Holding on, letting go and John Stott’s prayer of assurance
By Kevin Vandenbrink
Throughout life, we are drawn to “hold on” to many things. Sometimes we hold on to the wrong things. Oftentimes we hold on to good things but hold them too tightly. The trials of life have a way of showing us that there are many things we simply cannot hold on to. You may be struggling to hold on to your health. Perhaps you have lost a friend and a loved one. Maybe you have experienced the loss of some treasured possessions.
As we grow and mature, many find freedom in the discipline of letting go. Letting go can remind us of the call of Jesus to “become like little children” in our faith. As we grow in wisdom, we learn to live in light of the reality that we will even need to let go of our life this side of eternity. With Paul, we realize “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)
In July, many in the Langham Partnership family remember the passing of our founder, John Stott (July 27, 2011). Along the lines of “holding on and letting go,” I have been deeply impacted by a prayer he wrote, in which he shares about our Christian assurance.
Prayer for Christian Assurance
We worship you, Lord Jesus Christ,
because by your death and resurrection
you have broken the power of death
and through your gospel
you have revealed life and immortality.
We pray that you will be our life in this world
and our resurrection in the world to come;
so that we may not fear death for ourselves or others
but rather rejoice in your great salvation;
For you are the resurrection and the life,
the first and the Last,
and are alive forevermore.
Near the end of John Stott’s life, as he was preparing to let go and embrace the one who holds on to all of us, he wrote “It is my desire and prayer that the ministry of Langham continue long after my death, under God’s blessing and provision and with prayerful and generous support from God’s people.”
Like John Stott, many friends of Langham who are learning to “hold on and let go” have chosen to make an “ultimate gift” in their will or trust to equip leaders for the church around the world.
Read more: How to align your values with your generosity
Here are some of their words of encouragement to us:
“It was John Stott’s humble demeanor and complete devotion to Christ that captivated me…. It has been my privilege to support Langham Partnership over the years and to now leave a legacy gift for future generations.”
— Nancy Cocconi
“We are happy to make a legacy gift to Langham Partnership because it is such a
— Anonymous Legacy Giving Donor
strategic ministry. Through Langham the Lord is training and educating pastors who are investing in others for their maturity.”
“We are happy to make a legacy gift to Langham because Langham supports Christian thinking and teaching, two of the most strategic ministries in the world today. Langham does this work with great integrity, so we trust them with this gift.”
— Anonymous Legacy Giving Donor
“It is a joy for me to be a part of legacy giving for Langham! Of all the worthwhile nonprofits this is at the top of my list.”
— Shirley Kerr
“We find great joy in supporting Langham Partnership both during our lifetime and through our Trust by way of a legacy gift. We are “blessed to be a blessing” for kingdom work and have found Langham a worthy partner.”
— Anonymous Legacy Giving Donor
We’re here to help
Langham is privileged to help people think through their plans in a way that is personal, pastoral and practical. We have also partnered with a network of Christian charitable planners. At no cost or obligation, a planner will answer your questions with clarity, integrity and the utmost confidentiality. To learn more, reach out to Kevin VandenBrink at kevin.vandenbrink@langham.org or 314-488-0256.
We’d like to thank you
If you have already included Langham in your legacy planning, would you share your decision with us? We would love the opportunity to welcome you as a member of our Cross of Christ Legacy Fellowship. Contact Kevin anytime using the contact info above.
Kevin VandenBrink, planned giving director for Langham Partnership, is a chartered advisor in philanthropy (CAP®) and a member of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners. He is passionate about helping people like you who care about the global church and long to be wise stewards.
Kevin would love to hear your story, celebrate what the Lord is doing through Langham, and visit with you about the options and benefits of including Langham in your planned giving. Click here to send an email to Kevin, or call him at (314) 488-0256.