March Update
Thanks to you, significant things are happening for the Kingdom…
ACROSS THE STATE
+ Together '22 on June 24-25 celebrates the 50th anniversary of Expo ’72 in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl. We will see leaders and students from across the country trained to share the gospel. NNYM Texas will be hosting a pre-event training there for students and leaders on June 24, giving them a 9-month mission trip strategy for the year.
+ On March 30, Movement DFW presented our research findings at Dallas Theological Seminary. We’re addressing the cause of one million students leaving the church annually and saying “not on our watch” with strategies to reverse that trend.
+ The last week of March, I also spoke to students at Open Door Church, connecting with Terry Ann Kelly of “Stand with Students” campus clubs based in Hurst and met with Gena Chaucer of Re-Ministry, an organization that invests in the lives of high school boys. By phone, we met Amanda Cutbirth and her team in Corpus Christi. They are doing “See You at the Pole” weekly in 13 schools for the “Pray Corpus Christi” strategy.
+ John Butler is our NNYM Houston Net Coordinator and Area Strategist and together, we are working to open new networks in Sugar Land, the inner-city, and the Willis/Montgomery areas.
+ Brandon Best, our NNYM New Braunfels Director, will host a "Meant For More Vision Night" on March 30th in San Marcos, casting vision and planning a strategy to share the Gospel in every school in that region.
+ Kingdom Youth Conference is coming to Houston, where I’ve been asked to speak to the youth leaders. We’ve also been working with other team members to develop a job description for “campus strategists” who will cast vision and focus on the cooperation of ministries across the nation in order to realize our goal of a “prayer/care/share ministry” on every campus.
+ Thanks to Officer Lauren Foster and some praying educators, we were able to hear the needs and begin a Prayer/Care/Share ministry at Crowley Middle School. Church and parachurch groups are now networking there to establish a relationship, and it may open the entire Crowley ISD school district to ministry. I hosted a portion of our Campus Alliance zoom meeting, presenting the founder of Christian Educators Association International and a representative from Dignity Revolution, both of whom are empowering and encouraging educators nationwide.
LOCALLY AND BEYOND...
+ I serve as Missionary in Residence at my home base, Declaration Church in Spring, Texas, working with Pastor John Sherrill and a great staff. I recently played in Declaration’s Charity Golf Tournament and helped raise funds for students going to 220 Camp. Carol and I worked with the children and hosted our friend, Tommy Toombs, who ministered to Declaration kids during the presentation of their upcoming building program. Worship leader, Jaydon Parker, son of our pastor, is partnering with NNYM Texas this summer for a “Summer Revival Tour”. We’re hoping students will learn more about worship and be challenged to see their school as a 9-month mission trip.
+ I will be traveling the first week of April in Portland for a pre-mission trip to three church plants on behalf of Declaration Church, Links International, and church plant SEND missionary, Clay Holcomb. Declaration’s first national mission trip will happen the first week of July!
+ On the worship side of things, I’ve still been assisting Calvary Baptist in Rosenberg and will help them with their Palm Sunday and Easter services. On March 20th, I had the privilege of leading worship with my grandson Jacob (drummer) and oldest daughter Holly, while her husband Jason, who leads Links International preached at Renaissance Church, a church plant based in Richmond, Texas.
At our recent Links International fundraiser, I connected with the Nance family, our Japanese missionaries, who might be able to help us train youth leaders in Southwest Japan.
Links International is also currently providing relief for Ukrainian refugees with connections we have there on the ground, but also to churches and ministries in Hungary, Moldova, and Slovakia.
Remember that 5% of all donations to our ministry go to Links mission work around the world. To donate to emergency relief, click the button below:
Please pray especially for Together '22 and Movement DFW for lasting impact on students, for good fruit from the connections we recently made, and for the millions of Ukrainian refugees.
Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support. We couldn't do this work without your generosity.
Blessings,
Rick
