The Wilkes Team

The attacks on the family will only increase with the passing of time. Praise the Lord that He is raising a mighty generation to stand in the ever widening gap within our land. He is preserving a remnant – oh may we as families be sober, vigilant, and having done all to stand.

One of the purposes behind the Family Encouragement Weekend is to encourage families to work together, impact their local communities for Christ, and to leave a Godly legacy for the generations to come. Each FEW Conference contains rich seasons of prayer, exhortation, and fellowship with families whose desire is to live according to the Word of God.

What a blessed weekend this was! We walked away from this conference so encouraged, inspired, uplifted, and ready to continue on in the small corner of the world that God has placed us!

There are several other meaningful reports on this past weekend:

- From the Neely Team – From the Girotti Family

- From the Hynes Family

We also look forward to having a copy of the messages uploaded to: www.FEWconference.com. This will be provided shortly.

5 Comments » | posted in Ministry Reports

There is no doubt that America stands currently under the judgment of God. For too long, we have neglected those Biblical principles upon which our nation was founded. God will not be mocked, and sin has its consequences.

Nevertheless, amidst the great atrocities of evil and the oppressive power of darkness, there are signs of reformation within our land.

During the month of June, our family had the joy of attending a day conference hosted by the Scott Brown of the NCFIC.

He came bearing a message of hope and a challenge to the Biblical family. It is time for families to live Biblically. As Thomas Manton once put it, ‘family is the seminary of church and state.’ Lawful worldly amusements must be exchanged for intense family worship. Our time is an indicator of where our priorities lie. Lukewarm Christian families are unsavory to our Lord. But amidst these challenging words, the hope comes from focusing not upon our failure but upon repentance and following our Savior. The steps will be little at first but through perseverance it shall yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

Pastor Brown exhorts that, “When the focus of our churches or our families is anything other than the glory of God we should expect them to be cursed rather than blessed.

If we change the focus of our families for our own sakes and because we want a better family, we have missed the mark…….

….Has God changed your heart so that it desires to glorify God? Do you believe He is your only hope? Is it He the one you truly admire? This is the heart of all true reformation.”

Pastor Brown and his team have purposed to travel across and around our nation to exhort, challenge, and edify the local body of believers. Our family left the day conference encouraged and with an even greater desire to reform through conforming our lives unto the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Comment » | posted in Ministry Reports, On the Issues, Proclaiming the Truth

My thoughts were elsewhere as I headed to the garage door. Unsuspectingly I walked through the kitchen, then the laundry room, all the while hearing a soft roar. I turned the knob of the door to enter the garage, pulled on it, and then whaaammm….. my ears drums were plummeted with sound waves of incredible dimensions; sound waves emitting from the roaring of a table saw.  The noise actually hurt and I slammed the door shut. Once again only hearing the soft roar.

Right now, at 8:21 PM, Mon. evening, I’m hearing my wonderful sister Sarah playing the piano, just like the table saw it is a noise. Gratefully the comparison ends there because this noise is harmonious.

In Psalms 100, the psalmist talks about the important subject of noise. He declares: “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands…” (Psalms 100:1) This is not a suggestion but rather a specific command. The command is for the land, which includes all that lives on the land, to make a noise unto the Lord. Of course this is also the human race and even those who are the chosen of God.

Making a joyful noise is actually what part of our church family participated in last Sunday evening. Though there was snow 21in. deep covering the landscape and temperatures  below 35 degrees, we went Christmas caroling. In years past when we have caroled, our caroling, though joyful, might easily compare to a table saw’s roar. Of course not as harsh, nor even as dissonant, but definitely missing some needed harmony. This  year the noise actually carried more harmonious congruence – actually comparable to a piano. The result was an increase of joyfulness in all participants both listeners and singers.

It was so much a privilege to reach out to our neighbors in  this way. Through the noise, the joy emanating, and the harmony balancing, I believe we were able to be a blessing: showing we had prepared and cared. We also were able, through the message of the songs, to manifest the true reason for Christmas. It is not about saints, fictional characters, trees, presents, but it is all about the birth of the Messiah, the Prince of Peace – Jesus Christ.

A joyful ‘harmonious’ noise is so important. So much of this world is like the roar of a table saw. We need the counter-noise of a piano. Not the roar of entertainment, greed, lust, and selfish success,              but the exquisite sounds of humility, of heavenly peace,    of loving truth, and of the wonderful gospel of Jesus Christ. 

7 Comments » | posted in Family News, Ministry Reports

Jesus is the reason for this CHRISTmas season!

How easy it is to say these words without any testimony of it being worked out in our life. How grateful we are for the ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship and their focus on communicating to others the saving message of Jesus Christ. They are reaching the lost in local communities across the United States and are thereby providing opportunities for Christians to be doers of the Word and not hearers only.

It was our distinct joy to host the Northern VA CEF committee Christmas Dinner earlier this month. This dear group of Christians gathered together for a special dinner and time of uplifting fellowship. Our lights were rekindled and joy refreshed as we drew closer to one another around the message of the Gospel.

Another joy of the evening was getting to know those who work in the Korean community. How blessed we were to hear them share about the Lord’s work in the local Korean communities, Christmas traditions in Korea, and even a couple carols in the Korean language.

Mr. Rautio, with the faithful support of his dear wife, continues to be an energy giver as he directs this great work here in Northern VA. His unceasing joy, stemming from a close relationship with Christ, has been the catalyst for many life changing works in Northern Virginia and way beyond.

Through the Christ centered ministry CEF, many people around this world will be celebrating Christmas, knowing that Jesus truly is the Reason for the Season!

Praise the Lord for His free gift of salvation.

2 Comments » | posted in Family News, Ministry Reports

How often have we looked forward with great anticipation towards a scheduled event only to have plans suddenly changed. Of course – we all have! It is in such circumstances that we call to remembrance God’s promise to work all things together for good – He always writes the final chapter.

The ALERT Men’s Chorus traveled from Texas all the way to Washington D.C. area this past week for a series of several local performances, one being the White House.

Last night we had the privilege of hearing them sing at a church in Leesburg. Attired in their Dress Uniform, all 18-20 ALERT men sang a collection of beautiful hymns and carols with passion that spawned great inspiration and joy for all in attendance.

Through our discourse with them, we learned that their group received a potential trial of faith when the opportunity to sing at the White House was lost. Feelings of disappointment were assuredly worked through, but God orchestrated events. He opened up an avenue wherein the choir was able to sing in the rotunda of our Nation’s Capitol and aboard one of the few ships that actually returned fire upon Japanese airplanes in Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. Joy was further realized when an opportunity afforded them to sing for a 95 year old WWII veteran.

Last night was their final performance on this tour and the joy and passion with which the ALERT Men’s Chorus is known shone through unhindered. An example of great inspiration!

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!!!!NEWS FLASH:

Matthew was the only member of the Wilkes Team not present last evening at the performance. His location is currently classified info . We are finding his absence most noticeable and are eagerly awaiting his return which will bring with it great joy to our hearts and an abundance of thrilling reports on theWilkesTeam.com – stay tuned for details!

3 Comments » | posted in Ministry Reports, Tid Bits

October 26th the Virginia Family Foundation put on their annual gala to inspire, inform, and prepare Virginians. A major theme of the event was motivating Americans to stand for the enduring principles which established their country.

Washington, Adams, and Jefferson stood for these principles. Generation after generation garnered individuals who did the same. Now, the living generations of today must follow their worthy predecessors. As Faithful citizens of Christ kingdom spoke at the gala they manifested ways that their eternal citizenship compelled them to influence the nation in which they enjoyed temporal citizenship.

The Guest Speaker, Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee shared a story of taking his daughter through a Holocaust Museum in Israel. At the end of the tour he watched his daughter sign the guest book and then write a single line in the comment section: “Why didn’t someone do something?” Huckabee, went on to declare that this should not be a question asked by future generations. Germany, a wealthy nation, scientifically advanced, theologically mature, was sucked into a frightening drama of war, atheism, and hatred. Where was the army of pastors standing against such evil? Where was the thousands of Christians influencing their community? Except for small pocketfuls the moral force in Germany was no where. Will America follow the same path? By God’s grace, may his remnant stand and doing all stand; stand for truth, stand for life, stand for liberty, stand for Christ.

Huckabee, along with other speakers; Victoria Cobb, President of VA Family Foundation, Bishop Jackson, Chaplain of the VA Family Foundation, Rev. Jonathan Falwell of Thomas Road Baptist Church and Speaker of the VA House William Howell, shared the need for Christians to take action and influence their  communities. Being in the audience, I was inspired by the words of these pastors and leaders. It’s not just senators, justices, representatives and presidents that effect their community. It also has to be the common American citizen. That’s definitely me and I must begin now, in whatever small way, influencing my community, my church, my family, and my government.

4 Comments » | posted in Family News, Ministry Reports

In days gone by, when a farmer had a need for a new barn, friends and family from all around would rally together for an old fashion barn raising. The amount of work accomplished in so little time was remarkable as time was willingly sacrificed out of a desire to serve.

So..in the spirit of the good old barn raising days, our church family, last Thursday, had a wonderful opportunity to practice working as a body.  We came together for a work day at the Thrash family’s house.It started around 10:30 in the morning and went all day.     

  

  We were able to chop fire wood, landscape gardens, work on a shed, and clean the house.  The sticktuitivness I saw in each person as we worked was very much a blessing. Over the loud poundings of hammers and both electric and gas machines you could hear laughing, singing, and joyful voices everywhere. To name a few of the projects: the house cleaners cleaned 28 windows inside and out,

 

  

the wood choppers chopped 3 cords of wood, and all the footers for the Thrashes’ shed were dug out.

We all learned that we can work together very well even admist all the different giftings, abilities, and opinions .
  I know I could say this for each person that we are looking forward to many more days of working together.

7 Comments » | posted in Family News, Ministry Reports