NEWSLETTER – Fall/Winter 2002-2003
From the keyboard of Dr. Ross Jutsum
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The last weekend of October, Tammy and I were privileged to visit our oldest daughter, Heidi, for “Parent’s Weekend” at her new home for the next four years at Haverford College in suburban Philadelphia.  We were so happy to see her so at home at this beautiful and historic liberal arts campus, founded two hundred years ago.  Of course, we were so proud to watch her team win a home volleyball game (Heidi made the Centennial Conference Honor Roll two weeks ago!) and then to attend two wonderful performances by the 12-member all-female a cappella ensemble, Oxford Blues, in which she sings.  Needless to say, both Mum and Dad were very impressed with the quality and the enthusiasm of the ladies, although I must admit, it made me a little nostalgic and I realized that I missed working in this special way with young people (after my 23 year stint as director of The Young Ambassadors!)

Another highlight of the weekend was a visit worship at the Church of the Savior, a wonderful non-denominational community church in Wayne, PA, that Heidi has adopted as her new home church while she is at College.  She is already busy with the college-age group and volunteering as a leader in the high school group, not to mention her involvement with the on-campus Christian fellowship with Bible studies, etc.  It is so great to see our kids turn out well, in spite of us!!!  For both Heidi and her younger sister Lisa, it’s truly great to see their personal relationship with Jesus be such a joy to them!

Barbados and Trinidad Visit

Thanks to my dear friends, Pastor Clifton and Pearl Charles, I was privileged to make a return visit to two Caribbean nations October 18-21.  I was so delighted to speak and lead worship for the WCG congregation in Barbados and then fly on to Trinidad where I was a guest at both the morning and evening worship services of the New Testament Church of God in Arima.  Then, upon our return to Barbados, the three of us attended the opening session of CONECAR (Congress of Evangelicals of the Caribbean,) the highlight of which had to be hearing a large choir singing Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” with a joyful and enthusiastic local flair!  Clifton and Pearl are such a beautiful team and their heart for building unity in the Body of Christ is so sincere and infectious.  I look forward to future opportunities to serve together with them and the delightful brothers and sisters there, and am so grateful to all of them for this memorable experience!

August-October 2002 Highlights – In Memory of Gail Millman…

After being on the go for many months without much of a break (more than 150 flights since 9/11/01!) it was truly wonderful to enjoy a few weeks’ change of pace with the family!  I was scheduled to visit congregations in Calgary and Red Deer, Alberta August 17-18, but on August 13^th I received a phone call from our long-time dear friend and fellow minister, Bob Millman, from Edmonton, Alberta, telling me that his precious wife of more than more than three decades, Gail, had succumbed to the terrible illness she had persevered with for quite a few years.  Bob mentioned he had heard I would be in Calgary the next weekend and was there any possibility that I could come to Edmonton on Friday to lead the music and worship at Gail’s memorial service?  I told him that I would be there, even if I hadn’t been scheduled to come to Western Canada, and what a truly inspiring experience Gail’s memorial turned out to be!

Yes, the opportunity to lead and share Gail’s favorite hymns and songs of praise and worship to her Father in heaven, was a precious privilege and a true honor, but to hear so many of her dear friends speak so affectionately of this dear woman was priceless!  And the most often-repeated memory was that Gail had the unique gift of making every single person with whom she shared any time at all feel like they were THE most important person on the planet!  What an amazing gift she had, and the best legacy we can leave in her memory is to strive to have that same kind of compassion for all, and this can only come from the One who IS love – our dear Father and the Savior of all!

A late August visit to the Northeast gave me the opportunity to make sure Heidi was settling in well at Haverford and then lead worship at WCG congregations in Manhattan, Westchester and White Plains, N.Y., all three groups having the great  honor of being pastored by Dan and Alice Bierer, to whom I am so grateful for their friendship, their passion for Jesus, and their love for all of their brethren (including me!)

September was a VERY busy month starting out with a return visit after one year to the Covina Presbyterian Church, with Pastors Tom and Andrea Messinger, thanks to my good friend and worship leader, John King.  What a wonderful group of folks, so willing to step out of their comfort zone to experience a closer encounter with THE Comforter!  Then came a memorable visit to churches in Lubbock and Amarillo, TX, and Sayre, OK the very same weekend, thanks to Pastors Sam and Julia O’Dell, Pastor Dennis Dufrenne and Pastor Ben and Shirley West. 

So much could be said about this wonderful weekend, but the one thing that stands out was the way that the host church in Lubbock, a Church of Christ (yes, the a cappella kind!) graciously granted permission for the WCG congregation to rent a piano and have it in the sanctuary for the worship service I led… and then for the CoC Pastor and more than a dozen of his congregation to join us and make such a joyful noise to the Lord, including their participation on various percussion instruments – this was truly a God thing and He is to be praised for allowing me to be a small part of what is truly a big change in this particular church’s way of doing things!  Praise God greatly!

The next weekend in September I was back to Texas!  You see, after living there for almost 8 years (1990-98), I just can’t get enough of it!!!  Pastor Lee and Sue Berger and Pastor Rod and Paula Shuler were terrific hosts for visits to the WCG congregations in Waco and Austin (where a number of community folks and extended family attended specially advertised outreach services) and in San Antonio, where I was so delighted to see newly commissioned pastors (Rodney and Paula!) so passionate in their ministry! 

Then it was off to Canada the next weekend!  A visit to the worship festival in Vendee, Quebec, at the invitation of my hosts, Pastor Dennis and Lynn Lawrence, was a great highlight of the year, as was the ongoing visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where my hosts Pastor Owen and Tina Willis, and Mr. and Mrs. Vern Conrad, was a first and the two services I was privileged to lead there, were such a pleasure!

The last weekend of September, I was honored to lead worship in Riverside, CA, just 50 miles from our home, at the Sunday morning service of the WCG festival there.  It was great to share the service with my dear colleague, Greg Albrecht, of Plain Truth Ministries, who gave a very inspiring message on our calling!  Greg was the celebrant at our wedding ceremony almost 25 years ago, and he baptized Tammy and was my homiletics professor 30 years ago!!!  Greg and his wife Karen are truly treasured friends!

After such a busy September, you would think that I would have the sense to stay home for at least one weekend!  Well almost!  I was invited to lead worship at a special 50^th anniversary service of the Worldwide Church of God congregation in San Diego.  Pastor Mark and Ann Stapleton were wonderful hosts for this service and for the evening banquet where I was honored to provide more music and worship before driving up to the Santa Barbara area where on Sunday morning, I was the guest worship leader for three services at Montecito Presbyterian Church.  Pastor Harold Bussell has been so encouraging to me in our ministry this year and I truly appreciate his experience and guidance.  I was honored to join many of the church families at a picnic in the park where we had a wonderful time together as I led worship with a guitar under the trees and shared ideas for developing family worship in the home.

Mid-October brought a visit to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to serve in the worship team for the Worldwide Church of God Worship Festival.  What a privilege to catch up with so many dear and old (we’re all getting older!) friends share in such passionate worship of our Lord with such dear brothers and sisters as Katrina Weber, Paul David Kurts, Tyrone Jackson, Lula Johnson, Tim Brassell, Tim Poe, Martin Manuel and many others!  Praise God for you all!!!

State of the Heart Ministries – a California Non-Profit Corporation

Most Christian ministries are organized as non-profit corporation but the first five and one half years of our ministry, we purposely postponed organizing in this manner.  However, it has become abundantly clear that it is now time to do so and it’s official… “State of the Heart Ministries” is now a registered non-profit corporation in the State of California.  Until now, the sale of our worship recordings, along with honorariums and love offerings from churches where I am a guest, have been the primary sources of support for the ministry.  However, due to the state and federal government’s requirements for ministries, we have taken this step.  Also, since quite a few have indicated that they would like to be regular partners with us in this ministry if their contributions would be tax-deductible , this will facilitate their support.

We have been so grateful that the Lord has provided for our needs and are confident that He will certainly continue to do so.  We are so grateful for the heartfelt prayers of so many for our ministry.  We pray that our wonderful and gracious Lord will continue to hold each of you in the palm of His loving hands.