Message from our new Director:
Honoring the past and planning for the future.
2 Timothy 1:13–14 (NASB95)
Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.
Please indulge me for a moment and imagine that we are parachuting into Paul's second letter to Timothy, into the region of Chapter 1. As we descend toward the drop zone of verses 13 & 14, we see the verses which came before and those that come after. On the front side we see Paul suffering for the gospel. We hear from him why he is suffering and to Whom he entrusts the victory. On the back side, we see that he has been abandoned by many, except for the house of Onesiphorus. Yet in the drop zone, we see Paul entrusting the “sound words” he had been given to Timothy. Paul commands Timothy to guard this treasure. By extension, believers are also charged to do the same thing. We are to retain the standard of sound words which we have heard, and we are to guard through the Holy Spirit the treasure which has been entrusted to us. Paul’s words help me accurately view our current place in history. A correct biblical view on anything, much less on gender, is constantly embattled and attacked. As the great treasure that Scripture is, we are to keep and guard diligently what has been entrusted to us amidst attack, suffering, betrayal, and abandonment.
The board of Five Aspects Ministries was able to meet together in January. I am thankful for the group of men the Lord has put together and feel very fortunate to be a part of such a team. Paraphrasing 2 Timothy 1:13–14, my personal goal as it pertains to Five Aspects Ministries is to "retain the standard of sound words" and guard the "treasure which has been entrusted" to us. I can attest that the board is doing just that. The Five Aspects materials are indeed a treasure that we have been entrusted with, inasmuch as they reflect and expound upon the true treasure which is The Word of God. As we move forward, we are making plans for the future while seeking to honor the past. Would you please join us in praying for God's wisdom to guide us.
Bryan Vermillion
Five Aspects Ministries Director
William Peterson, Bryan & Kristine Vermillion
Wesley Mouser & Steve Ramey
Note from Barbara Mouser: Introduction of Bryan Vermillion
Steve Ramey, William Peterson, and Bryan Vermillion
As I considered how to introduce Bryan Vermillion as the new Aspects Director, I was reminded of a phrase I learned from my professional-army brother. He used to talk about “walk-on-water OERs” (officer efficiency reports). In the army, commanding officers would rate their subordinates to determine their advancements. However, as with so much in our society, the reports became inflated. Poor officers were rated “good,” and average officers were rated “great.” But what if you really had a “great” officer? What did you say about him?
Two solutions were used to solve this problem. One option was to write a “walk-on-water” OER. In other words, the grader would praise the outstanding officer so highly and so extravagantly, he was made to sound divine. The other solution was to write a report so short and dramatic, it cut away the fog and made the point with a staccato thrust. “Promote this man now” would be an example of this kind of OER. I could write a “walk-on-water” introduction for Bryan. He is a man of many virtues. But I prefer to get to the central point quickly.
Bryan is faithful, trustworthy, and persevering.
What better man could God raise up in this treacherous day to lead the Aspects Ministry than one with these qualifications? Thank you, Bryan, for receiving this ministry stewardship from the Lord. Bill and I (we spoke of this many times before his departure last May) are deeply encouraged and grateful for your willingness to serve.
1 Corinthians 4:2 (NKJV)
“Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”
Barbara Mouser Co-Founder and Staff Writer
For more information on our new director, Bryan Vermillion, please visit our team page to read more.
A Note from Kristine’s desk:
Emily and I have been steadily working on the daily activities of Five Aspects Ministries. Emily has faithfully filled orders, responded to customer inquiries, and handled all the details of the day to day. Bryan and I hosted the special meeting of the board at our lake house mid-January, and then we turned around and released the new Five Aspects of Man 2nd Edition when we returned home.
In addition to this, Emily and I have been researching opportunities to get Five Aspects Ministries curriculums before a broader audience. Just this week, we have scheduled to attend two homeschool expos here in Texas in May and July, and we are on the waiting lists for another homeschool show and a private Christian school gathering. We are also considering a local expo in April as well. At these events we plan to highlight the Five Aspects of Masculinity for Young Men, the Five Aspects of Femininity for Young Women, and the Jeweled Fountain. Of course, all of our curriculums will be presented while we are there as well. In order to get ready for these events, we have a mountain of work to do. We need to design a booth, produce new literature, and a whole list of other things.
In addition to this, I also have a list of works that need to be edited and adapted for new editions as well as a list of works that I would like to see come into existence. The first work on my list is the Seven Principles of Sexuality for Students. I aim to begin this adaptation in the coming weeks. I would love to have it ready to take to present at the events in May and July, but that would take a small miracle to happen in such a small amount of time. However, I have seen God work wonders in the recent years, so … I know that it is indeed possible if He wants it to be done.
Please pray for this ministry. Pray for the opportunities that we have to get our materials before a larger audience of people and to spread the word. Please pray for our protection and for God’s guidance every step of the way. Please pray that if we are supposed to be at the events that we are on the waiting list for—we’ll be there. Please pray for all of our needs to be provided. Please pray over the development of our materials and that God would continue to guide me every step of the way. Please pray that God will continue to use these curriculums to transform and disciple believers everywhere for His glory.
We thank you for the faithful prayer and financial support that so many of you give so graciously and so regularly. Because of your support, we are reaching this nation and the world for Christ. Our books have been going to California and Pennsylvania and everywhere in between. We have also recently sent books to Romania, Australia, and Ireland. In the grand scheme of things, we are a teeny tiny little ministry that produces a teeny tiny number of books for a teeny tiny little subset of the population. Yet, I believe that God is mightily at work here. I know He is. We regularly talk to people from all over the place— Scripture is being taught and lives are being changed. We will be faithful with the treasure God has entrusted to us, and we will continue until He takes us home or until He returns.
Kristine Vermillion
Editor and Project Manager