FM 8/99

Dear Fellow Members,

1. Peter and I love you very much and are so thankful for your continued faithful service to Jesus and the Family. We've been very happy to hear how many of you are doing so well, and in some cases your FM Home is doing as much as some of our CM Homes, or more. This is a wonderful testimony to your love for Jesus, your desire to stay stirred up in the spirit, and your determination to serve Him.

2. Of course, we can always do a better job of serving the Lord, and as you'll read in the enclosed GN, "Shakeup 2000," the Lord is issuing a renewed call to commitment. In parts of this Letter, He makes it clear that there's a difference between the Charter Member and Fellow Member Family. This is something that we all know‚ but it can still be a sensitive point if we don't look at it through the Lord's eyes. The Lord has helped the Family to make great strides toward reconciliation between the FM and CM Family, and now He's calling all of us to further steps of commitment. He's calling everyone to take this shakeup to heart and apply it personally to our lives. All can partake of this new challenge in some way.

3. Whether you're a Fellow Member or Charter Member, this GN will prick your conscience and shake you up and help you to be more fully committed about your service to the Lord‚ and this is the kind of good fruit the Lord wants. The Lord and Peter and I respect your decision to be a Fellow Member, and the Lord has promised that He will continue to keep you faithful to your calling. With this GN, He's giving you the renewed inspiration and vision to do all you can in the place that He's called you, wherever that may be. What's important to Him is your love for Him and your work of winning lost souls to Him, not your status as CM or FM. You can give Him your all either way, and of course, you're free at any time to apply for CM status if you want to serve Him as a Charter Member again.

4. If you've been feeling lethargic in spirit‚ this Letter is probably just what you need to stir you up. If you've been weakening through compromise, this is just what you need to renew your convictions. There's so much that the Lord will use our Family to do, and this is why He has given this shakeup message—to help us all to reach for greater commitment in our place of service, whether Fellow Member or Charter Member.

5. We pray that as you read this message, you'll realize that your degree of dedication can be heightened‚ and what you do for the Lord to reach lost souls can be an even greater blessing to His sheep.

With much love‚

Mama