Articles from our E-Update

After celebrating our nation's independence on July 4th, Family Research Council, an organization founded by Focus on the Family, is calling Christians nationwide to declare their dependence on God through prayer on July 5th. Believing that answers to our nation's problems are found neither in Washington nor Wall Street, FRC is hoping that at least 40,000 churches will join the "Call 2 Fall" initiative to pray for our country.

Learn more by visiting the Call 2 Fall website

Watch a video of Christian artists supporting Call 2 Fall

Want to spruce up your wardrobe and make a difference in the world at the same time? Apolis Activism is a high quality clothing line formed by three brothers who have a passion to provide opportunity, rather than charity, to people in impoverished countries. Teaming with organizations like Invisible Children and Charity:Water, Apolis Activism is helping to provide jobs, fair wages, education and clean water to those in need around the globe.

Click to view articles about Apolis Activism

Watch a video of how Apolis Activism is helping Invisible Children

Visit the Apolis Activism website

Many of us are already familiar with TOMS Shoes, the company that for each pair of shoes sold, gives a pair of shoes to someone in need. Perhaps you even own a pair of TOMS. Now, how about taking the next step and experiencing the One for One movement in action by participating in a Shoe Drop? Get more information and applications for upcoming shoe drops at the Friends of TOMS website.

Visit the Friends of TOMS website

Learn about TOMS + Element Shoe and Skateboard drop in South Africa

Do the arts matter? Are they expendable or essential? How important are they when it comes to cultivating and expressing faith? These are some of the questions singer/songwriter Carolyn Arends asks in a recent Christianity Today article, and they're some of the same questions that will be the focus at a briefing entitled "Art Matters" at the 2009 Gathering Conference in Scottsdale, AZ in September.

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View Briefing Options for the 2009 Gathering Conference

In his new book, Wide Awake, 2009 Gathering Conference speaker Erwin McManus challenges readers to stop sleepwalking through life and realize that the world desperately needs people to live out the dreams God has for them. McManus is an author, artist, visionary and lead pastor of Mosaic, a multi-site church in Los Angeles.

View Erwin McManus talking about Wide Awake on YouTube

Learn more about Wide Awake on Amazon

Visit the Erwin McManus website

Visit the Mosaic website

When God Calls Your Child: An Interview With the Littlestars

TG: How do you feel about your college-aged daughter traveling and ministering in Cambodia? Do you worry about her?

Mark: When you think about where you would want your child to be - the safest place and the best place - the place that I want both Sara and my other daughter Krissy - is in the palm of God's hand, in His will. You know that's the safest place in the world, whether it is Cambodia or Burma or wherever. God has just flooded me with a peace about her traveling, and that's outside my nature as a parent. It's been a miracle in my life.

Debbie: It was a real exercise of my faith. I think it was as hard for us as it was for Sarah, but I totally grew through her experience. Because we had exposed our kids to mission work, it didn't surprise me that God had put this on her heart. It was more of a natural progression. I knew that if she prayed and searched for God's leading, who was I to interfere with God's will? I wasn't going to! My human side felt it was a little scary, but honestly, I worried more about myself missing her than I worried about her. But then God gave me such an incredible peace the whole time she was gone. Also, some of things she was doing, like going into brothels, I didn't even know about until she returned, but God knew the whole time!

TG: How have you been intentional about helping your kids develop a heart for what God is doing in the world and to get involved in it?

Mark: Several ways. One is, since the kids were really young we've always had missionaries in our home. Sometimes they would stay with us for extended periods and other times they would just come by for a visit or for a meal. So the kids have always been around people who were out serving God in strange lands that they didn't know of.

The other thing is, as they got older, we've been intentional about taking them with us and letting them participate in missions. As soon as they were big enough to hold a suction device or flashlight, we had them helping out in dental missions. They not only saw what it looked like to be hands on in serving the poor and needy, they got to experience it themselves. But we also exposed them to a whole array of people who were serving God in creative ways. We wanted them to see that they could be themselves and have freedom in the way they choose to serve the Lord.

Debbie: As parents, we certainly haven't done the perfect job by any means. We've failed miserably at times. But we've prayed really hard for our girls to own their own faith. Now that Krissy is 19 and Sarah is almost 21, they're really starting to come into that. What a blessing for us as parents to see them not only own their faith, but to go forward into the work God has for them.

TG: What would you say to the parent who wants to help fulfill the Great Commission, but just doesn't want God to use their child?

Mark: Right before Sarah left for Cambodia (the first time), Debbie and I spent some time praying with and for her. We wanted to send her with our blessing. As her father, I was able to say, "You have our blessing to go." The thing I struggled with was, "What if she doesn't come back?" What if this turned into more of a long-term commitment than the eight-month trip she had planned? But God did a miracle in my life. As we were giving her the blessing to go, God gave me the courage and peace to bless her to not come back. That was major for me. I prayed that God would work that out in His sovereignty, but it was a real release for me to be able to say, "She really is God's." Her time abroad was an intense time for both Debbie and me.

Debbie: Through all of it, I have really come to understand that these are not our children. God has entrusted them to us as their parents. But if God puts something on their heart, who are we to take that from them? As parents, I think we always have that protective mode in our hearts for our children. But as I have opened my hand, and released my child to God, the blessings have just poured in.

TG: Sarah has taken a "non-traditional" route as far as her post high school experience is concerned. In the middle of her sophomore year of college, she left school to train at YWAM and then go overseas to do ministry. How does that sit with you?

Mark: None of her friends are doing what she's doing. I firmly believe that she's doing what God would have her do. I'm excited about that and that she's brave enough to go against the grain.

TG: How have you seen Sarah change as a result of her overseas experience?

Mark: I think that it's obvious now that she owns her own faith. She has had experiences that have had nothing to do with her mom and dad. I see a depth in her walk with the Lord that is hers and hers alone. She has her own faith and calling that exist outside of us.

Debbie: She was generally a very private person. I've seen tremendous growth in her faith and in her boldness to express that faith. She's also much more confident.

Related: Check out Sarah Littlestar's current blog from Cambodia