| Hello, friend, My name is Deb Brazzel and over the past six years I have had the pleasure of getting to know Daniel Weiss and the work of The Brushfires Foundation. We began working together in 2014 on the development of a Pastors Survey. To my knowledge, this is the only research-based effort to obtain a realistic picture of what pastors think about, encounter in their work, and are currently doing about sexual brokenness. In 2016, we worked together with other like-minded ministries in the planning and implementation of the first Sexual Integrity Leadership Summit (SILS) in San Antonio. Since that time I have been closely involved in all things SILS, so when Daniel invited me to join his board, I could not refuse. Like most people I am no stranger to sexual brokenness. I have experienced sexual abuse, multiple sexual partners, a sexually transmitted disease, abortions, and several marriages and divorces. There’s no doubt I made some very poor decisions that kept adding to the guilt and shame I carried. Unfortunately, I sought help from my church but what I received was not helpful. God eventually began surrounding me with some amazing sisters and brothers in Christ who helped me bind up my wounds and find the healing I so desperately needed. They prayed words of encouragement, hope, and redemption over me. Of course, Jesus gets all the credit, but He used these women and men in some extraordinary ways. To say I’m passionate about helping people, especially those in the Church, feel God’s redeeming, restorative and renewing love is an understatement. Now more than ever we need to come alongside the Church to help her become the safe place where people can turn who are struggling under a salvo of sexual counterfeits. But let’s face it, the work is lonely, hard, and constantly under attack by the enemy. Daniel and The Brushfires Foundation, which now stewards SILS, need your help to fulfill its mission to equip, collaborate with, and support Christian leaders as they seek to promote Gospel-centered sexuality in the Church. We are committed to providing the right resources at the right time to the right people, but we can’t do it alone. Did you know that if everyone on the mailing list invested $10 per month in this mission that we could hire additional staff so Daniel could do the things only he can do to grow the organization? SILS is beginning to open many previously locked church doors and we need some additional people to respond well to these new opportunities. Would you consider locking arms with us and becoming a monthly partner? Together we can help build a safer, stronger Church to help minister to people like you and me. Thank you for your prayerful consideration. Joyfully yours, Deb Brazzel Brushfires Board Vice-President |
