Spring 2012 Newsletter

2 Trust & ObeyA Story Of God’s Faithfulness

3 Eager For Easter

5 Leading The Way In SharingThe Good News WorldwideHow Leading e Way’s THe KinGdOm SAT is Changing Lives Around e World

7 Apostles Celebrates 25 YearsA Letter From dr. Youssef & “A Glimpse into e Past”

11 WANTEDKayla Cason Takes Children’s ministry into e mission Field

13 Humble ServantsTestimonies From STS’s Winter mission Project

15 The End Of The Programming Day...

17 Following His ExampleA Story Of Life-changing mission Work in Guatamala

18 Little WomenHow e designerWomanhood Conference Changed Two Girl’s Lives

Table Of Contents

When I was a boy of 12, I used to hear my older brother, Nathan, singing in English. His favorite

song was “Trust and Obey.” I had limited facilities in English, so I thought he was saying, “Yesterday.”

I never asked him, but I often wondered why he was singing about the past.

Even as a young boy I was future-oriented. I always had future dreams. I dreamed of getting

away from home, being independent, and making money like my banker brothers. Those day-

dreams often intensified when I experienced failure or perceived unjust punishment from my

father. Actually, I dreamed of doing better than my brothers. But I was the runt of the family. My ac-

complished siblings were as much as 19 years older than me, and my parents seemed to believe

there was no way I could equal their success, let alone exceed it.

Thus, I could not understand why my brother would sing about yesterday. Surely he should sing a song that said, “Tomorrow

. . . tomorrow.” At least, that was my secret song. Tomorrow, I will leave home. Tomorrow, I will experience freedom from parental

control, oppressive culture, and severe societal limitation.

Although God had graciously planted that desire in my heart, the freedom He ultimately had in mind was quite different. It

would not entail just political and societal freedom, but more importantly, the spiritual freedom that Jesus gave me. Later I under-

stood that spiritual freedom was far higher, far greater, and far more lasting than simply escaping my oppressive environment. It

would take years before I understood what Nathan was singing.

It was not “Yesterday”; it was “Trust and Obey.” That not only became a meaningful song, but it would represent my entire life’s

journey.You may be asking, “What’s all that got to do with the history of The Church of The Apostles?” It has everything to do with it.

“Trust and obey” became the map to be followed—not just for me, but for the first 25-year history of the church.

When I am invited to speak to pastors and others about the growth of The Church

of The Apostles, I tell them, “Save yourself the trouble.” We did not establish

our church by following a 20-step strategy or by breaking down 25 goals into

5-year plans. If I were to give a speech on the growth of our church, it would

be the shortest speech I have ever given. I would simply say, “Trust and obey,”

and then I would sit down.

Why then am I writing a book to explain what those two words represent?

Very simply, to document the inner workings of that statement during a 25-

year period. What happened when we did trust and obey, and what were the

consequences when we did not?

This is a book about God’s faithfulness. His faithfulness to me as an individual

when I was hopelessly unfaithful, and His faithfulness to me as the struggling

founding pastor of a marvelous vineyard of His own planting. But above all, this

is a book about His faithfulness to His word and His promises, both of which The

Church of The Apostles relies upon to this day.

Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

ApostlesLife |2 | www.apostles.org

But whatever their doubts, that’s notour problem, is it? Today’s Christian, safewithin the fortress of tradition, of coursebelieves that Jesus was raised from thedead, ascended, and awaits His time toreturn. To doubt that is to deny the faith,after all. Then is our text just an historicalaccount of the ignorance of Jesus’ gener-ation, or is there anything that shouldmatter to us? So what if His disciplesdoubted the facts as long as we don’t?And what does it have to do with beingeager for Easter?

For the answer, we first consider theonly other time Matthew used that sameword for doubt. It is found on the lips ofJesus when He gently rebuked Peter, whohad stepped out of the boat, but lookingaround, began to sink. After raising himup, Jesus asked, “Why did you doubt?”Not, “Why did you fear?” but, “Why didyou doubt?” The issue wasn’t the stormysurroundings but the identity of Jesus.“Why did you doubt [it was I who wascalling you]?” Fear happens. Doubt

Do you remember when youwere young and excited byChristmas? How you couldn’t

wait for those last few days to pass beforeSanta’s visit? And how your anticipationpeaked on Christmas Eve as you listenedfor sleigh bells and dreamt of shiny pres-ents just for you? So do I.

Why do you suppose we weren’t everas eager for Easter?

Believe it or not, Matthew gives us ahint in the verse above which describesthe confusion of the disciples upon see-ing the resurrected Jesus. What followsare perhaps the most famous words inthe gospel, including, “Go ye thereforeand teach all nations...” It seems the con-text for the Great Commission is not theglow of revival fire but the shiver of un-certainty.

About this doubt, the other gospelsgive us more detail. Mark tells us that,upon appearing to the eleven, Jesus re-buked them for their stubborn refusal tobelieve. Luke’s last chapter relates two

stories: that of the two mourners return-ing to Emmaus and another one aboutthe disciples—both of them studies inspiritual myopia. But John’s account isthe most incriminating of all. He devoteshis final two chapters to post-resurrec-tion appearances and the pathology ofunbelief. The cases of blindness, alas, faroutnumber the instances of recognition.And these weren’t people who had neverknown Jesus. They were His compan-ions. Compared to these others, then,Matthew is the diplomat, sparing us thesorry details with his summary remark,“but some doubted.”

Doubted what? Obviously the very ex-istence of Jesus, so soon after witnessingHis agonizing execution and the burialof their hopes along with His body. Orperhaps they doubted that He was reallythere, in body, before them, instead ofjust an apparition. Or if He was beforethem in body, then maybe He had neverreally died, though they had heard Himgive up His ghost, or did He?


hurts. Fear comes from our circum-stances. Doubt from our self. Now we’regetting to the heart of the matter.

Paul’s magisterial exposition of resur-rection found in I Corinthians 15 paintsa glorious picture of our future: Christhas died and was raised, so we shall dieand one day be raised. Of the many otherpoints he makes, this one may be themost unappreciated: The resurrection ofyour glorified body won’t occur untilyour natural body has first been buried,for the simple reason that, as Paul says,“What you sow does not come to life un-less it dies.” The precondition for bodilyresurrection, therefore, is bodily death.Seems logical enough. Yes, but the logicis life-changing, for the same principleapplies to the realm of the spirit.

While the transformation of the bodyfrom natural to glorified occurs onlylater, at death, the transformation of thespirit can take place now. It did for Paulon the Damascus road. “I am crucifiedwith Christ,” he declared to the Galatians,

“nevertheless I live.” But, just as the glo-rified body won’t exist until the naturalbody is first buried, so one cannot expe-rience the wonder of a glorified life untilthe natural life is buried. That is, we won’thave resurrected thinking, for example,until the old thinking is put to death. Wewon’t have resurrected feelings until theold feelings are slain. “What you sowdoes not come to life unless it dies.”Could the reason that we have never en-joyed much of the thrill of victory in ourChristian walk be this obvious: We havenever died? Died daily to our attempts tosave ourselves. Died finally to our will.Died forever to our doubts. As Peterdoubted Christ on the sea, we doubtChrist on the land, in our homes, at ourjobs. We’ve not buried the old and there-fore cannot experience the new. We aresuspended, instead, in the lukewarmlimbo of doubt, between two types of ex-istence. “Is that really God speaking?”“Must I stop that habit?” “Does it reallymatter if I pray?”

Many of us would feel right at homewith those disciples in Matthew’s ac-count: Part of us wants to worship, butpart of us still doubts. Consequently, wewin some and lose some spiritually.Funny, but “you win some, you losesome” is not in my concordance. Nor isit in the will of God. In Christ, rather, youalways win by losing (i.e., dying)—losingto your spouse, your friend, your God.Until you roll the stone in front of thegrave of your life and cover it, God can’troll it away and set you free, for what yousow does not come to life unless it dies.

Admit it, you were as excited as I wasat Christmas when we were young andbelieved in Santa. But our lives werechanged and that thrill would wane oncewe learned the awful truth: There is noSanta Claus. That was the beginning ofthe end of childhood. But the good news,the thrilling news, is that adulthoodawaits, and it’s even better. There is arisen Christ and His life can be ourstoday! No doubt about it.


Leading The Way in Sharing

It is hard to believe that just three years agoLeading The Way launched THE KING-DOM SAT, a dedicated satellite television

channel that broadcasts the Gospel 24/7 to alargely Islamic audience around the world.This channel engages viewers through thetelevision channel and through live stream-ing and on-demand programs on THEKINGDOM SAT’s newly designed website.The need for this channel is not limited to the Middle East and North Africa as theopportunities for worldwide ministry through THE KINGDOM SAT present them-selves daily.

THE KINGDOM SAT is doing its first trial broadcast runs in South America and Aus-tralia, and now reaches the underground church in Morocco. Further, the opportunityhas just been presented to broadcast in the world’s largest Muslim country – Indonesia.

Feedback from THE KINGDOM SAT audience has been exciting, including theserecent letters, emails and texts:

Obviously, THE KINGDOM SAT istouching lives and inspiring seekersaround the world to discover the Truthof Christ. We have also seen Dr.Youssef ’s book, When The Crosses AreGone, resonate with a broad audiencehere in the United States, often due tothe growing influence of Islam righthere in America. That is why THEKINGOM SAT has begun broadcastingits biblical messages across NorthAmerica through a satellite channelwhich targets an international audienceof 10 million in the US and Canada.

Since THE KINGDOM SAT does notask viewers for financial support, itscontinued growth is a testament to your

Leading The Way in Sharing

Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef is broadcasting the uncompromising Truth of the

Word of God into nations on virtually every continent. Recent months have brought substantial

growth specifically in critical areas of North America, the Middle East, and North Africa. This

month we would like to share exciting updates with you from these places of the ministry.

Please help me. I’m a girl from Saudi where there is no such thing calledfreedom. I decoded certain websites and was shocked about the truthbehind Islam. I no longer think it is God’s religion and don’t think therewere prophets at all. I’m very confused. (Saudi Arabia)

I was a Muslim and now I’m saved. I live in a Muslim world and if theyknew about me they would kill me. Please tell me: are there Christiansother than myself in Libya? (Libya)

I wanted Jesus to save me and my family. I have just prayed to receiveChrist. (Iraq)

I’m a Muslim and have been watching the broadcast … I have questionsif you may answer. Who is your God? Who is the pope? Is the Son con-sidered God? I also have 26 more questions.... (Oman)

“

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w.k

ing

dom

sat.

com

THE KINGDOM SAT


The good neWS WorLdWidefaithfulness. The Church of The Apos-tles plays an integral role in ensuring theexpansion of Leading The Way’s thriv-ing ministries.

NAVIGATORS

Not everyone around the worldhas access to a television, or evena radio or cell phone, and people

often approach us wondering how theGospel message will reach remote areas

that are rural, often poverty-stricken,and challenging for missionaries toreach. Leading The Way’s Navigators arean answer to this need. These solar-powered mp3 players are preloaded and

shipped with Dr. Youssef ’s poignant sermons, teaching the essential truths of Scrip-ture. Where available, they also have the New Testament, pairing the Word itself withinformative exposition.

This year alone, more than 2,500 of these solar-powered, pocket missionaries are readyto go out in local languages to Vietnam, Thailand, Brazil, Albania, India, Russia, the Mid-dle East, and even a prison in Zambia. As we distribute them, we are greeted with enthu-siastic gratitude from people who want to know the Lord and those who do know Himwho are hungry for consistent food from the Word.

Only God is able to multiply the efforts and sacrifices of one body of believers inAtlanta, Georgia, to reach as far as a prison in Zambia, remote islands in Indonesia,and regions of the world closed to traditional missionaries.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH

Opportunities are ever-ex-panding as God opens newdoors – such as broadcasting

on The Discovery Channel here inthe United States – allowing us toreach a broader audience with theGospel here at home.

This spring, Leading The Way willrelocate its headquarters to theGlobal Media Center—a larger facil-ity here in Atlanta (http://ltwgmc.com). This move will enable greater growth for allof Leading The Way’s ministry outreaches, including THE KINGDOM SAT and theNavigator programs.

Dr. Youssef passionately proclaims uncompromising Truth to a world full of com-promises and Leading The Way will continue to be a critical champion of grace inthe footrace to bring the good news to every nation and tongue.

If you would like to partner with Leading The Way, please contact us at:

Leading The WayPO Box 20100

Atlanta, GA 30325www.leadingtheway.org

404-841-0100Email: [email protected]

The good neWS WorLdWide

i am involved in an “Underground ministry” that

reaches to Balinese people.When we go to small villagesin Bali island, we find it hard

to teach them Christianitythrough books…this navigator

is helpful for the Balinese people who cannot read!

it’s amazing. - G. Putra, Indonesia


Dear Apostles Family,

In May 2012, The Church of The Apostles will celebrate its 25th Anniver-sary in ministry. As I look back over the first 25 years, I cannot help but re-joice in God’s faithfulness. These have been building years, preparing usfor the next 25 years. Moving forward, we will continue to stand on thesolid foundation of His Word and His promises.

Throughout the Bible, God instructs His people to set up stones of re-membrance. In Joshua 4:4-7, God commanded the Israelites to place thesestones of remembrance as a landmark for future generations to rememberHis goodness, mercy, and protection.God knows we are proned to takecredit for things that only He could have done. As believers, it is imperativethat we not only to look back and learn from our history, but also look aheadto help light the way for coming generations.

Over the last few years, I have been contemplating this milestone in ourchurch. I believe it would be unfortunate not to seek the Lord and hear from Him about the next 25years. After much prayer, and consultation with your church leadership and staff, I believe we have aclear direction and course of action. What’s next? Continuing to lean on Him for our every need. Con-tinuing to trust His Word to perform great things as it spreads from this hill in Atlanta, Georgia, circlingthe globe.

In Christ,

Michael Youssef, Ph. D.

Michael Youssef, Ph.D.Founding Rector of The Church of The Apostles


Dr. Youssef leads the very first service of eChurch of e Apostles in the Hallmark Roomat the Waverly Hotel on May 10, 1987. Around

52 adults and children gathered together that MotherʼsDay to worship and celebrate communion. e serviceʼsfirst song—Our God Reigns—seemed to perfectly capturethe mission and message of this new-born community.

Less than one month aer its first service, the newcongregation had outgrown its meeting space atthe Waverly Hotel. Plans had already been laid to

begin utilizing the facilities of a local private school inSeptember. Now these plans needed to be moved for-ward. e community gathered at e Lovett Schoolʼschapel, which could accommodate 600 people, on thefirst Sunday of June 1987.

Purchased in 1993, the Allstate building on North-side Parkway became the home of our congrega-tion. With some renovation, this tawdry building

and its 100,000 square-feet of space became the home ofthe congregation and the headquarters of its internationalbroadcast ministry, Leading e Way.

Our temporary home in the renovated Allstatebuilding wasn’t the most polished of sactuaries.Every twenty feet was a column that had to be

avoided, the ceiling was only nine feet high, and there werea host of other challenges. However, none of those thingsmattered whatsoever. e church flourished during thistime as God poured out His presence on His people.

A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST



A Glimpse Into The Past

This represents the beginning of melding the Allstatebuilding into new construction. Only a small por-tion of the Allstate building was demolished to ac-

commodate the construction of the new sanctuary. e100,000 square feet of the Allstate building was blendedinto the new construction with a façade on the east side ofthe property and the addition of the sanctuary on the westside of the property.

Many people who saw the construction of thenew sanctuary as they drove by on I-75 com-mented on how inspiring it was to see the

sanctuary rise out of the ground during the eighteenmonths it took to complete the process. is was the vi-sion of the leadership of the church: that the buildingwould stand as a witness to the faithfulness of God.

The cafeteria in the Allstate building became our firstchapel. Initially, there was a modest renovation toaccomodate our ministry. Later this building was

torn down to make room for a new multi-purpose buildingthat would serve the growing needs of our congregation.

Almost unrecognizable with its renovated interiorand exterior, the former Allstate cafeteria servedwell for several years as the churchʼs chapel. Even-

tually, however, it would be replaced to develop additionaleducational space for the ever-growing church community.


This photo of the parking deck was taken not longaer its completion. is parking garage—alongwith the Department of Transportationʼs miracu-

lous approval of a traffic light at Northside Parkway—helped ease safety and logistical concerns about how toaccommodate the swelling number of people coming tothe campus each week.

The last phase of construction was the completionof a six-story building that would not only housethe new Commons and Sam and Louisa Ayoub

Chapel but would also provide additional classroom spacefor our children’s ministry that was bursting at the seams.

On December 24, 2000 we not only celebrated thebirth of Christ, but also our first service in thenew sanctuary. e timing of this event was an

overwhelming blessing to our congregation as we onceagain celebrated the faithfulness of God.

Years aer that first service, the church has grownto what we now experience weekly. ough thetransformation of this property is stunning, more

important is the transformation that God has made in thelives of those who enter these doors. “To God be theGlory, great things He has done.”

A Glimpse Into The Past


But after she became a teacher in a publicschool, she felt called to not only teach academ-ics to the children, but to teach them aboutJesus. At Apostles, we have often talked abouthow to use our spiritual gifts to share the gospel.That had led Kayla to pray and read the scrip-tures in an effort to discern how she could besthelp her students.

Then, before school started in August, herprincipal announced that if any teachers had aspecial interest they wanted to expose the stu-dents to, something they could share with thestudents before or after school, then they couldrun it by her and she would consider it.

So Kayla approached her principal and said she wanted tostart a club to teach the children about Christ. And to Kayla’sdelight, her principal said yes.

Although Kayla taught in a public school, she was legallyfree to teach about Christ as long as it was in a club setting andopen to the entire school. Kayla immediately got in touch withConnie Musselman, the Director of Children’s Ministry atApostles, and Connie offered to provide Bibles and other re-sources for the new club.

The club started with the beginning of the school year. Onthe first day, four kids attended. But they told their siblings

and other friends about it, and it quickly grew until 20-25were coming consistently.

The children were committed because they had to comein early to attend the club. “They were so excited,” Kaylasays. Week after week, “they came in with smiling faces andtheir Bibles, and they were very eager to learn about Christ.”

Later that year, Connie mentioned to Kayla that Apostleswould love to have the children attend our Vacation BibleSchool that summer. Kayla thought it was a great idea. Theonly issue was that the church was forty miles away fromthe school, and Kayla drove a 5-passenger sedan. But she

Kayla always had a passion for kids. Even as a little girl, she lovedtaking care of other little children and spending time with them.Early on, she felt God calling her to be a teacher.


decided to see how many kids would like to goand then figure things out from there.

A good friend and fellow teacher had a 15-passenger van and offered to swap vehicles forthe week. Then when Kayla announced the plansfor Vacation Bible School, all the children saidthey wanted to go. Eventually, fifteen studentssigned up.

The kids loved attending our Bible school. Thechildren would sing the songs with Kayla in the van on the wayhome each day, and they shared them with their family andfriends. One mom sent Kayla a video of her daughter and an-other friend singing one of the VBS songs. The mom was so ap-preciative, and it touched Kayla’s heart.

It was a wonderful experience for everyone, includingKayla. She had wanted to teach the kids about the Lord, andin the past, she did the best she could, often in a disguisedway. “But I was so tired of that,” she says. “I wanted to openlyexpress my faith with these kids.”

She didn’t know what they faced at home. “From what Ihear, it’s not good things. They don’t go to church, and youcan just look at their eyes; they’re sad. They want more.”

The world can be a difficult place, and children aren’t im-mune from facing those difficulties. ButKayla wanted to bring them joy. She wantedthem to know “there’s a Savior and He lovesyou and He wants you to know that.”

At Apostles, we’ve talked about lookingat our lives as a mission field. And Kaylasees it that way. She goes into the publicschool environment every day where shesays people are afraid to speak about Godand show His love. “But if you’re sold out toGod, nothing should intimidate you,” shesays. “If you’re a Christian, you’ll have that

desire to share it with others.”Today, Kayla continues to share the gospel through her

club. She wants to see her students being disciples. She wantsto “equip them, so they can see that they can also go out andtalk to others about the Lord.”

“For the 2012 STS Winter MissionProject we stayed at a homeless sheltercalled Rescue Atlanta. On Saturday weworked with Samaritan’s Feet and washedabout 300 people’s feet and gave everyonea new pair of shoes. I was one of the peo-ple who washed feet.

I did not mind washing people’s feet somuch; I was nervous about the possibilityof having to witness and lead someone toChrist. I have never really done that, andit ended up not happening after all. Butkneeling on the ground, rubbing a per-son’s foot with soap and water, then pray-ing with them, I felt calm. It was a peacefulfeeling. Looking back I believe the Spiritwas telling me that being in that position,serving and being below my fellow man,was good. It felt right.

And while the Holy Spirit revealed alot to me through my own experienceand from the people I interacted with, Iwant to mention something that the girlsitting next to me told me, because I be-lieve it is worth telling (though she doesnot know I am sharing this). She told methat several homeless people would sit

down and tell her that they do not needtheir feet to be washed, for whatever rea-son. But after a few minutes of talkingwith her, waiting on their new shoes tocome from the other room, they wouldask her, “Why are y’all doing this? Whyare y’all washing our feet?” She answered,“Well, that’s what Jesus did. We are doing

what He did.” Then several of them toldher that she could wash their feet. To methat shows the power of Jesus’ name, howhearing about Him works in people’shearts. He can “melt the heart of stone.”

~Alice Fugate, 10th grade

“I really had a great time on the WinterMission Project with STS. It was amazinghow showing love and affection has suchan amazing effect on people. The peoplewe served didn’t look like us on the out-side, and maybe they didn’t want to hearwhat we had to say, but their hearts tookit in and embraced it. One of the most re-warding experiences I had was washingfeet. It was amazing to see people enjoyinghaving their feet soaked in hot water as Iprayed for them and talked with them.One woman took a picture and said whatwe were doing was a blessing. It amazedme how grateful these people could beafter living on the streets and sleeping inthe cold. When she told me that it was ablessing, it kept a smile on my face for therest of the day.”

~Catherine Jackson, 7th Grade

ur Winter Mission Project for 2012 took place over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holidayweekend. We stayed at Rescue Atlanta, a day shelter and church that caters to thehomeless community of Atlanta. While there we partnered with an organization calledSamaritan’s Feet. On Saturday, we distributed almost 300 pairs of new shoes to thehomeless clients of Rescue Atlanta. As a part of that distribution, our students wereable to wash the feet of the homeless before they fitted them with new shoes and socks.

It was really amazing how the STS students ministered to the homeless people. Many of them prayed to-gether, shared stories, and shared the love of Jesus Christ. As I walked around the room changing buckets ofwarm soapy water, there were a few times that tears came to my eyes as I listened to teenagers praying withthe shoe recipient or when a student’s eyes lit up as another homeless person was escorted to their foot washingstation. It was a day that I will never forget and I know that the STS students who were there feel the same.

~Bill Sandman, STS Middle School Coordinator

Here are some testimonies from the weekend:

HUMBLE SERVANTS


“John 13:14-17 says, “if i then, the Lordand the Teacher, washed your feet, you alsoought to wash one another’s feet. For i gaveyou an example that you also should do asi did to you. Truly, truly, i say to you, aslave is not greater than his master,nor is one who is sent greater than the onewho sent him. if you know these things,you are blessed if you do them.”

I’ve read over this verse and heard thestory of Jesus washing His disciple’s feetin Sunday school a million times, yet Ihave never taken Jesus’ words seriouslywhen He says “you also should do as I didto you.” To be frank, I was a little hesitantwhen I heard we were going to be wash-ing the homeless’ feet. When I wouldthink of homeless people I would thinkof the stereotypical man with filthyclothes sleeping in a cardboard box talk-ing to himself, and that’s what most peo-ple picture in their minds to be honestwith you. Then, on Saturday, they asked

for volunteers to wash feet and somethingjust felt right about it, like God put me inthis situation for a reason. As I sat down,immediately my image of homeless peo-ple changed. I met a lady, June, who toldme she was a teacher with a love for lan-guage arts but with the economy, it’s hardto afford a new pair of shoes or a home. Iwas amazed as she told me about how shewas writing a book with testimonies fromhomeless woman like herself. It amazesme how people make the best out of theirsituations. As I gently washed a man’s feet,he said, “You don’t have to be so gentlewith me. I haven’t been treated like a childin so long, it feels so great. Thank you.” Itake for granted everyday when my par-ents treat me like a child and don’t let mesee a movie or go to a party and then Ihear a man in his fifties thank me fortreating him like one. I’ll never forget howone woman came in speechless and put asmile on her face as she said, “This is like

what they did in the Bible. This is amaz-ing!” I was touched when the lady pulledout her cell phone, called her pastor, andraved on and on about how a 13 year oldgirl asked to wash her feet. It broughttears to my eyes as she said that it was themost humbling thing anyone’s ever donefor her.

It’s amazing what a simple act of wash-ing someone’s feet and just taking thetime to talk to them can do. Out of themany stories I could tell about this trip,there is one that I’ll never forget. After Iprayed with this one woman, she asked topray for me. Me, a girl that’s blessed witha wonderful family, house, education,plenty of clothes, and a practically worry-free lifestyle. I went into this trip thinkingthat we were going to be the ones helpingand changing the lives of the homeless inAtlanta, but it turned out they would bethe ones helping and changing my life.”

~Abby Shelton, 7th Grade


Students love the world beyond midnight. Even asa rising 8th grader, during the summer of 1987, I’dstay awake to see the end of the programming day.Twenty-five years ago few network stations (ABC,NBC, and CBS) aired TV shows after 2:30 AM.

Typically, the local station would run a video of the AmericanFlag waving in the breeze with the National Anthem playingin the background. A voice-over would announce, “That isthe end of our programming day,” and then give you informa-tion on when you could tune back in. It was the network’s

kind way of saying, “Perhaps it’s time to go to rest.” I usuallytook the cue and went to bed.

I think if today’s students (middle school through col-lege) were able to step back through twenty-five years

of time, they would immediately notice how quiet itwas in comparison to the noise of today. I’m not

just talking about audible noise; I’m talkingabout the “noise” of information overload

we experience on a daily basis in 2012.In 1987, we didn’t have e-mail, social

networks, or texting. Our videogame systems didn’t really

lend themselves to

hours of play. There were only so manytimes that you could tolerate the gamesaying, “Thank you, Mario, but ourprincess is in another castle” before youjust gave up. The cell phones were limitedas well. Very few people owned one but ifyou did, you’d better keep your conversa-tion to about three minutes or you’d bepaying a huge bill. As I said earlier, pro-gramming on television and radio wasalso limited. Unless you had cable, yourtelevision would play that last resoundingnote of The Star-Spangled Banner andthen you’d be greeted by a test-pattern ora sudden burst of hissing white noise.Yes, to them I believe it would feel slower,calmer, and quieter.

In the twenty-five years since TheChurch of The Apostles held its first serv-ice, the noise of everyday life has beenthrown into overdrive. Students are con-stantly bombarded by programming.“Programming” is a great word for it. Aprogram has come to connote a systemthat is put in place to alter your patternsof living and thinking. I’ve told studentsfor years that every bit of information theyencounter has a spin and a worldview. Itmust be taken captive and analyzed.However, there is no longer a pause af-forded in the information stream. Thereis no end to the programming day. It is a

By Zack Carden

College & Transition Pastor

24/7 barrage of messages through multi-ple media platforms. These messages aretelling them what to think and how theyshould live. If we are honest, many of usadults would have to admit we are just ascaught up in the information barrage asstudents. Sometimes we just need to stepaway from it all and get some perspective.

As Dr. Youssef has pointed out, we arecelebrating our “Half-Jubilee” this year.The Jubilee runs on the principle of “Sab-bath.” The principle that the Lord taughtHis people through the Sabbath is to breakfrom the day to day and set apart sometime to rest in Him. But how do we restin Him?

First, we break from thinking as theworld thinks. Consider the Sabbath prin-ciples for Israel: no work on Saturday,land must lay fallow after the seventhyear, on the fiftieth year, slaves are to bereleased and debts cancelled. It makesvery little sense from the world’s perspec-tive. The Sabbath afforded the Israelitestime to cease from their own understand-ing and turn their minds and hearts to-ward the Lord’s ways (which have beenand always will be higher than our own).

Second, the Sabbath was a reminderthat they should rest in the Lord. TheLord was very clear that there was noth-ing that Israel possessed that did not

come from His hand. No matter how hard we strive and try tomeet our own needs (both physical and spiritual) apart from theLord, it turns to rot. That’s God’s mercy to us, because the Sab-bath ultimately points us to the Cross. For in the Cross we mustrest in Christ’s work alone.

It’s appropriate, then, that we celebrate a Half-Jubilee this year.It is appropriate because the story of The Church of The Apostlesencompasses these two aspects of the Sabbath principle: to trustthe Lord to do things His way and to rest in the fact that thepower comes from God alone. This Half-Jubilee should be a re-minder in our own noisy, fast-paced lives to take the time tounplug. If we would be in our own lives what God has calledus to be, there must be an “end to the programming day,”and a time to meditate on what Christ has done, is doing,and would seek to do in us. If the testimony of howthe Lord has used this church for His glory over thelast quarter of a century is any indication, then Ithink we can expect Him to magnify Himselfthrough our own personal lives. But thequestion still remains for each of us inthis loud, non-stop programmingworld: Can we be quietenough to listen?

It is a 24/7 barrage of messages

through multiple media platforms.

These messages are telling them what

to think and how they should live.


Sixty-year-old Miguel climbed downfrom the almost-finished house and tooka seat on a bucket. He pulled off the re-mains of what might have been decentshoes a decade ago. As I knelt, I saw thefeet of a man who hadn’t worn shoes formost of his life. My pride swelled. Hon-estly, I wanted nothing to do with wash-ing feet – thoughts of dropping the toweland running away came to mind. Per-haps I could fake a seizure or a heatstroke. His feet were wide like flippers,and felt as hard as asphalt, dirty as asewer pipe. His toenails were gnarled andmangled. As I knelt on the bare groundwith Miguel over me, I dipped the towelinto the water bucket and held his worn

feet in my hands.I tasted the humility Jesus chose to live

in. In John 13 we find Jesus dining withHis disciples. He got up from the mealtaking off His outer garment and wrap-ping a towel around His waste. As only aservant would do He poured water intoa basin and began to wash the filth fromHis followers’ feet. Jesus finished washingtheir feet and returned to His seat.

“‘do you understand what i have donefor you?’ He (Jesus) asked them. ‘You callme ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, forthat is what i am. now that i, your Lordand Teacher, have washed your feet, youalso should wash one another’s feet. i haveset you an example that you should do as

i have done for you. i tell you the truth, noservant is greater than his master, nor is amessenger greater than the one who senthim. now that you know these things, youwill be blessed if you do them’” (John13:12b-17).

I’ve led many trips to Guatemala, andwe don’t always wash their feet, but wedo always serve them and offer themshoes. Miguel walked away in a pair ofshinny hip running shoes. I’ve seen littlegirls come alive when receiving a pair ofsparkly sandals and mothers giggle whenpicking out their first pair of sneakers.The shoes bring a message, one verbal-ized as we give them, the same being pro-claimed by local churches before wearrive and after we leave, that Jesus is therescue they need, that He is love.

May 6th through 12th a team ofyoung adults will be, once again, going toGuatemala to build homes, lead evangel-istic services for children, and give awayshoes. We would love for you to be a partof this by taking a few moments to searchyour home for gently worn shoes. Col-lection boxes will be available in the chil-dren’s area for you to drop them off.

Most of my time was spent plopping mortar between concrete blocks on ateam led by three short brown Guatemalan men: Miguel, Domingo, andRaphael. On the second to last day of this trip to Guatemala we took their

shoe sizes and brought the men shoes the following morning. One of my fellow pastorsthought it would be a good idea to wash their feet as a sign of love and service.

FOLLOWINGHISEXAMPLE By Russ Masterson


LEAH HORNER, AGE 12I remember my mom telling me that

we were going to a womenhood confer-ence at our church. I thought it was goingto be really boring and there was nopoint in going to it. This conferencetaught me how to be a strong woman ofGod and to respect myself for being awoman. The night I got there with mybest friend Megan, I completely changedmy mind! That night was one of thebiggest moments of my life. I sat there lis-tening to the sermon and then thespeaker asked for all the students to comeup. I didn’t know what we were doing.These ladies started to come up to eachand every one of us. A lady named Vickicame up to me. She started to pray forme. I thought that was the nicest prayerever said for me. When we sat back downI really thought about what she said tome. After the conference was over Iwanted to go talk to her. I found her andI started to cry. She was asking me why Iwas crying. I responded that I was grate-ful. That was an amazing night for me. Acouple weeks later she wasn’t at church. Iasked one of her friends and I found out

that she had breast cancer. I was reallysurprised and really sad. I prayed for herbecause I remembered what a huge im-pact she made on my life. She got betterand I was thrilled to see her. That confer-ence changed my life forever.

MEGAN MANUEL, AGE 12Coming to this womenhood confer-

ence changed my life. My mom draggedme to it, and I didn’t even want to go butthis conference not only made me realize

how to become a Godly woman, but itbrought me closer to God. I met awoman by the name of Ann. She trulymade a huge impact on my life. The ladywho was speaking at the conferenceasked all the girls to go up to the stageand a random woman would come topray for them. Then I realized Godbrought us together, that I was there fora reason. Ann brought out tears from myeyes. I felt like someone else was there forme and that she really cared. We sat thereand just talked to God together. Whileshe prayed, I sat there and poured myeyes out. Honestly, I don’t know why. Ijust felt like God was next to me. He wasspeaking to me through this woman.After the conference, I was going home

with my mom and my best friend, Leah,and her mom and I called Mrs. Ann andthanked her for helping me. I told herthat because of her I spoke to God. Thenext morning at church she told me Godtold her to bring me something. Thenshe pulled out a beautiful pearl necklacewith a gold cross on it. She writes me let-ters and she sent me a rock with Scrip-ture on it. God works in every way andmeeting Mrs. Ann is the best thing Goddid for me.

The Women’s Ministry hosted the Designer Womanhood conference here at TheChurch of The Apostles on August 26-27, 2011 and it was attended by morethan 200 women. The theme of the conference was based around these ques-

tions: Who is reaching the Next Generation – the church or the culture? What is mylife purpose? Two guest speakers were invited, Mary Kassian and Susan Hunt, to an-swer these questions and to give Godly insight to what is happening in our culturetoday. The conference was “designed” to teach women what God says regarding Bib-lical Womanhood! How He made women to be “helpers” and “life-givers” – not LIFETAKERS!

The message spoke deeply to all the women’s hearts. Two young ladies in attendanceat the conference have written their stories and we share them with you!

LITTLE WOMENHOW THE DESIGNER WOMANHOOD CONFERENCECHANGED TWO GIRLS LIVES

The Church of The Apostles3585 Northside Parkway. NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30327

Phone: 404.842.0200

WorshipSunday: The Gathering of the Body: 9:00 A.M. & 10:30 A.M.

Sunday Evening: 5:30 P.M.Wednesday Hour of Power: 6:15 P.M.

DiscipleshipSunday: 9:00 A.M.

Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef1781 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30309

Phone: 404.841.0100Order: 1.800.337.5323

Web: www.leadingtheway.org

Spring 2012 Newsletter

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Transcript of Spring 2012 Newsletter