Please join me in welcoming our new Administrative Pastor Craig Newbery
We are very fortunate to have Craig become a member of our ministry staff family. Many of you already know him from our summer mountaineering trips. He has been my loyal, lifetime best friend. He is also my climbing partner, having ascended hundreds of summits together in the Sierra Nevada.
I actually remember first meeting Craig when we played against each other in little league. Later on we played together on our High School basketball team, winning the championship our senior year—the same year we both came to Christ. From there Craig went to San Diego State University where he would meet his wife Karen, and graduate with a degree in Business Administration. Sensing a call into ministry, he studied at Bethel Theological Seminary and earned his Master’s of Divinity. He has served...
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Each week we experience the hand of God on our lives as He opens doors where we least expect them. Recently a reporter saw me with a small group and came over to ask what I was doing. I shared with her that every Wednesday, we gather to have a Bible Study in our desire to reach each legislator. That week we had not had a big turn out, although I know we are on difficult ground, we always want to see a bigger group. After a few days I received a call from the owner of the of the place this reporter works for, we made an appointment and I went to see him, having no idea what God had prepared.
The owner of this media group started by saying, “my family is very grateful to your family because many years ago when my father was without money, your father gave my brother a scholarship. That allowed him to later become a medical doctor and he was the only one in our family that got that kind of education and it is due to your father and your family. He went on to share that his...
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Greetings Dear Brother,
Hope all is going well during this time of transitions and adaptations. Be assured that our prayers are with you, Danielle, the ministry and each state director as we are firm believers in what Capitol Ministries is trying to do in the name of our Lord. We are all just blessed to be considered by God for His service.
Wednesday evening the 17th we had a truly enjoyable evening in the weekly Bible Study. There were probably close to 100 people involved with their participation and presence. These special events inside the Capitol building help draw attention that something different is happening there, and little by little more people are hearing about the ministry. There was a choir and a special appearance of an internationally renowned tenor who sang beautifully. I believe that all present were blessed by being there, by the music and by the Bible Study that Luciano shared.
The ministry is slowly but firmly taking...
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The Paphos Paradigm of ministering to government officials is found at the beginning of Acts 13, and immediately the emphasis on the local church is made. Five men are listed who were teaching in the Antioch church when two of them (Saul and Barnabas) are singled out for a new task. Two important things are evident:
1) The Holy Spirit called Saul and Barnabas – “While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2). There was no strategy session, no committee meeting to express opinions and take a vote. While this staff of teachers carried out their ministries of teaching and prophecy, the Spirit spoke and called out who He wanted to go on the missions trip.
The process of “the call to ministry” has long been a mysterious source of debate in the Church, but at the core of the issue is the working of the Holy Spirit – in the heart of the one...
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Opening the 76th day of the Nebraska Legislature in prayer was exciting. On my walk out the senate chamber’s center aisle, about 25 senators lined the aisle and shook my hand. Some senators who attended one of my two Bible studies in the state Capitol hugged me. Other senators, who I had not yet met, shook my hand and said things like “very moving prayer pastor.” Two of the Sergeant at Arms gave me surprisingly vigorous thanks.
It was rewarding to me, evangelically speaking, since I was able to first lead the assembly and the senators in the praise of God, then in confession and then thanksgiving for Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Then I moved into praying in the language relevant to their world and for specific senatorial needs. I Iifted them up in prayer for these three reasons: “Since Senators are People too…”, “Since Senators are Law-Makers…” and “Since Senators are Leaders…”
I've seen 11 other “Pastors of the Day” open in prayer this year, and I am...
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On June 30, 2009, Carl Dingus, who pioneered the ministry in the Pennsylvania state capitol, will hand the baton of ministry leadership to the new incoming state director, Bob Lewis.
Carl started the ministry back in 2001. During that time he has formed a strong base over the last eight years. In preparation for the transition Carl said, “The Lord has blessed me to be a part of establishing Capitol Ministries in the state capitol of Pennsylvania. It has been my privilege to work with the elected officials all these years. Ruthie and I believe that the Lord is now leading us to serve him in the private sector.”
“Since meeting Ralph in seminary, I have enjoyed working with him and the CM family. We look forward to supporting them as they expand the ministry into Washington D.C. and around the world. We will miss the regular fellowship of being in the same organization, but we will remain friends with Ralph, Danielle and the team for life.”
Bob Lewis...
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The Capitol Ministries Minute is a daily one-minute reminder of the mandate that Christ has for His church as it relates to the government leaders that God has appointed over us. The church is called to pray for and seek the salvation of all people, including our government leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Therefore, we at Capitol Ministries serve towards that end; our new radio minute is one tool in our toolbox in striving toward that goal.
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As you know, we have been diligently working toward starting a Bible teaching/evangelism and discipleship ministry in Washington, D.C. While flying back to the West coast recently, I conducted two reads through the Book of Acts with the question in mind as to how many individuals who were individually converted were government leaders. We often view Acts through the lens of Matthew 28:19-20 or Acts 1:8. The divisions of Acts 1:8 are often the guidelines we use in outlining the book. However, I began thinking that a similar lens could be attempting to see the whole book through Saul's commissioning emphases in 9:15, wherein Jesus commands him to reach political leaders with the gospel. Accordingly, this is what I came up with:
*There are 18 macro accounts of conversions, wherein more than one individual is converted. Acts 2:41 is an example of this: "And that day there were added about 3,000 souls."
*Of those 18 accounts, 4 are preceded by a micro account of...
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