Kingdom work by LMW in 2017.
Devoted to Prayer
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ. . . Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Colossians 4:2-3.
Christian leaders sent out in prayer.
These pastors in Africa gather together in prayer – praying that God will open a door for their message; praying that they may proclaim the mystery of Christ clearly. Will you pray for leaders around the world – that God opens doors for them to proclaim His Word clearly so that hearts will be transformed?
Pray for the Bi-Vocational Pastor
“For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.” 1 Thes. 2:9.
“At my day job, I change tires. At my real joy, I help change lives.”
Most pastors in the U.S. are bi-vocational, supporting themselves and their families with full or part-time jobs in addition to their ministry roles. They struggle to manage the multiple demands placed on them as they minister to their congregation, participate in family life, and work to provide for their physical needs, so as “not to be a burden” to their congregation.
We invite you to pray for these pastors who are faithful to their call to serve God in ministry, in their families, and in the workplace. May God strengthen them for the task.
Faithfully Stepping into 2018
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17.
Thank you for your commitment to pray for LMW and our mission to equip pastors for gospel-centered ministry worldwide. 2017 was a great year as we celebrated our 25th anniversary, reached thousands of pastors in China, Argentina, Africa – all over the world – with The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible® in printed and digital formats.
Please pray that LMW may enter wisely into the new year, producing fruit for God’s Kingdom by providing pastors and leaders with quality biblical resources that transform lives as people understand God’s Word and experience the grace of Christ.
Pray for Believers in India
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15.
The gospel is on the move across India. Believers are being baptized by the thousands. Pastors are hungry for quality biblical resources. In the past few weeks, many pastors in India have joined LMW’s Lystra Global, a free library of resources, including The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible®. Please pray for these pastors and those they are leading and teaching. And praise God for those who are coming to know Him in India.
New Ways to Give
“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.”
2 Cor. 9:14
Giving Brings Thanks
Almost every day at LMW we hear a word of thanks from someone who is using our resources. We receive these thanks because of your contributions to “supply the needs of the Lord’s people.” We have increased our distribution of free books and resources this year by more than 500% because of your faithfulness. Thank you!
I pray that you will consider including LMW in your year-end giving plan, that we might continue to receive thanks from people all over the world. In addition to writing a check or making an online donation, there are many ways to give that will ease your tax burden, leverage your charitable investment, and make a huge impact on the people whose lives you touch.
- Highly appreciated stocks and equities – the stock market is booming! Many of your investments may have increased significantly in value from their basis. Selling them would incur a large capital gains tax, but donating those stocks to charity allows you to take that appreciated value as a tax deduction.
- Minimum Required Distributions from Retirement Accounts – at age 70 ½, you are required to take a minimum distribution from most retirement accounts (IRAs, etc.) Arrange to have this distribution delivered to your charity of choice and avoid including it in your taxable income for 2017.
- Donor Advised Funds (DAF), including the Generosity Trust, the National Christian Foundation, and Community Foundations have become a major vehicle for giving. Leverage your assets by holding them in a DAF, and select the charities you wish to receive gifts from there.
- Sales of Business Interests, Real Estate, and other appreciated assets: Donating appreciated assets prior to their sale allows you to deduct their appreciated value rather than pay capital gains tax.
If you are interested in exploring more information about these forms of giving, please give me a call, or speak with your financial advisor.
Thank you again for enabling this overflowing of thanks from pastors around the world:
- “Thank you for your investment in ministry across Africa!” Zambia
- “Thank you for your support. I love God’s Word and I like the way you break down the scripture.” Prison Fellowship, USA
- “We are so thankful for your help and support!” The Argentine Bible Society
- “Heartfelt thanks for this great resource.” Zimbabwe
- “Thank you so much for the materials. The book is a great help to bring the Word of God to the churches we are called to pastor.” Romania
We are excited to finish our first 25 years strong, and look forward to what God has for LMW in the next 25 years. I pray that your Thanksgiving holiday was wonderful, and may you enjoy the peace, love and joy of Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ.
Blessings,
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Leadership Ministries Worldwide