Tuesday, March 27, 2012

April Calendar and Prayer Requests

_____________
CALENDAR
MARCH & APRIL
3/30 Fort Mill, SC
TC McSwain Small Group
of Transformation Church

W/Wayne+Kathryn Craig

3/30 Your Next Step
Theology Class held
at Beach Church
11:15 in Myrtle Beach, SC
More Info Click HERE

3/30 Joyeux Anniversaire!
Happy Birthday SIS!!!

Angela Walker-Sister, and me


4/8...April 8th is EASTER!!!
HE IS RISEN...INDEED!!!!
It's ALSO the anticipated
Receipt of Necessary Docs from France to Submit my Visa Application. I can set an appointment with the French Embassy ONLY after I receive them!
Pray the process doesn't take the maximum 3 months!
I'm personally asking God that it take the legal minimum.


4/8 Easter iPAD Giveaway

Keehn Adoption Fundraiser
Each $10 is ONE entry. 100% helps adopt from Ethiopia!

To enter Click HERE

4/10 Conway Manor
Outreach to the Elderly
6:40 Worship, 7:00 Bingo,
Fellowship and Prayer

4/17 Les Miserables
Musical in Greenville,SC
Gift from my Clardy Family!
Merci mes amis!!!!
"To love another person is to see the face of God"
Fantine in Les Mis

4/19 In CONCERT as
Special Guest with...

Brandon Broughton, Friend,
Music Teacher in Charleston
"Turning Tables"-Adele
and
"Falling Slowly"-Once(Movie)

4/20 Invisible Children
"Cover The Night"  
US Campaign to Raise
Awareness in the US

4/22 All Saints Ch. in DC
Return for hopefully my FINAL?
Presentation and Worship

4/24-5/? NY Presentations


BONUS WORSHIP VIDEO
Inspired by The Pilgrimage this past Sunday.
My favorite line is:"Now my heart is set on a pilgrimage to Heaven's own Bright King"
*|YOUTUBE:92YZJF1dpnU|*

EXILES IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY

EXILES IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY:'Brie'f Devotion
I won't surprise anyone by saying that I believe followers of Christ are like exiles in most nations now. We ought to be different, yes, but I mean that we truly are children with another home that's not in this world. That makes it all the more urgent and clear that we have been left here, after salvation, to reach the city where we are planted. For me that has BEEN Myrtle Beach. In just a few short months it will be Brie-Comte-Robert. It's very close to Paris so you can just remember Paris if that's easier. I will after all be ministering to young adults there too. Life to life.

My prayer is that you don't just get a heart for the lost, the widow, the orphan and the poor in France from my journey but that you find renewed passion and strength to reach the lost, the widow, the orphan and the poor in your city!

Financial 'Brie'f: 96%!!!!!
God added a dozen new familes, a new church and moved a handful of YOU to increase your current giving! Now we have more than 200 prayer partners and 167 families giving monthly to this ministry! If you are a new partner go ahead and set up your account now please. Call Rilla Springstead at 1-800-825-5896 at ext. 104 to set up a new account or to increase your pledge! And thank you ALL for giving!!!

A BIG "Thank You" to Market Life Ministries for Friday Night. The rest of my life changed because of your exhortation that the Gospel+nothing is everything! And MERCI to my friends Dr.David Powers, his family, and the family-in-Christ at The Pilgrimage in Surfside Beach, South Carolina. David has been encouraging the church to pray about using their passports for Christ recently. So this past Sunday they welcomed me and gave me the whole service to preach, share about France and to lead in worship. That is always a stretching experience!  Read on to hear David's response after the service and what really was an encouragement to me:

Rockin’ The Pilgrimage with Ricardo Walker

We had missionary Ricardo Walker come in today to speak to our congregation. Awesome time and Ricardo rocked it!
It was weird in a good way. We’ve tried to do everything so non-traditional that when Ricardo came in with a keyboard and music, a traditional service seemed…well, non-traditional for us. It was also a great break for me, as it presented an opportunity for me to be preached to.

Ricardo is almost completely funded for his departure to France, so he’ll probably be leaving soon. If you get the chance to hear him speak or sing anywhere near you, I’d highly recommend it. One great aspect of his teaching that I pulled from both the sermon and the Q & A afterward is that when he spoke of France it already seemed like home to him. I like that. It’s going to make a tremendous difference with his ministry, that he’s at home with the people he’s reaching and not just a visitor for a few years.
Another great thing I noticed about Ricardo is that he’s highly relational, a real people person. He reminds me of Francis Chan that way. In a country like France where the vast majority of the people are unchurched, his relational ministry may be the key that reaches them. He’s also awesome with kids. Mine took to him right away.
Like I said, Ricardo is almost fully funded. Maybe God’s calling you to reach out to Europe through him. Wouldn’t it be cool if you were the person that helped him reach that magic number of ’100% funded’?

My 5yo drew this pic of Ricardo playing the piano during the service. Ricardo- He even drew you with a halo!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

'Brie'f Devotion: Louder Than Words

'BRIE'F Devotion
My conviction grows stronger daily that the world(as it becomes more broken and further from God) needs to "hear" and see the love of God THROUGH the actions of His body the Church. And NOT JUST in their...OUR words. John 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 13 mean so much because they aren't just words...they are the Words about Love that acted in a sacrifice so profound it has changed the meaning of humility and love forevermore!

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8
But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the Gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. 
2 Corinthians 8:1-5
 1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

Esther 4:14
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Does the Church today continue to demonstrate generosity it did, even to the point of risking plague and death in the 3rd Century?
Borrowed from http://unityinchrist.com/LegacyOfLove.htm

“Having noted at length how the Christian community nursed the sick and dying and even spared nothing in preparing the dead for proper burial, he wrote:
 
The heathen [pagans] behaved in the very opposite way.  At the first onset of the disease, they pushed the sufferers away and fled from their dearest, throwing them into the roads before they were dead and treated unburied corpses as dirt, hoping thereby to avert the spread and contagion of the fatal disease; but do what they might, they found it difficult to escape.
The whole Christian community, during the 2nd epidemic (260), which was still a heavily Judeo-Christian community, became a virtual army of nurses, providing the basic needs the suffering community needed to survive.  “At the height of the second epidemic, around 260, in the Easter letter already quoted above, Dionysius wrote a lengthy tribute to the heroic nursing efforts of local Christians, many of whom lost their lives while caring for others.
 
Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ, and with them departed this life serenely happy; for they were infected by others with the disease, drawing on themselves the sickness of their neighbors and cheerfully accepting their pains.  Many, in nursing and curing others, transferred their death to themselves and died in their stead…The best of our brothers lost their lives in this manner, a number of presbyters, deacons, and laymen winning high commendation so that death in this form, the result of great piety and strong faith, seems in every way the equal of martyrdom.” [ibid. p. 82, par. 2]

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

'Brie'f Devotion...Fight the Good Fight

1 Timothy 6:11-15
Final Charge to Timothy 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.


The best things in life are worth fighting for! By linking our faith journey to this image of fighting Paul reminds us that it won't be easy, that there will sometimes be opposition, ambushes, traps, periods of waiting and inactivity, and the chaos and frenzy of battle.
YET we have a captain, a commander who is so amazing, He knows every move of His already defeated enemy and turns every evil plan to benefit His Kingdom's good!
If we just trust Him God has all the rest figured out. I have had to let Him work thru me but God is the one who knew His perfect timing for this part of my journey...the culmination of years of working and waiting. But like Paul I still put my hand to everything He called me to here in Myrtle Beach and I am richer in love and His eternal family for it!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Atlanta Trip and Myrtle Beach Friends

So as you know I my last update was 2 weeks ago as we were finishing up February appointments and travels.The most exciting part of that time was heading to Atlanta to reconnect with Lorenzo Monge, the Pastor of Brie Church and , well really a friend. It was like a mini-family reunion of 3 as he, Jim Erickson (spelling?) of Northpoint and I attended the 2nd service together. Northpoint has been a great friend to Brie Church which I will elaborate upon in future posts!
Here we are in the balcony (pre-service).
I actually heard the song "Never Once" for the first time minutes after these photos were taken and have listened to it every day since. It is exactly my heart's picture of this long journey so far.
And my hope of where He will continue to lead as I f"finally" get to France!
Sanctuary pre-service and empty.
Santuary FILLED
Excitement as we get ready to begin!
Men's Resources One Shelf
Women's Resources Two Shelves
Need I say more...hahaha
Just kidding but I do think it's funny!
After service we "brunched" Chez les Long
at the home of Scott and Emilie Long
She is French, married to an American. They have been friends of Lorezno and Brie Church for a long time and are excited about God working in their country afresh!
Amy was the "scout" from Northpoint who connected initially with Lorenzo and Mary-Alice when they both discovered here is the partnership that we've been searching for where we are already on the same page!



Amy giving us a BRIE'f history.




Lorenzo sharing
I cried with him a few times as he shared even tho he will never admit to crying  :)



I stayed with my friends Ben and Erin Lee the night before and got to reconnect with their new son Nate!
What a ham! I love him and them!
 Tickle-Me-Nate
 Back in Myrtle Beach I've been loving on AC and Kinsey's new son Micah Ephraim Muller
A bot and his Bluncle
 This is me and Noah Benjamin Ortiz, son of my brother and friends Jamin and Lauree Ortiz
That smile shows how big his heart already is!!!
 The same day I left for Atlanta started early with a presentation at a Men's Prayer Breakfast in Conway at the first church I attended when I moved here. I later joined Trinity UMC as it's first African American Member. Please pray for an opportunity to share with the family there before I leave!
Thank you to Leon Hamm for making this happen!
 The Blanton's won this painting and "Rises" donated by Caitlin Beidler last year to benefit this Mission!
They also won a $50 Gift Certificate to the restaurant of their choice!!!
We're giving away another $50 gift certificate for the top connector in March.
 Cade Blanton accepting the Top Connector Week 2 Prize
Julie Clardy accepting the Top Connector Week 3 Prize

Saturday, March 3, 2012

February Contest Results and March Guidelines


BRIEF Contest:(Gift Basket )February Week 3 ... Congratulations to...
The Antoninos!


AND....DRUM ROLL please...


WINNERS OF THE THE GRAND PRIZE=$ 50 Gift Certificate to the restaurant of their choice and the painting "Rises" by Caitlin Beidler
for the MOST NEW monthly support for the entire MONTH of February:
The Blantons!!!
We're doing JUST a Grand Prize for March
$50 Gift Certificate for Top Connector!!!
TO ENTER:
1-Subscribe to this eNewsletter
AND
2-Connect ONE GROUP
CHURCH, or FAMILY
to this ministry now
to qualify  :)
(FAQs and all details)  Here's HOW:Giveaway Details
Answers to all your questions about how to enter and why.


Q-Isn't France a Catholic country and ALREADY evangelized?

A-Not anymore. Less than 2% of 60 MILLION people in France have a relationship with their Savior Jesus Christ as the only way to reconnect with God the Father. Few of that 2% share this or evangelize. Most are elderly. Many are immigrants who only worship in the language of their country on origin and don't expect to evangelize outsiders.

FRANCE IS A NEW MISSION FIELD.


Q-What if my church doesn't support outside missionaries?

A-I don't actually ask churches to include me in their budget. Instead I ask them to let me share with the Congregation to invite people to partner with me individually.The church only gives the opportunity. No financial commitment from the church required but always welcome!



Q-How do I approach my group or church? What do I tell them about you?

A-Upon request I will either email or snail mail you a letter of Introduction and/or my brochure with information about the Church Plant in Brie and my official Commissioning by United World Mission!



Q-How do I "host"?

A-You invite at least one other person or family to a meeting over coffee or dessert, my treat. At a restaurant, coffee shop OR home(yours or theirs). Together WE share how God is working in France and offer them the opportunity to get involved.



Q-DO I win for the most people signed up of for the amount of monthly money pledged?

A-The winner is based on a simple tally of most new dollars pledged and started during the month of February. BUT the more people you sign up the greater the likelihood of bringing in the most new support.



Q-What if I live out of town?

A-I'll come to you at my own expense. If you don't have a guest room I can take care of my own lodgings as well. Distance is no obstacle because I'm ready and believe THIS is the time to finish up this effort and get to 100%



Q-What about groups like Rotary or Kiwanis? Bible studies? Churches?

A-I will speak share and or sing at ANY event to which YOU can secure US an invitation.



Q-Is there a minimum pledge?

A-Not really but I suggest at least $5. Your pledge comes with this incentive...

ALL MONTHLY PARTNERS have a FREE place to stay when they come to Paris!!!


If you have other questions just post them below, email, Tweet or Facebook me for a speedy response!


walker.ricardo@gmail.com
Twitter=Ricardo33AD
Facebook=Ricardo L. Walker
Past Winners


Lyrics "Never Once" By Matt Readman

Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us


Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us


Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say


Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful


Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us


Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say


Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful


Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace
Never once, no, we never walk alone


Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we’ll be breathing out Your praise