WE NEED YOUR TESTIMONIES!!!
We need your testimonies! Please post a comment with your name, when you were part of TPMI, a brief testimony, and where you are/what you're doing now. We're looking forward to hearing from each of you and re-connecting as we celebrate this milestone year of ministry! Click on the comment line underneath this posting to submit your testimony.
The year of 2006 marks a year of celebration and reflection on the Mighty Works of God over a quarter of a century. We would like to provide this BLOG to serve as a meeting place and point of encouragement as we reconnect with each other and plan for things to come.Anyone who is interested can contact us at the Houston office or email us through this site by posting a comment. The comments will be moderated, so if your information is of a sensitive nature, please make us aware so that we will not compromise you or this ministry in any way.
Blessings,
Turning Point Ministries International
Dr. J. Doug Stringer, Founder/Director
The year was 1981. Doug Stringer was a fitness instructor, running his own exercise studio. Tired of his own hypocrisy and disgusted with his life, he sat down one night in the back room of the studio and prayed a simple prayer: “Lord, if you can use someone like me after all I have done to wound Your heart, I make myself available to You.” God took him at his word. It seemed the Lord couldn’t find enough needy people to send Doug’s way. He ran the exercise studio and then took a group of believers to the streets most nights after the studio closed. There we encountered runaways, topless dancers, and drug addicts. We couldn’t meet every need, but we were willing to do what we could.
We transformed the exercise studio into an outreach center. By 1983, we renamed it Turning Point Studio—a Christian Activities and Fellowship Center. We were a bunch of young people without money or official church support, yet we provided temporary housing for the homeless, conducted street witnessing and evangelistic crusades, did Jericho marches around rock concerts, and sponsored other activities geared toward fellowship and discipleship.We began linking with other ministries in Houston and distributing ordinary business cards that simply read,
"Somebody Cares at Turning Point Ministries call 24 hours a day."
10 comments:
Love you guys! Welcome to the blogosphere!
The Word tells us that the first shall be last. I don't mind being last because as the first Turning Point disciple, now 25 years ago, I have had the joy and privilege of watching countless numbers of lives being healed, delievered and transformed by the saving grace of Jesus Chirst thorugh His power at work in this ministry.
I had also had the honor and pleasure of having Doug Striinger as a great personal friend and as a caring Pastor in my life all these years. I have watched the Lord pour His favor over Doug's life and increase his borders. I have witness the fruit of this man's life and service, adn it has helped to make me a stronger man of GOd as well.
I am now tending my own flock through my work with Ad Deum Dance Company, a professional dance company comprised of Christian artists that are engaging the culture with relevant and redemptive works of art (www.danceaddeum.com).
My life has been forever changed through my relationship with Turning Point, for it is though this place that Jesus became very real to me and placed a calling in my heart to serve His purposes.
Thank you Doug - Thank you TPMI!
Randall Flinn - Turning Pointer #1
16 years ago we plugged into this Ministry and since then have received so much from it including deliverance from the spirit of murder several years of leadership training and character development and a whole lot of brotherly love from Doug Stringer and the gang. Thanks for all you do and remember that "you aint' seen nothing yet"!
Hello Everyone,
This is Steve Brezik, I was a part of TPMI from 1990 through 1997. My wife Kimberly became acquainted with the ministry in the mid eighties. I went on several mission trips with TPMI and graduated from their ACTS program.
I am now working with another electrical utillity and now we have 3 lovely children and are involved in our local church. This summer we are heading to South Africa and Botswana on a mission trip.
It seems that God has been reconnecting us with several friends and acquaintances from the ministry in the last 9 months or so. I hope to see or hear from some more of you in the near future.
I'm Nadine (Papaila) Naisbitt. My husband and I met through TPMI. My good friend, Debbie (Wager) Gatti introduced me to the ministry. I used to go street witnessing on lower Westheimer with TPM in the early 90's. I met my husband, Russell, when Doug asked me to take a group of New Zealanders, Tongans, and Australians on a tour of Johnson Space Center where I was an employee. The group came to attend Doug's Spiritual Impact Conference and had some time off for some sightseeing before the conference began. The rest is history. Doug officiated at our wedding in 1997.
We are still involved in the ministry to this day because we recognize Doug as a chosen instrument of God to usher in
the Lord's redemptive purposes in this city, state, country and even the globe. Doug's message of consecration, commitment and action is at the heart of compassion ministry.
Congratulations to Doug and all the past and present TPMI volunteers and staff who have poured out their lives in service to Our Almighty God. Blessings to you all!
Hi I'm Andrew Merry - It was 1983 and I was hitchhiking just outside Houston, on my way around the world. I was holding a sign that said "Australian" and despite that, Doug obeyed God (some 100 meters down the road), stopped and picked me up.
Within three days I had decided to leave my life of wine, women and song to follow Jesus and Doug became my spiritual dad. What a change took place - Praise Him and thankyou for your obedience Doug.
Turning Point Ministries was in it's infancy then, but the spirit was the same: giving, helping, loving, blessing, sacrificing, speaking into lives, preaching Jesus and more.
Lynette (my wife) and I have three wonderful kids now and we are pastoring a great church called "The Wave" in Ocean Grove, Australia.
We love being associated with Turning Point and love it when Doug rings and even more when he comes over to visit and minister here in Oz.
I know God will continue to bless the work because it's His work.
Keep being who you are Doug and Turning Point.
I'm Shearie Cheek. I became involved with TPMI in the mid-'90s
when Doug, Bud, and Turning-Pointers did a lot of volunteer work out at the Port of Houston.
TPMI treated the children and parents at Port Houston Elem., where I taught art, with counseling, tutoring, food, and fiestas in the park at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter for many years.
This will be my last year to teach art. I will retire in June of 2007. I am teaching at Ketelsen Elem. with Dahlia Torres of TPMI. Her husband, Max, and TPMI are a help to Ketelsen Elem. I am a member of Second Baptist Church where I am doing volunteer work with the evangelism department.
Thank you for all you have done for me and for my students.
Your friend,
Shearie Cheek
Turning Point Ministries has been a blessing in my life as well as my family's. I've followed TP since my daughters were teenagers. My husband and I would take our daughters to hear Doug speak; we wanted to expose them to the ministry of Doug Stringer.(the cutting-edge, prophetic, revivalist spirit) This was in the 80's, little did I know that Doug would profoundly impact my family in ways we could not have imagined. My children now are in full-time ministry and we are all still very much connected to Turning Point Ministries and Doug Stringer. The kingdom of God truly is built on relationships.
Hi! Doug. Long time no see. I attended some of your functions at TPMI during the early to mid 1980's. I went to church at Full Gospel Fellowhip Church in Stafford with Lenny Weston. I saw a posting from Randy Flynn. I would love to see you, Randy, and Lenny. Right now I am between Alabama and Houston. But my heart is in the Gulf area of Mississippi. What devastation. No one can get the true impact without going in person. In the past I would watch your show on DayStar. But now since I have been in Alabama for almost 3 months then I can not watch you here in Alabama. I have seen you from time to time on TV and heard things over the news about you. I always knew TPMI would grow and know no bounds because you have a true heart for God. I even remember going to your house a few times. You would have homeless guys staying with you (ones from Star of Hope or off the streets of downtown Houston). They would steal from you but that never bothered you because you said that you just gave it to them so that sin would not be on them. I also remember how back then you were living on credit cards so you could provide a safe haven for those homeless guys. I am sure some of those credit cards also provided for TPMI. It's funny the things we remember. Always remember that I honor you for your unwaivering committment to the Kingdom of God. You are such a wonderful witness for Jesus.
All the best as you celebrate 25 years with TPMI!
Blessings,
Kaye Stevenson
kayestevenson@yahoo.com
Praise the covenant keeping grace giving mighty God who dwells with and in us . I am David . I was very blessed to have the pleasure of serving with and under brother Doug and the TPM team in July , August and Sept of 1985 .
While it was a short time I was blessed so much and with an impartation of great magnitude. The grace and mercy I was able to observe at work through my brother was awesome. I also witnessed great discipline and obedience to the Holy Spirit. I feel honored to know a very precious brother in the Lord like Doug Stringer.
I came to know Doug in late 84 when He and some of His team visited Canaan Land , a mens ministry in Prattville , Al ran by Mac Gober. I was blessed when I recieved the opportunity to stay and work in Houston upon graduating in late June of 85. I truly thank God for this time of learning and realizing by example what faithfullness is all about.
Still applying these principles today and by the grace of God I have made it through 22 and a half years of training and by the principles and foundations taught by men like Doug Stringer I am entering in to an exciting time of ministry. Fruit from the fruitfull. Thanks Doug for your love and patience . I love you brother . God Bless you continuosly.
Shalom
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