[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #9b9b9b;”]T[/dropcap]his past spring many of you joined us as we had a wonderful time at our Shepherd’s Blessing Dinner. Our speaker was Marshall Shelley, vice-president of Christianity Today and editor in chief of CT’s Leadership Media Group, which develops resources for church leaders, including Leadership Journal, PreachingToday.com, ChurchLawAndTax.com, and BuildingChurchLeaders.com.
With his years of experience writing to and for pastors and other Christian leaders, Marshall is highly qualified to address issues related to Christian leadership. The title of his presentation was, “The Air Leaders Breathe”. In his presentation he addressed topics such as an “inescapable calling”, church politics, constant comparisons and others.
Two dinners in two locations. That was the 2010 plan for the annual QuietWaters Ministries fundraiser called the Shepherd’s Blessing Dinner. Having maxed out the facility at Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church in 2009, the challenge for planners was to figure out how to keep growing while still providing some continuity for faithful supporters.
The solution: In April 2010, Shepherd’s Blessing Dinners were held at two locations—Family in Christ Community Church, in Westminster, CO, and Cherry Creek Presbyterian in Englewood, CO. The first dinner drew 101 people to register for a north location, and the second dinner was convenient for over 200 people living in the south Denver suburb…
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #9b9b9b;”]T[/dropcap]he temperature was dropping and my fingers were numb. My back hurt. My knees were telling me they were over 50 years old. Still I persisted. “One more shingle and I’ll be done.”
I was on the roof of my daughter and son-in-law’s house. A windstorm had peeled the shingles from their roof and flung them around the neighborhood. Our children were out of town, and a snowstorm was predicted. Being a dutiful father, I decided to repair the roof of our children’s home before the next storm could do more damage. What was I afraid of—Water damage. Since the roof had been stripped to the tar paper in seven places, melting snow could seep in and cause extensive damage to ceilings, loors and furnishings. So I determined to fix the problem before it got worse…
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #9b9b9b;”] T [/dropcap]hree hundred people braved rain and cold on April 16 to prove their dedication to helping Christian leaders find restoration and renewal through QuietWaters Ministries. The generosity and sacrifice of donors present at the annual Shepherd’s Blessing Dinner enabled ongoing ministry to hurting pastors, missionaries and key Christian leaders. The evening emphasized how God uses QuietWaters in His healing work of “Making the Wounded Whole.” A matching gift challenge issued by an anonymous donor motivated others to give bigheartedly, and $50,000 was received in gifts and commitments that night. In an uncertain economy, Christians once again revealed their trust is in God. They opened their pocketbooks to bless pastors and others who are facing critical emotional and spiritual needs. In his talk on “Making the Wounded Whole,” Dr. Jerry White referred to the “wounded warrior” who needs to allow someone into his life as part of the healing process. At QuietWaters, our counselors are those significant “someones.” All our clients are served in a confidential environment. However, from time to time, a client will provide a thank-you note which we can share. In the words of one wounded warrior who has been made…
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