Faithful Friends

This morning I took the rare Sunday off in order to be at my home church—North Auburn Hills Baptist Church, in Auburn Hills, Michigan.  Our church was celebrating the 70^th birthday of Pastor John Marine—and what a wonderful celebration is was!  It continues tonight, but I speak at Marimont Community Church in Pontiac this evening and will miss the actual party.

The Booth Brothers were surprise guests who rock the house every time they come to NAHBC, and today’s appearance was no exception.  My cousin Paul Wade tipped me off in advance, so I watched Pastor Marine’s face as a picture of the Booth Brothers hit the screens and what appeared to be a recorded greeting began “playing.”  He truly was surprised by his dear friends. 

However, that isn’t the point I want to highlight.  My mind is racing with gratitude for my dear friend John Marine and what his life and ministry has represented to me.  In a nutshell, I am thankful for faithful friends—and John Marine has been that for nearly forty years now.  I’m thankful for friends like that!

John has been a faithful friend to me.  A popular country song these days uses a line “You find out who your friends are.”  That’s especially true when the tough times in life come our way or when we’re beginning a new venture in life and need the support of friends.  John is that kind of friend, not only to me, but I’m sure to many others as well.  I’m thankful for friends like that!

But John Marine has just been faithful—period.  He’s been the pastor of North Auburn Hills Baptist Church (formerly North Perry Baptist Church until their relocation over a decade ago) for more than forty-one years.  His vision and zeal continues unabated by the years—he’s still fervent.  I’m thankful for friends like that! 

BTW, do you pray?  If so, would you pray that both you and I would be that kind of friend to those around us?  My youngest son Joshua and I heard Charles Stanley speaking several years ago at a pastors’ conference, and I hope that I never forget his simple outline.  It describes in four words the kind of man that I want to be—faithful, fearless, fervent, and fruitful.  I’m thankful for friends like that—and I want to be one!

So, Happy Birthday, John Marine—my faithful friend!

Big Prayers Needed

It seems as if we just celebrated the arrival of the New Year, but January 2011 has blown by at such blazing speed that I missed it.  Let’s hope the next eleven months slow down a bit.  Well, okay—since time marches on, please pray that I can speed up, then!

 Here’s a brief update to bring you up to speed (pun intended) on what’s happening with our ministry:

•  Last year closed with a time to relax and enjoy family and friends in Michigan over the holidays.
• The year 2010 also closed with our finances in the black—kinda—if we don’t count having to finance a replacement vehicle on the US side of ministry!
• January and February’s schedules were revised in order to help my dear friend Dan Cavin in Williamston (MI) for five weeks as he recovers from hip replacement surgery.
• The plan to produce a DVD series “Turning Your Tragedies into Triumphs,” along with a study guide and leader’s manual, was finalized.

BTW, do you pray?  Here are a few urgent prayer requests—and I can’t over-state the urgency concerning each of these bulleted items, and the requisite funding of each: 

• Pray for the production schedule and all related events that must come together whenever I can be in Michigan—to get the video recording done with a live small group in Commerce Township, editing, writing, etc.
• Pray as I help our ministry partners in the UK with scheduling and finalizing plans for school assemblies in late March 2011, as well as for American sponsors to underwrite these ministry events.  The assemblies impact new teenagers for youth camps and local church partners.
• Pray for the Summer 2011 camps, especially LIFT-UK 2011, which camp is especially evangelistic in its primary focus.  This year our goal is to help underwrite 300 young people who are non-believers. 
• Pray for our regular monthly personal support.  This has never exceeded 50% of what is actually needed, in part because I focus more on securing the funds necessary to impact young people than on my own support.  However, this has “caught up with me” when I had to finance a ministry vehicle.

 The spring and summer ministry events are already racing toward me at lightning speed!   Please prayerfully consider sponsoring a school assembly ($1500) in England or Wales.  If you’d rather underwrite something more personal, perhaps you or your church could underwrite ten campers ($3000), or five unsaved campers ($1500), or at least one or two at $300. 

 While the emotional tug at the heart-strings just isn’t “there” with an appeal for your help to pray and to underwrite school events and campers like it would be following some natural disaster or severe famine, the urgency to reach the youth of Europe is nonetheless real.  Thank you for partnering with us! 

 Cheers!

 Dale

 P.S.      As always, please keep in mind that all project funds are administered through Gospel Alive, Inc., P. O. Box 630, Clarkston, MI  48347.  All personal support is handled by Central Missionary Clearinghouse, P. O. Box 219228, Houston, TX  77218-9228. 

 

Misconceptions

Strange, isn’t it—how we can so easily develop misconceptions about almost anything, especially people, and especially in the ministerial world?

 For years I’ve heard how “impossible” (or at least very difficult) it is to reach the young people of Great Britain or Europe with the Gospel.  However, as I sit here in my usual “office” at Frankie and Benny’s at the Birmingham (England) airport, awaiting a flight to France, and reflecting on last week’s youth camp at Cefn Lea Park in Newtown, Powys (Wales), I’m not sure that I how accurate the assessment of others has been. 

Let me explain. 

Four years ago roughly, Dan Brown of LIFT Student Ministries, along with one of his board members Ben Robinson, accompanied me on a whirlwind exploratory excursion to Great Britain.  Dan has operated a growing number of “LIFT Camps” in the eastern half of American for several years—and quite successfully.  In fact, if memory serves me correctly, I spoke for one of Dan’s camps, even before he called them “LIFT!” in Monticello, Kentucky.  (How could I ever forget that camp, because they had more frogs hopping around the property than were in the plagues of Egypt!  Of maybe it’s my guilt for encouraging several of the campers to collect dozens of frogs and put them in his father Harold’s room that I remember.)

 Somehow, I felt that if I could get Dan here to see what I was seeing in the potential of reaching young people for Christ—and it worked!  Few men (or women) that I know share the level of burden or passion for young people that my friend Dan Brown has.  I see it and sense it increasingly.

Our first year camp was actually quite small—but the results of young people coming to faith in Christ as their Savior were quite large!  I also remember thinking that it was the toughest youth camp that I’d ever been involved with, simply because of the behavior of my of the young people who attended.  Several of them came to us from social services, and were known to be “problem teenagers.”  But we loved them, and I think they sensed that, and responded accordingly.

The second year of LIFT-UK the numbers climbed in every way.  An impact for Christ was growing—and the impact was affecting young people from not only Europe, but also on the American college-aged staff of LIFT … and on me!  Many of the first-year campers returned and the spiritual growth in them was self-evident.  Once again by week’s end, many campers had made significant commitments to God for salvation, holy living, and Christian service.

This year the groundswell continued with even greater evidence.  First, we jointly operated LIFT-UK 2010 with the BBF-GB youth camp, a collection of ministry partner churches scattered around Great Britain, but representative campers also came from other European countries.  In the analysis of the executive director of Cefn Lea Park, this was the largest gathering of a group of Christian teenagers in the history of the conference centre!

At times the crowd noise was almost deafening, especially when you have nearly 300 campers and staff all assembled in the dining room, everyone talking, laughing, dishes clattering, etc.!  And to listen and watch this crowd in action during the praise and worship time was almost beyond description—especially if one is expecting the misconception to be the reality!

And the behavioral difference over a three year period is also notable.  While are a couple of layers of workers between me and the campers these days, I do believe that this was the most well-behaved crowd to-date.  The difference that Christ makes in the spiritual lives is readily seen from one year to the next.  The pastors and other Christian workers were all abuzz with excitement with the spiritual advancements!

While I can’t say that the volume of decisions made by young people coming to faith in Christ, surprised me, I must admit that it just doesn’t fit the misconception.  What did arrest my attention was that on opening night, rather than somewhat typically closing night, most of the young people who accepted Christ as their personal Savior during did so that first night!  By the closing assembly on Friday morning, 42 teenagers had come to faith!

But that isn’t all—great as that is!

At the conclusion of his Thursday evening message, my friend Ed Trinkle, speaker for the week who did a masterful job of connecting with the audience, plainly asked all from the audience who were ready to say to God, “I’ve been allowing you to speak to my heart and I’m now ready to ‘lay it all down’ and serve you full time for the rest of my life,” to stand to their feet, then come and gather in front of the stage for special instructions, prayer, and then counsel.

I was in tears as I stood at the top level of the auditorium and counted 76 teenagers standing in front of that stage in response to Ed’s clear instructions!  When it was all sorted, and the individual counseling was concluded, 40 young people had truly committed themselves to ministry and service for Christ!

That kind of scene, with that kind of result, just doesn’t fit the misconception that so many in kingdom work have.  Each of us who have been a part of this new phenomenon believes that we are on the leading edge of a new wave of the working of God amongst the young people and churches of Great Britain!  And we’re witnessing it firsthand!

BTW, do you pray?  If so, would you join several of us praying for the 42 teenagers who are new believers as they return to their homes and friends?  We understand the spiritual battle that will surely take place in their hearts and minds.  Several of them will certainly struggle in the months to come as they decide daily whether to follow the old life or the new.

Would you also pray for the 40 young people who committed their lives to service for the King of Kings?  They too will be waging war to live out that which they committed on that closing night of LIFT-UK 2010.

Finally, would you pray that the Lord would continue to use me in leaving a lasting impact on an entire movement of God to reach young people in Europe?  There aren’t a lot of 60-year-olds who still pursue a vision aggressively in youth ministry—but I’m asking that you pray for one—me!

And to those individuals, pastors, and churches who invested financially and prayerfully through our ministry, you can know that your investment has yielded history-making and eternal results!  Thank you!

Cheers!

When A Plan Comes Together

Almost four years ago I ran into a long time friend, Dr. Leland Kennedy, at a national conference in Detroit.  Leland gave me a big bear hug and said, “It’s so good to see you, Dale!  We were just talking about you two days ago over in Ireland.”  That conversation was the beginning of a fresh focus on ministry for me, as it turns out! 

Fast forward to 9 August 2010.  I have no clue where Leland Kennedy is this morning, but I’m sitting in my room near Cefn Lea Park, a camping/conference centre just south of Newtown, Wales.  Last night we opened what is our largest youth camp to-date with nearly 400 total in attendance.  My dear friend Dan Brown and his staff from LIFT Student Ministries is running the show, and another good friend, Ed Trinkle, is our main speaker.  The energy in the auditorium on opening night was “a mile high,” and in a culture where so many say “It can’t be done” we’re seeing it happen, right before our eyes.  At least 25 young people came to faith in Christ in the very first service!

As the adage from the old television show “The A-Team” goes, I love it when a plan comes together!

This journey into the UK actually began in the winter of 1978-79, when I brought a team of singers from Liberty University to England and Scotland.  One of the young men on the team, Dale Brown, is now the pastor of West Shore Baptist Church in Llandudno, Wales.  Reacquainting ourselves over the past weekend was such a delight for me as I witnessed that God has done something special through Dale Brown … and to think that maybe–just maybe–God used me in some small way in his life 30 years ago!  And to see Dale Brown in action with his congregation last Sunday caused me to say to myself, I love it when a plan comes together!

Dale Brown and Dale Peterson 2010

As I stood with the hundreds of young people and youth leaders in the opening service of LIFT-UK 2010 last night, listened to the singing and observed the response of the audience, I said to myself once again, I love it when a plan comes together!

BTW, do you pray?  If so, would you pray that miraculous events will take place this week in this camp.  Somehow, I just believe that since God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, if we ask Him, He would draw dozens and dozens of young people to His salvation before we close camp Friday.  Then as ministry partners, we could all say that we love it when a plan comes together!

One closing thought–what part will you play today in God’s plan today?  Will it be a role that through the years you, too, can see that in the little acorns of service you plant for Him today, you will one day see mighty oaks, and say to yourself, I love it when a plan comes together?

Cheers!

Come and See

Just about daylight, the world of two women, both named Mary, was rocked, as they approached the garden tomb of their recently deceased friend.  If an earthquake wasn’t shocking enough, they were also startled by a stranger dressed in white and whose countenance was like lightning.  However reassuring this angelic messenger was, his message must have startled the women all over again, as he announced that their friend, buried some 48 hours earlier, was no longer there!

While each Gospel writer conveys the details a bit differently in their accounts, there is one unmistakable detail that is crucial to the historical accounting, and also to the theological value—“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.”  However, that is not the phrase to which I would direct your attention in this service.

(Matt 28:5-7a KJV) And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay,  And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead;

Let me transport you on a journey of thought through the corridors of time, departing from this platform, but following five brief stops, returning you to our point of origin.  At our first stop, I would invite you to come and see the God of UNTOLD POWER 

Although we will not disembark at any of our stops, look through the window of time past—see the Psalmist standing beside our train on the platform.  Listen as he speaks—

Come and see the works of the LORD … (Psa 46:8 NIV)  Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf! (Psa 66:5 NIV) 

You see, while the world continually tries to explain God away, the heavens still declare his glory and the firmament still shows us his handiwork! And those who have accepted Him by grace through faith experience His untold power, working mightily on our behalf.  Isaac Watts hardly scratched the surface when he erupted in song—

I sing the mighty power of God that made the mountains rise,

   That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.

I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;

   The moon shines full at His command and all the stars obey.

 

There’s not a plant or flower below but makes Thy glories known;

   And clouds arise and tempests blow by order of Thy throne;

While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care,

   And everywhere that man can be, Thou, God, art present there.

In only the amount of time required to move from one thought to another, our train pulls away from the station of the Psalmist and we come to the platform of the Prophets.  There stands the prophet Isaiah, waiting and ready to invite us to come and see the God of UNSURPASSED GLORY 

Hear the aged prophet as he quotes for us the very words of the Holy One of Israel, inviting us to come and see:

For I know their works and their thoughts; and they shall come, and see my glory. (Isa 66:18 KJV) 

Understand, my friends, while believers celebrate this Easter, the world around us castigates the very thought of our God!  Yet, in the fullness of time, God will step out onto the stage of eternity and reveal reality to a domain of deniers and doubters.  While man has accomplished untold feats at which we marvel, no person or thing will ever surpass the glory of God that is yet to be revealed!

Godfrey Thring captures a glimpse of His unsurpassed glory when he wrote the third verse of the great hymn Crown Him with Many Crowns:

Crown Him the Lord of life! Who triumphed o’er the grave;

   Who rose victorious in the strife for those He came to save.

His glories now we sing, who died and rose on high,

   Who died eternal life to bring and lives that death may die.

But before we can begin to digest this unsurpassed glory, our train of thought makes its escape from platform two, arriving at our third stop where we discover the disciple John, whom Jesus loved, and who penned the words exclaimed by a young man named Nathanael; but it’s Phillip who invites us to come and see the God of UNCHARACTERISTIC HUMILITY 

You see, our train of thought has brought us to Nazareth—the “poor side of town”—and surely a community with a poor reputation, because when Phillip told Nathanael that he had discovered the person about whom Moses and all the prophets had written, Nathanael exclaimed, Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?  Phillip simply invited him, Come and see. 

Yes, the King of Kings has dispelled the myth that we must have all kinds of human advantages in order to be significant in this world.  Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus Christ is the most significant person who ever lived, but he came from the most remarkably humble beginnings and lifestyle!  He rode on a borrowed beast, sailed on a borrowed boat, and went to a fish’s mouth to get enough money to pay his taxes. The foxes had holes, the birds of the air had nests, but the Son of Man had nowhere to lay his head!

But just as our minds start to focus on his humility, we’re off again!  And before we have a moment to contemplate the humanity of the Christ, we find ourselves at the fourth stop along the track of time—only now we find ourselves startled by a thundering voice that invites us to come and see the God of ULTIMATE JUSTICE

The reminder was transcribed for us by John the Revelator, who said—

And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. (Rev 6:1 KJV) 

But what shall we see?  We will witness the white horse conquering – and freedom diminishing!  Ah, friends, while today sin has conquered the lives of so many people, and while Satan may be having his “field day,” there is coming a justice and a judgment that will set all things in order.  Although we live in a world of terrorism, wars and rumors of wars—a world where politicians pretend they can legislate or negotiate peace—we know there is no peace apart from the Prince of Peace, whom the world mocked, rejected, and hung on a cross!

Through the telescopic lens of prophetic revelation, we witness the red horse removing peace, so that people begin killing each other in unprecedented numbers.  This isn’t so farfetched—we witness it on the nightly news.

(Rev 6:3 KJV) And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

And a third seal is opened … and I heard the third beast say, Come and see.  And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat upon him had a pair of balances in his hand … and the black horse of famine consumes as food prices soar!

You know, the most developed nations of our world have numerous relief agencies whose work is never completed—we’ve watched them most recently in Haiti and South America following devastating earthquakes.  Even in America we’re increasingly focused on food for the hungry and feeding the children.  But there is coming a day when all the human effort the world can muster will be woefully inadequate.  This God of justice, today rejected by presidents and peasants, will unleash such righteous judgment that the entire world will notice!

And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see  (Rev 6:7 KJV)  

Come and see what?  Come and see the pale horse unleashing death and hell—devouring 25% of the world’s population.

By now some of you are thinking, Pastor Dale, why in the world would you bring such morbid detail to our attention on such a wonderful day of celebration?  Because while you and I know the Risen Christ as our Savior, and can rejoice, as many as 3 billion of our fellow human beings have never heard that there is good news! 

What the starving masses of humanity need today is the Bread of Life—the Living Christ!  What the thirsting multitudes of this world need is a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name—that they may never thirst again!  What the warring people groups of our globe need today is for someone who knows Jesus Chris—and the power of His resurrection—to bring them news of the Prince of Peace!

It may be morbid, but the reality of our world is that most of this world will see and feel the effects of these horsemen of the Apocalypse!  But they don’t have to witness it firsthand, because between them and a godless eternity stands someone with the solution—you and me, who know the Savior!

And being shaken to the depths of our souls by this troublesome tour, we find ourselves stepping off the time trolley into a garden.  We glance around us—there is no conductor—there is no train!  But there stands the white-robed angel beside an empty tomb, inviting us to come and see the God of UNLIMITED SALVATION 

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.  Come and see the place where he lay. (Matt 28:6 NIV) 

You see, the purpose of his death was the payment of your sins and mine.  The purpose of his resurrection was to prove to the heavens and the earth that he, the Christ is, indeed, the victor over death, hell, and the grave! 

Low in the grave he lay—Jesus my Savior!

Waiting the coming day—Jesus my Lord!

 

Vainly they watch his bed—Jesus my Savior!

Vainly they seal the dead—Jesus my Lord!

 

Death cannot keep his prey—Jesus my Savior!

He tore the bars away—Jesus my Lord!

 

Up from the grave he arose, with a mighty triumph o’er his foes.

He arose the victor from the dark domain

And he lives forever with his saints to reign.

He arose!  He arose!  Hallelujah!  Christ arose!

 

Because he lives, we too can live also.  Because he lives, others can live also, but they must hear the good news in time—the same good news that we celebrate today!  In the time tha it has taken you to read this blog, somewhere in this world 1,605 people died—most of them without Christ!

In the wake of the resurrected Christ, the instructions given were plain and simple—Go, tell your world!  Is it fair that any one of us should hear the Gospel twice until all have heard at least once?  Let’s determine to carry our celebration to the streets, inviting others to Come and See!

More for the Kingdom

Once again, I sit in an airport – Amsterdam’s Schiphol, hurriedly typing a note to update ministry friends and partners on what is happening recently.  Hurry as I might, I know this will not get out to until I am in Amsterdam, or even back in Detroit, but I wanted to share the latest news with you.

Two weeks ago, in our BBF-GB camp in Cefn Lea Park (Wales), with approximately 144 campers total, we were privileged to see 15-17 campers come to place their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.  Due to other responsibilities, I was not at the camp for the closing ceremonies on Friday morning, and I have been given two different numbers.  However, on their own testimonies, at least 15 young people came to faith in Christ.

After a brief visit with my middle son Jordan in Oxford, where he has been working this summer at Oxford University, my journey took me back northward to Huntingdon-Alconberry, where I was privileged to spend time with Carol and Jose Esquibel and the wonderful congregation of their labors.  I truly anticipate future ministry opportunities with this gracious family.  Their immaculate church complex is located across the street from the Alconberry Royal Air Force base, and it was truly a pleasure to interact with both RAF military personal as well as a few American families who serve on the same base, some as DOD contractors.

Following the morning services and a wonderful noon meal in the Esquibel home, I raced back to the White House, where Dan Brown and the LIFT-UK 09 team had already settled in.  After a day of rest for them, we headed northwest to Cloverley Hall Christian Conference Centre and the LIFT-UK 09 camp.  These camps focus primarily on evangelism, and we were not disappointed in the results!  The spirit of God was self-evident in less than 48 hours, and by the closing of the camp Friday morning, 30 young people became Christ followers.  But it didn’t end there!

I just received word a few minutes ago from Dan Brown, who spent the night last night in the Birmingham area near the airport to catch earlier flights, that another young man had accepted Christ as Savior after camp was over, and over the telephone!

Fifteen teenagers one week, and thirty-one young people another – a total of 46 new heavenly-bound people … because you prayed and invested financially.  Somehow, at the end of the day, that all seems to me like a wise investment of our lives and financial resources.  Thanks for being a part of it, even by proxy.

BTW, do you pray?  If so, would you now pray for these young believers?  Would you also pray for those pastors and Christian leaders in the area churches who have the awesome privilege of following through with discipleship?  Would you also pray as we endeavor to multiply the number of camps in the next few years?  Imagine the impact for the kingdom!

Got to run catch that flight now!  Cheers!

It’s Been A While

Well, it’s been a while, but here I sit in my “On-Line Cafe office” at Detroit’s Metropolitan Airport, waiting on NW 48 to Amsterdam.  It’s been a while (too long) since I traveled this route, via AMS, to Birmingham, England.  Perhaps money and scheduling are common problems for many of us these days.

Tomorrow morning when I land in the West Midlands region of England, I’ll be met by my friend Damian Pickett, who is a wonderful ministry partner, along with his precious wife Ruth Ann.  They exemplify what it means to have the heart of servants.  I always anticipate the time we get to spend together.  Damian is the lead pastor of the Kingsmead Church, whose building was originally built in the 1700s as a preaching station for none other than John Wesley.  I’m always thrilled to speak there (as I will this Sunday), and thrilled to know that three centuries after Wesley preached there, the Gospel is still being heralded from that specific location.  Not all historic church builds have faired as well – some even destroyed or converted in Islamic Training Centers.

Next week is our first week of camp with the Baptist Bible Fellowship Churches of Great Britain – and is always a productive time.  In recent years, this camp has always encouraged my personal prayer life and cultivated my love and passion for young people even further.  Every day, I walk several miles in the Cannock Chase National Forest, praying by name for young people who should place their faith in Christ.  During the evening services, I also pray, and what a joy it is to hear the reports each morning as leaders share who has accepted Christ as Savior the evening prior!  I then draw a line under their names, and then pray with thanksgiving for each of them as I pray through my list each morning on my walks.

BTW, do you pray?  If so, would you pray each morning specifically for the young people who will attend these camps over the next three consecutive weeks?  It may very well be your prayers that God would answer that makes an eternal difference.

The following week, my friend Dan Brown and the LIFT Student Ministries team will return for the second year.  We anticipate going over the 100-mark this year.  Again, please pray that many teenagers will come to place their faith in Jesus Christ.

Finally, please pray for the churches who will follow-up on the new converts in a timely manner.

Well, time to close up “the office” and make that long walk to the gate A56 at McNamara Terminal.  From here, I think it’s a country mile (at least at this time of evening), but the walk will do me well.  I’m sure there will come a time during the 8-hour night flight, sitting in that Airbus A 330 seat, that I’ll wish I was taking a long walk!

Cheers!

New Ministry Opportunities

In spite of the fact that the world economy really stinks and times are tough, ministry opportunities abound. Let me share one such opportunity that we’re seizing in the next few weeks and with which I could use the help of our ministry friends worldwide.

Beginning April 15^th, we’re making our initial foray into the public schools of Great Britain by conducting five high school assemblies in North Wales. These events are a strategic step in evangelizing the youth culture of the United Kingdom and connecting young people with local churches for baptism and discipleship. My prayer is that many of them will also be called of God into vocational ministry and receive their formal Bible college training at the Baptist Bible College of Great Britain.

My dear friends Rick and Mick Vigneulle, who have conducted high school assemblies in America for almost three decades – a program currently called Attitude Check – will be joining me as we partner with various local ministries in North Wales in April. Last summer during a week of youth camp, the Lord greatly used Rick and Mick to impact the participants and the teenagers loved them, their music, and their humor. Our prayer is that the impact will grow to several thousand young people who have no relationship with any church at all, and that many of them will come to place their faith in Jesus Christ.

Would you consider partnering with me in prayer and in financial support? I’m not asking for a long-term, monthly commitment of support (though I am currently operating with only 30% of the monthly support that I need personally), but rather a one-time investment to help in one of the following ways.

Each high school assembly will cost at least $1200USD. Could you, your church, Sunday School class, company, or organization underwrite the cost of one high school assembly? At least one pastor in New York contacted me to say that his church could not give $1200, but would invest $600. Thankfully, it all adds up at the end of the day.

After all the assemblies have been conducted, we’re planning to bring all the students together for a regional pizza blast, which could cost up to $20,000USD with the facility rental, equipment rental, food, drinks, and paper goods. This is the critical evangelist thrust that can yield hundreds of young people coming to Christ. I need financial help for this event quickly, since it is only a few weeks away.

All of these young people will also be invited to attend a summer youth camp, which offers further evangelistic possibilities, as well as follow-up for many who became Christ-followers at earlier functions. However, most of them cannot afford the $250USD—but many American churches could sponsor one or more young people for a week of camp in 2009. My friend Dan Brown and LIFT Student Ministries is returning to the UK to partner annually with us to conduct these camps.

Please let me know that you will help in some way. (Instructions for making your contribution appear below.) I’m starting to sweat this thing—and I hate that feeling—because the first events are only six weeks away! Thanks for any financial investment you can make, and certainly for all the prayers!

And, BTW, do you pray?  If so, would you pray for three specific things please? First, pray that the Lord will supply all the funds that are required to make these strategic evangelistic events happen. Second, please pray that the logistics will come together as we approach our first high school assemblies. The volume of details is staggering. Third, join me in praying that as hundreds of teenagers hear the Gospel, many of them for the first time in their young lives, that many of them will be prepared to put their faith in Jesus Christ as personal Savior.

As you can easily see, this isn’t about me – it’s about the spiritual future of untold thousands of other people! Thanks in advance for your prayers and financial investment!

Dale

Checks for these events should be made payable to GOSPEL ALIVE, INC., a Michigan-based 501(c)3 ministry through which all our projects funds are handled, and mailed as quickly as possible to: Gospel Alive, Inc., 200 Woodstone Road, Waterford, MI 48327.

Another Year’s End

As impossible as it seems to many of us, another year is quickly coming to a close.  This year has afforded us some wonderful milestones of blessing along the way.  Let me rehearse a couple of those celebratory events before focusing toward the future.

First, and dating back to the summer, of the three youth camps conducted in Great Britain in 2008, one was the inaugural “street kids” camp — 60 campers — of which 31 campers accepted Christ as personal Savior!  That miraculous event happened because so many of you prayed and invested financially to make it possible for these teenagers to attend free of charge.  In that same time period, an additional 20 twenty-something’s chose to place their faith in Christ as well.

Second, Debbie (Johns) and I were married at noon Saturday, November 1 on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, where we also honeymooned — compliments of a ton of air miles.  After going it alone for the last eight years, this has become one of the greatest highlights of my life. 

However, those events serve only as a springboard for the future.  As preparations continue for permanent, on-going ministry in the United Kingdom, there are three aspects of ministry with which we need your prayerful support.  BTW, do you pray?  If so …

First, please continue to pray for our support level to increase to 100%.  The deputation process has become increasingly difficult due to both the world and the U.S. economic conditions, increasing numbers of missionaries returning home to secure additional funding, and the budget constraints of local churches to maintain their mission support. 

Second, pray for our preparations for Great Britain in 2009.  While regular support doesn’t allow total relocation to Great Britain at this time, in face of the urgency in reaching the youth culture, I’ve been unwilling to delay critical elements of foundational, strategic ministry until a total relocation is possible.  By Spring 2009, ministry partners and I will begin high school assemblies — an essential ministry for reaching young people.  Further, in addition to the two BBFGB camps in 2009, I’ll conduct two (up from a single camp in 2008) camps for “street kids.

Third, join me in praying that the Lord would raise up an army of American believers who will capture the vision for reaching the next generation of British young people and be will to make prayerful, financial investments.  Timing is everything.

Thanks for partnering with me in finances and fervent prayer in 2008.  Let’s believe God for even greater things in 2009!