Ministry News
Greetings once again in the name of our blessed Savior and Lord Jesus Christ! I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving with family and friends. I spent some of my day with my sister and her family. I was very different not having mom there, but she is having a great time with Jesus, dad and Billy.
I have an upcoming speaking engagement in April in Coatesville Pa. at Grace Community Church. I always love sharing with those wonderful ladies! Counseling continues to go well, but I always can use more clients.
Pastor Ken continues to preach Sunday evenings at his church as well and mentor several men. He has two weddings coming up and is excited about what the Lord is doing!
2020 will be an important year for ELM. I need to be able to take a higher salary in order to prepare to pay for my future housing. We are planning to put the farm up for sale in the late Spring or early Summer. The house is a fixer-upper, so the real value is in the 12 acres. Sub-dividing is not feasible due to costs and the years it would take to get township approvals. In short, we need to sell it for enough money that once the existing mortgage is paid off, that it leaves me enough to buy a twin or townhouse in the area. That’s the best case scenario. Well, the best case scenario is the Rapture! Thank you for your prayers and support!
Testimony Time
Walter’s life had come to a crisis point. He had a good job in a great career. But even at age 25, he was facing some hard questions. What was the point of it all? The enemy came hard at him with overwhelming emotions of shame, regret, hopelessness and even suicidal thoughts.
Depression and despair grabbed a hold of him and sank him deep into the pit. A family member referred him to me, and at first, he had to come in twice a week to keep his head above water. We also enlisted the help of his physician who did blood work and prescribed a much needed antidepressant to help get him through this storm.
He listed all the things he regretted already in his short life, especially in his education. The one really good thing about this crisis was that it caused him to consider his attitude toward his walk with the Lord. He knew there were areas in his life that were controlled by sin. He repented of looking at inappropriate things and took steps to shut the door on them. We came to learn that studies show that quitting viewing this material can cause a chemical reaction in the brain leading to depression.
Well, that answered many questions as to what was causing the depression. He’s through the worst of it now and is excited about what the Lord has for him next. He is passionate about his walk with the Lord, and the fruits of the Spirit are really growing in his life.
We are still exploring options for his Bible education, but he has nothing but good options there. He’s understanding who He is in Christ and learning how to use warfare prayers to combat the enemy’s efforts to trap him in depression and old flesh patterns. We praise the Lord for the healing that has come in his life!
Ken’s Corner
From Ken: I enjoy preaching every Sunday at my church and I just finished the book of Colossians and started a new series on the book of Joshua. About once a month, I have been preaching at a church in York that does not have a pastor.
Also, I teach a men’s group every Wednesday night and they are really excited about the Word of God. I have been mentoring several men and helping them in their growth in Christ.
In December , I have the privilege of performing two weddings for couples that have been in pre-marital counseling with me. It’s a joy to help them set a firm foundation of Christ as life as they join as husband and wife!
Lastly, I also had the privilege of preaching at my son Nate’s Church for 2 services. The video of that teaching is now available on our speaking page at www.elmphilly.com/services/speaking.
ELM Finances
Thank you so much to all of you who made donations this quarter. ELM counts on your generous year-end giving to get us off to a strong start in 2020. I will have to maintain a higher salary this year to sustain me as the estate resources dwindle. Donations of any amount are such an encouragement to me as I manage all the needs of the ministry while preparing to sell the farm and relocate. This is a critical year for ELM and me, and I am excited to see what Papa has in store!
Please consider making a tax deductible donation to ELM. You can do so directly on our website by clicking on the Donation tab or by sending in a check to our address. Simply, make your check payable to ELM.
Praise and Prayer
Praise:
- For several new clients and a speaking engagement booked in April 2020.
- For Pastor Ken’s opportunities to teach the EL truths.
- For my clients’ growth in Christ and their emotional/spiritual healing.
- For a growing social media following of our blog.
- For the generous donations made to ELM this last quarter.
- That I was able to get the Estate Inheritance Tax Forms filed.
- For Pastor Ken’s time teaching at his son’s church.
Prayer:
- For increased, consistent monthly donations so we can keep going.
- For new clients and speaking referrals and for 20 client hours per week.
- For wisdom for the ELM Board as we plan ahead into 2020.
- For wisdom in each counseling session and for our client’s to grow.
- For Ken to effectively preach and teach God’s Word so that growth occurs.
- For Pastor Ken to see his ELM support grow and to have more teaching and mentoring opportunities.
- For ELM’s social media following to grow exponentially.
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; ” Isaiah 9:6a
Merry Christmas! Thank you for your prayers and support!
Robyn Henning, President of ELM Philly