Sunday, December 15, 2013

Update: "Infinitely More" ------ Lewis Family and TBI 2013


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

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