Ministry Update

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Subject: Ministry Update

Nathan Verning's Testimony

I can still vividly recall the exact moment I arrived at Pure Life’s residential program in August 2017. I drove onto campus with a flicker of hope but no real expectation that God would actually meet me and change my life. I came because three different pastors had told me that I needed to apply to the residential program. I did not choose the program to save my marriage, my family, or my business, but to save my life. The Lord had made it clear to me that if I did not get away from my everyday life, I would not live to see another year. I felt in my heart that I was nearing the end if a major change did not take place.

I was completely strung out on prescription drugs, alcohol and pornography. Recently, my pursuit of sin had led me into adultery. My business was entangled in seven lawsuits, a situation which I later realized was God’s instrument to bring me into a real relationship with Him that went deeper than just head knowledge. I thought I had always loved the Lord, but my heart was cold and void of love. I realize now that I did not have the capacity to love anyone because I had never felt or understood God’s love. I also thought I knew the scriptures well. But during one of my early counseling sessions my counselor said to me, “Nathan you really know a lot of scripture, don’t you?” Then his next statement shook me to the core when he said, “We really only KNOW the scriptures that we are willing to obey; the rest is just head knowledge.” So, it turned out I knew very little scripture after all.

It was not long after that session that everything began to change in my life. One day, I came across a Hebrew term in the concordance, kilyah, and started to study this word that refers to the “inward parts.” That night I came across the very same word in one of Pastor Steve’s books and I knew instantly that God was wanting to do something inside me. The next morning, I woke up at 3:00 A.M. and everything was different. I was absolutely surrounded by a LOVE I did not know to exist. I could only lay there and weep, as I knew I was in the presence of the Lord in a way I had never been before. From that day on things changed quickly for me, including my own desires. I had a strong desire to be reconciled to my family and began to learn what true repentance was.

The last several months of my program brought healing to almost every aspect of my life, including the restoration of my relationship with my wife and three children. Even my business back home was in the middle of the best year it had ever seen—and the Lord made sure that happened while I was away to show me it’s all about Him and not me. I started to become smaller, and God started to become bigger. I graduated Pure Life in May 2018, just a few days after the Annual Conference, and immediately moved back home with my wife and children. For the past six years, going to the Annual Conference has been a highlight for Jennifer and me, as well as our children who look forward to going to Kentucky every spring.

The Lord truly delivered me from myself and from sexual sin, and I am enjoying a life that is no longer controlled by abuse, guilt, and shame. I clearly saw how the Lord had begun fighting for me when I was in the program at Pure Life and He has continued to do that. Just 18 months ago our last lawsuit was settled. In addition, the Lord saw fit to give us a 44-acre property that includes indoor basketball and pickleball courts. We have named this property “The Refuge” and we believe the Lord will have us use the property for ministry to youth.

Jennifer and I will forever be grateful that the Lord chose Pure Life Ministries as the place that would bring me into a real relationship with Him and restore our family.

Last month over 850 men and women gathered together in Williamstown for another wonderful Annual Conference. The theme this year was Truth: It Will Set You Free. It Will Keep You Free. The Lord spoke a consistent message throughout the event, from the main sessions to the panel discussion, to the testimonies at our Night of Worship: The Word of God must be central in our daily lives.

Without God’s Word, our deceptive thoughts, emotions, and the intoxicating culture around us will blind us to what’s true. One attendee’s biggest takeaway emphasized that point: “Being in the Word is the only way to have real discernment over what’s truth and what isn’t.” Other attendees walked away with a conviction to not let their daily quiet time slip away amidst the busyness of life. As Shannon commented afterward, “Spending time with the Lord needs to be the most important thing in my life.” Steve Gallagher, Jeff Colón, Dave Leopold, and Dustin Renz each spoke of this in their messages and testified to how God’s Word has been vital in their Christian walk.

Our conference concluded with the Alumni and Friends Benefit Banquet. Our Residential Program student choir brought tears to many eyes as they sang about God’s love and about the work of the Cross in their lives. We also featured the video testimony of Greg and Paloma Johnson (Watch Here). Their story showed that God can redeem and restore even the most broken marriage. One woman told us that after watching the video she and her husband felt less alone knowing others had gone through similar experiences to their own.

For the second year now, we provided the option to livestream our conference. Over 73 people joined us virtually, with several holding “watch parties” with friends. Stephen shared, “I talk about Pure Life all the time but because of the conference [livestream] they got to SEE what God is doing.”

Stephen’s words reflect our hearts each year as we get to see what God is doing to save struggling men, women, and hurting wives. We spend eight months and countless hours planning logistics, producing videos, and preparing messages. Yet despite all that work, it isn’t what we do that sets people free. It’s the presence of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit that changes lives. We are grateful to be vessels for Him to work through as we celebrate another conference where many were set free!

Dorm Updates

Last year, we began implementing our plan to update our student dorms. The long-term goal was to change the somewhat “institutional” feel to a more welcoming “homey” feel. Included in this plan was replacing furniture, updating the old fluorescent lighting with LED lights, repainting, and new décor. By the end of last year, we had completed updates to the main study areas which included high-quality Amish-made furniture, painting, area rugs, and décor.

This year we continued these updates, starting with repainting the dorm bedrooms. Our construction team has been hard at work the last few months giving the dorm bedrooms a much-needed facelift. Two bedrooms required extensive repairs including some structural redesign, major drywall repairs, and replacing damaged doors. All of the bedrooms have received a new paint scheme, with the added touch of an accent wall to help make the room feel more inviting. Several rooms also received new lighting, the addition of ceiling fans and updated window blinds. To date, we have completed work in the bedrooms but still have a couple of bathrooms and a kitchen to renovate. Once this project is complete, all of our dorms will have a fresh new look.

This has been a logistically challenging project as it has required shuffling students around from one room to another, but the outcome has been extremely rewarding. These updates have already been a huge blessing to our students by creating a warm atmosphere for reading, study, and fellowship. Many students have expressed their gratitude, and we want to pass this gratitude on to those of you who have helped make this possible. Your ongoing support to provide men with a place to seek the Lord and find freedom from sin will have an eternal impact!

Memorial Day 2024

When somebody mentions Memorial Day, one usually thinks about barbeques and getting together with friends and family. While our students in the Residential Program are away from their loved ones during holidays like Memorial Day, we try to go above and beyond to make the day special. This year we grilled out with hamburgers and hot dogs, and the broccoli salad and potato salad made by Chef Paul were spectacular—and had many people coming back for seconds! With beautiful weather, we set up 9-square, volleyball, spikeball, and several cornhole games in the yard, and the staff and students came together for a great time of fellowship.

We greatly appreciate the generosity of our financial and prayer partners, who make events like this possible. If you would like to join the team supporting our 4th of July or Labor Day picnics, you can do so by visiting: www.purelifeministries.org/donate

Ministry Outreach Updates

In 2016 we began investing lots of energy into digital outreach, and since that time we’ve accumulated over 55,000 followers on our channels. And while this is encouraging, real discipleship isn’t about accumulating multitudes of followers, but about establishing relationships that result in genuine transformation. This is why we launched a series of livestream events called Pure Life LIVE. During these events, our viewers can ask questions and have them answered in real-time. Our prayer is that Pure Life LIVE will help viewers engage with us at a more significant level, leading to genuine transformation. Episode 1 of Pure Life LIVE was hosted on May 31st with Nate Danser and Pastor Ed Buch talking about “The Power of a Transparent Life.” The next event, “Your Behavior Won’t Change Until Your Heart Changes” is scheduled for Saturday, August 3rd at 12pm EST, and will be available on YouTube, Facebook, our smartphone app and our website!

Our beloved Purity for Life podcast has been a significant part of the ministry for many years and has undergone numerous changes since its inception. Late last year, we decided it was time for another big change. It was time to change the name to Pure Life Ministries Podcast. Here are some of the benefits to making this change:

When someone searches for “Pure Life Ministries” in a podcast platform, our podcast is sure to show up.
We have so much unused audio content in our archives! By renaming our podcast, we would be able to take old interviews, chapel talks, graduation testimonies, etc. and release them as mid-week bonus content.
The album art on our podcast can now feature the Ministry’s name and logo, for better visual identification.

So, as of April 1st, we’ve rebranded the podcast and we continue to be really grateful that we can produce this powerful resource on a weekly basis!

The only thing more dangerous than blatant deception is half-truth. Satan tempted Eve with a half-truth. He tempted Jesus with three half-truths. And he uses a barrage of half-truths to keep multitudes of professing Christians locked in cycles of sin and bondage. This forms the basis for our newest video series, 10 Half-Truths that Keep Us Addicted to Porn. This series will expose 10 of the most prevalent deceptions that keep multitudes of professing Christians from finding the freedom that comes from walking in Truth. Here’s a sneak peek at our first few episodes:

Half-Truth #1: Sexual Pleasure is the Most Important Thing in Life

Half-Truth #2: I Can’t Get Free Unless God Sets Me Free

Half-Truth #3: God Loves Me Just the Way I Am

Keep an eye out in late June for the release of this new series!

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Subject: Ministry Update