January 27, 2012
As the most of you know, I have spent my adult life in some capacity as a teacher. In fact, many of you have related to me to some measure in that manner. I believe that teaching is simply sharing with others what one has learned from others. In the future, I have felt prompted to use Facebook as a classroom to share some things that I’ve learned. Hopefully, some of these things will cause you to think, some will cause you to smile and some will cause you to be challenged. So, this will be my simple attempt to say it… “By the way…”
Oh, by the way, you won’t need to raise your hand to respond…

So, here we are at the beginning of a new year. In fact, we are half way through January as I write. The majority of my time this month has been spent closing out the books for 2011, which involves doing the administrative things that I am not fond of doing. Thanks to many of you, we ended 2011 financially in the black. You should have received your contribution statements by now, and I want to thank each and all of you for your support. Without your help, well, it would be impossible to continue. Now, it is time to look at the year 2012.

As most of you know, last summer Jim Matthias began to take much of the pastoral responsibilities for the church, which especially has included the Sunday messages. For the next two Sundays, however, I will be sharing. This Sunday, January 22, my message is entitled “Finding True Significance. It revolves around reaffirming the centrality and supremacy of Christ in our lives. On January 29 I will revisit the topic of covenant, and preside over our monthly communion service. Kathy and I will be hosting Dan and Janice Wolfe the first weekend in February, and Dan will be ministering at Harvest on February 5.

Half way through February I will be visiting some of my old stomping grounds. I will be returning to Marlette, Michigan. Marlette has a special place in my heart, for two very significant events in my life. I was teaching and coaching in Marlette, when I married Kathy in November of 1966. Also, in April of 1968, I met Jesus Christ in Marlette. Both of these events have proven to alter my life in incalculable ways, as you can imagine. My purpose in returning to Marlette will be to speak at the annual conference of a group named Standing Against The Tide. The invitation for the February 17-18 event came through a former football player that I coached named Mike Hollenbeck. Last year, I reconnected with Mike through, of all things, a young man that I know in Uruguay, South America. Roland Reimer stayed with Mike for some youth training in Marlette. When I visited Uruguay later, Roland mentioned our mutual friend. Now, I believe that this was more than coincidental. I will be speaking at Mike’s church, Grace Bible Church, on Sunday, February 19. Anyone interested in attending can find the information on Facebook.

Due to the financial pressure that has strained all of us, I am not planning my regular visit to Zacatecas this winter. However, please keep Chuy’s health in your prayers. I will try to gather a team to go sometime this summer.

I am working on my calendar, trying to set my itinerary for the year 2012. Currently, I am scheduled to be in Mount Juliet, Tennessee on March 24 – 25. I will be in Argentina and Paraguay from April 4 through 17, and then in Carthage, Missouri from April 27 through 29. Finally, I will be in Williamsburg, Virginia (with Tony Fitzgerald) over the first weekend in May.

Please contact me if you have some open dates and you have a desire for me to visit.

That’s about it for now, but I do ask you to pray for us. As I mentioned in the beginning, without you none of this happens…

As we draw to the conclusion of 2011, Kathy and I want to thank each and every one of you for your love, prayers and support. What a privilege and honor to be related to such a wonderful group of friends and family. How nice it has been to connect and reconnect with so many of you. I guess I could simply give you a chronological history of the past year, but that would be as exciting as reading my desk calendar. So instead, I will try to share some personal updates from Kathy and me, including a few highlights as well.
Inspired by my heart attack back in April of 2010, Kathy and I continue to walk about three miles daily and have endeavored to maintain a low sodium diet. Kathy’s joining me in this has been invaluable.
As most of you know, at the end of 2010 our spiritual son Bradley Stuart was married to Sue Molitor and moved to the state of Washington. This spring our oldest grandson Carder joined the Coast Guard and is currently stationed in Connecticut. Our son Sean and his family moved to Georgia the first of December. We never expected at this age to go through empty nest syndrome. Actually, however, we’re thrilled for all of them and believe that God has ordained each change.
Through this past year my travel decreased a bit. Kathy tells me I was away from home 29% of the year, a drop of about 10%. Kathy was gone nearly 22% of the year, including her “bucket list” trip to Paris. Oh yes, in July Kathy took a rather interesting trip into the woods with our Jeep, when she fell asleep at the wheel. Thankfully she was not hurt, but the same can’t be said for the car; it was a total wreck.
Six of the trips, which I took, were international. They included two trips to Mexico, one of which was with Kathy and our two oldest granddaughters, Taylor and Baylie). The other trips were to Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Canada. In addition to the international travel, we several ministry trips throughout the U.S.A. One of these trips was to Washington to visit Bradley and Sue. From there we went on to Oregon to meet and visit with Roger and Merry Shipman. Roger is the one who proof read and formatted my new book. We finally took time to enjoy a very relaxed vacation on the beach in Florida.
Speaking of my new book, in June the first printing of Sonship: The Word Make Flesh was published. It is now available in paperback and E-Reader from Amazon.com. Since the publication some ministry opportunities have come my way. A previous publication that I wrote, Sonship: The Path to Fatherhood, is still available from our Harvest office.
In regards to ministry, for over forty year Kathy and I have been privileged to walk under the care and oversight of Dan and Janice Wolfe. In addition to Dan’s Fatherhood, Kathy and I are now looking to Tony and Marilyn Fitzgerald for oversight, as well. Tony is the founder of Church of the Nations International, and was gracious enough to write the foreword of my book. My good friend John Beckett, former chairman of the board of Intercessors for America, and Charles Simpson, whom the vast majority of you receiving this letter know, both graciously endorsed the book. In August Charles was the featured guest at the annual Harvest Men’s retreat
Last May we were blessed to install Jim Matthias and have given him the primary responsibility of caring for the congregants of Harvest Christian Fellowship. Jim and Debbie are proven veterans in pastoral ministry and we are blessed to walk together with them.
One of the most precious moments for me of 2011 was the opportunity to visit a school reunion in Port Austin, Michigan where in 1963 I began my teaching and coaching career. Kathy and I were hosted by a former player I coached, an all-conference football tailback, Aaron Miller and his wife Peggy. It was wonderful to refresh memories with well over one hundred alumni that I had taught.
So as we close this letter, Kathy and I again want to thank each of you. May you have a wonderful Christmas, and a prosperous and bright New Year. You are never more than a phone call away or perhaps a visit if you happen to be in our area. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, and consider us in your giving, as we continue our efforts to advance Christ’s Kingdom to the nations of the world.

With sincere love and gratitude,

As we draw to the conclusion of 2011, Kathy and I want to thank each and every one of you for your love, prayers and support. What a privilege and honor to be related to such a wonderful group of friends and family. How nice it has been to connect and reconnect with so many of you. I guess I could simply give you a chronological history of the past year, but that would be as exciting as reading my desk calendar. So instead, I will try to share some personal updates from Kathy and me, including a few highlights as well.
Inspired by my heart attack back in April of 2010, Kathy and I continue to walk about three miles daily and have endeavored to maintain a low sodium diet. Kathy’s joining me in this has been invaluable.
As most of you know, at the end of 2010 our spiritual son Bradley Stuart was married to Sue Molitor and moved to the state of Washington. This spring our oldest grandson Carder joined the Coast Guard and is currently stationed in Connecticut. Our son Sean and his family moved to Georgia the first of December. We never expected at this age to go through empty nest syndrome. Actually, however, we’re thrilled for all of them and believe that God has ordained each change.
Through this past year my travel decreased a bit. Kathy tells me I was away from home 29% of the year, a drop of about 10%. Kathy was gone nearly 22% of the year, including her “bucket list” trip to Paris. Oh yes, in July Kathy took a rather interesting trip into the woods with our Jeep, when she fell asleep at the wheel. Thankfully she was not hurt, but the same can’t be said for the car; it was a total wreck.
Six of the trips, which I took, were international. They included two trips to Mexico, one of which was with Kathy and our two oldest granddaughters, Taylor and Baylie). The other trips were to Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Canada. In addition to the international travel, we several ministry trips throughout the U.S.A. One of these trips was to Washington to visit Bradley and Sue. From there we went on to Oregon to meet and visit with Roger and Merry Shipman. Roger is the one who proof read and formatted my new book. We finally took time to enjoy a very relaxed vacation on the beach in Florida.
Speaking of my new book, in June the first printing of Sonship: The Word Make Flesh was published. It is now available in paperback and E-Reader from Amazon.com. Since the publication some ministry opportunities have come my way. A previous publication that I wrote, Sonship: The Path to Fatherhood, is still available from our Harvest office.
In regards to ministry, for over forty year Kathy and I have been privileged to walk under the care and oversight of Dan and Janice Wolfe. In addition to Dan’s Fatherhood, Kathy and I are now looking to Tony and Marilyn Fitzgerald for oversight, as well. Tony is the founder of Church of the Nations International, and was gracious enough to write the foreword of my book. My good friend John Beckett, former chairman of the board of Intercessors for America, and Charles Simpson, whom the vast majority of you receiving this letter know, both graciously endorsed the book. In August Charles was the featured guest at the annual Harvest Men’s retreat
Last May we were blessed to install Jim Matthias and have given him the primary responsibility of caring for the congregants of Harvest Christian Fellowship. Jim and Debbie are proven veterans in pastoral ministry and we are blessed to walk together with them.
One of the most precious moments for me of 2011 was the opportunity to visit a school reunion in Port Austin, Michigan where in 1963 I began my teaching and coaching career. Kathy and I were hosted by a former player I coached, an all-conference football tailback, Aaron Miller and his wife Peggy. It was wonderful to refresh memories with well over one hundred alumni that I had taught.
So as we close this letter, Kathy and I again want to thank each of you. May you have a wonderful Christmas, and a prosperous and bright New Year. You are never more than a phone call away or perhaps a visit if you happen to be in our area. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, and consider us in your giving, as we continue our efforts to advance Christ’s Kingdom to the nations of the world.

With sincere love and gratitude,

On Saturday, November 12, I will be sharing at the Elijah Project in Richomond, Virginia. It is being held at Eternity Church, 1900 Chamberlayne Ave., Richmond, VA 23222. The event starts at 9:00 AM and will feature Don Coleman, Brian Gullins and myself. For details you can contact Eric Samuelson at 804 798-3355.

I did a video shoot today with Tony Fitzgerald, hosted by Eric Samuelson in Ashland, Virginia. The question and answer time covered Sonship and the Kingdom of God. It will soon be available on the Kingdom Institute website. I hope to keep you posted when it is online…

I would like to encourage those of you men in Michigan who know me to come to this gathering. It begins on Friday evening, February 17, 2012

My book is now available as a download for Kindle readers. It can be found on Amazon.com.

Kathy and I arrived home from Calgary, Canada at about 1:00 AM on Monday morning. As you know, we attended an international gathering of leaders connected with Church of the Nations [COTN]. In the past few years, I have come into a defined relationship with the founder of COTN, Tony Fitzgerald. The conference was excellent and timely for Kathy and me. I was able to sell about 20 books and invest a couple others. During the weekend, I received invitations for 2012 to revisit Calgary, as well as to minister in Carthage, Missouri and Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. The dates for these have not been set.
On Thursday, October 27, Kathy and I will be driving to Charlotte, North Carolina. We will be hosted by Paul and Donna Blount, and we plan to have some time with Bill and Gwen Eubank. Gwen recently spent 18 days from complications after a hip replacement. She is home and recovering now. We will leave Charlotte and travel to Cullowhee, North Carolina on Saturday, October 29. Ken Jenkins, who serves as pastor of Cullowhee Covenant Christian Church will be our host. I will be sharing on Sunday morning at the church, and then sharing on Sunday evening with the West Carolina University campus ministry called Campus Rock. During the time we are there, Kathy and I hope to fellowship with the leaders of the church and the leaders of the Campus ministry.
November’s calendar is quite open, with one exception. I have been invited to speak at a Fatherhood Initiative which in part is sponsored by the Richmond social services department. This meeting came out of a government study which showed the financial cost of the lack of fatherhood in the Richmond area. The meeting is on Saturday, November 12, which simply happens to be Kathy and my fortieth wedding anniversary.

Well, Kathy and I arrived home yesterday afternoon. We had an excellent time in Michigan, and connected with a lot of family and friends. I was blessed to officiate at the wedding of Josh and Hillary Bennethum on weekend of the 23rd. We went down state and spent a couple of nights at the home of Bill Bullard (who was instrumental in starting the National Prayer Breakfast.) On Thursday and Friday we had a time to fellowship with a number of friends at Gull Lake Bible Camp, where Dan Wolfe gathered a number of his related couples. On Saturday, October 1, I had a book signing at the Marcellus Library. Kathy and I had lived in Marcellus from 1968 to 1982. Finally, I shared at Covenant Christian Church in Benton Harbor, before starting home Sunday afternoon. Now we are home until October 20. At that time, Kathy and I will be attending the Church of the Nations International Conference in Calgary, Canada. So, I’d love to hear from you and get any updates, as you have opportunity. The fall calendar is not very full, so I should be around. God bless you, and thanks for your love and support. Keep us in your prayers, as you are in ours…

I had arranged for Charles Simpson to be our keynote speaker for our annual men’s retreat. Kathy and I picked Charles up on Thursday, which allowed me time to personal times of fellowship with him from Thursday afternoon until Friday afternoon. This was a genuine blessing. We had around 45 men attend the retreat beginning Friday afternoon. Charles spoke four messages to the men using as his theme the journey of Abraham recorded in Genesis and the journey of Moses recorded in Exodus. We hope to make these tapes available for your personal use. On Saturday the rains began as a result of Hurricane Irene. As you know, we had an earth quake earlier in the week. The rains were heavy at times, and the wind gusts were strong throughout Saturday night. On Sunday we had the women and children join us and Charles gave the message, once again.
This week, I am attempting to conclude all the administrations from the retreat, and prepare to go on vacation (leaving Friday.) Not having a secretary means that the office administrations falls on my shoulders. Oh well!
Harvest has succeeded in renting a building just off the Interstate near Fredericksburg. Jim Matthias, a veteran pastor who has walked with me for about four years, has taken over much of the pastoral duties of Harvest.
As you know, my book is now available. If you have read my book, it would be helpful for you to write a note about it on Amazon.com. It is close to being available as a “Kindle” download.
Kathy is doing fine, with no lasting effects from her accident. The Jeep was totaled, so we have purchased a Hyundai Santa Fe – SUV.
Kathy and I are planning to travel into Michigan in September. I have the privilege of doing Josh Bennethum’s wedding, and we are planning to attend Dan Wolfe’s gathering at Gull Lake Conference Center. On October 1, my brother Tom has arranged for me to do a “book signing” at the Marcellus Public Library.
Sean and Wendy have decided to relocate to Savannah, Georgia in December of this year. This will be difficult for me to lose them as we have had the privilege of being close for so many years. However, Kathy and I are supporting their decision.
Finances have dwindled in this season, but we continue to trust God for our future. I will need to increase my travel schedule, as the majority of my support comes from H.I.M.
We love and appreciate each of you, and I will try to keep you informed of our journey. Please keep us in your prayers, as you are in ours.
God bless and protect you and yours…