HM Update E-mail Problems

I have been getting a lot of notifications from GMail that a lot of the e-mails never went through. I have been having problems all day trying to update GMail and operating it with the new interface they have setup. If you didn't receive it and didn't get the e-mail copy of the newsletter, please contact me. Sorry. I will get this straightened out as fast as possible.

THE HM UPDATE 009

The new update newsletter is going out in the mail tomorrow, and e-mail edition should be in boxes. If you would like to get a copy of it, feel free to e-mail me.

Last Call

Last call on getting on the mailing list for The Howard Ministry Update newsletter. You can choose to receive it by either mail or e-mail. (Sorry, carrier pigeon is out of the picture at this time)

Contact me through hmupdate@gmail.com

God's Hand At Work

It is encouraging to see God work, even when things go wrong in our mind. Sunday I spoke at Warren Center Baptist Church. Pastor Jennings was gracious to let me speak during the morning service, which gave an opportunity to share to a part of the congregation that have never before heard of the work being done at Victory. There were some technical issues that prevented me to see some notes I had added to my Key Note presentation. This prevented me from saying what I thought was important information. But then there is God's plan. I had been praying before that the words that came out of my mouth be directed from God, and not just my own words. I guess God wanted me to say something other than what I wanted to say.

Aside from the presentation, I had set up a table with information, a newly created banner, pictures, video and more. It allowed people to pick up information to take with them, as well as see some more images of what Victory looks like and the daily happenings during the summer. There was also my latest Howard Ministry Update for people to take with them. This brings me to my next point.

If you have any interest in receiving The HM Update newsletter, in either your e-mail or by mail, please send me your information as soon as possible. I plan on having these letters out in the mail before weeks end. This also brings me to other point of interest.

I've had some prayer and financial supporters ask if there could have extra copies of the newsletter and extra prayer cards to pass out. This is awesome. I am more than happy to provide extra material if you wish to pass it on. Just send me a message if you would like extra material. Also, I know it is around Christmas, so it will be hard at this time. But if you feel led to ask your Church about supporting me or talking to me about the possibility of supporting me, feel free to talk to them, or pass on my information so they can get in contact with me. One upcoming speaking engagement was mostly set-up by an individual who asked me to stop by and have a word with their pastor. If you know anyone on a mission board too, feel free to pass on my info as well. Mission conferences are coming up soon, and I would be more than pleased to attend and share.

This has been an amazing journey so far, and I can't wait to continue it at Victory. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. It has been greatly appreciated.

Grace and Peace,
Daryl J. Howard

Up Coming Event

For anyone that is interested in hearing me talk about my burden for serving at Victory Bible Camps of Alaska. I will be speaking this Sunday (11th), at Warren Center Baptist Church during the morning service.  Service starts at 11am, and will be done around noon. If you need directions, the address is:


Warren Center Baptist Church
883 Coburn Hill Rd
Warren Center, PA 18851

PRAYER CARDS!

Want one of these sweet prayer cards... e-mail me your address to hmupdate@gmail.com 

and I'll get one to you.

Business/Prayer Card (Front)

Business/Prayer Card (Back)

Prayer Card (Postcard)

 Quantities not really limited. Collect them all.
Designed by Daryl.
This is pretty much a tast of some of the design work I'll be doing for Victory.

The HM Update Newsletter

The newly revived The HM Update (The Howard Ministry Update) newsletter is about to hit the presses and the e-mail boxes. Got an interest in what I'll be doing in Alaska, send a message to hmupdate@gmail.com with address or e-mail address and I'll send you my newsletter sharing the work I'll be doing in Alaska.

"But Daryl, how does is differ from this?"
Glad you asked. The HMUpdate newsletter is not just an "old school" way of keeping in touch. It helps those that don't have computer access or want a physical/digital copy in their mail box. It is a long form letter that will give a rundown of what has been going on in the work that I will be doing at Victory Bible Camps of Alaska. Yes, frequent updates are posted here. But this long form is my formal way of keeping people up to date with what is going on. And yes, the newsletter will be posted here. But if you want a prayer card to post somewhere to remember the work that I'm doing and to remember to pray for me, you can message me at hmupdate@gmail.com for one, or get the physical copy of the newsletter.

Over the last seven summers of working at Victory, I’ve experienced working in many areas of camp. Everywhere from counseling and ministry team, to audio visual and summer leadership. In the summer before I started the internship, a friend on the AV team and I started working on doing some projects on the side. Most of them were figurative Victory theme designs. We also brainstormed over video concepts for advertising as well. During the internship I started doodling designs for camp shirts and working on putting together brochures. As time has progressed, I started doing more and more work on the promotional side of Victory. Three t-shirt design concepts, a few promotional videos, various brochures, a fair booth, and many miscellaneous projects later, God decided to point me further into this area of ministry.

It is interesting to see how many ministries are a step behind companies when it comes using new innovative means of promotion. Many do not have updated promotional material or the social networking tools to connect with it's supporters and potential guests. With technology and social networking getting more advanced every year, it is hard for ministries to keep updating and adapting to the changing of times. The cost to outsource is becoming too great of a cost to continually produce brochures, multimedia presentations, promotional material and website updates. This is where I come in. With all these mounting costs, I could see ways that the camp could produce much of this material in house. God has gifted me with the creative thinking and skills to produce much of this work. What started off as me assisting the camp in producing projects here and there to help with costs, has become a burden to work at the ministry full time in the area of promotions.

Before I left Victory this fall, I was approached by Victory Ministries CEO (Brian Headdings) and Victory Bible Camps Director (Joel Ruisch) about joining the ministry in the area of public relations. There was a lot of time spent in prayer over what the job entailed, who I would report to, and what other areas of camp I would assist with. In the end, everything fell into place. I was unsure on if this was the area God wanted me to be in. Through prayer and reading the Bible, God reassured me that this is where He wanted me.

Working in the public relations team means I will be assisting Victory in creating promotional material that will go out to supporters and churches. This entails making videos, update social networking sites, designing brochures, assisting the summer AV team, and more. All of this is to help keep everyone in the loop as to what we are doing at Victory and how they can be a part of it. 

Like many of the individuals working at Victory, I will be raising support before I can officially start at Victory. I am to raise $30,000 toward my yearly mission salary. That is a break down on $2,500 a month in dedicated monthly supporters, or gifts. I’m not looking for people to give just for the sake of giving or seeing me work in Alaska. When someone is giving to support anyone working at Victory, they are just as much a part of the ministry as anyone else there. You are helping in Victory’s vision of connecting people of all ages with God through the ministry of Christian camping and conference retreats. If there is any interest at all (or even none at all), I ask that you prayfully consider how God can use you in this ministry. If you are to give, God will lead you to that.

I know this has been a long update. But I thank you for sticking it through and reading this. Take some time today and pray that God lead individuals that will help support me as I seek to work at Victory, as well as praying for the ministry and other families and individuals raising support as well. Thanks again.

Grace and Peace,

Daryl J. Howard

What has been going on...

   Well, life has been not so busy. So I have no excuse as to why I haven't really posted on here lately. I have been trying to gather my thoughts. But with no real deadlines to meet, my procrastination can sometimes get the best of me. But here is a little rundown of what is going on.

ROCC
   Reaching Our Community for Christ is a youth outreach run by individuals that have a burden for the youth in our local communities. Recently we went to an all-nighter with over 200 youth. It was a great time of fun, and planting seeds in many youth that would never set a foot in a local church.
   ROCC provides an after-school discipleship meeting once a month. We watched as our group has grown, and the youth involved have a desire to learn and grow.
   We have our own event coming up the same night as the Super Bowl. Last year had a fair turnout (seeing a PA team was playing). We plan on having breakout sessions that discuss real-life issues these teens face each day and how faith plays a part in it, along with tons of games and food to accompany the football game on TV.

FAMILY LIFE
   Family life has been interesting. Both of my parents are retired, so the house is almost never empty. True quiet time is spent late at night (long after they have gone to bed), when they attend a relatives sporting events, or I escape to a local cafe for a break from my normal routine.
   My sister moved back down to Philadelphia. So a quick move was planned, and we had her back there in a day. On the way down her car had a little malfunction. It wasn't a wek later, and I was making a day trip in and out of the city to do a car swap. Repairs were much cheaper here than in the city. During Thanksgiving, cars were swapped back.
   Thanksgiving was spent making a little trip down the Turnpike to my mom's parents. Grandma and Grandpa Murray hosted a nice time of relaxing and spending time with family. It was a great time catching up and planning some upcoming events.
   Sunday should be fun. (That's later today!) I get to spend it with family I haven't seen in years. I'll fill you in later.

AWANA
    With Pastor Larry (Pastor of Warren Center Baptist Church... the church I am currently attending) having to miss a AWANA night, I stepped in to teach the 3rd-6th & 6th-12th classes. It was a handfull, but it got me back into teaching youth. It is something I hadn't done in a while, and need some brushing up in.

SUPPORT RAISING
   Support raising is going slow. I am confirming some dates in which I will be speaking in some local churches. Hopefully this will get the ball rolling and get word out about the burden I have for working in Alaska.

ME PERSONALLY
   Then there is me. How am I doing? Honestly it is hard being home. Ever since my internship at Victory, I have felt like Alaska is my home. There was a little time that I thought that I wouldn't return, but God has had plans for me. Sitting here in Pennsylvania is hard. It is a little depressing. But I can't say that it hasn't had it's rewards. I have had time to rest from a very busy summer. God has refreshed my mind and given me tons of ideas for things that I can do at Victory, and giving me time to evaluate my own life and make improvements.
   As said before, it is hard to be here. But I can see why I am here. God has a lot of work to do in me before I return to Alaska. Each day has been a battle to keep focused on my goal of returning. I can't say that I have been successful in that battle. For one example, I tried work... but God had other plans. My devotions have been a challenge each step of the way. It seems each day God wants to point out another area of my life that I need to step back and re-evaluate. They aren't quick fixes, and will take time to fix these habits that have been ingrained.
   Hopefully as I continue on this journey in ministry, I will continue to open up and share with you what is going on and how I am growing. I want to be real with you.



That seems to wrap it up for this little update. I plan on posting what will be a detailed rundown of what I will be doing at Victory, and how you can help. Stay tuned...

Gathering My Thoughts

It has been too long since the last time I posted. I have to gather my thoughts.

Less thinking... more praying. That has been my theme lately.

A Lil' Taste Of The Future...

Alright, so now that I have part of a little taste of the past out of the way, what about the future. I won't be doing this often since a lot of what I do I like to keep secret until it goes public. But I thought I would give you a little sample of what I have been doing for Victory.

Since my latest seasonal employment came to an abrupt end (I'll explain later), Victory asked if I could do some work for them. I mean, since this is what I'll be doing in the future, why not.
Here is a bulletin insert that will be sent out to various Churches in the areas which Victory reaches out to.   Since most church would just photocopy the master, I created a black & white insert. But seeing that I am posting this, I thought it would be fun to colorize it as well. It hasn't officially gotten the ok to print, so this is just a prototype. Enjoy!

A Lil' Taste Of The Past...

To give you an idea of what I have been doing at Victory (and a little taste of the future), I'll be posting some work that I've been doing. This would include concept art, unfinished projects, completed projects, and more.

For my first offering to you, here is some work I did for the Alaska State Fair.

VICTORY BIBLE CAMP BROCHURE

 VICTORY CONFERENCE CENTER BROCHURE

So there is just a little taste of what I've been working on. More to be posted later.

Helpful Information

INTRODUCTION

A lot of individuals have shown interest in the work that God has called me to do in Alaska. Now before contemplating closing this window because you don’t want to hear religious ranting, want to hear me asking for financial support or any other various reason you may close this, I ask that you just sit tight for a moment and just finish this introduction. It would mean a lot to me. Instead of reading a huge post, just skip to the title that you think best suits who you are. Or if you want to be adventurous, you can read them all. Sound fair enough? Alright... begin. 

Not religious, but curious as to what Daryl is doing in Alaska?

What is Daryl doing in Alaska?

Can't support financially, but want to help.

Feel like the Lord is calling you to join the ministry financially?

Want Daryl to talk in your church, small group or personally?

You got time on your hands and you want to volunteer at Victory.

Dog ate my homework.

What's On The Horizon

Here's a little peek into my life as of right now.

+ Currently I am seeking part-time/full-time employment to cover expenses as I look for insurance and to save for the future. A couple of good prospects.

+ Went on a hike in the Adirondacks with ROCC (Reaching Our Community for Christ). A beautiful area of northern New York this time of year. A group of us men went ahead to set up camp, and spent a great time cooking and sharing fellowship over lots of great food. Our day started before any sign of dawn, and the rain soon followed as we packed up camp. The 1.9 mile treck up Blue Mountain was mostly spent in the rain. The view at the top was a whopping 25 yards of standing in a very windy cloud. Still, it was sweet. The teens made it to the top in about an hour. I clocked myself at 1hr 33mins. Even with all the dreary weather, many stories will be told of this trip. It was an amazing time to share the gospel and testimonies with the teens.

+ Looking to get into churches and share the mission that God has laid upon my heart. Also willing to sit down over coffee or a meal and chat too. Just waiting on word on how much I need to raise and official job, but that won't stop me from encouraging people to pray for the ministry ahead, and those that God will raise up to join the ministry in giving support.

+ Away from this blog I am slowly working on a "press kit" for myself. It is my way of passing information onto a church about Victory, who I am, and the ministry that God has called me to.

+ A new HM Update letter is in progress at this time. Hope to have it out soon.

Grace and Peace,
Daryl

New Logo?

Hey Daryl, why have a logo for your blog? Isn't that a little posh?

Glad you asked. Yes, it could be considered posh or plan showoffish in some ways. But when I am doodling with designs and trying to create work, things just happen. Like the mountain on my card for example. A lot of work, and eventually I had a mountain for my card. But why stop there. I have this cool mountain, why not use it on a logo for this very blog, just for the fun of it.

Basically, with doing design work, I have to keep expanding my creativity and work. If there is no one to work for, I work for myself. I have a long list of fake brands/logos I created for myself and the different names I have used to call my work. (Surprisingly enough, I don't have one for the one that has stuck the longest).

So, expect to see a little change here soon. Just for kicks and giggles.

Victory Promo Video (Not So Final Edit)

Here's the Victory promo I told you about. Just a little oops in there from some final touch-ups that got bumped. Enjoy.

VICTORY IS...

Videos From Victory

This summer, God gave me a vision for some video projects that would help promote Victory. Unfortunately, my timing wasn't God's, and the projects were put on hold. Looking back, I can see why He did this. But He did let me have a hand in creating a few videos. The first was "Legacy". It was our staff appreciation video that was presented during our staff appreciation dinner. I had a plan, but God gave me the vision for something different. After much praying, and three days of editing, this is how it turned out.
Legacy Movie

The second video that I want to show you was another God project. Joey Legg (our IT guy ) and I were given the task to create a video that individuals raising support could play to supporters. We had a vision of what it might look like. It went through many stages of development. But it was one meeting with our staff that God showed us where to go with the project. A set of core values, mission statement and verse we given to all the staff, and Joey and I knew what needed to be done. I created a advertising campaign and assisted in some editing and final production. Joey and David Beltz did most of the editing. (I just realized the video has not been posted online... I'll post the link once I get it online)

Business/Support Cards

Last week I spent a good portion of a day just messing with Photoshop and concepts on how I wanted my lil' card to look. All these ideas flowed through my head. I talked to some friends (mostly those with design experience) and my mom about some concepts and was set on one. All seemed great. I took my own photos, got to work and spent half the day to create something so cheesy, I couldn't help but laugh at myself. Then I prayed (like I always should before a project). It was at this point that God put something into my head. I went back tot he drawing boards and started sketching and writing. That night I reshot my photos (40+), sketched a mountain, and got to work. The next day no one was home... which meant a quiet house and no distractions. I cranked up the music and went to work. Later that night I sent proofs to friends, and printed a test. I was shocked at what God had directed me to make. The card was sent to the printers with anticipation. UPS's tracking was checked frequently. Then there was the watching of the mailbox. As I cut open the box today, there was this sense of fear. "What if I missed something?" "What if they printed wrong?" So much fear. Then God gave a peace before I looked at them. I was like a kid that just got a new toy. WOW! I was speechless. This was truly a project from God.

Can't wait to have these in your hands, on your fridges, in your wallets, on your desk, and/or tacked on your dart board in the near future.

Thanks to all of those that gave suggestions. Your input was greatly appreciated.

Grace and Peace,
Daryl

Hot off the press... kind of.

It's taken a little time, but here is some news for you.

1.) Victory Ministries and Victory Bible Camps are hashing out what my job description and position will be at Victory Bible Camps, as well as how much support will have to be raised toward my salary.

2.) My business/ministry support cards were sent off to the press today. By next week I will have them, and will be able to distribute to those that would like them. (Tons of info on such a little card) Easy to carry, hang up, or put anywhere to remind yourself to pray for the work the God is leading me to do (I should have a contest on unique places that people put my card to remind them to pray for me).

3.) A redesigning of this blog is in the works. A new logo for my newsletters is in the works. And an actual frequent update here!

If you would like to get a hold of me, for scheduling me at your Church or to speak with me individually, feel free to contact me at hmupdate@gmail.com. With the business/ministry cards, you can pass the info onto the your Church missionary board or onto friends.

That is it for now. A little posting on what went on during the summer, plus videos and graphic design work that I have been doing will be posted soon. Stay tuned. More to come.

Coming Soon

Be on the lookout... HMUPDATE is back.