Date: Jun 30, 2003 [ 8: 46: 3]
Subject: Tip of the Week - Gratitude, Communications & Encouragement - 2
© 2003 BCP Harry Shelton Cole
Subject: Tip of the Week - Gratitude, Communications & Encouragement - 2
Pastor Marvin McKenzie, Bayview Baptist Church, Astoria, Oregon, is a wise
and active church planter. He offers this follow-up tip to Brother Able's
tip from last week. Thanks again Dr. McKenzie for you input.
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Tip of the Week 02/07/97
Gratitude, Communications &
Encouragement. Part 2
I'd like to add to last weeks thoughts in the tip of the week. Though your
letters ought to be honest, they should also be positive. We are serving
the King of Kings, but sometimes a prayer letter sounds like we're serving
a despot!
Some of the letters I get are more about how many in the family are sick
than about what God is doing in the work! I wrote many a prayer letter
myself, and I know that sometimes there isn't very much encouraging to
report, but we do not have to give in to writing down how miserable we are.
Stay on top of the circumstances and let it show in your letters!
them positively. 1) New Christians, immature Christians etc. are reading
your letters and it may cause them to stumble in their walk it they see
despair from their missionary. 2) It causes you to focus on what God is
doing for you instead of negative circumstances that surround you. I
sandwich prayer concerns in one paragraph between two positive praise and
thank you paragraphs. If I am down and depressed, I get on the phone or in
person with a mentor or a friend and ask if I can dump on him. Then we
pray and God works it out. For an example of my prayer letter (which is not
perfect) point your browser to :
http://www.bbfi.org/churches/MA/fbcgb/news.html >>>>
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