F. Y. I. MINISTRY

Why have you had four straight articles on ministry? There are several reasons: 1) If you are a Christian, you need to fully understand what your Lord expects of your ministry; 2) Because I’ve been reminded constantly that I am on vacation. It’s funny I work all the time; I’m just restricted in movement at present; and 3) I’ve been commissioned to write Bible Correspondence courses.

You can’t imagine how many of these complete courses we take to our two prison units weekly and how many we mail out 2 or 3 lessons at a time. We have a considerable amount budgeted for BCC’s and postage. We have a room full of the courses we use. Of course it would be considerably more economical for me to write the courses and we publish our own and save a bundle. This is especially true since I am on vacation. (I must hurry and get this done. My first appointment for today arrives in less than an hour and it is still early).

Well I’m ready to get off vacation, back among the people, and back in the prison units. Of course, we won’t count what I do since I am not in my office. I want you to know that what I have written, I believe about ministry and I plan to share more. Ministry is not pick ‘n choose; it is a lifestyle.

Incidentally, I return to Big D this weekend for evaluation. Pray with me that I can be released to do some of things I’m missing. Two of the primary reasons I’m so confined: 1) I have a metal femur and that stuff takes a long time to heal since what muscle and tendon that is left will not attach itself to the prosthesis but is tied at the top; and, 2) disease. Any kind of disease tends to settle in the affected area and we don’t want any of that. Special note: I did not have any of the tested diseases (three full pages, single spaced) at the time of surgery. Prisons have most of what I was checked for: HIV, Hep. A, B, & C, Staph, etc.

Back to reality, I have written three courses. We use them often. I don’t as yet know why one of them is stuck back in a drawer. I do not write courses to be not used and stuck back in a drawer. The three we have already:
A Bible Study Guide
Morality
The Uniqueness of Jesus, A Study in Colossians

I am in the process of writing three more courses:
Aliens and Strangers, a Study in I Peter
Who is this? A Study in Mark
21st Century Ministry

Do you know what? If you’ve read this far I want to tell you something really great: You are more than welcome to any of these. The first three would be highly preferable since they are completed. We send them free to individuals and also pay the postage, grade them for you, and give you an attractive Certificate of Completion upon your completion of the course or we’ll just send them to you.

We will send these to churches as well. We prefer to send original copies (?) to churches so you can make your own copies and distribute them as you see fit. You can’t really beat either of those two deals. I would like to say these all contain quality work, but you know the human author and must judge for yourself. I’ll love you either way, and He! never fails in his love for you. h
Monday-198