August 2010

 

Collinsville Church of Christ
1400 Troy Road
Collinsville, IL 6234-5146

 

Dear Friends,

Have you ever set out to do one thing for God? Focused on that effort? Envisioned the ultimate goal? Only to have God do more with your effort than you ever imagined?

That happened this month at Shults-Lewis. While visiting the Naperville Church of Christ in Chicago 5 or 6 years go, I had a young person walk right up to me and introduce herself with confidence and Christian hospitality. She made me feel most welcome that day. Her name was Linzi Johnston, age 18.

Over the past 5 years, I befriended Linzi's father and have asked about her during those years. Recently, I found out that Linzi is a budding artist. Her goal is to teach. Out of Linzi's career goal came an offer I half expected she'd take. I asked her if during the summer, she would come to the campus of Shults-Lewis for 2 weeks and teach the residents art. With the greatest of enthusiasm, she accepted and arrived on the campus of Shults-Lewis last week.

After a week, Linzi and the residents began a mural in the Shults-Lewis School gymnasium. It's not quite complete but is shaping up to be a unique and beautiful effort of all involved.

With Linzi's effort and the arrival and departure of numerous teen work groups throughout this summer ,I realized that God is using the ministry at Shults-Lewis to teach the next generation of church leaders and members the importance of His children in the Kingdom.

You gift is greatly appreciated for the opportunity it affords God's children to be trained to be the leaders of tomorrow as God continues His legacy of proclaiming His love for the world.

Thank you,

 

Ray Crowder

 

Executive Director

raycrowder@shultslewis.org

 

 

      PO Box 471 • Valparaiso, Indiana 46384 • (800) 462-0513 • (FAX) (219) 464-7828