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ESTABLISHING PEOPLE IN GOD’S WORD
About
Plumbline
The plumb line
is pictured in
Scripture as the
standard of Truth.
“ ‘Behold I am about
to put a plumb line
in the midst of My
people . . . ’ ” (Amos
7:8b). Our goal
with Plumbline
is to help Precept
supporters like
you measure all of
life by God’s Word.
May it bless you!
And Precept
Began to
Grow . . .
page 2
Q&A with
David Arthur
page 5
Feeding on
God’s Word
page 8
PRECEPT MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL 4 JULY 2012
Plumbline
ABOVE: David with his family. (L-R) David, Annie,
Margaret (wife), Abigail and Jesse.
“P
COVER: David Arthur.
New Face, Same Focus
David Arthur shares insights on his new role as CEO
recept Ministries is part of my DNA.” With that
statement, the baton was passed from Jack and Kay
to David Arthur as Chief Executive Officer of Precept
Ministries International. As the move of David to CEO
was announced to the Ministry staff at their daily morning
prayer meeting, it was obvious that all of our staff members
who had served the Ministry so faithfully under Jack and
Kay’s leadership were ready to “keep on keeping on” under
David’s guidance.
David shared with the staff that morning his heart for
the work of Precept—and for the future of the Ministry.
He talked about honoring the past while moving ahead
(continued on page 3)

Jack and Kay Arthur
Co-Founders of Precept Ministries
David Arthur
CEO of Precept Ministries
The Vision of Precept
Ministries International
To establish people in God’s
Word to live as exemplary
followers of Jesus Christ,
studying the Bible inductively,
viewing the world biblically,
making disciples intentionally,
and serving the Church
faithfully in the power
of the Holy Spirit.
It’s been a
miracle of God
to watch Precept
Ministries
International
grow from a Bible
study of 15 high
school students
to a worldwide
ministry.
2 Plumbline | www.precept.org
And Precept Began
to Grow . . .
Beloved,
It’s been 42 years since Jack and I prayed for God to use us in a mighty
way to share His Word inductively with anyone who wanted to learn. We can
safely say today that it’s been a miracle of God to watch Precept Ministries
International grow from a Bible study of 15 high school students to a
worldwide ministry.
Now there are Precept training centers in places like Romania, South
Africa, Korea, and Canada, and people are being equipped to study God’s
Word for themselves in 165 countries and more than 75 languages. For all
these years along the way, God has supplied us with gracious partners—people
like you who pray and give to see God’s Word spread throughout our world.
In the early days, we trained only a few people at a time. It was the only
way. We worked like crazy to share the Inductive Bible Study method with
anyone who would listen, and as He often does, God moved and Precept began
to grow.
Today, countless people have been equipped through our training across
the country and around the world. In Eurasia alone, as many as 25,000 people
are being trained every month. Through the Internet, millions of people
now have access to Inductive Bible Study tools, and very soon, we will be
launching online training, a complete online community called Precept Social,
and a host of other tools that will allow people to receive the training they want
on their own schedule.
In this edition of Plumbline, you’ll get to know our CEO (and son) David
a little better—what he sees for the future of the Ministry and whom he looks
to for guidance when it comes to leadership style. We’re also excited to share
the latest work being done as a result of Answering the Call. By allowing God
to work through you, more than 370,000 additional people will be established
in God’s Word.
Beloved, Jack and I are so thankful for your prayers and kind notes of
encouragement over the past few months. David continues to grow every day
as CEO, and Jack is doing well. It is a blessing that I am able to spend more
time with him. We know God will continue to guide the ministry of Precept
in the years ahead and that our mission will always remain true—to establish
people in God’s Word.
Your Co-Laborer in Ministry,
P.S. With David at the helm, I am confident that God will continue to grow
the ministry and outreach of Precept Ministries International, and I pray
that you will continue to support our efforts in the future as you have
so faithfully supported us in the past. Even though there is a new name
and a new face guiding the Ministry, our mission remains the same—to
establish people in God’s Word.

New Face, Same Focus (continued from page 1)
toward the many opportunities that lie before us. “At
my core, I’m about training people to study God’s
Word for themselves,” he explained. “And that is
what we are all about as a ministry.”
Online training, the
Precept Network, Precept
Social, Answering the Call,
and exponential expansion
internationally are just a
few of the major projects on
David’s plate as he walks into
his new role. Over the past
year, the money available for
Precept’s international work
has more than doubled, and
David is committed to making
sure this continues to grow. “Our greatest opportunities
for growth are internationally,” he said. “So why would
we not continue to pour money into those places where
God is obviously producing a tremendous return on our
investment with changed lives?”
Domestically, the ability to provide training
for people in the way they want it and on their own
schedules has been a challenge for years as many
have had to cut back on expenses in light of one of
the greatest economic crises in history. “Just because
the economy goes south
doesn’t mean people
At my core, I’m about
training people
to study God’s Word
for themselves.
As part of a Precept Network event, David trains a group
in southern California to use the New Inductive Study Series.
don’t need to be equipped
to study God’s Word for
themselves!”
Whether he’s meeting
with Precept’s Board of
Directors or training a
room full of people how
to use a 40-Minute Bible
Study to start a small
group, David is leading the Ministry into a future
that, thanks to your prayers and financial partnership,
is poised for the growth necessary to reach
10 million people with the Inductive Bible Study
method by 2015. 4
Establishing People in God’s Word | Plumbline 3

I
ANSWERING THE CALL
n the first half of this year, several new programs were
funded through the Answering the Call (ATC) campaign.
These programs will significantly extend the reach of Precept
in key countries where people are desperate to study and
understand God’s Word for themselves. It is only because of
God working through people like you to pray and give that
any of this has been possible. Through ATC, the international
work of Precept has more than doubled over the past year.
Here are just a few examples of the NEW work being done
to help establish 10 million people in God’s Word by 2015.
International Taekwondo Competitions
For years, Precept has
used sports to open doors
for reaching out to people
across Eurasia. Recently,
the Moldovan National
Taekwondo Team led by
Precept trainer Vasile Filat
participated in the World
Championships in a country that is completely closed to
the Gospel. Not only were they able to enter the country
freely, but they also introduced 640 competitors from 120
countries to Precept Bible Studies—and came away with
the World Championship! Given the level of credibility
of “our” team, the door is also open into other countries
where we would never otherwise be able to work. Please
pray for this effort as we plan to participate in at least five
international competitions this year and expand Precept’s
outreach across Europe and Eurasia.
Planting Churches Using Inductive Bible Study
Sasha Sanduleac, one
of our key trainers in
Eurasia, has a heart for
planting churches using
the Inductive Bible Study
method. Sasha has planted
25 churches in the region
and also coordinates more
than 50 Precept Bible Study groups each week!
Building on this firm foundation, Precept is making
4 Plumbline | www.precept.org
QUARTERLY MINISTRY UPDATE
Newly Funded Answering the Call
Projects Reach Thousands
a significant investment in helping Sasha lead a team to
plant 65 new churches over the next five years. Based on
experience, we expect God to use this project to impact
tens of thousands more people with His life-changing Word.
Each person will be trained not only to study God’s Word
for themselves, but also how to teach others to do the same.
Laying Down Roots in Egypt
Through God’s provision,
Precept is opening an
office in Cairo this year
to serve the growing
ministry in Egypt.
Through workshops and
training institutes we’ve
held in partnership with
a large evangelical church in Egypt, many people are now
involved in weekly Precept Bible Studies and are hungry to
go even deeper into God’s Word. Egypt has also become
a key location for training pastors from closed and semiclosed
countries who cannot obtain visas for training in
other countries. Please pray for our National Director as he
leads the growing work in Egypt.
Training Public School Teachers . . . Inductively!
In May, Precept formally
launched a new training
program for public school
teachers in Romania,
Ukraine, and Moldova.
Teachers will attend our
10-day training sessions;
then they will teach Precept
courses to students in their schools and train other teachers to
use the Inductive Bible Study method and Precept materials.
In Eurasia in 2011, Precept was taught in 281 public schools
with 109,957 students using our materials to study topics
such as ethics, values, and AIDS prevention. In an effort to
add to this success, we expect to train 210 new teachers and
principals over the next three years. This will continue to
open doors for evangelism and discipleship, bringing growth
to the Ministry in these key countries. 4

Q& A Meet David Arthur
David teaching at the House
of Caiaphas in Israel.
What are your biggest challenges
stepping into this role?
One of the biggest challenges will be to take the 40 years
of incredible work accomplished by Jack, Kay, and our
senior team and pass it on to the next generation.
What is your vision for Precept?
The exact same as it has always been—to see men,
women, and students radically affected by God’s Word.
My prayer for Precept is that it would be known around
the world as the best place to learn how to study the
Bible. Like Navigators, Fellowship of Christian Athletes,
Young Life, and Compassion International—my vision
for Precept is that we be known by our “brand” and not
any individual personality, including mine!
What would you say to people who
ask if your mom is retiring?
Her response is my response: “There is no retirement in
a time of war—and we are in the biggest one ever!” I
can’t even imagine my mom not working for the mission
of establishing people in God’s Word! God has gifted her
and burned in her a deep passion for His Kingdom—the
only thing that would stop that would be death itself.
What can we expect to change now
that you are the CEO?
Fundamentally? Nothing will change. I share the same
passion, drive, theology, and love for God’s Word and His
people. We are working with an intense focus—saying
“no” to good things so we can say “yes” to great things.
Everything, absolutely everything
we do as an organization must be
directly supporting our mission.
Will you tell us a little about the process
that led to your assuming the role of CEO?
John Ortberg challenged me in a talk to pray for 30 days
with my wife about how God wanted me to specifically
be a part of His Kingdom coming from heaven to
earth (as we are taught to pray in Matthew 6). During
those days of prayer, God made it clear, crystal clear,
that I was to return to Precept and take the baton of
leadership from my parents. Looking back over my
journey—growing up studying inductively, traveling
around the world doing short-term missions, studying
organizational behavior management in college and
theology in seminary, working for IBM, working for
myself, working for Generous Giving, and serving as a
pastor—it all seems now to be God’s preparing me for
such a time as this!
What verse has inspired you during
this transition time?
John 15:5
is my new
favorite verse:
“I am the vine,
you are the
Jack Arthur
leading Precept’s
male staff in
prayer for David’s
new role as CEO.
branches; he
who abides
in Me and I in
him, he bears
much fruit,
for apart
from Me you can do nothing.” I love the promise and
fear the warning—Keep me on the Vine, Lord Jesus! 4
My prayer for Precept
is that it would be known
around the world
as the best place to learn
how to study the Bible.
Establishing People in God’s Word | Plumbline 5

BOOK SPOTLIGHT
Discover God’s
Answers to Your
Deepest Needs
Send for
your copy
today!
Does life sometimes leave you
feeling overwhelmed, confused,
worn out, and empty? Do you want
to grow closer to God, but just don’t
know how? Part of Kay Arthur’s LORD
series, Lord, Help Me Grow Spiritually
Strong in 28 Days is an insightful, warmhearted
Bible study designed to meet
you where you are—and to help you
discover God’s answers to your deepest
needs. In just 28 days, this study will
help you build your spiritual muscles,
showing you how to:
• Know God better and experience
the power of the Holy Spirit
• Learn to be still to discern
God’s leading
• Seek out mentors in the faith and
help nurture others
• Get over your past and resist
temptation
• Experience life to the fullest and
face death without fear
Plus so much more! Request your copy
today and journey with Kay and David
Arthur into a deeper commitment to
Christ as you study these precepts for
life and learn the essentials of growing
spiritually strong.
Send for your copy of Lord, Help Me
Grow Spiritually Strong in 28 Days
today or go to www.precept.org/
spiritually-strong. 4
6 Plumbline | www.precept.org
Don’t Miss These . . .
Upcoming Events!
On-Campus Events
2012 Fall Women’s Conference
>> October 19–21, 2012
2012 Fall Training Workshops
>> November 14–17, 2012
2013 Spring Women’s Conference
>> April 12–14, 2013
To register for these and other Precept events, visit www.precept.org.
Precepts For Life Airing Schedule
Romans: The Constitution of Your Faith
>> July 2–31, 2012
Topical Programs
>> August 1–24, 2012
Sermon on the Mount
>> August 27–September 7, 2012
Ephesians: The Mystery of God’s Church—Our Identity,
Our Walk, Our Warfare
>> September 10–December 7, 2012
Tune in Online
You can listen to Precepts For Life at
www.oneplace.com/ministries/precept
Or
Watch Precepts For Life at
www.lightsource.com/ministry/precepts

Is There a Leader Worth Emulating?
Examining the Leaders of the Bible
H
ave you ever noticed just how
different the Bible is from the writings
of other religions? Seriously, who publishes
all the mistakes and failures of their key
leaders? The Bible seems to be unique in
this aspect, for it seems to go out of its way
to show the mistakes of the many described
in its pages.
Father Abraham turns out to be scared
of other kings so he tells Sarah to lie and
say he is her brother. Jacob’s nickname was
the deceiver—and rightfully earned. Moses
messed up so badly he could not enter into
a land he had been working toward for 40
years! David’s appetite for bloodshed was
enormous, and his lust caused him to have
his own army kill Bathsheba’s husband,
Uriah. Can you think of many judges or
kings in Israel’s history that you would
want to model your life after? I can’t. Most
either fall into sin or die without leaving a
lasting impression on the people they were
trying to lead toward God. So when asked
recently what leader I’d want to be like, I
had to answer, Jesus.
Jesus is the only leader who doesn’t
fall into sin or die! I am captured by His
perfect balance of love and power. He can
be so gentle, so gracious, so longsuffering—
while at the same time He can be so
passionate, so direct, so bold. I admire the
way He uses His authority. It is genuinely
to love and to serve—isn’t that what He
teaches us in John 13? But Jesus is no
pushover! He cleans house at the temple
with a whip; He calls out the sins of the
Pharisees; He eats with the untouchables.
I want to model my leadership after His—
serving others and not lording over them. I
want to be gentle yet to stand firm on the
unchangeable, non-negotiable truths of
God! I want to be more like Jesus! 4
Precept Social: Coming Soon to a Computer Near You!
You’ve heard it said that we are “social creatures.” There’s
a lot of truth to that. With that in mind, and thanks to
the generous support provided through Answering the
Call, Precept Ministries International is on the verge
of launching its own social
network. But as you might
imagine, the purpose of
Precept Social is far different
from anything else on the
Internet today.
The vision of Precept Social is to aid Precept leaders
and students in establishing people in God’s Word by
providing mutual support and resources. We want to
help people discover Truth for themselves, go deeper
with others, and make disciples. Vice President for
by David
Arthur
Leadership Development Sally Hall summed it up by
saying, “Precept Social is THE place to go for those looking
for a way to deepen their relationship with God through
the Inductive Bible Study method. There is absolutely
nothing else like it!”
Members can participate in
discussion forums, connect with
other leaders and students, receive
prayer support, learn about
upcoming Precept events and activities, have access to
Precept’s Resource Library, and even gain the ability to
participate in private webinars with Kay and David Arthur
and other authors/speakers from Precept. 4
Keep watching www.precept.org for launch details.
Establishing People in God’s Word | Plumbline 7

Feeding on
God’s Word
Without proper nourishment,
Christians wither on the vine
J
on and Rita Rackley know a thing or two
about plants. That’s because they own and
operate one of the largest wholesale nurseries in
Florida—providing plants and shrubs to retailers
across the Southeast.
They understand that without proper feeding
and nourishment, a vibrant green plant will soon turn
brown and eventually die. They also understand
that without the proper feeding and nourishment,
Christians can quickly wither on the vine. That’s
why they believe so strongly in the work of Precept
Ministries. They have seen it at work in their own
lives, as well as in the lives of their family.
It was 26 years ago that Rita first stepped into a
Precept Upon Precept class, and she has never looked
back. “I was amazed at the way I fell in love with
the Inductive Bible Study method,” she explains. “It
opened God’s Word more abundantly to me.”
Rita is still a Precept student, but also a
teacher—to her grandchildren! She says they love
to study with her using Precept’s Discover 4 Yourself
series. “They call and say, ‘Nana, can we come over
and do Bible study?’ ” Both Jon and Rita are thrilled
at their hunger for the Word and have been blessed
to see all their children, and of course, now their
grandchildren, involved in Precept.
Changing subjects, Jon talked about the move
of David Arthur to CEO of the Ministry. “We think
8 Plumbline | www.precept.org
Join the Team!
Caption for this
picture about Jon
and Rita Rackley.
he is the perfect choice,” Jon says. “He will do what
it takes to keep the Ministry on mission and growing
into the future. He is greatly gifted as both a leader
and a teacher.”
Not only do Jon and Rita participate in the
Ministry through studying and leading, they also have
invested financially over the years. Rita explains,
“We give to Precept because God’s Word changes lives.
It’s as simple as that.” Jon adds, “Giving to Precept
is a great investment. We are excited to be part of a
ministry that is bringing people closer to God.”
We are thankful for Jon and Rita Rackley. They
have been generously supporting the Ministry for
many years and are perfect examples of how God is
working through people every day to show others how
to discover God’s Truth for themselves. 4
For more than 40 years, God has provided Precept with friends who faithfully pray and financially support
Precept. Over time, these friends became known as the E-Team (“Epaphroditus” from Philippians 2:25).
If you are not already an E-Team member, we encourage you to become a part of this special
team of people who commit to praying monthly and providing automatic monthly gifts to the work
of Precept Ministries International. See the enclosed reply card for more information on how you
can be like Epaphroditus—someone we can lean on as we work to fulfill the mission God has placed
before us.
Go online to www.precept.org/eteam to sign up!
Jon and Rita Rackley are
Answering the Call to reach
10 million people with the
Inductive Bible Study method.