Well here we are…2019. Cindy and I hope and pray that this new-year has begun on a positive note for you. We are so excited to see what God is going to do. January has been a great month for us personally as well as On Target Ministries. On the personal side, we just concluded another important test at National Jewish Hospitalthat measures heart/lung pressure. While Cindy has been fine and not experiencing any negative side effects from the altitude, this test will help us discover what long-term affects we may need to consider. So far it seems like she is doing just great.
We also learned that our landlord wants to terminate our lease at the end of our one year agreement coming this August. Your prayers are appreciated as we now need to consider our next steps—do we continue to rent, look for a house to purchase, etc.? I think we may be leaning toward another year of renting unless God provides something just right for us.
On the ministry front there is a lot going on. I am preparing today for a major men’s retreat this weekend for First Presbyterian Churchin Colorado Springs. First Pres is a mega church here that we have had a relationship with for many years. The retreat is this weekend in Westcliff, Colorado.
This will be a very special event for me as I have such fond memories from the last time I conducted a men’s retreat for them. It was late 2009 while Cindy was in the hospital fighting for her life. I remember that event vividly as I did not think I was in any condition to speak because I was so emotionally out of it. Well, God really showed up in such a powerful way. Such a great example of how God shines through our weakness. Counter intuitive for sure.
It now looks like we have three major events already booked for our first quarter and I just booked a major event for a men’s group out of Pennsylvania for September. I am so excited that the Lord is continuing to use us in such a powerful way. We are also getting a lot of new interest in our Men On Targetcurriculum from around the country. Still looking for a little more financial help to complete our second workbook. Please pray about that and remember no gift is too small for us.
I am truly excited about my role here with Pastor Steve Holt at The Road @ Chapel Hills. Let me just say that I have never experienced such a special connection of the unique needs we have here and the incredible experiences God has given to me to be able to make a difference. Very few things in life make you feel better than when you are operating in your sweet spot.
In mid January I had the privilege of speaking again here and brought a message about vision and mission. As a leadership team we crafted our new statements last month. Our vision is A Kingdom Revolution In The Rockies. We want to build a one hundred year church. We want to do today what will truly last if Jesus should tarry.
Our mission is Equipping People To Change The World. This is the area I really drilled down on in my message. The mission is how we get to the vision. I encouraged all of us to consider that our true destinywill never be realized until we understand our identity. I talked about the importance of pressing in with God and establishing an intimate relationship as the secret to discovering His purpose for your life.
I also talked about how we are going to impact our area by unpacking strategies for reaching the Seven Mountains Of Culture. Our people got really excited. I had a couple of them say that they have never heard a church reveal in such great detail how they were going to live out their mission. The connection between the new messaging from our church and the vision and mission of On Targetis profound.
My friends God is moving—we can feel it. However, the world is moving too and unfortunately it is going in the wrong direction. Hardly a day goes by where we don’t learn of some new bill being passed that is anti everything we believe in. That is certainly the case here in Colorado as our legislators just passed a new and hideous sex education bill that is going to truly impact our precious little ones. It is an important reminder of how critical a time we live in and of the importance of the work God is calling us to do.
With that in mind I want to encourage you to discover what your target is before God and keep your eyes fixed. Let’s all endeavor to be that tree planted firmly on the hill with our roots firmly established and watered by His Spirit so that we become truly the people He intended.
Cindy and I are so grateful for your continued prayers and financial support for this important work. It is truly making a difference—one man and one marriage at a time.
May you experience God’s richest blessing in this new season,