Happy New Year! As 2019 begins I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude to God for what YOU have made possible. I want to convey my heartfelt thanks to you for your generous gifts to BrookLink. Due to your extreme generosity, BrookLink strengthened nearly 4,000 church leaders in 5 countries and finished 2018 well positioned financially for the work ahead. Truly we are “strengthening churches together”!
In the final days of 2018, my hope and prayer is that you will know the nearness of Jesus Christ and how he entered the world in humble fashion “to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). At BrookLink, we count it a privilege to know this same Jesus, and to be involved in equipping pastors across the world and at home to proclaim Him too!
As my wife, Terry, got off the plane from West Africa in Detroit, Michigan, I was boarding a plane for East Africa in Chicago, Illinois. We spent Thanksgiving Day apart this year. But don’t feel too sorry for us. We were on Kingdom business and following His lead. Last month we talked about why we do what we do at BrookLink. Strengthening the church is WHAT BrookLink is all about. We were invited and available, so off we went.
I am humbled and blown away by your response to #GivingTuesday. Your dollars have allowed BrookLink to serve and minster to thousands of church leaders and pastors around the world and here at home for the past 10 years. Without your support, this work would not be possible. I am writing today to update you on what has been going on for the past couple of weeks.
Your generosity is astounding! Our fundraising goal for #GivingTuesday was $5,000 and with your help, we were able to raise just over $13,000! And let's not forget the group of faithful donors who pledged to match up to $5,000 bringing the overall #GivingTuesday total to over $18,000. Thank you for helping strengthen churches around the world!
Here’s some great news. When you give a financial gift to BrookLink, YOU are sending us to train pastors who then train and send off their own people. Truly in this way we are strengthening churches together! Last year alone your financial gifts helped BrookLink and its affiliates travel to 8 countries, on 15 different teaching engagements, impacting 2,250 brothers and sisters in Christ.
While witnessing what has been happening in my city, it occurred to me—a team that wins is much like a church that wins. When churches are winning, communities win too! Conversely, when churches are losing, the communities around them miss an opportunity to benefit from them too. That’s why our rallying cry at BrookLink is to strengthen the church—to help the church win!
Did you know that Armenia is a landlocked Christian country in the Middle East surrounded by non-Christian neighbors? This summer while in Armenia, we were thanking the Lord for the 350 pastors and church leaders from different denominational traditions that we were privileged to train and equip.
BrookLink’s first opportunity to equip, teach and encourage Armenian believers happened this summer. Women’s conference meetings and leader’s training took place. Here is what Stephen and Rozik Kashian, the founders of Armenian Relief Mission, had to say about BrookLink’s ministry.
It’s no secret that the Apostle Paul headlines much of the New Testament as a missionary, preacher and church planter. What often gets overlooked however, is a practical consideration. The success of Paul’s ministry, to a certain extent, was due in part to the spiritual and financial support of countless men and women around him.