paul & julie ford crm newsletter year 23, #1– thursday ... 1 feb copy.pdf ·...
TRANSCRIPT
` Paul & Julie Ford CRM Newsletter Year 23, #1– Thursday, February 11, 2015
Keep teaching and training us, Lord We watch for you, Lord. We wait for you, Lord. We listen for you. Help us to watch, wait, and listen... WATCH. One thing have I asked of the Lord, � that will I seek: � that I may dwell in the house of the Lord � all the days of my life, �to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord � and to inquire in his temple. Psalm 27:4 WAIT. Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; � they shall mount up with wings like eagles; �they shall run and not be weary; � they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 LISTEN. The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, � to know the word that sustains the weary. � He wakens me morning by morning, � wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. Isaiah 50:4
Equipping and Releasing the Next Generation – part 1: Uganda & Ukraine As we have made ever so clear over the past 15 months, God has called us to give everything away to the next generation. Julie and I continue this process in earnest as we go to far northwest Uganda, Arua. We are supporting a major leadership transition at the YWAM Arua Base – where our work began in east Africa nearly ten years ago with Peter Drypolcher. We will co-‐lead several training events with partners Sam & Agnes Abuku February 16-‐22. While Julie and I are Auntie and Uncle to many who are taking more strategic equipping roles, Sam and Agnes and Daddy and Mommy! So we four are overjoyed to be together with this extended family community of YWAM’ers whom God is using dynamically to take the gospel into the spiritually dark frontiers of South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. What was four people a decade ago Has become all the people below, with a new people group reached! Please pray: Julie with Sam & “Toto” (Mommy) YWAM Base, Arua, Uganda YWAM Base, Yei, South Sudan John (United Kingdom) & Vikki (USA) Wright* Soroba & Betty – South Sudan Bosco & Edith Tuli – Uganda* Miriam Owot – South Sudan Yolam & Dorothy Bingi – Uganda* *Martin (South Sudan) & Emily (DR Congo) Mario & Elida Keliopa – South Sudan* Santos Onyala – South Sudan Joyce Emielu – Uganda* Sarah – South Sudan / Lokuta – South Sudan Susi (UK) and John (South Sudan) Waru Daniel – Nigeria Sid & Wendy Harper - USA Steve & Danielle Beck – USA Rose & Valence – Uganda John Toburo – Uganda New YWAM Base, Lobone/Issore, South Sudan Benedicta & Benjamin – DRCongo* (former unreached people group!): Barthelemy & Miriam – DR Congo *William – Uganda Dan Etotu – Uganda *Regina – South Sudan Lawrence Mungufeni - Uganda (pictured) Adam – Somalia / Helen Kepo – Uganda Nelson – Uganda / Eva – Germany / Kenia – Brazi * early leaders in this frontier YWAM Arua Base in whom we have invested in over the years UKRAINE? will focus on these friends in the prayer email in early March! (see prayer/schedule page)
Equipping and Releasing the Next Generation – part 2 A second major way God has called me to do this is to invest deeply in twelve Emerging Equippers, ages 18-‐42, spread throughout the world. You have heard about them – and many of you have prayed for them. Here is
feedback from three of those Emerging Equippers – in Canada, in Uganda via South Africa, and in the USA – talking about impact in their lives and/or ministry: Greg Langman, Toronto, Canada – this iron sharpening iron relationship actually began five years ago, which makes Greg one of two “elder brothers” of this Emerging Equippers process! As a kid and even today I like to throw rocks into lakes and streams to see the ripples they create and how far they can travel. One small stone can send ripples a long distance. Likewise a small act of obedience to Jesus influences far beyond the initial act itself. Almost 5 years ago I acted in obedience and took the Grip Birkman coach training with Paul and Tim Roehl and well, the ripple effect is something that can only be explained by the hand of God. Here is His work that I have witnessed from the point of that first GB coaches training event and the ensuing coaching with Paul -‐ the rock thrown into the Christian & Missionary Alliance (C&MA) of Canada pond: • Ripple One: Church Planters and co-‐workers were released from the bondage of
finding their significance in what they did and lived from their significance in Christ. • Ripple Two: Their new self-‐awareness of who God created them to be naturally and
supernaturally caused them to adjust their jobs and ministry roles. • Ripple Three: In their new freedom individuals, GB Coaches and denominational
leaders started asking the question: “How do we help more people find their fit so they can flourish in life, and ministry together as the body of Christ to the world?”
• Ripple Four: All the top leaders in the denomination started to embrace these biblical principles and took action to make it possible for more pastors to live in freedom, implementing the use of the Grip Birkman in every district across our country.
• Ripple Five: As a denomination we now value, in ever increasing measure, values of living from significance, stewardship of individuals, teams and groups of teams, with a growing value of body life leadership and its implications for reaching the world through body ministry.
We have a long way to go but the ripples continue under the direction of God’s Spirit. “People typically over estimate what they can do in the short term and under estimate what God can do in the long term” (Craig Groeschel). Jaco Swart, South African working with YWAM in Jinja, Uganda We all tend to shake our heads and make disapproving noises when we read about James and John asking Jesus whether they could sit on His left and right side in the Kingdom. The truth is, more often than not we don’t even ask, we just presumptuously take the place of honour and authority as if we deserve them. Over the last year Paul has called me out on this on numerous occasions. He speaks truth in love (sometimes through tough love). “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.” (Mathew 23:8). We know this, I know this, but in reality this simple truth is not fully embraced, or to be more specific, in my approach to missions and ministry. Paul has been instrumental in helping me start the journey from just knowing this truth to living it. To see those I minister with, and to, as brothers -‐ relationship is always worth fighting for!!! This year has been truly challenging but an incredibly valuable one to me. Jaco & Leanne Swart family on the White Nile River David Johnson, Engineer with Jacobs Engineering Group, Denver, CO. David and wife Grace leave on a missions trip for Ecuador this next week with Engineering Ministries International, so please pray! The Emerging Equippers process for me was focused on applying the principles of Moving from I to WE with a special focus on our young marriage. In November 2013 I married the love of my life, Grace. The demands of work and professional responsibilities, including a major career transition, created challenges during our first year of marriage. As a young husband I discovered that I had much to learn. I realized up close how Paul & Julie have supported one another and equipped and empowered each other through fruitful as well as painfully difficult seasons of life. Through the Emerging Equippers process, I have been challenged me to grow as a husband and leader in my marriage. Grace and I are just getting started on our journey together!
CRM/Acct #5041 – 1240 N Lakeview Ave #120, Anaheim, CA 92807 – 714-779-0379