Faith, Hope, and Love-and You

June 2013
In This Issue
Praise and Prayer Requests
Tim's Recent Essays and Sermons
Testimonials
Upcoming Schedule
Serving in Four Continents
For Your Reflection


See Faith, Hope, and Love's ministries around the world from Jill's artistic vantage point by visiting her photo blog

Through Jill's Eyes
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Praise God
  1. For very deep and meaningful experiences for 21 participants during the Chartres spiritual retreat 
  2. For new opportunities for Jill to serve as a spiritual guide within the Chartres Cathedral context
  3. For outstanding instructors in Burmese instruction for Tim in Myanmar over the past 7 weeks
  4. For a family who will take in two of the at-risk youth we're working closely with in Yangon
  5. For the generosity of one individual who will underwrite the cost of housing and feeding these two boys for the next year!
  6. For God's guidance and provision in so many ways in all of our ministries and in the lives of those with whom we are working  
Pray With Us
  1. For physical strength and greater health for Jill 
  2. For Tim as he revamps his New Testament Theology course to offer a fresh approach to studying the NT in the context of suffering, poverty, injustice, and great need  
  3. For a fruitful summer raising funds in the U.S. for the next ministry season that begins at the end of August 
  4. For ongoing ministry to the at-risk youth in Yangon while Tim is out of the country
  5. For protection for two of the at-risk youth who are particularly vulnerable to the influence of drug-using (glue sniffing) "friends" 
  6. For scholarship funds for numerous faculty members seeking advanced degrees to better serve their seminaries and colleges. For a list of young scholars we know personally, see Jill's blog post, "If You Won the Lottery".  
  Photo Gallery
Chartres Cathedral



Jill Photographing Chartres
Jill photographing an image for a fund-raiser to help with costs related to restoration of cathedral sculptures

 
Tim's Recent Essays and Sermons

In the following essay, Tim talks about what's involved in learning how to listen to and cooperate better with the Holy Spirit from day to day:     

(Essay #1 in current series on Spirit-led Living)
 
Are you struggling with confusion, doubt or disappointment from actions you've taken that you thought were prompted by God? Read Tim's most recent essay to find clarity and healing in the midst of your uncertainty. 
(Essay #2)

    When torn between various inclinations, motivations, and ideas, what do you do? Find out how to differentiate the leading of the Spirit from all the other "voices"?
 

  

Missed our recent E-Newsletters? See them via our Archive Webpage!

  

May Edition -  

"God's work from Ukraine to Myanmar" 

  

All Earlier Issues


Faith, Hope, and Love Global Ministries

 

Board of Directors

 

Rev. Dr. Cheryl F. Dudley

 

Mr. Thomas Erickson   

 

Rev. Jill K.H. Geoffrion, Ph.D.

 

Rev. Timothy C. Geoffrion, Ph.D.

   

Mr. Peter Strommen     

 

 

Board of Advisors

 

Mr. Jim Deanovic

 

Mr. Daniel E. Geoffrion 

 

Mr. Timothy Charles Geoffrion  

   

Mr. Ron Hoffman   

 

Mr. John March  

 

Mr. Warren Staley   

 

Mr. Mark Thompson

 

Staff

 

Tim

Timothy C. Geoffrion

President and Teaching Minister

 

Jill teaching

Jill K.H. Geoffrion 

Minister and Artist

 

Josias Formal

Josias Hansen 

Assistant to the President 

 

Bar Hso Gay 2
Bar Hso Ghay
Youth Worker and Volunteer Coordinator (Myanmar)

We deeply appreciate your prayers and financial support. We need your ongoing participation to both sustain and expand this important leadership development work.     

 

Thank you!   

 

 
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Photo Gallery
Outreach in Myanmar


 Firewalker at Hindu New Year Festival




Young street seller with her baby
Unwed street seller with her baby


13 year old whose mother will punish him if he doesn't sell enough postcards





Greetings!

More than one million visitors come to the Chartres Cathedral each year. Many of them are hoping to meet God in a special way in this Unesco World Heritage sight that houses the most extensive collection of 12th and 13th century stained glass of any sanctuary on the globe. It is easy to feel the magnificence of the church, but it is harder to know how to use it to deepen one's relationship with God.
Beau Dieu Chartres Cathedral
Faith, Hope, and Love Global Ministries seeks to serve these modern-day pilgrims in many different ways. True to our mission to teach, inspire and encourage, we:

1. Maintain extensive and up to date web pages with spiritual and practical aspects of visiting Chartres and its cathedral. 

New Chartres Cathedral �JKHGeoffrion

2. Lead retreats in both French and English. Our french-speaking annual retreat with the Chemin Neuf Catholic Community is an ecumenical week of prayer using the Ignatian Exercises and guided visits of the cathedral. 
 
Jill Geoffrion explains window Chartres Cathedral
Preparing for a cathedral visit: Jill explaining a window to retreatants.

 

 3. Work with colleagues from the cathedral guide service  as they create and translate resources to explain labyrinth prayer. Jill's photos are included in both English and French flyers that are available to visitors from around the world each Friday. 

 

Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth
The Chartres labyrinth is open on Fridays from 10h00-19h00 (from Lent-November 1).

 

4. Offer introductions to labyrinth prayer and special after-hours labyrinth walks for faith-based groups.

 

 

Jill leading a group prayer before a labyrinth walk.

5. Accompany pilgrims on guided visits of the cathedral using either spiritual life coaching (Tim) or spiritual direction (Jill) tools. The goals of these individual or small group experiences focus on goals identified by the pilgrims before coming to Chartres.

 

Good Samaritan Window Chartres �JKHGeoffrion
Good Samaritan window

 

6. Share the beauty of the cathedral with those who can't come to it physically by researching and writing scholarly articles relating to the cathedral and publish photographs of the cathedral. (Two of Jill's photographs just appeared in La Gr�ce d'un cath�drale: Chartres, a coffee table size book on the cathedral's history and beauty.) 

 

Tabernacle of St. Aignan XIIIeme �JKHGeoffrion
Pentecost: The pouring out of the God's Spirit
13th century tabernacle (one of two left in the world)

 

7. Help pilgrims get the most out of their experience in Chartres by selling Jill's two books at the cathedral bookstore, La Crypte (Praying the Labyrinth, and Praying the Chartres Labyrinth: A Pilgrim's Guide). 

  

Praying the Chartres Labyrinth  

 

8. Meet with many individuals from Chartres and around the world to discuss their concerns, interests, and spiritual needs. Serve as ministers in special services (funerals, weddings, etc.) Although we don't serve a specific parish in Chartres, many call forth our ministerial gifts.  

 

Reading Scripture Vespers Chartres Cathedral Jill Geoffrion
Reading Scripture at Evening Vespers 
in the Cathedral

We are grateful for the many unique ministry doors that God has opened to us around the world in places like Chartres and its cathedral, along with Myanmar, Rwanda, the Congo, Ukraine, and Vietnam. Thank you for your interest in and support of our ministries as we seek to bring Christ's light and love to others in such special ways.

Serving Christ with joy,

 

Jill K H Geoffrion

 

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable ---- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy ---- think about such things." 

-Philippians 4:8 NIV

Testimonies From Pilgrims To Chartres

Christ West Rose Chartres �Jill K H Geoffrion
  

 

"Thank you... for guiding me on a life changing journey."  

-A pilgrim who spent two hours with Jill praying in the cathedral     

  Jeunes Pro Chartres

"...the history and spiritual practice of labyrinth walking helped me to appreciate what a valuable tool it is for prayer." 

-Young adult after presentation, "Christian Practice of Praying with Labyrinths/Prier avec le Labyrinthe"

 
Retraite Cathedrale Brochure Chartres

  "Thank you ... for using such beautiful and enlightening photos." Retreatant  
 
Guiding Chartres Cathedral Jill Geoffrion
Introducing the cathedral and its treasures
to a group of pilgrims from seven countries.

 

"Thank you so much for the meaningful presentation and the labyrinth walk. It was extremely helpful and inspirational."  

 

  Chartres Labyrinth Walk Jill K H Geoffrion


"Thank you for all that you have done to support me 
and my group of pilgrims in Chartres."
  

   

Mary Magdalene Chartres Cathedral Jill K H Geoffrion
Mary Magdalene Window

 

"Your guidance in preparing for the journey helped me immensely.  Your passion for the Cathedral is energizing. Thanks so much for sharing it with us."    

 

Are you interested in a spiritual retreat in Chartres for yourself? 

 

 

 

If you or a group you are leading would like to join us as we seek to share God's love and grace through the tool of the Chartres Cathedral, please contact us!  

  
Upcoming Schedule (June-August)
  • Chartres, France (Chartres Cathedral) 
  • Yangon, Myanmar (Burmese language training for Tim, and leadership coaching)
  • Minnesota (June 15- August 18) 
  • While in the U.S. this summer, Tim will be focusing on telling the Faith, Hope, and Love story, fundraising, and course preparation. If you're interested in hearing first hand about the ministry, he would love to sit down with you for an hour or so and tell you what God has been doing over the past year. Contact him directly at [email protected].  
  • Jill  will be using the summer to create and refine web resources, study Latin so as to better work with medieval manuscripts that include labyrinths (current writing project), and prepare to teach a semester-long course on labyrinth prayer.  

Visit our online Program Calendar in order to follow our activity throughout the year.  

Serving Leaders on Four Continents 

Faith, Hope, and Love Global Ministries is a unique organization with specially crafted ministries to serve various constituencies around the globe. We serve seminarians in Myanmar, pastors in Ukraine, Christian leaders in the Congo, ecumenical Christians in France, and support theological education and Christian ministries in many other ways. Spanning four continents, Faith, Hope, and Love has an incredible opportunity to minister in remarkably diverse settings.

We deeply need your prayers as we continue to equip and bring spiritual vitalization to Christian leaders in strategic positions of influence throughout the world.  In order to help us continue this essential work, would you consider supporting us monthly or with a one time donation?

Please click the "donation" button below to learn more about your options for contributing. We greatly appreciate your partnership as we, together, further God's kingdom. 
Josias Pic 1 
 
 
Serving Christ with you,  
 
Josias Hansen 
Assistant to the President
 
 

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We greatly appreciate your support.

THANK YOU!
 

 For Your Reflection
MaryJube Nativity Chartres Cathedral Jill Geoffrion  
  
Take a moment to contemplate this photo of a 13th century sculpture of Mary gazing at the baby Jesus after his birth. 

What comes to your mind?

 
What speaks to your heart?

What prayer comes to your lips?