RTIM Review: Issue 6

RTIM REVIEW

A LOOK INTO THE LORD’S WORK AT REACHING & TEACHING

QUARTER 2 | 2023

More on our Women’s Graduation in Campinas, Summer Practicum, Mid-Year Statistics, Resources, Upcoming Events & more inside!

A LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT

At Reaching & Teaching, we are committed to establishing healthy churches around the world. One of the “marks” of a healthy church is a commitment to expositional preaching. We use the helpful definition of a healthy church that has been developed by our friends at 9Marks and Expositional Preaching is the theme of the very first chapter of the book Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever.

Preaching is biblical! In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul tells Timothy to preach the Word. When we gather together for corporate worship in our local churches, the preaching of the Word should be the central element of the gathering. We also emphasize the exposition in expositional preaching. This simply means that the main point of the sermon is the main point of the text. We want to be great expositors at Reaching & Teaching so that we can clearly communicate the truth of the Scriptures, whether it’s one of our men publicly preaching in a corporate gathering or one of our global workers reading the bible oneon-one in evangelism and discipleship relationships.

We are thankful for our partnership with the Charles Simeon Trust, or “Simeon Trust” as you’ll see them referred to later on in this edition of the RTIM Review. I’ve benefited personally from Simeon Trust’s training and we encourage all of our global workers and staff to take advantage of the online resources and in-person workshops that are available to increase their ability to preach and teach the Bible. The men’s and women’s workshops have strengthened our skills and made us hungry to learn more. Our staff are incorporating elements of

the workshops into our Global Training program. One of the most encouraging things I’ve witnessed over the last couple of years are the cohorts of global workers and staff across the world who meet together for online workshops. You can read some reflections from some of those folks in the pages ahead. If you haven’t attended a workshop and are keen to grow in this area, I would encourage you to make plans to do so at a location near you. They also have a fantastic residential program called the Chicago Course on Preaching led by my friend Jeremy Meeks. It might be a great fit for a brother in your congregation aspiring to pastor or serve overseas.

This issue also contains an update from the Platts and the Rattins who are serving in Southeast Asia and Uganda, respectively. These two families are great examples of the workers we are privileged to serve around the world. I know you’ll enjoy reading up on their work overseas. Aaron Jerome has written a review of “To the Golden Shore” by Courtney Anderson, which is my favorite biography of Adoniram Judson. I’d encourage you to read his review and then go pick up a copy of this inspiring biography for yourself and read it this summer.

I’m encouraged by the work of Scott Mescher and our Global Training team as they equip men and women around the world through our Pastoral Training and Women’s Training Institute. They’re evaluating prospective training sites and continuing to look for qualified teachers to join them on upcoming trips. If you’re interested in joining them, I know our mobilization team would be interested in speaking with you.

The first half of the year has been a busy one and the second half will, Lord-willing, be full of deployments, stateside assignments, preview days, additional global worker appointments, preparations for pre-conferences at the Getty’s Sing! Conference and the Pillar Network’s Unite Conference, and finally CROSS24 at the beginning of the New Year. Please pray for our global team as they make mature disciples, establish healthy churches, and train local leaders around the world. Pray for safety, for steadfastness, and that the Lord would be glorified in newly established and recently revitalized local churches around the world.

As always, we’re thankful for your continued prayerful and financial support. Many of you financially contribute to at least one of our global workers or staff and we are ever thankful for your trust.

Sincerely,

RYAN ROBERTSON

BLOG HIGHLIGHTS

REFLECTIONS ON TRAINING WOMEN IN BRAZIL

May 23, 2023 | Hannah Carter

Brazil is known for its delicious meats, flavorful coffee, rich chocolates, and world-class soccer. But when I arrived in the city of Campinas, I found more than food and sports. I found deep community and warm hospitality. I found brothers and sisters who were hungry and eager to know God through His Word. God is doing a tremendous work among His church in Brazil.

One young church has seen remarkable growth in the last five years. The pastor wanted women in the congregation to grow in their ability to teach and disciple one another. That’s where I came in.

I had the joy and privilege to lead a training that featured five modules: an

Overview of the Bible, Hermeneutics, Christian Doctrine, Biblical Counseling and Discipleship, and Being a Woman of the Word.

These sisters took copious notes, pondering and digesting what we taught. Some drove more than an hour to get there. They absorbed the material and immediately sought to apply it. It was so clear: they wanted to know how to read and study God’s Word, how to disciple, and how to care for one another.

HOW TO READ AND STUDY GOD’S WORD

When I arrived for the opening module, one of the women excitedly approached me about her eagerness to study the Bible and theology. She wanted to discuss spiritual matters like the men in the church do with one another.

The Lord has fueled these women with a hunger for His Word, and it’s spreading to others. It was so encouraging to see how God emboldened and equipped them for His Kingdom.

Another woman I met was invited by a friend. She hadn’t attended this church. After that weekend, she fell in love with how the whole Bible points to Christ and his perfected kingdom where we will live forever with Him. Her desire to read the Bible only increased! She even decided to become a member of that church and has been faithfully studying and bringing more people to the church.

Another attendee was convicted that she wasn’t intentionally studying God’s Word. After the Hermeneutics training, she had the tools to dig into Scripture. So she began a Bible study in her home. The Lord has fueled these women with a hunger for His Word, and it’s spreading to others. It was so encouraging to see how God emboldened and equipped them for His Kingdom. I was moved by their hunger for God’s Word. Clearly, God was working.

HOW TO DISCIPLE ONE ANOTHER

In the final two modules, we covered the Great Commission as our daily mission as His people (Matthew 28). During our Q&A, one lady spoke up with tears in her eyes. After nearly 30 years as a pastor’s wife, she had never intentionally discipled another woman. She tended to leave one-on-one discipleship to others, favoring service

projects or hospitality. Our training encouraged her to commit some of her time to discipling others.

Another woman expressed that she was fearful. She didn’t have much interest in developing intentional relationships with other women. But after the weekend, she wanted to obey the Scripture and disciple other women by teaching them to observe and obey God’s truth. I was amazed at how specifically and intentionally the Holy Spirit was already at work.

HOW TO CARE FOR ANOTHER

Throughout these trips, the friendly Brazilian culture struck me. These women had no problem relating to one another. We wanted to be sure to teach them to do so in a way that’s rooted in God’s Word. In particular, Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3 challenged them to

avoid false encouragement, but rather to build one another up by the hope we have in God’s promises. These women learned practical tools for discipling those who are suffering or dealing with sin. They saw how God’s Word was sufficient for any situation.

Our Brazilian sisters are just like us. I learned from them as they learned from me. I was challenged by their excitement to obey and follow the Lord. I sympathize with their fear of being intentional in discipling relationships, and I was spurred on by their boldness to face that fear with faith.

After two years of ministering to them, these women had grown tremendously. Praise God! And yet, they still long to learn and apply truth from Scripture.

Do we have this same attitude?

HANNAH CARTER

Hannah serves as the Executive Administrative Assistant to the Provost at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She received a Master of Divinity from Southern Seminary and loves counseling and discipling women. She previously served as an IMB missionary in Central Asia for nearly five years. She resides in Louisville, KY and is a member of Clifton Baptist Church.

PRAYERS FOR THE PRACTICUM

May 16, 2023

| Jimmy Winfrey

In early June, 32 believers between the age of 18 and 29 will travel to eleven different countries to spend their summers with Reaching and Teaching’s global workers. As part of our Practicum program, the students will experience living cross-culturally and learning about church-centered missions while being mentored by our veteran workers on the field. I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside these students since September 2022. My job is to help them prepare for their time abroad. Our Practicum team teaches them about fundraising, how and why to study theology and missiology, and the structure of a missions agency.

As the time for our 2023 Practicum to be sent to the field approaches, please pray for us in four specific ways.

Hopefully, this will inspire them to fully invest in their own local church back home. Please pray that each student will develop a greater desire to see the Kingdom of Christ expanded throughout the nations via His chosen vehicle: healthy local churches.

PRAY THAT THE STUDENTS WOULD HAVE A HOLISTIC CROSS-CULTURAL

EXPERIENCE.

The Practicum exists to provide students with the opportunity to experience the day-to-day joys and challenges of living overseas. Six weeks is enough time to get a feel for the everyday aspects of missionary life. They’ll get a peak into language learning, the daily grind of cross-cultural challenges, and the challenge of contextualizing ministry in a foreign setting. Pray that the students would come away from the Practicum with a realistic picture of what life is like for missionaries overseas.

PRAY THAT THE PRACTICUM HOSTS WOULD BOTH SERVE AND BE SERVED BY THE STUDENTS.

spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. Whether or not our Practicum alumni end up in vocational missions, local church ministry, or in secular vocations, we want them to have a lifelong devotion to healthy, churchcentered missions.

PRAY THAT THE STUDENTS WOULD DEVELOP A GREATER LOVE FOR THE LOCAL CHURCH.

Throughout their preparation, we’ve emphasized the centrality of the local church in missions. We hope to inspire a deeper love and appreciation for the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We want to encourage them to see that the work of missions is the work of establishing and strengthening churches overseas through the ordinary means of grace.

Hosting Practicum students for six weeks is a major sacrifice of time and effort. But it’s a sacrifice that leads to much joy—as all our previous hosts can attest. So, pray for them. Pray they would have wisdom to serve and mentor the students well. Pray also for the students, that they’d be flexible, humble, and teachable as they spend their summer learning from and serving alongside their hosts.

PRAY THAT THE STUDENTS WOULD COME AWAY FROM THE PRACTICUM WITH A GREATER DESIRE FOR BIBLICAL MISSIONS.

Above all, the Practicum exists to help the next generation of senders and goers cultivate a love for the local church and missions. We want to help young believers determine how they may use their short time on earth to

JIMMY WINFREY Mobilizer & Practicum Coordinator

Jimmy has served with Reaching and Teaching since 2015, including several years on the mission field in Ecuador. While continuing to travel overseas to train pastors, Jimmy now also works in mobilization, partnering with churches to send healthy, prepared workers into the harvest. Additionally, Jimmy is the Practicum Coordinator in which he collaborates with RTIM Global Workers on the field to host students interested in cultivating a heart for missions. Jimmy is a 4 time graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (B.A., MDiv, ThM, and PhD). He is married to his wife Heather and together they have 6 children.

the work of missions is the work of establishing and strengthening churches overseas through the ordinary means of grace

10 YEARS IN: REFLECTIONS

ON THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF RAK EVANGELICAL CHURCH

April 25, 2023 |

Jenny Manley

In March, the church my husband pastors in the Middle East celebrated our ten-year anniversary. Milestones like this invite, if not necessitate, a comprehensive evaluation of how we’ve spent the last decade of our lives. As we celebrated successes and lamented failures in the ministry, we were able to recalibrate and gain fresh perspective for the road ahead.

But as I surveyed how much the last 10 years had shaped my own family, I was sobered. I recounted significant sacrifices and loss. All this led me to ask myself a difficult question: is our life overseas worth it?

THE COSTS

We loved the life we left behind in America. We were surrounded by people like us who were raising families together and seeking to follow the Lord. We lived within walking distance of a Chick-fil-a and Little League baseball fields. We took for granted the convenience of Amazon and drivethrough Starbucks. Our life overseas has been significantly harder. We fought to form a community of people living together under the Lord’s commands, and we have scars left from the battles. Unity didn’t come as easily as when we enjoyed a shared language, shared hobbies, and shared holidays.

At our anniversary celebration, we noticed that only one other couple had been with us the whole time. Such is the nature of international church ministry in a transient place. But looking through pictures of all the faces of the people who have come and gone left a nagging sadness.

Living far away from our families meant a decade of missed holidays, weddings, and births of nieces and nephews. Family pictures hang in our childhood homes of major events that we never witnessed. Both my husband and I buried our fathers since living overseas and have had to watch from afar as our mothers navigate widowhood.

“LOVE GOD AND DO AS YOU PLEASE”

I remember when making the decision to move overseas, Augustine’s advice to “Love God and do as you please” gave me such freedom. I did not have to move overseas to obey God. But instead, as I loved God, he gave us the desire to go to a foreign land to start a church where there was none. I knew then I would face obstacles and discouragement, but they paled in comparison to my desire to make the Lord’s name known.

Now, ten years later, I know specifically what those sources of discouragement

are. And they have indeed been hard. Discouragement, sacrifice, and loneliness have been close companions. So if we are free to love God and do as we please, why continue to labor on? Put simply, weak, frail, and scarred as we may be, these hardships have increased our love for God. Our weakness has shown clearly his strength and superiority. Our dependency on him has deepened our love for him, and that love has given us an even greater desire to make his name known where it currently is not.

The unity we battled for tastes so much sweeter when it’s enjoyed by people who have nothing else in common. Brothers and sisters from India, Pakistan, the US, Russia, and Afghanistan know deep friendship and love not because we share time around a little league field, but because we know what unites us in Christ is deeper than what separates us culturally and politically.

We’ve seen hundreds of people go back to countries we could never go

to ourselves. So while we miss them terribly, we trust they are benefitting another congregation and bearing fruit among them. We trust that the Lord, whose wisdom moved them away from us, will one day bring us back together around his throne, forever.

Jesus’ words continue to comfort as we miss our family. Mark records Jesus saying, “There is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time . . . and in the age to come eternal life” (Mark 10:29–30). We do not know how the Lord will redeem all the time we lost with our earthly families, but we trust his words are true. So we press on, grateful for our church family that sits at our dinner table, for our church family that has become our children’s aunts and uncles.

We don’t stay overseas because life is easy. We stay because we’re fully aware that the sacrifices we’ve encountered

have made us more fit for the ministry, more dependent on the Lord, more focused on heaven, and more aware that the day is coming when the harvest will be gathered. We continue to rejoice in the victories and lament the defeats, recalibrating and pressing on.

JENNY MANLEY

Jenny and her husband Josh live in the United Arab Emirates, where Josh pastors the church they planted, the Ras al Khaimah Evangelical Church. They have five children, ages 4 to 15. Jenny spends much of her time with her kids and helping the persecuted Afghan church, but she is also an instructor for the Charles Simeon Trust, the author of The Good Portion: Christ, and is the cohost of the 9Marks podcast Priscilla Talk.

GLOBAL TRAINING UPDATE

BELIZE AND IRELAND SCOTT MESCHER

Reaching & Teaching’s Global Training exists to serve churches and train leaders in areas that lack healthy resources. We often report how far away these pastors live, how primitive their houses are, or that we had to eat armadillo for breakfast. The goal of this piece is to help you understand that the common response of teaching God’s Word has been effective as we continue to serve among the under-reached, as in Belize, and enter the post-Christian context as in Dublin, Ireland.

FINISH THE WORK

First, we established our Global Training ministry among the “under-reached” people of South America. AJ Gibson has defined the “under-reached” as “people and places that have the true gospel but lack the health to grow, make disciples, and fend off false teaching.” The sad truth is that many pastors in this context lead their churches with

Under-reached: people and places that have the true gospel but lack the health to grow, make disciples, and fend off false teaching.

unhealthy practices and unsound teaching. Thankfully, God continues to open the eyes of key leaders who are now coordinating partnerships around healthy biblical and theological training. How did these under-reached places develop? They’re the fruit of incomplete missions efforts. One example is found in southern Belize.

For several years, the Baptist Association of Belize (BAB) has desired to serve Mayan Mopan pastors in the southern jungle of Belize. North American churches have sent countless teams to help with various construction projects. As a result, there are many new buildings filled with nice furniture to serve the churches and leaders here.

Over time, however, key leaders of the BAB have realized that the pristine buildings don’t reflect the teaching that happens inside them. To remedy this, the leaders of the BAB have reached out to Reaching & Teaching for help.

Miguel Tush, a key leader among the Mayan Mopan, was a bit guarded at first. He didn’t like the idea of yet another American team coming for a visit. He’d seen the fruit of this kind of arrangement. But after a day and a half of us teaching the Old Testament, his fellow Pastor David Cal (left) responded, “I have been told that Jesus can be found through the whole Bible, and you brothers have come to help us see it.” As the week went on, Pastor Miguel warmed up. Before we left, he couldn’t contain his excitement: “Many teams have come to do many things, but we have been waiting a long time for someone to come and finish the work. Finally, we find some Gringos who are crazy about the gospel.”

Of course, the work in Belize is far from finished. Our partnership with the BAB and a group of churches in West

Virginia is ongoing. The Global Training team is committed to helping these local leaders so that they are equipped to establish healthy churches among the Mayan Mopan of Belize.

WHAT THE CHURCH NEEDS

We’ve recently extended our work beyond under-reached places to new opportunities in “post-Christian” Europe. Author Leonardo Di Chirico describes “post Christian” as “an aggregate of all forms of presentday alternative worldviews to the Christian one.” In other words, Christian principles and stories are blended with other postmodern ideas that compromise the exclusivity of the gospel message. In such a context, biblical literacy is acceptable so long as God’s Word is placed alongside other works of classical literature. Thankfully, God continues to stir the hearts of pastors and connect them with partners who encourage them to uphold the authority of Scripture.

The story of Global Training in the postChristian context started at the Pillar

Conference. Caroline Hay attended with her husband Jeff, the pastor of Ballycullen Community Church in Dublin, Ireland. Jeff is committed to expository preaching and deep discipleship in an area where many beautiful church buildings stand empty. While he attended to share the testimony of presenting the gospel clearly and plainly, his wife Caroline heard about the RTIM Women’s Ministry Institute. She quickly recognized, “This is what our church needs.”

Caroline realized the Women’s Institute could help to, “create a culture of discipleship in their church.” After the first courses at Ballycullen, she shared, “it really is somewhat beyond our comprehension that Christians who don’t even know us, have been so willing to give their money, their time, and their thoughts, prayers and energy to send over such well-organised, indepth teaching for us to provide for the women of our churches.” As a pastor, Jeff recognized, “This teaching will enrich the church in Dublin and multiply God’s work in the lives of our churches.”

Again, the work is not finished. Later this year, a team will return to teach the ladies of Ballycullen and five other churches. This is a joint effort between the Association of Baptists in Ireland, RTIM Global Training, and various partners from the U.S. The goal in Ireland is the same as our goal in Belize: to make mature disciples and establish healthy churches in a difficult context.

These two stories from two different social contexts remind us that God is always at work. In this case, he’s stirring up leaders to establish healthy churches. We have the joyous privilege of partnering with them by encouraging and equipping them with God’s Word.

SCOTT MESCHER Director of Global Training

Scott has more than 25 years of experience in missions and local church ministry. Scott and his wife Corey live in Salado, TX, and have 3 children (Corban, Noah, and Ellie). He is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDivBL) and earned a PhD in Christian Apologetics and Worldview at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is fluent in Spanish and has a strong call to develop church leaders in their local context. Scott leads the Global Training Team of RTIM to provide biblical and theological education to church leaders around the world and equip domestic church partners to teach in cross-cultural context. He is a member of the Executive Team.

Discover more about our Global Training ministry at rtim.org

LONG-TERM WORKERS

N&C Southeast Asia

I work at a seminary here in our target city. Sitting outside the seminary chapel last week, professor R**** looked over and asked, “are you a m********? What evangelism method do you use?” Naturally, I skipped over the former question to answer the latter, saying, “I don’t use a particular method, sir.” I then explained how I believe that if a church loves Jesus and the church is healthy, then its witness will be healthy too. “Yeah, yeah, but m*******ies always have methods for us,” he said.

So finally, I gave an answer: “Preach the Word, sir. That’s my method.”

Our new home in Asia is quickly becoming a global city. Vast diversity and vast lostness coexist. Pragmatism rules the day in just about all matters of life, including the church. What works is more important than what’s biblical. As a result, churches are eager for the latest methods on this or that. After all, the newest method must be the most relevant and effective way to grow, right? Sadly, this impulse is a byproduct of both cultural background and foreign-mis****ry influence.

But there’s hope.

Two days later, I was sitting next to a local pastor in my living room. To my surprise, he affirmed our approach to the work of strengthening churches. “[the last m******ry] just cared about evangelism, evangelism, EVANGELISM! What we need is doctrine if our churches are going to be healthy.” I interrupted him, “Of course, we do need to be doing lots of evangelism!” But deep down, I

was delighted by his commendation. We continued our conversation for a few hours—Bibles open, in our laps— before we finally stopped to eat some barbeque chicken and rice together.

We’ve been sent by our local church and many sacrificial supporters to love, serve, and build up local churches here. Not just to mobilize and multiply. Part of our task is to distinguish biblical ministry from the newest method. Our task is to stay the course whether or not it “works” immediately. Our goal is not just evangelism and multiplication. Our goal is to see everyone and every church built up into health and maturity (Col 1:28). We want the churches here to fulfill the words of Paul in Ephesians 3:10: “that *through the church* the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known.” Our churches here need help. They’re deeply confused with how doctrine flows from Scripture and interacts with their culture.

The ministry opportunities are endless in this country. While I train in a seminary, my wife cares for and homeschools our girls. While I meet with publishers, she plans a weekly multi-language story-time for our neighborhood. Our work is complex because the mission is complex. Our mission is complex because the church, even with its single focus on glorifying God, is complex. To respect the church is to respect what it is by God’s design: a diverse group of believers who are indwelled and empowered by the Spirit. These believers have covenanted together by mutual agreement through the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper to glorify God through faithfilled obedience to Christ, so that His glory and wisdom might be on display to all creation. That’s a lot! No manmade method can produce that. But through the consistent ministry of the Word and prayer, we press on in hope that the Lord will build his church here at the ends of the earth.

RATTINS Uganda

Josh and Abby Rattin have served in Uganda since 2011. Their convictions about missions and the local church led them to RTIM in 2021. Josh is particularly passionate about equipping the local church through training pastors.

The Rattins have 6 children—ages 4 to 19. They homeschool them all except the oldest son, who attends boarding school in the USA. Where they live, disabilities are considered a shame and curse. So you can imagine the effect as neighbors spend time in the Rattins’ home and get to know their spunky oldest daughter who has significant disabilities and requires full-time care.

Josh and his Ugandan partner, Paul, keep busy. One week each month is fully devoted to gathering local men together for teaching and equipping. The rest of the month is spent preparing, following up with the men, and engaging in direct church ministry.

Faith Baptist Church in Hollis, New Hampshire first commissioned them for cross-cultural ministry in 2009. More than 20 other churches in the USA support them through financial assistance or prayer. These connections anchor them to the body of Christ at home even as they serve a young church abroad.

Abby is a Family Medicine physician licensed in the USA and Uganda. She’s narrowed her focus to areas of need: equipping local healthcare providers, providing second opinions when asked, consulting for the ex-pats who live in remote locations, and caring for children with disabilities and/or epilepsy. Many of her contacts come through local churches seeking help for members of their community.

The Rattins have seen God work in surprising ways during the last year.

It’s been a year of challenges: learning a new city, adjusting to urban culture, shifting from house to house while they’re learning the language, wading through bureaucracy for visas and other documentation, hearing about transitions in the sending church. And yet, God has faithfully provided a city church to join for worship and community. This has opened so many doors of opportunity: hosting a cell group and the young adults group, leading church members through Simeon Trust First Principles, preaching and teaching opportunities, and modeling for others what it looks like

for a family to be involved in a young church. Their language helpers have become sweet friends. One young lady in particular has become a “bonus daughter” after the Rattins walked her through a few difficult situations.

Pray for a deepening doctrinal understanding and commitment in the Ugandan church. Pray that Ugandan Christians will learn how to consistently apply biblical principles into everyday life. Pray that they will all find great joy and delight in the faithfulness and goodness of our Savior and Sustainer God.

SIMEON TRUST & RTIM

NATE BROCK Training Facilitator - Europe

The Charles Simeon Trust has made it their goal to train up the next generation of Bible expositors. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to take part in several of their workshops. So I speak from experience when I say that Simeon Trust is meeting their goal.

My introduction to Simeon Trust happened in the summer of 2018. I was serving as an associate pastor in Indianapolis and a pastor friend invited me to sign up for the threeday workshop. I’d never heard of the Simeon Trust, but the idea of studying through a book of the Bible with a group of preachers in order to develop solid preaching outlines seemed good to me.

By the end of that first workshop, I felt that I had learned practical skills for handling God’s Word. Since then, I’ve gone through several more workshops, both in-person and online.

On a personal level, I enjoy opening the Word and dissecting a passage of Scripture with other brothers. We take a deep dive into the structure, context, and biblical theology of a passage and work together to draw out the significance for us today. In some ways, I’ve found Simeon Trust to be more helpful than my seminary experience. In seminary, my exegetical courses were separated from my preaching courses. I understand the point of this division, but Simeon Trust helped me unify them in the context of church ministry. I now feel more confident in all my teaching preparation.

If you want to learn how to be a better

expositor of the Word while serving in your local church, I’d encourage you to sign up for a Simeon Trust workshop. You can be a part of the next generation of faithful Bible expositors.

BECKY HOUSTON Mobilizer - Northeast

I’m thankful for the privilege of participating in a few Charles Simeon Trust workshops, both online and inperson.

First and foremost, the time spent studying God’s Word with other women has been a great encouragement. I’ve learned so much from women who are in different seasons and live in different contexts. Participating in an online course with other women within RTIM has been an especially sweet way to get to know our workers, even though we are hundreds or sometimes even thousands of miles apart. The gospel truly unifies, and nothing grows a friendship quite like studying God’s Word together.

Finally, I’ve appreciated learning Simeon Trust’s method of studying Scripture that has been well thought through and refined. Though it’s not the only method, it has shaped my personal study and even how I engage with the preaching of the Word in my church.

CHRISTOPHER SILLS Ecuador

Before I even enrolled in Simeon Trust’s First Principles course, my wife highly recommended it to me. She’d already taken it with some women from RTIM. To be honest, I was hesitant at first. I somewhat doubted its effectiveness.

After all, I’d already studied at seminary and had been regularly preaching at our church in Ecuador for five years.

Well, I was wrong. From the very first class, I knew that it would be one of the most rewarding and effective tools in preparing me for further preaching and teaching. I was so impacted by the First Principles class that I enrolled in another workshop while on stateside assignment. I loved it even more than the first.

To participate in the courses, one must be willing to put in considerable time and effort. But the rewards for that investment are great. The principles offered in each lesson are biblically sound and practical. The homework is always challenging. The constructive criticism will sharpen your hermeneutics and exegesis. I highly recommend these courses to anyone who wants to preach or teach the Bible.

Having studied only a little with Simeon Trust, I desire to enroll in their other courses as well. Their training has made me a better preacher, and I want others to benefit as well. If you haven’t attended a class, let me encourage you to do so. I’m convinced that it will bless you and serve to glorify God and build His church!

KAMI WRIGHT Argentina

I’ve been honored to help lead three virtual Simeon Trust First Principles classes for Reaching and Teaching. Each time, I learn something new. It’s such a blessing to watch the women in these classes deepen their understanding of God’s Word. I anticipated what I would learn in each class.

Simeon Trust helped me learn how to better teach the Bible to other women, the children in my Sunday school class, and my own kids. But that’s not all. It changed the way I read my Bible altogether.

In May, I attended a workshop for women in Seville, Spain. It was my first in-person class. We walked through the book of Mark. It was such a rewarding time to see other women who wanted to learn how to accurately teach God’s Word so they can pass it on to other women. I pray that I can bring this teaching to the women I serve here in Argentina.

I encourage any woman who has the opportunity to attend a class either in-person or online. I look forward to taking more classes in the future so that I can grow in my understanding of God’s Word.

MID-YEAR STATISTICS

Training

18 Missionary Units Sent

102 Total

Countries

New Staff

Andrew Bocchino Development Manager

Denny Crosby Access & Deployment Manager

Joy Craig Donor Relations Associate

18 Total Training Sites

7 Site Surveys

948 Total Individuals Trained

To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson

By Courtney Anderson

Several biographies have been written on Judson’s life. But none stand out like Courtney Anderson’s To the Golden Shore. Published in 1956, it was so popular that it was re-published in 1987. While the exact number of copies sold is unknown, there is no doubt that this book has left its mark on any who read it. Why? For at least two reasons: its captivating style and compelling structure.

rtim.org/preview-day

Why You Should Come

Whether you are considering long-term missions or want to mobilize your church, our Preview Day is a great place to start!

What you can expect from the day:

Grow in a biblical understanding of missions

Discover RTIM’S DNA

Connect with like-minded Christians

Learn how you can partner with us

Louisville, Ky

Monday, July 10th

Immanuel Baptist Church

New York, NY

Thursday, September 21st

North Shore Baptist Church

Louisville, Ky

Monday, January 15th

Third Avenue Baptist Church

Time: 8am - 5pm

Price per Individual: $50

Register for Cross Con 2024!

JANUARY 3-5

God’s people have always been opposed—opposed by earthly enemies, by spiritual foes, by worldly governments, and even at times by supposed friends. And yet, God’s people press on in hope. We can be assured that God will prove victorious in the end, having already triumphed over his foes on the cross.

Join us as we exult in the God who brings life out of death and joy out of sorrow. Together we are called to worship and to bear witness, that our coming and conquering King might be known and adored by the nations.

Missions Talk Podcast

Reaching & Teaching is excited to partner with 9Marks on the production of Missions Talk. Missions Talk is a regular conversation about biblical and practical elements of missiology.

Partner with Reaching & Teaching!

Your financial support ensures Reaching & Teaching is equipped to make mature disciples, establish healthy churches, and train local leaders around the world.

As RTIM grows, your partnership in the gospel provides strategic care and resources for our team of global workers and global training efforts for the years ahead.