2019
Newsletter — August-October 2019
August – October 2019 Newsletter
From the keyboard of Dr. Ross Jutsum
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
Clockwise from top Left – Ross with brothers and sisters from the Congo at Grace Communion, Calgary; Ross with a Congolese family he first met years ago in Ottawa; Ross gives a June concert for grand-daughter Grace and 100 of her 5-year friends; Evelyne and Isaiah with Solomon in the Middle East; Daughter Lisa enjoying our precious “Solo”
Family Update Tammy and I are looking forward to welcoming Heidi and Ryan and 6 year-old Grace and 3 year-old Gabriel for a 2-week August visit. We will have to wait till November to see Lisa and Jon and their three (pictured above) in their new home in the Middle East, where they have been settling in well the past four months.
Ministry Visits – May-July 2019 May took me to serve as worship leader and guest speaker in Christian Fellowship Church in Chicago, IL and in Kenosha, WI. Hosted by my dear friends of 48 years, Pastor Richard and Joyce Frankel, I was delighted to also lead a worship service at Meadowmere Nursing Home and give a community concert at St. John Lutheran Church. The concert was videotaped and runs on Kenosha’s Community Cable TV station. Back in Los Angeles, I was honored to once again provide music for the annual Armed Services Night Out at the Jonathan Club. Then it was off to Williams College in Williamstown MA to help with music at three performances at the annual Alumni Reunion, hosted by our dear and long-time friend Martha Williamson, a Trustee of the college. Tammy and I then spent a few days in Woodbridge CT with Heidi and family, where I was honored to give a concert for 100 plus Kindergarteners at Grace’s school. This was definitely my youngest and most fun school audience ever! The children really enjoyed my songs about unusual Australian animals beginning with the letter “k.”
I was honored to give a Father’s Day Concert at Villa Gardens Retirement Community in Pasadena CA and then take a ministry trip to serve in Grace Communion congregations in Phoenix and Tucson AZ. The last weekend in June, I put more than 600 miles on the rental car to make return visits to Grace Communion congregations in Milwaukee WI and Fort Wayne IN. I also enjoyed giving a Sunday afternoon concert at New Beginnings Community Church before driving back to Chicago and the home of my hosts Pat and Bill Giordano, near the O’Hare airport. Thanks to Pastors Tracy Porter and David Howe, and my Fort Wayne hosts, Louise and Tom Jagielski.
In the month of July, I have been delighted to give concerts at 7 different nursing homes/retirement communities in the Southern California area. The residents of these facilities are always so appreciative and love music so much. It is very rewarding to bring smiles to their faces and see them singing along with their favorite songs! I also made a return visit to the Ontario CA congregation of the Church of God Seventh Day. Then it was off to the beautiful province of Alberta, Canada where I made return visits to three Grace Communion churches in three different cities – Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary. It was great to get to know the Congolese families in the Calgary congregation. Our daughter Lisa and son-in-law Jonathan did missionary work in the Eastern Congo for four years and I wish they could have been with me to share in Swahili! I am very grateful to my hosts, Pastor Bob Millman and Pastor David Sheridan. I had a free day before traveling home and was thrilled to take a long hike with David to the amazing Johnson Falls near Lake Louise. David and I go back 48 years to our time together as college students in England.
Ministry Contact Information
We are an established 501C3 California non-profit corporation and tax-deductible donations and CD orders can be done online at www.stateoftheheart.org or by calling 626-818-7113 or by writing to “State of the Heart Ministries” at P.O. Box 56, Sierra Madre CA 91024-0056
Ross’ Ministry Schedule – August – October 2019
| Aug 3-4 | FAMILY | Oct 12-13 | Duarte/Pasadena CA |
| Aug 10-11 | Bradbury CA | Oct 19-20 | Bradbury/Duarte CA |
| Aug 17-18 | Sierra Madre CA | Oct 26-27 | Duarte/Pasadena CA |
| Aug 24-25 | Beaumont TX | Nov 2-3 | London, United Kingdom |
| Aug 31-Sept 1 | Brisbane, Qld, Australia | Nov 9-10 | FAMILY |
| Sept 7-9 | Amarillo/Tulia TX, Johnson KS | Nov 16-17 | FAMILY |
| Sept 14-15 | Houston TX | Nov 23-24 | Israel |
| Sept 21-22 | Bradbury/Pasadena CA | Nov 30-Dec 1 | Arcadia/Bradbury CA |
| Sept 28-29 | Bradbury/Pasadena CA | Dec 7-8 | Pasadena CA |
| Oct 5-6 | OPEN | Dec 14-15 | San Jose/San Leandro CA |
2019
May – July 2019 Newsletter
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.
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.