Raising The Roof Ministries

“Our Father in heaven, holy is Thy name”

…this acknowleges God as who he is, and by the same token, humbles me in who I am.
…
“May your Kingdom come soon.”

Not only the Kingdom spoken of in the great bye and bye, but the one growing inside me…here and now.

“May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”

I don’t even know what I need, most of what I think I ‘need’ is rubbish. If I had my way, everyone would accept Him and live a whole different existence than the one we live now, but here I am asking for the time when there will be no more tears and more fears, and no more condemnation of myself and others for being human. I realize that His will is sufficient for my needs if I but listen to His voice.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

Give me the insight and the ability to grow in spirit, help me put away more of the ‘old man’ and take on more of the new as I can comprehend it. Let me be reminded that it was your body that was sacrificed so that I may have forgiveness and hope.

“…and forgive us our tresspasses.”

Every single day, I create new trespasses against God and against others. Imposing my will on others, making someone feel guilty for a perceived wrong, failing to act in service and humility, believing that I know better than someone else, holding a resentment because someone didn’t do things my way. It can go on and on, but I surely need His forgiveness for them all, including the ones that haven’t been revealed to me yet as sin.

“…AS WE HAVE FORGIVEN THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US.”

There is a caveat to this prayer…we will be forgiven only to the extent our hearts forgive others for tresspassing or sinning against us. Here I have to check my own heart to see if family, friends or community are held sweetly in my heart, or am I mad about something or mad at someone? If I am, then I know that the sin in me will not be forgiven until I make it right between me and the one who grieved me.

“…and don’t let us Yield to Temptation.”

Oh temptation comes in many forms, doubt is right up there for me…pride a close second…and the other seven deadly sins follow right along behind it. We, as Christians have been led to believe that
drinking, smoking and homosexuality are BIGGIES…so we point to overcoming the obvious as progress…but the real evil is our unbelief, our thinking we can comprehend the ways of God, the idea that God is a Slot Machine and if we stick in a prayer, we will hit the jackpot. Or that He is like an ATM, and we can draw off our good deed bank account for special consideration and favor. Temptation flys over my head like a bird, but I ask God not to let it build a nest there!

“…but deliver us from evil.”

We have a host of evil ways, some of us want to compare our good with someone else’s evil and give it a ranking in sin. Sin is Sin to God…judging a brother or murder is the same to God. It’s all evil and all of it ends in death. Here I acknowledge my ‘unbelief’, for if I truly ‘believed’ I would not be sitting in the bleachers yip yapping about God, but I would be out there 24-7 engaged in the great commission. I would have given all my possessions (love of self and this life) to the poor and would walk out in complete faith to do the Lords work among man. I would walk into the most degrading of places looking for the lost sheep, and I would do it with such boldness people would know I truly believe with all my soul and all my mind.

For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever and ever, Amen.

Here I acknowledge again Who God is and Who I am not. This Prayer prepares me to begin an open communication with God, I have things in a better perspective now, and I usually don’t end up asking for things I originally thought I wanted to ask because my selfishness and self centeredness are revealed in the process.

Usually, following this Prayer, a Gift from Jesus Christ himself to us, I enter into a state of praise and worship for Him and all he has done to bring me to where I am so far, and pray to go further in my own understanding of the heart ache and heartbreak of others and to increase my power and words to offer the Jesus Way to heal them.

So much of my Prayer Life is now about learning to ‘understand’ rather than ‘to be understood’ and then to have this understanding manifested in my willingness to bodly go forth and share the good News in his name without blowing it too badly through my own ignorance and pathetic sinful nature.

Prayer for me is becoming more about listening, and less about demanding or requesting favors. I have to pray a lot, sometimes all day long in my conversations with God.

These four DJ’S could be out raising Cain on Friday nights like a lot of their peers, but God called them to lead a music ministry for teens. They faithfully suit up and show up to dish out the latest wows in Christian youth music venues…and they do it “Live.” They are part of the growing generation of young people who are tired of the world’s lies and who God has called to seek and serve the next generation of Christian Leaders.

When we met Ryan, Gordon, Dakota and Grayson in person, our Spirit’s began to dance with joy and hope for mankind. These are the kind of young men you pray your daughter brings home one day to meet you, if you’re a Christian parent. The show is fun too! Get to know them and you’ll want to support them, so beware.

They’re fundraising now for the “Tower for More Power” goal of expanding local Christian outreach programming to all Lincoln County teens.

T Shirts ($20.00), Polos ($23.00) and Hoodies ($25.00) can be ordered now through commentary on this blog or by email praise@windsofpraise.com. Attention INFERNO GUYS.    

TUNE IN EVERY Friday Night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

Winds of Praise Broadcasting 98.7 FM Newport on your dial,

or globally online at www.windsofpraise.com

We support their ministry in tangible ways, and we pray you will too. DONATE at the website, or ask about other ways you can help!  We’re Raising the Roof for Friday Night Inferno.

We support SILETZ FOURSQUARE SACRED GROUND OUTREACH!

In the name of God unspeakable atrosities have been laid upon the table of Native Americans by our forefathers. We took their lands, broke our treatys and promises, moved them from rich land to unsustainable barren reservations to live in poverty and despair, and insisted that they assimilate into foreign traditions and cultures as we systemically sought to destroy their own ancient cultures and traditions. Is it any wonder that only THREE PRECENT of Native Americans identify with Christianity?

Native Americans have not seen nor experienced this loving and gracious Jesus we talk about serving; they have not come to know a just and loving Jesus through us, and historically, they have been given little reason to embrace Him. The church as a whole has been strangely quiet in reaching out the true hand of brotherhood to Native Americans, and as a result of such neglect and denial, the indigenous people of America have suffered: the greatest incidence of alcoholism per capita, the poorest health, the worst educations, and a genuine lack of knowledge about who Jesus really was and is, and what he had to say about loving our neighbors as ourselves…and who will really see the Kingdom of Heaven. Truth is, our Christian forefathers created a ‘hell on earth’ for Native Americans, and they made a terrible mistake in doing so.

Sooner or later, we must seek to admit our errors of thinking, and actively seek to reconcile with Nations we pludered so vociferously.

SILETZ FOURSQUARE SACRED GROUND OUTREACH is just such a ministry.

Through the leadership of Pastor Dan Lundy, and his wife La Rita a vision was born and has now taken an eagles flight.  The SILETZ RIVER CITY MUSIC AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL brings an entire community together in friendship and celebration on July 3rd. It’s mission is to ‘Break Down the Walls that Divide Us’ through example and display of meaningful and loving engagement. SCARED GROUND is hosting a free BBQ and Strawberry Shortcake dinner with every single household in Siletz receiving personal, hand delivered invitations to the event…they are serving up a MUSIC VENUE headlining Cheryl Bear (Bear Clan of the Carrier Nations) and 2008 winner of the Native American Music Award  2008  BEST NEW ARTIST acolade  in a LIVE CONCERT for the Siletz Community, also without charge.

SCARED GROUND MUSICIANS will lead Praise and Worship teams at the event utilizing the Native American Drum and songs specifically written for Native American understanding.  Children attending the event will play carnival games, experience face painting, a cupcake walk and other playful events together as Jesus would love for all children. Everyone is included, and no one is excluded. Many other ministries have lined up in support of this ‘heart of God’ outreach…Winds of Praise Broadcasting 98.7 Newport (or online at www.windsofpraise.com), a local Christian Radio Station, Raising the Roof Ministries, a ministry support service, is assisting in the marketing, organizing, booths and kids venues, The Church on the Hill in Toledo is fielding a booth, the Siletz Assembly of God is fielding a bean bag throw game for kids, Friday Night Inferno…a Teen Radio Show is fielding a booth, and participating in the music venue, and many other churches have assisted in getting out the word and posting flyers and volunteer efforts. What a blessing the good Lord is providing for host and guests alike!

SILETZ FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, co-host for the celebration initiated an invitation a few years back to Siletz Foursquare Sacred Ground Outreach, under the leadership of Pastor Rick Russell, he invited SACRED GROUND OUTREACH to join congregations for the greater glory of the Lord, a blending rare and precious in turf boundries between denominations and doctrines even to this day. Each congregation was asked to embrace the other in Love and though separate, hearts in Love with Jesus and the Gospel were obedeient and faithful, and both congregations now serve along side each other, unique but joined in a missionary outreach within their own community.

Several months back, Rick Russell (recently retired Principal for Mid-Coast Christian School)  gazed upon the expansive lawn behind First Baptist Church and visualized a great gathering of community celebration…complete with food, music and friendship for the entire community. While the world teaches honoring our differences, Jesus Christ subscribed to ‘unity’ in the body of Christ…while the world worships status, and celebrity; Jesus made a bee line for the broken-hearted and poor in spirit. When Jesus paid the untilmate price for the sins of humanity, he did not differentiate one man from another, but died so that all men could live abudantly and joyfully and in a deep relationship with Him.  When he rose from the dead, His deciples asked which commandment of God was most important, and I can almost hear Jesus laugh as He knows our humanity and hidden secrets all too well. He asked us to “Love God with All of our Hearts, Souls and Minds, and to LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS OURSELVES.”

Pastor Rick Russell, and Pastor Dan would never subscribe to celebrity for themselves, and they will no doubt be surprised at this mention of their ministries and maybe even be a little uncomfortable with such words of praise. Together, they developed the Five Church Fellowship of Pastors who meet weekly to encourage each other and help each other in their respective ministries…and they welcome the growth of such brotherhood from any Pastor who will stand with them for Jesus Christ…in BREAKING DOWN THE WALLS THAT DIVIDE US as Christians. God Bless them and their congregations!

We are blessed to be a part of this beautiful testimony for our Lord.

If you are inspired to donate finacially, spiritually, or with helping hands and hearts, or participate in this and other upcoming outreach efforts, please comment or contact us or Pastor Dan Lundy directly. 

GOD BLESS YOU!

In Jesus Love,

Allen and Linda Palmer

Raising the Roof in Siletz, Oregon  

Frank Ross’s services will be Graveside Visalia Cemetary 10 am Monday the 17th. Frank asked to be cremated. Following the services there will be a potluck gathering at Cutler park for family and friends.

Frank asked to be remembered in celebration style not traditional funeral mourning style.

That is so Frank, he was a “papa” to so many of us. His life and Shirlene’s life have touched so many lives and hearts, it is hard to imagine. He and Shirlene founded what was known then has “Pine Manor” in Visalia, then years later “The Ranch” in Tulare.

Frank worked in Weaverville, Ca. Hospital for a short while between the two as a therapist. He also worked for Kaweah Delta Hospital Impact program as a therapist and I think Clyde Clanches Aware program as well for a period of time.He delivered flowers for years as well for Peter Perkins of Visalia.

Everybody who knew ole salty loved him, I know I do.

God Bless Frank Ross and you,

Allen

This gathering is an inspired pastoral vision that says we can come together as brothers and sisters, share the joyful experience of acknowledging and celebrating goodness at its core; and make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

The lawn at the Siletz First Baptist Church in Siletz is expansive and ripe for a Festival like Siletz River City Music and Crafts Festival slated for July 3^rd.

It’s a bustling marketplace where artisans, craftsmen, musicians, vendors, face painters, sponsors, community organizations, youth groups, church groups, local service agencies, and any other wholesome group, wanting to be at this happening, can come out, kick back, and have fun together. It’s a family event too.

If you haven’t heard the music of Cheryl Bear, you are in for a huge treat!

You don’t have to wait! She’s on Youtube…24-7, 365. Her live concert is free for everyone, although donations are welcomed to support her ministry.

There will be free BBQ and strawberry shortcake for everyone too.

Bring your blanket and lawn chair, and please contact me through this blog if you would like preliminary information about fielding a booth at the Festival.

Even Better, join us in co-sponsoring this outreach to new friends. Woot!

God Bless you,

Linda

Nancy was approaching deadline on a project and felt her anxiety level rising rapidly. What if she didn’t get the project finished on time? Her clients expected the best of her, and she wanted to deliver, but it seemed the closer she came to deadline the more interruptions and obstacles multiplied to deter her focus.

The phone rang with a shrillness that startled her, she reached to answer but noticed the caller ID and it was Jason. Jason the pest: Jason, her brother, Jason the problem child she loved, but could barely tolerate. She hesitated answering just long enough for the answering machine to pick up the message.

“Hi Sis, its Jason, call me back.”

She stared at her monitor but nothing productive came to the page.
“Jason” unwittingly and unknowingly had ruined her day. He called and her mind immediately recounted a hundred hurts he had caused her, and her annoyance left her paralyzed and unable to think about anything else. She pushed back her chair and went for another cup of coffee. Why does he have to call now, she thought, I’m on deadline, but what does he care? He just wants to babble on about nothing and has no consideration for anyone. Probably wants to borrow money, or the lawnmower, or something else and then I will have to hound him for it as he never thinks to return anything!

Nancy spent all afternoon mulling her troubled relationship with Jason around in her mind. He was her brother for God’s sake, and she believed she should feel some love for him, but at this moment, her heart was full of contempt for him. Nancy considered herself a good Christian woman; a woman of many friends and a mother of three wonderful children who thought she was beyond special. Her husband was her best friend, and she had much to be thankful for; yet, when it came to Jason, her heart turned to ice.

She couldn’t share her hateful angry feelings with others because she believed them terrible and sinful, but she quietly practiced ‘avoiding Jason’ with the zeal of a crusader.

Of course, she believed she had forgiven Jason; time and time again, but he never went away, never disappeared, never stopped asking for her time, her attention, her love. Always trying to stay connected with her. She likened Jason to the thorn in the Apostle Paul’s side he carried through his ministry, which she never fully understood, but easily related to. She even wondered if Jason might have been a mistake God made by placing him in her life to annoy her, steal her time, her resources, and her sense of serenity and peace.

She would have to call him back because he would just call again and again until she answered the phone or called him back and she would never get her project completed, and time was ticking down minute by minute as she pondered her fastest way of escape from him this time.

As she slowly sipped her coffee, she stared at her monitor praying that God would eliminate Jason from her thoughts so she could go on with her work. Fifteen, then twenty minutes passed and no progress was made. Now she was furious; at Jason and then at herself, for wasting so much precious time thinking about him.

“Why God, why did you give me such an obnoxious brother!” she said out loud, more of an indictment against God than of her own inability to understand fully the freedom of real Forgiveness.

Forgiveness is Grace given to us by our Creator, Yahweh.

Only the Great Spirit can claim the Love of humanity through the sacrifice of his one and only son, Jesus Christ: a perfect man who gave us the power of Forgiveness spanning from creation through eternity.

Is there a “Jason” in your life? I admit, there are a few Jason’s in my life too. To family and friends, I might be “Jason”, I don’t know, but God says we share a commonality of experience as humans, and this might be one of them.

Forgiveness relieves us of the burden of resentments. Resentments weigh us down like oxen at spring planting and resentments have no value in God’s kingdom. We forgive as God has forgiven us or these poisoning resentments remain wrapped around our spirits like bitter vines, producing only a joyless distracted life.

Jesus specifically sought out the Jasons of his time to follow him as disciples and then become the apostles who would speak his holy words from tribe to tribe among the nations. He often used the meek, weak and lame to confound the wise. He still does.

Nancy is drowning is a sea of resentments because she doesn’t believe that an all encompassing Forgiveness like God’s is possible; for herself, or for her brother or for humanity at large.

They’re ALL ‘Jasons’ in one way or another Nancy concludes, and it is true, we are exactly that. Most of us have a little Nancy in us too if we are honest with ourselves.

Thank God to be forgiven my trespasses, they have been many in my life. Only God knows yours, and He has already forgiven even the secret character defects we carry that we haven’t even acknowledged yet in ourselves.

Forgiveness is the beauty of his overwhelming love for those sheep who hear His calling. They know his voice, even when they turn away from it. He desires us to be clean of the brambles and bitter roots we carry around with us causing annoyance, anger, blame and guilt…He asks us to ‘Forgive’ others for being themselves. He asks us not to judge for we are incapable or seeing anyone else’s heart.

There is no better example of the way to Forgiveness than that found in a personal reading of the Bible, especially the New Testament. In Forgiveness there is an absence of resentments, and of the keeping records of wrongs.

Forgive by letting go of all resentments against anyone, for anything they have done, and by praying for anyone who has hurt you in the past, then let God give you the Freedom to focus on ways to pass along what you have learned to another who still suffers.

Amen

RAISING THE ROOF

Ministry Support Services

We have been Captured by God’s Grace, know how much we have been forgiven, and we have begun to see others the same way God does. We give from the heart, and are blessed as we bless others.

Raising the Roof Ministries is an exciting, out of the box, unifying outreach adventure in service work for our neighborhood and global Ministerial Members. There is no fee for our services.

We serve any denomination of existing, and newly planted, faith based Ministries directly in Lincoln County, Oregon and globally online, where our backgrounds, experience, expertise and gifts are found useful for grace giving efforts.

Some of our current service offerings are shown below:

Outreach Program Design

Extending ourselves to others in grace need not be costly or time consuming. Once an outreach budget of sorts is established, we offer simple, but effective ideas and concepts and marketing expertise to fit the budget any ministry can adopt quickly.

We also offer free and/or wholesale effective downloadable software for Ministries who are computer and internet savvy. Once we know the outreach needs of ministries, we will recommend software programs that are useful and time saving.

Principles of Effective Fundraising

Experience in producing effective fundraising venues for more than 30 years has yielded specific principles in planning and moving forward a fundraising effort to a successful conclusion. These keys to fundraising are event specific and will require the commitment of three to ten ‘servant hands’ depending on how many ‘balls in the air’ need to be navigated at the same time.

For example, many ministries become involved in bingo, bake sales, harvest parties, and rummage sales, but there is no reason not to tackle concert venues, art shows, auctions, dinner theaters, festivals, recognition banquets, picnics, publications and even battles of the bands, competitive sports, or a combination of several activities and sources of income at the same time. Linda holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of San Francisco, and worked with her sister Diane, an Event Planner at the global level.

For example, A gourmet hot dog dinner party was once held on the in-field at Candlestick park in San Francisco, and the Great Tulare County Chicken Ball, a black tie, red carpet event with more than 300 musical artists on stage, celebrity judges, and followed by a late night Cast Party for 700 people was produced by Linda along with dozens of other charitable events spanning 40 years.

Financial Workshops

In the United States, we have been woefully neglectful in educating our population skill in managing money. As a mortgage lender and investment counselor for more than twenty years, thousands of loan applications have crossed Linda’s desk. Eighty five percent of them revealed moderate to severe problems in money management. Such a condition was not the client’s fault; until people are educated in the principles of money management, they are rarely good Stewards or consistent tithing contributors.

At the local level, we will provide a quality two hour workshop in money management, and at the same time we will train someone delegated from your congregation to continue the program well into the future. Master materials will be provided for copying and distribution to every participant. We are developing a DVD training program for our national ministries.

Publishing, Copywriting, and Communication

Frequent and effective Communication within a ministry and throughout a congregation is important in any ministry. As a ministry grows, the demand on a pastor’s personal time becomes greater.

As congregations begin to feel unimportant and even neglected due to perceived personal access problems to the pastoral staff, the grapevine can become less graceful, and more complaining. Establishing new methods, forms and tools for increased communication can be very effective in pastoral and ministry service work.

It need not be costly, and it can be quite time saving once established. As a former newspaper reporter, editor, and award winning magazine publisher, we can assist you in establishing a system for increasing communication streams to fit your experience and resources in media. We can help design publications, edit copy, suggest resources, or train in basic design concepts.

We locally offer communication workshops for ministry staff, and congregations.

We also have resources for high resolution graphic design and printing of written publications at wholesale cost. We have resources for low cost, high quality website resources as well. A website you can administrate yourself.

Recovery Program Training

If you are thinking about establishing a recovery program in your congregation, we have recovery materials you can utilize now.

It is our desire to train key people, preferably people who have sufficient recovery themselves, to be effective leaders and compassionate grace givers to the person ready for help in resolving personal issues that cause pain, conflict, strife, legal and/or emotional problems in the family unit.

It is our observation that we are all recovering from something, and the destructive forces of a host of addictions are widespread and common in every congregation. Addictions to prescription drugs, work, pornography, shopping, spending, food, television, the internet, look good, religiosity, smoking, complaining, gossip, sloth, gambling, sports, and many other ‘isms’ are also symptoms of a soul sickness people try to hide with the same zeal as those who utilize alcohol and illegal drugs to cope with life on life’s terms. It is our position that as ‘grace givers’ it is the whole person in need of education and recovery.

Our faith based in-patient and out-patient treatment program was blessed with a 95% long term recovery rate because it was able to ‘be real’ and address the complete person, the entire family, in a Christ centered approach. We also include ourselves in the ranks of the recovering and still struggle with our own various ‘isms’ such as over-eating and a multitude of other character defects God empowers us to overcome as we grow and are enlightened ourselves. 

In our local community, we are open to speak on the various ‘isms’ we all suffer as human beings, when invited to do so. We believe a real understanding of God’s grace and love were Key components in the success of our treatment programs.

Before developing our own faith based programs; Allen was a sought after and gifted therapist who was referred patients by other recovery agencies, ministries and service personnel for 13 years. He graduated from the College of the Sequoias in California with a degree is in Social Science.

If you have a need for any service shown here, or if you would like to explore other project work you believe we can help with, please click the contact button below with a brief summary of your needs, thoughts, or ideas