Purpose-filled Family Travels

“Your travels sound a bit random!  Is there an order to where you go and when?”  asked one supporting church member after seeing our ministry slide

Evangelist Dwight Haynes & Family

presentation.  The answer is a resounding, “Yes!  There is order and efficiency in our travels.”  The Lord opens the doors for our broader travel destinations, and we plan a year or more ahead of time to work out a reasonable route and schedule of events.  So, we are traveling and ministering all along the way, often having the privilege to stop at inspirational and educational venues between Chalk Talks.  For example, when we passed by The Ark Encounter last summer, we spent a day touring that amazing testimony of God’s Word.  We often take the time to travel the highways and byways of America, passing through small towns to see our American heritage, history, and many tributes to our military heroes.  We plan our travels to visit missionaries, spend time with pastors, fellowship with retired Christian servants, and generally share the Gospel with all those we meet along the way.  So, our family travels together in an effective, efficient way year-round for God’s Glory!  Thanks for your prayers as we set out on a 3-month journey of just such amazing ministry as I described above…to Alaska and back on a mission for Christ.

Haynes Family on a Mission

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Learn Chalk Art in 2 Hours

Sponsor a Paint Party hosting Master Chalk Artist Dwight Haynes at your church.  This shorter version of the 6-hour course makes Chalk Art Ministry more approachable for all ages.  Dwight teaches every participant to draw a single Chalk Drawing and share it’s message in 2-hours.  Everyone goes home with their very own artwork! Possibilities include: Pre-Revival Fellowship, Youth Mixer, Senior Adult Activity, Teacher Training, Holiday/Seasonal Event….  The possibilities are endless!  Call 540-230-5782 or email Dwight@ChalkTalks.net for details.

Good News Chalk Talks

Learn to Talk with Chalk: Easy, Enjoyable, Effective!

Back by popular demand, a one-day chalk-art ministry basics class.  Join us for a class at the world-class ALPHA ARTS chalk-art training facility in Winston-Salem, NC.  We usually meet on a Saturday from  9:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at 945 Holland Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.  I, Dwight Haynes, will be your instructor.

A Willing Spirit is all you need, because You CAN Talk with Chalk!  Class includes basics of chalk-art technique and application to ministry. The fee of $80 includes Syllabus, Resource Packet, chalk & paper starter kit, and text books.  Registration and a $40 Deposit due two weeks prior to the class date.  

If you would like to set up a one-day class in your area, schedul our ministry for a demonstration luncheon for a love offering, or learn about future classes being offered, please email Dwight@ChalkTalks.net or call (540) 230-5782.  A minimum of 6 students is required to plan a class.

Family Safe at Border Crossings: Preaching Christ, Nurturing Believers, Encouraging Pastors

We are so blessed to have crossed many state borders in 28 days of travel in our Good News Toyota RV without dealing with restrictions, violence, or breakdowns.  Yes, this Summer, we ministered in several states, crossing physical borders, social borders, and religious borders.  Everywhere we went, from the Mountains of Kentucky, to the towns of Michigan, to the cities of Wisconsin, we preached Christ, nurtured believers, and encouraged pastors.

Enjoy this Testimony from a Church-Planter we visited on our month-long U.S.A. Mission Trip this summer (2014):

Hi, I’m Pastor James Burke, and I’d like to share with you a first-hand testimony of the blessing Brother Dwight, his wife Ann and their family are to a struggling church. I have known Brother Dwight for a quarter of a century, and I am impressed with his consistency, both in his personal walk with Christ and in his ministry.

We began to plant Menominee Grace Church in June, 2012, with a clear vision of reaching those who have no connection to Christ at all.  To our people, seeing the Bible as real and relevant to modern life is a brand new experience.  We asked the Haynes family to come and share our first anniversary with us.  One of the things I appreciate about Dwight is his open vision and heart for the lost.  Throughout the week, we went all over town, wherever people were gathering, and he set up his easel and presented the Gospel boldly, clearly and in brilliant color.  

When Dwight preached our anniversary service, God used him to open the eyes of our baby believers to see the possibilities of what they could be in Christ.  In the second year of our church, we faced some very painful challenges, and many of us, myself chiefly, became discouraged. The Haynes family once again came and spent a week with us, ministering to me, my family, our people and our community.  

The greatest challenge I face as a church planter far from my home base is the lack of fellowship.  Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”  I had gotten pretty dull.  Dwight listened with compassion, counseled with wisdom, and challenged me to focus on Christ and not on circumstances.  He reminded me of the whitened fields by talking with me, praying for me, and taking me back out to see my community with fresh eyes.  Once again, we went where the people are, set up and preached Christ.  His family spent time with my people, eating with them, listening to them and reminding them to look at what we had gained rather than what had been lost.   

Our Sunday service with the Haynes family was joyous and refreshing.  Dwight and Ann skillfully shared God-honoring music, and Dwight preached a sound expositional message colorfully illustrated in chalk.  God used this ministry to rebuild and reignite a flickering fire.

I strongly recommend Good News Chalk Talks to your ministry and for your missions support!   Feel free to contact me for more information.   – Pastor James Burke, pastorjburke@menomineegrace.org

     This is one of ways we ministered this year.  Our schedule remains full of God’s appointments well into December of this year.  This summer, we ministered in Bible Camps, VBS outreaches, and Evangelistic Block Parties and saw many souls saved!!!

     Serving in full-time evangelism, we have been asking churches to provide our travel expenses, feed us, and take a love offering.  The past two summers, we have raised additional support to travel more extensively and assist missionaries like the Burke family.  Please pray about how the Lord may lead you to support our ministry. 

     You may invest in us to encourage struggling churches that need the ministry of an evangelist.  We live frugally, serve whole-heartedly, and only desire for God to expand our outreach and ministry while we are able to serve with great energy.  Thank you for praying as God opens doors for our family to preach Christ, nurture believers, and encourage pastors.  Thank you for giving one time or on a regular basis—it sure made a difference for Pastor Burke and his family this summer!     Joy in Christ,

Hot, Cold, and Safe Travels: CHALKIN’ USA Part 4

 Leaving New Mexico, we traveled to Tucson, Arizona, on an unplanned excursion to meet some stateside missionary friends from Southeast Asia.  This was a blessing, as Brother John and I serve on a mission board of directors together, and our families enjoyed the fellowship.  We then traveled north through Phoenix where two of our rear tires exploded from the 110+ degree heat.  Between the two flat tire experiences, we met four pastors, one of which plans to use us for future ministry in Alabama!  So, God showed us His working all things together for good once again.  We rejoiced in His provision and made a beeline for our next engagement in northern Michigan.  On the way we just happened to take a peek at the Grand Canyon, drive over 10,500 feet above sea level over the Colorado Rockies, drive through several canyons around Monument Valley, glance at Mount Rushmore, see fireworks at Crazy Horse, and stay in the only two Flintstone Campgrounds in the world–all in a week’s travel.

We arrived at our church-planter friend’s home and got right to work with street ministry that evening near the local annual Christian festival.  The church is in a storefront with a nice big window, so I set up the easel on the street in front of the window and talked to passers-by as I illustrated the Gospel.  The pastor reported seeing people around the corner reading the tract and invitation material that his son and I were handing out that evening.  The next morning I did a chalk-talk for the morning service and counseled one Hispanic lady for baptism reading key passages to her from her Spanish-English Bible.  After the service, three individuals were baptized in Lake Michigan, just across the street from the church.  They just dripped dry in the breeze while we all talked and enjoyed the afternoon.  I did one more gospel chalk talk near the beach area that Monday, and we headed south on Wednesday for our last appointment in Minford, Ohio.  We arrived safe in Virginia on the following Monday, July 8^th.  We know the Lord gave us every appointment for His purpose in His time.  Most of the people we met and places we ministered experienced chalk art ministry for the first time, and we have standing invitations to return.

High Desert to Low Desert: CHALKIN’ USA Part 3

     Travel in the United States of America affords daily wonders of history, natural and human.  We met Alvin York’s grandson at his old home-place in Kentucky, saw Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace, and then traveled up the tram to the top of the St. Louis Arch—650 feet in the air above a flooded Mississippi River!  Our next ministry took us to Davenport, Oklahoma, and yet another pastor who had never seen chalk-art used as a tool for the Lord’s work.  That church building was overflowing with enthusiastic worshipers and guests for the day.  My sister Jane, who lives in Edmond, Oklahoma, arranged this meeting, and the pastor enthusiastically embraced chalk-art evangelism and our family.  After a few days visiting my sister and her family, we were off to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where we shared the Gospel with the combined youth and adults from two Chinese churches on a Friday evening.  Here we spent two nights in the home of our Chinese-American hosts, an amazing family of four children who blessed us greatly and sent us on our way to Gallup, New Mexico.

     Over the course of the next week, we shared the Gospel and taught the Bible in two Navajo Nation mission churches and a Bible camp in the middle of the reservation area.  A number of children responded to the Gospel at that camp.  We did a series of drawings on Psalm 23 and gave the pictures to the campers by drawing names at the last service of the week.  The Native American children were especially intrigued with the art and asked me to incorporate their southwestern red mesas into the pictures, so I did just that!  Several of the children accepted Christ during that week of camp ministry.  Our western adventures took us from the high desert of New Mexico to the low desert of Tucson, Arizona, before we turned north and eastward.

Us Four and One More: CHALKIN’ USA Part 1

     Us four and one more cuddly creature rolled across America this Summer.  Can this kind of faith ministry to open doors be done in the year of our Lord, two thousand and thirteen?  Sure, with the help of our Lord who promised His disciples the same provision and presence that He granted our family!

We pulled in the driveway on July 8th in our 1986 Toyota Dolphin, micro-mini RV, and looked at each other across the front seat and said, “It seems more like two days than two months!”  What a blessing to see God put together a ministry trip of 25 chalk-art services in places we had never met for people who, for the most part, had never seen chalk-art or met our family.  All along the 6850 mile trek, Good News Chalk Talks were well received with invitations to return for more ministries in the future.

     One year before we left in May, 2013, a church-planter headed for Menominee, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula on the western side of Lake Michigan, asked us to plan to come for his one-year anniversary on the last weekend in June of 2013.  So, our minds and prayers began on how God might use us in other places along the way.  Then, I received an e-mail from a New Mexico friend who said that a camp on the Navaho Nation reservation near Gallup, New Mexico, might enjoy our ministry for children’s camps in June of 2013.  We sent out information and received positive feedback, and the planning began.  My sister in Edmond, Oklahoma, said that she would tell pastors in that area about us.  This resulted in a pastor in Davenport, Oklahoma, inviting us to share sometime in June.  Some dear friends and former professor and wife in Louisville, Kentucky, said that their pastor was interested in us coming for ministry there as well.  Also, a missionary friend recommended us to Child Evangelism Fellowship missionaries reaching out in Chinese churches in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who eventually invited us to share in their dual-church Friday night service.  Appointments were coming in, so the trip planning began.  God’s amazing hand of leadership put the trip together, as we will explain later.  CLICK HERE TO SEE SLIDES from our travels and keep an eye out for the rest of the story!

Chalk Art Ministry Website LAUNCHED by Dwight Haynes

Good News Chalk Talks just launched a new web address, www.chalkartminsitry.com.  Explore the chalk art ministry of the Haynes family and its refreshing impact on churches and communities.  Contact Dwight@ChalkTalks.net for information.

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Dispelling Myths of “Creative Evangelism”

Many Christians and church leaders remain skeptical of bringing art into the pulpit.  I have been preaching for 23 years now, and using art to illustrate many of the messages for 20 years.  I also sing and play the piano and accordion at times to further exalt God’s precious Word in a service.  All of these are tools in my ministry toolbox.  But, as an evangelist and Bible teacher, it is the simplicity of the preaching of Scripture that God uses to impact souls.  A skilled tradesman knows the usefulness of various tools for each job, and yet the consumer often sees the result with little knowledge of the tools.   Allow me to dispel a couple of myths about the tool of chalk-art in ministry:

Myth #1:  Chalk-Art Is Not Preaching

In fact, the focus of chalk-art ministry is the teaching and preaching of God’s Word.  Some artists talk and draw at the same time, thus the title of my ministry, “Good News Chalk Talks” (www.ChalkTalks.net).  Sometimes we play a musical background while we draw and share a Bible-centered message before or after the drawing.  Either way, chalk-art simply provides a creative and interactive illustration of the Bible message that God has placed on the heart of the evangelist, teacher, or pastor.  I personally hold two degrees, a Bachelor of Theology and a Master of Religious Education, both of which emphasize the practical preaching of Scripture.  Chalk-art has become an effective tool to open doors for ministry as well as a means to interact with the audience so that the message of the Bible is remembered for years to come.  I am a preacher using the effective tool of art to interact with broad audiences.

Myth #2: Chalk-Art Only Appeals to Children

This pastor stated the following after we held revival services:  “Dwight Haynes blends his understanding of God’s Word and his artistic talent. His messages speak to the hearts of all ages. Dwight’s articulation of biblical truth brings Christians and seekers face-to-face with the Savior. God worked through this ministry to bring about a powerful time of refreshing and revival.”  There is no question that there is a special appeal to children, because they are often active learners.  However, we also realize that adults need more activity in learning the Word, since many a dreary eye haunts the church pew during adult Bible studies.  With Chalk-Art, people of all ages actively engage in creating the drawing in their minds, connect the message with a picture, and thus retain much more of the teaching.  In reality, chalk-art is a tremendous resource to minister to the entire church family.  Thus, the chalk-art ministry draws the church body together to receive Scripture like no other medium for times of refreshing and renewal.

An interest in creation comes from God’s image embedded in our humanity.  Animals do not stop to watch an artist in a park, and yet humans take a keen interest in that creative action.  So, the artistic illustration of a Scriptural message that comes together in front of the observer provides a powerful tool for God to use in ministry.  May our Lord impress upon you ways to incorporate a chalk-art evangelist into your ministry.  If you would like more information, please contact me, Dwight Haynes, 540-230-5782, Dwight@ChalkTalks.net.

Revival Services Take on New Character

As Bible Chalk-Art draws the interest of many, revival services take on a new character.  Drawings are given away in each service to those who INVITE the most to attend, and on the final night to the one who  gets the most visitors in the service.  More importantly, Rev. Haynes preaches and explains God’s Word in a way that will have a lasting impact on all who come.  The good news of salvation is clearly presented in each service.  In a day when REVIVAL is needed, why not schedule a chalk-art revival?  Brother Dwight would be glad to talk about scheduling for the year ahead.