With the variety of ministries that we offer, people wonder sometimes about the focus of our work. Just what is the mission? What are we trying to achieve?

Well the answer is simple, really. Whether we are leading an individual on retreat, provid­ing inner healing counseling or spiritual direction, teaching a class, doing marriage counseling, helping someone under­stand his gifts and vocation, or filling the pulpit on Sunday morning, our reason for being is to help people find and build an intimate relationship with the Living Lord Jesus.

We desire for men and women of faith to see Him as He is, and draw near in complete surrender and trust. In turn, we want them to see themselves as they really are to grasp the wonder of the Gospel with its message of abounding love through Christ. It has been our experience that once people recognize Jesus as He is and find themselves in Him, they begin to "walk in the light as is in the light." (lJn.1:7)

Truth invites freedom, and Christian freedom lets people give themselvesin sacrificial love because they are not hamstrung by crippling lies and corrupting habits. If we can help brothers and sisters grasp the beauty, majesty, and goodness of Jesus, they will want to be with Him. If we can turn their gaze from themselves to the One who constantly beckons them to faith and trust, they will find Love that unknots and establishes them.

In other words, our inner healing work begins the process of disabling the chronically wounding and blinding effects of sin. People can walk in the truth, at home in God's love for them as they are. In that place of peace, they will want to be near Him, because they have experienced His delight in them.

Our work with married couples aims at overcoming immaturity, deep-rooted selfishness, emotional or physical abuse so that husband and wife can find each other. Once they truly "see" one another, and learn to love in the way God intends within a marriage, they can then begin to look at how to build their lives as a couple around an intimate friendship with Jesus.

Vocational counseling using Playmaker emphasizes objec­tively understanding a person's God-given design of natural gifts. Woven into the dialogue we have with someone regarding using gifts in work is the call to move near Christ so as to hear His direction and receive strength or courage to act wisely. Intimacy with God finds expression in doing with ourselves as He desires in fulfilling our purpose for His glory. We encourage people to draw near to God during this time of seeking.

Spiritual Direction builds intimacy with Jesus by definition because its focus is to help believer see what the Holy Spirit is doing in the hills, valleys, and plains of life. By pointing out God¹s hand in the struggles and pleasures of "real life" we enable people to draw close to God in trust so they can pray and act in response to His will.

Leading individuals on retreat to learn to listen to His voice, or for healing inner wounds are further examples of our mission to help believers find and build intimacy with the Lord. Hearing God's voice is one of the primary means of moving in close to God. Giving people time to get off the treadmill so they can focus their "spiritual ears" on Him rekindles a fire of love many have let cool.

Finally, the classes we offer through the Klesis Academy for Spiritual Formation in Christ focus on the Christian spiritual life, and its goal of intimacy with Jesus. We challenge people to think about how they actually relate to God in the day-to-day. We then provide spiritual "tools" to use in a variety of areas related to walking with God.

All in all, our work is to testify to the living Christ Jesus so that His people throw off what restrains them from giving themselves passionately to Him as living witnesses to His reign. Only seeing Him as he is, and finding one¹s self in His return gaze of love and acceptance will make that happen. We are dedicated to seeing that it does.

A number of nights ago I had a wonderful talk with our daughter Eslie (just 16 years sweet). She had been to a bible study and the topic was the reality of spiritual warfare. She related to the group and later to me frequent bouts of chilling fear, horrific nightmares, doors slamming in the middle of the night at the CFR, etc.

We are not unaware of such harassment, and have prayed many times before with her against that. What caused me pause was that our son Dan, in the last two months, has talked of constant harassing and condemning voices being a part of his life for years, and that he experienced many of the same occurrences as Eslie while living at the CFR.

Most of you know that the CFR is where we minister inner healing. Increasingly, we are encountering the demonic. With that encounter can come manifestations of demonic activ­ity against family members. The adversary attacks the vulner­able creating turmoil, unease, sickness, and oppression.

Tricia and I both ask that you pray regularly for our protection, and for the protection of our children: Dan, Eslie, and Alyn. It makes a huge differ­ence when you build a hedge of protection around us and thwart the vile efforts of the devil.

"....in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." (2 Cor. 2:11)

The sixth installment in our series on the ministries of Klesis (we skipped an installment last quarter), focuses on:

A real retreat lets people spend substantial time in God's presence with the goal of experiencing Him in some manner.

A "Soaking to Heal" retreat is a real retreat in that much time is given (although directed) to seek God as the Healer of Our Souls. We lead hurting people into His Presence that they may experience His healing power over the emotional wounds they have suffered, some for many years.

What is central to this retreat is that we enable others to listen to God for the sole purpose of being unbound, and freed from deep soul wounds. The method we use is the healing of memories, or inner healing. We actively assist the retreatant in the process of finding the root causes of emotional pain and destructive attitudes and habits.

Periods of the day are given to inner healing counseling sessions, times of solitude, prayer, and reflection, and of rest. Throughout the retreat we are working under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to uncover core areas of trauma, abuse, and neglect, and shed light through the truth so that discernment, repentance, forgiveness, and unbinding can take place.

We recommend at least 3 days duration for this type of retreat. The fee is $250 per day. It includes all meals and counseling services. Arrangements need to be made a month in advance.

12 Signs You're Growing in Intimacy with God.

1. You can call the Father Abba with warm affection.



2. You are not uncomforatable with the thought that God is deeply fond of you.



3. You see time alone with Jesus as the best part of the day and want more.



4. You increasingly recognize His presence in the course of a normal day.



5. You hear Him speak to you in your heart and through others.



6. Worship has a growing importance and meaning in your life.



7. You are finding it easier to forgive people without condition.



8. You see other people as treasures and have a greater desire to love them, including those who offend or repulse you.



9. You want to know the Bible to come closer to Jesus.



10. Compassion and mercy come more readily.



11. You grieve over your sin, and welcome godly correction.



12. You can laugh at yourself.






In those places of yesterdays, today and tomorrow, the Spirit of the Lord longs to speak and reveal all truth to us - the truth that will set us free from what holds us, binds us, deceives us in our yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows to be.

When we let His Light of truth tell us what and where is the darkness in our souls, God can do His "cleaning up," and begin to make a home in us -- not just in one or two rooms, but throughout the dwelling place of our soul.

Welcome God's movement in this place. Although some rooms maybe dusty and hidden to you at times, He is gentle and will step lightly. Remember, He is about the business of lightening our load, setting our feet on the right path, offering freedom to become like Jesus. He is faithful.

So when you abide with Him in the dwelling place of your soul the rooms become more open to His Light. There are fewer doors to unlock, and more familiar resting places for who you are to become in Christ.

You have been longing for this time to linger with Him in the library, for more laughter in the playroom, for more devotion in the chapel. His home Is within you. Welcome Him in the sanctu­ary of your inner being, where He longs to dwell and help you become familiar with His love for you.

You are going to be found in Christ -- the person you can't see; the past you don't under­stand; the pain you can't seem to get rid of; the lack of freedom to forgive under the Love you long to receive -- It is Christ who finds us and dwells within us, who asks us to let Him come In so we can know who He is, and be known as we are.

You cannot really find out who you are separated from Him. He must take hold of you. You must press into Him and the things of heaven. Don't give up! He will answer the prayer for you to be found by Him. It is His prayer to abide in us, to be one with us.

He is the lover of our souls. Jesus is complete to love us completely: man or woman, adult or child, young or old. There is nothing lacking in Him. The Spirit demonstrates His love to us, revealing the Father in the Son.

Let the Spirit of the Lord determine out of His truth what you need and how to Love you into freedom. Ask Him to do this for you. Don't put up barriers of self-preservation. Call on Him to reveal life to you. Give in because He is trustworthy.



About Klesis Ministries"
What is a "Learning to Listen" Retreat?





Reasons to Shout Praises to God!!!!

1. He blessed Kit's preaching in June, July and August.



2. God anointed our summer counseling and individual retreat work.



3. He has blessed us financially this summer.



4. Klesis is growing gradually.




Reasons we ask you to pray for us:

1. We would keep our "gaze" only on Christ and His purpose for Klesis. We would not be distracted.



2. He would bless our fall worship/training setvice at Collinsville Congregational in October.



3. He would anoint our Marriage Seminar at New Beginnings Assembly of God Church in September.



4. Anointing on a retreat we will lead in Pennsylvania in October.



5. Protection from the assaults of the adversary (marriage, finances, relationships, health, etc.



6. Health for Eslie and Alyn; Dan's growth at Berklee College of Music in Boston.



7. New doors be opened for doing Playmaker Profiles in churches.



8. Clarity in our relationships with Covenant Presbyterian Church, and Collinsville Congregational.



9. Increased teaching opportunities in the fall - Listening Workshop for Couples; Klesis Academy classes.



10. God's blessing on a writing project Kit will be continuing this fall.




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