Boonville Wesleyan & IWA Life

Bits & Bytes for Bagley Backers-January 2011

2012-01-16T08:06:00.000-08:00

Bits & Bytes for Bagley Backers

January 2012

www.gpafrica.org

Visitors!

Bob, Brenda, and Mary Beth at Adventure Golf

One of the privileges of our position and location is that we have the honor of hosting many of our missionaries as they pass through Johannesburg to and from their places of service. This past month we have had more than the normal flow of visitors. They have included:

Sue Allport, Australian volunteer missionary to Mozambique, along with her daughter and granddaughter stayed with us overnight before heading to Mozambique for the Christmas holidays.
Our youngest daughter, Mary Beth Bagley, visited with us over her Christmas break from Southern Wesleyan University where she has one year to go before graduating with a degree in elementary education.
Zach, Lyndy, and Isaac Szmara, new missionaries to Mozambique spent Christmas with us. They have had a rough adjustment to life and ministry in Nampula and will be returning to the U.S. soon for a period of recovery and recuperation.
Zambian missionaries, Mike and Cindy Helvie, spent about a week with us while they worked on mission books with Jerry Manwaring and had additional time to recover from repeated infections of malaria.
Orai and Linda Lehman, veteran missionaries from Mozambique dropped by for a couple of days for a visit and consultations.
Dorcas and Matthias Croft had a brief overnight stay with us on their way back to Swaziland after a seven-month stint on home ministry. It was obvious they were both anxious to get "home".

The Christmas season is often a lonely time for missionaries. But, thanks to the guests who passed through our home this past month, our lives were enriched as we celebrated the birth of Christ with members of our missionary family.

A New District is Launched in Southern Africa

Rev. Doctor Galela, Southern Africa Regional Superintendent at the recent Regional Youth Camp

At the recent Regional Board of Administration meeting, the Wesleyan Church of Southern Africa launched a new Pioneer District, to be known as the Northern Free State and Lesotho District. This comes as an outgrowth and expansion from the Kimberly and Greater Mangaung District. Inclusion of Lesotho in the District is an expression of the vision of the church because we have not planted any churches there yet. However, the church has begun the process of laying the groundwoirk for a launch into western Lesotho.

Panama Conferences Coming Right Up

At the end of this month two conferences will take place in Panama City, Panama with major significance for the work of Global Partners in Africa.

The International Conference of the Wesleyan Church meets January 27-29, for the first time outside of North America. Representatives from the Wesleyan Church all across the world will spend time in fellowship together and discussing matters of significance for the global church.

African leaders in Panama for the ICWC will stay on for two additional days, January 30-31, for an African Leaders' Summit. The leaders will make presentations and be discussing issues of critical importance for the African church: "The Challenge of the Harvest"; "The Challenge of Financial Sustainability"; "The Challenge of NonBiblical Theologies"; and "The Challenge of Ministry Training".

Praise Points

1. Mike & Cindy Helvie have returned to Zambia much improved in health and with their strength recovered.

2. The Southern Africa Regional Youth Camp saw an enrollment of over 300 campers and was marked by God's working in the lives of the young people.

3. With much travel over the Christmas period, God has again given our missionary family safety in their travels.

4. Dr. Alfred Kalembo, Zambian National Superintendent was the speaker at the Council of Churches retreat in Zambia.

5. Praise God for the new preaching point in Cold Water, Sierra Leone established through the Jesus Film Ministry.

Prayer Requests

1. Ask for God to help Zach & Lyndy Szmara as they spend time at home to recoup.

2. Pray that God will help Rev. Doctor Galela as he visits Zimbabwe and tries to encourage the church there.

3. Pray that visas will be granted to the ICWC delegates who have not yet received them.

4. Ask for God to watch over all of the delegates as they travel to Panama from across the globe.

5. Ask God to give the conference members wisdom as they debate and make decisions for the future of the Wesleyan Church worldwide.

6. Ask God to help African leaders to clearly identify the positive steps forward they need to take as they face the challenges of seeing the work in Africa continue to advance.

7. Pray that God will reward the leaders in Southern Africa with an abundant harvest as they begin work in Lesotho.

Support Report

As we write this newsletter, our support for the month is down from usual - perhaps due to the holiday season. But, for the financial year our support is still positive thanks to the generous and faithful giving of those who stand behind us. May God richly bless you for your faithfulness.

Online donations or monthly commitments can be made online by clicking here.

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Bob & Brenda Bagley | RBagley112@gmail.com

Simos Family Special Update!

2011-12-29T09:09:00.000-08:00

Freedom Vehicle - Now that we have our own Freedom housing for teams when they come, we are ready to buy a multi-passenger team van! The van that would best fit our needs costs about $20,000 and we just received a matching gift of $10,000! Every dollar raised towards the van will be matched until we hit the $20,000 needed! This will be our first Freedom vehicle and will be used to transport teams that we host and transport kids from Piñones to pre-school in Lima. To get your gift matched, go to the link provided here. Then, fill in the form and in the comment box write, “For the van…Match it!” Click here to give towards the Van! C'mon, help us knock this thing out!
Missions Teams - As I mentioned above, we now have our own Freedom housing (only a 1/2 block from our homes) to host missions teams that come to help us here in the D.R. If you would like to bring a group this summer, we can make that happen! This can even be a group of friends who want to take a trip like this. You won’t regret it! Contact (jasonhilgeman@itisforfreedom.com) for more info.
Pre-School - January 9 we will be starting a pre-school in Batey Lima! There are 22 little 4 year olds who will be a part of this, as well as 5 adults/young adults from Lima who will help us with the project. We’ll have class 3 days a week for 2 hours a day. Pamela and Katie Cline are going to be leading the charge. We would like to be able to include a few children from Piñones if the details work out (like transportation, can you say Freedom van? hint hint).

Click here to view our December Newsletter

Click here to support the Simos Family with a financial gift

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Once Every Seven Years!

2011-12-18T11:37:00.000-08:00

Guest Sermon Series
Rev Robert D. Shofner, Jr.
St. John's UCC Boonville

Merry Christmas! Now that is finally here, let’s look back over the past few weeks. Think about it ... did the thought of Christmas ... and all the parties, and shopping, and cooking, and wrapping up presents, and setting up the decorations ... and everything else that just had to get done ... did the thought of Christmas make us feel humbug-ish ... or humdrum-ish ... or humbled?

The way we answer that has a lot to do about we feel about the different gifts that are a part of Christmas. When we focus on the gifts we have to give, a lot of times we feel pretty humbug-ish. (All that time and money and the kids went through their presents in 12 seconds flat!) When we focus on the gifts we hoped to receive from other people, then maybe we're going to feel pretty humdrum-ish. (We opened them up and thought, "Is that all there is?") But when we focus on the gifts that God has given to us ... because there really is a reason to the season ... when we focus on God's great gifts to us, then we can truly feel humbled. There's a humbling awe that God could love us that much.

The good news is that no one gives us greater presents than God. In fact, it says in James 1:17, "Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows." God gives perfect gifts. Ever receive a gift and we open it up and say, "Wow! This is perfect!"? The Bible says all of God's gifts are like that. And He just keeps on giving. Romans 8:32, "He did not spare his own Son but gave him for us all. So with Jesus, God will surely give us all things." The sacrificial and generous giving that God has shown us when He gave His only Son for us ... the Bible says God wants to show us that same giving each and every day.

Now, should we have to sum up God's giving nature, His ability to give and give what no one else can ... we can sum that up with one word, "grace." In fact, the word "grace" and the word "gift" or "give" in the New Testament are the same words. God's gift to us is grace, and God's grace to us is His gift. And there's no better gift than God's grace. John 1:14, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." This is what Christmas is all about! What a perfect gift. And when we open it up, some of the most awesome things happen in our life. So this morning we're going to look at God's great gift in our lives.

Number one - we are lavished with grace. That's one thing we really want to understand. The Bible says we are lavished with grace! And that means we can make the choice to live abundantly. To live abundantly. Ephesians 1:8, " ... the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." We probably don't experience that too often. The idea of something just being poured out on us, more than we can ever fully understand. It's a quintuple scoop cone of gourmet ice cream, okay? That's being lavished ... it's more than we can imagine, or eat. But with God's grace, we can never get too much of it. When something is lavished on us it means we're given something more than what we could ever dream of, but what we've always wanted. And God's says, "I want to give my grace, that gift of myself, to you." In abundance.

Now, oftentimes when somebody offers us a gift unbelievably large, we're unbelieving about it. The offer of a big gift can really make us doubt. Got a card for my birthday that said, "For your birthday I decided to get you a million dollars." I knew I wasn't going to open it up and find a check for a million dollars ... darn it all! But God has this lavish gift of grace ready to pour out on us, and we think, "Could that really be for me?" Yes, it is. Yes, it is! And when we finally accept God's gift, it changes the way we look at life. That's the real gift this year, a different way of looking at life, based on the grace that God has given us.

We can live life fearfully, we can live it selfishly, or we can live it abundantly. We can look at the world around us and what we don't have, and live our lives fearfully. Pulling in, living in fear of what we might lose. We can listen to the desires of our heart and mind and begin to live selfishly. Or we can focus on God's gift, and discover the joy of living abundantly. No longer pulling back because of our fear, or overreaching wildly to fulfill every desire, but abundant life. It's a new way of living!

John 10:10, Jesus said, "The thief's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness." We don't want to live fearfully or selfishly. Jesus came so that we could live abundantly.

Now, let's look at how to turn this into more than just "positive thinking" rhetoric. Let's look at how to do this ... how to live abundantly. There's a principle we want to understand. There's no such thing as abundant living without abundant supply. Just won't work. For instance, should I say, "Go ahead and spend as much as you want at the mall today," ... you'd think I was crazy, or just got a new credit card! ... because you know there's not an inexhaustible supply behind all that spending. The ability to live an abundant life comes from the abundant grace of God. When we realize how abundantly He has supplied His grace to us, we can live an abundant life, because His grace supply never runs out! 2 Peter 1:2 (NIV), "Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." It comes from knowing Him and who He is. We're lavished with grace ... so go ahead, live abundantly.

Number 2 - we're saved by grace, so live eternally. Live eternally. Ephesians 2:8, "I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God." We've been saved by God's grace, so we can live eternally. What's that mean ... "saved"? It means three things ... it means to be forgiven, to be fulfilled, and to be set free. And God doesn't save us for a few moments or days or weeks. The salvation He gives to us is eternal. We were headed for certain death and separation from Him for eternity, and because of His great love for us, He came to us and forgave us, fulfilled us, and set us free ... for eternity. That's a great gift!

How do we begin to enjoy that gift? Notice this principle. For a gift to be enjoyed, it must be received. Pretty simple. For us to enjoy a gift, we want to first receive it. And for some of us, this Christmas will be the best ever, because we'll receive the best gift ever. God's gift of eternal life. Just ask Him for it.

When we do start enjoying His great gift? Many people think we only get to enjoy it after we die. That's just not true. 1 Timothy 6:12 says, "Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you ..." Notice the words "has given." Not "will give you someday," but "has given" you right now. It says to hold tightly to it ... enjoy it ... live it right now … celebrate our new life!

In my first church, working as a student pastor, there was this little guy who cornered me during Coffee Hour, and he said, "Bob, Bob, Bob! Are you coming to my birthday party?" I didn't have anything lined up for the afternoon, so I said, "Sure, I don't have any plans for today. What time is it?" He said, "No, no, no. It's not today. It's in 5 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days." "Okay, let me write that down. I'll be there. Thanks for telling me." The next Sunday, during Coffee Hour, "Bob, Bob, Bob! Are you coming to my birthday party?" "Yes, I am. In 5 months, 2 weeks, and 2 days. I'm going. Let me erase the pencil, and write it in pen. It's a for sure." The next Sunday, during Coffee Hour, "Bob, Bob, Bob! Are you coming to my birthday party?" Well, I knew this was going to happen. I brought a birthday hat and a party horn. I whipped them out of my briefcase and said, "Look! I'm ready! I can't wait!"

Then I asked his mom, "Hey, what's the deal? I've never seen anything like this. I've never seen anybody this excited over celebrating a birthday." And she told me something I'll never forget. She said, "Mark is a foster child. And Mark has never, ever had a birthday party."

And I think of Mark when I look around and see Christians who don't celebrate. Friends, we've got reasons to celebrate. We want to quit acting like spiritual foster children, and claim the heritage we have in God and celebrate our inheritance of eternal life.

Question. Can knowing what's in our future change the way we feel and act today? Of course it can! Let's suppose you haven't had a job in 6 months, and the unemployment insurance is running out. But just last week you sat down and signed a contract to start a new job the first of the year. Now, do you think you'd wait until January to celebrate the new job? No way! It's party time, right now! And the fact that we know we have an eternity secure in God changes the way we feel and act today. Or, at least it should! The fact that we have eternal life ... does that mean we have to wait to get there to celebrate it? No way! We want to celebrate it today, and every day, right now. It changes the way we look at life.

Here's something we can do to help reinforce this point. Take a 3x5 card, and on one side of it, write the word "today" and on the other side write the word "eternity." Put it in your purse or wallet or pocket ... and any time you face a worry or a problem, take out the card. First, look at the side that says "today." Think about that problem and how terrible it is in the light of today. Really make yourself miserable! Have fun with it, okay? Then after you've done that for five or ten minutes, turn the card over, and think about that problem you're facing in the light of eternity, and see how it changes your attitude. The truth is, when we look at a lot of our worries even in the light of next week it would change our attitude. And when we begin to look at them in the light of eternity ... what a difference it makes! Live eternally.

Number three, we are molded by grace ... and so live responsibly. Some of us may be thinking, "Great! Don't talk to me about responsibilities! I'm overwhelmed by responsibilities!" Maybe you're a single parent. Maybe you're struggling to hold down two jobs ... or keep a business going. Ever feel like ... "I'm just trying to do what's right!"

Reminds me of the story about the Kindergarten teacher who loved to help her little students get all bundled up to go out into the snow and cold at the end of the school day. One day she sat down in front of one of her students, pulled out a pair of boots ... the kind with laces all the way up! ... and started to diligently lace up the boots ... about a ten minute job, struggling with this squirmy little girl. She finally got them all laced up ... the little girl hopped to her feet and announced to the teacher, "These aren't my boots." So the teacher unlaced them and pulled them off and put them back in the closet. Then her little student looks up at her and says, "Those are my big sister's boots, but my Mommy makes me wear them!" Ever feel like that? Just trying to do the right thing?

Want some new energy for that worn-out life? Look at Ephesians 2:10 (NIV), "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." We are created, molded by God's grace in Christ Jesus, to do good works. But sometimes we just get so tired. That's because we're doing everything on our own. We want to learn to relax and let God's grace mold us to live responsibly. We want to learn to quit trying so hard and start trusting in God's grace.

1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV), "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was within me." Paul found a new energy working within him. God's grace. And God's grace is meant to be the creating, energizing, directing influence of our lives. We don't want to be self-made men and women ... we want to be grace-molded persons.

How do we motivate ourselves to get things done? Well, we can use guilt ... or grace. Under guilt, responsibilities seem like terrible burdens. Yet under grace, responsibilities seem like wonderful opportunities. It's the difference between, "I have to do that to get God to love me." and "I want to do that because God loves me!" And grace is a much better motivator than guilt, because it won't wear us out!

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV), "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

God's grace abounds ... and that means we live in a new kind of way ... responsibly. There's a principle here that we want to notice. The key to living responsibly is living responsively. Got that? The key to living responsibly is living responsively. Hebrews 10:24 says, "In response to all he has done for us, let us outdo each other in being helpful and kind to each other and in doing good ..."

God will never love us any more or any less than He loves us right now. And so what we do in life isn't to get Him to love us, because He does love us, but what we do in life is simply in response for the love, the grace, He already has for us.

How important is this grace, this gift, from God? Our last verse this morning, which also happens to be the last verse in the Bible. Revelation 22:21 (NIV), "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen." It ends with grace. What a great gift!

Christmas reminds us that we are lavished with grace ... so we want to live abundantly. We are saved by grace, so we want to live eternally. And we are molded by grace, so we can live responsibly. God's grace. What a great gift!

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the greatest Christmas gift we could ever imagine, Your lavish grace. Help us to receive it, that we may live abundantly, eternally, and responsibly.

And the people said, “Amen.

Merry Christmas from Ron Brewer Ministries

2011-12-16T07:26:00.001-08:00

It is really hard to believe this is the December Newsletter. My how the months have flown by. As I take time to look back, it has been such a thrill to see all that God has done. During 2011 so many people surrendered their lives to Christ. One that is such a joy to me and Trish is our twelve year old son, Joseph. While in Fresno, TX doing the singing in a revival service, he gave his life to Christ. What a thrill. God has blessed us so abundantly.

We just completed 9 days of Christmas In the Smokies and what an awesome time we had. Such tremendous blessings from all the artist, the great Christian Comedians, as well as the comedy skits. The chapel services were so great. Each service was so anointed. Every person who came out received a blessing and was a blessing. It was such a joyous time to see artist praying with others and sharing their testimonies with people. The spirit of the lord was there.

If you would like to attend in 2012, the dates are Nov. 26, 27 and 28 or Nov. 29, 30 and Dec. 1 or Dec. 3, 4 and 5. It will be held at the Main Stay Suites in Pigeon Forge, TN. The early bird gets the worm. Contact me soon for a great deal. We still have rooms available on the Caymen Island and Cozmuel, MX cruise, Mar. 5 - 10. sign up at www.sonshinepromotions.com

I am so excited to announce the release of my new project “Heart Collector.” This is an absolute wonderful project of songs from the Heart. Songs such as Man In The Mirror, I’ve Got My Foot On The Rock, JESUS, I Love You Son, Friends In High Places, Jesus Was A Country Man, One Drink and many more. The best writers, Shane Roark, James Elliott, Tom Burress, Becky Allen, Jason Todd Herod. You can get your copy in time for Christmas at www.ronbrewermusic.com

Thank you all for your love and support. Continue to call and request Tear Off the Roof. There are still a few dates available for 2012 so hurry and call. May we all continue to pray for lost souls and one another and for our nation.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours,

Ron, Trish and Joseph

Simos Family Ministry Update-December 2011

2011-12-12T08:40:00.000-08:00

Help us with some feedback! Simply open email including pictures. Thank you!

Family Update
Our team has been ministering in batey Lima and batey Piñones for the past 6 months. We have completed the 50 lesson study "Creation to Christ," and now Toni has begun teaching "the Life of Christ" to the children in Spanish. Please pray that we both continue to make progress in our language learning and that we will be ready to take on more of the teaching this spring and summer. We continue to spend time in the bateyes each weekday as well as some weekends. We truly enjoy the relationships that we have and look forward to growing in Christ together for the years to come.

Freedom Update Here are 3 ways that you can join the fight for Freedom in the Dominican Republic.
Freedom Land Project We have a goal to be located closer to the bateyes in order to more effectively offer discipleship and Christian education. We are currently in the process to purchase 15 acres of land to accomplish this goal. Please visit our website for all the details about this phase of our ministry.
Freedom Champions You can be a part of our team by becoming a Champion for Freedom! We have several Champions who are working hard and fighting the battle for Freedom. Need an idea? Perhaps you are a business owner who is willing to donate a portion of your profits to Freedom. Perhaps you could even start a new business with the purpose of funding Freedom. More than a Pretzel has done just that! Please visit our website or contact us for more Champion ideas.
Freedom/Goodsearch: Freedom has a cool new toolbar! Once you add this to IE or Firefox, then each time you shop, a percentage of your purchase will be automatically donated to Freedom International Ministries, at no cost to you (and you may even save more money as the toolbar provides coupons and discounts as well!). The toolbar also has a search box and each time you simply search the Internet, a penny will be donated to Freedom! That might not sound like much, but if only 100 people searched twice a day, then we will earn $730/year!

Culture in the Dominican Republic

Got Mitt?
What do you do when you want to play baseball but you don't have a mitt? You make one of course..out of a milk carton! We buy our milk in boxes off of the shelf instead of in plastic jugs from the cooler section. Until recently, we just "trashed" the boxes, but once the boys in the bateyes showed us how to make baseball mitts out to them, we started to keep the boxes. It's great to see their imaginations at work, whether making mitts or toy cars out of oil cans and bottle caps. While it's fun to make the mitts with boys and then play ball, it's also humbling when they fight over who gets "our trash". These kids truly have next to nothing and get excited about getting a ball, empty bottles or even empty milk cartons.

Click here to view more harvest photos and video

Sugarcane Harvest
December is harvest time in the Dominican Republic. Unlike back home, they harvest sugarcane not corn. We're told by these men, Haitian and Dominican, they will work everyday for 6 months with the exception of 3 days off during the Easter weekend. As we drive past the fields on our way to the bateyes, it's like a scene from the past. Seeing the ox drawn carts and sugarcane cut by hand as the hardened men swing their machetes. It is hard, hot, back-breaking work, all day, everyday. In a good year, these men will make about $53 a week. I definitely have a different perspective now when I enjoy sugar in my coffee. Maybe you too can be reminded of what it takes to enjoy something as simple as a spoonful of sugar.

Click here to view more harvest photos and video

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When Your Confidence Level is Low

2011-12-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

Posted: December 7, 2011

by Stan Parker

Things not going like you’d desire? Well, take this advise: “don’t throw away your confidence; it will soon be appropriately rewarded” (ancient first century writing from a book called Hebrews).

I wonder if we realize that a lot of what we do and say tells others about our confidence level. I can readily think of ten tips on how to increase your confidence level starting right now:

Tip #1: Don’t get down on yourself ! – The more you talk about your perceived inadequacies, the more likely you will become bound by them.

Tip #2: Celebrate being you! – You are special, one of a kind, unique, and you have strengths as well as weaknesses.

Tip #3: Get more decisive! – Start saying yes or no and leave maybe out of any answer. Make up your mind on things and stick with the decision. Just do it.

Tip #4: Remove the words “I can’t” from your vocabulary! Yes you can!

Tip #5: Get a handle on procrastination! – Constructive forward movement gets your energy flowing and makes it easier to continue. So make a move, even a small movement, and keep building your movements into bigger movements.

Tip #6: List your positive points! - Take a pad and pen and write down your positive characteristics and skills. Review them and ask yourself how you can apply one or two of them today.

Tip #7: Volunteer for some group or ministry for two hours a week through the end of this month! – New responsibilities freely given will challenge your life and positively impact others.

Tip #8: Be a dream maker! – Picture yourself doing what you would love to be doing if money was no obstacle. Tell four people about this adventure.

Tip #9: Set some S.M.A.R.T. goals! – To be accomplished, goals must be (at least) specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. List a few steps necessary to reach two of your goals. Take a step forward today and do one of those steps.

Tip #10: Get into the action! – Act confident, dress confident, look the part, speak distinctly, shake hands with confidence, and walk with confidence. Feel confident!

Stan Parker – The A.I.M. Group: Coaching, Speakers Group, Corporate and Church Turnaround Projects. Contact: stanp@abbgroup-nwa.com.

10 Things to be Thankful For on Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-24T05:10:00.000-08:00

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10 Basic Blessings You Should Be Thankful For

Tuesday, 22 November 2011 08:15 AM EST J. Lee Grady Newsletters - Fire In My Bones

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Americans today face economic challenges, but we have nothing to complain about.

We Americans are a blessed people, but we are also spoiled. I know I am. I can get flustered over the stupidest things—like when my cellphone doesn’t get a good signal, when a flight is delayed or when my computer takes too long to load a website. Most people in the world don’t have iPhones, can’t afford air travel and don’t have computers. My impatience reveals my ungrateful spirit.

So how can we avoid this virus of selfish immaturity? Thankfulness is the antidote. It melts our pride and crushes our sense of entitlement. It reminds us that everything we have comes from God, and that His mercy is the only reason we are blessed.

"Be thankful instead! God calls us to live above negativity. When we give thanks in all things, God gives us a supernatural attitude adjustment.”

As you celebrate Thanksgiving Day, I pray you will invite the Holy Spirit to convict you of any whining. Here’s a list of 10 blessings that many people in the world don’t have. Go over this list and then see if you still have anything to gripe about.

1. Got clean water? The next time you uncap a bottle of water or grab a drink from the tap, remember that one in eight people in the world (that’s 884 million people) lack access to clean water supplies. Millions of women around the world spend several hours a day collecting water. When you take a five-minute shower, you use more water than a typical person in a developing country uses in a whole day.

2. Do you have a bathroom? About 40 percent of the world's population (2.6 billion people) do not have toilets. Lack of sanitation facilities spreads disease and is a major reason why more than 2 million people die annually of diarrhea.

3. How’s your electricity? The power in my house might be interrupted briefly three times a year because of Florida storms. But 1.6 billion people—a· quarter of humanity—live without any electricity. And, because of unreliable infrastructure, at least 2 billion people on earth don’t have any light at night.

4. Got a roof over your head? One billion people live in slums. That's almost one-sixth of the world’s population. Of this total, 640 million children live without adequate shelter; they live in cardboard boxes, tin-roofed shacks, one-room mud huts or filthy, crowded tenements. It’s been estimated that 1.4 billion people will live in slums by 2020. Meanwhile here in the United States, between 2.3 to 2.5 million people are classified as homeless.

5. Is there food on your table? In the United States we are battling an obesity epidemic. Yet according to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty. Approximately 790 million people in the developing world are chronically undernourished, and almost 28 percent of all children in developing countries are estimated to be underweight or stunted.

6. Got a stove? In developing countries, some 2.5 billion people use fuelwood, charcoal or animal dung to meet their energy needs for cooking. In sub-Saharan Africa, more than 80 percent of the population depends on these crude, traditional means for cooking, as do over half of the populations of India and China. The really sad part: Indoor air pollution resulting from the use of solid fuels claims the lives of 1.5 million people each year, more than half of them below the age of 5.

7. Got regular income? You may have had to take a pay cut during the recession. But keep in mind that at least 80 percent of humanity lives on less than $10 a day. The world's average income is about $7,000 a year. Still, only about 19 percent of the world's population lives in countries with per capita incomes at least this high.

8. Did you go to school? Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names. Enrollment data shows that about 72 million children of primary school age in the developing world were not in school in 2005 (and 57 percent of them were girls).

9. Are you generally healthy? Americans face illness like people in other nations—and more than 12 million Americans are battling cancer in any given year. But many of us have access to health care. In the developing world, more than 2.2 million children die each year because they are not immunized. An estimated 40 million people in developing countries are living with HIV/AIDS. Every year there are 350–500 million cases of malaria, with 1 million fatalities, mostly in Africa.

10. Are you free to worship God? More than 400 Christians die for their faith every day around the world, and most of these believers suffer in Islamic countries—although the top hot spot for Christian persecution, according to Open Doors International, is the atheist regime of North Korea.

What will you be grateful for this Thanksgiving? In these tough economic times you may feel the urge to complain. Be thankful instead! God calls us to live above this negativity. When we give thanks in all things, God gives us a supernatural attitude adjustment. When we thank God for all He has given us, acknowledging that we don’t deserve His goodness, our grumbling melts into gratitude and our impatience turns to praise.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. His most recent book is 10 Lies Men Believe (Charisma House).

"To Care is to Do!

2011-11-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

Guest Sermon Series

Rev. Robert D. Shofner, Jr.

St. John's UCC Boonville

Over the past few weeks, we’ve spent time together imagining what this world would look like if God really did bring “up there down here.” And we looked at ways we can start working together to help bring that about, remembering that God is close than we think.

Today is what is known as “Christ the King” Sunday. This Sunday tries to focus our worship on the cosmic character of Christ’s reign over the world. It is a celebration of the kingdom of God.

In the 13th chapter of Matthew, our Lord gives us some very powerful descriptions of what the kingdom of God is really like. He tells us about a man who, plowing in a rented field one day, uncovered a tremendous treasure. He quickly covered it up and gathered everything that he possessed and sold it, so that he could buy that field where the treasure was. Jesus said that the kingdom of God is so wonderful, so attractive, so inspiring, that those who discover it give up everything else to keep it.

Jesus went on to tell the tale of the merchant who dealt in precious jewels. All through his life he kept looking for that one, perfect, gem, valued above all others. Finally, he comes across a pearl, a perfect pearl, a pearl of great price. He is so excited that he sells his entire inventory … sells everything he possesses so he could buy that one pearl.

That, Jesus says, is the Kingdom of God.

The point is ….. Jesus told us that we are worried about too many things. We worry about what we’ll be having for lunch after church … will Mr. Gatti’s be too crowded and run out of barbeque chicken pizza? We worry about the quality of our tap water … and buy bottled water from somebody else’s tap and pay more for it than a gallon of gas. We worry about what we’re going to wear to that big party … and will someone notice our shirt came from WalMart? We worry about the stock market … will the endowment run out? Will we have enough to retire on? Will we be healthy, wealthy and wise?

Jesus says, “Enough worry! God knows what you need. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness … and He’ll give you everything else.”

For those who’ve experienced just that … they know it’s true. Just ask the man who bought the field … ask the man who sold everything to buy that one pearl. Ask me! I’ve learned that God is completely faithful and true. I’ve learned that when I seek His kingdom and His righteousness He adds everything I need. I don’t need to worry about anything else. You don’t either. Everything that’s really needful …. anything that’s really worthwhile … God adds to our lives.

That’s a basic rearrangement of all our values, isn’t it? And that happens to us when we give ourselves completely to His kingdom … when we make it our first and top value. And we’ve said before, many times, that what we value determines the course of our life. What happens when we value God’s kingdom and righteousness above all else is that we discover, first hand, the love and grace of God. We come to know that there is not one thing you or I could do to ever make God stop loving us. And how do we respond to that certain knowledge? We love God.

Years ago, the United Church of Christ had a saying that was much better than the recent, “Never place a period where God has put a comma.” To me, that’s theological nonsense. No, years ago the UCC had a saying that was much more appropriate. It was, “To love is to care, to care is to do.” When we love, we care. And when we care, we serve.

There’s a story in the seventh chapter of Luke that makes this point. Our Lord is invited to dinner at the home of Simon, the Pharisee. Jesus rarely socialized with a Pharisee … but it was a free meal, so what the heck! Anyway, they had reclined around the low dinner table in the usual fashion, and as they were eating a woman, a prostitute actually, walked into the room. She came up behind Jesus and bent over His feet. She held those dirty, calloused feet in her hands and wept. She wept tears of remorse and shame. And her tears washed the dirt from His feet. She let loose her long hair and bent over His feet again and dried them with that hair. She brushed her hair back and tied it. She took a small bottle of perfume from under her sash. It was probably the same scent she would wear to entice her customers … and it wouldn’t have been cheap. She bent over His feet once again and began kissing them … kissing them as she poured that little bottle of perfume over the arch of His foot, spilling out between His toes.

Can we imagine the reaction of that stodgy, self-righteous Pharisee? He thought to himself, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner!” (Luke 7:39).

And Jesus, who knows our thoughts and hearts and minds, said to His host: “Simon, I have something to tell you.” Simon said: “Say on, Lord.” “Simon, a certain banker had two debtors, one owed him five hundred dollars and one owed him five thousand. One day, he called them in and told them that both debts were forgiven and forgotten. Now, I ask you, Simon, which one of these two men responded with more gratitude?”

Simon said: “I assume the one who was forgiven the greater debt.” Jesus said: “You have spoken correctly.”

He then said: “Look at this woman. She has sinned much, but she loves more. When I came into your house, Simon, you offered me no water to wash my feet, which is just common courtesy. You brought no ointment with which to anoint my hair, which, as a good host, you should have. You gave me no kiss of peace when I entered your house, as you should have. This poor woman has washed my feet, has anointed me, and has not stopped kissing my feet since she came.”

And He looked down at the woman at his feet and said to her, “You faith” – really, her love – “your faith has saved you. You are forgiven. Peace be with you.”

That’s the Gospel. The greater the knowledge of our sin, the more gratitude for the forgiveness of that sin, the more love for our Lord. How do we express that love? To love is to care … to care is to do.

You may remember that in the final chapters of John’s gospel we read of how our Lord Jesus, risen from the dead, made His way about the country-side, and His own disciples – Peter among them – had seen Him risen, glorified, victorious over death – and yet, did nothing about it! They simply went back to Galilee and took up their fishing. One night, just at dawn, after an entire night of fishing, they were coming into shore when they saw a man standing by a fire on the beach.

Peter recognized Him, threw on some clothes, leaped into the surf and waded up to greet his Lord. They sat down and ate breakfast together, and as they were eating, Jesus looked at Peter … Peter who three times – even though he had been warned, cautioned against it – three times had denied his Lord.

Jesus looked across the fire at Peter and spoke. He didn’t use the nickname which Peter loved because the Lord had given it to him – Peter, Petros, the Rock – instead He said, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter bowed his head in shame and said, “Yes, Lord, I love You.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my lambs.”

After a moment, Jesus said with more emphasis, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord, You know I love You!”

“Then tend my sheep.”

And then a third time – and I’m sure Peter, by that time, realized it must be three times, since his denial had been thrice.

“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

“Lord, You know all things. You know the thoughts of men’s hearts. You know that I love You!”

“Then feed my sheep.”

That’s the job, little man. What are you doing here fishing? If you love, then you must do. You have a job.

In the 25^th chapter of Matthew, Jesus is speaking about the end of times. He says;

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, `Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46)

You and I know that there are many hungry, thirsty, naked, imprisoned, sick lambs of God around this world. How can we witness to them? How can we reach them all? The truth of the matter is, we can’t reach them all. But we can touch the lives of many.

This is where the Church of Jesus Christ, this is where St. John’s United Church of Christ gives each of us the opportunity to serve. The long arms of the Church can reach into every corner of the world and feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, minister to the sick, visit the imprisoned. And all that witnesses to our love for Christ. The money I give to this church helps me carry out the command given to Peter … and to all who love the Lord … “Feed my sheep. If you love me, then feed my sheep.”

On the other hand, if we don’t love Him, I could stand up here and preach stewardship until I’m blue in the face. I could point out the reasonableness of the whole thing, and it will run off us like water off the beard of a left-handed goat. It would mean nothing.

But when we love the Lord, as many of us do in gratitude for the love and forgiveness and grace He has given us, then we have the opportunity of showing that love through our good works … our stewardship … ministering to the lowliest and neediest of His children.

I, for myself, think of the words of that old hymn:

Where the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a tribute far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Let’s pray.

Lord of all creation, the sacrifice You made for us is so amazing, so divine. When we think on how wretched we are without You, it brings us to our knees in gratitude and love. And because we love You, we care about your brothers and sisters. And because we care, we serve. May our service bring honor and glory unto You. For that is our purpose, to know You and bring honor to You.

And the people said, “Amen.”

What Will Your Obituary Say?

2011-11-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

FIRST-PERSON: What will your Obituary say?

By Candi Finch / Baptist Press

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- What would your obituary say if you were to die today? What would your legacy be? Would people remember your passion for Christ, your love for others, your heart for the outcasts? Or, would they remember your negative attitude, your short temper, your sharp tongue? What would your family say about you? Your friends? Your teachers?

These questions are ones I have often posed over the past few years to the teenage girls I have taught in my local church. I am convinced the reason many students (and adults, for that matter!) do not live consistently for Christ is that they do not think about the eternal impact their lives can have, and they do not think a single life can make much of a difference anyway.

For close to 15 years, I have watched students start their high school years so strong for Christ only to finish poorly, many even dropping out of church before they graduate high school. It breaks my heart as I watch my girls that once had a burning passion to impact their school for Christ get sidelined because worldly things took their focus off of the Lord. I remember one girl in particular that I led to the Lord when she was a freshman, had in Sunday School, and met with in a small discipleship group. She regularly brought lost friends to church. However, she started dating a boy her senior year who wasn't a Christian, and that one decision to date a non-Christian took her down a disastrous path. She stopped talking about her faith and attending church because she didn't want to alienate her new boyfriend.

So, a few years ago, I started having my students write their own obituaries at the end of their freshman year in high school so they would think about how important the choices are that they make on a daily basis. Then, I spent time with them walking through some famous "obituaries" found in Hebrews 11. These testimonies left behind in Hebrews help believers today realize that the legacies of their lives can last generations. In this day, we need more Hebrews 11 type of Christians. The point is not that our names would be known but that we would live in such a way that Christ's name is known because of our lives.

The truth is, though, that it is not just high school students who need to examine their lives to see if they are building a legacy of faith. We all should be asking ourselves: If today was my last, would the legacy of my life be one that honored the Lord? Consider the "obituaries" of the people recorded in Hebrews 11:1-40:

1. They had a good reputation (vv. 2, 39). Both of these verses note that the people had a good reputation because of their faith. What is your reputation? Is it as someone who loves the Lord and cares for others? Or, do people know of you for less desirable reasons?

2. They were remembered by people who came after them (v. 4). One of the beauties of the Bible is that it records for us the lives of those who "though dead, still speak." Women in Scripture like Ruth, Esther, and Lydia and women in church history like Amy Carmichael, Ann Judson, and Elizabeth Elliott spur us on because of their example of faith. My grandmother and my pastor's wife were such women who, because of their lives, I am encouraged to live for Christ.

3. They were known as people who pleased God (v. 5). Someone who pleases God seeks to honor the Lord before any other. This is the type of girl who doesn't seek popularity at the cost of her convictions, who doesn't date boys who are unbelievers, and who seeks to honor God in the way she dresses and talks. She uses her time to deepen her relationship with God and makes daily time in God's Word a priority.

4. They had confidence in God (v. 10). When you are bombarded daily by the message of the world, it can be hard sometimes to trust that doing things God's way is best. However, when God says, "Do not have any other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3) or "be slow to anger" (James 1:19) or "honor your father and mother" (Ephesians 6:2) or adorn yourself "with proper clothing, modestly" (1 Timothy 2:9), do you have confidence and trust in His guidance for you?

5. God was not ashamed to be called their God (vv. 13-16). When one day in the future my family member sits down to consider my life and pen my obituary, this would be the one thing I want said of me -- that God was not ashamed to be called my God.

6. They resisted sin by keeping their eyes on God (vv. 24-27). The temptations to sin are ever present in your life and my life, but God has promised us in His Word that no temptation will be so great that a way out will not be provided (1 Corinthians 10:13). The challenge for us is to keep our eyes on Him in the midst of these temptations! One thing that has really helped me is memorizing Scripture for those sins I know I struggle with, and I have even put Scripture cards up in my car, on my TV, and in other places in my house to remind me. So, before I think of speeding in my car or getting angry at careless drivers, God's Word greets me from the dashboard. Before I think about watching anything on TV that is unwholesome or that may cause me to sin in my thought-life, God's Word beckons to me above the screen.

7. They were used by God in the midst of difficult circumstances (vv. 32-34). The phrase in this section that encourages me so much is that "their weakness was turned to strength." In high school and early in college, I was terrified of public speaking and had difficulty sharing my faith. Yet, I remember time after time how God opened doors for me to witness for Him -- to entire classes through assigned speeches, to my principal in his office because he had questions about a Christian club I was president of, and to teachers and classmates with whom I had built relationships. In each instance, when I trusted Him instead of giving into fear, I was able see Him do great things.

8. They withstood persecution and ridicule for their faith (vv. 35-37). Today, all around the world, brothers and sisters in Christ are persecuted and killed for their faith. I read an article recently about a group of 26 Christians who were murdered in Cairo, Egypt during a demonstration. I often ask myself if I would have the conviction and courage to stand in the face of such circumstances. Maybe a more appropriate question, though, is whether I have the courage and conviction to live for Christ in my own context?

So, I ask again, what would your obituary say if you died today? Consider the eight characteristics found in Hebrews 11 and ask yourself which of those could describe your life. May we all be remembered as Hebrews 11 Christians!

Candi Finch is a Ph.D. student and an adjunct professor in the Women's Studies Program at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. This column first appeared at BiblicalWoman.org, a blog of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Bits & Bytes for Bagley Backers-November 2011

2011-11-07T06:38:00.000-08:00

Bits & Bytes for Bagley Backers

November 2011

MOZAMBIQUE CELEBRATES FOUR YEARS OF GROWTH

Church leaders from across Mozambique gathered at the

Bible College in Xai Xai October 27 - 30 for their quadrennial national conference. It was both a time of celebrating the unprecedented growth of the past four years as well as a time of gaining new vision as the church turned its attention to Tete Province (the only province in the country without a Wesleyan presence) and to regions beyond its borders.

In his report, National Superintendent, Rev. Graca Nhathelo (in the photo to the right) reported that the church had grown from 4,950 members in 2003, to 10,632 members in 2007, to 15,084 members in 2010. In the past four years 49 new pastors were ordained to help meet the needs of the growing church.

Click here to see a slideshow of the national conference.

ORAI LEHMAN GIVES HIS FINAL REPORT TO THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Rev. Orai D. Lehman is a third-generation missionary whose grandfather is responsible for the founding of the work in Mozambique. His grandfather and father focused on evangelistic ministry to Mozambican mine workers who were working in South Africa gold mines and made regular visits to Mozambique to visit the churches started by the miners when they returned home. Following missionary service in Swaziland, Orai and Linda were sent to South Africa to continue the work among the Mozambican miners. This ministry gave vital support to the Wesleyan Church in Mozambique during the 19-year civil war which ravaged the country. In 1994 a peace accord was signed, and Orai and Linda responded to an invitation from church leaders to come assist them in theological education for pastors. The Bible College in Xai Xai, which the Lehmans helped establish, has now graduated over 100 workers for the harvest in it's first decade of operation.

Anticipating their retirement from missionary service at the end of 2013, Orai presented his final report to the Mozambique National Conference. Delegates responded with deep appreciation and love for the Lehmans and their years of effective service to the Mozambique church. As an expression of appreciation the Nampula District presented the Lehmans with a map of Africa constructed from sea shells (see photo above).

MOZAMBICAN MISSIONARY VISION EXPANDS

The vision of the Mozambique church in the past decade has been to see the Wesleyan Church established in every province of their nation. To that end they have commissioned four recent Bible College graduates to serve as "internal" missionaries who have traveled to new areas, learned a new language, and proceeded to oversee the planting of new churches. (In the photo on the left Rev. Nhathelo introduces their missionaries to the conference - from the left: Pastor Zito Alfoi, serving in Niassa Province; Rev. Alberto Adamuge, serving in Cabo Delgado Province; and Rev. Abel Nove and Rev. Alberto Chicana, serving in Nampula Province.)

With just one province to go in their vision, the church's vision is expanding to reach to places beyond the borders of Mozambique. This year two new congregations have been started just north of the border in Tanzania. Possibilities are opening as well in the neighboring country of Malawi. In order to give direction to this growing vision, the national conference elected Rev. Mohammed Said to serve as its first National Director of Missions.

KANYAMA GOSPEL CRUSADE PRODUCES FRUIT

This past month the Pilgrim Wesleyan

Church of Zambia sponsored a Gospel Crusade in the Kanyama township on the edge of the capital city of Lusaka. National Superintendent, Dr. Alfred Kalembo reported as follows:

Over 100 people who made decisions to accept Christ as their Savior during our Crusade effort. I mobilized three Pilgrim Wesleyan Churches for the crusade that are on the western side of the great north road in Lusaka. They are: Kanyama, Kanyama East, and John Laing. As you can see from the photo, we could not have everybody sit in church at Kanyama Church last Sunday. We had more than 30 outside who had no where to sit in church. The other churches (Kanyama East and John Laing) reported an increase in attendance last Sunday. Please join us in thanking God for the new believers and pray that we will faithfully disciple them to spiritual maturity.

PRAISE POINTS

Praise God for the continued growth of the Mozambique church and for their increasing vision for regions beyond.
Praise God for lives transformed in Zambia in the recent Gospel Crusade.
We have received notice from the South African authorities that our residence permit has been approved. Thank God for this answer to prayer.
Thank God for the faithful prayer and financial supporters whose faithfulness enables our missionaries to serve across Africa.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please pray for God's wisdom and strength for Rev. Graca Nhathelo and the newly elected officers and board members as they assume their responsibilities.
Pray for the Lord's unmistakable presence at the Ghana District Conference to held in Accra, November 25-27. Pray that God will increase their vision to reach the lost throughout their country and beyond.
Please pray for God's help as we teach new pastors in Ghana, November 15-24. Brenda will be teaching New Testament Survey and Bob will be teaching Basic Beliefs.
The Wesleyan Church in Nigeria has planned for an evangelistic outreach November 20-27. Pray for God's protection for them as they seek to proclaim the gospel in an increasingly violent and hostile environment.
Dr. Alfred Kalembo, Rev. Sitali Kakungu, and Rev. Fred Cromer travel to Uganda at the end of this month to conduct pastoral training seminars and to guide this young church in its development. Pray that their visit will be productive and effective.

SUPPORT REPORT

We continue to marvel at the way God provides the support we need to enable us to serve here in Africa. Faith promise commitments are still less than targeted, but the actual support coming in is adequate to meet our needs. Thank you to all of you who continue to be faithful and generous in your support.

Donations or monthly commitments can be made online here.

FORWARD TO A FRIEND

You can help us by forwarding "Bits & Bytes" to friends who will be interested in the work of Global Partners in Africa. Just click on the link below. Friends who receive the email will also be given an opportunity to sign up to receive it in the future.

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PRINTABLE VERSION

An easy to print version of this email can be found here. Thank you for sharing a print version with others.

Bob & Brenda Bagley
rbagley112@gmail.com
www.gpafrica.org

Simos Family Ministry Update-November 2011

2011-11-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

After 4 months in the DR... we give thanks to God for His wonderful provision. We praise Him for the relationships that we are forming. We trust in Him for what He will do. With all the thankfulness that we have, these statements flow from our heart. Change has stretched us, but ultimately, benefitted us.

We're off and running... but we need your help! As mentioned before, we need to be located closer to our area of ministry in order to open a school near the bateyes. Please visit our website for all the details about this phase of our ministry as we seek to purchase land here in the Dominican Republic.

DR landscape

One thing that never gets old is the beautiful sky over the Dominican. Even when storms roll in, the skies just look cool! As we drive to the bateys, we are surrounded by sugarcane fields (not corn fields), blue skies above and the mountains in the distance.

Power is out... again :(

We have electricity most of the time, but it does go out unexpectedly about once a week for an hour or so with the occasional outage lasting 5+ hours. We are getting use to this by now, although it can still bother us since it does get dark here about 6 or 6:30pm. Above is a picture of us playing games by flashlight and candle light. Reality check, I was talking by cell phone with a friend in one of the bateyes, and I mentioned that we didn't have electricity and that I was in the dark. He replied "I'm in the dark too"... then it hit me... he never has electricity. We take so much for granted and think we can't live without the Internet, smart phones... try no electricity or running water.

Car trouble... again :(

Having car trouble seems to be the norm in the DR. While it can be annoying, the reality is it's not that bad. In the above picture, I was waiting to get some electrical issues fixed. It did take a few hours but once every thing was fixed, including a complete rewiring of the ignition and alarm system, it only cost me $15! Things take time, usually alot of time, but labor cost is pretty cheap. I got a flat tire patched for a $1 and my exhaust fixed including new parts, welding and labor for $40. And talk about convenience, there's literally a mechanic on every corner. Their shop is usually just under a piece of tin roof or just in the street with a handful of tools but hey, it works!

In the Batey... again :)

I got a haircut from Sonal, one of the young men living in batey Lima. As we spend more time with our friends in the bateyes, it's just good get to know them better and to see how each person is gifted. Yes, I have less hair to cut these days, but it's still necessary once in a while, so why not support a young man who's willing to work. The truth is we really enjoy being with our friends. It's not just that we have something to offer them, but also that we have a lot to learn from them. We're simply sharing life together and that's where ministry happens, Life on Life. We're looking forward to purchasing land and setting up our ministry closer to the bateys.

Click here to support the Simos Family with a financial gift

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"Jumping the Shark!"

2011-10-31T07:47:00.000-07:00

A Message for Reformation Sunday

by Keith Kiper

Who will be saved?

²² Jesus traveled through cities and villages teaching and making his way to Jerusalem. ²³ Someone said to him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?”

Jesus said to them, ²⁴ “Make every effort to enter through the narrow gate. Many, I tell you, will try to enter and won’t be able to. ²⁵ Once the owner of the house gets up and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you are from.’ ²⁶ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ He will respond, ‘I don’t know you or where you are from. Go away from me, all you evildoers!’ ^[^a^] ²⁸ There will be weeping and grinding of teeth

when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God’s kingdom, but you yourselves will be thrown out. ²⁹ People will come from east and west, north and south, and sit down to eat in God’s kingdom. ³⁰ Look! Those who are last will be first and those who are first will be last.”Luke 13:22-30 (CEB)

What comes to your mind when you think of Martin Luther and the Diet of Worms? Was this an early form of a fad diet in 15^th century Germany? After all, just a few years ago you could find advertisements in magazines for tapeworms.

Just swallow a few of these, the ad would say, and you can lose weight without really trying. Our brand is even hygienic for your good health, it would say! But, a Diet of Worms? Our form of the English language can be a fascinating thing. We can only imagine how strange it seems to others when they attempt to learn and speak our brand of English.

Martin Luther, as many of you well know was the father of the Protestant Reformation. Martin was born in eastern Germany in 1483. This was only some forty years after Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press. Martin Luther protested some of the practices in the Catholic Church of that time. A diet was a judicial hearing or court. Worms was the German city where the trial was to be held. And now, as the late Paul Harvey would often say, you know the rest of

the story.

History demonstrates that at various times and different locations, the Christian church has veered off and even jumped the track. God calls out men and women, grounded in His Holy Word, the Bible, to steer the Christian Church back into the right direction. He has done this from Old Testament times until the present age in which we now live. The bigger question is whether the church of today will listen.

Recently, a well known television pastor and evangelist was asked what he thought about the Mormon faith. This was in response to recent criticism of a particular political candidate.

The tele-evangelist’s ( Click this link to hear what he said) answer seemed logical, and probably sounded OK to much of today’s Biblically illiterate culture. He said he probably would not agree with everything he Church of Latter Day Saints would teach. He went on to say that they were probably not the purest form of Christianity…that recognizing Jesus as the Son of God was the most important thing. The thing this well known evangelist neglected to consider is that while the Mormon Church claims they believe in the sinless, virgin birth of Jesus Christ, they do not believe this happened by any miraculous means. This is important because for Jesus to be born without sin, the Holy Spirit's role in His conception is of utmost importance.

All genuine Christianity is built on the foundation of what seemed to be a small detail to him. God sent His perfect, sinless Son, born of a virgin to be a sacrifice for mankind’s sin. Christ became sin for us on the cross at Calvary that we might have eternal life. The virgin birth is of utmost

importance because sin is passed through the blood of each generation. Because Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit, Christ was born without sin.

Back in the 1970’s there was a popular television called Happy Days. As with most television shows, ratings decline the longer a program remains on the air. In an effort to gain a ratings boost, the Happy Days gang went on a beach vacation. In one particular scene Fonzi is seen wearing his famous leather jacket while on water skis. Still on the skis he then jumps over a shark to the cheers of everyone on the beach. Because of this particular scene, movie and television critics invented a new name for programs that leave common sense behind and go of

f into a strange direction. It’s called “Jumping the Shark!” My friends, there are many churches today that have jumped the shark!

The bigger question today is…how do we as a The Church get back on track? God's Revivalist and Bible Advocate magazine recently published their Call to the Conservative Christian Holiness Movement in the October 2011 edition. They make some excellent points and the article is worth reading. I mention this because I was inspired by their call and this affected some of my following points. I would like to focus on several things today that I personally believe would get our church and nation headed back into the right direction based on God’s Word.

I. A Return to Christian Community: When I say church, I’m talking about the church as a whole. I’m not criticizing our church, Boonville Wesleyan Church. We are just a part of a much larger picture, Christ’s church, the entire Christian Community. Union with Christ establishes our membership in His Church, the community of the faithful. I’m afraid that because many times we as Christians have put so much emphasis on a personal relationship, that we forget we are all called to work together to be the light of the world. As an individual we belong to Boonville Wesleyan Church. Our church is part of the Indiana South District of The Wesleyan Church. Our district is part of The Wesleyan Church USA. And of course, all churches that believe that Jesus is Savior and Lord are part of the Kingdom of God. The first step the church of today must take in getting back on track is accountability. There will be no denominations in heaven. We must remain true to the Word of God and in fellowship with the entire Christian Community of believers that are striving to do the same.

II. A Return to Christian Social Witness: What do I mean when I speak of a social Christian witness? John Wesley once said, ”Any religion that can be concealed is not Christianity.” What do you think Wesley meant when he made that statement? As you study his life it becomes quite clear. The England of Wesley’s day had become very corrupt. Alcoholism was very rampant in the streets. Children could be hanged for stealing rabbit from a gentlemen’s estate. Not much different than today is it? Florida is the leading state to treat children as adults with over 300 under the age of eighteen in the adult prison system. Florida is followed closely by Texas. I’m sorry folks, regardless of the crime, a twelve year old boy is not an adult and does not deserve life in prison! I would not want to be in the judge’s shoes who sentenced a child for personal political gain when the King of Kings judges him. Jesus tells us about the fate of those who mistreat children. And just as the early Wesleyans constantly decried the evils of slavery…we should cry out to God for our leaders who justify the nearly 4000 thousand children who are murdered each day in their mother’s womb. God tells us clearly that the children’s innocent blood cries out from the ground to Him.

Early Wesleyans and like-minded Christians of other faiths worked to reform the prison system, end slavery, and feed the poor. A Social Gospel is putting into action what we believe and know in our heart is right based on what the Bible clearly shows us. . That is what it means to be salt and light. This is putting the golden rule into action. True revival brought about the needed social change in England. The answer to America’s problems is true spiritual revival, not more laws and political rhetoric.

Many would look for a political or presidential candidate to solve the problems.

Someone once said,” Why do we choose from just two people to run for president and fifty for Miss America?” Good question!

Both major political parties have had periods of time when they experienced complete control with the presidency and both houses of congress. If being democrat or being republican were the only answer, then our problems should have been solved by now. If you seek God in honest prayer, He will guide you in selecting a candidate, nationally or locally.

In spite of billions of dollars pouring in every year, our public school system has become a disaster. Abraham Lincoln said that the classroom of one generation will become the government of the next one. The great reformer Martin Luther recognized the problem nearly 500 years ago when he said, “I am afraid that the schools will prove the very gates of hell, unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures and engraving them in the heart of the youth.”

Dr. Leon Henson said, ”Whenever the Christian lives an authentic life, the world around is permeated with God’s presence… The pure in heart not only see God, but become letters through which society sees Him.”

III. A Return to Consistent Discipleship: Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples by baptizing them and instructing them in all His commands. The early church responded to Jesus’ call to evangelize by taking the Gospel to every corner of their known world. They also realized that the most effective evangelism was the one on one training of new converts as disciples. With the advent of satellite TV and the internet we might assume that most of the known world has been reached with the Gospel of Christ. The statistics from a recent survey might surprise you. I quote from Dr. Ronnie Floyd of The Church Report.com You can check out this new link on our interactive blog for current events affecting the Christian Church.

“We must understand the numbers when it comes to those around the world who believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. I served on a task force that assessed our efforts to take the gospel to the world and the statistics we uncovered are heartbreaking. Only 11 out of every 100 people in this world are willing to claim Jesus as personal Lord and Savior. We also discovered that just over 50% of the world’s population (approximately 3.5 billion people) has no realistic opportunity to hear the gospel at present. The statistics are bad and will continue to get worse unless Spirit-filled Christians begin to act with urgency.
We must organize and execute an effective strategy for taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. We have one gospel but thousands of people groups and billions of individuals. Our urgent need is for strategic ways of reaching each one. Perhaps the best solution is to plant new churches. Churches that are ready to address languages, cultures, and needs. Here is a sobering thought: We simply cannot reach billions of people with our current means. Every existing church should be planting multiple new churches.”

If I were to ask each of you that are here today why you attend Boonville Wesleyan…most of you would tell me it was because a friend or family member invited you. If there is any hope for the church to reach the lost, we must train and disciple new workers to go out into our world. I personally believe we here at Boonville with God’s help and direction are making that effort. I never really cared for the word laity, because I believe in a certain sense we are all ministers. God has called each and every one of us to fill a particular niche in His Kingdom.

IV. A Return to Hope: If one were to look only at some of the things we talked about today the picture would seem quite gloomy. Its not over yet, is it? All the Christian life in centered in the blessed hope we have in Jesus Christ. Never before in this world have we needed a renewed sense of hope like the hope we can have in Him! As Christians soldiers we must not retreat but fight to the end.

We must stick together and remain true to God’s Word. A recent writer for God’s Revivalist magazine summed it up well. Listen to what he said:

“ The same power which brought the Roman Empire to bow before the cross,renewed the Church in the days of the Protestant Reformation, and reshaped the culture in the Wesleyan Revival is also ours today….as we encounter the moral depravity of our times. Let us be joyfully faithful, then, creatively relevant, and utterly confident that Jesus’ victory is our own. With gladness we do the work which he has given us, even as we await the consummation when all the earth shall echo,”Alleluia, The Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”

All Saint's Day...An Armchair Theologians Perspective

2011-10-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

All Saints Day, the day on which Catholics celebrate all the saints, known and unknown, is a surprisingly old feast. It arose out of the Christian tradition of celebrating the martyrdom of saints on the anniversary of their martyrdom. When martyrdoms increased during the persecutions of the late Roman Empire, local dioceses instituted a common feast day in order to ensure that all martyrs, known and unknown, were properly honored.

Most Protestants churches other than some of the "mainline" churches focus more of their attention on days such as Mother's Day, Father's Day. Now there's even a Grandparent's Day and a Children's Day.. I'm not criticizing this practice, but would would personally like to see more of the day's on the Christian Calendar observed and explained to congregations also.

Retailers tell us that the pagan holiday of Halloween is second only to Christmas in total consumer spending! It is not uncommon to see as many houses decorated in ghosts and goblins as with Christmas lights a couple of months later. Most conservative churches replace Halloween Parties with Hallelujah Parties asking that participants dress like Bible characters and such.

This a a good alternative so the children of church members don't feel like they are totally left-out as in the good 'ol days when everything was illegal, immoral, and it seemed a sin just to smile. Maybe there is another possibility to consider? Maybe we as the Church could focus more on church holidays like All Saint's Day in rememberence of those who died that Christianity, especially Protestant Christianity might live. Included in this is our many translations of the Bible into everyday language so that everyone can read it.

And while we are at it, maybe we can throw Maundy Thursday, Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday in there also! That's my opinion anyway...keith 1 Cor 13

Keith Kiper is the Media Pastor at Boonville Wesleyan Church. He resides in Tennyson Indiana with his wife Vicky, daugher Kristy, with 2 cats and a very spoiled Mailtipoo. He is a licensed minister pursuing pre-ordination studies in The Wesleyan Church and will be ordained in June 2012. Keith is also the Webmaster and manages several facebook pages , has written aritcles for God's Revivalist,blogs, and manages the official Indiana South District facebook page.

Mark Vice at Boonville Wesleyan October 2, 2011

2011-09-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

We just had a great service with Ron and Trish Brewer. Mark Vice will be returning Sunday October 2nd, 2011 in our 10:30AM Service. Here is a little about Mark in his own words:

"I have been involved with music ministry for over twenty years and have had the opportunity to sing alongside such groups as J.D. Sumner and the Stamps, The Kingsmen Quartet and others. Beginning in the mid 80`s I began playing and singing with a group out of Bedford, Indiana, New Grace Quartet. During my time with New Grace, I learned to play several instruments. In the mid 90`s my wife and I formed a group, Heritage, with another couple Doug and Trina Hanner and played a variety of gospel music. For the last five years I have been playing and singing with Open Heart Ministries out of Bedford, Indiana. We schedule approximately seventy engagements each year at churches, town festivals and special church events. While with Open Heart I felt a calling to pursue a ministry that would allow me to use the talents God has given me in an even greater way to glorify Him. As a result, I am actively involved with scheduling churches and civic events to spread God`s word through song. I play a variety of instruments and incorporate many of them into each service. Some of the instruments I play are guitar, banjo, dobro, harmonica, mandolin and fiddle. I sing original material as well as the well known standards in several styles of music from Southern Gospel to Contemporary. Since I travel solo, and at times my wife and daughter accompany me, I must utilize tracks. However, I understand the need to incorporate live instruments throughout the program, and do so. I am educator in Bedford, Indiana and have been working with children for twenty-two years. I was a classroom teacher for six years and have been a building principal for the last sixteen years. I am currently the principal at Parkview Intermediate School in Bedford, IN. My wife, Marta, teaches fourth grade at Shawswick Elementary and we have been married for thirty-three years. We have two children, Jordan a senior at Wabash College and Morgan a freshman at Bedford North Lawrence High School. We attend Davis Memorial Church of the Nazarene in Bedford IN. Throughout my professional career, and personal life, I have come to understand that every person has the responsibility to lift others up. It was through the obedience to do God's Will that others lifted and guided me in finding and accepting Jesus as my personal Savior. Each of us in our own way may be the only hope, joy, and love others may encounter. As Jesus demonstrated these attributes during His short time on earth, He has called us to do the same. Through the message in song, it is hoped that all will be encouraged to pursue a life that reflects the love of our Lord and lets the world see Jesus in each of us." Yours In Christ, Mark

Ron Brewer in Concert at BWC...Sunday September 18th at 10:30AM

2011-08-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

Blessing people through his music is something Ron has been doing for years. His commitment to serve the Lord, reach lost souls, bring hope and encouragement and share a smile grows stronger each day. His genuine heart touches audiences wherever he goes, as he shares both in song and testimony. Ron travels throughout the United States and appears in churches, auditoriums, revivals, campmeetings and various other venues and sings at the National Quartet Convention, Branson Revival and Dollywood. Ron has also appeared on many syndicated Television and radio programs.

In 2002, Ron accepted this as a full-time ministry for the Lord. Always allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide him, Ron is very professional in his ministry. God has truly blessed Ron's ministry by the souls that has accepted Christ and those that has been encouraged. Sharing the stage with many of the finest in gospel music, including, The Hyssongs, The Roark's, The Dove Brothers Quartet, Trevor Thomas, The Profitts, Eternal Vision, The Dosses, Pauls Journey, Reign Song, The Journeymen, Dixie Melody Boys, The Nelons, Naomi and The Segos, Big MO, Mike Upright,Heirline, The Greens, The Greesons, Gerald Crabb, Brian Free and Assurance, The Talley's, , and many others. Singing Southern Gospel and Christian Country, Ron is sure to bless audiences of all ages with his heartwarming vocals, testimony and humor.

Here are some of Ron's Awards and Nominations:

2011 Diamond Awards - Top Ten - Sololist of the Year 2010 - Diamond Award - Album of the Year, Soloist of the Year, Christian Country Male Vocalist. 2009 - Diamond Award Soloist of the Year, Favorite Male Vocalist, 2008 - Diamond Award - Soloist of the Year, 2007 - Soloist of the Year Call your radio stations and request - Footsteps on the Clouds and We All Came Through The Blood

See ya on the 18th at Boonville Wesleyan Church...you will want to be here for a time of praise, worship, healing, and testimony! call 897-4484 for more info or click here for directions:

Feel free to browse our new website at: www.boonwesforjesus.com

Happy Birthday Rev. Buchannon

2011-08-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to "retired" Nazarene Pastor, Rev. Robert Buchanon, who is also our 2nd Vice President of Chandler Interdenominational Holiness Camp. Watch for video clips of the John Blair family...Campmeeting continues nightly ay 7:00PM. Hope to see you there!

Bits & Bytes for Bagley Backers-July August 2011

2011-08-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

Bits & Bytes for Bagley Backers

July-August 2011

AFRICA AREA WEBSITE IS LAUNCHED

Bob has been busy over the past few weeks building a website to give information about the work of Global Partners across Africa. Despite our Internet being down for over two weeks due to cable theft, the website is now up and running. Check it out and let us know what you think! Go to www.gpafrica.org

LIBERIA LAUNCHES NEW WORK IN NIMBA PROVINCE

On July 20, Peter Kollie, the National Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church of Liberia led a team to baptize and receive the founding 35 members of the First Ganta Wesleyan Church. Praise God for making it possible for the first Wesleyan Church to be planted in Nimba County. Nimba County, the second most populous province in Liberia, is located in the eastern interior bordering on the country of Guinea.

REV. DAVID KAJILA RECEIVES MTH DEGREE

On July 8, Rev. David Kajila, missionary from the Democratic Republic of Congo serving in Cameroon, was awarded the Master of Theology degree from the Cameroon Faculty of Theology. (Recently Rev. Kajila's wife, Cecile, was hospitalized after being beaten up while she was evangelizing. She has been released from the hospital, but continues to suffer emotional problems from the trauma.)

THE WESLEYAN CHURCH OF MOZAMBIQUE REACHES INTO TANZANIA

Wesleyan believers in the most Northerly Province of Mozambique recently reported that two Wesleyan churches have been planted across the border in Tanzania. The most recent church plant is being led by a believer who has been employed for the past 18 years in the U. S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam.

PILGRIM WESLEYAN BIBLE COLLEGE GRADUATES A RECORD NUMBER

On July 23, 2011, a record twenty-nine students graduated from Pilgrim Wesleyan Bible College in Zambia. These students have been assigned to ministries within eight Zambian districts. One graduate was the former leader of The Wesleyan Church of Malawi and is returning to Malawi to help lead the church there.

CHAPEL CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED AT ZIMBA MISSION HOSPITAL

Within a three-month period (May 1 - July 30) Zimba Mission Hospital constructed a much needed chapel building. The chapel will seat 150 as well as provide the hospital chaplain with an office to meet privately with patients for counseling and prayer. (Construction on a new outpatient department is nearing completion.) For more information read Dan & Joan Jones' August newsletter.

AFRICA AREA PRAYER CALENDAR

A prayer calendar with requests for every day for July - September, 2011 is now available by clicking the following link: Africa Area Prayer Calendar Feel free to share it with others who are interested in praying for God's work in Africa.

PRAISE POINTS

Praise God for the continued expansion and growth of the church in Mozambique.
Praise God that Jim & Karen Pickett have arrived back safely in Mozambique and are busy settling into new responsibilities in Maputo. (Read their July 30th newsletter.)
Thank God for His provision and the progress being made in the expansion of facilities at Zimba Mission Hospital, Zambia.
Praise God for a new corps of freshly trained workers for the harvest in Zambia.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please continue to pray for Rev. Bill Niemack, District Superintendent of Transkei District, South Africa. He recently went through surgery to remove a large abdominal mass and then had a strong dose of antibiotics to battle a subsequent infection. He now has begun chemo treatments.
Pray for God's healing hand on Cecile Kajila in Cameroon as she continues to recover physically and emotionally from the attack she suffered.
Please continue to pray that our residence permits are issued as promised. We call the office each week and keep being told that they are "in process".
Zach & Lyndy Szmara expect to relocate to the city of Nampula in northern Mozambique by the end of August. Pray for God's help as they settle in and continue the task of mastering the language skills needed to live and minister effectively in this ripe harvest field.

SUPPORT REPORT

The financial year for Global Partners ends August 31. As we approach the end of the financial year the reports show that we have received donations for our support very close to what was budgeted for the year. With just a bit extra this final month we will end the year in the black!

Praise God and thank you so much to all of you who continue faithfully to stand behind us financially. Your faithfulness and generosity is amazing!

Donations or monthly commitments can be made online here.

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An easy to print version of this email can be found here. Thank you for sharing a print version with others.

Bob & Brenda Bagley

rbagley112@gmail.com

Campmeeting Time is Here!

2011-08-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

It is that time again. Summer rolls by fast, even with hot weather and all. Chandler Interdenominational Holiness Camp-Meeting began Sunday Night July 31th with our annual Prayer service hosted by Boonville Wesleyan Church, and led by Rev. Sue Lochmueller and Camp President, Rev. Dennis King of Newburgh Nazarene Church. World Gospel Missions Missionary to Africa, April Hershberger will be sharing with us tonight, Monday night at 7:00PM. Evangelists and Singers John and Linda Blair will be with us 7:00PM nightly Tuesday 2nd through Saturday the 6th, then at the concluding Service on Sunday the 7th at 6:00PM. Please be in prayer as our workers travel and for the Camp-Meeting. Due to the oppressive heat, Campmeeting will be held inside the Air-Conditioned Sanctuary of Chander Nazarene Church directly across the street from the Camp Grounds. Camp Board Meeting and annual elections Saturday night at 6:00PM before the service at 7:00PM. Find us on facebook at Chandler Interdenominational Holiness Camp.Please be in prayer and we hope to see ya there!

Its Campmeeting Time Again!

2011-07-25T07:56:00.000-07:00

Its that time again. Summer rolls by fast, even with hot weather and all. Chandler Camp-Meeting begins Sunday Night July 31th with our annual Prayer service. World Gospel Missions Missionary to Africa, April Hershberger will be sharing with on on Monday night at 7:00PM. John and Linda Blair will be with us 7:00PM nightly Tuesday 2nd through Saturday the 6th, then at the concluding Service on Sunday the 7th at 6:00PM. Please be in prayer as our workers travel and for the Camp-Meeting. As always, Camp will be held inside the Air-Conditioned Sanctuary of Chander Nazarene Church if weather at meeting time is 80 degrees or above.

Remembering "Old School" Technology

2011-07-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

Don't Forget the Old-School Technology

By Jennifer Armitage |Wesleyan Life Online/ Released: Jul. 14, 2011 | In: Blog Feature

With the popularity of iPods and other mp3 players, many churches have utilized podcasts to reach out across the world with great success. But are we making sure that we are not so excited to embrace the new that we throw out the old too soon?

Not everyone has an mp3 player or streams audio online, but cars still have built-in CD players. Sermons on CD still have uses for those who are not mp3 savvy. Or just haven’t charged their iPod. It’s a cheap and easy way to put a message in the hands of your congregation.

Here are some people it will specifically benefit:

1. New People
A CD with two or three different sermons makes a great addition to a new attender packet or even to offer to new attendees. If your church has a special day with testimonies and baptisms and a first-time attender that day, they don’t really get a good idea of what the message or tone of the church is really like. You can give them the option to get a real feel for your church beyond that day’s service.

2. Absentees
When regular attenders miss a week or three, it can be easy for them to feel out of the loop and eventually drift away. By having the last sermon or the current sermon series available for free on CD, they can catch up and still feel connected.

3. Seniors
Many seniors, including the shut-in seniors who can’t come during bad weather or at all, have CD players at home. It’s most likely a technology they have mastered, and won’t take a long orientation. They can still get fed by the church they love, even if their circumstances prevent it.

4. Anyone Who Has a Car with a Working CD Player
When the iPod is uncharged or left behind, even the tech masters still have a CD player in the car. Why not give them an option to pop in a CD of [Your church name]’s greatest hits? Or let people get a copy of the sermon that particularly inspired them that they can listen to in the car when they need to hear it.

As church communicators we are tasked with reaching everyone in our church no matter age, demographic, or where they are in their relationship with God. We need to make sure we keep the same outlook on our use of technology too—even if that means going back to the cassette tape (remember the plastic square with two holes that you had to turn over to listen to more than four songs?).

Jennifer Armitage is the director of communications and community outreach at Crossroads Christian Fellowship (Wesleyan) in Sacramento, Calif. Used with permission from Church Marketing Sucks.

Comments expressed do not necessarily represent those of The Wesleyan Church Corporation.

Wesleyan Life Online is a family friendly Website dedicated to promoting strong Christian values. Please refrain from using any inappropriate language or content in your comments, including defamation, libel or personal attack. Thank you!

Simos Family Ministry Update-July 2011

2011-07-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

On the Field!

Hola everyone from San Pedro de Macoris, República Dominicana! (Here is a picture of San Pedro from our apartment.) On June 14th, we safely arrived after a somewhat adventurous day of traveling. Despite leaving 6 packed bags with Josh's family at the airport (which involved repacking the 10 bags we did bring while in line @ check-in), unpacking & packing through security, losing a gift on the plane, & being delayed in Miami, we were thrilled to set foot on the Dominican ground and call it home. It is true that we might have been a little frustrated, but we knew where these attacks were coming from. After 2 years of anticipation, the trials we went through on this day were not able to take our focus off our God who had brought us to this day! Actually, our God who gifts us each & every day!

Since we have arrived, we have been busy setting up our apartment. Everything from getting hot water to beds to a stove to window screens, etc. We praise God for His provision of these items and for teaching us patience as we adjust to the Dominican culture, both emotionally & physically.

Just this past week, Josh and I began Spanish classes and let me just say Dios te bendiga! It is and will be our number one priority, so please join us in prayer as we learn. We are so blessed to have our teachers (a husband & wife team)!

While school has just started for us, the kids are currently enjoying their last week of summer break before we start the 10 week VBS.

Speaking of the kids, they have already made alot of new friends in our apartment complex, not to mention reconnecting with the Hilgeman kids. While Josh and I are starting at what feels like ground zero with our Spanish, the kids have just jumped right in. There is not much of a language barrier with their friends. Thank you all for praying for our family and especially for our kids. God has certainly blessed by allowing our kids to transition well! Again, thank you and thank God!

Thank you for your prayers!
Josh, Toni, Kinsey, Elle & Gabe
Home phone 317.402.6407 (free calling from the U.S.)
joshsimos@itisforfreedom.com

Freedom Update

Equipping people to engage culture according to their design.

On Monday, July 11th, we will begin a 10 week VBS in 2 bateys here in the Dominican. Bateys are villages consisting of Haitian families of sugarcane workers. We are excited to start teaching from Creation to Christ as a foundation will be laid for discipleship. The Hilgeman's, Cline's, and Simos kids will be involved in all 10 weeks. In addition, our team will be joined by missions groups for four of the ten weeks! We will also be joined by the Mitchener's, the other members of our team who are currently in deputation. Josh & I will be in language training every day, but we hope to assist on our days off. Please join us in prayer as we begin this phase of ministry. Pray for many people to attend, safety, clear communication, accessible roads (if the roads are flooded, then we will not be able to get a vehicle back to the bateys), and for God to be glorified in each & every aspect of this ministry!

Freedom Ground Team 2011

Financial Support

Give online
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Mail Support to:
Freedom International Ministries

2905 E 46th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46205
note “Simos Family” on check

Special Day of Prayer & Fasting

2011-07-05T10:22:00.001-07:00

We read of times in the Old Testament when days of Prayer and Fasting were called by the leadership of communities and nations. Jesus tells us in the New Testament that some things will only come to pass by fasting alone. God has a perfect will for our life. However, the Bible, History, Reason and Experience (The Wesleyan Quadrilateral) demonstrate that God will move through the Blessed Holy Spirit when His people humble themselves through Fasting and Prayer. We have seen many miracles of late within Boonville Wesleyan.

We are calling on those Christians who believe this to Fast and Pray for Jim (Teresa Knirs) Walker and Jim's sister Theresa (Walker) Bratcher. Jim has been battling liver cancer since December 2010. Theresa had major brain surgery in February and was given a 10% chance of recovering at that time. God touched her then, and she is having part of her scull replaced Wednesday. Jim is also having major (no such thing as minor) Wednesday July 6th also to remove an abcess on his liver. Please join with us and consider this prayerfully...Blessings keith 1 Cor 13

BWC Gospel Sing at Warrick 4-H Fair Saturday

2011-06-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

Boonville Wesleyan Church will be singing again Saturday July 16th at the Warrick County 4-H fair in Boonville from 7:00pm-8:00pm under the open pavilion by the lake. Free bottled water for those who stop and see us.

Turning Bad into Good!

2011-06-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

Taking Advantage of Hidden Opportunities in Controversy

By Jennifer Armitage -Wesleyan Life Magazine Online| Released: Jun. 24, 2011 |

Did you know that Christians are not perfect? Okay, so maybe you didn’t fall over in shock, but it’s something Christians regularly have to have conversations about. There is regularly some controversy in the news about Christians, typically having to do with a pastor’s scandal, political lobbying, or the end of the world.

We are called to witness to non-Christians in our daily lives, but there aren't clear guidelines on how to handle those conversations.

With a group of people so broad and diverse in beliefs, theology, interpretations of the Bible, meaning of religion, and even what Jesus’s teachings mean, it’s understandable that there will be Christians with whom you will not agree.

So the question becomes, how do we deal with the public controversy?

We first need to look at it as an opportunity. When conversations about Christian controversy arise at the water cooler, family reunion, or at the bus stop, it’s an opening for you to tell the truth. One of the big problems is that there are a lot of false beliefs about Christians. Through these conversations, we can start to write these wrongs.

The key to utilizing these opportunities is to bring it back to your church and your beliefs. Instead of focusing on the negative, you can guide the conversation to the truth.

When Harold Camping set a date for when he thought the world would end, it caused quite a stir. Everyone was talking about the world ending. They were, in a round-about way, talking about the Bible. What an amazing opportunity this could be to inform them what the Bible does say!

If the conversation is about Christians hating a sinner, it’s an opportunity to explain what sin really is, that God hates the sin and not the sinner, that Christianity is so much about forgiveness, and that even Christians may sin. A big, secular misconception is that Christians don’t consider themselves sinners or struggle with issues of sin.

If the conversation is about another church’s negative actions, then bring it back to what your church does. Try something like, “I really like my church because they don’t do protests. It’s cool because every Saturday my church goes out and feeds the homeless.”

By moving the conversation to positive examples from your own church, you could change minds and hearts. At the very least, you are showing that not all Christians are alike, nor do they always agree with each other’s actions.

I do want to point out that Jesus calls us to be kind and loving . . . and that means to other Christians who are doing things with which we disagree. Bashing and attacking others is not what we are called to do. No matter how frustrated we get.

None of this means that you can’t have a sense of humor about ridiculous things other Christians are doing, or that you have to talk about your church all the time. I especially don’t want people to feel that they need to be “preachy.”

My point is, we don’t have to be scared when Christian controversy comes up. We can turn tough conversations into opportunities to do our job—to introduce people to Christ.

Simos Family Ministry Update-June 2011

2011-06-21T01:14:00.000-07:00

Praise God for all He has done!
Here's a short update just to let everyone know that we arrived safely in the DR and we're working on settling in.
Last Tuesday night we arrived in the DR! We were greeted by the Hilgeman family and then spent the rest of the week setting up our apartment. Things move slowly here so please continue to pray for patience. We do have internet and so email or facebook is the best way to reach us right now. We also have a home phone that actually has a US number (so it is a free call) 317.789.8986, feel free to try it. Just remember, we're in and out alot right now.

We were told that some people had trouble accessing the messages from our commissioning service, so here it is again.

Click here to listen to Commissioning Sermons

Thank you all for your prayers!
We couln't do this without you!
Josh, Toni, Kinsey, Elle & Gabe
317 789 8986 joshsimos@itisforfreedom.com

Prayer Requests

Transition - that we adjust well to a new culture & home. We attended church for the first time in San Pedro, all in Spanish! We couldn't understand much of what was said but definitely felt welcomed by our Dominican brothers and sisters in Christ.
Patience - that we continue to wait upon the Lord as we settle into our new home and as we learn Spanish.

Mail Support to:
Freedom International Ministries

2905 E 46th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46205
note “Simos Family” on check

Bits & Bytes for Bagley Backers-June 2011

2011-06-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

Bits & Bytes for Bagley Backers

June 2011

THEY DID WHAT THEY COULD

On the edge of the small village of Kunsho in northern Sierra Leone stands a silent testimony to the dedication of the first Wesleyan missionaries to serve in Africa. It is a cemetery with ten graves of missionaries and their children who lives were given in the early effort to reach Sierra Leone with the gospel.

During the war years in Sierra Leone the grave site became overgrown and neglected. However, recently the Sierra Leonean church gave direction to its restoration as a continuing memorial to the price paid so the church could be planted in Sierra Leonean soil. On May 22, 2011 members of the Wesleyan Church of Sierra Leone gathered at Kunsho to remember the sacrifice of the early missionary pioneer and to rededicate the cemetery.

In his comments at the dedication service, National Superintendent Rev. Usman Fornah stated: Indeed, these people are true friends for us Sierra Leoneans. They have done their part in the ministry - the rest we have to do. Friends, let us continue to demonstrate greater sacrifice and commitment than this so that people will come to know the Lord and be saved from eternal death.

These pioneer missionaries certainly "did their best" (Mark 14:8) and gave their best without realizing the return on the investment of their lives. Today the Wesleyan Church of Sierra Leone is a powerful church with some 190 churches, more than 115 schools, 4 clinics, a Bible College, a 96 bed hospital and more than 30,000 members. The sacrifices they made were the seeds that have grown into a flourishing church making an impact on the lives of thousands.

VISIT TO SIERRA LEONE

Bob spent the last two weeks of May in Sierra Leone visiting our work there and participating in a number of events. For most of the trip he was accompanied by Dr. H. C. Wilson, General Director of Global Partners. High points during his visit included the following:

One day was spent in an inter-faith consultation with key Muslim and Christian leaders hosted by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. Their aim is to address public health issues (in this case malaria) through religious leaders in their communities. (Rev. Usman Fornah, National Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church, is a key leader in the Inter Religious Council, which co-sponsored the consultation with the TBFF.)

Director of Health Ministries, Brimah Samura, gave a tour of the facilities of Kamakwie Wesleyan Hospital during which Bob was also able to spend time with our missionaries there, Drs. Tom & Karen Asher and nurse Bethany Morse. Located in a remote area of the country, KWH is making a very positive impact on the area in the name of Christ.

Visits were made to both Gbendembu Wesleyan Bible School and The Evangelical College of Theology. The facilities at both institutions are showing the ravages of the war but are working hard at restoring the institutions. Rev. Maurice Bangura, Principal of GWBS, and Rev. Abu Conteh, Principal of TECT, are highly competent and dedicated leaders giving solid leadership to these institutions.

A number of visits were made to secondary and primary schools operated by the church. Adequacy of facilities varied considerably from place to place but the schools are providing a much need ministry in their communities.

Many churches were also visited. A significant amount of construction was underway to accommodate the growing church. Dr. Wilson and Bob were privileged to attend the Sunday worship service at Rogbane Wesleyan Church in Makeni.

On Saturday May 21st they participated in the rededication of the national church headquarters in Makeni. During the war the property was damaged significantly and the headquarters was moved to Freetown to escape rebel activity. However, Makeni is geographically more central to our work in Sierra Leone church so the church undertook a restoration project to reestablish the headquarters in Makeni. The President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, a Wesleyan church member, was scheduled to bring the dedicatory address, but due to national responsibilities was unable to be present and was represented instead by Hon. Alimamy P. Koroma, Minister of Works, Housing and Infrastructure.

The dedication of the historic missionary cemetery at Kunsho took place on Sunday afternoon, May 22nd. The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation included a lengthy report on the cemetery and headquarters dedications in both their radio and TV news broadcasts. The TV report included a sizeable section of Bob's remarks at the headquarters dedication.

We enjoyed a brief visit with President Koroma's mother at her home in Makeni. Mrs. Koroma is known throughout the church as a true saint and prayer warrior.

We participated in a day long seminar for District Superintendents and pastors from the Freetown District focusing on the subject of "Maintaining Ministerial Integrity." Bob's assigned topic was "Maintaining Ministerial Integrity in the Home."

Dr. Wilson and Bob were honored at a farewell dinner in Freetown and were presented with Sierra Leonean garb that proclaimed them as being honorary paramount chiefs. (They are pictured here with Rev. Usman Fornah, National Superintendent.)

A slideshow made of photos Bob took during his visit can be seen by clicking on the following link: Sierra Leone slideshow

SIERRA LEONE IMPRESSIONS

Being Bob's first visit to Sierra Leone, he developed a number of lasting impressions of the country and our church there. The country is working hard to reverse the ravages caused by the civil war that ended just nine years go. Flags were flying all over the country and it was evident that things had been spruced up for the recent celebration of their 50th anniversary of independence from colonial rule. Public works projects were underway both in the capital of Freetown as well as up country in what appears to still be an overwhelming task of rebuilding infrastructure. Private enterprise and investment was also evident, particularly in the mining sector. A spirit of optimism seemed clear despite the fact that many still live in poverty and need. Muslims make up over 60% of the population, but Islam & Christianity seem to coexist without the tensions experienced in many other African countries.

There is good reason to be righteously proud of the Wesleyan Church of Sierra Leone. The church is blessed with a strong corps of capable, dynamic, and hard-working national and district leaders. The health ministries and educational ministries of the church are making an important contribution to the welfare of the nation. Aggressive evangelistic and church planting efforts are underway under the direction of the National Director of Evangelism,

Rev. Warren Fornah. Extensive church construction and restoration projects are ongoing across the country. The impact of World Hope International and World Hope Canada was seen frequently be in in the form of community wells, school buildings, or the new free enterprise zone. Wesleyans, raised in the church and educated in our institutions, are having a powerful influence for good throughout society, from the President's office throughout all levels of government, educational and health sectors, and business sectors. The Wesleyan Church of Sierra Leone is a vivid example of what it means for the church to be salt and light within society (Matt. 5:13-16).

PRAISE POINTS

Praise God for a very positive visit to Sierra Leone and for the evidence of God's blessing on the church there.
Praise God that Szmaras have secured residence permits for Mozambique. Efforts to secure our permits have gone smoothly and promises are that they will be issued within a couple of weeks.
Thank God for reports that the Liberian church has recently planted the first Wesleyan church in Ganta, Nimba Province.
Rejoice with Jim & Karen Pickett that their support has been raised and they have received clearance to return to the field. They expect to travel back to Mozambique in July.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Pray for stability and peace in African countries suffering unrest following contested elections - Uganda, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Sudan.
Please pray for Rev. Bill Niemack, District Superintendent of Transkei District, South Africa and Dr. Abraham Katwebe, National Superintendent of the Congo, both of whom are facing serious health issues.
Pray for God's help as the Wesleyan Church of Liberia tries to retrieve or repurchase church land in Virginia, Todee, and Sinoe that have been under dispute.
Please pray that our residence permits are issued as promised.
Please pray that God will give us wisdom and discernment as we work daily with national leaders and missionaries about critical issues affecting the work of the church and Global Partners across Africa.

SUPPORT REPORT

Thank you so much to all of you who continue faithfully to stand behind us financially. Your faithfulness and generosity is amazing!

Donations or monthly commitments can be made online here.

Our Wesleyan Heritage

2011-06-11T13:53:00.001-07:00

By Edward Coleson

When John Wesley began his ministry in 1738, morality and religion had collapsed in England. In May of that year, Wesley had his Aldersgate experience and went out to minister to the multitudes in the open fields. A century later, the social and moral climate of England had changed dramatically. Queen Victoria was on the throne and "Victorian" became a synonym for piety and morality. Conditions can change for the better.

It has happened. The Fight Begins Of the many moral and social reforms resulting from the spiritual awakening of the eighteenth century, perhaps the abolition of slavery was the most conspicuous. In 1772 England freed her slaves. This was partly the work of Granville Sharp, who pressed the "King's Bench" (England's Supreme Court) to make the decision that liberated slaves in England--but not in British colonies. His Lordship Judge Mansfield noted that the court did so because slavery is contrary to God's law. Great Strides in England A couple of years later, Wesley wrote his famous essay on slavery, in which he said: "Notwithstanding ten thousand laws, right is right and wrong is wrong still."

Soon thereafter, a gifted young Member of Parliament, William Wilberforce, took up the abolitionist cause. Just a few days before he died in 1791, Wesley wrote his last letter to this Christian statesman, urging him to continue the fight. It was an almost impossible assignment, but in 1807, Wilberforce did get the government to forbid British ships to engage in the lucrative slave trade. Wilberforce died in 1833, one month before Parliament passed the law liberating all slaves in the British Empire. In his book Saints and Society, Dr. Earle E. Cairns wrote that English evangelicals accomplished more for good than any reform movement in history.

That is a precious part of our heritage. Why do so few Christians today know about these great achievements? The Cause in America The American Wesleyan Church came into being in 1843 because the mainline denominations refused to take a stand on the issue of slavery.

Presidents Washington and Jefferson had been apologetic for the ancient evil and wished it to go away. Indeed, another Virginia slave holder, Colonel George Mason, urged the Founding Fathers to abolish slavery when they were drafting the U.S. Constitution in 1787, and he warned them that God would judge the nation if they failed to do so. By the 1830s, the South had begun to justify its "peculiar institution."

Defenders of slavery claimed that the Bible actually approved of that practice, and it was not expedient to disagree with them. The situation was not much better in the North. In 1837, Elijah P. Lovejoy, who published an antislavery newspaper, was killed in Illinois. William Lloyd Garrison, the publisher of The Liberator, was dragged down the street in Boston with a rope around his body and would probably have been hanged if he had not been rescued and lodged in jail for his own safety. Our Great Heritage This was the atmosphere in which a few courageous Christians, including Orange Scott and Luther Lee, founded our church.

Their purpose was both to spread "scriptural holiness over these lands" and to secure justice for their fellow human beings. "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ," Paul wrote (Romans 1:16). In the same way, let us be thankful for our Wesleyan heritage.

Weekly News and Prayer Updates...

2011-06-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

Pictured on the right are those who traveled to Paoli Indiana Tuesday as delegates voting in District Conference. We also enjoyed a great meal together at Spring Mill State Park just north of Paoli. I hear that media guy talks a lot...
Please continue to keep Jim & Teresa Walker in your prayers this week...
A Praise! Robynn Yoder got a good report on her medical tests and Benjamin is missing some baby teeth...

Simos Family Ministry Update-May 2011

2011-05-19T22:08:00.000-07:00

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This past Sunday our home church, Harbour Shores Church, held a commissioning service for our family. Our Elders prayed for us and officially released us into full time vocational missions ministry. We were truly encouraged by the service and by friends and family that shared the day with us.

Click here to listen to Sermons from Sunday

As our deputation time is coming to an end we're excited for our next phase of life. In less then a month we'll be living in San Pedro de Marcoris.

10 weeks, 50 days! of a VBS-like program will begin this July in the sugarcane villages. From this program (a chronological study of the Bible, Creation to Christ ) we will seek to build relationships, start discipleship and from there start churches and a school. We still need many hands to join in this ministry, long term and short term. Please contact us for information about planning a missions trip!

Thank you all for standing with us!
Josh, Toni, Kinsey, Elle & Gabe
317.402.6407 joshsimos@itisforfreedom.com

How do you like me now?

2011-05-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

Most of you have probably seen the fast food chain commercial with the talking lemon. The lemon tells us how he has always gotten the bad rap. defective, no good, he goes on to tell us.

This is a commercial for lemon with strawberry added for a new drink for summer. Sounds quite good. We have often been told that when life gives you lemons, to make lemon-aid. At the end of the commercial when an attractive lady is drinking this new beverage, the lemon yells,"How do you like me now?"

We are a lot like that lemon aren't we? Born defective, no good, without Christ in our life. Then we meet the Savior. Jesus makes old things new. We should be yelling to the world this good news that He can change us from bitter lemons....and our loved ones will probably like us better now too!...keith

Bits & Bytes for Bagley Backers-May 2011

2011-05-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

Bits & Bytes for Bagley Backers

May 2011

EASTER IN AFRICA

Easter is a high celebration time for the African church. This year was no different. A few of the highlights of this Easter's celebrations include:

Nine pastors (5 men, 4 women) received ministerial licenses in a service at Mount Frere, South Africa. (The photo at the right shows District Superintendent Bill Niemack and missionary Mike Helvie praying for one of the ministers during the service.) They also baptised 33 new believers in a chilly early morning baptism.

The Swaziland District raised over R 80,000 (+/- US$ 12,000) for missions in its annual Malihambe offering during Easter celebrations, setting an all time record for the offering.

The Wesleyan Standard Church of Ghana celebrated its anniversary of 20 years of ministry in its country in services over the Easter weekend. One highlight was the granting of ministerial licenses to 23 ministerial candidates.

Recent graduate from Pilgrim Wesleyan Bible College (Zambia), Pastor Evariste Mazeaza from Congo reported that "on the Saturday before Easter we baptized 19 people and received them as church members on Sunday."

We shared in a joint Easter service of Wesleyan Churches from around the Johannesburg area who had gathered in Soweto for a weekend of celebration. (In the picture on the right Bob is visiting with Gauteng District Superintendent, Rev. Victor Nyalungu following the Easter service.)

VISIT TO SWAZILAND

We just returned from two weeks spent at Emmanuel Wesleyan Bible College, the place where we began our missionary service over 29 years ago. High points during our visit included the following:

Bob taught an intensive church administration course to second and third year students.

Brenda spoke in the college chapel once and Bob spoke twice.

Brenda visited the nearby children's home and had an opportunity to visit at length with the Director, Mrs. Thabsile Thwala, a couple of times.

We enjoyed good fellowship with a number of our missionaries over the two weeks: Dorcas Croft and Fred & Carol Cromer, stationed in Swaziland; Orai & Linda Lehman, stationed in Mozambique but at EWBC to teach a course to 1st year students; and Zach & Lyndy Szmara, stationed in Mozambique but in Swaziland for a couple of days working on Mozambique residence permits.

Bob introduced each of the missionary units to a new bookkeeping software program for keeping mission financial records.

Brenda worked in the EWBC library assisting Carol Cromer.

Bob had good opportunities to consult with African leaders of the college as well as of the church in Swaziland about their work.

PRAISE POINTS

Praise God for reports of victories won and positive signs of church growth and development in Easter celebrations across the African church.
Praise God for His help and a very profitable visit to Swaziland.
Thank God for the help He has been giving Zach & Lyndy Szmara through the initial adjustment period on the field and their initial introduction to language study.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Pray for Bob and Dr. H. C. Wilson as they visit Sierra Leone May 17-26 to confer with church leaders and missionaries. Included in the visit will be rededication services for both the national church headquarters in Makeni and the historic missionary graveyard in Kunsho, both restored after the destruction and deterioration suffered during the civil war.
Please pray for God's help for us as we work on securing residence permits for South Africa and the Szmaras as they work on their permits for Mozambique.
Pray for God's blessing on a meeting of the International Partnership Team for Ghana meeting in Brockville, ON in early June to strategize for the work in Ghana. The plan is for Bob to attend the meeting via Skype.
Please pray that steady progress will be made on the construction of a new outpatient department at Zimba mission Hospital, Zambia so it can be completed before Drs. Dan & Joan Jones leave for home ministries in mid July.

SUPPORT REPORT

We praise the Lord that this month our monthly commitments hit the 75% mark of the amount we need to meet our budget. Thank you so much to all of you who continue faithfully to stand behind us financially.

Donations or monthly commitments can be made online here.

FORWARD TO A FRIEND

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PRINTABLE VERSION

An easy to print version of this email can be found here. Thank you for sharing a print version with others.

Bob & Brenda Bagley

rbagley112@gmail.com

About Rev. Russell Coffee and Anchor Point

2011-05-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

Anchor Point Foundation "Anchor Point" grew from the effort to find help for one individual who had seriously tried a variety of drug rehabilitation options - with no success. After forty years of evangelistic work, Russ Coffey, himself attempting to help a fellow minister recover from what looked like an endless cycle of rehab programs. No hope seemed possible. The year was 2002. Through a determined belief in Bible-based teachings Russ found that success for this one man was, in fact, possible. The chain of addiciton was finally broken.

From what Reverend Coffey learned in 2002 and 2003, came a string of successful rehab placements in July, 2004. Anchor Point Foundation, Inc. was established as a 501(c3) tax exempt organization. Anchor Point's mission is to offer all who battle life controlling addictions the opportunity for healing and recovery through Christ and a long-term Bible-based residential program for rehabilitation.

In the early days Rev. Coffey sought out conventional methods of rehabilation for those seeking help, among them the 12-Step Method. Although helpful, the Anchor Point Board of Directors agreed that improvements could be made and that an alternative method must be offered. As a result, Anchor Point focused on what became a Christ-centered long-term residential program for the total healing of the invidividual - body, mind and spirit. This led to the development of criticial relationships with large groups of BIble-based rehab centers across the United States.

By simply paying attention to what was truly working - Anchor Point's leadership, in the ensuing years, developed a solid set of referral tools. By utilizing these tools and techniques, on the front-end of a referral, in combination with the selection of just the right residential rehab program, Anchor Point has produced an incredible success rate; to God be the Glory.

With a growing number of clients in long-term residential rehab centers, currently over 400+ clients, Anchor Point realized a need for a weekly support group in the community. The Anchor Point Support Group has become a very important aspect of a client's rehabilitation. Offering real help, not only to perspective clients, but to graduates. Anchor Point assists in meeting the emotional needs of the entire familiy while the loved one is away in recovery.

Anchor Point's work has grown to include it's "Churches Adopting the Recovering," a two year mentoring program for each graduate, and a "12 Steps with Christ" out-patient rehab program and other related programs.

All of this work is accomplished through the dedication of Executive Director, Russell Coffey, the Governing Board, and what has grown to be a Volunteer Staff of 12+ - all very faithful and passionate to the cause. Together as a team, we are committed to serving our community as a non-demoninational, non-sectarian organization for the health and wellness of our Citizens. We are building upon this past work in concert with every church, civic organization and our judicial system for the improvement of our society and community. Successful graduates number around 200 who have prospered, accounting for more then a 95% success rate.

Just What is "Revival?"

2011-05-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, Boonville Wesleyan Church will be conducting Revival Services this week. Please be in prayer that we have good attendance and that people are encouraged, motivated, and/or won to Christ...

A.W. Tozer well stated, "To be effective the preacher's message must be alive; it must alarm, arouse, challenge; it must be God's present voice to a particular people."

Wikepedia gives a good definition of a Revival service:

A revival meeting (or "gospel crusade") is a series of Christian religious services held in order to inspire active members of a church body and to gain new converts. These meetings are often conducted by members of American Protestant churches and those educated or influenced by them; missionary works of such churches often conduct revivals in Africa and India.

Generally speaking, a revival meeting consists of several consecutive nights of services conducted at the same time and location each night, most often the building belonging to the sponsoring congregation but sometimes a rented secular assembly hall, for more adequate space, to provide a setting that is more comfortable for non-Christians, or to reach an community where there are no churches. Tents were very frequently employed in this effort in the recent past, and occasionally still are, but less so due to the difficulties in heating and cooling them and otherwise making them comfortable, an increasing consideration with modern audiences.

The length of such meetings varies. Until the last quarter-century they were frequently a week or more in duration, especially in the Southern United States. Currently three or four days is more typical, although occasionally some are still held, especially in Pentecostal groups, "according to Holy Spirit time", that is until the visible results seem to slow or stop and attendance dwindles.

Most groups holding revival meetings tend to be of a conservative or fundamentalist nature, although the phenomenon is far from unheard of in other Mainline groups, which used to conduct them with a far greater frequency and fervor in some instances than is now fashionable. Similar events may be referred to as "crusades", especially when a particularly noted speaker like Billy Graham or Oral Roberts is involved.

In the Churches of Christ such events are almost invariably referred to as gospel meetings rather than revival meetings. This group is one of the most likely to conduct such events in the 21st century. For the most part, aside from the large, spectacular "crusades", most American Protestant groups other than Baptists and Pentecostals have become less active in holding revival meetings in recent years, but some of the vacuum has been filled by similar activities hosted by nondenominational community churches, most of which are conservative in theology. Many revivals are attempts to catch much of the flavor and fervor of the camp meeting without exposing their participants to the physical rigors of such an experience.

Weekly News and Prayer Updates...

2011-05-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a great day in the Lord. We had over 80 in attendance with at least twenty five mothers present. John and Penny Sutton also had a large group of family members with them. Each mother present received a special gift. We were blessed to have all the young children in our service.

Indoor camp and Spring revival got off to a great start with an inspiring message by Chandler Camp President Rev. Dennis King from Newburgh Church of the Nazarene.

Remember services begin at 7:00PM nightly and at 6:00Pm on Saturday and Sunday, then at 10:30PM on Sunday morning. Rev. Russel Coffee of Tennessee will be with us beginning Wednesday night. Special activities are being planned for Youth Night Friday after the service.

Please continue to keep Jim (Teresa) Walker, Jr. in your prayers. Jim is improving rapidly...we praise God for all the miracles of healing in our church these days!

Susanna Wesley on Raising Children...

2011-05-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Rules for Raising Children
(Author Unknown)

Suzanna Wesley was the mother of nineteen children, among them were John and Charles Wesley. It has been said that the Methodist faith was born on the lap of a mother, Suzanne Wesley.
She spent one hour each day in prayer. That's seven hours each week! She spent one hour per week with each child individually imparting spiritual life and wisdom. That's nineteen hours!
Suzanna Wesley over two hundred years ago formulated sixteen rules for raising children. They are still pretty good rules!

1. Eating between meals is not allowed.
2. As children, they are to be in bed by 8 pm.
3. They are required to take medicine without complaining.
4. They are to subdue their self-will so that they might be open to God's salvation.
5. Teach a child to pray as soon as he can speak.
6. Require all to be still during Family Worship.
7. Give them nothing they cry for, and only that which they ask for politely.
8. To prevent lying, punish no fault which is first confessed and repented.
9. Never allow a sinful act to go unpunished.
10. Never punish a child twice for a single offense.
11. Commend and reward good behavior.
12. Any attempt to please, even if poorly performed should be commended.
13. Preserve property rights, even in smallest matters.
14. Strictly observe all promises.
15. Require no daughter to work before she can read well.
16. Teach children to reverence God.

One of Suzanna Wesley's prayers gives a glimpse of her faith: "Help me, Lord, to remember that religion is not to be confined to the church, or closet, nor exercised only in prayer and meditation, but that everywhere I am in Your presence... May all things instruct me and afford me an opportunity of exercising some goodness and daily learning and growing toward Your likeness." Although she lived two hundred years ago, Suzanna's faith lives on today. The important things in life have not changed. It still matters that parents stay in the Lord and spend their lives leading children to do the same.

Sin & Believers-Dr. Ken Schenck

2011-04-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Sin and Believers

What Would the Apostle John Say?

By Kenneth Schenck | Released: Apr. 6, 2011

Christians today—including many Wesleyans—seem increasingly comfortable with sin. No doubt we could give many reasons for this alarming trend. One factor is the misinterpretation of Scripture, particularly passages from Paul and John’s writings.

Misuses of Scripture

How often have you heard people paraphrase John 8:7 as an argument for the acceptability of sin in a Christian’s life: “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone!” First John 1:8 is also popular: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” If the apostle John were to hear these uses of his writing, I suspect they would be real sore spots for him. The all-too-common ways Christians apply these verses go directly against what he actually taught!

The Background of John’s Writing

One of the problems we have when we read Scripture is incomplete information. Originally, John’s letters were written to real churches who knew the background of what he was saying. Of course the Spirit helps us to hear what we need to hear, even when we cannot be certain of what a passage meant originally.

However, 1 John gives us some good hints about the situation it first addressed. John’s community had undergone a “church split,” for example (compare 1 John 2:19). The departing group refused to believe Jesus had really become human and taken on flesh (for example,

1 John 4:2–3; compare John 1:14). These divisive individuals apparently were gnostic in belief, an early Christian heresy we know about from other sources. Before they left John’s community, they showed hatred toward their brothers and sisters in Christ (1 John 3:10–24; 4:7–21).

Perhaps more to the point, they saw no need for the blood of Christ (1 John 5:6). They, thus, did not see a need for a sacrifice to cleanse their sins. They did not believe they had sins for the blood of Christ to cleanse!

It is in this context that John wrote the verses that Christians use most often to argue for the normality of sin in the life of the believer. But we can see now how out of context these interpretations are. First John 1:10 says, “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar.” The departing group had made such claims. The tense John used in this verse implies that everyone has sinned in the past, with the result that everyone has a need for cleansing by Christ. In other words, John was basically saying the same thing as Romans 3:23: “all have sinned.”

Cleansing for Sin

First John 1:8 focuses on the fact that everyone needs the cleansing of Christ as a result of their past sins: “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (NASB). The verse does not say that we do sin continually in the present, as many presume. It says that everyone has sin as a result of past sins. The key is that John has in mind someone who claims that he or she has never sinned at all.

Anyone who thinks 1 John 1:8 justifies ongoing sin in the life of the believer will have difficulty dealing with 1 John 3:9, which gives John’s teaching on this subject. That verse reads, “Those who are born of God will not continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God” (TNIV). This verse puts to rest any doubt about what John really thought. To the Jews, “walking” was about living. To walk in the light, thus, meant to live the right lifestyle, a life in which sin was atypical (compare 1 John 1:7).

First John 2:1–2 leaves us with the bottom line on the issue of sin in the life of the believer. These verses capture the whole subject in a nutshell for me. “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Amen. •

Ken Schenck is an author, professor, and dean of Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University.

Comments expressed do not necessarily represent those of The Wesleyan Church Corporation.

THE (SCIENTIFIC) DEATH OF JESUS

2011-04-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death penalty. At the time crucifixion was the "worst" possible death. Only the worst criminals condemned would be crucified.

Yet it was even more dreadful for Jesus, because unlike other criminals condemned to death by crucifixion, Jesus was nailed to the cross by His hands and feet, rather than just tied. Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long.

The nails were driven into His wrist, not into His palms as is commonly portrayed. There's a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder. The Roman guards knew that when the nails were being hammered into the wrist, that those tendons would tear and break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support himself and to make it possibe for Him to breathe. Both of His feet were nailed together, thus, He was forced to support himself on the single nail that impaled His feet to the cross. Jesus could not support himself with His legs for long because of the pain, so He was forced to alternate between arching His back and using his legs just to continue to breath. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage!! Jesus endured this reality for over 3 hours. Yes, over 3 hours!

Can you imagine this kind of suffering? A few minutes before He died, Jesus stopped bleeding. He was simply pouring water from his wounds. From common images we see wounds to His hands and feet and even the spear wound to His side... but do we remember the many wounds made to his body. A hammer driving large nails through the wrists, the feet overlapped and a nail hammered through the arches, then a Roman guard piercing His side with a spear. And... before the nails and the spear, Jesus was whipped and beaten

The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. The beating so horrific that His face was torn and his beard ripped from His face. The crown of thorns (two to three inch thorns) cut deeply into His scalp. Most men would not have survived this torture. He had no more blood to bleed out, only water poured from His wounds

The human adult body contains about 3.5 liters (just less than a gallon) of blood. Jesus poured out all 3.5 liters of his blood; He had three nails hammered into His members; a crown of thorns on His head and, beyond that, a Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into His chest.. All these without mentioning the humiliation He passed after carrying His own cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd spat in his face and threw stones (the cross beam was almost 30 kg of weight, to which His hands were nailed). Jesus had to endure this experience, so that you may have free access to God. So that your sins can be "washed" away. All of them, with no exception! Don't ignore this!

JESUS CHRIST DIED...FOR YOU!

"Feel the Nails"-Andrew Walker

2011-04-20T21:25:00.000-07:00

Why is the Resurrection so Important?

2011-04-18T07:29:00.000-07:00

Guest Sermon by

Rev. Robert D. Shofner

St. John's UCC Boonville

In the late 1990’s, a group of liberal biblical scholars got together to review the Gospels and determine whether Jesus actually said those things the Gospel writers claimed He said. You know, all those verses in red print. They decided He didn’t say much of anything at all. And although these scholars used highly subjective criteria to make their evaluation … criteria which since has been discredited … the media loved it … naming the gathering the “Jesus Seminar” … and lauding them as the new leading authorities on the Christian faith.

One of the seminar leaders, Marcus Borg, had this to say about Christ’s resurrection: “As a child, I took it for granted that Easter meant that Jesus literally rose from the dead. I now see Easter very differently. For me, it is irrelevant whether or not the tomb was empty.”

Recently, the History Channel announced that its director-for-hire, James Cameron, actually discovered … after all these long two thousand years … the tomb of Jesus … and His body, along with the body of His wife (supposedly Mary Magdalene) and the body of a child, supposedly their son, named Judas. Wow!

A colleague commented to me about the discovery, and pretty much echoed the thoughts of Mr. Borg. To which I replied, in effect, “If that’s really Jesus’ body in the tomb, then I’ve wasted my life. I might just as well as quit my job, close the church, go out and party hardy until I drop dead!”

If that’s really Jesus’ body in that tomb, then the disciples, and generations of Christian martyrs, wasted their lives, too. They faced terrible, painful, excruciating deaths for a lie.

If that’s really Jesus’ body in that tomb, then you’ve wasted your lives, too.

The Apostle Paul wrote: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins … [and] we are to be pitied more than all men” (1^st Corinthians 15:17,19).

Notice that Paul doesn’t say that if there’s no Heaven, the Christian life is futile. He clearly says that if there’s no resurrection of the dead, then the hope of Christianity is an illusion, and we are to be pitied for placing our faith in Jesus Christ. Because if Christ didn’t physically rise from the dead, we’re still in our sins – meaning we’re bound for Hell, not Heaven. All our faith and striving for the Lord would be in vain. So why bother?

The Apostles’ Creed, the first of the so-called catholic, or universal, creeds, plainly affirms: “I believe in the resurrection of the body.” But do we really? Many Christians tend to spiritualize the resurrection of the dead. They don’t reject it as a doctrine, but they don’t fully realize its essential meaning. As John Updike wrote: “Make no mistake: if he rose at all is was as His body; if the cells’ dissolution did not reverse, the molecules re-knit, the amino acids rekindle, the Church will fail. Let us not mock God with metaphor, analogy, sidestepping transcendence; making the event a parable, a sign painted in the faded credulity of earlier ages; let us walk through the door.”

Two-thirds of Americans who believe in a resurrection of the dead believe that they will not have bodies after the resurrection. But that is a contradiction of terms on at least two levels.

First – Genesis 2:7 says, “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” The Hebrew word for “living being” is nephesh, often translated as “soul.” Question. At what point did Adam become a nephesh? Answer. When God joined his body (made out of the dust of the ground) and spirit (the breath of God) together. This makes it clear that the essence of humanity is not just spirit, but both spirit joined with body. Our bodies don’t just house our spirits, like a hermit crab inhabits a seashell. Our bodies are as much a part of who we are as are our spirits.

Second – the empty tomb is the ultimate proof that Christ’s resurrection body was the same body that died on the cross. If resurrection meant the creation of a new body, Christ’s original body would have remained in the tomb. When Jesus said to His disciples after His resurrection, “It is I myself,” He was emphasizing to them that He was the same person – in spirit and body – who had gone to the cross (Luke 24:39). His disciples saw the marks of His crucifixion, unmistakable evidence that this was, indeed, the same body.

And think on this. The Romans knew where Jesus was buried … they placed a guard around it. Yet when the disciples started this new religion by claiming that Jesus had risen from the dead … all the Romans had to do to stop this nonsense was to march to that tomb, retrieve the body and put it in the town square for all to see. But they didn’t. Why not? Because there was no body in the tomb. Jesus had risen … He had risen, indeed!

Of course, there are many who would say this is all just wishful thinking on our part. Is it really?

While climbing a cliff one day, two little boys found a nest of eagles’ eggs. They put the eggs under a turkey-hen in the barnyard and in due time, the young eaglets hatched with the chicks. The mother turkey-hen cared for them as though they were her own.

One day after the eaglets had grown, a great eagle swooped down over the barnyard and something stirred within the young birds. Day after day the great eagle came. Day after day something stirred within the young eagles, and their wings felt the awakening of potential strength within them.

Then one day when the great eagle came and swooped down over the barnyard, the young eagles dared - they flapped their wings and flew! Their destiny to be eagles, born within them would not be denied. They were born to fly!

So with us. Most of our days we live in a barnyard we call our world, knowing all the while there is more, because, though we are in a barnyard, we are not of it.

And we may live like turkeys - even sometimes act like turkeys, but we were born at the font to be eagles!

This is not mere wishful thinking. We know this to be true in the deepest part of our hearts. We desire a resurrected life on a resurrected earth. And that desire is planted in our very being by God Himself. It is God who “set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). It is God who designed us to live on a resurrected Earth which will contain the presence of glory of God … thus becoming the true and final Heaven.

And all this because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. All this because Jesus Christ, the perfect, sinless, God-man, took on the Curse of all our sins upon Himself, satisfying the righteous judgment of God. God, therefore, removes the Curse, the penalty for our sin, not only from us, as individuals, but also from the entire creation.

Isaac Watts’ magnificent hymn, “Joy to the World” sings:

No more let sins and sorrows grow

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found.

How far does Christ’s redemptive work extend? Far as the curse is found!

And all of this is made possible by Christ’s resurrection … His bodily, physical resurrection … His victory over death!

As Paul writes to the Corinthians (1^st Corinthians 15:20-22): “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

And Paul warns of us the dangers of belittling this resurrection of the body. He continues in his letter: “Now if there is no resurrection, . . . why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I die every day--I mean that, brothers--just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’ Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’ Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God--I say this to your shame.” (1^st Corinthians 15:29-34)

Norman Vincent Peale tells of sharing a crowded taxi on the way to preaching a sermon at a large conference. The taxi driver was complaining about all his problems and troubles. He was convinced that the whole world was filled with crooks, and everything and everybody was rapidly going to hell.

"Tell 'em that at your rally, reverend," the cab driver said.

Beside Dr. Peale there was a heavy-set, jolly lady with a big happy face. She leaned over to Dr. Peale and said, "Don't do it. We all know that. Tell them instead about Jesus and how he came to give us all God's gift of a resurrected life."

Then the lady reached over and tapped the complainer on the shoulder, saying, "Young man - what you need is to get resurrected!"

To those who would deny the physical resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, I would repeat the warning of Paul: “Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning.” And add the sage advice of the jolly lady, “You need to get resurrected.”

Thank God that we are! So, let’s act like we know it’s true.

He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

Bits & Bytes for Bagley Backers-April 2011

2011-04-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

Bits & Bytes for Bagley Backers

April 2011

SHE'S TOO FAT FOR ME

"You can have her. I don't want her. She's too fat for me!" So sang the missionary men at Global Partners' Africa Area Missionary Retreat this month to missionary Jesse Van Horn at a celebration of his engagement to fellow missionary Selinda Ingalls. Not too be outdone, the missionary women responded with a lively version of "Oh Jesse, Oh Jesse, Oh Jesse, Oh" (You're not handsome, it's true, but when I look at you, it's just . . . ) Along with the good-natured humor in preparation for their upcoming wedding (May 28th) the missionary family presented them with gifts and words of wisdom (and some not so wise) all accompanied by strains of violin music provided by Jerry Manwaring.

Another highlight of the retreat was welcoming new missionaries to Africa: Zach, Lyndy, & Isaac Szmara heading to Mozambique who arrived in Africa the day before the retreat began; Lisa Karr, GoNet missionary who has been serving at Bingham Academy in Ethiopia; and Kristen Hodges, intern from Bethany Bible College who has been serving at Jembo, Zambia. We also welcomed Bethany Morse back to Africa to a new appointment in Sierra Leone after an extended study leave.

From the left: Mike & Cindy Helvie, Jesse Van Horn, Dan & Joan Jones, Lisa Karr, Bethany Morse, Fred & Carol Cromer, Selinda Ingalls, Bob & Brenda Bagley, Dorcas Croft, Jerry & Jody Manwaring, Jason, Rachel, & Jocelyn Helm, Orai & Linda Lehman, Phil & Lucille Nettleton, H. C. Wilson, Zach & Lyndy Szmara

Many of the missionaries reported that a major highlight of this year's retreat was that we were privileged to have Global Partners' General Director, Dr. H. C. Wilson with us to minister in the services as well as to bring us up-to-date with what has been happening in the home office. (See photo at end of letter.)

VISAS DENIED

Although we were looking forward to being in Ghana for Easter to join the church there in their celebration of their 20th anniversary, we found out this week that it's not going to be possible. When we went to apply for visas we were told that because we were classified as visitors in South Africa rather than residents, they were unable to issues visas for our trip.

Though disappointed that we won't be there, we are praying that God will meet with His church in a very special way. And we will make plans to celebrate the risen Lord with His people here in South Africa.

AFRICA AREA PRAYER CALENDAR

A prayer calendar for the Africa Area for April - June, 2011 is available online here. Please feel free to print it out and distribute it among those who would be interested in praying daily for the work of Global Partners in Africa.

PRAISE POINTS

Praise God for a very positive Africa Area Missionary Retreat.
Praise God for the safe arrival of Zach, Lyndy, and Isaac Szmara to begin their first term of missionary service in Mozambique.
Praise God for His help as Gauteng District Superintendent Victor Nylungu (South Africa) worked with officials to finally resolve some property ownership disputes.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Pray for Zach & Lyndy Szmara as they face the inevitable adjustment challenges and begin digging into language study.
Please pray for Fred Cromer as he goes to Zambia in early May to confer with National Superintendent Dr Alfred Kalembo about critical ministry issues.
Pray for God's blessing on the Wesleyan Standard Church of Ghana as they gather Easter weekend and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the work.
Please pray for us as we go to Swaziland the first two weeks of May as Bob teaches a church administration course at Emmanuel Wesleyan Bible College. Pray that God will make us a blessing to the students, staff, missionaries, and church people while we are with them

SUPPORT REPORT

We are very grateful to those who have continued to provide the financial support that enables us to remain serving on the field. Although our monthly commitments still only stand at 74% of the amount we need to meet our budget, so far additional giving has been sufficient to make up the difference. Thank you so much for standing behind us.

Donations or monthly commitments can be made online here.

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Bob & Brenda Bagley
rbagley112@gmail.com

Weekly News...Resurrection Sunday Breakfast 2011

2011-04-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Boonville Wesleyan will be having our annual Resurrection
Sunday Breakfast on Sunday April 24th, 2011.

Breakfast 8:30AM-10:30AM with Praise & Prayer Time
Both in the Fellowship Hall
No Sunday School Classes
Morning Worship in Sanctuary: 10:30AM

Everyone is invited...hope to see you there!

"And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name." (NLT) Romans 1:4,5