Dear Friends,
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!
As we enter 2007, Life Connections begins its 7th year in ministry, and with each passing year, our calling is becoming increasingly clear. As with Nehemiah, we too have been called to help rebuild spiritual walls around the world. And as we partner with other ministries, leading teams into distant cities and foreign lands, we are privileged to witness a transformation, first of an individual, and then of a community itself. God has permitted LCI to be used as His instrument to help awaken in others the transforming life of Jesus Christ.
As with the walls surrounding Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah, the spiritual walls of cities and nations around the world are in disrepair. Were you to consider the individual blocks of those walls as churches, organizations, or even individuals called to minister in that city, our ministry is to serve as the mortar that helps fill the gaps between these various efforts, ultimately bringing cohesion and unity to the overall effort of the Church in that community. Of course, the ultimate source of this unity is the Lord Himself, but LCI is privileged to have been called to help awaken in others the need to humbly submit to this “oneness” for His Church.
This calling upon LCI has lead us to identify four (4) core values of ministry. They are:
Unity: Hear the words of our Lord as He prayed in the garden: “I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved Me.” (Jn 17:23). At LCI, we believe that our Lord’s prayer will be fulfilled, and it is our privilege to help awaken within the Body of Christ a hunger for this unity.
Worship: The battle is not ours, but the Lord’s. It is He who will expose the darkness and bring forth Light and Life in our communities. And what is the weapon at our disposal. Worship! “Where ever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!” (Nehemiah 4:20). Let us sing forth His sovereignty and watch as He reclaims all that is rightfully His.
Prayer: “Prepare the way for the Lord; make straight paths for him” (Matthew 3:3). It is a privilege to partner with God as He advances His Kingdom, and LCI has been called to help prepare the Church for this advancement through prayer.
Service: LCI has been called to serve others, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus . . . to serve as His representatives to a hurting and dying world. In every city we visit, one thing is painfully clear . . . people desperately need to see a physical manifestation of the God’s love.
So wherever the Lord leads us . . . wherever we find ourselves . . . it is our sincere desire to incorporate these core values into our ministry and in so doing, Bring Life to the Nations!
Here’s a brief summary of some recent trips as well as some activities we have planned in the upcoming year:
India
We ended up sending Daniel Bernauer to work with Yuvalok Foundation and here is what he had to say.
I would like to express how thankful I am for the opportunity to serve in India. I could have never attempted this trip on my own strength, thank you to everyone who helped me, prayed for me and donated to make this trip possible. Seriously it was a miracle that the Lord paved the way by taking care of all details and provided enough funds in only four weeks.
I knew India would be crazy, I had heard some stories from friends but one can never be fully prepared for the realities of a third world country. Poverty, sickness, tumors, leprosy, orphaned children living with AIDS and death stand bold in your face. You can’t ignore it because it’s everywhere. Yet in the midst of these terrible sights you see hope, love, faith and life! The Lord has been raising up some amazing servants who are working everywhere in India to help those in need, spread the gospel and bring change. These servants face great trials in there work for the Lord it’s not an easy task.
The Lord has been working on me for several years now and I have changed a lot. The last few months have brought an even deeper change but this trip to India was the icing on the cake. Ignorantly I thought that I was going to be of help to others but found that they helped me much more. The Lord broke my heart in India. In the poverty and sickness I saw the love Jesus has for us and His creation. I saw the tears He sheds for us and the tears that He sheds for the lost all over the world. I saw the patience Jesus has and finally understood “long suffering” as Jesus waits for the right time to return. I realized that the entire world even our hometown needs a savior in a serious way and I realized just how much each one of us can do to help those in need.
Mexico
Our first trip of 2007 will be to Mexico on March 2nd-4th where we will be working along side Sergio Gomez and the City of Angels Orphanage. For 13 years we have been blessed to be a part of this growing ministry and to help impact the lives of so many young, needy people. Come join us!
Savannah, Georgia
On March 12th-19th we will be leading a team to Savannah where we will partner with Calvary Chapel and Pastor Dan Tuttle. For the past couple of years we have felt called to help lead this community in worship and to teach of our Lord’s desire for unity within the Body. We know that there is a blessing that comes on a community when the church walks in the fulfillment of Jesus prayer (John 17:23), and it is our desire to see that blessing poured out upon the City of Savannah.
Pray LA with a 5K
On May 5th, LCI will assist in coordinating a very special prayer event in the City of Los Angeles. On the Saturday following the National Day of Prayer (Thursday, May 3rd), Christians from all over Southern California will gather at Hansen Dam for the inaugural “Pray for LA in May with a 5K”. The purpose is simple. Bring the Body together and encourage prayer for the people of Los Angeles. Look for more information in the not too distant future on the Pray for LA website (www.prayla.org). And come join us! Even if you aren’t a runner, come walk the course and pray for Los Angeles. Proceeds from the event will go to benefit Union Rescue Mission.
Industry Fellowship
Life Connections is launching into another ministry opportunity in 2007. Several years ago, Jeremy Shore and Leah Walton started Industry Fellowship with a vision to help connect Christians working in the entertainment and fashion industries. As a result of other ministry opportunities, Jeremy and Leah have asked LCI to help facilitate the Industry Fellowship website. Since we have felt called to this arena for years, our answer was an immediate “Yes!” Look for more on this subject in upcoming newsletters. And in the meantime, pray! Pray that the Lord will use this as an opportunity to open doors for people within these two industries. And visit the website at www.industryfellowship.org. < !
God Bless Tyler Lennon