Update/Support Letter

This is the support letter we have been giving out-

“The heart of man plans his way,
but the Lord establishes his steps.”
- Proverbs 16:9

Looking back on the years since we got married and left McCook for the University of Nebraska at Kearney, we are very grateful that God has been establishing our steps even in times when our hearts were making other plans. Over the last two years God has slowly been redirecting our hearts towards full-time pastoral ministry. This is something that has always been in the back of our minds but God has used various people and circumstances as well as the prompting of the Holy Spirit and the scriptures to bring it to the forefront in the last two years. We have felt specifically lead towards Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. God started opening doors and we just keep walking through in faith. I (David) was accepted last fall and have been awarded a 50% scholarship for my first year of studies. I will be pursuing a Master of Divinity degree, which is the standard degree for those entering into pastoral ministry. My goal is to finish in four years. We trust it will be a time of challenge and deep spiritual growth for both of us.
Having graduated from UNK this May, we will be moving to St. Louis the first week of June so that I can begin with an intensive Greek course before starting regular classes in the fall.
We ask for your prayers as we make this transition and begin training for ministry.
• Pray that we would find good employment that is flexible with school schedules.
• Please pray that we would trust God to provide for our financial and spiritual needs.
• Ultimately, pray that we would treasure Christ above all and that we would grow spiritually as well as intellectually during our time in St. Louis.
We would also be grateful to any who feel led to partner with us through financial support. Attending seminary is expensive and so is living in St. Louis. There are two specific reasons why we need assistance in this area. First, it is common that pastors right out of seminary do not make a lot of money. While doctors and lawyers often make enough to pay off student loans in their first years of employment, many pastors have to take a second job just to make ends meet. This can result in emotional and physical burnout – something we would like to avoid! Our goal is to remain loan-free throughout seminary. Second, Dawn is willing to work full-time to help support us financially, but this kind of schedule would hinder her ability to take advantage of Covenant’s Spouse Scholarship program that allows her to take seminary courses for free as long as I am enrolled. If possible she would like to work part-time and pursue a masters program that Covenant offers specifically for Christian lay-workers. We feel it is very important that she be well equipped to handle the special calling of being a pastor’s wife.
If you are receiving this letter you have probably already been a part of this process, in one form or another, so we thank you for your love and guidance. Many of you have been encouraging us and fostering our spiritual growth for many years and we thank God for your presence in our lives. We feel that God has called us to this ministry and we strive to be obedient to his will. It is our desire to glorify God and serve his people faithfully. Let us all drink deeply from the fount of every blessing.
Walking in the steps He has established,

David and Dawn


FINANCIAL PARTNERING:

If you would like to partner with us financially you can send donations directly to us or you can send them to our account at the seminary. Money in this account will be used to pay for tuition, fees, books, rent and living expenses. These donations are not tax-deductible and are considered gifts to the student by the IRS. Make sure to include “DAVID SALYER, STUDENT ACCOUNT” in the memo line of your check to ensure that the money is applied to our account. Checks can be made payable to “Covenant Theological Seminary” and sent to the following address:

Covenant Theological Seminary
12330 Conway Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63141

Questions? Contact Covenant’s Financial Aid Office: (314) 434-4044 ext. 4940


CONTACT INFO:

If you would like to get periodic updates on our progress, please send us an email or letter to that effect.