For many years I have enjoyed being an amateur photographer. I love capturing what I call “artsy” images - not just routine snapshots of people and places, but rather using perspectives and lighting to make the picture unique to itself.

The camera that I use most is older than I am and was a gift from my father when I was 16 years old. It’s the type that has nothing automatic. When I take a picture with it, I must set the aperture, the shutter speed, and, of course, the focus. And, if I might say so, I’ve taken some really neat photographs with that camera.

There are a few things I’ve learned along the way about picture taking though. When I first started, I was always deeply concerned that every setting be just right. I’d look at my light meter, for example, and adjust the various knobs and dials to accommodate my surroundings. However, the more I used it, I discovered that it’s not really quite so necessary to get every setting exactly right. There is, in other words, room for variation.

The only exception is the focus. I’ve taken many pictures with other settings different than what they should be, and I still at least get a workable print. However, if ever my focus was off, the picture was considered ruined. There’s no amount of darkroom magic that can correct a blurry image. It becomes unusable.

The other day, while touring the northeast with the Institute for Creation Research (see report article on page 4), the concept of picture taking as an illustration of a ministry came to my mind. Allow me to explain -

This month will conclude our first year of official incorporation as a ministry. Due to this particular status, the board has necessarily been spending large amounts of time preparing our official corporate documents. First, we had articles of incorporation, then by-laws, and now we’re working on our policy and procedure manuals. To their credit, the board is very concerned that these documents, which constitute the official business aspects of the ministry, be as close to perfect as can be. And I, for one, am very grateful at each board meeting as the various members, all of whom are genuinely enthusiastic and actively involved with the ministry, report on the work they have sacrificed time and energy to produce. I truly believe that our documents contain a very unique system, which we all believe is God’s design for our ministry.

And so what I say here is designed in no way to disparage the work that has been put in to these papers. After all, just like a photograph, it is the best thing to attempt to get the proper settings for how you intend to use the picture. Nevertheless, as I contemplate these issues, I am realizing again that these “picture settings”, as it were, are flexible. If we don’t quite get the details of business down, that’s okay. God’s ultimate concern for our ministry is not our voting method, our report forms, our participant applications and interviews.

There is much room for variation in these and other similar issues.
However, God is intensely concerned about our focus. Other issues can be adjusted and changed depending on circumstances, but our focus must not (and by God’s grace will not) change. If such a tragic event were to occur, though we had the best business documents in the world, the ministry would be a blurry, unusable failure.

So, what is (or should be) the focus of Eagle’s Nest Ministries? The following “slogan” we have adopted I believe best summarizes our purpose for existence:

To Glorify God’s Name,
To Strengthen His Church, and
To Extend His Kingdom.

Although perhaps sounding a bit broad, embodied in those clauses is what we believe to be a solid focal point from which we cannot stray, no matter what happens in other aspects of the ministry,.

Starting with the next issue of The Flier, I intend to develop each of the specific points of our statement of purpose in greater detail. For right now, I would like us to think in more general terms. This concept applies not just to corporate entities, but to individuals as well. Our enemies (the world, the flesh, and the devil) are working hard to shift our gaze, like Peter on the water, from our Lord (spiritual) on to our circumstances (temporal). Therefore, we must be vigilant not to allow ourselves to be so entangled with these issues that we drift from our ultimate focal point of knowing, loving, and serving our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

May God grant us all the grace to keep our focus fixed upon Him.

In His Service,
Stephen Tecklenberg
President

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Who Are We? Introducing Our Directors...

We would like to introduce you this time to Mr. Tony Rupp, a good friend and faithful worker, who currently serves as our board’s vice president. Tony has been an active participant in many of our ministries, including taking several trips overseas.

God used some very unusual circumstances to bring Tony and his family to himself. In 1990, he was working in the import / export business in West Africa when the Persian Gulf war erupted. Stranded in the country, and surrounded by Moslems (who told him to become a Moslem or face possible injury or death) he sequestered himself in his room, with nothing but a bed and a Bible. He read the Scriptures continuously for the full month that he was in this condition, and God used that to reveal his need for the Savior. Shortly after becoming a Christian, God opened the door for him to get out of the country and return to his home and newlywed wife, who also was brought to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Since that time, God has given Tony many opportunities to study the Scriptures, and then to apply what he learns in both teaching and counseling situations, endeavoring to lead people into a deeper understanding of their position in Christ, and the freedom that brings.

Tony has been involved in banking for 18 years, and currently works with Genesis Commercial Services, providing home and commercial property financing.

His drive to know and serve the Lord make Tony a very valuable member of the ENM board team. We are thankful for his service with and towards us, and look forward to continuing that for much time to come.

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Business Notice

We are pleased to announce that we have obtained our tax-exempt status with the IRS, which offers many benefits to both the ministry and it’s supporters. We are especially pleased that God brought this to pass during the first year of incorporation. Many thanks are due to the Board for their tireless work in preparing the necessary documents for our application.

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Ministry Reports

This past July, Steve Tecklenberg was joined by Mr. Tom Simon to work the Romanian Summer Camp program. ENM had been invited by Mr. Nitu Gandila, who has run Christian camps in Romania for many years, to assist him in this work. For two weeks, Steve and Tom were engaged in teaching and leading activities for the approximately 150 people of all ages who attended.

In the daily Bible studies, they moved systematically through the Scripture as it builds up to the work of Christ on the cross. They also endeavored to have the physical activities enhance these spiritual lessons.

Only eternity will reveal the true spiritual results of this mission, but we are praying that the seeds planted will take root and bear fruit.

Of more recent note, for most of the month of September, four representatives of ENM (Steve Tecklenberg, Ben Dunkerton, Chris Durham, and Tim Morgan) were privileged to serve with the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) as field support and administrators of their Northeast Seminar tour. Additionally, about fifteen others joined us to help with the larger meetings. We want to officially thank everyone who gave of their time to assist in this most worthy endeavor.

The featured speaker was Mr. Bill Hoesch, a geologist, who serves with ICR answering the many technical phone calls and letters that come from the scientific and media communities. In the wake of the Kansas school board decision, his role has been magnified as the attention of the country is turned to this historic step.

We truly consider this to have been a wonderful opportunity to participate in an itinerant evangelistic ministry, not to mention being able to sit under the teaching of Mr. Hoesch with his unique style and true spiritual thrust.
We are grateful to ICR for having made this opportunity available to us, and trust that God will continue to strengthen and expand their ministry.