LIFE Groups Spotlight: DivorceCare

By Lea Lee, LIFE Groups Coordinator 

Names: Scott & Cathy Carter

Tell us about how you came to faith in Jesus Christ. I was raised atheist and after 25 years of marriage, I was devastated by divorce. My boss shared with me about Jesus and after months of struggling, I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Cathy was raised Catholic and although she knew of the Lord, He was not at the center of her life. Cathy’s marriage of 26 years came to an end, and distraught and desperate for comfort, she immediately went to a bookstore and purchased a Bible. Thus began her beautiful journey with the Lord of love, trust, mercy, and grace.

Tell us about your family. We each have children from our previous marriages: Matthew, 30; Jenna, 28 and recently married; and Ryan, 26. We have seen so much healing in our families that had previously been torn apart by divorce.

Tell us about how you found LBF. Cathy’s aunt invited her to a Bible study and she quickly found love and comfort from women that would pray over her when everything felt so hopeless. Having never attended church, I tried a couple to see what it was all about, but was awestruck by the love I felt here at LBF from people I felt had no reason to care about me.

How long have you been leading a LIFE Group at LBF? We have been facilitating the DivorceCare group at LBF for about three years.

Tell us about your LIFE Group. DivorceCare is a worldwide, Christ-centered program to help people recover from the pain and devastation of divorce. It is a 13-week support program that includes group discussion, a workbook, and video series with phenomenal counselors, pastors, and people that have experienced divorce and have come through it with life experiences to share.

What are some of the discussion highlights you have had this year? The understanding if we make something other than God the center of our lives (spouse, children, etc.), we are choosing things that can change or deteriorate. When that happens, you will lose your orbit and spiral out of control. There is only one thing that is permanent! Your relationship with God.

What has been the most encouraging thing that has happened in your LIFE Group? To see wonderful people grow. To see them start off their journey seriously hurting and over time (not necessarily in 13 weeks), work through the middle of that pain and come out the other end stronger.

How would you describe the importance of the LIFE Group you lead? When we are married, we become one flesh. When we separate we do not simply go back to being separate individuals, we are torn apart. DivorceCare is a place where you can come to heal.

What would you say to someone that is wary about joining a LIFE Group? Don’t be afraid. We understand that this is a very personal and painful thing to go through, but we would encourage you not to go through it alone. Join us for DivorceCare! Our next 13-week session begins Sunday, January 5, 2014, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Call us at (909) 987-8804 for more info.

This Weekend's Message: And a Happy New Hope

I used to love to watch the TV show 24. I don’t think any show in history was better than 24 when it came to the cliffhanger. Each episode seemed to end at the height of tension. And then I would have to wait a full week to see the next part of the story (this is probably why so many of us enjoy watching TV shows on Netflix now). But it would always be worth the wait because it was important to me to see how the story ended.

We have just finished celebrating Jesus’ arrival on earth. Christmas is all about Jesus’ birth. But this is not the end of the story. In fact, His death and resurrection are also not the end of the story. The truth is that we are still waiting for the end of the story. We live in the mid-week, awaiting the conclusion of the story. The Christian story does not end with Jesus’ arrival or with His departure. The story is incomplete until He comes a second time.

This Sunday we will finish up the Christmas season by looking ahead to Jesus’ second coming. We will explore what it looks like to live now in light of what will be when He returns.

Dan

Financial Update (and Year-End Giving Info)

By Gary Keith, Lead Pastor 

Last Year’s Surplus Last year, God blessed His ministry here at LBF with financial offerings that went over and above our planned budget and expenses. Our budget last year was $1,650,000. We received $1,689,930 – a $39,930 surplus. We are so grateful for God’s provision and the generosity of our church body.

Many of you know we carry a mortgage for the property and buildings. While our monthly mortgage payments are only 7% of our monthly expenses – a very healthy percentage – it has long been a priority of the Elders to pay down this mortgage note in an effort to become debt free. In light of this long-term goal, the Elders have decided to apply our surplus giving from fiscal year 2012-2013 of $39,930 towards our mortgage principle. This application of the surplus funds, combined with other gifts made to our debt reduction fund last year total $114,940. That amount will be applied to our mortgage debt reduction.

We see this as a huge blessing from God in His provision for this church. We are more than thrilled that we have the opportunity to reduce our debt by a significant amount. I hope you will rejoice with us in how God has provided for us this past fiscal year.

Some of you may be wondering why would we take the surplus from last year and apply it to debt reduction when our current giving isn’t funding our new budget? Good question. I encourage you to read on.

Current Year’s Deficit 

Each year the Elders gather and prayerfully create our annual budget. A measure of faith goes into building any budget as no one can predict the future, especially for a spiritual work of God. We are utterly dependent on His guiding and provision. And that’s exactly where God wants us to be. Our eyes are “fixed on Jesus as the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). He is the God that owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalms 50:10). Everything is His; we are merely stewards who manage what He owns.

It’s in faith we build and plan our budgets. And this planning too is of God. “For which of you desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost” (Luke 14:28).

Faith and planning come together in our budgeting process. And this leads us to our current situation. As we mentioned earlier, last year we had a surplus of giving. But this year we’re missing our budgeted income/giving goals. As a result, I’ve had conversations with people who are concerned for our financial health. I’m thankful for church family members who are genuinely concerned and are motivated to pray for our church. And while the four-month negative trend isn’t positive news – no matter how you look at it – we’re committed to not spending more money than we have actually received.

Approach to Budgeting 

How it is possible to spend less than we’ve actually received? It’s based on our planning and approach to budgeting. Our annual budget plan contains three levels of ministry funding:

1. Level 1 – Core Ministry. This represents ministry we will absolutely fund during the year. For example: funding given to all ministries – missions, kids, students, college, and adults. Also included are salaries, facilities, utilities, and administrative costs. 
2. Level 2 – Opportunity Ministry. This represents ministry we’d like to invest in this year, but doing so is dependent on our current progress towards funding our budget goals. For example: smaller one-time ministry project investments, equipment purchases, smaller building improvements, training opportunities, etc. 
3. Level 3 – Future Strategic Investments. This represents ministry we will only fund if giving is fully supporting the annual budget. For example: larger building improvements and equipment purchases, development of future ministry initiatives, further payments towards debt reduction, etc. 

If giving is not fully supporting the budget (where we are currently) we will not spend monies on Level 3 – Future Strategic Investments. Depending on the level of giving, we might invest some in Level 2 – Opportunity Ministry, but not at a rate that would jeopardize our ability to fund Level 1 – Core Ministry.

We believe God is using His ministry at LBF in powerful ways in the lives of hundreds of people. We continue to trust in and depend on God for His provision in our church finances. As a part of the family of LBF, we would ask you at this time to prayerfully consider what God would have you give financially. as part of your worship and being obedient to what God asks of you. It’s not about a tithe, it’s about responding to whatever God asks of each of us.

We thank you for your financial contributions, service, and prayers for Life Bible Fellowship Church. May God be glorified in all we are and all we do as we continue to passionately pursue LIFE in Jesus and lead our neighbors to do the same. If you have any questions about our finances, please don’t hesitate to contact me @ (909) 981-4848.

Year-End Giving

As the end of 2013 approaches, please remember the IRS laws regarding giving. In order for your giving to be included in 2013, all mailed checks must be postmarked no later than December 31, 2013. PayPal giving cannot be any later than 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2013. Thank you for supporting our ministry here at LBF.

We Have a Place to Take Your Hurts, Habits, and Hang-ups

Celebrate Recovery is now at LBF 

By Phil Shahbaz, Pastor of Community Life 

Scripture is clear; we all have sinned. It’s because of our sin that we hurt ourselves and hurt other people. Most of the time, our sin comes from a place of pain. We then proceed to mask that pain through alcohol, drugs, pornography, and a large assortment of hurts, habits, and hang-ups. As a result, each of us needs repentance and recovery in order to live our lives the way God intended.

Life Bible Fellowship Church now has a specific program to help carry our burdens and point us to the cross. It’s called Celebrate Recovery.

Celebrate Recovery was created to help overcome our hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Overall, it is a faith-based recovery program based on the actual words of Jesus rather than psychological theory. The program’s aim is to lead “us through recovery, towards full Christ-like maturity, by way of the transformational power of the Holy Spirit.

You have likely heard of the 12-step program within Alcoholics Anonymous. This program has absolutely changed many lives and helped people on the road to recovery.

The 12-step points contained in AA point us towards a “higher power,” but remains vague about the nature of God, the saving power of Jesus Christ, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

There are seven specific features that differentiate Celebrate Recovery (abbreviated to CR below) from AA:

1. CR is based on God’s Word – the Bible. In scripture, Jesus taught what we know as the Sermon on the Mount, or the Beatitudes. He began the Beatitudes by stating eight ways to be happy. These eight “principles” serve as the foundation for God’s road to recovery, wholeness, growth, and spiritual maturity. 
2. CR is forward-thinking. Rather then wallowing in the past or focusing on painful memories, CR focuses on the future and depending on the power of Christ to make changes. 
3. CR emphasizes personal responsibility. The healing power of Christ can begin working on our mind, will, and emotions when we stop playing the “accuse and excuse” game of victimization. The program helps us face up to our own poor choices and deal with the things we can do something about. 
4. CR emphasizes spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ. Lasting recovery cannot take place without total surrender to Christ. We all need Jesus. The road to recovery begins and ends with belief in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. 
5. CR utilizes the Biblical truth that we need each other in order to grow spiritually and emotionally. The program is built on small group interaction and fellowship with a caring community. The program does not allow us to walk alone. 
6. CR addresses all types of hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Some recovery programs only deal with alcohol and drugs. CR deals with a limitless number of issues. Whatever you are struggling with, CR has a place for you. 
7. CR is a leadership factory. Because the program is biblical and church-based, it produces a continuous stream of people moving into ministry after they have found recovery in Christ. 

Celebrate Recovery is a ministry that changes lives in a dramatic way. Our hope is to see hopeless marriages restored and people set free from all kinds of sinful hurts, habits, and hang-ups. It is a dramatic program that will implement Christ-centered recovery at Life Bible Fellowship Church. Regardless of your struggle – whether it is alcohol, drugs, divorce, sexual abuse, codependency, domestic violence, sexual addiction, food addiction, gambling – there is now a place for you to take your burden.

The leaders of our Celebrate Recovery program are Lindsey and Jacque Williams and Steve and Brenda Johnson. They are products of Celebrate Recovery programs at other churches. They serve as living testaments to the transformational power of Jesus Christ. You can email them at celebraterecovery@lbfchurch.com or sign up online at lbfchurch.com.

You can also sign up through your K.I.T. card or stop by the Celebrate Recovery table on Sunday morning. No matter how you choose to contact them, what’s important is that you make the decision to make a change. There is a way. That way is through Jesus Christ. The Celebrate Recovery program at LBF will be here to help.

Hope, Peace, and Love – Then and Now

By Matt Sasso, Pastor of Student Ministries 

This Christmas, you are probably hoping that life will get better. We are hoping that life will look differently next year, even if we’re not sure how. We realize that no one person or group holds a solution, but we’re expecting something different, even if we’re not sure how that is going to work out. Words like hope, peace, and love have a new meaning this year, don’t they? We’re waiting to have hope, peace, and love in our lives, in our communities, and in our world, even if we’re not sure how it will all work out. And just like thousands of years ago, Jesus is the one who came to bring hope, peace, and love to our lives then – and now. Jesus taught us how to find hope, bring peace, and initiate love even when our circumstances are less than ideal.

This month in Exit 83 we want students to hear about what hope, peace, and love in our lives can look like. We hope that your student is challenged in their relationship with God as they see how placing hope in stuff and in circumstances often leads to disappointment. Learning to place our hope in God brings real satisfaction. We hope that they can be peacemakers this holiday season and gain a desire to experience love in action.

Children’s Christmas Choir Performs This Month

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry 

The Children’s Christmas Choir has been rehearsing for a month now and they are sounding great! We have a little more than 30 children this year participating and we are all excited to praise God during this wonderful holiday season. The children will be performing during all three services on Sunday, December 22. They will also be going off-site to Upland Rehabilitation and Care Center on December 22 to sing praises to God and share His glory with our community. We are all excited and looking forward to these great events!

This Weekend's Message: Joy to the World is Not Enough

In 1979 Magic Johnson played in his first professional basketball game. The game ended when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hit a buzzer-beater to give the Lakers the victory. When this happened, Magic exuberantly jumped onto Kareem, hugging him and joyfully celebrating. After the game, Kareem took Magic aside to talk to him. To put it simply, he told him to calm down. He told him that he could not sustain that kind of celebration over a simple regular-season game. After all, this celebration would be short-lived. Another game was coming. Then another. Then another. The only appropriate celebration would be after a championship. But even then the celebration would be relatively short-lived. After all, the next season would soon be upon them. The celebration would end and they would have to move on.

This story serves as a sort of parable of the fleeting nature of joy. We all desperately want it. But even when we think we have it, we come to realize that the joy it short-lived. We get a promotion, but then the new workload settles in. We get out of debt, and then new bills and expenses begin to appear. We graduate, and then we struggle to find meaningful work. We find a spouse, and then we find it difficult to live in harmony. Joy – lasting joy – seems elusive at best and mocking at worst.

The Christmas story is a story about joy – lasting joy. The angels announce to the shepherds, “good news of great joy.” This Sunday as we get closer to our own Christmas celebrations, we will explore how the Christmas story relates to our quest for lasting joy.

Dan

Come to LBF’s Christmas Celebrations

By Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Worship 

Christmas time is almost here and we love to celebrate the Savior’s birth here at LBF! You can join us in a variety of settings and celebrations throughout the month of December.

On Sunday, December 15, join us at our normal service times for some exciting worship through music with an expanded worship music team, featuring our Christmas Choir. They will lead us in Christmas songs sure to inspire your heart and focus on the reason we have to celebrate! Sunday, December 22 is going to be another great weekend as our Christmas Choirs, both children’s and adults, will lead us in worship during the three Sunday services. We will praise God through traditional Christmas carols that paint the beautiful picture of Emanuel (God with us).

As we get to Christmas Eve, LBF will be having three services this year, beginning at 7 p.m. with our Family Christmas Eve service. This service is a great place for families with kids to come, sing some fun Christmas songs, hear a great Christmas story, and wear your pajamas to church! (Blankies are highly recommended also.) So parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends, get in your jammies, grab those blankies, and bring the kids up for a fun night of Christ-centered Christmas fun.

Our second Christmas Eve service will take place at 9 p.m. This service will be a Contemporary Christmas service with communion, Christmas carols done in a contemporary style (think Mercy Me, Steven Curtis Chapman, Third Day, and Chris Tomlin), as well as some special elements to help us all consider the true sacrifice and gift that we received in Jesus. There is no childcare for this service.

The third service will be at 11 p.m., and will be a traditional Candlelight Christmas Eve service with communion and a reflective time of worship through acoustic-style Christmas carols and special music numbers. There is no childcare for this service.

We hope that you will join us during the busy Christmas season and that God blesses you with the knowledge of His presence and love for each of us, which was demonstrated by the sending of His Son.

Empty Seats

By Gary Keith, Lead Pastor 

I just finished watching a new video released by Billy Graham called “The Cross.” Everyone who knows Billy Graham knows that he has singular purpose in life – to see people come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Out of all the things that capture our attention on a daily basis, there is nothing more purposeful or life-changing than helping someone come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

As I watched this video my mind turned to our church. Our mission is to passionately pursue LIFE in Jesus and to lead our neighbors to do the same. I couldn’t help but ask myself, “How are we doing at that?” and “How am I doing at that?” Then I began to think about our three Sunday services each week. Sunday morning is a prime opportunity to live out both of those parts of our mission.

Anytime I’m on stage I can’t help but notice two things. The first is how wonderful it is to see each of you in church on Sunday. I know you’re there to grow in the knowledge of what it means to passionately pursue LIFE in Jesus. This is important and we will do well to come often to Sunday services. After all, until Jesus comes back, our job is to take every opportunity to learn and then take that learning into our life each day.

The second thing I notice when I’m on stage is all of the empty seats. Each Sunday the total of our three services is only about half of our actual seating capacity. And this causes me to ask a simple question – why? Why do we have so many empty seats?

Knowing that, like Billy Graham, we are to also be about people coming to faith in Jesus, I did a little research. Here’s what I found out. There are 39 different churches in Upland. The estimated population in Upland is nearing 80,000 people. If every church in Upland had attendance of 1,000 people (which it probably doesn’t), that would still leave 41,000 people not in church and quite possibly without a relationship with Jesus. I had to ask myself, “Do I really care about these people and their spiritual eternity?”

As the day went on I couldn’t get this out of my mind. Do I really care that quite possibly 41,000 people could go into eternity without Jesus and they live right here in our city? It wasn’t long before I started saying to myself, “I want to reach these people, they need to know Jesus like I know Jesus!”

I then asked God in prayer, “What do I do? What will it take to reach these people?” And God said to me, “Be an example and then ask the church to be involved.” So that is what I’m doing with this article. I want to see people come to faith in Jesus, especially as we approach this Christmas season with so many opportunities during December.

Would you join me in inviting people you know to church? If each one of us invited just one person who actually came, we would fill up to beyond our capacity. And this would be a good thing, don’t you agree?

We just launched a new teaching series about Christmas. You can read about it in Pastor Dan’s article on page 4. And this is a great time to take the opportunity to invite a friend or family member to church. Would you join me as I do this as well?

Each of those empty seats represents someone who needs to come to faith in Jesus. Let’s love people the way God loves people by partnering with Him and getting people to church. Wouldn’t it be great if each week the place were packed at all three services? That may not cover the 41,000 people out there, but then again, who knows what other things God may have for us as we passionately pursue LIFE in Jesus and lead our neighbors to do the same.

This Weekend's Message: Santa Claus is Coming to the Little Town of Bethlehem

In our Christmas Mash-up we are faced with two very different figures: Santa Claus and Jesus. For many around the world Santa becomes the giver of what we need. We make a list of what we want and think we need and Santa decides if we've been naughty or nice and whether we get our list or not. And at least for a short time Santa is our hero – a jolly ol' guy we just love because he gives us what we want. It's hard not to love Santa.

But what about Jesus? This is the time of year we celebrate His coming to this earth – God with us! We don't make a list at Christmas of what we need or want from Jesus. He doesn't slide down the chimney with a bag full of gifts to make us happy. And yet His coming provided for our real needs. And what He provides is not something that will wear out or something we will get bored with after a few weeks. The Christmas story shows us what our real needs are and how Jesus meets those needs.

I hope to see you this week as we learn what those needs are and how Jesus brings us presents that make a lasting difference in our lives. Be sure to invite a friend this week. Let's fill those empty seats as I give people an opportunity to invite Jesus into their lives!

Gary

Christmas Mash-up: Enhancing Combo or Watered Down?

By Dan Franklin, Pastor of Teaching 

Recently my son Jack has become very interested in Star Wars. He enjoys watching the movies, he loves to play with Star Wars toys, he frequently asks for Star Wars coloring pages, and he loves to have lightsaber fights. Yoda and Darth Vader are as common in his conversations as his two brothers are.

He is truly passionate about Star Wars. This newfound interest has coincided with another passion of his: Angry Birds. He loves to play Angry Birds games on our iPad. He has Angry Birds toys and Angry Birds are a frequent topic of conversation. So, with these two passions of his, you can imagine Jack’s exuberance when a new game was released: Angry Birds Star Wars. Not a joke.

For Jack, the only thing better than Angry Birds and Star Wars separately, is Angry Birds and Star Wars together.

This may seem like a leap, but this comical combination makes me think about Christmas. For those of us who are Christians, Christmas can feel like a mash-up of two separate passions. On the one hand, we love Jesus, we love nativity sets, we love “Hark! the Herald Angel Sing” and “O Holy Night,” and we love reading the biblical Christmas story with our families. On the other hand, we love presents, we love trees, we love songs like “Frosty the Snowman” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” and we love to watch “Elf” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” And each Christmas allows us an opportunity to combine these two passions as we celebrate throughout December.

Here is the question: Does this combination enhance these two celebrations or does it water them down? In other words, is this more like combining chocolate and peanut butter or is it more like watering down a soda? In an effort to get the best of everything, are we in danger of burying something beautiful?

Now, I love presents and carols and Christmas decorations. This article is not intended to convince anyone to shun these modern Christmas symbols. But there is a concern here. If we really believe that the biblical Christmas story is about God meeting our deepest needs through the gift of his Son, Jesus, then it makes sense that we would do all that we could to emphasize that reality and guard against anything that would water it down.

In 2 Corinthians 8:9, the apostle Paul describes the message of the biblical Christmas story: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” The Christmas story is not about gaining presents, outspending each other, and experiencing warm fuzzies through family traditions and shiny decorations. This is not because these things are evil, but because they only address short-term, surface needs.

The story of Jesus’ birth, however, is a story about God meeting our deepest needs of forgiveness, hope, eternal life, and reconciliation with God. As much fun as our modern Christmas celebration is, none of us would think it wise to bury foods that meet our daily nutritional needs underneath a pile of cotton candy and pixie sticks.

This Christmas at Life Bible Fellowship Church, we will walk through a series called Christmas Mash-up. We will all be invited to celebrate the birth of Jesus, not only with songs and Scripture, but by reflecting and mimicking His sacrificial and hope-giving life in our own Christmas celebrations. Join us this month and consider inviting a friend, family member, or neighbor who needs to hear about the hope Jesus brings.

A Note From Pastor Gary

Read this letter to see what is happening with the finances at LBF. 

On Sunday I shared about our current financial status. Bottom line is that after the first five months of our current fiscal year, we are running a deficit.

I asked those who are not givers to start giving by applying our teaching on giving by first giving themselves to the Lord in prayer, asking Him what they should give, and then simply do what God reveals to them.

I asked those who are regular givers to consider giving more to help remove our current deficit.

I'm sure you join me in believing in the ministry of LBF and how it is helping people come to faith in Jesus and grow in that faith. LBF is the expression of the “bride of Christ” in Upland. It is making a difference of eternity in people’s lives. This ministry is is worthy of our support.

We don’t talk much about money at LBF, but when we do it is to bring a report to the church family and then to ask that each of us go to God in prayer and respond by how He is leading each one of us. I sent an email to our elders and staff asking them to do the same and to lead the way by being an example.

I want to ask you to go before the Lord and activate your faith by responding in the way He leads. In the 40-year history of this church, when we do that, God uses it to grow this ministry. I look forward to that once again.

Pastor Gary

This Weekend's Message: It's a Wonderful Life Savings

I love watching my kids open their Christmas gifts. They make gift lists in anticipation of the big day, and then they joyfully unwrap their gifts on Christmas morning. Whether it’s Legos or DVDs or toys, they launch themselves into their new possessions. It is as if their greatest dreams have been fulfilled. 

That lasts for a week or two. Then those sought-after presents seem like old news. New wish lists begin to compile themselves. It quickly become clear that the presents, which were such a focal point of desire, reveal themselves to be inadequate. New gifts seem like the only solution for the longing inside their hearts.

Those of us who are Christians typically say that Christmas is not about the gifts. However, the biblical Christmas story is about a gift. It is about a gift that is completely different than the gifts that we give and receive on Christmas mornings. The more we embrace this Christmas gift from God, the more we will find a new way to think about the gifts that we give and receive every Christmas.

Dan

Hope Matters Int’l Launched by Kiprops

By Carol Hawkins, Missions Coordinator 

We have some exciting news to share about one of our missionary families serving in Kenya and a new ministry they are developing. William and Michelle Kiprop are beginning a ministry called Hope Matters International. The purpose of Hope Matters is to promote community development through sustainable health, agricultural, and education programs among communities in Kenya. This will provide holistic care for physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Michelle grew up attending LBF and God put a vision in her heart to pursue medical missions in Africa after she went on several short-term trips there. In 2007, she moved to Kenya to do full-time ministry after completing her Masters of Science in Nursing and becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner. She fell in love with Kenya and with William, and they’ve been married since December 2007. In 2011 their son, Ryan, was born to bring added joy to their family.

The vision the Lord put in Michelle’s heart years ago is now becoming a reality. William and Michelle have worked very hard as they have prayed, planned, sought counsel, and prayed more in developing this ministry. Michelle is currently transitioning out of her role with Empowering Lives International as Hope Matters takes flight.

Hope Matters is a licensed 501(C)3 non-profit organization here in the U.S. and it is also a licensed non-profit in Kenya. This has required many hours of filling out paperwork and having meetings to make sure everything is legal and in the proper form. It also requires a board of directors both in Kenya and in the U.S. So William and Michelle have done their due diligence in making sure everything is in place and in order. I encourage you to check our Hope Matters’ website, which is full of pictures and information to help you see and understand the vision: hopemattersintl.org.

Hope Matters recently held an event at LBF to help spread the word and explain further about this amazing ministry. It was a wonderful opportunity for those in attendance to reconnect with William and Michelle, and also to hear about what’s planned ahead. Please pray for Hope Matters and all that’s needed: finances, staffing, future building project, and reaching out into communities with care and hope. This is an exciting ministry and many lives will be touched for eternity.