I hope, at some point in your life, every one of you has had, or will have, the opportunity to sit quietly beside a still pond or pool or lake, and that you have tossed in a smooth pebble or a shiny penny and just watched the ripples run quietly to the other side. Maybe you can recognize that cause and effect relationship that we have adopted for the design of the New Day in Christ devotional calendar. For many people, who sit quietly each morning in their home or prison cell or rehab hospital, and read their New Day in Christ daily devotional, it is like a pebble dropped into the still waters of their meditation, allowing ripples of grace to move gently through the rest of their day. And when they take it down the hall and share the reading with their bible study group, the ripples are growing wider. And when someone takes it upon himself to walk the entire unit and talk to every single resident, making a list of 120 inmates who want to share the good news of Christ through the devotional calendar, the ripples continue to grow and new ripples are just beginning…
I believe God dropped a pebble in our still waters through this New Day in Christ Ministry. The work of the Holy Spirit through this calendar project is mysterious and powerful. I believe the continued, growing interest in sharing the devotional is an indication of the Spirit at work across the country and in our midst. We didn’t plan it, or anticipate the intense interest that people in prisons would have in the New Day in Christ devotional. In fact, if we had conceived of such an idea, we would have thought it to be far more than we can handle. But we recognize that through God, all things are possible.In September, we responded to requests for 2132 devotional calendars. So far this year, we have sent over 17,000. Since the beginning of our calendar distribution program in January, 2000, we have provided approximately 85,000 free daily devotionals to individuals. But now we need help. As some of you may know, for most of the calendar programs’ existence, all of the shipping was done by staff members at World Cinema who balanced calendar mailing with their regular daily work. As the calendar mailings have increased steadily, it was becoming more and more challenging, but until this summer, Karen Stanfill and Mary Ann Stallings, along with occasional help from others (including Clint Milby and Vicki Myers), managed the bulk of the mailing work. However, this summer, both Karen and Mary Ann have encountered serious, debilitating health problems that have taken them out of the calendar mailing business. We need to keep them both in our prayers, in appreciation for the work they have done, and for strength and healing in the road they are walking now.
We are seeking interested volunteers who are willing to commit your most valuable resource, your time, in seeing that this important ministry continues. If you can commit to one morning per week, or one per month, if we as a church can reach out to our friends, and invite them to participate, we can keep this circle of believers growing.
As we reach more people through the devotional calendar, the financial needs of this ministry continue to increase. If you would like to support this ministry through a financial donation, you will be helping us continue to spread the word of God in a hungry world.
Also, we are seeking some writers who would be interested in contributing some new devotionals. We need just a few, maybe 5 or 6, to update and refresh the calendar for the next printing, coming up in the next few months. If you have a place in your heart for sharing God’s word in a strangely random, powerful way, consider becoming part of this ministry of love.
