Great Reports Coming In...

I am getting great reports, along with prayer requests from several teams this week:

Pastor Alex Hill (Raven Austin) was joined on the famous "Sixth Street" in Austin, Texas last night by Pastor Meredith Lindsey and a team from Raven Fairfield for witnessing. Pastor Meredith told me on the telephone earlier this evening that it was "the best time that he has had out witnessing in a l-o-n-g time! he reported that it was 5:00 AM before they got back home!

Pastor Don Eskine of Raven Gulf Coast and Pastor Thomas Derrick of Raven New Orleans have been setting up a "spiritual defense" against the New Orleans' Voodoo Festival. If you don't think that the practitioners of this occulitic religion take the stuff seriously then you should read the paper more closely!

On Friday the 13th Pastor Don and Pastor Thomas were met by over 100 "voodoo" followers in the French Quarter at Jackson Square. They came in pulling a wagon full of chickens!

They soon began their incantations and chants and then pulled the chickens out, severed their heads, and then drank and scattered their blood!

Pastor Thomas immediate went "right in the middle" of them all and began to street preach! Pastor Don reports that it was the voodoo priests who were now scattering like a "chicken with the head cut off!" Praise the Lord!

The next three days they will be setting up shop outside of the voodoo fest and witnessing to the tens of thousands in attendance--they request you prayer and intercession!

Our Lifesong!

More from the Raven Gathering!

My two "moms" (l-r) Kathy "Mom" Purdy and my Mom, Kathryn Bohn

Uncle bob Dunstan and the men from Life Challenge Program

The Raven Reunion Band!

Cheyenne stops by the table of Raven East Coast Directors, Pastor Sam & Lucy Croghan

(l-r) Jimmy & Muriel Fields of More Church enjoy the evening with Pasty & Charles Duke (Mel's Aunt & Uncle)

We had a great turnout of 0ver 200 at the Raven Banquet!

Pastor Troy with Pastor Faye Roberts of River Road Fellowship

Pastor Troy with two of our special guests, Pastor Elisha & Bobbi Demerson who were honored for their long support for the work of Raven Ministries

Pastor Don Eskine of Raven Gulf Coast testifies about things happening in New Orleans!

(l-r) Lindey Sandlin, Billy Don Mannin and wife, Jamie at the banquet (they represented RR Fellowship)

(l-r) Rich Donaghy (West Coast) and Pastor Meredith Lindsey (Fairfield) visit over dinner

Pastor Troy addressing the guests

The beams of light tell the story--the Light of the Holy Spirit whowed up and showed out!

Uncle Bob Dustan of Life Challenge shares about his involvement with Raven & Pastor Troy

Pastor Troy and Pasor Lance of Raven Midwest

Bro. Nick Castro of Amarillo plays a song that he wrote called, "The Least" as a video presentation plays in the background

Which Jesus Do you Follow?

More From The First Annual International Gathering of the Ravens

1 Tim 3:1-71 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.

The men that we ordained this week are an awesome and incredible group of JESUS-LOVING men of God. It is so refreshing to se men who take the reigns and just believe the Word of God and endeavor to be "doers of the Word and not just hearers only."

Here, Pastor Troy Bohn (Director of Raven International) washes the feet of and prays for Raven Midwest's Pastor Lance Prathaftakis during the ordination and licensing service during the Raven gathering.

Here, Evangelist Max "Love" Montano of Amarillo, Texas prays for and speaks a word to Pastor Lance as men of God gathering around to set apart this man for service unto the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pastor Troy prays for and washes the feet of Pastor Rudy Gonzales of Raven West Coast as the ordination service begins during the International Raven Gathering on October 20-22 in Amarillo, Texas (The birthplace of Raven Ministries!)

"Uncle" Bob Dunstan, Director of Life Challenge of Amarillo, Texas joins in the ordination service and prays for and offers the wisdom of his nearly 90 years to Pastor Rudy.

Pastor Rudy weeps as dear friend and Raven West Coast leader, Brian Bennet ministers to him during service.

Pastor Meredith weeps as Pastors Troy and Alex pray for him and wash his feet as a token of preparing him for servanthood. Pastor Todd and Pastor Terry stand behind him and pray for their co-laborer in the harvest.

All I can say is, "WOW!"
Pastor Troy D. Bohn
Oct 27 2006 04:10AM



…I can actually think of a few more things to say, but “WOW” is definitely a great place to start! This past weekends first annual International Gathering of Raven’s was incredible!

I have been saying all week that it far exceeded my wildest expectations and that my expectations were very high! There is just no way to do justice to the things that we experienced in Christ Jesus this past weekend in Texas. It was just one of those special “God Moments” that cause your jaw to drop as you are just awestruck by His infinite mercy and desire to fellowship with His bride~!

John 13:34-35 says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

The words of Jesus As recorded here in the Gospel of John truly sums up this gathering that brought our “team” or better yet, our “family” together from all across this nation. There were many who came in from opposite coasts and from various places throughout this nation that had never laid eyes on one another—but you would have never known it!

To a casual observer, one would think that it was a reunion of old friends or even a family gathering that was taking place, as people loved on one another nonstop for three long and eventful days of ministry and sweet fellowship. Even the children from the very youngest to the teenaged shared this time of just being the Body of Christ and walking in such unity and cooperation—it was phenomenal!



Thank all of you that prayed and gave financially to see that these missionaries to America were able to be blessed, encouraged, and refreshed in the presence of the Lord for a few days! May God bless and anoint you mightily for your support as well.

Friday: The Raven Banquet! As of last Wednesday we had expected around 110 people to be in attendance for the fajita dinner and presentation of the things that had occurred over the past year and where the Lord Jesus is taking us in the future—well, that number got thrown our real fast as attendance at the banquet swelled to well over 200 guests!

We were blessed to assemble the Raven Reunion Band composed of some of the very first street team members as well as some of our newest additions. The group included: Holly Hill, Leigh Prathaftakis, Nick Castro, Jeurgen Zapata, Pastor Ralph Savala, Sean Mullins, Jeromy Thornton, Sue Scott, Pastor Gary Hobbs, and Angie Blondina! These guys ROCKED!!!

We had several special guests in attendance including a number of local pastors: Pastors Ken Fowler, Herman Castro, Ralph Savala, and Jesse Chavez of Amarillo Christian Fellowship, Pastor & Mrs. Elisha Demerson of Emmanuel Church of God in Christ, Pastor Mark Rector and Pastor Gary Hobbs of Church Alive, Pastor Faye Roberts of River Road Fellowship, Pastor Duane Bilderback of Fox Ridge Church of God, and “Uncle” Bob Dunstan of Life Challenge of Amarillo.



We showed several videos during the course of the evening including footage from our earliest years when we took nine people 900 miles to New Orleans for our first Raven Mardi Gras Outreach to video featuring our outreaches that have now taken us from coast to coast and onto foreign soil.

Introduced and sharing testimony concerning the things that God had been doing in various regions were our team leaders:

Pastor Sam & Lucy Croghan of Raven East Coast, Pastor Rudy & Lori Gonzales of Raven West Coast, Pastor Don & Sabrina Eskine of Raven Gulf Coast, Pastor Terry & Eileen Shuff of Raven Midwest, Pastor Alex & Holly Hill of Raven Austin, Pastor Meredith & Tanya Lindsey of Raven Fairfield (TX), Pastor Todd & Christy Bohn of Raven Post (TX) and Pastor Brandon & Christy Romero of Raven Southwest and Pastor Lance & Leigh Prathaftakis of Raven Midwest. Unable to attend were Pastor Thomas &Doree Derrick of Raven New Orleans.

Others in attendance were Raven Evangelists: Jeurgen & Jennifer Zapata (Lubbock, TX) and, Don & Robin Dykes (Amarillo, TX). and my dear friends, Max "Love" & Kimber Montano of Amarillo.

I can remember three years ago when it basically consisted of Melanie and myself taking the vision that the Lord Jesus had entrusted us with to New Orleans in obedience to His voice---WOW—it is amazing to see the things that JESUS has done in such a short amount of time! Praise His Name!!

One of the special things that we did during the banquet was to honor several of our guests who have meant so much to Melanie and I on a personal level over the years.

Pastor Elisha Demerson simply put is my friend! Prov. 17:17 says, “A friend loveth at all times and a brother is born of adversity.” This certainly described the relationship that I have enjoyed with the dear man of God. Pastor Demerson is actually a “historical figure”, having been the very first African-American elected to serve as a County Court at Law Judge in the State of Texas! This West Point Graduate is also a scientist and serves as the pastor of Emmanuel Church and as a district superintendent for the Church of God in Christ.

Uncle Bob Dunstan as we affectionately call him is a man with an obvious “Caleb Anointing”. Uncle Bob at just a few years shy of his ninetieth birthday continues to serve as the director of Life Challenge of Amarillo. This is a 12-18 month live in program designed for those looking to be set free from the bondages of drugs, alcohol and other life-destroying addictions. Uncle Bob is a rock! This man, who once served as the mayor of a major city in Ohio has dedicated his life to the Lord Jesus and to helping men beat back the destructive jaws of the devil. He told me that he planned to retire, “When Jesus returned!”

Pastor Faye Roberts is the pastor of River Road Fellowship in Amarillo. I have know this gracious woman of faith since I was a child and there are few people in my life that have carried such an incredible and consistent testimony of loving people and walking in humility and a servants heart. I said at the banquet, “Many people may argue the theology of this woman serving in the capacity of a pastor, but they can’t argue her heart for ministering to people!”

Cornerstone Outreach Center is a local (and international) outreach and missions supporting organization. Headed up by Pastor Joe Kirkwood (who also serves as a local city commissioner) with my friend, Susie King serving as his assistant, these guys were right there to help our team with semi loads of food, water, clothing and supplies in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina last year. Locally they feed and clothe thousand each year through their local ministry center and have established a sister location in Ghana, West Africa as well.

Doris Smith is someone that could easily just “blend in to the crowd.” This retired lady from Canyon, Texas is really what it is all about! Living alone and on a fixed income, Doris is one of the few people who have supported our urban mission’s efforts from day one! Each month she has never failed to send her check for $20 to keep us “in the harvest fields.” There were many time---that we would wait by the mailbox at the first of the month for Doris’ check to come because that would be all the money we had to eat on ourselves!! Additionally she continues to hold us up in prayer and encouragement each and every day!

Saturday Morning we had a women’s and a men’s breakfast.

Linda Hanks was gracious to host our team of women at her local bed and breakfast for a women’s breakfast led by Holly Hill. This was a powerful time as she shared what the Holy Spirit had placed upon her heart and the women enjoyed a special time of prayer and ministry to one another!

River Road Fellowship’s men’s ministry served up an awesome “Country Breakfast” to our men that morning and Pastor Don Eskine shared his powerful testimony of being transformed from a “Prisoner to a Pastor.”


Saturday Lunch: my parents, Raymond & Kathryn Bohn treated the whole team to a delicious lunch of bbq sandwiches and all the trimmings as Pastor Alex Hill served up an anointed and challenging message to the team regarding “Keep the unity by recognizing and overcoming offenses.”

Saturday Afternoon: I shared several things regarding the past, present and future of Raven Ministries and then we heard from many of our Raven leaders and team members from around the nation. This was an awesome time that could be summed up in the statement of one sister in the Lord, “It is great to be around a group of people that you don’t have to explain yourself to!”

Saturday Night: We had a great time of praise and worship followed by a message that the Lord Jesus had given me called “Red Light Religion: Overcoming Intimacy on Display.” (I will post it on the blog for you to read sometime next week) We then had a special time of ministry, encouragement and deliverance for the five men that Uncle Bob brought from Life Challenge. Pastor Don Eskine, Pastor Todd Bohn, Pastor Alex Hill, Pastor Sam Croghan, and Pastor Terry Shuff prayed for these men and then “washed their feet” just as Jesus had washed the feet of His disciples—there was not a dry eye in the place!

We were also blessed to set five men apart for the work of the ministry that night which was P-O-W-E-R-F-U-L to say the very least. I shared with the congregation that to Raven Ministries, being called “Pastor” was not a title—but instead an enormous responsibility. On this night, we recognized and licensed and ordained (5) men.


Pastor Lance Prathaftakis is veteran of the streets! I tease that if I was a lost person that HE would be the guys that I would want coming after me because of the sincerity of his heart and his “never take no for an answer approach.” Pastor Lance will soon be serving as the director of our Raven Midwest team. He is also the youth pastor of a church in Indiana and operated a vending business. He and his wife, Leigh, have two awesome twin sons, Cole and Layne who are also very involved in the ministry.


Pastor Meredith Lindsey is the director of our brand new—Raven Fairfield. He has a heart to take the vision to “small town America” and see the hand of God move in these rural communities just as we have seen it move in our urban locations. He and his wife, Tanya are a part of 1st Baptist Church in Fairfield and Pastor Meredith travels into NYC frequently to share in some of the cities roughest neighborhoods. They have three sons and a daughter (who also is called to the mission field and just returned from a stay in Africa!)


Pastor Brandon Romero is very close to my heart! He is my oldest nephew and son of my big sister, Kim. He and his wife, Christy (along with their son, Cole) lead Raven Southwest which is headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Having been set free from drugs, alcohol and other strongholds, this man of God is a walking testimony of God grace and the fruit of a “praying mamma!”


Pastor Johnnie Thomason has a c-o-n-t-a-g-i-o-u-s smile and the most compassionate hearts that I know. He is the new director of Raven Amarillo and also serves as the youth pastor, and elder at River Road Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Lori have a powerful ministry to young married couples and those desiring to be married. Their daughters, Cheyenne and Caitlyn are also awesome young women of God and regulars on the streets and during outreaches.


Pastor Rudy Gonzalez is a soldier for Jesus plain and simple. Maybe it is his background in the Marine Corp or something, but this guy is a “front line” menace to the Kingdom of Darkeness! Heading up Raven West Coast, he, his wife Lori and two amazing little girls, Madee and CeCe, lead the west coast Raven Team in the regions most desperate neighborhoods.

We are so blessed to have these men join the ranks of our national leadership team. They are powerful men of God and “soul winners” first and foremost!

Sunday Moring our team was blessed to fan out and minister at several local churches:

Pastor Rudy Gonzalez joined Don Dykes and his pastor, Alvin Walker for a great time at Freedom Baptist Church.

Pastor Don Eskine brought the word at Emmanuel Church of God in Christ with Pastor Elisha Demerson.

Pastor Alex Hill was is Hereford, Texas with Pastor David Alvarado and Good News Church.

Pastor Lance Prathaftakis took his team and joined Pastor Ken Fowler of Amarillo Christian Fellowship church.

Pastor Sam Croghan ministered at Fox Ridge Church of God with Pastor Duane Bilderback.

I joined my friend, Pastor Mark Rector at Church Alive!

The reports from each location were INCREDIBLE as the churches welcomed the team members and were the recipients of a fresh word from the Lord and a report from the streets of this nation.

Sunday Night all of our teams joined together one last time as I preached and ministered at Generation Next Church which is pastored by Pastor Tommy Fulgham. This is an awesome church that is raising up a new generation of young spirit-filled leaders to take the message of the cross to what very well might be the “terminal generation”

I preached a message called “The Revolution” and things just kind of EXPLODED from there!! The place was rocking as ministry was literally taking place all over the auditorium as the Body of Christ wept, worshipped and ministered to one another.

It was a fitting end (or beginning) to a true JESUS TIME!

Check out our blog and websites over he next week for pictures and reports from our various teams.

Please continue to pray for us as we “hit the ground running” over the next few weeks. This week Melanie and I are moving into another house as the state has acquired the home in which we are living through imminent domain to build a wider road! They will be bulldozing it in the near future, but God was gracious in allowing us to find another place to live not far from here!

Next month I will be joining Bobby Sullivan of Cutting Edge Outreach Ministries over the Thanksgiving Holiday to speak several times during the Accelerated Impact Conference on Evangelism in London, Ontario Canada. If you feel led to send a little something this month to help with expenses I would sure appreciate it greatly.

We love you and pray that God blesses and anoints you mightily for His Glory!

Pastor Troy D. Bohn


Raven Ministries International
P.O. Box 1897
Daytona Beach, FL32115
504.202.0939
www.BigGrace.com

BIG PRAYER CALL OUT:

These have been some intense times—and we are well aware as to the reasons! We are seeing things happen in the ministry of unprecedented proportions and the devil is “up against the ropes!”



When we were just a few people in one solitary neighborhood, we were not much of a threat to the enemy’s plans. When I first started pastoring a church years ago and 99% of our ministry was relegated to the confines of the “church building” we were not much of a threat to his territory!

But now that God has caused an increase and has knit together hearts across this nation to form Raven Ministries International---we are fast moving up his “public enemy” list!



He hates the fact that saints have been willing to go into some of this nation’s most notorious places and share the message of the Cross! Now we have established teams that criss-cross this nation and the Holy Spirit has given them such a heart of love and unity that it’s SCARY for the devil---Praise God!



This weekend alone:

Pastor Meredith Lindsey (Raven Fairfield) is conducting an outreach to bridge racial lines in a very racially segregated central Texas town. He has invited two African-American pastors to join in an outreach to share the Gospel and a free meal to an at-risk neighborhood. They are planning on joining forces every two weeks in an effort to claim this community for Jesus---the devil does not like it!



Pastor Sam Croghan (Raven East Coast) will be in Westminster, Maryland tomorrow joining in a “Back to the Future” event designed to combat the infiltration of gangs and drugs in this very depressed community---the devil doesn’t like it!

Pastor Alex Hill (Raven International) will be joining Pastor Todd Bohn (Raven Post) in Post, Texas for a weekend community-wide outreach on the 14th & 15th. They have partnered with local churches and a local school to have a free ‘enchilada dinner’ at the school and then Pastor Alex will be ministering the Word there Saturday night and Sunday---the devil doesn’t like it!

Pastor Terry Shuff (Raven Midwest) is taking a team to the streets of South Bend, Indiana tonight for street ministry and then will head to Benton Harbor, Michigan with a team tomorrow to an extremely impoverished (and as a res ult crime infested) area that they have been hitting repeatedly with the Gospel---the devil doesn’t like it!



Pastor Rudy Gonzalez (Raven West Coast) went to the food bank yesterday to pick up the groceries for the 500 families that they take 7,000 to 10,000 pounds of food to and pray and minister to each week---and the food bank told them that their buying privileges had been revoked---the devil doesn’t like the fact that they are reaching into the worst or the worst neighborhoods and seeing souls come into the Kingdom on a weekly basis. They went to the neighborhoods anyway---and took the Bread of Life and the Fruit of the Spirit and the Water of the Word and they spread a table of Spiritual Meat and all were filled---the devil doesn’t like it!



Pastor Done Eskine and Pastor Thomas Derrick are taking their team into Jackson Square (New Orleans’ French Quarter) tonight where they will feed the hungry and then stand at the North Gate and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in front of a pad-locked sepulcher (dead church) where just a hundred and fifty years ago slaves were sold on the auction block. Today they are still peddling human lives in this place—the only difference is that the chains have been traded for Mardi Gras beads and the slave traders now call themselves bartenders, strip club owners, and tarot card readers—but these guys are seeing souls saved and lives turned around each week---and the devil doesn’t like it!

Tomorrow night our team will be out on the streets of Daytona Beach where we are having dozens of young kids come and sit and listen to us each week as we serve them a meal, share with them about Jesus, listen to their hearts and pray with them. They continue to come and when they get there—they don’t want to leave---and the devil doesn’t like it!

WE ARE SEEING THINGS COME TO PASS NOW THAT SEEMED SO DISTANT JUST A SHORT WHILE BACK---and the devil doesn’t like it!

We are experiencing an UNPRECEDENTED HARVEST and an UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF OPPOSITION. The devil is working overtime to thwart the work that God is doing and trying to squash the momentum that we h ave been experiencing—but we are standing firm in the FAITH!



JUST IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS:

The medical help that we thought we were going to be getting was suddenly “snatched” away without explanation---but we’re standing on FAITH.

Our landlord called and the City is building a new road—and will be bulldozing our home, causing us to be out the unexpected expense associated with moving into another house at the end of October---but we are standing on FAITH! And we have already found another house to move to (and the owner is a believer!)

The support for the ministry has dwindled to a trickle over the past few months with a fraction of the response that we had just a year ago---and now we are doing 10x’s the ministry----we are standing on FAITH!!

PLEASE PRAY FOR:

Nicolas—a three year old boy in the hospital in San Francisco, Calf. His mother works with Pastor Rudy and the child is in the hospital with a cancerous brain tumor. We are praying and standing on FAITH for his healing and the salvation of his mother (Julianna).

Maxine (Dot Chance of Streetwise Ministries mother) she has been ill and was in the hospital. We are standing on FAITH and believing JESUS for her healing!

The Souls of all of those who our missionaries will meet on the streets of the cities across this nation this weekend. May the Holy Spirit soften and convict their hearts that times of great harvest will occur in this Nation.

Blessings,

Pastor Troy D. Bohn!

Check things out: www.ravenoutreach.blogspot.com

****FLASH**** I just recieved a call from Pastor Alex & Holly in Texas. They were on there way to Post, Texas from Austin and the Motor Home broke down on the side of the road. They are about an hour or so from Post and they can't get it started. They are planning on spending the night there and seeing if they can find someone to look at it in the morning. Please pray that it is somethig very simple and inexpensive to fix. (the devil is mad) Thye can be reached on the road by cell at 806-206-1070. They are scheduled to minister at a city-wide outreach tomorrow at 6:00 PM and need this resolved quickly.

Pastor Don Eskine, Director of Raven Gulf Coast, will be the guest speaker at the International Gathering of Urban Missionaries Men's Breakfast. The breakfast will be held at River Road Fellowship Church, 503 E. Willow Creek Ave in Amarillo, Texas on October 21st at 9:00 AM in conjunction with their men's ministry. All men (of any age) are invited to attend this free times of breakfast, fellowship, and inspiration.

For more information you can contact: Pastor Johnnie Thomason (Raven Amarillo) at 806-678-2644

Pastor Alex Hill, Raven Ministries International (Austin) will be conducting City-Wide Services this weekend (October 14-15) in Post, Texas. The event is being directed by Pastor Todd Bohn or Raven (Post) in partnership with Pastor Vicente Villalon and Bethel Assembly Church.

The Schedule of Services are as follows:

Saturday October 14th from 6:00 PM -10:00 PM: FREE Enchilada Feast at the Post Elementary School with a message from Pastor Alex and special music by Holly Hill.

Sunday October 15th: Mission Possible Services

10:00 AM & 5:00 PM to be held at the Post Elementary School 211 West 8th St.

For More Information Contact: Pastor Todd Bohn 806-206-9094 or Christy Bohn 504-319-6399

Join Us In Amarillo, Texas October 20-22

Are you in the Amarillo Texas area? If you are we would love to have you come and be a part of our First Annual International Gathering of Urban Missionaries. We are assembling RAVEN leaders from coast to coast to converge on the "Middle of the Nation" for three days of impartation and outpouring and we would love for you to be there!

There is no cost for this conference with the exception of $10 to cover each person's meal during the opening nights banquet. If you want to attend and need a banquet ticket, please call my local (Amarillo) administrator, Elva Garza @ 806-236-0487 and she will see that you have one.

If you want details as to the weekends schedule and events--email me at PastorTroy@BigGrace.com and we'll get right back to you! See you in TEXAS!

Jesus is the Lord | View Slideshow

National Gathering of Urban Missionaries

RAVEN MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL
P.O. Box 1897
Daytona Beach, Florida 32115
(386)682-4141


Re: National Gathering of Urban Missionaries
October 20-22, 2006 (Amarillo, Texas)

One of the key components necessary for the success of any mission or missionary related organization is the training, mentoring and supporting of “indigenous ministers” who understand the people, culture, and specific needs of particular areas of focus.

When international mission organizations began to send missionaries onto foreign soil in the past 200 years, they soon discovered that the most effective means to reach the peoples of their region of service was to utilize the gifts, and callings of those who came from their own ranks. One veteran missionary of a large mission organization said, “I spent over 50 years on the mission field with very little fruit for my labor. It was not until I began to train leaders in that nation to do the work of the ministry that we were able to see momentous results from our spiritual investment.”

The statements above have never been more true than now in regards to what might possibly be the greatest and most difficult mission field in the world: The United States of America.

Over ten years ago I had to truly do some “soul searching” in regards to the condition of the Western Church (America). Something had happened over the course of several generations that had caused it to look very dissimilar to the “Church” that was founded by the Lord Jesus Christ and described so vividly in the Book of Acts.

It was at that point that I began to earnestly seek the face of God regarding this issue and asking Him for the wisdom, faith and vision to help curb the swelling tide that had sought to swallow up the last bastions of Biblical Christianity.

What the Holy Spirit revealed to me in that season were the foundational principals that have served to establish and direct the work of what has now become Raven Ministries International. The two main directives that have remained as our focal points have been:

1) To Restore Biblical Vision to the Body of Christ through preaching, teaching, writing, and demonstrating a scriptural model for the expanding of “His Kingdom” indiscriminate of cultural, racial, economic, or denominational barriers. 2) To actually apply those principals as our primary purpose in reaching the lost and dying (spiritual) with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Raven Ministries is not simply an “evangelistic street ministry” or a “para-church” organization that merely targets the homeless, drug addicted, or gang involved people groups. Raven Ministries exists to train, motivate, and spiritually empower people to “be” the CHURCH, rather than “attend” a church.

Our goals and objectives are not unlike the Apostles of old who found themselves on many “missionary journeys” designed to spread the Good News and raise up “indigenous” leaders to do the work of the ministry in their cities or regions. We exist to not only recognize and equip present and future Evangelists, but to also seek out and network together the next generation of Apostles, Prophets, Pastors and Teachers as well.

In the past two years we have seen the “vision” grow from a distant promise to seeing the manifestation of God’s directives take shape and reveal themselves in ways that we could have never imagined. What was birthed in the solitude of a prayer closet in the Texas Panhandle is now being experienced all across this nation and now even on foreign soil.

Just in the past six months our “urban missionaries” have taken the life-transforming message of the Lord Jesus Christ to such diverse places as:

-The French Quarter of New Orleans where tens of thousands still flock to America’s most infamous party destination (Bourbon Street)
-The drug-infested and gang ridden neighborhoods of Santa Rosa, California
-The streets of San Francisco’s “Tenderloin District”
-Los Angeles’ “Skid Row” where up to 25,000 people sleep each night
-Across the boroughs of the nations largest city; New York City
-To the up-and-outers of Albuquerque, New Mexico’s International Balloon Festival
-To the shores of “The World’s Most Famous Beach; “Daytona Beach, Florida”
-The West Texas town of Post, Texas
-College Cities like: South Bend, Indiana (Notre Dame) Austin, Texas (UT) and
-To major NFL cities like: New Orleans (Saints), Baltimore (Ravens), Chicago (Bears)
-We have also ministered and seen the hand of God move from the Dutch City of Amsterdam, to a day in Dusseldorf, Germany to outreaches into the nation of Mexico.

From small towns to major metropolitan areas, to the nations of this world we have taken the same message of the Cross to hurting people with the same results: Salvation.

During this period of time we have seen the heart of “indigenous” people catch THE VISION that God entrusted us with. Men and women of God such as:

Pastor Rudy & Lori Gonzales (Raven Midwest) and their team have sent hundreds of toys to Mexico, brought team after team half way across the country to assist us during Hurricane Katrina, tackled gang riddled communities and established a benevolence ministry that delivers groceries to as many as 500 families each week!

Pastor Don & Sabrina Eskine (Raven Gulf Coast) continue to attack the streets of New Orleans with the Gospel and compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ. They feed the ever growing homeless in the French Quarter’s Jackson Square, preach weekly in the tent church, and take the delivering power to the visitors of Bourbon Street.

Pastor Terry & Eileen Shuff (Raven Mid West) are literally “on the move” each week as they take JESUS from places like Chicago, Michigan, and throughout the “Michiana” area. They have joined me on the streets of New Orleans, Daytona Beach, and have gone to assists teams in Northern California and our Raven East Coast team as well.

These are just a few of the “indigenous people” that have now taken it to “another level” and have dared to do what many have deemed either impossible, or just down right stupid! Yet, even in the face of criticism, hard ships, opposition, and at a great cost to themselves---they refuse to cower or back down from the GREAT COMMISSION that has been set before them by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit that indwells their lives.

This is only the beginning, as we will continue to reach out all across this nation and abroad with the simple, yet powerful vision that God has given us for Raven Ministries International. We are missionaries and the mission field is every lost soul that has yet to have the opportunity to hear a pure and unadulterated presentation of the message of the Cross.

In the next five years we are believing God to have Raven Teams established in 50 cities and to have a team of 1000 “Ravens” on the streets of New Orleans during the annual Mardi Gras Outreach sharing the message and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ!

In less than two weeks, we will be convening together where it all began in Amarillo, Texas. Our leaders and members of their teams will travel thousands of miles to be encouraged, share their testimonies and trials, and be strengthened and ignited to continue pressing forward in obedience and dedication to the joy that has been set before us.

The motto for this gathering is: OUR GOAL IS YOUR SOUL

Two Things:

First of all, if you are in the Amarillo area and would like to be a part of this time of ministry and gathering together of missionaries or would like to come and hear more about the ministry, we would absolutely LOVE to have you. You can email me at PastorTroy@BigGrace.com for details.

Secondly, the opening night of the gathering is a “Banquet” for our missionaries and many locals that are coming out to hear what has been going on over the course of the past couple of years. This meal is being catered by a local business at a cost of $10 per person. (Very “Texas” all-you-can-eat Beef & Chicken Fajitas and desert)

I would very much like to see the 60-75 missionaries and their families blessed with that meal at no-cost to them. If I could personally do it, I would “pick up the tab” myself—but as you well know, I am “one of them too!” For that reason, I am asking to see if anyone (or one’s) would be willing to sponsor (or help to sponsor) that part of the cost to these dedicated soul winners?

I am asking and believing for $750 to cover the complete cost of this appreciation dinner. It would be awesome of their was one person who would say—I got it covered—but it is probably more likely that it will be several people doing “something” to help recognize and bless people who have literally laid down their lives for the Gospel.


Matt 10:41 says, “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.”

Please pray for this historic meeting and please also consider being a blessing to these men and women and their awesome families.

I love you,

Pastor Troy D. Bohn

Email me and let me know that you are wanting to help---and I will keep everyone updated.

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