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June 2006 Newsletter
( June 12, 2006 )
From Janelle’s Desk
“Wow!! Restoring the Glory is an incredibly impressive conference. I
can see that tons of prayer and work go into these conferences. You
were all very sensitive, compassionate, and bold in dealing with difficult
topics with a group of very hurting and rejected people. Hats off to you all
for having the guts to deal with what most won’t!” A female attendee
Wow! My sentiments exactly! Once again my team and I were left speechless at God’s amazing presence during our recent and largest yet Restoring the Glory conference. Even though often exhausted, I experienced such an excitement throughout these full three days. There is always an expectancy that is palpable within the church building and especially the sanctuary as we begin. People feel and comment on it as they arrive on opening night. I experience it as a wave of energy and praise for what God is going to do. This expectancy is not something that I conjure up or even attempt to experience. It is present because of the prayers of the saints and the intentions of our Great God. I simply join in the expectancy of the Holy Spirit.
The work of the Holy Spirit and the move of God’s tender mercies and healing hand were more obvious to me at this conference than any previous conference. I had been praying that God would develop within me, a greater discernment and sense of His presence and specific work during each ministry session. I often become so focused and energized by my teaching, that I lack the ability to shift into a listening mode. I have really wanted to see this change. Well, something definitely changed at this conference. I felt as though I was “in” the river of God’s flow. I could literally feel the upsurges and the times of receding and rest. At other times I knew His words were flowing out of me versus my prepared script. So I let go of control and again, went with the wave. Wow! Being used as God’s vessel in this way is an amazingly FUN experience. I felt joy overflowing, and in fact, saw joy overflowing in many conference attendees despite how difficult and painful their journey was as they opened some of their deepest wounding to God.
In reflection, I believe that God has so much more for us in terms of His direct healing, deliverance, and restoration through the work of the Holy Spirit. We need to simply create the time and space for Him to do His work. It is my hope that we can indeed continue to offer these conferences. I am not sure how this is going to happen given the reality that we can no longer bear the financial burden or marketing of these events. But God is good and God is big. Again, we wait for Him to pave the way. Please pray as God leads us into another season of Desert Hope.
Here are a few more testimonies from the Church in the City conference:
“Thank you with all my heart. This conference has changed my life dramatically. I understand my pain, shame, and heartache better and desire to embrace them, move through the pain and hand it over to God. God bless you!”
“It brought the scripture alive! I had never seen how interconnected the scripture is with real life!”
“Before this conference, I kind of felt like the Velveteen Rabbit, always wondering what was real; wondering what it would take to be real or feel real. After this conference I have finally felt what it is like to be Real. Thank you – you have given me hope!”
“This conference gave me a reminder of what I was originally created to be – me – in and through Christ. It has helped to expose the lies that I used to believe and gave me tools to cooperate with God in His work of redemption in my life. It also encouraged my passionate anger against the enemy who desires to steal our beauty.”
“Thank you very much for Restoring the Glory. It changed my life! I have never been so profoundly impacted by a conference. I was broken and renewed as each session built on the other. I have never understood the depth of love God has for me. I have carried around my pain from two broken marriages and a string of poor decisions most of my life. I’ve never been able to accept the concept of grace for my life and was holding on to my guilt and shame as my punishment to myself. I am free now. I never knew what freedom in Christ meant until last week. I’m excited to get to know the real me without holding on to all the baggage and broken pieces!”
Please join us as we give thanks and praise to the Lord for cleansing, healing, and pouring out His endless love on His children!
Upcoming Events and Speaking Engagements
June 1–July 8, 2006 Janelle will be in Florida on a writing sabbatical. Please pray that this will be a time of great anointing and productivity on her manuscript on female homosexuality.
July 22, 2006 Speaker at the Crossroads Church, Denver, Colorado, conference on and for Women and their Emotions.
August 4-6, 2006 Janelle and co-leader, Terry Vratny, will be conducting an intensive retreat for Mothers of Daughters with Same-Sex Attraction. For more information see http://www.janellehallman.com/.
October 12-14, 2006 American Association of Christian Counselors Annual Conference in the West, Denver, Colorado. Janelle will be attending and hopefully speaking on female homosexuality.
December 2, 2006 Speaker at a Woman’s luncheon, Lookout Mountain Community Church
You may send donations to:
Desert Hope Ministries
P.O. Box 620575
Littleton, CO 80162
Voice Mail: (303) 277-8358
Email: info@deserthope.com
Desert Hope Ministries is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and operates solely on the contributions of people such as you. All donations to this ministry are tax deductible and will be recognized by a receipt.
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