We Are All On a Journey...

At the Nikkel Media Works Studio

     We just arrived home from a 3-week trip from California to Indiana/Michigan and back. It was a great time of seeing people. We decided to drive so that we could see more people and stop more places. Ruth figured out that we slept in 9 different beds, did 6 presentations of our work with HCJB Global (in 8 days), had 3 family reunions, saw over 100 friends and family that we have not seen in a long time, attended a wedding, attended a desert night, attended a Ladies Luncheon (Ruth), traveled over 5,000 miles, did 2 college visits and met with the staff at HCJB Global's Nikkel Media Works where I (Doug) will eventually work when we return to Indiana.

     It was great to see many of our friends, family and supporters on this trip. We are constantly reminded of the great group of people that God has put together who stand behind us in prayer and finances. If you want to be a part of that team, we would love to hear from you.

     I think the really exciting news is that just last night we were talking to a family from the Spanish congregation from our church here in California. As we talked, Ruth and I realized that their daughter had not yet made a commitment to follow Jesus even though she is scheduled to be baptized on Sunday. Well we were privileged to be able to help her understand how to do that. We didn't expect that to happen when we talked about getting together, but it just reminds me that we need to always  be ready to share our faith. I would challenge you to think of someone near you... maybe a neighbor, a coworker, or a family member... and begin praying that you will have an opportunity to share your faith with them.

Doug & Ruth

Reality Check

     I met with a well respected Christian media professional last week. I have attended some of his talks from time to time and I like the way he thinks "out-of-the-box". I think I even share his perspective on conventional Christian media. I was a little nervous though. I wanted to run past him some of my ideas for using new media to reach the up-and-coming generations. I have had this dream for a couple of years now and as I began to share it with others through our presentations, etc, I have begun to wonder if this is just a crazy dream or if this is really something that could work. I was beginning to have my doubts... 

     L.A. is a great place to network with Christian media professionals. Many of them work in the secular media, and I am sure they have some great ideas of how Christians should or could use the media to more effectively tell others about Jesus. I was not sure if my ideas would fit into this environment though or if I would be shot down immediately because I really didn't understand the media world. So I had to get a reading. I needed a reality check...

     It was a short meeting...only about half an hour. I had driven longer than that one-way just to get to the meeting. But I got my answer. Total excitement and support! In fact, he kept asking me what he and his company could do to help us. "Whew! So I'm not crazy..." But then it hit me.... "If I'm not crazy, then there has be a way to make this work..."

     That has become my new motto.... I don't know how we are going to realize this dream. Just the thought of it is daunting as I think about the many obstacles that we will have to climb and overcome. But we must be headed in the right direction. So where do I begin? Networking.... Sharing my ideas with other like-minded media professionals and finding ways that we can work together. I left that meeting with a couple of introductions to other media people who might be interested in just this kind of ministry.

     Will you pray for us as I begin talking to people, gleaning ideas from experts in the field, and putting some shape and form to this "not so crazy" idea? We will certainly need all the wisdom and knowledge that we can get, and the best source of that is from our Lord Himself....

Doug

Waiting for the Shoots...

     When I was young I remember my parents had a garden. In the spring, we would all go out and cultivate the earth, make nice little rows in the ground and plant seeds in those rows. Then we would wait.... and we would wait.... and we would wait... It seemed like we waited forever to me as a child. Every day I would go out and look for the first signs of growth... those first shoots of green that would break through the top crust of earth and tell me that our labor was not in vain.

Half-Time Devotions

     The Apostle Paul uses the example of gardening in his first letter to the Corinthians when we talked about spiritual growth too. He said "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth". Well, Steve and I, and many others have been planting seeds and watering those seeds all year long during our indoor soccer games. Several of the players seem interested in spiritual things. We have shared the good news of salvation with them and we have invited them to church on several occasions. Now it is time to let God do the growing.

     We are taking a break from our games for a couple of months. We know that God is not taking a break though. He is growing those seeds even though the shoots are still below the surface and unseen. We watch for those first signs of sprouts every Sunday morning... maybe someone will come to church today.... maybe we need to wait another week.

     Please be praying for the men and women who played with us. We are confident that God is causing those seeds to grow. ... not that we want any glory from it. Paul goes on to say in First Corinthians "... So then neither the one who plants, nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth." Here are some names to help you pray... Luis, Ramon, Sandra, Victor, Irineo, Jose, Eric...

Thanks,

Doug

Just When You Think You're Done....

     Ruth and I both play the guitar and have lead music & worship in the Spanish churches that we planted in Ecuador over the last 20 some years. But, when we decided last year that we needed to leave Ecuador and return to the USA, we were pretty sure that the music ministry chapter of our lives was over. We were comfortable leading music in a small church of 20 or 30 people, but there are so many really talented music people in our churches in the US that it just didn't seem like we would be needed. So when we packed the van and headed west last summer, we didn't even take our guitars with us. We did know, however, that our church in L.A. had a Spanish ministry and we were anxious to be involved with that group in any way we could. Little did we know that we would be heavily involved in the music ministry.  
     Within weeks of our arrival in L.A., a change was made in the music ministry team of our newly adopted Spanish congregation. We were soon asked to be part of a rotation of worship leaders, each of us taking every third week to lead music. Fortunately I was flying back to Indiana at just about that time so I was able to pick up my guitar and bring it back to L.A. with me. Ruth was able to borrow a guitar from one of her long-time friends here. So before we knew it, we were heavily involved in a church music ministry again. In fact, we are probably more involved in the music ministry here than we were for most of our time in Ecuador.
     It is funny how we sometimes think that when we make a big, life changing move in our lives, that all things good must come to an end. Oh sure, things are different. But God wasn't going to let us off the "music ministry" hook quite that easily. He had been training us for ministry for many years. Sure, we were experiencing a change of location, but God knew that we would be needed at Church of the Open Door at just this time of change in their history. And we are becoming more involved in the music as time goes on.
     That is the wonderful thing about having a God who sees the big picture in our lives. We can easily get disoriented and confused by change. God can see the overall plan. He knows how it is all going to work out. He even orchestrates our life changes in order to put us in just the right places to serve Him best. Have you had a major life change lately? Well don't just sit there.... Find out why God sent you there and get involved in what He is doing in your new place of ministry....

Doug & Ruth

Easter & American Culture

Fact: Easter is a part of the American Culture

     Our Pastor recently pointed out that Easter is one of those days on the US cultural calendar when it is totally acceptable for everyone and anyone to attend church. People who don't go to church all year long will search out a church to attend on Easter.
     Knowing this fact about our culture is important, because it gives us the opportunity to be pro-active, to invite our friends and neighbors to come to church. Something as simple as "Hey... I know lots of people go to church on Easter. Are you looking for a church to attend? We have a great one. Do you want to come with us?" can be totally comfortable to say at Easter.
      So why is it so difficult to invite people to church on the other 51 weeks of the year? Are we afraid it might make us look like a "Jesus freak"? ( Not really a bad thing if we mean just being totally excited about Jesus. Could be a bad thing if we mean being totally obnoxious about it.) Can we handle the rejection if they say no? If they say no, is that any worse than if we didn't ask in the first place?
     You know, the great thing about Easter is that we get right to the nut of Christianity. Its all about Sin, Separation (from God), Payment, and Restoration. That message can be told in many different ways. Some churches tell it through special programs, or dramas, or speakers. For me the key is making sure that people leave remembering the message and not the event. Easter is a great time for inviting visitors to church. If someone wants to know what following Christ is all about... this is it!
     We really enjoyed spending Easter with the Spanish believers at Church of the Open Door this year. Ruth and I, along with several others, lead the music and our Spanish Pastor told the redemption story in a powerful way... and our people invited their friends and family. Our little group of believers swelled to over 50 in attendance with several of them returning the next week.
     But don't wait until Easter next year to invite someone to church... A week later, Ruth was in the dentist's office. As she returned to the waiting area after her appointment, a lady was talking to our son David in Spanish. She was very impressed with David's ability to speak Spanish, and told Ruth so. Ruth was able to share with her a bit about our background in South America and then invited her to church on Sunday. Turns out, this lady had been looking for a new church in the area. She came the very next week... and invited 3 other people to come with her. So don't wait until next Easter. Invite someone to church this week.

Doug & Ruth