Write His Answer

Read Full Post »

Read Full Post »

Please take time to read the two emails below from my dear friend, Gretchen Passantino, who I expect many of you know. She has served on the faculty of both the Colorado and Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference as a keynoter and continuing session instructor. She has been part of my prayer team for many years and is someone whose counsel I highly respect. God has used her in Ephesians 3:20 ways in her apologetic’s ministry, Answers in Action. And I’ve watched her and her husband, Pat, live their faith as Pat had a serious stroke in December 2012 and died but was revived. He was not expected to live much less recover but God had other plans.

As Gretchen explains in her email, they are in danger of losing their home which also houses their ministry. As you can see by the picture she shares below, they live simply.

An anonymous donor (see Gretchen’s second email) has offered to match gifts up to $10,000. I’m mailing a check today (their address is below) to avoid 10% going to the Go Fund Me site. However Father leads you to help (please ask Him), you have only through June 30 for your gift to be doubled. Without our help, their home will be foreclosed July 8.

Looking to Jesus to provide through His people – Marlene

From: Gretchen Passantino-Coburn [mailto:gretchen.passantino@answersinaction.org]

Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 5:52 PM
To: Gretchen Passantino-Coburn
Subject: Emergency Passantino Coburn Answers In Action Support Request

We are in critical danger (July 8 sale date) of losing our home & home office & research library to foreclosure. We believe that God wants us to stay in this home/office, devoting the stamina & energy he provides us to Christian ministry. We have exhausted all other options.

We need $20,000 within the next 2 weeks to save our home from forced foreclosure sale & reinstate mortgages & update property taxes. We need $20,000 over the next year to meet our expenses until our Answers In Action non-profit status is restored, my early retirement SS begins, & Pat’s pending hardship VA benefit kicks in.

God has called us to ministry focus: me with 40 years of full-time Christian ministry in apologetics & discipleship, & Pat with his trauma, combat, & critical medical crisis experience sharing the grace & sufficiency of Christ with others in crisis & trauma. Please pray about helping us to stay in our home & serve the Lord.

God blessed my late husband Bob & me (& our 3 children & the ministry of Answers In Action) with this home in 1997. In June of 1997 we had $800 to our names & an eviction notice. By August the Lord had used our friends & brothers & sisters in Christ to fund our purchase of this modest 1950s tract house w/a 20% down payment.

For 17 years God has used this home to shelter us, to raise our children, & provided well over 50% of the home for ministry purposes, including housing our 8,000 specialty research library used not only by us but by other Christian apologists, disciplers, & teachers. My late husband Bob Passantino died & went to be with the Lord in this home. My husband Pat died in this home 9 years later, but God gave him new mortal life & he has spent the last 18 months recovering here. This home has been a safe, friendly, warm place for Bible teaching, worship, evangelism, & discipleship.

We are convinced that God wants us to stay here & continue using this home for life & ministry. We need your help to accomplish that. After exploring all of our options, praying, & discussing this with our Answers In Action Board, they concur.

This is one of the most vulnerable e-mails I’ve ever sent. It is embarrassing to expose our failure. It is frightening to relinquish any hope of solving the problem ourselves. It is risky to boldly claim “God told us” without seeing His answer. It feels shameful to ask for housing help in front of the ones who have stepped in twice in the past 18 months to help with this. I’m reminded of 2 Timothy 1:7-9. We’re not the Apostle Paul, & our home is not in prison, but Paul’s advice encourages me to be bold & have a God perspective rather than a fallen human perspective: “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.”

Here is how you can help: (1) pray, (2) encourage us, (3) share with others God might call to help, (4) prayerfully consider helping us financially, which you can do by going to this Go Fund Me link: http://www.gofundme.com/agrtwk  (or you can e-mail me privately).

If you do Facebook, you can go to my Facebook page (Gretchen Passantino Coburn) & get more details & pictures of our home we believe God has given us.

Below are some pictures of our “Little Hobbit Hole.”

Thankfully & lovingly in Christ,

Gretchen Passantino Coburn

858 Joann St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627
949-290-2819

Director, Answers In Action

​

From: Gretchen Passantino-Coburn [mailto:gretchen.passantino@answersinaction.org]

Sent: Monday, June 23, 2014 1:02 PM
To: Gretchen Passantino-Coburn
Subject: Special Matching Funds Offer for Emergency Passantino/Answers In Action Support Appeal This Week Only

Wow! The Lord has provided a HUGE encouragement for your support of our housing security THIS WEEK ONLY. An anonymous benefactor has pledged to MATCH DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR every gift (via Go Fund Me or otherwise) for this cause now through June 30, 2014 (one week from today), UP TO TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($10,000).
Last week I shared with you our precarious housing situation which affects not only our residence, but our Answers In Action ministry office & specialized 8,000 volume research library, our current & future stability for life & ministry, & my husband Pat’s health & well-being (OK, mine, too). We believe the Lord led us to share our vulnerable circumstances with you for prayer, encouragement, & support. Let me add that we also believe the Lord wanted us to be open about our need so he could be open about his blessings & provision.

The response to our appeal is epitomized by this benefactor’s most generous matching funds program. Please pray about taking advantage of this gift program.  If you are planning to gift us, this week is the week to double your gift courtesy of our benefactor. If you donate $500, we will receive $1,000; donate $100 & we will receive $200; $50 & we receive $100, etc.

We are already 20% toward our half-way point (combined gifts from Go Fund Me & otherwise) that will secure our immediate housing, office, & support; & 10% toward our support needs over the next year. I said before that this was a fearful step for me to take — in fact, I stalled doing this for far too long. I’m thankful God is not fearful & that his People & his Plan of Provision are testimony to his Promises.

Easiest way to give is through Go Fund Me, or you can contact me directly if you prefer. (Go Fund Me charges the fund about 10%, other avenues 100% goes to us.) Message if you have any questions, & thank you — those who have given, those who will give in this matching appeal, & especially those who pray for & encourage us.

Here’s a picture of Pat & me & our dog, Samwise Gamgee, this weekend walking on the bluffs by our Hobbit Home. (That’s a whole other blessing & intervention by God — Pat’s neurologist gave him a new medication to affect his brain’s perception of stamina & he almost instantly started experiencing greater stamina & energy. I’ll report on that later. God’s moving so fast I can’t keep up on-line!)

Blessings in Christ,

Gretchen

[MJB]

And my favorite pic of Gretchen and Pat:

​

Read Full Post »

What others are saying . . .

“New writers should absolutely go to writers conferences. The best two are Mount Hermon and the Colorado Christian Writers Conference.” – Lee Hough (former literary agent, Alive Communications; now with the Lord)

“The Colorado Christian Writers Conference was my introduction to writing professionally. It’s the reason I published my first book. I learned more at CCWC and made more contacts there than any other conference. I plan on returning every year as long as God gives me breath.” – Debbie Hardy (faculty member)

“I’ve been to a half-dozen Colorado Christian Writers’ Conferences over the last decade. I went to my first one–hesitant, uncertain of my abilities, and intimidated by the superstar lineup. All of those inadequacies went away over a few days as I realized that these people loved God and wanted to help me tell my story. I’ve shared meals with publishers, went hiking with an agent, and laughed and prayed with seasoned writers. And I have also made friends with others–people who just had some words within them and didn’t know where to start.

“After finding a measure of writing success lately, I feel just as comfortable going to the conference now as a vet as I was a rookie. There’s literally something for everyone. If you have just one story to tell–you’ll find a place to tell it. Or if you’ve already told 1,000, you find another.” – David Rupert (conferee)

“Not only did I learn about the craft of writing, but I sat in God’s presence. I came home encouraged and changed. – Pam Halter, New Jersey (former faculty member)

“For several years I have had the privilege of joining the faculty of both the Colorado Christian Writers Conference and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference. As faculty I attend writers’ conferences anticipating how I will be used to encourage and assist writers along their journey. I love teaching workshops and being able to share one on one during our 15 minute appointments. It is such a joy!

“At the Write His Answer conferences I have come to realize that God uses these conferences as an intense time of spiritual growth for me too. As I sit in general sessions and am cared for by Marlene and her fantastic team, I am challenged, convicted, encouraged and changed. Personally and professionally I have experienced profound moments at both conferences, forever impacting me, SuzyQ and my ability to help others.” – Suzanne Kuhn (faculty member)

“I came away from the Conference with HOPE and a to-do list. I believe that God allowed me to meet with exactly the right people. I ended up speaking with eight people, as God kept directing, and orchestrating.” –  Becki Reiser (conferee from Ohio)

 Free!
Ten page manuscript critique with
Sarah Joy Freese
Associate Literary Agent
WordServe Literary
to the 5th person
who registers online because of this blog or email.
Mention this email in the “comments”
on page 2 of the online registration form.

Top Ten Reasons NOT to Attend the Colorado Christian Writers Conference
from faculty member Marti Pieper’s blog – www.martipieper.com

Anyone who reads my blog or posts with any degree of regularity knows I’m a huge fan of writers conferences. I’ve had the privilege of teaching and representing  Sisterhood Magazine at several through the years.

But today, I decided to take a different tack. I’ve seen plenty of posts, including my own, touting the advantages of one conference or another. So here are my top ten reasons not to attend the next conference where I’ll teach, the Colorado Christian Writers Conference May 14-17, 2014.

10. Extras: The Saturday Night hayride, bookstore packed with a writer’s dream library, and Early Bird (Wednesday, May 14) Workshops are all unneeded add-ons. Why trouble yourself with bonuses that add value to your conference investment?

9. Delicious, Varied Menu: The YMCA of the Rockies offers more variety (including vegetarian and gluten-free options) than any conference where I teach. Who wants to make choices? When it comes to meals, bland and boring is best.

8. Critique Me Not: The CCWC offers the opportunity for paid critiques with industry professionals. But why? “Critique” sounds like “criticism,” and you sure don’t want anyone evaluating your baby book or article. Let Mom do your critiquing. She likes everything!

7. Scholarships: Privacy, Please. Conferences cost. But you wouldn’t want anyone to know about a financial need, would you? And why take advantage of someone else’s generosity by applying for a scholarship? Besides, your ship will come in someday, and you can hire someone to push your wheelchair around the conference.

6. Continuing Sessions and Clinics: Don’t  get serious about your work when when you can just dabble instead. The continuing sessions and clinics push you to examine and evaluate your work under an expert’s personal tutelage. Why bother?

5. Workshops: Why? The CCWC offers more variety than ever, with workshops on topics ranging from Author Promo to Deep POV (point of view) to How to Book Speaking Engagements. But why improve your craft or writing business when the status quo feels so comfortable?

4. Teens Write (mini-conference for teens): Why challenge young people to write for God’s glory? They’re better off with their hands on their game controllers or taking selfies for social media. Who cares about the future of the publishing industry?

3. Agents and Editors. Mehhh. Every conference has them, but the CCWC has an abundance, offering four one-on-one appointments with faculty of your choice (five for the first 75 registrants). But why put your work in front of people who could publish it when hiding behind your computer is easier and safer?

2. Nature. Who Needs It? Anyone with a passion for the beauty of God’s creation will want to avoid the CCWC. We can only take so much blue sky anyway, right? And breathtaking views of the Rockies: really? Wouldn’t you rather watch them on TV?

1. Justice, Schmustice: The CCWC and its sister conference in Philadelphia have a strong, spiritual focus on “writing his answer” to touch societal needs. Let’s keep our Christianity in a box. Why take it outside the church?

Believe it or not, I’ve heard or witnessed most (if not all) of these reasons not to attend in my communication with writers through the years. Read through them again and see if you sense the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Is He calling you to use your words to make a difference? Is He calling you to the beauty of His creation and the power of professional expertise applied to your words? Is He calling you to write His answer? If so, I hope to see you at the CCWC!

_____________

Me, too! There’s still time to register and, if needed, to request scholarship help and/or time payments.

Keep writing and living His answer!

Read Full Post »

Donna  Brennan
Interviews
Colorado Christian Writers Conference
Faculty Member
Roy Hanschke

Just writing a great book isn’t enough. You need to promote it, and at the same time promote yourself. One way to do that is with public appearances, presentations, and radio interviews.

Yet where can we learn to not only put together a great presentation, but to deliver it at the right pace, voice, and volume?

Help is on the way in the form of a Speakers’ Clinic at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference May 14-17 at the Estes Park Center. Roy Hanschke, a Christian radio personality and speaker, has trained and coached beginning and seasoned speakers for over 15 years.

Roy’s style of teaching is simple, practical, and effective. He can help you focus in on your ministry’s main message and teach you how to present it. He’ll show you how to organize one of your talks to maximize time and effectiveness and how to deliver that talk with power and pizazz.

And you’ll have the opportunity to test what you learn right in class, gathering feedback from Roy and from your peers who will be learning right along side you.

I asked Roy for more information about the Speakers’ Clinic. Here’s what he had to say.

Question:  Why would both fiction and nonfiction authors need to be able to give an effective talk or presentation?

Whether you’re a fiction or non-fiction author, you have a message. Take every opportunity you can get to communicate that message to others whether it’s through a radio/TV interview or a talk to a group of people.

Question:  What do you mean when you talk about “voice personality?” Why is that important?

Everyone’s voice has a personality of its own. As we all know, we really can’t change our personality, but we can consciously use it to more effectively impact others. The same is true of our voice. You can train it to bring out the best in your personality.

Question:  Can someone really be taught to improve their speaking voice?

Yes. You don’t actually change your voice as much as the way you use it. It’s like learning a musical instrument. A saxophone is always a saxophone, but the way you use it can engage your listeners or make them leave the concert early. There are principles, effects, and exercises to improve the effectiveness of your vocal delivery.

Question:  If we want our ministry to reach lots of people, why is it important to identify our focus? Can we have more than one focus?

One problem with presentations that falter is that they have more than one main focus. I believe a great presentation has one focus with several supporting points. An audience can leave a well presented talk that contains many great points and say, “That was great, but I don’t remember what she/he was trying to get across.” Furthermore, when you identify your   focus, you have a better chance of deciding whether or not that’s what you want to say and if it’s powerful enough to move your audience.

Question:  Will you be showing us how to give radio interviews? Is that something that’s hard to do?

I have 25 years of experience in conducting interviews, listening to interviews, and being interviewed. From that I’ve developed a set of principles that can help you relax, communicate your message, and make the listener feel glad he/she listened to you. We’ll make it simple and fun.

Question:  What if we tend to get tongue-tied or choke up when we speak to a group? Will your clinic teach us ways to overcome that and give an effective message despite our fear?

Managing your fear as a speaker is a big part of what we work on. It’s really a result of everything we work on in the clinic. There are, however, a few secrets to “saving the moment” when fear attacks.

Question:  I know I’m sometimes told I should slow down when I’m speaking, even when  I think I’m already doing that. Will your clinic help us to tell if we’re talking too rapidly, or too softly, or doing something else wrong?

More than that, it will help every speaker, no matter what their typical pace and style, to follow effective patterns of success without giving up who they are. We’ll work on becoming aware of our personality styles and our habits and learn to control them rather than be controlled by them.

Question:  Will you show us tips or tricks to prevent us from skipping any parts of our talk or important points we want to make? How do we not lose our place without reading from the page?

If your talk isn’t “rememberable” to you, it certainly won’t be to the listeners. Yes, there are tips and tricks and so much more. It has a lot to do with the way you structure your talk.

Question:  What if we still don’t entirely “get it” by the end of the clinic, or we don’t feel secure enough in our “delivery”? Will we be able to contact you afterward for more help?

Sure. I’m happy to answer questions by email or phone anytime, and I am available to coach you personally by phone, SKYPE, email, and in person (in the Front Range of Colorado). My goal is to maximize your improvement while minimizing the expense to you.
_____________________

Great questions, Donna, and very helpful answers, Roy.  For more info on Roy’s Speaker’s Clinic and the application go to http://colorado.writehisanswer.com/clinics. Father, thank You for this opportunity to learn how to more effectively present the message You have given us.

Read Full Post »

“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
The crowd cheered and sang praises.
They waved palm branches.
and threw their cloaks before Him.
But Jesus was solemn as He traveled that road –
that road to the cross.

As God incarnate He knew all that was to come.
He saw not just His own death on the cross,
but the persecution of His followers
and the destruction of Jerusalem.
He saw nation rising against nation –
the madness of yet-to-be-born rulers.
And Jesus wept.

He would be wounded and bruised for our sins,
chastised that we might have peace,
lashed that we might be healed;
yet few would accept His gift of life.
The darkness of evil would continue to reign,
but the light of His love
would not be extinguished.

Entrusted to us,
His light will grow brighter.
A cloud of witnesses are cheering us on,
to daily take up our own cross
and follow Him closely.

Blessed is He who is coming – again!

Read Full Post »