Touched By Grace - Newsletter

NEWSLETTER

Newsletter Archive

January 2008

January Update 2

Dear Ministry Partner!

We are so excited at the many things that are currently under way in the ministry. Our family is beginning to see a release into certain areas and things that we have been praying for. Even Josiah, Abigail, and now Sarah, enjoy spending time praying together and have their own special requests. We believe that these opportunites will strengthen us as a family and build our faith as we continue on the path He has designed for us. We look forward to sharing the journey with you. As you partner with us in 2008 we pray your faith is strengthened and you experience His blessings in your life.

Remember, we are all part of His hands at work. Isaiah 64:8 says, "But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand." We pray that you will see Him work in your life as He molds you to become more like Him. Then, reach out to others and share ALL the Lord is doing. Encourage one another while it is called today. Agree with one another in prayer and lift Him up in praise. We believe the results will astound us.

Ministry Trip to Ukraine

Marilyn Duncan and Todd are planning a trip to the Ukraine in March. Tom and Marilyn have spent over a decade working in the Ukraine to help spread the Gospel in every sense of the word. From medical clinics, to planting a new church, Tom and Marilyn have been instrumentally used by God in this country. I am excited to have the opportunity to go to the Ukraine and see how God is going to use us in furthering His Kingdom. I will be gone approximately 5 days or so. Pray for us, that Marilyn and I will know and listen to the voice of the Lord as He directs us to the people He has already ordained us to minister to. If the Lord puts it on your heart to financially or prayerfully support this trip we would welcome your support.

Harvest School Update (Russian Translation)

The Harvest School of Evangelism Russian Translation is currently under way. The equipment arrived and we started the translation work on January 10, 2008. We currently have four Harvest Schools sponsored at $300.00 each and have openings for 6 more.

The Harvest School of Evangelism uses the Bible as its text to help new believers learn how to share their faith from the beginning of their discipleship. Most believers, when they come to know the Lord in this region of the world, learn to receive Jesus and then hide. This schooling allows disciples to be grounded in what they believe Biblically and taught how to share their faith. The first schools we are implementing are in Russian and Hebrew. Additional languages to follow are Arabic and Amharic.

Some of the classes that are in this schooling are:

Intercessory Prayer
Doctrine of Salvation
Water Baptism
Sharing their faith through the Evangecube
The Simple Gospel
Spiritual Warfare
Relationship Evangelism

Prayer and Praise Requests

Prayer Items

General Operating Budget
Ministry trip to Ukraine in March
Renew passport for Rose and obtain one for Rachel
Harvest School of Evangelism
TBGM Women's Retreat in June
Abundant Life Conference in August
Speaking engagements to share the Word of God in the following countries: United Kingdom (England), Denmark, Ireland, US, and Ukraine

Praises

The delivery of Rachel was quick and smooth. Mommy and baby are doing well
Transportation to use while in Israel
Microsoft Office 2007
Russian Translation is currently in progress for the School of Evangelism

Children's Corner

Josiah and Abigail are having fun with the arrival of Rachel. They know their sister is special and already love her and talk to her.

Sarah and Abigail both love to dance to the music. It is common to hear Abigail make a statement like, "I want to wear my dancing, twirly dresses, mommy?"

The children all enjoyed getting a special care package from a wonderful group of people in Nashville, TN. They enjoyed all the items that were in the box that arrived on New Years Eve.

Sarah is doing very well and growing quickly. She is definitely quite the toddler. She is speaking many words and is right on the heels of her older brother and sister. She loves to point to the baby and say, "baby." She makes sure she tells everyone who visits where the baby is and shows them the bassinet.

Baby Update

Rachel Anava Marie Name: Rachel "lamb" Anava (Ah-nah-vah) "humility" (Hebrew)

Rachel and Mommy came home after about 30 hours in the hospital. Rachel will be visiting the clinic soon for her first check up. We are thankful that she is healthy and eating well. Soon we will have to travel to register her birth abroad and order her passport.

The cost of the baby was about twice what we were expecting, but still MUCH less than the cost of having a baby in the States. This took quite a bit of funds from our operating budget, but we are thankful the Lord is faithful.

This is Lynell, the mid-wife who helped us deliver Rachel. She is a wonderful lady who has been in Israel (originally from New Zealand) for 20 years and lives just down the road from us.

TBGM 2008 Women's Retreat

This year there will be two retreats - during the same weekend!!!!

New Attendees and Past Participants:

When: June 6-7, 2008 (Friday evening at 6:30 to Saturday around 6:00)
Where: Penuel Ridge Retreat Center, Ashland City, TN
Cost: $70 - covers overnight lodging and 3 meals on Saturday (snacks provided Friday evening.

Past Participants only:

When: June 7-8, 2008 (Saturday evening around 7:30 - Sunday around 5 pm)
Where: Penuel Ridge Retreat Center, Ashland City, TN
Cost: $65

(Past participants should have received an email regarding this. If not, please let Rose know.)

For both retreats space is limited due to sleeping arrangements at the retreat center so reserve your spot early.

Currently there is one scholarship available.

January Update 1

Dear Ministry Partners!

Rose and I send our greetings this first week of January 2008. We are still waiting and anticipating the birth of the baby. We know it can't be too much longer as we are past the due date. We continually thank each of you for your prayers as we get ready to deliver this beautiful creation that God has made according to Psalm 139.

Over the past 10 days Rose and I have been in prayer and intercession for the new year and many things that surround what the voice of the Lord is requesting of us in obedience to Him this year. We are excited about the opening doors. We are confident that this year is a year of release.

We have received some of your lists and are daily praying with you and believing God to do all that is on your list. We are excited to see that even in the first 9 days of the year God has begun to move on some of your lists. The reports have come in of how God is changing the landscape of your lives because you believe God is who He says he is. Rose and I count it a joy to pray with you. If you have a list you would like to have us agree with you about, please feel free to email it to info@tbgrace.org. We know God eagerly desires to move in your life as we die to ourselves daily. We want the Holy Spirit to increase and us to decrease. This takes great energy and discipline at first to recognize the difference. As you begin to hear, obey, and move forward you will find that the desire to seek after the things of God increases and is only satisified by His Word and the indwelling of the Spirit. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:6

The Word points us to the need to be not only hearers of the Word, but doers also. We must excercise our faith by putting the Word deep in our spirit and truly recognize that Word coming to life in your spirit. The Word of God is Active and Living. When something is living it has the power to shape our mind, will, and emotions. The Word says that we need to renew our minds, that are minds need to be washed by the Word, and that we need to put on the mind of Christ. As we begin to operate in these aspects, we will begin to die to our fleshly desires in fullfilling Matthew 6:33, Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you."

We pray this day you hold fast to the profession of your faith. Go back to when you made your commitment to the Lord to be completely His and to be used completely by Him. Once you identify that point, ask God to give you the ability through the Holy Spirits working, to move ahead in 2008 like no other year you have experienced.

God is waiting with arms open wide for us to come and ask Him for all that we have need for in order to expand the Kingdom of God in your lives. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. " Matthew 5:16

Happy New Year from Touched By Grace Ministries Inc.!

Dear Ministry Partner!

All of us have had quite a year. I am looking forward to an exciting 2008 for each of us. The year of 2007 has brought changes to many of our lives.

We have seen marriages, illness of family members, inner wrestling with God, new horizons, surgeries, job victories, new job starts, baptisms, ordinations, answered prayer, and prayers that we are still seeking answers for. I want to personally thank each of you for praying and standing with Rose and me, especially over the past six months. The last six months have been the most life-changing for us. We can't thank God enough for all He is doing in each of our lives.

What Rose and I love about each one of you is your genuine concern and prayer for all God is doing in our lives. Also, your passion for people to come to Jesus and embrace all He has waiting for them. Words cannot express my thoughts about how appreciative we are for your presence in our lives in so many ways.

It is exciting to know that the ministry has already witnessed in the first six months:

Baptisms
Healings
Answered Prayer
Safety
Travel Mercies
Favor
Ministry to believers and non-believers
Lives becoming empowered for Christ.
Bible training
Financial giving to people and ministries in need

It is so exciting to watch first hand how GOD moves people into the furthering of His call on their life when we believe it can happen and we are hungry for God. Matthew 5:6 says, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." To see the spiritual life of another individual come alive is a wonderful life changing event. To know the power of the living God as we each yield to the Holy Spirit goes beyond words.

It may be hard to see from your perspective, but from ours, as Rose and I aim to communicate with each of you regularly, we see how God is working powerfully in each of your lives. Sometimes we think of ministry as being one sided, but it isn't at all. When you are attacked we are also. When you hurt we hurt. We are all part of the body of Christ and we love serving with each of you as your extended hands and feet of the Gospel Ministry. Though definitely there are days of trial and tribulation we each know that we have the victory through Christ.

As Rose and I anticipate the birth of this 4th child, we look forward to the significance and newness this will bring to us in 2008. We are so excited about these New Beginnings. I am excited for the New Beginnings in all of our lives that will come alive in 2008. In this next year, I want to be able to partner with all of you as we cast the vision of what God has for each household. We want to stand in agreement with all of you on the requests that you have for your personal lives and callings from the Lord. I am ready in 2008 to see the Power of God move on our lives like never before. This I know sounds like a big task. However, isn't that what we all want is for the Power of God to move in our lives to become all that He has for us? I know I do.

Ok, so I know I am preaching to the choir here. I want so much for God to be the GOD of His WORD in my life and for my family. I don't want to live another day and MISS out on that power that He wants to manifest through my life. The presence of the Lord through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit wants us to see this achieved with many different adjectives of His outpouring. Let's not limit the God of the Universe at work in our lives. Lets yield our carnal mind, will, and emotions in obedience to the voice of the Lord.

In a book I recently read I learned about our God, and I want to serve the God of Expectancy. Just never knowing what God may want us to do from day to day, but to be expectant in belief that He will show up and make our days wonderfully packed with all He has waiting for us. This is that line where we Pray "Lord not my will, but yours be done."

Starting this week Rose and I are going to compile a list of things that we want to ask God our Father for in 2008 for His Kingdom. I encourage each of us to take the time to boldly right down what we need from God in this next year to accomplish HIS will and Purposes in our life. Nothing is too big, remember He owns everything anyway. Psalm 24:1, "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it."

I want to come with confidence to my Father for the things I need. After, we get them on paper I am going to believe and ask you all to pray in agreement with us that HE is ABLE regardless of what our circumstances may say around us. Rose and I want to commit to stand with each of you as well on all that God has on your list. Please feel free to email your lists to us at info@tbgrace.org With some of you we are already practicing this and seeing the results of how God is working.

Matthew 7:7-11

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? This is only one of many verses that the Lord uses to show how much He wants to give us.

Thank you again to each of you for all your prayers, financial gifts, and support in 2007. We look forward to a powerful and life changing year in the Will of God in 2008.

Rose and I pray that each of you a very blessed New Year.

Sincerely,

Todd & Rose Horton
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Touched by Grace Ministries Inc. is a non profit organization based in Nashville, TN., USA All donations are tax deductible.