JUNE 1978

My world got turned upside down! Or more likely right side up. Lee and I married on Saturday, packed a small trailer on Sunday, and began the drive from East Point, Georgia to Milwaukee, Wisconsin with all the hope and excitement two newlyweds can muster. On Tuesday we arrived in Greendale, Wisconsin and stopped at a gas station to make a call from a payphone (that’s right, there were no cell phones or GPS) to Jan Keddie—a friend of a friend who lived in Wauwatosa and would help us find our way in the new world.

Jan and I have found our lives intertwined ever since. Thirty-nine years later, we can say we have owned a business together, directed kids’ musicals, driven across the country to visit our moms, raised four kids each, and served on staff in two “Brook” churches for over 50 years combined. Whew!

A few months ago, Jan and I were invited to go to Prague, Czech Republic with the MOSTY (meaning BRIDGES) project. Lee has gone twice to consult and dream with this group about building ‘bridges’ for the Good News in Europe’s most atheistic country. Jan and I have been invited to help process and design a new program aimed at bringing interns next year to serve in the churches in Prague. Jan oversees the Mission Apprenticeship Program at Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin. She comes with a wealth of experience and knowledge in this area. My recent years of taking teams overseas gives me some ways to add to the discussion. We will travel under BrookLink’s banner as ‘Affiliates’ to equip, empower and release.

Jan Ryder, Terry Heyward, Jan Keddie

Last weekend we hosted our 8th annual "Windows to the World" event at Meadowbrook Church, entitled "The Faces of BrookLink."  It was a special evening, gathering many BrookLink faces and friends to share the work that God has been doing through our ministry.  Thank you to those of you who were able to attend!

This video was debuted at our event. It tells a story about why BrookLink exists and what BrookLink does.

  
Please share this video with others who may want to learn about BrookLink.  Also, if you are interested in requesting a copy of the "Faces of BrookLink" video testimonial that was shown live at the event, please click here to submit your request.

If you're interested in supporting or learning more about our mission, please visit www.brooklink.org. You can also click here to give a gift now.  If you have specific questions about our ministry or ways to support BrookLink, please contact Ann Woelfel, Director of Strategic Development.

With gratitude for your faithful support and friendship.  Each of you truly is a face of BrookLink!

Blessings,

Please take two minutes to watch Lee's video message.

PS: As you plan for Giving Tuesday or any year-end gifts, we hope you will consider making a gift to BrookLink.
Help us further the work of equipping, empowering and releasing church leaders across the world.

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Dear Friends,

From time to time, Terry and I are invited to speak at area churches about the ministry of BrookLink. These occasions never detract from our work internationally with church leaders. In fact, engaging regularly with US churches always affords us opportunity to keep a pulse on the local church, to bring a much-needed global perspective, and to mobilize area churches for cooperative mission.

This month Terry and I met with a delightful group of believers who invited us to come talk about BrookLink. Second Place Church is a six year-old church located in the southwestern suburbs of Chicago (Monee, IL). This mostly under-30 crowd has re-purposed a local warehouse, transforming it into a place of worship. We met men and women joyfully engaging in God’s mission locally and globally.

My talk at Second Place Church was on “Life in High Defi-Mission”, followed by a lively question and answer time. If you have 30 minutes you can watch the video of the sermon on the Sermons & Videos page.

Dear friends,

I’ve just arrived home from a week of training and equipping church planters in a rural and remote area of Ghana West Africa. The daily temperature in that region of the world hovered around 98 degrees. When I deplaned the airplane, I was met by the near-zero temperature of the American midwest. Nothing like a bit of climatic adjustment!

There is much that differs between here and there, but there’s no mistaking the Christmas frenzy is in full force. Trees decorated, lights on houses, snow on the ground are all very far from the dusty hot roads near Adidome. But the message of the good news is the same, isn’t it? Jesus arriving into our world with unexpected fanfare! The King of all kings stepped into our neighborhood at just the right time in the humblest of circumstances to draw near to those who were far off—with an announcement: Joy to the world!