With our first anniversary in the rear view mirror we have another awesome milestone to share with you! We have two men who have come through their mentoring programs and are moving forward with their new identities and lives in Jesus Christ.

I could take this time to give you a lot of information on what’s going on behind the scenes in the ministry, but instead, I’d like to share a couple of stories about how God works through 4BetterOr4Worse.

I’ve been meeting with Eric for over a year now. He is 26 yrs old and single. When we started meeting at a local diner it took quite a while to get past talking about the weather and the hobbies we have. After a few meetings we began to connect and I shared with him the Basics of Grace material that we go through with every man we mentor. Since then we’ve had a number of challenging discussions over burgers and fries. I’ve learned things from him and I’m certain that God has spoken to him through me. A few weeks ago, Eric told me that he has arranged with his employer to work remotely so that he can relocate and be closer to his dad who has ALS. Since I’ve known Eric he’s always had a desire for ministry. As of this letter, he has contacted two of the campus ministry organizations attached to the university near the area where he’s moving. Once he is connected, he will begin to work with college kids. I’m really proud of Eric and I’m blessed to have known him for the past 18 months.

I also want to tell you about two guys who have never met each other but have been a blessing to each other through 4BetterOr4Worse. Scott found himself cash strapped after an error in the accounting at the shop where he works. It would be another week at least before he got his next paycheck and both of his family vehicles needed gas. He posted a prayer request on the Chapel page at 4BetterOr4Worse.org. A day or two later Doug saw the prayer request. He had done some extra side work and was sitting on a little extra money. He e-mailed me and asked how he could get some gas money into Scott’s hands. Our ministry was able to make the connection between the two men. Doug’s generosity was a blessing to Scott and Doug tells me that he has already received a blessing from God for putting his faith into action. The really cool part is that these two guys have never met!

Our focus continues to be working one-on-one with men, encouraging and supporting them in their relationships with Jesus Christ, their wives and their families. We are also building relationships with churches to partner with them. Our web community continues to be a place where men can come for information on a variety of subjects and I am always looking for opportunities to share the positive message of mentoring with churches and men’s groups.

I am grateful for our team of people who provide proactive prayer coverage for the ministry. This has been a great addition to our ministry. On that note, we continue to look for a volunteer to expand this team into a more comprehensive outreach prayer project as an extension of the mentoring. He will be a member of the Core Ministry Team and his primary responsibility will be to receive prayer requests via e-mail and forward them to the prayer team using the prevailing internet technologies. If you or someone you know would be willing to volunteer for this position, please contact me at bert@4BetterOr4Worse.org or at (616) 272-4854.

The small group study is in the final stages of editing. I am in the process of working through it with a small group and a couple of individuals. I’m excited about getting it on the web site for others to use.

Because of the slow steady growth we’ve seen in the last year, we’re recognizing a need for a formal budget process. This is something I’m currently working on for our next Core Ministry Team meeting. Once this budget is approved it will be posted on our web site’s Office page. I want our finances to be transparent and for donors to see how their donations are being used.

The difficult part in any ministry is always the fundraising. Raising support for anything is difficult and I’m so very grateful for the small number of ministry supporters who open their wallets every time we have a need.

However, the time has come to go beyond situational needs into something more substantial. To meet that need, we’ve partnered with Interstate Batteries to raise funds for 4BetterOr4Worse Ministry. This is a great partnership because it allows you to get something practical in return for your donation. Interstate Batteries has long been known for its automotive batteries, but they also offer a line of household batteries, flashlights, organizers, and other products. The easiest way to help is to go to our website. There is a headline on the main page as well as the addition of a logo/link on the sidebar. Click the Interstate Battery logo and it will take you to the order page with the coupon code 4Better already entered for you. Anything you order with this coupon code will include free shipping and half of any item dollar amount comes directly to 4BetterOr4Worse Ministry. My goal is to raise $1000 by the time the kids go back to school in the fall. Please help fund the important work we do with married men by purchasing through this partnership.

I’m always grateful for your support as we continue to support and encourage men who stood in front of God and everyone and said “I do”.

In His service,

Bert DeVries
4BetterOr4Worse Ministry Founder