Dear friends of Vital Signs Ministries, September 2025
Because of time constraints and because our August schedule was so full of eventful ministry, this month’s letter will be a straightforward newsletter. Let’s jump right in.
* August’s highlights began early. Indeed, on the first day of the month, I was climbing Mt. Sherman on our annual Colorado 14er adventure. With me were Matt Troutman and his son, Luke, and veteran hiker Ryan Garvey. These young fellas made the summit in record time. Alas, however, the old guy only made it to a little over 13,500.
Now, of course, being 74 has a great deal to do with my failure to reach the top, but I’m all too aware that I had not been training this year as I had in the past. Nothing like the disciplines of diet, walking, and biking that have helped so much in me “bagging” those seven 14ers I’ve made since my 65th birthday. Therefore, I have already started back into the regimes of previous years and maybe…if the Lord tarries and I’m still around next summer…I’ll give it a much better effort. Let me emphasize, however, that even though I didn’t summit this time, I was thrilled that the guys did — and in such style too — and our two days spent in the mountains (Ron and Linda Scheffler were also in our company) were stimulating, encouraging, and fun.
* August found our regular ministries going extremely well. For example, we presented 12 “When Swing Was King” shows and they were all received with great enthusiasm and heartwarming gratitude. We were also blessed to have a greater number than usual of conversations of a serious spiritual character with the residents of the senior facilities. Thank You, Father.
* Our ongoing work also involves prayers and public pro-life witness outside the Planned Parenthood abortion business. That ministry is now enhanced by striking new banners made by Paula Peaslee. She created 5 lovely and durable banners that we are already making good use of alongside our beautiful baby signs. As you know, our presence at the abortion business is always a very hard ministry and we urge you to please continue your prayers in our behalf — prayers for safety from angry clients and the crazed leftists that an abortion business attracts, as well as prayers for God to multiply the power of our message in the hearts of workers, clients, and all the people driving by.
* The Sunday afternoon church services we conduct at Aksarben Village Senior Living remain an important outreach to the 15-20 residents who regularly attend and to the Vital Signs team that helps out. Those three remarkable songs from YouTube created by individuals and choirs from all over the world — the brief but engaging sermon from God’s Word — and the 45 minutes of visiting afterward all make for a very rich and momentous ministry.
* We hosted two of our quarterly letter-writing parties in August and though the numbers of letter-writers were down from previous years (that is a concerning reality about several of Vital Signs’ activities nowadays), we still produced over 100 letters and cards of advocacy, evangelism, encouragement, and thanksgiving. And yes, we make available the target sheet, addresses, and even sample letters for others.
* Claire and I sponsored a table of 10 for the Nebraska Family Alliance fundraising banquet on August 16 and wow, was that a terrific event! NFA is doing such crucial work and doing it wisely, winsomely, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. The evening’s speaker was Bethany Hamilton who did an incredible job and has become one of our new Christian heroines.
* Other networking activities in August involved our work in organizing the upcoming Business and Professional People for Life luncheon on Thursday, September 11. That event will feature Omaha’s new Roman Catholic Archbishop Michael McGovern as the speaker. Claire and I are sponsoring a table for that event as well. And I cannot fail to mention one of our favorite networking ministries of the year; namely, our taking a couple of shifts at the Nebraska Right to Life State Fair booth. We always have a terrific time there, especially with the chance to serve alongside friends who had seen our name on NRL’s website and signed on specifically to join us — Ralph and Carolyn Tate on Monday evening and Virgil and Becky Patlan on Tuesday morning.
* In addition to my preaching duties for Aksarben Village, I was honored to present an adult Sunday school class and the worship service sermon at Wellspring Church in Papillion on August 17. Wellspring is a small church but one that is very near to our hearts. We are delighted with every chance we have to minister there. By the way, my sermon that morning was on an Old Testament text that is rarely visited by preachers — the story of Ehud the deliverer from Judges 3. You can, by the way, watch that sermon on the Vital Signs Ministries YouTube channel.
* Of course, our regular ministries also include hospitality services. Breakfasts and lunches. Coffees and teas. “Santa runs” to bring food gifts and assistance to people who can use a bit of cheer. Visits with friends and neighbors. Sharing our faith. Claire’s chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin muffins. Gift cards to help out friends. Pies to the residents and caregivers where my sister Sherry lives in Wichita. Sending out the “Sunday songs” and posting the Top 5 on Vital Signs Blog every week. Mowing the neighbor’s lawn. Family activities. A lot of personal correspondence. And so on.
* And in August, our hospitality ministries also involved a particularly engaging night where Claire and I were honored to host 11 guests for a showing of David Payne’s excellent one-man play, An Evening with C.S. Lewis. It was superb.
* Well, that’s about it. August did have a few more “moments” for us: cleaning up after that awful windstorm; a lot of lawn and garden work; Claire having 4 more sun-damaged spots burned off by the dermatologist; a nice report from Doctor Curry (our dentist); reading; sermon prep; creating the next “When Swing Was King” show; plans to participate in the upcoming banquet of the Global Friends evangelism and discipleship ministry; and plans to serve as docents in the Inspired Bible exhibit coming to Omaha this fall.
Your prayers, encouragement, and support remain absolutely “greater than gold” to us. And we are forever grateful for your partnership with us in this work. Thank you and may God abundantly bless you, your families, and your ministries.
