Very soon we will be saying goodbye to 2019 and saying hello to 2020. I believe that many people will focus in on 2020 as a year of vision, seeing clearly. As we approach 2020, I felt it only fitting to take a look back at 2019. This will be a mix of ministry and personal reflections, similar to a Christmas letter.
The year began with a trip to CPC19 where I participated as a coach for the first time. This was a time of encouragement but also emptiness. I was encouraged by the small met-up we had with others who served in small churches. There was great dialogue and fellowship. The emptiness was when I did not see much that I could connect to my ministry in a small church (that is not to minimize CPC which is a great conference). One person in the meet-up even stated that they wished we would have had the meet-up early in the conference than we held it.
At the end of CPC we drove from sunny Orlando direct to Vermont (for my wife’s uncle’s memorial service) where a major snowstorm extended our stay by a day.
The next few weeks and months were focused on my full-time job and regional Awana events and preparing for Summit, the national event for high school students using the Awana Journey curriculum. In 2019 it was held in San Diego, California. Being the social media guy for Summit, we drove cross country in the Summit Social Media SUV. It was a great roadtrip!
Shortly after our return from Summit my brother’s widow passed away expectantly and we became the caregivers for our 36 year old MH-IDD niece (you can read more about that here).
During the summer the Commander Bill network grew as we added a few Facebook groups to help connect leaders and allow clubs to share resources. The Awana Ministry Conference season had me booked for six conferences, where I attended five and was the keynote speaker for one.
At the end of conference season my focus shifted to developing the study guides and new study cards for the Discovery of Grace handbook. As I looked at the next few months, I realized that with the addition of our niece to our family, I would need to step back from my involvement in local regional Awana events. Time had become to prohibitive to allow me to maintain all of my commitments.
I mentioned the road trips to CPC in Florida, the drive to Vermont, and the cross country drive to Summit. We travel a lot for ministry and when we returned from Summit, our SUV required major work and we had to replace it with a newer SUV. Last month, my 2007 Chevy Colorado, which had 368,000 miles, had a check engine light shining which showed a transmission code. With the number of miles on the trusty vehicle, I deemed it time to replace it, and God had a 2008 Crew Cab Chevy Colorado on a used car lot nearby with about half of the miles of the 2007 Colorado. The crew cab allows us to haul kayaks in the bed and all three of us to ride together to the lake. Vehicles have been a financial strain this year, but we are thankful for God’s provision.
It has been a year of transition with my niece and having to replace both vehicles.
As I look back over 2019, I am very thankful for those who have supported Commander Bill. It has allowed me to continue the Commander Bill network through all of these times of transition.
As 2019 comes to a close, I would ask you to consider a “Christmas gift” to help support this ministry. It has been a free website for several years as I self-funded it. There have been times when I had sponsors (ads), but for the most part, it has been self-funded. Recently I added the membership area and suggested donations for the quiz guides and verse cards. With the suggested donations I also offer the option to download for free without making a donation. A large number of people download the files opting not to make a donation. I understand that small churches have tight funds, etc so that is why the option is made available. Serving in a small church myself, I understand small, tight, or no budgets.
If you would like to make a donation, i.e. give Christmas gift, then you can click the Paypal donate button on the right side, or contact me for other ways. Another “gift” you can give is to drop us a note with a few words of encouragement and letting us know that you are praying for my wife and I.
Ultimately, this site, and the network is for God and to help each of us to reach children and youth more effectively as we work together sharing ideas, support, and encouragement. I know that He will supply the needs to keep this website, and the network, going if He wants it to continue.
Again, thank you to all of the supporting members, those who have supported us by sponsoring e-mails and/or the website and those who have supported Commander Bill in other ways. Thank you to everyone who has lifted us up in prayer.
I am praying that each of you see God move mightily in your lives and ministries as we enter 2020 and I am thankful that “Commander Bill” is able to be a part in a small way.
(NOTE: Commander Bill IS NOT a 501c3 non-profit and any gifts are not tax deductible)
