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Adrath Smith's CRM Care

One of the great blessings that we have in being a part of Church Resource Ministries,  (CRM) is that we receive personal “pastoring” from CRM’s Care Team.  Ardath Smith spends two or three days with us at least once a year. She was just with us last week. She is a real gift to all three of us Fords coming out of our hard season.

Ice Kachungs...Equal Time

After our last prayer letter, several wondered about whether or not Stephen and I got to enjoy the Singapore delicacy “Ice Kachungs.” 

 Ahhhh…
 there’s your answer!

From Julie…the tutoring at Hayes Mid School, Weeks 1-4
What is this history teacher with a Spanish minor and a love for literature doing tutoring sixth through eighth grade math this year?  Well, that’s is where Mrs. Lueder, the principal at Hayes Middle School, wants me to focus my efforts.  For four weeks now I  have been establishing rapport with a handful of students each class period as we work together to improve their math skills and comprehension.  It is so good to be back on the campus three days weekly at Stephen’s old middle school!

Question…What has happened to Paul’s Russia focus?
You used to go to Russia yearly.
Thanks for the question.  Things in Russia have tightened dramatically over the past two years, especially for Russian Christians and non-Russian trainers from the West.  Because one of my primary contacts was forcibly removed from the country eighteen months ago, we have determined to back off from going to Russia for several years. From this point, that is at least one more year.  The heart (and window) for investing in next generation leaders from the former Soviet Union has not changed though, as my next two trips are to Central Asia/ Kazkakhstan in October (see Prayer Schedule) and then the Ukraine in March or April of 2005. Lord, please keep these doors open!

Stephen’s college visits
Since not all of you receive our prayer emails, you don’t know the results of our trek to the upper Midwest in late July.  And since so many have asked about this, please know that Stephen’s school choices from the trip are #1 & #2 U. of Michigan and U. of Illinois (both for engineering) and #3 Hillsdale College, MI (pre-engineering and statesmanship), with Purdue a distant #4.  We also had a precious time with Mark & Mary Jane Vanderput (pictured with son Ben), long-time friends and ministry partners formerly from Albuquerque now living in Ann Arbor, MI.

A New Season of Decreasing to Bring Increase…what?
New vision? I [Paul] want to finally begin sharing about this new, post-Sabbatical, post-healing season of ministry. Because of all that we have been through, this has been slow in coming. But God’s timing is always PERFECT, so I begin to communicate how God has been leading to the future.  Try these phrases on for size:

* I will be spending more and more time with less and less people for greater and greater Kingdom impact.

* I will not promote my ministry, but God has promised to bring the important relationships in which I am to invest. My role is to be a good steward of those relationships – locally, nationally, internationally.

* My “upfront” ministry will continue to decrease so that I can increase the Kingdom work of equipping and releasing in the players He has given me.  This means more time training and coaching in small groups and one-to-one, “Jesus style” you might say!  He modeled that which I live out wholeheartedly in this season.

As I head into my 50’s, my overall mission has not changed [except “eight cultures” has become “four regions”]: 

To work as a catalyst to church leaders in four regions worldwide for releasing themselves, their ministry teams, and other discipled Christians into Spirit-empowered roles to extend the Kingdom of God.

Biblically?  Each one [the “I”] should use whatever gift he or she has received to serve others [the “we”], as good stewards of God’s multi-faceted grace in its many forms.  1 Peter 4:10

I have been moving in the direction of living out this mission relationally for several years, as those of you watching closely would remind me.  It actually begin five years ago, when my work became “all about relationships.”  I finally understood what it meant to be the organic body of Christ:  live out the relationships God gives you, using the powerful gifts He has given (how) with those people He has placed around you [with whom].  He has set up the whole deal – you and I just get to faithfully live out the “how” and the “with whom.”

The Grip/Birkman Blueprint
My first major example is the newest area where God has called me to be a good steward of the players. On September 9-11, Debbie Scroggin and I trained the second group of new YOUR LEADERSHIP GRIP enhanced BIRKMAN Blueprint Coaches [pictured, with Debbie on the far right].

For eight years, as I shared briefly in May of 2003, I have quietly been working on a way to help denominations and mission agencies become more intentional in helping their pastors, missionaries, and leaders to be good stewards of God’s grace.  After eight years of relationship building with Dr. Roger Birkman, and nearly five years with my publisher, Dave Wetzler, President of ChurchSmart Resources, God gave us a way! The process is briefly described below, part of a ChurchSmart brochure. The newly trained coaches will multiply the impact of this new resource from North America to Asia, even to the marketplace arena of Christian businessmen.  And, with National Training Team leaders like Hal Burke and Debbie Scroggin, plus CRM teammates Ardath Smith, Rick Tansey, Brad Sprague, Gary Mayes, Steve Hoke and Tim Roehl, we will be able to affect the stewardship of thousands of Christian leaders!  And that means strategic impact on world evangelization. This team approach also frees me to stay focused on those national leaders in four regions worldwide who need training but cannot afford to pay for it.

If you'd like to see the brochure, please click here.