The Basic Idea Ministries would not be the same without your encouragement, prayer, and support!
Thank you!
The Basic Idea has a new address! 1131 River Bend, Dawsonville GA 30534 Our Office # 770-734-6824 and Cell # 770-235-0753 remain the same.
I wish you could be with me every time I lead a conference, speak to pastor/leader couples, listen to staff and volunteer leaders, or strike up conversations in the airports or at the stops along the drive. The clear need in our world today both for unbelievers and many Christians is to come to grips with how deeply our Heavenly Father loves us! God’s powerful Gospel message full of love and truth is liberating men, women, couples, and families as the Holy Spirit works to set captives free and to give sight to the blind just as He promised He would.
In just a few days – in fact, on Thursday, 9/11/14 – Carol and I fly to CT then drive to Maine to begin our first work in New England since leaving North Point in 2010. There are good opportunities to expand that work to Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania.
After that trip, we’ll be heading back to Florida for Campaign 4 of NextGen Tampa Bay Training in the Take Back Tampa Bay Strategy. Another opportunity is opening to continue that work into 2015 and 2016. Our original goal was to launch 30 marriage ministries; we are currently at 23 launches.
Our wonderful TBI Board will get away together for a few days of investing in our own marriages, as we gather in Tennessee the weekend of October 3-5. God has provided the means to be together and at almost no cost to the ministry.
Work in Charleston, SC, is about to heat up as Rob and Linda D’Avanzo have moved there to serve at Journey Church and help equip church-planters for both a loving marriage and the ability to establish effective marriage ministries!
Dustin and Mary DeVos have moved to NC in the last several months and are establishing relationships with local pastor/leader couples to build marriages and win communities back to the authentic love of Jesus Christ and His Gospel.
Our newest Encourager Couple – John and Cynthia Luckett – have just come on board in the last few months and will be engaging couples in the Atlanta area as opportunities arise.
Our other wonderful Encourager Couples, many of whom have been serving couples with us for over 3 years, are engaged leading marriage groups, mentoring couples in person or online, and providing much needed encouragement to us and others engaged in this work.
So, thank you for praying, for giving, for encouraging, for going, for mentoring, for leading, and for lovingly reaching out to individuals, couples, families, and churches “to help leaders live loved and give love freely…starting at home”.
After an enlightening discussion with one of our board members and friend a few days ago, as well as with Carol – just last night, I want you to know that we are not in this ministry just to make marriages better. Our ultimate aim is to help the leaders with whom we work and serve know how loved they are by our Father so they can love well at home, at work, in the community, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. Jesus said that is how they’d know “we are His disciples”. He said it is the “greatest and second greatest commandments”. He said all “the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments”. So our bottom line is to experience God’s love to such an extent that we love Him and serve Him humbly no matter our circumstances or the responses of those we love. In that way we will love as Jesus loves and keep His new commandment so clearly stated in John 13: 34-35. So, loving God and others is not for our comfort or pleasure (though it may lead to both); it is for the glory and worship of the One Who deserves all praise and our deepest submission, even Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ephesians 3:20-21 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
May our Lord Jesus bless you and powerfully use you to spread His great Gospel to the ends of the earth…starting at home.
Gratefully engaged in His service, Dave and Carol Lewis