Mona's Devotional - January 5, 2020 - Reflecting on 2019 and preparing for 2020

First, I want to start with a praise the Lord for the past year! It wasn’t all easy but He never left us alone! In my life I had plenty of opportunities to see His wonderful love shine through. I had courage to sing His praises in the presence of my enemy. I saw miracles, many things happened that exceeded what I believed possible. I was in peace when my mind told me I should be stressed and worried. It’s not that I never faltered or fell down but I was able to get right back up because of His love, grace and ever present help in time of trouble. It was a year I learned a lot about myself, who I was in my own ways and who I was in Him. Today I want to share a many of the ministry’s highlights of 2019 and our goals – visions and direction from the Lord in 2020.

2019 at Mountain High Chapel:

• **One of our greatest visions is to reach out and help others beyond ourselves and we successfully did that. Each month we help 12 missionaries/ministries around the world. Weekly we supported and help feed the children in Kenya. You as a church, gave about $13,000 to help 17 Kenyan children go to school and university. We sent money to help with various projects in Kenya and Peru. We had many fundraisers for Kenya and the pig roast for Peru. THANK YOU!
• **During the school year we provided fruit weekly to the local school to help children in the area. Thank you Jim for heading this up and those who give into this ministry.
• ** We fed families every month from our pantry and gave extensively to many families during the holidays. Thank you, Jen, for all your hard work in helping others.
• **Each week we were blessed by: Anointed praise and worship, thank you Juli and team and to Josh and Ben who lead when needed – Powerful messages by Ed, Joe and Josh – Thursday night classes have ministered to so many and are life changing classes. Thank you to all who share in this.
• ** Our Usher and Greeter Team are amazing and so welcoming to everyone who walks through the doors. Thank you, Art and Chris, for years of faithfulness.
• **Had special classes with Griefshare that changed the lives of many but especially Risa before she went home to be with the Lord – Thank you, Jim and Patti Jo!
• **Through the services, counseling and individual ministry many lives were changed in Him. Marriages are being healed, people with substance abuse are healed, heart issues are sent away and healed and lives are changed eternally. Thank you, Ed, for your countless hours of one on one ministry to the church family and to this community.
• **Ministry of healing happened during the several memorial services that we had here and other places. Thank you to all who ministered through prayer, helping with food and meals and extending His love to those hurting.
• ** Many weddings and premarital counseling
• **Many people healed and made whole through the ministry of laying on of hands and prayer. Lives radically healed from many things including strokes, cancer and serious operations people had to have. Thank you Jim and Ed for all your hours visiting and praying for people in the hospitals.
• **We have a VERY dedicated and powerful prayer team who relentlessly pray for the requests and needs of this church family, people in the community, this country and the world. Thank you so much Tamme for overseeing this and all those who pray in faith, believing and pray without ceasing for others.
• **Our Children’s Church was powerful this year! Even though we didn’t have as much help as we would have liked we were able to minister to the hearts of the children and see lives changed, I believe for eternity! Thank you so much Candise, Patti Jo and Jerry for giving your hearts to these little ones.
• **Many lives were changed through the Youth Group this year also. In this season when the group is small it is still exploding with ministry to the youth hearts. Thank you, Josh and Aimee and team for your dedication to these young people and for WEEKLY making all the burritos that help support Youth functions and other needs.
• **Awesome ministry opportunities through Faith Ministries Network with the Youth Camp, Women’s Conference and Men’s Conference.
• **Men’s breakfast has been a life changing ministry too. Thank you, Joe, for faithfully leading this and for Dave and team for all the wonderful food you prepare. Lives are being changed.
• **The Ladies ministry has also ministered to the lives of many women this past year. Thank you, Jeanette for your love for the women and desire to encourage them in the Word.
• **This year our media team has branched out in new technology and been able to get the messages to the world in various ways. What a blessing! This is a huge ministry when you consider all the people around the world who tune in on purpose or by accident and are receiving the message of love and grace. There are testimonies of lives being changed! Thank you, Brian and Josh, for your many hours of getting the tech part of this tweaked and working. Also, thank you to Emily and Mike for helping with the sound and filming the services. What a great blessing!
• **We are able to send out CD’s of the services to several people across the US some twice a month and some once a moth. We hear reports of how much this ministry is appreciated and valued. Also, the messages are on CD for any of the church family to have and review or share with others. Another powerful ministry and we thank Patti Jo and Jerry for your dedication to this ministry.
• **Our Legendary Bar church is growing beyond what we would have imagined. Thank you, Ed, for your vision to reach others in this way and all who are a part of making it go. We also started a monthly church in Del Norte, CO which is a blessing and success.
• **There were times when the finances were lower than they have been in years but the ministry went on as usual! Thank You, Jesus, for Your wisdom and provision.
• **We were able to do a few updates to the church building and the grounds always look so presentable and welcoming. Thank you, Art and Chris and team, for all your hard work keeping the church property looking so nice.

 
2020 Visions and how we are preparing for the out powering!

• **A year of 2020 vision – A Vision that is focused and not blurry. We will keep our eyes focused on His ways, His thoughts, His Word, His Love and reach the world with His message of love and grace!
• **New Declaration: “Don’t stop! Keep on singing! Make his name famous! Tell everyone every day how wonderful he is. Give them the good news of our great Savior. Take the message of his glory and miracles to every nation. Tell them about all the amazing things he has done.”
• Psalm 96:2-3
• **We will go forward in our usual ministries and seek His direction as we grow, learn and minister in ways we never thought we could.
• **Continue with the monthly Legendary Bar Church, Del Norte Church
• **Believing to start a Bible Study for men out of jail but in the system – what an opportunity to help them with a new life course!
• **Thursday night studies will continue to flourish and grow
• **Prayer team to grow and be a team that is praying 24/7
• **Word and ministry to go forth in greater ways through various media opportunities
• **Continue to bless and support the children in Kenya and Peru and beyond
• **New ideas for fundraising for the Children’s homes
• **Pig Roast and Car Show to support Peru – Homes of Refuge
• **Extra classes and studies during 1st service
• ** FMN (Faith Ministries Network) World Conference that we will host in June to be an outreach for the community and our church family along with the other partners and International guests that will be here
• **Church house to continue to minister to folks
• **Needed repairs and updates to church building and church house
• **Mission trip to Canada in August
• **Mission trips to Peru and Kenya
• **Children’s Church to grow and flourish – more help so we can grow and for the summer VBS
• **Community outreach – each person in the church family reaching out weekly and sharing their testimonies of His amazing love with one another
• **Life Groups – Home Groups – Grief Share – Financial Ministry – Marriage Ministry – Parenting Ministry
• **Powerful Men’s group and breakfast
• **Flourishing Women’s group and Bible study
• **Explosive Youth Group
• **Young Adult Group
• **Finances to give into every good work the Lord is leading us to
• **Finances for a church secretary that can be at the church 4 days a week
• **Finances to pay for more cleaning, up keep and maintenance work needed for the church building and church guest house
• ** Finances to do repairs and updates on the church building and church house

 
I want to close with this – Ed and I believe and know that we are the most blessed pastors there are. We have the greatest church family. We do so much for a small church on a mountain. You are the most wonderful, giving, loving people and we are thankful beyond belief that we can minister together with you! Thank you for all you do and give and let’s continue to work together and hopefully more will even want to get involved in some areas so we can minister to this powerful out pouring of people that are coming to know the Jesus we know and represent. Love you all so much!