Joe & Becky Cruse

At the peak of his career, Mark Twain earned five dollars a word ($5.00) for magazine articles he wrote. Some hotshot sent Mr. Twain a $5.00 bill with this note:

Dear Mr. Twain, Please send me your best word.

On a sheet of paper, Mr. Twain responded with this good word: THANKS!

I want to take this opportunity this week to invite each and every one of you to our Thanks for Giving Revival Sunday, November 23 – 25th.

This is always a very special time in the life of our church as we take some time to not only honor and thank God for His faithfulness, but we also honor those in our church family who serve the house of the Lord so faithfully. Each service, as the Lord leads, we bless a couple, single, or family with a gift, offering, or even a dinner out! We have an incredible group of “servant leaders” and we like to give honor where honor is due.

Galatians 6:10 tells us “So then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith”.

Why would you have a revival right smack dab during the holidays? We spend a lot of time in worship and thanksgiving, thus the title, “Thanks for Giving”!

As a little girl, I loved Thanksgiving and felt it always got a raw deal because it seemed everyone would rush through the day, eagerly awaiting the more popular holiday—Christmas.

Now don’t get me wrong—I love celebrating our Lord’s birth, but between you and me, He’s not a little baby anymore and I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than worship our living Lord in spirit and truth without time restraints.

Set aside 2 nights and join us for a time of celebration like no other! We cap off the week with our church wide Thanksgiving Dinner Tuesday night (25th) with sharing communion together! You don’t want to miss it!

Call the office for more details or pick up one of the invitations in the foyer and let us know you are coming and what foods you’ll be bringing.

With all that has happened this year—we have lots to be thankful for! Hope you can join us for this very special time! Pastor Joe and Becky

In preparation for our Golf n Gala this past weekend, I asked Kathleen Golden (Creative Arts assistant to Ps Ryan) to give me some info on our IFTA Alumni and how many were “in the fields” of ministry—full time or part time.

I thought her findings would be a blessing to those of you who keep up with this ministry and especially to our partners, whose faithful prayers and financial support have gone to more than paying a few bills! Friends, you share in the harvest of those who have gone on to actually do what they came to Institute for the Arts to do. Enjoy!

Class of 2008
Mallory Arnold Baker – City Worship Centre Youth Leader–Austin TX
Phillip Bussey–Igreja Baptist Church Worship Leader–Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Amy Ferguson Archer–Travis Christian Assembly Worship Leader–Austin, TX
Rusty Gross–City Worship Centre Pastor–Austin TX
Justin Newton–City Worship Centre Praise Team & IFTA Instructor–Austin TX
Tim Pecina–IFTA Instructor–Austin TX
Carlos Rodriguez–Grace Community Church Praise Team–Houston, TX
Greg & Amber Wheeler–Life Connection Church Worship Leaders–Round Rock, TX

Class of 2007
Ashley Archer–Covenant Church Worship Leader–Carrollton, TX
Daniel Baker–City Worship Centre Youth Leader–Austin TX
Kathleen Golden–City Worship Centre Praise Team/Administration–Austin TX
Jeremy Hix–Blue Sky Church Praise Team–Loveland, CO
Leo Rodriguez–Leads a Prison Ministry–Austin, TX
Jess Tomac–City Worship Centre Student Ministries Pastor–Austin TX
Jordan Whitmore–Riverbend Church Worship Leader–Austin, TX
Scott Wisecarver–Shiloh Fellowship Worship Pastor–Vancouver, WA

Class of 2006
Jon Adams–Summit Christian Center Worship Leader–San Antonio, TX
Tamara Cox–ACA Instructor & City Worship Centre Praise Team–Austin TX
Mandy Durham–South Coast Church Worship Leader–Corpus Christi, TX
Ramie Gonzales–City Worship Centre Youth Pastor–Austin TX
Ryan Heochten–Word of Life Drum Instructor and Praise Team–Shreveport, LA.
Staci Jinkerson–City Worship Centre Praise Team and IFTA Instructor–Austin TX
Cara Mason–First Family Church Pastor’s Asst. and Youth Director–Mesquite TX
Seth and Katie McDonough–City Worship Centre Kilmarnock Worship Leaders– Kilmarnock, VA

Class of 2005
Hope Carter Adams–Summit Christian Center Worship Leader–San Antonio, TX
Brandon Archer–Travis Christian Assembly Worship Leader–Austin, TX
Bethany Chamberlin–Houston Worship Centre Worship Leader—Houston,TX
Kari Crisman–City Worship Centre Pastor and IFTA Instructor Austin TX
Anna McDonough–Director of the Word of Life School of Music–Shreveport, L.A.
Aaron Prudler–South Valley Community Church Worship Leader and Youth Pastor– Santa Maria, CA
Heather Schatte–Promiseland West Business Administrator–Austin, TX

Today, on this eve of the coming elections, I, like millions of others, find myself watching and listening to see if I can determine what might happen tomorrow. After countless radio and television interviews, town hall meetings, national debates, etc, I am sure I know less now than when the whole process first started.

Two things we can be certain of—first, we will definitely have someone new manning the helm of this country and second, God is already aware of who that will be!

Yesterday, we spent some time in the services praying for our country and I was once again reminded of what a great nation we live in. With all our faults and failures, America has done more to perpetuate the gospel of the kingdom throughout the world then any other nation, and I promise you this—God’s message of love and forgiveness cannot be stopped! Taking a look back through the thousands of years, its encouraging to know that though many have tried to stamp out the light of the gospel, tyrannical rulers, national governments, the dark ages, nor even the devil himself could not stop the Word of God from going forth to change countless numbers of lives, myself included!

So while I watch the results tomorrow, like everyone else, I will continue to pray for this United States of America, one nation, under God! And whoever gets the nod, be it Obama or McCain, I will continue to pray, to stand in the gap, and will ask God to establish His will for this land that His plans stand firm forever!

“The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, ?the people he chose for his inheritance”. Psalm 33:10-12 KJV