FaithWorks

ON-GOING POSTS WILL BE MADE ON OUR BFM WEBSITE

2010-09-24T06:59:00.004-05:00

For on-going FaithWorks posts, please go to our BFM website http://www.baptistfaithmissions.org and click on the FaithWorks tab.

2010 THANKSGIVING CONFERENCE

2010-09-21T07:04:00.003-05:00

56Th ANNUAL THANKSGIVING MISSIONS CONFERENCE

November 22-24, 2010 | New Hope Baptist Church

Dearborn Heights, MI | Pastor Terry Adkins

Conference Theme: "HIS WORK IS HONORABLE AND GLORIOUS..." Psalm 111: 3

Sister Sue Jones will be conducting a Bible study during each session of the conference for children ages 3 thru 10. Please bring your children.

Everyone is invited to sing in our Conference Choir on Monday evening at 6:45.

For directions to New Hope Baptist Church

and/or information on lodging please contact:

Pastor Terry Adkins (313) 562-5579

pastorterrynewhope@yahoo.com

MONDAY EVENING

5:00p.m. Dinner

6:30p.m. Music

6:45p.m. Singing

7:15p.m. Message: Pastor George Sled

Jordan Baptist Church, Sanford, FL

8:00p.m. Singing

8:25p.m. Message: Pastor Denny Herndon

Immanuel Baptist Church, River view, MI

TUESDAY MORNING

9:15a.m. Music

9:30a.m. Singing

9:45a.m. Message: Pastor Jonathan Turner

Southside Baptist Church, Winter Haven, FL

10:25a.m. Singing

10:30a.m. Message: Judson Hatcher

Missionary, Manaus, Brazil

11:10a.m. Break

11:15a.m. Message: Nathan Radford

Missionary, Kitale, Kenya

12:00 Noon Lunch

TUESDAY AFTERNOON

1:30p.m. BFM advisory meeting (everyone is invited to attend)

TUESDAY EVENING

5:00p.m. Dinner

6:30p.m. Music

6:45p.m. Singing

7:15p.m. Message: Pastor David Pitman

Addyston Baptist Church, Addyston, OH

8:00p.m. Singing

8:25p.m. Message: Pastor Bobby Creiglow

Lexington, KY

WEDNESDAY MORNING

9:45a.m Music

10:00a.m.

Singing

10:15a.m. Message: Pastor Louie Carver

Simpsonville, SC

11:00a.m. Singing

11:15a.m Message: Evangelist Bob Jones

Clay Mill Road Baptist Church, Lexington KY

12:00 Noon Thanksgiving Lunch

AUGUST REPORT

2010-08-10T08:31:00.004-05:00

THIS UPDATE ALSO POSTED AT www.baptistfaithmissions.org

“MILES FOR MISSIONS”
If you look into the August issue of the Mission Sheets listings of the General Fund offerings, you will note an offering from First Baptist Church, Alexandria KY for $15,849.85.

Let me tell you the story behind that offering. In the beginning of this year, Pastor Ron Duty began corresponding with me about their church’s regrettable decisions concerning their overall financial cutbacks. The economic conditions affecting us all had impacted First Baptist Church, and they were necessarily reducing their ministry budgets across the board. They held off cutting their missions giving as long as they could. But, inevitably, their missions budget suffered as well.

So, they decided to give more creatively. They support several missionaries including BFM missionaries through the General Fund. They committed themselves to designating a special offering every other month to a specific missionary they support with the goal of still raising enough funds in that one special offering to at least match the annual total they had been giving that missionary during a typical whole year.

Their budgeted giving to BFM’s General Fund, though, was $1000.00 per month from their missions budget. So, they knew that matching that total annual giving in one offering would present some unique challenges.

Here’s what they did: Pastor Ron is an avid runner. Last year, he ran a Half Marathon competition in a Cincinnati event, and this year, he decided to go for the full Marathon [for the unitiated, that means 26 miles!].

Many of the participants in the Marathon race raise money through pledges for special personal causes. That’s how the “MILES FOR MISSIONS” project was inspired.

As Pastor Ron tells it, “The plan was simple: to promote the “MILES FOR MISSIONS” among our church members, other Christian friends, and even non-Christian family encouraging them to give a pledge of their own choosing towards “MILES FOR MISSIONS”. They could pledge a set amount or a per-mile amount. We promoted primarily through Facebook and had a signup list at First Baptist for encouraging all to make a pledge of some size.”

Well, Pastor Ron did, indeed, “run with endurance the race” that was set before him – ALL 26.2 miles of it! Six hours after the starting gun, he crossed the finish line – with his 10-year old son, Eli, running the last 100 yards alongside him. When all the personal commitments and per-mile pledges had been received, THE FINAL GIVING WAS $15,849.85! [Pastor Ron confesses he was shooting for $1000-1500 – but, you can’t outgive God!]

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3.20-21

Thank you, Lord!
Thank you, Pastor Ron and First Baptist Church!
And, THANK YOU, ALL OUR GIVING FRIENDS!
-________________________-

GENERAL FUND NEEDS FOR FURLOUGH TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES
One of the great needs we have this year is for offerings to cover furlough transportation expenses for our missionaries coming to the States for scheduled furloughs. Transportation costs continue to skyrocket, and we have at least 4 missionary families who are either coming or returning during 2010. Our total disbursements for Furlough Transportation will be around $20.000.00. These expenses are paid from our General Fund.

WILL YOU HELP US WITH THIS SERVICE FOR OUR MISSIONARIES?
-________________________-

2010-11 THANKSGIVING OFFERING | GOAL: $100,000.00
We are making every effort to budget and stretch last year’s THANKSGIVING OFFERING to supply our many commitments and services for our missionaries until the end of the year.

But, we will need to re-supply for next year’s expenses with the upcoming THANKSGIVING OFFERING.

Our 2009-10 THANKSGIVING OFFERING total is now $92,179.01. THANK YOU, EVERY GIVING FRIEND! We are just as thankful for the $.01 as we are for the $92,179.00!

Pray, Plan, and Prepare ahead of time for another generous, abundant THANKSGIVING OFFERING!

Please pray over 2 Corinthians 8 and Philippians 4.19 – and the many other exceedingly great and precious promises from our Provident God as you give!

JULY REPORT

2010-07-13T19:34:00.002-05:00

THANK YOU, GIVING FRIENDS!
We thank God for every one of you who gives the offerings which supply the financial necessities our missionaries have to conduct their daily ministries. Humanly speaking, you are the means by which they continue to serve.

And, ESPECIALLY TO YOU WHO CONTRIBUTE MONTHLY TO OUR GENERAL FUND! The General Fund is the “common storehouse” from which we disburse the monthly maintenance commitments we have made to our missionaries.

THE ‘ESSENTIAL MONTHLY TRANSACTIONS’ [EMT or Tier 1 General Fund Disbursements] WE MAKE TO OUR MISSIONARIES WITHOUT FAIL EACH MONTH [as the Lord provides through you] CONTINUE TO EXCEED $42,000.00 PER MONTH.

{These standard commitments and disbursements are besides the other more periodical commitments/disbursements we make to them during the year AS NEEDED [PRN or Tier 2 General Fund Disbursements]. FOR EXAMPLE: we will disburse about $17,000.00 over the course of 2010 for Furlough Transportation expenses for our missionaries who are due scheduled furloughs.}

Included in these standard ESSENTIAL MONTHLY TRANSACTIONS are:
$20,426.00 for salaries
$10,950.00 for standard monthly expense accounts for housing and ministry expenses
$1662.50 to publish their newsletters and reports in these Mission Sheets
$9245.94 for hospitalization premiums.

THAT AMOUNT FOR HOSPITALIZATION PREMIUMS REFLECTS A RECENT 10% INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR – AND WE ARE PLANNING TO ADD ANOTHER ONE OF OUR FAMILIES TO THE PLAN WHICH WILL INCREASE THE MONTHLY PREMIUMS BY ANOTHER $1000 PER MONTH. That means we will be paying more than $10,000 every month just for hospitalization premiums.

This month’s General Fund offerings are down from previous months’ offerings. This month, General Fund offerings are a little less than $25,000.00.

If we don’t have enough funds remaining in last year’s Thanksgiving Offering to supply that deficit and still hold us over to the end of the year, we will need to begin making deductions in the missionaries’ monthly deposits to meet that monthly deficit in the upcoming months.

WE NEVER WANT TO OVERLOOK THE FACT THAT REGARDLESS OF THE CONTINUOUSLY ONGOING NEED TO INCREASE OUR MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS – YOU WHO DO GIVE...ARE GIVING TO PROVIDE WHAT WE HAVE! And, for that, we bless God and thank you!

We are always calling on God, trusting God, and expecting God to provide the needs His servants have – but we also want to keep you informed how each of us can respond to His grace by giving back to Him! Grace to you all!

LOUIE CARVER | 2ND HEART ATTACK

2010-06-24T13:07:00.001-05:00

I apologize for the tardiness of this report. We have been conducting Vacation Bible School all this week and have been absorbed by the activities of planning and preparation – and then conducting it this week. [dsp]

24 June 2010
FROM: Dave Parks | Executive Secretary, Baptist Faith Missions
RE: PLEASE CONTINUE PRAYING FOR LOUIE CARVER

I talked with Mary Carver on Saturday, 19 June.

She told me that Brother Carver had another heart attack on Wednesday, 16 June. He began to experience distress, so they took him to the ER.

After examination, they admitted him and implanted a stent in one of the veins in his lower heart region.

However, they also received more discouraging bad news. When they performed the heart cath to determine the source of this new occlusion, the surgeon who performed his 6-bypass surgery back in January discovered to his dismay that 5 of the 6 bypasses have failed.

They are all devastated by this news, and especially the surgeon. He cried when he relayed this news to them. He told them that in his 25-30 years of practicing heart surgery, this kind of failure has happened only one time previously.

But, Brother Carver’s heart is that badly diseased and deteriorated. The surgeon has ordered him to take at least the next two weeks of absolute rest – doing nothing.

The coronary damage may not be reparable. Brother Carver may be required to just moderate and accommodate his physical activity to what his heart will allow.

I hope you will continue to name them and intercede for them to the Lord.

You may contact them directly:
Louie and Mary Carver
259 Finley Hill Court
Simpsonville SC 29681
864.458.9919
wlc1939@att.net

JUNE UPDATES

2010-06-10T20:08:00.002-05:00

WANDA TURNER SUFFERS A STROKE

Richard and Wanda Turner served the Lord in partnership with Baptist Faith Missions in Brasil for 16 years. Brother Richard is in Heaven with the Lord. Wanda is living in the Lynchburg VA area near her children. She suffered a stroke on 1 June and has been hospitalized since as of this writing [10 June].

I hope you will pray for her and catch up on the history and latest updates on her condition posted elsewhere on this blog.

Her home mailing address is: 20 Jesup Way / Apt. 205 / Lynchburg, VA 24502.
Her home number is: 434-239-0457. Her email address is: twanda2010@aol.com

She is a faithful servant of the Lord, and I hope you will do what you can to encourage her.

-________________________-

THANK YOU, GIVING FRIENDS!

We bless God for each of our Giving Friends – we thank God for you without ceasing. The Lord has blessed you and us this month with a good offering to our May General Fund. We thank God for EACH one of you...and EVERY offering you give to supply our missionaries’ needs – but the General Fund supplies their MAINTENANCE NEEDS each month and enables us to meet the standard commitments we have made to them.

-________________________-

LABOR DAY CONFERENCE

Make your plans now to attend the Labor Day Missions Conference hosted by the East Keys Baptist Church in Springfield IL over Labor Day weekend / Monday. You may contact James Hicks for more information about the Conference at 217.816.9361 or email: jimbo61976@yahoo.com

WANDA TURNER SUFFERS A STROKE

2010-06-02T14:58:00.006-05:00

Wanda Turner is the widow of Richard Turner, and they faithfully served the Lord as missionaries in Brasil for 16 years in partnership with Baptist Faith Missions. I hope you will fervently pray for her - and for her family as they care for her. dsp

From: Jonathan Turner
pastorjturner@gmail.com

June 1, Tuesday
Hello Bro. Dave,
Today, Mom had to be rushed to the hospital, Lynchburg General, in Lynchburg, Virginia. She evidently suffered a stroke sometime mid-morning. She talks out of the side of her mouth and her speech is slurred. Her arm, I am not sure which, is also numb. She also is having trouble swallowing.

Late this afternoon she got choked and could not stop. She coughed up huge amounts of blood. So they also are now looking at her throat and, along with all the other tests to find out more about the possible stroke, they also will be doing tests to find out where the blood is coming from. The CT scan they did this afternoon did not show any hemorrhaging in the brain.

Rich and Kim, my older brother and sister, were up at the hospital with her all day. Mom is very nervous about cancer and obviously very tired after everything she has been through today. Please get this out to as many people as you can.

She really needs God's people praying for her.

I will continue to update you as I learn more.

Thank you Bro. Dave.
Jonathan Turner

June 2, Wednesday
Hello Bro. Dave,
I sent you an earlier e-mail about Mom and I wanted to send another giving you an update.

Mom is at Lynchburg General in Lynchburg, Virginia. Rich and Kim live close by. Her room # is NEO 3.

The MRI showed definitely that it was a stroke. It affected the part of her brain that controls things like swallowing. IF I understood correctly the stroke happened at the back and base of her brain. She currently has a feeding tube up her nose and down into her stomach and cannot speak clearly or loudly.

I do not know anything else about the coughing up of blood.

Please be praying that among other things her swallowing ability comes back quickly. The neurologist said it could be a matter of days or weeks, but that he believed it would come back.

Her home address is 20 Jesup Way, Apt. 205, Lynchburg, Virginia, 24502.
Her home number is 434-239-0457.
twanda2010@aol.com

I don't think she will be going home for several days. Her right arm continues to be numb, and when she tries to talk her speech is slurred and only half her mouth works.

If you could Brother, please get this information out. I would really appreciate it.
Jonathan

Saturday, 5 June
FROM JONATHAN TURNER / pastorjturner@gmail.com
Bro. Dave,
Thank you for sending Mom's information out. I know that you have so much on you, and so I really appreciate you doing this. You have contact with folks that I have only heard of over the years that know Mom and Dad or that I have never met and much less heard of.

It was made possible by my church and some folks in my church for me to fly up yesterday to Lynchburg. I will be here till Wednesday.

This is the latest on Mom. The feeling is returning in her arm. The side of her mouth is not drooping as bad as it had been. Kim, my sister, told me it seems to get a little bit better every day. She still cannot swallow. She is still coughing up lots of mucus and other stuff, but no more blood in the past 36-48 hours. IF the swallowing does not return by Monday she will have to have surgery to put the feeding tube, currently in her nose, into her stomach. Mom does not want to go through that and so we are asking for God to intervene and give her her ability to swallow back before Monday. If God chooses to allow her to have surgery they will go down her stomach.

Mom is very worried what they might find....in other words, cancer. She has a long of history of severe acid reflux disease and with the recent coughing up of blood she is fearing the worst. If she does have to have the surgery pray that there would be no cancer.

Sometime next week she will be moved to the other hospital in Lynchburg - Virginia Baptist - where she will begin intense therapy to regain her ability to swallow.

Please continue to pray for Mom. She's a fighter, but more importantly, God is the Great Physician. I will do my best to keep you all updated.
Jonathan Turner

MONDAY, 7 June, Noon
Hello,
I apologize if you already saw this on facebook or if you get this message more than once.

God is working in Mom's body.

She has made some significant improvements over the past 48 hours.

She was able to pronounce an high pitch "e" sound this morning. This is one of the exercises she has to do to strengthen her throat muscles. Yesterday no sound would come out.

Her speech therapist came in this morning and Mom was able with some help able to eat ten ice chips. She did not get choked.

Tomorrow morning they are planning on doing the procedure to move the feeding tube to her stomach. Pray the procedure is a success.
Pray that they do not find anything serious in her throat and stomach when they look around
Pray that the right side of her body continues to get stronger.
Finally, pray that a bed opens up over at Virginia Baptist Hospital so that she can be transferred and begin the intense therapy that she needs to fully regain her ability to swallow.
Jonathan Turner

17 June Update from Jonathan Turner
I apologize for going several days without sending an e-mail update. We had our Bible Conference among other things that kept me from sending out e-mail updates.

Here is the latest about my mother.

Kim and Rich got things straightened out at the nursing home/rehab. facility.   They have stayed on top of the people there to make sure Mom's room is cleaned everyday and that Mom is properly taken care of.

Mom has made good progress with her rehab. I spoke to her briefly on the phone last night before church and she now has sound to her voice. She does not have it completely back, but I would say it has returned 60 to 70 percent.

Her swallowing is coming along each day. Monday, my brother Rich told me she was able to swallow 10 times on her own when she turned her head to the left or looked straight ahead.   Yesterday, Mom told me she was now swallowing the ice chips without letting them melt completely. We praise God for small victories.

Also, Rich told me yesterday that the 45 minutes he was there with Mom during his lunch hour she did not have to cough up her saliva and other material even once which says that she is swallowing some.

She has agreed to move to a first floor apartment which will save her from having to walk up and down so many steps.

I appreciate everyone praying for her. She still needs God's people praying for her. Thanks.
Pastor Jonathan Turner

MAY UPDATES

2010-05-08T07:37:00.003-05:00

NEW AND IMPROVED WEBSITE: www.baptistfaithmissions.org
If you haven’t been to our website lately, you need to go back, bookmark it, and go back often. It has been in a neglected and inactive condition for some time, and we apologize for that. But, it is being renovated and re-launched as we speak.

I am still making updates on this blog but I will move our FaithWorks updates to the new website shortly. It is still under construction, so bear with us while we ‘revive’ it – but we want our website to become our Information Exchange Central.
-________________________-

SPRING CONFERENCE REPORT
The Lord blessed our Spring Conference services with good fellowship, challenging messages from God’s Word, and a continually increasing interest in the ministries of Baptist Faith Missions. Pastors and members have gone back to their churches and either started supporting Baptist Faith Missions for the first time – or increased their giving, especially for our much-needed GENERAL FUND.

We heard these preachers faithfully proclaim ‘FILLING THE EARTH WITH GOD’S GLORY’ messages: David Pitman, Kenny Hurst, Doug King, Larry Wilson, Edward Overbey, Wayne Brickner, Terry Adkins, Ben Glover, and Bobby Creiglow. All of these brethren and all their messages had the Glory of God burning in their hearts and glowing on their lips as they called us all to partner together to take and send the Good News of God’s Glory to everybody in the world.

There were 45 pastors/preachers who attended our services over the course of the Conference. We want to thank everyone who attended – and we continue to pray that God will inspire us all together to FILL THE EARTH WITH GOD’S GLORY.
-________________________-

SPRING CONFERENCE OFFERING
We designated the Spring Conference Offering to help Louie and Mary Carver with extraordinary medical expenses they have incurred especially since January. Brother and Sister Carver are veteran missionaries in partnership with Baptist Faith Missions. They served the Lord in Korea and Philippine Islands. Brother Carver also served as BFM’s Field Representative and liaison between the missionaries and the churches for several years.

They relocated to South Carolina during 2009, and then on January 15, Brother Carver suffered a massive heart attack. He underwent a 5-bypass surgery, and then suffered pulmonary complications during his recovery. He spent several days in the ICU – and three weeks in the hospital. Then on the Friday [5 February] after being discharged home on the previous Tuesday, he suffered a stroke and was re-hospitalized. He is still rehabilitating from the effects of the stroke.

So, we wanted to help them with the mounting medical expenses they were incurring. The total Conference offering was $3,030.54. Brother Carver has responded in an email: ‘Dear Bro. Dave, Thank you so much for the generous offering. You truly have no idea at what a time it has come. God is so good.’ Of course, he is thanking all of you who gave the offering.

-________________________-

PASTOR EDWARD OVERBEY RESIGNS AS DIRECTOR
Brother Overbey has served as a Director of Baptist Faith Missions for probably 43 years or more. Even he doesn’t remember the year he became a Director. But, as the son of our founder [Hafford Overbey], Brother Ed has supported BFM from its inception. Brother Overbey contributed to the very first offering given to support Brother Brandon back in 1942. Brother Overbey doesn’t remember whether he gave 50 cents or $1 – but the total offering was around $15.00. He has been a true GIVING FRIEND ever since – from day one. He also served as our Executive Secretary from 1981-1995, after succeeding his father into that service. We wish to thank and commend Brother Edward Overbey for his lifetime of service to Gospel missions – and his 40+ years serving Baptist Faith Missions.
-________________________-

LABOR DAY CONFERENCE
The East Keys Baptist Church in Springfield IL has hosted the Labor Day Missions Conference in the interests of Baptist Faith Missions for several years. They are planning their 2010 Labor Day Conference for Labor Day Weekend. We hope you will make plans to attend.
-________________________-

GENERAL FUND MONTHLY SOLVENCY
WE CONTINUE TO NEED IMMEDIATE INCREASED OFFERINGS FOR OUR GENERAL FUND. We really need to receive $50,000 per month FOR THE GENERAL FUND in order to maintain our monthly commitments and other disbursements we make to our missionaries as they come up over the course of the year.

For example: FURLOUGH EXPENSES
We have 4 missionary families due for furloughs during 2010 and they are requesting transportation funds. Airfare expenses for furlough transportation could be as much as $16,000+ before the year is over – and most of this will be one-way fares because it is next to impossible to purchase round-trip tickets when they can’t set a precise date for their return next year.

Also: HOSPITALIZATION PREMIUMS INCREASES
We have received notice that beginning in June, our missionaries’ hospitalization premiums will increase by 13%. We will be disbursing $9500 per month for their hospitalization premiums.

$43,000 per month needed for their Essential Maintenance Transactions
There are four disbursements we make each month to our missionaries just to maintain their essential support: [1] Salaries [2] Standard Monthly Expense Allowances [3] Hospitalization premiums [4] Mission Sheets printing and mailing. THESE ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE TRANSACTIONS TOTAL MORE THAN $43,000 EVERY MONTH.

Then, there are the OTHER monthly General Fund disbursements to maintain the support services we provide for them.

First 5 months 2010 average GF Offerings
During April, we gave $30,438 to the GENERAL FUND. Over the first 5 months of this year, we have averaged $34,738 per month to the GENERAL FUND.

BE A ‘GIVING FRIEND’!
If we don’t increase our monthly offerings for the GENERAL FUND, we will necessarily have to begin reductions from our missionaries’ monthly deposits in order to make the remaining 2009 Thanksgiving Offering last until the end of 2010.

THE ONLY WAY TO STABILIZE OUR BUDGETING TO ALLOW FOR ANY KIND OF GROWTH OR INCREASES FOR OUR MISSIONARIES’ ESSENTIAL NEEDS IS TO INCREASE OUR MONTHLY GIVING TO OUR GENERAL FUND.

WILL YOU ASK THE LORD OF THE HARVEST WHAT YOU CAN DO –
AND WHAT HE WILL ENABLE YOU TO DO?

PRAYER REQUEST FOR HAROLD DRAPER

2010-05-06T10:55:00.002-05:00

6 May 2010
FROM: Dave Parks
RE: Prayer Request

HAROLD DRAPER / hmdubdbr@yahoo.com
Brother Draper suffered some kind of mild heart attack early Wednesday morning [around 4am]. He was driving back home – after already driving all night – and suffered chest tightness and pains. Drove himself to Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah. They have already conducted stress tests and other exams and tell him that his heart is sound – but that he has suffered arrhythmia, but doctors think it is from prolonged stress and exhaustion. He hadn’t slept much for the previous two nights and had been driving most of that time. They have told him he needs to rest for the next 2-3 weeks. I talked with him around 11am this morning and he is very weak, but thinks he is OK and stable. They are planning to discharge him home this afternoon. Please commit them to the Lord in prayer.

PRAYER REQUEST FOR MARY CARVER

2010-05-06T10:53:00.002-05:00

6 May 2010
FROM: Dave Parks
RE: Prayer Request

MARY CARVER / wlc1939@att.net
Brother Carver called me yesterday [Wednesday] to tell me that Mary was involved in a one-car accident on Tuesday afternoon. She apparently passed out for some reason. According to a witness who was behind her, she suddenly veered out of her lane, crossed the other lane, and off the road. From what I understand from Brother Carver, she may have overturned the vehicle. He said she was hanging upside down by her shoulder straps and had to be cut out of the vehicle. She was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital. He didn’t know at that time how extensive the injuries are. He did send me a brief email last night: “God is so good. I...appreciate all the prayers for Mary in the trauma that she has suffered. God performed a miracle now we wait to see if her back elbow and leg are broken. Continue to keep us in your prayers.” The ‘miracle’ to which he refers is the protection the Lord gave her from any more serious injury than she has suffered. Please continue praying to God for their many needs from the several adversities they have suffered, especially since January with his own heart attack and stroke.

UPDATE: Friday evening / 7 May
Brother Parks,
Good evening. First, the Carver family appreciates all the continued prayers that have been lifted on our behalf. It has truly been a roller coaster, but through it all, our family has drawn closer and closer. Mom came home from the hospital this afternoon with no broken bones, no fractures, sprains, etc. She is getting along pretty well. Dad is hanging in there; however, he did state this evening that the physical therapist told him, either today or yesterday, that if he doesn't slow down and stop doing so much that he is going to suffer another heart attack. Please pray that he slows down.
Again, we all appreciate your prayers.
Sincerely, The Carver Family

MARCH SECRETARY'S REPORT

2010-03-23T13:45:00.002-05:00

SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE / 12, 13, 14 APRIL
It still isn’t too late to plan to join us for our SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE. The program, travel directions, and motel accommodation recommendations are all posted on FEBRUARY ARCHIVES.

Our purpose for all our Conferences is to stir up mutual participation in our missionary fellowship. FELLOWSHIP is mutual INTEREST, INVESTMENT, and INVOLVEMENT in a common activity. That is what Baptist Faith Missions is.

We will also give you the latest updates and reports concerning our missionaries’ ministries and needs and how we can all work together to strengthen their hands and encourage them.
-________________________-

2009-10 THANKSGIVING OFFERING UPDATE
God bless each one who has given – and you who continue to give – to our THANKSGIVING OFFERING. With the offerings reported this month [$1638.00 – see the Offerings Report pages in this issue], our new updated total to $91,960.01.

We are praying and hoping that still others of you will contribute over the weeks to come and that we can reach our $100,000 Goal!

THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING IS USED TO DISBURSE THOSE COMMITMENTS WE HAVE MADE TO OUR MISSIONARIES FROM THE GENERAL FUND WHICH ARE NOT SUPPLIED BY OUR MONTHLY OFFERINGS TO THE GENERAL FUND.
-________________________-

MONTHLY GENERAL FUND SOLVENCY
THANK YOU! THANK YOU, GIVING FRIENDS! Our February offerings to the Monthly General Fund totaled $30,502.72 [see the Offerings Report printed in this issue].

We always recognize that THE MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERING IS WHAT IT IS...BECAUSE YOU WHO GAVE IT – DID SO! And, we bless God for you. Every one of your names – and each of your offerings is an occasion and subject of personal thanksgivings to God.

This month’s GENERAL FUND offering was a few thousands of dollars less than what we need to sustain to meet our missionaries’ ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE TRANSACTIONS disbursements each month. [January=$38,258.30; February=$40,343.05]

We really need to maintain at least $40,000.00 per month in GENERAL FUND offerings to maintain a monthly GENERAL FUND SOLVENCY – and then that will free up our THANKSGIVING OFFERING funds to supply the other support services and benefits we commit to our missionaries over the course of the year.

EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR WE WORK OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND. The General Fund is the main contribution source and stream to keep our missionaries on their fields and ‘keep the lights on’ for their ministries. Even if we maintain what we have committed to our missionaries – it is still so modest that it doesn’t really cover their essential needs.

BUT, WE CAN’T CONSIDER INCREASING OUR ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE COMMITMENTS TO THEM WITHOUT AN INCREASE OF THE MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS.

“Now, therefore, KNOW and CONSIDER WHAT YOU WILL DO…”
-________________________-

PAUL KIRKMAN'S WIFE, EMMA, NOW WITH THE LORD

2010-02-18T16:13:00.002-05:00

Posted by Dave Parks / Thursday, 18 February

Pastor Paul Kirkman’s wife, Emma, went to be with the Lord yesterday morning [Wednesday].

She has been in progressively declining health for the past few years from deterioration resulting from Alzheimer’s Disease – and this was also complicated by a blood disorder that prevented her bone marrow from producing blood, resulting in the need for frequent blood transfusions.

She had been in a nursing care facility since October of last year, interspersed also by short stays in the hospital and at home.

Her memorial service is scheduled for Tuesday, 23 February, at the meeting-place for the Grace Baptist Church
2920 Beaver Valley Road
Fairborn OH 45324.

Brother Kirkman and her family will be greeting and receiving friends at 12:00 noon for one hour before the service at 1:00 pm. Pastor Bill Brown will be conducting the memorial service.

Emma’s funeral arrangements are being made by Belton-Stroup Funeral Home
422 E. Dayton-Yellow Springs Road
Fairborn, Ohio 45324
Phone: 937-879-0800.
You can find directions by going to their website: http://www.beltonstroup.com

Brother Kirkman did ask me to tell anyone who wishes to send a memorial to Emma’s service to make a contribution to Baptist Faith Missions in lieu of flowers. Contributions can be made to Baptist Faith Missions
c/o George Sledd
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe FL 32747-1280
“In Memory of Emma Kirkman”

You may contact Brother Kirkman at 937.754.1860
or 1982 Rockdell Drive / Fairborn OH 45324.

I hope you will also pray for God's Grace to be supplied to this dear Brother in this time of his need.

FEBRUARY SECRETARY'S REPORT

2010-02-18T12:18:00.003-05:00

2009-10 THANKSGIVING OFFERING UPDATE
God bless each one who has given – and you who will continue to give – to our THANKSGIVING OFFERING. With the offerings reported this month [$5519.00 – see the Offerings Report pages in the February issue of our monthly newsletter, THE MISSION SHEETS], our new updated total to $90,321.01. We are praying and hoping that still others of you will contribute over the weeks to come and that we can reach our $100,000 Goal!

THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING IS USED TO DISBURSE THOSE COMMITMENTS WE HAVE MADE TO OUR MISSIONARIES FROM THE GENERAL FUND WHICH ARE NOT SUPPLIED BY OUR MONTHLY OFFERINGS TO THE GENERAL FUND.
-________________________-

MONTHLY GENERAL FUND SOLVENCY
THANK YOU! THANK YOU, GIVING FRIENDS! Our January offerings to the Monthly General Fund totaled $40,343.05 [see the Offerings Report printed in the February issue of our monthly newsletter, THE MISSION SHEETS]. So many of you have responded graciously to our appeals to you to increase your long-term commitments to give to the Monthly General Fund. We all bless God and thank you for your response.

Here is a sample of the kind of response you have made. This note came to us from one of our long-time faithful supporting churches. “The Calvary Baptist Church of Uniontown KY has voted to increase its ‘gifts’ to BFM from 7% to 10%. The Calvary Baptist Church is not a large church; nor are we rich. Actually, we are just able to stay above water ourselves. Many are unemployed. However, due to BFM’s need and our blessings, we are increasing our missions giving. Perhaps others will do likewise. Grace and Peace, Harold Greenfield, pastor.”

I think you will find a Scriptural precedent for this exhortation in 2 Corinthians 8.1-5. I hope you will accept their encouragement and respond with them.

“Now, therefore, KNOW and CONSIDER WHAT YOU WILL DO…”
-________________________-

2010 SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE

2010-02-10T16:25:00.009-05:00

50th ANNUAL SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE
IN THE INTEREST OF BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS

APRIL 12, 13, 14 / Monday - Wednesday

CONFERENCE THEME:
"FILLING THE EARTH WITH HIS GLORY!"
Habakkuk 2.14
"For the earth will be filled with
the knowledge of the glory of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea."

Dave Parks, 859.223.8374 / 3985 Boston Road • Lexington KY 40514-1507
daveparks@insightbb.com / www.faith-works.blogspot.com

MONDAYnight / April 12
5:00 - 6:00 SUPPER
7:00 PRAISE
7:20 MESSAGE: Pastor David Pitman, Addyston Baptist Church, Addyston OH
8:00 PRAISE
8:20 MESSAGE: Pastor Michael Jones, Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Taylor MI

TUESDAYmorning / April 13
9:30 PRAISE and PRAYER
9:50 MESSAGE: Pastor-at-large Louie Carver, Simpsonville SC
10:30 PRAISE
10:50 SEMINAR / WORKSHOP: “FILLING THE EARTH WITH HIS GLORY”
The Ultimate Purpose and Goal of Baptist Faith Missions:
MAKING CHRIST’S GLORY KNOWN
That everybody in the world will:
[1] KNOW there is a God;
[2] KNOW our God is that God;
[3] KNOW what is GLORIOUS about Him;
[4] KNOW HIM in eternal life.
12:00 LUNCH
1:30 OPEN ADVISORY MEETING / Reports / Q&A / “All are welcome”
[ The 2009 Annual Financial Report will be presented and distributed ]
5:00 - 6:00 SUPPER

TUESDAYnight / April 13
7:00 PRAISE
7:20 MESSAGE: Pastor Larry Wilson, Bethel Baptist Church, Lexington KY
8:00 PRAISE
8:20 MESSAGE: Pastor Elton Dunbar, Concord Baptist Church, Leesville SC

WEDNESDAYmorning / April 14
9:30 PRAISE
9:40 MESSAGE: Pastor Wayne Brickner, Calvary Baptist Church, Piqua OH
10:20 PRAISE
10:30 MESSAGE: Pastor Terry Adkins, New Hope Baptist Church, Dearborn Heights MI
11:10 BREAK
11:20 Pastor Ben Glover, Park Ridge Baptist Church, Gotha FL
12:00 LUNCH
5:00 - 6:00 SUPPER

WEDNESDAYnight / April 14
7:00 PRAISE
7:30 MESSAGE: Bobby Creiglow, First Baptist Church of Science Hill, KY

-______________________________-

CONFERENCE THEME:
“FILLING THE EARTH WITH GOD’S GLORY”
Habakkuk 2.14
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD,
as the waters cover the sea.

This exact, precise language is repeated again in Isaiah 11.9: They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

[You will find other abbreviated expressions of this same theme in
Psalm 72.18-19, Isaiah 6.3 and 40.5.]

The prophets are not just using eloquent literary flourishes when they speak with such soaring words like ‘as the waters cover the sea.’ They are speaking under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, and they are communicating to us what God’s own covenant purposes are for the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

They are describing in figurative terms REAL, CONCRETE MISSIONS ACTIVITIES that will have the effect of COVERING and SATURATING the populated world with the KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S GLORY. God is declaring to them...and to us...that the day is coming when the Good News of His Glory will be witnessed and proclaimed to EVERY NATION ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. See Revelation 14.6-7.

This ‘knowledge of the glory of the LORD’ is the Gospel we have been commissioned by Jesus Christ to preach to every creature under Heaven
[Mark 16.15; Colossians 1.23].

It is the Gospel of Christ’s Kingdom;
it is the Gospel of God’s Grace;
it is the Gospel of the New Covenant;
it is the Gospel of GOD’S GLORY IN JESUS CHRIST.

God has commanded us to FILL THIS DARKENED WORLD WITH THE LIGHT OF HIS GLORY IN THIS GOOD NEWS!
2 Corinthians 4.3-6
But even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL OF THE GLORY OF CHRIST, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give THE LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST.

If anyone doubts that this Old Testament promise is a MISSIONS MANDATE and another expression of Jesus Christ’s Great Commission [
‘As you are going, MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL THE NATIONS...’] –
then read Isaiah 11.10,
which immediately follows God’s Missions Purpose Statement in Isaiah 11.9:
‘And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,
Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
for the Gentiles shall seek Him,
and His resting place shall be glorious.’

What ‘day’ does Isaiah foresee here?
‘In that day’ is OUR DAY – THE GOSPEL-DAY – THIS ‘DAY OF SALVATION’.
We know that promise is fulfilled and enacted by New Testament Gospel missions because Paul interprets it that way in Romans 15.12 [in fact, the whole chapter], where he is relating for us what inspired and motivated him to FILL THE THEN-KNOWN EARTH WITH THE GLORY OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE GOSPEL.

And Paul summarizes his whole ministry purpose, goal, and itinerary:
‘so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ’ [verse 19].

Listen to all these powerful MISSIONS MANDATES that propel us into all the nations of the earth to COVER THE EARTH WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST’S GLORY...AS THE WATERS COVER THE SEA.
Matthew 24.14
John 17.17-23
Acts 17.22-34
Romans 1.5; 1.13-16; 16.25-27
Revelation 14.6-7

So, THAT IS WHAT THIS CONFERENCE IS ALL ABOUT.
THIS IS WHAT BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS IS ALL ABOUT.
This is what MISSIONS is all about.
This is what THE GOSPEL is all about.
This is what THE MINISTRY OF OUR CHURCHES is all about.

“FILLING THE EARTH WITH
THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S GLORY”

-______________________________-

CONFERENCE OFFERING:
Pastor Louie Carver Medical Expenses
We want to designate our Conference offering this year to help Pastor Louie and Mary Carver defray some of the mounting expenses they have incurred during his recent two illnesses and hospitalizations. Brother and Sister Carver served the Lord as missionaries in association with Baptist Faith Missions for over 16 years. They served several terms, first in Korea, and then also in the Philippines. Brother Carver also served BFM here in the States for a period of time as our Field Representative.

Brother Carver also has served as pastor in several churches since returning from foreign missions service, most recently in the Chicago-area. Changes in the ministry there necessitated their moving to South Carolina, where they live now. The Lord has wonderfully and miraculously provided for all their needs during that move and finding housing, etc.

Then, as most of you know, Brother Carver suffered a massive heart attack in mid- January and underwent a 5-bypass open-heart surgery. His recovery was hampered by pneumonia and other pulmonary complications. He had an extended stay in the hospital before being discharged home on 2 February – much weakened by the whole ordeal – only to suffer a mini-stroke three days after returning home from the heart surgery. He underwent another week’s hospitalization. He has been recuperating at home while receiving speech and physical therapies.

Needless to say, all these medical emergencies and treatments have created quite a financial burden for them. He doesn’t know we are doing this for him, and I hope and pray it will be alright when he does find out. We had already scheduled him to preach on the Conference program well before all these emergencies occurred, and he is still making plans to attend the Conference and preach, God willing and enabling him to do so.

But, I hope you will come to the Conference prepared to make as generous a gift as you can to our brother’s needs. If you cannot attend the Conference, but still want to give a gift, send it to our Treasurer:
Pastor George Sledd
PO Box 471280
Lake Monroe FL 32747-1280.

-______________________________-

CHILDREN’S MISSIONS CONFERENCE SESSIONS
Every year we conduct sessions for the children [age 4 through grade 5] who attend our Conference services. My wife, Debbie, conducts these learning and activity sessions. Each year, we focus on a particular nation of the world, highlighting its culture and customs along with their need for the Gospel and opportunities to take the Gospel to those peoples. This year’s theme nation is TURKEY. Our Children’s Center is always set up with crafts and activities which engage the children’s attention and interests in the missions lessons.

-______________________________-

MOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
You may choose to use your own travel / accommodations program or discounts...or do your own research to find a better deal. We are still recommending the Quality Inn Northwest / 750 NEWTOWN COURT / LEXINGTON KY 40511 / 859.233.0561

ONE QUEEN BED room is $49.95.
TWO DOUBLE BEDS room is $59.95.
They also offer continental breakfast on the premises, in-room coffeemaker, hairdryer, iron and ironing board, and high-speed internet access.

Ask the desk for "Thompson Road Baptist Church Event" rates. It would be best to make your reservation by March 31st.
-______________________________-

TRAVEL DIRECTIONS
The physical address of the church site is: 320 Thompson Road, Lexington KY 40508 if you need this information for your GPS.

FROM SOUTH ON I-75: Get off at Exit 104 (Athens-Boonesborough). Turn west toward town. You will be on Athens-Boonesborough Road / Richmond Road Extension. As you approach Lexington, the road will become Richmond Road around Jacobson Park. Continue straight into Lexington. Richmond Road will become Main Street. You will pass the Rupp Arena / Lexington Convention Center on your left. Turn left at the next traffic light. This is Jefferson Street. Turn right in the middle of the overpass bridge onto Manchester. About one mile down Manchester, turn right on Thompson Road and come to the top of the hill.

FROM NORTH ON I-75 OR EAST / WEST ON I-64: I-75 and I-64 merge for a few miles on the north/northeast side of Lexington. Come to Exit 115 on 64/75. This is Newtown Pike (State Route 922). Turn south toward Lexington. Follow Newtown Pike until you come to Main Street. Go straight across Main Street. This short street is Cox Street. Follow Cox Street to the dead-end. Turn right on Manchester / Old Frankfort Pike. Follow Manchester about one mile. Turn right on Thompson Road and come to the top of the hill.

If you choose to stay at Quality Inn, then follow the second set of directions above and Quality Inn will be on your left behind the Shell station just before you get to the New Circle Road interchange [1 mile from 64/75].

LATEST UPDATE ON MARGUERITE HALLUM

2010-02-06T10:02:00.004-05:00

LATER TODAY, SATURDAY / FOLLOW-UP
I have just witnessed another miracle...when I arrived at the center this morning Marguerite was sitting up, was dressed, and had eaten a full breakfast...even fed herself!!! The Hospice nurse on duty wondered why she was there:)

The people that saw her yesterday are in shock... they cannot figure out what's going on with her. She had a strong grip in both hands, no slurred speech, and no drawn face.

What a trooper she is and how good is our Lord to see her through one more time. He's not finished with her yet! Thank you for your loving concern for her. Just so thankful it is good news today.
Love to all, Teeter

6 February 2010 / Saturday morning
Marguerite Hallum served with her father and mother in Peru. They were first missionary family supported through BFM in Peru back during the 1940s and 50s. She is in an assisted living facility in DeLand FL under the loving care of her niece, Teeter Mauldin, and her husband, Steve. [See June 2009 post]

Here is the update I received from Teeter today:
Dear Friends and Family,

This is just to update you on Marguerite's status. She has been failing for the past couple of weeks...confused, disoriented, etc. and then on Thursday she had what they thought was a TIA...they had to feed her and she did not respond to people...she came out of it and then on Friday she had a stroke..that is my diagnosis. She had severe pain in her head and lost mobility and her right side was weakened.

Hospice was to be discharged this month but now they are with her 24/7.

She still recognizes me and will try to smile when she opens her eyes but most of the time she is just in too much pain. Pain management is a problem since she is allergic to so many of the '-ines'...morphine, etc. Pray for her comfort and that the Lord be merciful to His precious servant.

If there ever were a servant of the Lord in the world it is Marguerite. Thank you all for your love for her.
With love, Teeter

2010 BFM WINTER MISSIONS CONFERENCE

2010-01-19T13:54:00.005-05:00

The Park Ridge Baptist Church is doing a splendid work hosting the Winter Conference. Ben Glover is the newly-appointed pastor of this church, although he has been a member and served them for several years prior to now.

The theme of the Conference is "GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE" and HE certainly has...for which we are glad and praise Him.

Last night, we heard messages from God's Word delivered by David Pitman, pastor of Addyston Baptist Church, Addyston OH and Evangelist Bob Jones. Brother Pitman preached from Mark 9.1-4: AND THEY WERE TALKING WITH JESUS. They weren't talking about all the things we probably would want to talk about. They were learning from Jesus about His EXODUS [death and victorious ascension] He would accomplish at Jerusalem. This is what we should be talking about.

Brother Jones preached from Proverbs 14.4 and exhorted us to employ all the MEANS [oxen] in the work of the Lord if we expect to see any INCREASE and growth.

This morning [Tuesday] we heard two more messages by Missionary-Pastor Harold Draper and Pastor Darrell Messer. Brother Draper preached from Acts 14 to reinforce Christ's PURPOSE, PLAN, and PROGRESS for CHURCH-PLANTING MISSIONS IN THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD.

Brother Messer preached from Psalm 145 and thrilled us with his recounting of THE GREATNESS OF THE GOD WHO DOES GREAT THINGS - and THE GREATNESS OF THE PRAISE WE SHOULD GIVE HIM.

The members of the church are serving us all royally with their welcome, hospitality, and meals. We bless God for them all.

TUESDAY NIGHT
Two more stirring messages from God's Word through His servants. Pastor Cecil Fayard preached from Mark 2.1-12: WANTED, STRETCHER-BEARERS. Jesus Christ is the Healer, but we must be the concerned witnesses who bring our lost friends to Jesus Christ.

Pastor Glenn Archer preached from Acts 13.38 and other Scriptures concerning MANIFOLD JUSTIFICATION. He gave us a thrilling, all-too-brief summary of how God justifies believers through Jesus Christ.

WEDNESDAY MORNING
Pastor George Sledd preached from Jeremiah 33.1-3: CALLING ON GOD FOR GREAT THINGS. Only God can do the GREAT THINGS we need to have done for us - and He does them when WE CALL ON HIM.

Pastor Millard Mitchell preached from Philippians 3.12-14: THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING GOALS. We should still EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD.

I closed out the Missions Conference services this evening with a message from Luke 15.11-24: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF GRACE...AND THEREFORE, OF GOD. God, Himself, is this father, who is running to receive and restore us through redemption and reconciliation. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself - and has committed this same message and ministry of reconciliation to us, His churches. We are pleading in Christ's stead: "RETURN TO GOD...BE RECONCILED TO GOD."

Once again, we thank the Park Ridge Baptist Church for their abundant generosity and extravagant hospitality given to us by their hosting this Conference.

PASTOR LOUIE CARVER / HEART ATTACK

2010-01-15T10:13:00.021-05:00

TUESDAY / 9 February 2010
Elton Dunbar sent this post to Ronnie Wolfe, who, in turn, disseminated it. Grace and thanks to all of you who are concerned and participating in this reporting.
"Bro. Ronnie:
I spoke with Sister Mary this evening [Monday] about 7:15 at which time she told me that Bro. Louie came home from the hospital today. He is doing well, but having some difficulty with his speech and trying to say what he wants. He will be taking speech therapy for this.
Let us continue to remember both of them in prayer.
Sincerely, Elton"

MONDAY / 8 February 2010
Bob Jones called me this morning. He had talked with Becky Carver. Pastor Carver is still in the hospital, but has been transferred from ICU to a private room. We praise God for this improvement. He does not appear to be suffering from any paralysis from the stroke, but he is still mentally confused and disoriented and his speech is still somewhat slurred. He is struggling with articulating and verbalizing his thoughts and with word retrieval. Please continue to pray that God will give him full and complete recovery. [dsp]

SATURDAY MORNING / 6 February / Text from Becky Carver
"PLEASE PRAY! Dad had a stroke yesterday and is back in the hospital. We greatly appreciate your prayers. Dad has been crying hard."

ANOTHER MEDICAL EMERGENCY - URGENT!
5:30PM / FRIDAY / 5 FEBRUARY 2010
Pastor Carver did come home Wednesday, and was doing wonderfully. I talked to him Thursday morning and then talked to their daughter, Becky, this morning [Friday], and he was continuing to make progress toward recovery.

Bob Jones talked to him at length earlier this afternoon.

But, Mary stepped out later this afternoon to run a short errand, and when she returned around 5:30 [or shortly before], Brother Carver was collapsed in the hallway of their home. Mary called for Becky, and when they tried to converse with him, he was very incoherent and confused. He was also suffering from weaknesses compatible with stroke symptoms.

They were rushing him back to the hospital at that time.

That is all I know right now. I will post further updates as I receive them.

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON / 3 February / Text from Becky Carver
"Our Dad is coming home today!"

SUNDAY EVENING, 31 January / Text from Becky Carver
Dad is still in the hospital. Clamping tubes again tomorrow to see what happens.

FRIDAY EVENING / 29 January 2010
The last report I have received is that Brother Carver is improving from the setback he suffered on Wednesday and then had another 'bad' day on Thursday. His lung has now 'inflated' some and is functioning more normally.

He is still in the hospital, but they are hoping he will, within the next very few days, be discharged to a surgery-rehabilitation center to regain strength. He still has a long way to go to enjoy complete recovery. [dsp]

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON / From Becky Carver
Becky called me this afternoon to tell me that Brother Carver is suffering from other new complications. His lung is still not inflating and functioning. They had to insert a new tube into his side today to treat the lung. They have also told them just today that he also has emphysema, which is complicating these after-effects from the surgery. The emphysema, of course, will not improve or rehabilitate. He can't do long without his oxygen-assist. So, they are just waiting on God now to see where these new developments will take them over the next few days.

They do appreciate very much your continued praying for him and for them. [dsp]

TUESDAY EVENING / Text from Becky Carver
Dad isn't going home tomorrow [Wednesday] - he still has a leak in his lung. He gets very winded when he moves a little bit.

MONDAY EVENING / 25 JANUARY / Text from Becky Carver
Dad is doing soo much better. He may be going home on Wednesday if he keeps doing as well as he is now.

FRIDAY NIGHT / From Becky Carver
Becky called me as she was leaving the hospital late Friday evening. Brother Carver has rested better the past couple nights. He still has drainage tubes in his chest and abdomen to evacuate the fluid retention around his lungs and heart, and his left lung still has not fully inflated from the surgery and post-surgery excessive fluid. He is still very weak, but slowing regaining strength by the day. He is out of ICU and in a private room now.

THURSDAY EVENING / Text from Becky Carver
"Dad is very sore, and it hurts to even take a breath, but they have started getting him out of bed and moving him a little today. He is dealing with it pretty good. He told the nurse he likes it quiet as opposed to the loudness in ICU."

WEDNESDAY NIGHT / Text from Becky Carver
"Dad is doing great. He is on real foods now."

I assume that they have weaned him from the ventilator, and he is eating on his own instead of through IVs and tubes. We are praising God for this development. [dsp]

TUESDAY AFTERNOON
Pastor Carver continues to improve. Talked to Becky, their daughter, this afternoon. He is still on the ventilator, and they are trying to wean him from it. One of the chief reasons he is on the ventilator is that he is retaining a lot of fluid, and it is pressing his lungs and heart, complicating his breathing. They are administering Lasix to serve as a diuretic to reduce his fluid retention. They are also having to suction his lungs periodically to evacuate fluid that way. This procedure is very traumatic and painful for him. But, he is cognizant, coherent, and communicative - all for which we praise God.

TUESDAY MORNING
His recovery is being hampered by some agitation he experiences when he begins to emerge from sedation. So, they are continuing to sedate him to keep him from struggling with the tubes and monitoring paraphenalia. Continue to pray for his complete recovery.

18 JANUARY 2010 / MONDAY
Pastor Carver underwent surgery today from approximately 8am - 1.30pm. Surgery went well. Surgeons performed 6 bypasses. He was in recovery shortly thereafter.

18 January 2009 / Monday
PASTOR CARVER IS SCHEDULED FOR SURGERY @ 8AM TODAY. PLEASE PRAY FOR HIM...AND THEIR FAMILY.

16 January 2010 / Saturday
Dear Bro. Parks,

Good afternoon, this is Becky Carver, Pastor Carver's youngest daughter... On behalf of my dad and the family we want to thank you for your sincere prayers. We thank God that He is in control and that dad has soooo many true friends that are truly sincere with their walk with Christ. He has had his ups and downs for sure; however, he is tolerating the pain better today than he has been.
Will keep you posted as we find out more.

Sincerely His,

The Carver Family and extended

16 January 2010 / Saturday
UPDATE: Pastor Louie Carver

Brother Carver is scheduled for multi-bypass open heart surgery early Monday morning, 18 January. Continue praying for him and for Mary, his wife - and for their children during this time of adversity.

15 January 2010
FROM: Dave Parks
RE: Pastor Louie Carver

Many of you know Brother Carver – some of you may not.

The Lord knows Pastor Carver if you don’t, so we would appreciate your asking the Lord to intervene in his behalf.

Brother Carver has moved from the Chicago area to Simpsonville SC [during 2009]. Three of their daughters live nearby.

I got a call from their daughter, Becky, this morning to inform me that Pastor Carver had a massive heart attack yesterday and is in the ICU in a Simpsonville Hospital.

They performed a heart catheterization yesterday and one angioplasty [balloon procedure] to immediately open one artery. All of his arteries are occluded.

They want to wait until the first of the week to perform the necessary bypass surgery, but if he continues to have the same cardiac trauma activity he is experiencing now, they may not be able to wait.

Sister Carver [Mary] also has suffered some light strokes and has been home from her own hospitalization only a couple weeks.

That is all I know right now. Please pray for them all.

If you want to correspond with their home mailing address:
259 Finley Hill Court / Simpsonville SC 29681

His email address is: wlc1939@att.net
Mary will be accessing his emails and can take them to him.

Grace to you all.
Dave Parks
3985 Boston Road
Lexington KY 40514
859.223.8374 phone
859.223.8954 fax
daveparks@insightbb.com

MONTHLY GENERAL FUND SOLVENCY

2010-01-09T06:31:00.002-05:00

We continue to reach and strive toward the goal of MONTHLY GENERAL FUND SOLVENCY for our standard monthly General Fund disbursements.

We disburse an average of $50,000 per month for all the General Fund commitments and services required to maintain our missionaries and their ministries.

DESIGNATED OFFERINGS ARE NOT APPLIED TO GENERAL FUND USES. Designated offerings are ‘pre-addressed’ by the contributor and are ‘forwarded’ to the missionaries for the designated intended use.

But, when and if MONTHLY GENERAL FUND offerings supply our missionaries’ essential, standard financial needs, then we can consider using the Thanksgiving Offering to increase the modest commitments we are disbursing to them now.

THE GREATEST NEED BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONARIES HAVE AT THIS TIME IS OUR CONSISTENT, COMMITTED, AND COOPERATIVE INCREASES OF OUR OFFERINGS TO THE GENERAL FUND.

Baptist Faith Missions strives to function on the principles of:
EFFECTIVENESS,
EFFICIENCY,
and EQUALITY – that is, “what we do for one missionary, we do for all”.

That is the beauty and benefit of the GENERAL FUND / non-deputation principle.

We ask each of our Giving Friends to join us in this RESOLUTION: “Resolved, that I will commit to increase my own personal giving, and our church’s offerings to the BFM General Fund, so that our missionaries’ needs will be supplied and that Christ’s Name will be more widely proclaimed throughout the nations of the world.”

“Now, therefore, KNOW and CONSIDER WHAT YOU WILL DO…” [1 Samuel 25.17]

Habakkuk 2.14: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
-________________________’

A GLARING INGLORIOUS NUMBER: $19,814.51
This amount is the total of ACCRUED ADDITIONAL DEDUCTIONS from our missionaries’ monthly deposits we had to make over three months of 2009 [August-October].

We made these additional deductions because we didn’t receive enough Monthly General Fund Offerings to cover the standard disbursements we made to our missionaries – and we didn’t have adequate funds in the remaining Thanksgiving Offering to supply those months’ deficits.

So, for those three months, what we did was to calculate their monthly deposits according to our standard commitments we make to them – and then, when the funds were not available to make those disbursements, WE WENT BACK AND TOOK BACK SOME OF THE DEPOSIT AMOUNT UNTIL IT MATCHED THE AVAILABLE FUNDS WE HAD TO MAKE THAT DEPOSIT.

WE CAN AVOID HAVING TO DO THAT EVER AGAIN BY INCREASING OUR MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS.

2009-10 THANKSGIVING OFFERING / JANUARY UPDATE

2010-01-09T06:28:00.002-05:00

2010 SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE

2010-01-09T06:25:00.001-05:00

2010 SPRING CONFERENCE
April 12, 13, 14 * Thompson Road Baptist Church, Lexington KY
Contact Pastor Dave Parks: daveparks@insightbb.com or 859.223.8374

Please make plans to attend this Conference with us to promote the interests of the missionaries who serve in association with Baptist Faith Missions.

The purpose of our Conferences is to ‘provoke one another to love and good works’ with respect to world-wide missions. We make every effort to inspire one another to FELLOWSHIP and PARTNERSHIP to reach the nations of the world with Gospel-preaching, Christ-proclaiming, and church-planting missions.

FELLOWSHIP has at least these three essential mutual and cooperative exercises: MUTUAL INTEREST, MUTUAL INVESTMENT, MUTUAL INVOLVEMENT. We seek to cultivate these missions activities in our Conferences. COME, AND BE A PART OF IT!

WE ENCOURAGE EACH CHURCH TO OFFER TO PAY AT LEAST YOUR PASTOR’S TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION EXPENSES TO OUR CONFERENCES. He, and your church, will not only be better informed about the function and ministries of our missionaries, but your church will also benefit from the revival of missions enthusiasm he will bring back to your church.

CONCERNING MISSIONARY MIKE ANDERSON

2009-12-10T12:39:00.002-05:00

With much regret and pain of heart, we have moved to withdraw and discontinue our administration of financial missionary support for Mike and Pam Anderson, missionaries to Kitale, Kenya.

We took this action because of practices which have been implemented in the churches in Kitale under Mike’s missionary leadership which are contrary to and incompatible with the Doctrinal Statement of Beliefs and Practices to which all of us in our Baptist Faith Missions fellowship have committed our mutual agreement. These doctrinal distinctives are the core of our missionary principles, policies, and practices.

We also want to emphasize that these doctrinal differences do not pertain to any teachings of our essential evangelical faith, such as the virgin birth of Christ, His Deity, the substitutionary redemption of His death, or the inerrancy of the Scriptures. Rather, they related to the constitution and character of the churches, their organization and membership, and the administration of the churches’ Gospel ordinances.

We wish to affirm our Christian love for Mike and Pam, and we commend them for their whole-hearted service to Jesus Christ and the people of Kenya. We believe that all these transactions have been conducted in Christian love and with the Spirit of Christ. All our mutual relationships remain amicable.

We hope and pray that God will give them direction and provision as they continue to pursue God’s will for their lives and their service to Him.

We will continue disbursing to them their monthly salary and pay their hospitalization premium for the next 6 months [December 2009 – May 2010] to assist them during this time of transition. We will also continue to forward to them any offerings designated to them through BFM for the same 6-month period. Contributors who wish to continue supporting them with your offerings are encouraged to contact them concerning how they wish to receive them.

You will find their personal correspondence also printed in the December 2009 issue of our monthly newsletter, The Mission Sheets. You may correspond with them personally via the contact information they include in their letter: mpandersonkenya@yahoo.com

2010 SPRING CONFERENCE

2009-12-10T12:37:00.001-05:00

THINK 'SPRING' ALREADY!

2010 BFM SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE DATES
APRIL 12, 13, 14

Hosted by Thompson Road Baptist Church, Lexington KY.
You may contact Pastor Dave Parks at daveparks@insightbb.com

THANKSGIVING OFFERING - DECEMBER UPDATE

2009-12-10T12:34:00.001-05:00

THANKSGIVING OFFERING UPDATE: $37,742.00

AS OF THIS WRITING [10 December], WE HAVE RECEIVED $37,742.00 TOWARD THIS YEAR’S THANKSGIVING OFFERING. That includes $300.00 which was received during October and $37,442.00 during November.

HELP US MEET OUR $100,000 GOAL FOR OUR THANKSGIVING OFFERING WE NEED AND USE THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING TO MEET ALL THE NUMEROUS COMMITMENTS WE HAVE MADE TO OUR MISSIONARIES WHICH ARE SUPPLIED FROM GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS.

Every one of us should give as generous and sacrificial offering as we can to meet this goal.

"I AM RESOLVED" 2010 MONTHLY GENERAL FUND

2009-12-10T12:30:00.002-05:00

“I AM RESOLVED…”

There’s nothing hokey or corny about making RESOLUTIONS.

The only problems we have with resolutions is that:
[1] We think about RESOLUTIONS only around New Year’s time – it is not a lifestyle conduct;
[2] We make RESOLUTIONS impulsively and whimsically – without any real commitment to keep them;
[3] We don’t make RESOLUTIONS out of spiritual conviction, and therefore we rely upon the energy and power of our flesh to keep them…and therefore, we don’t;
[4] We make our RESOLUTIONS about fleshly and material interests – and don’t have any heart, interest, or passion for the Kingdom of God;
[5] We ignore God and don’t consult Him about our RESOLUTIONS – and therefore, when we don’t ask Him, we don’t receive from Him.

But, we can’t follow Jesus Christ, and we can’t grow in grace, and we can’t make progress toward maturity in Christ without resolution.

SO, WILL WE RESOLVE TO SEEK GOD’S KINGDOM IN 2010 BY GIVING MORE GENEROUSLY AND GRACIOUSLY TO THE MONTHLY GENERAL FUND?

I am going to include again this month a small suggestion I included in last month’s update. I hope you will read it and act on it!

HERE’S WHAT EACH ONE OF US CAN DO!
I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY OF US THERE ARE OUT THERE – I’m talking about all of us GIVING FRIENDS in our Baptist Faith Missions fellowship. Let’s just play with some numbers. Let’s say there are 100 of us churches who are committed to helping our missionaries. Let’s say that in each of these 100 churches there are 30 GIVING FRIENDS. [In some churches, there will be more…in others, fewer – but, let’s begin here.] That would be 3,000 GIVING FRIENDS.

Let’s say each of us 3,000 GIVING FRIENDS gave an extra $5.00 per month during 2010 toward the General Fund offering – THAT ADDITIONAL $15,000 PER MONTH WOULD GO A LONG WAY TOWARD ASSURING THAT OUR MISSIONARIES’ NEEDS WOULD BE MET! Some of us can give more. Our missionaries need all the help we can give them.

This is only one small, simple, do-able plan that every one of us can resolve to do!

IF YOU ARE MAKING THIS RESOLUTION – OR HAVE A SIMILAR OR BETTER SUGGESTION – LET US KNOW HOW WE ALL CAN MUTUALLY PROVOKE AND ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER TO GOOD WORKS!

2010 WINTER CONFERENCE PROGRAM

2009-12-10T12:23:00.002-05:00

“GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE”
2010 WINTER MISSIONS CONFERENCE
in the interest of Baptist Faith Missions

January 17-20

Park Ridge Baptist Church
Gotha, Florida
407-295-6296

Ben Glover, Pastor
407-719-9861
bentonglover@aol.com

Sunday January 17
10:00 A.M. Sunday School
11:00 A.M.
6:30 P.M. – Pastor Louie Carver

Monday January 18
5:00 P.M. Supper
7:00 P.M. – Pastor David Pitman
8:00 P.M. - Pastor Elton Dunbar

Tuesday January 19
10:00 A.M. - Missionary Harold Draper
11:00 A.M. - Pastor Darrell Messer
12:00 Noon Lunch
5:00 P.M. Supper
7:00 P.M. - Dr. Cecil A Fayard, Pastor
8:00 P.M. - Pastor Glenn Archer

Wednesday January 20
10:00 A.M. - Pastor George Sledd
11:00 A.M - Pastor George Lock
12:00 Noon Lunch
5:00 P.M. Supper
7:00 P.M. – Pastor David Parks

HOTELS
Being close to Walt Disney World, we have several hotels in the area. The Best Value Inn at Winter Garden is about 5 miles away, but very nice, and quite a bargain. 407-654-2020, 1800-947-7478; $38.00 if you ask for the “Park Ridge Baptist Church Special Rate”.

DIRECTIONS TO THE CHURCH

FROM THE TURNPIKE
Take exit 267B (Ocoee / Hwy 50). Go east on Hwy 50 approximately ½ mile to Blackwood Ave. (Health Central is on the corner). Turn right and go 3 blocks (block one is four lanes; blocks two and three are a single lane) to Crystal St. and turn left. The church is just ahead on the left.

FROM THE 408 EXPRESSWAY
Take exit 1 (last exit before Turnpike) to Hwy 50. Turn left and go one block to Blackwood Ave. (Health Central is on the corner). Turn left and go 3 blocks (block one is four lanes; blocks two and three are a single lane) to Crystal St. and turn left. The church is just ahead on the left.

FROM INTERSTATE 4 (WEST OF ORLANDO)
Exit at US27 and go north to Hwy 50. Go east on Hwy 50 approximately ten miles to Blackwood Ave. (Health Central is on the corner). Turn right and go 3 blocks (block one is four lanes; blocks two and three are a single lane) to Crystal St. and turn left. The church is just ahead on the left.

FROM INTERSTATE 4 (EAST OF ORLANDO)
Exit at the 408 Expressway and go west. Take exit 1 (last exit before Turnpike) to Hwy 50. Turn left and go one block to Blackwood Ave. (Health Central is on the corner). Turn left and go 3 blocks (block one is four lanes; blocks two and three are a single lane) to Crystal St. and turn left. The church is just ahead on the left.

NOVEMBER UPDATES

2009-11-13T00:07:00.004-05:00

2010 BFM WINTER CONFERENCE
JANUARY 17, 18, 19, 20 [Sunday-Wednesday]
Conference Theme: “GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE”
Park Ridge Baptist Church, Gotha FL [Orlando area]
For more information:
Pastor Ben Glover / 407.719.9861 / bentonglover@aol.com

Plan to spend your Winter Break with us – sharing Missions fellowship and promoting the interests of our Missionaries!

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MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS / SOLVENCY

“WE URGENTLY NEED AN IMMEDIATE & CONSISTENT INCREASE OF AT LEAST $15,000 TO OUR MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS!”

I hope you will read all our missionaries’ letters. They are not complaining – our missionaries never complain – but they do need to tell you how their ministry activities are suffering because we are having to reduce our monthly disbursements to them. THEY ARE CONTRIBUTING PORTIONS OF THEIR MONTHLY DEPOSITS TO HELP MAKE UP THE MONTHLY DEFICITS WE ARE INCURRING BETWEEN THE MONTHLY OFFERINGS TO THE GENERAL FUND AND THE MONTHLY COMMITMENTS/DISBURSEMENTS WE MAKE TO OUR MISSIONARIES FROM THE GENERAL FUND.

It has reached a critical-mass point. For the past 3 months, we have made significant deductions from the very commitments we have made to our missionaries.

In other words, I HAVE CALCULATED THE STANDARD DISBURSEMENTS WE HAVE COMMITTED TO GIVE THEM BY THE MONTH…AND THEN, WHEN WE DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS TO MEET THOSE COMMITMENTS, WE TOOK BACK PART OF THE COMMITMENT TO MAKE IT BALANCE OUT!

HERE ARE THE COLD, HARD NUMBERS:
AUGUST: $5075.05
SEPTEMBER: $8465.99
OCTOBER: $6273.47

These amounts are the ADDITIONAL TOTAL DEDUCTIONS I TOOK FROM THEIR MONTHLY DEPOSIT CALCULATIONS BEFORE I MADE THEIR DISBURSEMENTS. Proportional amounts were deducted from each missionary’s deposit to make up the total amount.

Look again this month. The General Fund Offerings is $26,905.09.

THANK YOU, GIVING FRIENDS! FOR THIS OFFERING!

But, the Tier 1 [Essential Maintenance Transactions / EMT] disbursements we will make to our missionaries THIS MONTH are $47,065.58.

That is the STANDARD MONTHLY DISBURSEMENTS AMOUNT
EACH MONTH for:
salaries [$23,860.00]
standard expense allowances [$12,450.00]
hospitalization premiums [$9133.08]
and Mission Sheets publication [$1622.50].

WE MUST IMMEDIATELY AND CONSISTENTLY INCREASE OUR MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS BY AT LEAST $15,000.00 to meet these every-month essential, standard commitment / disbursements.

DO WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP THEM. NO GENERAL FUND OFFERING IS TOO SMALL OR INSIGNIFICANT.

HERE’S WHAT EACH ONE OF US CAN DO!
I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY OF US THERE ARE OUT THERE – I’m talking about all of us GIVING FRIENDS.

Let’s just play with some numbers.

Let’s say there are 100 of us churches who are committed to helping our missionaries.

Let’s say that in each of these 100 churches there are 30 GIVING FRIENDS. [We are praying for many more.] That would be 3,000 GIVING FRIENDS.

Let’s say each of us 3,000 GIVING FRIENDS gave an extra $5.00 in December toward the General Fund offering – THAT’S RIGHT, OUR MISSIONARIES’ NEEDS WOULD BE MET!

Some of us can give more. Our missionaries need all the help we can give them.

=================================================

HELP US MEET OUR $100,000 GOAL FOR OUR THANKSGIVING OFFERING
We are carefully budgeting last year’s Thanksgiving Offering to make it last through 2009. WE NEED AND USE THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING TO MEET ALL THE OTHER COMMITMENTS WE HAVE MADE TO OUR MISSIONARIES WHICH ARE SUPPLIED FROM GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS.

Every one of us should give as generous and sacrificial offering as we can to meet this goal.

OCTOBER REPORT

2009-10-09T18:09:00.004-05:00

THANK YOU, EVERY GIVING FRIEND!
I’M GOING TO BEGIN MY REPORT TO YOU THIS MONTH BY THANKING EVERY GIVING FRIEND WHO GIVES SACRIFICIALLY, LIBERALLY, FAITHFULLY, AND CHEERFULLY TO OUR MISSIONARIES’ NEEDS.

Let me tell you what I do every month – and several times during every month. I THANK GOD FOR EACH OF YOUR GIFTS...and especially to you who give to our General Fund. You are those who are on the front line of giving and who are enabling us to meet the modest essential financial commitments we have made to our missionaries.

Each of our 14 missionary families is provided for equitably from the General Fund. And so, on behalf of every one of our missionaries, I want to thank you every one.

We don’t say it often enough, but you are the human means God uses to supply our missionaries’ needs. And you not only demonstrate the proof of your love to Christ and His Gospel and your obedience to His commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature – but you also provide very real, basic, and practical needs in our missionaries’ daily lives and ministries. For that, WE ALL THANK YOU – AND THANK GOD FOR YOU!

GENERAL FUND SHORTFALLS
Again, here at the beginning of October, we are encountering shortfalls in our monthly General Fund giving which supplies the Essential Maintenance Transactions. Our General Fund offerings keep our missionaries on their fields of service. You who have given have done so with commitment and sacrifice. I scan down through the monthly General Fund offerings, and your names and offerings are there – month after month.

Many of your names are included in your church’s name and offering. You are giving through your church. God knows who you are and keeps good accounts.

IF YOU ARE NOT GIVING MONTHLY TO THE GENERAL FUND, WOULD YOU PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER DOING SO? That is our greatest, most urgent pressing need right now. If every one of our missionaries’ Giving Friends would give monthly offerings to the General Fund, not only would our missionaries’ essential maintenance needs be met, but WE COULD INCREASE THEM.

As it is, now in October, we will need to reduce our missionaries’ monthly deposits in order to break even on their Essential Maintenance Transactions. THIS IS THE THIRD MONTH IN A ROW WE HAVE HAD TO DO THIS! [Please refer to the August issue of the Mission Sheets for a full explanation of EMT / Essential Maintenance Transactions and how they must be supplied by the monthly General Fund offerings we receive – also posted here under AUGUST]

WE WILL NEED TO REDUCE OUR MISSIONARIES’ OCTOBER TOTAL DEPOSITS BY ANOTHER $6275.00 TO MAKE OUR MONTHLY GENERAL FUNDS ENDS MEET. We will make up this deficit by making a proportionate additional deduction from each missionary’s total monthly deposit for October.

We are carefully budgeting the remaining Thanksgiving Offering from 2008 to last until the end of the year. We use the Thanksgiving Offering to meet the other support services and more periodical “as-needed / PRN” commitments we have promised to provide for our missionaries “as the Lord provides”.

HELP US PROVIDE FOR OUR MISSIONARIES’ NEEDS!

“TROUBLESOME TIMES ARE HERE!”
We are very sensitive to the troubled economic climate and environment in which we live. Many of you are hurting deeply and badly. Many of our churches are struggling financially also. We all feel it.

We are not asking anyone to neglect your first and primary responsibility to maintain the Gospel ministry of your own church and take care of your pastor.

“GOD IS AN EXPERT AT MULTI-TASKING!”
But, we also believe that God is able to make all grace abound toward us – so that we, having all sufficiency for all things, may have an abundance for every good work. [2 Corinthians 9.8] As one of the young men in our church told me the other day: “GOD IS AN EXPERT AT MULTI-TASKING!”

NOT “EITHER/OR” BUT “BOTH/AND”
The Lord Jesus doesn’t give us the option of choosing between giving to the mission of our own local churches OR giving to the mission He has given us to preach the Gospel to the whole world. Jesus Christ commands us to be His witnesses “BOTH IN JERUSALEM AND JUDEA – THEN TO SAMARIA – AND ALSO AT THE SAME TIME...TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH”. God help us – we must! God helping us – WE CAN...AND WE WILL!

GOD GIVES TO US WHAT HE WANTS US TO GIVE TO HIM!
We must ask God to give to us – so we can give to His Gospel, His Kingdom, His servants, and His Glory. We know He is able. We believe He will if we ask Him and trust Him. [2 Corinthians 9.10-11]

2009 THANKSGIVING OFFERING GOAL: $100,000.00
Many of you have been planning your 2009 Thanksgiving Offering since you gave your 2008 Thanksgiving Offering. God bless you for your commitment to giving.

IF YOU HAVE NOT PARTICIPATED IN OUR THANKSGIVING OFFERING, WOULD YOU BEGIN THIS YEAR? No one should think that just because you can’t give what you would like to give – or what someone else is able to give – that your offering is insignificant. IF EVERYONE OF US GIVES WITH PURPOSE, GENEROSITY, AND CHEERFULNESS – THEN GOD WILL MAKE IT GROW INTO MISSIONARY OUTREACH OF THE GOSPEL INTO ALL THE WORLD – TO THE GLORY OF GOD!

GIVE TO THE GLORY OF GOD! GIVE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!

“Grace be with you all. Amen.” Hebrews 13.25

HAROLD DRAPER'S SISTER GOES HOME TO HEAVEN

2009-09-26T10:42:00.009-05:00

HAROLD DRAPER’S SISTER GOES HOME TO HEAVEN

Many of you are aware that Brother Harold Draper’s sister, Una Jean Richards, has been battling leukemia for many months and has been in critical condition for the past few weeks.

She went home to be with our Lord early Friday morning.

A short obituary may be found at:
http://www.paducahsun.com/articles/stories/public/200909/26/aLLb_obituari.html

Her arrangements are through Milner and Orr Funeral Home in Arlington KY
http://www.milnerandorrfuneralhomes.com/

All of her services will be conducted at Beulah Baptist Church in Fancy Farm KY:
8037 State Route 307 North,
Fancy Farm, KY, 42039
[270-623-8493]
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fancy-Farm-KY/Beulah-Baptist-Church/93168094862

Friends may call after 5:00 pm CST at the church and Brother Draper will be conducting the memorial service at 11:00 am CST at Beulah.

Please continue your prayers for Brother Draper and all their family during these times.

Here are the ways you can correspond with Brother Draper:

P.O. Box 395, Bardwell KY 42023
270.628.9517
hmdubdbr@yahoo.com

Monday / 28 September 2009 / 11:00 pm
NEWS ABOUT UNA RICHARDS’S FUNERAL

Dear Bro. Parks,
All went well at the funeral of my sister Una Richards. On Sunday evening more than 700 people filed past the casket to pay respects to her and comfort the family. Today the Lord gave me grace, and I was able to preach the Gospel to hundreds of people. Many there were saved, and no doubt not a few were not saved. Ursula and I are very tired tonight. We appreciate so much the E-mails and phone calls offering condolences.

Harold & Ursula Draper

URGENT APPEAL ON BEHALF OF OUR MISSIONARIES

2009-09-12T12:44:00.002-05:00

URGENT NEEDS AND APPEALS TO EVERY GIVING FRIEND
OF BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS MISSIONARIES

I must make an urgent appeal to you on behalf of our missionaries.
Please read this carefully and prayerfully and respond immediately.

WE HAVE TWO URGENT NEEDS
REQUIRING IMMEDIATE RESPONSE

[1] INCREASED MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS
I have received the report of the August offerings and am processing our missionaries’ monthly deposits as I write. FOR THE SECOND MONTH IN A ROW [August and September], WE WILL BE REQUIRED TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT DEDUCTIONS FROM EACH OF THEIR SEPTEMBER DEPOSITS.

I have detailed in the August issue of the Mission Sheets [and posting here] how we must balance our Essential Maintenance Transactions [EMT, or TIER 1] disbursements to our missionaries each month with our General Fund Offerings for that month. We call this MONTHLY GENERAL FUND SOLVENCY.

If the General Fund Offerings for that month don’t supply the Essential Maintenance Transactions disbursements for that month, then we must reduce the missionaries’ total deposits for that month by the amount we lack.

Let me give you some ‘bottom lines’ for September’s deposits: after I have calculated ALL the General Fund receipts from August’s offerings [including offerings which are given to the missionaries by name designated ‘salary’ or ‘support’] THERE IS STILL A DEFICIT OF $8465.99 WHICH MUST BE MADE UP BY MAKING ADDITIONAL PROPORTIONAL DEDUCTIONS FROM EACH MISSIONARY’S TOTAL DEPOSIT FOR THAT MONTH. This way, each missionary makes the same PROPORTIONAL contribution, but not the same AMOUNT of contribution.

So, just by using September as an example, IF WE – ALL OF US TOGETHER - HAD GIVEN AN ADDITIONAL $8500.00 TO THE GENERAL FUND DURING AUGUST, OUR MISSIONARIES WOULD HAVE RECEIVED THEIR STANDARD MODEST COMMITMENTS FROM THE GENERAL FUND.

THE OTHER COMMITMENTS WE HAVE MADE TO THEM [PRN or ‘AS NEEDED’ / TIER 2 COMMITMENTS] ARE SUPPLIED FROM WHATEVER IS LEFT IN THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING FUNDS FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR’S OFFERING. This is the only way we can make it through the year with the funds we have to work with. I think we will make it through the next 3 months with what we have left in last year’s Thanksgiving Offering.

[2] $100,000.00 THANKSGIVING OFFERING
EACH OF OUR GIVING FRIENDS IN ALL OF OUR CHURCHES MUST MAKE A COMMITMENT TO THE LORD AND OUR MISSIONARIES TO GIVE AN EXTRAORDINARILY GENEROUS THANKSGIVING OFFERING. If everyone of us will ask the Lord of the Harvest what portion He wants us to do and give – I am confident HE WILL SUPPLY THROUGH US WHAT HE WANTS OUR MISSIONARIES TO HAVE TO DO THE PORTION OF THE WORKS THEY ARE DOING.

We can do this by the Grace God will supply us – but each one of us must make the commitment to:
[1] PARTICIPATE, 2 Cor 8.1-5, 12; 9.7
[2] PRAY to God to supply you with an offering, 2 Cor 9.8-15. You can be sure that those who are receiving the benefit of your offerings are certainly praying on your behalf!
[3] PLAN how you will lay it aside, 1 Cor 16.1-2
[4] PREPARE your offerings according to your plan. In other words, ‘PLAN your work and WORK your plan’, 2 Cor 9.5.
[5] PERFORM THE DOING OF IT. Follow through! 2 Cor 8.10-11.

NIKE! You know the NIKE footwear’s familiar sales slogan: ‘JUST DO IT!’ That’s what we need to do: ‘JUST DO IT!’ By the way, NIKE is a Greek word that means VICTORY. This form of the word is found one time in the New Testament, in 1 John 5.4: ‘And this is the VICTORY that has overcome the world – OUR FAITH!’ We can – and will – enjoy VICTORY over all these needs if we will JUST DO WHAT WE KNOW TO DO TO ACHIEVE THE VICTORY...TRUSTING GOD TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!

ONE MORE APPEAL FOR OUR
GENERAL FUND MONTHLY SOLVENCY GOAL
Each one of us should either begin giving to the MONTHLY GENERAL FUND according to these same steps – or, if you are already a MONTHLY GIVING FRIEND, follow these steps to INCREASE YOUR MONTHLY GIVING TO THE GENERAL FUND.

2009 THANKSGIVING OFFERING

2009-08-11T11:50:00.003-05:00

Every year, we make as direct and personal an appeal as we can to every one of our GIVING FRIENDS to give as generous an offering as you can to our THANKSGIVING OFFERING.

CHANGING OUR CULTURE OF THINKING
We have changed the direction of our culture of thinking with respect to our THANKSGIVING OFFERING and MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS. We used to say: “We need your THANKSGIVING OFFERING because we incur deficits every month between our giving to the General Fund offerings and the disbursements for the services and benefits we have committed to our missionaries which are supplied from the General Fund. We need the THANKSGIVING OFFERING to make up those monthly deficits.”

We cannot operate that way any longer. So, this year, we have revised our financial operating model to balance each month between our GENERAL FUND RECEIPTS and our GENERAL FUND DISBURSEMENTS. We call it: GENERAL FUND MONTHLY SOLVENCY.

This is how it works:
We have divided up the General Fund disbursements we make to our missionaries into two groups.

TIER 1 / EMT DISBURSEMENTS
The first disbursement group is ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE TRANSACTIONS [EMT] – or TIER 1 DISBURSEMENTS. These are the disbursements which are most directly given to the missionaries each month for their essential maintenance. They include: salary [$23,860.00], standard expense allowances for housing and ministry [$12,450.00], hospitalization premiums [$9151.00], and Mission Sheets publishing and mailing [$1623.00]. All of these services are provided each month to the missionaries from the General Fund.

THESE DISBURSEMENTS MUST BE SUPPLIED BY THE MONTHLY GENERAL FUND RECEIPTS FOR THAT MONTH. That's why we call this model ‘GENERAL FUND MONTHLY SOLVENCY’. This is the only way we can continue to operate fiscally.

TIER 1 RECEIPTS
These EMT / TIER 1 disbursements must be supplied from [1] MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS, [2] MEMORIAL OFFERINGS, and [3] from your offerings given to specific missionaries by name designated for ‘salary’ or ‘support’. All of these offerings go toward supplying our missionaries’ ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE TRANSACTIONS for that month.

What if our Monthly General Fund offerings from all these sources do not cover that month’s Essential Maintenance Transactions disbursements?
IF OUR MONTHLY GENERAL FUND RECEIPTS DO NOT COVER THE ABOVE-LISTED EMT DISBURSEMENTS, THEN WE MUST GO BACK TO THE MISSIONARIES’ MONTHLY DEPOSITS AND MAKE A FURTHER PROPORTIONATE DEDUCTION FROM EACH MISSIONARY’S TOTAL DEPOSIT TO COVER THE DEFICIT THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE UP.

When this happens, our missionaries must make further sacrificial personal contributions to their own Essential Maintenance for that month.

We had to do that last November and December 2008, but the monthly General Fund offerings increased during the first months of 2009, so that I have not had to make any further reductions from their monthly deposits during 2009...UNTIL THIS MONTH [August].

What if we receive MORE Tier 1 receipts during any month than we need for that month’s EMT disbursements?
IF WE INCUR OVERAGES IN ANY ONE MONTH, THEN I WILL CARRY OVER THAT OVERAGE INTO THE FOLLOWING MONTHS TO COVER ANY DEFICITS THAT MAY OCCUR LATER ON.

AUGUST DEPOSITS
I am preparing the monthly deposits for August right now as I write this article. July’s General Funds offerings were down. I will apply the remaining overages from previous months’ TIER 1 RECEIPTS to this month’s deficit, BUT THERE WILL STILL BE THE NEED FOR FURTHER DEDUCTIONS FROM THE MISSIONARIES’ MONTHLY DEPOSITS.

THANKSGIVING OFFERING
So, what are we doing with the THANKSGIVING OFFERING?

TIER 2 / PRN [AS NEEDED] GENERAL FUND DISBURSEMENTS
Besides the Essential Maintenance Transactions we disburse to our missionaries regularly each month, there are other services and benefits we give them which are also supplied from the General Fund receipts. For example: the expenses related to the daily operations of administration, furlough transportation, maintaining the furlough home, 4-year $8000 Auto Allowance [if we have it to give]...and other benefits.

We call these services PRN DISBURSEMENTS [they are disbursed ‘AS NEEDED’]. The ‘overhead’ operating expenses are monthly, but the other benefits are provided during the year as they are needed – IF WE HAVE IT TO GIVE.

WE SUPPLY THESE TIER 2 / PRN SERVICES FROM THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING. We are now in the month of August and are sort of ‘limping’ and ‘eking out’ our way to the end of November when we begin to receive our 2009 THANKSGIVING OFFERING.

But, THE MISSIONARIES’ MONTHLY ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE TRANSACTIONS MUST STILL BE SUPPLIED FROM OUR MONTHLY GENERAL FUND SOLVENCY FUNDS...EACH AND EVERY MONTH.

TWO URGENT APPEALS
So – again we must make TWO URGENT APPEALS to EVERY GIVING FRIEND:

[1] INCREASE YOUR PERSONAL OR CHURCH’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR MONTHLY GENERAL FUND SO WE CAN SUPPLY OUR MISSIONARIES’ ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE.

[2] PRAY...PLAN...AND PREPARE FOR AS LIBERAL AND GENEROUS A THANKSGIVING OFFERING AS THE LORD ENABLES YOU TO GIVE. We hope you have already been laying aside your 2009 Thanksgiving Offering since giving your 2008 Offering. But, if you have not, THEN DO SO RIGHT NOW!

Ask the Lord what He wants you to give. Then, ask the Lord to give you what He wants you to give. 2 Corinthians, chapter 9.

-___________________-

THANKSGIVING MISSIONS CONFERENCE / NOVEMBER 23, 24, 25
PLAN TO ATTEND!

MARGUERITE HALLUM

2009-06-26T11:07:00.007-05:00

MARGUERITE HALLUM UPDATES
steveandteeter@bellsouth.net

NOTE:
Marguerite Hallum is the unmarried daughter of the first missionaries BFM supported for missions in Peru. She served with them during all the years of their ministry in Peru, and then cared for them until their deaths after they returned to the States.

She lived and worked for several years in Louisiana, but for the past few years has been living in DeLand FL in an assisted-living retirement center. Her niece, Teeter Mauldin, and her husband, Steve, brought her to DeLand so they can care for her just a few minutes from where they live – and they have done so faithfully and lovingly. [Marguerite is pictured above with the Mauldins]

We had the opportunity to visit with Sister Marguerite during our BFM Winter Conference at Park Ridge Baptist Church in Orlando-area back in January 2009, and she delighted us with her company, fellowship, and her many, many exciting stories of their ministry experiences in Peru.

Here are some updates I have received from her niece, Teeter Mauldin, concerning some of the latest developments in her health condition.

We encourage you to pray for Sister Marguerite, and for Steve and Teeter Mauldin. The Mauldins’ email address is: steveandteeter@bellsouth.net

You may address written correspondences for Sister Marguerite to:
Teeter Mauldin
432 Rich Avenue
DeLand FL 32724-4315

Thursday, 16 July
Dear Friends,
Good news...just went to the hospital and they released Marguerite this afternoon. She is now back at the Florida Lutheran Retirement Center and they were so very happy to have her 'home'...she's happy to be home.

The blockage is gone and hopefully will stay gone for a while. Her oxygen levels have improved and she seems to be fine today.

A sad note is her roommate Dorothy is in her last days...she has hospice round the clock now. I'm sure this will affect Marguerite greatly...they were 'fun' roommates.

Thank you for your prayers...the Lord's timing is perfect and we trust Him in all things.
Love to all, Teeter

TUESDAY, 14 JULY
MARGUERITE IS IN THE HOSPITAL
Dear Friends,
Just to update you on the current situation.

Marguerite was admitted to the hospital Sunday night...midnight...for an abdominal blockage. We do not know what kind of blockage it is but she had been vomiting since Wednesday and not eating. She was dehydrated but showed no signs on infection.
She is not in pain, other than the tube down her nose and throat, she is comfortable.

She knows where she is but does not know why because as she says, "No body tells me anything and I haven't even seen a doctor or nurse since I've been here." Her dementia is a wonderful thing in these situations...the doctors and nurses have seen her and been wonderful.

Her kidneys had stopped due to the dehydration but now are working again. We are taking one day at a time and just pray hard for her comfort and peace of mind.

Rob Poynor and his son Christopher visited yesterday and that perked up her spirits a great deal.

We have a 'work party' this week with our Sunday School class and we are really torn between being here...since we're in charge and it is for us that they are working so hard...and being with Marguerite. I go and come.

After two weeks of 'granny camp' and another week coming up next week of 'camp,' this was the only week we had to get organized for our class to help us rehab the house next door we just purchased...the wonderful part it was their idea to do this!

We went into this project exhausted but the Lord is faithful and I can do 'all things through Him who gives me strength.'

Pray for Marguerite's recovery, peace of mind, comfort, and our ability to meet her needs and get everything else done too! Strength for today...we are taking one day at a time!

Love to all, Teeter

FRIDAY AFTERNOON, 26 JUNE 2009
Dear Brother Dave,
We have placed Marguerite with Hospice. She is in no pain and her sweet spirit is still present. Our Lord's timing is perfect and He has her in His hands. For that we give praise and thanks. We're trusting Him in all things. Thank you for your prayers for us all.
Love, Teeter

22 June 2009
Dear Friends,
Just a quick update on Marguerite for today. We are taking one day at a time right now. She has congestive heart failure and is on oxygen 24/7. They have it on the highest level and it can go no higher...still her oxygen levels are in the low 80's. The nurses are amazed that she wakes up and converses with the levels that low. She also has an irregular heart beat and rapid heart beat...the combination of the two is not good. One of the reasons, they think, the oxygen levels read so low is because of the irregular heartbeat...seems it can throw off the monitoring device. In reality she might be getting more oxygen that what they think. One of the nurses just 'happened' to read an article on that little know fact!) On Friday she was really bad, not eating, and slept most of Saturday...yesterday she was alert and talking and coherent! That's why I say it is one day at a time. She had stopped eating but yesterday ate well! We never know what we will find when we go. She is in no pain, doesn't feel badly, does not have labored breathing...so my prayers for her have been answered. She is not suffering in any way. The nurses and aides are wonderfully attentive and keep me posted on any change or new development. We are blessed to have her in such a beautiful, caring facility. I'm asking for prayers for her continued comfort and when the time comes for the Lord just to let her go to sleep. Think that's what I'd like to do too, when the time comes:) I'm not rushing it but know it is not far off for her....or she could rally and last for years like her father did! It is not in our hands or our control and we take comfort in that fact! God's timing is perfect and we trust that fact! Thank you for all of your concern and prayers.
Love to all, Teeter

PS I have lost a lot of email addresses from the list I usually send updates to...pass it on to others that you think might be interested and send me their addresses so I can add them. I am not a technical whiz...in fact, I could be considered 'challenged' in that area:) Thanks for your help on this.

19 May 2009
Dear Friends and Family,
We so appreciate your calls and emails about Marguerite. She is really loved! I've just been to the Center to check on her and she is still very ill. A little improvement from yesterday but a long way to go. I spoke with the doctor as he was making his rounds and he was to check her for me. She had improved at the end of last week but by Sunday was worse than ever. Her cough is deep and long but she says 'not productive.' I say it's 'missing a good chance' because she is coughing from her toes! Her foot is infected still and is on antibiotics for that, too. She is not eating anything but tea, toast, and soup on occasion so she is getting weaker. Today I sat with her while she ate her breakfast of tea and one piece of toast...couldn't coax her to eat more. Kept her up for over an hour and she was ready for her bed and a nap. Please continue to pray for her. She is in no pain and isn't complaining at all, in fact, doesn't think her cough is bad at all...just amazing.
Love to all, Teeter

13 May 2009
Dear Friends,
Please pray for Marguerite. She is really sick. A bronchial bug has swept through the nursing center and everyone is coughing, running fever, etc. I took her to the foot doctor yesterday thinking her foot would be better since she hasn't been walking on it...wrong...it is infected again and draining. It is about as bad as we've seen it. She just started crying in the doctor's office and said, 'it is always something!' Never seen her at the 'giving up' point before. She was very quiet and didn't talk...I was so busy trying to engage her in conversation I missed two turns off the interstate and ended up going to Daytona...the scenic route! They have her on antibiotics and maybe by today they have kicked in. They did a culture on her foot and we go back next week to see the doctor...he is very concerned. They also did xrays to see if the infection was in the bone...there are some changes but it is not definitive yet.

We were gone last week on a mission's trip to South Carolina. She did not have a good week...she didn't eat because her stomach hurt. When we took her to dinner on Mother's Day she said she was fine and ate everything in sight. Even though we didn't tell her we were out of town, friends visited, etc. she knows when I'm not here. Pray she heals quickly and she won't remember she's been so sick and so depressed. Her roommate Dorothy is not doing well at all either.

I know she's in the Lord's hands and He loves her so much! We all do! Thank you for your prayers,
Love, Teeter

4 April 2009
Dear Brother Dave,
I'm reporting on Marguerite Hallum She fell last week and broke her hip. She has surgery and is back in her retirement center undergoing rehab. She has been remarkable...her spirit is good, her humor is intact, and the prognosis is good. Please pray that she will be up on her feet and gardening again soon.
Blessings, Teeter Mauldin

HOMER CRAIN FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

2009-06-22T08:37:00.002-05:00

Brother Crain's family will be receiving friends Tuesday evening 6-8 pm CST.

Funeral Service will be conducted Wednesday at 11:00 am CST.

All services will be located at:
LAWRENCE FUNERAL HOME
12950 AL HIGHWAY 157
MOULTON AL 35850
256.974.0685

Written correspondences and condolences may be addressed to their son, Mike, at the Crain's residence:
Mike Crain
13177 Highway 101
Town Creek AL 35672

Mike's cell phone number: 256.227.6011

HOMER CRAIN IS IN HEAVEN

2009-06-20T12:54:00.002-05:00

I just got a call from Mike Crain. Brother Crain went to be with the Lord this morning to rest from all his many labors. They plan the Family Visitation for Tuesday night and the funeral for Wednesday. I will post the place and times when I receive them.

I will attempt to keep everyone updated. We are conducting VBS at our church next week. I will try to keep up with these services also.

Pray for the Crain family during this experience.

HOMER CRAIN IS IN ICU

2009-06-20T09:23:00.003-05:00

Homer and Elizabeth Crain served the Lord as missionaries in Peru with Baptist Faith Missions. Sister Crain went to be with the Lord last year. Brother Crain has been in failing health for the past few years.

I received this email notice this morning [Saturday, 20 June]. This is all I know right now. Check back to this site for subsequent postings as I receive them.

"Bro. Homer Crain is in ICU and is not expected to live. Please pray for him and the family. He is father to Wanda Malo, and Wanda and Al are on their way to visit her father.

Please respond to: ajmalo@msn.com"

BETTY CREIGLOW FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

2009-06-01T20:56:00.005-05:00

FAMILY VISITATION: TUESDAY, 6PM until 8 or 9 [as needed]

FUNERAL SERVICE: WEDNESDAY, 3PM
Mike Creiglow will conduct the service with the assistance of Pastors Ed Massey and Dave Parks.

ALL SERVICES WILL BE AT MORRIS AND HISLOPE FUNERAL HOME.
5900 N. Hwy 27, Science Hill KY
Located on Highway 27 just a very short distance south from First Baptist Church, Science Hill, where Ed Massey pastors. Across the highway from Science Hill Elementary School.

MORRIS AND HISLOPE website: http://www.morrisandhislope.com
Telephone: 606.423.3131 / 800.291.4054

Beverly's cell phone number: 859.227.4912

BETTY CREIGLOW IS WITH THE LORD

2009-06-01T10:34:00.003-05:00

1 June 2009

Dear Friends,
I received a call shortly after 10am today that Betty Creiglow is resting from her earthly labors.

Mike sent out this email shortly after:
Beloved Family and Friends,
This morning at 10 o'clock Mom slipped from our arms into His loving embrace. Thanks to all of you who prayed and are praying.
God bless you all.
Love, Mike Creiglow

Bobby and Betty served the Lord as faithful missionaries in Brazil for 33 years [1960-1993]. Betty was Bobby’s untiring helper and co-worker.

Bobby’s mailing address is:
BOBBY CREIGLOW
P.O. Box 3
Science Hill KY 42553

bob4bfm@newwavecomm.net

CHECK BACK HERE FOR FURTHER UDATES AS I LEARN THEM.

Grace to you all.

Dave Parks
3985 Boston Road
Lexington KY 40514
859.223.8374 phone
859.223.8954 fax
daveparks@insightbb.com

A TRIBUTE TO PASTOR WALLACE YORK

2009-05-11T19:33:00.002-05:00

Pastor Wallace York departed this life from us and entered the Presence of His Lord on Sunday evening, 10 May. He never recovered from the emergency surgery he underwent on 5 April. His Master called him Home to be blessed in rest and receive his commendation and reward.

Brother Wallace was a dear friend to us all. He loved everyone he knew, and everyone who knew him loved him. Wallace was not embarrassed to say those simple words that preeminently distinguish us as the disciples of Jesus Christ: “I love you” – and he meant it...and lived it.

Wallace impacted and influenced thousands of people who were instructed, comforted, and edified by his ministry. He had an obvious gift of mercy and encouragement. When he ministered at the Ashland Avenue Baptist Church, he taught a large class called ‘Barnabas Class'. I always thought that was a most appropriate name for his ministry because Wallace was a genuine ‘son of encouragement.’ His son, Hershael, posted this tribute to his Dad from Acts 11.24 [concerning the original Barnabas]: “For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.” To which we all say, “Amen!”

Wallace served his Savior as a missionary in Brazil and pastored several churches in Kentucky and Michigan – in addition to helping train other servants in the ministry at Lexington Baptist College and Clarksville Baptist College.

He served the cause of Gospel missions as a Director for Baptist Faith Missions for many years, and we will miss his faithful, gentle, and wise counsel.

So, from all the missionaries and Directors of Baptist Faith Missions - and all his friends everywhere - we all express our love, appreciation, and prayers to God for His comfort to his lovely, gracious, and faithful wife, Doris, his children, and all his family...until we meet again, Beloved Brother!

WALLACE YORK HAS GONE TO HEAVEN

2009-05-10T20:25:00.009-05:00

Hershael York: early Monday morning via FACEBOOK
Visitation for my dad will be held at the Morgan Funeral Home in Princeton, KY, Tuesday May 12, 4-8PM CDT. The funeral will be at 1PM Wednesday at the Southside Baptist Church in Princeton, KY. At his request memorials may be given to:
Baptist Faith Missions
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280

Cards and notes may be sent to their home address:
100 Mohawk Drive
Princeton KY 42445
270.365.5621

MORGAN'S FUNERAL HOME
310 W Washington St [Route 139]
Princeton KY 42445
270.365.5595
www.morgansfuneralhome.com

SOUTHSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH
205 Nichols St
Princeton KY 42445
270.365.5510
www.southsidebaptist.com

Hershael York via FACEBOOK around 8 pm Sunday evening
Wallace York, faithful servant of Jesus Christ, is at home with his Savior. Blessed be the name of the One who is Faithful and True. "For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord." Ac 11:24 true of my Barnabas

SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE REPORT

2009-05-07T20:10:00.001-05:00

The Lord blessed us with a most inspiring, encouraging, and challenging Spring Missions Conference. As I always say, we can prepare to host it, and we can make a schedule, but only the Holy Spirit can write the program. And, we believe He did. THANK YOU! to all our preachers who challenged us from the Word of God to make the best and most use of the time God has given us to meet the urgent challenge of reaching our generation of the world’s people with the Gospel of God’s saving Grace.

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED. You are the ones who make up the spirit and environment of the Conference event by your presence and participation. We certainly hope you will already be making plans to be back next year.

WE HAD FIVE OF OUR MISSIONARY FAMILIES IN ATTENDANCE. The presence of our missionaries always adds a very palpable sense of relevance and perspective to our Conferences. We do everything we do, first, for the Glory of our Great God – but we also do everything we do for the encouragement and empowerment of our missionaries. We never want our missionaries to attend our Conferences and leave discouraged or depressed. I believe all our missionaries who attended and ministered to us were encouraged by the interest and participation we demonstrated during our Conference services.

Maybe I should allow some of our attendees to evaluate the Conference by their own experiences: “...Enjoyed the Conference as much as any I have ever attended...One of the best Conferences I have ever seen...This was one of the best Conferences I have attended in several years. The preaching was great, the music uplifting, the fellowship sweet, and the meals delicious. The Lord willing, I hope I can attend next year as well.”

We also believe the Lord has great things in store for the growth and improvement of our missions ministry as our response to our being together for those three days. We always enjoy having an exciting Conference event during the time we are together – but we measure the true effectiveness of a GOOD Conference by how we follow-up when we all go back home. We are praying and hoping that we all respond with a greater and more passionate interest, investment, and involvement in supporting our missionaries with our prayers to God and offerings...as we GIVE GOD GLORY AMONG THE NATIONS!

CONFERENCE OFFERINGS
A total of $4195.00 was given during the Conference. We had announced beforehand that the Conference offering would be designated toward meeting the 4-YEAR AUTO ALLOWANCES for our missionaries. $3720.00 was given toward MISSIONARIES’ AUTOS. Another $220.00 was designated for GENERAL FUND purposes. An additional $255.00 was designated for BRATCHERS’ MANAUS HOME to help them recover the damages and losses they have suffered from the vandalism to their home in Manaus in their absence.

BRATCHER MANAUS HOME
If you want to help Harold and Marie Bratcher repair the damages to their Manaus home and replace their appliances which were burglarized, you may designate your offerings for BRATCHERS’ MANAUS HOME. They are going to need about $5000.00 to make things whole again after the recent vandalisms.

You may also send offerings directly to them at: 104 Glass Avenue, Lexington KY 40505. Their Lexington phone number is: 859.389.8975.

THANK YOU! MONTHLY GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTORS
Please continue your commitments and giving to our MONTHLY GENERAL FUND. We must maintain and increase our generous giving to our MONTHLY GENERAL FUND to supply the essential needs our missionaries have to conduct their daily ministries.

BETTY CREIGLOW

2009-05-06T09:52:00.002-05:00

All of you who are familiar with the name BETTY CREIGLOW know that she is the beloved wife of BOBBY CREIGLOW - and MIKE CREIGLOW's mother. They served the Lord in association with BFM in Brasil for 33 years - from 1960-1993.

She has suffered from dementia and Alzheimer's Disease for the past few years and has been in rapidly declining physical health for the past several months.

We thought this past Saturday [2 May] that the Lord had called her to come Home. She went into a deep sleep Friday night and slept well into the day on Saturday. Her vital signs declined. Bobby notified us, and we began to keep in constant touch with him.

But, she revived after a good night's sleep again on Saturday evening. Sunday and Monday both, she showed signs of physical revival. We got this email from Bobby this morning [Wednesday, 6 May]: Monday Betty had a good day; She was having a big party in her own little world. She would laugh, try to sing, and clap her hands, having a great time with anyone that would talked to her. Since yesterday morning she is in that hang-over phase. She is sleeping most of the time. Last evening she seemed to be a little upset, so I gave her some medicine for that, and she slept from six to six, had her usual breakfast, and is back to sleep. I got up often last night to see if she was still breathing, and at times I could not be sure. Love,Bob

Continue to pray for her, for Bobby, and for their family.

WALLACE YORK RECENT UPDATES

2009-05-06T09:46:00.003-05:00

I can only apologize to you who have visited this blog to keep up with the updates I have been posting. I am just overwhelmed with the daily administration of projects, issues, and crises - more than I can keep up with.

But, here are the most recent updates on Brother Wallace from Hershael's FACEBOOK - the most recent being at the top of the post:

MONDAY, 4 MAY
Hershael York: With my dad now. He is not well but he is sweet and kind. Please pray for God's glory through him. This is tough.

THURSDAY, 30 APRIL
Hershael York: Update on Dad. Today he was moved to the Princeton Health Care and Rehab Center which is near his home. My mother is very sad he's not home.

WEDNESDAY, 29 APRIL
Hershael York: Congrats to my dad, Wallace York, who today celebrates his 55th anniversary of ordained ministry. Still in the hospital, but praising God.

SATURDAY, 25 APRIL
Hershael York: Update on Dad. Still in the hospital, probably will move to a rehab facility in Princeton in the next few days. Still very weak, in pain.

BRATCHERS' MANAUS HOME VANDALIZED

2009-04-18T09:30:00.002-05:00

Harold and Marie Bratcher received a call from Manaus on Saturday evening, 14 March, that their home in Manaus had been broken into, vandalized, and burglarized. Thieves took the front security gate off its hinges, broke into their home, and stole their refrigerator, kitchen range, clothes dryer, and other appliances and personal belongings which were loose. They also tore up doorways to get the appliances out of the house quickly and did other substantial damage and trashing to the house.

WILL YOU GIVE SOME SPECIAL OFFERINGS TO HELP THEM MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS TO THEIR HOME AND REPLACE THEIR APPLIANCES? Designate your special offerings ‘BRATCHER NEEDS’ and we will know what it is for. We would like to help them get everything back in order before they return to Manaus in June.

THEY HAVE ALSO RECEIVED SUBSEQUENT REPORTS FROM MANAUS SINCE THEN THAT ADDITIONAL ACTS OF VANDALISM AND THIEVERY HAVE OCCURRED EVEN AFTER REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THEIR HOME TO TRY TO SECURE IT. There are also concerns for their safety even after they are able to return to Manaus in June to re-occupy the house.

Their current address is:
Harold and Marie Bratcher
104 Glass Avenue
Lexington KY 40505
859.389.8975

DRAPERS' GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER

2009-04-15T14:10:00.003-05:00

FRIDAY, 17 APRIL, 9.30 PM
FROM: Harold and Ursula Draper
Bro. Dave,
Our little Skyley has been moved from the Intensive Care Unit at Children's Hospital in St. Louis. She continues to cry and complain about her stomach hurting.. Her vital signs are better. On Monday, they plan to examine her with a scope to see if she is healing or if surgery will be necessary. Coninue to pray for her and the family.

WEDNESDAY, 15 APRIL - 2PM
Dear Bro. Dave,
Our 2 yr old great grand daughter swallowed a wafer battery a little smaller than a quarter last night.

Her breathing was cut off. Her mom did the Heimlich maneuver several times on her and she started breathing. It lodged in her esophagus and started leaking. They rushed her by ambulance to the Children's Hospital in St. Louis where they did surgery to remove it. It ate through the lining of her esophagus but seemingly did not perforate it. She may make a full recovery, but it is not sure right now.

I am on my way to St. Louis. Ursula is at home in Bardwell.

We request prayer. Please get the word out. Sorry to hear about Bro. Bobby.

Harold Draper

The child's name is Skyley Budde [pronounced boo-dee]

BOBBY CREIGLOW IN HOSPITAL

2009-04-15T14:07:00.005-05:00

SATURDAY - 18 APRIL #2
I talked with Bobby this afternoon. He is trying to rest and re-gain his strength, though his Dr has told him it may take up to two weeks just to clear out all the infections from the [whatever it was that got him...Drs can't definitively diagnose it].

SATURDAY - 18 APRIL
I was out all day yesterday on several missions - but called Bobby this morning. Arlete is with them for about a week and taking care of them. She told me that he was discharged yesterday and got home around 10.30am. He is resting this morning. I will call him later this afternoon to talk with him. But, he is improving and recuperating. We bless God.
Bobby Creiglow
PO Box 3
Science Hill KY 42553
606.423.1073
bob4bfm@newwavecomm.net

THURSDAY UPDATE-16 APRIL
Just talked with Bobby, 8.30am. He had a restful night and is recovering. All the symptoms have been stabilized-rehydrating him with IVs. Dr has just been in and wants to keep him in hospital until at least this evening. Dr will check on him after office hours today and see if he is tolerating solid food before discharging him. Arlete has arrived from SC and came to see him last night. She is going to stay with them for a week and take care of Betty. Also help Bobby toward full recovery after he gets back home. Continue to pray for his full recovery.

WEDNESDAY - 15 APRIL
I got a call this morning from one of the members of the First Baptist Church, Science Hill KY, where Bobby and Betty are serving – telling me that Bobby was taken to the hospital this morning and admitted.

He has been sick with some kind of stomach flu that has developed since Sunday – vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration, etc – and became so sick around 2.30 this morning that he called David Sayres to come and check on him [told him: “I have passed out and need help”] and take him to the ER.

They did...and admitted him, though, as of now, 1pm EDST, he is still in a treatment area in the ER waiting for a room to become available.

Eunice Sayres and Pat Massey are with Betty today. They have also contacted the Hospice personnel who have been coming periodically to help Bobby take care of Betty – and they are coming every day now to help. Arlete and her husband are planning to come to Science Hill and stay with Betty.

He may in the hospital for 1-2 days. He is very sick and weak with this flu. Someone from the church is with Bobby all the time also.

Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital, Somerset KY.
606.679.7441

Betty is being taken care of.
Dave
3985 Boston Road
Lexington KY 40514
859.223.8374 phone
859.223.8954 fax
daveparks@insightbb.com

WALLACE YORK UPDATES - MONDAY, 13 APRIL FORWARD

2009-04-13T12:04:00.010-05:00

I WILL INCLUDE THE UPDATES FROM FOLLOWING DAYS ON THIS SAME POST AND WILL DESIGNATE THEM BY THE DAY HEADINGS

MONDAY, 13 APRIL

Hershael York: 11.30 am
Wallace York is off the ventilator! He spoke his 1st words to me on the phone. His throat is sore and he can't say much, but he is better.

WE ALL BLESS GOD FOR THIS IMPROVEMENT!
PLEASE CONTINUE PRAYING FERVENTLY FOR HIS COMPLETE RECOVERY!
Dave

6:30 pm
Hershael York
I just spoke with Dad. His voice is hoarse, but he said "I love you com todo meu coracao!" He even remembers his Portuguese!

DAVE PARKS
I spoke with Doris York by phone earlier this evening [about 6:30pm] and she wants everyone to know how much they both love you all and THANK YOU for your concern and for your PRAYERS TO GOD on their behalf. GOD HAS DONE WONDERS THIS PAST WEEK - and we are asking Him for more!

9:56 pm
Hershael York
More progress with Dad. They removed the NG tube. Tomorrow they will sit him up in a chair. I just prayed with him over the phone and he is doing well, determined to preach again. He still has pneumonia, but sitting up will help with that. I can't thank you enough for your prayers. Please continue with the assurance that God is working in concert with the prayers of His people.

WEDNESDAY, 9.00 PM
Hershael York: Update on my dad: He is still in ICU and very weak, but vital systems are much better. He is having a lot of problems with his incision. Yesterday they had to open it again (this is the 2nd time since surgery). Today he seemed weaker than yesterday, but this is probably a result of the physical therapy wearing him out. Please continue to pray for the incision to heal and for added strength.
Wed 9:07pm

THURSDAY - 16 APRIL
Spoke with Doris this morning. Wallace continues to improve since Monday. Incision is still open and draining. THEY ARE PLANNING TO MOVE HIM INTO A PRIVATE ROOM THIS AFTERNOON. He is in the REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER IN MADISONVILLE KY. 270.825.5100 I hope to speak with him via phone this afternoon. I have assured Doris and will tell Wallace how much we all love him and that thousands of people have been praying to God for his healing and recovery. WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER UPDATE WHEN I CAN SPEAK TO HIM.

6.30 PM
I DID SPEAK WITH BROTHER WALLACE THIS EVENING. HE IS IN ROOM 402. HE IS STILL VERY WEAK AND EXHAUSTED - BUT MUCH BETTER, FOR WHICH WE PRAISE GOD!

FRIDAY, 17 APRIL
Hershael York: Standing by Dad's bedside with my sisters. It's a family reunion. Dad is very weak but looks good. Long road ahead; not the end of the road.
6:09pm

SATURDAY - 18 APRIL
I just talked with Doris in Wallace's room [3pm]. Wallace is in a lot of pain and discomfort - both from any movement or transferring they do of his body...and also from bedsores he has developed. He is still very weak and exhausted from all the physical trauma of the diseases and surgery and is not re-gaining strength rapidly at all. I didn't even ask to speak to him because I could tell from Doris's report that what he needs right now is rest.

Bobby Greene and Wayne Howard drove there yesterday [friday] and visited with him for a few minutes. The nurses had transferred him from the bed to a sitting chair and had stirred up a lot of discomfort by the move. They also didn't take into account his bedsores - and so the stiffness of the vinyl covering on the sitting chair pressed against his bedsores, making them sorer and more painful. He is much better than he was two weeks ago - but still has a LONG way to go. Pray for him...and for them all.

WALLACE YORK - THE LORD'S DAY, 12 APRIL

2009-04-13T07:05:00.002-05:00

Hershael York 4:33 PM
Drs. reopened his incision to clean out infection, and are leaving it open for a few days. Hoping to remove ventiator tomorrow.
4:33pm

Hershael York: 8:30 PM
Tanya has gone to Madisonville to help with Dad. Please pray that he will be able to breathe on his own tomorrow, that his fever will go down, that his pain will lessen, and that his infection will end. For those who have asked about cards. Their address is Wallace and Doris York 100 Mohawk Drive, Princeton, KY 42445.

WALLACE YORK - SATURDAY, 11 APRIL

2009-04-11T12:45:00.001-05:00

HERSHAEL WRITES ON HIS FACEBOOK: 1:45 PM
An update on my Dad: he has suffered a bit of a setback. Still unable to come off the ventilator, he has developed an infection and we don't know its source. They are giving him blood (which is not unusual), but the MD says he is still a very sick man. My family and I are very grateful for your prayers.

WALLACE YORK - FRIDAY, 10 APRIL

2009-04-10T05:29:00.007-05:00

12:30 am
Hershael York: Read Dad Romans 8, prayed. I spoke to him in Portuguese and he understood perfectly. He hasn't lived in Brazil since 1961! His mind is fine.

Hershael York: 30 mins with Dad early on this Good Friday AM. From 5-5:30 (CDT) he and I will be rendering praises to a crucified Savior from the ICU!

7:40 am
Hershael York: I believe Dad will have the ventilator removed today. Pray that he can breathe on his own and they won't have to re-entubate. He's stirring more now.

2:00 pm
Hershael York: Doc decided to wait 1 more day to remove ventilator just to be safe. Dad is in some pain but all signs are good. Tornados reported nearby.

8:30 pm
Hershael York: I am amazed at the mercies of God dropped on us, handfuls on purpose. Prayers, calls, visits. The Yorks are grateful for all of these things

FROM DAVE PARKS:
I posted this message on Hershael's Facebook on behalf of us all:
Hershael, I have been following your posts all week and re-posting them on our BFM blog. We continue to fervently pray to God for Wallace, asking the Father for an Epaphroditus mercy - Phil 2.27. Please tell Wallace and your mother how many thousands of prayers have been raised to God - and that we love them...and you all...more than we can tell.

HERSHAEL RESPONDED:
Dave: I thank you for helping others pray for Dad. It means more to him and to all of us than I can tell you. He is making progress, more slowly than I would like, but it's a lot better place than we were last Sunday or Monday night. Keep assaulting heaven with your prayers. He sends his love and gratitude.

WALLACE YORK - THURSDAY, 9 APRIL

2009-04-09T13:59:00.007-05:00

HERSHAEL POSTED ON HIS FACEBOOK, 2:30 PM
Just spent an hour in Dad's ICU room. He can hear and respond w/a nod. Vital signs improving but this is long & tough. Keep praying please.

4:00 pm
Hershael York: MD just left, said Dad is improving, lungs clearing, kidneys working. He hopes to have him off the ventilator this weekend and give him food

7:16 pm
Hershael York Just read Psalm 34 to Dad. The corners of his closed eyes wrinkle in a peaceful smile.

WALLACE YORK - WEDNESDAY, 8 APRIL

2009-04-08T21:39:00.002-05:00

HERSHAEL YORK POSTS ON FACEBOOK, 11:38 am: Just received word that Dad's kidneys are functioning. He is responding better. Still on ventilator.

ALSO: Doris York called today to report that there are some improvements today. Kidney Dr came in and said he is encouraged. Primary Care Dr came in and said he is encouraged. Surgeon came in and said he is encouraged. He wasn't sure Wallace would make it through surgery.

GOD BE PRAISED!

WALLACE YORK - TUESDAY, 7 APRIL UPDATE

2009-04-07T20:40:00.001-05:00

Hershael posts on his Facebook:
Update on Dad: he has responded some today, but his kidney function is very bad. He might go on dialysis soon. Pray for his lungs to clear.

WALLACE YORK - MONDAY EVENING UPDATE

2009-04-06T23:32:00.002-05:00

Hershael posted at 8:40pm:
Dad had to be put back on ventilator. A little setback, but heart is strong, brain function normal. They will keep him sedated a day or two.

Pray for Dad's lungs to clear, kidneys to function, body to strengthen. Recovery might take a bit longer, but we are cautiously optimistic.

WALLACE YORK - MONDAY MORNING UPDATE

2009-04-06T10:21:00.002-05:00

Hershael writes on his Facebook update around 9:45 am Monday morning:
Doc says Dad not out of woods yet but he is cautiously optimistic. Bacteria in his blood from the stomach ulcer has caused systemic problems.

WALLACE YORK - POST SURGERY

2009-04-06T07:11:00.002-05:00

Monday morning, 8.15 am, 6 April

Doris York called me last night from her home. Hershael and Tanya were staying at the hospital overnight with Wallace. She repeated that Wallace had come through the surgery and they had discovered a bleeding stomach ulcer. They debrided some of the contamination from his abdominal area. He is in ICU and on a ventilator. The surgeons have told them that he is 'not out of the woods' yet - that the next 24 hours will be critical.

Please continue to pray for his healing and recovery.
Dave

WALLACE YORK UPDATE

2009-04-05T20:23:00.002-05:00

It is now 9:30 pm EDST, Sunday evening.

I got a call on my cell phone as I was leaving from church services tonight from a member who had already arrived home. He said that he accessed Hershael's Facebook page and that Hershael reported that Wallace had come through the surgery well - certainly much better than anticipated - and that he was much improved from his pre-surgery condition. I am not registered on Facebook, so I can't give you any more details than were related to me.

But, this certainly is good news - and we praise God. Continue to pray for his complete recovery.

Dave

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST - WALLACE YORK

2009-04-05T13:34:00.001-05:00

Sunday afternoon, 2 pm edst, 5 April 2009
re: Wallace York

I am going to write as quickly as I can and get this online – but I started receiving phone calls on my way home from services this morning that an announcement had been made in Ashland Avenue Baptist Church that Wallace York was in the hospital in Madisonville and was in critical condition – life-threatening.

I just spoke with Doris York, who is in the ER with him. He has been sick for most of the week. Has been to the ER 4 times already before this morning. He has been suffering from an obstructed bowel. They have performed several enemas of different kinds. This morning, he began to vomit a dark substance. They don’t know whether it’s dried blood or what. They suspect he has a perforated colon and infection may be setting into his abdominal area.

He has also contracted pneumonia from the inactivity of the past several days, and his kidneys are shutting down.

They are preparing the operating room as quickly as they can to perform the emergency surgery to try to determine what his condition is. There are many risks. He may not survive the surgery. But, he is in God’s hands. Doris is understandably very shaken up, but they are committing themselves into the care of the Father’s wisdom and love.

Please pray for Brother Wallace and Doris – and their family – and for the surgeons who will be performing the surgery.

To you fellow directors of BFM – Wallace specifically told Doris to call the Directors of BFM and ask us to pray for him. Wallace loves us – and we love him.

Dave
3985 Boston Road
Lexington KY 40514
859.223.8374 phone
859.223.8954 fax
daveparks@insightbb.com

2009 SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE OFFERING

2009-03-20T11:40:00.002-05:00

AUTO RESCUE PLAN

Everyone one here in the U.S. knows all about the current “bailouts” or “rescue plans” proposed for the automobile industry. Many of you are personally involved and affected by all those plans. These are tough times for everyone in our present economy, and we are trusting God and praying for us all.

BUT, OUR MISSIONARIES HAVE A DIRE NEED FOR AN “AUTO RESCUE PLAN” ALSO. We have committed to each of our missionaries an Auto Allowance of $8000.00 to be given to them every 4 years, as the Lord provides.

Our missionaries need their automobiles. They cannot function without them. But, not only are their cars exorbitantly expensive to buy and maintain on each of their fields of service, but they also wear them out much more quickly due to the rough driving conditions and the continual use.

WE ARE WAY BEHIND IN GIVING SOME OF THESE 4-YEAR AUTO ALLOWANCES. In past years, if we didn’t have the funds available, and if a missionary didn’t have the immediate, desperate need to buy or trade for another car, he would tell me to defer paying his Auto Allowance for a future year. But, then, when the future year or years arrived, there would be additional allowances due for that year, and we might not have those funds, either.

And so, over a very few years, we have had several of these allowances accrue on top of each other. THE MISSIONARIES UNDERSTAND THAT IF WE DON’T HAVE THE FUNDS, THEN WE DON’T DISBURSE THE AUTO ALLOWANCE.

$96,000 IN ARREARS
At the present time, including the allowances which are due again in 2009, WE ARE TWELVE [12] ALLOWANCES IN ARREARS. That is $96,000.00 TOTAL. Again, if we don’t come up with the funds, then we can’t disburse these allowances.

BUT, WE CAN’T PERMIT OUR MISSIONARIES TO DO WITHOUT THEIR CARS, NO MORE THAN YOU OR I WOULD ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE WITHOUT OURS.

I HAVE ASKED THE MISSIONARIES TO TELL YOU THEIR STORIES AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS. For example, Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have sold both of their cars to raise money for property purchases. Mike Creiglow’s S10 pickup is worn out, and he needs a more durable and economical Jeep to maintain his ministry activities. And, these are just two examples. Every one of our missionaries has his own story to tell.

WILL YOU HELP US BEGIN TO MAKE UP THIS DESPERATE NEED BY DESIGNATING OFFERINGS TO ‘CAR FUND’ OR ‘AUTO ALLOWANCE’?

The CONFERENCE OFFERING will be designated for MISSIONARIES’ CAR FUND / AUTO ALLOWANCES. Please bring as generous an offering as you can give with you when you come.

Grace to you all!

2009 SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE

2009-03-07T11:21:00.001-05:00

49th Annual SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE
IN THE INTERESTS OF BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS
April 20, 21, 22 • 2009

Thompson Road Baptist Church
320 Thompson Road
Lexington KY

Conference Theme: “GIVING GOD GLORY...AMONG THE NATIONS”
Romans 15.9 ‘...that the Gentiles [nations] might GLORIFY GOD for His mercy...

For more information:
Pastor Dave Parks
daveparks@insightbb.com
3985 Boston Road • Lexington KY 40514-1507
859.223.8374

MONDAYnight / April 20
5:00 - 6:00 SUPPER
7:00 PRAISE
7:20 MESSAGE: Jim Orrick
Storms Creek Missionary Baptist Church, Ironton OH
8:00 PRAISE
8:20 MESSAGE: Missionary-Pastor John M. Hatcher
Tournefeuille FRANCE

TUESDAYmorning / April 21
9:30 PRAISE and PRAYER
9:50 MESSAGE: Pastor Larry Fisher
Rosedale Baptist Church, Rosedale WV
10:30 PRAISE
10:50 SEMINAR / WORKSHOP:
“GIVING GOD GLORY...AMONG THE NATIONS”
The Ultimate Purpose and Goal of Baptist Faith Missions:
GIVING GOD GLORY –
Making Christ known through proclamation and obedience
12:00 LUNCH
1:30 OPEN ADVISORY MEETING / Reports / Q&A / “All are welcome”
[ The 2008 Annual Financial Report will be presented and distributed ]
5:00 - 6:00 SUPPER

TUESDAYnight / April 21
7:00 PRAISE
7:20 MESSAGE: Pastor Richard Westfall
Hardman Fork Baptist Church, Normantown WV
8:00 PRAISE
8:20 MESSAGE: Missionary-Pastor Harold Draper
Cuiaba / Varzea Grande BRASIL

WEDNESDAYmorning / April 22
9:30 PRAISE
9:40 MESSAGE: Pastor Gary Harrah
Grace Missionary Baptist Church, Wyandotte MI
10:20 PRAISE
10:30 MESSAGE: Missionary-Pastor A. J. Hensley
New Life Baptist Church, Caraguatatuba BRASIL
11:10 BREAK
11:20 MESSAGE: Missionary-Pastor Harold Bratcher
24th of March Baptist Church, Manaus BRASIL
12:00 LUNCH
5:00 - 6:00 SUPPER

WEDNESDAYnight / April 22
7:00 PRAISE
7:30 MESSAGE: Pastor Glenn Archer
Faith Baptist Church, Kirksville MO

Motel Recommendations
You may choose to use your own travel / accommodations program or discounts...or do your own research to find a better deal. We are still recommending the Quality Inn Northwest / 750 NEWTOWN COURT / LEXINGTON KY / 859.233.0561

ONE QUEEN BED room is $54.95. TWO DOUBLE BEDS room is $59.95. They also offer continental breakfast on the premises, in-room coffeemaker, hairdryer, iron and ironing board, and high-speed internet access.

Ask for Nicky Frederick when you call to get these rates, or, ask the desk for Thompson Road Baptist Church event rates. It would be best to make your reservation by March 31st.

Travel Directions
FROM SOUTH ON I-75: Get off at Exit 104 (Athens-Boonesborough). Turn west toward town. You will be on Athens-Boonesborough Road / Richmond Road Extension. As you approach Lexington, the road will become Richmond Road around Jacobson Park. Continue straight into Lexington. Richmond Road will become Main Street. You will pass the Rupp Arena / Lexington Convention Center on your left. Turn left at the next traffic light. This is Jefferson Street. Turn right in the middle of the overpass bridge onto Manchester. About one mile down Manchester, turn right on Thompson Road and come to the top of the hill.

FROM NORTH ON I-75 OR EAST / WEST ON I-64: I-75 and I-64 merge for a few miles on the north/northeast side of Lexington. Come to Exit 115 on 64/75. This is Newtown Pike (State Route 922). Turn south toward Lexington. Follow Newtown Pike until you come to Main Street. Go straight across Main Street. This short street is Cox Street. Follow Cox Street to the dead-end. Turn right on Manchester / Old Frankfort Pike. Follow Manchester about one mile. Turn right on Thompson Road and come to the top of the hill.

If you choose to stay at Quality Inn, then follow the second set of directions above and Quality Inn will be on your left behind the Shell station just before you get to the New Circle Road interchange [1 mile from 64/75].

2009 SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE

2009-02-07T10:47:00.001-05:00

2009 BFM SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE
APRIL 20, 21, 22
THOMPSON ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH, LEXINGTON KY
MARK THESE DATES – PLAN TO COME!
daveparks@insightbb.com

THANKSGIVING OFFERING UPDATE

2009-02-07T10:43:00.003-05:00

THANKSGIVING OFFERING UPDATE
Thanks to your generous giving, our THANKSGIVING OFFERING-to-date is $77,711.09. That includes the December offerings reported in this issue of our monthly newletter, THE MISSION SHEETS.

We bless God for these financial provisions going into 2009. We will need all this – and more – to meet the challenges we will continue to face during the upcoming year. But, GOD IS ABLE TO MAKE ALL GRACE ABOUND TOWARD YOU. We believe we are doing God's work in God's way – and that God will supply all our needs according to His riches in Glory through Christ Jesus – as we ASK HIM, TRUST HIM, OBEY HIM, AND SERVE HIM!

Thanks to all of you who continue to give sacrificially and lovingly to Jesus Christ and to all our faithful missionaries. God has blessed you with His Grace to give and will continue to do so – as we obediently follow Christ.
-______________________-

GENERAL FUND MONTHLY SOLVENCY GOAL
Look at the total in this issues' General Fund column. This month's General Fund offering is $41,000.+ We haven't received a MONTHLY GENERAL FUND offering in this amount during all of 2007 or 2008 [or 2006 or 2005, either. Only in October 2004 did our monthly General Fund offerings exceed this month's.]

We bless God for every one of you who gives to any and all of our missionaries' needs – but especially to you who give to the GENERAL FUND to supply the Essential Maintenance Transactions we must disburse each month to keep our missionaries on their fields of service.

DEDUCTIONS FROM MISSIONARIES' MONTHLY DEPOSITS
We have had to make proportionate deductions from each of our missionaries' total deposits for the past two months to meet the monthly Essential Maintenance Transactions. Essential Maintenance Transactions are: salaries, standard expense allowances, hospitalization premiums, and Mission Sheets. These are expenses which almost all other missionaries must raise on their own through deputation and solicitation.

We provide these commitments from the General Fund. But, when the Monthly General Fund offering is not enough to cover these Essential Maintenance Transactions, then we must ask the missionaries to make up what lacks through proportionate deductions from their total deposits. We are making every effort to be sure these deductions, when necessary, are as fair and equitable as possible for each missionary.

WE WILL NOT NEED TO DO THAT THIS MONTH WITH THIS MONTH'S GENERAL FUND OFFERING.

THANKSGIVING OFFERING USES
We will need to use the Thanksgiving Offering from month to month during 2009 to provide for those other services, benefits, and commitments we have made to our missionaries which are not due every month, but will come due for them more periodically throughout the year. These are operating expenses, support services, furlough transportations, and Auto Allowances [when available].

We commit to you, our faithful Giving Friends, that we will administer your offerings as wisely, prudently, and cost-effectively as God enables us. But, we cannot disburse beyond our means. If we have made commitments to our missionaries, and the funds are not available to meet those commitments, then we must tell them we don't have the wherewithal to do it.

The missionaries may be asking you from time to time to help supply for them from your designated offerings some of the commitments we have made to them from the General Fund, but which may not be available to give them.

ALL OF YOUR OFFERINGS ARE BEING USED TO PREACH THE GOSPEL, MAKE DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST, AND ESTABLISH BAPTIST CHURCHES IN THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD. You have no better investment for your money.

DECEMBER 2008 THANKSGIVING OFFERING UPDATE

2009-01-06T08:23:00.001-05:00

Our Thanksgiving Offering total is: $23,948.00
That includes all the offerings received by the close of November and listed in this issue of the Mission Sheets – 23 offerings to date. We bless God and thank each of you who has given. Others have sent in your offerings this current month and will be added to next month’s update. THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING WILL REMAIN OPEN AS LONG AS YOU GIVE. There is no “expiration date” for giving to the Thanksgiving Offering.

If you have not given to our Thanksgiving Offering, we hope you will do so. No one should think that your offering is too small to be significant. NO OFFERING IS TOO SMALL. And our need for your most generous Thanksgiving Offering you can give has never been more critical than it is now.
-_________________-

$50,000 MONTHLY SOLVENCY GOAL
I am frequently asked: “What is BFM’s greatest need?” The answer is always: “THE GENERAL FUND!” Our 14 missionary families depend on commitments we have made to them from General Fund supplies.

When you support the GENERAL FUND, you are contributing to the salaries, housing, ministry expenses, health care, furlough travel expenses, and other commitments we have made to them. All of these standard commitments are “big ticket items”. Every month we disburse from the GENERAL FUND for the benefit of our missionaries: $23,860.00 for salaries; $12,400.00 for standard expense accounts; $8500.00 for insurance premiums as well as other support services and benefits [like the printing of the Mission Sheets you are reading right now]. ALL OF THESE DISBURSEMENTS, MODEST AS THEY ARE, ARE SUPPLIED FROM THE GENERAL FUND.

When you give to the GENERAL FUND, you are enabling them to serve the Lord daily where they are without the distraction of wondering whether their essential basic needs will be met to keep them on the field.

If you are not giving to the GENERAL FUND, we hope you will commit to giving a monthly offering so we can meet their needs. If you are giving to the GENERAL FUND, would you consider increasing your offering as you are able. TOGETHER, WE CAN DO IT!
-_________________-

POSSIBLE REDUCTIONS TO OUR MISSIONARIES’ MONTHLY DEPOSITS
If we are not able to meet the standard, essential financial commitments we have made to our missionaries from monthly GENERAL FUND offerings, we will have no choice but to reduce their monthly deposits proportionately to the shortfall in that month’s GENERAL FUND contributions. That means we will necessarily ask each one of them to bear a proportionate share of the total deficit between that month’s GENERAL FUND offerings and the disbursements those offerings supply. We can’t disburse funds we don’t have.

WE HAVE DONE...AND ARE DOING...EVERYTHING WE CAN DO TO AVOID COMING TO THAT POINT. THIS IS THE ACTION THAT WE MOST DREAD. Our missionaries cannot afford to do without any of the commitments we have made to them. They already struggle with the challenge of making their personal/family/ministry ends meet on their present budgets, compounded by the continual rise in their costs of living, decrease of the dollar’s value against their field currency, and the fluctuating exchange rates they deal with.

HELP THEM THIS MONTH WITH YOUR INCREASED OFFERINGS TO THE GENERAL FUND!

God bless you, all our missionaries’ Giving Friends!

"THANK YOU!" GIVING FRIENDS!

2009-01-06T08:17:00.002-05:00

“THANK YOU, GIVING FRIENDS!” We don't say that often enough, but we want to be sure you know how much we appreciate your faithful support for our missionaries. AND ESPECIALLY TO ALL OF YOU WHO FAITHFULLY AND CONSISTENTLY GIVE TO THE GENERAL FUND – THANK YOU! We need and appreciate ALL your offerings to our missionaries...but your offerings to the General Fund keep our missionaries on their fields of ministry. Our General Fund offerings supply our missionaries’ “DAILY BREAD” - “BREAD & BUTTER” – “SIMPLE BARE NECESSITIES” – “KEEP THE LIGHTS ON” – how else can we say it to emphasize how fundamentally essential it is to supply the GENERAL FUND with sufficient offerings to meet our missionaries’ essential living and ministry expenses.

GENERAL FUND MONTHLY SOLVENCY: $50,000.00

WE STILL NEED INCREASED OFFERINGS TO OUR MONTHLY GENERAL FUND. We disburse $50,000.00 each month in standard commitments we have made to our missionaries. EVERY MONTH - MONTH AFTER MONTH – OUR MISSIONARIES EXPECT US TO PROVIDE THESE COMMITMENTS WE HAVE PROMISED THEM. We struggle every day of every month to “pay the bills” and meet the basic, essential commitments of salaries, expense accounts, and all the other standard benefits, and support services we have told them we will provide for them.

WE ARE NOT RECEIVING SUFFICIENT MATCHING OFFERINGS FOR THE STANDARD MONTHLY DISBURSEMENTS WE MAKE EACH MONTH. We need every one of our missionaries' Giving Friends to make a personal, proportionate, perpetual commitment to give to the GENERAL FUND each month.

WE CAN MAKE OUR MONTHLY STANDARD GENERAL FUND DISBURSEMENTS SOLVENT IF EVERY ONE OF US DOES A PART. You can check our progress with us simply by looking at the Contributions page in this and every issue of the Mission Sheets. Look for the total given to the GENERAL FUND. That is what we have to work with to provide for our missionaries' essential, basic, daily needs.

WE ARE ALL OUR MISSIONARIES HAVE TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT – as the Lord Himself works through us by His own Grace, of course.

$100,000.00 THANKSGIVING OFFERING GOAL

Again, "THANK YOU!" to every one of you who has given to our Thanksgiving Offering over the years of our BFM history – and who are giving your offerings again this year. We have come this far BY FAITH – BY THE GRACE OF GOD – AND BY YOUR FAITHFUL COMMITMENT AND GENEROSITY!

Ordinarily, the bulk of our Thanksgiving Offering is given during the months of November and December. ASK THE LORD TO GIVE YOU A GENEROUS HELPING OF GRACE TO GIVE TO OUR MISSIONARIES.

Make a PERSONAL, PROPORTIONATE contribution to our Thanksgiving Offering. [See 2 Corinthians 8.12-14] IF YOU SEE THAT WE ARE NOT REACHING OUR GOAL WE NEED TO GIVE, THEN GIVE AGAIN SO WE CAN FULFILL THE COMMITMENTS WE HAVE MADE TO OUR MISSIONARIES. The Thanksgiving Offering giving opportunity is open as long as you are giving.

2009 Needs
We will need the Thanksgiving Offering funds to help us meet our monthly deficits as 2009 unfolds IF WE DON'T MEET OUR MONTHLY GENERAL FUND SOLVENCY GOAL.

Pending Disbursements
Also, we still have several thousands of dollars in benefits commitments we have made to our missionaries – but which are still pending and unpaid because we didn't have the funds during the year to pay them. So, the missionaries are still carrying that personal expense themselves. WE NEED TO FULFILL THAT COMMITMENT WE MADE TO THEM AND REIMBURSE THEM.

The standard commitments we make to our missionaries are still, at the very best we are doing, only very modest disbursements. All of our services and benefits should be increased, but we can't even think about increasing them if we are not meeting the commitments we have already made.

We are praying and asking the Lord to burden each of our hearts to join this worthy giving ministry – so our missionaries' needs will be met…so they can fund their daily ministry activities…so the Gospel of Christ can be proclaimed in all the nations of the world…so more people will be saved from their sins and discipled to follow Jesus Christ…and so THE GLORY OF CHRIST WILL COVER THE EARTH AS THE WATERS COVER THE SEA!

Now, therefore, KNOW...and CONSIDER WHAT YOU WILL DO!
1 Samuel 25.17

Grace – including Giving Grace – be with you all!

The Directors of Baptist Faith Missions

AUGUST 2008 UPDATE

2008-08-08T20:33:00.002-05:00

August, 2008

THANK YOU, AGAIN, GIVING FRIENDS!

We continue to bless God and thank each of you for your continued response to our missionaries’ needs which are supplied each month from the General Fund.

I CONTINUE TO RECEIVE CALLS FROM CHURCH PASTORS AND INDIVIDUAL GIVING FRIENDS THAT YOU ARE EITHER BEGINNING TO GIVE REGULAR MONTHLY OFFERINGS TO THE GENERAL FUND – OR ELSE THAT YOU ARE INCREASING YOUR MONTHLY OFFERINGS.

I assure you that your offerings not only supply the needs of the Lord’s saints, but they are also abounding in continual and increased THANKSGIVINGS to God for you – both by our missionaries and by us who administer their support.
[see 2 Corinthians 9.12-15 and Hebrews 6.10].

We need each of us to GIVE to meet this on-going challenge and make life-long commitments to faithfully give so our missionaries’ needs can be met.

THIS IS NOT A ONE-TIME NEED. A ‘BUMP’ WILL NOT SUFFICE TO MEET IT. The need is NOW...it is REAL...it is URGENT...and IT IS LONG-TERM.

“Now therefore, KNOW...and CONSIDER WHAT YOU WILL DO...”
1 Samuel 25.17

Here is what we all need to do together: WE NEED TO BEGIN IMMEDIATELY TO GIVE AT LEAST $37,000.00 MONTHLY TO THE GENERAL FUND.

This $37,000.00 General Fund Offering per month will come close to bringing our General Fund standard committed monthly disbursements to a point of solvency.

General Fund monthly standard disbursements are those commitments we have made to our missionaries to provide for their essential services: salary, expense accounts, hospitalization, home office overhead, etc. We make these disbursements every month. They are ‘the cost of doing the Lord’s business.’

There are other General Fund committed disbursements also – but they are not disbursed every month. They are more occasional: furlough expenses, hospitalization deductible reimbursement, 4-year auto allowances, etc. These disbursements are made throughout the year as needed, but we don’t make them every month. It still amounts to thousands of dollars each year.

OUR IMMEDIATE GOAL IS TO MAKE OUR GENERAL FUND STANDARD MONTHLY DISBURSEMENTS SOLVENT WITH OUR MONTHLY OFFERINGS – and then the other General Fund disbursements which we give our missionaries periodically throughout the year can be supplied by the funds from our THANKSGIVING OFFERING.

-_______________________-

$100,000.00 THANKSGIVING OFFERING GOAL
PRAY about our Thanksgiving Offering – and the part the Lord Jesus Christ is leading you to give to His mission.

PURPOSE in your heart what you would like to give.

PREPARE your offering ahead of time by laying up proportions of your offering over the year so you won’t have to make it up all at once.

And then – PRAY again...and some more – and ask the Lord to supply the funds to you so you can give it back to Him. [See 2 Corinthians 9.5-11]

BFM COUNCIL OF DIRECTORS

2008-08-08T20:06:00.003-05:00

PRAY FOR YOUR BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS COUNCIL OF DIRECTORS
Terry Adkins
Glenn Archer, Vice President
Doug Armstrong, Assistant Treasurer
Bobby Creiglow
Art Donley
Bobby Greene
Randy Jones
Millard Mitchell
Jim Orrick, President
Edward Overbey, Assistant Secretary
Dave Parks, Executive Secretary
George Sledd, Treasurer
Marvin Summers
Steve Wainright
Wallace York

"MORE THAN ONE WAY TO___ _ ___"

2008-08-08T15:51:00.003-05:00

CREATIVE MISSIONS GIVING

“THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO _____ ___ _____”

How would you complete that cliché? The most usual way would be with the words: “skin a cat”.

Frankly, I have never skinned a cat by even one method – and it has never crossed my mind to even inquire about how many different ways a cat can be skinned.

But, I do want you to think in terms of “THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO...GIVE TO MISSIONS!”

The most usual and customary method is to give PERSONAL OFFERINGS – either by adding them to our church’s regular offering to the BFM GENERAL FUND...or by giving directly to the BFM Treasurer.

But, our “TEXAS GIVING FRIENDS” [this is the way they list themselves in our monthly Contributions Report, page 3 of THE MISSION SHEETS] have been giving regular monthly offerings for several years now by another creative method of giving.

Periodically, they contribute a number of blue-chip stock certificates to BFM. Those stocks are deposited into an interest-bearing investment account. Every month, an offering amount is disbursed from that account to the BFM Treasurer. When the value of the last contribution of stock certificates is depleted, they just send some more.

These dear “TEXAS GIVING FRIENDS” wish to remain anonymous – and we will respect their wishes. But, they would also like to inspire others by their example to do as they have done. They have been faithfully giving offerings to BFM for over 40 years.

Other Giving Friends have given properties to BFM.

Still other Giving Friends have contributed personal investment accounts and even retirement accounts to meet the on-going needs of our missionaries.

“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart...”

THANK YOU, AND GOD BLESS YOU – TO ALL OF OUR BELOVED AND GENEROUS GIVING FRIENDS!

JULY 2008 UPDATE

2008-08-08T15:47:00.001-05:00

July, 2008

JUNE GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS

Thank You, Giving Friends! for responding to our recent appeals for sustained, regular, long-term, increased offerings to our GENERAL FUND. You will notice on this month’s MISSION SHEETS OFFERING REPORT on page 3, we gave $35,846.79 to the GENERAL FUND. The GENERAL FUND is the source of all the standard commitments we have made to our missionaries to maintain their regular living expenses.

WE NEED TO REITERATE THAT WE MUST STRIVE FOR THE GOAL OF MAINTAINING SOLVENCY MONTH-BY-MONTH IN OUR GENERAL FUND RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS. That way, we can use our Thanksgiving Offering for the extraordinary and periodic benefits we have committed to give our missionaries – like 4-Year Auto Allowances, Furlough Transportation, etc.

THANK YOU to our long-time faithful Giving Friends – and THANK YOU to you who have either begun to give regular offerings to the General Fund, or who have increased your personal offerings.

THANK YOU to the churches who have increased your monthly commitments to the General Fund – some of you have done so AGAIN after already increasing your monthly offerings in recent previous months.

WE ARE STILL ASKING THAT ALL OF US GIVE TOGETHER TO HELP US REACH THE IMMEDIATE GOAL OF AT LEAST $37,000.00 IN OUR CONSISTENT MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS.

THANK YOU FOR GIVING YOUR PART!

-______________________-

2007-2008 THANKSGIVING OFFERING
I promised you I would keep you updated on the Thanksgiving Offering Total. I also told you that we would keep the Thanksgiving Offering open indefinitely as long as you are giving to it. Well, some of you did continue to give to the Thanksgiving Offering right on up through the middle of this year. THANK YOU, GIVING FRIENDS! THE TOTAL THANKSGIVING OFFERING IS: $64,650.57.

-______________________-

2008-09 THANKSGIVING OFFERING: $100,000.00 GOAL
Begin planning right now – if you haven’t already purposed – to give a very generous offering to our 2008-09 THANKSGIVING OFFERING. PLAN AHEAD. And then WORK YOUR PLAN methodically and systematically between now and then to help us reach our goal of $100,000.00 for our THANKSGIVING OFFERING.

JUNE 2008 UPDATE

2008-08-08T15:38:00.003-05:00

DID YOU READ THE URGENT APPEAL FOR THE GENERAL FUND IN LAST MONTH’S MISSION SHEETS INSERT?

I hope you did, and I urge you to ask the Lord how you should respond.

We need long-term, lifetime commitments from every one of our missionaries’ Giving Friends. THAT IS THE KIND OF COMMITMENTS WE HAVE MADE TO OUR MISSIONARIES FROM THE GENERAL FUND. And the only way we can fulfill those financial commitments is for each one of us to do our personal giving to missions.

We are only in the middle of the year, and we must begin this month to meet our monthly disbursement commitments from the General Fund with our monthly offerings to the General Fund.

Our immediate goal is to increase our consistent monthly GENERAL FUND offerings to $37,000.00 per month.

IF YOU MISSED THE APPEAL, YOU MAY FIND IT ON www.faith-works.blogspot.com.

EVERY ONE OF US NEEDS TO RESPOND THIS MONTH.

Many have already responded by increasing their personal monthly giving commitments.

Some have increased the offerings they give BFM through their church’s offerings – others have begun sending their personal offerings directly to Brother Sledd, BFM’s Treasurer.

Pastors have led their churches to increase their monthly offerings to the General Fund.

GOD BLESS YOU EACH ONE!

PASTOR TERRY ADKINS APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR

2008-08-08T15:34:00.001-05:00

MAY, 2008

PASTOR TERRY ADKINS: BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS DIRECTOR

Pastor Terry Adkins has consented to serve as a Director of Baptist Faith Missions. Pastor Adkins is pastor of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Dearborn Heights MI. New Hope church is also the long-time host church for our Thanksgiving Conference.

Each Director serves with the consent and authority of the church where he is a member and where he serves the Lord.

Each Director agrees without reservation to our Doctrinal Statement of beliefs and practices. That same Doctrinal Statement expresses the convictions and distinctives of the churches who partner together to support our missionaries.

Each Director also agrees with the missionary purpose of Baptist Faith Missions and commits to promote our missionaries’ needs.

We welcome Pastor Adkins and look forward to many years of partnership in the Gospel and missions.

APRIL 2008 UPDATE

2008-08-08T15:26:00.002-05:00

APRIL, 2008

GIVING FRIENDS! “MAY YOUR TRIBE INCREASE!”

A Giving Friend called me last October, responding to an article I had written in the September Mission Sheets entitled ‘MISSIONS ALERT! WHAT’S A MISSIONARY WORTH?’ In that article, I was emphasizing the needs we were going to face in the upcoming year due to assuming support for two more missionary families.

This Giving Friend asked, “Do I correctly assume from that appeal that the greatest need Baptist Faith Missions faces right now is increased offerings to the General Fund?” I replied, “Yes, that’s correct.” To which this generous Giving Friend said, “Then I am going to start giving a monthly offering to the General Fund to help supply the monthly needs of our missionaries.” THANK YOU, GIVING FRIENDS!

A fellow pastor called me at the end of last year and said, “We are planning our church budget for 2008, and we want to begin supporting the General Fund of Baptist Faith Missions. We can’t do a whole lot right now, but we want to make a beginning.” They have begun that monthly support for the General Fund. THANK YOU, GIVING FRIENDS!

Another fellow pastor called me not too long after that and said, “Our church has voted to increase our monthly offerings to the General Fund to help us supply the on-going needs of our missionaries.” They have begun that increased monthly support. THANK YOU, GIVING FRIENDS!

And THANK YOU, ALL YOU GIVING FRIENDS WHO HAVE MET OUR MISSIONARIES’ MONTHLY NEEDS ALL ALONG. We don’t take you for granted. Your offerings not only supply the commitments we have made to our missionaries, but YOUR GIVING ALSO INCREASES AND MULTIPLIES MANY THANKSGIVINGS TO GOD! We bless God for the Grace He gives you to give – and our missionaries thank God for your generosity, too.
-___________________-

THANKSGIVING OFFERING UPDATE

I have told you all along that I would keep you updated on the progress of our Thanksgiving Offering. As you know, the Thanksgiving Offering goes toward offsetting the monthly deficits we incur between the monthly offerings for the General Fund and the disbursements we make each month for the commitments we have made to our missionaries.

OUR CURRENT OFFERING TOTAL IS $64,600.57. That includes the latest offering given in March which appears in this month’s Offering Report.

WE ARE PRAYING, HOPING, AND APPEALING FOR $175,000, which was what we projected we would need over 2008 to supply the increased commitments we assumed by approving support for two additional missionary families. ALSO, we have committed to covering the expenses for Language School and shipping the container with their personal and ministry effects to Kenya. Those two expenses alone were more than $20,000.

Your offerings will bear the fruit of many more believers, disciples, and churches being established through the ministries of all our missionaries.

WE NEED YOUR INCREASED OFFERINGS TO THE MONTHLY GENERAL FUND MORE THAN WE HAVE EVER NEEDED THEM BEFORE! Please increase your personal monthly offering to the BFM General Fund – and also remember that THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING IS STILL OPEN!

2008 SPRING CONFERENCE REPORT

2008-05-09T16:02:00.002-05:00

I WISH YOU ALL HAD BEEN HERE – at our Spring Missions Conference in April.

It was such an encouraging, inspiring, and uplifting series of services.

The word that kept coming to my mind to describe the experience of the whole Conference event was “exhilarating’. More than one Conference participant said to me: “this Conference has been LIKE A REVIVAL!” – and I truly believe it was.

Each of our preachers delivered a powerful message from God’s Word. The Holy Spirit used the Word to challenge each of our hearts to give ourselves to the mutual ‘Partnership in the Gospel’ God has given us to answer the call to the Harvest – and meet our missionaries’ needs.

CONFERENCE OFFERING

I had announced before the Conference that we would be giving offerings during the Conference to help meet the present financial need we are facing with our General Fund. But, God blew my mind with the response He had prepared in the hearts of the Giving Friends who attended.

WE GAVE A TOTAL OFFERING OF OVER $7,000.00 DURING THE CONFERENCE SERVICES.

I think it is significant that THIS IS EXACTLY THE AMOUNT WE NEED TO INCREASE OUR MONTHLY GIVING TO THE GENERAL FUND! [see the appeal I have presented in the URGENT APPEAL FOR A PRESSING NEED article on this blog site.]

I think the Lord is telling us HE KNOWS WHAT WE NEED BEFORE WE ASK HIM! And that HE IS ABLE TO MAKE ALL GRACE ABOUND TOWARD US...SO THAT WE, ALWAYS HAVING ALL SUFFICIENCY IN ALL THINGS, MAY HAVE AN ABUNDANCE FOR EVERY GOOD WORK! [See 2 Corinthians 9.8]. That offering is reported in the May 2008 issue of the Mission Sheets.

One church brought an offering of $1000.00. Some Giving Friends gave offerings of $500.00. Other churches and Giving Friends gave many offerings of other amounts as God enabled them. EACH OFFERING IS IMPORTANT.

But, here is what God demonstrated to us just in this one offering: GOD WILL...AND CAN...MEET OUR NEEDS BY THE GRACE HE GIVES US IF EACH OF US IS WILLING TO MAKE THE COMMITMENT AND FOLLOW THROUGH TO GIVE A PORTION TOWARD MEETING THE WHOLE NEED!

God can do it! And, by His Grace, we can do what He inspires and enables us to do.

PERSONAL COMMITMENTS FROM 'GIVING FRIENDS'
Many of us left from the Conference expressing our own personal commitments TO INCREASE OUR MONTHLY PERSONAL GIVING TO THE GENERAL FUND!

Testimonies were offered during the Conference services.

Others have written or called since the Conference to report that they are increasing their personal offerings or their church’s offerings to the General Fund.

WILL YOU JOIN US IN THIS MUTUAL PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL?

Grace to you – each and every one!

AN URGENT APPEAL FOR A PRESSING NEED

2008-05-07T10:19:00.007-05:00

May, 2008

Dear Giving Friends!

“Now therefore, KNOW and CONSIDER WHAT YOU WILL DO!”
1 Samuel 25.17

I hope you will very carefully read every word of this urgent appeal and ask the Lord of the Harvest what response He wants you to make to help us supply the essential commitments we have made to our missionaries.

This is as urgent an appeal as we have ever made. In fact, THE FUTURE SOLVENCY OF OUR GENERAL FUND DEPENDS UPON OUR COLLECTIVE RESPONSE TO THIS NEED!

You have never failed to respond before, and WE BLESS AND THANK GOD FOR EVERY ONE OF YOU ‘GIVING FRIENDS’! – and I trust God you will respond this time also with a long-term commitment toward our missionaries’ ministries.

"WE WISH YOU HAD TOLD US!"
Over the past recent years, we have encountered similar short-term deficiencies, and some of the missionaries’ expense accounts have necessarily been reduced for a month or two. When this became known, some of you said: “We wish you had told us. We didn’t know. We want our missionaries’ financial needs met.” I know you want to know. So, I want to be straight-up and out-front with where we are...and what we all need to do together...to get to where we need to be.

Here is the bottom line of our present need and our appeal:
THERE IS NO BOTTOM LINE!
That is, with respect to remaining funds in our General Fund.

WHAT IS THE BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS GENERAL FUND?
Let me reiterate what the Baptist Faith Missions GENERAL FUND is...and why it is so critically essential for supplying our missionaries’ daily needs. [I know that many of you have known this for years – but we are constantly communicating with new Giving Friends who may not share this common knowledge with us. So, if this is ‘old hat’ to you, please bear with me as I converse with our newer Giving Friends.]

Missionaries who are supported through offerings given through Baptist Faith Missions do not go on deputation before going to their fields of service. We do not criticize those who choose to raise their own support through deputation. But, we believe that if the Holy Spirit calls a missionary to service...and if a church commissions and sends that missionary to do “essential church-planting missions in the nations of the world”, [which is what we believe is ‘essential Great Commission missions’] then that missionary should not be expected or required to spend 2-3 years of time, energy, and personal resources to travel and solicit his own support. That time is better spent in immediate ministry on the field of service to which the Holy Spirit is calling them.

So, Baptist Faith Missions facilitates the missionaries’ directly going to their fields of service.

The Directors of Baptist Faith Missions assume the responsibility of promoting, facilitating, and administering their financial support from the churches through some essential basic commitments.

THESE COMMITMENTS ARE SUPPLIED BY YOUR OFFERINGS TO THE GENERAL FUND.

WHAT ESSENTIAL COMMITMENTS DO OUR MISSIONARIES RECEIVE?
Here are the basic, essential, monthly standard commitments we provide for our missionaries from the General Fund. I will list them for you and provide also the monthly disbursements we make so you can see why we have the need we have.

SALARY: each missionary receives a modest salary of $1,717.00 per month. Their salary goes as far as they can stretch it to provide for their family’s essential personal living needs. The total monthly disbursement for salaries is: $24,038.00.

HOUSING ALLOWANCE: the standard monthly housing allowance is $250.00. This goes as far as it can toward housing rental or purchase plus utilities and everything else related to housing needs. The total monthly disbursement for housing allowances is: $3,750.00.

MINISTRY EXPENSES ALLOWANCE: this goes toward the many expenses they incur to provide essential supplies and materials they need to conduct their ministries. The total monthly disbursement for these ministry allowances is: $8,700.00.

HOSPITALIZATION PREMIUMS: we also provide for their hospitalization insurance premiums. The current total disbursement for monthly premiums is: $7,371.70 – and I received notice just this week that beginning in June, the monthly premiums are going to increase by at least another 15-20%. That will increase the total monthly premiums to approximately $8,900.00.

MISSION SHEETS: we provide our missionaries with a collective newsletter to save them the expense of their own personal correspondence. The total monthly expense for printing and mailing the Mission Sheets is approximately $2,300.00 per month.

ARE YOU STILL ADDING?
All of the above STANDARD MONTHLY COMMITMENTS AND SERVICES ALREADY TOTAL $47,688.00!

These are what you would call in business: “hard costs” or “overhead” or simply, “the cost of doing business” – except that, in this case, WE ARE DOING THE BUSINESS OF “Great Commission MISSIONS”! This is THE HARVEST Jesus Christ commands us all to bring in.

These commitments provide our missionaries’ essential living expenses. They “keep them on the field”...and “keep the lights on” for their daily ministries.

THERE ARE OTHER COMMITMENTS WE HAVE MADE TO OUR MISSIONAIRES: such as furlough transportation expenses when they are due for a Stateside furlough; we also commit to give each missionary an $8,000.00 automobile allowance every four years to help provide for their transportation needs on the field. THESE BENEFITS ALSO COME FROM OFFERINGS TO THE GENERAL FUND. If funds are not available, we are not able to meet these commitments.

In summary, WE MAKE EVERY EFFORT WE CAN TO FREE OUR MISSIONARIES FROM HAVING TO RAISE THEIR OWN FUNDS FOR THE ESSENTIAL ‘BOTTOM-LINE’ NEEDS THEY HAVE JUST TO STAY ON THE FIELD. All of these standard essential commitments are supplied from THE GENERAL FUND.

WE BELIEVE YOU WANT YOUR MISSIONARIES TO BE TAKEN CARE OF AND PROVIDED FOR – not just adequately - but AS AMPLY AS WE ARE ABLE! All our missionaries serve on “shoestring budgets”. And without increased General Fund offerings, we have no resources to increase our financial commitments to them.

TWO NEW MISSIONARY FAMILIES IN 2007
We were running close already – but we sensed the need during 2007 to commit support for two more missionary families TO INCREASE CHURCH-PLANTING MISSIONS IN BRASIL AND KENYA. Those missionaries are already in service and hold great prospect to significantly increase the impact of the Gospel through their ministries.

WE MADE THESE COMMITMENTS BY FAITH, BELIEVING THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS SENDING THEM TO THEIR RESPECTIVE FIELDS...and that we should assume the responsibility of committing to their support.

HERE IS WHERE WE ARE...After only the first quarter of 2008,
OUR GENERAL FUND RESOURCES ARE ‘ZEROED OUT’.

This includes also having already disbursed the Thanksgiving Offering we received since last November. But, the monthly-deficit problem is systemic. FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, OUR MONTHLY GIVING TO THE GENERAL FUND HAS NOT KEPT UP WITH THE INCREASED ESSENTIAL COMMITMENTS WE HAVE MADE TO OUR MISSIONARIES – and also the continually rising costs of providing those same essential commitments.

THIS IS WHAT WE MUST DO:

1 - WE MUST CHANGE OUR CULTURE OF THINKING ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE GENERAL FUND AND THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING.
From the beginning, our Thanksgiving Offering has been given to supply the monthly deficits we incur between the General Fund offerings and the General Fund disbursements. It has been that way for over 60 years. And, we have been content to continue that practice.

WE MUST BEGIN MAKING THE GENERAL FUND SOLVENT FROM MONTH TO MONTH – especially with regards to our STANDARD MONTHLY COMMITMENTS AND SERVICES FOR OUR MISSIONARIES SUPPLIED FROM THE GENERAL FUND. If we do that, then we can use the Thanksgiving Offering to meet those commitments we have made to our missionaries which are not disbursed every month, but rather at other irregular times during the year.

BUT, WE MUST BEGIN THIS MONTH TO SET THE GOAL OF MEETING OUR STANDARD MONTHLY COMMITMENTS FROM THE GENERAL FUND WITH OUR MONTHLY OFFERINGS GIVEN TO THE GENERAL FUND.

2 - THIS MEANS WE MUST INCREASE OUR MONTHLY OFFERINGS TO THE GENERAL FUND BY AT LEAST $7,000.00 IMMEDIATELY... BEGINNING THIS MONTH.
And, this must become our consistent practice and ‘modus operandi’ going forward. This immediate response will at least bring us up to maintaining the status quo for our current General Fund monthly income/disbursement balance.

At the present time, when we compare our total General Fund giving in an average month with our standard General Fund disbursements, the average monthly deficit is around $7,000.00.

SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE OFFERING
I WISH YOU ALL HAD BEEN HERE – at our Spring Missions Conference in April. It was such an encouraging, inspiring, and uplifting series of services. Each of our preachers delivered a powerful message from God’s Word. The Holy Spirit used the Word to challenge each of our hearts to give ourselves to the mutual ‘Partnership in the Gospel’ God has given us to answer the call to the Harvest – and meet our missionaries’ needs.

I had announced before the Conference that we would be giving offerings during the Conference to help meet this present financial need. But, God blew my mind with the response He had prepared in the hearts of the Giving Friends who attended. WE GAVE A TOTAL OFFERING OF OVER $7,000.00 DURING THE CONFERENCE SERVICES. I think it is significant that THIS IS EXACTLY THE AMOUNT WE NEED TO INCREASE OUR MONTHLY GIVING TO THE GENERAL FUND!

I think the Lord is telling us HE KNOWS WHAT WE NEED BEFORE WE ASK HIM! And that HE IS ABLE TO MAKE ALL GRACE ABOUND TOWARD US...SO THAT WE, ALWAYS HAVING ALL SUFFICIENCY IN ALL THINGS, MAY HAVE AN ABUNDANCE FOR EVERY GOOD WORK! [See 2 Corinthians 9.8]. That offering is reported in this issue of the Mission Sheets [ May 2008 ].

EACH OF US MUST MAKE A COMMITMENT

Each one of us needs to assume a part in meeting this present and on-going need. And, if each one of us assumes his/her role, then the need can be effectively supplied without an undue burden on any one Giving Friend. “For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened.” [see 2 Corinthians 8.13].

“NOW THEREFORE, KNOW AND CONSIDER WHAT YOU WILL DO...”
1 Samuel 25.17

HERE IS SOMETHING EACH OF US CAN DO:

1 IF YOU ARE NOT GIVING A PERSONAL OFFERING TO THE BFM GENERAL FUND, WILL YOU BEGIN TO DO SO? Each of us should be personally involved in missions giving, and in this case, YOUR PERSONAL MISSIONARY FRIENDS NEED YOU...AND DEPEND ON YOU. Can you give $1 a day to help finance the essential ministry needs of your missionaries? Will you begin by committing to give a personal offering of $30 per month to the General Fund offering?

If your church gives monthly offerings to the BFM General Fund, you can give it through your church’s offerings and ask your church treasurer to add your personal offering to the church’s monthly offering. Or, you can give it directly by sending it to our Treasurer, Pastor George Sledd / P. O. Box 471280 / Lake Monroe FL 32747-1280

2 IF YOU ARE ALREADY GIVING PERSONAL MONTHLY OFFERINGS TO THE BFM GENERAL FUND, CAN YOU INCREASE IT AS THE LORD ENABLES YOU? Can you increase your current offering by another 25%...or more? We bless God and thank each of you who has given over all these years so we could do what all we have done. BFM IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY BECAUSE OF THE GRACE, GENEROSITY, AND FAITHFUL-NESS OF ALL OUR GIVING FRIENDS. God has blessed you – and will bless you – for your expressions of love and obedience to the Gospel.

3 IF YOUR CHURCH GIVES OFFERINGS TO THE BFM GENERAL FUND FROM YOUR CHURCH’S TREASURY, WILL YOU INCREASE IT? Keep in mind that each $1 given to the BFM General Fund is divided up 14 ways [that’s the number of missionary families we support], and so each missionary receives 7cents’ benefit from every $1 contributed.

Every time the Lord leads us into a crisis, IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FAITH AND OBEDIENCE. We are confronted right now with an awesome OPPORTUNITY FOR FAITH.

When the Lord Jesus purposed to feed the 5,000 hungry people through the ministry of His followers, He tested them with a CRISIS...AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FAITH. He asked Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” [ see John 6.5-6 ]. Philip and the other disciples were at a loss how to meet this need. “But this He said to test him, FOR HE HIMSELF KNEW WHAT HE WOULD DO.” Jesus Christ knows what He purposes to do.

We are all waiting-and responding-to see what He will do – and how He will do it...through us

“NOW THEREFORE, KNOW AND CONSIDER WHAT YOU WILL DO...”

And let’s every one of us DO IT NOW! THANK YOU, GIVING FRIENDS!

Dave Parks, Executive Secretary, Baptist Faith Missions

SPRING CONFERENCE TRAVEL DIRECTIONS AND MOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

2007-03-06T19:41:00.002-05:00

BFM SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE

Thompson Road Baptist Church, Lexington KY

Travel Directions & Motel Recommendations

You may choose to use your own travel / accommodations program or discounts...or do your own research to find a better deal. We are still recommending the Quality Inn Northwest because our attendees have used their facilities for about 15 years now with high satisfaction, and although their special event prices are a little higher this year than previously, they are still the best bargain I can find for the quality, comfort, and convenience of their facilities.
QUALITY INN NORTHWEST / 750 NEWTOWN COURT / LEXINGTON KY / 859.233.0561

Many of their rooms have been newly-remodeled and offer desirable amenities, including a continental breakfast. You can call them to get a full description.

Or, if you want to check it out online, go to www.choicehotels.com and from the home page, click on the Quality Inn icon at the top of the page, then type in Lexington KY in the Quick Search field. When you get the map with all the Lexington locations, it will be the #1 just outside the New Circle Road area.

TWO QUEEN BEDS room is $59.95.

Ask for Thompson Road Baptist Church event rates.

For directions to our church site:

FROM SOUTH ON I-75: Get off at Exit 104 (Athens-Boonesborough). Turn west toward town. You will be on Athens-Boonesborough Road / Richmond Road Extension. As you approach Lexington, the road will become Richmond Road around Jacobson Park. Continue straight into Lexington. Richmond Road will become Main Street. You will pass the Rupp Arena / Lexington Convention Center on your left. Turn left at the next traffic light. This is Jefferson Street. Turn right in the middle of the overpass bridge onto Manchester. About one mile down Manchester, turn right on Thompson Road and come to the top of the hill.

FROM NORTH ON I-75 OR EAST / WEST ON I-64: I-75 and I-64 merge for a few miles on the north/northeast side of Lexington. Come to Exit 115 on 64/75. This is Newtown Pike (State Route 922). Turn south toward Lexington. Follow Newtown Pike until you come to Main Street. Go straight across Main Street. This short street is Cox Street. Follow Cox Street to the dead-end. Turn right on Manchester / Old Frankfort Pike. Follow Manchester about one mile. Turn right on Thompson Road and come to the top of the hill.

If you choose to stay at Quality Inn, then follow the second set of directions above and Quality Inn will be on your left just before you get to the New Circle Road interchange [1 ½-2 miles from 64/75].

What does "It's Still the Great Commission" Mean?

2007-02-16T15:32:00.000-05:00

2007 SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE
Conference Theme: “It’s STILL...The GREAT Commission!”
Matthew 28.18-20; Mark 16,15-16; Luke 24.44-53;
John 20.21-23; Acts 1.4-11

The Great Commission is Jesus Christ’s MISSION MANDATE to His churches.

It is the ONLY Mandate and Commission He has given us.

And, He promised that this Mandate and Commission is authoritative, binding, and effective UNTIL HE COMES BACK...”all the days even until the end of the age.”

Not only is The Great Commission THE ONLY COMMISSION WE HAVE, but it is also THE ONLY COMMISSION WE NEED.

So, we must renew at least three responses we must give The Great Commission:
1. We must renew our COMPREHENSION of the Great Commission.

We must study it, review it, and thoroughly understand what He is commissioning and commanding us to do in this Commission.

2. We must renew our CONFIDENCE in the Great Commission.

We must trust His wisdom and power enough to obey it and work it as He gave it.

3. We must renew our COMMITMENT to the Great Commission.

We mustn’t look for a better paradigm, model, or method for doing the work He has given us to complete.

So, WHAT IS IN THE GREAT COMMISSION?
WHY IS THE GREAT COMMISSION SO GREAT?
WHAT DO WE COMMIT TO...WHEN WE COMMIT TO THE GREAT COMMISSION?

We COMMIT TO: the PERSONAL AUTHORITY for our churches and our mission endeavors: He is Jesus Christ.

We COMMIT TO: the PURPOSE of our churches and our mission endeavors: that is, TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST.

We COMMIT TO: the POWER of our churches and our mission endeavors: He is, again, JESUS CHRIST and His Personal Presence with us...and the Power of His Resurrection Life living in us and working through us -- and the PROMISED POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. It is NOT the power of our creativity, ingenuity, or superior wisdom to improve on the Plan He has given us.

We COMMIT TO: the PRIORITY of our churches...and for our churches: what I mean by that is --

Jesus Christ has placed HIS PRIORITY FOR THE WORK OF HIS KINGDOM on His churches...He gave His Commission to His churches and He works through His churches
and the PRIORITY of His churches is THE MISSION HE HAS GIVEN US... and especially THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST...and establishing more churches to evangelize and train disciples to be obedient followers and servants of Jesus Christ -- nothing less...and nothing other than this.

We COMMIT TO: the PROMISE and the PROSPECTS for our churches and our missions endeavors: our PROSPECTS are nothing less than THE PROMISES JESUS CHRIST HAS GIVEN HIS CHURCHES, and that is, that the gates and defenses of Hell itself will not withstand, frustrate, or defeat us.

We COMMIT TO: the PROGRAM for our churches and missions endeavors: [PRO-GRAM simply means: what has been written before hand for us to follow...our agenda, manual, and instructions]. Our PROGRAM is THE WORD OF GOD and especially proclaiming THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST...and training the disciples of Jesus Christ to obey everything He has commanded us.

We COMMIT TO: the PROCESSES of our churches and missions endeavors: PROCESSES are METHODS FOR DOING WHAT WE DO. PROCESSES are ORGANIZED ACTIVITIES AND STEPS OF OBEDIENCE TO JESUS CHRIST. Jesus Christ has given us METHODS TO IMPLEMENT AND FOLLOW: namely,

evangelism
worship [loving reverence]
discipleship
fellowship, and
service to Christ...and to each other...and to the world.

And another thing we COMMIT TO is: THE PASSION OF OUR CHURCHES for this mission and unfailing plan Jesus Christ has given us. We are sure that JESUS CHRIST IS STILL AS PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS GREAT COMMISSION HE GAVE US AS HE WAS WHEN HE FIRST COMMANDED IT. ARE WE?

And, this same Great Commission that He has given us to carry on is THE SAME GREAT COMMISSION HE CAME TO EARTH TO FULFILL AND COMPLETE BY HIS OWN OBEDIENCE TO HIS FATHER.

It’s STILL...HIS GREAT COMMISSION!
And, It’s STILL...OUR GREAT COMMISSION!

LATEST UPDATE ON 2006-07 THANKSGIVING OFFERING: $99,246.86

2007-02-08T13:40:00.000-05:00

8 February 2007

When I wrote the 10 January article [posted below] which was printed in last month’s Mission Sheets (January issue), I appealed for the continuation of the Thanksgiving Offering until we reached at least the $85,000.00 goal we had set.

I WASN’T CRYING “WOLF!” We really did (and do) need at least the $85,000.00 and more.

At that time, I had just received the latest offerings report from our faithful Treasurer, and with the $42,635.00 given in December, that brought our Grand-Total-To-Date up to $78,591.38. A very generous Offering, but we needed to complete the whole goal.

I submitted that article to the Mission Sheets editor to go to press and then headed to Park Ridge Baptist Church for the BFM Winter Conference. THE LORD HAD SOME WONDERFUL PROVISIONS ALREADY IN STORE FOR US! [John 6.6: "...for He Himself knew what He would do."]

Brother Sledd told me Monday night of the Conference that a long-time Giving Friend of BFM (who wishes to remain anonymous) had given $10,000.00 to the General Fund/Thanksgiving Offering. And then, during the Conference, the generous saints of God at Park Ridge, in addition to graciously hosting the Winter Conference, also presented an offering of $9,180.48 to the Thanksgiving Offering! There were other generous gifts given by dear Giving Friends during the month also.

So, GOD BE PRAISED! The current Grand-Total-To-Date for the Thanksgiving Offering is $99,246.86. CAN WE EXCEED $100,000.00?

Let me repeat what I stated in the January issue article: We will need all this -- and increased regular monthly General Fund offerings also -- because we will be increasing our missionary outreach and commitments during 2007, and those increased commitments will require continued increased giving. “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9.8.

God bless you for all you have done...are doing...and will continue to do for our missionaries!

2006-07 THANKSGIVING OFFERING: "STILL GOING!"

2007-02-05T20:15:00.000-05:00

10 January 2007

I just got the report for the December offerings from our faithful Treasurer, Pastor George Sledd. Brother Sledd works daily to receive your offerings, record them, and then send them to me each month to be disbursed according to your directions.

Let me give you an updated report on the current Thanksgiving Offering.

December's Thanksgiving Offering was $47,374.63.

Putting all our Thanksgiving Offerings together from the past three months, that brings us to a Grand-Total-To-Date of $78,591.38. That is a very good and generous offering. And we thank each of you, our Giving Friends.

But, we really need to meet our stated goal of $85,000.00.

Let me tell you why: one of my responsibilities as Secretary is to prepare a Projected Budget to present to the Directors at our Thanksgiving Conference Business Meeting. Well, when I prepared and presented the 2007 Projected Budget, THERE WAS A PROJECTED DEFICIT OF AROUND $84,000.00. We always need, expect and depend upon the Thanksgiving Offering to supply that deficit. So, that's why we are asking for AT LEAST an $85,000.00 Thanksgiving Offering. [Of course, the other option for supplying that deficit is for the MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS also to increase in the upcoming year over the past year.]

In addition to our current General Fund commitments to our missionaries, we are also giving serious consideration to increasing our missions outreach during 2007. And, it is imperative that we have the funds available to us to meet those missions commitments.

So, we're going to do something unprecedented.
WE ARE EXTENDING THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING
AND ASKING YOU TO GIVE AGAIN.

We need to increase our current Thanksgiving Offering total by at least 10%. Can you give again at least a small percentage of the offering you have already given? We can all do that in some proportion as the Lord enables you and impresses you.

I know that some of you have given sacrificially already. So, you may not have anything more to give. But, some may have not given anything yet, thinking your offering may have been so small or insignificant it wouldn't make a difference.

Well, the difference you can make is the difference we need right now!

We will keep you updated on our continuing progress.

GOD BLESS YOU EVERY ONE, GIVING FRIENDS!

What is "FaithWorks"?

2007-02-05T20:05:00.000-05:00

“FaithWorks” is my attempt to keep you updated on the latest “works” or “goings-on” in Baptist Faith Missions. I want to keep up a relatively current conversation with you concerning what is happening...what is developing...and what we are planning.

“FaithWorks” means two things: [1] You can read it as a declarative statement: “ Faith works.” True faith always works. We are Baptist FAITH Missions, so if we are FAITH missions, and true faith WORKS, then our FAITH will WORK.

Galatians 5.6 declares that “FAITH WORKS through love.” And our FAITH will WORK also through our love for the Lord Jesus Christ, for missions, for our missionaries, and for the world of lost people whom Jesus loves.

[2] Secondly, you can read “FaithWorks” as a description of the kind of WORKS we are doing -- they are FAITH-kind of WORKS. To quote James 2.18 in that classic challenge of his to those who claimed that they had FAITH ONLY WITHOUT WORKS: “Show me your faith without your works, and I WILL SHOW YOU MY FAITH BY MY WORKS.” And, “thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” [James 2.17]

So, FAITH ONLY...WITHOUT WORKS...IS DEAD, and we can also be sure that WORKS DONE APART FROM FAITH IN CHRIST WILL BE DEAD WORKS ALSO. So, the kind of WORKS we want to do are FAITH WORKS. WORKS that are done in obedience to the words of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I hope to keep you up-to-speed on the works Jesus Christ is doing through us here in Baptist Faith Missions. John 14.12: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [FAITH], the WORKS that I do he will do also; and GREATER WORKS than these he will do, because I go to My Father, and whatever you ask in My Name [FAITH], that I will do [HIS WORKS THROUGH US], that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

FAITH WORKS...FAITH-WORKS.

Thanksgiving Offering FAQ

2007-02-02T22:31:00.000-05:00

BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS
THANKSGIVING OFFERING FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. "WHY DO WE HAVE A THANKSGIVING OFFERING?"
We have a Thanksgiving Offering because WE NEED IT to "make our ends meet" for the coming year to meet the financial commitments we have made to our missionaries for the services and benefits we provide from the General Fund.

2. "WHY IS THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING SO IMPORTANT?"
The Thanksgiving Offering is ESSENTIAL to make up for the monthly deficits we incur month by month in the General Fund. This deficit is the difference between the monthly income offerings for the General Fund and the outgoing disbursements.

3. "WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING?"
When we receive the Thanksgiving Offering beginning in November of the current year, we put it in escrow in an interest-bearing account. Then we draft from it month by month over the coming year to make up for the monthly deficits we incur in our General Fund.

4. "WHAT SERVICES AND BENEFITS DOES THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING PROVIDE?"
The Thanksgiving Offering enables us to meet the policy commitments we have made to our missionaries. Those standard commitments include:
• monthly salaries
• monthly standard housing allowances
• monthly standard ministry expenses allowances
• missionaries' hospitalization premiums
• hospitalization personal deductible reimbursements to the missionaries
• reimbursements for missionaries' furlough plane tickets
• printing and mailing The Mission Sheets (missionaries' monthly letters, reports, updates -- and detailed report of all offerings given through BFM that month)
• expenses for maintaining Stateside office for communication and daily services
• providing and maintaining a Furlough Home in Lexington for those missionaries who choose to use it
• $8000.00 Auto Allowance provided for each missionary every four years

5. "HOW ELSE IS THE GENERAL FUND SUPPLIED?"
The standard supply for the General Fund is from monthly offerings which are given to the General Fund. These offerings are listed monthly in the Mission Sheets under "General Fund". These offerings are never sufficient to cover the commitments which are provided from the General fund.

6. "ARE "DESIGNATED OFFERINGS" EVER USED FOR GENERAL FUND PURPOSES?"
No. Designated Offerings are designated by the contributor for specific projects and ministry needs the missionaries have. All Designated Offerings are given in total to the designated purposes.

7. "WHAT HAPPENS IF THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO COVER THE MONTHLY DEFICITS FOR THE COMING YEAR?"
In this event, certain monthly commitments which are supplied from the General Fund are reduced proportionately among the missionaries from the General Fund resources which are available that month. WE PRAISE GOD AND BLESS HIM FOR YOUR GENEROSITY, THAT IN ALL THE YEARS SINCE BFM's INCEPTION IN 1942, WE HAVE NEVER FAILED TO SEND OUR MISSIONARIES THEIR SALARIES. THERE HAVE BEEN VERY RARE INSTANCES IN WHICH THEIR MONTHLY HOUSING OR MINISTRY EXPENSE ALLOWANCES HAVE BEEN REDUCED OR ELIMINATED FOR THAT MONTH.

8. "DO YOU EVER USE THE THANKSGIVING OFFERINGS FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT ALREADY PRESCRIBED AND COMMITTED TO OUR MISSIONARIES FROM GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS?"
No. We have never had left-over Thanksgiving Offering funds or balances in the General Fund at the end of the current fiscal year after exhausting last year's Thanksgiving Offering. That means we have no funds committed for General Fund services which can be applied toward other "discretionary" (non-policy/prescribed) uses.

9. "WHAT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN IN THE MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS FOR YOU TO USE THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING FOR OTHER THAN CURRENTLY PRESCRIBED / POLICY COMMITMENTS, SERVICES, AND BENEFITS?"
For that to happen, we would need to increase our monthly offerings to the General Fund sufficiently to "break even" each month between the offerings to the General Fund and disbursements from the General Fund. THAT IS OUR LONG-TERM GOAL. In that event, we could then use our Thanksgiving Offering for "growth initiatives": that is, either increasing our current missionaries' services and benefits or assuming full-time support for additional missionaries and expanding BFM's outreach to other fields of service.

10. "WHY IS THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING GIVEN AT THE THANKSGIVING SEASON?"
• The BFM Thanksgiving Offering began many years ago in conjunction with the annual Thanksgiving Missionary Conference in the Detroit-area and has continued that way to this day.
• Also, the Thanksgiving season is good reminder of the thanks we owe God for His Indescribable Gift in Jesus Christ.
• And, the Thanksgiving season and Offering is a good occasion for us to give missionary offerings so others, also, may hear the blessed Good News of salvation through Christ…and, in this way, MULTIPLY STILL MORE THANKSGIVINGS TO GOD.

11. "HOW CAN I GIVE MY THANKSGIVING OFFERING?"
If your church receives a Thanksgiving Offering for the missionaries supported through BFM, then we encourage you to give your offering through your church. Most of the Thanksgiving Offerings which are given by churches are made up by the voluntary offerings of individual members who give to the Offering.

12. "WHAT IF MY CHURCH DOES NOT RECEIVE A BFM THANKSGIVING OFFERING?"
If your church does not participate in the Thanksgiving Offering, you may send your personal gift to the Treasurer of BFM and be sure to designate it "Thanksgiving Offering."

13. "CAN I GIVE MY THANKSGIVING OFFERING ONLY AT THANKSGIVING…OR DURING NOVEMBER?"
No. Most churches and individual Friends of BFM give on or around Thanksgiving Sunday (either the Sunday before or after Thanksgiving Day). However, offerings continue to come in to the Treasurer during the month of December, and sometimes on into January of the next year. But, all offerings designated "Thanksgiving Offering" go toward the same collective Offering for that year.

14. "HOW IS THE "EVERY FRIEND A GIVING FRIEND" PERSONAL GIVING MINISTRY PERTINENT TO THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING?"
We introduced the "EVERY FRIEND A GIVING FRIEND" ministry and plan during the 2003 Thanksgiving Conference. This plan is nothing new or unique; it is just another way to express and articulate what the Friends of BFM have been doing since the inception of the Mission. It is also patterned after the instructions Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9: that is,
1. to purpose in your heart to give an offering;
2. to ask God to supply you with the funds you will need to give the offering;
3. to plan and begin preparing even a year ahead of time (as Paul instructed the Corinthians and the other churches to do); and
4. to give your offerings to the Lord and to the Lord's missionaries willingly and cheerfully and to express your love and obedience to the Lord.
We encourage each Friend of BFM to be a Giving Friend and give personal offerings to help supply our missionaries' needs which are met through the General Fund.
"EVERY FRIEND A GIVING FRIEND" challenges each Friend of BFM to personally participate in missions giving over and above the regular tithes and offerings you give to your church to meet the needs of your local church's ministries.
In the "Every Friend a Giving Friend" plan, we also encourage each Giving Friend to make a personal commitment to either begin giving or increase your giving each month to the General Fund.

YOU CAN FIND THE FULL TEXT OF THE "EVERY FRIEND A GIVING FRIEND" PLAN ON OUR WEBSITE: www.baptistfaithmissions.org OR YOU CAN OBTAIN PAPER COPIES BY CONTACTING OUR SECRETARY:
DAVE PARKS
3985 BOSTON ROAD,
LEXINGTON KY 40514
859.223.8374
daveparks@insightbb.com

15. "WHY DO YOU SET GOALS FOR THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING?"
We set goals because the goal amount is keyed to the projected needs we expect to meet for the coming year of missionary ministry. When we increase the commitments, services, and benefits we need to give our missionaries so they can fulfill their ministries, our needs for the necessary funds increase also. And, please remember with us that WE CANNOT APPROVE AND COMMIT OUR SUPPORT TO ADDITIONAL MISSIONARY CANDIDATES UNLESS WE BELIEVE THE LORD WILL SUPPLY THOSE FUNDS THROUGH YOUR GIVING.

OUR 2006 THANKSGIVING OFFERING GOAL IS $85,000.00.

WOULD YOU PLEASE PRAY AND ASK THE LORD OF THE HARVEST
WHAT HE WOULD HAVE YOU GIVE TO THIS YEAR'S THANKSGIVING OFFERING?
AND THEN ASK HIM ALSO TO SUPPLY YOU WITH THAT GIFT
FROM HIS INEXHAUSTIBLE RESOURCES OF GRACE?

OUR NEEDS HAVE NEVER BEEN GREATER…
AND WE ALSO HAVE UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITIES
TO MUTIPLY OUR FIELDS OF SERVICE
BY APPROVING SUPPORT
FOR ADDITIONAL MISSIONARY APPLICANTS.

Thank You, GIVING FRIENDS!