Simply The Story - Simply Wonderful!

Training is the name of the game for me a lot these days. I am going to different training seminars to prepare for our time in Belize. This last week I was so blessed to be in southern California. No, not just for the weather - although 70 and sunny was pretty nice compared to the single digit temps we have now!

I was able to attend a seminar called "Simply The Story." Simply put - it may be the best thing I have done in a long time. The purpose is to learn a simple system to teach the Bible stories to illiterate and semi illiterate people.

Without going into all the numbers, which are staggering, let me just say that a close examination, even in our society - will show that a VERY large number of people are at least, functionaly illiterate. Enough of that for now.

This system is SO GOOD - that even those who can read will gain incredibly amazing blessings from learning the Bible this way.

Simply The Story has changed me - forever.

God's Word is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, able to divide to the division of soul and spirit...

God's Word does not return void without accomplishing the purpose for which He sends it...

We know these things but in our society, it is so easy to get caught up in the latest book, tape, sermon series, online this-or-that, or just some strategy that some other church seems to be being blessed by using. Yet, far too often, even after all of this - there is still something missing...

Could it be that the simplest thing - is still the best thing?

Simply The Story simply tells a Bible story, retells it, walks a group of people through it once more. Then together they discover treasures of spiritual observations and later make spiritual applications. In this simple explanation, it may not sound like much, but put into action, the results, every time, have been
engaging,
enlightening,
encouraging, and
empowering -
because once they understand the process, anyone can do this with another group of people.

Why does it work? Here are a few reasons:

1. None of us is as smart as all of us. The group dynamics always bring out an abundance of input and valuable information.
2. No one is elevated as the "authority" or the genius who can't be done without. The authority is in the Scripture Story itself, nothing else.
3. It is fun.
4. It works.
5. It is easy to understand.
6. It is easy to reproduce.
7. It keeps the main thing, the main thing - God's Word.
8. The Spirit more readily
convicts,
convinces,
challenges and
comforts as each person participates.
9. Once through the process, people want to do it again.
10. It levels the playing field and keeps us all at the foot of the cross.

You can't fully appreciate how powerful this is until you try it, so...if I am in your area and you have a group of people willing to give it a go - let me know, we'll all have some fun together!

Ray

Belize Announced!!

Grove City Nazarene Church announced plans to adopt the country of Belize for the next 5 years, plant 60 more churches and send many teams to help. Integral to that plan is sending Ray & Becki to live in Belize, training pastors and coordinating teams from the U.S.

See the entire service on video by copying and pasting this link in your address bar,

http://www.grovecitynazarene.org/interact/index.html#

and then choosing MAXIMUM IMPACT #1

The worship, prayers and people's excitement has been incredibly encouraging, inspiring and infectious!! Go get yourself some!

Ray & Becki

Amazing Picture

The picture below is so incredible that we had to share it with you. We saw it in a Jim Gray Gallery in Gatlinburg, TN. Look at it closely, then look at it more, you will see so many images from the life of Christ. Be patient. Look again and again and be very blessed. Click on the picture to enlarge it.