A4M Benefit Dinner Report
Wed 16 Nov 05
The Alpha for the Military Dinner went very well last Friday evening, 11 Nov 05, in spite of a couple of technical hitches. Forty two adults and two children sat down to dinner. We praise God for that the aim of the dinner was achieved.
The aim was to communicate and share our vision for Alpha for the Military for the future and I sensed this was successfully done. I’ll have to try and express the vision in a report for this blog in the near future, but it is available as a PowerPoint presentation if anyone wants to ask for it.
We were extremely grateful for the great talk given by Alpha USA’s National Director, Todd Hunter. Todd took over the leadership of the Vineyard Christian Fellowships national ministry around the time John Wimber became ill and led them for several years. He flew in from Boise, ID specially to speak at the dinner and attend two other events locally. Todd was the senior pastor of the Virginia Beach Vineyard for several years in the early 1990s. His vision concerning the need for the Alpha course to be done in the military environment included testimony about how an elder brother of his had been killed in Vietnam. Todd, then a teenager, had been angry, confused and could not understand this seeming waste of life. It was only when he became a Christian several years later when he was wonderfully healed by the Lord in then power of the Holy Spirit from all these wounds to his heart.
We were also exceedingly grateful to a US Air Force Chaplain and a US Navy officer, both living locally, who talked briefly about how their lives and ministry had been changed through the Alpha course. Another friend read aloud several testimonies received by email over the last years or so giving similar testimony. Finally, the Alpha course leaders at Spangdahlem Air Base, part of the US Air Force Germany, had sent several powerful testimonies on a DVD and we played two of these.
There were several indications of fruit in the immediate aftermath of the event.
Two people came forward to talk about their possible volunteer help as, respectively, a local A4M Advisor and the first ever local Alpha USA advisor.
Two guests serving locally in a US Army unit were talking with the USAF Chaplain about possibly teaming up to run a joint Alpha course – pray for the who Chaplain is having immense difficulty in finding help within his unit to run a course. Even so, the course he did run, alone, in the Aug/Sep 05 period was blessed by the Lord and saw one person give their life to Christ.
A civilian guest asked to have lunch with me to talk about a particular aspect of the course which is puzzling him. This indicates the Holy Spirit is alive and working in his heart!
Although the aim was not to raise funds, the opportunity was taken to mention the need. About $500 was given, for which we were grateful.
I planned to use the money to pay for Meryl and I to go to the annual and strategically very crucial Alpha USA Directors meeting from 1-3 Dec in Chicago and, thankfully, hesitated to buy the tickets until Tuesday. On Tuesday morning I took my car in for a routine oil change and mentioned about a loud rattle noise coming from the front. The end result was that the car got repaired before I start my drive north today, that something to do with the suspension urgently needed repairing and the bill came to nearly $700!
The Lord gives and the Lord takes away – but praise be the name of the Lord! He is our sovereign God and if He does not want us to go to a meeting we think is one of the most important of the year, then so be it! I prayed with Alpha USA’s Field Ministry Director later on Tuesday that if He does want us to be in Chicago, He will provide the necessary funds as well as the remaining $100 for my health insurance premium for this month.
Anyway, please praise God with us for the wonderful blessings of Beryl’s return home and a most successful Alpha for the Military dinner.
With Jesus love and blessings,
Noel
The Alpha for the Military Dinner went very well last Friday evening, 11 Nov 05, in spite of a couple of technical hitches. Forty two adults and two children sat down to dinner. We praise God for that the aim of the dinner was achieved.
The aim was to communicate and share our vision for Alpha for the Military for the future and I sensed this was successfully done. I’ll have to try and express the vision in a report for this blog in the near future, but it is available as a PowerPoint presentation if anyone wants to ask for it.
We were extremely grateful for the great talk given by Alpha USA’s National Director, Todd Hunter. Todd took over the leadership of the Vineyard Christian Fellowships national ministry around the time John Wimber became ill and led them for several years. He flew in from Boise, ID specially to speak at the dinner and attend two other events locally. Todd was the senior pastor of the Virginia Beach Vineyard for several years in the early 1990s. His vision concerning the need for the Alpha course to be done in the military environment included testimony about how an elder brother of his had been killed in Vietnam. Todd, then a teenager, had been angry, confused and could not understand this seeming waste of life. It was only when he became a Christian several years later when he was wonderfully healed by the Lord in then power of the Holy Spirit from all these wounds to his heart.
We were also exceedingly grateful to a US Air Force Chaplain and a US Navy officer, both living locally, who talked briefly about how their lives and ministry had been changed through the Alpha course. Another friend read aloud several testimonies received by email over the last years or so giving similar testimony. Finally, the Alpha course leaders at Spangdahlem Air Base, part of the US Air Force Germany, had sent several powerful testimonies on a DVD and we played two of these.
There were several indications of fruit in the immediate aftermath of the event.
Two people came forward to talk about their possible volunteer help as, respectively, a local A4M Advisor and the first ever local Alpha USA advisor.
Two guests serving locally in a US Army unit were talking with the USAF Chaplain about possibly teaming up to run a joint Alpha course – pray for the who Chaplain is having immense difficulty in finding help within his unit to run a course. Even so, the course he did run, alone, in the Aug/Sep 05 period was blessed by the Lord and saw one person give their life to Christ.
A civilian guest asked to have lunch with me to talk about a particular aspect of the course which is puzzling him. This indicates the Holy Spirit is alive and working in his heart!
Although the aim was not to raise funds, the opportunity was taken to mention the need. About $500 was given, for which we were grateful.
I planned to use the money to pay for Meryl and I to go to the annual and strategically very crucial Alpha USA Directors meeting from 1-3 Dec in Chicago and, thankfully, hesitated to buy the tickets until Tuesday. On Tuesday morning I took my car in for a routine oil change and mentioned about a loud rattle noise coming from the front. The end result was that the car got repaired before I start my drive north today, that something to do with the suspension urgently needed repairing and the bill came to nearly $700!
The Lord gives and the Lord takes away – but praise be the name of the Lord! He is our sovereign God and if He does not want us to go to a meeting we think is one of the most important of the year, then so be it! I prayed with Alpha USA’s Field Ministry Director later on Tuesday that if He does want us to be in Chicago, He will provide the necessary funds as well as the remaining $100 for my health insurance premium for this month.
Anyway, please praise God with us for the wonderful blessings of Beryl’s return home and a most successful Alpha for the Military dinner.
With Jesus love and blessings,
Noel
posted by Noel Dawes | 3:52 PM
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