By Noel & Jill Gandy,
Lucy Beth, Jill, Noel and Charlie Gandy
Noel and Jill Gandy, transplants from South Mississippi, have found themselves in Southwestern Iowa as NAMB missionaries. For several months the family sought God’s will for their lives in church planting. After visits to many areas around the country, the Gandys found themselves in Shenandoah, IA, a small town in the Southwestern corner of the state.
Located in Shenandoah is Memorial Baptist Church. Memorial closed its doors two and a half years ago after nearly 60 years of ministering to the Shenandoah area. The desire to replant had long been on Noel’s heart and he and his family decided to follow the Lord’s leading to replant Shenandoah. This comes after Noel’s 10 years of service in various staff positions and pastoral roles in Mississippi/Alabama churches, one of which included a revitalization project.
Memorial Baptist will reopen as Christ Point Baptist Church. Christ Point Baptist Church will target the lost in Shenandoah with nearly 5,200 residents. On average 1000 individuals will be in church regularly leaving a large gap of those who are unchurched. That means approximately 80% of the town is unreached. Iowa on the whole falls close to this number as well.
Noel, Jill, Charlie, 6, and Lucy Beth, 5, ask that you pray for the work in Shenandoah. God is already moving in the area! Please pray for the family as they minister.
While the building is functional, there are several maintenance projects to be considered. Teams from Mississippi, Missouri, and Iowa are already scheduled to help work in the church and town to see this new church replant take root. Please pray about being a part of the work in Shenandoah.
God Bless,
The Gandys
