“Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38
Half way through 10th Anniversary Year!
In a ministry such as “State of the Heart,” we truly do operate on faith! God has been so faithful in opening doors these past ten years and providing the way and the means to go through them. The prayers of our ministry friends and partners have also carried us through many a time when we wondered how and when God will “make a way”! In less than 6 months, we will celebrate our tenth anniversary of State of the Heart Ministries and we look back with amazement and humility at how our Lord Jesus Christ has so graciously allowed us to be used as one of many His instruments in His Body – helping us to bring worship renewal, rededication and reconciliation to brothers and sisters in more than 100 denominations in many cities around the world, serving as some of His vessels of hope, love, peace and joy! We also look forward with anticipation, and a little trepidation (!) to what the Lord has in store the next 10 or 20 years!!!
Heidi and Ryan in Central and South America
Our daughter, Heidi, and her husband of six months, Ryan McAnnally-Linz, are half way through their one-year humanitarian adventure in Central and South America. So far they have visited and done work in Equador, Panama, Costa Rica and Nicarauga, and are now in Bolivia. They are working in indigenous Mayan Indian villages in some rather remote locations. The terms of their fellowship do not allow for a trip home for a full year -- so Tammy and I called in some frequent flier miles and joined them, along with daughter Lisa, for a few days in Costa Rica in early January. After returning home for a month in August, Heidi and Ryan will be back to Guatemala to spend a year, hopefully completing the work Heidi started during her time at Haverford College. More details will follow but suffice it to say, for Heidi and Ryan, their “tour of duty” is not only humanitarian, but mission-oriented as well, as they serve many precious people and together, show them God’s love with the light of Jesus shining through them.
Lisa Prepares for Honduras Mission Trip
Lisa, in her second year at Wheaton College in Chicago, was able to escape the cold winter there, and join the newly-weds for almost three weeks of travel and intensive Spanish language immersion! Lisa will be serving on a team set to make a Mission Trip to Honduras the first two weeks of March. In addition to bringing the good news of the gospel, they will be “hooking up” more than 90 families with fresh running water for the very first time. With her double major in International Relations and Geology with a concentration toward hydrology, along with her proficiency in French and Spanish (as well as English!) Lisa will be well-prepared for reaching out to the poor and needy of this world, as is her heart’s desire. Please pray for our three wonderful children and the projects in which they are involved.
November ’06 Ministry Visits
November began with guest ministry at the Triple Tree and Ceralvo Church of God Seventh-Day congregations in San Antonio, TX and at the WCG New Beginnings Ministry, hosted by Pastor Rodney and Paula Schuler. The following weekend took me to South Bay Christian Church, San Jose CA with Pastor Mel and Barbara Dahlgren and to One in Christ Community Church, San Leandro, with Pastor Jim and Hazel Roberts. Just before Thanksgiving I had the wonderful opportunity for return visits to Pleasant Hills Christian Church and the WCG congregations in Harrisburg PA, and then to Christ’s New Life Community Fellowship, Baltimore MD, hosted by Pastor Peter and Charlotte Whitting. My old friend and fellow composer/worship leader Pastor Terry Miller invited me after Thanksgiving to substitute for him at Marina Ranch Church in San Juan Capistrano, CA. All of these times of worship were outstanding and I really enjoyed “trying out” many new songs from the “Heart of Praise” recording.
December ‘06 Ministry Visits
Pastor Phil and Susan Baldwin always keep me busy when I visit them in Ontario, Canada and the second weekend in December was no exception. I led worship services for the Windsor and London WCG congregation, and gave community concerts at Family of Faith Christian Fellowship in London and at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Lucan, Ontario. After four days to catch up with Tammy, my last trip of 2006 took me to 5 venues in 2 states – first leading worship and guest speaking at Living Hope Family Fellowship in Middletown NY and their sister congregation in West Nyack NY, then a Christmas concert at Elim Park Baptist Retirement Home, followed by a combined Christmas service for the Meriden and Stratford CT WCG congregations (hosted by Pastor Larry and Connie Wooldridge) and last but by no means least, a wonderful evening service at the newly-planted Mill Pond Community Church with Pastor Joel and Karen Rissinger. Then on Christmas weekend, it was home and I enjoyed serving as a guest at the WCG Los Angeles congregation and at New Covenant Fellowship, Rancho Cucamonga.
January ‘07 Ministry Visits
The New Year began with wonderful ministry experiences at the Bellflower and Orange County WCG congregations with host Pastor Richard and Sally Parker. Tammy joined me for a visit to Yucaipa Presbyterian Church, where our dear friends, Pastor Dan and Karen Allan serve, and made us feel so welcome on this our third visit there. Pastor Bob Millman invited me to lead worship at the WCG congregation in Edmonton, Alberta, which then led to a Concert of Praise at Caleb Manor, a non-denominational retirement facility, and serving as a guest for both morning and evening services at
Evangel Pentecostal Assembly. Pastor Wayne McNeely and his wife, Ruth, had kindly hosted me a couple of times at their previous pastorate in Toronto, Ontario. It was great to catch up with them. January will conclude this weekend with a whirlwind of services and concerts in Dennison and Dallas TX, at New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Big Sandy TX, Faith Community Church in Shreveport, LA and at Gladewater First Baptist Church, Broadway Elementary and Big Sandy Elementary schools.
Ordering CDs
Please call us at (626) 836-4686 or visit our web site to order worship CDs -- www.stateoftheheart.org
Donations to the Ministry
If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to help in the work of our ministry, our address is State of the Heart Ministries, P.O. Box 56, Sierra Madre, CA 91025-0056 or call us at (626) 836-4686.
