The Basic Idea Ministries – Update and Praise Report for
2013 – “Infinitely More”
Are you familiar with this
passage of scripture in Ephesians 3?
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty
power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or
think.
21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through
all generations forever and ever! Amen. (New Living Translation)
Our mission:
To help leaders live loved and give love freely…starting at home.
Our strategy:
To help leaders…. by creating environments where TBI Encouragers …
A-activate
marriage mentoring
B-build
marriage ministries
C-create
marriage conferences
D-develop dedicated volunteers
E-enlist more encouragers in churches
Now let’s examine each area of the strategy to get an
idea of what God is doing!
A – Activate Marriage
Mentoring
“We
don’t look at our TBI Encouragers as mentors so much as we see them as
friends.” This is a comment we are
hearing often as our Encourager Couples have mentored 30 to 40 couples during
2013. Two-on-two mentoring
accounts for 8 to 10 but Concentric Circle online communities have seen 20 – 30
other couples engaged in a mentoring process.
B – Build Marriage Ministries
“Where
has this stuff been?” This is
another often-voiced comment from leaders who are discovering the Intimate
Encounters material. During 2013
it has been our joy to work with leaders from more than 50 churches to explain
the importance of marriage / relational ministries to the church. The question is not “Do we have
something for marriages and parents?”
The question is “What are we doing to help our people pass the faith to
the next generation starting in their own homes?” Since June 1, 2013, some TBI
couples have trained 38 couples in IE and have seen 15 marriage ministries
birthed or re-launched. Work is
progressing in other states and other countries.
C – Create Marriage
Conferences
“My
family will never be the same.”
This statement characterizes what we have seen God accomplish at More
Than Married, Top Ten Relational, and other retreats during the year. Right before our eyes, God has brought
couples from the brink of divorce to varying degrees of health and hope, but
all to a place of seeing that God can do miracles in marriages. Can you imagine the heart of a child at
Christmas who started 2013 fearing that his parents would not be together but
now sees smiles in place of tears; love in place of bitterness? If that don’t light your fire, your
wood’s wet! That is a
Kentucky-ism, I think! J
D – Develop Teams of
Dedicated Volunteers
“Now
I am free to do what God called me to do.” When I was on staff at North Point Ministries for over 9 years, I got to see life-transformation
almost every week. Being with TBI
for 3 years, we are beginning to see the lasting fruit of God’s work in some of
the churches where we helped with A, B, and C above. I know God was changing lives before we connected with those
churches, but now I get to see what He is doing in families through healing
marriages. Couples are better
parents when they know that their spouse is “for” and “with” them not against
them. We are seeing couples and
individuals become dedicated volunteers, excited to serve in new ways. The process is worth the time and
investment.
E – Enlist and Equip
Encouragers
“I
am so excited to get to work with these committed, loving couples.” This quote is from my heart. Not only are couples becoming mentors
and facilitators in marriage ministries within their churches, but also some
are joining with TBI as Encouragers, who are serving other couples and churches
outside their daily traffic patterns. We now have Encourager Couples in Kenya
(1) , California (2), Ohio (1), North Carolina(3), South Carolina (1), Georgia
(8), and Florida (1 now, but 20+ prospects). We even have one Encourager Couple touring the country in an
RV hoping to help couples and churches along their journey. Several of our Encouragers have their
own ministries doing great work all over the country, not as TBI Encouragers,
but as part of their own ministries!
I can’t keep up with all the
incredible work these couples are doing in God’s Kingdom! God knows!
I know many of you have been
concerned and engaged in our ministry's finances. Once again, God has done “infinitely more”. Not that we have an infinite amount of
money in the bank, but I can tell you that we have been able to pay the bills,
pay most of the salaries, and will begin 2014 in the black.
Many thanks go to our Board
of Directors: Mike Glogorski,
Jeanne Ward, Patty Cheek, and Darrell Flowe have joined me for the last 3 years
to help TBI start on solid ground.
They are awesome!
Our Prayer Team, led by Pam
Flowe, has supplied hours of investment in prayer for this ministry. Our Father has heard and answered. This team is crucial to our future
success as a ministry. Thank you so much for your loving care for TBI.
We know that more than 65
people / churches have contributed to TBI over these 3+ years. No one has to contribute and we don’t
ask churches or couples for support, but God has miraculously supplied, and we
are grateful.
Family Update:
Jeanne no longer works with
TBI but has moved back to Little Rock, her hometown, where she is enjoying her
new job, new friends, and her little house in the country, not “on the
prairie”. Though we miss her, we
are so proud of her faith and courage evidenced over this year of change! She did a great service giving us 3
years to get this ministry off the ground. 3 John 4
Suzanne Adams, our daughter
who lives in Cleveland, GA, has been such a blessing to help in Jeanne’s
absence, but her 3 children and now 1 on the way (July) will limit her involvement. Nathan and she celebrated 8 years of
marriage on Oct. 29. They are
doing a wonderful job of loving one another and those grandchildren: Evan, Jonathan, Reagan, and 1 more…no
name yet! 3 John 4
Paul, our son, lives in
Little Rock with his wife Erin, and three more of our wonderful grandkids: Eli, Clara, and Joanna Mae. Paul and Erin are about to celebrate their
14th anniversary (Dec. 30th, same day as our anniversary)
and continue to bless us with their encouragement and the example they set as a couple and family. 3 John 4
Carol continues to be my
“right-hand” woman and my dearest friend. (Dec. 30 is our 41st
anniversary) She has traveled with
me, taught at conferences, co-led small groups, helped me in mentoring couples,
and now works with me in the TBI office.
Also, she continues to serve at Browns Bridge Community
Church as a WeekDay Preschool teacher. Proverbs 18:22
I am a blessed man in so many
ways!
May God continue to bless you
and keep you by His power, and may you and I “live loved and give love
freely…starting at home.”
Dave, Carol, Jeanne, Paul
& family, Suzanne & family
