WHAT GOD IS DOING THROUGH CHRISTVIEW’S MENTORING
The Christview Ministries story is about God at work in ways we could not have imagined. Two years after the founding of Christview, so many lives have been touched through this ministry.
Our first Christview student, Susan Morrison-Woodward, is a widely-known artist. Her art opens customers up to talk about their faith. Susan and her assistant now offer testimony, prayer, and spiritual encouragement to people who come into her gallery. The gallery has become God’s lighthouse shining in the spiritual confusion of this community.
Susan’s grandson Jamey, who served as model for her 2006 Christmas piece (“Grace is our gift from God,” Luke 2:40), has studied the basics of Christian faith at Christview.
Christview helps our second student Scott Frame and his wife Amanda not only in preparing for ministries, but also in their roles as spouses, parents, and employees. All things are working together to make their lives more productive for good.
J.R. and Vickie Poulson, who have studied at Christview, minister to people with drug abuse problems through Soul Purpose Ministries. In addition to a Sunday evening testimony-and-prayer service, they are now offering a weekly “Celebrate Recovery” Bible study that is recognized by the local law courts. We expect more good things to blossom for them.
Gail Pitt spent several days on spiritual retreat at Christview and found this to be a wonderful setting for resting and listening to God. A pastor and his wife on retreat at Christview received counsel, resources, and renewed strength to help them deal with difficult issues in their congregation. Twenty women are experiencing this season with a greater awareness of Christ’s presence because they participated in a Christview retreat. These are among the growing number of individuals, couples, and groups benefiting from spiritual retreats at Christview.
As we teach, guide, coach, and pray with the people God sends to us, we see them set free from false beliefs, old hurts, and destructive patterns to serve Christ more effectively. We see God using Christview students in ministries of outreach, evangelism, and discipleship.
We appreciate your support that makes these transformation stories possible. We wish you many blessings in this season and in the year ahead.
In his love,
John and Judy
P.S. Enclosed is an updated version of the letter from the Christview Ministries Board of Directors that went out with our most recent Email update. Please give it your prayerful consideration.
Dear friends of Christview Ministries,
We hear wonderful stories of spiritual growth, healing, and life-changing interaction with the Word occurring through the ministries of John and Judy Turner. Many of us are experiencing those things for ourselves through individual times of spiritual renewal and studying at Christview. It is easy to catch the sense that God is blessing this place, the ministry, and the Turners in astonishing ways!
Christview Ministries is growing in numbers of students and supporters. Finances offer a tangible measure of the growth: the average monthly income of Christview has gone from $1,838 in 2004, to $3,488 in 2005, to $6,878.77 for the first eleven months of 2006.
The members of the Board of Directors of Christview Ministries feel it is important for everyone to know the financial status of Christview, and of the Turners personally, both because it is a testimony to the Turners’ faith in action, and because their act of faith deserves a response from those who care about the unique ministries they are carrying out.
It is not the case that the Turners “retired” to Northwest Arkansas, bought themselves a beautiful home on a mountainside, and decided to do a little ministry “on the side.” John and Judy had a strong and growing sense that God was calling them to focus on mentoring Christian leaders, and so they resigned their salaried positions in Indianapolis and moved to Arkansas to found Christview Ministries.
For the Turners, there are no sources of income other than their present work. Christview pays very modest salaries to the Turners, and they have been frugal with Christview’s costs of doing business. Nevertheless, Christview currently owes the Turners $37,872 in back pay and unreimbursed expenses, with most of that shortfall in 2005. It is time to begin reducing that debt so that the Turners can handle the increasing costs of their growing ministry. It is important that some financial stability be achieved during this time, because the rewards in growing the ministry will be huge.
The Turners feel strongly that no one should be turned away from Christview because of inability to contribute monetarily. It is for this reason that most of the services at Christview are offered on a donation basis, with a suggested donation and an invitation to further support the ministry. God has provided, and will provide, what is needed to do the work to which He calls His servants. God offers each of us the opportunity to participate in His providing.
The Board of Directors has set a goal to raise $10,000 in December 2006, and then to average $8,000 in income per month during 2007. This will allow Christview Ministries to meet basic operating expenses and to begin gradual repayment of monies owed to the Turners. In response to last month’s appeal, we received $9,502, nearly reaching our November goal. We deeply thank those who participated in that total. If you are not yet a regular supporter of Christview Ministries, we invite you to become part of God’s provision with a generous Christmas offering, and with a pledge of a monthly contribution to the ministry in 2007. Mail your tax deductible contributions to Christview Ministries, 992 CR 309, Eureka Springs, AR 42632. We are grateful for your prayerful consideration. Your support is the life-blood of the ministry.
Yours in Christ,
Board of Directors: Vivian Potee, President, Rogers, AR ▪ Doug Reed, Vice-President, Eureka Springs, AR ▪ Lili Michel, Eureka Springs, AR ▪ Rachel Mink, Wheaton, IL ▪ Bill Newman, Indianapolis, IN ▪ Stephen Smith, State College, PA ▪ Georgina Thrasher, Holiday Island, AR