A New Year and a New Season for Ten-Four Ministries

There is so much for which to be thankful to God. The Lord has accomplished much through His little operation called Ten-Four Ministries. It is hard to believe that the ministry will complete its sixth year, March 31, 2008.

The Lord has used Ten-Four Ministries to bring the Law and the Gospel to tens of thousands of first responders, around the world. Untold thousands outside the first responder community have likewise received the Law and the Gospel. The Lord has accomplished all of this through books such as Take Up The Shield and Running Beyond Inspiration, tracts, street evangelism, the website, The Centurion Papers blog, preaching in churches and in the open-air, and several mission trips across North America. An unknown number of first responders and their family members have received one-to-one counsel, by phone, e-mail, and in-person. To God, and God alone, are all the praise, honor, and glory.

With all that the Lord has already accomplished, it should come as no surprise that the Lord, in His sovereignty and grace, would begin a new and exciting season in the life of Ten-Four Ministries.

If you have closely followed the ministry for any length of time, you have likely noticed a gradual shift (for lack of a better word) in the ministry’s direction, which has corresponded with my personal growth in Christ and my service to Him. What began as a ministry entirely focused on bringing the Law and the Gospel to the law enforcement community has expanded to include open-air preaching and street evangelism. These new areas of ministry have brought me into relationship with the team at Living Waters (The Way of the Master), which has included membership in the ministry’s Board of Directors and participation in the Way of the Master Radio show.

This brings me to the subject of the new season upon which Ten-Four Ministries is about to embark. I have been offered and I have accepted a full-time leadership position with Living Waters. I will serve as the Director of a brand new aspect of ministry called The Ambassadors’ Alliance. In my new role, I will oversee the development of an intensive evangelism training program, as well as the development of a network of street evangelists and like-minded churches and para-church ministries.

Both my family and my closest advisors (namely, the Ten-Four Advisory Board) agree that this new role is in keeping with my personal, spiritual growth and the growth in my service to the Lord.

While I have served as the voice and the face of Ten-Four Ministries, the ministry has never belonged to me. Ten-Four Ministries belongs to the Lord. I have merely served as God’s steward of one of His ministries. Because of my new role with Living Waters, it is necessary that I step down from my role as Director of Ten-Four Ministries. It was a difficult decision—one that has been bathed in much prayer and assisted by much counsel. It was a difficult decision, but it was the right decision.

I give thanks to God that He has provided Ten-Four Ministries with a new leader who will undoubtedly lead the ministry well and be the instrument God uses to continue to build Ten-Four Ministries, through this new season and beyond. His name is Travis Yates.

Captain Travis Yates (Tulsa PD, a 14-year veteran) has been a member of the Ten-Four Advisory Board since its inception. I first met Travis in 2005. He organized and facilitated my mission trip to Tulsa, OK, that summer. Travis is a godly man who is well-respected in his church (serving as a deacon), in his department (serving as a supervisor), and in and beyond the larger law enforcement community.

As the new Director of Ten-Four Ministries, Travis brings several gifts and talents to the table. He has a good deal of experience as an administrator. He is a writer. He designs and maintains websites. He is growing as a public speaker. And, most importantly, he loves the Lord Jesus Christ and has a genuine burden for reaching the law enforcement community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, he is committed to employing biblical principles in every aspect of ministry, including evangelism.

I have complete confidence that Travis Yates is the Lord’s man to continue the vision, goals, and mission of Ten-Four Ministries, which is surmised in the phrase: Providing practical and spiritual support to the law enforcement community.

Although Travis will begin to serve as the new Director, effective immediately, we anticipate the transition of the ministry to take several months. I will work side-by-side with Travis every step of the way. I have also offered to stay on as an advisor for the ministry, once the transition is complete.

While my life and ministry is changing direction, the law enforcement family will always be part of me. I will continue to work diligently to bring the Law and the Gospel to the law enforcement family, as often as and wherever the Lord provides the opportunities to do so.

Needless to say, we all recognize the important place Ten-Four Ministries has in the Lord’s plans to further His gospel and His kingdom.

We have been so very blessed these last several years by the prayerful and financial support many of you have provided to Ten-Four Ministries and to the Miano Family. My sincere hope is that you will continue to support the ministry with your prayers and your generous giving.

For now, and during the ministry transition period, please give as you always have. We will let you know as quickly as possible when the manner in which the ministry receives donations changes.

You will soon receive another letter from me, which will provide more details regarding my new ministry, along with information regarding how you can support the effort, if you choose to do so.

On behalf of the entire Miano Family, thank you for your loving support of Ten-Four Ministries.

I am excited to see what the Lord will do next through this ministry, on Travis’ watch. And stay tuned for a post, within the next week or so, from Travis Yates, in which he will further introduce himself and share his vision for Ten-Four Ministries.