David Raley Ministries

Today I was privileged to be at home with my family. It is seldom that I get to attend worship service with them and today was a treat. Pat and Jon have made James River Assembly of God home. I don’t get to attend regular because of my travels but really enjoy the services when I am present. James River is led by one of the great pastors of our fellowship. John Lindel has an incredible way of making the scriptures simple and understandable to the unchurched who attend. Yet he does great in unfolding the scriptures with rich theology. He is straight-forward and does not skirt around the touchy stuff. One day my son and I had a conversation about a friend of his of whom I was concerned. His friend attended church while living in a relationship that the scriptures teach against. My intent was not to be judgmental of his friend in any manner. My concern was that Jon was able to have a friend he loved and not condone or accept for himself a lifestyle that was unbiblical. I felt good about our conversation that morning on the way to church and how Jon felt about the subject. When John Lindel spoke that morning he dealt with the very subject my son and I had discussed earlier in the car on our way to church. Both Jon and I thought it was great how the pastor dealt with a difficult subject with such simplicity and such a straightforward style.

I would encourage others to visit James River’s web site and listen to some of Pastor Lindel’s messages. John proves that great preaching still builds great churches. James River Website address is http://jamesriver.org/ for those who would like to visit it. I am proud of James River and all their great leaders who serve there. The Assemblies of God is blessed to have them as a part of our fellowship!

November 18, 2007 Paragould First Assembly of God, Paragould, Arkansas
Pastor Shannon Morgan

What a delightful church is Paragould First Assembly of God. Pastor Shannon Morgan is being used to build a great church in this incredible city. The church has been around for a while but that should not cause you to think they are not progressive. Worship was uplifting and enthusiastic. The church family was friendly and warm. The reason for my visit was to finish their two week emphasis on missions. This church is not a large church, yet but they are a great church! The Lord is growing a church in Paragould and developing a compassionate pastor who loves his people and the lost in his community. I can’t wait until next November to visit again.

November 11, 2007
Montgomery First Assembly of God, Montgomery, Alabama
Pastor Greg Kelley

It is always good to be with my friends in Montgomery and especially at Montgomery First Assembly of God. Greg Kelley recently took over the reigns as pastor of this great church. Greg was the Alabama Districts Youth Director. He broke every giving record set in Speed the Light for his state. He led the nation two years in a row and probably should have been three but his brother gave $100,000.00 to different churches around the country to raise the level of giving of Speed the Light. It was a great gift but he got no credit and the district was not credited for the giving. Anyway I was with Greg to emphasis missions and to challenge the congregation for faith promises. The church took on a project for Convoy of Hope and gave us $6,000.00 for a container of food for the victims of flooding in Mexico. This is a great church and has historically been a leader in missions giving. Pastor Kelley is a capable leader and will certainly be used of God to take this church to it’s next levels. It is going to fun to watch this church for the next few years.

November 7, 2007
Griffin First Assembly of God, Griffin, Georgia
Pastor Randy Valimont and Pastor Philip Knauer

Griffin First Assembly is one of the most incredible churches in the nation. Pastor Randy has a heart for missions and is not afraid to cast his bread upon the water. Only when we get to heaven will any of us even get a glimpse of the multiplied millions that have been served, saved and supplied because of Pastor Randy’s vision and courage. I was there to challenge the students for faith promises for Speed the Light. The truth is I think they challenged me more than I challenged them. In 2007 these students without the help of the adults will give upwards of $80,000.00 to Speed the! Pastor Phil is an incredible leader and gifted in motivating and developing disciples. Both these men have something they can teach others about developing the church and the individual to be what Christ has called us to be! I look forward to ministry in the future with Griffin First Assembly of God!

November 4-5, 2007
Otter Creek Assembly of God
Otter Creek, Arkansas

I was privileged to be with the good people at Otter Creek First Assembly of God and pastor John Tracy. We were a part of their annual missions Convention with a banquet and faith promise service Sunday. The food was incredible and the fellowship was great. In the banquet John gave away a couple mission trips to people in the church. I thought that was a great idea. This pastor is doing a wonderful job of growing a great church in the Little Rock area of Arkansas. I always look forward to ministry with John and Otter Creek First. He is not only a great pastor but a wonderful friend!

October 29-November 3, 2007
Penn-Del District Council
Harrisburg, Williamsport, Johnstown and Chambersburg

I love Pennsylvania especially this time of the year. The leaves were turning and the whole state was a bouquet of vivid colors. District Youth Director, Doug Sayers is a great friend and a pleasure to travel with. He took me to some places which I will never forget. We had dinner one night in a place that had a history of the Underground Railroad during the Civil War era. Down about forty feet in the ground with keystone ceilings and nothing but candles to light the thing. Of all nights it was Halloween night and the strange people were out and visiting. I loved every moment of it. He also took me to Gettysburg and the great battlefield which turned the course of our nation if not the world. I hope to write more about this in a later blog because it moved me so deeply the sights and history of that field. There were other sights during the week I enjoyed. We traveled the roads chatting and dreaming about ministry while on our destinations of Harrisburg, Williamsport, Johnstown and Chambersburg to talk to leaders about Speed the Light. What a great group of leaders this district has and what an honor to speak to them about our missionaries. Doug, Susan, Jaclyn and Chad are my friends. We have done a lot of these tours together and I hope we will do some more in the future!

October 29, 2007
Christian Life Assembly of God
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Pastor Wade Wilson

Today I was with Pastor Wade Wilson at Christian Life Assembly for the end of their missions convention. They had two weeks of Missions emphasis with the first one being for World missions and the last one for missions in the United States. I really enjoyed talking about the great works our fellowship is doing here in the United States. Sometimes we overlook them because they are here at home. Yet North America is the third largest un-reached population in the world, so we better focus on it. I applaud Pastor Wade for making a place in his convention to raise awareness as to the need and the efforts of our U.S. missionaries. What a great church Christian Life. This church is also a great church. They have sent millions of dollars to reach the lost around the world. They were sending a large group to Burkina Faso the next week to do ministry. I know that their lives were changed because of this trip. It was so good to be with such delightful and passionate people as the Wilson’s. I know that great things will continue do develop in Camp Hill because of this families ministry

Montgomery Advertiser reports:
Convoy of Hope draws thousands who need aid
By Marty Roney

Zack Johnson helped his mother, Belinda, carry groceries to the car Saturday, bragging about his new haircut and the hotdog he had for lunch.The Johnsons were among the more than 9,400 people who turned out for the Convoy of Hope, a religious-based charity event that drew the massive crowd to Garrett Coliseum. As a benchmark, the first Convoy of Hope came to Montgomery in 1999 and served between 3,500 and 4,000 people.The effort offered everything from haircuts to medical screenings to bands rapping about Jesus.”I got my fade fixed in there,” the 8-year-old Montgomery youth said. “I had fun. There was a moonwalk and lots to do. Everybody was real nice.”

Grills were kept busy, since 10,000 hot dogs were cooked for the picnic-style lunches provided.Belinda Johnson took a blood test and found out she was pre-diabetic.”We don’t have insurance, so the doctors were just such a blessing,” she said. “Zack got his eyes and hearing checked. There’s just no way we can thank these folks enough for what they are doing.”

The turnout was about double what officials had expected, said Mike Rippy, pastor at Evangel Temple.Rippy was among the local ministers who helped pull off the event. It brought 132 River Region churches together, representing 32 denominations.There were 1,292 volunteers who managed the organized chaos, said Hank Schmitt, media spokesman for the event. The caravan was set to run from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m — but it started early and ended late.”We opened the gates early, about 9:15 a.m.,” Rippy said. “The crowd that had gathered was huge. We were hoping for 5,000 guests. This crowd is just amazing.”Vehicles packed the coliseum’s parking lot, and stretched for several blocks along Federal Drive.

The churches worked with the national Convoy of Hope to make the event possible. Help and food were provided for the asking.Volunteers distributed about 60,000 pounds of groceries to the needy. The national group brought in about 40,000 pounds, with 20,000 more coming from the Montgomery Area Food Bank. Volunteers also offered prayer with more than 6,800 people, Schmitt said.The non-perishable food was given away on the floor of the coliseum, the rest of the activities spilled out onto the grounds. Inside and out, groups gathered for prayer.”Thanksgiving is next week, and most of us are so blessed,” said Jeff Franklin, a volunteer from Montgomery. ”

During this time of year it’s important to remember that there are those out there who need help. We want to help the body, but we also want to feed the soul. We want people to know that God is there, He can help.”The churches provided the money and manpower to provide the services. The city of Montgomery and Montgomery County Commission provided in-kind help.It was hard to determine who received the most benefit from the day, the needy residents or the volunteer helpers, said Candace Sims of Prattville.”This has been such a joyful experience,” she said. “I have prayed with dozens of people today, and shared the love of Jesus with them. It has just helped my spirit in so many ways.”

It has been a busy year for the Raley family. Pat finished up her degree completion at Evangel University. She will be a graduate with a bachelors degree in communication. Wow, the family is proud of her and the hard work she put in. Thank you Linda Wellborn for your consulting and help! You are a princess!

Jonathan graduated from James River’s Masters Commission program this year. When he finished he signed up for James River’s College also this year. It seems that he loves this as much as anything he has ever done. Pat and I are really proud of him as he journeys toward God’s call on his life.

For me I am completing my first full year with Convoy of Hope as a national representative. Leaving National Youth Ministries and the General Council were tough decisions for me but altogether the right one. Coming to Convoy of Hope has been a very good move for us. This ministry touches the poor and hurting of our world. Thousands of people have found Christ as their Saviour and Lord because of the compassionate hands of volunteers mobilized by Convoy of Hope. This year we celebrate twenty Million guests who have come under our tents and three hundred thousand people who have confessed Christ as Lord! Hal Donaldson asked me, “if I could be a voice for the poor and the suffering?” when I came to Convoy. About everyday I ask that question to myself. I really want to be a voice for hurting people. Hal Donaldson is most likely the finest man I have ever met when it comes to compassion. He epitomizes a man compelled by compassion.

I have kept a full schedule criss-crossing the nation doing Missions Conventions, tours for Speed the Light and Light for the Lost and anything else where I have been invited. I have so many friends across this country. Thus the reason for this blog. I am hoping that I can keep in contact with those who mean so much to me in ministry. My passion is Christ and His people. Nothing makes me happier than to have the opportunity to help my pastor friends.

I look forward to 2008 with great anticipation. I have moved on from my changes in NYM and have finally felt like the learning curve with Convoy of Hope is not as steep. I have kept all my wonderful friends at NYM and made a whole lot more at Convoy of Hope.

There is a lot to do for the Kingdom and I want to give it all I got till Christ comes. I want to live full and die empty! Hopefully I will not run out of passion too soon for the work!

The Lord has been good to the Raley’s to give us our friends, our call, our resources and our challenges. Thank you for being a part of our lives! I look forward to sharing ministry with you again in the near future.