Ned Erickson: UPDATE Week of January 6 NEW YEARS ADVANCE

They came back!

WELCOME TO 2020 FELLOWS STYLE

We just came off one of the sweetest times I've had in a while. Each year, after Christmas Break, the Fellows return first thing to a Testimony Advance (Fellows don't retreat, they advance) at the beach.

For four days, we listen to each other's life stories. As you can imagine, it is a powerful experience. It is always a discussion, but we have decided that designating time and space around the middle of the program year works really well for a get away like this.

"The River Oaks Fellows"

We choose a beautiful place, but also choose a time of year when the weather isn't necessarily the greatest so that it's not so difficult to be indoors for long periods of time.

Saturday evening sunsets.

We also have spent enough time with each other that our Fellows feel comfortable to share much more of their whole story than they would at the beginning of the program.

Smiling from the rooftops

But we also have enough of the program ahead of us to be able to follow up and dig even deeper into relationships with each other.

That's one thing you realize on an advance like this - there is always more to learn about a person. That's a good thing.

It was great having Hef there.

I've noticed that Jessica Baker has been in every picture so far. A special shout out to her. Her grandfather was so kind in offering his home to us on Figure Eight Island for the long weekend. What a gift!

As you can imagine there were a lot of tears.

But there was also a lot of laughter.

We celebrated Brianne's birthday Saturday night

We had the annual Polar Plunge

We played some of our favorite games

We played some beach spikeball

We learned the Renegade dance (even the Director!)

We also got to celebrate Mattie's Birthday!

Hef called ahead and even got her name on a cake. Praise the Lord for Assistant Directors!

Knocking out the candles

We also had some sweet time of worship.

JM and I had a great jam session

We enjoyed creation

the inter coastal

Sunday morning sunrise

But the best part were the stories. They weren't easy to listen to. Just like yours, there is a lot of hard and brokenness and wounding. But there are also moments of transformation and God's faithfulness and mercy and love.

Hard and good are not far apart.

And God is always there in the midst.

It was windy - JM's hair doesn't naturally do that...

NOW. WE ARE BACK!

Here is Hef's back

WHAT'S AHEAD?

The GREAT NEWS is that there are actually more days ahead of us than behind us, so there are a lot more opportunities for Round Tables, Leader Lunches, and Studies.

We are also beginning some fantastic Coursework with Rob Alexander and Joe Moore this week.

We are also taking two assessments in January to continue our career and personal development.

Oh! And a mission trip!

We are pumped!

GIVE!

We really do need your support. We are halfway to our fundraising goal of $80,000 this year. That's something to celebrate, but that's not something we can rest on our laurels about.

So if you have been meaning to financially support us this year - this would be a fantastic time!

Send checks to:

Winston-Salem Fellows

PO Box 20514

Winston-Salem, NC 27120

or online at

wsfellows.com/give

THANK YOU!

RECRUITING!

We have had a few applicants turn us down! Can you believe it? It happens for a variety of reasons.

the way we look at it is that it allows the opportunity for someone else.

You may know that someone, so don't hesitate to reach out and connect us.