[photopress:idl0507_annette.jpg,thumb,alignleft]Jim met Annette while waiting for the show to start at the U2 concert in Seattle a few months ago. They were both seated in the “nose bleed – really cheap seats” section of the Key Arena and struck up a conversation. She asked Jim what he did, which often leads to an interview. Her story highlights the role Bono plays in people’s lives, why people choose to opt out of Christianity and how to talk about differences without becoming mean-spirited. Annette graciously agreed to this interview following the concert. Annette lives in Oregon, is married and is currently in training to become a massage therapist.

Where did you meet Jim?
I met Jim at the April 26th U2 show at the Key Arena in Seattle.

What did it feel like to meet Bono in person?
I may seem silly to some people but Bono is a very important figure in my life because I admire all the work that he does in the world. Particularly for his work in DATA. He’s a rock star that uses his influence and assets for immense good. I’ve always felt that if we all chose one thing that we cared about and used whatever time or influence we had to make a difference, that the world could be exactly what we want it to be. Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I believe in that. Bono personifies it, so to meet him felt HUGE – that I had experienced greatness. It gave me renewed hope in the beliefs that I contribute time and money to. Read the rest of this entry »

By Jim Henderson

I recently traveled to India where I met Sunil Sardar. Sunil leads Truth Seekers Society, a group that seeks to serve and uplift the repressed castes of India known as the Dalits. He asked me to join him at a local Dalit social/political street celebration in honor of a 16th Century Hindu reformer named Ravidas. Tens of thousands of people marched by the platform (I was the only available token white guy, so they put me front and center). This turned out to be one the most meaningful spiritual learning experiences of my life. Sunil is married to Pam, they have 4 children. They will be traveling and speaking in the US the next few months.

Jim…the Lost Years

What were you doing prior to starting the Truth Seekers Society?
[photopress:sunil.jpg,thumb,alignleft]We spent 10 years in church planting work in Maharashtra (central India). Our ministry was called Din Bandhu which means “Friend of the Poor”. Several hundred churches were planted representing 40 different caste groups who had no church before. My brother is now leading this work, and it continues to flourish. Read the rest of this entry »

An Interview with Randy Siever

Ephesians 4:11 tells us that “some” are called to be evangelists… to equip the saints for the work…. My experience in the church taught me just the opposite. Evangelists DO the work, they are too busy to train anyone. Pastors have been taught to hire an Evangelist or to recruit more evangelists who will then do the work. It is a rare Evangelist who realizes that their work is not to preach or be on a stage but rather to “giveaway” their passion, spirit and practical ideas to everyone else. If Jesus modeled anything it was “restraint”. Instead of doing everything better he invited others to do it poorly and in doing that ended up developing a movement where ordinary people got to play rather than watch. Randy Siever can lead people to Christ just about whenever he sees fit but is now on a new learning curve in order to help others get a little bit of what he does.

Randy, you are a gifted evangelist- give our readers some feel for how often you find yourself “leading people to Christ”?

[photopress:randy_siever.jpg,thumb,alignright]I don’t keep records (or notches on my belt), but I’d guess I lead an average of 15-20 people a year to Christ, one-on-one. I also get to do that every-other-month in a small class I call the Discovery Group. I probably see two-to-four people accept Christ at the end of that class each time we do it, so let’s say I’m personally involved with somewhere between 25-50 “conversions” a year, that I’m aware of anyway.

Have you always had this gift? Read the rest of this entry »