JANUARY 2016 PRAYER LETTER

There will be some updates coming to the website in the next few days (December/January report, updated schedule, etc.) but here is our latest prayer letter...

January 26, 2016

Dear Praying Friends,

It is with grateful hearts that Stacie and I send you greetings.  We want to thank you very much for all of your prayers and support of our ministry in evangelism.  This past August marked 14 years of traveling the roads full time.  God has certainly been very good to us and has provided every need according to His will and we stand in amazement and deep gratitude for all of His blessings.

2015 ROUND UP:

The Lord really gave us some great meetings last year.  We saw some folks respond by trusting Christ and saw a few sparks of what I would classify as true, heaven-sent revival.  It was a joy to see the mighty hand of God move in the services and for folks to just get out of the way and let Him do whatever He wanted to.  Space does not permit me to go into detail like I want to.  The last half of the year found us in Ohio, Maine, New York, Texas, Alabama, back to New York, Pennsylvania, back to Ohio, Michigan and then home for the holidays.  It was a joy to be home and preach at our church during the Christmas/New Year’s weeks in order to give my preacher a well-deserved break.

2016 THUS FAR and LOOKING AHEAD:

I started January in Cape Coral, Florida at New Testament Baptist Church and then went to Houston, Texas for the camp meeting at Shady Acres Baptist Church.  While I was in Texas my preacher ended up in the hospital with meningitis, MRSA and a severe sinus infection for which he will need surgery.  Our original plan when I returned was to head to Maine to help New Life Baptist Church out for a couple of months over the winter.  My pastor’s health necessitated the postponement of this trip.  I have been preaching here for the past couple of weeks and will continue to do so for the near foreseeable future and will wait for the Lord’s leading on our trip to Maine as all depends on his health.  I would earnestly ask for you all to put Pastor Kent Kirchmeyer on your prayer lists and keep praying for his continued recovery. 

WEBSITE: www.evangelistcraigcobb.com

If you want to keep up with our schedule and more frequent reports, I would encourage you to go check out our website.

 Psalm 122:1— “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.”

In His service,

Craig A. Cobb

Isaiah 61:1

Merry Christmas 2015

November 2015 Update

AMAZING GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH - Columbus, Ohio...

On Sunday, November 1st I had the privilege of preaching at Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio for Pastor Jobe Beechler.  Bro. Jobe had been the church's associate pastor for a few years and then became the church's pastor this past spring after Bro. Jimmy Hood stepped down for health reasons.  I was very thankful for the opportunity to visit with Bro. Hood at his son's home before the service for a few minutes.  It was a blessing just to see this great man of God.  We had a very good service that night at Amazing Grace and the Lord really gave good liberty to preach and a full altar.

TABERNACLE BAPTIST CHURCH - Tioga, Pennsylvania...

After a few days off at the beginning of November we headed to Tioga, Pennsylvania - a small town about an hour south of Corning, New York.  This was our first time being at this church.  Pastor Steven Neff contacted me back in September about preaching their fall revival.  This was really a tremendous REVIVAL meeting.  There was such a good spirit in the services and the response to the preached Word of God was amazing.  On Sunday evening after the service while on the way a home, a teen boy trusted Christ! Again on Monday evening after the service a teen girl trusted Christ.  Then on Wednesday evening during the invitation the pastor's daughter along with one of the teen young ladies trusted Christ.  I personally spoke with each one of these individuals afterwards asking them if they knew they were saved and each one said yes.  When I asked them how they knew they were saved, they said that they had trusted the Lord - AMEN!!! TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!!!!!  The Gospel was clearly preached several times in the services and there was no doubt Christ was calling on sinners to get saved.  We enjoyed some great fellowship during the week with the preacher, his family and some of the church folks.  The Lord truly blessed with a great meeting! 

What a blessing when we can park the bus at the church!

Tabernacle Baptist Church - Tioga, Pennsylvania

Tabernacle Baptist Church - Tioga, Pennsylvania

The beautiful Tioga Valley in north central Pennsylvania. Tabernacle Baptist Church is in the center of the picture (enlarged in the next photo below)

Tabernacle Baptist Church in the Tioga Valley of Pennsylvania

Good congregational singing during the week

Pastor Steve Neff - Tabernacle Baptist Church - Tioga, Pennsylvania

Lots of good special music during the meeting

 

LIBERTY BAPTIST CHURCH - Miamisburg, Ohio...

We had to be in the Dayton area for some personal business during the third week of the month.  I contacted Pastor Tom Gresham and asked if we could park at the church during our time in town and he graciously said yes.  A couple of weeks before we arrived he asked me if I would preach on the Sunday and Wednesday we would be there.  I very much appreciate and and am grateful for every opportunity to preach.  It was good to see the Liberty crowd again and are looking forward to being back at the camp meeting next July.

HOME - FIRST MOUNT PLEASANT BAPTIST CHURCH - Franklin, Indiana...

We left Dayton on November 19th and headed home to Franklin, Indiana and I have preached a few times at our church since getting back.  As of this morning, the bus is totally unpacked and ready to go into storage tomorrow for the winter.  We will still be busy over the winter with meetings and different things, but we will not be traveling in the bus again until April.  

My pastor - Kent Kirchmeyer and me

The bus is ready to go to the barn for winter storage

One of Jack's favorite views while traveling in the bus! This was our last ride for 2015

October 2015 Update - Part Two

CALVARY BIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH - Elbridge, New York...

It was our privilege for the third year in a row to be back at Calvary Bible Baptist Church in Elbrdige - a little town about 20 miles west of Syracuse.  Pastor George Burkinshaw started this church over 35 years ago and has been faithful all these years.  On top of the struggles of pastoring the church - he is the sole care provider for his dear wife who is in the final stages of dimentia.  I admire him for being so determined to stick it out as long as he is able.  The devil has fought him very hard over the last couple of years in ways that are hard to believe but he has definitely stayed with the stuff.  Because of some circumstances we mutually agreed to just have a Sunday and Wednesday meeting instead of a multi-day revival.  Stacie and I enjoyed some good fellowship with the preacher and some of his people.  Many thanks to Pastor Dave Dunbar in Auburn for allowing us to park the bus there for the week.  It was our prayer to try and be an encouragement to this church.

Calvary Bible Baptist Church - Elbridge, New York

Evangelist Craig Cobb and Pastor George Burkinshaw

GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH - Newark, Ohio...

This was our first time being at this church located about 45 miles east of Columbus.  Troy Kahler served as the church's associate pastor for 14 years in the past.  The church called him to be the pastor back in January of this year.  Evangelist Gary Lutrick and myself preached for Bro. Kahler while he was in New York prior to this and it was a blessing for us both to be here for a meeting.  The church spent much time in prayer in the weeks leading up to the meeting with old fashioned "cottage prayer meetings" the week before.  Their efforts in prayer really were blessed as we had a GREAT meeting.  This was the first time this church had a meeting with two preachers in the same week.  Bro. Kahler reported to us all week about how his folks were telling him during how the Lord was working in their lives.  He also said people who he had never seen at the altar were there multiple times during the week.  I believe it is safe to say that this was really a REVIVAL meeting.  We are already looking forward to being back next October.

Grace Baptist Church - Newark, Ohio

Grace Baptist Church - Newark, Ohio

Pastor Troy Kahler - Grace Baptist Church - Newark, Ohio

The "Buckeye Bluegrass Gospel Boys" (and girl!) -
from Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio

Andrew (a young man traveling with Bro. Lutrick), Evangelist Gary Lutrick,
Pastor Troy Kahler and Evangelist Craig Cobb

October 2015 Update - Part One

BUCK SETTLEMENT BAPTIST CHURCH - Bath, New York...

A meeting the first week of the month got cancelled and so Pastor Greg Ferguson at Buck Settlement Baptist Church asked me if I wanted to preach for him on that Sunday and Wednesday.  The Lord really moved in the Sunday and Wednesday night services.  The altars were full and the preacher said the messages were a real help to some folks who were struggling with some things in their lives.  Praise the Lord!

ANNIVERSARY...

On Thursday, October 8th - Stacie and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary.  I thank the Lord for the godly lady He gave me.  It is such a blessing to be married to your best friend.  She has been my help in life and the ministry.

Craig & Stacie Cobb - October 8, 1993

SEMPRONIUS BAPTIST CHURCH - Moravia, New York

This was our fourth annual fall meeting here at Sempronius with Pastor Dennis Grimes and his folks.  They are a great church way out in the country in Central New York.  We had some great services during the week.  One of the young men who is in Bible college in Florida actually drove home (1100 miles each way) just to be in the meeting.  The church is doing good and has been seeing some visitors recently.  On Friday night of the meeting they have a youth rally and this year it was unique.  There were no skits - instead Pastor Grimes had a man come in from another church in the area and we had an old-fashion "singspiration".  Almost 200 teens from churches as far as 4 hours away came for the service.  After about 30 minutes of singing the Lord led me to preach the gospel message.  Any and all lost people there are now accountable for hearing the truth and we pray the seed that was planted will be used to bring a great harvest.

Good special music from the young people

Ethan - church song leader at 17 years old. And does a great job!

Pastor Dennis Grimes - Sempronius Baptist Church in Moravia, New York