Jumping the Asteroids with "The Little Prince"

You can come with us to this asteroid plus enjoy side trips to neighboring asteroids on February 16, 17 and 18. Above is one of many illustrations which Mark is creating to be projected as backdrops for the the stage production of "The Little Prince" based on the classic book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The production marks our first collaboration with St. Paul's Center for the Visual & Performing Arts. Donna plays three characters on stage and Mark also assists with the music and audio. Don't miss this unique interpretation of the simple yet profound story. Proceeds will benefit Dorcas House, a mission of compassion in Tijuana, Mexico. Tickets are available online at http://littleprince.eventsbot.com.

Final Days for "Art Gets Home"

November 21 is the last full day of our Art Gets Home campaign to secure our Horizon Gate homebase. Visit our campaign page at Indiegogo.com ( http://indiegogo.com/Art-Gets-Home ) and you will see video of the place with Mark explaining the challenge.

As of this writing there have been over 1,621 views of the campaign home page. If just one-third of those people had contributed the lowest level of support offered, $20, our homebase for the arts would be current with the mortgage and have some funds toward coming payments.

There is still time to make our goal of $8,908. As each person contributes, many who might have only viewed the site are encouraged to make that next, simple click to join in. Even giving the smallest amount anonymously, helps build the momentum to rescue this important ministry.

• At each level of funding signed artwork, photography and films are offered as "thank you's" for your strategic help.

Ten years ago a major gift made it possible for us to begin radiating life-giving art from this place. It has been a place of inspiration to many who have attended events and seminars here. It has been a place encouraging original, imaginative creation, and conducive to quality preparation for mission trips. This has been an important place for recuperation when returning from ministry outreaches.

With the help of our supporters this homebase will be developed and improved for even greater ministry to come.

• When you help send bread to famine victims you feed a few for a finite time.
• When you help send our art to a world seeking God you feed countless souls for eternity.

That is the importance and value of this homebase.

Business and Mission Go Together

When the Mission Machine didn't feed all the bill collectors . . .

. . . Earl knew he had to push some of those other buttons.

Our mission is about people receiving inspiration from films and art so that they awaken to the significance of their lives on earth, rise in faith, encounter Christ and go on to live Godly lives. What mission could be more important than that?
But, part of the work is navigating through a world full of obstacles which try to deny us the time and resources to accomplish the mission. When we take on outside jobs, such as the one Mark and Donna have taken at Taylor Research, we do so with the prayer that it will fit in and contribute to our vision, rather than compete with it.
Effective, meaningful art requires sustained periods of thought, prayer, searching for inspiration, and experimentation followed by long hours of highly skilled labor. So, taking an outside job does interrupt the flow of art.
We understand that it has gotten harder to donate, but that you still want to give. Other streams of income can be employed to sustain the ministries you believe in. By building a new stream of income in the Turners' Shaklee business you can support us both through business and renewed donations. Click here to go to their business web site: http://healthinthejungle.myshaklee.com .

What is the Value?

Donna and I are asking "What is the value?" more often.
Everyone is concentrating a little harder these days to be sure we get the most value for each of the fewer dollars in our keeping. We also ask "What is the value of my work? Will it pay the bills?"
The inspiring vision which once motivated a person's life mission has the tendency to fade in the urgency of paying some bill. It's not that the vision and mission isn't still valid, but we just have to postpone it, to put it off until there is time, or until "we can afford it."
In "good times" it is easier to affirm the value of beauty, generosity, art, spirituality, faith. However, it is when things get tight that we must affirm the value of those intangibles. In hard times we need the inspiration of art, poetry, beauty and spiritual direction to carry on in faith that God will make a way where there is no way.
If ever there is a time to help sustain the "intangible" ministry of Horizon Gate, it is now when so many need the courage, hope and faith promoted by our art and films. Just the act of giving a little to these ministries is an act in defiance of the slave masters which would steal your vision away.
We pray that our faithfulness to the heavenly vision will inspire courage in your soul to hold on to your mission in life.

Love,

Mark and Donna Turner
August, 2010

Being God's Instrument

This past Sunday sermon reminded us of three aspects to our mission.

Our Weakness is God's Opportunity
(Jeremiah 1:4-10) Jeremiah resisted God's call because he felt unqualified to be the Prophet of God. We are constantly aware of our weaknesses and flaws. Sometimes people around us point these out. Our confidence has to fight to stay on top long enough to get something done. But, as He told Jeremiah, God is with us, telling us where to go and what to say in the grand plan to renovate the world. Our weakness is the perfect place for God's power to fill the gap (I Corinthians 12:9-10).

Produce Like Christ
(Luke 4:16-30) Jesus told his home town that he was the embodiment of the prophets' message. But, when he did not fit their expectations, they tried to do away with him. Our word and deed (scripts, speaking, teaching, films, art) must be extensions of Christ, expressing the Truth in Love. Though we go about this as the image of Christ, we will not always be accepted.

Love is the Bottom Line
(I Corinthians 13:1-4) The Apostle Paul points out that all our films and art are validated only by their service to Love. Our films and art, as well as the way we produce them and exhibit them, must be motivated and guided by a kind of Love which is the fruit of God's Spirit born in us.

These three aspects are realized only in a close relationship with God, a state that only God can make possible through Christ and that only we can choose.

Why Make Programs About Money and Business?

Now there are 5 installments of the "Say 'Let there be . . .'" talks online for you to listen to and read along. Program five explores ways to find money that you may not have been aware were accessible to you.
Why present content like this? Because your vision needs resources in order to become a concrete mission. We would be remiss as a ministry if we did not assist in raising everyone's awareness of the principles needed in a new, harder economy. The series is all about realizing the vision God has given you. It is spoken from our 40 year experience as well as the lessons we are learning right now. You know people who need to hear these entry level talks about vision and mission. Send them to our blog where they can focus on these principles.

Bringing Your Vision Into the World

Our audio series "Say 'Let There Be"" was inaugurated last Fall and four programs are now available on the blog of the same name.
www.saylettherebe.blogspot.com
Tracing how a vision is realized, Mark Turner discusses various stages starting from knowing oneself and working outward into the concrete world. Program four deals with the practical aspect of cash flow management. Program five will address the aspects of simplicity, outsourcing and debt elimination. You can read the text, view illustrations and listen to the audio programs all on the blog. Catch up on the first four programs to be ready for the fifth one coming soon.

3 Programs Now On-line In the "Say Let There Be" Series

Three new audio programs hosted by Mark Turner are now up and playing to the world 24/7. The "Say Let There Be" series addresses the challenge of each person discovering their vision and walking it out as their mission in the concrete world. All programs are available to listen to and read with illustrations on the "Say Let There Be" blog (click here).
They also appear on Blogtalkradio.com/Horizon-Gate, and in the podcast section of the iTunes store. Download the programs to your iPod.

Program one calls you to do what God, the Creator originally did, drawing attention to the image of God in human beings which creates what was not there before. Using the vision of Horizon Gate as an example Mark begins to help us get over what keeps us from accomplishing our dreams, and to even accelerate our progress.

Program two explores the steps of creation that happen both inside and as you bring your vision out to the world. You get to participate by drawing a cartoon of the process.

Program three helps you describe your vision as a tangible project including seven key components to make your project both successful and spark the next project.

Watch for programs coming soon which cover eye-opening concepts of cash flow management, smart economizing, debt elimination, wealth building, and aspects of growing your own business. All of this is aimed at increasing the capacity of our community to minister to the needs of the world.

Whether you think you need this content, or not, you do know someone who needs it. Send them to the blog. Listen, read and get others to subscribe (for free) to "Say Let There Be."

"Say 'Let There Be . . .'" Audio & Blog Premiere

Our new audio series entitled “Say 'Let There Be . . .'” is now being released program by program. The introductory program is titled “The Call to Action”. In 14 minutes it introduces the series by calling you to find and bring your vision into the material world as a concrete mission.
The series bears the name which is the essence of our discussion over the next 10 or more episodes. It is calling you to do what God, the Creator originally did, to bring into being what was not there. The words "Let there be" are some of the first words of the Bible and represent the expression which God made to begin all that we know as reality. In this series we are drawing attention to the image of God in human beings, the likeness of God in us which empowers us to create what was not there before.
The introductory program can be played on our new Say “Let There Be . . .” blog devoted to the series. Click here to listen and browse the blog. http://saylettherebe.blogspot.com
The episodes planned cover a range of topics from both the current lessons being learned and 40 years life experiences of Mark and Donna Turner. Episodes will include 1. Call to Action; 2.Finding Your Vision; 3.Describe Your Vision as a Project; 4.Money Management; 5.Simplifying, Outsourcing, Debt; 6.Types of Income; 7.Your Own Business; 8.Building Your Team; 9.Expanding Your Business Right; 10.Partnering with God to Execute the Plan.