The Power of a Tireless Minority by Greg Albrecht

Friend and Partner Letter from October 2015

“It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather a tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people’s minds.”
– attributed to Samuel Adams, an American Founding Father (1722-1803).

IT DOES NOT TAKE A MAJORITY TO PREVAIL! Throughout history, authentic Christianity seems to have thrived when it was a distinct minority. On the other hand, it seems that the pure gospel and faith taught by Jesus and proclaimed in the
New Testament was polluted and corrupted when Christendom became the official, state religion and it was enforced and institutionalized.

Setting brush fires in people’s minds is an evocative word picture of the goals of all who help proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ – whether in our ministry or in so many others. As the old saying goes, we wish to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the
comfortable.” The brush fires we endeavor to set are Christcentered and based on God’s grace.

CWR/PTM is a small ministry, but we strive to proclaim all Jesus all the time and God has done and is doing wonderful things in and through us! We are “a tireless minority” whom God strengthens:

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. – Isaiah 40:29-31

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead, cultural anthropologist and student of civilization (1901-1978).

BY GOD’S GRACE, YOU AND I ARE CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS POSITIVE CHANGE IN OUR WORLD! We do not presume that the work of CWR/PTM will single-handedly change the world – but we absolutely believe that we are part of a momentously important, urgent mission to positively impact the world. Our co-mission is to proclaim Jesus. We continually emphasize: Faith alone, grace alone and Christ alone!

All the institutions we take for granted were started somewhere, somehow, by people who were in opposition to the status quo. The stereotype is that volunteers are ‘helpers’
but history suggests that they are change-makers. – Susan Ellis, president of Energize, an institution that inspires and empowers volunteers.

AS CHRIST-FOLLOWERS, WE ARE VOLUNTEER CHANGE-MAKERS, JOINING TOGETHER TO OPPOSE CHRIST-LESS, BIG BUSINESS RELIGION. YOU have volunteered for our team and YOU are a change-maker. We are in opposition to the status quo of the kingdom proclaimed by Christ-less religion and all of its legalisms – instead we relentlessly publish and broadcast the kingdom of God and his amazing grace. Our team believes in a cause bigger than any of our individual members and our collective efforts accomplish far more than anything we might do on our own.

Paul tells us, The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4). As partners/friends/volunteers/change-makers of the CWR/PTM team, we don’t sit
around wasting time and effort with questions like “why can’t someone else help?” or “why me?” As servants of Jesus, we ask “what can I do to support the combined efforts of CWR/PTM?” and “how can I help our joint effort to proclaim Jesus?”

NEVER FORGET! The ministry of CWR/PTM is a team effort! A Chinese proverb notes behind an able man there are always other able people. God has graciously allowed me to lead the joint efforts of CWR/PTM for two decades, and God willing, I pray he will continue to enable and allow me to continue for some time to come. But the ministry of CWR/PTM is a team effort!

I cannot accomplish all that needs to be done. I do not have all the skills necessary to make CWR/PTM available around the world. I can’t do all the work. The ministry of CWR/PTM is a team effort!

Thank you for willingly playing the role that you play on our team. Please don’t ever think about giving up what you do! WE NEED YOU ON OUR TEAM! OUR TEAM WOULD NOT BE S POWERFUL OR EFFECTIVE WITHOUT YOU.

1) YOU are a part of a tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people’s minds.

2) YOU are part of a team/club committed to helping change the world, in the name of Jesus.

3) YOU are helping us swim upstream, against the religious status-quo, as our collective efforts and resources proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

NEVER FORGET! As we move forward in our work of proclaiming the grace of our Lord and Savior, there are many who cheer us on. Many cheer us on because they agree with our efforts, but for one reason or another are unable to actively be a
part of our team. Others cheer us on because they depend on the combined ministry of CWR/PTM. One of the most common messages we receive in letters, phone calls and emails, goes something like this: “Please keep doing this work – I don’t know what I would do without you!”

God is using our collective work to shine the Light of Jesus Christ – by God’s grace the Light of Jesus is being reflected through us to many others! God has given you and me the riches of his grace and it is our privilege, our high honor and our calling
to pass on that same grace. God does not give us his grace so that we may keep it and hoard it for ourselves, effectively burying it in a napkin.

I am fond of the story recounted in the “Fellowship of theUnashamed.” This poem/prayer is believed to have been found on the person of a Christ-follower in Africa who was murdered because he believed in Jesus. Many versions of this poem/prayer exist – here’s my modified version which applies to Christfollowers who band together in the ongoing work of CWR/PTM:

I am part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away
or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense and my future is secure. I know that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. I’m done with low living, sight walking, small planning, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking and cheap living.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, praise or popularity. I don’t have to win, be first, be right, recognized, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, trust in Jesus and rest in him.

My face is set, my pace is fast, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, but my Guide is reliable and my mission is clear.

I will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of adversity.

I will not negotiate at the table of my enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity. Christ has qualified me to become a part of the
Fellowship of the Unashamed. I am his and he is mine.

May Christ-followers everywhere continue to SET BRUSH FIRES IN THE MINDS OF MANY ALL OVER THIS WORLD. IT DOES NOT TAKE A MAJORITY TO PREVAIL!

Because of him,
Greg Albrecht

Letters to My Friends

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