Dear Ministry Partner, 

The staff at Converge Great Lakes wish you a very Merry Christmas! Maythe depth of the priceless gift of God's own son bring you comfort and joy this holiday season. We are so thankful for your partnership as we work together to strengthen churches so that more and more people can experience the saving love of Jesus Christ! 

From the Desk of Dr. Dwight Perry

(Converge Great Lakes District Executive Minister)
 

Giving the Best

Have you ever received a phone call out of the clear blue sky that took you by surprise? A few years ago I was the recipient of such a call which came from my oldest son, Dwight Jr. On the other side of the receiver I heard these words, "Dad, I am going to have to put you on a time-out." At first I thought he was joking, but as our conversation progressed further he had seriousness in his voice that was unmistakable. He was not joking! My son is one of the  most respectful young men I know. However, as I was trying to listen intently to what he was expressing, I have to admit I was getting a bit agitated. Why? I felt he was denying me the privilege of giving my very best to those I love so very much. As our dialogue progressed, it became obvious I had contracted a disease that I like to refer to has "grandfather disease". The symptoms of this disease are an extreme fondness that manifests itself into an unchecked spoiling of one's grandchildren. As I look back, I was going a little crazy in terms of how I was spoiling my grandkids. My wife would even express an "Amen" to that admission.

I have a very public life yet not a lot of people know this about me. I love to give. As a matter of fact I really believe I have the gift of giving because of the joy it brings to my soul. I especially love the Christmas season because it gives me an opportunity to be a little naughty and spoil those grandkids I love so much without reproof (smiles). However, more importantly it gives me some time to reflect on the greatest gift of all, God's son, Jesus Christ, who is the real reason for the season.

John 3:16, a verse many of us learned in Sunday school still states it the best, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (ESV).

God loves us so much that he gave not some second hand gift, not some trivial thing he could afford to lose, but he gave his VERY best. He gave his one and only son. As we enter into this most blessed time of the year, join me and take a moment to reflect on this priceless gift and thank God for loving us so much that He would give what was most precious to Him.

Save the Date!

Converge Great Lakes is sponsoring a Generosity Summit!

Find the tools and resources you need to start your generosity journey! The Summit features the insights and practices of other church leaders who are creating cultures of financial faithfulness and generosity in their lives and in churches of all sizes! The summit is open to individuals and church teams.

Registration information coming soon! 

Small cost per church team.

NEXT LOCAL SUMMIT

April 20-21, 2012

Hudson, WI

Hosted by:

Faith Community Church

777 Carmichael Road~ Hudson, WI

Contact: Charlene Isenberger~608-244-5000

office@convergegreatlakes.org

More Than Just Books!

You can support Converge Great Lakes while checking things off your Christmas list!

If you access the Amazon website through the Converge Great Lakes website, Amazon will give our ministry a portion of your sale. You just gave back!  Click the icon below and shop away!

Shop now!

You can access recorded messages on our website.

You can access the video links for Dr. Perry's vision message, Dr. D. A. Carson's messages, and the Converge Great Lakes Church Planting Catalyst's 80/20 vision message on our website!

Look under the "Resources" tab, "Video Links".

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Year-End Giving

We would be thriled if you considered giving a year-end financial gift to Converge Great Lakes. All donations postmarked by Dec. 31, 2011 can be included on your tax-deductible charitable giving statment for 2011. If you donate online do so by Dec. 31, 2011 at 11:59pm.  You can easily access our donation page on our website, click here! 

Check this out!