NEW FSS LEADER PAUL REYNOLDS

Every once in a while you see that God has answered a prayer so perfectly that you are utterly amazed and truly thankful. Such is the case with the new addition to our team, Paul Reynolds.

In this, our fifth year, we are more busy than we have ever been before. So, it has been the subject of many prayers to add a like-minded student of Francis Schaeffer to our work. Paul Reynolds is that guy. Paul is a graduate of Covenant Theological Seminary and an Associate Pastor of New Hope Presbyterian Church in Olathe, KS.

Paul brings with him a background of study and interest in Francis Schaeffer, and a knowledge of his importance. He asserts that he is not an expert, but a simple conversation shows he has a solid grasp of Schaeffer's thought. As a student at Covenant, he was involved in the student activities of the Francis Schaeffer Institute, and sat under many Schaeffer scholars such as Jerram Barrs, Mark Ryan (Director of the Francis Schaeffer Institute), and adjunct L'Abri teachers such as Dick Keyes. All of whom we highly respect and have learned much from over the years.

Perhaps Paul's most highly valued strength is his warmth, service and a humble depth of knowledge. Jason and myself already greatly appreciate our new friendship with Paul and are excited to see what Paul brings to the team.

Paul will first be assisting me (Dan) directly in various ways under the generic title of Operations Assistant, as we explore his specific gifts and strengths. His first projects will be related to editing various writing projects. 

Please join us in welcoming Paul to Francis Schaeffer Studies!

Providence!
Dan Guinn

 

THREE YEARS, THREE GOALS, THREE FOUNDATIONS

It's hard to believe that francisschaefferstudies.org is three years old, and that so much has happened in such a short amount of time. Within just three years we were blessed to be able to put on our first mini-conference called The Francis Schaeffer Centennial honoring Schaeffer's 100th birthday, recorded several live events, taught four Schaeffer semester classes, created our first documentary (for the Francis Schaeffer Collection at SEBTS), interviewed eight scholars for the Francis Schaeffer Legacy Project and created over 50 videos. Thousands have visited the web site in both it's early and revised form and we have had over 30,000 views on the blog. Social media, particularly Facebook has really taken off, where the fan page has 1700+ followers and the group has over 500 members. Some of our proudest achievements have been ones that are more dear to our heart; historical preservation. We have been blessed to find and recover numerous historical documents and items in our acquisitions project that have been digitized and shared with other Schaeffer organizations. We can only stand amazed at all that has happened and are so thankful for all that God has provided and the many friends we have met along the way. We are thankful for you all!

In three years our goals have been to accomplish three things:

1. To Be a Resource: To be a fan site and resources for the promotion and study of the works of Francis and Edith Schaeffer.
2. For the Next Generation: To assist in passing the works of Francis & Edith Schaeffer to the next generation and make their thought and teaching more accessible for general inquiry.
3. To Provide a Service: To be  a service to the Francis Schaeffer and L'Abri community.

Our primary foundations have really been three core principles:

1. Honoring Leadership Biblically: To be mindful of the Biblical principle of leadership and the instruction to "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (Hebrews 13:7 ESV)
2. Preserving Legacy: To be careful to be mindful of the legacy of Francis and Edith Schaeffer and preserve their history and message as closely as possible.
3. Total Lordship: To effectively communicate the Lordship of Christ in the whole of life, which was the foundational principle of the Schaeffer's message.

Our goals for the coming year are to build on our three goals and stick to our primary motivations. Our list of projects for the future is as full as the list of accomplishments God has allowed. We continue to praise God for His provision, as His hand as been evident in every step of this work. We hope that you will join us in prayer and follow along as we continue to provide this free service.

Dan Guinn
Founder, Francis Schaeffer Studies