ELEVATE SUPPORT

Hey guys. Well, I'm excited about what is about to take place next year. I would go into detail but this letter I've pasted below should say everything. Please be prayin for Candace and I. Love ya.

Dear Friends and Family,
When I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ five years ago I knew that God was calling me to full time ministry, but I didn’t know what it would look like or when it would take place. Over the last few years God has given me glimpses of what He has for my life. Honestly, it scares me to death because it is far beyond my reach. He has never let me see the whole puzzle, just pieces here and there. With every new piece it is an opportunity for me to grow and fulfill the purpose that God has for my life. Recently God has placed another piece of the puzzle in front of me.
Beginning in August 2007 I will be participating in the Elevate School of Ministry at Healing Place Church. Elevate is a nine month ministry internship designed to equip people to carry out the will of God through the local church. I will learn what being a Jesus-style leader is all about while solidifying a strong Biblical basis. It will give me the opportunity to explore God’s calling on my life while acquiring practical ministry skills. During this internship I will serve alongside Healing Place Church staff in a particular ministry area, go on a short term mission trip, and attend weekly bible and ministry classes. The cost of this internship is $5000.00. This will include tuition, books, road expenses, and an international mission trip.
In order to fulfill the requirements of this program I am resigning from my current job at AT&T, and I must raise tuition money before the program begins in August. Please consider supporting me over the next nine months with your prayers and financial support. Your support is vital to seeing lives changed. God has asked me to step out in faith and trust Him in the next season of my life. I ask that you would take that step with me so that together we can be a healing place for a hurting world.

Sincerely,

Blake Urban

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths” Proverbs 3:5-6

I’ve included a few ways that you can support. If you decide to become a support member please indicate this by phone, email, or letter. If you have any questions feel free to call me (225-202-5118) or email me (burban4jc@yahoo.com) and I would be glad to answer your questions. If you would like to contact an Elevate staff member, you can reach them at 225-408-3380 ext. 320. Thank you so much for your consideration in supporting me in the Elevate internship.

___ I would like to support through prayer

___ I would like to give $___________ weekly

___ I would like to give $___________monthly

___ I would like to give a one time gift of $____________


Thanks again for deciding to step out in faith to trust God and partner with us.

Please make all checks payable to Blake Urban

Blake Urban
18766 Jefferson Hwy.
Apt. C
Baton Rouge, LA 70817

burban4jc@yahoo.com or at my blog
blakeurban.blogspot.com

225-202-5118

E.R.

Well this week has been a very strange week for me. For those of you who don't know Monday night was spent with severe pain in my stomach. I couldn't sleep all night, and everything I had eaten was coming back to visit. I tried to make it to the doctor's office Tuesday but realized it would be a lost cause so I went straight to the emergency room. By the time I got there I was in such pain I couldn't walk or do anything. They brought me in and wanted me to fill out some paper work. YEAH RIGHT!!! I told them forget the paper work I need some pain medicine NOW!!! Needless to say I've spent the last 3 days in the hospital. Turns out my chron's disease had flared up and that is what was causing the severe pain. Chron's disease is an intestinal disease. About 10 inches of my small intestine is infected and when it flares up it basically closes and nothing can pass through and believe me it hurts B-A-D. It hasn't flared up in almost 13 years and I don't know why it decided to flare up now. This was extremely hard for me because I like to go, go, go. I'm always going 90 to nothing so for me to have to sit in a bed for three days was horrible, but it was also great because I really got a chance to get things back into perspective. When you live life in the fast lane usually the first thing that you start compromising is your time with God. Yeah I still had it but I did it like every thing else, RUSHED!! It wasn't quality it was quantity. It was a thing to do on my list and I just had to make sure it had a check by it. I pray through this experience I will learn to value my time with God. Make it be intimate and not instant. Thanks to all of you who have been prayin for me. I'm doing well and looking forward to an awesome time at Submerge next week.

Supporting A Great Cause

If there is one very important thing I've learned at Healing Place Church it has to be the vision of the house. Pastor Dino's vision is my vision. His heart is my heart. I am honored to be serving under the greatest pastors in the world. I read his blog and saw that there was a great cause that him and Pastor Mike were supporting and I would love to support it also. So I posted Mikes's blog on mine hoping to get others involved to support this incredible orginization. Pass the word on.


A friend of mine and a great woman in our church, Kacy Edwards, is a former teacher with a heart for the kids of our community. She quit teaching to start an organization called "Career Compass of Louisiana", which helps high school seniors with their post-secondary endeavors at no charge. Kacy and another former teacher, Julie Scott, go into high schools and sit one-on-one with the kids, offering college and career coaching to them for free! Not only do they inform the students about the more than 30 schools in the area, but they also help them fill out SAT/ACT applications, federal financial aid forms, post-secondary applications, scholarship applications, and anything else they may need to pursue their goals and dreams. They met with and assisted over 500 seniors in EBR parish last year and have plans to expand into Ascension, WBR, Livingston, Iberville and other surrounding areas. I say all that because Burger King is sponsoring a contest where they will give $50,000 to a winning cause. Out of more than four-thousand organizations, Career Compass has already made the top TEN - but in order to win, they need your help! (Sidenote: they are a two person non-profit up against much larger corporations) You can vote once a day between now and July 13 at http://www.campaignforyourcause.com/. You can also text message COMPASS to 287437(BURGER). If you're on the forgetful side, check out http://www.careercompassla.org/ and sign up for daily reminder. Voting will only take a second, but the money Career Compass might win could change the lives of thousands of teenagers in our state. They might even help change the life of someone you love.Kacy's relationship with HPC gave her the courage to start this whole thing. Her passion is education and she is leading the charge to change lives in Louisiana. Let's step up and put this state on the map for something amazing! I'm voting every day- are you?

Ethan Daniel Sanders

Last thursday Candace and I became uncle and aunt again. My sister-in-law gave birth to her first son, Ethan. He's a cute fellow, must take after his daddy. Candace stayed for a week and caught a serious illness called BABY FEVER!!! Lord help me. We walked in the hospital in Texas at midnight and as soon as she saw Ethan she looked at me with those puppy eyes and said, "I want a wittle baby." Basically, the pressure is on. The countdown has begun. I have no hope. Really though I'm excited, whenever it happens.