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Ministry Victories and Challenges 2008 – Dan Hitz, Executive Director

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. John 3:16-21

We at Reconciliation Ministries would like to take a few minutes to thank Jesus Christ for all He has done in our lives – and all that He will do for us in the future. The thought of the King of the Universe taking on human form, living among us, and dying for us is beyond comprehension. Even more staggering is His offer to live inside of us and transform our sinful nature into His pure, holy nature. In 1984, Reconciliation Ministries was founded to help men and women who were struggling with homosexuality find freedom through Jesus Christ. Through the years we have expanded to help others who were struggling with heterosexual addiction, pornography addiction, codependency, childhood sexual abuse, transgender issues, and sexual offenders. God has truly helped this ministry stand through tough times to reach thousands of people with his redemption and mercy. We are looking forward to celebrating our twenty-fifth year of ministry during 2009.

In 1987, Marshall Kirk and Erastes Pill published an article in the gay publication, Guide Magazine, called “The Overhauling of Straight America”. (This article can be read at http://defendthefamily.com/_docs/resources/8142838.pdf.) In it was a very well thought out plan by gay advocates for the “desensitization of the American public concerning gays and gay rights”. The article went on to say “…we would have straights register differences in sexual preference the way they register different tastes for ice cream or sports games… No big deal.” Unfortunately, the gay advocacy groups have also expanded their message and have implemented many of the ideas in this plan. One need only to look at the popular culture and the battles that have ensued after the passage of several state marriage amendments to realize that the kingdom of darkness is advancing. The cover story in the December 15, 2008 edition of Newsweek magazine reads “The Religious Case for Gay Marriage”. This article uses inaccuracies and human opinions in an attempt to justify same-sex marriage in the eyes of a holy God. The cover story of the December 16^th issue of The Advocate, another gay publication, reads, “Gay is the New Black: The Last Great Civil Rights Struggle”. The ideas in “The Overhauling of Straight America” are alive and well over 20 years after the article first appeared.

The homosexual agenda continues to advance and gain ground. Fortunately, “where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” (Romans 5:20). By God’s grace, Reconciliation Ministries continues to grow 25 years after it was formed. Exodus International continues to help men and women find freedom from homosexuality since it’s formation in 1976, more than 30 years ago. In spite of the growing cultural acceptance of homosexuality and heterosexual sin, there are countless men, women, and teens who want to walk in godliness and true Biblical sexuality. The Lord has increase our ministry during 2008 and I would like to share with you some of the services that we offer.

Individual Counseling, Pastoral Care, and Prayer Ministry

Some who contact the ministry need more individualized help than we can provide them in our group settings. Some are in immediate crisis. Others wish to continue the healing they’ve received through our groups by receiving individualized ministry. The director, Dan Hitz, is both an Ordained Minister and a Limited Licensed Professional Counselor. He is able to integrate clinical counseling with prayer ministry to help those in need of deep emotional healing. We are also able to provide Internet and phone counseling to missionaries on the field and others who are unable to find counseling in their local areas. Dan is also a Certified Sex Offender Treatment Specialist.

Living Waters and Other Discipleship Programs.

Our intense 20-week discipleship program, Living Waters, helps men and women overcome a wide variety of sexual sin and relationship difficulties. Our Walking Free support group is open to anyone interested in sexual and relational wholeness whether they are alumni from our programs or they are just considering walking into freedom. In February, we will be starting our first Escaping the Dungeon of Porn program for men struggling with pornography and sexual addiction. Another new program, The Place, for men and women overcoming childhood wounds was a big success and we are looking forward to starting our next session in Lapeer in February.

Consultation and Support

We frequently get phone calls from parents who just found out that their son or daughter is gay and don’t know how to respond, from spouses who have been devastated by the revelation of their partner’s sexual sin, and from pastors who are reaching out to help someone in their congregation. Other people call hoping there is a way out of their unwanted homosexual bondage in spite of what the pro-gay media tells them. Reconciliation Ministries is available for phone consultation and face to face consultation for those who are seeking direction and options. We seek to be a resource for the local church and the community and connect those in need to a variety of healing programs within Reconciliation Ministries and beyond, including Celebrate Recovery, Healing Hearts, residence programs, and individual licensed mental health practitioners.

Newsletter and Website

We have recently updated our website to include the many articles and testimonies that have been published in the monthly newsletters. We frequently hear comments from pastors and Bible study leaders that they have used our newsletter articles as resource materials and teaching aides for their sermons and study groups. Please feel free to copy any of the resources posted at www.recmin.org and distribute them to others free of charge.

Seminars and Leadership Trainings

We have received an increase in requests for our classes and seminars on sexual addiction and homosexuality. A new class is in the works on childhood sexual abuse recovery. Dan has taught on sexual addiction recovery at a clinic specializing in helping pastors and missionaries, and at numerous churches. Men and women from Reconciliation Ministries are available to speak to your church, Sunday school class, or Bible study groups. Members of our leadership team have all received healing from sexual and relational brokenness and share from their own experience. Team members are also available for instructional seminars specifically designed to meet the needs of your church leadership team. Reconciliation Ministries has also participated in overseas trainings to help equip Christians in other countries to minister to those in need of sexual and relational healing.

We at Reconciliation Ministries are thankful for all that the Lord has done to help set men, women, and teens free from sexual and relationship sins, bondages, and wounds. We value your prayers and financial support and could not do all that we do without people like you partnering with us. Please take some time in the weeks ahead to pray for the ministry participants, team members, and board of directors. The Lord is truly opening doors for effective ministry; however, this has been a particularly challenging year for us financially. The suggested donations and tuition for the ministry services covers only a fraction of the cost of operating the ministry. Many of our services are offered at no charge including our Walking Free support group, overseas missionary counseling, phone consultation, the monthly newsletter, website resources, and more. Your tax deductible donation will help many in need find hope and healing through Christ. We would like to hear your prayerful thoughts and suggestions. You may contact us at info@recmin.org or by phone at 586.739.5114.

References

Guide Magazine, “The Overhauling of Straight America”, 1987, Marshall Kirk and Erastes Pill. Retrieved from http://defendthefamily.com/_docs/resources/8142838.pdf on December 11, 2008.

Newsweek, “The Religious Case for Gay Marriage”, December 15, 2008. Cover retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/id/172737 on 12/12/2008.

The Advocate, “Gay is the New Black: The Last Great Civil Rights Struggle”, December 16, 2008. Cover retrieved from http://advocate.com/current_cover_ektid66071.asp on 12/11/2008. Please note: This is an overtly pro-gay website.

If you would like more information about Reconciliation Ministries, or any of the ministries we offer, visit us on the Web at www.recmin.org, or call (586) 739-5114. You may also e-mail us at info@recmin.org. All correspondence will be kept strictly confidential.

Our office is located at 25410, in Roseville, Michigan 48066.

Reconciliation Ministries is an affiliate ministry of Exodus International, and uses many of the programs written by Desert Stream Ministries.