It was 11:00 AM, eight years ago today, when I opened my eyes. I was still alive, barely alive. I spent the rest of the day, wired and tubed in my CCU bed at North Hills Hospital. The day before was a blur of disconnected memories. I remember getting the paper, EMS guys in my bedroom, a determined ER nurse, a screen showing my blocked heart, darkness, ventilator down my throat, my wife, my preacher, my girls, and more darkness.

By the end of the day, January 20, 2002, I had learned how to connect my scattered memories. The 19th will be forever marked as my "on the edge" day. My heart just shut down. Three times, I coded and three times, I was revived. The old ticker was still marking time, but in the words of the hospital staff I was a "miracle man." I was still alive.

"Still alive!" Thank you God!

During the next weeks, I had lots of time to think and re-think, to wonder and dream, to listen for God's voice. Of course, that time had always been there, I had just planned my life around it. But, God interrupted my plans and graced me with a precious gift, a vision of life after my day "on the edge." I had a story to tell, a reason to live, a path to walk, and eight years later, here I am, still walking the path.

By the way, the path has not been an easy one. There have been distractions, detours, breakdowns, and a few "questioning" moments along the way, but the path remains. God called me to step toward a vision beyond my skills, to an emerging goal that seems to be a moving target. We are using the web, email, radio spots, and video training to coach the next generation of faith giants. It's a 24/7 mission and the stories of God's fingerprints in this world are still the heart of it all.

He took my broken heart and replaced it with his.

He gave me a dream and energized the mission.

Today eight years from the challenge of a lifetime, I celebrate his faithfulness. Oddly enough, I spent yesterday struggling with our impossible financial situation, It seems we are on the verge of darkness, but today God has remind me of his power, After all, he is already calling others to help make this a "miracle month."

He is bringing together the resources he needs for his story to be told and retold. We are truly living in the middle of a "God Thing."

God has given me more time, not just time to breathe, but time to live fully alive for a mission of his calling. And I'm not the only one he is calling to his mission. Is he calling you?

Ron Rose
Faith Coaching Network
5001 Surrey Ct
North Richland Hills, TX 76180

 

Need comments. I have discovered Five Fundamentals for moving web-based ministries into social media. Got any feedback? 

1. Quit using the  number of fans, followers, and blog subscribers as a success metrics. Think, instead, about what your group of friends and followers are doing together. 

2. Understand the difference between your ministry mission and the hottest new idea. Stay up with the new, but learn as you go and make sure your new efforts are true to your core ministry, not the latest hi-tech innovation.  

3. Approach involvement in social media strategically. Remember the basic rule, "Content" is king… content always comes before innovation and convergence. 

4. Start with what you're good at. Build your social network involvement around your best skills and resources. 

5. Don't let mistakes and miscues silence you. Forget about trying to avoid failure and learn to thrive on contingency plans. 

Lyn and I are forever thankful that during the beginning years of Faith Coaching Network dozens of encouraging friends helped us with prayers and funds. In the last six months of 2009 almost every financial gift that came our way appeared just in time to pay the bills. It was like manna, just enough at just the right time. More than one donor said, "Well, after all, this is a faith ministry."

2009 was a great year of outreach for Faith Coaching Network (FCN). The website doubled in size, audio files were added, the concept of faith coaching was clarified, over 11,000 people visited the pages of this ministry, Bible study and search tools were added, books and other resources can now be purchased online via a cooperative arrangement with Amazon.com. New FaithFeatures have been added, and i2eye Inspirational spots are available. A constantly updated news scroll is now available on the PrayerPoints page. Overviews of potential church training events are described on the Focal-Point Faith page, and the FCN--faith coach verification process is explained on site. All in all, there is a lot of information on faithteam.org, but the 2010 plans are bigger yet.

The number of Faith Notes subscribers has grown by 38%. Dozens have emailed comments and engaged in faith coaching discussions. God has used these connections to rescue and prepare believers to be HIS  fingerprints in circumstances and conversations around the world. Prodigals have come home, doubters have discovered faith, the discouraged have renewed hopes, legalists have traded cynical hearts for faith and grace, couch potatoes have been pushed out of comfort zones and into unexpected adventures.

Faith Notes has become our outreach arm both as a weekly subscription-based faith coaching email, and as a blog on the http://ronsfaithnotes.com website. Shortly after the first of last year I began a Facebook account (Ron Rose: as of the beginning of 2010 that page has claimed 728 friends) and within a few days I also opened a Twitter account (faithcoach: as of the beginning of 2010 I have 127 followers). In December of 2009 a page for Ron's Faith Notes was added to Facebook, and now more than 240 Facebook friends have become fans of Ron's Faith Notes.

This year we are planning to expand the audio files on the website and beyond, producing an audio version of Faith Notes while transforming our 140 i2eye spots into a unique series of YouTube inspirational videos. Also a mobile phone Faith Notes app is in the planning stage. The goal is to bring convergence to the resources of the faithteam.

Other radio programing resources are still in process. LB Lyon has doubled his efforts at collecting and producing new FaithFeatures, PrayerPoints continues on a weekday basis, and I am scheduling speaking appointments in local churches to help share the Faithteam.org story.

Last but not least, this is the year to develop training videos and a YouTube Faith Notes presence. Our ministry mandate is to do ministry without borrowing money, so a special fund has been set aside as a Video Production fund. Although we can get started with $2000 (for equipment and setup), we are asking God for $10,000 to launch this new arm of the ministry. Can you help?

I hope you feel the excitement growing in our hearts. This is the year of gifts...I know it.

The experience of 2009 has taught me several things, one of which is the need for monthly gifts to sustain us in the tough times. So, as this year begins, would you seek God's leading--would you, in the middle of all the other needs, make a bold pledge to give this ministry $100 to $1000 for one year? You can make your donation online, through EFT from your bank, or by sending a check to:
Faith Coaching Network, 5001 Surrey Ct., North Richland Hills TX 76180.
The full amount of your gifts are tax-deductible.

We are praying, not just for funds, but for dozens of believers who catch this vision and become part of this "Standing Strong for Faith" team.