Dear Friends & Servants of Jesus,

What a year! That is the best way for me to describe the year 2006 as we prepare for and expect even greater things concerning the Kingdom of God in the coming year. As we enter into to a brand-new year of spiritual opportunities the one thing that I sense within my own heart and mind is a greater Kingdom Motivation.

The difference in having a Kingdom Motivation verses some other type of motivation—is that when you are Kingdom Minded or Kingdom Motivated, everything that you do for Jesus is done with your eyes squarely fixed upon eternity. In the success and excess driven culture of modern Christianity, much of what is done is motivated by temporal goals: Bigger buildings, Grander programs, Loftier Reputations, and More people than the congregation down the street.

I believe that we are standing on the threshold of eternity, and that the things that so many resources are being squandered and wasted on, will soon be consumed. To be Kingdom Motivated is to focus on the things that are eternal: Souls. Raven Ministries International and our teams across this nation have one goal in mind for the coming year– Win More To Heaven in 2007!

Never before in the eleven year history of this ministry have we seen such clear manifestation of our purpose to “Restore A Vision & Evangelize Nations”. On any given week there will be multiple teams out in the streets of cities from coast to coast; feeding the hungry and ministering to the homeless, sharing the Gospel with people of all ages, races and social status, impacting neighborhoods, and training and discipling others to do the same.

Oftentimes in the ministry we finish out years with regret concerning things that went undone or not feeling a sense of accomplishment in the task that had been set before us. But, I must say that 2006 (while very tough at times) was a year that I can look back upon with great delight in all that we were able to see Jesus do in Raven.

I am blessed to be able to give you this type of year-end and New Year report. Your prayers, encouragement, and financial support have not failed to bear fruit. We have raised up many new leaders, planted ministry in sever new cities, seen tens of thousands fed and ministered to, and have witnessed the mercy and grace of Christ save the souls of thousands. We have taken the Gospel into other countries and continents with spectacular results!

You have been a HUGE part of all of this and our expectations for the New Year of opportunity the Holy Spirit has given us is off the charts! May God bless, strengthen, and anoint you mightily in His service in 2007. You have invested in eternity and the Lord has seen your sacrifice.

2 Corinthians 9:6 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

Let’s Get Busy for the Kingdom of God in 2007!
Much Love & Blessings,

Pastor Troy & The Dream Team!

JANUARY: Pastor Troy & the New Orleans Team hit the streets of the Big Easy in what appears to be the largest non-Mardi Gras crowd they have ever seen in the French Quarter. The run into “Kelly” who quickly runs up to Pastor Troy and declares that she has given up tarot card reading and is now working in a restaurant in the area. (They had been ministering to her for years to be set free) Pastor Troy & Pastor Terry join Pastor Rudy and the West Coast Team in Santa Rosa, California where the team has been ministering weekly in a gang and drug infested neighborhood. Pastor Terry & Pastor Russ Clifford (The Living Well) lead three young me to Jesus that day: Jose, Edgar, and Sergio. These young men had been involved in local gang activity. Pastor Troy & Pastor Alex visit and minister in Churches in: California, Texas, and Louisiana in preparation for the upcoming Mardi Gras Outreach

FEBRUARY: Pastor Troy joins Pastor Terry in Indiana to minister at area churches and to promote the Mardi Gras Outreach. Raven Street Church begins conducting services under a tent at a local outreach center where Pastor Troy & Pastor Todd minister each Sunday morning and various other times during the week. Teams continue to hit the streets with Raven West Coast, Raven Mid West, and Raven New Orleans each weekend. Mardi Gras Outreach brings together over 120 Raven Team Members to New Orleans for the first Mardi Gras following Hurricane Katrina. They stay in a converted warehouse in the devastated eastern New Orleans. On Saturday of the outreach the teams distributes food and supplies to thousands of local residence who have lined up as far as the eye can see. All are given food, water and needed supplies and many come to know Christ as well

MARCH: Pastor Alex launches Raven Austin and begins working with local churches and leading streets teams into such places as the famous 6th Street. Pastor Troy visits Pastor Meredith in Texas and the preliminary plans for Raven Fairfield are birthed. Pastor Rudy continues leading teams into the Tenderloin area of San Francisco which is the home to thousands of homeless and heroin addicts. Pastor Troy, Pastor Todd, Pastor Don, Pastor Thomas & Billy McInroy continue their spiritual assault on the French Quarter and Bourbon Street in New Orleans seeing phenomenal harvest out in the streets. Raven West Coast ups their weekly food distribution to 500 families in the Papago Court and Apple Valley neighborhoods and Toni continues ministry to the homeless and drug addicted in the Gurneville area as well. Raven Midwest takes teams into Chicago regularly and ministers in the Lower Whacker section under the city.

APRIL: Pastor Troy and Melanie make preliminary prayer trip to Daytona Beach and immediately see harvest as they pray for and minister to “Dewey” as he falls to his knees and begins to weep as the Spirit of God falls upon him. The Raven Southwest chapter is launched in Albuquerque under the leadership of Pastor Brandon Romero. Detroit, Michigan becomes the next major US city impacted by our teams commitment to take the Gospel to the streets of the Nation as Pastor Terry and the Midwest team invade a local housing project.

MAY: Pastor Bobby Chance of Streetwise Ministry joins Pastor Troy in leading the first annual Boot Camp in the Big Apple outreach to New York City. Pastor Terry & Eileen make trip to join Pastor Rudy and the West Coast Team for outreach where they have added the Roseland neighborhood and are now taking preparing 700 bags of groceries! The Raven Midwest Team is blessed with a much needed 15 passenger van. Pastor Troy visits Pastor Sam Croghan in Pennsylvania where plans for Raven East Coast are made and they make a ministry trip into Baltimore.

JUNE: Pastor Troy and Melanie relocate ministry headquarters to Daytona Beach. Pastor Todd assumes responsibilities of Raven Street Church in New Orleans, ministering each Sunday at the tent and Pastor Don Eskine assumes leadership of Raven New Orleans team. Myrza Tow, Pastor Troy’s grandmother, celebrates her 100th Birthday. She was born during the Asuza Street Revival of 1906. Pastor Troy joins the Raven West Coast team and Streetwise Ministry for an outreach to Los Angeles’ Skid Row– where 25,000 homeless reside each night. Pastor Troy joins Pastor Russ Clifford at the Living Well Church in Santa Rosa, CA for the Raven School of Evangelism. Pastor Troy baptizes Pastor Rudy in the frigid and shark infested waters just north of San Francisco. The BEACH REACH to Daytona Beach begins.

JULY: Beach Reach with Pastor Frank Gresham and the Jesus Centre is in full swing over the 4th of July holiday as a team of fifty hits the sand and the streets. Pastor Troy is joined by his daughter, Kayla, as they minister at the Pepsi 400 where over 200,000 people have gathered for this NASCAR event. Pastor Troy and Melanie travel to join Pastor Terry of Midwest and minister on the streets of Chicago, the Washington Garden Housing Projects in Elkhart, Indiana and preach at Word of Truth Church and The Crossing in Goshen, Indiana with Pastor Mike Lechlitner while in town. Raven West Coast now ministering to 1,000 families each week—having begin a year earlier with less than 20 bags of groceries from their own cupboards!

AUGUST: Pastor Todd & Christy leave New Orleans to plant RAVEN POST (Texas). Pastor Alex joins Pastor Troy in New Orleans for the Bourbon Street Blitz Outreach and Pastor Troy preaches at Faith Christian with friend, Pastor Steven Smith and also conducts tent service while in New Orleans. The official launch of Raven East Coast. Pastor Troy travels to Amsterdam, Holland and ministers for a week in the infamous Red Light District, seeing God move mightily. Jose Ayala, one of the teenagers that Pastor Terry led to Christ in January 2006, is murdered in his Northern California neighborhood. He was only sixteen years old. Pastor Don Eskine assumes the responsibility of the Raven Street Church under the tent in New Orleans. He and Pastor Thomas continue leading teams into the French Quarter. Pastor Terry & Eileen visit Daytona Beach and assist in starting the Saturday Night Food & Faith Ministry that attracts dozens of youth and college aged kids each week for food, prayer and ministry.

SEPTEMBER: Raven East Coast conducts first major outreach in York, Pennsylvania. Pastor Sam & Lucy are joined by Pastor Alex (Raven Austin), and Pastor Terry and a team from Raven Midwest. Pastor Rudy conducts weekly Raven Gathering Services in his home for Raven West Coast. They also announce that over 150,000 pounds of food have been distributed in Sonoma County over the Summer! The team travels to Los Angeles’ for their second Skid Row outreach of the year. Pastor Meredith Lindsey and Bro Jim Snead join Pastor Troy & Mel for a week of mentoring and outreach in Daytona Beach. Raven Fairfield (Tx) prepares to officially launch. Pastor Alex & Holly begin work with Horizon Church in Austin, leading teams into the streets of the city for evangelism.

OCTOBER: The First International Gathering of RAVEN’s is held in Amarillo, Texas will members from coast to coast participating. The opening night banquet saw over 225 in attendance! Five men are ordained into the ministry during the conference: Pastor Lance Prathaftakis (who is also named to replace Pastor Terry as MidWest director upon his move), Pastor Johnnie Thomason (Dir. Of Raven Amarillo), Pastor Brandon Romero (Dir. Raven Southwest), Pastor Rudy Gonzalez (Dir. Raven West Coast), Pastor Meredith Lindsey (Dir. Raven Fairfield). Pastor Meredith also hosts a ground-breaking, multi-racial outreach in Fairfield. Pastor Don & Sabrina stand against the New Orleans VooDoo Fest, Pastor Sam & Lucy ministered at the “Back to the Future” outreach in Westminister, and MidWest reached Benton Harbor, MI for Jesus.

NOVEMBER: Pastor Todd & Christy of Raven Post began training and dsicipling local team for ministry and graduate first class in early December. Pastor Troy & Pastor Terry travel to Ontario, Canada to minister at the Accelerated Impact Conference on Evangelism and lead street teams in outreach near Western Ontario University in London, Ontario. The RAVEN NATION live webcast begins airing each Tuesday night at 9:00 PM (EST). Pastor Johnnie Thomason hosts his first Raven Amarillo meeting at Amarillo Christian Fellowship to bring the local bodies together to promote unity in reaching their City for Jesus. Pastor Troy ministers at two of the Crossing alternative schools in Goshen, and South Bend, Indiana. Pastor Meredith host a City-Wide Thanksgiving Outreach in Fairfield, before flying to NYC where he is met by a team led by Pastor Sam (East Coast) to witness and hand out Bibles in Times Square on Black Friday.

DECEMBER: Pastor Rudy joined Pastor Bobby Chance and a team of over 100 for the Happy Birthday Jesus outreach in Tijuana, Mexico where they distributed over 4,000 toys to needy children in the city and those who live in the local dump. 3,000 of the toys were gathered by Maddie and CeCe Gonzales of raven West Coast! Other teams conducting outreaches during the Christmas holidays were: Raven East Coast, Raven Post, and Raven Mid West. These teams everything from toys, to clothes and food for the homeless, to ministry to needy family—to lots of Jesus! Pastor Troy joined Pastor Alex in Austin for a weekend of ministry at Horizon Church and we were blessed to be able to raise the funds to purchase a bus for the Raven Texas teams that will be utilized to transport their teams to New Orleans in February.

This has been an incredible year---yet 2007 promises to be an even more glorious year for the Kingdom of God! While we rejoice greatly in the events and testimonies of 2006, they are thousands more awaiting us in this New Year!

With the mandate to “Take His Gospel to all the World” there are financial challenges and goals that must be met. We are dependant upon the Holy Spirit to speak into the hearts of friends, family & the Body of Christ to stand with us in this area. Would you consider doing one of two things today? 1) Make a sacrificial gift to enable the ministry to reach into the places that God has called us to 2) Consider becoming a monthly supporter of Raven Ministries’ ongoing mission to share the love and transforming power of Christ around the Nation...and beyond.

We’re needing a miracle in regards to several areas of ministry right now (including) another van. The two that we are currently using have tons of miles (both are going on 10 years old) and are just wearing out. I’ll leave it at that and just ask you to pray and consider what you might feel led to do in this glorious New Year!

Blessing,

Pastor Troy

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