Cal Ripken, Jr. On Parenting

During yesterday's message, I shared these insights on fatherhood from Cal Ripken, Jr.:

Growing up “I love you” wasn’t’ spread around too much in our household. Not that it wasn’t meant. I could tell every time my dad told me he loved me without saying it. It’s just the way things were then.

That part is different in my family. I want my kids to hear it. I tell them “I love you no matter what,” which means, “Whether you’re good or bad, happy or sad. It doesn’t matter whatever you are, I love you. Unconditionally. Always.” It all goes back to security and telling them you’ll always be there for them. Maybe you run the risk of telling them you love them so often that it loses meaning. I’ll risk it.

I love the last line:  "I'll risk it."

So will I.

Moms and dads:  will you?

Courageous Legacy

So far in Courageous, we've seen that . . . .



Cowards have good intentions. The courageous take bold action.




What you hide in order to have will haunt you.



So what will it be this Sunday, April 29 as we dig into Courageous Legacy?




I can't wait to tell you. But I will wait.



Sunday.





8:30. 10. 11:30.

What "Doers Of The Word" Teaches Us About The Bible

James 1:22 is one of the more familiar verses in Scripture.  I love how the King James version translates it:

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

We get the "doers of the word" part -- most of us Methodist are more than eager to put our faith into some kind of meaningful action.

But note the contrast -- "and not hearers only." 

If we gave it some real thought, most of us would contrast "doing" the word with "reading the word," wouldn't we? 

In our mind, the sin James rebukes here concerns people who read, study, and underline their bibles but don't then live their bibles.

Except James couldn't write his letter and give this exhortation with that sin in mind.  Why?

Because the people in James' church didn't have their own personal copies of the bible.  In fact, the majority of them couldn't read.

They encountered the sacred text in church, in community, and out loud.  So most people in James' church heard the word without ever reading the word.  James writes with that dynamic in mind.

Which brings up the larger point:  the bible is a collection of books -- a library as we call it at Good Shepherd -- written for people who are by and large illiterate. 

Books for people who can't read?  You bet.  That's why the books in the bible are written more for the ear than for the eye.

So try it.  Read it out loud today.

And the book of James wouldn't be a bad place to start.

Our Partners In India

The ministry in India didn't stop just because Chris Thayer, James-Michael Smith, and I came back home. In fact, you could say it's advancing better than ever.

Our partners in the Love Your Neighbor Ministry, located in the territory where Christians have been murdered by Hindu extremists, recently held their annual spring meeting. Seven thousand brave Christians traveled for hours, camped in the open air for three days and nights, and let loose with praise and worship, Indian style.

Do you think they complained about nursery conditions? Murmured if the music was too loud or not loud enough? Sighed deeply if someone was in "their" seat?

Our friend Rohini -- one of our students and translators in the March seminar -- was one of the featured speakers. I think he enjoyed the assignment.

Who knows? At the 2013 spring meeting, these pictures might feature a speaker from the Good Shepherd family.

Top Five Tuesday -- Top Five Sports Venues I'd Like To Visit

I've been to some pretty nice sporting events in my time. I've been to the U.S. Open tennis tournament (of course). I've been to the Cotton Bowl. I've been to the Charlotte Coliseum and then when it became "out of date" at the tender age of 14, I went to Time Warner Arena. I've been to Ericsson Stadium and then Bank Of America Stadium. But there are some fabulous places that I've only seen on television. So what are the top five places I ain't been but sure would like to go?

5. Wrigley Field. I'm lukewarm about baseball and have never been a Cubs fan. But the sound of Harry Carey calling out "Cubs win! Cubs win!" after a Ryne Sandberg home run made going to a game seem like such fun. Actually, I think I'd most enjoy watching a game from the top of the building across the street from the left field bleachers of the friendly confines.

4. Cowboys Stadium. I saw the Cowboys play a time or two in the Cotton Bowl and then a time or two more in then-state-of-the-art Texas Stadium (which we later found out was sort of a concrete dump). But from what I hear, the new Cowboys Stadium is 22nd Century cool. I don't love the team like I did when I was a kid, but a game there would be an experience.

3. Augusta National. I think this would be best if I could wear a head set to hear Jim Nantz's commentary in my ear. His quietly reverent voice makes the place seem that much more sacred; a tradition unlike any other.

2. Wimbledon. I've watched it, dreamed about it, and cried over its results. But I've never been there in person. Some of you might be surprised it's not #1. The reason? Simple. The weather. The possibility of 55 degrees and drizzle in early July has so far kept me away from tennis' holy ground.

1. The Rose Bowl. Wherever you are on January 1, it couldn't be any better than sitting in the sun of Pasadena watching the Granddaddy of them all. The site is so gorgeous that I watch the game even if it involves teams I'm not interested in.

Sin's Splatter

We showed this as a lead in to yesterday's sermon:
:

The piece was conceived, written, art-directed, and recorded by people from within the Good Shepherd community.

It helped reinforce the message's main idea: What you hide in order to have will haunt you.

I suspect that some of you have beeen splattered upon ... and that others have been the splatterers.

Is Missional The Same As Gospel?

Missional thinking is the latest "must do" in the world of the church.

What is missional thinking? In simplest terms, it changes the way we measure success in the church -- moving away from "how many people attend and how much money do they give?" and moving towards "how many people are we sending into the community to be the church by living lives of mercy, grace, and blessing?"

Now: there's much to say on behalf of missional thinking. After all, Reggie McNeal's Missional Renaissance has been on my "Books I Like" section for several weeks now.

I'm especially moved by the way McNeal ties the church's identity back to the call of Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 -- blessed in order to bless. So missional thinking encourages church leaders to think long and loud about how their congregations can "bless" their communities.

The tacit assumption behind this strategic shift is that if churches and Christians bless enough people through simple goodness, niceness, and kindness . . . well, those same people will want to know about the Christ who sends us.

And I'm about 40% sold on that thinking.

Because, as always, it's interesting to note what the bible DOESN'T say.

In I Corinthians 15:3-5, for example, it doesn't say:

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: be nice. Be a blessing. Be involved.

It does say:

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures . . .

And II Timothy 4:2 doesn't say:

Be a blessing. Be nice. Be involved in season and out of season.

It does say:

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage . . .

Lost in missional thinking is the inherent offensiveness of the Gospel. The Gospel is bad news about people before it is good news about God. Or, as Frederick Buechner says, the Gospel convinces people of the tragedy of their lives before it offers them the comedy of grace.

We're not offend people with our personalities, our politics, or our demeanor. But the simple proclamation of the Gospel is bound to alienate some and anger others.

Yet -- sooner rather than later, as I'm recently learning -- the role of the church is to communicate with clarity and conviction truths that I Corinthians 15 spells out: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

So: will the missional blessing of our communities give us more opportunities to proclaim that Gospel?

Or will the missional blessing of our communities somehow dull us into believing that people will be saved from their "lostness" by our "niceness"?

A Sermon Flashback

While I was delivering a sermon a couple of weeks ago, I had a sudden flashback to what one of my seminary professors said in 1988:

"A pastor one who cares for souls. Never lose sight of the fact that God has entrusted everlasting souls into your ministry."

One who cares for souls.

Not "one who preaches sermons."

Not "one who manages systems."

Not "one who motivates volunteers."

Not "one who leads organizations."

Not even "one who empowers communities."

But one who cares for, tends to, speaks over, prays healing into . . . that part of human existence that will never die. The soul.

Whether the crowd is large or small, whether the congregation is supportive or oppositional, whether people are energized or complacent, the fundamental job description remains the same: to care for souls.

Not to save those souls, since that job has already been done.

But to care for them.

When I remember that fundamental task, ministry flows pretty well. When I veer from it, difficulty arises.

To care for souls. A high calling, a large task, one for which all of us who call ourselves "pastors" are ill-equipped.

Until the Holy Spirit steps in.

Top Five Tuesday -- Top Five "This Is My Favorite Song EVER" Through The Years

Here's my life in music as defined by what I had decided was "the greatest song ever" at the different ages in my life.

1. When I was 6, it was "Ride My See Saw" by the Moody Blues. All my siblings were much older than I was; there was a great deal of hippie influence in their dress, friends, and music; and I remember them putting this record album on the turn table on our little study. Perhaps because the song used an image a six year old could comprehend -- a see saw -- I decided this was the best song ever.



2. When I was 11, it was Kodachrome by Paul Simon. I've told before how I listened to and loved this song while on a long car ride wiht my dad in 1973. He surprised me a few months later by giving me the record album for my birthday. Three confessions: 1) I originally thought the name of the song was "Portachrome"; and 2) it wasn't until much later (like my 20s) that I learned kodachrome as a kind of film; 3) I still love the song.



3. When I was 18, it was, of course, "Stairway To Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. I'd gone through the album rock phase and I thought this was the seminal moment of that genre. I believed that every great song had to be at least six minutes long, have a variety of musical tempos and styles, and feature lyrics that sounded both profound and obscure at the same time. By those standards, "Stairway" scored a perfect trifecta.



2. When I was 30, it was "The Boys Of Summer" by Don Henley. I was a big fan of the Eagles when I was a teenager -- "Take It To The Limit" could have easily made this list -- but a bigger fan of Henley's solo work. This song is the major reason why. Remember the list of what makes a great classic song from #3 above? This song packs so much energy into just a few minutes that it blows that theory out of the water. Makes "Stairway" seem so tedious in comparison . . . or maybe it's just because when I got older I had less time to listen to the music. For fun, enjoy this acoustic version:



1. When I am 50, it's "Where The Streets Have No Name" by U2. The haunting keyboards, the ringing guitar riff, the soaring vocals, and the lyrics that capture our longing for a slice of heaven on earth make this one sound as good today as it did when I first heard it.



How about the version from the 2002 Super Bowl? Comes on after after "Beautiful Day" and combines the music with a tribute to the victims of 9.11:

What I Learned From A Rabbi

Years ago, when preparing for a series called "Christianity & The Religions Of The World," I had an interview with a local rabbi.

Of all that he said, this comment has stuck with me the most through the years: "You Christians believe that faith starts at the church and families then bring it home with them. In Judaism, it's different. We believe faith starts at the home and families then bring it to synagogue with them."

And I thought, "That's why Jesus was Jewish!"

But there is such wisdom in the rabbi's comments, and we have much to learn in this area from our Jewish brothers and sisters.

And all that is part of the reason why the culmination of the Courageous series will take place on May 6, 2012 when we celebrate that "the church is going home."

Which means that instead of having one sermon at GSUMC, we'll have 1,000.

Instead of morning celebrations at the church, we will resource, empower, and equip families of all stripes to have an intimate experience of worship in their own homes.

Then we'll invite the entire community for a Spring Celebration Picnic that same afternoon, and we'll spend part of the time highlighting together what God did in people's homes that morning.

For our large population of single adults, we are gathering together a number of host homes for family devotions, single-style.

It's all to underscore one of Courageous' central truths: faith begins at home and not at church.

Usually, the only time a congregation doesn't have Sunday worship is because of ice, sleet, or snow.

We consider home-based faith to be a much better reason.

Courageous Launch

At Good Shepherd, we believe that a living relationship with Jesus Christ begins at home.

We’re not much interested in the kind of faith that plays nice at church and then turns mean behind closed doors.

And we know that healthy households in the 21st Century – especially where parenting is involved – takes courage. Courage to follow through on intentions, courage to face difficult issues, courage to balance loving care with consistent discipline.

So join us for a series that will not be shy in speaking truth to the households and families in our community. But it might just be the kind of truth that will set you free.

Courageous. Are you ready to answer the call?

April 15: Courageous Call

April 22: Courageous Priorities

April 29: Courageous Legacy

May 6: The Church Is Going Home

May 13: Profiles In Courage

The Lord Sustains

Psalm 3:5 says this:

I lie down and sleep,
I wake again,
because the Lord sustains me.

The most mundane activities of human existence -- falling asleep at night and waking up again in the morning -- given to God.

I have to say, I never think of it that way.

I just assume I'm going to sleep and that a certain number of hours later, I'll wake up.

And yet that routine, taken-for-granted pattern is all by the Lord's sustaining hand.

So if the Lord sustains us in that, imagine all the other ways he sustains.

When I am in despair over the future,
the Lord sustains me.

When I am in doubt about the present,
the Lord sustains me.

When I have regret over the past,
the Lord sustains me.

When I am powerless in the face of temptation,
the Lord sustains me.

When I am confident in my direction,
the Lord sustains me.

When I am on the moutain or in the valley,
the Lord sustains me.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

How Thick Is The Line Between Theology And Psychology?

Not too long ago, in the midst of some channel surfing, I came across a bit of a sermon by Rod Parsley.



And after a particularly emphatic point -- come to think of it, he makes no other kind -- Parsley said, "you all should be running in the aisles after that one."

Meaning . . . if the people of the congregation agreed with the words just spoken, they should signify their assent to the word AND their praise to God by running up and down the aisles of the church.

Which got me to thinking . . . are people in that particular church more because of theology or psychology?

Do they attend Parsley's church because they received a kind of theological revelation that convinced them running (or falling or dancing) is the purest form of worship?

Or does Parsley's church attract people who are already wired (by a combination of genetic makeup and environmental influences) to respond to outside stimuli with personal emotion and bodily motion?

Which is it?

For example, while Good Shepherd is known for having worship that is expressive and exuberant, I can't imagine in a million years imploring people to run in worship. Is that because I think running is wrong or because I am more reserved than Rod Parsley?

Do our Episcopalian friends observe worship patterns that are both reverent and ancient because they believe it's more true to God's will . . . or does the Epsicopalian church instead draw people who are already wired to believe God lifts his pinky finger just so when having afternoon tea?

What's the source of these worship differences that some of us have seen descend into worship wars: the nature of God or the nature of us? Theology or psychology?

A question I raise; an answer I seek.

Top Five Tuesday -- Top Five Reflections On An Easter Weekend

Easter weekend tends to be one big blur in the life of a preacher.

For me, this year's blur was even bigger than usual, in part because of the Thursday conclusion of Spring Breakthrough and in part because of the addition of a Saturday night Easter service (funny concept . . . celebrating the resurrection on the evening before it actually happened).

Anyway.

Here are the five most salient observations on a weekend where we pray God showed up in people's lives:

5. Thursday night: Spring Breakthrough celebration with 90 teenagers and their families gathering in our Corner Campus to rememeber and reflect on a week of service. The highlight was a surprise guest appearance by Jamie Grace, a recording artist out of Atlanta who has a current hit called "Hold Me." Our students were blown away. Here's the song itself, which was of course her encore that night:



4. Friday all day: Interactive prayer chapel dwelling on the passion of Jesus. Our team did a terrific job designing the space. I believe the people of GSUMC are more comfortable on serve teams or in worship gatherings than they are taking part in contemplative prayer ... we did not have the kind of response to the prayer chapel we hoped for.

3. Saturday evening. I had no idea what to expect. 10 people? 200? God was so good -- so much bigger and better than my doubts -- and over 300 showed up, thereby creating space for more people to come on Sunday morning.

2. Saturday and Sunday. I fought with the sermon all weekend. I knew I had some good stuff to say but had a hard time remembering when and where I was going to say it. I drew the message from Romans 4:25 - 5:10 where Paul's logic is both complicated and complicating. Paul's thinking hinges on the "how much more" refrain that repeats in both verses 9 & 10, so that was the heart of my sermon as well. If God can do the hard thing of making enemies into friends first, then how much more (meaning how much easier, bigger, bolder) can he do the second part of saving people by his life.

The one part of the message I never overlooked on any of the five times of delivering it was the beautiful comment by one of our teenagers. We put it up on the screen for all to see. Here it is:

When I say I am a Christian, I am not shouting 'I am saved!' I am whispering, 'I was lost and that is why I chose this way.'

Doesn't the bible say that a child shall lead them . . . ?

1. Sunday afternoon. If you didn't cry with Bubba Watson winning the Masters, your heart is two sizes two small.

What's Ahead

Here's what we have over the next four days, a schedule about which we're not ashamed:

Thursday, April 5 from 7 - 9 p.m.: Spring Breakthrough Closing Party at the Corner Campus, complete with surprise guest.

Friday, April 6 from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.: Good Friday Prayer Chapel in the K-Zone. Guided reflections, creative prayer space, personal communion on this day where we remember how on the cross God turns enemies into friends.

Saturday, April 7 at 5:00 p.m.: Easter Celebration in the Worship Center. This service will be identical to our Sunday morning 8:30, 10, and 11:30 gatherings with full band and choir, nursery, and children's ministries. This service will help us cope with the numbers of people coming over the weekend.

Sunday, April 8 at 7:00 a.m.: Sunrise Service in the Corner Campus. Acoustic worship, "Not Ashamed" sermon, coffee and refreshments for those who desire a more intimate Easter morning experience.

Sunday, April 8 at 8:30, 10, and 11:30 a.m. in the Worship Center: Easter Celebration in the Worship Center. Full band and choir, nursery, K-Zone large & small group gatherings, and a message called "How Much More" from Romans 5:1-10.

Sunday afternoon, April 8: Rest.

A Unified Mission (Guest Blog)

Hello faithful readers! My name is Thomas Hinson and I am on staff at GS as a Student Ministries Assistant. Talbot has so graciously allowed me to blog on his behalf this wonderful Wednesday.

For those of you who don't know, and those of you who do, we are just over the half-way point for Spring Breakthrough. Breakthrough is a week-long, alternative spring break for students who want to embrace the mission of Good Shepherd.

And what is that mission?

"To invite all people into a living relationship with Jesus Christ."

What I love about our church, Spring Breakthrough, and our youth group is that they all unify to accomplish this same goal. The mantra for our church is not restricted to the pews (or blue chairs in our case). It is for: adults, AARP card holders, pre-teens, teens, children, moms, dads, lovers, fighters, screw-ups, posers, and everyone in between. Our goal is bold, missional, and inspiring.

The teenagers of Good Shepherd aren't just landscaping, cleaning closets, and washing vans this week. They are extending God's love to people in a variety of ways with the same goal...showing people Jesus.

They are knee-deep (literally) in prayer for the Charlotte-area...

They are taking out the trash while listening to the story of an 88 year old woman who has kept the faith through thick and thin...

They are sharing compassion with individuals with special needs...

And why are they doing this while thousands of their facebook friends are at the beach getting a tan?

Because they understand what it was like when someone invited them into a relationship that was bigger than who they were and even, who they are now. It began when they were invited into a relationship with Whose they are.

And that, my friends, is the transformative power of inviting all people into a living relationship with Jesus Christ.

Don't believe me? See for yourself...

Top Five Tuesday -- Top Five Things You May Not Know About the 24-7 Prayer Room In Charlotte

As I began our Spring Breakthrough Mission Week with Good Shepherd students yesterday, my particular team spent the day at Charlotte's 24-7 Prayer Center located in the NoDa section of town.

We spent the first part of the day praying, reflecting, and writing in the space that 24-7 provides to the city.

We spent the second part cleaning the homes of some of 24-7's neighbors in that at-risk area of our city.

But here are some things you may not know about 24-7:

1. It combines art, movement, and Scripture with a passion for mission to create prayer spaces unlike any other I've seen.



2. The center serves not as a church in and of itself but as a resources to congregations that already exist.



3. They survive on donations from individuals and churches.



4. 24-7 mentions no staff members' names on its Charlotte website.

5. At 3000 square feet, it is the largest 24-7 prayer center in the country.

Update: India

We sent this in-depth report on the past, present, and future of GSUMC in India to the church family last week.

You can read the direct link, complete with pictures, here.

Enjoy:

So what in the world were Chris Thayer, James-Michael Smith and Talbot Davis doing in India over the last couple of weeks? Quite a lot, actually.


We spent time connecting with our partners in that exotic land -- the Orissa Follow Up Ministry & Bible College in the Balasore region and the Love Your Neighbor network in the remote Kandhamal district. With both groups of village pastors and church workers, we tried to bring the best of how we know to invite all people into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. So Talbot taught about sermon series, sermon design, and healing ministry; Chris gave insights into New Testament history; and James-Michael was his usual brilliant self in teaching all about Genesis Chapter One and God's covenant with Israel.

As some of you may know, this was our second trip to India; exactly a year ago Talbot, Ron Dozier, Mike Dey, Brian Braunschweiger journeyed there to see if these two ministries were right for long-term partnership with GSUMC. As you can tell from the fact that there was a return trip, the answer was YES!

So because our investment with these Indian partners is so large and because we're in it for the long haul, we want to spend some time addressing some core issues with all the people of Good Shepherd. Issues like Why India? Why This Part Of India? and What's Next?

Why India?

A couple of years ago, we decided to go "narrow and deep" in our approach to international missions. What do we mean by that? Well, instead of giving support to a large number of missionaries serving in an array of places around the globe (that's "wide and shallow"), we opted to move to the model of investing heavily in a few leaders in a specific locale to maximize ministry impact in that one place.

Our criteria in selecting a place centered around three issues: 1) it had to be a country where Christianity was NOT a majority religion; 2) we wanted to partner with local ministries already doing good work; and 3) we needed liaisons we could trust.

India fit the profile on all three counts. Out of a population of 1.2 billion, for example, only 2.5% are Christians. Most Indians are loyal to Hinduism with its pantheon of gods and goddesses. You can say without exaggeration that Hinduism dominates every aspect of Indian culture and identity. So the people of that land are deeply religious already . . . they simply worship the creation rather than the Creator. Our experience there parallels Paul's in Athens: "For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown, I am going to proclaim to you . . . " (Acts 17:23).

In addition, our exposure to the leadership of Bishop Hrudaya in Balasore and Sushant Naik in Kandhamal convinced us that vital ministry was already occurring even in the face of long odds. Finally, our connection to these two was facilitated by PR Misra whose job with Advancing Native Mission is to connect indigenous ministries in need of resources with churches in the Western world who have resources. PR's brother JR Misra is a long time part of the Good Shepherd family.

Why This Part Of India?

Out of all the places in India why are we focused on Odisha? It's a state that almost none of us have ever heard of -- yet it has 41 million people which would make it the most populous in the USA!

We go narrow and deep in Odisha for two compelling reasons:

1. The ministry of Bishop Hrudaya and the Orissa Follow Up has shown particular effectiveness at reaching the people Indians call "Untouchable" and leading them to faith in Christ. It's a beautiful concept, really: Christians love into the kingdom those whom Hindus literally will not touch. We visited one of these "Dalit" villages in 2011; it was a great joy to see that same pastor at this year's leadership seminar.

2. Our Kandhamal partners are at Ground Zero of persecution against Christians in India. In 2008, a wave of Hindu extremists destroyed the homes of over 200 Christian families, killed 40 church members and leaders, and displaced hundreds of others. The persecution continues four years later, although in ways that don't get quite so many headlines. The Kandhamal Christians literally fear for their lives as they gather to worship. So we have the great privilege of partnering with Jesus' people who are re-living the persecution that is the backdrop of the book of Revelation -- with the same kind of courageous faithfulness to which that book calls us.

By the way, in one of our 2011 visits to a Kandhamal village church, we held an impromptu healing service. The pastor told us at this year's seminar that a man for whom our team prayed had his hearing restored that day. Living relationship indeed!

What's Ahead?

The reason for this lengthy communication is to let the people of this church know we're in India for the long run. We'll still take mission trips to Ecuador and Haiti in our hemisphere, but you'll be hearing a great deal about our impact in Odisha over the next few years.

We see that for 2013 and beyond, we'll send at least two teams per year to Odisha. Small teams of committed staff and dedicated laity; teams who can provide medical expertise, discipleship training, children's ministry, and, of course, encouragement and equipping for village pastors.

In addition to that human capital, we who have such financial resources will be sharing with our brothers and sisters who have almost none. It's already begun: we've funded the repainting and restoration of the Odisha Follow Up facilities and we supplied 30 pastors with brand new bicycles. Now they won't have to walk from village to village as they offer Christ.

Our options are wide for future resourcing:

1. A series of bore wells that our Christian leaders will make sure to offer to their Hindu neighbors. "Living Water" they call them.

2. Motorized transportation for pastors who supervise village pastors.

3. Support of indigenous missionaries serving as pastors of village churches.

4. In the long run, we'd love to provide and staff a medical van which would be used to bless villagers -- Christian and Hindu alike -- with the gift of life and health.

While we don't have directed giving at Good Shepherd, please know that your generosity to God can help us resource our Indian friends sooner rather than later.

We appreciate your interest in our partnerships in India and all your prayers while we were away. Our prayer is that as you become more aware of and energized by what we're doing in India, your own living relationship with Jesus Christ will be blessed indeed.