Ministry

Why bother?

Wayne — Fri, 30 May 2008 09:49:29 -0400

My ministry has waned of late. Don't you love that word? "Wane". Even my own homophonous name connotes a diminishing of self. In the scope of ministry, I think a retreat of my self is a good idea. After all, it's not about me. Anyway, "wane" may not be quite accurate. My ministry has morphed from being formally one-on-one--notably mentoring, counseling, tutoring, etc.--to one more centered around service. Oddly, service was not a gift I considered myself having. I still minister one-on-one, of course, but it's very informal now. Perhaps this transition is the Lord's doing.

I don't mean to complain of my ministry--I enjoy it and gladly go where the Lord leads--but I do mean to complain about stupid people. In years past, I've been the victim of, say, obtuse self-interest. I've tutored students who, along with their parents, have taken advantage of me. I have never charged for ministry--never--yet I have been treated poorly. Students often fail to show up without any notice. Parents are often unsupportive or worse, unwilling to lift a finger to help their children succeed. Parents regularly complained about driving to my home for their child's tutoring--the only thing coming close to "payment" that I request, although I've made plenty of exceptions to that, too. I had one mother ask that I mentor her son, only to have her completely withdraw from relationship when she was told exactly what she requested to hear (the truth). Her reaction was 100% predictable, though, so I certainly wasn't surprised. In fact, all these reactions were quite predictable, but this didn't diminish my disgust. I've counseled people (at their request) who have done precisely the opposite of what the Lord advises, and they indeed reaped their undesired results. Duh. There was definitely a recurring theme of pointlessness to much of my ministry--not the effort or obedience but the results chosen by the ministered.

To be fair, some few have been grateful, and their gratitude is encouraging to me. As for the rest, I chalk it up to the immense disconnect between their stated, Christian values and their actually realized values. I now believe this disconnect, to a large degree though certainly not wholly, may be due to limitations more significant than what I'm used to. To the degree their mental limitations prohibit their social and spiritual maturity, I cannot hold them personally responsible.

Ungrateful boobs' social ineptness notwithstanding, I'm glad the Lord has taken my ministry in a new direction these last couple of years. I'm happy to shed the formerly too usual burden of serving jerks. My present ministry of service and informal one-on-one has been well received, and I am encouraged. I pray the Lord uses my obedience--however horribly imperfect--to bring about good fruit.

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Chivalry

Wayne — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:53:28 -0500

Chivalry is the practice of male honor, particularly toward others.

Protect physical, spiritual, mental well-being.
First and foremost, the chivalrous protect the lives of those who cannot otherwise protect themselves. Live is sacred, given only by God, and it should only be taken by God. As such, we have a duty to protect it whenever possible.

As important as life may be, eternal life is arguably more so. The chivalrous man sees to it all those whom the Lord leads to him hear the Gospel of salvation and are given the chance to choose eternal life. As no man has the right to make this choice on behalf of others, and while others' decisions may cause grief, the choices others make must be respected and not coerced.

The chivalrous await and respond to opportunities to disciple others in the Faith, teaching them the ways of the Lord, of chivalry, and of honor.

Immediate family first; wife, then children.
The first duty is to immediate family, wife and children. As the bond of marriage is lifelong, protecting a man's wife must come first. As the father and provider, children are next in priority of protection and well-being. With the cooperation of the wife, the chivalrous husband may put the immediate well-being of the children first, especially as they are the more helpless.

Meeting the needs of the immediate family must come first because of the vow of marriage and the implicit vows of parenthood. These are given by God as a man's first and more important charge.
Men unable to protect themselves.
After a man's immediate family is well protected, the chivalrous man must protect other men's well-being insofar as such protection is welcomed. Discipleship and training of these men toward self-protection is to be offered and encouraged.
Women.
Being the head of the household, the one held eternally responsible in some fashion for others, men must take responsibility for protecting the fairer sex. First, be prepared for their physical defense. Then, walk them to their cars. Guard them in the evenings until they can reach safety. Stand between them and any potential harm (e.g., traffic). As much as it may be allowed, keep them safe from harm.

Insure women have access to resources and opportunities for growth in the Faith, that they may come to know the Lord, accept His salvation, and grow ever more obedient to Him.
By proxy, or directly when absolutely necessary, children.
As children are the charge of their parents, a man must not interfere with this duty. Instead, the chivalrous encourages parental responsibility and offers discipleship in Godly leadership. If a child's parents are not immediately available, the safety of a child is the responsibility of the chivalrous man who can meet their needs.

Serve by meeting needs.
The chivalrous man builds community by meeting others' needs. We were not placed here to live for ourselves but to live for our Lord and Master. We can serve Him by serving others. As the Lord leads others to us, we are to seek out their needs and meet them as we're led and as possible. Service to others is service to the Lord insofar as our relationship with the Lord is paramount.

Immediate family first, especially wife.
Our first duty is to our immediate family, wife then children. Seek out their needs and find ways of serving them. No task is too humble for the chivalrous man, and no challenge is too great with the Lord's help. As a woman's partner for life, the chivalrous man is in her life to serve her and meet whatever needs he is able. Needs are to be met when the effort is welcome, but such welcome cannot come without offer.
Offer assistance as opportunities arise.
After the family's needs are met, a chivalrous man must seek out other opportunities to serve. Be on watch for the Lord to lead others to you and look for unmet needs you may morally and ethically meet. (Clearly, there are some needs that can only be morally met in proper contexts, so the chivalrous man's offers must be so limited.) For example, tasks such as holding the door open, carrying a burden, ethical counsel, and teaching may all be opportunities to serve others.
Render assistance when offer is accepted.
When the offer is made, anticipate its acceptance and be prepared to deliver. Maintaining one's morals and ethical priorities, do what is necessary to render the promised service and do so cheerfully--for you are serving the Lord Himself in serving others.
Accept no payment.

All that a man is, including his very life, is naught but given by the Lord. There is no right to require payment for serving the Lord through serving others. Better still to accept no payment even when offered. The reward for service is heavenly and eternal, and no temporal substitute is warranted.

As man is to be indebted to none save his Master, he should not accept payment from those whom he serves. Understanding this and taking it to heart, there can be times when ethics dictate an exceptional acceptance of minimum payment in gratitude should those whom he serves be insulted otherwise.

Teach.
We teach others always by our behavior and our words. Choose both carefully. In being mindful of this omnipresent responsibility of teaching others, be purposeful in what is taught. Honor. Godly obedience. Such are virtues worthy of the Godly and chivalrous and such should be propagated to those open to implicit or explicit instruction.

Men, to take responsibility for others, starting with their immediate family.
Man's duty is one of responsibility not only for himself but for others. The chivalrous man takes this to heart and passes it on by encouraging other men to step up to their honorable position as leaders of their homes, their communities, and society. The chivalrous man's servant leadership is not one of authority but of shared responsibility.

This begins with a man's immediate family, whom God has entrusted to man. By extension and subordinately, community and society follow.
Women, that they deserve to be protected and served, as well as admired and adored by a loved one.
Women are precious to God and to men, their nurturing nature a gift from their Maker. As wives and mothers, they serve their families tirelessly and deserve profound respect from the chivalrous man. Just as woman was taken out of man, so they complete each other. As the Lord leads a man and a woman to marriage, so the man must recognize his wife as being of his own flesh. He is to revere her, with the goal of loving her as much as the Lord loves her. The chivalrous man adores his wife with undying fascination and humility.

Women are to be encouraged and appreciated always. Our Lord Himself chose to be born of a woman, and she is adored for this magnificent blessing. All women are blessed creatures of the Lord, worthy of chivalrous men's admiration. Young women, especially, are to be taught about their enormous worth and encouraged to seek the Lord's will for their lives.
Children, to seek and obey the Lord.
There is no greater honor than to willingly belong to the Lord. The chivalrous man teaches children this fundamental truth, encouraging them in their pursuit of purpose and their Maker. The Lord wishes all to come to Him by accepting salvation through His Son, Jesus; the chivalrous man teaches children of their calling to be the Lord's beloved children. He encourages children to strive for their great, God-given potential and offers abundant encouragement and praise for it.

Prayers for me

Wayne — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 08:52:42 -0400

I'd like your prayers. I'm not posting this in the prayers forum simply because this will be ongoing and certainly isn't on par with the "real" prayer requests posted there.

I've been given some new responsibilities in a ministry with which I am gladly affiliated. I'm asking the Lord to keep me humble and diligent, ever obedient to Him alone, so I may execute these responsibilities for His glory. I rarely find ministries with leaders' hearts properly following after the Lord and His will (rather than their own), but this is most certainly one. I see the Master's handiwork daily in this ministry, and I am blessed and honored to be a small part of it.

Meanwhile, my pray-ers (those who pray for me) should know the above ministry is still secondary to my first and most important ministry, my family. My duties there are also growing, particularly in teaching our homeschooled daughter--what a joy she is to teach! With seemingly diminishing time, the Lord has still found ways to multiply my time and strengthen me so I can be with my family more as well as serve this other ministry more, too.

I am also asking my Father to keep me from serving my family and others by rote, as a matter of scheduled habit, as we men sometimes tend to do. My service is an investment in my loved ones and, more importantly, in Adonai's loved ones and in His coming kingdom. I don't want to lose sight of this, that my efforts are a stewardship toward great, future returns.

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Price

Wayne — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:13:05 -0400

Price

According to the Scriptures, we have the right to charge for our ministry, and many have advised us to do so for myriad reasons. However, like Paul, we believe it is ethically superior that we do not. Were we to charge, there would always be that question of whom we serve, the Lord or money.

If it helps you accept our stance, consider this: Receiving an income for our ministry here and now, we would have our reward in hand; instead, we prefer to store up imperishable treasure in heaven.

Update:

Upon advice from my attorneys at HSLDA (whom I highly recommend) and in a good-faith effort to meet the ridiculous laws of the state of Georgia, I request the following terms of employment be used when hiring me for tutoring services for homeschooled students.

Any use of my tutoring services constitutes employment according to these terms.
The price tendered in exchange for my tutoring services shall be one dollar per student per year.

There. That ought to keep the lawyers happy and the State frustrated.

Samuel/Rachel

Wayne — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:06:30 -0400

Samuel Howard Franklin

Rachel Lillian Franklin

Many years ago, the Lord saw fit to take our third child, Samuel Howard or Rachel Lillian, home to be with Him (miscarriage). We do not know the sex of this beloved child, since he/she was taken from us so early. We wanted to insure he/she was remembered, so this page was set up to speak for him/her. Howard was the name of Katrina's brother (also taken to the Lord while young) and Wayne's maternal grandfather. Lillian was the name of Wayne's maternal grandmother. Samuel/Rachel is named in their honor. We look forward to meeting and being with our child when we're together with the Lord.

We also wish to honor all those innocent children who have gone home to be with our Father in heaven. We'd like to take this opportunity to do so for all those children who lost their lives by man's hand, most notably through "abortion". They had and have no one to speak for them, but the Lord, so while we grieve their all-too-short lives, we rejoice knowing they have everlasting life with the Lord.

Trevor

Wayne — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:04:37 -0400

Trevor Jacob Christopher-Fluegel

Trevor with his father, Brian Jacob Fluegel.

Trevor is the biological son of our son, Brian. Trevor lives with his mother and her family in NY. They have not allowed us to maintain contact with Trevor--at least until he's of the age to begin searching for us. We feel strongly that Trevor be able to find this whole other half of his family tree when that time comes. It is our hope Trevor may one day discover this web page and learn more about his father, Brian, and the rest of the Franklin family.

We want Trevor to know he has many family members whom he may not yet know, who love him dearly and want nothing more than the very best for him and hopefully a lasting familial relationship with him someday. For now, we Franklins are doing what we can to be at least a small part of his life from afar (e.g., cards, gifts, money, etc.). [Update: we believe these are now being discarded before Trevor receives them.] Trevor, when you're old enough, discover this web page, and learn of us, please consider contacting us. You are always welcome in our home.

We hope and pray we may always be a part of Trevor's life; but if this is not possible, we pray we may all kindle a relationship sometime in the future. God bless you, Trevor. We are here for you if you ever need us, and you are always in our prayers.

Tutoring

Wayne — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:45:18 -0400

Tutoring

Gifted, Christ-centered, prayerful tutoring as a free ministry.
One-on-one instruction.
Formal, full-course instruction.
Homeschooling father teaching homeschooled students.
Tailored according to the student's learning style.
Teaching to mastery rather than merely grades.

I tutor in our home. For minors, a parent is required to be present to help avoid any hint of impropriety.

Here is a partial list of classes I teach:

Bible:	Disciplines, Doctrine, Eschatology, Hermeneutics, Theology.
Computer:	Architecture, Assembly Languages (various), C/C++, Control Systems, Database Design, Embedded Design, Firmware Design, Object Oriented Design, Realtime Design, TCP/IP Protocol Suite, UML, Web Development.
Language:	Composition, Creative Writing, Critical Analysis, Grammar, Hebrew (Beginning), Poetry.
Mathematics:	Algebra, Calculus, Differential Equations, Discrete, Geometry, Linear Algebra and Matrices, Statistics and Probability, Trigonometry.
Science:	Chemistry, Creation, Dynamics, Electricity and Magnetism, Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Statics.
...and more:	Budgeting, Chess, Critical Thinking, Driving, Economic Systems, Ethics, Firearms Safety, Governmental Systems, Home Improvement, Laissez Faire, Logic, Music (Beginning), Security and Defense, Typing, and see Counseling for more.

If you want a class not listed here, please let me know.

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Prayer

Wayne — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 11:21:31 -0400

Prayer

We truly believe in the power of the Lord to change our hearts and the world. It's not that prayer itself holds prayer, but the Lord does listen to His children, and He's assured us He will answer us--often in ways we cannot imagine. If you have any need of prayer (don't we all?), please feel free to contact Wayne or Katrina directly (or visit here) with any requests, thanks, or celebrations. If you'd like us to pray with you, side-by-side in your presence, we'd be honored to add our voices to yours in your petitions to the Lord.

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Ordination

Wayne — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:42:18 -0400

Ordination

As a called and ordained minister for the Lord, Wayne offers ordination through Mustard Seed Christian Ministries to those who take seriously their role as members of the priesthood of all believers. This is not a step to be taken lightly, but with earnest desire to take up His cross as a disciple and priest. If you're interested in pursuing this goal, please contact Wayne and we'll prayerfully proceed.

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Notary Public

Wayne — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:40:42 -0400

Notary Public

Wayne and Katrina are both notaries public in Georgia and offer their services generally free of charge. Contact them if you have such a need. If significant travel expenses are incurred, they may be recouped. Current volumes of notary requests don't yet warrant this, though.

The most popular use for notaries is the verification of signature on legal documents. For this service to be notarized, the identity of the signatory must be verified (if not already personally known) and the signature must be recorded in the presence of the notary. "Retroactive" witnessing (i.e., notarizing a signature already recorded) is not legally valid.

Note that notaries are under no legal obligation to perform this function. If, at any time, a notary believes the ethics of his entrusted office may be at risk during a notarization, he may excuse himself without legal repercussions.

Per Georgia law, the following disclaimer must be made: I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY LICENSED TO PRACTICE LAW IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA, AND I MAY NOT GIVE LEGAL ADVICE OR ACCEPT FEES FOR LEGAL ADVICE.

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