Archive for September, 2008
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
I am still experiencing God’s peace however, at this time, Vileen and I are one month behind in my salary from Love In Action. Love In Action has had a very hard summer financially and really needs your prayers to help them and for Vileen and I as we continue in our walk of faith for God’s leading.
The Book Project
I received some work back from Bart, my author. I have to be honest, I wept all the way through it and this is just the beginning. He has very eloquently captured my heart. Please keep Bart in your prayers. He experienced a medical reaction last week that put him out for 10 days. There is such an anointing on this book project that much prayer is needed to make it to the end of this one!
Pray for:
Wisdom for John and Vileen
Financial provision for Love in Action and for John and Vileen
For Bart and the Book project
Tags: Bart Green, financial provision
Posted in Personal for the Smids | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
Grace Rivers Development
Our plans are working out well. After just three meetings, our Steering Committee has made a tremendous amount of progress. I think the most important progress we have made is in effectively embracing the spirit of Grace Rivers. I truly believe that when the development team understands the concept of Grace Rivers, the rest will fall into place. I am thrilled to see this begin to take shape.
Our Steering Committee representation, myself and Todd Posey will be meeting with an attorney to begin the process of corporate applications and non-profit status applications. Thank you for praying for this very important part of our development process.
Todd Posey and I will be meeting for two whole days to develop a specific plan of implementation for Grace Rivers on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 29th and 30th. Please pray for God’s anointing on our time together.
Our Steering Committee has agreed to a final draft for our vision statement, mission statement, and our core values. See below:
Vision Statement:
Seeking God’s grace in our lives so that we can share it with others.
Mission Statement:
Grace Rivers is a worldwide ministry actively stirring the body of Christ towards healthier relationships and spiritual growth by helping people become more honest and real with themselves, others and God using biblical principles, resulting in a more passionate response to fulfilling the great commission.
Grace Rivers – Core Values
This is a draft of the Core Values that we will adhere to as a ministry. We honor them in order to keep communications and relationships within the leadership safe, honest and open, and to show respect and love to each person present.
pursue personal evaluation of one’s own motives and attitudes. (Luke 6:45;) Authenticity
practice honest, open, yet loving communication with each other that comes out of an internal honesty. Honesty (John 8:32)
refrain from talking at and preaching or teaching to one another, but rather will keep the focus on one’s own issues and feelings. (Matthew 7:1-5) Non-Judgmental
actively participate with respectful listening, personal input, and attentiveness. (James 1:19) Active Participation
refrain from attacking or demeaning another’s character. (Romans 12:10) Honor
put off responding defensively if confronted by another until enough time has passed to pray and reflect over what has been said. (James 1:19,20) Transparency
maintain strict confidentiality with regard to personal matters that come up within their time together, whether at conferences, with participants, or generally about personal and church matters. (Proverbs 11:13) Confidentiality
show sensitivity and give affirmation when someone has chosen to speak out in an honest and vulnerable way. (John 13:34) Sensitivity
stop any distracting behaviors (eating, gum chewing, drinking, fidgeting, doodling) when someone else is requiring focused attention – and electronic devices during all meetings. Respect
Tags: Core Values, mission, mission statement, vision, vision statement
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Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008
Our Vision
Pursuing God’s Grace in Our Lives
So That We Can Share it With Others
Our Mission
Grace Rivers is a worldwide ministry actively stirring the body of Christ towards healthier relationships and spiritual growth by helping people become more honest and real with themselves, others and God using biblical principles, resulting in a more passionate response to fulfilling the great commission.
Our Core Values:
- Authenticity in motives
- Honesty of the heart
- Non-Judgmental in response to one another
- Active Participation with one another
- Honoring one another
- Transparency with each other
- Confidentiality regarding one another
- Vulnerability about our lives
- Sensitivity with each other
- Respect for one another
Tags: Core Values, mission, vision
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Wednesday, September 17th, 2008
Grace Rivers Development
Last evening our Steering Committee met and I am so encouraged by what I see developing! The members are practicing the Grace Rivers model and looking for its application in their daily lives. This is what Grace Rivers is all about, living out God’s grace and learning how to share it with others. God has established a great team to build this ministry on and I am excited to see it come about.
Grace Rivers
Last evening our Steering Committee met and I am so encouraged by what I see developing! The members are practicing the Grace Rivers model and looking for its application in their daily lives. This is what Grace Rivers is all about, living out God’s grace and learning how to share it with others. God has established a great team to build this ministry and I am excited to see it coming along.
We have almost finished writing our Mission and Vision statements. We have worked hard to find the right way to introduce Grace Rivers to the world. Here is another draft of what we are coming up with:
Vision Statement: passionate, healthy living from honest, authentic relationship with God, ourselves and others
Mission Statements:
- Grace Rivers is actively stirring men and women worldwide toward healthier relationships and spiritual growth.
- Grace Rivers uses biblical discipleship principles to help people become more authentic before God, themselves and others.
- Grace Rivers people are more passionately pursuing Christ’s mission for His church.
This will be further revised but we are getting there.
We have also come up with a draft of our “Core Values” which I am really excited about. I’ll share them with you at a later point.
We have approached two attorneys to assist us with the corporate applications but have not yet found the right person for the job. It is very important to get the right person for this job.
Please pray for:
- God’s continued work through the Steering Committee
- Continued development of the Mission Statement, Core Values and Leadership structures
- For divine selection of legal advisors who are proficient with non-profit corporation development
- God’s development of the GR Team
- Development of further speaking engagement opportunities
Tags: Core Values, mission, Prayer, statement, steering committee, vision
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Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
I remain calm in my walk of faith regarding provision for myself and Vileen come November. I continue to pray and seek the Lord for His will. I trust He will lead us.
I heard from my book writer this week and he said to thank you all for your prayers. He is gaining freedom from the strange distractions that have been occurring lately. He said he will have some pages for me soon.
Pray for:
Wisdom for John and Vileen
For Bart Green, my writer, to gain progress on the book soon.
Financial provision for our family starting in November 2008
Tags: Bart Green, Book, financial provision, provision
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Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
Personal Prayer for John and Vileen
Vileen came to me today and asked me where we were going to cut our budget in preparation for the potential of our loss of income. In my own insecurity and attempt at denial I shrugged my shoulders and said, “I don’t know.”
In reality, there is a lot I don’t know about where God is leading us. I don’t know what He is going to do. I don’t know what we are going to do. I don’t know exactly how He will lead us. I don’t know how He will provide for us.
What I do know is that God is faithful. I also know that His ways are not our ways. I know that He will provide for our “needs” even though I can’t always understand what those are exactly. I know that for over 25 years I have seen God provide for us in times of abundance, times of need, times of insecurity and great financial challenge. He has never let us down.
I know that He is not an enabler and will provide according to His will even if it means that we have to change dramatically how we live. I still like to remain in denial about it all. I am not comfortable having to think of giving up anything. Do I have a show of hands to “relate”? I don’t want to feel alone in all of this.
A friend of ours asked Vileen if I had been applying for jobs. She said, “No”. Our friend was shocked at her response. Another good friend asked me how I felt about applying for jobs. My response was this. If I were working at a full time job that was unrelated to Grace Rivers I would not have the time to develop this ministry. If I were trying to work and develop GR I would not be able to give the time to my family that I feel is really important right now. I feel deeply convicted that Grace Rivers is God’s plan. I also feel deeply convicted that time with my family at this time in my grandson’s life is also extremely important. So, no, I haven’t applied for jobs.
But, I am open. I seek God each day for His will and believe whole heartedly that He is faithful and will lead me where He wants me to go. Please pray for us so that we will continue to feel His arms of leading and provision around us.
Pray for:
- Wisdom for John and Vileen
- Financial provision for our family starting in November 2008
Tags: financial provision, John, Prayer, Vileen
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Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
Grace Rivers Development
Today I am preparing a brochure for the Family Freedom Event to occur in Clinton MS. I am so thankful that God has given us this wonderful opportunity to minister to families. I am somewhat taken aback by the business of October. I have five weekends in a row booked with speaking and conferences. I’m really looking forward to all of these diverse events to share God’s grace with those whom I will be connecting with.
Grace Rivers
I had excellent meetings with Central Church leadership as well as The Love of Christ Church leadership this past week. Both churches are very open to the potential of working with Grace Rivers within their church families.
I have had positive responses from six men who have welcomed the idea of becoming involved in Grace Rivers as a “Steering Committee”. The responsibilities of this committee will be to assist in establishing Grace Rivers as a ministry.
These men come from a diversity of vocational experience, church involvement and history with me personally. I chose men that I know well enough to trust their godly character. But these are men I am not regularly socially involved with which allows for a healthy potential for accountability in this very important process.
We have had our first meeting which was very exciting and productive. The group connected very well and offered some great feedback and ideas. We spent the majority of the time just getting to know more about the mission of Grace Rivers and laying out the initial foundation for a leadership structure and our initial statement of Core Values.
I have certainly learned through the years the incredible significance of both of these structures. I also know all too well the struggles that can occur when they are not clear and understood by the leadership of a ministry. It is my hope to build into the very foundation of Grace Rivers both of these documents.
We have also begun to search for legal advisors regarding establishing the corporation and non-profit paperwork. This is a very serious process and needs incredible wisdom since it will dictate now and in the future how we will operate and function from a legal standpoint.
I have had several wonderful conversations this week with people who want to be intimately involved in Grace Rivers Ministry. Some have said they want to promote GR in their own churches and cities. I have also heard from some who want to help facilitate conference events. I am very encouraged that God is sending people from afar and near that are really excited about the potential of Grace Rivers Ministry.
I have to run to keep up with God on this. He has set something in motion I find very surprising some days.
Please pray for:
• God’s direction for ongoing meetings with Central Church and TLC
• God’s covering and anointing on the Steering Committee
• Development of Core Values and Leadership structures
• For divine selection of legal advisors who are proficient with non-profit corporation development
• God’s development of the GR Team
• My preparation for all of the events coming up
Tags: Central Church, Church, Family Freedom Event Family Freedom, steering committee, The Love of Christ Church, TLC
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Monday, September 1st, 2008
Grace Rivers Develeopment
Your prayers this week have definitely been heard! As of Thursday I discovered a practical plan of how to establish the ministry of Grace Rivers. After meetings with advisors some things really became clear for me.
I also had a very productive and encouraging meeting this last Saturday that laid a foundation for what Grace Rivers actually can become!
Please read through this entire letter to find out exactly how your prayers are being answered.
Last week was very productive for Grace Rivers development. Thank you so much for your prayers. I have contacted six men to ask them to consider being part of the initial “Steering Committee” for the development of Grace Rivers. Five of the six have already confirmed their interest and I have set up meetings this week with each of them to further discuss the plan of the Steering Committee. I can’t tell you how encouraged I am to have these particular men walk alongside me in making Grace Rivers a reality.
A man named Todd Posey contacted me about six weeks ago to see if I could help him develop a ministry within his church that would set a place for more authentic and honest relationships. Todd and his wife, Ann went through the Radical Living program at Love In Action about five years ago and really wanted something like this for their church. This initial phone call has ended up in hours of meetings and phone calls with Todd. Todd has become my right hand man, helping me greatly to develop Grace Rivers. He has experience in marketing, business, budgeting, and inter church relationships. He definitely brings to this project the experience and personality that merges with mine to help fill in the gaps.
On Saturday, Todd, Scotty Bollinger (Word Creative, my web designer) and I had a five hour brainstorming session to talk about what Grace Rivers really is designed to do. Out of this time together we developed a rough draft of a mission statement.
Grace Rivers is a worldwide ministry actively stirring the body of Christ towards healthier relationships and spiritual growth by helping people become more honest and real with themselves, others and God using biblical principles, resulting in a more passionate response to fulfilling The Great Commission.
Grace Rivers is a model of communication, tools for healthy relationships, and teaching materials to support its model. I can see it working in virtually any church to help implement the mission statement we drafted. It can be implemented into small groups, topical groups, home groups, Bible studies and also includes a recovery model for the needs of those who are stuck in destructive life patterns.
The wonderful thing about Grace Rivers is that it is not designed for recovery, rather for practical Christian growth and discipleship. This allows for less of a stigma for those wanting to join a Grace Rivers group with all of the benefits and depth of honesty of many recovery groups. The exciting thing about this is that many more people might find significant Christian growth through Grace Rivers.
The other component of Grace Rivers is the outcome of dramatically increased spread of the gospel. I hear from the world that the Church is full of hypocrites and dishonesty. Well – Grace Rivers addresses these concerns by helping us take our masks off and get more real. The byproduct of this is more effective relating with others outside the church.
Please pray for:
• My meetings with the Steering Committee members this week
• Meetings with staff members of Central Church here in Memphis this week
• Further development of the foundation elements of Grace Rivers – I want to do this RIGHT!
Tags: Development, mission statement, prayers, steering committee
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