Operation Outcry Retreat

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We had the most wonderful time this past October at the Operation Outcry Retreat. Operation Outcry leaders from around the country came to San Antonio for a time of refreshing, renewing, and fellowship. We were fed to overflowing by some wonderful speakers, teachers, and worship leaders.

Praise and Worship Leaders

Chuck and Lora Edgett -- They were fantastic and even treated us to a song they had written. They have been married for 10 years. Between the two of them, they have five children ranging in age from 10 to 21. Currently, both are members serving at Alamo City Christian Fellowship in the Children's and Singles ministry. Both are prodigal children who have come to know the depths of the Fathers grace, mercy and love. They are recovered alcoholics of 13 and 16 years enjoying the freedom of deliverance. Both their lives have been adversely affected by abortion, but thanks to God for healing through our Lord Jesus Christ. All this is evident in their new music ministry dedicated to sharing the Gospel, celebrating Jesus, and His healing grace that they have received.
You will surely forget your troubles recalling it only as waters gone by.
Life will be brighter than noonday, and darkness will become like morning.
You will be secure, because there is hope.
Job11:16-18

Abbi Walker is an annointed worship leader and led us in worship on Sunday morning. She is a 23 year old singer/songwriter/worship leader out of San Antonio, Texas and is also my Pastor's daughter. Abbi sings, speaks, and ministers because of what God has done in her life (Psalm 78). “The Lord gave me a home that truly worshipped, and honored Him. He allowed me to be exposed to a lot of ‘good’, and a lot of religion, and then He saved me from it and called me to truly know Him and walk in true freedom.” Abbi cannot deny that the Lord has called her to lead in worship and sing the songs that He has written through her. Abbi describes the place of leading worship as: “I can’t help but approach the throne of God, the place of worship, with an honest heart, believing He meets me there, like He said in John 4. That place came through a lot of personal pain and humility, but has become the place of freedom in my life. There seems to be something welcoming to people about that. I sing not just because I want to, but I believe the Lord has truly anointed me to do it.” Abbi leads both with a band, or just a piano. Her music ministry has included leading worship and singing for: Girls Weekends/Retreats, Women’s Nights of Worship, Mother/Daughter Events, Youth Camps/Retreats, School Retreats, special music on Sundays, and concerts/coffehouses. The songs and worship do not come without the Truth, and it seems that these two actually walk hand in hand. Most often, Abbi speaks and sings intermittingly. The stories behind the songs are at times more powerful than the songs themselves, creating an intimate ministry time.
Abbi’s 2nd CD is in the final stages and is scheduled to be complete sometime in October 2006 – www.abbiwalker.com.


Guest Speakers

Tom & Karen Nolan – Married for 43 years this couple has two grown daughters; Vicki and Donna, and one grandson Lane Thomas Nolan who is “the light of their life”. Tom Nolan was born in 1942 in New Jersey met Karen while in high school and had their first date April 10, 1959. Tom graduated high school in 1961, served 3 years in the US Army in the Military Police and married Karen in 1963. He served as a police officer in New Jersey for four years before moving to Tulsa, OK in 1969. He was with the Tulsa Police Department for 12 years before going to work for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in their security department. In 1984 Tom and his family moved to Corpus Christi, TX and was saved in First Baptist Church Portland, TX. After moving to San Antonio, TX in 1985 he and Karen joined First Baptist Church San Antonio and later moved their membership to Alamo City Christian Fellowship where they remain today. Tom retired his security job with Southwest Bell in 2000 and joined the staff at Alamo City Christian Fellowship as the Men’s Ministry Coordinator and remained in that role until January 2006 at which time he became the Pastor’s assistant relating to Pastoral Care.
Karen Nolan – By trade Karen is a lucrative Realtor, but she feels her greatest accomplishment is being able to see her grandson, Lane, everyday. She has been married to her husband Tom for 43 years and together they have two grown daughters. She is actively involved in ministry at Alamo City Christian Fellowship in San Antonio and she and Tom have made several evangelistic mission trips to Brazil, Ukraine and Uganda and look forward to many more. In the early 90's Karen felt lead to attend training for counselors at a pregnancy care center in San Antonio. After completion of the training she became a counselor voluntarily working one day a week at the center. But the prodding of the Holy Spirit to become an intercessor for the “Forgiven & Set Free” study at Alamo City Christian Fellowship has set a course that she feels has significantly impacted both she and Tom now as well as in the years to come.

Lonnie and Candy Phillips have been married for 10 years and have two beautiful children, Abigail who is 8 yrs old and Stephen who is 2 months old. Lonnie Phillips is a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary where he received a MA in Missions and Evangelism in 1997. Lonnie and Candy met in 1994 while attending Asbury. They married and moved to India where they were missionaries for four years. Lonnie ministered and served as a Bible Teacher at the Oxford Institute for Grassroot Evangelists. Together Lonnie & Candy pastored the Divya Shanti Orphanage in Bangalore India. In 1998 they moved from Bangalore to Bombay India where they ministered in a church plant and discipled graduate students at a nearby college. In the spring of 2001 they moved back to the U.S so that Lonnie could attend Asbury Seminary where he received his Masters of Divinity with Emphasis in Missions and Evangelism and pastor two country churches. For the past three years the Phillips family has lived in Mountain Home, Arkansas where they are serving as ministers of Evangelism and Discipleship at Church With No Walls. And most recently they have been called back to India. Their greatest love and passion is seeing the lost come to the Lord and the Saints walk in their calling and destiny. Lonnie has known the bondage as a Christian that comes with sexual immorality but has experienced and is now living in the freedom that comes with a life surrendered to Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to live victoriously in Christ Jesus. His focus now is to see men delivered from sexual bondage and walk in their rightful place as spiritual leaders in their home.
Candy Phillips was born and raised in Bangalore, India. In 1992 she received her Masters in Religion at South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies in Bangalore India. She worked at the Institute for one year as well as Youth for Christ for a year before coming to the United States to attend Asbury Theological Seminary. She graduated in 1996 from Asbury with a Masters in Counseling. She taught pastoral-care and counseling at South India Bible Seminary. Candy’s gifting is in the area of children and youth ministry as well as ministering to wounded and hurting women. For the past year God has been moving upon Candy to become more involved with women who have been hurt by abortion and has been opening doors for such ministry.



Shirley Walker - For thirty years, Shirley has ministered alongside her husband, Dr. David Walker as a pastor’s wife, mom, speaker, and author. Shirley is a mother to three children Abbi age 23, Katie age 20 and Evan age 17. She has served as a radio host of a daily program, Heartbeat, heard in the San Antonio area, guest columnist for the San Antonio Express News and co-hosted numerous programs on local Christian television. She and David are presently co-hosting a weekly live webcast, Legacy, with Sammy and Tex Tippit on Sammy’s website, www.sammytippit.org

In 1993, she co-founded City-Wide Women’s Prayer, a ministry calling women to pray for revival across denominational lines and served as the ministry’s director until 2000. Presently, she serves on staff at Alamo City Christian Fellowship.
Shirley’s fresh and convicting approach to the Word has left a lasting impact on those who have sat under her ministry. She regularly speaks at conferences and retreats.

Her first book, Window in a Glass House, Imago Dei Publications, has found national attention through radio and print exposure. Window appears as a resource in Focus on the Family’s Pastoral Care Directory. An excerpt from it appeared in the Summer 2004 edition of Just Between Us Magazine. The Window in a Glass House Ministry Wives Conference is an extension of her writing. Held in October, this conference provides hands on encouragement to ministry wives.

Trivia
Born: Tulsa Oklahoma
Raised: Houston Texas
Education: Although she attended Texas Christian University and Baylor Dental School, moves in the pastorate ended her schooling at Amarillo College where she earned an Assoc. Degree in Dental Hygiene

When she’s not working…
o She plays tennis
o She spends as much time as possible in a log cabin in Montana getting in near death experiences with her husband; and
o When she’s stressed, she eats chips and salsa

Shirley’s website is www.shirleywalker.com.



Virginia (“Ginny”) Curd and her husband Thomas reside in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Ginny is the founder of Post Abortion Ministries, LLC and is a 2005 graduate of the Biblical Training Program of Christian Counseling & Training Center in Richmond, Virginia. PAM was organized in 2002 to help those suffering from abortion aftermath and to train those desiring to minister to such persons at home and abroad. Ginny was adopted by a loving family shortly after her birth, has had three abortions and is barren. She understands first hand the difficulties associated with post-abortion trauma. She is also familiar with the struggles of both the church in reaching the post abortive as well as pregnancy care centers in ministering to the abortion-minded. In 2000, Ginny gave testimony before the Virginia General Assembly’s Committee on Education and Health in connection with proposed legislation involving informed consent. Through a variety of resources and educational opportunities, Ginny pursues reaching the hurting for Jesus Christ.