A Big Thank You!

BECAUSE OF YOU... the 40-year televised Hour of Power survived 2010.

Along with millions of Americans, persons all around the world and businesses everywhere, the Hour of Power weathered the 12 financially turbulent months of 2010... and, SURVIVED, to begin another year of positive, powerful, life-changing ministry. It would not have happened without YOU!

Leading up to and through 2010, Crystal Cathedral Ministries leadership made deep cuts including over 100 staff positions and most of the local broadcast stations. By year's end, nearly all staff members were doing the jobs of two or three people and volunteers stepped in to help, as well, while revenues continued to be reduced by over 30% compared with the previous year.

But, YOU WERE THERE! YOU saved the day, so the Hour of Power could begin its 41st Anniversary Year! What a life-saving gift you have given to millions of people everywhere. Thank you!

---

A Legacy Story: Stan Petersen

Stan Petersen, a beautiful Christian man with the twinkle of Jesus Christ in his eyes, passed away March 8, 2010. He left a legacy of love and support by including Crystal Cathedral Ministries in his estate plans.

Stan looked forward to watching the Hour of Power every Sunday with his dearest friend, Darlene LaJune.

"Stan was so uplifted by the music and sermons," said Darlene. "Even when faced with the possibility of a terminal illness, Stan held strong in his faith. When reassured that everything would turn out okay no matter what because God loves him, Stan confidently replied, 'I know it. God is good.'"

Create a Big Affect Through Generous Giving...

To encourage future generations in a BIG way, you can leave a legacy through a final will and estate gift to the Crystal Cathedral/Hour of Power. For more information, go to Legacy Gifts at the Crystal Cathedral website.

During trying times, say, "Ha!"

By Dr. Sheila Schuller Coleman

How do we praise God when everything is going wrong? When we get bad news? We praise God because God is God and God is good and God will have the last word and it will be good! When trouble hits, when suffering strikes, say, "Ha! Take that! Hallelujah anyway!"

The last few months, as our finances here at Crystal Cathedral Ministries have continued to suffer, I walk the grounds and see weeds growing where flowers had once bloomed. With tears in my eyes, I force myself to say aloud and mean it, "Hallelujah anyway! This is just a tough phase, but I believe in a tough God!"

When passing our statue of Job here on campus, seeing the fountain that surrounds it dry (the electric bill had to be cut wherever possible), I say aloud, …meaning it, with tears in my eyes, "Hallelujah anyway! Thank you, God, that even though you are trying us, we shall 'come forth as gold'" (Job 23:10).

And, indeed, I have seen that God allows our trials, our sufferings. He doesn't cause them, but he allows them—not to punish any of us, not because we have done something to deserve them, but that his glory will be revealed!

Yes, I have seen the glory of God revealed like never before in this ministry because of what we are going through. Probably the most beautiful phase of our ministry has been in April when thousands of ministry friends like YOU, in response to the financial downturn we have experienced, responded with an outpouring of love through the “icount” campaign, sending in $10 or more each through text, mail, 800 line, or online. (Note: At print date, over $300,000 dollars was raised through your "icount" donations.)

So, whenever you get afraid, join me in saying, "Ha! Hallelujah anyway!"

Say it whenever you are grieving: "Ha! Hallelujah anyway!"

Say it when you are having trouble believing: "Ha! Hallelujah anyway!"

I believe God allows suffering so all of us will be unified and connected in a common cause—a cause that is bigger than we are, requiring all of our efforts—large and small—to save something as significant as Crystal Cathedral Ministries.

I also believe that God allowed us to go through this difficult financial season so all of you would see that we are no different —we, too, are in the trenches. Over the years, many have seen the ministry's beautiful buildings and garden grounds and assumed that there was not an ongoing need for support - but there is. The ministry, which continues to deliver a message of faith and hope, is suffering like many others in this tough economic climate. So, despite the hard times, we join you in saying, "Ha! Hallelujah anyway!"

The PSALMS . . . timeless, affirming encouragement for ALL ages.

By Jim Coleman,
Crystal Cathedral Creative Director

I was sitting in church recently listening to Dr. Robert H. Schuller read the morning scripture. In the opening sentence from Psalm 18:2 he emphasized, as only Dr. Schuller can, "The Lord is my rock!" At that moment, a tiny girl sitting behind me on her mother's lap repeated aloud, "My rock!" She spoke in a childlike yet loud and firm tone. As I turned around to look at the toddler, her mother and I exchanged smiles. Then, towards the end of the reading, when Dr. Schuller said it once again, the little voice behind me repeated the words, "My rock!" I heard her say those words a couple more times during the hour-long service. It was amazing... and a marvelous illustration of how impressionable our minds are and how important it is to fill up our hearts and our heads with positive spiritual values.

Can you imagine the difference it might make in your life if you heard Dr. Robert H. Schuller reading the Psalms in your home, car, or office every day? Maybe you, like this little girl, would discover the positive value of repeating and embracing the timeless, affirming encouragement given to us by God through the Bible in the life-enhancing book of Psalms.

Across the country in Pennsylvania another viewer wrote, "I don't know where
to begin to thank you for the Hour of Power. I often feel depressed, but when I listen to your program I am always strengthened and find the courage to press on. Your music and weekly speakers are wonderful!"

A viewer from Germany wrote, "Your program has helped me a lot when faced with difficult times in the past. I watch Hour of Power on TV and watched it on DVDs as well. While your ministry is facing difficult times, I'm praying for you. I would like to thank you and your staff for the good work."

Yet another viewer wrote, "The statement, 'You saved my life,' greatly applies to me. I can never thank you and God enough for your Hour of Power television ministry. I have been watching your program since I was 24 years old; I am now 54. I can't imagine my life without you."

As you can see from these comments, the Hour of Power is a powerful source of God-inspired hope and encouragement to persons everywhere . . . it's a power-line on a power-pole positively charged with spiritual energy for your soul and millions of others, as well.

Just as the Hour of Power positively charges your life, so too, your financial gifts recharge this ministry . . . making it possible for the Hour of Power to stay on the air. Without you, the power would be cut and the Hour of Power would not continue its 40-year+ commitment to being a power-line of positive faith.

Yes, you are important to this world-televised ministry. We know times are tough so, this month, we've put together a special hope-generating gift just for you. We have created, for the first time in our 40-year television history, an audio CD that features Dr. Robert H. Schuller reading the Psalms from the pulpit of the Crystal Cathedral. A graduate of Princeton Seminary once said that Dr. Schuller sets the model for the powerful presentation of scripture reading. So, we have taken 26 Psalms, all read by Dr. Schuller, and put them on a 74-minute CD just for you to listen to morning, noon and night . . . over and over and over again. Hear the true power, the true hope, the true timeless and encouraging gift of God as communicated in the cherished pages of the Bible in the Psalms.

Please write, call, or go online today to request and receive the inspiration of Dr. Robert H. Schuller reading the Psalms. Include as generous a gift as you possibly can so, together, we will keep the power of the Hour of Power positively charged and sending out to you God's spiritual energy, truth, and love!

Maria Fury “Beat the Odds” with Heroic Faith

In the blink of an eye, life can change forever... as Maria Fury discovered in the spring of 2005. Maria had worked at the Crystal Cathedral for seven years as Secretary to Dr. Robert H. Schuller. She loved her work. Life was good. She had made many friends in her time at the Crystal Cathedral and believed with all her heart that the work she was doing for Dr. Schuller, day in and day out, reached way beyond the ordinary. "I never felt like I was just doing work," Maria shared in a letter to Dr. Schuller's son-in-law, Jim Coleman. "I always felt that I was sharing God's word with millions of people on behalf of the Crystal Cathedral."

One day while at work, Maria started having excruciating pain in her lower back. By the next morning her pain was so unbearable that her husband Dan rushed her to the hospital. The doctors immediately ran tests on her where they discovered a spot, confirming a short while later that she had Stage IV pancreatic cancer (the cancer had already metastasized in her liver). So, how does someone even begin to respond to news like that? Maria responded with heroic faith! And with the "effective and fervent prayers" of many, the exercise of good-health practices while undergoing rigorous chemotherapy treatments, and leaning heavily on the support of friends and family...Maria "beat the odds" of pancreatic cancer and survived far beyond what her doctors either predicted or expected. "Stage IV is not my cancer stage," Maria used to tell Dr. Schuller who thought of her like a sister. "My cancer stage is to live, survive and work for you!" And she did... for FOUR more years!

Maria Fury's heroic faith victoriously carried her across the "finish line" on August 28, 2009 when she passed from this life to the next. And like the great Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, his friend in the faith, Maria now shouts these words with joy from heaven, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

Out of the ashes... four tiny angels!

The blessing of Christian community.

On November 22, 2008, while New Zealanders Rowan and Margaret Smiley were away in Auckland, the power supply to their house shorted out. Consequently, their kauri (all-wood) villa burned to the ground. Here's their story...

The Monday after the fire, we visited the burn site with our pastor. When we returned to our home all that was left was some charcoal and the shells of the refrigerators. Everything was gone; the heat had been so intense that the brass taps had disappeared, and the glass and pewter had melted. Trees 100 meters away had caught fire. Among the debris we sighted some white objects. As we cleared away the rubble, there in the ashes were four tiny china angels from a set of six that we had collected from the Crystal Cathedral Ministries over the years. Three of the four were intact, the fourth was split perfectly in two and we were able to repair it.

The survival of these angels, in what must have been intense heat, has been told over and over by us and by the Crystal Cathedral Ministries staff in Australia. It has caused many to think about God and what they believe. We are so blessed to have a fantastic community surrounding us and caring friends and family around the country and the world. This experience has affirmed in us a number of valuable lessons:

1. People matter.

2. It is harder to receive than to give.

3. God doesn't send adversity, but he does give us the strength to handle it.

4. You can witness even when you aren't present.

5. God can take our worst nightmares and use them for good. We are so very grateful for the support and prayers from the team at this ministry!

Rowan & Margaret Smiley