November 2008 Monthly Letter

Last year the IRS chose to investigate 501(c)(3) tax exempt ministries. Their main targets were the large TV ministries such as Kenneth Copeland, John Hagee, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, Joel Olsteen, etc. However, some smaller ones were also investigated including UpBuilding Ministries.

The results are in: ALL of the above "passed with flying colors!'' Praise the Lord!

One of my clear goals when the Lord called me to begin UpBuilding Ministries in 1989 was "financial accountability, integrity, and responsibility." This is precisely why I invited Don Grigsby, an attorney with IRS, to be on our original Board! It was an explicit statement of purpose!

Many of our Board members who have served over these 19 years, come from sound business, banking, and financial backgrounds such as Chairperson, Bill Sprague, Sally Alspaugh, Ev Curtis, Mike Ellison, Mike Kramer, and Jim Miller. Others like Ron Coffman, Meg Kramer, Char Lindner, Bev Okel, Gary Pies, and Roger Ruhl have expertise in a variety of diverse areas needed for the success of a ministry. You and I as partners in this Ministry are indebted to this diligent team of leaders.

As 2008 comes to a close, we rejoice how the Lord continues to use UpBuilding Ministries. To date, through your prayers and financial support, 27 Weekends have been conducted. 1350 decisions to receive Jesus as personal Savior were indicated by the visual show of hands; multitudes of others too numerous to obtain an actual count, stood for prayer for individual needs, to renew their faith, or recommit their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ!

The monthly letters continue to give you only samplings of the many lives that are affected in divinely appointed ways! All of these are because of you and your loyalty to UpBuilding Ministries.

Here's one recent example. In Portsmouth, OH, after the Friday night Family Session, a 61 year old grandmother revealed that during the teaching from Job 21:21-22 on Dealing with Past Negative Spoken Words in a Present Positive Way, the Holy Spirit healed her past memory. Gummy worms are used to represent the "unkind-negative" words.

She said, "When I was 10 years old, my father said to me, 'You are a little fat girl." For 50 years I have heard these unkind words repeatedly in my mind and spirit. It has been like a "curse" to me! Tonight, I spoke the phrase you taught us to say to refute those words-'I hear those words, BUT I NOW CHOOSE IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, NOT TO RECEIVE THEM ANYMORE' as I removed the gummy worms from my ears!'"

After the Sunday service she sought me out and exclaimed, "The Holy Spirit pushed the "backspace" and "delete" keys in my computer like mind and heart. He pushed the backspace key by going back to the time my dad spoke those hurtful words, deleted those words that I had saved for 50 long years, and filled that space with His peace that passes my understanding. I praise Him for what He has done to me through you and the funny gummy worms this weekend!"

(Yes, I admit some of my visual aids are a little unusual, BUT…Praise God for gummy worms!)

Thank you again for your faithful partnership in UpBuilding Ministries. Our outstanding Board and I appreciate each of you and your prayers and financial support. We continue to need both as we enter 2009. So far, 13 Weekends have been scheduled; 2 others that were scheduled have been postponed because of hurricane damage to their facilities! That is a first!

Yes, you are helping to "upbuild men, women, children, and pastors in practical expressions of their Christian faith." The Scriptures say, "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who labor, labor in vain." He is building His House and People upon a strong foundation (His Eternal Word) through you and your labors of love for others!

Again, we thank you. Our hope for you in 2009 is expressed in these words: May your troubles be less, may your blessings be more, and may nothing but Jesus, come through your door!

Gratefully yours, The Board of UpBuilding Ministries and Ron.