Easter Matters (April newsletter)

Kelly was the cool girl at my (Angie) junior high school in Lincoln, Nebraska. The popular crowd seemed to revolved around her, as did the athletic and GQ-looking boys. Oh, and she was on the dance squad. (How envious we closet-dancers were of her.)

When I thought of her I assumed she had the world at her 14-year-old fingertips.

Fast forward 20 years to last week when I saw her on Facebook, an online networking community. My interest peaked, anxious to catch a glimpse of grown-up Kelly’s life. After a few moments of scanning family photos and reading of her interests and work, my eyes fell on her response to the category, religious views.

“Does it matter?” she wrote.

Serving as a missionary, I’ve heard a lot of responses to questions such as this, but for whatever reason, I was especially struck by what her word choice. And saddened that she’s preaching that belief, whether she realizes it or not, to her little one at home.

Granted, I don’t know the tone behind those words—it could be hurt or a true skepticism, but I wager it’s not.

My guess is that her pseudo-yawned response is due to the fact that she has never heard that there’s a Life beyond what she knows. The religion she’s seen hasn’t done any stirring of her soul besides to apathy. I can’t help but wonder if she’s ever met anyone who truly follows Jesus.

This Easter weekend I’m reminded all the more that God put skin on to walk with us, to take on our sin for the purpose that we could have relationship with Him. That we would have abundant Life. Life to the fullest.

Oh, Kelly. It matters. More than you realize.

Josh McDowell

Continuing in the Bentley-newsletter series introducing parts of the Campus Crusade for Christ family, this month we highlight Josh McDowell.

This ministry is personal to us. Back in 1999, Scott lived in Salt Lake City and wanted to see if the Bible was true amidst being such an old book. He bought Josh’s Evidence That Demands a Verdict from Barnes & Noble. He was shocked to learn about the prophesies Christ fulfilled and the reliability of the Bible versus other religious texts. It was a stepping stone on the path of choosing to follow Jesus in 2003.

Josh was a skeptic until he set out to disprove Christianity…and ended up being won over himself. Now, 44 years into full-time ministry, his team’s desire is “To serve others until the whole world hears that Jesus is God, the Bible is true, God is passionate about a relationship with each person and that the Christian faith is relevant, reliable and relational.”

Prayer Requests

• For God to open spiritual eyes of people like Kelly (first story) and Scott (above) this season of Easter. That they’d ask questions and find themselves open to conversations with believer friends or books (like Josh’s newest one above, Evidence for the Resurrection).
• For us as we celebrate one year of marriage on April 19. What a year! Please pray that we’d continue to grow in the Lord both together and individually. May our marriage point people to Jesus.

 

a Bentley Update

Praise:

• During New Staff Training, I (Angie) had a great opportunity to help with a focus group of our new missionaries. My role in communications is on the Staff Web team and, to take the next steps of improvement, we wanted to hear from the very people we serve. These “newbies” were perfect to ask! These 3 (see photo below) were at my table. I gave them 50 index cards. Each card had a task that staff members might come to the Staff Web to do. I asked them to discuss, as a group, what navigation button they’d assume they’d find the information for that task. Hearing them talk outloud about what they were thinking about where they’d find something was so helpful as we redesign the site. We want it to be intuitive for them so they can find what they’re looking for quickly and without frustration, helping make missionary life easier.

• The amazing (11th hour, too) way that God gave Scott peace and encouragement about His plans for Scott.
• Scott & I celebrated our 3-month anniversary on July 19. We love being married and being partners in life and ministry. What a unique privilege! Here we are, below, at the Cheesecake Factory on our “anniversary.” We invited 3 couples to join us for dinner–all newlywed couples with the husbands new staff members (like Scott) and the wives already missionaries with Campus Crusade.

Prayer Request:

• For us to rest in God’s power in ministry, marriage and all other facets of life. In busy seasons like this it’s so easy to default to our own strength and grunt it out. Yuck.