Week of February 12, 2012
Facing An Enormous Task in Bucharest, Romania
RICHARD CLARK and his wife, WANDA, find themselves overwhelmed in Bucharest, Romania. Their task is enormous—so few workers sharing the gospel among six million people. A far greater burden on the Clarks and their colleagues, though, is the oppression of sin on Romanians’ lives. Despite these circumstances, Richard remains steadfast in his work, training local Romanian believers how to share Christ’s gospel and start churches. He also helps local pastors through the classes he teaches at the Bucharest Baptist Theological Institute. But perhaps Richard’s biggest encouragement is Adi. Richard had been praying for God to supply him with a national partner, and Adi has filled the bill. Through Richard, Adi received training in sharing his faith so he could start a church. Pray that more Romanian Baptists will develop a heart for reaching their country. Praise God for Southern Baptists’ gifts through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® as a means to extend their reach.
Week of February 5, 2012
Sharing the Hope Found in Jesus
GARY and JULIE CLIFTON work in Spain among more than three million Latin American immigrants. These Latinos have come to Spain for a better life, but their journey is uphill from the start. Poor living conditions are to be expected, but the prejudice, isolation, and loneliness they endure overwhelm them at times. Meanwhile, the global economic crisis has only compounded their feelings of desperation and hopelessness. Job losses are constant. To help them pass the time, Latino people groups tend to frequent local parks during the weekends. Gary and Julie see this as a golden opportunity to share the hope that is found in Christ. Their task is uphill, too, as Spain is a very secular country and considered hard to reach. But the Cliftons have found a friend and fellow worker—a Latino believer who is willing to help them develop evangelistic strategies. Pray that God will show these few how to reach the many. Thank God for the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® as they help to multiply efforts like these.
STATEMENT: 2 Corinthians 8:7 —The Corinthians apparently wanted to excel in Christian living, but they had fallen short in the grace of giving. Paul challenged them to grow by including generous giving. Giving helps us grow in Christlikeness.
Week of January 29, 2012
Serving in Prague
STEVE JAMES serves in Prague. The videos, photos, and printed materials he creates help churches connect with God’s work in Europe. Ultimately, his intent is to help reach the lost in Europe, many of whom see little need for the gospel. Through Bridge Community, a local church start, Steve and his family feed the homeless, pick up trash, take care of single mothers, and teach English. One of Steve’s more promising English students is Pavel, whom Steve meets with each week at a local coffee shop. Steve shared the gospel with Pavel, but most of the people in Prague are apathetic to the gospel. Pray that Pavel accepts Christ. Praise God for Cooperative Program giving and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® which enable Steve and other workers like him to point people toward the Redeemer.
Week of January 22, 2012
The Summit Church
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE BARLEYS contact the Colorado Baptist General Convention at 303-771-2480. Bryan Barley is a Nehemiah church planter. He and his wife, Megan , are planting The Summit Church in the heart of Denver—a city that thrives on recreation, personal autonomy, and freedom from organized religion. Your commitment to sharing Christ’s love with others through the Cooperative Program and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering® is helping Bryan and Megan reach people like Stephen, who is skeptical of organized religion, yet intrigued by the Barleys’ work. During your prayer time today, ask God to move in the hearts of people in Denver to be receptive to the gospel.
STATEMENT: Deuteronomy 14:22 —Giving has always been an expectation of God for His people. Christian giving, however, is for a larger purpose than when the Israelites gave a tithe. They gave out of duty; we give to reach the lost for Christ.
Week of January 08, 2012
God Brings the Faithful Seekers
MATTHEW PARSLEY and his wife, CHRISTINA, continue to be amazed at how God brings faith seekers back to them. When they first arrived in Japan, they met a young family who expressed an interest in studying God’s Word. The Parsleys lost contact with the family, but their prayers to be reacquainted with them were answered eight months later. They learned that while they were apart from this family, two of their members had died, and their surviving loved ones were eager to know what the Bible had to say about death. Pray that the Lord will help the Parsleys clearly communicate God’s answers to this family. Thank God for providing funding through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® that enables Matthew to learn the Japanese language. Pray also for the Parsleys’ children, Jacob and Michaela, as they continue to adjust to Japanese schools and culture. STATEMENT: Psalm 39:6 —Responsible stewardship includes making a Christian will. Giving now is important, but so is giving for Christian ministry, through a will, until the Lord’s return. What a joy to know that through a will, our ministry for Christ can continue after death.
Week of January 01, 2012
Looking for a Church
CARLTON WALKER lives in Tokyo and is the Cluster Prayer Advocate for Japan and Korea. Work among the Japanese can be slow, but Cooperative Program gifts and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® helped put Carlton in the right place at the right time. He was handing out Bibles to passers by at a train station when a woman approached him, desperate to know where the nearest church was located. The woman, whose name was Takemi, returned from her search disappointed. She had found the church Carlton recommended, but its doors were locked. Takemi had lost her father and wanted someone to pray for her, so Carlton prayed with her in the middle of the train station. With renewed hope, Takemi started going to the church Carlton attended. She has accepted Christ, and Carlton prays that Takemi will be the basis of a new church starting.
Week of December 25, 2011
Christmas Traditions
“M and J” have spent two Christmases in the country where they serve. They have a family tradition of visiting poor families each Christmas to deliver food, baked goods, coffee, and sugar. Some of their closest national friends help them select the families and accompany them on the visits. In one home,Mand J’s 4-year-old daughter started singing “Joy to the World” and “Away in a Manger” in the national language. She also shared the truth of Christmas, in her best 4-year-old language. God is using missionaries, their children, and our commitment to reaching people through CP and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, to deliver God’s message of forgiveness and grace. M and J and their children need your prayers this week.
STATEMENT: Matthew 2:11 These wise men traveled a long way to deliver their gifts in person. How fortunate we are to have a workable plan through which our gifts go directly to the need. Let us give with confidence that soon our gifts will become a blessing to those who need Christ.
Week of December 18, 2011
In a Village in Western Africa
GREG and LAURA SHARPE are church planters among the “H” people of western Africa. They have seen the Lord work in amazing ways over the past few months, healing people and drawing them to Himself. During an evangelism training seminar they hosted for national pastors and evangelists, two “H” men became believers. The Sharpes also taught a group of pastors how to share Bible stories. “The pastors have told us that they plan to teach their churches how to share the stories about Christ,” Greg and Laura say. In their own village, they have recently heard six people enthusiastically respond “Yes!” to Jesus. Your prayers and your sacrificial gifts through CP and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering are making a difference among the largest people group in Africa. Pray for the Sharpes and for more of the people of western Africa to receive God’s gift of eternal life through Christ.
STATEMENT: John 3:16 Christmas is the celebration of the greatest display of stewardship known to mankind. This is God’s stewardship of salvation. Our faithful giving to God through the church is a continuing celebration of God’s gift to us in His Son.
Week of December 11, 2011
Church Planting in Zimbabwe
GREGG FORT is the only church planter missionary in Zimbabwe. One of the areas he and his wife, DONNA, have been working for several years is about an hour’s drive west of the city of Gweru, among the Ndebele people. For years there were only two churches, and they weren’t growing spiritually. But with prayer and the power of the Spirit, one of those churches is maturing. Three more churches have started, and the new Christians are growing. The churches recently held a combined service, and 99 new Christians were baptized; thirty new believers await baptism! Twice a month, leaders and new believers from all five churches gather as Gregg and Pastor Ncube from Gweru do leadership training for the church leaders while Donna leads the new believer’s class. God is blessing your support of missions through CP. Pray for these new churches and believers.
Week of December 4, 2011
Serving in Senegal as general evangelists, TRAVIS and KIMBERLEY FORSYTHE have been sowing Gospel seeds among the Sereer-Sine people since 2006, thanks in part to your participation in CP. Recently they have had opportunity to partner with two Illinois churches to distribute Operation Christmas Child gifts to children. Each time the gifts are distributed, there is a clear presentation of the Gospel to all of the children and adults present. This work, which first started in March 2009, resulted in approximately 5,000 people hearing the truth of Jesus Christ. In April 2010, the Forsythes partnered with other Great Commission Christians in the country to do a cooperative Operation Christmas Child distribution, giving gifts to 4,000 children. This effort resulted in hundreds of thousands of Senegalese hearing about the love of God. Ask God to water, and eventually harvest, the Gospel seeds planted in the hearts of these people.
STATEMENT: 2 Corinthians 12:12-13 Giving is a natural part of a Christian’s life and worship. Paul wrote the Corinthians that he was wrong in not expecting them to give to support his ministry. According to Paul, it is right to expect Christians to give to support the ministries of the church.
Week of November 27, 2011
Does Anyone Know What This Book Is?
Last year, 12 new churches were started among the Samburu of Kenya, and more than 500 new believers were baptized! Recently, however, missionary CHARLIE DANIELS held up his Bible in front of a small group and asked, “Does anyone know what this book is?” Only one woman answered yes. There are no churches in this remote area, and the village chief says his people have been forgotten because no one has come to help them. Your love for people and commitment to fulfilling the Great Commission through the Cooperative Program will bring the Good News to the Samburu people along with the assurance that God has not forgotten them. Charlie and his wife, SANDRA , need your prayers this week as they serve the Lord in this rural area of sub-Saharan Africa.
Week of November 20, 2011
God’s Protection in Burkina Faso
SCOTT BRADFORD serves in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, with his wife, JULIE MARIE. In March 2010, Scott was riding home on his motorcycle when a dark car pulled out in front of him. Scott made the split-second decision to lay the motorcycle down on its side, but he was unable to avoid impact with the car. Miraculously, he was able to make a call to his logistics coordinator, and three missionary friends rushed to help him. Scott says, “Although I could have gone to see the Lord face-toface, He saw fit to keep me around and continue to serve Him that I might give Him the glory as our family serves Him in sub- Saharan Africa.” Your support of missions through CP and the LottieMoon Christmas Offering makes a difference in the lives of missionaries as well as the people groups they serve. Thank God for protecting Scott during this accident.
STATEMENT: Psalms 24:1-4 The psalmist affirms that God’s ownership is established through creation.We did not create the world, nor do we own anything, but we are responsible to care for God’s world. In doing what we can do, we have a channel for honoring God and serving other people.
Week of November 13, 2011
A Church for the Medical Community
Paul reminded the Roman church that not all things are good, but that all things work for the good (Romans 8:28). Faced with a serious medical condition with their newborn son, North American missionaries BEN and KELLY HAYES sought treatment in the medical metropolis that is the Texas Medical Center in Houston Texas. During their time there, God led the Hayes to reach out to the medical community, and they planted a church right in the center of this medical community. Cooperative Program gifts from churches like yours are being used by God in ways that cannot be scripted. Pray for the Hayes; their son; and ask God, the Great Physician, to move mightily in this medical mission field.
STATEMENT: Mark 6:7-10 On this journey the twelve depend completely on the generosity of the believers. Our missionaries try to work full-time in sharing the Gospel. Your faithful giving and our church’s giving through the Cooperative Program help to make this possible.
Week of October 30, 2011
An Old Vacant Church
In a small Vermont town, there stood an old vacant church. God called North American missionaries LYANDON and KIM WARREN to impact this area and fill that old church. Working bi-vocationally while building relationships in the town, Lyndon is seeing new life rise up in that old building. New life is exciting, but it is also fragile. Pray for protection and direction as they lead this new group of believers in a small town where most don’t know Christ. From the smallest of towns to the largest of cities, your support of missions through CP is making a difference. This week, ask God to bless and multiply the ministry of the Warrens.
STATEMENT: Proverbs 30:8-9 A lifestyle characterized by good management is a balanced lifestyle. As Christians, we manage what God provides for us and seek to balance the amount of things accumulated and consumed with the amount we give to God and to others.
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Week of October 23, 2011
Sharing His Faith
A former Muslim, North American Mission Board missionary NADEEM QAZI’s conversion to Christianity set his life on a path of sharing his faith no matter the cost. Following years of ministry in Pakistan and eccalating danger, Nadeem and his wife JAMILA, escaped to Canada. Today they serve in Tronto, one of the most ethnically diverse cities in North America. The Qazis reach out to South Asians and other internationals living in North America with the help of your faithful support of missions through CP and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. Pray for Nadeen and Jamaila as they serve Christ in this major Canadain city.
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Week of October 16, 2011
World Changer Projects
From a home base in Memphis, Tennessee, North American missionaries Jon and Linda Hodge serve with the Student Volunteer Mobilization team at the North American Mission Board. Being responsible for the logistics for more than a dozen World Changer projects in Mississippi, Arkansas, Southern Illinois, Middle Tennessee, and Alaska rarely leads to a boring day. During the summer of 2010, World Changers celebrated its 20th anniversary and has involved more than 300,000 students since 1990. More than 20,000 homes have been refurbished thanks to these students, their sponsors and your commitment to putting love in action through the Cooperative Program. Pray for the Hodges as they continue to mobilize students to serve in programs like World Changers and Power Plant that reach out and touch our communities in practical ways.
STATEMENT: Acts 20:35 During Paul’s brief visit with the leaders in the church at Ephesus, He reminded them of three necessary principles for growth as Christian stewards: Salvation in Christ, living and serving unselfishly, and discovering that real happiness in living and giving.
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Week of October 09, 2011
Bengali People of South Asia
Morning: “GENE and RENEE YAUSSY” have been serving among the Bengali people of South Asia for over two years. During this time, the demand from nationals for training has become more than they can physically accomplish. This is amazing, since less than .01 percent of the country profess to believe. The hunger for spiritual truth and help in reaching their nation is overwhelming. Gene and Renee offer training to nationals that equips them to share their faith with their friends, family, and neighbors. Gene’s people group is a minority, but is comprised of 15 million people, most of whom have little or no access to the Gospel. Additional workers are desperately needed to express the truth to these people. You can help in this effort by praying and by sacrificially supporting missions through CP and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Ask God to push back the darkness in South Asia. STATEMENT: 2 Corinthians 8:4-5 Despite great difficulties, the Macedonian Christians found a way to support ministries beyond their local community. We have the opportunity to support ministries around the world. We witness for Christ around the world when our church gives through the Cooperative Program.
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