The Better Place News

This October we had the smallest Agape Prayer Ministry School we have ever had. There were just six students and all of these students were first-timers. But size sure did not limit power or the work of the Holy Spirit. – If people of the world can say, “holy cow” when they are really amazed, I guess we will just say, “Holy Spirit!!!!” Wow! The joy, the victory, the freedom; wow! God showed up; just like always.

This School was held over two very intensive days – from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. on Friday the 8th and from 7:45 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Saturday the 9th – at the Warren Wesleyan Church in Warren, PA. Due to the small size, we were able to meet around tables in the library/lounge of the building. Worship times and some other events were held in the church sanctuary.

Take a look at some of the accompanying photos to see our leads, our students and our gourmet cooks.

Here are the ministry recipient responses to our little response forms that they complete after receiving ministry at the School:

Was there an atmosphere of love and acceptance?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes

Did the team listen and pay attention?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes

Was the Holy Spirit free to work?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes

Was there unity among the team?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes

Was the session helpful to you personally?

Yes, yes, yes, very, yes, yes, yes very much – thank you!

Please make any comments regarding any strength or weaknesses of the School to help us improve in the future.

Strengths – I really like that you put a mix of people in the room. With their different gifts and such, it really rounds out the experience.

Having the session part of this School is very helpful. Being a part of and having this session helps with learning the set up and how it works.

I AM FREE!!  Praise God!!

My session: Great listeners to me and to God. Teaching: well done. Atmosphere: very good. Food: outstanding

[And this e-mail was sent later to some of our leads from a recipient who did not have time to write comments on the form]: Good morning, I just wanted to thank you so much for all your time, energy, and love in helping me … – You’ve shown me a whole other side to the word AGAPE… not just God’s agape love, but human agape love for others. I’m so grateful…. we all were! Please extend my thanks to the whole team for their agape love. It was incredible to feel so much unconditional love in one place to help us move from condemnation into conviction.

Prayer Letter #21

22 October 2010

Dear Prayer Partners of The Better Place,

A couple things we are always endeavoring to do through the ministries of The Better Place is to encourage people to grow in their understanding and practice of prayer and also to spiritually refresh pastors and other leaders in Christian ministry. On the 27th of September, I was privileged to be refreshed greatly myself as my wife Valerie and I attended an intimate gathering with some Western NY pastors and Pastor Jackson Senyonga from Kampala, Uganda. Prior to the official start time, Valerie and I spent several minutes with Pastor Senyonga learning about his ministry and sharing with him about The Better Place. – This gathering took place at the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Orchard Park, NY. During the luncheon that followed the morning meeting, several people were all “a-buzz” because of Delia Knox’s healing. Delia had been a member of the Orchard Park Tabernacle back in the 1980’s when she was college age. On Christmas day 1987, while returning to Buffalo from ministering in a prison in Toronto, Delia was in an automobile accident. As a result she was paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. Now, 23 years later, all the buzz was about the fact that God had healed her. The day before she walked again, a little boy was placed in her lap so she could pray for him, and as she prayed she could feel what she called “sensation” in her legs for the first time since the accident. She knew her healing was on the way. You can read a recent news story about this at, http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/MIRACLE-CURE-FOR-PARALYZED-WOMAN-105482958.html and you can watch the healing as it occurred, on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=delia+walking I suggest watching the thirteen minute video first and then watch the many other videos that were subsequently placed on YouTube. You will see Delia only days after her healing walking all around healing other people. Now that is my idea of an encouragement to remain persistent in prayer!

During the third quarter of this year the Chautauqua Lake Region Men of Integrity held their third regional breakfast of the year, people have continued to be healed at our Healing Rooms (including one person who was healed of stage 4 cancer), we held the third day-long session of our Regional School of Prayer in Gerry, NY, we held the two-day intensive fall Agape Prayer Ministry School in Warren, PA, and I was privileged to teach at a morning workshop in Fredonia, NY. I have run out of words with which to praise God for his faithfulness over and over at everything we do or are involved in. “Awesome,” and “Amazing,” and “Powerful”, and “Transforming” etc all start to sound trite after a while, but all are true. How great is our God! – God answers your prayers.

Speaking of “Transforming;” that is one word that has been used to describe the experience people are having as they read My Gospel. This book has been available since the end of June and the very positive and praiseful responses to the book have been both humbling and encouraging to this author. My Gospel, Companion Study Guide and the booklet, First Step to Adventure have been available since the 1st of October and people have been purchasing these, along with the primary book, at workshops, schools and other gatherings where I have been able to make them available. – All of this is an answer to your prayers. – Our Webmaster will be putting a printable order form on our site that people can use to order all of these books plus some other books that The Better Place sells at a discount rate. I’ll let you know when that us up. Meanwhile, anyone may order My Gospel at Amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com or christianbook.com.

You prayed for the day with Dr. Kevin Leman that our Chautauqua Lake Men of Integrity sponsored (16 Oct.). Thank you; God answered! The breakfast meeting for pastors and their spouses was sparsely attended, but nevertheless, a true spiritual uplift for those who were present. (Here is a perennial problem in North America: Pastors are too busy wearing themselves out to take time out to be refreshed. Keep praying for pastors!). The afternoon gathering for men only in the Jamestown Civic Center was well attended and most of those men returned with their wives for the evening meeting when the Center was filled to capacity on the main level (the balcony was not open to us). We know of couples who were on the road to divorce, who the Spirit brought to that evening meeting and who left hand-in-hand. We know of others who were struggling in their relationships who were talking to anyone who would listen the next day about how immensely God had helped them through Dr. Leman’s presentation. There were over 700 people there and everyone was touched by God. – God loves to answer your prayers. – I met with the CLMI leaders just today and, while they were sharing all the praise reports, their treasurer also had to report that ticket sales and gifts to support this event fell almost $3,000 short of all the expenses (publicity, Dr. Leman’s travel and honorarium, free breakfast for pastors, Civic Center rental, insurance, etc). You can help to answer their confident prayer by sending a designated gift to help with the cost of this very effective event. (Their budget was established with an expectation of more sponsorships than they received).

It’s a new season: After a fairly intense week of seeking God regarding next steps for The Better Place – on Tuesday morning14 September God directed me to Proverbs 24:27 which says, “Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.” Now, God gave that to me in the middle of a pastors’ prayer meeting, so I couldn’t deal with it right away. But later that day I asked God how he wanted me to understand it and he told me that all of the “hermit crab” ministry we have been doing (using facilities that are not our own) has been a season of preparing our fields. And now it is time to build our house. That means much of the ministry we initiate will be off the calendar for 2011 as time and energy that used to be directed to those things will now be directed to fund-raising and the purchase of land and the development of the campus. – It just so happened that The Better Place Board of Directors had a meeting schedule for the ensuing Saturday, so I asked them to listen to what the Spirit was saying to us through Prov. 24:27 and, with one voice, they all said the same thing I had heard. That is good confirmation. Doors that have been holding the finances back which have not opened prior to now are about to open and the money needed for the campus and the endowments is about to come forth!

The Board decided that anyone who contributes $200 or more to The Better Place during November and December will receive – as a special thank you – a complete My Gospel set; the book plus the Companion and First Step. At full retail price, that is a $36.97 value.

Please pray:

For doors to open with financial provision for the development of The Better Place campus; [see, http://www.thebetterplace.org/the-better-place-facilities.cfm ] – also check out “TBP Price Tag” and “Phasing in the Ministry” under the “FINANCE” tab on our web site.

For our Board of Directors as they gather for a two-day meeting at Camp Findley on Nov. 19-20

Regarding a meeting I have with the Warren, PA Ministerial Association on 11 Nov. to present the Agape Prayer Ministry

For me as I preach at area churches most Sundays and represent TBP in the process

For God to use the My Gospel books according to his purposes

For the finances and ministry of the Chautauqua Lake Region Men of Integrity

For the ongoing ministry of the Healing Rooms and Director, Mary Ann Dahlbeck

For Agape Prayer Ministry sessions that are on-going throughout our three-county region

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer!

Your partner in the adventure,

Roy L. Miller

Director, The Better Place, Inc.

Roy@TheBetterPlace.org

716/488-9918

Employer ID #83-0362390 NYS Charities Bureau Reg. #20-49-47

Do your web searches at www.goodsearch.com and help to support The Better Place by typing

The Better Place in the “Who do you do Goodsearch for?” box.

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Would you please consider a gift to The Better Place at this time?

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Prayer Letter #20

22 July 2010

Dear Prayer Partners of The Better Place, In all of our prayers which are truly partnering with God for God’s purposes to be fulfilled, we are engaging in spiritual warfare. Our prayers are battering rams against the strongholds of a spiritual enemy. The results of such partnership praying are not always immediately evident. The walls of Jericho appeared to be just as strong and impenetrable after six days as they were after the first day of marching around the city, but it is a good thing the children of Israel did not quit on the sixth day.

Jesus taught his disciples to always pray and not give up (Luke 11:5-10 & 18:1-8). I want you to know that your faithfulness in prayer makes an eternal difference.

Thank you for praying for the workshop on Grand Island and for the spring Agape Prayer Ministry School. God showed up and abundantly blessed in both places. One participant at Grand Island wrote, “My expectations were more than met. It showed how my prayer ministry could be more effective by myself or with others.” – Of course, all the questions that arise as we consider something as truly serious and as huge as prayer ministry, can never be covered on only one day, or even two. I yearn for the day when we will have the campus God has given the vision for, where people will be able to gather for days at a time. But, thank God for what we can do now … and what I always celebrate about these events is the unity that is engendered in answer to our Lord’s prayer in John 17. – Yes, we can be the answer!

The unity of the Church was again moved forward in May because of the National Day of Prayer and the Global Day of Prayer events that The Better Place organized. This is Kingdom work being accomplished! And the second session of the 2010 Regional School of Prayer was mightily blessed by the presence of God. One participant at the School took time to write a letter afterward that included the following:

“Thank you so very much for sharing of yourselves at the School of Prayer I attended two weeks ago. I had been looking forward to it for months and it far exceeded my expectations. When I told my sister who lives in New Jersey about it, she wanted a copy of my notes (I hoped you wouldn’t mind) and a copy of your book when it comes out (as do I). … Our prayer coordinators group had a fantastic time praying through your guide to corporate prayer on the 14th and hopefully we can share this with more in the church. I’m praying about whom to approach to form a prayer triplet. [Our pastor] and I are motivated to see our church become a House of Prayer.”

By the way; the book has now been published. This is a big answer to your prayers! The official release date is the 1st of September. That is when anyone can order it from Christianbook.com or from Amazon.com, but you may order copies from me right now and help to support The Better Place in the process. I will attach an order form for those who receive this letter by e-mail. I will enclose order forms for those who receive this by post.

One ministry under the umbrella of The Better Place is the Chautauqua Lake Men of Integrity. As you pray, please keep in mind a big event they have coming up. They will be bringing Dr. Kevin Leman to Jamestown, NY on Saturday the 16th of October. Dr. Leman will meet with pastors and their spouses for breakfast that morning. Then there will be a time for men only that afternoon starting at 1:00 at the Reg Lenna Civic Center. The topic will be “Sheet Music! Creating a Symphony in Your Marriage.” That evening, also at the Civic Center, starting at 6:00 p.m. Dr. Leman will present the topic “Making Sense of the man or Woman in Your Life.” This will be for any adult; married or single.

– As you continue to pray, here are a number of thing to keep knocking on heaven’s door about (see Luke 11 again). Some of the items on this list have been here for a long time, but your persistence will bring the answers God wants to give:

• Speak to the “mountain” which is the wealth stored up for the righteous and direct it to The Better Place for the building of our campus, endowments, staff salaries and related monetary needs.
• Three more members for The Better Place Board
• The Board as they meet on the 18th of September
• The third session of the 2010 School of Prayer on the 25th of September
• A workshop that I will lead at the Fredonia, NY United Methodist Church on the 2nd of October. Two topics will be covered that day; “Why We Can Pray With Authority,” and “Prayer Walking”
• The fall Agape Prayer Ministry School in Warren, PA on the 8th and 9th of October
• The Chautauqua Lake Region Men of Integrity day with Dr. Kevin Leman on the 16th of October; pray for Dr. Leman’s safe travel and protection, for the financial underwriting of this three-part event, for hearts preveniently prepared by the Holy Spirit to receive what God will say and for everyone to be present in each of the three venues who God wants to be present.
• For the book, My Gospel, to be used to strengthen believers in their faith and to encourage believers to partner with God more knowingly to see His Kingdom come
• Please keep the day-to-day and week-to-week ministries of The Better Place in your prayers. There are regular requests for help in several ways by e-mail, the Healing Rooms are open every Monday, a number pastors prayer groups gather weekly, there is a growing call for on-line ministry through blogging and Facebook.
• For me as I preach in local churches on many Sundays
• For God’s steady guidance and perfect timing in all things related to The Better Place

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer!

Your partner in the adventure,
Roy L. Miller

Director, The Better Place, Inc.

Roy@TheBetterPlace.org 716/488-9918

Employer ID #83-0362390 NYS Charities Bureau Reg. #20-49-47

Do your web searches at www.goodsearch.com and help to support The Better Place by typing The Better Place in the “Who do you do Goodsearch for?” box.

THREE COUNTIES CONVERGE FOR AGAPE PRAYER

The spring 2010 Regional Agape Prayer Ministry School was held in Sinclairville, NY on Friday and Saturday the 23rd and 24th of April. Participants came from Warren County in Pennsylvania, from Cattaraugus County in NY State and also from Chautauqua County. There were nine first time students at this School, as well as several veterans.

Linda Carson was released as a “Lead” at the conclusion of the School. This means that she has been judged to be qualified to lead ministry sessions at future Schools, to teach and to provide supervision of others who are coming up “through the ranks” toward being released as “Seconds” and then “Leads” themselves.

This School is sponsored by The Better Place twice each year. The fall 2010 School is scheduled for the 8th and 9th of October in Warren, PA. See the “Equipping” pages of The Better Place web site for more information about the Agape Prayer Ministry and future Schools.

Here is some information regarding the Agape Prayer Ministry School to be held in the Cattaraugus / Chautauqua / Warren region: The school will be held Friday and Saturday the 8th & 9th of October 2010 at the Wesleyan Church in Warren, PA.

All first-time attendees must have their pastor’s approval to attend the School. (The pastor’s signature of approval is required on all registration forms). If your pastor has questions, please let me know and I will be glad to send out an information packet or suggest an area pastor he or she could call to discuss the Agape Ministry. [Roy Miller, 716-488-9918 or roy@thebetterplace.org].

A Registration Form and the accompanying Profile Form may be printed from this site. A School Schedule is also available for printing.

Please return your Registration and Profile as soon as possible. Applications must be postmarked by the 21st of September. Registration is $65 for individuals who have not previously attended an Agape School. [A $5 late fee will be assessed for registrations postmarked after the 21st of September.]

Purpose: The goal of the Agape Prayer Ministry School is to equip Christians to sensitively and compassionately minister the freedom of Christ from the bondages of sin and Satan, thus freeing more and more people to live in the fullness of Christ and to minister to others the fullness of Christ. The training experience includes foundational scriptural teachings on the healing of wounds, breaking of bondages, forgiveness of sins, confession of sin, receiving God’s forgiveness, and spiritual warfare. There are also three ministry sessions during the School where participants have the opportunity to observe and directly participate in the Agape ministry pattern. Ideally, each participant observes one ministry session as a prayer backup, receives a ministry session him/herself, and serves as a prayer warrior in a prayer vigil during a third session.

Key Points of Preparation: All trainees must be born-again in Jesus Christ and be peacefully open to the full workings of the Holy Spirit.

Before attending, participants should read Healing for Damaged Emotions, by David Seamands.

Description of the School: The School is an intense two-day experience running from 8:00 AM until 9:00 PM on Friday, and from 7:45 AM until 6:00 PM on Saturday. Please make every effort to arrive at the School in a rested condition. The dress in the School is casual and modest. Please bring your Bible and a notebook. Plan your schedule to be able to stay for the total School.

Teachers & Trainers: The people involved in teaching the sessions of the Agape Prayer Ministry School are pastors and lay people from various congregations of the Church, who have participated in and have been certified by the Agape ministry as supervising leads and teachers. They are recognized as qualified because of their gifting, experience, and their on-the-job training in a number of Agape Prayer Ministry Schools.

Your partner in the adventure,

Roy L Miller