With Gratitude
God’s richest blessings to you in this New Year! As we begin 2012, my heart is full of gratitude for the faithful support of our friends in 2011. Through your commitment to prayer and generous giving, God has sustained us and enabled us to keep moving forward in response to his leading. This year we have been able to:
- Strengthen the souls of thousands of pastors and Christian leaders through eReflections, Transforming Resources®, our two-year Transforming Community® experience, spiritual direction with individuals and groups, speaking and on-site teaching for a variety of leadership groups.
- See entire churches and organizations clarify their commitment to an intentional focus on spiritual transformation so they can discern and do the will of God
- Begin teaching and equipping leaders to implement strategic approaches to spiritual transformation in their churches and organizations utilizing the Sacred Rhythms curriculum.
- Prepare to launch our first regional Transforming Community this spring
- Develop and introduce our new Leading a Transforming Church™ program which will provide the context for launching the Transforming Church™ network
- Launch a new website along with new communication strategies
- Hire a Director of Operations to help us do all this!
But every year, I submit anew to the discipline of listening to God regarding the calling and the needs of the Transforming Center and then writing to you with an invitation to participate. Every year I have come to a greater sense of peace about this aspect of my calling. And every year God uses your tangible expressions of friendship and support—whether it’s $25 or $5000—to encourage me and all of us at the Transforming Center to stay the course, trusting that God will always provide for what he is calling us to do.
So thank you for another great year of following God together. Thank you for your friendship in this spiritual endeavor. We do not use the term friendship lightly. Friendship is a gift that goes both ways; it is a relationship of mutual blessing. You have been a blessing to us; we hope and pray that we have been, and will continue to be, a blessing to you.
With gratitude and anticipation in the New Year,
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Ruth Haley Barton
Founder
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