As we in Arbol de Vida Community in Costa Rica convey to the brothers in the Servants of the Word our deep sympathy on the passing of our dear brother Steve, and join in your grief that is also ours and that of the whole Sword of the Spirit, we would like to take the opportunity to briefly honor him.
Thousands of Christians around the globe have benefitted from Steve’s leadership, vision and admirable gift of knowledge and teaching. His insight, faithfulness to Christ and deep grasp of God’s plan led him to play a leading role in the foundations for our call as a people and for the way of life that this call requires.
But our community in Costa Rica is indebted to him in a very special way, due to his active involvement with us in the early stages of our growth as a community. He encouraged us and expressed trust in us even when our initial core group could have given few signs of hope in the eyes of some people.
Several of our early leaders received a great deal of personal formation from him. Others remember with great gratitude his teachings in the Pastoral Training Institutes held in Costa Rica, or through listening to recorded material, or by reading his books, or by simply sharing with him when he visited us.
In honoring Steve on the attainment of the goal of his life – the fullness of life in the Kingdom of God – we are thus honoring a man whose firm commitment to Christ and to His call has given abundant fruit and has been a great blessing for thousands of people for several generations now and more to come.
We join you, our brothers, in mourning and in giving thanks to God for the life of Steve.
On behalf of the Council of Coordinators of Arbol de Vida,
Luis Brenes
Senior Coordinator
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Luis Brenes is the senior coordinator of Comunidad Arbol De Vida in Costa Rica.