June 19, 2019

 

 

Hey Standing Together Friends!

 

It’s summer time, school is out, and it seem like everyone is coming from or going to somewhere fun!  Some head to the mountains and National Parks of Utah, some travel west for the California beach life and Disneyland, and others go east to experience the big city action of New York, DC, or to enjoy the Florida sun.  I love this time of year, the adventure, the special time with family, and the anticipation of getting away and creating memories! 

 

Summer is also an ideal time to grow deeper in love with Jesus Christ, to share God’s love with people who don’t know His amazing grace, and to serve others with compassion and mercy in the power of the Spirit.  Some believers unfortunately see the summer as a time to take a break from church, ministry, and giving, but this is a big mistake because summer is a key time to reach out to people in creative ways with God’s hope, peace, and joy.

 

Fun times, trips, and activity should not be our only focus each summer, but keeping Jesus at the center of our summer plans can advance God’s Kingdom in our hearts and in others.  I really like what the great evangelist and pastor John Wesley once said, “Prayer is where the action is!”  If Jesus is real to us, then summer should be a great time to study His word afresh, seek first the God who saved us from our sin with new passion, and engage in outreach and service that will have eternal impact. 

 

This summer Standing Together will be focused on encouraging pastors, calling them to prayer, and inviting the Wasatch Front together to call upon the name of the Lord at Worship 2019, our 15th annual united worship event at the state capitol on Friday, August 9th.  We are excited to share that this summer we will add a Worship 2019 Manager to our team.  Trent Martin, a recent graduate of Biola University and current Talbot Seminary student who just moved to Utah with his new bride Riley.  Trent and Riley have been actively involved in our student Mormon/Evangelical Dialogue program for the last several years and have a passion to live in Utah and serve Jesus in place. 

 

In addition to planning for Worship 2019 this summer, during the month of June we are hosting three regional pastor prayer summits.  Later in the month we will host our 15th annual Pastors Golf Gathering, a fun time to encourage relationships among our Utah pastors.  Presently, I am also working on two incredible opportunities for this fall and winter.  One will bring Nick Vujicic back to Utah next October 2nd to speak to some 20,000 Utah middle and high school students about bullying and teen suicide at Vivint  Arena in a partnership with Senator Mike Lee’s office as well as Utah Attorney General, Sean Reyes.  While I am not able to give specifics, I am also organizing a high level Evangelical/Mormon leadership summer for later in the year that will be epic.  I am also days away from finishing The Bridge Book manuscript that tells the 25 plus year story of the Mormon/Evangelical Dialogue. 

 

So, I want you to all know that this summer is a spiritual advance season for Standing Together and not a retreat!  To rephrase Wesley, “Serving Jesus in Utah is where the action is!”  We are dependent upon your prayer and financial support to do all that God has laid before us.  Summertime, for many ministries, is a time of financial challenge, but candidly we need your prayers and support for our ministry as much now as any other time.  As always, we are blown away by the love, prayer, and support we receive from our Standing Together family!

 

Our prayer for all of you this summer is that you will have a blast, create incredible memories with family and friends, and that Jesus will be the center of all you do this summer!  Heed the words of Jesus, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all other things will be added!” (Mt. 6:33)

 

Thanks in advance for standing with us this summer!

 

Greg, Jill and the ST Team