John is teaching a class on “Evangelism and Apologetics” this week at Wheaton College. The class meets each day, Monday–Friday, from 1:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. Please pray for students and teacher both.

Pray for our mailing this week of the year-end CD sent to everyone who is on our mailings list for the past two years. This is over 1,000 people and we need many to listen and give as the Lord leads them in the last month of this year.

John is enjoying a special family reunion gathering with the Armstrong family, which includes his brother and sister-in-law and their three married children and their kids. Along with John’s two married children and his grandchildren this makes for a family first at Thanksgiving in Chicago. The whole gang will be here from Wednesday evening through Sunday morning this week.

Pray that we are enabled to receive enough support to make our reduced payroll for November 30.

Pray that our year-end mailing of a CD and a message from John seeking the support of our donors will be blest with answers to prayers for our financial support.

John is preparing this week to teach a class in apologetics at Wheaton College, December 1–5. Pray for the 13 students and his work on new material and lesson plans.

John will preach this Lord’s Day, September 23, at Peace Christian Reformed Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Contact Mr. James Johnston if you desire information (319) 366-3515.

ACT 3 is still running behind budget. We cut the budget by 25% in September and still need direct answers to prayer to meet payroll every two weeks. You help is critical to us at this time. Pray for our financial needs.

John is writing a chapter for a book on the role of women in the church. This book will be edited by Dr. Alan Johnson, a former professor of John’s at Wheaton. The book will feature of number of Christians, men and women, who share their own story of how they changed their mind about the ministry of women. The book will be published in 2009 by Zondervan. Pray that he can complete this autobiographical chapter in the next few weeks.

John is preparing to teach his class in missional apologetics at Wheaton, December 1–5. Pray for preps and study. Pray for the 15 students who will be in this intensive class. Pray for John as he gets to know these students, shares in their lives and grades their work.

Pray for our work on the ACT 3 year-end mailing. We are doing a CD this year rather than a letter. The CD will include Steve Brown’s address at our anniversary on September 5 as well as an update from John on the present and future of ACT 3. Make sure you let us know if you want this CD if you are not a current donor. We will send it to everyone who requests it, donor or not.

John will seek to relax a bit this week after completing the manuscript for the book, Your Church Is Too Small. The book is scheduled to be mailed to the publisher this week. Pray now for the editorial and marketing steps that will come in the months ahead. A lot is still to be done but much of it is now done by the publisher working with John on an occasional basis.

John will begin work on two chapters promised for edited volumes to appear in 2009. He will also begin work around Thanksgiving on a book on the relational Trinity and how the truth of Trinity shapes and forms our Christian lives together.

Continue to pray for health and strength. John is attempting some new measures to address his ongoing health issues with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. His physician is deeply involved in reading the newest research and is willing to try new things to help. Please pray.

John has been working to complete the book Your Church Is Too Small. He should finally finish the last draft this week and then the text is put into a completed electronic file and sent to the publisher. The stress related to this project has been immense lately. Serious writing began in May. After several setbacks the finish line is near. Pray that he will finish the book this week and that it will be sent to the publisher by Monday, November 3.

John will preach this Saturday, November 1, at 5:00 p.m., and Sunday, November 2, at 9:15 and 10:45 a.m., at Lutheran Church of the Master in Carol Stream. The sermon is titled: “Come Celebrate the Great Feast” (Revelation 21:1–9).

During the recent economic downturn in our country ACT 3 has also experienced a drop in some giving. Churches and individuals are still giving but a few of the one-time gifts we depend on have stopped. Please pray that we can make up this loss. We have made a 25% spending cut across the board and the Lord continues to keep us all in good spirits as we adjust.

John is home writing this week. Pray for final proofs and new projects both.

John will lead an ACT 3 Luncheon this Wednesday at 11:45 a.m. at the Holiday Inn in Carol Stream, IL. Dr. Alan Johnson, a professor of John’s in college, will speak on the subject of: “How I Changed My Mind About Women in Leadership.” If you live in the Chicago area and would like to attend sign up on the Web site at www.act3online.com or call the office at (630) 221-1817.

Remember that John writes blogs almost every day and you can read these at www.johnharmstrong.com. Many topics and ideas are discussed on these posts.

Continue to pray for our work on the new ACT 3 DVD project.

John will be home writing this week. He is completing the final chapter in his book, Your Church Is Too Small, and working on some smaller projects.

John will also attend the Ancient Evangelical Faith Conference in Chicago this week, October 9–11. Pray for his time with various leaders and speakers.

Pray for our continued financial efforts to establish a solid monthly support team. This is needed more than ever. We are specifically seeking churches who will support us. If this ministry has been a grace to your congregation help us get support where possible.

John will speak this Sunday evening at 7:30 p.m. to the World Christian Fellowship at Wheaton College.

John will be home the first half of this week and then visiting family in Alabama at the end of the week.

John is almost done with the book, Your Church Is Too Small. The goal is October 1 but this could get pushed toward the end of this week or next. Pray that he can finish soon. When this is completed there are several chapters to write for volumes edited by others, including a chapter for a volume dedicated to Professor John Frame and an essay on the role of women in the church, along with plans for a book on the relational Trinity which is likely to come next.

Scripting on the ACT 3 Story (DVD) is still underway and filming will likely be completed in October. Pray for this process. We hope to have this DVD for anyone who wants one by December.

John is home this week and needs to write. The past few weeks have been exceptionally full and a slower week is most welcome.

John will preach this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. at Thorn Creek Reformed Church, South Holland, Illinois (www.thorncreek.org).

John moderates the Christianity East and West Forum this Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Glen Ellyn. This is a major ACT 3 event and is open without charge to anyone who wants to attend.

John is almost done with the book, Your Church Is Too Small. The goal is October 1. Pray that he can finish during this busy month of September. When this is completed there are several chapters to write for volumes edited by others and then a book on the relational Trinity is likely to come next.

Scripting on the ACT 3 Story (DVD) is underway and filming will likely be in October. Pray for this process. We hope to have this DVD for anyone who wants one by December.

John returns from New York today. Pray for safety and physical strength as he travels home.

John will preach this Saturday (5:00 p.m.) and Sunday (9:15 a.m. and 10:45 p.m.) at Lutheran Church of the Master in Carol Stream, Illinois, www.lcotm.org.

John speaks this Wednesday in chapel at Wheaton College at 10:35 a.m. If you are local you can hear this service on WETN radio, 88.1 FM. You can also access it as a rebroadcast on Wednesday evening on the college Web site at www.wheaton.edu.

John and ACT 3 will host Brother Yun, the Chinese underground pastor whose story is internationally known in his book, The Heavenly Man, this weekend. We have an ACT 3 Event with Brother Yun at the Lindner Conference Center at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 20. We also have an event with the World Christian Fellowship at Coray Auditorium in the Beamer Center at Wheaton College (www.wheaton.edu) at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, September 21. A worship service will also feature Brother Yun at Village Bible Church (www.villagebible.org) in Sugar Grove, Illinois at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, September 21. This unique opportunity should not be missed if you live in the Chicago area. See our Web site for further information. Please pray for all these events.

John is almost done with the book, Your Church Is Too Small. The goal is October 1. Pray that he can finish during this busy month of September. When this is completed there are several chapters to write for volumes edited by others and then a book on the relational Trinity is likely to come next.

Scripting on the ACT 3 Story (DVD) is underway and filming will likely be in October. Pray for this process. We hope to have this DVD for anyone who wants one by December.

John will lead our first ACT 3 Luncheon meeting this Wednesday, September 10, at 11:45 a.m. at the Holiday Inn in Carol Stream. Information on this event and how to register is available online at www.act3online.com. Dr. Michael Quicke, professor of homiletics at Northern Baptist Seminary, will speak on “Preaching As Worship.”

Please keep praying for our video project. We hope it is completed this month.

Pray for our upcoming ACT 3 Sunday Evening Forum on September 28. It is titled: “Christianity: East and West” and will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Glen Ellyn at 6 p.m. Details will be on the Web site and also mailed soon.

Our “Friends of ACT 3 Evening” will take place this Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Barrows Auditorium of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College. We welcome all to come. It will help us if you sign up online or by calling (630) 221-1817. Our speaker is Steve Brown of Key Life. A fellowship time will follow. Invite friends to join you to share in a great celebration of teaching and praise.

Please keep praying for our video project. We hope it is completed this month.

Pray for our first ACT 3 Luncheon meeting that takes place on Wednesday, September 10, at 11:45 a.m. at the Holiday Inn in Carol Stream. You can register online at www.act3online.com. The first speaker is Dr. Michael Quicke on the topic of “Preaching As Worship.”

John will not speak this week.

This will again be a writing week for John. Continue to pray for the work on Your Church Is Too Small, which should be completed this week. John is also writing a chapter for another Zondervan book on the ministry of women in the church. This will also, hopefully, be completed this week.

Summer is still a challenging time for us financially. If you can help us please do so.

We hope to complete the video project in the next month. Please keep praying for this work.

John will not speak this week.

This will be a writing week for John. Continue to pray for the work on Your Church Is Too Small, which is near completion. John is also writing a chapter for another Zondervan book on the ministry of women in the church. This will also, hopefully, be completed by Labor Day

Summer is always a challenging time for us financially. If you can help us please do so.

We hope to complete the video project by September. Please keep praying for this work.

John will preach this Sunday, August 3, at Fox Valley Christian Reformed Church in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

This will be a full writing week for John. Continue to pray for the work on Your Church Is Too Small. The draft has virtually been completed. Now various edits and reader responses are being factored into rewrite and the editing process. One of the hardest parts of this process is to pick what should be cut and consider what should be added, if anything.

Summer is always a challenging time for us financially. If you can help us, please do so this week or next.

We are developing a new video on the ministry of ACT 3. Pray for scripting, taping and production of this important tool. Our hope is to being filming this year.

John will preach this Sunday, July 27, at Intown Community Church (PCA) in Atlanta, Georgia. He will also have several personal meetings with friends of ACT 3 and seek to make new friends for the ministry. After the ministry of the weekend he will get to see his favorite baseball team, the Atlanta Braves, play the St. Louis Cardinals at Turner Field.

This will again be a partial writing week for John. Continue to pray for the work on Your Church Is Too Small. About 90% of the draft has been completed.

Summer is always a challenging time for us financially. If you can help us please do so this week or next.

We are developing a new video on the ministry of ACT 3. Pray for scripting, taping and production of this important tool.

John will return from San Diego today.

This will also be a partial writing week for John. Continue to pray for the work on Your Church Is Too Small. About 75% of the draft has been completed.

Summer is always a challenging time for us financially. If you can help us, please do so this week or next.

We are developing a new video on the ministry of ACT 3. Pray for scripting, taping and production of this important tool.

John will be in San Diego later this week. He will be speaking for several informal gatherings to present the mission of ACT 3 in that area. Details will be available on the Web site.

This will also be a partial writing week for John. Continue to pray for the work on Your Church Is Too Small.

Summer is always a challenging time for us financially. If you can help us please do so this week or next.

We are developing a new video on the ministry of ACT 3. Pray for scripting, taping and production of this important tool.

John does not preach this week but will spend time with family and continue writing. The book, Your Church Is Too Small, is developing well and about 2/3 of the first draft is now written.

Intensive writing requires physical strength and infrequent interruptions. Please pray for this to happen.

John speaks this Sunday evening, June 29, to the Trinity International Baptist Mission in Carol Stream. This is a small strategically trained team of young adults who are building churches among various ethnic groups in the area. The lead pastor was a student of John’s a few years ago.

This will be a writing week for John, which requires physical strength and infrequent interruptions. Please pray for this to happen.

We are developing a new video on the ministry of ACT 3. Pray for scripting, taping and production of this important tool. It is hoped that John can go to Phoenix for a day in order to story-board the plan and begin the script writing.

John preaches this Saturday and Sunday at Lutheran Church of the Master in Carol Stream, Illinois. The Saturday service is at 5:00 p.m. and the Sunday services at 9:15 and 10:45 a.m.

This will be a writing week for John, which requires physical strength and infrequent interruptions. Please pray for this to happen.

We are developing a new video on the ministry of ACT 3. Pray for scripting, taping and production of this important tool.

John will speak this coming Friday evening in Bloomington, Indiana, at a dialog between the Christian East and West. This ecumenical forum is being sponsored by several churches and is hosted by an Orthodox Church in Bloomington. Along with John will be Father Jon Braun, a priest of the Antiochian Orthodox Church.

John will be continuing to write this week. Pray that the summer will be used well to complete several important projects.

ACT 3 has decided to make a DVD that tells our story in ten minutes. Scripting is underway and then production in June. Pray for this whole process.

John will preach this Lord’s Day at 9:30 a.m. at First Reformed Church in South Holland, Illinois. This congregation is waiting for the arrival of their new pastor who begins his ministry on June 15. John will continue to serve the church in the interim and also preach the installation service on June 15.

Pray for the May President’s Letter that will be mailed this month. It presents the financial needs of ACT 3 to by both mail and email. It is one of only two such letters we send all year. Please help us if you can by donating at www.act3online.com when you can. Please help us if you can.

Pray for several foundation gifts that we have sought in recent weeks. We do not generally get money from foundations, but such gifts can be the difference between everything being very tight and giving us the liberty to grow and pay all our bills on time.

John will preach at 9:30 a.m. this Lord’s Day at First Reformed Church in South Holland, Illinois. Pray for the church as they prepare to welcome their new pastor in the next few weeks and as he settles into this new pastoral charge.

Pray for the mailing of our annual President’s Letter to everyone on our mailing list, both email and regular mail. This is one of only two appeals we send annually regarding our financial needs. It is always an important time for ACT 3. If you would like to give you can use our secure online giving feature at www.act3online.com. We do need your support.

Pray for John’s writing and counsel during this week. His goal is to complete a book manuscript by July and to then be able to take a few weeks off to relax. This requires a lot of advance writing to make this time possible.

The annual Board of Directors meeting of ACT 3 is Monday through Wednesday. There are eleven members of our board and they come from the Chicago region as well as Ohio, Texas, Georgia and California. Pray for their travel and safety and for an excellent meeting.

John will preach this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. at First Reformed Church in South Holland, Illinois.

John continues to work on the book he hopes to finish writing this summer. Pray that after the Board meeting this week he can get back into this work with much freedom.

John and the staff are preparing for our annual full Board of Directors meeting this week. Pray for the planning of our agenda, preparation of financial reports, etc. Pray that we will be able to prepare for this important gathering, May 12-14.

John will preach this coming Sunday at 9:30 a.m. at First Reformed Church in South Holland, Illinois. The church called Matt Waterstone to be their new pastor and he accepted the call. He is to be installed on June 15. This is a wonderful time for the church and John will preach through June 15, including Matt’s installation service. Please pray for all involved and for the future of this old church that has a unique opportunity to become a great missional and transitional church.

Summer is always a huge challenge for missions like ACT 3. Giving slows and bills do not stop. Pray for us and please give if you can. We need your help!

John preaches this Saturday and Sunday, May 3–4, at Lutheran Church of the Master in Carol Stream. The services are at 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9:15 a.m. on Sunday. These are the two first communion services that John and Anita have been working on for the past six weeks with 21 fifth graders.

John will be in Plano, Texas (suburban Dallas), today through Wednesday, April 30. He is meeting with Michael Craven, who serves on the ACT 3 board, and with Michael’s board, on which John serves. He is also meeting with several friends of ACT 3 and working on donor development. Please pray for these important meetings. It is vitally important that we expand our donor base this year.

Pray for travel to and from Dallas and for John’s preparation for the forthcoming ACT 3 board meeting, May 12–14.

John preaches this week in New Bern, North Carolina, on Monday and Tuesday in a special series on spiritual awakening with several churches. He also preaches this coming Sunday at First Reformed Church in South Holland, Illinois, in the 9:30 a.m. worship service, April 27.

John will travel home on Wednesday, April 23, and asks for prayer for that day. Travel is often arduous and health suffers accordingly. Pray both for strength and mercy in travel.

John will take part in a Billy Graham Center Evangelism Roundtable, April 24-26, after he returns home. Pray for this wonderful, concentrated event which is near home.

John preaches this coming Sunday at Faith Evangelical Bible Church in New Bern, North Carolina. This will begin a three-day conference on spiritual awakening with a group of churches in that region. Pray for travel mercies and speaking with true Holy Spirit unction.

John and Anita are helping teach and lead a 5^th grade first communion class for 21 children at the local Lutheran Church. This class meets each Monday through April 28. On May 3-4 John serves first communion to the students from this class. Pray for them as we teach and encourage these young people in their journey of following Jesus in faith.

John has several appointments this week with ministers and friends of ACT 3. Pray for these meetings and for the grace and wisdom to serve and minister well.

On Wednesday John is the guest on the Steve Brown, etc. show. This radio broadcast will be available on our Web site shortly after it is taped.

Today and tomorrow John will attend the board meeting of the Institute on Religion and Democracy in Washington, D. C. Please keep the staff and board of IRD in your prayers.

John will preach this Sunday, April 13, at First Reformed Church in South Holland, Illinois, at 9:30 a.m.

John and Anita have been teaching a first communion class for fifth graders and this ends next week. Please pray for John and Anita (and their friend Anne who is working with them) and the children.

Pray for the continued donor support work of ACT 3. If you can help us you could donate at www.act3online.com.

John continues to recover this week from foot surgery. Please pray for complete healing and the proper use of his right foot.

John will preach this Saturday at 5 p.m. and again at 9:30 and 10:45 at Lutheran Church of the Master in Carol Stream, Illinois.

Pray for continued writing this week on the book: Your Church Is Too Small. Some of the material given over the past few weeks in the ACT 3 Weekly articles parallels the themes of this book.

John will enjoy a one-day prayer retreat this week. He will also be working on the preparation for the ACT 3 Forum this coming Sunday evening, March 30.

The ACT 3 Forum this week will be at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church and will feature John and Father Tom Baima on the meaning and importance of the Lord’s Supper. Father Baima will present the Roman Catholic view of the Mass and John the Reformed understanding of the Supper. The time is 6:00 p.m. and the information is on the Web site at: www.act3online.com.

John will preach this Sunday, March 30, at 9:30 a.m. at First Reformed Church in South Holland, Illinois.

John will undergo a foot operation this week, on March 26 at noon. Pray that this second operation will correct two problems that have persisted for well over three years. A previous operation, over two years ago, did not solve the problems.

John will lead a number of services during Holy Week, March 17-23. First, he will speak and lead a Maundy Thursday Communion service at Lutheran Church of the Master in Carol Stream at 7:00 p.m. on March 20. Then on March 21 he will preach to a combined service for several congregations at First Reformed Church in South Holland, Illinois, also at 7:00 p.m. Then he preaches on Easter Sunday morning at First Reformed Church as well.

Pray for our various audio ministries. We are seeking to create a new podcasting service that sends a new sermon, lecture or interview out each week. These audio files will also be on our Web site so anyone can listen. In addition, we have built a small studio desk in John’s basement so he can do live radio talk shows on an ISDN line, which provides the sound quality of studio live, not a telephone connection. This will greatly expand our ministry through the media.

Pray for all the Friends of ACT 3 who recently received our special Friend’s CD which included the funeral service of John’s mom. This will also be online eventually.

Pray for our ACT 3 Board as we prepare for our annual meeting May 12–14. We will be adding three new members at the meeting this year and saying good-bye to one very faithful member who has served for many years and now needs/deserves a break.

John will teach a class on ministry for Steve Brown this Tuesday, March 11, in Orlando. He will also visit friends on the campus of Reformed Theological Seminary. Pray that this day on the campus will be drenched with blessings and the renewal of friendships and possible new ones as well.

John will travel home this week and needs journey mercies and grace to remain strong physically.

Pray for the upcoming ACT 3 Forum at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church on Sunday, March 30, at 6:00 p.m. John will have a dialogue with Father Thomas Baima on the subject of the Eucharist. This unique evening will allow the Catholic view of the Mass and the Reformed view of the Lord’s Supper to be contrasted and compared in the spirit of Christian love and conversation.

Pray for Stacy Kifer who manages our office affairs and oversees the administration of ACT 3 day-to-day. She also works with her husband in running a martial arts school and needs strength to stay on top of various tasks to be done.

John will be going on vacation this week. Pray for rest, relaxation and profound recovery from a busy time and season. Pray for travel mercies and grace for body and soul.

Pray for the last minute writing and completion of projects before John goes away so that he can take a complete rest from the routines of the ministry.

Take note of our forthcoming ACT 3 Forum on March 30 at the Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church. This evening will include a dialogue on the Lord’s Supper between Father Thomas Baima and John Armstrong. Everyone is invited. Check the Web site for details.

John comes home this week from California and works on some new writing projects, including his book, Your Church Is Too Small. Please pray for recovery from a long trip and strength in body and mind to write.

Our new ACT 3 Friends CD should be mailed very soon. Pray for the completion of this project. It goes to very donor from 2006 to the present. Soon after it is mailed it will also available online. This CD includes a message from John to our friends as well as the funeral service of John’s mother from November, 2007.

Our next ACT 3 Forum will be March 30, at 6:00 p.m., at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church. The topic is: The Lord’s Supper: A Catholic and Reformed Dialogue. John and his friend, Father Thomas Baima, will share the evening. The event is open to all and there is no charge. Watch our Web site for information.

John will speak several times this coming week, all in California. He speaks on Wednesday, February 21, to ministers in Solano County, in the North Bay area of San Francisco. Then in the evening he does a Q & A dinner with some church leaders. On Friday evening, February 22 he speaks at a home meeting, at Mt. Hermon, with friends of ACT 3. Finally, on Sunday, February 24, he speaks at City Church in San Francisco. Please pray for these public meetings and for travel and strength.

During this busy week pray for Anita and the ministry at home. Pray for our financial needs as well. Pray for our board as we will add three new members at the annual meeting in May.

Pray also for Sean McCallum, our Webmaster. Sean covers a number of things for ACT 3 and he has become a real friend to the ministry in the process.

John returns from Alabama today and will immediately begin more writing on his forthcoming book on the Church. Please pray for a good week of writing and study.

John will preach this Sunday morning, February 10, at 9:30 a.m. at First Reformed Church in South Holland, Illinois.

Pray for work on our Web site. We are seeking to add many more audio and video features to the site. We have also created a mini-studio in our basement for direct live radio and Internet interviews. Pray that the set-up is completed this week.

John will lead an elders’ retreat for Southwood Presbyterian Church (Huntsville) in Fort Payne, Alabama, this Friday night and all day Saturday. He will also preach at Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Madison, Alabama, on Sunday morning. Pray for travel and ministry both.

Pray for the financial needs of ACT 3. We ended 2007 well, but the need for new and faithful donors is always a day-to-day issue. You can help us ay www.act3online.com.

John has been writing a lot more on his blog spot and you are encouraged to read these blogs and pray for this writing: www.johnharmstrong.com.