Newsletter
Spring Newsletter 2010
Greetings,
I cannot believe we are two months into another year! How did we get here so fast?
“REDEEMING THE TIME” is becoming more precious to us as we continue to press on for HIS glory! What a joy it is for us to serve the Lord as we share the Gospel thru the ministry of music. We have the privilege of seeing many souls accept Christ as Savior, as well as encouraging the Saints.
Last year we traveled to the West Coast, back East, North, South, back west again and one thing was the same everywhere we went, and that was, there were a lot of hurting people that almost didn’t attend our concert, but, at the last minute they decided to come and were blessed! TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!
We received a letter from a lady who wanted to order some of our cd’s and said our music saw her thru a very difficult time with her daughter’s illness. Another told us they take us with them on all their trips when they drive to visit their family. Another told us she had to place her husband in a nursing home and she played our cd’s over and over again. She prayed that when the time came for the Lord to take her husband home, that we would be available to sing at his home going service. Guess what? We were right where we needed to be to make that happen and what a blessing it was for us! God’s timetable is so perfect!
This present time is the slowest time we have seen in our Ministry, which also means the lack of income to meet our expenses. My flesh screams that this is terrible timing but then, I’m reminded of God’s FAITHFULNESS!! The Lord
has done some pretty amazing things in our 36 years of ministry and HE has worked thru HIS people for us to testify to saying that. We are trusting the Lord to make 2010 our BEST year ever but, WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! We have NEVER wanted finances to be the reason why we would not go and present the Gospel thru music, and so, with YOUR help we will maintain this policy.
PLEASE pray and ask God what HE would have YOU give to be a part of: EVANGELIZING the sinner, ENCOURAGING the saints, and most of all,
EXALTING THE SAVIOR!!!
Because He Lives,
Paula and Billy Speer
John 15:16
Billy Speer Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 596
Groveland, FL 34736
We are a charitable non profit organization and are able to receipt your love gift to this ministry. We would truly appreciate your consideration and sacrificial gift at this needful time in our ministry. Discover Card has offered a 10% matching gift above every dollar given between now and the end of March, by clicking on the Donations Tab on our website. Thank you so much again for your love, support and most of all, your prayers!
Fall Newsletter 2009
Hey Ya'll!
I am trusting that everyone has made it through the summer months refreshed, relaxed and prepared for the Fall. We have been busy and in these days, to be busy is a GOOD thing! We have seen many faces and places over the past several months as well as souls saved! We thank God for the many blessings! We have ministered from California to Washington sate over through ID, UT, WY, NE, MO, IN, TN, down through Texas, LA, MS, AR and now up to Maine! We have covered thousands of miles and we are looking forward to the many more that are before us! Beginning Labor Day weekend, we will start a fall tour with my folks, Billy & Paula Speer that will last about 5 weeks. I am excited about working with them and enjoying some time in New England. It is a beautiful time of year up there with the leaves beginning to change, gathering with family and friends as well as enjoying some much needed seafood! Lobsta anyone?
Since the last update, Tracy has been approved for a transplant which we are so thankful for! The donor here in TN has passed several tests and is scheduled September 11th for another round of them. We also had great news today as another pastor friend of ours from FL has passed these tests and has been moved on to the next round. We are very blessed that God has given us 2 men of God who are willing to donate their kidneys to Tracy. Please continue to pray as the testing moves forward! No surgery date has been scheduled yet as this process could take several weeks or even months. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!
The news of the Alaska cruise has sparked much interest! We are growing in numbers each day and we are thrilled to see the response of people who want to go cruising with us! There is still room on the ship for anyone who would like to sign up. The dates are May 21-28, 2010 and we have just added more groups to the line up, so don't miss out! The prices include taxes, port fees, gratuities and concert tickets! For a brochure and more information, please log onto my website at www.bjspeer.com and click the "Alaska 2010" tab on the right side of the page. You will be able to download a PDF file right to your computer! Hope we see you on the high seas! (Room availability is limited, so call now to ensure your room type).
I understand that the crunch in the economy has been quite devastating this past year and so many ministries, like ours, tend to feel the heat. We are under some extreme financial pressures, just as the rest of the country! We are praying for God to work miracles for our financial deliverance! As we put together our touring schedule for 2010, we are understanding that it could be Stoney and I for a few months longer. Trusting for a miracle, but still recognizing we could be well into next year as a duet. I am trying something different over the next several months, and that is to try and raise a monthly support from people like yourselves as well as from churches. We look at ourselves as a type of missionary. We will be going abroad next year sharing our ministry overseas as well and we, like missionaries, need support to keep us going. As I said, I know people are hurting in these days of economic crisis, but it is our goal to continue traveling and sharing the Word of God. The bills continue to grow and the stress of them never eases up any. We are doing what we can to keep Tracy and Sharon comfortable at home while we travel and continue the ministry, however our needs have grown and we need your help…I need your help! In order to continue on the road, I am needing to raise a monthly support. My goal is to try and raise $1,000 a month to help with my bills and living costs. During these months of hardships, some things have had to lapse, because finances were not there. I know this is where God wants me! He has blessed us so much in many areas and I am trusting God to continue to meet the needs we have. I don't know what's next for us, but I know He has something amazing planned! If you are interested in helping out with the monthly needs, I greatly appreciate it! If you are unable to at this time, I understand and only ask that you continue to pray for the Dartts, for Stoney and myself as we press on! Many people think that since it is just Stoney and myself on the road that the expenses are less, but in reality they have been more as we are having to keep things going even on the home front for Tracy and Sharon. Medical bills are adding up and will continue to grow as a transplant date nears. Donations can be made through Napa Valley Baptist Church, but also can be given directly to:
BJ Speer
PO BOX 422
Greenbrier, TN. 37073
(If donating through Napa Valley, please designate BJ Speer)
I hate asking for money or raising support, but the Bible shares with us to let our needs be known, to ask for all things. I am asking for prayers and support during to what I believe are the "last days". Thank you for being faithful prayer warriors!
Our schedule is constantly being updated, so be sure to continue to check www.darttmusic.com and www.bjspeer.com for the latest happenings and schedule changes. We are adding pictures and video clips as well as preparing for the release of "The God on the Mountain Legacy" DVD/CD. We are setting the release date for October 15th and we will be taking pre-orders by email beginning in September. This is a great DVD that shares the history behind the song!!
Thanks again for being a part of our ministry! God Bless you as you enter into this Fall season.
Living 4 Him,
BJ Speer
(Phil. 4:13)
Spring Newsletter 2009
Greetings, to all our faithful friends and prayer warriors!
Paula and I would like to start off our newsletter to say a heart felt thanks for all your prayers and support during the last four months. It has been one of the most difficult times we have ever faced but at the same time a very blessed time. It’s always great to hear from many of you folks through emails and letters that you write each month. We are not alone, as many of you have expressed some of the same hardships and we rejoice over the trials that God allows us to encounter to make us even stronger because of the trying of our faith, amen? God is faithful and knows just what we need to make us more useful for His service.
The month of April has been the first month in 36 years that we haven’t had a concert in a church or ministry in a special conference or revival meeting somewhere. God knew that we would need the rest, I guess. It’s been interesting how in the midst of the storm, God has still made provision for us during this time, yes we are struggling, but we have been here before and God has always been faithful, amen? Again, we thank you for your faithful prayers and gifts.
We want to express our thanks to many of you that sent cards and letters to express your condolences with regard to Paula’s dad. Over the past two years, Papa has suffered so much with a crippling disease, Super Nuclear Palsy. It was so hard to see him suffer. He had always been very active and enjoyed life to the fullest. He was one month away from his birthday, May 11, he would have been 86. He went home to be with the Lord on April 10, 2009 at 5:30 PM, on a Friday evening. Papa knew and loved the Lord! It was sad to see him leave us but we rejoice that he is now with the Lord and with Nanny, Paula’s mom. It was wonderful to see so many friends come to the funeral and express their love for dad. What a testimony for so many that Papa loved came and heard a great message of salvation and our prayer is that they too trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior. Time is certainly running out as we see signs of the times closer than ever.
Pray for Paula and her brother, Brent, as this was a very hard time for them. It’s been a long two years of care and prayer for dad. We rejoice now that Papa is in good hands with our Lord!
We are now packing and trying to get ready to leave for another long journey of evangelistic outreach through the music ministry God has given us. Our schedule is posted on the website. We have some open dates this fall after Labor Day and working on the schedule to come your way. Please give us a call or write us through email or snail mail and we would be glad to arrange a concert.
In closing, we would appreciate your faithful prayers for us this year. We are facing another year of high cost in fuel and maintenance as we travel to the west coast and then back to the east coast and then south by December. Because of the distance that we travel and expenses that we incur while gone, it is to expensive to come back home until our tour has ended. We are gone approximately seven to eight months at a time. We like to be home but can’t afford to be home too long. Our total income is dependant upon love gifts and support of our faithful donors.
We would like you to pray with us about the need to retire some debt of our ministry so that we can ease the pressure of stress we face from day to day as we seek to do what God has called us to do. We have committed our lives to the Lord and willing to go to the ends of the earth but our biggest need is from the home front, we need those that will send us! We have accepted the challenge to go to the field, to the highways and byways, but the Lord is also calling for those that God has blessed with the gift of giving to send us to the fields that are ripe unto harvest for souls to His Glory!
The fields are ripe unto harvest but laborers are few. We are praying for laborers to help us reach the lost through music evangelism. Those of you that know our ministry, know that we present the gospel message of salvation at every concert. We are musicianaries presenting the Word of God on the home front, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and then, the uttermost part of the earth. Many put the uttermost part of the earth first and seem to assume that Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria have already been reached. They are all important, but finding the balance is imperative. Many other countries now are sending missionaries to the United States because there is such a need for many in our own nation that need to hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, how will they hear without a witness? How will they know unless someone goes to tell them? How will they know unless someone sends them? How will they know without a preacher?
We need your help more than ever before to enable us to go and bring forth fruit. Will you continue to pray for us more specifically? Times are harder than ever, we understand your hardship as well, our country is beginning to pay the price of hardship because of the neglect of prayer and the neglect of faithfulness and because many have turned their back on God. I’m reminded in 2 Chronicles 7:12–16, where God tells what He can do to us if we neglect His righteousness and His promised Word but He also tells us the solution, if we, God’s people which are called by His Name, would humble themselves, pray, search for Him, and turn from our evil ways, then He will hear our prayers from Heaven and forgive us our sins and heal our country. Wow! O what a Savior!!!! Amen! and Amen!
Will you pray and ask the Lord how you can help us at this time? We want to retire the debt we have on our vehicles and equipment that we use for ministry. We have a debt of $35,000 left on the Motor Home that we use as motel and food. It’s our office, kitchen, and same bed every night. There's also the cost of fuel and maintenance.
We owe a balance of $11,000 on our ministry vehicle, a Ford Excursion, and approximately $4000 in equipment and administrative expenses. As you can see that after our monthly payments there is not much to use for maintenance. Will you pray that the Lord will provide funds to help meet this goal?
I figured that if 100 people gave a monthly gift of $50 a month to our ministry for twelve months, which is tax deductible since we are a non profit ministry, we could retire all this debt and have extra to cover any cost of maintenance as well. Then I realized, that after all this figuring, that faith doesn’t figure, We are just praying that God will send laborers to the field to help us stay in the field which we love and that God will meet our every need through your love, prayers, and support.
We just want to be where God wants us to be and be faithful! It’s always hard to express the needs but we know that God knows all about it and we are willing to trust Him to the end. I’m reminded of that familiar verse in closing. John 15:16, Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit will remain, and what ever you ask in my name, I will give it you!
What a promise from His Word! Please pray with us that we will see many souls saved this Spring, Summer, and Fall. Pray for needs to be met, hearts will be encouraged, and most of all, that our Lord will be Honored and Glorified through it all!
Because HE lives,
Billy and Paula
Speer Billy Speer Ministries
PO Box 596
Groveland, FL 34736
Phone: 352-429-3444
Fax: 407-650-2593
billyspeer@aol.com
www.billyspeer.com
