December 13, 2022

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Our dear friends and supporters of the True Vine,     

 

Greetings from the McRaes and from our Lord God and Creator of it all! Please forgive me for what follows, but I prayed for the Holy Spirit’s authorship and am compelled to go with it. And here we are at the end of another tumultuous year of troubles and challenges, but therein lie the opportunities. A glimpse at secular history and scripture reminds us that none of it is new, but His truth and promises are unchanging, and His mercies are new each morning. And our goal must remain the same – to point those in the sphere of our influence to the Hope that is in us – to the unchanging truth of the Word and to a relationship with the Lord Jesus.

 

In this world of change and relativism, there is an in-born hunger in every person for something and somebody we can trust, no matter what - a longing for a “true north” that is not changed by circumstances and opinions. Scripture tells us that can only be found in the Word of God, Jesus. I am so impressed by the power of words – the little word, “so”, means so much. “For God SO loved the world, ….”. “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, SO that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” The mission of Kingdom ministry everywhere is to see transformed lives, to provide a hope and a future. But it is SO much more in the “SO that”, for each of those transformed lives become instruments themselves of transformation. 

 

The True Vine ministry has developed a wonderful vehicle to facilitate that transformation. With the help of former Special Ops military men, Colin has implemented a Character Development Program, (CDC), which has been received enthusiastically by athletic and other groups for enhancing teamwork and individual effort. Most of the teams are from secular schools, but the principles of the program are Biblical, and most teams allow and receive a presentation by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes representative, Jon Guthrie. The results of the program have been exciting, and the coaches have been a powerful tool in recruiting other teams (See web site for interviews). Success on the field has been the major draw, but the transforming effect on individuals of the renewing of their minds with Biblical truth has been the

prize.

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Many of the schools are Title 1 public schools with limited funding for programs such as the CDC, and the majority of other groups from our rural drawing area also have major financial limitations, so many are not able to pay fees to cover our costs, much less be profitable. We do not want to turn any down for lack of funds, but this situation produces a significant shortfall in our budget. This is in spite of steadily increasing numbers of groups coming through. Because of the lower socio-economic population of participants, it has been rare to receive any significant contribution from families that have been impacted by their experience. A number of people have asked for specific information as to operating budget and the percentage of that generated by our activities. In answer we include a brief summary for those

interested.

 

SO, we come to you, our friends and supporters, who have so generously helped in the past. God has generously blessed the True Vine with His Presence and provision in the past, and we trust that through you, He will continue to do so in the future. It is His alone, and to Him be the glory! We love you all. And may He bless you with the richness of His glory and Presence in this special time of year!

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The McRaes, for the True Vine