Ray Family Update from December 2016

Dear Praying Friends,

I apologize for the delay in writing this letter. We are currently travelling back from a Bible Conference in Cana, Virginia. There is no doubt, this was one of the finest Bible Conferences I have ever attended. Pastor Tim Crotts assigned portions of Christ’s ministry (past, present, and future) to encompass the theme It’s All About Jesus! The saints from Bear Trail Baptist Church were kind and gracious to us both in word and deed. As a pastor who has hosted a good number of Bible Conferences, I know the financial and physical drain that Bible Conferences can be and these saints and their pastor handled it all first-class. Though I was extremely nervous, I am grateful, honoured, and privileged that Brother Crotts would allow me to participate in such a wonderful meeting.

Looking Back

I’m sure I’m strange in this, but one of my favorite times of the year is the transition from an old year to a new one. The entrance of a new year serves as a wonderful reminder of new opportunities, new chances, and new beginnings. It is a reminder of a God who forgives and encourages to begin anew. The arrival of a new year pictures God’s mercies that are new every morning. And yet, at the same time, a new year serves as a time of reflection over a year of service come and gone. This reflection comes with its mix of joy and sadness. We sorrow remembering the heartaches and shortcomings but rejoice at the good things God has allowed

And So the Chaos Begins

As mentioned above, we just completed a Bible Conference in Virginia. The meeting went well and the Lord helped. I hope the Lord ministered to the hearers, but I know for certain He helped me. In a little less than two weeks we will be on the road again, this time to Florida. There, I will participate in a conference themed The Well Dressed Christian addressing the various things believers are to adorn or put on. I am nervously anticipating this meeting.

So far as I know, that is our last travel for a couple of months. Before heading to Deland, our Bible Institute classes will resume. This semester’s classes will include Dispensationalism, Church History, Hebrews, and Deuteronomy. The classes will meet on Monday and Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. My greatest concern is that I have to discipline myself to cover more content each night so as to not prolong the length of any given course. I’m sure no other preacher has ever had that problem! We will also be offering credits for ministries of the church and Bible teaching offered in our church services. At the end of the day, those attending are sure to get far more Bible teaching than those attending a typical four-year Bible College.

As to writing, we are making some progress, but I have been somewhat hindered by the business of other aspects of life (ministry, holidays, etc.). Our first children’s book, Josiah—the Boy Who Would Be King, should be completed in a couple of months. We need some wisdom on formatting this book, but we are extremely excited about the challenge of creating an entertaining yet informative book for small children to learn about God and the people God used in the past. Our desire is that children will learn that they do not have to wait until they are adults to be used of God. On the songbook front, we continue to make good progress reaching just at 700 songs in the layout. Much work still has to be done to these songs, but it is exciting to see the puzzle coming together. Brother Stauffer and I continue to work on the book on Matthew chapter 24 as well as the fourth and final volume of the devotions. We would love to see much better progress made on these books as there are other books that need our attention. I feel certain that my business with other things has slowed down Brother Stauffer. Please pray that I am able to effectively use my time to get the most accomplished.

Prayer Requests

* Pray for clarity and peace of mind and strength of body to handle the workload that lies ahead.
* Pray that God will use me in spite of my many deficiencies.