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Drawing Near to God is a biblically-based, interdenominational ministry. Through a life application study, it equips participants to grow into a living and healing relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Drawing Near to God Ministry Newsletter August 2008
Newsletter #3
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 Dear fellow travelers,
For me, the greatest part about going on a trip is my traveling partner. I love the adventures of travel, seeing new places and learning new things. But the best part is spending time with those who are on the trip with me.
We are traveling together on the trip of our lives as we grow in our relationship with Christ. Together we are exploring life through "kingdom eyes." Together we experience sorrow and despair; together we experience joy and happiness. This summer in one week my niece was married, my nephew experienced the birth of his first child, and my Uncle Pat passed away; the whole spectrum of life lived out in just ten days!
While on earth, Jesus promised us that He would never leave or forsake us. He sent His promised Holy Spirit to lead us on this journey called "faith." Together, led by His Spirit, we are on the trip of a lifetime!
As promised in a previous newsletter, I will highlight parts of Drawing Near to God ministry each month so that you will be more aware that this is not just a Bible study but includes many facets on this journey of life. Drawing Near is structured with the Bible study as the main focus, the center of the wheel if you will. The spokes of the wheel encompass worship, prayer (both intercessory and healing prayer), compassionate care, small groups in community, and fellowship gatherings such as the "Taste and See Luncheons." The last newsletter I highlighted the ministry of healing prayer; prayer that is offered each week after Drawing Near on Thursdays and offered by appointment anytime (just ask your small group leader).
This month, let's talk about intercessory prayer, another form of prayer with a different purpose. Intercessory prayer is offered through Drawing Near to pray for personal needs, the issues concerning this ministry, and events in the world. Drawing Near presently has more than 20 people who receive prayer requests by e-mail. Each week we send out prayer requests that focus primarily on the mission of Drawing Near--to reach the lost and draw people to Christ. Once a month some of the intercessors meet to pray on site.
Isaiah the prophet wrote that God was looking for someone who would "stand in the gap" to intercede for the nation of Israel. God is still looking for intercessors to pray that God's kingdom will come to earth and be as it is in heaven.
Do you feel the Lord tugging on your heart to pray on behalf of others? If so, please let us know so that you can join our intercessory prayer team. God's will is done and His plan is revealed when the righteous pray!
We are gearing up for the study to begin in September. Please take the time to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might join us. There is nothing more thrilling than to see our community of faith coming together to study God's Word and care for one another.
May the Lord bless you,
Joanne |
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Register for Fall Study Today - You Won't Want to Miss It! - Tell all of your friends!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We're Excited! The DNG Leadership Team has returned from the 2008-2009 Planning Retreat with enthusiasm for the Fall 2008 sessions that will start Thursday, September 11. Acts: A Church in Action will give a close-up peek at the incredible start of the Christian church after Christ ascended into heaven. Using The Book of Acts as a basis, we will travel through the Old and New Testaments to better understand God's perfect planning for the church, and the human victories and defeats along the way. This list of the lessons will give you a road map for our travels. Remember, the fall session will meet seven weeks; first meeting will be an introduction to the study and the first six lessons. The spring session will pick up with the seventh lesson, Moving Forward As Believers on January 15th. The course will conclude on February 19th.
We can't wait to see you in September!
Lesson Topic, Scripture
1 Being God's Witnesses, Acts 1 and 2
2 Proclaiming God's Message with Courage and Power, Acts 3 and 4
3 Obeying God, Not Man, Acts 5 and 6
4 Leading the Way, Acts 7, 8 and 9
5 Expanding Our Vision, Acts 10, 11 and 12
6 Sending Out Witnesses, Acts 13 and 14
7 Moving Forward As Believers, Acts 15 and 16
8 Living in Him, Acts 17 and 18
9 Glorifying Christ Acts, 19, 20 and 21
10 Connecting with Those Around Us, Acts 22 and 23
11 Standing Steadfast, Acts 24, 25 and 26
12 Staying Focused, Acts 27 and 28
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EDISTO WOMEN STUDY NEHEMIAH THIS FALL...
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On August 23, Joanne will speak at the Edisto Tea, which is the kick-off of a community-wide bible study of Nehemiah-Rebuilding Walls. A group of 30+ women will study Joanne's teaching, which is structured to help participants rebuild broken-down walls in their lives by studying how Nehemiah accomplished rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
For more information on this study or any other studies available for purchase, call the DNG Office at 284-4333.
 Joanne is now available for speaking engagements. Please call the office for more information and to make arrangements. |
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Intercessory Prayer - Open to Everyone 
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God calls us to pray without ceasing! We covet your prayers for all areas of Drawing Near to God Ministry. The last Wednesday of each month, we will be meeting in the Library for two hours to listen for the voice of God for the ministry and lift up all of the needs in our community of believers. We recommend fasting (how you feel led) the morning of the prayer time. Our first meeting will be September 24th, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the St. Andrews Library. If you have any questions, email Barbara Boone, Intercessory Prayer Coordinator. Our Team
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What Makes Drawing Near Unique?
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Are you able to identify what makes DNG unique to other Bible studies? Drawing Near is designed to be more than a Bible study. It is designed to incorporate all facets of life to help us live in community together. The focus is the study but the study guides are written to help us apply the Word to our every day lives. The studies are not designed to be a "line by line" scriptural study, but instead they use a book of the Bible as a backdrop to study similar themes contained in that book that are found throughout the Bible. They travel back and forth throughout the Old and New Testaments helping to knit the whole story of the gospel together. In addition to the study, the small groups are made up of people from all denominations, races, and walks of life who come together to study the Word and help each other live out the Word. The next time someone asks you why DNG is unique remember to tell them that the purpose is to see the Word come alive as we see the whole scope of life throughout the Scriptures.
Why do We Need Funds?
Sometimes we get the question: "Why does Drawing Near need funds?" You might wonder: "Doesn't registration cover the budget?" Let's take a moment and address those questions.
Registration fees do not cover the cost of printing study guides and videoing the teachings on DVD's. The purpose of having DVD's and study guides is to create a course that can be delivered in other communities. Presently, God touches 200 people a year in our local DNG study. What a blessing that so many study God's Word together! But imagine the impact of God touching hundreds more people with DNG materials because we took the extra steps to make them available each year! It is a tangible way for us to spread the gospel. Jesus told His disciples to GO and make more disciples and our mission is to follow the instructions of Jesus and GO and make more disciples. We should never be satisfied with being on the receiving end, but always look to give back what we have received. Please pray that our resources will be a tool for small groups in our city and beyond to make more disciples of Jesus Christ.
Will you help us spread the gospel through the use of Drawing Near materials that are available for small groups? DNG study guides and DVD's will soon be available on the DNG website. In the meantime call the Office for a complete list.
Please pray for our outreach to spread the good news and help others draw near to the Lord. Consider making a donation to the "outreach" fund so that we can GO by producing, marketing, and distributing our resources to other areas. This is one way you can obey Jesus' commission: therefore GO and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded them. (Matthew 28:19) |
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~~~~~~~~~~ At A GLANCE...
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-DNG Promotional Video is now on our website. Check it out What is DNG?
-Pre-Registration Coffee is September 4th, 10 a.m.-12:00 p.m. please come to register for the bible study and to see what DNG is all about. Joanne will speak at 11:30 a.m.
-We are considering a mini study (3-4 weeks) between our Acts course...stay tuned for further details.
-We are looking for a local need to support for our Community Mission Initiative. Please email Heidi McCormick, Compassionate Care Coordinator, if you have a group or organization for us to consider. Our Team
-We continue to look for sponsorship for our TV and radio broadcasts.
-If you are interested in Volunteer Opportunities at DNG Ministry, please contact the Office for more information. |
~~~~~~~~~ Quick Links
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ phone: 843.284.4333
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