Dorinda Beeley, part of the excellent team at LightSys Technology Services, has written a great article about her journey to missions IT. It’s called “From Skeptic to Recruiter: How a Missions Internship Changed My Life”, and it’s in a publication from Calvin College called Dynamic Link.

As she says, “The longer I’m in Missions IT, the more I see how much of a lever technology can truly be as we spread the name of Christ throughout the world”.  Amen!  That’s why we do what we do!

We brought information about a new tool called MissionHub that is beginning to be used within Campus Crusade for Christ to connect students to local ministries, and to make sure that every interested person is contacted by student leaders.  One of our team led a session on “Using Social Media to Accelerate Your Local Movement”.

Others from around the world brought information about the tools and strategies that they’re using to reach people and build communities online.  It was inspiring to hear about the ways that God’s name is being lifted up through web sites, blogs, apps, film, and video.  We strengthened connections and made new ones.

Please continue to pray that we can make the most of the tools and relationships that God has given us.  If we can figure out how to work together better, we will accelerate the fulfillment of the Great Commission even more!

And please pray for the people of Thailand and our Campus Crusade for Christ staff there.  Since late October, deadly floods have invaded Thailand, forcing Thai CCC staff to postpone ministry activities in order to help displaced people. Though native to Thailand’s heavy rain season, many of these staff members returned to find their own homes damaged, and in some cases, totally destroyed.  If you would like to help them financially, please see help.ministrynetconference.com.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This edition features an outreach trip to Australia, Keynote’s Summer Project, and the new Keynote.org web site.

To see the newsletter, click this link.

I can’t believe it’s May already! With Easter so late this year, it’s thrown me off. We hope you all had a wonderful Easter, too, remembering what a wonderful, loving Savior we have in Jesus!

Keynote has soooo much going on this month. Every May we have our annual fund raising Golf Challenges, so we would love your prayers for God to use them to provide for our ministry expenses. These funds do everything from paying the electric bill to sending teams out on the road, so they are vital to Keynote fulfilling the ministry God has called us to.

Keynote is also shifting gears around this time to preparing for this year’s Summer Project! We have a smaller group of students, only 34, this year. There will be two bands and one film team formed out of students and staff. They will all learn how to communicate the love of God effectively using the medium of music or film to share their personal stories. Then they will hit the road!

God uses the training time so greatly in the students’ lives as they learn more about themselves and God in the process. Please pray for God to work wonderfully in each of their lives. Pray for wisdom and love to flow from our staff, and pray for many lives to be changed by God through the teams’ efforts this summer.

And of course, New Media Labs is continuing to work on channeling new media forms into great ways to reach people and connect believers with ministry opportunities. We housed a campus staff member and student last night as they came in from St. Louis for a day of meetings on how to take a witnessing tool, called Perspectives, and “make an app for that”. We would also ask for prayer for the Mission Accelerator (just a working name) to be developed on time to train our U.S. staff how to use it out in Colorado in July.

We personally are gearing up for leaving for Colorado in less than 4 weeks! Pray for Karl especially, that he would have wisdom and stamina for organizing and running the tech needs of the whole Staff Conference Team. I am presently reading lots and lots of books for my classes this summer and am already learning a lot. We so love being able to serve our U.S. Staff specifically every other summer.

Lastly, I just wanted to share about online ministry. Both Karl and I volunteer with Global Media Outreach to be available to people who have responded in various ways to evangelistic web sites. Most of the time we get one of two responses, either first time decisions for Christ or recommitments to Christ. Occasionally we’ll see a believer who wants to learn how to share their faith or someone who has not received Christ, but wants to know more. And most of the time it’s a simple matter of sending them a prepared email directing them to a site that will help them learn more about their relationship with God.

Occasionally, though, we have people with questions. Some share really hard sins they’re wrestling with, some just ask for prayers, and some ask all kinds of questions about how to grow. Today I had the joy of answering the latter. It’s such a blessing to see someone sincerely wanting to grow and to get to help them on their way. And it’s a blessing to be able to reach this person (in Africa in this case) from my living room.

I mention this because I want you to have the opportunity to experience this as well. GMO is continually expanding and needs lots of volunteers to help with the responses they receive. They have a great system of training and a community leaders to turn to if you get a tricky one. If you are interested in learning more, check out www.gmojoinus.com. God bless you!

Why is Campus Crusade’s ‘Music Ministry’ doing Internet stuff?

This is a question that we’ve heard recently, even from within Campus Crusade for Christ.  If people within our organization are confused, it’s probably unclear to some of you who partner with us, too.

What guides everything that Keynote does is Acts 17 and the creative communication of God’s unchanging message.  Paul entered Athens, saw the spiritual worldview of the people there (vs 22), and explained the gospel to them.  He even used the words of their own poets.

Keynote’s mission has always been to use the language of “pop culture” to plant the gospel in the hearts of lost people.  It started with music ministry and has expanded to three outreach arms:

Keynote Artists

blue sky nine and our other artists continue the original ministry, styled for today’s audiences.  Weaving together songs and stories that touch hearts, they call people to respond to the gospel.  blue sky nine recently returned to a prison that they’d played at last year.  After the concert, a man who had committed his life to Christ at last year’s concert came up to talk to the band.  He described how he’d seen his life change incredibly and then said, “There’s nothing I want to remember about being in prison… except the day last year that blue sky nine came.”  That’s what it’s all about!

Keynote Creative Communications Group

This team exists to equip, coach, and train others to communicate the gospel through clear, compelling, and creative media.  They provide communications training to Campus Crusade staff and students around the world.  They also run the Keynote Summer Project.  Through the Summer Project bands this past summer, 1048 people chose to follow Christ!

Keynote New Media Labs

This newest part of Keynote is taking creative communication to the Internet/mobile/digital realms.  Communication has changed – it used to be one-to-one (conversations) or one-to-many (lectures or broadcasts).  Now it’s many-to-many.  A video uploaded to YouTube or a statement published on facebook might lead to many online exchanges between people who have never met face-to-face.  How can we bring the Gospel into these conversations?

I’m sure that many of you don’t use facebook – that’s OK.  But 500 million people do, and they spend a lot of time there.  What if we could take the Gospel to them where they are?  We can!

Obviously, technology is key to all three of Keynote’s outreach strategies.  It’s exciting to be in the middle of this, helping any way that I can to move these efforts forward.  Thank you for the part you play in keeping us going through your prayers and gifts!

From: Marilyn
Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 11:50 AM
To: Chris, Karl, Jonathan
Subject: RE: Site is up….almost.

I LOVE WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All the redirects seem to be working.
The Live Chat is working.
The AR signups all look good.
I am sooooooooooo impressed.
Geographic sites are working as they were. That’s fine.
I’ll get the descriptions to you soon. (I’ll work on them now.)
YOU GUYS ARE INCREDIBLE. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Marilyn
p.s. I don’t speak in superlatives often.

This was the email Karl and the guys received after helping upgrade one of the Christian growth websites,  www.startingwithgod.com.  This site is open for everyone and is a great tool for all of us if we are helping a new believer learn about their relationship with God.  We’d love to have you check it out.  Let us know what you think!

Besides the tech work Karl does, Keynote has had a couple of other major things happening this month.  First, the 2010 Keynote Golf Challenges have come and gone. 67 individuals raised sponsorship to play, caddie or volunteer for the two events and raised more than $118,000! We are so grateful to all those who contributed their time, effort, prayers and finances to make these days a success.

Secondly, Summer Project students will be showing up in a week! Already, most of our staff have switched hats from their regular jobs to prepare to organize and lead the summer bands, train and disciple the students, and send them out on tours across the country.  Last years’ summer project saw over 800 decisions for Christ, and that doesn’t even measure the personal growth the students experience as they step out in faith and see God use them.  Please pray for the 25 students showing up in June and for the people they will come into contact with on tour in July.

And since Friday was the last day of school, our family is transitioning to summer mode as well.  Pray that we would make good use of the time as a family (summer project time can be a great time to get our staff kids involved, but it also means I don’t  have kid free time to do ministry in the office.  It’s different, but good).  Thanks y’all, and we pray you have a wonderful summer ahead as well.

Watch an introduction video below, and find out more at www.opendoorsusa.org.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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.

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!

Praise God!!?

(Keep praying that nothing else goes wrong? )

Please pray with us that either the county would relax these restrictions, or that we could find another buyer soon.? Most of all, that we would be able to trust God with this.

We also wanted to let you know about a bunch of things that we’ve been adding to our web site.? On the list of links to the right, we’ve added new sections of resources about umbilical cord blood donation and dealing with infertility and loss.? Up top (and on the “Pages” list), you’ll see a new link to a page about Keynote that includes a bunch of videos.? We’ve also updated the “Family Photos” — you can even watch our house being built by clicking on the “Matterhorn Drive” set.? Feel free to check out anything you’re interested in.

Why does it have to hurt so much?

You go about your business every day, doing what you normally do, and smiling at people around you. Then when you least expect it, the sadness is back.

You look at a stranger, or overhear a conversation, or remember a time, and suddenly the tears come again. And you wonder if this will ever stop.

You listen to people chatting and whining about petty things. You�re tempted to blurt out, �Don�t you realize what�s really important?� But you say nothing.

You hear people complain about their kids. You want to say, �Don�t you realize how lucky you are?� But you keep quiet.

Someone remarks, �At least you have another child to enjoy.� Your head knows that. But your heart feels an emptiness for the dream that was lost and the unique person you will never have a chance to know.

It seems everywhere you go, there�s another happy young couple or an expectant mother, and you wonder again why life is so unfair.

People ask, �How are you doing?� You�re tempted to tell the truth � but you don�t want to make them uncomfortable or force them to deal with sad things today. So you say, �I�m fine.�

Does anyone really understand?

God does. He knows exactly what you are feeling. And He�s always ready to listen and help you through it, whatever �it� is.

Some people do understand. They know how it feels when a part of you is gone. Even after months and months have passed, and you still would like to talk about it, remember these people. They really want to be there for you, and they will listen.

You never forget. But you realize that�s OK, because why would you want to forget the love you felt for a precious part of you?

A time comes when you realize the good days outnumber the bad, when the tears don�t come as often, when you can smile and really be smiling on the inside, too. But now, that time seems far off.

Why does it have to hurt so much?

Each of the metaphors used for the church can help us to appreciate more of the richness of privilege that God has given us by incorporating us into the church.? The fact that the church is like a family should increase our love and fellowship with one another.? The thought that the church is like the bride of Christ should stimulate us to strive for greater purity and holiness, and also greater love for Christ and submission to him.? The image of the church as branches in a vine should cause us to rest in him more fully.? The idea of an agricultural crop should encourage us to continue growing in the Christian life and obtaining for ourselves and others the proper spiritual nutrients to grow.? The picture of the church as God’s new temple should increase our awareness of God’s very presence dwelling in our midst as we meet.? The concept of the church as a priesthood should help us to see more clearly the delight God has in the sacrifices of praise and good deeds that we offer to him (see Heb. 13:15 – 16).? The metaphor of the church as the body of Christ should increase our interdependence on one another and our appreciation of the diversity of gifts within the body.? Many other applications could be drawn from these and other metaphors for the church listed in Scripture.

Here’s a taste:? “Tolerance traditionally means simply to recognize and respect others’ beliefs, practices and so on, without necessarily agreeing or sympathizing.”? The new tolerance “means to consider every individual’s beliefs, values, lifestyle and truth claims as equally valid.”

They go on to explain the consequences of this change, and how Christians should respond.

I wasn’t able to find the exact article online, but there is a very similar article called Truth and Tolerance here.

Click here to view the embedded video.