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Thirty Sixth Edition - July 2010 
The Bridge

Finishers Project 
PO Box 12649 Chandler, AZ 85248 

PH. 480.584.5448
Fax 480.584.5336

Contact Our Staff: 

Pesident/CEO
Chief Innovation Officer
Chief Operating Officer
Director of Agency Relations 
Partner Support Coordinator 
Ele Parrott
Partner Meeting
Coordinator
Bookkeeper
Director of Client Services 
Web Site Development 
Research Consultant
Patrick Chiles
Director of Development and Communications
 
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 Coming Events
Click on these links to find more information about each event  
2010 Retreats   
 
Tulsa, OK
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The Bridge is provided to you to keep you abreast of news pertaining to Finishers Project.  We trust that you will find this helpful and informative!
Testimony of a Recent Forum Attendee
   "Thank you for a wonderful conference in Hudson, Ohio!  As for me, I was inspired and hopeful.  It was a tremendous joy to be gathered with so many in the name of Christ!
   Yours is an excellent minisrty.  I mean it!  I've been to dozens of conferences in my life.  Your organization is 1st class!  May you serve with joy and be blessed!
   Our Father, Brother Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are extremely pleased with your work.  Praise God for Finishers!  May we meet again - and assuredly we will!"
                                                                           Christine
Have You Missed A  Burning Bush or Two?
   Consider for a moment the familiar incident of Moses seeing the burning bush...a moment that dramatically changed his life.  Exodus chapter 3 records that Moses was intrigued by the sight of a bush with flames, but not burning up.  As a result of this unusual occurrence, he stopped to check it out.
   We've been instructed that a bush burning in the desert was not entirely unique.  It happened.  What was unique about this fire was that the bush was not consumed by the fire.  It was that uniqueness that caused Moses to turn aside in order to observe more closely what was really happening
   Verse 4 states that when the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, he spoke to him in that situation.  We could speculate that if Moses had not taken the time to observe more closely, God would not have spoken.  But...Moses did pause from whatever he was doing...came closer...observed...listened...and heard from God.
   I'm wondering if maybe God seeks to use similar situations in our lives to see if we'll come closer...observe...listen...so he can speak to us.  It's probably not an actual burning bush...but what could it be?
  • A health issue...something not out of the ordinary...but uncommon enough to get our attention.  Could it be an opportunity for us to consider that God may want to say something from inside the health concern.
  • A financial issue...not entirely uncommon, but certainly a time for us to stop and ask if God may be wanting to say something that we haven't taken time to listen for since things were going normal.
  • A family issue...some hurt, some question, some disappointment, some change in relationship that could be used to get our attention and cause us to stop and ask if maybe God is trying to say something we haven't heard previously.
  • Perhaps a new relationship has developed...something unexpected...someone God has brought into our life to deliver a new message we haven't been open to before.
  • What about a change in our job situation...for the better or something not too good...nevertheless, it is a moment to cause us to listen...to ask if God is saying something regarding our future that we haven't thought of until now.
  • Or maybe we've just become aware of a new ministry opportunity, but it is definitely out of the ordinary.  We like what we think it could become, but it's not something we have been preparing for or even think we are prepared to do.  It can be a moment to "turn aside"...to ask if God may be trying to say something we weren't ready to hear before.
   Of course I'm not implying that God is waiting to give us a life-changing message in every circumstance of life.  But taking a moment to turn aside...to stop and listen...when we  do encounter things, not entirely uncommon, but unique...something different...something that gets our attention...something that causes us to wonder...to question...to say, "Father...I'm listening."
 
   Any "burning bushes" in recent months?  If so...were you able to turn aside and listen?  Or there may be some coming in the not too distant future.  Isn't it exciting...maybe a little scary...but really fulfilling to consider what our incredible, loving,  caring heavenly Father might be trying to say about our future!
Goodbye to Stress and Worry... and Hello to more Happiness!
   According to a Gallup survey, reported in USA Today, happiness increases and stress decreases after we reach 50 years.  The study also states that worry sharply drops in our 50's. 
 
   While it's interesting to have this verified by a respected pollster, it's something many of us have experienced for ourselves.  As we've mentioned in this publication previously, somewhere in our mid-50's we pass through a threshold in life in which we suddenly realize we have nothing to prove.  We are who we are, who we are...and we're OK with that.  We are still aware of our short-comings and our weaknesses, but we are willing to accept them.  And one of the biggest changes is that we find ourselves making decisions about our future based on values we've come to hold dear, rather than only thinking of the necessities of life. 
 
   This newfound approach to how we think is very freeing.  We give ourselves permission to follow things that are meaningful to us.  We don't worry as much.  We don't stress as much.  We are happier.  We settle into ourselves in new ways that are significant...ways that are of value to us...ways that make us feel worthwhile and cause us to look forward to all our future might hold. 
 
   So the pollsters are right.  Their insights are true.  But we know why.  It isn't just physiological changes in our bodies...or intellectual changes in our minds...it is a wonderful result of God building wisdom and values into our lives, and opening doors for us to invest all he has built into us. 
The Journey Deepens... Just for YOU! 
When:   Oct 1-3 Heartland Regional Retreat
Location:   Camp Loughridge near Tulsa, Oklahoma 
   This weekend will deepen your relationship with Jesus and help you explore what it is like to be a missionary.  You can discover whether a missionary or sender role is God's fit for you, and connect with mission agencies.
   The core of the retreat and the key distinctive is the discussion groups, each with six attendees and two missions coaches, which meet four times throughout the weekend.
   The retreat has groups for college students, young adults, mid-lifers, baby boomers - anyone willing to explore becoming a missionary. Meet others like yourself and compare "maps" on the journey. Discuss your compass with missions coaches who have journeyed into missions already.
   Attendance is about 50 people; at this retreat you will not be overwhelmed with overchoice! Here's some of the subjects that will be covered in the general sessions, small groups and one-on-one time with the missionaries:
  • I feel a pull from God to the nations. What should I do next?
  • Which of my gifts and interests could I use in another culture?
  • How can I deal with school loans?
  • What's involved in raising prayer and financial support?
  • How do I discuss missions with my family and my church?
  • If God leads me to stay and send others what would that involve? 
   CLICK HERE to see what others have said about these weekend retreats!
 
   CLICK HERE to register for this retreat!
 
   We look forward to meeting you in Tulsa!
Thanks for your interest in Finishers Project!
We'd love to hear how God is working in your life
and how we can pray for you! 
                                                                                           Don's pic    
 

   Don Parrott
   CEO, Finishers Project