John 1:1, The Holy Bible

This may be your Step 2 …

… after visiting with one of us along side of Jasper, our local Canines for Christ Ambassador dog.

That’s wonderful!

It means you’re somewhere on the path between curiosity and heartfelt desire to advance through faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. It may also mean that you’re open to a few further “introductory” thoughts from us on next steps. Here are a few.

First, we’d encourage you to take a look at the “Important Truths for New Christians” on the Cru website. Formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, these come from a no prerequisites presentation and mindset advocated by Jesus Himself [Matthew 10:19].

When you’re ready to take more structured, deeper steps forward, consider “You Said Yes,” available through Open Network, courtesy of Life Church. As previewed in its Introduction, “You said yes to Jesus. Now what’s next?

Inside this little book, you’ll discover more about what your decision to follow Jesus means ….

Together, we’ll answer questions like ‘what does this mean,’ ‘what should I do,’ and ‘what does this change?’ Our hope is that this tool can provide guidance as you begin your journey following Jesus ….

As you make your way through the forty-plus pages of content, you’ll see encouragement to connect with a local church as a way of rounding-out your rebirth in Him here on planet Earth. At the center of the Tri-Community, we like the Belleville-Area Independent newspaper as a solid start connecting with Christian houses of worship, with its “Church Service Directory” that runs each week in print.

Janet and I make it our practice to pray for those with whom we are blessed and trusted to interact after each time out with Jasper. Beyond that, and what’s been provided above, if we can help with your journey in any other way, let us know.

— Dell Deaton
March 6, 2026