Life Promotions

Thanking a Mom on Mother’s Day

Bree — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:28:52 +0000

I can honestly say it’s not been easy, especially for my wife, Carol. She and I have been married for 28 years, all of which I have been in ministry. We have raised 5 children, have 2 grandchildren, and had our special needs sister Lois living with us for12 years.

I have averaged 180 days a year on the road in ministry. I think I can relate in just a small way to what a soldier deployed to war must feel like. Each time I head out to the front lines of ministry, I leave a family behind at home that waits for my return, and a wife who tries to deal with life, the house and the kids.

We have always said that we will not sacrifice our family, but as a family, we will sacrifice. Carol has led the way in sacrifice, from making it on one salary, a ministry salary at that, to being a single mom half the year. I cannot thank her enough because she has been the rock in our family. She has served like Jesus served. Many times she has been lonely and sad, not to mentioned stressed with all the pressures of everyday life.

When we do birthdays at our house we always make sure to give verbal gifts to the birthday person. On Carol’s birthday the kids always talk about how mom was always there for them at every play and sporting event, or when they were sick or just needed a hug.

I once wrote an article that included the words, “I believe in women’s lib, but I don’t believe in house wives.” By that phrase I meant that I believe women should be liberated to be all that God has called them to be, yet no one has ever been married to a house. I am the one who is Carol’s husband. She is my wife.

I get so mad when people say, “Oh, your wife didn’t work.” She may not have worked outside the house, but she sure has worked inside the home.

I want to say publically to my wife, Carol, that by choosing to be a full time mother and homemaker for our kids, you reached the highest position you could ever have attained, no matter what job, position or profession you could have gotten outside of that. It is your calling and you have loved well. I hear the Father saying, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

Yet now our lives have changed again. With our kids grown and opportunities to minister continuing to open and grow, Carol has been able to travel with me. She has come along to help with our booth, merchandise and promoting Compassion International on the road. She joined me on one of our trips this past February. I was speaking for schools and rallies. During the school program the gymnasium was filling up with 700+ lively junior high kids. The guidance counselor shared the challenges they faced with high dropout rates, home issues, abuse and drug problems. I looked around to see the gym abuzz with loud noise and chatter.

Then they introduced AJ the Illusionist who has worked with me for 20 years. AJ grabbed their attention and the kids were riveted and roared with laughter. I noticed that even the at-risk kids who were kind of off to the side even got into it. The hope, joy, love and laughter was so strong in that building. To see these kids laughing and enjoying themselves and seeing a purpose in life was overwhelming. I looked at my wife Carol and saw she had tears streaming down her face. “This is what it’s all about,” she said.

Then I went up to speak and God was gracious to touch these kids with value, purpose and a message of truth. Afterwards, kids lined up to talk to me. When they left, Carol came up to me and gave me a hug, “This is why I support you. This is why I endure all the times you’re gone on the road. This is what I know you’re called to do.”

That night we held a rally at a local church. The youth group that organized it and also arranged to have us speak in the school was made up of only 15 people. They had big dreams, hoping that 200 people would come. I was skeptical, knowing that kids are less likely to come back out to a church instead of an event back in their school. But they had faith that their friends would come back out to hear about Christ.

Oh me of little faith. They had 360 people come out. They had to use every chair in the church, including those from the choir room. 112 kids received Christ that night. Carol looked at me again, with tears filling her eyes, and said, “Bob, it’s worth it all, and it’s been worth it all.”

This May, like every year, we will celebrate Mother’s Day. So I want to take this time to personally say thank you to the mom of my 5 kids. Carol, you have impacted this world through loving and raising our kids, and you have impacted this world as being a partner with me in ministry. We are a team together. Happy Mother’s Day. I love you more than words can say.

For the Kingdom,

Founder & President
Life Promotions, Inc

Upcoming Events
LIFEST
July 11-15, 2012 – Sunnyview Expo Center | Oshkosh, WI | www.lifest.com
Artists: Casting Crowns, Switchfoot, Newsboys, Steven Curtis Chapman, Tenth Avenue North, and 100 more!
Speakers: Reggie Dabbs, Bob Lenz, Tony Nolan, Geoff Moore, Brian Head Welch, Scott Dawson, Tiffany Thompson and more!

WAYS TO GIVE
Web:      CLICK HERE TO DONATE ONLINE
Phone: 800-955-5433
Email:    Dave Romenesko daver@lifepromotions.com
Mail:      Life Promotions | 4 N Systems Dr Suite C | Appleton, WI 54914

5 Days, 4 States, A Broken Bus, Countless Blessings

Bree — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:57:58 +0000

It was Wednesday, March 28th. We found ourselves in Yankton, SD, for the Newsboys tour where I’ve been the keynote speaker. The president of Mount Mary College, a Catholic University, brought in the tour as an inaugural event for the campus to say, “I care.” Free tickets were given away to the surrounding community. The show was sold out two weeks in advance. But the night of the show, the audience contained many people who, from my perspective, were not strong in their faith and honestly didn’t know or care who the bands were.

I started to get nervous. Because of unfamiliarity, the bands didn’t seem to connect with the audience like they usually do. I started to wonder if the talk I usually give would be relevant to them. I turned to John, my road manager, and asked if he thought it was a good idea to start my talk like I usually do, by holding up my Bible and asking “Do you believe this is still God’s word?”

“No,” he said. Pause. “I think you should do a different talk.”

“What? Now?!” I fumed. John responded, “Yeah. You should talk about Druggy Bill and Angel Bob, and share the gospel from the perspective that it doesn’t matter how good of a person you are, or how bad you are; we’re all lost without Christ.”

I looked at the time and freaked. I go on stage right after The City Harmonic performs, and they happened to be on their last song. I’d like to tell you that I reacted calmly. Instead, I threw down my notebook and stormed off, mad at John and mad at God, arguing with him… “Are you kidding me? I don’t even have notes for that talk with me! I’ve got 2 minutes to prepare. This isn’t in the plan. There’s no way!” I kept trying to convince myself that John was wrong, but it was like God grabbed hold of me and shook me by the shoulders saying, “This is what I want. Now get out there.”

I reluctantly returned to the side of the stage, my face still red with frustration. “Fine, I’ll do it,” I said to John. He smiled and checked my microphone one last time and sent me out on stage.

It was a little rough, but I could feel the Spirit of God move and bring words to my lips. We saw 200-250 hands go up to receive Christ, and at least 100 people went to the prayer room for follow up. So many people came back that we had to get more follow up materials from the bus. It turned out to be a phenomenal follow up group and a fantastic night.

The next night, on Thursday, we were in an Evangelical Free church in a little community south of Des Moines, IA, called Indianola. Although it was a small crowd, a great number of hands went up to receive Christ. But, because there weren’t any chairs, everyone had to stand, which felt a little odd. No one wanted to leave for follow up for fear of losing their spots, so what did we do? We brought the prayer counselors to them and sent them out into the crowd to make sure they connected with those who responded to the gospel.

I met a guy that night who told me the biggest problem that Indianola and the surrounding communities are facing is K-2, a synthetic form of marijuana, which I’ve been told is up to 800 times stronger than actual marijuana. This man was well-acquainted with the effects of this drug and the heartache it can bring upon families and friends. His own son tried K-2. After trying it for only the first time, he went on to commit suicide. Now, this man speaks to schools and others as much as he can about what happened. It’s a heart-breaking situation, but God has turned this tragic event into an effective ministry for him.

From Iowa, we traveled into Nebraska, to North Platte High School, where the tour was being held that evening. There, we met an extraordinary group of people from Feed My Sheep Ministries, a combination of youth pastors and a Youth for Christ Director. This prayer team marched around the school, similarly to Joshua and the walls of Jericho. They prayed for the bands, speakers, volunteers, and mostly for those who were attending the concert that night. Their prayers were answered. Of the sold out crowd of 1,500 people, 150-200 hands went up to receive Christ! After the show, teachers from the school came up to me and said they wanted to get us in schools in the area. This is what our ministry is all about – connecting with those who care about our youth and getting the good news of value, self-worth and the gospel to those who need to hear it. Overall it was another tremendous night.

Back to Iowa we went, to Spencer, a town twenty minutes away from Camp Okoboji. I attended this camp as a youth, and years later I even took my own kids there. I was even able to reconnect with some people who used to work at that camp twenty years ago. What a blast from the past. A former Life Promotions staff member, Blaine, and two of his boys and a nephew, were also there and we were able to reconnect and share great memories.

Back at the venue we had a wonderful bonding moment as I lead all the bands in communion that night. I met the event promoter, Matt Best, and realized what a small world it is. He heard me speak when he was in High School in Hudson, WI. We also worked together on the Creation Tour a few years ago. Even though he is from Minnesota, he does a lot of concerts with 89Q, a Christian radio ministry partner of Life Promotions located in Central Wisconsin. Matt also helps out with PULSE, a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization focused on developing student-led prayer and outreaches, another organization with Life Promotions has worked with.

Matt came up to me and said “Thank you for Kris.” Kris is a Life Promotions staff member who met with Matt before the event to organize follow up. “The last show we did was a lot of fun,” he said. “But very little ministry. You guys, by sending an advance team, won the churches back for me.”

Although the concert was held in a large venue, less than 1,000 people showed up, so it felt a little empty. But over 100 people committed their lives to Christ. The prayer room was full, and many Compassion kids were sponsored. What an awesome night of ministry, unity and potential outreach by the churches.

Very early Sunday morning, we found ourselves in a broken down bus on the side of the road for over two hours. We finally decided to move equipment around so the road crew could still get to the venue at the Nazarene college in Bourbonnais, IL in time to set up. We’ve been spoiled most of the tour and have had sold out crowds. But this beautiful auditorium, which seats 3,000, was only a third full. Before the concert, we arrived in time to have a cookout with Frank, another ministry partner, who has two sons who are either attending or plan to attend the Nazarene college. They told me the college is rather strict and fines any student if they dance, so it was ironic to see the Newsboys at this kind of venue. But it was so fun, and we still saw 40-50 people raise their hands to receive Christ.

I’m so happy with all the amazing things that are happening on this tour. I have to admit, though, I’m starting to feel the effects of being on the road so much. Please continue to pray for me, and my road crew, that we have the strength and endurance to finish the last leg of the tour strong. It’s been nearly three weeks since I’ve seen my family. We won’t be home again until early May. I couldn’t do this without my road crew, my team back in the office and the prayers and support of all of you who believe in our mission to share the gospel to as many people as possible.

For the Kingdom,

Founder & President
Life Promotions, Inc

Upcoming Events
LIFEST
July 11-15, 2012 – Sunnyview Expo Center | Oshkosh, WI | www.lifest.com
Artists: Casting Crowns, Switchfoot, Newsboys, Steven Curtis Chapman, Tenth Avenue North, and 100 more!
Speakers: Reggie Dabbs, Bob Lenz, Tony Nolan, Geoff Moore, Brian Head Welch, Scott Dawson, Tiffany Thompson and more!

Story from the Bus

Bree — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 19:24:40 +0000

John Dougherty, my road manager, just told me that bus call is at 1:00. That’s 1:00am. It’s when the driver’s coming to get us back on the road. It’s time to start the convoy. Convoy? Yes, it’s actually a convoy… Two busses, a 16-wheeler semi, a van and three huge trailers headed down the road. In addition to all the gear, they’re packed with four bands, a road crew, drivers, a speaker and his team: 35 people in all.

At 1:00 in the morning there’s still a buzz on the bus. I’m the older guy on the tour, and there are two young bands on the bus with me and my team. One of them is Anthem Lights, comprised of students that all went to Liberty University in Virginia. The other is Abandon, a pop rock group from San Antonio, TX, where all of them are part of a church plant. They’re all good guys. As things begin to wind down for the night, I look around the bus and can see Bibles, devotionals, laptops and the obvious guitars and keyboards.

“Where are we driving tonight?” someone asks. I hear another person laugh and say, “Ha! Where are we now?”

We’ll wake up in a different city, most likely in a different state. We’ve been to 42 cities thus far. You can see the map below that shows where and how the routing actually went. We’ve been literally zigzagging across the country. When we pull into a new city, someone usually laughs and wonders aloud, “So, where are we tonight again?” It’s not too far from the truth, yet how exciting. This is life on the road for the Newsboys “God’s Not Dead” Tour.

The bus will roll in to the next town around 11:00am and the work will begin. The stage, drum sets, lighting, truss, backdrops, gear, follow up materials and booths are unloaded, and set up begins. But there will also be training sessions with dozens of volunteers, from booth workers to prayer counselors. In fact, there were people praying the whole day at one place. There are pastors to talk to and meetings to be had. If you haven’t gathered, this is a huge production. There are thousands of hours of work, thousands of hours of promotion, and thousands and thousands of dollars every night.

Is it worth it? Without a doubt. There have been about 1,500 people attending each night. Sometimes numbers seem cold, but we’ve averaged over 100 people a night raising their hands to say they believe Jesus is alive, that he is the one true God who came to earth and is the only way to have real life here in this world and in heaven. Thousands have said they want Jesus to be the God of their heart and surrender to Him. In addition, 3,300 kids in developing countries have been sponsored through Compassion International, bringing them hope, education and life in Christ. In the 42 cities we’ve been in, we’ve averaged 25 prayer counselors each night. That’s close to 1,100 prayer counselors who have been trained and commissioned to pray with people and offer follow up, mentoring, and a way for kids to get plugged into a church.

Materials and audio Bibles are also handed out so people can listen to the word of God. We’re teaming up with the I am Second ministry to provide video downloads of another gospel presentation that addresses specific struggles that some of these kids are facing. Their resource was customized to coordinate with our seven-part Bible study that we hand out to those who respond to the message.

I feel so equipped and prepared to give these hurting kids what they need, and so supported by our donors, staff and road team. It’s a dream come true. We’re reaching the masses with the gospel, and working alongside one of the coolest road shows in Christian music today. I don’t want to give it away for those who haven’t seen the show yet, but when the drum riser goes up and starts to spin, and the light show starts, let’s just say you have to see it to believe it. I joke that people my age need to wear ear plugs and sunglasses and it will still be too loud and too bright. But truth is it’s and incredible show for the whole family that has incredible ministry impact.

I know that a lot of times it can seem like a lot of hype, and numbers seem cold and impersonal. But from San Diego to New York, from Colorado to Florida, and from Texas to my own home church in Wisconsin, what it boils down to can be shown in what happened on just one tour stop in Vermont.

Even though we had 30 counselors there, so many people responded to the gospel they needed to seek out more adults to come and pray with kids. When I came in to help, I saw that they had two or three people praying with each counselor. I formed a small group with three kids and a mom. We made a little circle to pray and then I asked about their story.

The first girl had attempted suicide after having been bullied. But somehow the message that she was valued by Christ touched her, and she received Christ as her Savior and Lord.

The next person had lost a friend to a drug overdose – no one really knew if it was suicide or not. The emptiness and loss she felt was overwhelming, and that was on top of her struggles with body issues and self-worth, yet she received the hope of Christ that night.

The third girl seemed pretty confident, but she came from a divorced home, and neither side was religious. The only thing she understood about Christians before this was that they said the Free Masons were wrong and that she shouldn’t be a rainbow (she participated in Rainbow for Girls, a youth organization started by the Free Masons). She also told me that the only other thing she’s ever really witnessed of Christianity is how the Catholics and Baptists argued a lot about who was right and who was wrong. That’s all she knew of Christ or Christianity. But that night in Vermont, she sensed something different and now wanted to trust Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

I began talking with the adult, only to find out she wasn’t the mom. She was a light in her community who saw the vision for reaching the lost and used evangelism tickets to bring these three girls. And now she was committed to helping them grow in their faith.

There is still a lot of discipleship to be done with all those who’ve responded to the gospel during this tour, and thankfully there are people in each of their communities equipped and ready to minister to them.

This is what you’re a part of. And this is why we do it, for just one more person to know Christ. I’ll give my whole life to that. I’ll focus our whole ministry on that. And I’ll recruit as many as I can to stand with me. Will you? Because that’s life, and that’s what matters.

For the Kingdom,

Bob Lenz
Founder & President
Life Promotions, Inc.

JOIN US FOR OUR VERY OWN “GOD’S NOT DEAD” TOUR EVENT
May 3, 2012 - Christ the Rock Church | Menasha, WI | Tickets and information available at www.lifepromotions.com

WAYS TO GIVE
Web:      CLICK HERE TO DONATE ONLINE
Phone: 800-955-5433
Email:    Dave Romenesko daver@lifepromotions.com
Mail:      Life Promotions | 4 N Systems Dr | Appleton, WI 54914

18 or 81?

Bree — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:23:14 +0000

Two years ago at Lifest, I had the privilege of working alongside Luis Palau, one of the greatest evangelists of all time. He shared the gospel at our Sunday morning worship service in front of 23,000 people, where two thousand hands were raised to receive Christ. When he came off the stage, I was celebrating what God had done through this man and simply said, “Thank you! What an awesome job!”

“Bob,” he said. “I have something for you to pray about. Would you be part of calling America’s church back to evangelism?”

Those few words changed me. God spoke through him that day, not just to the thousands in the audience, but directly to my heart. I’ve always had a heart for evangelism, but I have now taken this commission to not just evangelize people and bring them back to a relationship with God, but to call and challenge the church to reach back out to their community and world, to seek and save those who are lost. That’s the heart of Jesus, and it should be the heart of everyone who calls themselves a follower of Christ. I was reminded that day, that it’s not just the evangelist’s job to share the love of Christ with others; I needed to challenge others to do the same.

Since that warm July in 2010, I’ve been more determined than ever to live out that calling. I’m reminded of a Methodist church I spoke at last summer in North Carolina. There were two services. The first was a contemporary service that was held in the fellowship area of their church, with great worship music and a message. Then they also asked me to speak for their traditional service. So, I walked across the building to their old sanctuary, where I saw the choir in front with their robes, which I love, by the way!

As I scanned the congregation, it appeared the average age was around 65. To be honest, being a guy who spends 95% of his time speaking to youth, I was a little nervous of how the reception would be. Then I started talking about the need to reach youth before the age of 18 and how 9 out of 10 Christians never lead another person to Christ. I challenged them to reignite their passion for the lost.

I never expected what was about to happen. I got a standing ovation! Afterwards, a beautiful elderly woman came up to our information table where she saw that we had our 18 shirts available. She said, “I want to buy one of those.” She didn’t seem like the t-shirt type, especially seeing her all decked out in her Sunday best. I figured she probably wanted one for her grandson. But that wasn’t the case. “If you turn it around that’s how old I am,” she said. “I’m 81. I might be 81 on the outside, but I’m still 18 on the inside.”

It made me ask the question, “Are we a youth ministry, or an evangelistic ministry?”

I believe we are first called as an organization to be an evangelistic ministry. It’s who we are. It’s what we’re called to. It’s our core competency. Not only do we work with young people because we want to address the unique challenges they face and convince them they’re valuable, but we work with youth because 2 out of 3 people who respond to an evangelistic message will do so before they turn 18. Young people are the most ready for harvest, so that is why we are most focused on sharing the love of God with them. The bottom line is that we’re an evangelistic ministry that calls people into a relationship with Jesus Christ and calls the church back to evangelism so that they, too, can reap a harvest.

We recently met with a couple in Milwaukee, WI who came to Lifest for the first time 11 years ago. The reason they came was so that their kids would get more connected to what they called “religion.” They were going through some challenges with their kids at the time and thought that perhaps the wholesome music offered at Lifest would be a good influence. They came because of their kids, but when they heard the message that I gave geared towards youth, talking about what a real relationship with Christ means, it struck a chord with the parents.

As we shared with each other in our meeting, the mom told me, “There I sat at 43, and I realized that I had religion, but I didn’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I gave my life to Christ right there.” I remember tears streaming down her face. “I came there for my kids, and I found Christ,” she said. “You don’t know the difference you’ve made in my life and in my family’s life.

Their family has now come for 11 years in a row, making it their annual summer vacation. It’s their kid’s highlight of the summer. And because of it, their whole family has a relationship with Christ.

So I want you to know that, yes, we aim at reaching people who are under 18 because that’s where the most fertile soil is. But just as that elderly woman who said she felt like 18 on the inside, we are all called to follow Jesus and his teaching… “Unless you become like little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 18:3)

This couple has personally seen the power of Christ in their own lives, and has been impacted by Life Promotions for eternity. They believe in our mission of evangelism so much that they signed up for the 18 campaign, becoming a vital part of the ministry with their $100 gift each month. It’s their way of saying “We know it changes lives. It changed ours. We have to get this message out to every person possible!”

I want to take this opportunity once again to say thank you to all of you who have caught the vision and have supported Life Promotions through your prayers and financial support. We’re in this together.

For the Kingdom,

Bob Lenz

Founder & President
Life Promotions, Inc.

UPCOMING LIFE PROMOTIONS EVENTS
Visit www.newsboys.com to see if the God’s Not Dead tour is coming to your area!

May 3, 2012 – The “God’s Not Dead” Tour with Bob Lenz & the Newsboys comes to Wisconsin!
Christ the Rock Church | Menasha, WI | Tickets available at www.lifepromotions.com (Click on EVENTS)

July 11-15 – Lifest
Featuring Casting Crowns, Switchfoot, Newsboys, Steven Curtis Chapman, Tenth Avenue North and more than 100 others.
Sunnyview Expo Center | Oshkosh, WI | Tickets available at www.lifest.com

<18>

Hope Has No Borders

Bree — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:20:22 +0000

I recently returned from Anchorage, Alaska, where I did several school assembly programs and outreaches. I wanted to introduce you to two people I met…

Miles is 17 years old and is at a school called SAVE, an alternative school for those who are not expected to graduate from high school. Most are homeless, or as they call them in Alaska, couch surfers. Students will stay at different friend’s houses, moving from couch to couch, yet have no place to call home. After hearing me at an assembly program Miles came up and said, “I had three friends commit suicide in the last month.” I could hear the pain in his voice as he continued, “How do I break out of the cycle my friends are in?”

The second person is Rachel. She’s a 15 year old blonde who told me she was currently in her 39^th foster care home. My heart just broke for her. The whole purpose of the program was to convince people they were valuable, yet how could she believe it when she’s been shuffled around from place to place.

What do you say to them? What hope do you give them?

Hear me. If the gospel we proclaim is not true, then I feel like I have nothing to tell them. Not only would they have no hope; neither would I. But after 29 years of doing this and being overwhelmed time and time again by the hurts, problems and other issues young people face, I want to proclaim louder and louder that it’s true… God’s not dead.

Not only is God’s Not Dead the title of the new Newsboys CD and the name of the tour that I’m on with them right now, but that is also the reality and hope for our nation’s youth. They are not alone. If God can die on a cross and overcome the grave, then there’s hope for tomorrow no matter what they’re facing.

We did our first God’s not Dead tour date with the Newsboys in Holland, MI and saw people respond and put their faith and hope in Christ. There’s life here and life to come because God’s not dead. As the lyrics to the song go, I want to proclaim, “He’s roaring like a lion, living on the inside.”

The other exciting part of our first tour stop is that we had 30 people sponsor a child through Compassion International. As I wrote this story to you I was sitting in the Atlanta airport on my way to India to visit a child that Carol and I sponsor through Compassion. Ironically, when we were in Holland, MI, only a week earlier, I met a volunteer at the Compassion booth named Anita.

Why ironic? Anita grew up in India and was actually sponsored as a child in the Compassion program there. She told me, “I got to go to school because of Compassion. I met Jesus because of Compassion, and went to college. Now I’m a mother living in Holland, Michigan, with three beautiful girls and now I sponsor children and have become a child advocate for them.

God’s not dead. The hope He offers will reach beyond borders. Whether it’s in what seems like a hopeless situation of a broken family here in America, or the extremes of poverty in another continent, the message is clear. Yes, there’s hope.

God’s not dead.

For the Kingdom,

Bob Lenz
Founder & President
Life Promotions, Inc.

UPCOMING LIFE PROMOTIONS EVENTS
Visit www.newsboys.com to see if the God’s Not Dead tour is coming to your area!

May 3, 2012 – The “God’s Not Dead” Tour with Bob Lenz & the Newsboys comes to Wisconsin!
Christ the Rock Church | Menasha, WI
Tickets available at www.lifepromotions.com

<18>

Please support Life Promotions mission to reach youth with the gospel before the age of <18>

A Confession From the Road

Bree — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:41:20 +0000

I have a confession to make. I’ve been critical of the church. As a traveling itinerant evangelist, I have been all over the United States and abroad, and I’ve fallen into the trap of seeing what’s wrong with the church. When I hear that less that 2% of America’s youth are in church on a given Sunday, and I hear story after story of people who have walked away from Christ because they’ve been wounded by the church, it pains my heart and I want to scream, “It’s not supposed to be this way!” I’ve come across too many people who have never even given Christ a chance because of what they’ve seen in the lives of church people, or they’ve seen the church playing politics with their big buildings and sometimes empty words.

I confess I’ve sometimes wanted to distance myself from the church in an effort to reach people for Christ. As I’ve looked at history I’ve found that many others have done the same thing. But as I was taking a walk during some quiet time I was reminded how the Spirit again and again over the years has said to me, “To distance yourself from the church is to distance yourself from me.”

The church is His bride, His body, His agent for good in this world. Is she perfect? No. Only Christ is. Are we supposed to pretend and live in denial of the problems? No. But I don’t think we’re supposed to jump on the wagon with the critics and tear it down even more. No, I refuse. I will not do it.

Life Promotions is a para-church ministry. Para means alongside the church – not to take its place, but to work with and be a part of it, to be a partner to reach the lost. Picture it this way: Life Promotions is like a lifeboat on the side of a ship. The church is the ship, a safe place where so many great things are happening. But sometimes it doesn’t have the flexibility it needs. So, Life Promotions serves as the lifeboat that is released to go out into a sea of lost people where the church may not be able to navigate as easily, or steer as quickly, so that we can bring the lost back to the ship, back to the church. We want to bring youth, first to a saving knowledge of Jesus, and then connect them to the believers who care. That’s the church. But we have to work together.

When asked, “What’s wrong with the church?” I have to answer the same as G.K. Chesterton did; “I am.” If I am part of the church, then I am part of the problem, but I can also be part of the solution. I can apologize on behalf of the church and let others know that it’s a hospital for sinners, not just a museum for saints. I can let others know that we’re trying with all our hearts to be like our leader, who is perfect. We’ll never arrive, but we’ll never stop the pursuit. That’s why we’re in church: to struggle together, to heal together, to grow together. We have a purpose. We cannot separate ourselves from the church! It’s time to start building her up, not tearing her down.

I was so encouraged on a recent speaking trip because I was reminded how what we do on the road would not be possible without the vision of the church to reach into its community. Yes, we do the value message in the schools, but when we partner with the local churches to do an evening outreach, we can share the gospel, and the local church is there to follow up when we leave town. I’ve been so encouraged by the churches we’ve worked with recently.

There was a little Baptist church in upstate New York with a congregation that had been gathering for more than 200 years. The building itself was 150 years old. When I walked in I saw beautiful stained glass windows, carved wooden pews, and a pipe organ that filled the front of the church. Along with several other beautiful pieces of furniture, there was a pulpit that alone was over six feet wide. You had to step up into it to see over the top. But all I could think was, “How are we going to fit a band up on this altar and make it into a stage?”

When we arrived, a meal was being served for the over-60 group, and the people that were helping to put on our event that featured a rock band, with the exception of one couple, were all over 60 themselves. But they graciously allowed us to move the pulpit, and set the drums up behind the communion rail. I usually like to do the rally in a public place because we’ll get more people to come to a neutral venue than in a church, but they really wanted it in their sanctuary.

Honestly, we were a bit disappointed with the turnout; only 120 came out. Still the band gave it their all and was jamming out. The bass was booming, the drums were banging, and the lead singer was jumping off the drum set. I caught a glance of the pastor in the back calling someone on the cell phone and I felt a lump in my throat. “We’re in trouble,” I thought. “He’s calling the district office.” I walked up to him, thinking I might need to diffuse a situation. But when I approached him, instead of a look of displeasure, I saw a smile on his face. “I’m calling my 20 year old daughter,” he said. “She’s never going to believe this is happening in our sanctuary.” Humbled.

I was still disappointed with the turn out, but those hands raised to receive Christ made it all worthwhile. But I was also encouraged by so much more. See, I was reminded how vital the church is in each community. That night, the kids in that area knew that this church cared. And the kids that did come didn’t leave right after the concert – they went downstairs for pizza to be served by the kindest, most loving group of individuals I have met in a long time. Some of the kids that came may not have had a grandpa or grandma, or parents that cared, but they knew that this unassuming congregation of faithful followers did care. They knew they were loved. They were showered on with a meal, soda, hugs and pictures with the band in the fellowship hall of the church, a church that was willing to demonstrate His love by putting aside their personal preferences for a greater cause.

All I could think was, “The church is beautiful. The church is his body. I’ll defend her with all that I have.” I leave you with these words; the lyrics of a chorus from a song that my nephew, Nate Lenz, wrote. Won’t you join me in fighting for the church, and fighting for His Bride?

I’m on Your side, ’cause She’s Your Bride
And She’s beautiful somewhere deep inside
I’m on Your side, ’cause She’s Your Bride
And I’ll fight for Her till the day I die
– “Ekklesia” by Nate Lenz

For the Kingdom,
Bob Lenz
Founder & President
Life Promotions, Inc.

<18>

Please support Life Promotions mission to reach youth with the gospel before the age of <18>

WAYS TO GIVE
WEB:        www.lifepromotions.com
EMAIL:    Dave Romenesko daver@lifepromotions.com
PHONE: 800-955-5433
MAIL:       Life Promotions | 4 N. Systems Drive Suite C | Appleton, WI 54914

More or Less

Bree — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:21:30 +0000

If you’ve been in touch with this ministry at all you know that I have a burning passion inside me. People have described it like a fire similar to the one talked about in Jeremiah. It’s in my bones and it can’t be put out.

I always want to do more for the Kingdom. I always want to see who we can touch. But sometimes I feel God saying, “Less is more.” I know that we can do more when every person does what God has gifted them to do, rather than trying to do more just for the sake of doing more.

I recently met a 60 year old man with gray hair and a big gray handlebar mustache. Les is a truck driver who works with so many awesome farmers in Iowa, driving their corn and soy from the farms to the granary. He’s such a neat man. He told me his life story and about his passion for people and the Lord. He belongs to a little Baptist church and has been coming to Lifest for years. “When I heard you speak at Lifest,” he said, “I decided that I had to get the youth in my area to hear you, Bob.” Now, he brings a group to the event every year. “But we can’t get them all to come hear you,” he said, “So I decided I would bring you to them.”

He’s part of a great church, but the youth in their community aren’t knocking down their doors. So he decided he would go get them! He tried to bring me in before but couldn’t round up the finances in his small town. It didn’t work out that year, but he didn’t give up.

Earlier this year he met someone from Youth For Christ, who only 6 months earlier said he was ready to throw in the towel in ministry because he became frustrated with how hard it is to get churches to unite for the purpose of reaching youth with the gospel. He felt alone and discouraged. I know the feeling; I’ve felt that way many times in ministry too.

But then Les entered the scene and shared the vision with him. This guy didn’t know who Bob Lenz or Life Promotions was, but he captured Les’ vision for youth and said, “Let’s do it!”

In walks another guy from the community named Bill who shared, “God told me to help you guys raise finances.”

Incredible. Together this group of men from a small town in Iowa raised the money and we were able to come and do assembly programs in four schools – a junior and senior high school in one community, and two high schools in the next town. During the day we had 800 students hear about bully awareness and emphasizing how every person is valuable even when they’ve been treated badly. In the evening we had a rally which also featured our long-time ministry friend, AJ the Animated Illusionist. Afterwards, I was able to share about my love of Jesus.

The facility for the rally wasn’t conducive to having pizza, which I always like to provide for students. It encourages more of them to come back out. We normally expect an average of 25% of the kids we spoke to during the day to come back out at night for our rally. Well, this night we had 400-450 come back out, which is over 50% of the people we spoke to during the day! But even more exciting was that we had 103 people receive Christ as their Lord and Savior, which is over a ¼ of the audience. And it was all because of Les.

Afterwards, I stuck around with the Youth For Christ director, various pastors, and others who were there to help with follow up. We sat there with the names of those who responded to the gospel laid out before us, along with the bible studies we provided for them. The Youth For Christ director, the same guy who was ready to throw in the towel, literally fell to his knees and prayed for the kids, their new-found faith, and for the follow-up that would be taking place in the coming days.

I know that they’re going to be in a bible study and that the churches are going to be working together to make sure these new believers are plugged in and growing in their faith. The evening we spent with each other spurred on a work for these churches to work together and reach into their community.

I know they’ll be back at Lifest, but I’m glad we could bring a taste of Lifest to them. More really is less. Or in the case of Les and his obedience to God’s call, there’s more… More love. More passion. More Jesus. All because of Christ.

For the Kingdom,

Bob Lenz

Founder & President
Life Promotions, Inc

<18>

Please support Life Promotions mission to reach youth with the gospel before the age of <18>

WAYS TO GIVE
Web: CLICK HERE TO DONATE ONLINE
Phone: 800-955-5433
Email: Dave Romenesko daver@lifepromotions.com
Mail: Life Promotions | 4 N Systems Dr | Appleton, WI 54914

Power of One 2011: A Huge Success!!

Bree — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:39:31 +0000

The doors open and a sea of people flock to the front of the gym, all scoping out their ideal spot for the concert. Anticipation builds as the activity on the stage increases. Slowly, the overhead lights dim causing a new wave of excitement to ripple through the crowd. As lights illuminate the stage, four dark silhouettes are barely visible through the fog and haze. With the first strum of a guitar, the sell out crowd erupts into screams and applause. Let the concert begin!!

The 21st annual Power of One, held at Kimberly High School on November 5th, was a huge success thanks to the sell out crowd and numerous volunteers who made the event possible!

A new program structure was put into place this year and was well received as almost 850 students and youth leaders attended seminars given by Bob Lenz, Dani Tietjen, Bill Allison, Jason Kaat and Len Evans. Along with speakers, worship was provided throughout the day lead by American Fiction and Everfound, as well as a bonus acoustic set by Disciple!

The evening concert was amazing, and was kicked off by We As Humans, followed by Manafest and Disciple. Bob Lenz, founder and president of Life Promotions, gave the keynote address for the night. After three rock bands, you would think it would be difficult to grab the attention of a gym packed full of pumped up concert attendees, but if anyone can do it, it’s Bob. Many of the Life Promotions staff members, who have listened to Lenz speak numerous times, stated that Bob’s talk that night was his best talk to date. It was clear that he was filled with the Holy Spirit. he was so inspiring that almost 150 people, both students and adults a like, raised their hands to receive Christ! Also, over 50 Compassion kids were sponsored, another great celebration!

And then Skillet took the stage. Ah, what to say about Skillet… People were jumping, hearts were pumping and voices were being lost, as the crowd rocked out to the ever energetic Skillet. The show was fantastic, as usual, giving the audience a great experience, complete with fog and a light show. Some of the neighboring houses, however, were not quite as thrilled with the performance…something about a loudness factor? Oops… : )

Click here to view pictures of Power of One 2011! Thanks again to all who attended Power of One 2011, and to all the volunteers who made this event a huge success. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Hope to see you next year!

Rock On,
Power of One

Called to Love: No Disclaimers

Life Promotions — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:56:53 +0000

I just finished an assembly program with 400 junior high students. There are some days when I feel the pain of the kids that I speak to more than others. Today is one of those days. I can’t stop crying. I can’t stop hurting. It’s like I feel what they’re feeling, and I sense the hopelessness of their questions, “Why not just die? Why not just end it all?”

In my assembly program I talked about bullying and showing respect. A boy that is in a special needs class came up to me afterwards and started sharing about how others call him retarded and make fun of him. He shared about a class that he said would probably be his favorite, but he hates going because he feels so bad about himself when people make fun of him and put him down.

Then a sharp-looking red-headed kid with freckles all over his face came up to me. I imagined that he should have had the bubbly joy of my daughter Joyel, but instead I saw pain in his eyes. The pain reminded me of a victim of war, which wasn’t far from reality for him. People ridiculed and laughed at him, calling him a faggot bastard. While waiting at the bus stop, kids would throw rocks and make fun of him. He feels like he’s all alone. “What do I do,” he asked? “How do I deal with it when they call me these names?”

All I could wonder is, “Where are the followers of Jesus that will stand up for the least of these? Who is there to love, encourage, and tell him he’s been made in the image of God? Who is there to give him hope?”

Then a senior in high school came up to me. I was surprised to see a high school student among all these junior high kids. It turned out he was there because he was tutoring a photography class for 6^th graders. He began crying. “I didn’t expect to come to an assembly program today,” he said, “but it’s what I needed so bad.” Tears streamed down his face as he began crying uncontrollably with snot coming from his nose. “I had a horrible weekend,” he continued. “Six of the jocks in school followed me to my car and called me names and kept saying I was gay, and they beat me up.” My heart sank as I watched his pain-filled face. “But the worst thing was when no one would even stop the junior high kid from spitting on me.”

No one. No one. No one deserves to be treated like this! May the people of faith be the ones that are leading the way to seek out opportunities to love, to understand, to invite, to care, to defend, and to stand for justice. Real righteousness is found when you care for the dignity of every person, even the person you disagree with.

The principal came up after witnessing those three kids talking with me. “I can’t believe the impact you just had on 400 kids, and you held their attention for 45 minutes,” he said. “They laughed and cried and absorbed every word you said. But to have them trust you so much to share these deep stories – that says a lot. This is a gift back to you, showing the difference you’re making. Thank you. This is exactly what our school needed.”

He continued to tell me there are three things the school is trying to teach students: respect for themselves, respect for others, and respect for property. “You hit every single one,” he said. “It’s like you designed this talk for our school, and we want to get you in every school possible.”

Honestly, it pains my heart that we have allowed some of the struggles that these kids are dealing with to become an issue to debate, instead of loving people. No matter what stance you feel you need to take on an issue, God has commanded us to love others. There are no disclaimers. God forbid that we allow some of the struggles that these kids are facing to become a political platform, a theological issue to be debated, or something that we want to protest and picket. Because in the mean time, kids are struggling with their value and worth as others who are fueled by self-righteousness treat them as sub-human. And we silently stand by.

God help us to stand up for the value of every person.

This is what we’re called to do – to bring hope to the kids who are ready to end it all, and to challenge people to treat each other with love and respect. We get to tell people they’re valuable no matter how people rip on them, beat on them, or put them down. Thank you for supporting this ministry, and those kids, through your prayers and support. Thank you for standing with us and being another voice that wants to not only proclaim the love of Jesus, but show it.

For the Kingdom,

Bob Lenz

Founder & President
Life Promotions, Inc.

<18>

Please support Life Promotions mission to reach youth with the gospel before the age of <18>

WAYS TO GIVE
Web: CLICK HERE TO DONATE ONLINE
Phone: 800-955-5433
Email: Dave Romenesko daver@lifepromotions.com
Mail: Life Promotions | 4 N Systems Dr | Appleton, WI 54914

Junior High Kid Lost

Bree — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:34:34 +0000

I suspect that every parent can remember the moment and knows the emotion of being in a crowded area, suddenly realizing that you don’t know where your child is. Ours was at Disneyland when our kids were small. My son, David, disappeared. It was only five minutes, but it was among the most agonizing five minutes of my life, filled with fear, panic and despair.

My mind raced with irrational thoughts of my son wandering away and falling into the moat surrounding Sleeping Beauty’s castle, or worse, a sinister predator lurking in the shadows, waiting to lure him away. We desperately asked passers-by, “Have you seen a little boy with curly hair?” We frantically searched everywhere, calling out his name, “David! David!”

Finally, we found him, and our hearts were overwhelmed with gratitude as tears streamed down our faces and we held him, never wanting to let go again.

I can’t imagine the agony of parents who never find their child again. Have you, like me, seen the photos of lost children displayed at Walmart, or others pictured on the backs of milk cartons? I can’t even allow my mind to think what it would be like if those photos were of one of my own children.

During those five minutes of panic and fear, I was willing to do anything, talk to anyone and get anyone’s attention, because I feared my son was gone.

It makes me wonder: do we really believe that a student without Christ is lost? If so, where is the panic? Where is the emotion? Where is the urgency to find them? Do we believe their life is in danger, that their very soul is at stake, and that their only hope of being found is in jeopardy?

If we really believed they were falling into the hands of the enemy, wouldn’t we do anything? Wouldn’t we do whatever it takes to find them?

The reality is we are losing kids every day. Statistics tell us that less than 2% of our nation’s youth are in the safety of a church family, and if we don’t reach them before the age of 18, their chances of coming to faith in Christ are significantly less. In fact, the latest research indicates that our best chance of reaching them is before the age of 14. Yes, 14. That’s junior high.

I just returned from Kansas where I spoke at our first school assembly program of the year. Bethany, a junior in high school, heard me at a conference, and she wanted her friends to hear me too. Something stirred her heart and awakened the realization that she was surrounded by a mission field ready for the harvest. She wanted her friends who were lost to be found; to know Jesus. So, she arranged to have me come to her community.

I spoke at Bethany’s school last week, and we worked with her to host a rally the same evening where I could share the gospel. Many of the junior and senior high students who heard me during the day returned for the evening program, and because of Bethany’s diligence, 50 kids responded to the gospel and were taken back from the enemy. Their photos are no longer displayed on the enemy’s bulletin board; instead, their names are written in the Book of Life. Bethany felt the overwhelming need to reach her friends, and was willing to do whatever it took. Her overwhelming desperation to reach her friends was replaced with overwhelming joy at seeing so many of them come to Christ.

Last January while on my sabbatical, God made it clear to me that I was not done. There are many more who need the hope of Christ. I’ve been in ministry now for 28 years, but I feel God has made it clear that the greatest years are still ahead of us. I decided that if I have a lot of years to go, then I’m going to have to take better care of myself, so I began exercising and watching my diet. I’ve now lost 75 pounds, which is ironically the total weight of some of the junior high kids I just spoke to. I’ll gladly lose more weight, but I never want to lose another junior high kid.

I believe our ministry is poised to reach more young people than ever. Everything we’ve done throughout the last 28 years is part of a learning process, and part of God’s greater plan. God has many more opportunities for us as a ministry, and for me as a speaker, to reach out to this generation and call their hearts back to Christ, back to their parents, and to the Creator of their souls.

Jesus said He came to seek and save the lost. He left a lot. He gave a lot. He sacrificed all. Why? To see one lost sheep saved. Thank you for coming along side us through prayer and financial support, for being a part of seeking those who are lost, and bringing them back to their loving Father.

For the Kingdom,

Bob Lenz

Founder & President
Life Promotions, Inc

<18>

Please support Life Promotions mission to reach youth with the gospel before the age of <18>

WAYS TO GIVE
Web: CLICK HERE TO DONATE ONLINE
Phone:   800-955-5433
Email:     Dave Romenesko daver@lifepromotions.com
Mail:       Life Promotions | 4 N Systems Dr | Appleton, WI 54914