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esus stated in John 16:33, “In the world ye shall have tribulation (trouble).” Pluralism was the dominant worldview in the first century following the life of Jesus Christ. The Roman Empire was increasingly showing evidence of decadence, cruelty, and greed. There was a growing cynicism throughout the empire toward any gods to whom men and women were accountable. The fact that the early church also grew in numbers during persecution should be an encouragement to us as we attempt to reach others for Christ in the modern world. Should we be surprised that the church faced such great difficulties? The New Testament described the early believers’ troubles in evangelizing. It has never been easy for believers to share Christ! Here are several first-century evangelism problems that equate to our twenty-first century problems of reaching the lost for Christ: • There was a serious erosion of family ties. Prior to the first century, Romans had few divorces and Roman senators had stable homes, but by the first century, Roman leaders began divorcing their wives, and the floodgate of divorce opened on marriage. By the time of Jesus, divorce became common. Reaching people for Christ in the twenty-first century must include dealing with the single-parent home. Our churches must focus on both single and two-parent homes. Proverbs 11:30 says, “and he that winneth souls is wise.” • There was a cheapening of human life. Rome’s abortion practices revealed a deep disrespect for life. For first-century churches to have reached others, they had to present life as abundant just as Jesus Christ taught, and there is no difference in twenty-first century evangelism. Jesus said “I am come that they might have life and that 2 ::: July - August 2015 | mission:world
BY: DR. JOHN ADAMS | MORAL ACTION
they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). In our gospel message, we must teach that abundant living includes marriage and children. • There was a multiplicity of false gods. Cults, Satanic religions, virgins sold for money, and goddesses abounded. Most first-century, heathen worship centered on immoral activities. As churches evangelize today, they must present Jesus Christ as “the way, the truth, and the life.” The only way! • There was an inordinate desire for material possessions. In reaching the lost of the first century Roman Empire, the early Christians had to deal with the Romans’ desire for luxury. The wealthy of this vast empire lived a sumptuous lifestyle, and much of this wealth came at the expense of others. Modern day living is much like it was in first century Rome. The gospel must be shared with the rich and the poor, for they all are lost without Jesus Christ as Savior. Christianity did not fit in with Roman life, but in its beginning the Empire simply tolerated it. Roman leaders were not immediately suspicious of the Christian church, but they eventually found a reason to eliminate its increasing converts and persecution began. Despite their best attempts, Romans could not stamp out the church, and it continued to grow steadily. Likewise in twenty-first century evangelism, the nations of this world will not and cannot stamp out the Christians faith. When Christ gloriously declared in Matthew 28:20, “lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world,” He made good on His promise, and He is with us today as we seek the lost. May we give them Christ!
mission:world (USPS 575-320)
Volume 3 - Issue 4 July-August 2015 www.bmaamerica.org
Contents
Editor Donny Parrish Managing Editor Phillip Rice Design & Layout Jared Eakin Published bimonthly by the Baptist Missionary Association of America, 611 Locust Street Conway, AR 72034 Entered as Periodical Rate at Conway, Arkansas. Periodical Postage paid at Conway, Arkansas and at additional mailing offices.
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REACHING AMERICA
A look at how Lifeword is expanding their ministries to reach people at home
POSTMASTER Send address changes to: Mission:World P.O. Box 1188 Conway, Arkansas 72033 501.329.6891 Email missionworld@bmaamerica.org Website www.bmaamerica.org Subscription rate is $7.50 per year 65 and older, $1.00 per year Church Plan, 50 cents per month per family
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church challenges
DiscipleGuide can help your church face its challenges
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HOPE IN THE MILITARY
BMA Chaplaincy’s impact on America’s military personnel
Lifeword.....................................................................8-10 DiscipleGuide............................................................16-18
Seminary...................................................................12-14
AR State Missions...........................................................11 For contact info, websites, and more on the BMA family of ministries, visit BMALife.com
TX State Missions...........................................................19 mission:news...........................................................43-46 July - August 2015 | mission:world ::: 3
BY: LARRY BARKER | MISSIONS
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he hope for America is in the hands of your church and my church. God has entrusted us with His gospel, and it is our responsibility to reach our communities with the good news. That is why our purpose statement for North America is “raising up a generation of church planters to transform their communities with the gospel.” Stories of life transformation are occurring as church planters step out in faith and obey God’s calling on their lives. These planters are obeying their responsibility to cast their nets, and God is responding by filling them. First, “raising up.” There must be a system in place to develop leaders through discipleship and mentoring. We are dedicated to assessing, training, and coaching church planters, but it is churches that produce church planters (Acts 13:1-3). Do you have a farm system in place for developing leaders in your church? • IDENTIFY potential leaders. Always be looking for young “Timothys” and others that God brings your way to mentor. • INVEST in potential leaders. Develop a process that will properly equip and empower them for leadership. • INITIATE potential leaders. Develop entrylevel points of service and ministry. Assign them projects and observe how they do before ever considering them for any position. Second, “a generation.” Here are some shocking generational facts Thom Rainer has reported that show how every American generation since WWII has become less churched: • Builders - born before 1948 - 65% attend • Boomers - born from 1948-1964 - 35% attend • Busters - born from 1965-1976 - 15% attend regularly • Bridgers – born 1977-1994 - Only 4% attend Although not mentioned above, no one has forgotten the Millennial generation, those twentyto-thirty-seven-year-olds referred to as “the most researched generation in history.”
“...nearly half of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior do so before reaching the age of 13...” The new generation in town is Generation Z. They are still in their teens but are rapidly coming into their own. What are we doing to reach them with the gospel? Are we equipping the teens in our churches to share the gospel? Barna Research reports, “nearly half of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior do so before reaching the age of 13 (43%), and two out of three born again Christians (64%) made that commitment to Christ before their 18th birthday.” Nathan Smith and the youth of Majestic View Church in Kiowa, Colorado, have taken this challenge seriously. Their goal is to witness to every high school student in Kiowa and Elbert this year and for seventy-five percent of their teens to share the complete presentation of the gospel. They realize it will take planting and watering the seed before they will be able to share the gospel in its entirety. It started when students attended Lead the Cause discipleship training where they were challenged that if they could get “10% on fire, the other 90% will follow.” And it is happening! For more information you can contact him at nathan@mvcministries.org. Also, check out this website: http://www.dare2share.org/gospel-advancing/ July - August 2015 | mission:world ::: 5
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Third, “church planters.” Our church plants are also producing church planters. While statistics say ninety percent of church plants never plant another church, two of our church plants have reproduced already. Grace Hills in Northwest Arkansas has sent out Michael Smith and Cody Woodward to plant in Siloam Springs, Arkansas; and Refuge Church in Terrell, Texas, has sent out Todd Cox to the Atlanta area in Georgia. Both of these congregations planned well for this step of faith and multiplication. There are always concerns about when is too soon, but usually we wait too long! Dave Browning said, “The time to start a new location is when we have the leadership to execute it, rather than the people to attend it!” He adds, “We have never done demographic studies prior to launching a small group, cafe, or center in a community. If there are lost people in the community and leaders willing to reach them, then we figure we need to be there.” We talk about reaching our nation for Christ, but very little missional action is taking place! Fourth, “to transform their communities” Here is an example of how transformation can occur. Church planter Anders Lee in Southaven, Mississippi, shared how they rented a bowling 6 ::: July - August 2015 | mission:world
alley and Jason’s Deli. Over sixty unchurched or dechurched people whom they knew were invited. They funded the cost of the bowling and the food based on a core value, “Our Dollars match our DNA.” They printed welcome cards that included a simple note of thanks for coming and an invitation to their worship services. There were thirty-four “Oikos Connections” that showed up. Several couples were asked to greet and have conversations with their guests using the “tap” method. If one couple was talking to a guest and another couple came up, before they could leave they had to “tap” them on the back to let them know they were handing them off. It worked, because twenty-six of the thirty-four came to worship the next Sunday and four families said they would definitely be back! Transformation of communities begins with the transformation of hearts by building relationships with them through “oikos.” For more info on “Oikos Connections” attend our Multiplication Workshop. You could also contact Anders at anders.lee571@gmail.com Fifth, “with the gospel” As we send out church planters all across North America we are sending them to proclaim the gospel, which is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). Verse 15 says, “So I (Paul) am eager to preach the good news to you.” Our church planters are eager to share the good news of the gospel to the people God has called them to reach. They desire to be culturally relevant and community sensitive but their first commitment is to be biblically sound. Jesus is the only answer! How can your church become more involved? The P-5 Multiplication Process was developed to help you determine your level of involvement and how you can increase it!
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The P5 Multiplication Process • First, you can Pray! Make sure you are utilizing your prayer calendars, but also set an alarm on your watch or phone for 10:02 (a.m. or p.m.) and pray for God to send forth laborers (Luke 10:2). Pray daily for a church plant and the church planting families there! • Second, you can Prepare! Make sure your church is reaching out to the lost in your community and get your church healthy so that it can reproduce. Do not allow your church to have a reputation of loving the lost that is not a reality seen in your actions! • Third, you can Partner! Church planters depend on the generosity of individuals and churches to meet their needs. The most they receive out of our general budget towards salary is $2,000 a month. Is there a church planter you could help? • Fourth, you can Parent! The church is always spoken of in Scripture in the female gender. Maybe God is calling your church to have a baby? You can be the mother to a daughter congregation as you nurture her to maturity! • Fifth, you can Plant! If God is calling you to be a church planter, we need to talk. There are steps can take to prepare yourself for what many church planters have called, “the hardest yet most rewarding thing they have ever done!”
For a more detailed description of the P-5 Multiplication Process with action steps please email me at larry@bmaam.com Churches plant churches! Every church should increase their involvement in church planting! Many think we have all the churches we need, but the opposite is true. It has been estimated that there will need to be 700,000 more churches planted by 2050 just to keep up with population growth. It takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people. We have a responsibility to reach as many people, in as many places, in as many ways as we possibly can! Samuel Johnson gives us this challenge, “We need to get urgency up, fear down, and complacency down. We have to get predisposed to go anywhere, to go to anyone, and to go now.”
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BY: STEVE CRAWLEY | LIFEWORD
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ost effective communicators agree there is of the worldwide web in general and social media in power in using a story to convey their message. While particular. As a media ministry, we are blessed to have one must present information of substance, he or she this powerful technology to spread the Good News. I must also share material in such a way that the listener must acknowledge, in the past I have not been a “power understands and connects with the message intended. user” of social media myself. Yet, I’ve come to realize In addition to sharing compelling information, good what an amazing tool God has given us to proclaim His communication inspires the audience to action. The message and how beneficial this communication channel power of a story helps bridge the encoding of cognitive is in fulfilling our mission. To ignore this open door of information and the decoding of cognitive interpretation, communicating the gospel would be a mistake. Some while also inspiring one emotionally. Good stories church leaders assert, “the internet is the most powerful link concepts the listener is familiar with and serve as resource the church is not using.” The number of social conduits for the message conveyed. media users has now reached a population greater than The greatest teacher of all time, Jesus Christ, any country in the world. Moreover, in a recent survey exemplified this learning principle throughout the by Edison Research, 64% of respondents reported Gospels. Jesus would use a story based on common, they would abandon their televisions before their everyday objects with which people could relate. He smartphones. Our world’s means of communication has would then lace the story with spiritual truth. For changed, particularly in America. example, in John chapter 15, the last lesson He would To take advantage of this ministry opportunity, teach on earth, Jesus stood before His disciples with a Lifeword began producing a series of short stories last grapevine in hand. He then used a metaphor describing year tailored for social media dissemination. The stories Himself as the true Vine and His Father as the Vine are based on personal testimonies of God’s love and tender. He explained that the disciples are branches of faithfulness through life’s testing times. The first story the Vine and must abide in Him if they are to bear fruit. featured BMA America Human Resource Assistant In other words, Jesus used a physical item they were Glenda Sellers, along with her husband, Hal. Their home familiar with, grapevines, to illustrate the essence of the and most everything they owned was destroyed in a spiritual relationship between Him and His followers. devastating tornado in April of 2014. They describe the In the postmodern era in which we live, a narrative style wreckage, dealing with the aftermath, and the loss of all of communication seems to be more effective, likely material possessions. Yet, even in the midst of wondering because it engages listeners in the message. Hal & Glenda Sellers sharing their story on Lifeword Stories Given the fact that the use of stories is both an effective means of communication and follows the example of Jesus, Lifeword is now utilizing the benefits and power of storytelling through media to share God’s salvation plan with America and beyond. While atheists, agnostics, and other critics may argue with our theology, it is much more difficult to argue against the testimonies of what God is doing in our lives. Lifeword stories will be shared on the platform July - August 2015 | mission:world ::: 9
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if they would even survive, they recounted a “peace passing all understanding” that came from their faith in God. As they made their way from the storm cellar, they realized everything they had known was gone. As he described the feeling of God’s presence in that moment of shock, Hal states, “It’s almost like being [outside] on a cold day, and somebody taking a blanket and wrapping around you.” Their story has already touched the lives of many. Other stories in the series will share how individuals, through their faith in God, overcame the loss of a spouse, a child, and various other hardships. While all of the stories will tug at emotional heartstrings, the ultimate goal is to encourage believers and evangelize unbelievers. This new initiative has required Lifeword to forge strategic partnerships to facilitate listener follow-up and to broadcast the stories through social media outlets. A ministry out of Dallas, Need Him National Media Outreach, Inc. manages our helpline for those responding who need further instruction in coming to
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know Christ. Once a person accepts Christ, we strive to plug him or her into a local church to begin discipleship. We are also recruiting “social media missionaries” who are willing to share the stories among their friend networks. If you would like to sign up to be a Lifeword media missionary, please contact us and begin to make a difference in your circles of influence. Does this social media effort replace personal, oneon-one evangelism and discipleship? Absolutely not. It is simply another tool in our belt to build relationships and reach the world for Christ. In 1 Corinthians, Paul explains the need to understand the culture in which we minister. He writes that he became all things to all men so that he might evangelize them. What does this mean? It means he adapted the way he shared the unchanging message of the gospel to the culture of his day. Likewise, may God bless our associated efforts to use social media and every other means possible to reach our American culture and beyond with the greatest story ever told—the story of Jesus and His love!
BMA of Arkansas State Missions BY: PAUL WHITE | AR STATE MISSIONS
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elp! Our state and national missions are suffering. Suffering from blindness to the spiritual condition of people here at home. This lack of awareness is perhaps the largest reason we have been failing at the task of winning those in our own communities. The United States is the third largest mission field in the world; in fact, foreign countries are sending missionaries to spread the gospel in our own backyards. We must overlook flawed ideas like the following: “there is a church on every corner,” “people obviously don’t want what we have to offer,” and “if people wanted to go to church they would.” We must embrace Jesus’ command to go and tell His story. According to a 2014 census there were 2.97 million Arkansans; a separate study revealed that seventy-five percent of those three million people did not attend a church service of any type. What? It is hard to wrap your mind around the fact that three
out of every four people you meet may need Jesus. This scary statistic in just one state should awaken us to the great need for local, state, national, and world missions. Jesus said, “The fields are white unto harvest.” Currently, thanks to you, lives are being changed. Along with others, we are burning holes in the darkness. In Arkansas, we have men working in six locations and are posed to begin at least two new missions by the end of the year. Accomplishing this and other needed tasks requires increased commitment and determination from all of us working together. We, as a united association of churches, will be able turn the tide. I encourage you and your church to consider being a mission sponsor. Together we can make a difference. As disciples of Jesus, “We are the light of the world.” July - August 2015 | mission:world ::: 11
bDmI SaC IsPeLm EG i nUa I DrEy
Equipping Leaders for Effective Ministry BY: PHILIP ATTEBERY | SEMINARY
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reparing individuals for Christian service and leadership roles forms the heart of the Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary’s purpose for existence. Although the seminary has trained individuals from dozens of nations, the majority of its students and graduates will reside and minister within the United States of America for most of their ministries. Equipping leaders for effective ministry plays an essential role in bringing hope to America. 12 ::: July - August 2015 | mission:world
The seminary’s commitment to Christ-centered preaching, worship, and disciple making seeks to produce graduates capable of leading their congregations toward spiritual maturity. When ministerial leaders, experienced with these important disciplines, teach faithful members how to apply the disciplines to their own lives, it brings hope to America. For example, Sidney Farmer, seminary student and missionary for the BMA of Mississippi agrees
that the seminary helps bring hope to America by “educating and training the pastor to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.” Currently, the Lord uses Farmer and the South Forrest mission work to engage its members in genuine discipleship. According to Farmer, such discipleship “translates into the people not only witnessing to the lost, ministering to the needs of others through serving and giving, but training others in this mission church and other churches as well to do the same.” Vasquez Granberry
BMA SEMINARY Vasquez Granberry, seminary student, immediately thinks of community, church, and family as focus areas needing hope. Following a period of honorable service to the United States Marines and private business, Granberry now hopes seminary studies will help him both to serve and learn how to help others. Granberry believes that the seminary has “better equipped me to carry the gospel, show people that I have concern about our world.” For Granberry, seminary education needs to teach students how to “pass it on to others . . . [the world] needs an antidote, that’s Christ. He needs to be made primary. We’ve gotten away from the intent of our nation’s founders. People need Christ, need help to get back on track, hope is what it is. They need someone to show them a way.” The seminary also seeks to provide religious education for non-degree-seeking individuals. Dr. Tony Cleaver directs the seminary’s distance education program. According to Cleaver, the seminary “provides FREE courses to all sorts of people around the USA. These courses include
Dr. Tony Cleaver
Old and New Testament Survey, Life of Christ, Life of Paul, and Baptist Doctrine. The feedback from the participants is usually ‘Wow! I didn’t know that’ or ‘Wow! I wish I had known this earlier.’” Cleaver notes that “students generally have Seminary President Dr. Charley a new appreciation of the Christian faith rising up in their lives as a result Holmes reflects upon the need for of completing the FREE courses.” A doctrinally sound Baptist common response to such courses is that “This course has really changed the churches in America. way I live my Christian life.” “We need churches to get serious Many have shared the free courses with their local churches. It has helped about making disciples after church is Bible studies, youth groups, Sunday over. In the spirit of DiscipleWay, we school classes, and even more, the basic day-to-day joy of Christian living. The need more than just spending time free courses can help to restore “Hope with people. We need to teach them for America” one student at a time when one student simply enrolls in the skills in Christian living. If done, there free course and begins as an individual really would be hope for America.” to gain some solid Christian training. This training can renew authentic Christianity, which is the only hope for America.
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BY: TODD WEST | DISCIPLEGUIDE
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s I visit with pastors and church members, it doesn’t take long to hear the frustrations that many of us are facing in these challenging days for local churches. According to many sources, 80% of local churches in America are either reclining
or declining. This means that only 20% of local churches are on the incline. Look at this graphic and brief description provided by Dr. Steve Ogne that shows the church lifecycle. Every church is presently in one of these positions:
The Church LifeCycle can be considered in three primary stages. Incline is the stage of church lifecycle when the ministry capacity of the church is increasing. Over time, the church is doing more and more ministry and the quality of that ministry is better and better. Incline is a strong stage featuring health, growth, and multiplication Recline is the stage of church lifecycle when the ministry capcity of the church levels off into plateau. Over time, the church is doing the same ministry over and over at more or less the same level of quality. Recline is a tepid, tread water stage featuring ministry management by routine, filling in the blanks. Decline is the stage of church lifecycle when the ministry capacity of the church is decreasing. Over time, the church is doing less and less ministry and the quality of that ministry is more and more compromised. Decline is a weak stage featuring decreases in membership, attendance, giving, and overall impact in the community.
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discipleguide
The graphic and description on the previous page, reminded me of the seven churches that Jesus evaluated in Revelation. You will see inclining churches like Philadelphia, reclining churches like Laodicea and declining churches like Sardis. Interestingly, the churches which were reclining or declining seemed to be unaware of their conditions. Jesus said to the declining church in Sardis, “You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1 NKJV). Jesus said to the reclining church in Laodicea, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’-and do you not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked?” (Revelation 3:17 NKJV). Have we lulled ourselves into a deep sleep and are unaware of just how far we have fallen? That’s not true of every church, but it’s a question that should be asked by all churches. The church I pastor (Oasis) recently began the process of self-evaluation of our ministries and our influence in our community by using a new DiscipleGuide church renewal tool called Activate. When the congregational survey results began to come in, our congregation was a little surprised. We simply were not as strong as we thought in some areas. Our church staff and members had been deceived largely because we had compared ourselves to the last church we attended, the declining churches in our community or association, or maybe the struggling churches where we grew up. Our Activate coach challenged our church leadership team of thirty-plus members to compare ourselves to the biblical description of a healthy, inclining, New Testament church. Through the Activate process, our church recognized that we were “reclining.” With the assistance of our Activate coach and our church leadership team, I am leading our church to make the biblical adjustments that will once again cause us to “incline”. Realistically, this process is likely to take anywhere from eighteen to thirtysix months, but I am pleased to report that we are already seeing evidence of God’s approval even in the initial stages. 18 ::: July - August 2015 | mission:world
“Have we lulled ourselves into a deep sleep and are unaware of just how far we have fallen?” It takes courage to evaluate, “own it,” and take bold steps to discover and realign with God’s purpose for the local New Testament church. As a pastor, the strong words of Jesus to the church in Ephesus motivated me to begin the evaluation process. “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come quickly and remove your lampstand from its place - unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5 NKJV). Will your church move forward? We are hearing reports from multiple sources that 1,500 churches are closing each month in North America. Why not be bold and proactive enough to begin the process of evaluation and realignment? The fruitfulness or even the existence of your church could depend on it. DiscipleGuide Church Solutions is presently using the Activate tool to assist five BMA churches in this coach-driven process. There is a waiting list, but we are available to discuss the potential of beginning the Activate process with additional churches.
BMA of texas State Missions BY: JERRY BURNAMAN | TX STATE MISSIONS
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uring our leadership meetings, we constantly ask the question, “How can we bring reality to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) in Texas? One way is to have an aggressive mission movement among the BMA churches of Texas.
OUR VISION To have an aggressive Missions movement among the BMA churches of Texas by healthy pastors leading healthy churches to plant new healthy churches. Presently we have seven English projects in various parts of the state and seven Hispanic projects in the Houston Metro area.
OUR CHALLENGE Texas has rapidly become a state of many nationalities. Gary Southard, church planter in Valley Ranch, New Caney, Texas, said that he heard the superintendent of New Caney schools speak at a Rotary Meeting. He emphasized there are 21 different nationalities in the school district. George Martinez and the Life Community Mission in Lewisville, Texas, have about 11 different nationalities in their congregation. Apparently God is moving a big part of the world to Texas and the challenges for ministry are enormous. Pray with us that we will start all kinds of churches all over Texas to reach all kinds of people.
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BY: DAVID NORVELL | CHAPLAINCY
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have hope for America because Paul had hope and offered hope in the days of the Roman Empire when he said, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV). You can have hope for America because God is still calling men and their family members into the United States military Chaplaincy.
HE CALLED ME
I was pastoring in the Baton Rouge area when I considered, one last time, that God might be calling me into the military ministry. The “fleece” I put out was making an application for the Army Reserve Chaplaincy, but an application for a government job and an officer in the chaplaincy is no small task. The doors opened and Linda, our son and I struck out on a new walk of faith which led to Fort Hood; West Germany; Fort Monmouth, New Jersey; San Antonio, Tripler Army Medical Center; Hawaii; Atlanta; Fort Benning; Camp Humphries; Korea; Fort Leavenworth and finally to the promised land of Fort Bliss, Texas. He called an Air Force Chaplain (Colonel Bobby Thornton) years before me, and showed me the way. After retiring from the military in 2009, I took the BMA Chaplain Endorser’s job from that retired chaplain who had done it for thirteen years and before that had given thirty years of his life and ministry to God and country in the Air Force. Things have changed and our country is not as “Christian” as it once was, but military chaplains can still preach the gospel, share their faith, love those in uniform, and wear the cross of Jesus Christ, just as Bobby Thornton did almost fifty years ago when he volunteered to serve.
Others heard God’s call. While I was in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I visited Calvary Church in Vidalia several times. I met Kenneth Thornton and Kevin Guthrie, both of whom went into the military ministry. Kevin was promoted to Chaplain (Lieutenant Colonel) in May, well ahead of a normal schedule. Kevin’s wife is Karol (Reddin) Guthrie, the daughter of Charles and June Reddin. Kevin’s dad, Tommy Guthrie, has pastored for many years and is still ministering in a local church. Good families and God’s calling gives me hope! Don’t ever forget that God’s calling touches and extends to the family members. Karol (Reddin) Guthrie is an amazing example of how God’s hand on our lives is reason for hope. She is a writer, teacher, leader, homemaker, solder’s wife and a big reason for Kevin’s success as an Army Chaplain. Her dad may be the best Christian man, leader, writer and editor you could ever know. Still others have answered the call and serve today. They include Army and National Guard Chaplains (Colonel) Scott Carson, (LTC) Kevin Guthrie, (Major) Jeremy Miller, (Captain) Doug Inman, Lamont Risner, Tim Gresser, Chris Grizzle, Carter Pearce and Navy Chaplain (Commander) David Cline. If you are interested in a vital ministry in the middle of United States Government and your country, please contact me at 501-213-6657 or arkatexs@gmail. com. Prior service is a good thing but not required. Physical health and fitness is important. Being younger than forty is a must. You need a Master of Divinity (seventy-two hour minimum) and pastoral experience. God’s calling is paramount.
The following are myths about the military chaplaincy: 1. “Chaplains are required to conduct Catholic or other faith group services.” FALSE. For one reason, Catholics would never stand for it and for another thing, we represent the BMA and are never asked to do anything that contradicts our statements of faith. 2. “Chaplains must conduct marriages for any couple who asks them.” FALSE. I have turned down couples because of their faith or lack of faith, their refusal to go through marriage counseling or training, their unwillingness to wait, or their obvious lack of maturity in my judgment. Another reason I have turned down performing marriages is the endorsing group’s statement of faith. You and I can have hope for America if we stay focused on the positive message of Hope in Christ Jesus.
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MISSOURI
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m issou r i BY: MATT BARKER | MISSOURI
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ore people and more areas can be reached with the gospel through church planting and multiplication. I have learned in our church planter training that church planting is the most effective strategy for reaching the lost, and it is also the most biblical method. Church plants seem to be more focused on taking Jesus to the streets and to individuals rather than being focused on people coming to them. Effective church plants are focused on intimate, small-group gatherings outside of a formal setting and building relationships with people. This is where real life occurs and church plants seem to grasp this. America’s population is growing at a faster rate than churches are. Planting churches and multiplying is a remedy for this issue. More churches for more people. 22 ::: July - August 2015 | mission:world
Refuge Church in Nixa, Missouri, is a church plant that I pastor. Every single person who now attends Refuge Church started by coming to small groups in homes before ever stepping foot in a church service on Sunday. A church plant has the ability to focus on this area and vitally helps reach people who are skeptical about coming to a church building. Many people have incorrect perceptions and feel threatened by the church. Some people have been hurt by churches and it is hard for them to be vulnerable again. Church plants are less intimidating and therefore have the ability to reach different people. That is why church planting is the hope for America.
MICHIGAN
HOPE FOR
m ichiga n BY: JOHN BIENLEIN | MICHIGAN
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hurches are planted to impact a community and bring the gospel to the people. Sometimes communities are “hidden.” They’re there we just never notice them. Most times that is how it is in the deaf community, which is where Master’s Hands Deaf Ministries (MHDM) is having an impact. Kirstan Loghry is a deaf single mother of three children, one of whom is deceased. About twenty-one years ago, Kirstan lost her five-year-old daughter Rachel to cancer. Kirstan is an example of the impact of church plants. She says, “I saw a need for a deaf women’s ministry. God was leading me to work with women who are dealing with loss, grief, domestic situations, etc. MHDM got behind the women’s ministry with full support to make the deaf women’s ministry happen. Not having many deaf women’s events, retreats or activities in this area, and with no deaf women stepping forward to
lead, we, with the support of MHDM, started having spring and fall fellowships. The testimonies from the ladies of how these fellowships have impacted them and how it has given them a chance for a closer relationship with Jesus has more than shown us the need to build this ministry.” This women’s ministry has grown into supporting a treatment house for women recovering from addictions. In the near future is a plan for a statewide deaf women’s retreat. The women’s ministry is only one of several ministries at Master’s Hands Deaf Church. The purpose of these ministries is to go into the deaf community with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The ministries are deaf led, and the focus of our heart is the deaf community. Thank you for your continued prayer and financial support. We are blessed! July - August 2015 | mission:world ::: 23
Mississippi
HOPE FOR
m iss iss ip p i BY: JUSTIN BURDICK | MISSISSIPPI
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ive years ago, if you had asked me what the hope for America was, I would have told you something along the lines of the church doing what God called her to do. Now, in a sense, that is completely true, but in my mind that involved an existing church trying its hardest to reach out into the community. That idea isn’t a bad one at all; however, it can be hard for some churches to find an avenue with which they can reach out. Fast forward to today. I am the student pastor at Central Church in North Mississippi, and we are a church plant. In an area like Desoto County, you will find a church on almost every corner and a Christian-like culture all around you, yet on any given Sunday there are at least 100,000 people not in church. When I moved up here, that idea was crazy to me. How could there be so many people not
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being reached for the gospel with so many churches around? Church planting and multiplication help to fix that void. The idea of going into an area and immersing yourself in the culture and the people, and showing love that can only come from the Savior will have lasting results. For us at Central, this has been true. We set out to be the vehicle by which the grace, mercy, and love of the Savior can be shown to our community. When the church sends out its people and they begin to multiply themselves, change happens. The hope for America comes from the church being active in maturing, equipping, and sending their people out into the world so that they can go and do the same.
ARKANSAS
HOPE FOR
a r ka ns as BY: BRANDON COX | ARKANSAS
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ometimes Northwest Arkansas feels very much like the center of the world, at least culturally. What was once small-town America is now a cluster of cities collectively larger than Little Rock and consisting of dozens of ethnic groups and people from every major religious background. The region is also home to the world’s largest retail corporation and a new American art museum that draws a half million visitors per year. Somewhere around 1,000 people move into the I-49 corridor every month. In other words, we couldn’t plant enough churches to keep up with the population explosion and cultural transformation happening around us. But we’re going to try. In the four years that we’ve been planting Grace Hills, we’ve met close to 2,000 visitors and we now average 250 in Sunday worship, having baptized
close to 100 people. A dozen and a half small groups now scatter around the county each week. And we’ve also accomplished one of our biggest goals – we’re planting a daughter church in nearby Siloam Springs – Journey Church, led by Michael and Jennifer Smith and Cody Woodward. Additionally, we’ve sent The Sanders and Crabtree families to Papua New Guinea, and we’ve partnered with BMAA missionaries John and Alisha Herring in Nixa, Missouri, and Ely and Ana Brito-Semedo in Thailand. The biggest celebration is that behind every number is a name; every name has a story; and every story matters to God. Join us in praying that God would keep sending more broken people our way in need of the redemptive hope of Jesus Christ! July - August 2015 | mission:world ::: 25
HOPE FOR
ten nessee BY: TREVOR DODSON | TENNESSEE
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ecently, a string of events happened in our neighborhood that would leave many thinking that Memphis, Nutbush in particular, isn’t worth the time or effort to try and make a difference in our city. In Genesis 3 a drastic change took place. This change was instant in that sin suddenly marred who we were before Christ. The repercussion from this sin and subsequent fall are still abundantly visible today. In the beginning, God laid a huge responsibility on man, one that he failed to uphold. Due to his passivity, his lack of leadership, 26 ::: July - August 2015 | mission:world
and his ability to see his responsibilities to their end, we now bear the weight of these same sin issues. While assessing the events of Genesis 3, I began to see a few common characteristics. First, there was sin/brokenness. Second, a male was responsible, and third, discipleship/mentorship or lack thereof. You see, changing the world doesn’t happen overnight; it is a gradual process that may take years, maybe even decades. Planting churches all over the world and gathering large groups of people together to worship Christ is beautiful and mandatory, but changing the world happens one individual at a time. Until we are
Tennessee
able to dedicate ample time and effort into raising up men to be Christ followers, husbands, and fathers who pursue biblical manhood, we will always be overlooking the proverbial stab wound by applying the healing power of a Band-Aid. Men, our own sin issues are the problem. Overlooking our problems to fix others keeps real change in jeopardy. Church planting is a great start, but we can all take the initiative to lay our sin at the feet of Christ and disciple other men to do the same. The real hope for America is Christ. Let us rise to the occasion and change the world one man at a time.
Trevor Dodson and family July - August 2015 | mission:world ::: 27
GEORGIA
HOPE FOR
georgi a BY: TODD COX | GEORGIA
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esus is the only Hope for America, so how do we spread that Hope in Jesus more effectively? My answer to that complex question is to make disciples that make more disciples and to continue the process starting at home and spreading out from there just as it happened in Acts. We must multiply healthy churches by planting churches with this model all throughout America. Church planting and multiplication are essential to bringing Jesus to others and insuring His Hope is seen as not only a Hope but THE Hope for America! Four years ago, we began the process of planting a church with this model in Terrell, Texas. Now, The Refuge Terrell is doing what other healthy churches should be doing, multiplying! This fall, my family and I are answering God’s call to multiply from The 28 ::: July - August 2015 | mission:world
Refuge Terrell into North Georgia. This is truly an exciting time for all of us, and we are humbled and thrilled to be part of this mission of multiplication. Based on the numbers of the un-churched alone, we need more churches. However, we don’t need just more of any type of church; we need more biblically sound, healthy churches that are reproducing disciples and modeling that in their congregations and communities. In short, healthy churches need to multiply and reproduce other healthy churches, and we need to support church planting as one of the strategic ways to spread the only Hope we have for America…Jesus. Ask God to reveal to you today how you can partner with us in the multiplication process.
TEXAS
HOPE FOR
texas
BY: MATTHEW PRATHER | TEXAS
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n many places that we turn and look, it appears that there is no hope or we are told to give up hope that nothing is going to change. A recent study of Collin County, Texas, states that only twenty-four percent of its nearly one million people claim to be Christians. In addition, Collin County is one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. In the midst of this growth there is hope! We have the greatest story ever told! In places like Celina, Texas, in Collin County, church plants like The Bridge provide hope. One of the many examples is of a young mother who had never been to church before attending The Bridge. She had never attended a youth
group, VBS, or anything. Through building relationships in our community we were able to share with her the love of Christ and witness her accept Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. In the year since we launched The Bridge we have seen seventeen people come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Many other families that have been out of church for years are now back in church. Hope for America comes by churches planting churches in the many places in America that need to be reached and need more churches. Please continue to pray for The Bridge as we spread the message of hope to the many who need to hear it in Collin County, Texas. July - August 2015 | mission:world ::: 29
HOPE FOR
ca l ifor n i a BY: JESSE GARRIDO | CALIFORNIA
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aria and I are serving as Spanish missionaries to California. California has a large Spanish-speaking population who needs to hear God’s Word in a language that they can understand, so that they can be reached for salvation. We currently have eight BMA churches in California and one in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it is our vision to see these nine churches with a Spanish ministry. Our first Spanish church plant was established at our home church in the city of La Verne, located in Southern California, with the help of pastor Lincoln Dial who gave us a room to use for a Spanish Sunday school class. When the class grew in number, we were given a larger room to start a worship service in Spanish; during that time I began conducting a weekly discipleship class with three seminary students who had the desire to help in the Spanish ministry. After much prayer and one year of working together with the seminary students, it was decided that we would leave Bro. David Salazar
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as pastor of the Spanish church. We left southern California in August 2012 and headed north to Fremont, California, where we were well received by Pastor Ralph Krisell and the congregation of Memorial Missionary Baptist Church. After being there for two months we were contacted by Pastor John White of Mitchell Road Baptist Church in Ceres, California. He extended an invitation for us to use the existing church building for a Spanish ministry. After much prayer we felt that the Lord was calling us to Ceres because the need was great, and that although we planned on establishing a Spanish church plant in Fremont, God had other plans for us. On November 7, 2012, we packed up our motor home and traveled to the city of Ceres and began our work of reaching out to the unsaved and unchurched Spanish-speaking community. Bro. John and Sister Sandra faithfully continued to congregate with us even though they neither
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understood nor spoke Spanish. Our plans were to minister to the Spanish speaking, but we also felt that God brought us here to minister to the needs of the community. At that time the need was to minister to the ones who were already there even if it meant ministering to them in English, so we began to hold services in English during Sunday evening and Wednesday night Bible study. Although my main language is Spanish, God has used me to spread His Word in English. To God be the Glory! In May 2014 Pastor John White went home to be with the Lord. Due to our loss I am now serving as interim pastor of the existing church and have continued meeting with Sister Sandra on Sunday evenings for worship service and on Wednesday nights for Bible study. On Sunday mornings we gather for Sunday school with adults in Spanish and with children in English. Sister Sandra teaches the older children and Maria teaches the younger ones, followed with a worship service in Spanish by Bro. Severo, who leads us in worship.
Currently, two families are attending Sunday school and worship services faithfully, the Jaquez family and Severo and Tatiana Herrera, with others dropping in from time to time. We will soon have a baptism service for the three candidates who are ready for baptism. We are praying for the Lord to send us more men and women who have the desire and calling to serve in the local church so that they can be discipled and prepared to work in the church plant here in Ceres and throughout other churches within the association. We are looking for a candidate to remain here as pastor so that we can go to the next church plant and establish another Spanish-speaking ministry. We trust in the Lord to open up other doors and take us where we can be of service. May we never forget that God can use us in any language if it pleases Him. July - August 2015 | mission:world ::: 31
e x satsa t e s u n i t et d
HOPE FOR
TE XAS
BY: DARREN LEMONS | TEXAS
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very day, we hear how bad our world, our country, and our cities are. It is time for the church to be the light in this dark world. At The Refuge, one of our key statements is, “Would the city even notice if our church ceased to exist?” I believe if America is going to get back to God it is going to be through our churches. We see churches dying every day because we got away from the mission of the church. I believe every church needs to adopt the mindset of a new church. As a new church, we try to make connections with people, get our name out, and help in various city organizations to grow God’s church. Every church started with this same mission, but somewhere along the way we got off our mission. God says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). If we want to see our land healed, God says that it starts with His people. Christians need to live up to their name: Christ-followers. If the church would live like Christ, then it would change our country.
I want to challenge each church to ask the same question we ask at The Refuge. Would your city, town, or community even know if you closed your doors today? Now, ask how we as a church are going to get involved in people’s lives and help them see hope in Christ. The hope for America is God—working through His church.
Darren Lemons and family 32 ::: July - August 2015 | mission:world
new mexico
HOPE FOR
new mexico BY: ANTHONY PENNINGTON | NEW MEXICO
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od is empowering Neighborhood Mercy Church to carry out the vision of “Helping Neighbors Experience A Better Life In Christ.� Sujey and Sean had never experienced the love of Jesus and forgiveness. Praise God, they now have and are hosting weekly Bible studies in their homes. They are experiencing a better life in Christ. Nadine was always a sad little girl until she started attending Kids Club and received Jesus into her life. Now she smiles all the time because she is experiencing a better life in Christ. Jackie has found her calling, teaching middle and high school young people how to experience a better life in Christ. The Lord is building a multi-ethnic church that includes Anglos, Hispanics, African-Americans, Mexicans, and Native Americans in southwest Albuquerque. It is our desire to love God with all our hearts, minds, and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Our purpose is to serve our neighbors in any way that will help bring them to Jesus. Thank you so much for praying for and partnering with us. If you are ever headed west on I-40, please stop and visit! Anthony and Mary Pennington July - August 2015 | mission:world ::: 33
HOPE FOR
georgi a BY: HADAYAT | GEORGIA
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omewhere I read the following: “The United States of America used to be a missional force but now it’s a mission field.� As a foreign missionary here in the United States, I have travelled to many states. While sharing with churches, I have observed and concluded that every church I have gone to has a heart for missions. Also, I have found each church to be a group of gospelconcerned believers and that is very encouraging. According to some studies, America is welcoming immigrants from nearly 202 countries, and
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most of them are coming from places where missionaries are not allowed. Among those countries, Pakistanis have also made their way to America for various reasons, such as receiving an education, achieving the American dream, gaining employment and spreading Islamic doctrine. According to the Pakistan Embassy, more than 700,000 Pakistanis are now living in the United States and 2.8 percent of them live in Georgia. I believe God is bringing all these people groups here so that
W e sGtE OARfG r iI c Aa
the local church can reach out to them with the message of the cross. It’s a missional challenge for a spiritually declining America. God has made a way for us to be in Clarkston, Georgia, to reach out to refugees and other people from Pakistan. Time magazine called Clarkston the most diverse square mile in America with more than 10,000 people from fifty-two countries. The majority of them are refugees, and the city has a mosque that attracts 800 worshippers.
It’s said that the best mode of evangelism is church planting, which, I believe, is the hope for a Godly America. We are thankful to BMA Missions and churches who have decided to support us morally, spiritually and financially to plant a Vertical Life church. Please pray for us as we press forward to reach out to the lost and make disciples. July - August 2015 | mission:world ::: 35
HOPE FOR
texas
BY: A. SARAF | ARABIC CHURCH PLANTING
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f you watch the news about the issues in the Arabic world today with all the turmoil, havoc and violence, it would seem as if there is no hope for them. God has a different plan. Today the established Arabic community, along with the Arabic-speaking newcomers and Muslims in America, numbers around nine million people. God is bringing them here as they seek a new life. Jesus came so people, including Arabs, may have life and may have it more abundantly. Our mission is to bring people to Jesus just as Andrew brought his brother Peter to Jesus. 36 ::: July - August 2015 | mission:world
These nine million who live in our backyards are in a country where the message of the gospel can be shared, unlike the countries they came from. Today there are sixty-two mosques, masjids, and Islamic schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Islam continues to be the fastest growing religion in America due to immigration and birth rate. The Arabic ministry in America continues to grow based on salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
MTI SESXI A O SN S
Living Word Arabic Church in Dallas has an average attendance of 100 adults and fifty children. In the last three years there have been more than 200 professions of faith. In addition, we have five groups who meet weekly in the Dallas metropolitan area. We have Arabicspeaking people from seven different Arabic countries. We train people and equip them for the work of ministry. Most importantly, we have a team that meets weekly whose single focus is to pray for this ministry.
The only way to reach this large number of Arabs and refugees is through multiplication, making disciples who make other disciples. Therefore, we have taken the Arabic ministry into Oklahoma City and New Orleans by planting house churches. We pray to go even further. Our vision is for the multiplication of Arabic-speaking churches in America. Thanks for your prayers, support and partnership! July - August 2015 | mission:world ::: 37
M I S S IOOUNRSI
HOPE FOR
m issou r i BY: JARED KATHCART | MISSOURI
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love living in America. The opportunities and liberties provided in this country are unmatched. I love that I am able to worship and teach freely the truth and love of Jesus Christ. With this freedom it’s also important to recognize that these liberties are granted to all Americans, even those who may not agree with the message that I hold dear. This reality is a great reminder that though there are many American Christians, this country is not the Kingdom of Heaven. It is in this kingdom that our citizenship truly belongs, and that will never change. Our calling as members of this divine kingdom is to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to every region in our lives. As Christ puts it in Acts 1:8, we are to be His witnesses everywhere we go, and America is our “Judea and Samaria.” 38 ::: July - August 2015 | mission:world
Americans are thirstier than ever for truth and love. They are desperate to know their Creator and Savior, and they are asking all the right questions. As a youth pastor, I am constantly being asked questions. Believers and non-believers alike are more curious than ever. What happens after death? Does science explain away God? Why do bad things happen to good people? Is Jesus really God or just a good teacher? Is homosexuality a sin? These are all valid questions that have biblical answers. We do not need to be scared of these questions, but excited that Americans are asking them! As Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 3:15, we need to be prepared to respond to these questions with gentleness and respect. Are you ready? There is hope for America as long as God’s people are willing to respond.
COLORADO
HOPE FOR
color a d o BY: JOHN SMITH | COLORADO
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ould you believe me if I told you that a church of 220 people in a town of 600 people had over one hundred first-time visitors in four months without a visitation program and without a scheduled “revival”? In fact this happened to us without any emphasis upon church attendance. Do I have your attention? Last summer the Lord gave us seven teenagers who absolutely surrendered to “The Cause” of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20). After attending a Lead the Cause disciple-making event, they accepted the challenge of Jesus to go with the gospel and make disciples. They brought their vision home and went to work. We adults swallowed our pride and realized that we needed to repent and “get on board” with the real
purpose of the Lord’s church. We decided to quit focusing on attendance numbers and programs and decided instead to get to work teaching our people about how to reproduce themselves spiritually. We changed our priority to focus instead on how many people were hearing the gospel and being challenged to become disciples of Jesus Christ. The Lord has blessed! People just started “showing up.” People have been saved and baptized. Marriages are being restored. Prayer meetings have increased. People are growing to real spiritual maturity. Now that is Hope for America! Our greatest need is for the blessings of the Lord to fall upon His obedient children as they join Him in His work. We have been convinced that His work is to “make disciples” who “make disciples.” July - August 2015 | mission:world ::: 39
HOPE FOR
WASHINGTON BY: CHUCK WILLIAMS | WASHINGTON
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hen I consider hope, the first thing that comes to mind is my son Tayven. He was born with an abdomen-wall defect called gastroschisis. We spent over three months in the NICU in a town two hours away from home, and I recall crying out to God several times‚ “I can’t do this! I can’t do this! Will this ever end? Will my son ever get to come home?” Hope seemed farthest from me when I needed it most. I would assume that most Americans have asked similar questions. The problem with hope is that it is only
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as reliable, tangible and real as the source from which it is generated. Think about the last time you craved some really good barbeque. Did you make a trip to your local fast food place to satisfy this craving? NO! That would be settling for a mere shadow of the real thing! You wouldn’t really be satisfied! You probably called your Grandpa and had him fire up the pit! This example may seem silly, but when we make anything other than Jesus Christ our source of hope, we are serving up a counterfeit version of the real thing.
washington
His goodness is what gave me hope when I had none. I remember seeing my son for the first time. He took my breath away. His body was broken, but I loved him still. In that moment I learned more about the love that my heavenly Father has for me than from a lifetime of sermons. Though I am broken, He loves me. He has never failed me and He never will. Christ is the only source of hope. If America desires hope, then she need only look to The Source.
Chuck Williams and family
AMRIKS A S INOSNASS
HOPE FOR
a r ka ns as BY: MICHAEL SMITH | ARKANSAS
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ill we ever come to the point where believers all look at each other and say “we are good, we have enough churches”? I sure hope not. We desperately need more churches because churches are the Bride of Christ. Our hope is not found in rituals or methods, but our hope is found in Christ. As the bride, we shine the radiant beauty of Jesus into a dark world. The more churches shining brightly, the more darkness fades away. We are currently planting Journey Church Siloam Springs in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Siloam has a long history of Christianity. We have a Christian college, Christian radio station, and it was once believed that we have more churches per capita than anywhere else in America. So does Siloam Springs need more churches? YES! The reason is
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that at least sixty percent of our city is not currently committed to a church. A large percent of them are not believers. As we were praying for Siloam, God laid on my heart the following verse: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest (Matt 9:37-38).” Most church planters are not committed to transfer growth; our desire is to make disciples. We are not committed to having our church grow by members from other churches “bouncing” over to ours. We are on mission to reach the lost and uncommitted. Church planting and churches are the hope, because we are the bride of Christ pointing people to Jesus! The more brides we have pointing, the more Jesus is glorified!
JULY CALENDAR 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31.
SOAR Conference Nicaraguan Nationals Anthony Pennington* – New Mexico Nigerian Nationals Gypsies in Romania BMA Seminary Missionary Children Diane Lee* - Philippines Michael Barton* - Canada VSM Students John Sara* - Texas Tina Cox* - Conway, AR: Missions Office Buddy & Taffy Johnson** - Latin America Trevyn Dodson* - Tennessee Chris & Sarah** - Conway, AR: Missionary Care BMMI Larry Barker* - Conway, AR: Missions Office Chaplain Ministry Church Planters International Missionaries Moral Action Agency Hispanic Missions Coleen Franks* - Ukraine TJ Johnson* - CAN Becky Lemons* - Texas Literature Ministry Camp Ministry Filomeno & Lisa Kakilala** - Philippines Ella* - Arkansas Charles Costa* - Lebanon Yakon Lebedev* - Florida Ghanaian Nationals Egyptian Nationals Angela Poulin* - Peru Jared Kathcart* - Missouri Tommy & Sara Rose** - Mexico Josiah Smith* - Conway, AR Ralph Izard* - Conway, AR: Missions Office LifeWord Ministries
* Birthday ** Anniversary
AUGUST CALENDAR
1. Matty Johnson* - Mexico Jason Prakash - India 2. Taylor Cox* - Georgia Evinika Kravchuk* - Florida 3. Rachel Cross* - France 4. Darren Lemons* - Texas 5. John Herring* - Missouri Phillip & Angela Rice** - Conway, AR BMA America 6. Shelley Dickson* - Hispanic Missions Ken & Carol Gipson** - Conway, AR Lifeword 7. Church Multiplicaton 8. Charles & Mona Costa** - Lebanon Jessie Yaebeang* - Thailand 9. Brandon Lingle* - Thailand 10. Myanmar Nationals 11. Romanian Nationals 12. John David Smith* - Conway, AR Missions Office 13. Ukrainian Nationals 14. Shelby Barker* - Conway, AR 15. Karen Keathley* - Conway, AR Missions Office Alisha Herring* - Missouri Carol Gipson* - Conway, AR Lifeword 16. Matt Barker* - Missouri 17. Ralph & Judy Izard** - Conway, AR Missions Office Doyle & Linda Moore** - Philippines Aaron Poulin* - Peru 18. Church Revitalization 19. Missions Office Staff 20. Ministers Resource Services Agency 21. Sam & Sue Jordan** - Jordan 22. Ashraf & Jenny Sara** - Texas Brad Faulk* - Washington 23. Baptist Children’s Homes 24. Tyler Cox* - Georgia 25. Luis Ortega* - Conway, AR Lifeword Daura Crawley* - Conway, AR Jesse & Maria Garrido** - California 26. Jerry & Sue Kidd** - Conway, AR Missions Office 27. Discipleguide Staff 28. Raelyn Cross* - France 29. Doug & Diane Lee** - Philippines 30. New Church Plants 31. John & Shirley Ladd** - Missions
July - August 2015 | mission:world ::: 43
A review and preview of missionary news from around the world for us to demonstrate different points we want to make with the teachers as we help to train them. Please also pray that the evangelism efforts at the small Sanchez church continue to be effective. God is blessing here in the Dominican Republic and we want that to continue to happen.
is that God would use this new ‘tool’ as an additional opportunity to make a difference in the community where He has placed us to serve. Please continue to pray for the work, that we would have boldness to do all that God has called us to do and that He would give the increase in His timing.
Hispanic Missions: David Dickson
I am finally making some serious progress in resolving some lingering health issues, and the doctors have given me the okay to travel again. When you read this, I should have already visited our missionaries in Peru, Central America and Chile. Nothing lifts my spirits as much as being able to fellowship and share ideas with my spiritual heroes. I am planning on doing some “catch up” travel in the next few months. Pray for health, travelling grace, and wisdom to be able to give constructive advice to our missionaries that are serving on the front lines.
Dominican: Jesse Hales
Thank you for praying for our ministry of training children and youth workers here in the Dominican Republic. By the time you read this we will be in the middle of having teams from the states come and help put on small Vacation Bible Schools at the churches here. Please pray that these efforts are effective in sharing the Gospel with the kids. Pray also that they are effective teaching tools
Philippines: Fil Kakilala
Missouri: John Herring
God continues to challenge us forward here in Nixa. Every step is a step of faith, trusting that God isn’t only guiding us, but that He is also going to provide what is necessary at each turn. By the time you’re reading this, we should be moved into our new storefront location that we will be using as a ministry location for a variety of activities including our Sunday worship services. Our prayer
“Happy trails to you” says an old western song. It’s a good reminder as we travel the many miles during our furlough by land and by air. Our trails have taken us to churches in the U.S., to our work in Samoa and Micronesia for BMMI outreach, and to join our Filipino pastors for a mission’s conference in Manila, Philippines. We have a special project to raise funds for a used van for us to use as we reach new areas in Northern Philippines after our furlough. Please pray for Lisa and I, and our 13-year-old daughter Justine, who has shown a sweet spirit as she says goodbye to her familiar settings to live in another country.
Mississippi: Anders Lee
We have been connecting with a lot of new families through our “OIKOS”
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outreach events. Our discipleship tracks are well underway. The plant is growing in number and in financial strength. The search for a permanent location has begun. Continue to pray that the Lord brings fruit to His Kingdom through this church plant!
New Mexico: Anthony Pennington
Hello everyone and thanks for your prayers! It has been a busy and blessed summer with four mission teams coming to serve with us. The BMA has many great churches and wonderful young people that love Jesus and children. We thank God for them spending part of their summer with us. We praise the Lord for children receiving Jesus into their lives. Pray for us as we disciple them and share Jesus with their parents!
Cambodia: John Page What a blessing to see our team making disciples. Two of our high school boys, Sela & Sam-at, spent a week living in the IN Village teaching and sharing the Gospel. Eight souls were saved and plans were made for our second baptism and Lord’s Supper. Sela and Samat are praying about long-term commitment to live and serve in this village after they finish high school this July. We’ve been praying for a long time to organize a village church. Would you join in praying with us for this village? We want to say thank you for all your prayers and support.
Canada: Michel Poirier
(Quebec) We have been blessed to look back at the work and how it has progressed. The Baptist church in Thetford Mines is doing well, the Baptist church in Sainte-Marie is staying on course preaching the faith, the Baptist church in Levis is growing, and the cell group in Saint-Anselme is flourishing with Haitians. We had Maximum
Impact Outreach this summer on evangelization and about 70 soul winners went out for 6 days spreading the gospel of Christ to over 100,000 souls. Amen! (Haiti) It will be two years in August since we began the new work in Haiti. Last year we fed three hundred people and this coming August we plan to feed 400, we put clothes on peoples backs, shoes on their feet and a Bible in the hand of those we came in contact. We just drilled a well this past month. Hundreds of people now can not only get water to quench their thirst physically but also the water of the Word to quench the thirst of their souls. For that we need your help to get on board with us to proclaim the Good News to all people that Jesus Christ is the great provider. Ms. Ruth and I will be in Haiti during August and September to teach and to train nationals to start churches, and Ruth will teach the ladies the principles of Godly living for women and cooking skills. We plan to reach many souls and start churches for Christ in many areas where the people have been forgotten. A lot of people don’t understand the country of Haiti and because of this little is done to help those that are living in conditions that none of us would want for ourselves. Haiti is often referred to as “Little Africa”. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope for Haiti.
Mexico: Tommy Rose
We have just made it to Tapachula, Mexico, to join the other churches in our association for the annual meeting. It was a year ago that we flew from Costa Rica to Mexico to make it to the association. The year has passed quickly but with much joy. We have gained experience, friends and most recently we have welcomed Eisley Grace to our family. We want to
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thank all of you for your prayers as we welcomed Eisley into the world and made it back to Mexico safely. God bless you all.
came through. God is using Journey Church to reach people that are not committed to a church and we are having great conversations about His Kingdom!
Mexico: Ricky Williams
The church at Aquismon continues to grow and add new members. Aurelio Pavon, one of the local missionaries, has been instrumental in working and winning several in the Tampate area over the past four years. In fact, our
church is almost half Huastecan and half mestizo (Mexican). The new members love the Lord and are bringing their relatives to church. Tamar, Aurelio´s wife, speaks Huastecan and is a definite blessing to Aurelio´s ministry. Now for the past month it has been my pleasure to continue in the DiscipleWay training with our missionaries here. Working through the Prayer module has proven quite a blessing to all including me. They really keep me on my toes. The Bible Institute continues to record sessions, plan workshops and courses at our churches. Three different courses are planned for this year. Also, there are four BMATS courses planned for Latin America this year. Pray for the coordination and connection for these distance courses. It seems there is always something that goes wrong. Pray with me for patience and a successful communication of the truths of the courses taught.
Arkansas: Michael Smith We are planting Journey Church Siloam Springs in Northwest Arkansas. We are in the early stages of our church plant, but God is growing His church. In the last two months we have held Vision Casting Meetings where we meet in public places and share our vision for Journey Church. This has been a great way for us meet people in our community. We have been able to serve at a local ministry that provides respite care for families affected by disability and we were able to serve teachers dinner at a local elementary school. In April and May we hosted two more Vision Meetings and a night of worship. We also setup a booth at the Dogwood Festival that allowed us to meet thousands of people that 46 ::: July - August 2015 | mission:world
Find more Missionaries and learn how you can be praying for them at bmamissions.org/missionaries