- This summer, we had the chance to connect Rep. Selina Bliss to Brendan McDonough, the lone survivor from the Granite Mountain Hotshots in the Yarnell Fire tragedy in 2013. He opened a House floor session in prayer and was honored by the legislature. Remarkably, since the Yarnell fire 12 years ago, Brendan has experienced healing and the power of the gospel in his life, and out of this healing founded a Christian counseling practice in Prescott, AZ called HoldFast Recovery!
- Praise God! We now have our first set of evangelical pastors expressing interest in the new partnership opportunity, which, for the first time in Arizona, provides chaplains for corrections officers in our state prisons. This chaplaincy is so very needed as corrections officers face a suicide rate 12x the national average, and a life expectancy of just 59 years.
- We were beyond blessed to have a gathering of over 30 pastors and ministry directors who participate in Church Ambassador Network assemble at our offices in Phoenix to hear about how God is doing an amazing work at our Capitol in hearts and through meaningful partnerships between government and evangelical ministries! And a few weeks later, we held a similar event in Tucson!
- We were also blessed to meet with a State Senator who is looking to churches in Arizona (including those in the Church Ambassador Network) to help with a critical statewide need for more quality childcare: she would like to see more churches startup Christian daycares and pre-K’s! More to come on that, but the request itself shows that we are starting to see the vision of having state government view ministries and churches as part of the solution for needs in our state coming to fulfillment!
