I wanted to give you a few quick updates to keep you in the prayer loop and operational status. Here goes:
-If you missed this heartfelt, life changing letter from Larry a few weeks ago it is below
-Larry and Rachael did a live webinar on Larry’s health, the impact it has on NewWay Ministries, and the hope that remains through Larger Story, our sister ministry Click to Watch
-Since the above letter and webinar took place much has happened for Larry and Rachael. They have made some hard, yet freeing, decisions to minimize medical involvement for quality of life for whatever amount of time Larry has left. Rachael has asked that you pray for this time of transition as they find a new daily routine, rent an apartment near Kenny (younger son) and his family, and remain open to God’s timing and their next steps.
-A BIG thank you to all of you that have supported NWM over the years. We have always appreciated the funds you entrusted to our care, With that said please remember to discontinue your auto payments (check or online) by this Friday, Feb. 5. and if possible please move your donations to LargerStory.com, our sister ministry. Donate to Larger Story
-2020 Tax Donation receipts were finalized yesterday, Jan 31, 2021 and have been mailed, emailed already, or will be sent via email in the next 24 hours. PLEASE note that those receiving email receipts will come from Intuit E-Commerce, see the below email details. Check your junk mail if you don’t see it by Wednesday morning. Feel free to email me if you can’t find it and I can resend it.
-2021 Tax Donation receipts will arrive in the next 7-10 days. Please note that those emails will also come from Intuit E-Commerce.
Donation receipts will come from the following address:
Intuit E-Commerce
Your Tax Donation Receipt for 2020
I believe that brings you up to date. As you pray for Larry and Rachael, please remember Kep, Kenny and their families as they enter into this season of transition in so many ways.
We are grateful,
Andi
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PREVIOUSLY SENT
Dear Friends of NewWay,
I write this letter with mixed feelings. First, with a feeling of loss and disappointment that after 20 years of doing the Schools of Spiritual Direction, and NextStep Schools, I will no longer be teaching those schools. Health issues and reduced energy levels have forced this decision. I could rattle on about the challenges with cancer, fatigue and now diabetes, but that could require a few more pages. Add it up, and at 76, it seemed wise, that this is the time to step down from doing the schools and speaking engagements. Because of the multitude of health issues it has become clear that it is nearly impossible for me to continue any in-person events.
So, we’ve had to change our plan. As you may recall, a few months ago we sent out a letter explaining how NewWay and Larger Story are two separate entities, yet sister ministries. NewWay was the ‘in-person’ ministry and Larger Story focused around my legacy work and the ability to share this relational message with those around the world via an on-line platform. With my health concerns it has become necessary to close NewWay Ministries. That hard decision came a little easier when we realized that our ministries would be ‘better-together’.
While I wrap my head around my health, it’s limitations, and the closing of a ministry that reflected my deepest relational passion, I can feel a sense of excitement and eager anticipation as to what the Lord will do with and through this ‘un-official’ merger of like-minded friends and the team at Larger Story, championed by my son, Kep.
So what does this next season look like from the comfort of my home, I intend to devote my time to – writing new books; hosting webinars/podcasts that allow me to teach the Bible and chat with others; writing articles on various topics; and whatever else seems possible and fitting for me to enhance whatever legacy God would like me to have through Larger Story. It is hard for me to believe that this new chapter will rely solely on computers and the ‘world-wide-web’. If you know me at all, I have stayed away from anything related to computers but have to admit, I am grateful for the big reach they will provide this Christ-Centered relational message I believe is spoken to little of these days.
As I said, my feelings are mixed: loss, sadness, clarity, and hope. Another great loss: Andi, while always a dear friend, will no longer be a colleague in ministry. Without her expert and loyal work, NewWay would not have been able to do what we’ve hopefully done for God’s kingdom. We will be forever grateful for our time with Andi.
Join me today for a last-minute ‘UPDATED’ Listen-In conversation, January 19, at 4pm EST as we discuss my health, the closing of NewWay Ministries and this transition of trust by clicking here. If you can’t make it today, keep an eye out for the link on the Larger Story site.
In closing, these days present many opportunities for delighting the Lord in meaningful ways, including in the way my current theme verse directs:
“We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy… (Colossians 1: 11)
My prayers for me and for you: may we never complain that life’s losses are too much; there is always somewhere to go as we put all our hope in the day when Jesus returns and we all get to heaven. In the meantime, God is continuing to do His work.
In Christ,
Larry
P.S. As we transition, your info will move over to Larger Story so you can stay connected to all that is happening. Larger Story and Team will keep you posted on this next season and our upcoming projects, podcasts, etc. We move in hope that more is yet to come!
“Finding God is developing, through Christ, an unshakeable confidence in God’s absolute goodness and perfect love no matter what we may experience in this life.”
Dr. Larry Crabb, Finding God, “The Foundation of a Solid Structure: Trusting God,” page 106
• When you think of seeking God, what usually comes to mind, both in terms of your action and God’s response?
• Do you tend to think you’ve found Him when you get direction about what to do? Or have Him respond to your requests in a particular way? Or when you sense His presence?
• How might focusing on those things actually interfere, at times, with finding God?
• Take some time today to ask the Holy Spirit to help you find Him in the midst of whatever you are currently experiencing, without putting demands on what that might entail.
“I long to taste more of the Lord’s goodness. But I will not get it as long as I think he is obligated to resolve my problems. God will not let me find him if I regard him as nothing more than a useful tool for obtaining my own desires.
Therefore, I must cooperate with God in dismantling the fallen structure on which so much of my life is built. The shaky foundation of doubt must be replaced with the firm foundation of trust.”
Dr. Larry Crabb, Finding God, “The Foundation of a Solid Structure: Trusting God,” page 107
• In what situations are you prone to insist that God act according to your idea of what is good?
• How has demanding that God meet your expectations as proof of His goodness hindered your ability to rest in Him?
• Are you willing to make a habit of inviting God to reveal what needs to be dismantled in your life and quietly listening to what He brings to your attention?
“God wants to be found. He delights to be known. He rejoices when we are close to him. But our search for him must be on his terms.”
Dr. Larry Crabb, Finding God, “The Foundation of a Solid Structure: Trusting God,” page 107
• Have you ever asked God what beliefs stand in the way of you seeing Him clearly and being close to Him?
• What would need to shift in order for you to build your life on a foundation of trusting God and finding your joy in Him instead of demanding from him?
“You reduce Me to a God who is supposed to submit to your understanding of what matters most. You do not discern the lethal self-interest behind the purposes for which you seek divine approval. You are wrong to demand My cooperation with your understanding of life. Because I love you and because My plans for you are good, I demand your cooperation with Mine. There is no other way to enjoy My presence.”
Dr. Larry Crabb, 66 Love Letters, “Love Letter Thirty-Two: Jonah,” page 159
• In what areas do you find yourself wrestling for control instead of seeking God’s heart?
• Knowing that God’s heart is always pursuing your ultimate good, what can you stop grasping for and instead trust that His love is at work on your behalf?
“Be still! I flee from your impulses when they are wrong, never from your presence. What you assume are My purposes are often yours, fashioned by and pursued with pride and self-righteousness and disdain for people I love.”
Dr. Larry Crabb, 66 Love Letters, “Love Letter Thirty-Two: Jonah,” page 159
• As you approach a new year, are the things you’re pursuing shaped more by a desire to reveal My heart to others or with the goal of securing your own sense of control?
• As you seek what you believe is important to Me, are you and your interactions with others becoming more or less like Me – patient, kind, truth-loving, pure, generous, merciful, protective of those who are vulnerable, willing to sacrifice for the good of others?
“My Son is here. The King has come. My kingdom is near. Repent! That was John’s message. My Son confirmed it. Change your mind about everything. Only then will you hear the good news My Son brings, news so good that even John couldn’t quite fit it into his head. Only then will you be able to dance to my music in a world where hell’s noise is easier to hear and where it can sound like music. Only then will you hear the music of heaven that will one day be the only sound heard across the world, the day when everyone who loves My Son as I do will dance forever at My party.”
Dr. Larry Crabb, 66 Love Letters, “Love Letter Forty: Matthew,” page 204
• Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a fresh vision of what Jesus’ coming means for your life, for those you love, for those who are difficult to love, and for the world around you.
• Where do you see ways that you can join the redemptive work that God is doing in and around you?
“If God really is in control, why then does He sometimes control things in ways that make no sense to Christians who love Him and who believe that the almighty God loves His people?…
Confusion surrenders to one truth we can agree is true: God does whatever He does for His own glory, to make known the wonders of His infinite goodness, His perfect love, and His unmatched holiness. And because God is who He is, He remains in all moments of time committed to our well-being.”
Dr. Larry Crabb, When God’s Ways Make No Sense, chapter 8 “Hands-Off but Present (And Still in Control)?,” page 112 & 113
• When have you wrestled with questions about God’s power, involvement, wisdom, and goodness in dealing with your own life or the world in general?
• What sparks the deepest confusion or frustration in you with those questions?
• What have you done in response to that struggle? Numbed out? Tried to bury it in Bible verses? Become angry and/or cynical? Worked harder to trust and obey God?
• Spend some time today in the Psalms, allowing yourself to be honest and present with God, asking Him to bridge this confusion and heartache instead of trying to manage, resolve, or overcome it yourself.
• In what ways is Advent inviting you into the Larger Story of a God Who shows up in unexpected ways and who draws near in ways we don’t readily see or understand?
“Only when life hauls us beyond an easy-to-maintain faith that God is good will we discover a Spirit-granted faith that keeps us steady during life’s earthquakes.”
Dr. Larry Crabb, When God’s Ways Make No Sense, chapter 8 “Hands Off but Present (And Still in Control)?,” page 107
• As we enter this Advent season, how has this past year hauled you beyond an “easy-to-maintain faith”?
• Considering the circumstances that God’s people were experiencing at the time when Jesus entered our world as a baby, what hope does that offer to you now when life doesn’t look like what you planned or desired?
• In what ways is the Spirit inviting you into a deeper trust as you face the “earthquakes” of this time?
• Since God’s people were expecting Him to show up very differently than Jesus did, ask God today to open your eyes to ways that your expectations of Him may be shaped by things other than what He’s actually promised or that your view of Him may be clouded by your own ideas instead of Who He’s revealed Himself to be.
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