Encouraging E-Mails regarding Mardi Gras

Friends,

Below are encouraging words from Dave Monson from Georgia and Grant Armstrong from Pontiac, Illinois about Mardi Gras:

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Fred,

I'm excited about this year. Having been there once already, the whole learning curve will be eliminated this year. So i hope to be able to dig into these guys deeper.

I have heard from most of the guys from last year. All are wanting to come back to Vieux Carre'. Must be the cook'en! :-) I have contacted Pastor Greg Hand to see if there is anything I can do for him before I return.

We got a ton of Georgia boys who wanted and responded to our invitation to come. We got 50-60 names. Be nice if half would come. We'll see. Jim Crittenden and Jack Ludwick have done an awesome job keeping the torch lite here in Georgia.

They have contacted other churches about linking up and coming down too. Kudos to them both!

See ya soon.

David

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Hello friends!
Here are my $0.02 ...

As a pastor of a mainline church, it can be too easy to fall into the trap of naval-gazing committee meetings that never bring a single soul into God's kingdom. I attend No Greater Love's Mardi Gras mission as a spiritual habit to keep my eyes on what is most important in ministry - sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a world in need so that some might come into a saving relationship with God through His Son. There is great power in gathering men together in Christ's name to encourage and equip one another for risk-taking, disciple-making ministry. That's why I wave goodbye to my comfort zone, and get on the bus to the Gulf Coast.

May God bless your invitations, both to mission, and the kingdom!
In Christ,
Grant Armstrong
Associate Pastor, First United Methodist Church - Pontiac, IL

PS - Merry Christmas!