2018 Second-Quarter Newsletter
What We Do at Not Alone Blind Internet Ministry:
· Provide a weekly devotional podcast message called “You’re Not Alone”
· Provide a Bible study podcast called “Room 4216”
· Serve the 52 Outreach Centers with a newsletter and leadership support
· Provide pastoral care and counseling that comes about from hearing the podcasts
· Raise financial support and awareness for Not Alone Blind Internet Ministry
Change is happening:
As I write this article, summer has arrived. With June came summer in full force. The heat and humidity picked up, and it’s hot! It changed to summer—bang!
Change has also come to the Not Alone, A.K.A. Blind Ministry. As you know, both the ministry and my pastoral call were hosted by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, a small inner city parish in St. Louis.
I started serving St. Paul’s as their vacancy pastor in August 2014. This part-time position was to help them rebuild their outreach into the community. Great steps were accomplished. One of the steps that we established was to install a permanent half-time pastor to take over for the vacancy position I was fulfilling. This we accomplished in June of 2016. And so I handed over the reigns to him then.
St. Paul’s, in turn, encouraged me to once again serve people who are blind. They therefore hosted the Not Alone Blind Ministry within my pastoral call. What a blessing they have been! And just as my time came to an end as their pastor, so this month their time hosting the Not Alone Blind Ministry has also come to an end.
Thank you, St. Paul’s.
For the past year or so, I have been assisting Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in South St. Louis. It is a large congregation that needed additional pastoral help. I have been doing shut-in calls and hospital calls, preaching at least once a month, and leading a Bible study on Sunday mornings.
Wanting my part-time pastoral service to continue, and being excited by the work of Not Alone Blind Ministry, Abiding Savior has decided to host the ministry and continue my pastoral call. JUST like YOU, they are wanting to reach the lost for Jesus. JUST like YOU, they understand that the Blind Ministry reaches, touches, and helps people who are blind.
Thank you, Abiding Savior.
Not Alone Blind Ministry still remains dependent on YOU for financial support and prayers. Abiding Savior’s part is to host the Not Alone Blind Ministry, not financially support it, as they have many other ministry needs.
Thank you, God’s people, for support and prayers.
Pastor Dave
Letters from Blind Listeners:
· Jerry (blind himself) always closes his notes with a simple and yet profound phrase:
“Keep your chin up and you won't be able to look down. Blessings!”
· After sending out lesson 91 of “Room 4216,” the Bible study podcast, in which we did a bit of a drama to bring out the action and points, I received the following note from Wanda:
“Very Good! My twin grandsons, 9 years old, really got into this story! Keep it up! Your sister in Christ.”
· Blake wrote:
“Your audio devotional is a blessing. Please continue to send them to me via email. I do not have an IPhone and so cannot listen to them that way. I am doing well. By God's grace, I remain employed as an advocate for people with disabilities.”
· From Annette, the outreach center leader at Cary, North Carolina:
“We are using your devotions to start our monthly gatherings. Thank you for making those available to us.”
· Martha, the blind leader of the outreach center in Philadelphia called simply to say thanks for the ongoing support to her as the blind leader of the center. Martha asked if I remembered Sally, a Jewish woman who is blind. How could I forget Sally? Of course I do! Martha said that Sally remains active and supportive, still making phone calls. She feels accepted and loved, and she knows Jesus loves her. On the next page read the full story of Sally from 2009.
Growth in the Ministry:
We are able to monitor how many times the two podcasts are downloaded. These numbers are encouraging and continue to go up. Please also remember the actual number of people the ministry touches is more than the times a podcast is downloaded.
“You’re Not Alone” podcast in April and May averaged 202 downloads per podcast.
“Room 4216” podcast in April and May averaged 104 downloads per podcast.
Please consider partnering with Not Alone Blind Internet Ministry to provide hope and restore comfort to those who are blind. You can donate via Givelify.com at the website link below or send a check to this address:
You may give on line by clicking on the following link
Blind Ministry
Abiding Savior Lutheran Church
4355 Butler Hill Road
St. Louis, MO 63128