Karl & Liesl Kranich

Hey, Y’all!  Sorry our May letter is coming to you in June.  I’ll blame it on the traveling ;-)  We got in to Colorado yesterday afternoon and dove into settling in to the apartment we’ll be staying in (which for me means cleaning it all before unpacking anything).  We’ll be having my old roommates stay with us over the summer (as well as family at points), so it will be a busy but blessed summer.

Karl and the rest of the guys are already unloading trucks and working hard to set up the office facilities for the rest of the Staff Conference Team.  They show up in a few more days and then the various trainings start just a week later.  So, you could pray for the computer stuff to work the way it should the first time and for good health (hauling boxes isn’t always the best work for some of us) so that everyone else can hit the ground running once they arrive.

You can also pray that we would reflect Jesus to the people here in Fort Collins (especially as we deal with college students living in the apartments – we tend to have to deal with some “college” behaviors, but always want God to be glorified more than just to get problems to stop).

I am also going to be organizing the worship teams for the New Staff Training this year, so please pray that God would organize the teams for me so they work well together and can lead the rest of the new staff in focusing on God while having so much new information thrown at them.

Now for some cool praises from the Keynote summer project! The students and staff had an outreach day.  In addition to surveys and “Knowing God Personally” booklets, some students used the new “Soularium” tool and others used their laptops to show “Wreck” (produced by last year’s film track) and two other short films.

• One team forgot most of their materials at the office, but saw God bring just the right verses to their minds as they shared the gospel with people.
• Silja, our student from Germany, was in a mall when she heard two girls speaking German behind her! She shared with them and they were very interested in the booklet and in coming to the dress rehearsals. (Silja stayed with us for a week between serving this spring at Purdue and starting the summer project.  It’s been great to hear how God keeps bringing Germans across her path in Indiana, one who received Christ with her in May!)
• A Carmel High School student named Tyler trusted Christ with Ryan, who was sharing his faith for the first time!

I love being able to serve with this ministry (both Keynote and Campus Crusade for Christ).  Whether it’s unpacking boxes or helping a student to share his faith for the first time, it is such a privilege to be a part of how God is growing His kingdom!  Thank you all for being our “behind the scenes” ministers!  We pray that you would reflect Christ and see God greatly this summer where you are.

We’ve asked you in the past to pray for our friend and fellow Campus Crusade for Christ staffer Chris, who has esophageal cancer that has spread to his lungs.  The following call for prayer was written by his wife a few days ago.  They have two small children.

We are in the stage of complete exhaustion and desperation. All we could ask is God’s mercy. Please plead God with us that He will bind the stronghold of cachexia (kakeksia) in his body. It is the body’s wasting away. Please pray that the supplements will work to melt all the cancer in his body.

It is our desire that if God will take Chris home, that He will bless his last days with a quality of life (even without the tube!). Right now, the pain is stealing his joy and hope. Pray for our children that beyond confusion,their hearts will be open to receive God’s love and goodness. Lastly pray for me, this is the hardest thing I ever faced in my life - for extraordinary strength, peace and to enjoy every moment with Chris. Above all, amidst all pain and suffering, pray that God ’s glory will shine.

How are you?  Around here things have been busy so I’m betting you’ve had a similar month.  We started the month by heading to Florida.  Anja had spring break, but Karl used the time to do preparation work for the computer systems out in Colorado this summer.  So we had family time, time with friends we miss, and got a lot done all at the same time!

We’re not the only ones who’ve been busy.  We’ve had our bands out touring.  Blue Sky Nine was “in prison”.  Keynote likes to serve other ministries when possible, so this was a great opportunity.  Band leader Scott Naylor said, “The ‘Weekend of Champions’ effort put ministry teams at 9 different facilities throughout Central Kansas, and for the weekend, over 600 inmates indicated a first-time commitment to trusting and following Jesus, and over 400 indicated a re-dedication. We’re thrilled to have been part of that.”

Meanwhile our other band, Giants of Silence, headed to Europe.  They’ve performed in 3 countries to locals and to our servicemen at some of the bases and seen God at work (even down to keeping the lead singer able to sing despite being sick most of the trip). After one particularly unusual concert in Germany with mostly non believers, Ethan Ehrstine said,  “At the end of the night 2 people indicated decisions to receive Christ, any 16 purchased CDs (which all contain the gospel) and many, many more took our little mini-posters (which also have the gospel printed on them).  It was a great night!!”  I’ve got to tell you, for that to happen in Germany is wonderful!

The Boyds took time out of touring to speak at another Family Life marriage conference in Seattle.  354 people attended and 46 of them received Christ that weekend.  Comment cards shared of marriages that were “over” now being willing to change and grow together again.  God is so good!

Our solo artists have been touring as well, but I’m running out of room since I want to let you know what’s coming and what needs prayer.  For Keynote, the biggest things happening are the Golf Challenge and the Summer Project.  The Golf challenge is where golfers get sponsors for their playing 100 holes of golf in a day.  Please pray for all the details of these events (one in California and one in Indiana in May) to go well and for God to provide for the financial needs of Keynote despite the economy.

The summer project is where college kids come for the summer and learn how to do ministry Keynote style.  We have 4 different bands forming this year (plus two Impact Movement bands for the African American community) and one film team.  It is such a great way to minister, but to be honest, the biggest work is in the lives of the students themselves.  This is one of those places God works to set their course for Him and so I would ask for prayer for the students to fall madly in love with their Father and for Him to grow them in great and lasting ways.

Lastly, we will be heading to Colorado to work with the Conference Team again this summer! I can’t believe we’ll be heading out in a month.  Conference team does all the behind the scenes work that makes it possible for all kinds of trainings (New staff, Leadership, Bible classes, etc.) to take place in one location, culminating with our biannual all Staff Conference.  Karl, of course, works with the tech guys.  I’ve been asked to organize the New staff Training worship team.  We’d love your prayers for us to be healthy and serve well this summer.  Thanks so much for being our “behind the scenes” team.  You make our ministry a reality!

(Sorry that this got posted so late; Liesl wrote it on March 31.  -karl)

Happy Birthday to Karl!!! Today he turned 40 and so the fun has already begun (including the 40 balloons at his desk, thanks Mom). Thought you might like to see.

Now, back to our normally scheduled newsletter ;-)  We love being a part of Keynote. Last week we heard one of our solo artists, Jimmy Fauntleroy, do his thing and it was great. If you want to check out his music (most of which he writes himself) go to www.littlelordmusic.com.

We have had some questions about what exactly our bands/musicians do.  Unlike some Christian artists, they do not play all Christian music.  The goal of our bands is to use good secular music to paint a picture throughout the concert of real heart needs.  They do this through the music and by telling their own stories in between songs in a way that makes sense to the audience.

The goal is that the audience would relate to the story. Then when they hear how God loves them and wants to give them a different future than the path they’re on now, just like He did with the band member telling his story, they will want a relationship with God, too.

This is also why we have such a wide variety of bands.  Each plays different music and so can reach a different group of people.  From rap to acoustic, we want to “be all things to all men so that by all possible means (we) might save some.” I Cor. 9:22.  Our bands excel in quality, but what matters the most is their hearts.  They share real stories about how God has changed their lives and they pray and trust God to do the work in peoples’ hearts.

We hope hearing this give you a better picture of the way our people minister so you can pray for them.  They face a lot of obstacles, from tiring travel to spiritual battle, both before and during concerts.  And thanks to God, people’s lives are changed because our artists are willing to go to them.  God bless you!

Blessed Be Your Name
by Matt and Beth Redman

Blessed Be Your Name In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name When I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out  I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s “all as it should be” Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out  I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

This song, for me, sums it up.  This is what life is about.  Learning to trust our God enough to bless His name in all circumstances.  Two years ago, we were in probably the darkest time of our lives thus far.  I couldn’t even sing it, but I could choose to believe it.  Had I written this letter yesterday I would have said how the sun is shining down on us and we can still praise our God.  Indeed, Karl and I are in a place where it is easy to thank God, He has given us such blessings.  Today, though, I’m reminded of the sacrifice of praise God sometimes calls us to.  A fellow CCC staff member has stage 4 cancer (and a wife and two small children).  We would love it if you would pray for Chris and Jo and the kids.

But in all these places (and because we’ve been there) we can truly say that our God loved us through them.  Sometimes He did it personally and other times He used the love and care of other believers. We wanted to share this song with you because if you and I were sitting down with coffee having a heart to heart discussion, you would have your joys and trials to share.  Some of you feel blessed and some of you undoubtedly are hurting badly right now.  Where ever you are, please know that you are LOVED.  God is there and won’t let go.  And we are here, too.  If there’s any way we can share your burdens (or joys) we want to.  Just let us know.
Praising God,