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Dear Friend,
As I sit down to write you, I am looking out my
study window at great thunder clouds, rumbling
across the sky and displaying powerful lightening
flashes. It is the tail end of one of those majestic
thunder storms that sometimes roll across the
great plains in the spring time. Throughout the
night we have listened to the tremendous thunder
claps that always sound louder in the dark and
seen the dazzling electric displays that literally
light up the night sky. I rather like these storms
(Carolynn definitely does not!) for they speak
to me of tremendous power, action, and activity.
Action
and Activity
We have certainly had plenty of action and activity
since I last wrote to you. We have had some splendid
RENOVARÉ Local Conferences around the country.
A woman from Oxnard, California, writes, "I recently
had the pleasure of attending a Local Spiritual
Renewal Conference led by Richard Foster and Jim
Smith. I thank you from my heart for your ministry
and efforts on behalf of Christ's Church. The
work of RENOVARÉ offers cups of cold water to
a parched people. So many of our barriers, self-constructed
and maintained, evaporate under the gentle eye
of small group accountability and encouragement."
Last
March over 600 gathered at Calvin College in Grand
Rapids, Michigan for a Local Conference. One who
attended writes, "Many hearts were touched at
last weekend's RENOVARÉ Conference. My heart was
touched by the Spirit reminding me that God's
love and grace enables me to love the joy-filled
life in the power of the resurrected Christ."
Loving,
Nurturing Accountability
Our hope is that many Spiritual Formation groups
will spring up as a result of these meetings,
and we are receiving good reports of this occurring.
These groups bring loving, nurturing, ongoing
accountability and our best guesstimation is that
around 300 of these groups are now established.
One
lady from Meadow Vista, California, writes, "This
is our first experience with a RENOVARÉ group
and it has proven to be even more than I anticipated.
My husband is just starting another group with
the husbands of my ladies." One Presbyterian church
in Boulder, Colorado, now has 27 Spiritual Formation
Groups established.
Gareth
Icenogle, who teaches in the D. Min. program at
Fuller Theological Seminary, says, "In the five
traditions we see the head, heart, relationships,
character, and outward action—the whole person.
RENOVARÉ is where the small group movement is
going."
Devotional
Classics
Another wonderful result of these efforts is the
number of people discovering the great devotional
treasures that God has given for our nurture and
encouragement. A woman from Stromsburg, Nebraska,
writes, "The Devotional Readings are a spring
board into other readings. Pennington (leads me)
to Barclay's Apology and Douglas Steere's Quaker
Spirituality, Jeanne Guyon to Fénelon, C.S. Lewis
to Screwtape and Narnia. We look forward to more
adventures."
A
man in Fort Dix, New Jersey, writes, "My spirit
has danced and soared in reading Richard Foster's
Celebration of Discipline and PRAYER: Finding
the Heart's True Home. One of my greatest blessings,
besides the obvious meat of Scripture and other
writings that are included, has been my introduction
to some of the great devotional masters. Their
writings have touched me deeply but surprisingly,
for I have found little evidence of their works
in my path of `mainstream' Christianity."
Most
of all we are encouraged by the new life springing
up in the hearts of people. A Lutheran pastor
from Bloomington, Illinois, writes, "I had been
struggling with my spiritual growth, living in
the desert, yet still proclaiming the Gospel in
my sermons. When I saw your PRAYER: Finding the
Heart's True Home, I thought maybe this would
provide the direction I needed. After reading
the first two chapters, I called my wife and told
her, "you won't believe what I have discovered."
The wisdom and spiritual maturity of your words
are not forced. It is as though the Holy Spirit
is pulling you, carrying you as you write rather
than your pulling and carrying God's message.
What an uncanny experience." All we can do is
thank God for such encouraging words.
Thanksgiving
And thanksgiving characterizes most everything
we do these days. Ten months ago when I left my
teaching post at Friends University "with God
and a laser printer," I could not have imagined
we would have come this far this soon. Thanks
to your generous support, vigorous product sales,
and careful management we have paid our bills
on time every month. We now have furnished offices
with good equipment. We have even built up a three
month operating expense reserve fund—which is
what our consultant urged us to do—and we have
not had to touch it for nine months.
We
have received our permanent 501(C)(3) non-profit
status from the Internal Revenue Service for which
we give thanks. (Non-profits begin with a five
year provisional status and only if they consistently
meet strict IRS guidelines regarding giving percentages
and money management are they granted permanent
status.)
For
all these things . . . and much, much more we
thank God. And we thank you.
Thank you for your warm letters that encourage
us so very much.
Thank you for sharing with us your joys and your
struggles.
Thank
you for your generous gifts which sustain and
strengthen our efforts.
Thank
you for loving us and praying for us.
Possible
Relocation
When we first stepped out from under the umbrella
of the University, we seriously considered relocation.
We decided against it at that point because we
wanted to get out on our own and let things shake
down a bit. We wanted to see if this thing would
really fly before we upset the housing and living
patterns of several families.
Then
when a wonderful couple here in Wichita, Reg and
Nancy Boothe, offered us fifteen hundred square
feet of brand new office space rent free for two
years, we felt this was the Lord's direction for
us. (When they made the offer I fasted and prayed
for about ten seconds and said, "Yes!") They did
this to help us launch RENOVARÉ, and nothing could
have been better than two years free from the
need to lease office space in order to get this
effort off the ground.
While
this arrangement may continue, we do not want
to presume upon Reg and Nancy's graciousness.
Therefore we have been actively considering options
for a possible relocation in the summer of 1994.
We are hoping for a place that is accessible and
near a good airport. Also, if possible, we would
love to link up in some way with a good retreat
center that truly understands the ministry of
solitude—without needing to manage, direct, or
finance it!
At
this point we are considering possibilities in
California, Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, and North
Carolina. At this juncture we really do not know
where the Lord will lead us, but we are hoping
for clearness by fall. We do know that in order
to take such a step we will need to substantially
increase our financial base, and so your faithful
and generous support helps us discern what God
wants us to do. Do pray with us and for us as
we process this significant decision.
Radio
Possibilities
Over the years I have had the privilege of being
on various radio and TV programs. I have always
been glad for these opportunities . . . and even
more glad that I did not have to carry on the
burden of those operations week in and week out.
More than once different individuals have come
to me with various media proposals which I have
always turned down. I know something of the relentless
demands and constant financial burden of these
things, and I have never felt drawn to them. Recently,
however, a proposal has been made to us that we
feel we should look at seriously and not just
turn down automatically. It involves good outreach
at small expense and limited time involvement
from me. It would place me on 47 radio stations
around the country which would have a combined
potential listening audience of 23 million. (These
are second and third level stations rather than
major market stations—whose cost is prohibitive.)
It would involve brief, two minute spots aired
from one to four times per day, seven days a week.
It provides a format in which I could share a
word of encouragement and help to many precious
people. In addition, it could provide a means
of communicating widely the vision of RENOVARÉ.
There would be no on-air financial appeals but
product sales would be offered, and it is hoped
that in six months time the income from these
sales would be covering all expenses.
The
cost for such an effort is roughly $1,500.00 per
month—$500.00 for radio time; $500.00 for studio
time; $500.00 for script writing. If we do it,
we would probably start July 1 and make a beginning
commitment of six months. This means an initial
outlay of $9,000.00.
Again,
we covet your prayers for wisdom and discernment.
And again, your financial support helps to guide
our discernment process. Having said this, I do
want to underscore the importance of giving first
toyour local church (or wherever you are being
nurtured spiritually) and to the poor. This helps
to keep the fires of renewal burning within us.
To
All Who Are Bowed Low
I began this letter by describing the power and
action of a recent thunderstorm. It is now six
hours later and the excitement of thunder and
lightning have turned into a dull gray sky with
a steady downpour. And so it is for many of you
who read these words. You are bowed low by the
sorrows of your days and all of life feels gray
to you. I know because I am out among you in my
travels and I see it in your eyes and in the slump
of your shoulders. I also read it in your heart-rending
letters. And I want to say to you who feel broken
and bruised by the pressures of life: "God is
with you and God hurts with you in your hurt.
God suffers with you in your suffering. See, if
you can, the suffering heart of the suffering
God so that you may be comforted and encouraged."
"And
Lord Jesus, Son of the living God, hear the heart
cry of your children. Be with those who weep,
and be with those who rejoice, so that both our
weeping and our rejoicing may be wrapped up into
your great love. —Amen."
Peace
and joy,
Richard J. Foster
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