What is your dad (Keith) up to these days?

From time to time, I (Alex) am asked this question from those who know my Dad as their former pastor, or even from many who read his newsletter (138 subscribers) and are curious of his ministry impact when he’s not traveling. My answer may be different from my dad’s. I wanted to share with all of his supporters the view from my chair, someone who was just in the audience when Dad spoke about discipleship, and someone who is familiar with Dad’s ministry agenda when he’s not traveling.

Dad says often that his ministry with men is behind the scenes, but after watching him continually lock arms with men, from the point of meeting Jesus to teaching them how to fish for other men, I would describe it as doing battle on the frontlines rather than behind the scenes. One of my personal mentors (someone Dad had discipled) once told me, “Keith Carlson would be the first person I’d choose to be next to me in the trenches.” I’ve come to understand what he meant in that statement. Spiritual warfare is very real, and when we choose to follow Christ, we are stepping onto the battlefield to pick up our cross daily and follow Him - having dependable, trustworthy brothers in the trenches is a prerequisite to spiritual growth amidst the trials sure to follow. Discipleship, then, is key. That is why my dad is so passionate about discipling men and teaching them how to disciple others.

On the note of spiritual warfare, my wife and I were recently discussing how frequently Jesus and His disciples were presented with demon-possession; it almost appeared routine. In Matthew 8:29, the demons say to Jesus, “What do You want with us, Son of God?”... “Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?” Thought-provoking that the demons not only clearly recognized Jesus’ as the Son of God, but also that they spoke of His “appointed time.” Our secular society has diagnosed every demon as either medical or imaginary, but we as believers should be looking to the eternal view. A.W. Tozer writes in The Pursuit of God:

The visible becomes the enemy of the invisible, the temporal, of the eternal. That is the curse inherited by every member of Adam’s tragic race. At the root of Christian life lies belief in the invisible. The object of the Christian faith is unseen reality. Our uncorrected thinking, influenced by the blindness of our natural hearts and the intrusive ubiquity of visible things, tends to draw a contrast between the spiritual and the real - but actually no such contrast exists.

The phrase “uncorrected thinking” jumps out to me as a reminder that we have to work to align our minds and thoughts to the very real, eternal realm. As Dad shares, discipleship was Jesus’ go-to method for helping men set their eyes above “just the visible.”

Back to Dad’s ministry. As a neighbor to my parents (insert Everybody Loves Raymond jokes), I refer to my parents’ home as the revolving door as it is rarely free of guests. In addition to those he meets with regularly in a 1:1 setting, I recently learned that Dad is actively discipling several former convicts, including being “pen-pals” with one high-profile individual that is currently serving a life sentence (you’ll have to ask him about this). His ministry to all of his disciples ranges from meeting weekly to study the One Year Bible, to phone calls, writing letters, counseling, and maybe most importantly, being a godly friend and lifeline when trials arise. Most of this work is done in-person, keeping the 1:4:1 ratio, but there are a number of men out of state as well. While Dad would be hesitant to share the exact number so as not to take away from God’s glory, I believe he is actively discipling in the range of 10-20 individuals at a time, and as you’d expect, each individual needs a tailored approach and a significant amount of his time. Some of these relationships are new (within the last 6 months) and some have been ongoing for over 10 years where they are now asking for counsel on how they can disciple others.

Fun Fact: The word “Christian” is mentioned only 3 times in Scripture, while the word “disciple” is mentioned 269 times! Of course this varies slightly based on the translation, but the emphasis is clear.

Now, to where he needs your help…

4 ways you can pray for and support 141 Ministry:

1. Financial Support: Please pray that God continues to provide for Dad’s ministry. There have been highs and lows on the giving front over the past number of years, but God always provides. My dad won’t ask you, but I’d personally ask that you consider giving to 141 consistently if you’re not already (monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, etc.). I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a better use of your funds than giving directly to a ministry that impacts lives on one-for-one basis.

2. Fishing Lessons: The recent event pictured above was arranged by someone who was discipled by Dad several years ago at his local church. Based on the feedback and engagement from that group, we are praying for similar opportunities where Dad can work with men on the topic of discipleship, and teach them how “to fish.”

3. Encouragement: Pray for opportunities to encourage Dad, and others like him in your life. Those who are constantly pouring out to help others in ministry can often feel run down as they too need to be replenished. Those on the frontlines of the spiritual battlefield are in constant need of our prayers and encouragement.

4. Bibles: One item that Dad consistently finances with your support is the One Year Bible. He gives those to the men he disciples as they commit to reading the Word together each year. From one store alone, Dad has purchased 65 One Year Bibles over the last few years. The cost of the One Year Bible is roughly $15, so he’s spending at least $300/year for those resources. One small way you could contribute to 141 would be committing to a recurring gift that would cover the cost of one Bible per month for the course of the year, or even directly purchasing for his inventory.

I hope this served as a helpful update to those of you who follow and support Dad’s ministry from a slightly different viewpoint. He prays for you often (I see your names on his lists) and he is so thankful that you all provide for him as faithfully as you do. As his son, I’m thankful for the eternal impact he has had on so many, and I’m grateful to each of you for giving to further that cause.

Dad will follow up with another update in the near future to recap some of his recent speaking engagements and share what God has been teaching him lately.

-Alex Carlson