Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Dear Friends,

 

I am excited to announce that as of today we have met and exceeded our goal of providing support for the Zanders for both 2008 and 2009!  For all those who have and continue to support the Zanders, on behalf of the Zander family and myself, I want to express a heartfelt “Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you!!”  What an amazing expression of the Body of Christ we have seen over the past few months.  From the expressions of care and concern for Dieter immediately following his stroke exemplified by the hundreds who gathered to pray for him, to the dozens of meals provided by friends and supporters, to the thousands of people who have visited the websites and left messages, given gifts, and have continued to express concern for Dieter, to the amazing night that culminated our campaign at the Zander Arts Event.  All we can say is “Wow!” and “Praise God!!”

 

Please continue to pray for Dieter as he continues to recover.  This is still a long and challenging road and he will continue to need our support and encouragement.  The website will continue to run so that you can receive updates (although they may be less often) and can leave messages of encouragement for Dieter, Valerie and the boys.  If you have made financial commitments, we will continue to accept donations either by mail or through the website (online until September 1).  Again, I want to express our thanks to all of you who have prayed, given, encouraged, and made this portion of the journey for the Zanders easier to travel because, they didn’t do it alone!

 

Serving Christ together,

Eric

 

Eric Nyberg

Director of Outreach

BayMarin Community Church

 

Campaign extended through Friday, June 27th

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your continuing support for the Zanders!  Following the Arts Event, we were at just under 90% of the goal for keeping the Zanders whole for 2008 & 2009.  We’ve extended the campaign until next Friday (6/27) to finish off the remaining amount of the support needed to keep the Zanders whole for 2008 & 2009. To date, we’re up to 93% of the total goal and continue to inch towards the goal each day. If you have not given and would still like to or know others who might want to give, please do so. You can click on the donations tab for more information on how to give.

On exciting update on Dieter, last Sunday he joined the worship team playing keyboard bass for the service. What an exciting time it was and although there is still a long road of recovery to go, it was great to see him helping lead others in worship. Please continue to pray for his recovery and for the support still needed to be raised to cover them for all of next year.

Serving Christ together,

Eric Nyberg

 

Zander Initiative Campaign Update

Dear Friends,

 

We’re halfway through the Zander Initiative campaign!  Thank you for your faithful support of the Zander family.  God is definitely at work and His Faithfulness is evident in what we’ve seen this week!

As of today we have raised about 50% of our goal to help support the Zanders for both 2008 and 2009.  Our desire is to keep the family whole, covering both Dieter and Valerie’s salary and benefits, so that they can focus their energies on helping Dieter get better.  We realize that this is an uphill climb and with your help we can help make it easier for them.  Please also continue to pray and ask God to bring full recovery for Dieter!
 
Serving Christ together,

BayMarin Community Church

From David Cobia, Lead Pastor of BayMarin Church

Dear Friends,

 

As many of you know, our friend Dieter Zander suffered a stroke on February 4th, 2008. The next night, several hundred of us gathered to pray that God would spare Dieter’s life. God answered those prayers, and we are thankful.

 

But Dieter’s life is not the same. He can no longer speak with the eloquence we once took for granted, and has lost much of the dexterity in his right hand. Our friend who has led so many of us with his message and his music has, for now, been silenced.

  

No one can predict what the future holds for Dieter, his wife Valerie, and their sons Kyle, Conrad, and Christopher. What we do know for sure is that the Zanders’ journey is not over. As Dieter works to reclaim the abilities the stroke has taken from him, as his family adjusts to a whole new way of living, the time has come for the body of Christ to step up.

  

It is our turn now to support a man who has strengthened the faith of so many, not only here in Marin, but also at Newsong in southern California, at Willow Creek in Illinois, at ReImagine in San Francisco, and at conferences in the U.S., Europe, and Brazil.

  

During the month of May, BayMarin Community Church is spearheading a campaign, along with many individuals, churches and organizations Dieter has been involved with, to provide financial support for the Zander family as Dieter continues his road to recovery.

  

Our intent is to provide at least two years of full income with benefits, enabling the Zanders to focus on Dieter’s recovery and discover the possibilities God has in store for them.

 

Dieter and his family are known and loved all over the world, not only for Dieter’s leadership behind the pulpit and piano, but also for their friendship. Dieter is not just a member of our ministry, but a husband, father, brother, son, uncle, neighbor, and friend.

 

All of these relationships, these memories made throughout the years exist just as surely, just as strongly, in the good times as they do in the bad. But these connections somehow become more clear to us during the hardest times. We realize what we almost lost, and we want to reach out with all the comfort, all the hope, and all the love we can offer.

 

We are reaching out to all of you who have been touched by Dieter’s ministry, his music, or his friendship, and to all of you who know and love the Zander family.

 

The FAQ tab above will provide you with essential information on how to donate. The Concert tab above will give you information on the culminating event of the campaign, an arts event on June 8th. Give as God leads, and help us make this road to recovery as smooth and swift as we can.

 

Blessings,

David Cobia

Lead Pastor

BayMarin Community Church

San Rafael, CA