God keeps using those phone calls!
Personal Touch - The Right Connection
Dr. Gary Haines starts his workday with a very specific prayer. “Lord, if there’s someone you want me to connect with – make it happen.” Then he begins dialing the phone.
“I make calls every day, and for the last term, I did 1,225 phone calls,” says Dr. Haines. “And I did as many texts. A lot of people are working!” Gary contacts every active student every term because it is “important that we let these students know they’re not forgotten about – we pray for them!”
Dr. Haines’ phone calls are not about getting someone enrolled in their next course, though.
“One of the first ministries in the New Testament church was the ministry of encouragement. Isn’t that interesting? Everywhere Paul and Barnabas went, they encouraged other believers.” As a ministry training college, Gary knows NBC has a responsibility of ministering to our students outside of class, too.
When Gary dials a student’s number, he knows there is a high likelihood that he will be leaving a voicemail. Adult students are busy, being pulled in so many directions by their responsibilities, but he still wants them to know he is praying for them. Then, just in case it might be seen sooner than the voicemail can be listened to, Gary follows each call with a text message.
Recently, Dr. Haines prayed that God would help him “connect with the right student today,” and the first to answer the phone was a woman who had just been diagnosed with cancer. God had arranged for the prayer support to call right when it was needed.
Gary makes that same request to God every day before he begins dialing the phone. “Let me connect with the right student today.” Over and over, God has made it happen. The phone calls happen in times of family crisis, medical or financial struggle, or even questions about their calling. God keeps using these phone calls to minister to those He has called to His service!