The Better Place News

Phase-Two Fundraising Update

For the week ending 28 May 2011

This year our goal is to raise [at least] all the funding for the second phase of The Better Place development. This includes, land acquisition, survey, initial site plans and development, paying the Director a full-time salary and benefits, hiring an administrative assistant, legal fees, insurance and the cost of producing fundraising materials (this last item includes printed material, a DVD and architectural renderings). The total cost estimate is $730,000. Of this, we have agreed on a price to purchase the initial 100 acres (that includes a lake view and gives us road access) for $201,500.00. Once we take possession of this acreage we will be able to make offers on contiguous properties that are “landlocked” and that figure into our plans for the complete campus.

Please pray hard and often for the full amount to come in. Give what you can. Pray all you can. Be an evangelist (a good news teller) for this endeavor so others may participate in what God is doing. Visit the website to remain updated on this ministry in general.

To keep you updated as we run this race, I intend to send a weekly update of our progress toward the Phase-Two goal. Here is this week’s update:

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As of the end of May we have received $4,925 toward the goal of $730,000. If you think of that $730,000 as 730,000 yards and one step as three feet, then we have taken just about one full step. We have only 729,000 more steps to go. – However you may think of it, we would like to exceed the $200,000 mark as quickly as possible so we can purchase that first parcel of property. There are innumerable people who have the resources to pay that entire amount. They just need to hear about this and to hear from the Holy Spirit. Thank you for your prayers.

2011 Regional Concerts Of Prayer Are Off To A Good Start

The first 2011 Regional Concert of Prayer, organized by The Better Place, picked up where the Concerts left off in 2010 – literally. The last Concert of 2010 was held at Blackwell Chapel in Jamestown, NY and the first Concert of 2011 was held at the same location on the 16th of February.

As always, many congregations and denominations of the church were represented as the participants partnered with God in prayer. Rev. Steve Strand, of Peace Wesleyan Church in Falconer, introduced the first topic of prayer which was “Repentance”. Host pastor, Annette Hood, introduced the second topic which was “The Mind of Christ,” and TBP Director, Roy Miller, introduced the final movement topic which was “The Priority of Reconciliation and Unity.” Before and between each movement, worship team members from Blackwell Chapel A. M. E. Zion Church led the Concert participants in song.

Through the prayers of the saints, agreeing in the Spirit, powers of darkness in the region were undone and the Kingdom of God moved forward.

The next Concert of Prayer for the greater Jamestown area is scheduled for Wednesday evening the 6th of April at the Koinonia Christian Church in Frewsburg.

The third and final session of the Regional School of Prayer was held on the 25th of September 2010 in Gerry, NY. This was a one-day School that ran from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The topics for the day were: “Call to Humility,” “Call to Pray,” Call to Seek God” and “Call to Repent.” These teaching were all based on 2 Chronicles 7:14.

The responses of the participants to their experience were all glowing, as usual. Here is a sampling of those responses: “I especially liked how biblical it was and how willing the leader was to help.” “I learned more about prayer than I ever knew before.” “Each session was more involved and provided challenges etc. and gave opportunity to share and to experience growth.” “The Holy Spirit is invited to come and stay and to work amongst us, to engage us together as one-on-one, as a small group or as the whole group in unity.” – And so the comments go.

God was palpably present as he always is at these events. People were ministered to in life transforming ways. – At the beginning of the day, Dr. Miller asked the participants what expectations they brought with them. Some of those expectations could not have been anticipated by anyone other that the Holy Spirit and the Spirit was ready to meet people at their points of need. At the end of the day when the question, “Were your expectations met?” was asked, the answer from everyone was a resounding YES!

This session of the Regional School of Prayer will be the last session for some time to come. See Prayer Letter #21 to learn about the direction that will be followed in 2011.

Here follows an open letter to the people of Blackwell Chapel, A. M. E. Zion Church in Jamestown regarding their gracious hosting of the Regional Concert of Prayer on the 27th of October 2010:

Dear Saints of God,

I just have to say – in writing this time – one more big THANK YOU for opening your doors to the Church of the Jamestown area as we gathered to pray and seek God last night. Thank you to the praise team; you radiate joy! And thank you to Rev. Hood.

As I looked around the room I recognized people from Healing Word Ministries Church of God, Park Church of Sinclairville, Falconer Wesleyan Church, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and Revolutionary Life Church. And there may have been other congregations represented that I was not aware of. – The thing is; God is attracted to unity like iron to a magnet or like a bee to honey; and God was powerfully present last night.

We may never know the full measure of the effect of the prayers we prayed, but we can be certain that they were a pleasing aroma to God, that the powers of darkness were pushed back and that Jamestown is a little more blessed today with the blessings of God because of those prayers. This happened because of your faithfulness as a congregation of God’s people and because of your willing and gracious hospitality. – I am grateful to each one of you and to your Pastor, Rev. Hood.

As Concerts of Prayer are scheduled for 2011, I will be sure to let you know when and where they will be held. I look forward to seeing many of you at those gatherings.

Our Chautauqua Lake Region Men of Integrity (CLMI) – a ministry of The Better Place – brought Psychologist/Media-personality/marriage and family expert, Dr. Kevin Leman to Jamestown on Saturday the 16th of October 2010. Our CLMI leaders met for lunch with Dr. Leman at Roberto’s restaurant on Friday the 15th to go over final details for the big day. Then on Saturday they keep Dr. Leman very busy!

The Day of events began with a free breakfast for pastors and their spouses at the Falcon’s Nest in Falconer, NY. After breakfast and a time of worship – led by the CLMI band – Dr. Leman imparted an encouraging and challenging message about leadership. Of course, his message was well seasoned with humor – one of the many reasons for his great popularity as a public speaker and author.

From 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. men from throughout western NY state and western PA gathered in the downtown Jamestown Civic Center to be entertained and edified by the message Dr. Leman brought. This was also a free event. Similar to the morning format, this gathering began with a time of worship led by the CLMI band.

At 6:00 p.m. the Civic Center was filled to capacity on the main level. Over seven hundred married couples and also single adults gathered for an evening of rousing and powerful worship, special music and the unique ministry of Kevin Leman. And it was effective. There were couples who were on the road to divorce who were brought to the meeting by the Spirit of God. They left hand in hand. Other couples who were struggling in their marriages were so positively helped and encouraged by Dr. Leman that they were telling anyone who would listen to them the next day.

During the evening gathering the CLMI presented the first annual “Outstanding Service Award” to a man from the Jamestown area who models the Men of Integrity commitments. The award recipient was Mark Summers from Clymer, NY. The award was a complete surprise to Mark. His wife helped the CLMI leaders to make certain everything was in order to pull the surprise off. – Mark is the treasurer for the CLMI and also the current chairperson of The Better Place Board of Directors.

The CLMI anticipated more sponsorships than they received from area churches and businesses to cover the total cost of this grand day. As a result, this day of events generated a deficit of over two thousand dollars. Nevertheless, whatever the financial anxieties it may have produced, the leadership is grateful to God for all the good he worked through the day. Many lives will never be the same again. – Anyone who desires to help cover the deficit and position the CLMI to move forward with future events may send designated gifts to The Better Place at P.O. Box 532, Jamestown, NY 14702.