Cannon United Methodist Church
Georgia
We had our Kickoff event Tuesday night. We are so excited. We had 100 attend the Kickoff and 70 signed up. We are sure we will have at least another 10-15 signups once we connect with the stragglers. One of the layman that is facilitating said, "We did what you told us to do and we got the results we expected."
Booker Friends Church
We have had an incredible experience with Letters from Dad. We are a church in rural Texas in the farthest northern part of the panhandle. Our county only has a population of 1300. We were running 125 on Sundays. The testimonies have been awesome and we have been growing by leaps and bounds. Within 9 months of starting Letters from Dad our attendance has jumped to 276. We are fired up!
Chase Oaks Church
Texas
We loved Men's Fraternity. Letters from Dad is an awesome fit with it. We have never been able to get more than 70-80 men out to a men's event so we were excited to get 80 confirmed to be at the kickoff event. We actually had 150 men show up!! We've never had 150 men come out for anything!! Our leaders never expected this. We had 90 men sign up and are expecting as many as 25 more.
First Baptist Church
Texas
My biggest concern was that my guys are a bunch of rednecks and I was not sure they would get it. Well, we kicked off our BBQ and it was apparent they got it! Even though they were all acting tough I saw men wiping tears away at the BBQ. We had our first session on June 1 and as I walked around from table to table I was blown away to hear the stories the men were sharing of abuse they had endured. I never realized these stories were in these tough men.
First United Methodist Church
Georgia
Our kickoff event was spectacular. We provided T-Bone steaks and corn on the cob for the men. We had 155 men show up and 80 sign ups. We are expecting as many as 20 more in the next week. I have never seen a men's ministry reach this many men. There are so many of these men I have never seen before at the church.
I believe Letters from Dad does three things
1. It has given us a way to reach men we've never reached
2. It reaches men where they're hurting
3. It presents the gospel in a way that is very palatable.
Over half the men from our church that were here have never been involved in small groups before. Letters from Dad has become the vehicle to drive small group ministry for men.This is the way you grow men's ministry and this is the way you grow a church!
Grace United Methodist Church
We have just completed our third session with our LFD group at Grace United Methodist Church in Sherman. The guys have decided that they do not want to stop meeting after the next session. They want to keep meeting to discuss their letters and find out how everyone is doing. So much for the 4-session program. Thanks for your help. Tell Greg that Grace UMC is enjoying LFD.
Irving Bible Church
We had 30 guys go through Letters from Dad. We had an unbelievable story unfold. One of the guys that came to the kickoff event signed up to go through Letters from Dad for a very unusual reason. He received a letter from his dad the day before. His dad disowned him. Instead of writing back a letter that he wanted to write his father, he decided to write him a blessing letter. By the close of Letters from Dad this man tearfully shared with the group that he and his dad had reconciled their relationship.
C. Freeman
I would like to thank Letters From Dad and especially Greg. Over the past couple of years I've struggled with the very thoughts that started Greg on his journey. Recently I was listening to a Christian radio program when I heard about Letters From Dad. I immediately purchased the book and read it cover to cover in one night. I said to myself, this is exactly what I've been searching for. In one week time I wrote three letters; one to my wife and two to my children. I purchased and received the memory boxes between Christmas and New Years. I invited my two children, their spouses, my five grandchildren and my in-laws to our house on Sunday New Years Eve to present the gift to my wife. I had not told anyone about Letters From Dad. With everyone sitting down, I presented my wife of thirty-five years with the wrapped present. As she opened it, tears began running down her face, so I had to read the letter out-loud to everyone present. There was not a dry eye in the house. After I read the letter I received hugs from everyone including my grandchildren ranging in ages 4 to 13 years old. The past week has been the best between my wife and I since our wedding. Thank you for the wonderful program.
Sunnybrook Christian Church
My husband, Jim Dennis, passed away yesterday (July 26th). He dictated to me a letter that I scribed to Greg on the night of the 24th, after dictating his last letters of love and blessing to his children, his mother, siblings and me. Jim wanted to thank Greg for the book and program he designed. I am already thankful for Letters from Dad, as I found a beautiful 4 page handwritten letter for me as I looked in his notebook today. I cried joyful tears as I read it. I know that our children (ages 5, 6 and 8) will benefit greatly in the days and years to come.
St Johns United Methodist Church
In 2008 my husband, Brian, attended Letters from Dad at St John's UMC in Turnersville, NJ. He passed away April 30, 2010 from a stroke. It was an obvious shock to me and my boys who were 14 and 18. We didn't even have life insurance at the time. About 2 months after his death I was going through some of his things, just grieving. I found his leather binder and was about to throw it away and decided to look through it and realized it was Brian's Letters from Dad binder. I found all the drafts he worked on as he wrote the letters he gave to me and the boys. As I kept turning the pages and came to the end I found a letter. The envelope read "If you are reading this letter I am in heaven". It was Brian's final letter. He went on to share his thoughts of his life. I ran across the letter again and promised myself that I was going to call you folks and tell us how important this was to me and the boys. I wanted to share with you how much this ministry has meant to us. The treasures he left are such a blessing to me and the boys. Thank you again, L.Grimm