News

Testimony – Happy News

Many of the men coming for help with unwanted same-sex attractions don’t feel like they fit with other men, that they’re different from other men and that difference has them feeling like they’re on the outside of real men looking in. Part of the journey is acquiring a sense that who they are as a man with their own unique mix of characteristics is fine; that they’re a man amongst men; that they fit with men. I’m bringing this up because I recently received a very cool email from one of the men who participated in my Living Waters/Journey program. I asked him if I could share it with others on my blog and he gave his permission.

“Today I am writing you about some happy news for me. Last night I went to my first mainstream men’s bible study. During introductions I said a few things about me, and then the guy next to me said, “Yeah, we are all like that. It comes with having a Y chromosome”. The part that was so great for me, was that I genuinely agreed with him. I am a guy like any other guy (Check it out Jeff – I’m quoting you). I FIT in this group of guys.

I know that when I came to Living Waters, I wanted a complete one-hundred and eighty degree change in my sexual orientation. That didn’t happen, but I love the smaller changes just as much. I really love feeling like I belong in whatever group I am in. For me, this is a new feeling; for me this is a big deal. To me, this is happy news.”

A Time of Ministry in Thailand

I just spent a week in early September teaching on sexuality at a Youth With a Mission “Foundations of Counseling Ministry” school (FCM) in Chiang Mai, Thailand and had a very productive time. Thailand is a very sexually broken country, famous for its sex trade where families often sell their children into prostitution and where it’s not uncommon for families to intentionally cause transgender issues in their boys. Thailand’s constitution is even being changed to include the “third gender”. Thailand is the world leader in the number of sex reassignment surgeries and transgendered people are very common. The third gender applies to transgender as well as those who don’t identity as either male or female, it’s very common to encounter people whose appearance is completely androgynous. It was very fulfilling to be able to teach on sexuality in a country that is so gender confused.

The people attending the FCM schools are generally career missionaries who want to better help those they’re reaching out to. Of course in the process God often brings up areas in their own lives where he wants to come in and heal. When I teach at FCMs I offer to meet with people who are wanting some personal ministry time with me. I spent the week teaching all morning and then spent many of the afternoons/evenings meeting with people individually, 11 people in total. Additional people wanted to meet with me but my calendar was completely full. It was an intense week for many people and I know a number of them had significant breakthroughs while I was there. I feel very blessed to have had such an impact on so many people’s lives. A big “Thank You” to all those who partner with me with your prayers and sacrificial giving.

FYI – If you would like to financially partner with me and support the work I do you can do so here.

Ministering in Switzerland

YWAM
Lausanne, Switzerland

I just returned from a time of ministering at a Youth with a Mission (YWAM) base in Lausanne, Switzerland and it was a very productive and intense time. I started off the time with a 6 hour Saturday seminar on homosexuality for 55-60 YWAM missionaries. The seminar was longer than normal because it was being translated live into Chinese and Korean. I then taught for a week on sexuality for a Foundations of Counseling Ministry school that was primarily Chinese students so I needed to work with a Chinese translator. Talking about sex is taboo in Chinese culture so this was a unique opportunity for them to learn and talk about this important aspect of their lives. I also met with many of them individually to talk more deeply and to process areas of pain and brokenness. It was an intense and very blessed time.

Several people in Switzerland talked with me about personal struggles with same-sex attractions and I hope our time together was informative and helpful. I hope to continue to support them in their journeys.

While I just got back from teaching in Switzerland I’m going to be heading to Thailand shortly to teach on sexuality at a YWAM Foundations of Counseling School in Chiang Mai and I’ll also be doing a Saturday seminar on homosexuality for local Christians and missionaries. Thailand is a very sexually broken country and having well trained missionaries there to minister to those they’re reaching for Christ to is very important. Your prayers will be greatly appreciated, specifically that:

• God would be preparing the hearts of the students to look into any areas of pain in their own lives where they need the healing touch of Jesus.
• God would bless the seminar on homosexuality, that people would go away grounded in Biblical truth as well as how to relate to people in a loving yet scripturally appropriate way.
• God would keep me healthy and safe.

Thank you everyone.

If you would like to financially partner with me and support the work I do you can do so here.

A follow-up on the June seminars

Hi everyone, It’s been a great summer so far, about 100 people attended the June 13^th seminar in Monroe and another 250 people attended the one on June 20^th at Northshore Community Church. It was very encouraging to see so many people wanting to learn more about this topic, even on gorgeous, summer Saturdays.  There have been a lot of requests for another seminar sometime soon and I am hoping to do another one this fall/winter.

As a result of the seminars I’ve had one person contact me for help with their struggle with unwanted same-sex attractions and a number of parents have come forward for support in loving their children well.  I’ve also heard from many people that they went away with a clear understanding of the scriptures, the truth behind the gay revisionist theology, and how to love people well in a scripturally appropriate way.

A big thank you to everyone who covered these events in prayer, they both went amazingly well.

If you would like to financially partner with me and support the work I do you can do so here.

Seminars June 13, 20: Homosexuality – How Should We Respond?; July 10 “Such Were Some of You” Documentary

If someone in your life tells you they struggle with homosexuality how would you respond? If someone asks you if people are born gay and if there is a possibility for change, what would you say? If someone asks you what God says about homosexuality how would you answer?

I will be doing 2 seminars on how we should respond to the various questions we face regarding homosexuality – once Saturday morning June 13^th from 10:00am-2:30pm at Cascade Community Church in Monroe, and again on Saturday morning June 20^th from 8:00am-12:30pm at Northshore Community Church in Kirkland. I will be covering the Scriptures on homosexuality, the gay revisionist theology that’s becoming increasingly popular, how same-sex attractions develops in someone’s life, and how we should respond to those who are dealing with this issue in their lives.

This is a unique opportunity to be informed and think through this critical issue in our culture and in the lives of those we know and love.

Join me at Cascade Community Church in Monroe at 10am on Saturday, June 13^th by either registering at their Welcome Center on a Sunday morning or online by clicking here. A light lunch will be served and childcare will be provided.

Join us at Northshore Community Church from 8:00am to 12:30pm on Saturday, June 20th. No registration needed. No childcare provided.

Such Were Some of You documentary screening on Friday, July 10^th at 7pm at Northshore Community Church in Kirkland. This professionally made, 2-hour documentary “tells the story of how people develop homosexual confusion and how Jesus Christ brings healing from those things that contribute to their same-sex attractions.” It includes many excerpts from the lives of 29 people who’ve walked out of homosexuality as the film describes how same-sex attractions develops in someone’s life, what the gay lifestyle was like for them, how they walked away from that, and what their journey with Christ has been like since. It’s a very informative and hopeful film.

For a short trailer of the documentary click here.

If you would like to financially partner with me and support the work I do you can do so here.

Senate Bill 5870 Final Resolution

Hi everyone,

I thought I would update you on the final status of the Washington State Senate bill 5870, a bill that would make it illegal for therapists to counsel minors who want help with their unwanted same-sex attractions (SSA). While I don’t normally get involved in the politics around homosexual issues I did testify before the Senate hearing committee on bill 5870 because my heart is to help those with unwanted SSA get the help and support they need to live a life that’s in alignment with their personal beliefs. This bill would deny youth the right to seek the help and support they desire so I was willing to speak out on this issue. After several people and I testified at the senate hearing the senators modified the bill to make it illegal to do shock therapy, ice baths, etc. (something everyone is in agreement on) for minors who struggle with SSA but to continue to allow talk therapy. The bill went to the House of Representatives where it was changed back to include making it illegal to do talk therapy as well and the House of Representatives passed the bill. The bill went back to the Senate where it thankfully died.

While the bill died this year it has passed in several other states and we can assume it will be brought before our state congress again next year.

For an overview of what happened you can read more about it here: http://www.fpiw.org/blog/2015/04/23/therapy-ban-dies-senate/

Thank you all for your prayers and support around this.

Jeff

Seminar June 20th “Homosexuality – How Should We Respond”?

If someone in your life tells you they struggle with homosexuality how would you respond? If someone asks you if people are born gay and if there is a possibility for change, what would you say? If someone asks you what God says about homosexuality how would you answer?

Jeff Simunds, Director of Tower of Light Ministries at Northshore Community Church is doing a Saturday morning seminar on June 20^th on how we should respond to the various questions we face regarding homosexuality. He’ll be covering the Scriptures on homosexuality, the gay revisionist theology that’s becoming increasingly popular, how same-sex attractions develops in someone’s life, and how we should respond to those who are dealing with this issue in their lives.

This is a unique opportunity to be informed and think through this critical issue in our culture and in the lives of those we know and love.

Join us at Northshore Community Church from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm on Saturday, June 20.

My Ministry Time in South Africa

YWAM South Africa

I just finished 2 weeks of teaching on sexuality at Foundations of Counseling Ministry School (FCM) for the YWAM (Youth with a Mission) base in Worcester, South Africa and it really was a productive time of ministry.  Participants who attend this training are people who are career missionaries who in addition to coming for their own healing want to be more effective at helping people who are coming to Christ in their areas of ministry. I spread my normal 1 week teaching over 2 weeks so the pace was more relaxed, there was more time for questions, and there was time almost every day for small group ministry time when they could share more deeply and have times to invite Jesus into areas of pain and brokenness in their lives.  The small groups were precious times and the students really met Jesus in deep ways and received a lot of healing.  I received a lot of feedback that the 2 week method was much more effective than the 1 week.  I got a lot of very positive feedback on the time, a couple students said getting healing in the area of their sexuality was one of their main goals for coming to the school.  Several people mentioned that the talks on what the true masculine and true feminine are was very eye opening and that they plan to revisit the material again.  People mentioned that they knew they had issues but now they know where the roots are and where they need healing. I met with quite a few of them for 1-on-1 sessions which allowed them to go deeper than they felt comfortable in group. I think it was a very impactful time for everyone including myself.  Thank you to all who prayed for me during this time.

Participants who attend this training are people who are career missionaries who in addition to coming for their own healing want to be more effective at helping people who are coming to Christ in their areas of ministry.  One of the people who went through the training last year told me that she ministers in the local public schools and took what she had learned to help equip some of the local school counselors.

I will also be going to Switzerland this summer to teach at a YWAM FCM school that’s comprised solely of participants from China.  I’ll be working with an interpreter for the first time which I know will be an added challenge.  I will also be going to Thailand in September to teach at an FCM school there that is starting up for the first time.

If you would like to financially partner with me and support the work I do you can do so here.