Changing the World / Larimer County Detention Center / Authentic Manhood
One thing I have learned over the years—the world is one big place! The God of Heaven had this amazing plan when He pulled it all together. And once He had created the earth, it was time for His most incredible gift to arrive on the scene: mankind! And His commission to mankind was that we would rule and reign over the earth. What a brilliant idea!
So here we are today, called by God to impact the world in which we live. I am so thankful to God for allowing me to impact this world through Empty Tomb Ministries. I would like to share with you a powerful story of what is happening through our Authentic Manhood program at the Larimer County Detention Center in Fort Collins, Colorado. We have assembled a wonderful group of volunteers to help make all of this possible. Vintage City Church opens its doors to our Authentic Manhood program the first three Sundays of each month, as over 100 men gather for dinner, worship and a spiritual challenge. These 100 men are a part of the Work Release and Community Corrections programs that are run through the Larimer County Detention Center. Vintage City Church is located within walking distance of the Larimer County facility which enables us to minister to these men each month. The Holy Spirit has done so many amazing things through our times together each week. Our leadership team has had the privilege to watch the power of God bring repentance, forgiveness, healing, hope and grace to the hearts of these men. Through our Authentic Manhood program we are challenging the men to reject passivity, to accept responsibility, to lead courageously, and to invest eternally. For many of our men, these are unfamiliar words and a whole new different way of living their lives. But through God’s faithfulness and what Jesus did on the cross, these men have a new hope and purpose in life! They are learning a very important lesson: how to give back!
One of the areas of ministry for Empty Tomb Ministries is to travel the world with the message of love and grace through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I have the privilege of serving on the Arise Rwanda Ministries U.S. Board of Directors. Arise started a school in Boneza, Rwanda, which I have had the honor of visiting and ministering to the staff and students. Kivu Hills Academy is located in Boneza, a very poor city located about 4 hours from the capital city of Kigali. If you remember back in 1994, Rwanda experienced a genocide and nearly 1 million people were killed. God is doing an amazing work throughout that country and Arise Rwanda Ministries is a big part of that healing process. Kivu Hills Academy has 215 students and many of those students attend because they have received scholarships from people in the U.S. It costs about $400 a year for room, board, and tuition. It is such a great blessing for these students to be able to get their education so they can leave the grip of poverty and walk in their God-given destiny.
The JAR! Each Sunday night the guys bring their change and it helps change the world one student at a time!
And now the rest of the story on learning to give back: On Sunday nights, we are challenging the men from Work Release and Community Corrections to learn how they can give back to bless others. So we came up with this very creative idea of helping change the world one student at a time. Sunday night, Authentic Manhood now sponsors three students from Kivu Hills Academy! Each Sunday night as the men come to Vintage Church for dinner, we have a jar at our sign-in table with a picture of our three students. Our way of giving back is to bring your change, put it in the jar, and be a part of Change the world Rwanda! I am happy to report the men have stepped up big time. Our goal for the year was $1,200 which covers all three students; so far this year we have raised over $1,100 toward our goal. The men of Authentic Manhood are making a difference and impacting the world. As others are investing in them, they are investing in the lives of Doreen, Bienvenue, and Jacque. I am so blessed each Sunday night to watch the men drop their change in the jar, knowing they are learning a very important lesson in life: to have a heart that is willing to give back to others.
The guys from Authentic Manhood are so proud of our three students, Doreen, Bienvenue and Jacque.
Ministry in Rwanda!
I wanted to once again thank all of you for your prayers and support during my last trip to Rwanda. It was an amazing journey of God’s grace, power, and love as we were able to touch many lives throughout Rwanda. I am humbled and honored to be able to work with John Gasangwa, who is the founder of Arise Rwanda Ministries, and with Greg Yancey, who is the U.S. Board Chairman for Arise Rwanda Ministries. God has given these men great vision and leadership for His work in the country of Rwanda.
Once again, we held a two-day pastor’s conference, which was hosted by Kivu Hills Academy. The staff did a great job of feeding and tending to the many needs of hosting a conference like this. Our theme was “Fearless Faith for the Gospel,” and the Holy Spirit did a wonderful work in each of our hearts. It is a great privilege for me to be joined with all of these pastors and to be able to impart to them leadership and training through God’s Word. At the end of the conference, the pastors received a certificate as well as a $50 gift from Empty Tomb Ministries. Many of you who are reading this newsletter helped make that possible by your generous hearts and willingness to bless these servants of God!
We had another wonderful pastor’s conference. As we build into them, they build into their churches.
We also did a two-day crusade held right on the campus of Kivu Hills Academy. There were almost as many people outside the arena as there was inside the arena. We had the opportunity to spend lots of time in worship together and then to be challenged by some of the pastors through God’s Word. The Holy Spirit is doing an incredible work in the city of Boneza. There are about 26,000 people who call Boneza their home. Arise Rwanda Ministries has found great favor with the people and pastors of Boneza. So much has been done and so much more to do.
What a blast we had at our crusade on the campus of Kivu Hills Academy. God touched many lives and they will never be the same!
There were so many other things that were accomplished during our visit to Boneza. I would like to end with one last story that will be etched in my heart for years to come. Our team was invited to come and speak in one of the genocide prisons holding about 7,000 inmates. It was back in early 1990s that nearly 1 million Rwandans were murdered through this genocide. And now God has opened this door for us to go and share the message of hope and forgiveness to a group of people who need to embrace the truth of what was done, and how they can walk in repentance and forgiveness through a personal relationship with Christ. As we walked through the gates, we had the opportunity to be face-to-face with the prisoners. There was much darkness and hopelessness etched into the faces of those that surrounded us. Only God could have opened this door; and as we entered this outdoor prison, we were surrounded by the light of Christ. We were simple, ordinary men carrying the message of truth and hope to all who would listen.
Rwanda in September 2019
It seems so hard to believe! This fall will be my 19th trip to Africa. I have so many powerful memories of all that God has done during my trips to Rwanda and Uganda. It has been an honor to be able to travel through these countries sharing the most important message offered to mankind: forgiveness and redemption through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I am so humbled by God’s grace as He sent me as one of His Ambassadors. There is truly no greater honor than that.
As I write this newsletter, we are in the process of planning our next trip, sometime in September. Greg Yancey and I will be spending time on the phone with John Gasangwa in Rwanda as we set our plan and strategy for our trip. It would be a great blessing if you would keep us in your prayers as we seek insight and direction from the Holy Spirit. There is so much that goes into the planning for events like this. We want to be in God’s perfect will for all that He has planned.
I would personally like to invite you to join with me on this journey and be a part of impacting a nation for God! How can you do that? By investing your resources in the lives of others. In August, I will be sending out a letter to you listing areas that you can give to that will help us bless the hearts of the people of Boneza. For example, we will be hosting another pastor’s conference. My goal will be to raise support to leave a monetary give for each pastor. That is just one area that you might consider being a part of. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to be a part of something bigger than yourself. I thank you in advance for your prayerful consideration to join me on this journey.