SpiritFest ‘11Recap
It was a true delight to witness the L
ORD release a spirit of peace, love, unity and generosity upon our community during the sixth annual SpiritFest! The weather was glorious, the attendance numerous, and the response fabulous. Several decisions to receive Christ were made that day, and we give glory to God for His salvation! We thank Him also for allowing us the freedom to proclaim it. Aside from a few bee stings, there was safety on the playground and cooperativeness on the platform. God was so faithful in answering the
many specific requests concerning the details. The food and drink was plentiful, appreciated and served with a smile! A favorite testimony of the occasion was the Accu-Weather televised prediction that morning: across the regional map was the word "Tranquility." That is, the quality or state of being tranquil - free from agitation of mind or spirit. That was definitely a God-inspired forecast!
One of the many highlights was the powerful reading and portrayal of Ragman, a deeply moving story by Walter Wangerin, Jr. Members of the Mountain Top Walk to Emmaus and Chrysalis Community beautifully en-acted this must-read. Stephen Costalas played the part of the muscular, intelligent man with the job as a ragman in the inner city. His exchange of new rags for old resulted in wholeness for others, but left him broken as he took upon their wounds. Rabbi Mark Schulman delivered the challenging message, "Are You a Weed or a Seed?" and Tricky Mickey and Miss Naomi imparted the Gospel to children and their parents. Among the returning bands and soloists was faithful worship leader, Deb Alpha. Deb has been wonderfully emceeing SpiritFest since it’s beginning in 2006. New to the band shell this year was Kaitlyn Campbell, Jim Steager & the Jasper Springs Band, SWiM, and William Doney. Thank you to every precious minister, musician and volunteer for every prayer offered and for every selfless act.
Gospel For Asia
Christmas is just two months away, and we want to show how simple it is for churches to participate and
impact lives for eternity through the GFA gift catalog. Each year the Lord brings more and more fruit from the
Christmas Catalog and we praise God for testimonies from families reporting that it transformed their Christmas and brought a deeper meaning to the Holiday cheer.
The father of one Dalit girl named Rajika died years ago, leaving her, her mother, her two brothers and three sisters in a desperate financial situation. Last year, Gospel for Asia-supported pastor Kripal Nair made sure Rajika received a sewing machine from the Christmas gift program. As a result of that one gift, this young woman started sewing clothes for her family so they didn’t have to pay others to do it for them. She can also sew for others to earn a decent income and provide for her family. A grateful Rajika now participates in worship services and prayer meetings at Pastor Kripal’s church.
The GFA gift catalog illustrates Christ’s passion for the unreached and the
urgency to reach this generation with the Gospel. It impacts both Asia and the Western Church. If your church has not already planned what they will be doing this Christmas, why not contact us to provide you with GFA Christmas materials for the decision making process. Please never hesitate to call us if you have any questions or if you would like to schedule a presentation – we are here to serve you as we serve the L
ORD together!
Spiritual Dress
By Rob E. Zweifel
The year is 1767 and you are walking through the streets of New York. You notice a crowd gathered up ahead. As you approach, you see Captain Thomas Webb of the British Army preaching the word of God. Captain Webb, a Methodist lay preacher, would preach in full uniform with sword in hand, for maximum effect. By his attire, whoever saw Captain Webb knew immediately he was an officer in the British army. He wore the complete uniform, right down to the red coat with cross belt. More importantly, however, Captain Webb was a soldier in the
Lord’s army. Therefore, when he would preach, he also needed to put on his
spiritual uniform.
As members of God’s army, Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 to “put on the full armor of God.” We “put on” truth, righteousness, peace, and faith as our spiritual uniform. These characteristics must be so obvious in our lives, that when others see us, they are as evident as the clothes we wear. We know the police, firefighters, letter carriers and other service workers, as soon as we see them because of their clothing. Athletes can be easily identified, not only associating them with the sport they play, but the team they represent as well. There is nothing ambiguous about these figures from the moment we see them. We want the world to know we are Christians just as easily. The way to do this is by doing as Paul says, and put on the full armor of God, our spiritual uniform. Our spiritual dress is not to be worn to cover us, but to reveal who we are in Christ. We are
His ambassadors. Let your true identity be recognized as you boldly witness for Him!
