From Ted and Joy Carr:

Confirming a Firm Foundation for New Ministry Growth

The first day of the New Year in our neighbourhood is the quietest day of the year. Summer holidays have seen the great exodus from Johannesburg to the golden sea shores of our country. Those like us who have not fled the city, unlike us are recovering from New Year's Eve revelry. We spend the birth of the New Year alone in contented quietness, thanksgiving and joyful expectation of God's grace in the remaining 364 gifts of life that form our horizon of hope. (Psalm 65:11) That is our 1 January pattern. However, on this first day the chirping telephone was not another well wisher but a person in need of spiritual counsel…then and there.

It has been gratifying to be available to God's people and their varying needs. The year has got into gear swiftly. Pastors, missionaries and Christian leaders who have been in my mentoring and coaching ministry have returned with enthusiasm. A talented young woman who has been in clinical depression for years has, to the delight of her parents, emerged through our soul care and structured spiritual direction during the course of 2007. This week a Senior Pastor of an evangelical suburban church approached me at our monthly Minister's Meeting with this request "Ted, in our church and denomination we have well qualified ministers but we have never been taught how to mentor personally. Could we meet to discuss your involvement in teaching our Pastors how to mentor and then equip our leaders with the skills to do so?"

It is my experience that Christian leaders are increasingly recognizing the reality of their own vulnerability and desire, no matter how foreign the concept to their experience, to select a suitable mentor, an older soldier, someone outside of their immediate sphere of influence, to whom to be accountable. Spiritual Mentoring is a theologically essential tool for Church Leadership Development and ideally should take place within the church community since the church is God's prime instrument to fulfil His mission on earth. The pastors and missionaries whom I mentor have in each case no one in their church in whom they have confidence to entrust their commitment and who have the experience and depth to be a guide in life's pilgrimage. My task is to ensure that each person, once equipped, commences their own mentoring of men within their own sphere of influence. (Ephesians 4:11-13) This ensures a process of disciple-making and multiplication. After all, we should all be apprentices of Jesus.

I am currently committed to four Missionary Agencies that need some or all of the elements of Organizational Development and Governance, which would include Financial Accounting Systems, Marketing, HR and aspects of Leadership and Management expertise; three in different parts of South Africa and one in Zimbabwe. This keeps me busy with telephone and internet coaching, document preparation, strategizing, trouble shooting, conference calls, hosting, trips and the inevitable need to find resources for ministries and people at risk. In Zimbabwe we are involved with 1623 AIDS orphans in five localities nationwide. These children are the focus of Youth with a Vision, an indigenous ministry led by Pastor Bonface Mutudza (with no other paid staff) whom I mentor. Our work with Youth for Christ staff, Mark and Les Harper, in Mozambique continues. Joy and I both have responsibilities with regard to ministry in these two needy nations. My next news letter will focus specifically on our complex ministry in the complexity of life in Zimbabwe.

The leadership of Unsung Heroes have invited me to utilize the Pro·Vision International entity which exists as a "shelf company" and to function under that name. The "not for profit" registration is intact and after lengthy consideration Joy and I believe that we should do so. Our personal Vision, Mission and Values match the meaning of the name that I registered nine years ago and provides an appropriate logo for the identification of our ministry. (I continue to serve Unsung Heroes as Founder and Ambassador.)

On a personal note although I am out of the operational responsibilities of Unsung Heroes, our lives are filled with ministry opportunity. Gratefully the Lord is using us and there is spiritual fruit and influence at leadership level in church, missions and with corporate leaders. Much of what I have reported has been covered to a degree in a previous letter. However, we are still receiving messages like "So how are you finding retirement?" We have not retired, never planned to and never used the word. We have simply refocused ourselves on direct ministry at leadership level where our experience will, under God, grant the biggest return. It is probably the most responsible way to continue serving into middle and old age Ð passing on what the Lord has invested in us and trusting him to help us to leave a Christ-like legacy. We are healthy and willing; able and active. It is far too soon to be put out to grass.

We have low administrative overheads to fund which includes our ministry infrastructure and travel. Essentially though, we continue to live by faith and need support for our ministry and livelihood if our investment is perceived as valuable in the Kingdom and if the Lord calls our friends to do so. It would be unfortunate if we needed to support ourselves in some other way after all our years of ministry. So… you will understand "retirement" is a disconcerting impression because we would probably not receive continued financial support if we left active service in the Master's vineyard and harvest field. As things stand we could not cope without regular support and prayer. If however a partner is not able to further support us it would be helpful to be informed and of course we would understand; but silence is disturbing. Joy and I have always said that it is not about the money but about the relationship and we do not want to lose that gift through lack of communication. Thank you for understanding that there has been a need for me to raise this concern one last time. We need and value your partnership. Donations continue to be processed and tax receipted by Unsung Heroes USA and then transferred to South Africa electronically.

To our partners and friends, we so value your trust, financial support; your prayers and fellowship. We look forward to being with you again when that is possible.

We remember you regularly before the Throne of God.

Your servants for Jesus' sake,

Ted and Joy

Pro·Vision International

+27 (11) 453-5857 (office)

+27 (11) 453-8989 (fax)

+27 (82) 900-0649 (cell)

Ted@ProVision.org.za

Isaiah 33:6 (NIV)

http://www.provision-international.org/

http://www.unsung-heroes.org/