Monday Night

Monday was amAzing! Read all about it on AP's blog-
http://aaronproffitt.com/?p=402

Info

Just for some of you flying by the Blog that recieved a card, our new website is gonna be up real soon. Currently we meet, monday nights in the marshal student center at the Heron room 3709 at 7 pm. we will be meeting through summer and would love to see you guys out. Right on
Aletheia

Lame on the updates? That's us-

Hey guys! So so sorry for the major lack of updates! The busyness of Ap moving in, the study growing, and people coming to know the Lord for the first time has caused us to slack a little. Make sense?

We don't think so either...

So here we are, with another update! Let's gooooo!

So as stated, Apx3 has successfully moved to Tampa Florida and we couldn't be happier! The addition of Aaron, Ashlee and Drew-Drew has brought a wealth of encouragement and momentum that we have definitely been needing! As you all know, Ap's passion for ministry is addicting and nearly impossible to not get swept up in and to stand behind. From his first minute here he has been pushing us and working hard on this church plant. And Ashlee, well I don't think words can describe just how valuable she is to us! She made a bangin mexican casserole for our large group study tonight! Whew...it was so good.. Plus she does every small thing that we guys never think of. She's the best. Of course, we couldn't have our favorite couple without our favorite little man, Drew! He successfully pointed to and said, "Bible" tonight. I think he's going to turn out just fine.

Our time spent out on USF's campus has been extremely positive and fun. Just this past week AP and Speedy were able to pray with TWO guys! God is blessing our efforts and we're definitely encouraged.

The group has been going very, very well! Last monday we saw our biggest crowd to date, 16. We were so pumped! The addition of Byrd and Sarah brought momentum and excitement. Tonight we were expecting to see a smaller crowd since our two ladies went back home on saturday. But God, because He's so awesome, had different plans. Tonight we had our new biggest crowd ever, 17! Praise God! We saw four new people visit this small little apartment. We had an enjoyable time of eating together, worshipping together, and studying together. Ap began the very first Aletheia Tampa series tonight. The title is "Progress" and we're going through the book of Philippians.

Prayer Requests:

-That our group will continue to grow

-We begin small groups this week. Pray for their growth and success.

-That God will continue to provide

-We hope to move on campus very soon. Pray that our request will be granted.

We love all of you guys so much! You are missed. Please don't forget us in your prayers.

-aletheia tampa

Whoa! No March Updates Yet?

I apologize for the lack of updates lately. Trust me, we're still here and going. We're actually really excited for this next month. There's going to be a lot of awesome stuff going down with Aletheia over the course of the next few months. Before I get into that, let me brief you about how things have gone since our last post here. We had another small group meeting last Monday where we got together for some deli sandwiches, sweet tunes, and some really fun discussions on what the Bible has to say about baptism. We were missing some familiar faces but we still had a great time with everyone who could show up and we're looking forward to getting people back this week. We are also going out and meeting people at various other functions and on campus so we hope to see them out as well. Speaking of campus, to my understanding we became an official campus organization at USF this past week! We will be exploring the options that being a campus organization opens up over the next few months but for now you can count on our small group studies at our place every Monday at 6:30PM.

Now as for the next month, we are excited to see our friends from back home start rolling in. The Proffitt family (APx3) will be arriving in less than a month now and we have a bunch of visitors from the church plant back in Virginia coming down for visits this month. We here at the apartment are definitely excited for their arrival and for those down here in Tampa to get to meet them. Aside from just giving us additional friends down here it will also be a great addition as far as ministry goes down here. Aletheia wants to reach this campus and this community for God and the more people we get involved down here to serve the more people we can reach. So for those of you coming out already, continue to come out and get involved, get plugged in, and bring your friends. We love having you guys! For those of you who haven't been that we may have talked to, or perhaps just stumbled upon our site, the invitation is open for every Monday at 6:30 PM. If nothing else, it's good for a free meal! Seriously, we're excited for what God has in store for this area and we want to share in that with all of you.

-J.R.
Aletheia Tampa

Monday Nite Update

So God is doing great things! This past monday we saw the biggest crowd to date come out to our small little apartment for food, fellowship and fun! We had thirteen, count em, thirteen people not including the house! How awesome is that!? However, one girl had to leave early for some job training, but she still wanted to come see everyone for what little time she could.
We had a great mix of familiar faces, some friends that had yet to make it out, and new people we had only met a week before. There is a natural pull that is created when God's kids get together and hang out. People down here are starting to feel it, and are really wanting to spend time at the apartment.
Please continue in prayer for the three of us. J.R. has been in clearwater all week long visiting Beth and Emily, Emilio is right up on his midterms, and Speedy can never seem to shake his sickness. Pray that our motivation remains. That despite the hardships we'll never shy away from our goal here. God is awesome, and we are beyond humbled to be doing anything for Him.
We love you guys-

-Aletheia Tampa

small update

Hello everybody! Much apologies for the lack of updates. To our credit, we've been semi busy.. you know, starting a church and all... :)
The best report to make right now is that God is good! He has been so faithful to us as we've been pouring our hearts into any and everyone we have come across. Sharing on campus has been so encouraging; people are really responding to God's awesome message. Last week we prayed with another person to accept the Lord! There is momentum, and the three of us are definitely feeling it. We have been blessed to have some of our friends here not only accept Aletheia's model for evangelism, but to actually step out and receive training! How exciting!
Small group has been successful as well. Last monday we had new people once again. God continues to bring in new people every week. Speedy rocked his chicken enchiladas and did a little worship while Emilio and J.R. laid down some serious teaching. Of course, once study ended we busted out the rock band for several hours...
Please continue in prayer for us. We're definitely feeling God's presence. His grace is powerful. He is pushing us to go beyond our own limits. Pray for encouragement, strength and perseverance.
We miss our friends and family very much! You guys are the best.
Philemon 4-7

-Aletheia Tampa

for your viewing pleasure...

Just a reminder!!

This is just a reminder for all of those who received a card without any info on how to get here or how to get in. Were at 3604 data Dr. apt 101 at lakeview oaks apartment buildings. To get in just go up to the dial pad and type in #680 and we will let you in. Any questions you can just call us at 757.652.6951. Sweet, cant wait to see you all!!!!

First Study!

Well, we've officially held the first small group study for Aletheia Tampa! Last night we had six friends over at our humble abode for a meal, some worship, and a time of learning. It was really encouraging to see this church plant finally get started!
Thanks to everyone for the prayers and support. You guys mean so much to us.
Speedy grabbed a couple of photos for everyone to get a feel for the study. Enjoy!

Small Group (re?)Launch

After one week and one meeting we decided to shift from Wednesday night meetings to Monday nights. We actually decided earlier last week that Monday's would work better. Monday seems to work better for a lot of the students we had the opportunity to talk to over the past couple weeks so we're expecting a better turnout. We did have a meeting this past Wednesday since we had initially advertised/told people that was going to be the night. Our boy Ryan Hamm was the only one to take advantage of Speedy's Sweet Sketi (aka Spaghetti) this week but we'll be cooking for more this Monday. We had a good time hanging out and getting to know Ryan, worshiping a little, and then sharing a little about what Aletheia is all about and where we're coming from. So years from now when Aletheia is back to cranking out the sweet tune-age and teaching up hundreds of college students and Floridians on Sunday morning, Hamm can look back and say he was there for the very start. And while the first meeting has come and gone we want to encourage anyone else reading this blog to jump on as soon as possible.

We know God is going to bless what we're doing because we're doing it for Him. We'll be training and equipping people with the knowledge and experience they need so that they're ready to get sent out into the world. So Monday Night at 6:30 PM we hope to see some more people come out and enjoy a free home-cooked meal (we're a legit home, we have a coffee table), some sweet music, and find out what we're all about at Aletheia Church.

Your friends,
Aletheia Tampa

So what are we doing here?

I’ve been here in Tampa, Florida for almost two weeks now and we have met a vast array of different people with all kinds of personalities and backgrounds. One thing that remains the same though is that they are all very intelligent. In fact, most of the people we talk through the Aletheia ministry are smart young adults. Anyone who can study and understand subjects like chemistry, civil engineering, psychology, biology, and any other numerous studies ending in “–ology” is way smarter than me. What we want to do at Aletheia is get people to apply that aptitude towards finding out who God is and what He has to say for Himself in the Bible. The trend for so many churches today, especially ones trying to appeal to our generation, has been to serve watered-down teaching, full of loose theology and dumbed-down messages. Somehow along the lines we were led to believe that we couldn’t possibly know and understand the truths of the Bible and God’s promises and plans for us. The Bible was written is three languages: Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic which are all still spoken today. We have the capability to go back to the original languages and text of the Scriptures and study out exactly what is meant by what we read. 2 Peter 1:3 tells us that, “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” We are not left in the dark as to God’s desires and promises for our life. Instead He has, “granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness.” He attaches that divine power to all that He has given us. The word used for power has the origin of our word “dynamite” it’s from the Greek word dunamis. This is some explosive power that God has attached to everything that He has given us. When Jesus gives His last command in the Great Commission, He told us we were to be out amongst all nations and people “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” He wouldn’t make that command unless He was providing us the power and understanding of the matter as well as the instruction on what we are to be teaching. Likewise, a university wouldn’t hire me to teach organic chemistry and just send me in to instruct a class unless I had the ability to understand the material and had received instruction on the material myself. Let’s stop making excuses and concessions to understanding God’s Truth. God has granted us a pretty amazing opportunity to not just believe but to study why we believe what we believe. God has given us everything we need to know to get connected with Him and a pretty solid Handbook. On top of that, thanks to technology we have easy access to study tools that were only available to Bible scholars with extensive libraries. It’s all right at our fingertips.

If anyone has questions, they are free to come out to our small group and ask. We might not be able to answer right off-hand but we know where to look to get that guidance and will definitely make the effort to find the answers to those questions. I’m really excited to help lead this first small group in getting beyond the surface of the “dumbed-down” messages we hear today and finding the true depth of the Scriptures.

Till next time,
J.R. - Aletheia Tampa

randomness at 2am...

for what reason do three bachelors stay up til 2am? i have no idea... but here we are, all on our computers, peckin away at our keyboards and surfing the web. and where did that phrase come from? ill tell ya, ive surfed before...and there aint no water coming outta my computer right now.
we've had quite an exciting couple of days. we've made some awesome friends in our apartment complex and at two local churches.
this morning we visited watermark, in the scary part of tampa. at least, i was scared. there are some legit dudes at watermark, for real. much love to them for not shying around our Father's Word. they exposed the text and revealed some powerful stuff today. i was majorly impressed.
this evening we were able to enjoy late night at temple terrace. again, awesome opportunity to meet some really great people! and the music, forget about it. im not even from new york, but i say 'forget about it'... its the lack of sleep i think.
pray for us. please, continually be in prayer. we rely on God daily for everything from provisions for our apartment to our ability make great connections. God has shown up left and right. and His faithfulness is beyond reasoning. we remain in awe of our Great Father.

speedys recommendation: Seinfeld. Season 3. Disc 3. Episode 14. Watch it, love it, get yourself a pez dispenser-

Major Thanks

Today was more adjusting for us. We're doing a lot to get our apartment looking presentable. It's starting to feel like a real home here!

To the many amazing people that have supplied our apartment with such helpful supplies; THANK YOU!! You guys have made the transition for us much, much easier.

We've recently began some good friendships with several people here that seem to enjoy spending time with us. Please pray that the networking will continue and that God's love will pour out of the three of us.

Curious to know what we're listening to? If not, I'm still going to tell you...
The music of the week is: Top Gun Soundtrack. Get yourself some of that and listen to the first track ten times straight. It'll change your life-

keep it real,
Aletheia Tampa

P.S. were just kidding about the logo!!!

Well folks, it looks like the apartment is finally full! Speedy has made his appearance here in sunny, (albeit chilly...thank you cold front), Tampa! And although the apartment isn't exactly up to par as of yet, we certainly expect to begin having new friends over shortly.

Not long after Speedy showed up, the three of us went to another BCM meeting was a great chance to meet new people and make new friends.

As of now, now being 2:27am, our lives consist of sleep and homework. Well, the homework is Emilio.. and the sleeping is JR... so that leaves Speedy to roam the apartment looking for things to put away.

Point of the blog: please continue in prayer for us. There are many needs in this area and we are excited to dive in! Pray for unity in this house, as well as when we go out. Our first official "study" is only a few days away! Pray that people will come and enjoy themselves.

One last thing... we found these pictures and thought them a little familiar, but strange nonetheless. Feel free to check them out-

much love,

-Aletheia Tampa

So we were throwing around a new idea for the Tampa logo. Heres what we came up with, Were just trying to be relevant.

First Meeting Information

Alright, for all the people interested in coming out, we're gonna be getting a bunch of the students together and having a good time. The address here is 3604 Data Dr. Apt. 101 at Lakeview Oaks. 3604 is the second to last building in the very back right of the complex when you come in. We'll be providing a free meal, some music, and then we will just see what's up about getting connected with God and what the Bible says about. We're really excited, our first meeting will start on the 28th at 6:30, if you need directions or help with a ride call Emilio at (757)652-6951 or email him at emiliomarrero3@gmail.com. Sweet, well I cant wait to meet you guys and to really understand the life and beauty of God together.

BLog number 2

Okay, so it's been two weeks so far and things are moving. Finally the solitary confinement for Emilio is over and roomate J.R. has finally came down. The move in process was great, finally our apartment has more in it than camping supplies and blankets. We actually have a couch!!!!! So living arangments are doing great and we finally have an offical team down here. We went out sharing today for the first time. While walking around we got in some great conversations, people are easy to talk to and really don't mind people talking to them at all. We got around 5 e-mails from people interested in coming out and one of the girls who was a grad student prayed with us! So continue to pray for our time as we go out and that things really start up. We met a lot of Christians which was a great thing, but a lot of people on campus see Christians in a "Brother Micah" view. So there is a lot of work to be done, other Christians out here really have a heart for the gospel but are pretty timid. We are looking forward to seeing Speedy finally roll in and getting our small group started up. We tentatively have selected Wednesday nights at 6:30 for our meeting times starting January 28th. All your prayers and support are definitely appreciated and we will continue to keep you all up to pace with what's going on down here in Tampa.

I received these images from this unnamed source???? I have nooo clue where they came from I'm gonna do some investigative work for you guys though.