http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/index/ en blake.rymer@gmail.com Copyright 2010 2010-07-21T15:31:00-06:00 http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/christ_our_life_conference1/ http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/christ_our_life_conference1/#When:15:31:00Z Ever wondered why you have negative thoughts about yourself? Do you struggle with a chronic temptation or sin? Would you like to better understand God’s strategy for your growth? Why is the “Cross” much bigger than just forgiveness with God? Interested in overcoming the performance treadmill and resting in your true identity? Can we really overcome sin and live in peace and rest before God? Christ Our Life Conference August 20-21, 2010 Ever wondered why you have negative thoughts about yourself? Do you struggle with a chronic temptation or sin? Would you like to better understand God’s strategy for your growth? Why is the “Cross” much bigger than just forgiveness with God? Interested in overcoming the performance treadmill and resting in your true identity? Can we really overcome sin and live in peace and rest before God? These and other issues will be addressed when Grace Link offers the “Christ Our Life Conference” at the Summit Crossing Meeting Room 347 Hughes Road, Madison AL 35758 Friday August 20th 6.30-9.30 pm and Saturday August 21st 9 am–4 pm Cost for the conference is $40 and includes syllabus, snacks and lunch on Saturday. Presenters will be Blake Rymer and Bart Justice who have shared these empowering truths internationally with hundreds over the last 10 years Space will be limited to 50 people and you must pre-register by sending a check for $40 to Grace Link PO Box 4131 Huntsville AL 35815 To get more info call Blake Rymer at 256.682.2216 or access the Grace Link website, http://www.thegracelink.org. Conference Information 2010-07-21T15:31:00-06:00 http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/i_just_want_it_to_go_away_the_uah_dilemma/ http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/i_just_want_it_to_go_away_the_uah_dilemma/#When:13:26:00Z How would you feel if your campus counseling office set up rooms for you to receive counseling, but the TV news crew was waiting as you came out of the session trying to interview you? Or how would you feel if you were invited to a prayer gathering to receive comfort on the night of a shooting only to get there and have it hijacked as a press conference in order to share information with you? Or, what if you found out that the shooter had not been background checked before they came to teach you, and it probably wouldn’t have mattered anyway because the system was broken somewhere up the line? What would be going on inside your mind when, in your grief and pain, you looked around and it seemed like everyone else was moving on, but you couldn’t.  In other words, how would you feel if you were a part of the UAHuntsville community right now? How would you feel if your campus counseling office set up rooms for you to receive counseling, but the TV news crew was waiting as you came out of the session trying to interview you? Or how would you feel if you were invited to a prayer gathering to receive comfort on the night of a shooting only to get there and have it hijacked as a press conference in order to share information with you? Or, what if you found out that the shooter had not been background checked before they came to teach you, and it probably wouldn’t have mattered anyway because the system was broken somewhere up the line? What would be going on inside your mind when, in your grief and pain, you looked around and it seemed like everyone else was moving on, but you couldn’t.  In other words, how would you feel if you were a part of the UAHuntsville community right now? Angry? Frustrated? Lonely? Guilty? Anxious? What about ambivalent? What does that word mean anyway? Well, knowing that might be a key to understanding what is really going on with many of the students, staff, faculty, and administration. Each campus tragedy and school shooting that we have in our country gives us a little more insight into the angst, frustration, dysfunction, and yes, ambivalence that is seething under the surface in our culture…especially in the lives of our young people. So, what is ambivalence? Well, it is a kind of defense mechanism that makes decision-making very difficult. And, if a decision is made, ambivalence makes it very hard to stick with that decision. Simply put, it occurs when a person has two or more conflicting emotions at the same time about an issue, person, or thing.  Thoughts and actions end up in contradiction with each other.  The outworking is often confusing for all parties involved. A faculty member may be happy and relieved to see extra police and security around campus while at the same time have a disdain for and mistrust of those same law enforcement officers because of the failings that are represented in the system from which they come. A student may have intense feelings of fondness and loyalty to their university while concurrently despising it for the way it has seemingly handled a grievous situation. An administrator may love his or her job but fear coming to work. The list goes on… “I just want it to go away” seems to be the overwhelming sentiment on campus. Many are stuck in various parts of the grief cycle but do not have the energy or are unwilling to move on or get help. They just want it to go away. Many are suffering from post-traumatic stress and are thinking that, maybe with time, their symptoms will just go away. Loss of sleep, appetite, and ability to concentrate are common. Maybe these symptoms will just go away. Something that enables the ambivalence virus to do its nasty, destructive work in a person is the need to have the appearance of having it all together. We think, “Well, everyone else seems to be doing alright. Maybe I should be over this by now. I don’t want people thinking I’m weak or weird because I’m still struggling. Maybe I should just press on and maybe these thoughts and feelings will just go away.” American culture breeds independence, and with it, a need to feel as if we can solve our problems ourselves. But we weren’t created that way. We were created to need one another! We were created as relational beings, like our Creator. We weren’t meant to always figure it out for ourselves. It has been shown that soldiers suffering from PTSD best deal with their trauma in groups. Often, a group of people dealing with the same difficult issue or addiction can be far more effective in aiding someone in their pain than a lone counselor can. Sometimes a small church group or Bible study can bring far more care and comfort into a person’s life than that person’s pastor can. However, ambivalence often keeps us from seeking out this help. And our pride and/or shame help us along in our independent loneliness telling us that someday the problem will just go away. There is a balloon release on the UAH campus this Thursday. There isn’t anything magical about releasing balloons that will make the problem just go away. But, it is a group activity that has shown considerable benefits in helping folks let go of things so that they can begin to move forward. There will be a discussion on “Where Was God In The Midst Of This Tragedy?” before the balloons are released. This is a question being asked all over the campus, the community, and even the country. Will people come to hear the answer to that question, or will their desire for the issue to just go away (along with their need to have the appearance of doing alright) be strong enough to keep them from coming? I guess time will tell… To anyone that is still reading this that is dealing with feeling of ambivalence, guilt, fear, anger, hurt, or frustration, please know that you are not alone. For anyone that can’t sleep, has lost their appetite, or can’t concentrate on their work or studies, please know that you are dealing with things that many others are dealing with as well. The effects of trauma and grief do not go away over night. But, they can be dealt with very effectively in relationship. A good start might be to come and release a balloon that you have written on and watch it disappear into the evening sky while talking with others that are doing the same. Maybe calling the counseling office and scheduling an appointment to talk with someone that understands what you are going though would be appropriate. Maybe sitting down with you friends, pastor, or church group and admitting your struggles will be a good starting place. From personal experience, I would suggest approaching Jesus, as He is a great starting place for your journey. Ambivalence breeds bitterness, depression, and rage – none of which you want as companions. On the other hand, Jesus promises to take our burdens and give us rest. He actually becomes our place of rest. And as we rest in Him, we find a Wellspring of Life coming from within us that is anything but ambivalent.  “Come, follow Me,” He says! 2010-04-06T13:26:00-06:00 http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/who_is_this_man/ http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/who_is_this_man/#When:11:41:00Z Who is this Man? Luke 8.22-39 Maybe you can use some reassurance that God is powerful enough to handle anything we encounter in life? As our church (http://www.myrivertree.org) studies through the Gospel of Luke, I had the privilege of speaking on this passage illustrating the power of God in Christ. Follow this link to find the answer to the question: Who is this Man?  Who is this Man? Luke 8.22-39 Maybe you can use some reassurance that God is powerful enough to handle anything we encounter in life? As our church (http://www.myrivertree.org) studies through the Gospel of Luke, I had the privilege of speaking on this passage illustrating the power of God in Christ. Follow this link to find the answer to the question: Who is this Man? 2010-03-26T11:41:00-06:00 http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/christ_our_life_conference/ http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/christ_our_life_conference/#When:15:14:01Z Christ Our Life Conference Feb 5-6, 2010 Ever wondered why you have negative thoughts about yourself? Do you struggle with a chronic temptation or sin? Would you like to better understand God’s strategy for your growth? Why is the “Cross” much bigger than just forgiveness with God? Interested in overcoming the performance treadmill and embracing your true identity? Can we really overcome sin and live in peace and rest before God? Christ Our Life Conference Feb 5-6, 2010 Ever wondered why you have negative thoughts about yourself? Do you struggle with a chronic temptation or sin? Would you like to better understand God’s strategy for your growth? Why is the “Cross” much bigger than just forgiveness with God? Interested in overcoming the performance treadmill and embracing your true identity? Can we really overcome sin and live in peace and rest before God? These and other issues will be addressed when Rivertree Church hosts the “Christ Our Life Conference” at the Tree House Meeting Room 652 Taylor Road, OXR 35763 Friday February 5th 6.30-9.30 pm and Saturday February 6th 9 am – 4 pm Cost for the conference is $35 and includes syllabus, snacks and lunch on Saturday. Presenters will be Blake Rymer and Bart Justice Both have shared these truths with hundreds over the last 10 years Space will be limited to 50 people and you must pre-register by sending a check $35 to Grace Link PO Box 4131 Huntsville AL 35815. To get more info call Blake Rymer at 256.682.2216 or access the Grace Link website, http://www.thegracelink.org. Conference Information 2010-01-04T15:14:01-06:00 http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/christmas_love/ http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/christmas_love/#When:21:13:00Z For me Christmas is about Love, the sort of love that moved Father to send us the ultimate Christmas gift. Listen and see what you think! (The link will take you to the Rivertree Church website. Then click on Giving Christmas Away:Love 12/13/2009 Blake Rymer.) Listen Here For me Christmas is about Love, the sort of love that moved Father to send us the ultimate Christmas gift. Listen and see what you think! (The link will take you to the Rivertree Church website. Then click on Giving Christmas Away:Love 12/13/2009 Blake Rymer.) Listen Here Grace-Link News 2009-12-18T21:13:00-06:00 http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/december_2009/ http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/december_2009/#When:03:20:01Z December 2009 Dear Family and Friends, Another year draws to a close. Another year on this journey of discovery within Christ. Another mother lode of reasons why He is worthy of our bond-service. He is not merely the reason for the season, He is our All in All. This is why Grace Link exists – to connect others to Him in personal, healing ways. Thank you for being on this journey with us. I probably say this too often, but this year has been a blur for me. Sandra and I were quite busy through November and just now things seem to be settling down. I’ll hit the highlights month by month: December 2009 Dear Family and Friends, Another year draws to a close. Another year on this journey of discovery within Christ. Another mother lode of reasons why He is worthy of our bond-service. He is not merely the reason for the season, He is our All in All. This is why Grace Link exists – to connect others to Him in personal, healing ways. Thank you for being on this journey with us. I probably say this too often, but this year has been a blur for me. Sandra and I were quite busy through November and just now things seem to be settling down. I’ll hit the highlights month by month: January – Along with the staff of Rivertree Church, we relocated our office to 652 Taylor Road in Owens Cross Roads, Alabama. Our church has provided us ministry office space since we returned from Budapest in 2000. We (I’m on the elder board) now have our own property and should start building sometime this year. PRAYER: This building phase is a huge step for Rivertree. We ask God to bless this generous congregation and extend their impact. February – We did a Grace Life Conference at the Young Life office in Huntsville. It was well attended. We’ve had a solid relationship with YL. It’s area director, Steve Hampton, has gone through our training and is a strong advocate for our ministry. PRAYER: YL is an effective ministry to students. We ask God to provide for their financial and staff needs. March – We led a team of 19 students and adults from Rivertree and three other churches on a mission to Katowice, Poland to teach English as a second language and American football in a few of their schools. Our hosts were Kings Kids of Poland (http://kingskidspl.blogspot.com/), a ministry of YWAM. It was a great trip!! Of course we also got to visit our family there – Erin, Greg, Abi and Hannah Skrobarczyk – our kids and grandkids (as well as our hosts)!! PRAYER: God is blessing Kings Kid Poland with growth beyond their ability to manage. We ask God for leaders and funds to keep up the momentum and for stamina for Greg and Erin. April – Much of the month was spent preparing for the annual members’ conference of the Association of Exchanged Life Ministries, held in Toccoa, Georgia at the end of the month. I’ve had the honor of serving as the chairman for the AELM the past few years and I have a much deeper appreciation for how our colleagues are expanding the kingdom of God, and how the AELM encouraged and empowers them to press on. PRAYER: In May 2010 I’ll step down from the board. Ask God to give the board a renewed vision for how this unique organization should move forward into the new millennium. May – Along with a group from three different churches, I was part of a mission team to Sighsoara, Romania. Our mission was to support Casa Vieti, a pro-life ministry, in their work with Gypsy women, and my role was to teach a series on leadership in Manna Church, led by Pilu Hadarean, a good friend from our Budapest days. It was a very successful mission and extra special to be on mission with our good friends Tommy and Barbara Glenn. PRAYER: Casa Vieti and Manna Church offer invaluable ministry to the Gypsy culture in central Romania. Ask God to give them increasing favor and influence with this unique subculture that they might transform the lives and families of these dear people. June - One of the highlights for June was a weekend in Franklin, Tennessee with the Family Dynamics Institute (http://www.familydynamics.net/).We were attending a refresher workshop for facilitators of the “Dynamic Marriage” class for married couples. This is a powerful group experience for any couple that would like to strengthen their marriage. We were preparing to facilitate a DM class here at Southwood Presbyterian in October and November (see below). PRAYER: Family Dynamics Institute is doing great work on behalf of the family. Ask God to multiply and bless their work. July – Counseling at Rivertree Church (http://www.myrivertree.org/) and Summit Crossing Community Church (http://www.summitcrossing.org/) mostly highlighted this month. These two churches have been very supportive of our ministry for years by providing financial support and office space. They are both growing and impacting North Alabama for God’s glory. PRAYER: Ask God to give wisdom and boldness to the leadership teams and the young men, Ross Jaeger and Paul Whaley, who pastor them. August – Certainly the highlight was the mid-month arrival of our kids and grandkids from Poland (http://skrobarfam.blogspot.com/) for an eight-week stay to visit family, friends and supporters of their Kings Kids ministry. We had a blast getting to know our grandkids, Abi and Hannah, better and coaching them on their English skills, not to mention getting our hands on them and their parents. PRAYER: Of course we ask your prayers for them as they labor and raise a family in the challenging secular culture of 21st Century Poland. September – Two things were special: 1) The extended Rymer family took their vacation on the Gulf coast. We had 20 of us enjoying the beauty of the white sandy beaches and the face-to-face family time it offered us. 2) We also did our second Grace Life conference, this time at the Choose Life office’s pleasant meeting room. It went great as well. PRAYER: Please ask God to show us new and effective ways to share the liberating, transformational mess age of Christ our Life in our churches and community. October – We met with the AELM board of directors out in Estes Park, Colorado so that we could visit the location for our April 22-25, 2010 AELM members’ conference (http://www.aelm.org/), the YMCA of the Rockies. We had a wonderful getaway to the Rocky Mountains as well as a very productive board meeting. PRAYER: The annual AELM members’ conference can be a very encouraging event for our members and the public. Ask God to give us success in this event so that it might strengthen the AELM and our mission. November – Sandra and I had the honor of facilitating our first Dynamic Marriage class in October and November. It was eight weeks of interaction and growth for the eight couples and for us. This is something we can encourage anyone to do for the sake of his or her marriage relationship. PRAYER: Ask God to use the seeds that were sown in the lives of these couples to bless and strengthen their marriages. So there’s our year in brief if you add in the week-to-week counseling, church responsibilities and assorted other meetings that go with our various roles. One request we have for us: We need your prayers also for a clear vision from God of the future for us. We don’t want to presume that we are where He wants us. We may be, but we always want to hear Him say, “It is very good!” Thanks!! You are an inspiration for us to keep it up! We love you for it! Blake and Sandra P S - Here are some recent bonus photos of our wonderful grandkids - In the 1st picture Front Row: Seth, Jacob; Back Row: David, Josh & Noah / In the 2nd picture - Hannah & Abi. Grace-Link News 2009-12-05T03:20:01-06:00 http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/the_gospel_is_not_only_good_news_it_is_great_news/ http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/the_gospel_is_not_only_good_news_it_is_great_news/#When:20:47:00Z The Gospel is not only good news, it is GREAT news! Why? Because it provides proof that God offers His own righteous life to His children. Are you experiencing the reality of this GREAT news for yourself? The Gospel is not only good news, it is GREAT news! Why? Because it provides proof that God offers His own righteous life to His children. Are you experiencing the reality of this GREAT news for yourself? LEARN TO: THINK AND LIVE MORE LIKE JESUS BE LIBERATED FROM SELF-DEFEATING BELIEFS AND BEHAVIOR EXPERIENCE PEACE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD COLLABORATE WITH GOD AS HE WORKS IN OUR LIVES FEEL MORE CONFIDENT IN LIVING LIFE SIMPLY ENJOY YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FATHER! CHRIST OUR LIFE CONFERENCE September 25-26, 2009 Friday 6:30-9:30 pm Saturday 9 am - 4 pm - Choose Life Meeting Room - 220 Rands Avenue Huntsville, Alabama 35801 $25/Person (includes syllabus, snacks and lunch) TO ATTEND YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER BY PHONE at 256/682-2216 OR BY E-MAIL at gracelink@gmail.com SEATING IS LIMITED TO 50 PEOPLE SO GET YOUR REGISTRATION IN EARLY!! TO GET MORE INFORMATION BLAKE RYMER - 256/682-2216 or http://WWW.THEGRACELINK.ORG Write checks and mail to: Grace Link PO Box 4131 Huntsville, AL 35815 Grace-Link News 2009-08-10T20:47:00-06:00 http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/heavy_grace/ http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/heavy_grace/#When:18:37:00Z Have you ever noticed that when you get really enthusiastic about the amazing nature of God’s grace and try to talk to someone, especially someone in ministry, about how radical it is...have you ever noticed how often you hear,"Yes, grace is important but you have to balance it with the law”? My wife, Sandra, recently got this comment from a pastor when she was sharing with him about our ministry. He said something like “what about Romans 7?” And she said “Well, what about Romans 8?” You go girl! “The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. “ (Romans 5:20-21, TNIV) Have you ever noticed that when you get really enthusiastic about the amazing nature of God’s grace and try to talk to someone, especially someone in ministry, about how radical it is...have you ever noticed how often you hear,"Yes, grace is important but you have to balance it with the law”? My wife, Sandra, recently got this comment from a pastor when she was sharing with him about our ministry. He said something like “what about Romans 7?” And she said “Well, what about Romans 8?” You go girl! Sometimes I wonder if these folks EVER actually read the Bible and think about what it says or do they just parrot responses they’ve heard from others? Consider the verses above, Romans 5.20-21. Paul actually has the nerve to suggest that the mission of the law was to increase sin not to hold it down. Grace, on the other hand, rules over our lives to bring about life, eternal life. Hmmm, law=sin and death; grace=righteousness and eternal life...which to choose??? How on earth (and heaven too for that matter!) can there ever be a way to balance grace and law? What is the underlying assumption that negates the validity of living life in the fullness and freedom of God’s grace? Do we assume that if you really choose to depend on the grace of God that you must be living a licentious life, chasing women, robbing banks, dancing and really enjoying someone else’s second hand cigarette smoke? Or if you prefer grace then you’d never again go to church or tithe to the building fund? The real issue is this: What is God’s goal in sending his filled-with-grace-and-truth-son to become one of us for the purpose of killing death and putting sin in its place once and for all? Surely God’s purpose wasn’t merely to find a way to change our behavior, keep us from having real fun in life, and force us to marry an ugly woman and live in Africa the rest of our lives!? No, his goal was that we might have life, “more and better life than (we) ever dreamed of.” (John 10.10, The Message) I looked up the word “balance” in my trusty Bible concordance the other day...not the skinny concordance in the back of my Bible, but the online super cyber-concordance on the Internet. Yes, I found the word there. It’s used in the Old Testament to refer to the scales a merchant might use to weigh out produce or grain or coins. It’s never used in the New Testament nor is it ever used to suggest that we have to keep the amount of grace we experience in our lives offset by an equal amount of law keeping. The whole idea is nonsense! Think about it: God says, “Now, Blake, you’ve been walking in and experiencing my grace for months. I think it’s time you tried to keep the law for awhile. You’ve had it entirely too easy and I want you to experience some guilt. After all, I expect you to balance that grace with law and keep that freedom in check with some bondage. I can’t have my children walking in freedom and really enjoying their relationship with me!” If you can even imagine God having that conversation with you or anyone else, you don’t grasp the Biblical teaching on grace...and you might could use some counseling! The Apostle Paul addressed this heresy (see Galatians 1.6-9) that says we have to balance God’s grace with God’s law, in the letter he wrote to the Galatian church. They were being told the same thing by a group of Jewish Christians (I give them the benefit of the doubt, after all you probably wouldn’t hear it from a lost person!), probably from Jerusalem. They were pressuring the Gentile believers in Galatia to be circumcised, a ritual required for Gentiles who would be Jewish converts. These Gentiles were not considering conversion to Judaism but to Christ. Again and again in the letter to Galatia Paul puts his weight on the gospel of grace. He asks them these two question: ‘Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3.2-3, ESV) He actually calls it foolish to think that the Law can add to what the Spirit has begun and is doing in our lives...foolish!! Finally, when Paul comes to that famous place in Galatians where he contrasts flesh and spirit living, he does not say, “Hey, if you have trouble with flesh outcroppings in your life, just put some law on it and everything will be better.” He says instead that we are to walk by the Spirit, God’s ultimate grace gift to us. (5.22-23) Only in this way can we bear genuine spiritual fruit. Let’s look back to the scale or balance theme. The pastor who questioned Sandra about grace called on Romans 7 to back up his idea. Ironically, Romans 7 does him no good. Paul teaches there in verses 1-13 that the produce of the marriage between us and Mr. Law was nothing but “fruit for death.” What is that? Vanity, emptiness, nothing good, deeds of the flesh, death. What God chose to do was to put us to death so that the marriage to Mr. Law could be annulled and we could be married to Christ. And the produce of our marriage to Mr. Grace is fruit for God, living fruit, like the stuff Paul talks about in Galatians 5.22-23! So pull out the scales. If I put all the fruit I might have from my law living on one side and I put all the fruit from my grace living on the other side, I have it on good accounts that the scale will crash to the side of grace. And that scale isn’t going to recover from the grace load that Jesus will heap on it. Balance grace with law...you gotta be kidding me?!! Blake Rymer July 2009 Grace-Link Blogging 2009-07-29T18:37:00-06:00 http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/investing_donations_to_grace_link/ http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/investing_donations_to_grace_link/#When:00:41:00Z Grace Link is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization and is dependent on donations from individuals and churches to cover its financial obligations. All donations are tax deductible. Blake and Sandra are missionaries and depend on the donations from their Personal Support team for their personal salary. The following is offered to help in understanding the concept of Personal Support. WHAT IS PERSONAL SUPPORT? Grace Link staff members are responsible for raising their own support from individuals and/or churches. This allows our ministry to be unique in that we can offer quality new-covenant discipling using a donation-based fee structure. The following addresses some of the most commonly asked questions about personal support. Grace Link is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization and is dependent on donations from individuals and churches to cover its financial obligations. All donations are tax deductible. Blake and Sandra are missionaries and depend on the donations from their Personal Support team for their personal salary. The following is offered to help in understanding the concept of Personal Support. WHAT IS PERSONAL SUPPORT? Grace Link staff members are responsible for raising their own support from individuals and/or churches. This allows our ministry to be unique in that we can offer quality new-covenant discipling using a donation-based fee structure. The following addresses some of the most commonly asked questions about personal support. HOW MUCH OF OUR PERSONAL INCOME/SALARY COMES FROM SUPPORT? All of our income comes from individual support. This support is our salary, which we rely on for all of our monetary needs, i.e., rent/mortgage, insurance premiums, and basic living expenses. Other miscellaneous expenses are cover by the fees we collect from conferences, counseling, speaking engagements and other training events. HOW ARE SUPPORT SALARIES DETERMINED? The governing body of Grace Link, comprised of men and women committed to Christ and to this ministry, reviews and agrees upon a specific support salary based on each staff member’s reasonable financial needs and obligations. WHY DO WE RAISE SUPPORT? There are three main reasons for raising our own support. 1) We do not want to see those who come to us for discipleship/counseling turned away because of their inability to pay. Quite often they are in difficult circumstances financially. 2) By not having our salary contingent on our counselees giving ability, we are free to speak the truth in love to them and also minister to their needs and help them terminate their dependence on us in a timely manner. 3) We hope to be living examples of lives lived in trust and dependence on God in meeting our every need. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE SUPPORT MONEY YOU SEND GOES TO THE STAFF MEMBER? Something that sets Grace Link apart from some other ministries and/or non-profit organizations is that 100% of your donation goes directly into the specific staff member’s support account. No admin costs are deducted from your tax-deductible gifts to Grace Link. IF 100% OF SUPPORT MONEY GOES TO INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT, WHAT ABOUT OVERHEAD COSTS? Revenue needed to cover all office overhead costs for this ministry such as lease expenses, bookkeeping and secretarial time, postage, phones, etc. is generated in two ways:  1) Individuals who come for counseling agree to pay a counseling fee according to their ability, which is used as a means of covering some of these expenses. 2) Revenue is generated by our ministry’s numerous training and teaching engagements. 3) Funds to pay for international travel and projects are raised as special gifts from individuals and churches. WHAT HAPPENS IF LESS THAN NEEDED MONTHLY SUPPORT IS DONATED? In a month in which full support is not received, we receive a “short” check. On such occasions, we watch expectantly to see how God will meet our financial needs.  Actually, we always watch expectantly (as you do, too) to see how our God will meet all our needs! If you have any further questions about personal support or if you would like to make a tax-deductible gift towards personal or to cover a stated need, please contact us at: Grace Link International PO Box 4131 Huntsville, AL 35815 256.682.2216 e-mail: blake.rymer@gmail.com 2009-07-04T00:41:00-06:00 http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/march_2009_poland_mission_report/ http://www.thegracelink.org/index.php/site/march_2009_poland_mission_report/#When:13:29:00Z From the beginning this trip was going to be different. We planned it for March 13-21, 2009, when most of our students were available to be part of the team. By faith we reserved 20 tickets, a pretty big commitment in these economic times. And we did have some students participate, high school and college, seven in all. In the end we put together a team of 19 members, very close to our faith goal of 20. It was a good mix of veterans and rookies with a strong leadership quality. Weather-wise it was probably the worst time of year to be in Poland. Spring was trying to pry its way into the lock grip that winter had on central Europe and there was a battle going on. Rarely did the sun get it’s due, but the rain and snow slugged it out, each winning its share of the rounds. The team took it all in stride. However I think this battle of the seasons had its effect on the health of everyone at least a little bit. From the beginning this trip was going to be different. We planned it for March 13-21, 2009, when most of our students were available to be part of the team. By faith we reserved 20 tickets, a pretty big commitment in these economic times. And we did have some students participate, high school and college, seven in all. In the end we put together a team of 19 members, very close to our faith goal of 20. It was a good mix of veterans and rookies with a strong leadership quality. Weather-wise it was probably the worst time of year to be in Poland. Spring was trying to pry its way into the lock grip that winter had on central Europe and there was a battle going on. Rarely did the sun get it’s due, but the rain and snow slugged it out, each winning its share of the rounds. The team took it all in stride. However I think this battle of the seasons had its effect on the health of everyone at least a little bit. Planning these trips has its own uncertainties and risks. One is trying to project what it will actually cost to get the team there and back and provide for food and in country transport without pricing everyone out of participating or dumping a shortage on the church! Father was watching out for me this time since I knew early on that I had actually understated the projected cost. But in the weird economic climate where we find ourselves, for some inexplicable reason to me, the exchange rate from Polish zloty to US dollars kept getting better and better! The hotel, transportation and food in Poland kept getting cheaper and cheaper so we decided to prepay as much of it as we could before the rate went back the other way. We had locked in 95 % of our costs by the time we arrived in Katowice! I should have known it would sort itself out when three of us had the following experience in Target the week before we left. We were buying footballs and other gear to take with us. As we’re paying, the checker asked what we were doing with so many footballs. Our explanation - “we’re taking them to Poland to teach American football to Polish kids” - prompted a lady who was paying at the register next to us to say “I’ll pay for all that.” And she did without ever telling us her name! For these and other reasons, it looks like we’ll even be under budget…whew! Greg Skrobarczyk, our son-in-law by virtue of being married to our daughter Erin, is our primary contact for Poland. He did his usual great job of planning a busy week for us. In fact we go there to support their ministry, King’s Kids, a ministry of Youth with a Mission. He loves to spread us around as much as possible for maximum exposure since it isn’t too often you get 19 southern protestants congregated in one area in Poland! Katowice and Ruda Slaska are very near Krakow, which means they are also close to Auschwitz, the infamous Nazi concentration camp of World War II. We see it as a valuable opportunity to remind our team members of how drastically the image of God in man can be distorted and abused. It is a moving and disturbing experience for most people to take in this historic venue. Yet we all need to be reminded of the depths to which we can fall apart from a life giving relationship with Father. This year offered us a new wrinkle - the chance to teach American football and English IN the schools. So from 8 am to Noon we had team members either using the PE classes to expose kids to American football or teaching conversational English in the classrooms. We got into three different schools that week. In one school we exposed every single student to both football and English. Each afternoon we offered a basic English class at 4.30 for younger students. Then at 5.30 in the evenings we offered three levels of conversational English classes. Our students were teenaged and older. In all we probably worked with some 50-60 different students during these sessions. Part of the time was given to sipping coffee and tea and enjoying social interaction as we got to know each other better. Erin, our daughter, is very much involved in all this since she has been teaching English formally for three years now, and she offers classes on Wednesday evenings through the school year. This is an easy way for us to connect with people there and to connect them to the King’s Kids ministry. Another important opportunity was the chance for some of our team members to visit and minister to a group of Chechen refugees who are being housed in Katowice. (If you aren’t familiar with the Chechen situation please Google it and learn about their recent tragic history.) For most of the team, being there, not being able to communicate with these refugees, and bonding with them through face paint, football and fun was a very profound experience they would not soon forget. On the afternoon of Monday, March 16, we took the team on a prayer walk around the area where the Kings Kids’ club meets. We wanted to pray for our time there and for the needs of the thousands of folks who live in the communist-built high rise “blocks” that serve them as apartments. As we approached the modernistic Catholic cathedral in the midst of this blue-collar parish, we stopped and prayed specifically for collaboration between the young new priest and Greg, and for cooperative ministry to grow here. When we returned to the King’s Kids’ building, Greg was deep in conversation with a man. Later Greg told us he was the assistant to the priest who had approached Greg to ask for his help in trying to combat the graffiti showing up on the exterior walls of the church building!! What a powerful statement by Father in answering our prayers before we even finished our prayer walk. My impression is that our mission was a great success. We exposed our people to needs and experiences they had not faced before. We gave them the chance to trust God for new things and in new ways. We connected with kids and adults who might very well find Christ through the King’s Kids ministry they discovered that week in the schools and in the English classes we offered. We assisted Greg and Erin in spreading the name of King’s Kids and we modeled Christ to Poles and Chechens. Most importantly we saw God work through us to make a difference for that community by being light and life and grace in the flesh. We made ourselves available. One day we’ll be able to see what lives were touched and claimed by the Eternal One that week. For now we try to reenter our lives in Alabama, knowing by faith for that week we were right where God wanted us to be. And I want you to know that through your prayers and support, you were there as well. Thank you Father that’s the way the spiritual world works…and thank you for friends and family who make these missions possible for us. Blessings and thank you very much! Blake and Sandra Rymer 2009-04-20T13:29:00-06:00