AN OPEN LETTER AT SAFEPLACEFELLOWSHIP.COM


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AN OPEN LETTER FROM PHIL SCOVELL Safe Place Fellowship I have never constructed a letter, or email, of this kind before in my life so this is a first. You might as well know, right up front, that it has to do with money. Now you can decide if you wish to continue reading or not. I am sending this as an email to as many people I personally know whom are Christians and mailing hard copy letters to others. This particular format is on my website because what I have mailed, and emailed, is a shorter version and points people to this expanded version. Let me explain why I am doing this. You will discover new information so this could be considered sort of a newsletter, of sorts, if you use your imagination. The week of May 14, I was out on my deck swing praying as I so often do. I was praying for everyone that came to mind. Some of those people were those with whom I have prayer sessions, while others were just those I know personally as friends whom the Lord brought to mind. So you very likely could have been part of my prayer time without knowing it. In the middle of my prayer, and without warning, suddenly an idea popped into my mind. Not unusual in and of itself, but frankly, this wasn't my Standard Operating Procedure. I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to ask 100 people to donate 20 dollars a month to the ministry. I was quite shocked at this idea because this isn't at all the sort of thing that comes to mind as I pray, so I immediately was spiritually suspicious. In fact, I go out of my way not to focus my prayers on such things because it is often more of a spiritual distraction than anything else. There it was, like somebody just released a bright orange basketball from the bottom of a lake, and the pressure popped it to the surface and it was there, as big as life, bobbing around on the top of my thoughts. I doubted its validity for a few minutes as I continued praying about other things, trying to ignore it, in hopes it would disappear, but it remained. Because it wouldn't go away, I decided to contact a few friends close to the ministry in order to bounce this idea off of others I feel accountable to and whom I believe who offer sound, not to mention, Biblical Christian advice. They all felt confident about this idea and recommended I begin the process of making my request known to others. So, here I am. I hope you are still reading. Only a couple of months ago, I was seriously thinking of discontinuing in this unique ministry, getting a job, and if I had time in the evenings or weekends, and the Lord brought people to me, that would be all the effort I put into it. One night, in my office, I had an unusual experience which I won't detail here. The bottom line was, however, that I knew I was doing what God had assigned me to do. It set me free and I continued my prayer sessions as usual. This type of fund raising is far from easy. People effortlessly forget, without a monthly reminder, via the mail, or email, often to send in their donation. I personally do not even feel comfortable pestering people in this way. Besides, I have been sending out newsletters periodically already to many of you. It, of course, serves as a reminder, but this idea is much more specific. One of my ideas might be to mail a CD of a sermon, more teaching and discipleship than a pulpit pounding sermon, each month to supporters. At any rate, I have a cassette duplicator but it is old and frankly, I don't even know if it still works. These days, a CD seems much more practical and universal. I have the computer, plenty of hard drive space, and could easily make a CD recording to mail monthly. It is also less time consuming than doing high speed cassette duplicating. I encourage you to refer to the end of this request, for a list of topics I am recently teaching at our home based church. This will give you an idea of the practical Christian living type of teaching I am doing on Sundays that I may begin recording. I am writing the lessons already but sometimes the recorded word works better for some. Concerning the recording, a friend suggested I make the recording available only on my website for streaming or for download. I like this idea because it means a lot less work for me. 100 Compact Disks I suppose would run me over 100 dollars a month, including postage and packaging, and then there would be the time involved, but I have a feeling people would be more likely to listen to the CD than try to log on to my website to listen to the audio. then, too, I could restrict the Cd recording just to those who feel they would listen to it monthly. The rest of those not interested in the recording, I could just send an envelope as a reminder. someone today, during prayer time at our home based church, suggested even a prerecorded phone message/teaching which anyone could dial and hear the most recent monthly message. So I am considering that as one more option as well. All of this, in some respects, goes against the grain and yet, I strongly feel like this is something the Lord has brought to my mind and not an accident, marketings tool, or business plan, which I made up on my own, in order to get money. As most of you know, most of the people I pray with are those I call "Throw away Christians." These are sometimes handicapped people and some with multiple handicaps. Many of these people have little extra, if any at all, left over at the end of the month, even to send 20 dollars, to support this ministry monthly. Most are even unable to go to church. I also pray with many others who have nothing physically wrong with them but do have emotional and spiritual issues they are facing who can give and do exactly that. The truth is, not one of us is without the need of accountability and in need of intercessory prayer of healing as a result of pain and suffering and woundedness in our lives. In spite of all of this, I cannot do it without money. Lest you jump to conclusions, yes, my home based church is supporting me. Most are supporting the ministry many times above the 20 dollars a month while others can only offer 20 dollars a month. I'm thankful for them all. Yes, my wife is also working many hours of overtime each week to try and make up the difference of 1,000 dollars we have lost as support each month to date. So, as it stands right now and as you read this, I have the equivalent of 17 monthly supporters giving 20 dollars, or more, to this ministry. It comes to about 355 dollars monthly. I am asking if you would be one of the 100 monthly supporters of $20? additionally, several weeks ago, during one of our Friday night prayer meetings, the Holy spirit clearly spoke to me in my thoughts and said, "Ask me for a building." I nearly dismissed it as something I was making up but the strong spiritual feeling persisted. So, I asked him, out loud, and in front of all the people in the meeting, "Lord, give us a building. I felt very awkward doing so but I was convinced it was the Lord. A building? I often run short weekly for bills. Why should I ask for a building? Yet, it was what the Lord said to do and so I nervously did. Now, I no longer ask him for the building; I only give Him thanks for it. "that's crazy," I hear someone saying. It's called faith. Read Hebrews chapter 11 if you want to call ME crazy and Read Romans chapter 4 if you want to see how crazy Abraham and God were. They both called things that were not as though they were. I, on the other hand, just asked Him for a building like He told me to do. Shortly after my building request, which, I repeat, god told me for which to ask Him, a church building became available near our home. It is only 225,000 dollars, the cost of a house in Denver, plus it has a finished basement and a large lot next door, own buy the church, for possible expansion. It already has 30 parking spaces. The first contract on it was turned down because the bank wants it to remain a church. "What?" That's what I said when my Christian realtor called and told me. Am I asking for 225,000 dollars? Only if you have it, the Holy Spirit speaks to you about it, and you feel led to give it. Yes, we could put a down payment on the building, if any of us had any money, but I don't want to do that because I do not feel led to do so. I'm not interested in making monthly payments. Why am I mentioning this? I don't know. I do know the building is large enough to house the Christian school my oldest sister operates, it has a complete apartment so a couple could live there, and we already have someone in mind who would live in the building and keep the building open all day and all evening for bible studies. Furthermore, the basement is finished, and the facility has two bathrooms. so my point is, this: is up to God. I am simply thanking Him for whatever building, church building, He has in mind. I repeat. I have absolutely no idea why I mentioned this in this letter other than I feel strongly led to do so. In spite of all this, and first and foremost, I am attempting to reach out to 100 people to support this intercessory prayer ministry starting at 20 dollars a month. No, I will never turn anyone down for intercessory prayer sessions just because they are unable to financially support the ministry. Furthermore, I won't pick and choose to whom I will pray based upon the size of their offering, or lack thereof, because the Gospel isn't for sale. On the other hand, I am asking for your help. of course, more than 20 dollars would be wonderful but, Jesus is the one who put the specific idea in my mind and as I said, I have not gone into this without spiritual counsel. As I previously mentioned, in our home based church, some give 20 a month, some 35, some 100, and one, who isn't even a member of the church but does pray with us on Friday nights, gives over 200 dollars a month. Why? Because he believes in this intercessory prayer ministry I have been doing for the past five years. Will you? I am simply asking that you believe with me and reach those for whom no one cares. We can no longer, as a Body of Believers, be turning away those who need such help to the so-called psychology professionals when Jesus has given those of us in the church the call, anointing, and personal responsibility to reach these people with the truth of god's eternal Word. I could prattle on for hours, but if you have a computer, please log on to my website and read the dozens upon dozens of healing testimonials from people with whom I have prayed. furthermore, I have more articles detailing healings in my own life that out number everyone else I have online. You will also find three online free Christian E-novels, as well as many articles, booklets, personal testimonies of mine, and of those with whom I have prayed, and my autobiography. This is far from the end. If I told you everything I feel the Lord is calling me to do in His name, you frankly would not believe it. I have trouble believing it myself. If you feel led to assist me in this ministry, I would greatly appreciate it. If you are on the internet, I can take PayPal.com donations. It can be set up for a regular monthly donation. It can, if you set up your own PayPal.com account, be deducted from even your bank account on a monthly bases at the same time each month. I no longer take credit cards. Yes, by mail is fine, it just takes longer is all, and people are likely to put it off. I do not know whom the 100 people are but I am praying for the amount, both numerically and financially, thanking God for those whom will support this ministry. I trust you can be one of them. If that isn't possible, please pray. If you wish to begin making a donation, email me and I will tell you which email address to use for paypal.com contributions. A final note. I am not tax exempt so your contributions are not tax deductible. Complete In Him, Phil Scovell Teaching Topics * How to make your faith work and what to do when it seems not to be working. * How to pray for specific answers and what to do when it seems not to be working. * How to confront darkness and what to do when it seems not to be working. * How to take every thought captive and what to do when it seems not to be working. * How to be healed and what to do when it seems not to be working. * The last Resort you take before giving up and what to do when even that doesn't seem to be working. Safe Place Fellowship Phil Scovell 840 South sheridan blvd. Denver, Colorado 80226 WWW.SafePlaceFellowship.com Phone: 303-507-5175 Go To HOME: SafePlaceFellowship.com