THE SOWER
THE SOWER
Dear Fellowlaborer in Christ,
May the richness of God’s blessings be manifest in your life today and everyday until The Day when we all see the Lord Jesus, and one another, in the air. What a day of rejoicing that will be! You know, it’s really going to happen. In the meantime, I want to become as much like Jesus Christ as I possibly can and touch the lives of as many people as I can for him.
This is John Lynn, and I am leading off this issue of The Sower so that I can share my heart with you about the time of transition in my life that starts this month. As I begin to do so, the faces of many people flash across my mind, people with whom I have been privileged to establish personal friendships during the past 13+ years as I have traveled back and forth from coast to coast here in the USA. The precious Christians whom God has put into my life are each a treasure to me, and I want to thank you profusely for investing in my life and ministry via your love, your prayers and your financial support.
Since 1987, when I became a "freelance" minister, a number of people have said to me things like, "We sure are glad that you’ve done what you’ve done and continued to teach the Word and get CES off the ground, but what about taking some time for yourself?" Well, that time has come, and I will herein do my best to articulate for you my thoughts and plans, soliciting your prayers and welcoming your feedback.
As you may know, I was on the road from January 20 to June 6 this year, with only about 10 days at home during that time. Before I planned that itinerary last Fall, I knew that it would be a push and that I would want to take some time afterward to rest and recoup. I didn’t see then, however, what all the Lord was teeing up in his personal curriculum for my life. Now that picture is taking shape. My plan is to take some time both off the road and away from the immediate CES administrative vortex, so that I can re-focus on some areas of personal development, including some physical rest and healing. I will be able to be in the same place with the same group of people for a while, and also catch up on some reading and writing. I think this will be a time of "sharpening my saw," as Stephen Covey puts it, so that I can do better with it in the future.
You may also have heard that by God’s grace, CES now has a new office location (at 2144 E. 52nd St., Indianapolis IN 46205), which means that it is no longer in my home as it was for 12 years. I have put my house on the market July 1, and my prayer (thanks for yours too) is that the right buyer (at the right price) will be glad to move in October 1. Eric Fassnacht has been living with me in Indianapolis, and he will continue to be there and take care of my house this summer. My new address is 3117 Waterford Forest Circle, Cary NC 27513 (a one BR apartment with rented furniture). My phone number is (919) 466-9009, and I still have my cell number of (775) 720-0300. Right now the plan is to move back to Indianapolis when the time is right, but I will then want to move into a different home.
As John Schoenheit has been, I will be an adjunct CES principal for a while, that is, away from the Home Office. I will still be in the loop on all planning, decisions, activities and materials we produce, but I will not be so consumed with all the responsibility that I have had to date. Since John and Jenivee and Mark and Karen Anne Graeser and I have worked together, each of us has pretty much had an equal say in regard to planning and decisions. Primarily because the law requires corporate officers, we began CES with me as the President, Mark as the Vice-President-Secretary and John Schoenheit as the Treasurer, realizing that these were not lifetime appointments.
I am aware that, by God’s grace and a lot of mercy, it was I who was the driving force to get CES off the ground out of the rubble of The Way International, and that for 13 plus years I have been the most visible among us, by virtue of being able to be out and about so much. But I believe that this "season" is changing. It is clear to me that the Lord has for some time been preparing Mark to be the "point man" for CES, and I have seen up close and personally his huge heart for people and his ability to relate to them, his godly wisdom and his visionary perspective of our ministry. With my complete and enthusiastic endorsement, Mark will now become the President of CES, overseeing the new office and being the primary guiding force, if you will, of where we want to go with God. I am excited to support him and see his leadership help to boost our ministry to the next stage of the trajectory that our heavenly Father wants for us.
There is another personal element of my "sabbatical" that I am not yet at liberty to make known, but I want it to also be a time of profitable reflection upon my life and my ministry, and I think that you might be able to help me with that aspect of it. I am aware that during the past 13 years I have been so single minded about the demands and rewards of the ministry to which God has called me that I have too often been oblivious to the way that I have come across to others. I have sometimes been perceived as arrogant, self-absorbed and more concerned about being right than about being loving. My commitment is to be like Jesus Christ, and perhaps you can help me to grow up into him.
In that light, my request is that if you have a "withhold" (some-thing you have not told me) in regard to how I have ever offended you or hurt you or did less for you than I could have, please call me and tell me. I will not defend myself or be angry with you for sharing your heart with me. You can air whatever you like, however you like, and I will only thank you for being honest with me. If you are in this category, please take me seriously about this. Doing this might really help me to become more like the Lord, and help me to get a more accurate read on the way I relate to people. If you have held back from speaking the truth in love to me, you might even benefit also.
You may be aware that I have never taken a salary from CES, primarily because when we began this work, we had no money to pay me. In fact, I paid all my travel expenses at first. As we went along, my chief concern was to get the Schoenheits and the Graesers on salary, which (thank God and those who have supported us) did happen. Now we also pay Eleanor Branch and Barbara Jones full time, and Dottie Heman, Janet Speakes and Chris Duffy part time. And, as of this month, we are blessed to announce that Jeff Blackburn, recently retired from the U.S. Air Force, has joined our staff part time. My goal is to do my sabbatical without a salary from CES. One reason for this is because at present we do not have any money to spare due to being in the midst of three very large expenditures: the second printing of One God & One Lord; the downpayment on the office (a small house) as well as the monthly mortgage payments; and the filming, editing and production of John Schoenheit’s teachings in Israel on last month’s Bible Lands Tour.
For 13 years God has graciously touched the hearts of people blessed by my life, and they have responded to the blessing by giving back to me financially. This has allowed me to in turn be generous toward many saints in the Philippines, etc. I believe that if I am doing what God wants me to do, He will continue to care for me. Most people have given to me once a year when I came to their city, while a few others have sent me something on a regular basis. I want to be up front with you about my situation in case you might want to consider helping me during my time off the road. I look forward to seeing how the Lord will care for me in the days to come as he has so faithfully in the past.
I would love to hear from you any time. I ask you to pray for me, and we will keep you posted as to what’s happening. I know what I am supposed to do with my life—teach the Word. And I firmly believe that as things play out in the months to come we will see the hand of the Lord Jesus on my life, and my ministry energized to become more effectual than ever. I pray for you that you are realizing and enthusiastically participating in his personal curriculum for you, the only you he has. I love you very much.
Your brother in Christ,
John
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Welcome
Jeff Blackburn!
A special welcome to Jeff Blackburn, who has recently joined our staff as our shipping & receiving manager and resident "fun guy to have around." As mentioned in John’s letter, Jeff has recently retired from the Air Force. Jeff and his wife, Michele are now living in Fishers, IN with their two sons. We are so thankful to have Jeff and his family part of our CES family.
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The CES Home Office Has Moved!!!
As of July 1, the new address for Christian Educational Services is 2144 E. 52nd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46205. The phone number remains the same. The new office is about half way between John’s home (currently for sale) and the Graeser’s home. It is a little house, so we can still call it "the Home Office." Years ago it was converted to an office for a company where two of our local believers worked, so the place is already blessed! The president of the company was retiring, and decided to sell the building to us at a price far below its value. In fact, the bank told us, "We won’t waste your money by doing an appraisal. It is not necessary, because you are stealing this building." The former owner also gave us the whole phone system already in the office.
The last two weeks of June were spent painting (thanks to Peter Drago from Rochester, New York who came and spent a lot of his time to help with that), doing electrical work, carpeting, etc. The office is truly a Godsend, and will provide us enough space to work more efficiently for quite some time. We praise God for His goodness to us in this matter, and for His impeccable timing.
We put down $11,000 of the $55,000 total price, and now we have a mortgage payment of about $1,100 a month. If you want to make a contribution specifically toward this, just mark it "Building Fund."
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Second Printing of One God & One Lord
As you read this newsletter, our latest book is at the printer for its second printing. We have diligently worked to delete all typos, and we have also added a number of footnotes, revised an appendix, and added to Chapter 13, "Our Fellowship with Jesus Christ."
We are printing 1000 soft cover books, which will continue to sell for $15, and also printing 1000 hard cover books, which will sell for $20. Although we are not making much profit at these prices, we are glad to be able to keep costs so low for those who want to purchase this extensive work on the most important subject in Scripture. We encourage you to order several copies today.
We have not yet had the time or personnel to do anything about finding a publisher for this book. Therefore, our readership is still the "sales force" we have to get this book into the hands of people around the world. Would you consider placing a copy in your local library, taking it to your local Christian bookstore, giving it to a Christian friend or minister, etc.?
And please pray for the doors to open for this book to find its way to the heart of each person on the earth who hungers for the truth therein.
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July/August 2000
Bimonthly Tape:
Life Is Relationship
Caution: Do not listen to this teaching unless you seriously desire to be like Jesus Christ. This may well be for you a heart-piercing presentation that brings you face-to-face with your self-helplessness in the face of the sin that dwells in you. BUT it will also point you to the source of true help, the Lord Jesus Christ. It shows that the only way to "resurrection life" moment by moment is through the "death" of self, and helps you to see how to embrace this process. This is painful, but worth the effort because it is the only way to true spiritual growth.
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The 1st ever CES Youth Study Camp (fondly referred to as "Teen Camp") from July 1-5 at Camp Hope in the mountains of western North Carolina was a resounding success. 32 young adults, ages 13-26, and some 15 staffers enjoyed five days of making friends, having fun and studying the Bible. Our theme was "We dig the Word!"
At the opening campfire, most of the campers expressed that they had come to make new Christian friends. I must confess that I had a twinge of disappointment. Hadn’t they all come with an eager desire to learn to use lexicons and concordances? Well, shut my mouth! This amazing group of young people hung in for the 2½ hour study sessions, morning and evening, throughout the camp. They learned to use all the basic research tools— concordances, lexicons, Bible dictionaries, Bible atlases and even Greek and Hebrew interlinears. What joy and excitement filled the room as they dug the Word, make their own discoveries, and let the treasures of God’s heart speak to them.
And wouldn’t you know, our Awesome God fulfilled the desires of the campers’ hearts above and beyond. Throughout the week they reached out to each other, began new friendships, prayed for each other and ministered to each other. And even now, phone lines, cyber-space, and mail routes are buzzing with their exchanges. 3 John 4 says, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." (KJV) I stand in admiration of these young adults who seek to be in fellowship with like-minded Christian friends and stand together on the truth.
In addition to the study and fellowship we enjoyed early morning flag raisings with prayer and manifestations, goofy songs at mealtimes, and praise and worship as well as sharing around campfires to close our days. Afternoons were "free" times for recreation. Most of us hiked, swam, walked in the creek, played Frisbee bombardment, or rested. On the Fourth of July we went in to town to see a fabulous fireworks display, and on another afternoon we went to "Sliding Rock," and interesting natural rock slide formation that involves a slippery ride down the face of a rock into an ice cold pool at the bottom.
Throughout the week we practiced the manifestations of speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues and prophecy. Although we had not intended for this to be a focus of the camp it became an evident need early on. 1 Corinthians 14:1 says that we should "eagerly desire spiritual gifts" (contextually referring to the manifestations). Again, these young people blessed us with their desire to become confident and proficient.
At the closing campfire the campers expressed an outpouring of thanksgiving for the opportunity to learn to work the Word and build new friendships. Several of them shared encouragement to each other to stand strong in the truth and keep their standards pure and Godly as they go back to family, friends and "the world." Praise God!
Plans are already beginning for a longer camp next year (a suggestion from this years’ campers). Study sessions will accommodate both "beginners" in research, and those who are more acquainted with the tools. We’ll be looking for adult and young volunteers. Watch for the dates in the coming issues of The Sower.
With much thanksgiving,
Sue Carlson &
the Teen Camp Staff
A Note from CES
Many thanks to Sue Carlson who dreamed and organized this Teen Camp and oversaw it to its joyous conclusion. This is the first CES event that has been basically put together and overseen by someone other than the CES principals. With more and more need and opportunity for ministry and outreach, we expect that trend to continue.
A special thank you to Greg Paules of Charlotte, NC for his masterful culinary efforts. The food was excellent, which was an important part of the success of the Camp, since every day the teens worked up a healthy appetite. Thanks, Greg!
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THE BOOKLETS ARE COMING!
We are finally ready to start shipping our new booklets. Thank you for your patience and the wonderful response. Each booklet is $3.00 and is listed on the order form in this newsletter.
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The Bible Lands Tour was the experience of a lifetime for those who were able to go, and now you can take this journey from the comfort of your living room (it beats the 10 hr. flight to Tel Aviv!).
Flip Minott (a real Hollywood cameraman) accompanied John & Jenivee Schoenheit and the other 39 travelers to the Land of the Book. We are in the editing process and will have this wonderful video available for purchase by the end of October. Look for details in the September/October issue of The Sower.
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THEIR LOSS...OUR GAIN
We have recently acquired the entire Rome City research library collection from Sylvan Springs Family Center, who recently purchased the campus from The Way. We were surprised to learn that The Way left their books behind, many of which are hard to find and out of print.
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GOOD NEWS FROM AFAR
Would you like to receive some? You can, if you are a pen pal/sponsor for one of our Filipino brethren. We know many precious saints there who are committed to teaching others the truth of God’s Word they have learned through CES. All they need is a little help. That help could come in the form of friendship and prayer, as well as some financial assistance. What is a small amount to most of us here in America goes a long way there in the Philippines. Are you part of a fellowship? Perhaps the whole fellowship could "adopt" a Filipino believer and his family.
If the Lord is touching your heart to reach out to a brother or sister in the Body of Christ in this way, please contact us and let us know. Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
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LOOKING AHEAD TO 2001
We are still formulating plans for our activities for next year, but at the present time we are thinking about doing a Men’s Weekend, a Women’s Weekend, a Couple’s Weekend, a Leader’s Weekend, at least one Youth Camp, and another Family Camp.
We are thinking April would be a good time for Women, early June for Men, July for Youth, September for Leaders, Late October or early November for Couples. If you have any ideas, suggestions or possible locations for these events, please let us know.
3rd Annual Leadership Conference
September 15-17, 2000
Indianapolis, IN
Theme: "He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound [healthy] doctrine and refute those who oppose it." (Titus 1:9 )
This verse exactly captures what we think is a major contemporary need among Christian leaders, who need to be encouraging believers with healthy teaching and resisting those who are teaching otherwise. Though engaging in this conflict is unpopular, it is a necessity if God’s Word is to grow in the hearts of hungry people. This conference will prepare you to enter more boldly into the contest, and lead others to Christ and his ways. As in previous years, we will feature teachings designed to equip you to serve more effectively.
In addition, we will be breaking into focus groups to work toward consensus on such issues as:
We feel strongly that because of our growth we are at a pivotal point in our ministry, and we need to have more and more help to achieve our vision. We would like this to be the year that we could establish something like a "CES leadership team." Therefore we solicit your participation in this conference, especially if you feel led by the Lord to be a part of such a body, but anyone who has an interest in developing himself as a Christian leader is welcome to come. We do want you to know that we will be asking those who attend to be involved in helping us decide how to lead our ministry into the future. As far as we are concerned, we are all in the same boat, a fellowship of believers in the integrity of God’s Word with a common commitment to lead as God’s Word dictates.
These above focus areas would then lead to committees that would continue to work on these issues throughout the year and report back their findings at next year’s conference. Our hope is to thereby establish a "CES Leadership Team" which would help us shoulder the responsibility of guiding this ministry. If you have ever wanted to be more involved in our ministry and help us chart our course for the future, this is your opportunity! We will be throwing almost everything on the table for reconsideration, and you have a golden opportunity to make your ideas known on these and other topics. We want to have "safety in a multitude of counselors" (Prov. 11:14; 15:22; 24:6).
3rd Annual Leadership Conference
Friday, September 15 - Sunday, September 17, 2000
ADAM’S MARK HOTEL
2544 Executive Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46241 •317-248-2481• Fax 317-248-0187
There is a free shuttle from the airport.
***VIP***
HOTEL REGISTRATION DEADLINE:
Thursday, August 24 (Be sure to tell them you are with CES)
$72 per room per night + tax (up to 4 people per room).
Rooms and room rate not guaranteed after this date.!!!!
CES PRE-REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Friday, September 8.
In order to keep our meeting room costs down, as well as promote fellowship with other participants, we are requesting that everyone break bread together at lunch and dinner on Saturday.
All other meals will be on your own.
REGISTRATION /MEALS
CES Registration Fee ~ $65 per person* ($75 at the door).
*This includes your registration fee, Saturday lunch, Saturday dinner, and gratuity.
We will not be having a Children’s Fellowship, but we welcome any teen that would like to attend.
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October 27-29, 2000
Charlotte, NC
This Fall we will be returning to Charlotte, North Carolina, October 27-29, and it will be our first time at the Sheraton. This is a very nice hotel and they are giving us a good price on the weekend. Charlotte is a beautiful place in October, and we certainly hope that you will join us for this final CES event of 2000. It is also the only CES activity taking place in the Eastern United States.
The theme of the Weekend is "The Hope."
If it is on your heart to teach, work with the Children’s Fellowship or help out in other ways please let us know as soon as possible.
Fall Fellowship
Friday, October 27—Sunday, October 29, 2000
(please be aware that these are new dates for this event)
SHERATON AIRPORT PLAZA HOTEL
I-85 & Billy Graham Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 282058 • 704-392-1200 • Fax 704-393-2207
There is a free shuttle from the airport.
***VIP***
HOTEL REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, October 11
(Be sure to tell them you are with CES). $71 per room per night + tax (up to 4 people per room).
Room and room rate not guaranteed after this date.
In order to keep our meeting room costs down, as well as promote fellowship with other participants, we will be breaking bread together at lunch on Saturday.