Updates: March 5 volunteer meeting and March 11-13 marriage conference

March 5, 2011 - TBI Volunteer Opportunity Meeting and Information Update
What a blessing to meet 12 couples who have ties to Intimate Encounters ministry through North Point, Buckhead, or Browns Bridge and who have become friends along the way.  We met to inform them of the latest happening through TBI and to let them know of coming opportunities to serve pastor/leader couples through this ministry.  It was awesome to hear each couple give glory to God for saving/strengthening their marriage and to be reminded of the miracle work of God in so many.  We think we are going to do it again April 16, Saturday.  If you have not received an invitation but want to come, just go to our website and complete the Contact Us and we'll get the word out to you.  OK?


Brasstown Valley Resort, North Georgia Marriage Retreat; March 11-13, 2011

Many of you know that we conducted our first TBIM Marriage Conference this weekend at Brasstown Valley.  Our Lord Jesus showed up this morning with joyful praise and tear-filled gratitude from men and women as a result of the working of His Holy Spirit in loving, tender, yet convicting power on us all.  Not one soul was untouched by God's gracious work and redeeming love.  Couples are going away from the weekend both refreshed and challenged to take steps to keep moving toward the light God has revealed. 

    This great church in Cumming has never, until now, had a marriage event or investment of this kind in its couples.  From the request of a young wife & mother 2 years ago, to the convincing of a leader couple in the church, to the stirrings in a man who "doesn't normally lead in this way", an anxious but obedient ladies' teacher stepped up to encourage the pastor (also fearful of this new thing they wanted to do).  God worked in him to move him "to quit sitting on his hands" by showing him the need in his church of help for struggling couples, so he said "let's do this".  One of the older leader couples in the church attended just to support the young "folks" and each was moved and changed while there and wants to make sure couples keep getting this kind of encouragement.

    Please pray that, if God wants it, we'd one day have the opportunity to help them start an IE class/group and develop leaders for future marriage ministry.  This is the next step I hope they take, but that, too, is in God's hands. 

     We kept to our Financial Policy and did not charge the church a fee; but they decided to take up a "love offering" for us Sunday morning after the worship service and testimony time.  God supplied a very generous amount from couples who already had sacrificed to be there.  That is why I don't want to charge people - but let God move and work as He wills.  He knows who can and who can't / who should and should not give, and He knows that the lower the cost of the retreat, the more couples would be available to come.  So we praise Him for His supply and trust Him each day for each days needs.  He IS faithful.

    I know that the enemy of the Church and of our Savior hates what God did this weekend, and that makes me want to do it all the time and everywhere to the glory of God.  There is no way to humanly manufacture what God did this weekend, and for that and so much more we give Him honor and worship.  Oh, the sweet, sweet love of Jesus was present and presided over our time together with 9 couples from this great fellowship of believers.




Now what?
Well, this very morning I received a request from a dear couple who are missionaries in Honduras.  This couple has been precious to us for years as we watched them grow up in Memphis, fall in love, marry, serve Jesus together in youth ministry and now on mission in Honduras.  They asked us to consider leading marriage training with their missionary team there.  Is that awesome?  Would you pray that if God is in it, He'd supply and make the logistics fall into place?