Springtime, growing season
Happy Spring Greetings. I trust you and yours are safe and secure in the shadow of His wings. It’s certainly an interesting time to be alive. Judy and I are very grateful for you and your continued interest in what God is doing in and through us. Now, I have a little business to attend to, and it is this:
IMPORTANT!!!!
Our home church, which handles our finances, has changed its name. Please Note!!!!
- Send all donations to Goodness Family Church.
- Make all checks to Goodness Family Church and designate in the for space to either pastor virgil, or just missions.
- The physical address is the same: 3141 W. Ironwood Hill Drive, Tucson AZ, 85745
- The website has changed. Online giving can be done through www.goodnesschurch.org
To quote President Trump:
“Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter!“
… and now back to our regular programming:
Report from Mexico: On February 28th we held the first of this year’s “Equipping Pastors for the Harvest” seminars. The teaching on “Portadores de Su Nombre” (Bearers of His Name) was powerful and very well received. The content followed the theme of bearing God’s name from the introduction of Jehovah at the burning bush to the disciples healing and preaching in the name of Jesus.
Thanks to help from our host church, Iglesia Maná de vida, we were able to stream the whole thing live on YouTube. The recordings of the three teaching sessions are available on our YouTube channel, #pastorvirgil. If you are interested in watching the teaching, just click here.
Thanks to your prayers and support, we are able to provide printed materials that will be used and reused. The plan is to provide pastors with teaching and materials on essential Bible topics that they can use to grow their people. While I love the fellowship, the teaching, and the always powerful times of ministry, I think the printed material is just as impactful in the long run.
Visiting the churches: I like to visit the individual churches after our seminars. It gives me a sense of what real life is like for our pastors, and it allows the flock to connect with us as well.
On Sunday, March 1, I preached in a new church, Iglesia Eben-ezer. It was my first time there. The people were very hungry for the Word and the Spirit. It was very easy to preach. The pastor had completed our first year Bible School program in a church pastored by a 2014 graduate. It was encouraging to see how he is using the things he has learned. Praise God, pastors are spreading the Word in places we don’t even know about!
Healing flowed at the end of the service. One lady came in great pain. She could barely walk with the help of a cane. She came up for prayer at the urging of some of her friends. I prayed for her and I knew that the power of God went into her.
After the service we had a wonderful meal (fresh posole!). As I was chatting with the pastor, I looked up and saw the same lady helping to clear dishes at another table. I asked her what had happened to her cane and she said, “I don’t know what I did with it!” She was completely fine. Later, as she was leaving, she turned and showed us her cane and her smile:
In addition, Rev. Andrew Penhorwood traveled with me on this trip. He is a friend from Tulsa who was here for a visit. He ministered Sunday morning in the host church, and I am still hearing good reports from that service. He was a huge blessing.
Coming attractions:
- Living in Goshen: Last Sunday, I began my part in a series of messages ion our home church, Goodness Family Church, here in Tucson. Pastor John Smith asked me to take 5 Sundays to elaborate on the Goshen Principle: God provides a safe refuge for His people even while He pours out judgment. The first message was aimed at making us aware of who is in us and on us to guide us and empower us.
The remaining messages will be this Sunday, March 29, then April 12.19, and 26. They will be streaming on the Goodness YouTube channel.
- Southern Arizona Leaders and Volunteers Gathering. I am privileged to be speaking once again at this special gathering of folks who earnestly desire to be of maximum benefit to their churches. This year, the theme is “Mantles and Assignments.” April 23-25 at His Presence Church Arizona. That should be a signal to anyone who is dealing with transitions. For more information or to register, click here.
- Believer’s Church at Glenville. I’m making a quick trip to New York May 14-17. I’ll be at Believers for the Sunday service on the 17th.
- Hermosillo Pastors Seminar. Just got the latest update from our planning team in Hermosillo. June 20th we will have our next Saturday Seminar. God seems to be making a way, and the team is doing a great job. They learned some things from the last effort and are making all the right adjustments. I will be teaching on “Our New and Better Covenant.” I believe that understanding how God views covenant is essential to understanding the Bible.
Don’t Forget!!!!!!
All financial support can be sent to Goodness Family Church at the address below or given online at https://www.goodnesschurch.org/giving .
Here are some things you can do to help:
- Pray! Judy is doing some better, but still needs to get stronger. I am doing very well and appreciate your prayers. Thank you!
- Please follow us at www.pastorvirgil.com. Share it with your friends.
- Visit the Pastorvirgil.com Facebook page and hit “Follow.”
- Whenever you see a post, share it. This will help us reach more people. (We also maintain a Facebook page in Spanish @IEMFeonline.)
Judy and I pray daily for you. Thank you for believing in us. Together, we are touching the lives of people who will carry the message for another generation.
Virgil and Judy Stokes
3141 W. Ironwood Hill Dr.
Tucson AZ, 85745
520-792-3238
pastorvirgil.com 