A Great Test...An Incredible Opportunity
Vince D'Acchioli

Then I said: "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. Nehemiah 1:5-7 (NIV)

Well, it is finally over. We have voted as a nation and we are awaiting the signing in of a new president. As is the case with most elections, there are significant numbers of people who are very happy and those who are very sad - in fact maybe even mad. I want to address any of you who may be in the latter category. You are saying or thinking things like I don't get it, this can't be happening, this is the end of the world as we know it, this has to be God's judgment on America.

If I am to be honest with you I would have to admit thinking some of these same thoughts. Having admitted that, I want to be quick to tell you my heart's desire to repent. Please hear me my friends - God is still on the throne. He is in command and all is well. After all is said and done it is now our responsibility to move on and become the church God desires and deserves. That is not a church preoccupied with whining - rather one determined to pray for His Kingdom to prevail.

Nehemiah's powerful prayer should be our guide. He recognizes the sin of both his nation and himself and acknowledges the relationship between obeying His commands and ultimate judgment. Given what we know about the history of God's dealing with His creation, where we find ourselves should not be a surprise.

My friends this is a great test for those of us who call ourselves followers of Christ. In fact, this may be the greatest test of the church in America since its founding. Will we focus on our preconceived ideas about the future and all the stuff brought about by man - or will we pray as Nehemiah did to the great God of the universe, recognizing our true source of redemption and peace?

As my pastor Brady Boyd says, we are entering a time where the church has a tremendous opportunity. I believe we need to keep our heads up and our knees bent and pray God give us wisdom on how to seize the moment. This could be one of our finest hours but it will depend on what we do with it. I can tell you categorically the first and most important thing we all need to do is to - quit complaining and feeding a negative attitude and start praying for your new president. Like him or not, on January 20, 2009 he will be our leader.

Here are some specific things I would like for you to consider:

• Examine your own life and repent immediately for any personal sin acknowledging as Nehemiah did that the sins of a nation are always the result of the cumulative effect of the sins of its people
• Begin praying for our new president and his emerging staff right away and guard your heart against doing this in a grudging way
• Pray specifically for God to invade our new president's heart, being grateful for any relationship he may already have and asking God to take it where He wants it to be
• Pray for the church in our nation to repent and ask God to bring forth a great revival
• Remember that the election is over and determine to stop spreading negatives and concerns based in fear - imagine how the world might be influenced by what it perceives as its enemy becoming a positive force
• Resist becoming preoccupied with concerns over future legislation and imposed new law and remember what the Bible says:

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

I have often said that when you attempt to legislate social justice issues with the absence of righteousness, all you breed is bitterness, contempt and hate. It is not now, nor has it ever been, about law. It is about a heart change. And that will only happen as the church - you and I - become all that God desires.

"Lord Jesus I acknowledge that my thoughts are not your thoughts and that what you see is so foreign compared to what I see. Lord, help me to see the world around me and my current circumstances through your eyes and to become a powerful influence in your hands toward seeing your kingdom advanced in our nation."

Vince D'Acchioli
Founder

I want to begin by drawing your attention to this month's TargetPoint. It is written by Stuart Briscoe and contains some powerful devotional ideas for us to consider during this time of national uncertainty. I also want to encourage all of us to pray that our leaders finally discover the profound relationship between the moral and ethical deterioration of man and our current financial crisis. God help us if we fail to understand how we got here and what is needed to turn our nation around.

My month began with a Men On Target retreat for Faith E-Free Church in Fort Collins, CO. We met over two days (the 5th and 6th) in Estes Park, a beautiful mountain resort not too far away. We had a great time and two of the men asked Jesus into their hearts for the first time. In addition, I felt a profound sense of seriousness on the part of many of these men in wanting to re-commit their lives to the Lord.

The very next weekend I traveled to Scottsdale, Arizona to conduct another Men On Target retreat for La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church. In all my years of ministry I do not believe I have ever experienced this depth of God's anointing. Having said that, I believe it is no accident that I experienced this as a powerful spiritual principle was at work.

You see it was literally days before this event Brad Fallentine and I were meeting with Gary Erickson, my friend and landlord. The purpose of our meeting was to bring final closure to our ongoing liability for the lease of The Place. Gary graciously allowed us an out of our 10-year lease in exchange for our paying up some past rent and signing over the restaurant equipment.

The result of this put extra financial pressure upon our ministry but also had the effect of some future risk for Gary. This became a powerful example of two men who sought to reconcile and move forward, honoring God's bigger plan, instead of following the world's way. A release was realized - a relationship saved - and a profound new sense of spiritual power has resulted.

Are you ready for this? Out of 90 guys 30 men accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. The session where this took place was so incredibly filled with the presence of God that you could almost feel it physically. When I asked the men to look up at me if they wanted to accept the Lord, I was moved to tears and blown away by the response. I had to ask three times if they understood why they were looking at me - they did - and He was glorified.

Dear ones, I am convinced this was the result of two years of struggle, pain and frustration finally brought to an end this month - at least a spiritual end. There are still some long range and serious financial implications we must navigate. However, God's purposes I believe are being realized. The lessons he has taught me personally will probably result in fruit I may never fully realize or understand. In all of this He is continuing to bring a supernatural sense of peace, the likes of which I have never experienced. I love Him so much.

I want to conclude by sharing an experience I had just yesterday while meeting with a group of young men in their early twenties. After some stimulating conversation one of them asked me a simple yet profound question. He said, tell me what you like about yourself? After having a brief moment of fun letting him know that I was ethnically advantaged, I was drawn back to that question and its implication. The response to a question like this can reveal volumes about a person - it can get to the very heart of what your life really stands for.

I explained the two-year struggle I had just been through and then told these men how the Lord dealt with me. I told them that I was not proud of the fact that I am in my sixties learning things I should have in my thirties and forties. However, the thing I like about myself right now - I finally get it. I understand what God wants me to learn through this experience. I know that the secret to life is complete and total surrender of myself and all that I am to Him.

Do I like the process Cindy and I have just gone through? No. Am I excited about the future and how God is going to use all of this through our ministry? A resounding YES!

Thank you for being such an important part of our journey. Cindy and I want to encourage you to prayerfully consider continuing this incredible journey with us. There is much to do and our great heavenly Captain is getting ready to pour Himself out in ways that I believe is going to surprise us.

Advancing His kingdom together,

Vince D'Acchioli
Founder

July is usually one of the slowest months of the year for ministry opportunities. This year was very different however. I started out on the 7th with a talk to 100 middle school kids at New Life Church. This was the first opportunity to minister there since making the decision to come back last year. The program is called "Man Time" and exposes these young men to older men who will share powerful principles they have discovered over the years. I shared on "Obedience, the Key to a Life of Power". I was able to help these impressionable young men better understand the implications of their choices. I also challenged them to go deeper in researching truth claims the world is throwing at them to better determine their validity. I suggested this also holds true for the truth claims of the Bible and encouraged them to go much deeper in their understanding of why they believe what they believe. Four of these precious young people received Jesus as their personal savior.

Later that week I received a call from my good friend Pastor Danny Carroll from Water of Life Church in Fontana, California. It was probably the shortest notice I have ever had to speak. The call came on Thursday and I flew out that Saturday morning. Danny was in need of some rest and asked if they could fly me out for the weekend services. This was such an honor for me. I love this church and have spoken there many times over the years. Danny could have easily chosen someone from this mega church of 5,000 or gone to his local circle of friends - instead he asked me to fly out. I had the privilege of speaking to all four services and multiple video venues that weekend. Over 100 people gave their heart to the Lord.

From the 24th to the 26th I was in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on an assignment for Promise Keepers. They honored me with the privilege of filling in for one of their presenters at a pastor's conference. There were about 100 pastors and leaders there for a full day of workshops. I delivered two on the subject of "The Six Structural Elements of Effective Churches" and am told by PK that it was very well received. This information is the subject of a new book I am working on titled "Time Out". The Lord is so good to bless us with this important opportunity to expose our ministry to so many churches and also be considered as a national presenter for PK for these venues. I will keep you posted on this as dealing with church leadership is very close to my heart right now.

The month finished out with two strategic men's leadership meetings related to my new assignment at New Life Church. On the 27th I met with about 25 key staff and small group leaders to present a strong case for ministry to men and some information on our approach. Then on the 31st I co-hosted a meeting with around 70 other key men's leaders where our pastor Brady Boyd was able to share his heart for ministry to men. He did a great job and I believe we are on our way to evolving a truly magnificent model here that we can all be proud of.

Mixed in with all of this we had some quality time with our niece and nephew who visited us from California and Georgia respectively. I also continued to attend New Life staff meetings and interview many men who are candidates for our Men's Ministry Council we are forming. As you can see, it was a busy month.

August will be a challenge for us in many areas so please continue to pray. I do have a number of ministry opportunities but most are advance speaking assignments for upcoming events. Our finances will be tight until we get into the fall season. In addition we are making every attempt to close out our relationship with The Place. There are still some looming challenges there and we need God's help in moving forward.

It looks as though God is bringing us into an exciting new season of ministry opportunity. Please pray with Cindy and I that we are able to have supernatural discernment as we continue to seek Him and discover His will for our future. With your prayers and generous support I believe we are headed for some exciting times.

May God bless you richly,

Vince D'Acchioli
Founder

June was a quiet month as we prepared for our new assignment with New Life Church. I am excited about what the Lord is going to do as I work along side Brady Boyd, new pastor and good friend, to establish a new ministry to men that we believe will become a model in our nation. I am also continuing to book events around North America ministering to thousands of men through our conferences and promoting our On Target Institute.

On June 13th my first born grandson, Parker and I went on a three day adventure that was incredible. It is called "The Amazed Race". This event is put on by the middle school department at Woodmen Valley Chapel, our former church here in the Springs. It is a take off on the television show, The Great Race. Woodmen asked me to be the speaker this year for this event and I am so glad I was able to do it.

There were about 100 people mostly made up of two person teams - one parent and one middle school age child. The teams travel about 500 miles around the southern part of Colorado looking for clues and entering into all sorts of fun activities together. While the goal is to get to the finish line first, the real value comes from what happens in the car for all those hours together. The kids are given 88 questions to ask their parents - like tell me what it was like the first time you held me in your arms. Needless to say there was some serious bonding going on.

I spoke three times to the whole group and have never been so unimpressed with the value of those messages compared to the lessons gained by the overall experience. I know God gave me some important things to share and at least one parent and 7-8 young people accepted the Lord. But the relationship building that took place was one of the highlights of my ministry career. Although my grandson is only nine we also had a wonderful time. We had so much fun and I found out that I am lousy at laser-tag and go-carts.

On the 17th we had our first Men's Night Out event at New Life Church. Pastor Brady spoke and we enjoyed some great food and fellowship. There were about 6-700 men who attended and we all thought it was a good start. Over the next several weeks I will be putting together some core leadership teams to move the ministry forward.

July will be a busy month as I continue to launch my effort at New Life Church, prepare for our Golf Fundraiser on the 14th and then fly to Fort Lauderdale Florida at the end of the month for Promise Keepers. PK leadership has asked me to be one of three key instructors for a key pastor's conference there. Please pray about this event as they will no doubt be evaluating our material toward the idea of future conferences. This is fast becoming our key audience as pastors are responding favorably to our message about The Six Structural Elements of Effective Churches.

As we continue through this summer season I would ask that you give some serious thought and prayer to this month's TargetPoint. I am concerned about the condition of our nation and believe we all need to become more responsible for impacting the next generation.

July points for prayer:

•  Pray that our Golf Fundraiser is successful as we have critical need of additional finances to get us through the challenging summer months

•  Pray for my trip to Fort Lauderdale and the Pastor Conference - that God's favor be all over this important event

•  Pray for supernatural wisdom as I continue to work on ministry to men at New Life

May our Lord and Savior Jesus bless you richly,

Vince D'Acchioli
Founder

I want to begin by encouraging you to really engage with this month's TargetPoint. It is a message the Lord has been giving me great passion about.

Well, our month began with a trip to Rantoul, Illinois on April 2nd for Christian Life Community Church. Cindy and I traveled there to conduct a Couples On Target event and I was asked to speak at a fundraising banquet that Friday night for Jesus is the Way Prison Ministry. On Saturday we conducted our couple's event for around 70 people and also spoke at their church services on Sunday.

The real excitement began as we walked into the banquet on Friday night late because our flights were delayed - they also lost our luggage. We did not get our luggage until late Saturday. I think God has a sense of humor - He anointed our time there in a profound way - borrowed clothing and all.

In all we ministered to around 600 people and about 24 of them received Jesus. Cindy's contribution on Saturday with the couples was one of the most anointed we have witnessed in our ministry. We really believe God is about to re-launch our ministry in a powerful way.

On the 8th of May I made a PowerPoint presentation to about a dozen men including Pastor Brady Boyd at New Life Church regarding ministry to men. This was the formative meeting to begin brainstorming ideas for how to evolve an effective ministry to men in our church. The men were very receptive and a lot of good ideas began to flow. I am so grateful for Pastor Brady and his commitment to have the finest ministry to men in America. Cindy and I are feeling a strong sense to come alongside our new pastor and help realize that dream. Perhaps all these years have been preparation for such a time as this.

On the home front I am preparing for two events this month along with our upcoming golf tournament. In addition it looks like we are freeing ourselves completely from The Place. God has taught us some compelling lessons over these last two years. I will be sharing a lot from this experience in the months to come. I should also have some more details about our transition in next month's newsletter.

Our finances are still a big issue as we enter the typical summer months with the attending challenges. The good news is that we are talking to pastors from all over the country and into Canada, and event booking for the future is looking strong. This combined with our new role that is emerging at New Life Church helping guide their ministry to men seems to be pointing toward some exciting future possibilities.

That said, please pray about how you can help us in the next few months. One way would be to encourage people to sign up for our golf event July 14th. Some people may want to participate while others might be interested in sponsoring a player, foursome or a hole. If you would like more information or to receive a brochure please call me personally at (719) 481-2620.

In closing I want to thank you again for all of your prayers and financial support. Without you there would be no On Target Ministries and the tens of thousands of lives that have been saved and continue to grow into disciples.

Serving the King together,

Vince D'Acchioli
Founder