I wanted to thank you personally for the sacrifice of time you made praying for the Korea Crusade 2019.  It is breathtaking to look back and observe the opportunities that God opened for our church and for our Pastor.  I wanted to share with you from my heart, what the Lord made obvious to me while we were in South Korea. 

While we were in the country, there were multiple opportunities each day for us to preach and be involved in services all over South Korea. Some of the meetings were early morning, some late at night, and on Sunday, Pastor Ralph preached seven times!

I’ll be honest. There were instances during the crusade that the overwhelming crowds of people, hungry for the truth, could become somewhat of a blur. Pastor Ralph preached to over 20,000 people at the 7:00 am Sunday service alone.  But as things became less overwhelming and came a little more into focus, God absolutely devastated my heart with one word: People. 

I asked myself, “Why are we in South Korea, spending precious time and effort, thousands of miles away from home?”  People!  “Why is this great effort worth it?”  People!  “Why are these churches and their staff so dedicated to what they do?”  People!  The gospel of Jesus Christ is for people.  People for whom He died.  People that Christ loves.  People that need to know someone cares. People that need a place to worship.  People that need hope.  People that need the chains of sin destroyed!  People!  People who can have a personal, one-on-one relationship with the God of everything.  Jesus knows me, just as well as He knows you, just as He knows every single one of his children, globally, and that is incomprehensible!  

I’m so thankful that the gospel of Jesus Christ works worldwide.  It can transform our families, our churches and our lives forever.  I’m asking God to give me a clear vision of the people in need of this beautiful Savior, right here at home. God give me my tears back for lost souls.  God give me the heart of a dedicated man, sold out for Your Kingdom! People are in need.

I’m thankful for the hundreds, if not thousands, of people that came to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ through the ministry of our Pastor, Dr. Ralph Sexton.  It was incredible to see God pour in to him and use him in a powerful way.  We are a blessed church.  Let us continue in this spirit of prayer and seeking the Lord for revival.  Could it be that revival is just on the horizon?

You are loved and you are prayed for!          

Your Servant For Jesus’ Sake, 

Winston Parrish

The response to the Celebrate Recovery Ministry has been unbelievable. We have been open to the public for four months and have been able to minister to hundreds of people with the message of hope found in Jesus. We are not just impacting Asheville, but have had people form Washington State, Virginia, New York, and many other states come through the CR Ministry.

I am reminded every week when I see new faces searching for hope, that this ministry and the mission of our church is PEOPLE! No matter their background, race, social status, or label, every person has a purpose from God. Pastor has reminded us recently that every person has name, and has a story.

We were all soberly reminded of this truth just a month ago when one of our volunteers for CR, Terri Sizemore suddenly passed into eternity at the age of 38. She was many things to many people, but none more important than a mom to her two boys. Her Facebook post from November 13, 2018, spoke of this reality. A mom’s prayer, that her boys would one day see the importance in each person.

Terri Sizemore post reads…”I’ve realized my children don’t need me to answer all their questions ors love all their problems, that just need to know that we believe in God, who will never leave them or forsake them. Even when they mess up or are angry or hurt. Our God meets us right in the middle of our own messes, and if my boys see this in a real way when they are young, then maybe they will grow up sure of this knowledge, this truth–that God can love them through any challenge or pain or disappointment. We want our kid’s faith, compassion, kindness, and love to be real because the world has real problems that need us to be the literal hands and feet of Jesus, ready to go. Willing to help. and serve. and love. I pray that my kids learn to not turn away from the pain of the world but to lean in , to look at what needs to be done and believe it’s within their power to help. These kind acts do so much more than just teach my boys to not be so materialistic, or to think of others above themselves. Hopefully, they learn that with God’s help they are empowered to do something about what it happening around them.” ~ Terri Sizemore ~ November 13, 2018

This is the Gospel in the simplest terms, “Jesus died for you”, may we continue to spread the good news! Pastor Nathan Hawkins