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FROM THE DESK OF JOHN S. TORELL

MINISTRY UPDATE

November 18, 2010

It is important that we are able to communicate with our friends around the world and to let you know what is happening in our mission organization, European-American Evangelistic Crusades and our home church, Resurrection Life of Jesus Church. When I write this news update we are in the middle of the month of November 2010.

WHO IS DOING WHAT?

European-American Evangelistic Crusades (EAEC) is responsible for all production, webcasting, video and audio production, website, online bookstore and the in-house bookstore at the church location, producing newsletters, tracts and books and sending out letters to our donors at the end of each month. All of this work is done at a different location from the church where we have several offices, including a print shop and storage facilities. Most of the people working at the production center are volunteers and we could not do the work we are doing without them because it would cost too much with the present ministry income.

Resurrection Life of Jesus Church (RLJC) is located in the Sacramento suburb of Carmichael. This is where the church meets for Sunday services, Bible studies, music practice and prayer meetings. There is a small kitchen used to prepare for our monthly fellowship dinners after the Sunday morning service. We are also using these facilities for counseling, deliverance, and for special events by Christian groups from outside our fellowship.   

WHAT ARE WE WORKING ON NOW?

Charles Thorell is in charge of the website as well as the audio and video editing of the Sunday recording. The process of editing begins each Monday and everything is finished by Wednesday so that duplication of cassettes, CD’s and DVD’s is done by a crew. We have a number of people who subscribe to the recordings from Sunday services and these items are shipped out via the Post Office.

At the same time other people are working on the printing of Christian Dynamics Course 1, which is a time consuming production. We are printing thousands of books and hope they will be ready to sell by the beginning of 2011. In the meantime, we are producing them on demand through the copy machine and placing them in binders.

I am also working on new articles and soon we are going to send out Chapter 11 of the Swine Flu Book which I started to write some time ago. This coming release will show how the AIDS epidemic started and what the U.S. Government has done in secret behind the backs of the American people. This will be a must read for people born after 1970 since they have no knowledge of what took place from the year1955 and up to the 1970’s in the United States that is affecting every American living now.

FINANCES

Churches in the United States are not immune to the financial crisis that is holding our nation in an iron grip. All of us know that city, county and state governments are dealing with huge budget deficits and have no other option than to cut back on services and lay off people.

We cannot lay off any people in order to maintain the activities of the ministry. There are only four employees who consist of Lois, Charles and my wife and I. People have suggested that my wife will be taken off salary but most people don’t know that some 20 years ago I split my salary and gave a portion to my wife, who has been working very hard as a pastor’s wife, in order to secure her with Social Security in the future, so our income is a joint salary. Charles is the centerpiece in our production and if he does not work full time, the audio/video editing and website work would not be done. Lois has been our editor since 1988 and she is a vital part in the creation of our written material.

We have to pay for two facilities because it is impossible to integrate the church and production into one location. Our production center is located outside the city and is not subject to a lot of rules and regulations which would be costly if we operated within the city limit. Yet without the church there would be no services, and hence no recordings, and without the production center there would be no duplication of cassettes, CD’s and DVD’s. So there is nothing to cut back upon.

We have separated the bookstore from the rest of the ministry in order to build up an inventory and to carry more items for sale. All profits from these sales are put back into the bookstore fund so that more material can be purchased to sell.

FINDING A SOLUTION

There are not enough people in the congregation to support both the church and the production center; thus, we must also have income from outside the church. Over the years we have been supported by a very loyal group of people who have given on a monthly basis. The majority of them either listened to our radio programs or read The Dove magazine. Broadcasting on the radio is gone and been replaced with a webcast and our website. We have not been able to produce The Dove since 2004 and it was supplemented by a newsletter because of the rapid changes happening in the world.

Our donor base can be traced back to 1977 when we first started radio broadcasting and also 1979 when The Dove was born. Many of our early supporters have been promoted and are now praising God in Heaven. Others have fallen ill and are in nursing homes but many are still with us.

People in the media industry have told me that it takes some five years to build up an audience that is strong enough to support a ministry. We have only been webcasting for two years and there is a fierce competition for dollars, not only on the Internet, but with the big ministries on television and radio who are like vacuum cleaners when it comes to money. Our only hope is in the Holy Spirit and believers in Christ who are sold out for Jesus. With seeker friendly churches all over the place, it is hard to find Christians who are hungry for the truth and willing to support a ministry that won’t compromise.

If you are a truth seeking Christian and hungry to learn and grow in Christ, would you consider supporting this ministry on a monthly basis? You might say, “I don’t have a lot of money myself.” Any amount you can give is appreciated; it’s not the amount that is important but the regular giving that makes a difference and God loves a cheerful giver that is willing to share!

WHAT CAN WE OFFER YOU?

I am not going to tell you something unbiblical like if you give seed money it will be returned to you a hundred fold. Nor are we going to send you trinkets, holy water or oil from Israel. What we will give you is our love, labor and truth as God gives it to us. There will be sermons, Bible studies, newsletters and special featured articles sent to you. You can watch or listen to our services and we will pray for you if there are prayer needs. If you need deliverance we will also minister to you in that area.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

You can use PayPal to make a donation from our website or send a check in the mail. You can also transfer money directly into our banking account, please contact us about this and we will send you the necessary information to transfer money from your bank to our bank.

Every month is a financial struggle so please pray for us that we will get over this month’s hump and meet all our obligations. Many of you are already regular givers to our ministry and for this we thank God and you. However, if you are a friend of the ministry, but you have never given, would you consider starting now? May God richly bless you and minister to all of your needs as we labor together in the Kingdom of God.       

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:38)

From the Desk of John S. Torell