October, 2020 Update What A Year We've Had! At the beginning of the year, I joked that 2020 was going to be the year of Clear Vision…20/20 Vision…and look at all the things we saw this year – the COVID-19 pandemic, toilet paper hoarding, mask debates, Black Lives Matter, deaths, rioting, Zoom meetings galore, and CRAZY divisive politics!  I’m hopeful that as important issues are coming to the surface, we, as a nation, are beginning to … [Read more...]

2 Timothy 2:2  “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”   Mentor Training 2019: For three Saturday mornings recently, I was blessed to take these four reliable and qualified men through Legacy Shepherding Ministries’ mentor training course.  In the trainings, I have the opportunity to share some of the things I’ve learned over the … [Read more...]

Fun Facts and Updates About Some People From the Past: Note:  I’ve noted the original update(s) people were highlighted in, so you can go back and see how far they’ve come under the Lord’s guidance, and your generosity and prayers.  You may type their name in the Search Site box for easy access to the updates. Todd Katter (Mar 2010 Update) – Todd was a young CPA working at a prestigious public accounting firm, who had a huge heart for the … [Read more...]

Six Reasons To Join My Support Team: Jake – Jake is a church worship leader with a heart for discipleship within community.  Years ago, Jake and his wife purposefully moved into an apartment complex that was classified as a red zone (dangerous by police standards) with the hope of helping bring about positive transformation within the community.  They built relationships within the complex and did life with the people who lived there.  Jake … [Read more...]

Spiritual Mentor Training: Each year, I try to take a small group of Legacy Shepherding people through a three session Spiritual Mentoring Training program.  This year, I took five guys through the training on the first three Saturday mornings in November. I get very excited about leading people through this material.  In this training, I share some helpful things I’ve learned over the years of doing this, as well as give some powerful tools … [Read more...]

“Spiritual transformation is the process by which Christ is formed in us for the glory of God, for the abundance of our own lives, and for the sake of others.” – Ruth Haley Barton “…a fourfold definition of spiritual formation as: (1) a process (2) of being conformed (3) to the image of Christ (4) for the sake of others.” – M. Robert Mulholland Jr. Josh's Story: “I thought by now it would be have gotten easier. “Two years ago, this is … [Read more...]

6 Legacy Peeps and What They’ve Been Up To This Year: Jordan, who is 23 years old, became a full-time youth pastor this year after completing a 5-year combined undergrad-seminary program.  Jordan grew up in the church and became a leader in high-school.  He continued to lead throughout college and seminary (or cemetery, as he sometimes calls it).  I met him when he was a Section Leader for young adults at Willow Creek.  In the months he has … [Read more...]

This was originally posted in December, 2017.  It got lost in an update of the host site server and is being re-posted now. Dawn’s Story: “To give a full picture of the work that the Lord has done in me, I must start from the beginning. I write this not to cast blame on anyone, but only to describe the events that helped shape me into the person I became. “Looking back on my childhood, I don’t have any happy memories of my parents’ … [Read more...]

This was originally posted in November, 2017.  It got lost in an update of the host site server and is being re-posted now. A Young Man's Story: In our first mentoring session a number of years back, a young man told me a little about his life.  Growing up, he could sense a constant tension between his arguing parents.  He felt the need to alleviate the tension, which unknowingly honed his pastoral and counseling skills...and also his … [Read more...]

“We want to be mentored, not preached at.” Two Interesting Studies: According to a Barna Group study of U.S. church trends published in 2014: 59% of Millennials1 who grew up in the church have dropped out. Only two in 10 Americans under 30 believe church attendance is important (an all-time low). 35% of Millennials1 take an anti-church stance, believing that church does more harm than good. Millennials1 are the least likely age … [Read more...]

Check out this video, written and performed by a Legacy Shepherding alum! (Note: You'll need to turn the volume up by clicking on the volume symbol at the bottom of the video) https://www.facebook.com/ITeamsUSA/videos/10155704655593117/   One faithful step at a time, that’s what it took.  One faith-filled step, without knowing where it would lead. A number of year ago, Dave Cooper, a Legacy Shepherding Ministries, Inc. alum who … [Read more...]

Check this out! One of the peeps we’ve invested in - Dan Ruta - recently gave his first sermon ever! You’d never know it was his first from how good he is at it.  I guess those years as a high-school teacher paid off. I hope you’ll take a look at this video and see the high quality of people you’ve been investing in. https://youtu.be/lYdsQQsHXlo With people like Dan leading, there is hope for the future church. How hard did you … [Read more...]