Empty Tomb Ministry Center
Kampala, Uganda
Jesus made it very clear when he spoke these words in Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus said. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” The Great Commission given to us from Jesus himself: words of purpose and vision. We are to go and make a difference in this world by impacting the lives of people, one person at a time. It has been the mission and vision of ETM from the very first day to fulfill these very words of Jesus. It has been such an honor for me to go and to share the message of the empty tomb with people all over the world. I have seen the power of God heal, forgive, empower, and equip the hearts and lives of so many as they put their trust and faith in Jesus.
One of the many places where ETM has had the privilege to go and minister is the country of Uganda. After 17 trips over the years, and countless miles of driving to villages in places you never thought you could be, God always showed up and was faithful to His word. I had the privilege of meeting so many different people who have since become my friends and co-workers of the gospel. We worked together, prayed together, ministered together, and planted churches together—and I am a richer man because of those relationships. I was given the opportunity to watch these men and women grow in their faith as God led them to new places of leadership in their lives. I think back to the many times during my visits that we held leadership training conferences. We would spend two or three days opening God’s word together and watching the Holy Spirit fill all of us with vision and knowledge from above. They were such rich times and I look forward to more of that in the future.
It was about a year ago that I felt it was time do even more to help the work in Uganda. After having a number of zoom meetings with our leadership team in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, it was then that we launched our new building project. I am very happy to report that the Empty Tomb Ministry Center is getting close to being completed. This will be a multi-purpose building that will be home to many types of ministries. The possibilities are unlimited to all that God may want to do in this building. Over this past year we have patiently trusted God with this vision and I am so thankful for how He has provided through so many of you who support ETM. We are not finished yet, but are getting very close! Below, I have given you a montage of pictures that have been taken throughout the building process. As I mentioned earlier, we are about 80% done with the building. I want to thank all of you who have given and prayed for this project; your support has played a vital part in us seeing this vision become a reality. With that said, we could still use some help. I want to invite you to join us on this journey. If you would like to “Own a piece of the rock,” we would love to have you join us. You may never get there physically, but your name can be on the deed in heaven! Your gifts are tax deductible and can be given by check or through our web page. Just memo your check, “Uganda Ministry Center.” Thanks again for all the prayers and support and for having hearts to bless our brothers and sisters around the world. •
Authentic Manhood Ministry
I am very excited to report that we have started another Authentic Manhood group here in the Fort Collins area. We had our first meeting in March and it was a great success. One of our main goals is to be a place where men can come and find mentoring and leadership for their lives. Many of these men have had to face very difficult challenges in their lives. One of the local churches, called the Genesis Project, has been very kind to allow us to meet at their building in Fort Collins. As you may remember, before COVID we had started a previous Authentic Manhood group that met in our local jail and work release programs in Larimer County. It was there that we made contact and built relationships with the men, and once they were released, they would be able to come and join our previous Authentic Manhood group that met on Sunday nights. We started that group with 12 men, and a few years later we had over 200 men attending on any given Sunday night.
A ministry like this is so very important for men who really want to grow in their faith and deal with real and important issues in their lives. It has been very humbling to watch the power of God over the years impact the lives of men. It all starts with that personal relationship with Jesus and then to embrace the promises and power of God’s living word. We all carry baggage from our past, but as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, we can overcome our battles and live our lives in power and victory each day. If you would be so very kind and gracious to remember our Authentic Manhood groups and to keep us in your prayers, we sure would appreciate it. •
During one of our meetings, Jeff Monson, one of our Authentic Manhood leaders, is sharing some of his stories about ministering in our prisons here in Colorado.
Arise Rwanda Ministries
Boneza, Rwanda
June 22 to July 1
It is finally happening—I can hardly believe it! After all that we have been through the last few years with COVID restrictions, Empty Tomb Ministries will be heading back to Rwanda at the end of June. I will once again join ETM board member and Arise Rwanda board chair, Greg Yancey, on another all important ministry trip. It has been an honor for me to serve on the Arise Rwanda Board with Greg and we both are looking forward to our return visit. God is doing so many wonderful things in Boneza as people open their hearts and learn more about God and His word.
Our team in Boneza is at work putting the final touches on our itinerary, and so far it is looking like an action-packed trip. Here are some of the things we hope to accomplish during our visit:
- Do another two-day pastors and leaders conference.
- Take another boat ride out to Iwawa Island to minister to the 4,500 men who are a part of a year-long drug and alcohol rehab program.
- A night of worship with the community of Boneza.
- Do some leadership training with the staff at Kivu Hills Academy.
- Join with the 267 students at Kivu Hills Academy for a chapel and worship service.
- Visit the new medical center that Arise Rwanda is building in Boneza—a first in that community.
- Visit ariserwanda.org to learn more about our work in Rwanda.
Finally I would like to invite you to join me in blessing the pastors and leaders at our conference. The average pastor makes about two dollars a day. Our goal is to raise $50 for each leader. If we have 50 leaders that would be about $2,500. If you would like to be a part of that blessing, I would love to have you join us. We have done this in the past and it impacted their lives and they were so very thankful. You can give by check or by visiting www.emptytombministries.org. •
