01 Jun A Faithful Dad Speaks

I the Lord do not change. ~ Malachi 3:3 (NIV)

In ministry, like life, change is constant.

“Travis, speak My word, and I will take care of the rest.…”

God’s call on my life began quietly, simply, and undeniably. The year was 2006. And while God’s call hasn’t changed, the way our A Faithful Dad ministry team carries out His call has changed.

Live speaking events like family camps, youth retreats, men’s retreats, singles events, and weddings have always been a primary means of carrying out our mission of encouraging dads and families. However, as a bivocational pastor and in light of COVID-19, in-person speaking events have become more challenging. In fact, two of our big events were rescheduled for 2021.

So, for most of our 11 years, we’ve relied on various video formats to spread God’s Word:

• our first iteration produced 2,000+ short videos over six years and resulted in 1M total views. One video, Will I recognize my spouse in heaven?, has logged over 38K views and is a good representation of this first iteration. But with me working full-time as a bivocational pastor, producing a 5-minute daily video was too much. We needed to change.
• videos: Our second iteration tied a year’s worth of weekly videos to our second guide, A Family Guide to Joy. We endeavored to create a more professional product using video and sound editing. But in the end, these videos didn’t convey the electricity and spontaneity that people really love about our messages. It was hard but necessary feedback to hear from our board, so in humility, I needed to change.
• we’re excited to announce our latest video series entitled A Faithful Dad Speaks. This time, we present on Facebook and YouTube daily video teasers (less than 60 seconds) Monday through Saturday leading up to Sunday’s live event: 10 minutes of Facebook Live teaching and 10 minutes of answering viewer questions. It’s an exciting and unique way to hear God’s Word spoken on relevant issues. We think you’ll love it: click HERE!

And, yes, God is calling me to change (again!), something my bride says I don’t do so well. To her point, it took me a full year to accept this new change to A Faithful Dad Speaks – yikes!

Perhaps you’re like me?

The years change, people change, hairstyles change, and video series change, but here’s the good news…

God doesn’t change! (see Malachi 3:6) His love, His justice, and His grace never change, and we can literally thank God for that!

But let me close with a question: What is God calling you to change?

Challenge: Tune in to A Faithful Dad Speaks on Facebook or YouTube, tell your family and friends about it, and share your unvarnished feedback with me via a call, email, or text. Hopefully it won’t take me a year to change again!

Joyfully,

Travis L. Zimmerman

Pastor, Co-Founder