In 1999 The Hamblin Company had been in business 26 years, providing a full range of cross-channel communications to a large group of clientele. Customers included manufacturers, financial and educational institutions and health care systems plus local, state and national businesses.
The phone rang one day and Pastor Louie Torres was on the line asking if I would consider designing a custom handbill for Pastor David Asscherrick. Pastor David was scheduled to be the evangelist for the ASI-Youth for Jesus program in Grand Rapids, Michigan prior to the National ASI convention. My answer was a firm, “no.” I wasn’t familiar with handbills, the process, and frankly didn’t have the time.
Those of you who are acquainted with Pastor Torres know he can be persistent and rarely takes no for an answer. So at the end of two or three telephone conversations, I agreed to fly over to Grand Rapids and meet Pastors Torres, David Asscherrick and his new bride, Violetta, at the general aviation terminal.
At the end of the sixth trip, I departed Grand Rapids airport with the signed-off proof for a new handbill design by Pastors Torres and Asscherrick.
The Grand Rapids evangelistic campaign was so successful that a new church plant resulted. Soon, another call from Pastor Torres resulted in another handbill design. Subsequently Pastor Asscherrick came to the Michigan Conference to start ARISE training center in Troy. When it was time for an evangelistic series for the students at ARISE, David would visit our office and walk our design group through the steps of developing a handbill which met his approval. With the use of storyboard paper, mounted on two or three walls in our conference room, his presentations were, to say the least, very educational
From those early days of Hamblin’s HOPESource Department, many pastors and evangelists have contributed to our success sharing ideas, suggestions, and orders.
Elder Don Gray, who taught Madlyn and myself how to conduct Revelation Seminars, was a major supporter and influence. His frequent phone calls to us and our visits were always enlightening. Elder Jay Gallimore, Michigan Conference president, has also been a major supporter and encouragement.
The Lifestyle Matters’ Department at the Michigan Conference opened with the arrival of Dane and Vicki Griffin. Before long, we were producing a new line of health materials for the Griffins. From this blessed association over 15 years, we have seen a continued growth in health seminars and evangelistic meetings. Today, the trend of what Elder Ted Wilson, GC president identifies as the “Blended Message”, (body and soul) is moving front and center. We are seeing a new direction in designing handbills with the Blended Message. Lifestyle Matters continues to produce amazing new products available for church families to use in their health seminars and evangelistic meetings. With the movement of over 1000 Baby Boomers a day into retirement, and the Millenalists’ growing families, the timing couldn’t have been better. Clearly God’s leading is most evident.
***Updated: October 31, 2019***
After over 45 years of serving the printing community, Ray and Madlyn Hamblin have passed the torch. Starting out in their basement, growing a multi-million dollar commercial printing company, for which for over 20 years had been heavily involved in evangelistic outreach all across the country, they have turned the reigns over to Seminars Unlimited, an NAD church entity, located in Keene, Texas. While their contribution will be missed, Seminars has insured that their fine quality of service and materials will continue on. Seminars has retained a number of original staff, all design files related to evangelistic and health, and the spirit of service and evangelistic passion Hamblin’s HOPESource has been famous for. “We are looking to not skip a beat as we continue to serve in this great work until Our Lord appears” states Pastor Carl Johnston, director, Seminars Unlimited.