Fall 2010 Ministry Update: Dog, Team, Ministry, Transition

It's been a while since I've done an "official" ministry update. Life for us lately can best be summarized in the following words: dog, team, ministry, and transition.

Dog
About two months ago, we welcomed Lyric the dog into our family.

Lyric is a Border Collie mix (not sure what the other part is) that we adopted from our local shelter. He's full of energy and can sometimes drive us a little crazy (we're considering this training for parenthood), but he's also a lot of fun and a great cuddler. His quirkiness is hard to describe, but let's just say we watch a lot less TV now.

Team
In September, around the same time Ashley and I were meeting Lyric, I started training our new marketing and mobilization team at AIM.

As you know, my role at the ministry has been an evolving one over the past four years, and most recently, I've been leading our missions mobilization efforts.

AIM has never had a full-fledged marketing team, and my boss Seth has been asking me for two years to build a team of creative mobilizers that would use their talents to call people to the mission field. I'm quite hopeful for this newest version of the team, which consists of seven talented, creative communicators who have come from all walks of life and experiences. It is, in many respects, our first real team.

We met in September for a two-day retreat and strategic planning and prayer seesion in the mountains and North Georgia. We're excited about the plans and vision God has given us for this coming year.

Ministry
My definition of ministry has changed a lot lately.

Ministry, for me, used to mean: "a hands-on approach to serving others in Jesus' name." Those of you who have been getting these updates for awhile may remember my days of homeless ministry — of Christmas surprises for inner-city families and wintry misadventures under a bridge.

God has been teaching me something new these days — namely, how different ministry can "look", depending on the season of life in which we find ourselves. Right now for me, ministry means: "getting up each day and committing everything I do as work unto the Lord." That could mean: walking the dog, loving my wife, sending an email, having dinner with neighbors, or leading a mission trip.

Transition
This has been a season of transition in many respects.

Our church is in a season of rest. We've started meeting in a house, examining our inner lives (and how that affects our "outer" lives), as we seek the Lord for what's next.

This has also been a season of personal transition for me, as I'm growing in my leadership responsibilities and relationships. Ashley and I are approaching our third year of marriage, which continues to be an interesting and exciting transition, full of all kinds of life lessons about patience, grace, and love.

Not to mention, Ashley's new photo business has really taken off this year, and her recent career move at Provident has made this a season of growth, which can be hard, but good. In addition to that (along with our new dog, my new team, and church happenings), AIM itself is going through a transition. We've made some significant program changes this year, and while it feels like change, we are, in fact, returning to a simpler version of what we've always done. It's been fun.

Support
Having adequate funding is a necessity for any ministry to continue operating.

I hate talking about money in a ministry update, but as most of you know, I raise support for the work that I do at AIM. While I have a good amount of funds in my support account (thanks to generous gifts in the past), I'm currently receiving less than the monthly support that I need. At this rate, I will eventually run out of support.

If you'd like to help, here's what you can do:

• If you're a regular supporter, please consider increasing your monthly gift. Even an increase of $5, $10, or $25 per month can make a significant difference over the course of a year.
• If you've given in the past but aren't currently set-up for monthly giving, please consider supporting my ministry on a monthly basis. I need an extra $500 per month, so please consider giving what you are able to give.
• If you're not a supporter, please consider making a one-time donation. 

You can support me via mail or electronically. AIM is set up to receive your donation via credit card, check, or brank draft. To support me by mail, send a check to (make sure you list my name in the FOR line):

Adventures In Missions
P.O. Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470

Thank you for your love, support, prayers, friendship, and just for reading…

*Photo courtesy of the talented Kristine Neeley. See more here.