Would YOU like to Know God Personally?

Volume 5, Issue 4
Would YOU like to Know God Personally

One of the tools Campus Crusade uses for evangelism in a little wallet size booklet called “Would you like to Know God Personally?” This small but powerful statement can have different implications for someone who does not Know God Personally (unbeliever) and for one who does have a personally relationship with God through Jesus Christ (Christian, follower of Jesus Christ, believer). In a recent Human Resources (HR) team meeting, we vibrantly discussed honing in on what does it mean even for the believer to Know God Personally. What challenges do we face? What hinders us from growing in our relationship with God? This conversation got our juices flowing for helping our staff to be spiritually equipped in their ministry roles. What keeps a believer in Jesus going, living beyond the mundane to “walking spirit-filled” as they go about their work? The source of strength, inspiration, hope, and perseverance is found only in our Lord. Therefore, on-going depth of knowing God personally, is essential for fruitfulness in ministry as for every day life. Our HR team has that privilege and task to assist our staff in that process of staff development (spiritually, professionally, personally). It’s not just about beginning a personal relationship with God it is also sustaining it. By growing our staff we will multiply others more effectively. Thus encouraging, equipping and empowering people to be all that God wants them to be. Campus Crusade values growth: “Growth means that we are pursing life change in ourselves, continuing to learn and mature…This value not only refers to individual growth but also to our organization as a whole.” Thank you for valuing what we do in our ministry. You make it possible for us to equip, train, and raise up our staff to be most effective in reaching lives for Christ with the Gospel.

A visual aid we used at the Day of Prayer where we placed prayer requests that we are -extremely-Depending on God for (the day’s theme).

New Role for Mike
Just about a month ago, Mike was asked to consider taking on a leadership role within the Human Resources department. He has since accepted and taken on the role of associate director. This includes oversight of the HR team members and helping to plan for the future of the department.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Praise: The Campus Crusade World Wide Day of Prayer held at Keynote went well. Thanks for your prayers!
• Pray for Mike as he continues to learn his new role. Pray for wisdom and discernment.
• Pray for our upcoming intern training (June 6-19th) as well as our Summer Project.

Mike and Leslie were ecstatic Butler made it all the way to the championship Basketball Game. They were on campus for both the games as Butler is Leslie’s Alma-mater.

Resourcing, Caring for & Developing our staff

Volume 5, Issue 3
Resourcing, Caring for & Developing our staff

We are both excited to be serving in the Human Resources (HR) Department at Keynote. Recently someone relayed how “most people think of HR in the secular world as firing and hiring.” However in ministry, our HR department is about stewardship, shepherding, and shaping culture (an atmosphere of walking together humbly before God, with mercy and justice as our standards). It is truly a delight to meet the needs of God’s people who are called to serve Him within our movement. We get excited about equipping and pouring into our staff to then have them turn around and pour out to others — somewhat of a spiritual multiplication effect. We must keep in mind that everything we do is with the mission in mind.

We want you to know how much we are challenged and blessed in our roles at Keynote. It often gets overlooked the need for Christ to continue to work in the lives of believers. Just as believers in Jesus Christ aid or cause people to think about the Gospel we too need equipping, training and spiritual care.

Mike has been continuing in his coaching role where he oversees new staff as they are raising their initial support. He’s been knee deep in analyzing how effective the new staff are in raising their support as well as the average time it takes them to report to their assignment. He’s taken note of patterns and proposing ways we can enhance and improve the process.

Leslie has recently started reviewing potential new intern and staff applications. She is humbled as she learns people’s stories. God has a story to tell through each of our lives regardless of what job we have, where we live, or what we do! He wants our lives to testify to who He is (His goodness, His character, His grace, His unfailing love…). In addition, she is a community leader for a sister ministry (GMO), where she oversees about a dozen other online missionaries who respond to people who write in after going to websites with the Gospel message. Who thought sharing the Gospel and resourcing others through email and the internet could be so exciting?

Check out Keynote on the Web:
http://www.keynote.org/
http://www.keynoteconnection.org/
http://lifewidget.com/
http://www.keynotefuel.com/

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• We would keep Christ our First love.
• Patience as we adjust to our new roles/ recent changes in our roles.
• Wisdom and Discernment for HR in developing a new plan to Spiritually build our staff.
• Wisdom and Creativity for Leslie and the team planning the upcoming Indy Campus Crusade World Wide Day of Prayer held at Keynote in April.

There are two things we are called to do: we are to depend on His strength and be obedient to His Word. If we can’t handle being depending and obedient...we will never become the kind of people who have a heart for God.
-Stuart Briscoe

The Gospel: Interest: to eager learning: to growing spiritually

Volume 5, Issue 2
The Gospel: Interest eager learning growing spiritually

Two months ago, Denise (not her real name) found herself in a room full of people attending a dinner event featuring Vanguard. While she knew about God from some of her personal interactions and her family, she had never really heard or understood about knowing Jesus Christ. That all changed for her on a mid-December evening.

As Vanguard sang songs about Christmas and shared fun and poignant stories about their own lives, Denise was truly engaged. At one point during the evening, people attending were asked to fill out a card and share their comments. Denise responded by saying she wanted to talk with someone about spiritual things.

One of the organizers of the event, passed on Denise’s information to a local Campus Crusade for Christ woman named Donna. (Leslie’s previous ministry boss) Recently, Donna sent an email to the members of Vanguard:

“I wanted to let you know that your concert and witness filtered out some perfectly ripe fruit in [Denise]. She received Christ a couple weeks ago, and we’ve met twice since then. Each time, she has tons of great questions–and really is beginning to grasp the truths of Scripture. We’re slowly going through the “Foundations” series, and it’s such a joy to watch the light come on. She is so teachable and eager to grow.”

The Gospel is not just for un-believers:
C. J. Mahaney writes in The Cross Centered Life, The gospel isn’t one class among many that you’ll attend during your life as a Christian– the gospel is the whole building that all the classes take place in! Rightly approached, all the topics you’ll study and focus on as a believer will be offered to you ’within the walls’ of the glorious gospel.

Preaching the Gospel to myself is something that has recently been sticking out to me(Leslie). Milton Vincent says is his book The Gospel Primer for Christians; “The New Testament teaches that Christians ought to hear the gospel as much as non-Christians do.” As someone who already has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior I am in just as much of need to tell myself TRUTH on any give day or hour. I am in a constant need to die to myself, my flesh, things of this world. (Galatians 2:20 comes to mind.) God has me in process as he does you. The difference is those who believe He died for their sins, have eternal hope and purpose which we read about in His word, The Bible.

The Gospel has residual effects, perhaps more than we will every see or hear about while on earth, or at least we’ll have a glimpse of. Milton defines the Gospel (a noun) as: “means good news of salvation for hell-deserving sinners through the Person and work of Jesus Christ.“

Jerry Bridges, in Gospel-Driven Sanctification says: To use an expression…,we must ‘preach the gospel to ourselves every day.’ For me that means I keep going back to Scriptures such as Isaiah 52:6, Galatians 2:20 and Romans 8:1. It means that I frequently repeat the words from an old hymn, ‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood righteousness.’


A Belated Valentine!

 For God so loVed the world,
     That he gAve
        His onLy
             bEgotten
            SoN
              That whoever
Believeth in hIm should
              Not perish,
     But have Everlasting life.
-John 3:16


PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for the softening of hearts that are hard, so they may hear the Gospel.
• Pray for a team that is going to Brazil mid March to train a partner music ministry there.
• We would be living the Gospel out in our daily lives.

CHECK THIS OUT!
Our newest department New Media Labs have been busy helping to develop some new sites.
http://mediaforministry.org/
-An online media base for equipping and training.

Do you have a website that needs content?

Is your website boring? Do you wish you updated your blog or website more? Make your blog or website more engaging by adding content from other sites you enjoy. It takes less than 2 minutes to do. Expand your online influence today by getting started at http://www.lifewidget.com/

Check out the video below for additional info



{if viewing this through email, see the video on our blog at: http://rebholz.blogspot.com/ }

Ministry: Rewind and Present

Volume 5, Issue 1
Ministry: Rewind and Present

Let us first rewind and give God praise for what HE has done in 2009.

Recap 2009
Keynote had a presence in 8 different countries throughout the year. Whether it be a band doing an outreach concert, resourcing a place with training, sending people, all for the purpose of impacting lives for Him.

This past year there were over 59,000 people who heard about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus at one of our concerts. Of those people, well over 2,600 of them informed us that they started a relationship with Him for the first time at our show/concert. (these are just the ones that we know of)

It truly is a privilege to serve the Lord in this ministry and be a part of something that is beyond ourselves for an eternal purpose. As we have reflected on this past year, we continue to grow spiritually and be challenged in our Walk with the Heavenly Father while being an outpouring of the life changing truths of the Gospel. Thank you for partnering in His Work!

Ministry in the decade ahead
The world is rapidly growing and changing. The speed at which people are connecting to each other is constantly accelerating, and the wealth of information made available is growing exponentially. Here are some staggering thoughts: Did you know?

• Facebook added 100 million users in less than 9 months (according to the United Nations it took radio 38 years just to reach 50 million people).
• More than one trillion text messages were sent in the US in 2008, that’s 3.5 billion messages per day.
• Every week teens in the US spend over 10 hours online and 10 hours texting. That same teen spends 29 seconds per day in a meaningful conversation with their parents.
• If all the Facebook users in the world lived in one country it would be the 4th largest country in the world!
• There are 70 different languages represented on Facebook.

Older people may not understand it but for college and high school students social networking is where they exist, where they build relationship and where they find out all their news. We call it the 8th continent because it has its own language and its own culture…and for some of us it feels like unchartered territory.

Keynote is seeking to reach the “8th continent” through various social networks. Music is still a part but not the only aspect of our ministry. We need to stay relevant to those whom we are trying to minister to. We are taking the truth of the Gospel into modes of communication that are everyday usage for our audience. There is a platform and ample opportunity to share the Gospel message as well as dialoguing with people about spiritual things regardless of their physical location, age, sex, and even language.

Many of the statistics we share are from a 3.5 min. video that can be seen on this blog:
http://rebholz.blogspot.com/2010/01/reaching-8th-continent.html


PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Safe travel for a team heading to Spain.
• For peace and trust in the Lord’s abundant provision for our major financial deadline Feb. 26th.
• A continued deepening relationship with our first love, Jesus.
• Praise! GREAT things HE has done and will do!

(On right, Leslie holding her certificate she received this month in celebration of 5 years with Campus Crusade)

Reaching the 8th Continent

The video below is from a dinner that Keynote held, so some of the statistics are based on the dinner event. But this shows the growing importance of our focus on reaching the "8th Continent".

See the video at: http://rebholz.blogspot.com/2010/01/reaching-8th-continent.html

Three Simple Words This Holiday

Three simple words this holiday

As Christmas approaches and people's yearly letters begin to arrive, we wondered what we should write for our final newsletter of 2009.

Recently Mike had the privilege to spend the weekend with a friend who is dying from cancer. He had the opportunity to ask Valerie how she came to personally know Christ. Valerie's life growing up was filled with fear and mistrust. A random person at the end of youth group expressed three words that broke through the fear and mistrust of her heart and eventually led to her salvation. Those three words "God loves you."

Three simple words, and yet so powerful -- God loves you. In this season where we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world, it is an important reminder that it is all about God's love for us. From the foundations of the world, God's love for us was beyond anything we ever deserved. In our choice to rebel against God, He still loved us. So much so, that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to come to earth in human form and to pay the penalty of our disobedience -- death.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus through Christmas, will you remember with us that it is all about three simple words: God Loves You.

A Story of Life Change

At Keynote's recent Vision Dinner, a video was shared of a life that was changed in a partnership with Keynote and Student Venture. Watch it here:

{if receiving this by e-mail, you can view this video at: http://rebholz.blogspot.com/}

Keynote Vision Dinner 2009 - Online Archive

The 2009 Keynote Vision Dinner which was held on Saturday November 12 had quite a number of people watching live online. The online stream is now available on our ministry's blog site at: http://www.keynote.org/connection/vision-dinner-2009/

Choosing the “T” word.

Volume 4, Issue 11
Choosing the “T” word.

With the US holiday of Thanksgiving approaching quickly, many pause to reflect on what they are thankful for. This year in particular, it is probably hard for many to “feel” thankful because it is a sacrifice to give praise. The state of the economy, lost jobs, general worry, etc… has people so focused on their circumstances; there is little room for thanks.

As ones who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ though, we know that in everything we are to give thanks (1 Thess. 5:18). Our circumstances should not dictate our thankfulness. Rather it is directed to God who is unchanging.

It is easy to get distracted. In our lives this year, we have caught ourselves many times getting caught up by our circumstances. Thanksgiving shouldn’t just be a holiday season – it should be an attitude of the heart- throughout the year.

Despite our feelings, there are times we must choose to be thankful. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 states “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” That is no easy task in today’s world. We must choose to pause on a continual basis to acknowledge our dependence and need for God. We need to trust in God’s character and attributes above our emotions, what we can see, or what the world says.

… every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)

Since it all comes from our Heavenly Father, what do you choose to be thankful for this year? Here is our condensed list:

• We are thankful for God’s refining of our character through difficult circumstances
• We are thankful for God’s provision of our most basic needs.
• We are thankful for God’s unfailing love, grace and mercy.
• We are thankful for God’s protection of us.
• We are thankful for God’s provision of families that love us.
• We are thankful God changes lives, and for letting us be part of it.
• We are thankful for God’s provision through people like you who support our ministry.

He alone deserves all our praise! Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise!

Praise is the power that changes everything.
-Stormie Omartian

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray that we would be thankful in all circumstances.
• Pray that God would meet our next specific financial goal by our deadline of Dec. 18th.
• Pray Keynote would continue to be creative in how we reach the youth of today and innovative for the youth of tomorrow.

God is at work for our good and His glory. Biblical thanksgiving does not focus on our circumstances, but on the character of God. Circumstances change; God does not.
-Dr. Michael Youssef writes in his devotional Leading The Way

Where the Rubber Meets the Road in the Life of Faith

It is truly an amazing experience to be a faith-supported missionary. (For those that don’t know, a faith-supported missionary is someone who must raise financial support to be in ministry. For Leslie and I, we raise 100% of what it costs to employ us with Campus Crusade for Christ.) Everyone must live the life of faith. There are times in the life of each believer that it is much more obvious than other times that faith is necessary. The process that Leslie and I have been going through is what I have termed “Where the rubber meets the road in the life of faith.”

Over the last 13 weeks, Leslie and I have had two different goals that we needed to see God’s financial provision in order to remain in ministry. We actually have just begun another goal and will probably have one more following that for us to reach 100% of what we need (each of which if we don’t meet, we will need to leave our present ministry). I say that only to let you know that we are still in process and in the midst of having to trust God.

Our first goal was for 6 weeks and we saw God provide a large portion of what we needed in the first couple of weeks. Then things seemed to slow to a halt. We would make phone call after phone call to people familiar with our ministry and not see any results. As we got closer and closer to our deadline, we knew God could provide, but would He. Our goal was met a few days before our deadline and we were able to be at peace.

This last goal, however was for 7 weeks and with only two weeks left, we still had more than half of our goal to go. To be honest, the stress between Leslie and I grew with each day. We saw God provide almost a third of what was left, then nothing. We entered into our final few days this week with $200 in monthly support to still raise for our deadline at 1:30 PM this afternoon. At one point, I turned to Leslie and said, “Even if we make our goal on Friday, I’m not sure I can take another goal.” The stress of living with if it is God’s desire for us to continue on in ministry or not was wearing upon me.

The problem with what I was thinking was that I wanted to short circuit God’s plan. I wanted to have Him take away the hard things in life. I wanted God to provide so that I could live at peace. The problem with that is that God never promised he would remove the hard times to give me peace. He says in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

By the very fact that He mentions not being troubled or fearful, it implies He isn’t removing the situations that might be troubling or causing fear.

Last night, we confirmed a total amount that left us just $8 short of our goal for this afternoon. We spent time calling, e-mailing, and facebooking people trying to come up with this $8 a month. At one point, I got a commitment from a person that said “If you don’t have it by tomorrow afternoon, let me know and I’ll do it for you.”

I felt comforted by the fact that there was a safety net in a sense. I e-mailed that person just prior to noon to let them know that we hadn’t reached anyone who was willing to give and were they still willing.

But then, as only God can do, we received a message that someone on our current financial support team was having to discontinue their support. Then within minutes, we had another e-mail from someone saying that they would join our team. This person's gift was enough to make up the amount that was lost and the remaining $8 we needed to meet our goal.

In that moment, I was ashamed of my unbelief. It was a tangible action that showed I didn’t believe that God would provide. His provision came just 80 minutes before our deadline. And yet, it was perfect timing.

The process of raising support has in a sense been a pressure cooker for us. There are things that come out in our relationship that we need to work on. The very things that made me want to just walk away. However, as a wise counselor shared with us, our support raising process is just the mechanism that God is using to bring these things out in our lives. The issues are still there with or without raising support.

Praise God that He is sovereign and doesn’t let me control my own path. I would take the shortcut every time. But the shortcut is not always for my benefit. I thank God that He desires to see me refined in ways that I can’t even imagine — and that He has a plan that goes beyond anything I know today.

Keynote Vision Dinner 2009 - Online Streaming

The 2009 Keynote Vision Dinner (which is one of Keynote's primary fundraisers) will have a live stream viewable over the Internet.

The event will take place Saturday, November 7, from 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM (Eastern Time). This is one of the best ways that you can be exposed to the full breadth of what Keynote does.

Come join us on Saturday.

The stream can be found here:

http://www.keynote.org/connection/vision-dinner-2009/

An archive of the event will be available following the live broadcast.

Opportunities for you

Volume 4, Issue 10
Opportunities for you

Campus Crusade for Christ as an entire ministry has the tag line “Helping Build Spiritual Movements Everywhere.” Keynote is just one part of Campus Crusade. We thought we’d share in this newsletter just some ways you can have an opportunity to be involved.

Global Media Outreach (GMO) has opportunities for you to serve from your own home as an online missionary. Did you know that millions of people search for God everyday online?

In the month of June 2009, 1,030,581 people indicated a first time decision to follow Jesus or a decision to recommit their life to Christ through one of more than 90 GMO-hosted Gospel websites. Of those, GMO online missionaries responded to 180,000 people who e-mailed the ministry asking discipleship. Decisions are happening at an average of 33,000 per day.

GMO has been seeing exponential growth in recent years. In all of 2007, GMO saw 1.3 million in the entire year on its then 71 websites. In all of 2008, GMO saw more than 3 million decisions. In 2008, they launched a cell phone ministry that helps reach 300,000 people every month.

Computers allow us to respond to people from all over the world who need Jesus, right from your home. If you can send an email, you can share the gospel. You can control how many emails you receive. You decide how much time you spend online. Safe! No one sees your email address and no one can send you spam. The training and resources are provided.

Go to http://www.GMOJoinUs.com/ to learn more and apply!

Family Life is one ministry Mike and I have personally been ministered to by. We attended the Family Life Weekend to Remember Conference in 2005 as a pre-engaged couple. This Fri.-Sun. marriage conference is for engaged couples and married couples. We can testify that it is WORTH IT! Building into and investing in your marriage is indeed a necessity and profitable.

We want to thank you! Our ministry would not be possible without your prayer and financial support. To express our appreciation we want to invite you to attend FamilyLife’s Weekend to Remember marriage conference at a special rate of$69/person. That’s almost half of the regular rate of $129 person.

Imagine…a romantic weekend to

• Focus on each other
• Get away from the distractions of daily life
• Slow down and reconnect

Last year over 80,000 people found renewed hope, joy, love romance and effective tools for their marriage. We want you to experience this life-changing Campus Crusade ministry event.

To receive this special rate visit http://www.familylife.com/cccpartner and use the promotion code CCCsupport when you register. There are over 100 events across the Unites States. We appreciate you and care deeply about your marriage and family.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray that God would meet our next specific financial goal by our deadline of November 13th.
• Praise: God met one of our specific financial goals earlier in September.
• Pray for Keynote’s launch of our new internet outreach this month.

When I seek to point people to Christ, it is because I am convinced that He alone is God’s answer to life’s deepest problems.
-Billy Graham

Branching out online

Volume 4, Issue 9
Branching out online

Going online these days is just like picking up a phone for many. The communication continuum keeps escalating. Mike remembers when world wide web was just text and not graphic pictures. Even with so many advancements, ministry IS happening in the realm of the World Wide Web. So you ask, what does that have to do with Keynote? Well, our ministry is branching out. Not only is music a creative element of sharing the Gospel but so is the internet and screen based technology. Keynote was tasked by Campus Crusade leadership to spearhead some of this “virtual ministry”.

On a whim, Keynote’s executive director posted our ventriloquist/comedian, Dave Pendelton’s Gospel presentation to youtube.com. The only promotion he did was put in his Facebook status to check the video out. To date the counter reads 18,451 viewers. One viewer posted the following comment “at first I thought it would be a comedy thing yet, I just find out in my self that it could have been the most valuable video in YouTube I have ever watched...” Dave personally followed-up with the viewer and that viewer shared that he was “trying to search about some famous ventriloquist and it’s a fact that your are one of them I have watched a lot of them including yours and what can I expect? It’s all just for laughs. But when I saw this video about God I felt thankful for even a short span of time you’ve able to share God’s way and I really admire those persons.”

You can watch that video at:
http://bit.ly/DPvideo

In a more intentional way, Keynote is working on some websites that will actually equip the body of Christ to use the Internet for ministry. Some of you may be familiar with what a widget is. No, we aren’t referring to the generic name used along with “thing-a-ma-jig.” The widget we are talking about is in essence a container for information that is placed on a website whose content exists somewhere else. The way Keynote intends to equip the body of Christ is by creating a repository of these widgets that churches, ministries, and individuals can use on their own websites. The widgets will be life giving resources for your online world! People can compile endless combinations of these widgets to create exactly the kind of outreach they are looking for.

Right now, Keynote has a team of people building the widgets and gathering various sources for the information. The goal is to be able to make the repository as well as our own website using those widgets available in early October.

Keynote’s Summer Projects film track produced a documentary this summer. The team of two students and two staff filmed, edited and directed the documentary.
"Experience a Life-Changing Summer” can be viewed at:
http://bit.ly/KEYdocuVid

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Please continue to pray for Keynote as we seek more ways to connect with people through social media.
• Pray for the upcoming international opportunities Keynote has. Late Sept. blue sky nine– Mongolia & South Korea for outreach events. Mid October sending a team to Panama to give communication training and coaching for the Campus Crusade staff as they being a music & creative arts ministry.

Photos from our Staff Conference in Colorado

As an added bonus to the photos from our newsletter, we are posting the photos that couldn't fit on the page.


These are from our US Staff Conference in Colorado

Mike and Leslie enjoying the view at the top of Horsetooth Mountain after they hiked up there.

Mike's old Student Venture Staff friends (Debi & Robin) pause for a photo with him.

Friends who are also a Campus Crusade staff couple meet for dinner with the Rebholz's. Both couples soon (mid August) to celebrate 3 years of marriage within 1 week of each other!
Mike's second home, the presentation desk, during the staff conference.

Staff who are new to Keynote as Mike was or is their support coach.

Leslie with friends (Rose and Omar) from her previous ministry with Life Builders.

Moby Gym filled with 5,000 stateside Campus Crusade staff for the conference.

This year's staff conference theme was "Connect".

One of Campus Crusade's national leaders addresses staff during the conference.

Keynote led worship for the staff conference.

Singing and signing language (far right) to our Lord.

A view of the stage from the upper section of Moby Gym.

Tenth Avenue North, a christian band, gave a concert.

Mike and Leslie taking a pose on a rock half way up the mountain on their hike.

Upclose to a deer during our hike.

Lecrea, a christian hip-hop artist, gave a concert which Mike. You may remember Mike ran lyrics for him during the Impact conference at Christmas time. Someone accepted Christ at that concert because of the lyrics.

Leslie and Mike get a moment together as Mike is working the sessions during the conference.

A stop at a store in Estes Park with a furry friend, a moose.

Mike and Leslie spent an evening with her brother John and his girlfriend, Marcy.

Powerful worship times during the staff conference.

Thomas, Liz and Leslie stop at Keynote's booth during the Ministry fair.

Good & Plenty

Volume 4, Issue 8
Good & Plenty

The name of the candy may come to mind (one Leslie’s favorites too) but that is how we’d describe our recent staff conference we just returned from in July. Our biennial Campus Crusade for Christ staff conference is held on the campus of Colorado State University where 5,000 US based staff meet.

Here are snapshots of the “good and plenty” for our 2 weeks working, serving and participating.

Good …

• Time connecting with old staff friends (previous people we each have served alongside during our staff life/career)
• Change of scenery for two weeks (from the day to day grind)
• To be refreshed spiritually hearing from top notch pastor/speakers during our main sessions (Dr. Tim Keller- called a “C.S. Lewis for the 21st century”, Pastor Keith Battle, Larry Crabb, Tim Muehlhoff, Doug Pollock)
• Renewed vision for ministry (reaching, winning others for Christ, building…)
• Hearing from our ministry leaders and the future direction
• Hearing updates of what God is doing in and through other CCC ministries around the world.
• New ideas for how to create space to do evangelism and creativity in using our home for effective ministry.
• Connection time for Keynote as a ministry family.
• To hear how God is using technology to spread the gospel
• To be challenged: Do I salute the righteousness of God in others?
• Do I salute God’s presence? What do I boast in? Do I see with eyes of
  faith? What (which freedom) am I an abuser of ? Do I see
  the pearls/ blessings inside the painful thing
• Reminders: The Gospel gives you a mission, message, method,
  motive.
• Every man/woman in relationship with Christ is to be missional. (Eph
  2.- We are God’s workmanship.)
• Gospel is “good news” NOT “good advice.”
• A historical event that happens whether or not people believe.
• We grow from adversity. Instead of asking “Why?” say “What does God want me to learn from this?”

Plenty…

• Of opportunities to serve/work (Mike- tech team, Leslie- Keynote product booth, encouragement team)
• Of time outdoors in God’s creation (thanking him for)- taking in the greenery, Mountains, wildlife…
• Walking around on the college campus to get to places
• Of food choices in the dorm cafeteria
• Seminars to choose from (so many that we couldn’t make it to them all so we downloaded them to listen to later)
• Of times riding up and down the 10 floors of the elevator to our dorm room daily. :-)
• Of Short nights rest for Mike. :-)
• Of new information: Communication Climates (ex: strategy vs. spontaneity)
• Of mind blowing statistics regarding today’s youth culture: according to
• Josh McDowell’s research (apologist) Kid’s don’t process/think the same way their parents or grandparents do. Truth has different meaning to youth today. Tolerance is the number one virtue more than freedom. Ages 35+ Truth is discovered. Below age 35 all truth is created (no external proof), If a child doesn’t accept Christ by age 12 , there’s a 4% chance afterward you’ll reach them.

Prayer Requests:

• Praise for the refreshing time at our staff conference in July.
• Pray for God’s wisdom and provision

God wants to save people and then use people to help save others.- Keith Battle.
The ultimate in Salvation is the applause of God. –C.S. Lewis

SONG lyrics: He’s Able

God is able to do what He said He’d do. Don’t give up on God because He won’t give up on you. He’s able, He’s able.

Thank you dear friend for entrusting us, believing in us, supporting us, encouraging us, praying for us, sending us….We are grateful for how you invest in His Kingdom Work!

Seizing Opportunities and Sharing Christ

(In the midst of a computer replacement and preparing for our US Staff Conference, this electronic newsletter never got published. I'm sorry that I didn't catch that until now)

Volume 4, Issue 7

July 10, 2009
Seizing Opportunities and Sharing Christ

Here are some stories and stats from Keynote’s summer project:

BAND:Mangofish
DETAILS:The Indian Creek Correctional Facility
STORY:We delivered entertainment to the inmates andsome of them said it was like the highlight of the year. That night we shared Brad’s life story and then later the
Gospel and also passed out the comment cards. By the end of the show we got the inmates to stand up and sing along with us in “Lifeline”. After that they asked for one more song and we had no choice but to go out one more time and do our last song. After the show many inmates came up and talked to us. They were all very nice and friendly too. Many of them were going to be set free in less than a year. Actually the longest time they have to do is 36 months in that facility
so the security is not all that tight. After tearing down and loading up I found out that there were 26 PEOPLE who started a relationship with Jesus for the first time. The Chaplin was very impressed at Keynote ministry and really wants to partner up for later events as well.

BAND:Young Isaac
DETAILS:Bathurst High School, Australia
STORY:The second show was 45 minutes later and involved more students because they were actually required to sit down in chairs. There were a couple hundred students from the 9th and 10th grades. Our team felt like the 2nd show went over better
than the first and kids even wanted to talk to us afterwards including a boy named Dalton. This boy named Dalton had a dear friend who was killed by his own father, stabbed several times by a screwdriver to death. This boy Dalton had been struggling to understand how he can forgive this dad who killed his own son
and Ryan from our team was right there to pray with him after the show. This was our first amazing answer to prayer, revealing to our team that God specifically wanted Ryan to share his story to Dalton in order to encourage him to continue seeking God’s forgiveness in his heart.

SUM SUM Summary (Keynote Touring Groups)
# of bands: 4
(Mangofish, Young Isaac, Swerve and Stop on Green)
Total miles traveled: 16,459 (U.S. and Australia)
Total concerts: 52
Total attendance: 6,231
Exposures to gospel: 5,751
(people heard an evangelistic or pre-ev presentation)
Decisions for Christ: 522

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Preparations and safe travel to our staff conference in Colorado at the end of July.
• Spiritual renewal and time of connection for all Campus Crusade Staff during the conference.
• The growth of the 522 people who accepted Christ through the Summer Project concerts.