As I share what is happening with JumpStart I welcome your thoughts, prayers, and support. After twenty one years at one church this next season of life is a great big exciting and scary adventure.
I am actively seeking God for His will and leading. It is my desire to walk in faith, and obedience. There can be a fine line between faith, and foolishness. I do not want to miss it.
Let me give you several active things to be praying about.
And to support as God leads you.
1. JumpStart Volumes One, Two, and Three are now available at Amazon.com with their new covers.
2. A man in our church is working on his PHD in Theology and Philosophy in Claremont, CA. He is teaching a New Testament survey class at NorthPoint. I have just learned he is earning his way through seminary by doing translation work. He has offered to discount his normal rate and translate JumpStart into Portuguese. He is from Brazil, and it is his native language. Including ISBN numbers it would take $3,100 to have JumpStart Volumes One, Two, and Three in Portuguese by February. Walter White, a missionary with the International Mission Board, told me at lunch recently he would love to take JumpStart, in Portuguese, to the pastors in Mozambique. It's a small world.
3. Translation into Spanish, Swahili, and Congolese French are already in process. I have a lead on Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, and a thought about Russian. I need a connection for the classical French translation. I am sensing the call to have JumpStart available in multiple languages.
4. Gumma Suresh has invited me to Hyderabad, India in February to help train pastors and some of their 300 cell and house church leaders. He would like JumpStart, but we are praying about how to get it there. Amazon does not print in India and shipping is very expensive. I can only imagine putting all three volumes in the hands of 300 cell and house church leaders, then going back a year later to see how God used it.
5. On December 11th a one page add will go into the official Military Chaplain Association magazine. It goes to Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, Coast Guard, and National Guard bases in America, and around the world. The executive director of the organization is putting me in touch with like minded leaders interested in mentoring. I am imagining trained mentors deploying globally with copies of JumpStart with which to mentor their peers.
6. A new JumpStart study has begun in Arizona and a church on the California coast is looking into me doing leadership training with their team.
7. There are approximately 20 people currently involved in mentoring at NorthPoint. An amazing percentage of the church family.
As you can see, there are many amazing things happening. I truly covet your prayers, and if God leads you, your financial support for the coming season of JumpStart. I hear many pastors and leaders saying discipleship is essential. Sadly, few churches have a Biblical, repeatable, disciple making track they are actually running on. If God chooses to use JumpStart to scratch that itch 2017 will be very exciting. For many months "IF GOD" has been at the front of my thinking.
One practical financial note. NorthPoint Christian Fellowship is graciously acting as the current umbrella for JumpStart as we plan for the next phase of life and ministry. Tax deductible support can be sent to NorthPoint with the word JumpStart on the memo line. Thanks in advance for your partnership in this crazy new ministry adventure. I will keep you posted as the future unfolds.
With love and appreciation,
Paul
