JOHN JUNEMAN
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Clearwater, FL  August 15-21, 2016

8/26/2016

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Some places are just like home.  There is no other way to describe it.  Clearwater, FL has become like one of those places for us.  Our family began taking a yearly vacation there about four years ago, made possible by the gracious hospitality of Sam and Joy Burch as they welcome us like family into their home for those days, and we are graciously indebted to them and have such a deep love for them.  I have heard it said that you are either a “mountain” person or an “ocean” person, and our family has definitely been captivated by the peace, beauty, sunshine (I totally get the retirement thing in Florida now!), and restfulness of the beaches of the Clearwater area in these years --- one of our favorite places in this world.  
​Honeymoon Island, Clearwater Beach, Pier 60, and morning runs on the Dunedin Causeway.  But as much as we have an attachment to the location, I believe it is a love for the people that makes us so at home there.  Of course, Sam and Joy continue to be like family to us.  But Clearwater First Church of the Nazarene (CFN) has quickly become like this to us as well.  What a place of blessing, warmth, love, and encouragement it has been to us, even capped off in the closing service on Sunday night as our dear brother, Pastor Pat Glenn, asked Sam to pray for our family as the congregation gathered around.   The Lord Jesus really touched our lives through these people!  After being at CFN for revival services in January and so enjoying our time then,
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Prayer at the altar on Sunday night
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Prayer conference on Saturday
we were excited to get to go back for vacation in August, with the added opportunity to teach for a weekend prayer conference at the church August 20 and 21. This was after getting to share at the church on Wednesday night and then joining in a fellowship meal with a group at the church on Friday night.  This was my first time to lead a prayer conference, and we were all quite overwhelmed with how God worked in this time and in our lives.  As we shared on prayer from the Word for three sessions on Saturday, the presence and anointing of Jesus through His Spirit left us nearly speechless and overwhelmed.  It was a time of deep learning and all of our lives being deeply impacted.  
If this was not enough, that same presence and power of the Holy Spirit overflowed into ​the two morning services and the evening service in a nearly unimaginable way.  There were remarkable spiritual decisions and response in both of those morning services with God supernaturally at work among us.  The evening service continued in this and was a demonstration of the love and grace of Jesus Christ as I have maybe never seen before as we worshiped and shared the Word one more time.  Dr. Larry Dennis, District Superintendent of the Florida District, was present to make a special presentation to Sam Burch in an incredibly moving demonstration of God’s love.  We heard testimonies of what Jesus had done over the weekend, and got to pray for people as well as being prayed for in those closing moments.  The word “overflow” seems to best express what we experienced of God in these times together.  
Jesus continued to touch us and demonstrate Himself to us through people after the service,  and this continues even now through words and conversations.  Thank you to Pastor Pat and Barbie, Sam and Joy, and everyone there for these precious and life-changing times, and thank you the Lord Jesus Christ for how You worked in our lives in these days.  It was certainly like no “vacation” we have ever experienced before, and while we miss the sun and beaches of Clearwater, it is the people that we miss the most and hold dear in our hearts as we continue,
 
Running together in Christ,
 
John
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Dinner on a beautiful evening on Clearwater Beach, FL
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Sandstone, MN  August 5-7, 2016

8/11/2016

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​It is not often you get the privilege of taking a road trip with your almost-college-graduate daughter (Chaili has nine months left for her nursing degree at Trevecca Nazarene University).  She went with me last time I was at Community Worship Center in Sandstone, MN a few years ago, and she has maintained some special relationships from there as well as her love for the peace and beauty of being near the water.  So it was a very personal “dad” highlight and blessing to get to have Chaili with me again on this 1,000 mile drive each way with a few days in between in Sandstone.  Though it has been a few years since being there, it was like walking into somewhere very familiar to us with so many people we have known so well over these years from the time when Sam Burch was the pastor here.  Jason Best is now doing a great work of just preaching and pointing people to Jesus and the Word in this growing church.  What an encouragement it was to see the new people and families who are simply being drawn by the Holy Spirit to experience and know Jesus at CWC.  
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I was struck in these services on Saturday and Sunday by the hunger for the Word that I saw and sensed in people.  There seemed to be such true anticipation in minds and hearts, including the several children that were present in the services.  I was reminded again of the simplicity, though not always easy, of what God calls us to do: preaching the Word and loving people in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.  This holds true in every size church in every culture and in every time.
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​I was encouraged to see this happening with new people this special place in Sandstone, MN --- an area of great need as are so many places in our world today.  The presence of the Holy Spirit in these services was very real with some significant response to truth and renewal in the hearts of the people present.  I suppose I might have been most touched by the sight of some of the young boys who were so attentive, listening, and open to Jesus in their lives.  Young Elijah (7 years old) even offered me an idea for a new sermon!  This is what we are all about --- passing the flame as Paul did for Timothy even while instructing him to do the same for others. 
One final thing along this same line . . . .  On our way up to Sandstone, Chaili and I were privileged to stop in Eden Prairie (Minneapolis area) to see a dear friend.  Dr. Norman Bloom used to be a District Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene in Minnesota, but after that went to work at Olivet Nazarene University.
Shortly after this is when I came to Olivet as a new student.  I had been a Christian for only a few months, and less than a year when I met Norman Bloom, who showed such great kindness to me and to my family.  Over the years, Norman has continued to be the same loving encourager over and over again, and now through written correspondence.  I am praying that the Lord Jesus Christ will be this through me in like manner across these years to come.  One of the things Norman often says at the end of his letters is, “Heaven is getting nearer.”  Indeed it is, and I want to live in that light as we are,
 
Running together in Christ,
 
John
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Sebring (OH) Holiness Campmeeting, July 14-24 2016

8/2/2016

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​The last time Trina and I were at Sebring Holiness Campmeeting, our daughter, Chaili, was 2 years old.  Those were wonderful times as a family, staying in that small room and experiencing campmeeting services and life together.  Our family has always had a love for campmeeting.  It was a special blessing to us, then to get to go back to Sebring Camp this summer with a 20-year-old Chaili and a 14-year-old Carey.  Trina and Chaili had to go back about half-way through the camp because of Chaili’s summer work schedule, but Carey and I were both there for the duration of the 10-day long camp.  Carey got to participate in the youth program, staying in the youth dorm and working in the kitchen in addition to all the services and special activities (late night bowling, anyone?).  One of the highlights of the camp was meeting and working with Cory and Jess Clark.  
Cory was the youth evangelist for the week and shared powerful, biblical, and life-changing truth in each of the morning youth services.  I could not recommend Cory more highly, and recommend that anyone check out his webite at www.coryjessministries.com/ and consider having Cory come to speak at your church or event.  ​Another highlight was to again be with our dear friend, Tab Beechler, who led the worship for the entire camp.  Tab is a special person with a special gifting from God to be able to share a variety of music that touches people of every age from various backgrounds.  I also could not more highly recommend for anyone to have Tab at their church for any kind of music ministry.  http://tabbeechler.com. 
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John, Chaili, and Trina with Tab Beechler at Sebring Holiness Camp
​I was privileged this year to be the morning Bible teacher as well as one of the main tabernacle evangelists at Sebring.  I shared the “Rescued from Normal” (1 Corinthians 11 on the Lord’s Supper) material in the 9:30 morning Bible study, as well as then preaching once per day from 2 Timothy in either the 10:30 morning service or the 7:00 evening service.  You can listen to some of the messages from 2 Timothy here.  This was more work than I have done before in a campmeeting of this length, but I truly enjoyed getting to share the Word and was encouraged to see some of the response.  The teens, in particular, were so responsive each and every one of the evening services (they had their own morning services with Cory speaking).  It was great to be close to them and speak right to them as they would sit right down in the front.  I was also encourage by so many of the adults who attended these services, including many who would drive in from somewhere just for the evening services, in addition to those where staying in cottages on the grounds.  
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​One of the highlights from my week was when one of my online students and his family drove two hours from Western Pennsylvania to have dinner with me and came to the evening service.  What a true joy to get to know them in person and to just encourage one another in Christ.  That is what it is all about!  Another highlight of the week was the concluding service of the camp.  It seemed clear to me that Jesus broke through and upon us in a very powerful way in this service, from the very first moment.  The altar was lined with people praying at the conclusion of the service, with many tears during and after, and it seemed like eternity was affected in these moments.  I praise God for this powerful answer to prayer.  
​Perhaps what I was reminded of and renewed in most at Sebring was the sweetness of the fellowship that there is in Jesus Christ.  We had wonderful times of fellowship with so many, from our times after service at night with our friends on the kitchen crew, to the times just sitting and talking with people and my fellow workers at the camp, to the times with my family, to the times of worship in the services.  I was reminded again that campmeeting is such a special time because it is experiencing Jesus in life together for 10 days.  I was moved again in my heart to make these things --- the things that really matter --- the priorities of life.  I pray to simply seek to know Jesus and grow in relationship with Him and with one another in Him.  That is what lasts past a 10-day camp and into eternity.  I am continuing to seek Him with you as we are,
 
Running together in Christ,
 
John
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    John Juneman
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"And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also"
2 Timothy 2:2
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