Kindling Ministries, Ron Allen's Blog

A Letter of Thanksgiving to Heartland Church

Dear Heartlanders, As I reflect back over the last few months, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the grace and goodness of God and for your faithful partnership through a difficult season and into a new beginning. Our community looks different that it did a year ago. We miss those who have moved on, but we rejoice in the many new families that have joined with us to be a community of mutual caring and outreach to our city and the world. New faces and friends in Children's Ministry, Jr. Hi., Sr. Hi., CrossWalk Classes, Worship Community, and Mercy and Benevolence Ministries, have joined with long term Heartlanders in continuing to grow and express our life together. We express our values by what we do. Our practices reveal what we truly believe. And more that words and intentions, our practices express our love for God and each other. Feeding the hungry, visiting prisoners, caring for orphans and widows, partnering with the church in the city through Associated Churches, campus ministries, outreach in renewal to Native Americans, and more demonstrate our faith and love. Heartland Church, you are doing well. Heartland is not a religious cliche, but a Kingdom of God initiative. All bills are paid and our missions support continues. Thank you. As we have laid a foundation of intercessory prayer, we are seeing more and more the evidence that God answers our prayers for healing, help and revival. You are God's precious Body and I am honored to be a part of what God wants to do in and through us at Heartland. Even though there are many difficulties before us and even though many have incredible challenges, we are continuing in faith to love God passionately and love each other compassionately. Everyday, I rejoice in the goodness of God's heart that you all show forth daily. Thank you. Thank God. Blessings, Pastor Ron

Father's Day Reflections

It is early in the morning on Father's Day. I am missing my Dad. While not perfect, he was a good Dad. It took me many years after he had died for me to begin to appreciate what he did do right. I woke thinking about the time when I was 12 that he dragged an old '51 Ford sedan out behind the maintence shed. He called me over and told me I could take the thing apart and see how it worked. The only limitation was as always, a requirement to put his tools back where they belonged when I finished with them and not leave them lying about. For months, I was entertained and educated by exploring the inner workings of that old car. My Dad stirred in me a desire that went far beyond mechanical things to see how things worked on the inside. That marked my life forever. When I was 7 he brought home a box of old Popular Mechanics magazines that someone had thrown away. I honed my reading skills for weeks reading about the inventiveness of people during WWII. That stirred me to think outside the box. It marked my life forever. So many memories, so many lessons. It's a wise person who early can be grateful for the investment that fathers make in children. I think of others today, uncles, pastors, teachers, and coaches, who over the years made a fatherly deposit in my life. It is easier today, because of their influence and example, to embrace the reality that Almighty God, is our heavenly father. When men are imperfect, God is perfect. He causes all things to work for the good. His love never ceases and never fails. I can trust HIm. Especially when life is difficult and painful. While others fail and even hurt us, God doesn't fail, but that doesn't mean the absence of pain. It means it is a necessary step to something redemptive. Even in the church, gifted people can exercise their anointing in immaturity and hurt, causing injury. But depending on our perspective and response, our heavenly Father will superintend over life in such a wonderful way, that even what the enemy meant for harm, God will use redemptively. Thank you heavenly Father for men who love and invest in us with such good impact, but thank you most of all for your goodness and greatness, and for the invitation to be your children and call you Father.