2019
Newsletter — February 2019-April 2019
Our whole family was delighted to participate in the Dedication of baby Solomon Paul on December 23rd. Pastor Roger Van Spronsen, of Life Christian Fellowship in Pasadena, California, conducted the service.
2018
Newsletter — November 2018-January 2019
Baby Solomon will soon turn six months and the twins, Evelyne and Isaiah, are almost two and half. We are so delighted to have had this time with Lisa and Jonathan and their family close by here in Southern California. We treasure our walks to the nearby parks and having Isaiah and Evelyne visit “Grammy Tammy and Grandpa’s house!” The family’s next adventure will take them in the early Spring to serve God’s precious children in the Middle East. Please pray for the family as they make preparations for yet another amazing overseas outreach serving God’s precious children, and please pray that they would succeed in raising the necessary funds to make their important ministry possible.
2018
Newsletter — August-October 2018
Just six weeks after Lisa and Jonathan and family returned from Central Asia, on May 22nd, they welcomed Solomon Paul, little brother to grand-twins Evelyne and Isaiah. We are thrilled to have them close by, at least for the next 10 months or so, before the family moves on to another overseas assignment. It was a delight to have the twins sleep over for 3 nights prior to Solomon’s arrival. Heidi and Ryan, Grace and Gabriel were also able to join us to meet their new nephew and cousin. Heidi and her wonderful family just returned from 3 weeks in Lima, Peru where Heidi was busy with important work for the Innovations for Poverty Action organization where she is Director of Policy and Communications. Heidi is currently in Accra, Ghana, working with their government to improve the lives of many!
2018
Newsletter — May-July 2018
Perhaps one of the quickest and most inspiring international ministry trips took place the last weekend in January. I was invited to visit the United Kingdom, and in particular churches in the cities of Cardiff and Llanelli, Wales, by my dear friends Pastor Gary and Deborah Glenister. A very warm Welsh welcome was extended by the two Grace Communion congregations, the Llanelli (hardest word to properly pronounce in the English/Welsh languages!) Salvation Army and at the Soup Station wonderfully sponsored each Sunday evening by the Llanelli house church, enthusiastically being the hands, lips and eyes of Jesus to so many – a small body of believers with a really big heart!
2018
Newsletter — February-April 2018
November began with a trip to Sacramento CA where I was honored to provide music for a Retirement Dinner and Video Tribute to my dear friends, Pastor Mike and Sandy Swagerty. I was also able to include serving as a guest worship leader/speaker at two Grace Communion congregations – one in Fairfield CA, hosted by Pastor Steve Smith, and the other in Reno, NV, pastored by Ed Kofol. It was wonderful to catch up with dear friends Rae Neller, and Marcia and Dan Fricke, as well as so many from all over California gathered to “roast” the Swagertys!
2017
Newsletter — November 2017-January 2018
For most of three months this past summer, we were busy preparing a worship resource entitled “Worship for Fellowship Groups.” It contained high-definition video renditions of 12 Christmas Worship Songs (carols), as well as 14 “Songs for Kids and Grand-Kids (and the Young at Heart)” and 14 songs for Worship and Praise. In addition, there are accompaniment tracks included for 28 songs (as the Christmas Carols are already purely instrumental.) To order your copy on either USB drive (to download directly into your laptop or PC) or via the File-Sharing Dropbox, please call or e-mail us and we will arrange to get this straight to you.
2017
Newsletter – Aug-Oct 2017
After twenty years of “State of the Heart Ministries” and sharing in hundreds of worship services in quite a variety of places, denominations, worship traditions and situations, we prayerfully considered what would best serve as a worship resource to provide for our many brothers and sisters who meet in homes, in house churches and fellowship groups. More often than not, there is no live accompaniment for the singing, and many folks have chosen to use worship and praise DVDs that are available out there.
2017
Newsletter — May-July 2017
The year began with a delightful visit to Grace Communion in Bellflower CA, a church I have served in at least twenty times in the past twenty years! The following weekend took me to East Texas serving in the Dallas North and Mount Pleasant congregations of the Church of God 7th Day, and at New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Big Sandy, and a jam-packed Monday morning with concerts for both the Big Sandy Junior High and Elementary schools and a program at the Big Sandy Rotary Club! Many thanks go to pastors Raul, Jose and Jerome, and my wonderful hosts in Longview, dear friends and college classmates, Sue and Lee Berger.
2017
Newsletter – February-April 2017
We just received a text from Nairobi, Kenya where Heidi, accompanied by now nine-month old Gabriel Joseph, is doing some important work with her organization, Innovations for Poverty Action. This well-traveled young man spent two weeks in December with Heidi and Ryan and sister Grace doing some team work in Guatemala for IPA in conjunction with Ryan’s work at Yale.
2017
January 2017 Ministry Newsletter
In mid-September, Tammy and I were delighted to participate in the dedication of Gabriel Joseph McAnnally-Linz, along with Heidi and Ryan and proud sister 3 year old Grace at the Elm City Vineyard Church in New Haven CT. I was also honored to make a return visit to Grace’s Neighborhood Music School and give a concert for her lively pre-school class of three and four year olds.