Quarterly Newsletter and Update
January – June, 2010
This “quarterly” newsletter should be entitled “Two Quarters of News from a Too-Busy Man!” If you are trying to keep up with my teaching activities, you know that I am one quarter late in getting this written and posted. It has been a busy year thus far, and keeping up with my good intentions has failed in several areas. This web site is obviously one of them – and unfortunately, there are others. I will try to do better. My traveling last year, for mostly teaching purposes, took me away from home for almost 170 days. As I have often stated lately, at this new stage of life I am making a living, but not making much of a life in some ways. But my teaching life is thriving and I am grateful to God for the good he is managing to accomplish through me (and Theresa). I just looked through my 2010 schedule, and was a bit surprised to discover that I will again be away from home quite a lot this year too (at least 150 days). However, as you can see from my newsletter, some of this time was spent combining writing and visiting family, or teaching and family time (when accompanied by Theresa on trips). I once told a co-worker that he was built in such a way that he was not happy unless he was going about 98 miles an hour, but then he started coming apart at about103! The same could likely be said about me, regarding both ends of that narrow spectrum. (Those who know me best are saying, “Amen!”)
Quarter One
Beginning in January, our Family Group Retreat in Phoenix got our congregation off to a great beginning. I did one lesson, and our three evangelists did the others (Gary Sciascia, Steve Hiddleson and Gary Taylor). Although it has taken some years to develop a really cohesive and effective ministry staff, God has blessed us with what can only be described as his doing. Along with our elders and wives, the leadership of the church here is in the best place ever, and for that we are most thankful.
The first session of the Ukrainian Institute of Ministry was held in Kiev on January 15-25, 2010. Besides the two official Seminar sessions of four days and three days respectively, I met with the main staff leadership group in Kiev twice, with their Small Group Leaders once and I spoke to two of the four Regions of the Kiev Church on the Sunday I wasn’t teaching an Institute course. The more official part of the program consisted of a four day Seminar for the Ministry Track students on the subject of “Sound Doctrine and Church Discipline.” A four lesson version of this material was taught in Hawaii during a teaching day there, entitled “Developing a Biblically Balanced View of God,” and is available from Illumination Publishers International (IPI) as a DVD video set. Of course, the four day version was much more in-depth by design. For this course, 50 ministry staff students attended from the Ukraine, and 4 from Latvia and Russia. Following this course, a three-day course entitled “Spirituality Development” was held for the non-staff Shepherding Track students. They are enrolled in the Institute primarily to develop as leaders in their present roles, but also to prepare for other roles in the future. Prayerfully God will raise some of the 24 couples to serve as elder couples in the future. (See the “Teaching Report from the Ukraine” in the Articles section of this web site.)
Shortly after returning home, Theresa and I went to the Miami area to celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary. We enjoyed a combination preaching/writing/cruising tour that included speaking two Sundays in Miami and one in Tampa. The two churches were most encouraging, and the brief times spent with some of their leaders was heart-warming. We ended up that preaching tour portion by spending the night with Jeff and Lisa Chacon, whose marriage I performed in San Diego many years ago. The fact that they now have a married son didn’t help me feel any younger! But the Chacons are dear friends, and we were able to build some new friendships with leaders from both the Miami and Tampa churches. Thank you all for your gracious hospitality!
During the first half of March, Theresa and I stayed with our son’s family in Hawaii. Although I was on a writing mission and not on vacation (didn’t even get a golf game in), being with Bryan and Joy and our wonderful three grandsons there was quite special. I found an amazing writing location in a coffee shop portion of a large bookstore. I just put on my noise-cancelling headphones and listened to spiritual music all day long as I wrote. It was a very enjoyable and productive time. One of my favorite locations for prayer walks is just across the highway from where Bryan and his crew live, a huge cemetery called the “Valley of Temples.” If you have ever been on the North Shore of Oahu, you have likely seen it. It is a beautiful spot on the windward side of the island with a stunning view of the mountains. I know you are not closer to God in a setting like that – but it feels like you are!
March ended with a bang, being packed with three different events occurring in close proximity to one another. It began with an old friend (Keith Avery) visiting as we continued to try and finish up a software project consisting of a sermon filing system that you have to see in order to believe. It is quite something. Keith is once again at my house as I write this to hopefully get the software package ready for Toney Mulhollan to market through Illumination Publishers International. The next event brought another old friend to our home for a few days, Terry Northcutt, the primary trainer of facilitators for the Dynamic Marriage program. He graciously offered to come from Nashville to our home to give me further training as a facilitator trainer, since I was trying to help get the materials translated into the Russian language in time to conduct a facilitator training session in Kiev. In spite of our best efforts, those of other employees of Family Dynamics, and those of a number of key people in Kiev, we had to postpone the training until 2011. But the time with Terry was great, and greatly appreciated.
The final few days of March were spent with the Houston church, conducting a Shepherding Training Workshop. In Phoenix, we have a monthly training session for quite a number of our most mature couples, who are looked to for shepherding by our members here. We typically have a breakfast fellowship, followed by a very practical and relevant lesson presented by one of our elders or evangelists, ending with group discussion and case studies. The Houston leadership had heard me speak about this program, and wanted to begin the same type of program in their congregation. They asked me to introduce the program by giving an overview of what we were doing here, but mostly they just wanted biblical teaching for all of their small group leaders. It was quite a weekend. The enthusiasm of the group that I met with for those three days is not often rivaled in my experience. It was also a joy to speak to the whole church on Sunday. Maybe it’s because I’m a Southern boy, but my connection with Houston in the past two years has been an unexpected blessing.
Quarter Two
The second quarter began with a teaching day in Phoenix, which we call a “Bible Jubilee.” The subject was originally announced as “Spiritual Relationships.” In looking at my upcoming course title in the Asia-Pacific Leadership Academy, I noted that the title for the Shepherding Track there was “Building Healthy Relationships.” I ended up combining the two titles for both events into “Building Healthy Spiritual Relationships.” The Bible Jubilee version consists of four 50 minute lessons, and is now available in mp3 format from IPI under the title of “How To Build Healthy Spiritual Relationships.”
A few days later in April, Theresa and I made a three week trip to Kiev. Being with Shawn and Lena Wooten for such an extended stay was a great blessing. We have bonded with them, their leaders, the leaders in the Ukraine School of Ministry, and the Kiev church is a deep, enriching way. Both Theresa and I did a lot of teaching during our time in Kiev, the details of which are in my 2010 schedule – found in another section of this web site. The disciples in that part of the world look and speak quite a bit differently than those whom I work with in Asia, but the hearts are the same. In both places, the hunger for biblical teaching is humbling. They love Theresa and me, but I believe the foundation of that love is mainly heartfelt appreciation for being taught the Word of God. I cannot imagine life without my Asian and Russian speaking friends. Their love for God and his Word makes me cry often when I am in either place. I do not deserve what God has given me in this teaching role – but I am eternally grateful that his “boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places” (Psalm 16:6).
In May came another staff training time in the Phoenix church, covering what I earlier called “Sound Doctrine and Church Discipline.” As mentioned earlier in this article, the title of the four lesson series on the subject is “Developing a Biblically Healthy View of God.” It is absolutely one of my favorite courses (and I think my students in Phoenix and the Asian and Ukrainian settings would agree). It is based on Romans 11:22: “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness.” The course consists of looking at both the grace and sternness of God in both Old and New Testaments. I don’t think anyone can develop a biblically healthy view of God without giving serious study and attention to both of God’s attributes in both of his covenants.
During this same time, I went to a nearby city and spent several days working on a book about church leadership. I began writing it in February, but due to my other preparation and teaching, had to delay further writing until May. The book is an evolution of sorts, shown by how the title itself has gone through several phases (all explained in the book’s Introduction). I began writing with a working title of “Elders and Evangelists: Roles and Relationships.” The next phase shows the broadening of the subject: “Church Leadership: Roles and Relationships.” The third (and likely last) phase is even broader: “Church Leadership: Principles, Roles and Relationships.” It is a pretty comprehensive book on the subject, covering much material that would be expected in a book of this type, but also much unexpected material. As with most of my writing, no one will escape unscathed when reading this book!
I ended up my June schedule with another trip to Manila. Hawaiian Air has the best schedule for me in traveling there. They have a non-stop flight from Phoenix to Honolulu and then a non-stop straight to Manila. The total flying time is 16 hours (6 and 10, respectively), but I discovered one secret and God disclosed another! Since the flight from Honolulu to Manila is every other day, I booked the outbound portion to include one 24 hour stop in Honolulu – spent of course with my family there. On the return portion, a very late flight out of Manila caused me to miss my connection in Honolulu, which meant I had another (unscheduled this time) 24 hours with my family. Not only were the flights much easier with the day in between each segment, I was able to see my grandsons again (and their parents, of course)!
As always, the time in Manila was special. Our daughter-in-law (we just call her our daughter, by the way, and she really is that to us) is Filipina, and our three grandsons look quite Filipino. So you know that I love my times in Asia! Looking back, I always loved Filipinos, and now that love has spread to other Asians, especially the ones from the Mekong region who are a part of the APLA. The courses taught this time were both essentially new ones for me, although the one entitled “Building Healthy Spiritual Relationships” had just been taught in Phoenix in a much abbreviated version. The Ministry Track course was “Paul’s Ministry and Message.” Right now, it is my all-time favorite course, as rich and convicting as anything I have ever taught anywhere. I will be teaching it in Kiev this October in their Ministry Track.
I had the students go through Acts 8-28 and all 13 of Paul’s epistles, looking for four specific things. It began as merely a part of an advance homework assignment for the students, and ended up as my main teaching approach. I am about to add one other specific to the course for my next trip to Kiev, and I will probably put this material into book form. It is amazing what you see in that much biblical material when you approach it by looking for very specific things about Paul, his ministry and message. I saw things from a different perspective than ever before, and I can’t recall seeing a lot of what I found in writings of other authors. As I said, I think it is crying out to be in print! Pray that it can become that. A special note of thanks to Koko Enrile and Cesar Lopez, evangelists who oversee the work in the Philippine and Mekong regions of the world. They are not simply among my students, but are special friends who help me in many ways. And without Rolan Monje, my fellow-teacher and worthy assistant in APLA, the school would not survive! (See the “Teaching Report from the Philippines and Thailand” in the Articles section of this web site for a fairly recent update.)
Thus concluded my second quarter, and for July I have zero days scheduled out of Phoenix and only a few out in August! That is nearly a miracle. As I write this, my jet lag from the trip to Asia is just about over and I am within shouting distance of “being dressed and in my right mind.” Please keep me and Theresa in your prayers as we try to keep her theme Scripture for the year as our lifestyle. “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:11-12).
—Gordon Ferguson (July 2010)