21 and 22: Ministry Update

On the eve of a New Year, I’ve received a new knee. My decision to proceed with this daunting and very painful operation &mdash total arthroplasty &mdash was prompted by a desire to be ready for what I believe will be the most exciting year ever that the Lord has prepared for truthXchange. Here are some of our opportunities for 2006:

• Conference:
  In January, truthXchange is sponsoring an “invitation only” CWiPPTHINK, for leaders who are already meeting the challenge of the new spirituality in their respective fields. Some forty-five Christian leaders will attend. We expect this meeting to generate new projects and advance those already envisioned. The enthusiastic interest shown in this meeting may prompt us to sponsor an open conference in years to come. This think tank may well revolutionize truthXchange so that it will never be the same again.
• Publications:
  • January – “Stolen Identity: The Conspiracy to Re-Invent Jesus”
  • Spring – “The God of Sex”
• Speaking Engagements:
  Among my many speaking engagements: The Doctor of Ministry program at Knox Seminary and an interview by Dr. James Kennedy; the first General Assembly of the World Reformed Fellowship in Johannesburg, South Africa followed by a four weeks lecture tour of South Africa; an apologetics conference in Queensland, Australia and a week’s teaching at the Geneva Bible Institute in Switzerland. I also have the chance to address hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of students on the campus of Penn State University this coming Spring. Seminars in churches are a regular commitment throughout the year.
• Media Openings:
  We are moving along on a trailer for a documentary on the new spirituality, which we hope to pitch to the History Channel, or the Discovery Channel.
• We are also thinking about how to adapt this material for use in churches. In a separate project, Rebecca and I have been asked by a Hollywood insider to produce a “treatment” for a major motion picture on the life of the Apostle Paul. Please pray that this project will come to fruition and that it will be a powerful and moving witness to the gospel. In particular, we are eager for the right scriptwriter, director and actors.
• Instructional Materials:
  In the future, we intend to produce teaching materials for various age groups for both teaching and evangelism. We are also involved in a major publishing effort to document the rise and nature of neo-paganism in our time.
• Staff:
  We are delighted to have a part-time secretary, Heather Gideon – a student at Westminster Seminary who has begun to help me out and learn the ropes. This will ease the burden on Rebecca, freeing her from some of her volunteer secretarial hours. A new, young webmaster will also begin in January, updating our very out-of-date website! The board recently decided to bring on one other full-time staff member. We’ll tell you more about this when all is settled.
• When I went to France to teach, I was excited because I had a chance to participate in a baby ministry that was meeting needs no one else was meeting. The investment of my time and skills seemed exponentially fruitful. As you support truthXchange financially and in prayer, you also participate in a unique, fledgling ministry. The church faces a new world and our children and grandchildren must be equipped to minister in it.
• Please consider truthXchange as you pray about end-of-year giving. Our budget is expanding this year to meet the huge demands. Your gift will multiply exponentially in the service of Christ and his Church. May God bless you as you celebrate His coming in the flesh to rescue us from worshiping his creation [religious paganism] and to turn our eyes to worshiping our Creator [biblical theism].
• In my years of ministry, this is the biggest battle for the Church I have ever seen. Fighting religious paganism will require all our resources-time, commitment, thinking, prayer, funds, courageous standing for the truth. I am giving everything I have. I intend to die with my boots on, with at least one good knee. Will you stand with me?