ENCOURAGER The FALL 2017

N EWSLETTER OF THE C HRIST IAN FAMILY FELLOWSHIP M IN ISTRY 1575 W. STATE ROUTE 571 • TIPP CITY, OH 45371 ● 937-669-3090 • CFF M .ORG

If He gives us richly “all things to enjoy,” where is any room for lack?

The “No Lack” Lifestyle

We freely believe that Christ wants everyone well. So why can’t we believe He wants everyone well-supplied? We believe and teach that He wants everyone healthy. We don’t condemn the sick, but we know sickness isn’t acceptable. We don’t condemn those in lack, but we can’t accept lack, because we are persuaded that God’s provi-sion is achievable. His stockpile is waiting in the store-house for pickup.

We can even experience a circumstance of lack and still prosper, because we walk by the Spirit of the Great Pro-vider.

Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV 2011) I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

III John 1:2 (NKJV) Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

When our soul prospers, we can bring abundance into any situation of lack.

Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich [brings wealth] and He addeth no sorrow with it.

The Lord’s blessing makes rich. His Kingdom is an envi-ronment where all things move toward increase. In His presence, the storehouse of His supply becomes more

(continued on page 2)

… I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. 1 Peter 5:1 (NIV)

Hi Prosperous Family!

God bless you! God so loved that He gave.

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have ev-erlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to con-demn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

The word “saved” is the Greek word sōzō, and it means much more than everlasting life. In E. W. Bullinger’s Lexicon, part of the definition is “to bring in all positive blessing in the place of condemnation.” Because of His love, He still gives.

Ephesians 1:3 … who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

Our God faithfully supplies. His love is endless and so is His pro-vision. Our supply in every category is wrapped up in His spiritual blessing. If we don’t believe that His supply is super-natural, then we are not looking at who God really is. Is healing of our physical bodies natural or supernatural? Anything we re-ceive from the Father starts in the supernatural… what we cannot see with the natural eye. We “walk by faith [trust] and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

I Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

1 Timothy 6:17b ... the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.

EVERY LIFE Well-Supplied

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“While most people my age grow farther

from the Lord while in their college years, I grew much

closer.”

Look to him Hebrews 12:2

Come to him Matthew 11:28

1 Peter 2:4

Go to him Hebrews 13:13

Call Upon Him Acts 7:59

2 Corinthians 12:8

(continued from page 1)

and more displayed. Everything about our relationship with God and His Son moves in a direction of blessing and bounty. In the Father’s favor, we travel a prosperous path.

Blessed to Bless

Galatians 3:13-14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, “cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree;” 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

We have also been blessed in Abraham. God made a covenant with Abraham to bless him so that Abraham could be a blessing.

Genesis 12:3 (NIV) I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

Each of us is a Blesser! Let’s seek opportunities to speak blessing and increase into the lives (and physi-cal bodies) of those we meet. We distribute from an infinite storehouse!

The amount of scripture declaring how God the Fa-ther wants to bless us is overwhelming. The Garden of Eden itself paints a beautiful picture of the abun-dant environment that the Creator originally intend-ed to be the everlasting experience of His children. At times, we are still tempted to question God’s desire to supply. When doubt comes, we must re-sharpen our focus on the vastness of His resources and on His ea-gerness to deliver the blessing.

One of the names of God is Jehovah Jireh, which means, The Lord our Provider. That is who He is. His very na-ture is to take pleasure in blessing us. God and Christ have a passion to give.

Why would Christ give us abilities, but no opportunities? And why would He give us opportunities without providing every-thing we need to fulfill those pursuits? We need to declare Him faithful to support what He began in us (Philippians 1:6).

Wealth With Wisdom & Warning

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (NIV 2011) You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

God’s instruction on wealth is accompanied by wise cautions. He emphasizes to His people that He Himself is the Source of our supply, so that our heart does not get puffed up. Blessings are intended to glorify the divine Blesser, not to lead us into pride or covetousness.

Mark 4:18-19 (NIV 2011) Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

We also need to be keenly aware of the deceitfulness that can come with riches. But God’s warnings are always motivated by

love, never fear. Sometimes Satan even tries to turn God’s word of caution into a fear of wealth. A fear of prosperity would actually be a fear of blessing and a rejection of divine provision. Let’s be wise and never allow fear rule our use of money. And let’s maintain a confident expectation of Kingdom bounty toward us (see also Matthew 6:33; Psalms 36:7-8; 112:1-3; Proverbs 8:20-21; II Corinthians 8:9; Ephesians 3:20).

Diversity in Prosperity

God’s people have always lived in a wide variety of cultures and circumstances, yet the Father’s unwaver-ing passion remains to lift up every believer’s life to-ward fruitful abundance. The harvest may not look the same from person to person, age to age, or culture to culture. Abundance did not have the same form for King David as it did for John the Baptist. Solomon’s prosperity came in a different package than it did for the Apostle John exiled on Patmos. We dare not com-pare crops. But the Lord’s will across His Word is that His people are well-supplied so they will glorify the Provider and generously share the fruit.

Generosity & Covenant Provision

Generosity is a fundamental characteristic of a pros-perous, godly life. We mimic our Father by freely giv-ing something we could’ve kept for ourselves. We honor the Provider by sharing out of every category where we’ve received.

Proverbs 3:9-10 (NIV 2011) Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

I Timothy 6:17-18 also charges the wealthy to be gen-erous, instead of trusting in riches. These verses teach us that we can be secure during insecure times.

In times of adversity, we have a sure foundation of provision.

Jeremiah 17:8 (NIV) They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

We are partakers in a new and everlasting covenant with God (Hebrews 12:24; 13:20). In this holy bond, God makes promises; we act in faith. As we give of our abundance, we confirm our partnership of trust in the Lord’s provision. He will always uphold His part of the sacred covenant that we share. Covenant thinking will lead to covenant faith which will lead to covenant provision.

Psalm 111:5 (NKJV) He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant.

He is a Lover, a Blesser and a Provider. He is our sufficiency. As we joyfully receive and generously give, the vast resources of God’s Kingdom open more deeply to us. Together let’s de-clare...

Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: Yea, let them say continually,

‘Let thy Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.’ (Psalms 35:27)

Tonia, Tom, Kevin

CFFM Staff Ministers

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Christian Family Fellowship Ministry Calendar 2017-18

10/27-28 Free in Christ: Healing & Deliverance Conference (T. Shroyer, M. & T. Day, D. & D. O’Neal)

Columbia, Missouri

10/28-29 Experiencing the Kingdom: The Book of Acts Conference (Wayne Clapp & Kevin Guigou, Guest Speakers)

Columbia, Maryland

11/4 8:45 AM- 4:30 PM

Day of Fellowship - The Relationship With Jesus Our Savior (Guest Speakers: T. Shroyer, K. Guigou; Host: Carol Leighton)

Peter & Frank Drago Home 190 Walworth Penfield Rd. (Route 441)

Macedon, New York 14502 P. Drago: 585-737-3357 C. Leighton: 585-697-4528

11/5 Sunday Service—The Bridge, Syracuse (Tonia Shroyer, Guest Speaker)

Phoenix, New York

11/10-12 Our Surpassing Victory With the Armor of God (Jan Magiera, Guest Speaker)

CFFM Tipp City, Ohio

11/17-18 Free in Christ: Healing & Deliverance Conference (T. Shroyer, T. Dill, M. & T. Day, J. & B. Kaplan)

Parker, Colorado

12/10 CFF Holiday Party CFFM Tipp City, Ohio

2018

1/1 thru April 10

Messengers for Christ 6 / 100-Day Spiritual Training (W. Clapp, Coordinator)

The World!

7/31-8/5 YES Camp 2018 (Note the new dates! ) CFFM Tipp City, Ohio

Visit our website for the most

up-to-date info: www.cffm.org

Many of these are events in which CFF staff or Zone & State Contacts are directly

involved. Many other wonderful CFF-associated activities occur regularly.

Stay up-to-date by communicating within your

local zone & state.

We encourage all of God’s people to get together freely

& often, to minister God’s love & truth to each other, to cultivate spiritual maturity &

to develop a meaningful faith-community.

What Can We Do for You Today?

JOIN US! For CFF Sunday Morning Fellowships by...

LIVE STREAMING!

Watch our live weekly Morning Fellowships every Sunday at 10:30 AM (EST) from Tipp City, OH, on computer, tablet or smart phone.

Type this in your Google Search box: https://cffm.org/streaming-video. OR… on SMARTPHONE: Go to www.cffm.org, click on Menu, click on Streaming Video. or on COMPUTER: Go to www.cffm.org, click on Teachings, click on Streaming Video.

Archive Library of recent past videos of Sunday Morning Fellowships is also available there.

T HE S PIR IT- F IL L ED L IFE / Da y i n th e Wo rd / Ju l y 2017 / H ilt o n H ead , S C Ho s ts , Da ry l & La u re n Stu rre / Gu e s t Sp e ak e r, Ke v i n Gu i go u

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men. However, the report given to Moses

by all but Joshua and Caleb didn’t rejoice in

this bounty. They focused on the size and

strength of the armies there. “We seem like

grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we

looked the same to them” (Numbers 13:33b

NIV). These leaders fainted in their minds

and murmured they should have been left in

Egypt. Caleb reported, on the other hand,

that they should go up and take possession

of the land. He was confident the vic-

tory would be theirs.

All these men saw the same things.

Why were the reports so different?

The answer lies in what they fo-

cused on. All but Joshua and Caleb

were convinced they could not win a

battle against these unbelieving ar-

mies. They focused on their inade-

quacy, “like grasshoppers in our

own eyes,” while Joshua and Caleb

focused on the promise of God.

They believed God would bring the

victory to pass. When we have a

Do you know that God desires that

we enjoy prosperous lives in every

category – health, finances, family,

emotions? The spiritual blessings

from God do not extend only to the

spiritual realm. God wants us to be

living witnesses to the world of His

abounding love and blessing. We are

to be “culture changers” by exempli-

fying the greatness of our God and

the Lord Jesus in every area of life.

In II Corinthians 9:8 (NIV), His

heart is revealed to us:

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Wow, what a promise! He wants us

to have all that we need in every-

thing and at all times! We can have

confident believing because He is

able through His energized power to

bring it to pass. When reading this

verse, we tend to emphasize God’s

abundance to our lives, but the last

phrase of the verse explains the pur-pose of His promise. He wants us to

be fully equipped to the end we can

abound in every good work. He has

called each of us for a purpose and

then assures us He will provide every-

thing we need to “get the job done,” in all

aspects of this life.

However, we know that life’s challenges

can hinder us (financial need or poor

health, for example). At those times, it is

important to go to the Scriptures for di-

rection and encouragement. It is His

Word that can strengthen our minds

when the going gets tough.

God promised Moses that He would de-

liver the children of Israel out of the

bondage of Egypt and lead them into a

land flowing with milk and honey. As

wonderful as this promise sounded, the

Israelites had a challenging time believ-

ing that God meant it. (Does 2 Corinthi-

ans 9:8 sound a little like that too? When

it came time to cross over into this

Promised Land, Moses sent leaders from

the tribes of Israel to spy out the land.

They returned with pomegranates, figs

and such a large cluster of grapes that it

had to be carried on a pole between two

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. II Corinthians 9:8 (NIV 2011)

By Nancy Davis

need, the temptation is to turn in-

ward, to focus on ourselves. Over

time this can give rise to feelings of

inadequacy and discouragement.

The Bible doesn’t promise deliver-

ance because of our ability to bring

it to pass, but rather on God’s ability

to fulfill His Word.

Years later Joshua and Caleb led the

next generation of Israelites in to

claim the land. God exhorted Josh-

ua to be strong and of good courage

and to meditate on the Word day

and night. In other words, Joshua

was to keep his eyes focused on God

and His promises rather than five-

senses circumstances. The Scrip-

tures tell us that the hearts of the

unbelievers melted and their cour-

age failed. This happened because

they heard of the greatness of Is-

rael’s God and saw the Jordon River

part to allow the Israelite army to

cross over into the Promised Land.

God had already been at work to

fulfill his promise. Israel conquered

the armies and settled in the land

flowing with milk and honey, just as

God had promised.

The same God is able to bless us

abundantly, so that we have all that

we need in everything and at all times.

As we stay focused on His promises and

hold the Word of God always before us,

the challenges that hinder cannot over-

come us. Just as the children of Israel

enjoyed a land flowing with milk and

honey, we too will receive God’s abun-

dance so we can

abound to every

good work.

Abounding in Every Good Work

Nancy & her husband

Chuck live in

Columbia, Maryland,

and serve as CFF State

Coordinators for

Maryland & Delaware.

She also chairs the

CFF Finance Board.

By Nancy Davis

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MEMORIES FROM...

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FAMILY REUNION 2017 Tipp City, Ohio

8

Memories From…

FAMILY CAMP Swanzey, New Hampshire / August 2017

Hosted by Larry & Pam Barnickel, Ellen Fowler & New England Saints

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. Colossians 1:13 (NLT)

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Christian believers shine in places where others are swallowed up. When God blesses and shines on us, we will possess the gates of our enemies (Genesis 22:17).

For His glory - It is for God’s glory that we prosper and are blessed. Poverty does not bring glory to God. This is why God adds financial blessings alongside the abundant blessings He has already be-stowed upon an individual. God wants to bless us to the point that others will tremble in awe and glorify Him when they hear and see the kind of prosperity He has given us(Jeremiah 33:9).

When God blessed Solomon with wisdom, He added riches alongside it. And when the Queen of Sheba came and witnessed the wisdom and prosperity of Solomon, “there was no more spir-it in her.” She had no choice but to stand in awe and glorify the God who made Solomon King and gave him such wisdom and wealth (1 Kings 10:4-9). His favor and your prosperity bring glo-ry to God.

God is seeking to bless those who are called by His name accord-ing to His purpose. So, align your heart and motives in line with God’s plan and purpose, so that you will be a partaker of His blessings.

God shows His immeasurable love to us by bless-ing us financially.

A person can give without loving, but they can’t love without giving. God so loved the world that He gave (John 3:16). He tells us that He didn’t spare His Son Jesus, but gave Him for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things (Romans 8:32).

I did a study on that word "all," A-L-L. I checked its tense, its gender, its case. I looked at the Greek and the Chaldean usages. I checked the Latin roots. Do you know what I found out? That par-ticular word "all" means "ALL," which includes prosperity.

God showers us with his blessings so He can pour out His love on us. No prosperous father who loves his children leaves them wanting and lacking. In the same way, our Father who loves us and is the wealthiest father of all time, will not leave us want-ing or lacking. God is love and "all" that He does is out of His love for us.

For you to be a blessing – The Lord blesses you so you can be a blessing to others (Genesis 12:2).

In 1 Timothy 6:18 (ESV), God charged the rich, “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.”

"Blessing" in the Old Testament is often translated from the Hebrew word, barak. The depth of its meaning is “to have favor; to endue or clothe with power for success; to be prosperous; fruitful; to have long life.” This gives the implication that having a blessed life is to be given a life that is fruitful and abundant. When we are fruitful and abundant, it is easy to be a blessing to others.

To meet your needs - Another great reason why God blesses us is to supply all our needs. His supply is not according to my ability and riches, but according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). And He is abundantly, bountifully rich in glory!

God expects us to give from what we have; not from what we don’t have (2 Corinthians 8:12-13). He doesn’t want us to help meet others needs, but then become burdened ourselves, NO! He wants to grant us our hearts’ desires, too (Psalms 37:4).

To differentiate His children from others - In Malachi 3:14-18, God stated that He was going to make a clear boundary between the righteous and the unrighteous; be-tween those who are His and those who are not.

Malachi 3:18 (ESV) Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

And being blessed with wealth is one of the ways God uses to make that distinction. He lifts up His own from the lowest plac-es on earth in order to show His goodness to those who love and serve Him as Father.

Isaac sowed in the famine and reaped hundred-fold while others ran away from the land (Genesis 26:12). God still does it today.

Mike Day

Why God Blesses Us Financially

Mike & his wife Tari, live in Huntington, WV. They serve as CFF State Contacts (WV) and Midwest Zone Coordinators. Mike is

also active on the ministry’s Finance Board.

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So the word of the Lord continued to

increase and prevail mightily.

Acts 19:20 (ESV)

CALIFORNIA ITINERARY With Partnering Churches & Fellowships

in San Marcos & San Pedro September 2017 / Tonia Shroyer & Patti Miller

Memories from

Are You Prosperous & in Health? CONFERENCE

Orlando, Florida / October 2017

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Romans 12:13 (NIV)

Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

In 2 Kings 4:8-17, we see a wonderful example of a Shunem woman who un-

selfishly gave and then received great reward. The NIV refers to her as a “well-

to-do” woman. She lived comfortably, without financial need. She opened her

home to Elisha, the

prophet, solely with

the intent to honor

him, as she

“perceived” he was

a holy man of God.

She, with agree-

ment from her el-

derly husband, fed

Elisha and provided

a special place for

him to stay in their

home whenever he

came through town.

The Word does not

describe Elisha as

the Shunem wom-

an’s intimate friend

or relative. God

honored her gener-

ous heart, and she was able

to conceive a child for the

first time. Her heart’s de-

sire was fully satisfied as a

direct result of her loving

hospitality.

God wants us to help each

other in times of need. But

there is more. God also

wants His children to practice

hospitality, much like the

Shunem woman. Our giving

should move beyond meeting

needs, and into the blessing above category. “Hospitality”

means “love of strangers,” “generous to guests,”

“entertain guests.” Hospitality is receiving and

treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, and generous way. Howev-

er, just as the Shunem woman was perceptive, we should walk by the spirit

when inviting people into our homes and lives.

I Peter 4:8,9 (NIV)

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Cheerful hospitality is a demonstration to others of God’s love for them; a to-

ken of the future hospitality God and Christ Jesus will extend to us! Hospitali-

ty is not about being a respecter of persons; it is about loving, despite people’s

sins; sharing the best that God has provided!

My husband Daryl and I continue to open our home to family, friends, and

guests. Practicing hospitality keeps our hearts focused on blessing and giving.

We want people that cross our threshold to feel well-loved. We plan, prepare,

and serve up the best we have. When all we had was bean soup and peanut

butter, we served it with love. Praise God for the promises in His Word that

bring continued increase to our storehouse and enlarge our harvest!

~ ~ ~

B ean soup and peanut butter sandwiches used

to be the staple in our home. All the protein we

needed, on a shoe string budget! We didn’t

have much, but we had fun entertaining people

and sharing about our Savior, Jesus Christ! Our home

was modest, but always clean and welcoming. We knew

then that our menu

would one day expand

and we would have

more financially. God

never disappoints! If

our heart and action is

to give and to love those

that cross our thresh-

old, God will make sure

we are able do it in

style!

2 Corinthians 9:10, 11

(NIV)

Now he who supplies

seed to the sower and

bread for food will

also supply and in-

crease your store of

seed and will en-

large the harvest of

your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that

you can be generous on every occasion, and

through us your generosity will result in

thanksgiving to God.”

“Enlarge,” “increase,” and

“generous”... these are words to

describe God’s financial partner-

ship in our lives. The context of

2 Corinthians 9 is about finan-

cial giving. We give, God enlarg-

es and increases, and we in turn,

respond with generosity. Jesus said in Matthew 25:35,

40 (NIV), “For I was hungry and you gave me something

to eat… I was a stranger and you invited me in... I tell

you the truth, what you did for one of the least of these

brothers of mine, you did for me.” We should not be

afraid to share what already belongs to God anyway!

Psalm 24:1 (NIV)

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world,

and all who live in it.

Financial increase is not about loving money or wealth,

it is about living for Him! God is a generous Father. He

wants His children to be a giving and hospitable people!

When we partner with God, financial increase follows.

Partnership means action by both parties. A friend once

said to me, “Change nothing and nothing changes.”

I was in a job that was neither stimulating nor financially

rewarding. I decided to change my situation! Once I

made the decision and acted, God opened all the doors

so that I could go back to school at night for free! As a

result, I got a better job. I saw increase and in return,

could be more financially generous as I purposed in my

heart.

PRACTICE HOSPITALITY

By Lauren Sturre Lauren & Daryl live on Hilton Head Island, SC,

where they shepherd the SC Low Country Home

Fellowship, serving also as State Contacts. Lauren

brings her professional expertise to CFF’s

Finance Board, as well.

Sharing generously from whatever we have...

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Nancy Banios of

Troy, OH, fell asleep

in Christ on Sunday,

July 16, 2017, and

waits for Jesus to awaken her at his return.

Nancy was born June 24, 1952, in Boston,

MA, to the late Wilfred and Grace (Horigan)

Allen. She is preceded in death by her first

husband Francis M. Connerty, sister Judy

Walsh, and brother John Allen. She is

survived by her loving husband of 18 years,

Craige Banios, and

children:

Suzanne (Mike) Glover of

Hilliard, OH; Tim (Cassie)

Connerty of Georgetown,

TX; Stacey (Jim) Klein of

Temperance, MI; and

Meghen (Larry) Fry of St. Marys, OH.

Step-children: Monica Hallgren of Rose-

mount, MN; Michael Harkins of Dayton, OH;

and Kaia Banios of St. Paul, MN. She also

leaves 14 grand-children who were her

pride and joy. Three sisters also remain:

Patricia (Richard) Barclay of NC, Louise

(Edmund) Nazzaro of MA, and Mary Beth

(Albert) Siekman of NC; along with

numerous nieces and nephews.

Nancy graciously served God

and His people for the last 19

years as the Executive

Secretary for Christian Family

Fellowship Ministry. She was

a living example of The Virtu-

ous Woman of Proverbs 31 in

all aspects of her life. A lov-

ing wife, mother, sister, and

more than a faithful

friend to all who knew

her.

A Memorial

Service was

held in her

honor on July

29, 2017 at

Christian

Family

Fellowship

Ministry, Tipp

City, Ohio.

On that bright and cloudless morning, When the dead in Christ shall rise...

NANCY BANIOS FAITHFULLY CALLED US...

TO TRUTH, TO LAUGHTER,

TO TEARS, TO JOY… TO LOVE.

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Too many great believers still struggle

with their finances. As a business owner,

I work with a lot of entrepreneurs. That

has allowed me to have a unique perspec-

tive on the topic of wealth.

I struggled in this area of my life for quite

awhile, but it has now become more of a

strength. That is because I have trained

my mind to think God’s way and have

allowed His heart to dominate my think-

ing.

While this topic is vast,

I want to focus on one

key principle that we

learn from Jesus.

Matthew 15: 32-38

(ESV)

Then Jesus called his disciples to him

and said, "I have compassion on the

crowd because they have been with me

now three days and have nothing to

eat. And I am unwilling to send them

away hungry, lest they faint on the

way." 33 And the disciples said to him,

"Where are we to get enough bread in

such a desolate place to feed so great a

crowd?" 34 And Jesus said to

them, "How many loaves do you

have?" They said, "Seven, and a few

small fish." 35 And directing the crowd

to sit down on the ground, 36 he took

the seven loaves and the fish, and hav-

ing given thanks he broke them and

gave them to the disciples, and the dis-

ciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And

they all ate and were satisfied. And

they took up seven baskets full of the

broken pieces left over. 38 Those who

ate were four thousand men, besides

women and children.

Jesus’ desire was to feed the multitude.

When he asked the disciples how many

loaves they had, they answered, “Seven,

and a few small fish.”

Immediately the disciples jumped to a

sense-knowledge analysis, basing their

conclusions on the circumstances.

33 And the disciples said to him, "Where are we to get enough bread in such a deso-late place to feed so great a crowd?"

How many times in our life do we think

the same way? I know I have, on several

occasions, when I have allowed know-

ledge from the senses to dominate my

thinking.

But Jesus didn’t think with sense-

knowledge. He directed his thoughts

toward the spiritual.

35 And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the

To show His passion to bless His children, God often turns our

“not nearly enough” into

“way more than is needed.”

disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.

What I find so intriguing here is that

Jesus didn’t hesitate to step into the spir-

itual knowledge. He just started moving.

God’s heart and wisdom were such a part

of Jesus’ soul. He never doubted that

God would meet, not only the need of the

disciples and Jesus himself, but the need

of the entire multitude as well. His trust

in God was unaffected by the circum-

stances surrounding them.

37 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38 Those who ate were four thousand men, be-sides women and children.

So what is the lesson here?

Our minds tend to think in lack because

of the old man nature. However, we are

called to renew our minds according to

the revelation of God’s truth (Romans

12:1-2).

How many times do we hesitate to give

from our financial resources to further

the Kingdom, because we think we don’t

have enough to fulfill our own needs?

One of the greatest blessings of my life

has been the ability to give in order to

further the Kingdom. I love giving abun-

dantly to God of my “first fruits.” God

has supplied me with my “daily bread,”

which includes financial resources.

From that, I have made regular con-

scious decisions to give to God first, be-

fore I begin using the rest. Whenever I

think that I don’t have enough to meet

my individual need, I give anyway, be-

cause my God is bigger. He can multiply

the rest, just as he did for Jesus, the dis-

ciples and the multitude.

Let’s not allow the mindset of lack to rob

us of what God has in store. He is wait-

ing on us to trust him so He can pour out

such a blessing on us that there won’t be

room enough to receive it,

time and time again.

CONQUERING the

Mindset of Lack

By Mark Harbert

Mark & his wife Juany live in

Trinity, FL, serving as CFF State

Contacts. Mark is also an active

member of our ministry’s

Finance Board. He has business

clients around the world,

consulting in online advertising.

14

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Tonia Shroyer (President), Tom Dill

(Vice President), Kevin Guigou (Secretary)

FINANCE BOARD Nancy Davis (Chair; MD), Mike Day (WV),

Mark Harbert (FL), Lauren Sturre (SC)

STAFF Tonia Shroyer, Tom Dill (Vol), Kevin Guigou, Wayne Clapp,

Jill Judd (PT Receptionist/Secretary), Sarah Mullens (PT Financial Secretary)

CHRISTIAN FAMILY FELLOWSHIP MINISTRY

Since our beginning in 1996, we regularly hear from people who want to be actively associated with the Christian Family Fellowship

in our emphasis on…

JESUS, our focus PRAISE, our response HEALING, our benefit

...all to the glory of God our Father!

In this, we grow closer to God, staying Bible-fed and spirit-led. To help us work together, many servant-leaders currently function as CFFM state

contacts, state coordinators and zone coordinators. These are not life-long positions, but functioning service opportunities that are evaluated regularly.

Check www.cffm.org/our-church to find ministry servant-leaders and home-churches near you.

Our ministry grows as an organic framework, like the dynamics of a vine and branches (John 15:1-8), rather than the model of a corporate pyramid. Our minis-try contacts represent a service network of resource volunteers, many of whom are more geographically accessible to those who need encouragement, advice, prayer ministry or event coordination. Each of them believes deeply in what Christian Family Fellowship Ministry (CFFM) represents today and is enthusiastic about

God’s direction of our efforts.

Please feel free to contact them or our staff anytime, so that we can support you and your local faith-community in personal growth and

in cultivating the life of the Lord Jesus Christ in our world.

I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing

we share for the sake of Christ. Philemon 1:6 (NIV)

How to Offer Financial Support to CFFM

1) Through our website, www.cffm.org/giving (one-time or recurring gift)

2) By texting a donation amount to (937)-502-2999 (one-time credit card input)

3) By regular mail to CFFM, 1575 W. State Route 571, Tipp City, OH 45371 (check/money order)

4) By CFFM donation envelopes (available from offices, #3 above)

THE RECOGNITION OF ORDINATION

…is the acknowledgement of God’s gifts to the Church,

through the lives of individual servant-leaders.

The holy spirit within every believer includes unique passions, abilities and

assignments through which Christ inspires the building of

his Church. And the Lord directs certain giftings to be

publicly identified for the benefit of the people whom

they regularly serve.

These individuals are ordained by God.

They also joyfully represent the faith-community that has

formally recognized their gifts and their willingness

to serve.

Ordained on June 25, 2017 • Tipp City, OH

A. J. FOWLER CASEY MACPHERSON

Ordained on August 6, 2017 • Tipp City, OH

JOHN KELLY

Ordination recognized on August 6, 2017 • Tipp City, OH

TARI DAY ELLEN FOWLER

Ordination recognized on September 1, 2017 • San Pedro, CA

DOUG WILLIAMS

AJ Casey

Ellen

Doug

Tari

John

I am giving you these instructions, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies made earlier

about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight.

1 Timothy 1:18 (NRSV)

15

MIDWEST ZONE Mike & Tari Day / Huntington, WV mday@helathresearchsystems.com

INDIANA Patrick & Joanna Herber / Ft. Wayne, IN captain_herber@yahoo.com

Jon & Marcia Nessle / Plainfield, IN jmnessle@hotmail.com

KENTUCKY Jake & Susan Norris / Lexington, KY jcnor1023@aol.com

OHIO Don & Denise Baker / Columbus, OH denibak7@aol.com

Hayward & Nancy Chappell / Cincinnati, OH hayward.chappell@gmail.com

Mark & Jacqueline Howley / Mechanicsburg, OH markhowley@hotmail.com

Ruth Wall / Lima, OH rwwall1566@woh.rr.com

MICHIGAN Tony & Delores Dean / Westland, MI thatbibledude@gmail.com

Sid & Heidi Helmus / Scotts, MI sid@helmusplumbing.com

Debi Pilot / Essexville, MI debrapilot@charter.net

WEST VIRGINIA Mike & Tari Day / Huntington, WV mday@helathresearchsystems.com

NORTH ATLANTIC ZONE Bob Faller / Sandy Hook, CT vpfurn@aol.com

CONNECTICUT Bob Faller / Sandy Hook, CT vpfurn@aol.com

MARYLAND, DELAWARE Chuck & Nancy Davis / Columbia, MD dreamsrealized8@gmail.com

MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, VERMONT Jerry & Diane Racette / West Townsend, MA fruitabounds@aol.com

NEW HAMPSHIRE Peter & Lori McLaughlin / Franklin, NH pete59mcl@gmail.com

NEW JERSEY P. K. Krywos / Oradell, NJ p_krywos@yahoo.com

NEW YORK Barry & Susie Behlen / Syracuse, NY srbehlen@verizon.net

PENNSYLVANIA Bill Mitchell / Malvern, PA bkmitch44@yahoo.com

RHODE ISLAND Lynn Amalfitano / Woonsocket, RI lynnamalfi@aol.com

Keith Daniels / N. Smithfield, RI kedtec@aol.com

VIRGINIA Dennis & Susan Furr / Manassas, VA furr56@yahoo.com

SOUTHEAST ZONE Wayne & Ferne Clapp / Navarre, FL wgccff2@aol.com

ALABAMA Christopher Kenny / Daphne, AL ackenny@bellsouth.net

FLORIDA Mark & Juany Harbert / Trinity, FL markjuany@gmail.com

Michael & Diane Johnson / Orlando, FL mtj5728@bellsouth.net

Dale & Cathy Reichel / Longwood, FL cathyreichel@embarqmail.com

Annie Rodriguez / Largo, FL revelation3.ar@gmail.com

Paul & Vicky Torrey / Kissimmee, FL victorrey@me.com

GEORGIA, MISSISSIPPI John & June Davell / Lawrenceville, GA johndavell519@gmail.com

NORTH CAROLINA Rick & Sandra Frady / Maiden, NC frady507@gmail.com

Dorothy & Steve Kozar / Winston Salem, NC dorothyjkozar@gmail.com

SOUTH CAROLINA Daryl & Lauren Sturre / Hilton Head Island, SC lsturre@gmail.com

TENNESSEE Randy & Terry Van Der Aa / Kingsport, TN vanderaa@charter.net

NORTH CENTRAL ZONE Ivan & Patti Miller / Racine, WI imiller6@att.net

ILLINOIS Robert & Susan Kerr / Warsaw, IL skerr@keokuk.k12.ia.us

KANSAS John & Bobbie Starks / Hutchinson, KS jbarstar1@hotmail.com

MISSOURI Dan & Donna O’Neal / Columbia, MO dan.oneal@mchsi.com

WISCONSIN, IOWA, MINNESOTA, NEBRASKA, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA Ivan & Patti Miller / Racine, WI imiller6@att.net

NORTHWEST ZONE Dave & Gayle Mostek / Kalispell, MT dgacmostek@aol.com

ALASKA John & Terri Carter / Soldotna, AK blessed@alaska.net

OREGON Eric Koell / Phoenix, OR eric@koellfamily.com

MONTANA, IDAHO, WASHINGTON, WYOMING Dave & Gayle Mostek / Kalispell, MT dgacmostek@aol.com

CHRISTIAN FAMILY FELLOWSHIP MINISTRY – SERVANT-LEADER CONNECTIONS 10/2017

SOUTHWEST ZONE Dennis Dobbin / San Pedro, CA dmdobbin@sbcglobal.net

Annette McDonald / San Pedro, CA mcdonaldannette6@gmail.com

CALIFORNIA Clarice Addison / Carlsbad, CA cjadiswim@gmail.com

Dennis Dobbin / San Pedro, CA dmdobbin@sbcglobal.net

Brian & Carol Jones / Napa, CA bcjones@circle-oaks.com

Annette McDonald / San Pedro, CA mcdonaldannette6@gmail.com

Joyell Nevins / San Diego, CA godsgraceoverflows@gmail.com

Steve & Valerie Squibb / Trabuco Canyon, CA s-squibb@cox.net

Doug & Laurel Williams / San Pedro, CA Mwsogwap@gmail.com

UTAH Jon & Terri Marsh / Roy, UT marshtl35@comcast.net

ARIZONA, HAWAII, NEVADA Dennis Dobbin / San Pedro, CA dmdobbin@sbcglobal.net

Annette McDonald / San Pedro, CA mcdonaldannette6@gmail.com

SOUTH CENTRAL ZONE Jim & Belinda Kaplan / Elizabeth, CO jim@kaplanhouse.com

COLORADO Ryan & Alicia Behm / Beulah, CO ajbehm@yahoo.com

Sami & Jonathan Hagar / Steamboat Springs, CO radford.sami@gmail.com

Jim & Belinda Kaplan / Elizabeth, CO jim@kaplanhouse.com

TEXAS Tom & Bobbie Blair / Wylie, TX bobbieblair@rocketmail.com

Neal & Keri Lansdowne / McKinney, TX neallansdowne@gmail.com

Felicia Warren / Euless, TX feliciasky9@gmail.com

ARKANSAS, LOUISIANA, NEW MEXICO, OKLAHOMA Jim & Belinda Kaplan / Elizabeth, CO jim@kaplanhouse.com

INTERNATIONAL ZONE Tonia Shroyer / Tipp City, OH tshroyer69@gmail.com

FRENCH LIAISON & TRANSLATIONS Robert Olivier / Fitchburg, MA robertolivier247@yahoo.com

SPANISH LIAISON & TRANSLATIONS Tamika Sisinni / New York, New York tamikasisinni@gmail.com

AFRICA LIAISON Robert Parker / Fairborn, OH robert.d.parker777@gmail.com

KENYA George Muindi / Nairobi, KENYA george.muindi@gmail.com

If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 1 Timothy 3:1b (ESV)

16

1575 W. State Route 571

Tipp City OH 45371

Phone 937-669-3090

Fax 937-669-4087

WWW.CFFM.ORG

To Current Occupant Or:

September 2017 • Tipp City, Ohio

MEN’S DISCOVERY WEEKEND