Several days ago a gathering met to share stories of God’s goodness and greatness during the Promise Keepers event held recently in Charleston, WV. After sharing a wonderful meal together we began a spiritual meal—starting with a song of praise fittingly entitled "Your Love is Extravagant"

Those present were people, men and women, involved in the local strategy team for the Promise Keepers, some of the wives, husbands, and others interested in seeing the work continue.

It is a unique group of people. There are different churches represented from diverse backgrounds. Pastors, prayer warriors, technicians, church leaders, field ministers, and laymen…the list goes on. They are working in unity for a common purpose. To work during the latter rain. For you see the fields are white unto harvest. Though each may have a personal call on their lives on a daily basis, they feel a call to prepare for the Bridegroom as one body. They wait for instructions for "What’s next?" Not willing to forsake that call of Jesus to return to the previous routine.

Denny Westover encourages different ones to share experiences with the others. He has seen God move mountains to answer prayers during this time. There are stories of gratitude and divine appointments. Most of all stories of the souls that were saved stand above all else.

One man from Puerto Rico was saved. He was detained in Charleston for a heavenly purpose. He now knows WHY he was in West Virginia.

Jim Wells, transportation captain tells how God showed up in a special time of need. Misplaced keys could’ve presented a big problem. After searching and searching they miraculously were found just as they were needed. A lesson learned in trusting God and walking in peace.

Larry’s assignment was to come up with 15 supervisors for the Promise Keeper event. At 13 it seemed a standstill. By the time they were needed God supplied an abundance of 17! Praise God! As he drove home to Summersville from Charleston after the PK event, a full rainbow arched over him. He drove for the next 54 minutes with God’s promise ever before him. It was a reminder of God’s promises to us that as we are faithful, HE is faithful. It knew it was also a reminder of the hope and future He has for our state.

God was amazing all through out every aspect of the PK event. There were approximately 7,500 men in attendance at the Civic Center, several hundred watching from the two prisons at Mt. Olive and St. Mary’s, and it was being broadcast live to Iraq! 954 men made decisions for Christ.380 of these were from WV. 266 were first time commitments. God wanted to remind MANY of the hope and future He has for them!

David shares about a woman calling distraught because she had planned on being able to volunteer, but because of some circumstances was late getting to register. She wanted to serve so badly. He tells how someone met her and found a place she could help. Oh that we would all be so willing and eager to work for Jesus with such a humble attitude!

All the volunteers in retail were just sent by God. Groups came, the plans were carried out, and everything was prepared long before the usual time. Almost a day and a half ahead of schedule. Making everything run smoothly were the serving hearts of those volunteers. Praise God for His goodness.

Tom Lyvers shared about working with special needs. He said that when people would see the Uprising T-shirts they would instantly connect it to HELP. They were drawn to those wearing them knowing help was there. It reminded me of how a lighthouse looks to a ship floundering in a storm. Men were drawn to the light of Jesus for a safe harbor during the storms of their lives.

Chuck Kinder encouraged and graciously applauded the wives of the PK team for sacrificing time away from their husbands to plan this event. He thanked them for the support to this effort to win souls for the Kingdom of God.

He shared that during the time he has worked at the Civic Center he had seen all manner of events take place. Many of them ungodly and evil. He shares how he was blessed to share a glimpse of the thousands of men there praising and seeking God in a special moment with his wife Rachel. What a blessing.

Chuck shares another God-timed incident. Just before leaving, a few minutes before 8:00pm when they were scheduled to turn out the lights, the Channel 8 news team showed up wanting to do a story on the prison connection. There were just the right people left in the building. Chuck Kinder, the prison warden Mike Everly, (who is experienced in talking to television media), and Steve Chavis, the national PK media guy. Along with the guys getting ready to cut the lights! They graciously held off for 15 minutes. After the interview they had 18 seconds left to spare! God had arranged it perfectly!

Mike shares about the prison experience. The internet connection from the Civic Center to St. Mary’s and Mt. Olive was able to allow 171 guys from Mt. Olive to see the UPRISING live. Typically they would have around 80to 85 participants. They had double that! On Friday night over 50 men were down front during the alter call on their knees. On Saturday Satan tried to interfere. Lightening struck and the power failure caused them to lose the link. The computer "connection" between the two prisons had been miraculously working against all odds to begin with. Satan should have known is efforts would fail. Fifteen minutes later God restored the signal. Hallelujah!

Danny, from St. Mary’s prison, shares some of his experience. He tells how he tried to envision how or what the alter call would be like, having never been to a Promise Keepers conference. He wondered exactly HOW would this be done? When the men started writing their sins down on paper to bring them to Jesus and "nail them to the cross" he said men were sharing and tearing off scraps of paper to share with the other inmates. Inmates were asking other inmates "Do you want to go up front with me? " or "Do you want me to go with you?" The Holy Ghost knew exactly what to do---HE JUST FELL IN THAT ROOM.

Danny also shared how one man was saved right after the second song at the very beginning of the first night. God had already gone ahead of everything and prepared the hearts. They were ready! It was harvest time at the prison!

Andy Palmer, the organizer of Chain Breakers, spoke to us about the gang problem in WV. There are 20 active gangs in the area surrounding Charleston. Andy shares how he was saved in Huttonsville prison and how God gave him the desire to help others and share his testimony. He takes messages to schools and helps inmates find support systems and a local church where they can attend and grow in the Lord. God spoke to him to quit his job to devote more of his time to the work He had planned for him. God then placed him in another job where he can accomplish even more. It is a job involving a statewide program called "Hard time for Gun Crime".

Denny Westover wraps things up with a few words to encourage us to seek God for the future. He says, "We are ruined for the ordinary, for we have experienced the extraordinary. Satan may oppose, but we will press in. Where do we go from here?"

Barry Cocher says, "It is easier to build better boys that to repair men." He speaks from his heart to continue with "The connection" as we have come to call it, this unique group. He says this group of people working together is BEYOND unique. He tells us many times after a conference everyone goes his or her separate ways. We can do that, or do something special. Go on to another God sized assignment. He goes on to share how successful he feels this conference has been. How we had many first time outs of the ordinary events happen. He encourages us to follow up.

There are so many who have stories to tell and words to share. Perhaps in time we will hear from all of them. No one person was more important than another in this work for Jesus. All will share in the blessings from God for the lives touched by this event.

We are praying for direction for the areas we minister in. Personal ministries. Street ministries. Prison ministries. School ministries. Youth ministries. Outreaches. Prayer groups. We want to keep this connection. We give thanks for what God has done. We give thanks for what He is going to do. We are looking to the future. We pray for revelation. We pray for unity to continue. We pray for one another. We pray to be used for His glory.

We pray for His perfect will. We pray for the Holy Spirit to lead us. Always in the name of Jesus. Amen.