2015 Focus on our Prayer Advisory Support Team (P.A.S.T.)

2015 Focus on our Prayer Advisory Support Team (P.A.S.T.)

The Lord confirmed one thing and directed me to do one thing while I was in solitude and silence at a recent prayer retreat.

·      He strongly confirmed our calling to be a haven for people’s hearts who are devoted to being a haven for the hearts of others.  The assurance He has given us is not that He will meet all our needs in the way we define them, but that what he provides is what He believes we need! He wants u to be thankfully content and live with hearts of simplicity and generosity!

·      He clearly guided me to not worry about building His Kingdom, he’s well able to do His job! Pam and I are to invest in you – our P.A.S.T.! He is planning to expand His kingdom and build His church through you!! We are to be a blessing to you as you continue to be a blessing to others.

There will be three ways we will be investing in you:

·      Resources that will help you in your life and ministry as well as to help you understand how each of us can do CPR. Keep reading our newsletters and blogs and listen to our podcosts!

·      Prayer in faith is more powerful than anything! Please let us know how we can fight the spiritual battle with you.  We would love the opportunity to know how we can specifically pray for you.

·      Visits to see us or from us! Face to face connection is always the best, but phone calls or skype help too.  Come to a Haven retreat for yourselves, or bring another couple or individual who you are mentoring or connecting with in community.  We’d be willing to go to you and do a regional retreat with you and some of your friends or leaders in your community.

There will be three ways you can invest in Haven for the Heart:

·      Prayer – Your prayer for us, and those we serve impacts everything!  I can’t over emphasize this! Apart from God working in us and through us, nothing beneficial will be accomplished. We will spend specific prayer requests out on a regular basis to those on our Prayer Advisory Support Team (PAST).  If you are interested in being a part of this please let us know.

·      Advise – We need ongoing encouragement and wisdom for our own lives and those we serve. Please share your thoughts with us.

·      Support – We highly value those who help us with technology, mechanical, Haven maintenance, business and administrative needs, etc. Your financial support is also vital to the ongoing ministry of Haven for the Heart.  We are so grateful to our generous financial supporters.  A sincere thank you to all who have given in any of these capacities in 2014.  Please pray about and consider how you can partner with us in 2015.

Never Alone, Mike & Pam  (dittman@havenfortheheart.com ) 

                                                   Mike-267-994-9116 Pam-267-994-9115

Reflection on my Birthday: Getting Older - Growing Wiser! Really?

Reflections on my Birthday:  Getting Older – Growing Wiser!  Really?

“Happy Birthday Daddy! I love you so much! I am so proud to call you MY Dad! I look up to you so much. You are the most determined, godly and loving guy that I know! I am so proud of you working so hard with Haven! I love seeing you doing what you do best, loving and serving the church. Thanks for always being there for me! I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have you in my life! Love, Kylie”

I’m sure many of you have received birthday wishes similar to the one I received from my daughter this year. I read words like this from her and am humbled. I know I fail in many ways, but even in my shortcomings God chooses to use the work He is doing in my life to somehow encourage others. I can’t imagine a better gift than to see that my life is being used by God for an eternal purpose. Any of us parents, and especially those of us who are in the daily challenges of pastoring, feel so humbled and grateful when our children (and those we shepherd) want to follow God rather than live for the pleasures of a temporary world, become bitter about their upbringing, or simply disillusioned with Jesus or His church. Believe me, Pam and I walk along side many parents and pastors who have a very different story!

There has been a lot that has challenged me and changed as I grow older.  Here are a few thoughts from a very long list of things the Lord has been revealing to me.

·      I used to have a lot of opinions that I knew were right!  I now have a few convictions I believe deeply - shift from insecure dogmatism or arrogant defensiveness to a quiet confidence. God uses the humble, broken and weak to show His glory!

·      I thought I was a great guy since the outside stuff looked good, but God has graciously given me a glimpse into what He sees on the inside.  “Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart!”

·      I thought Pam was getting quite the deal when we got married, only to realize that God graciously gave me someone I did not deserve! She has truly modeled the character of Jesus to me.

I’m beginning to understand what a wise old sage told me when I was in college.  “God does His greatest work in us during the first half of our lives and does His greatest work through our lives during the second half of our lives.”  Though this is not true for everyone, I do believe that Pam’s and my most fruitful years are right around the corner and most joyful years will be in eternity!  When I coached and played basketball I realized that you never win the game in the first half.  That is also why genuinely good philosophers, poets, presidents and pastors are usually older and do their best work in the last half of their lives.  It takes a relatively short amount of time to accumulate knowledge and skill, but a lifetime of struggle to gain wisdom and maturity!

Dear Friends,

Excitement on the Family Front

The New Year is off to a great start on many levels!  We are so excited to welcome our third granddaughter, Macy Jo, into our family!  Andrew and Jodi, along with precious Macy, are doing great!  Kylie and Pam were able to take a trip out to Pennsylvania to spend time with them and Mike plans on travelling out to see them soon as well.  We are so blessed to have Macy in our family!

Testimony from Pastor Jeff Jones

Mike has been doing leadership training and team development for several pastors in a variety of denominational settings.  An Evangelical Free Church in New England had Mike work with their pastors and elders.  Here’s what the pastor of Family Life Ministry said about that retreat:

Mike Dittman and Haven for the Heart has easily become the best resource that I have in life and ministry! Our church has experienced steady numerical growth over the last few years and our leadership team has struggled to keep relationships a priority. I have read books, listened to podcasts, attended conferences, webinars, retreats, seminars, workshops…you name it, but nothing has come close to providing direction and encouragement like Haven for the Heart.

“Our elders and pastors were privileged to have Mike lead a retreat to address our church’s specific needs. During this time, Mike truly listened to the unique obstacles that our church was facing and challenged us individually and collectively in very personal and practical ways in how to shepherd the flock under our care. Mike’s biblical understanding, ministry experience and heart for Jesus’ bride makes him a partner to our ministry unlike any other resources that we use. The CPR process that Mike walked us through was simple, yet deeply impactful and can be translated into any ministry environment in our church. Since our Haven for the Heart retreat, I’ve noticed that our leadership team has related more intimately, communicated more effectively and are leading more intentionally than ever! I am very thankful for the truly one-of-a-kind ministry of Haven for the Heart. I’m excited about partnering further with Mike and Pam as the Lord continues to work in our church and community!”  - Jeff Jones (Family Life Pastor)

Leadership Training Retreat

Mike will be traveling to Indiana next week where he will be doing some intensive training for pastors in the United Brethren Church.  He’s been helping them to build healthy churches by training leaders to cultivate transformational and missional communities.  Mike will be doing an interactive teaching session titled, “CPR for the Soul”, followed by a modeling demonstration of the skills and dynamics used in this process. After the opportunity to see and experience the CPR process, he will conclude with a time of discussion and answer questions. He will let you know how that went in our next newsletter.

We are thankful for each of you and praying that the upcoming year will be one that deepens your relationship with Jesus and those you walk through life with.

Never Alone,

The Dittmans