Before our departure, I am planning to preach verse by verse through the book of Haggai, followed by a single sermon on October 22nd in preparation for our departure

The Core Team

Began meeting in June 2021 with about a dozen households
- Were prayerfully considering relocating to New Orleans to establish a church there
Of those families, we have narrowed down our core team who is committed to going:
- Derek and Pam Robinson and Judy Heddens (Derek’s mom)
- Diana Allen
- Matt and Janelle Schneider
- Nick and Britney Dudley
Schylar Reed and his fiancé Lydia are still a strong possibility.
- Wedding is scheduled for June 10th in Huntsville, AL.
- Schylar and I graduated from The Expositors Seminary in 2020
Diana and Nick + Britney Dudleys expect to be in New Orleans in November when the church launches
The Robinsons plan to arrive in January after the kids’ fall school semester ends
The Schneiders plan to join the team as soon as Daniel is adopted out of foster care.
- Please be praying that they would be able to adopt Daniel this year

Miles family

My family and I have moved in with Kyle and Ashley Frazey until they depart for New Orleans
We are using our home as a short-term rental through Airbnb and Vrbo to save money for property in New Orleans
We will be traveling quite a bit (I’ll be preaching and raising support on these trips:
- Later this month we’ll visit Cornerstone Church in Jackson Hole, WY
- Next month Emily and I will be in New Orleans; I’m speaking at an event for pastors about biblical counseling
- From mid-June through the month of July, we will be driving across the country to visit like-minded churches in Houston, TX, Lynchburg, VA, New York, and Jupiter, Jupiter, FL

Financial need

Start up costs = $25,000

Legal/entity set up

Equipment

Marketing/signage

Core team moving expenses

Operating Costs = $165,696

Pastoral salary + benefits

ministry expenses

Rent

Administrative (software, subscriptions, books/resources, accounting, etc.)

Supplies

Total = $190,696

To help raise these costs, we are selling “Spurgeon in Louisiana” t-shirts
To give directly to Grace Bible Church NOLA , visit https://gracebiblenola.org/give/

Prayer requests

That Matt and Janelle Schneider will be able to adopt Daniel soon
Schylar and Lydia Reed’s engagement and marriage (June 10th) and that God would help them discern if and when they should labor alongside us in New Orleans
That God would give us wisdom in preparing to go
That I would be diligent in shepherding duties here as well as in preparation
Safety and strength during my family’s upcoming traveling schedule
That God would bless our support-raising efforts