Newsletter — August-October 2015

Grace Victoria with her Mom and Dad (Heidi & Ryan) celebrating her 2^nd birthday

“I will not forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…” Isa.49:15-16

Family Update from Africa and Asia!                                                       

Heidi, Ryan, and Grace (our first precious grand-child, now two years old) just returned from a four-week trip to Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya for Heidi’s role as External Relations Manager for Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA).  In each country, there is an IPA office, and Heidi visited fieldwork, trained staff, and attended conferences throughout the four weeks.  In this time, Ryan was also able to finish and submit for publishing his new book with Miroslav Volf, A Public Faith in Action: How to Think Carefully, Engage Wisely, and Vote with Integrity, due out early next year. Grace made many new friends, including a few monkeys, goats, giraffes, and lions, and enjoyed eating ripe mangoes the size of her head!  Ryan is also nearing completion on his dissertation at Yale Divinity School.  Meanwhile, our younger daughter, Lisa, and her husband, Jonathan, are busy preparing to leave for their upcoming assignment in Central Asia at the end of August.  We give God thankful praise our family’s ministries are reaching far and wide!. Your ongoing prayers for them all are much appreciated.

May-July 2015 Ministry Visits                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
A May trip took me to East Texas where I joined some of my old college musician friends, Marty Yale, Randy Duke and Scott Wiens, to play for a Community Barn Dance in the big metropolis of Hawkins!.  This was done in conjunction with the Northeast Texas Cowboy Church, where Marty serves as worship leader, and where I was privileged to serve as guest worship leader/speaker on the Sunday morning.  I caught up with my dear friend (and best man at our wedding 37 years ago) Ian Hufton, whose lovely wife, Thalia, another dear friend of Tammy’s and mine, passed away in 2014.  The month of June took me to serve in Grace Communion congregations in Milwaukee, Janesville and Kenosha WI, and also at an assisted living facility in Kenosha called Celebre Place.  Many thanks to host pastors Dave and Barb Kroll, Carl and Lucy Cramer and Richard and Joyce Frankel!

In late June, Tammy and I made a trip to Boise, ID where I was privileged to serve as worship leader for the 70^th Anniversary Celebration of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF,) headquartered in Nampa ID.  In addition to three worship services, we also enjoyed some wonderful fellowship and family time with Lisa and Jonathan, who recently purchased a home in nearby Meridian.  At the weekend, I was able to serve in three churches – at the Church of God 7^th Day in Nampa ID, and at Celebration Church and Bethany Presbyterian across the border in Ontario OR.  I am so grateful to Gene Jordan at MAF, Pastor Monico Muffley, Wes, Lavinia and Wade Higgins, and Jean Church.

The first week of July was spent in Milwaukee WI where I had been invited to serve as choir/ensemble director for the biennial convention of the Church of God 7^th Day (Denver conference.)  Outgoing conference president, my dear friend and brother, Whaid Rose, asked me to design a program for the final worship service, held on Saturday, July 4^th, that would, first and foremost, bring honor and glory to our great God, with the conference theme of “Worship His Majesty!”   Whaid requested an ensemble of brass and percussion to accompany the volunteer choir.  We ended up with a choir of 65 voices and a wonderful instrumental ensemble of 11 players, and incorporated, in addition to the theme song, some stirring patriotic arrangements like “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “God of Our Fathers,” culminating with the inspiring anthem “King All Glorious” and finally, with the 1,000 plus attendees standing, the “Hallelujah Chorus!”  Though I hadn’t held a baton for more than 15 years, it is like riding a bicycle and came right back to me!  I also led worship for five other services and accompanied several outstanding soloists.  It was a joy and honor to be a part of this wonderful worship celebration and to share the wonderful theme inspired by the anthem “Majesty,” penned by my dear friend and mentor, Dr. Jack Hayford.                                                                                                                                                                                          

Ministry Contact Information

Our web site is www.stateoftheheart.org  An established 501C3 California non-profit corporation, tax-deductible donations and orders for worship CDs can be done online, or to State of the Heart Ministries, P.O. Box 56, Sierra Madre, CA  91025 or call 626- 836-4686 (9 A.M. and 6 P.M. Pacific Time )

Ross’ Ministry Schedule – August-December 2015