It amazes us how God is using our story to encourage others to exhibit bold faith and redirect their lives. The following are email excerpts received from people who are being impacted by our story. I trust these statements will encourage you as well.
Your PASSION for Jesus is contagious - keep SEEKING His heart. You’re Making A Difference! Thank You.”
- Anonymous Financial Partner in NOVA
“My heart and mind are so encouraged as I think of you and your families faith in following God’s plan…. I think of the courage and faith to follow the call of the Lord that you and your family have taken…. It is truly by the encouragement of others like you, who have grown more faithful and closer in each turn in your journey as God reveals His amazing care in faithfulness, that inspires others like myself, to trust and to follow the greater Call…. I pray here in thanksgiving for the blessing you have bestowed upon all of us whose lives have been influenced by your faithful example.”
- Prayer Partner from Calvary Church of Souderton
“I have been meaning to take a moment over the last few weeks and say “thank-you”…why? Well, Miffy of course…when you preached the sermon on “Miffy”…at first I didn’t like what I heard, meaning I had to face the reality that my miffy is my mom. Long story short…. Thanks Ron for your passion in your messages…it does make a difference, people are listening.”
- Member of New Life Christian Church
For several years, the Great Falls Optimist Club has provided meals to low income families in the month of December. We have fed as many as 20 families. The families we serve reside primarily in Herndon - a neighboring community to Great Falls. We identify these families through the Laurel Learning Center in Reston - another neighboring community to Great Falls.
At our last meeting, I agreed to lead this initiative in 2008. I am totally stoked about this opportunity! This may be the first initiative of our new community service organization (CSO). Even better, it is in partnership with the Optimist Club - another organization that cares deeply for meeting needs and providing hope to children and families. This initiative will provide a natural connection point for starting our community needs assessment this fall while enabling us to serve needing families immediately.
My objectives in leading this Optimist Club initiative are 1) to identify 15 - 20 families for the Optimist Club to serve this December, and 2) help provide these families long-term assistance as we form the new CSO.
It is so cool to see how God is bringing together our relationships and passions with His vision to restore people’s lives in Northern Virginia. If you are a financial or prayer partner with us, be encouraged with another unfolding story of God at work through your investment. To become a financial partner click here.
After viewing the following video, God spoke powerfully to me through a conversation with Michael Bayer the Medical Director and Co-Founder of Free Wheelchair Mission. You’ll want to watch this video prior to reading further.
In most countries when parents have a crippled child, the child is viewed as a curse for their parents’ sin. The parents do most anything they can to change their image in the community by hiding or disposing of their child - their curse. As these Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Islamic children age, they pray to their gods for relief from their shame and condition. When seated in their new wheelchair for the first time, their shame is replaced with joy; life fills their body. In this moment, Michael shares that sitting in their new wheelchair is the image of sitting in God’s loving hands. This loved child of God, then asks, “What god sent you?”
Michael responds, “Jesus did. Let me tell you about Him.”
After talking with Michael, I journaled, “Jesus what do you want me to do? I will do it. Figuratively, what wheelchair do you want me to bring to the people of NOVA? What do you want me to bring to the people living in NOVA that so significantly meets their needs that they ask the question, ‘What god sent you?’”
Yesterday, I attended the White House Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Conference in preparation for starting a new community service organization. This conference was inspirational - climaxing with President Bush speaking to values behind the government’s financial investment in grass root community service organizations.
The following quotes from his talk capture the values behind his faith-based initiatives:
“We ought to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.”
“Compassion puts hope in people’s hearts.”
“Government should never fund faith, but should fund those who are serving others faithfully.”
“To who much is given much is required. We are to make a difference around the world.”
“We want to empower people to live lives of love and compassion.”
“A life almost destroyed by hate is restored by love and compassion.”
It was exciting to be with the President. He came across like a little boy - constantly shrugging his shoulders as if he were communicating - “Yep. Hi. I’m here. Isn’t this fun.” This is the second President I have seen in person. President Clinton was the first. I think I’m going to set a goal to personally see each President over the course of my life.
America is positioned for another massive spiritual awakening. Check out these statistics from the June 24, 2008 issue of the Washington Post.
92% of Americans believe in God or a universal spirit
80% of Americans think miracle’s occur
74% of Americans believe in an afterlife
Even 21% of American atheist’s believe in God (these are really confused people)
Americans are moving away from the spiritual skepticism of modernism and becoming more spiritually aware as the post-modern era takes over. This shift provides the church opportunity to present relationship with God through His son Jesus to a culture that believes “many religions can lead to eternal salvation”, but for the message of Jesus to make a difference we must communicate it in new ways - in ways our culture can understand. When our arrogance makes us think our approach to sharing God’s truth is just fine, Jesus says, “find a new way to fish.”
To reach a spiritually minded America, the church must change. This change will require leaving the church building to live and share Jesus’ revolutionary truth within a culture that is open to God. It’s time to get out of our comfortable auditorium seats and go fishing.
Ever had one of those moments when you receive unexpected encouragement? This is one of those moments for me. The message this lady is referring to was given two months prior to my receiving this note. God’s is changing people’s lives in NOVA - one life at a time. If you are a prayer and/or financial partner be encouraged with me. God is using your prayers and financial contributions to change people’s worlds.
I have been meaning to take a moment over the last few weeks and say “thank-you”…why? Well, Miffy of course…when you preached the sermon on “Miffy”…at first I didn’t like what I heard, meaning I had to face the reality that my miffy is my mom. Long story short,
we don’t get along…she kinda had a “staged breakdown” when she and my dad divorced 3 years ago and it’s just been kind ugly. All through that sermon her face and name kept screaming in my head. She’s kinda one of the extra grace required people…needless to say, I started praying. I know God wanted me to respect the boundaries I had established with my mom, but I knew I needed to love her too.
I just wanted you to know that I called her shortly thereafter and told her I was sorry we really hadn’t talked in a good while and invited her here for Mother’s Day (HUGE step by the way)…she came, stayed the night, went to church with us and overall it was kinda pleasant. We have had a few moments here and there since…presently I am a “horrible” daughter…but that’s okay. I know she doesn’t know God like I do and I am hoping that through my committment to serve Him, she gets to know him.
Which brings me to my other “thank-you” and that’s for the sermon that was part of the thrive series “Own-Share”…I am in Holy Discontent about my mom and in all honesty the rest of my family (sister, dad and brother-in-law) because they are lost…they don’t get why I choose to get up and serve every Sunday, why I reach out to needy kids through Haymarket’s Grab Your Groceries and SPRING ministries…they honestly believe me to be a Jesus Freak…and
they’re right, I am Passion requires action, right? So, in that sermon I was able to hear that through serving my God wholeheartedly…well, that provides witness to my family. I only hope that I can do it humbly and honor God at all times.
Thanks Ron for your passion in your messages…it does make a difference, people are listening.
This morning I attended the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce NonProfit Initiative - a roundtable training event. At the end of the event, I was talking with Grafton deButts from the Chamber who introduced me to Alicia Biggs. Alicia is the Assistant Editor of the Loudoun Business and Leesburg Today Newspaper. I had a chance to share with her our story of moving to Northern Virginia to start a new community service organization and church. She was intrigued by our story and asked if we could talk further at some point to write it up for publication. Okay, honestly, this is freakin’ awesome! Now we’ll see what happens.
Many people have partnered financially with us to help fulfill God’s vision of starting a new church and community service organization that are committed to sharing the truth of Jesus Christ, while demonstrating God’s love as we meet the real needs of people in tangible ways. We are so grateful for each of these financial partners and express this appreciation in various ways.
From time to time, we receive anonymous gifts for which we are equally grateful, but we have no way of saying thanks. All I can hope is that you read my blog enough to catch this post.
Today, I received just such a gift with a powerful card. The card reads…
“God rewards those who seek Him. Not those who seek doctrine or religion or systems or creeds. Many settle for these lesser passions, but the reward goes to those who settle for nothing less than Jesus Himself. And what is the reward? What awaits those who seek Jesus? Nothing short of the heart of Jesus.”
And here is punch line that moved my heart…
“Your PASSION for Jesus is contagious - keep SEEKING His heart. You’re Making A Difference! Thank You.”
Inside this card was a large financial gift.
Thank you so much for blessing my family with the words of this card and your generous financial gift. We are so thankful for your helping fulfill Jesus’ mission.
While attending the Exponential Conference - Tim Keller deconstructed “‘the simple gospel’: (1) God made you and wants to have a relationship with you, (2) but your sin separates you from God. (3) Jesus took the punishment your sins deserved, (4) so if you repent from sins and trust in him for your salvation, you will be forgiven, justified, and accepted freely by grace, and indwelt with his Spirit until you die and go to heaven.” and presented argument for the gospel in various forms. I remember sitting overwhelmed by his insight on this subject as I raced to write notes and quotes from his message. You can view these here. Honestly, my notes don’t do justice to the depth of the concepts he presented. However, Christianity Today just published an article by Tim Keller that presents the bulk of the message I heard at Exponential. If you want to understand how to present the gospel in it’s various forms to different kinds of people and thinkers, then this article is a must read - The Gospel in All it’s Forms.
If you missed this event, you can still attend the conference online- check this out! No kidding! Live video feeds of the sessions and more! This is the genius of Todd Wilson.
Passion requires action, right? So, in that sermon I was able to hear that through serving my God wholeheartedly…well, that provides witness to my family. I only hope that I can do it humbly and honor God at all times.
ronklabunde@gmail.com
