Thursday, August 02, 2007

God's Word a Compass

Ian Croatto

When I started working at Teen Challenge, I heard about LifeLight Ministries through Greg Armstrong. I am also a board member at Charleswood Gospel Temple, where we use the New Believer’s Bible in the pews. The pastor will say, “If you don’t have a Bible, turn to page so and so in the Bible in front of you.” This makes it so simple for people to find the verses.

In 2 Kings 22, Josiah, at age eight, is asked to rule, and when he’s eighteen he sends men to the temple to collect money and make sure people pay. One of the men runs back and says, “They gave me the book of the law.” Josiah reads it, then tears his robes and falls down because he sees how far off course he and his people have gone. With the compass (God’s Word) in his hand, he was able to turn the nation around, and they became obedient to the Lord, destroyed all their idols and got back on track.

That is like the relationship Teen Challenge has with LifeLight. They allow us to put the compass in the hands of the men. God’s Word and His voice come alive, the men realize that they have been worshiping false gods, and slowly they are healed, bit by bit, as God speaks to them.

I have the best career in the world—I see God’s power and might as he works in the hearts of men!

Ian is the Director of Training Phase at Teen Challenge in Winnipeg.

Healing Through Counselling

Isabelle Fiola

I had a very abusive childhood, with constant criticism. I was sixteen when I heard the words “I love you” for the first time—from a street gang leader, whom I married. I was a battered wife, married to an addict, and soon became a binge drinker. Eventually I left, together with my two children.

It didn’t take long before I remarried, but because I didn’t know what love was and how to love, I soon faced another divorce. After some time I started to work at a shelter for battered women, and it was during my time there that the Lord called me into ministry. There was still so much I needed to overcome in my personality. The healing took a few years, but He put me to work immediately. I opened a safe house, Serenity House, in Winnipeg for people who are recovering from addictions and abuses of all type. After a few years we moved Serenity House to Grand Falls, where I conduct healing services and where people come for counselling and retreats.

During our services we use the Life Recovery and Serenity Bibles. The children like the Graphic Bible. A ten-year-old boy, with ADHD, was excited to be able to read this Bible because it created a movie in his mind and kept his interest.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Empowering Women

Shon McLaren works with Inner City Women’s Ministries (ICWM) in Winnipeg. Two of the ICWM volunteers shared at the brunch:

Marilyn: I worked with Shon for a while but then stepped down. In January I went back to help her out and realized I missed the women, so now I’m back working at the Remand Centre. Recently the women started asking for Bibles for their families. I hope to give them easy-to-read Bibles for their children.

Cheryl: The Lord caught me in a very bad situation, but He has changed me. I met Shon and Marilyn at the Remand Centre. I am an addict, and ICWM has helped me a lot with my addictions. I was an alcoholic, but the Lord set me free from that on January 28. He is still working on some other issues. If it weren’t for Shon and Marilyn I wouldn’t be here; the Lord brought them into my life for a reason. Free on the Inside is one of the Bibles Shon gave me at the Remand Centre, and I am now using it to minister to other women. Many women there don’t know how to read, so I’m helping them.

Thank You from CEF

Virginia Dyck

Thank you to everyone involved in LifeLight Ministries, making it possible for Child Evangelism Fellowship to receive Bibles. We use the Bibles in schools in the Discovery Time program, as well as in our five-day club programs and Good News clubs during the summer. We especially like to give them to young Christians who don’t have Bibles of their own.

Just a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to give a New Testament to a neighbour friend who did not have a Bible and wanted one. She insisted that she was going to pay for it! I accepted her donation because I felt she would value it more if she gave something.