My Fathers (by David Chandler)

(David Chandler with Lloyd Van Horn)

In honor of Father's Day, one of our church members, David Chandler has written about his two fathers.

Yes, I said fathers (plural).  I have been lucky enough to have two earthly fathers!  My birth father was a Marine during World War 2 and the Korean War.  He was also a drill instructor.  He believed, 'Once a Marine, always a Marine.' We were raised that way.  He was very mean to anybody and everybody.  But, he taught me how to take care of myself.  He died of cancer in 1984.

In 1983, I met Lloyd Van Horn at Clayton Community Church in Georgia.  He has been my father since that time.  He has been there for me with all my trials and troubles; as well as being there for all the good time.

He is one of only a very few men that I have known that LIVES what he believes.  On occasion, when we have stayed with the Van Horns, we always have devotions right after breakfast.  Whenever we have had a major decision to make, we ask for his advice and value it.

Lloyd served his country during World War 2 in the US Navy.  He has been my example of what a Godly man should be like.  He has been a good husband, father, and most of all, a spiritual advisor.  We always pray for him during our daily devotions and thank our Lord for our relationship.

I have always coached all kinds of sports, and have had the good fortune of having coached two boys who have gone on to play pro ball.  But more than that, there are a few that are serving the Lord in their church.

To God Be the Glory!

6 Things I Learned at Gurus of Tech (by Josh Brown)

Two weeks ago I traveled (by car!) to Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois with a friend from church and two other men from a church in Avon Park, Florida. The purpose of the trip was to attend Gurus of Tech, a two-day conference for anyone serving in a technical, creative, or leadership role in any church. 

The Main Auditorium at Willow Creek seats over 7,000. We had an hour during the second day of the conference to explore. 

I am currently serving at Faith as a summer intern, working on things like the website and assisting with VBS, and I have been involved in our Mulitmedia Ministry for a quite a few years, focusing on whatever needs to be projected on the screen in the sanctuary. Below is a list of six things I learned or was reminded of at the conference.

1. Worship. One speaker asked the question, “Do you attend the church where you work?”. I must not let service in any ministry become an excuse for not participating in worship services or fellowshipping with other believers.
2. We are on the same team. Techs, Musicians, and Creative people don’t always think alike. These relationships take work, but they are so vital to ministry. Loyalty is key as well. As a team member of the multimedia team, I need to support anyone who is on the platform, whether that be with what is being projected or the sound that is coming through the speakers. It is my role to do what I can to help them present what they are presenting, in a way that they are not concerned with anything else and can focus. It is very important to realize and remember that we are all on the same team serving with the same purpose - to make much of God and point people to Him.
3. Perfect the basics. My first focus needs to be on the basics, even though they are usually not the fun stuff. If those are not perfected, adding more creative elements is useless. Minimizing distractions by careful and purposeful preparation is one of the most important things in multimedia ministry. We want people to remember what was taught from the Word of God and not a late microphone, a distracting presentation background, or a misspelled word.   
4. Stretch Yourself. Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men”. I should not just be doing the minimum required. I should be doing the best that I am capable of. I need to stretch myself even if it is not being required of me. In this case I am just referring to multimedia ministry, but this applies to every aspect of life.
5. Do Your Best. A statement was made during one of the main sessions that made a huge impact on me and I will not soon forget it. The speaker showed a picture from his church’s Christmas production, with all of its impressive lighting and staging and hours of rehearsal, and then showed a picture his four year old son had drawn and given to him. His point was no matter how much time, effort, or money we put into something – to God it looks like the drawing from the four year old. The four year old truly loved his Father and did his best to express his feelings. God wants our genuine best, whatever that may be.
6. Multimedia Team as a Community. We were challenged to show people that we care more about them than their gift or availability. It is good to get to know the people you serve alongside. It is also good to do things together that are unrelated to multimedia, like share a meal, or spend time together to fellowship. 

A Verdade Brazil Mission Team - What is 'A Verdade'? (by Jonita Barram)

Faith Baptist is praying for and helping the A Verdade Missions Team go to Brazil July 15–23. But where did that name, 'A Verdade,' come from?

Angel Long explains:

Hannah thought of naming the mission trip this based out of John 8:31 and 32. “A Verdade” is “The Truth” in Portuguese. The prayer is that we would hold to Jesus’ teaching, be His disciples, and all know “The Truth.”

The team will wear shirts that say “A Verdade Brazil Missions,” which should get attention and generate inquiries and conversations. Angel says that is what happened at Chick-Fil-A when our church turned out to support the team.

Lots of people that don’t attend our church asked about what we were doing. So, many spiritual seeds of encouragement were planted too! Praise God. The church showing up in support for the mission was a real encouragement to the owner and managers too—with them even asking for us to please come back.

The missions group has been preparing in other ways as well, spending 10 weeks working through Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper. Angel says:

It was a real eye opener to our spiritual life and how we are using our God-given time and talents.

Angel hopes people will pray the following for the team:

Prayers would be that we would be used of God on His trip—from our preparing here to our future, even in our flight. May He totally use us for His glory, work in us for His kingdom, and work upon our hearts for deeper roots of fellowship with Him. Pray for all to know His love, grace, and mercy.

Related Posts:

• A Verdade Brazil Mission Team - Overview
• A Verdade Missions Trip - 14 Prayer Requests

A Verdade Missions Trip - 14 Prayer Requests

As our A Verdade Brazil Mission Team prepares for its July trip, we have 14 specific prayer requests to share with you.  

1. That God will keep them, their money, and their belongings safe
2. That God will protect their health
3. That they would get through Customs without problems or payment
4. That God would open to them “a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ”
5. That they “may open [their mouths] boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel”
6. That they would enjoy unity
7. That the Lord would minimize language barriers
8. That God would fill them “with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding”
9. That they “may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God”
10. That God would strengthen each one “with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy” (And my experience is that being overseas automatically calls for patience and longsuffering!)
11. That they would redeem the time in witnessing, working, and fellowshipping
12. That they would witness, work, and fellowship empowered by the Holy Spirit, not in their own strength
13. That each one will be open to what God wants to teach him or her during this experience
14. That God would use this trip to burden their hearts for the work of missions—whether they become missionaries or they support missionaries through prayer and finances

Will you pray for them?

Related Posts:

• A Verdade Brazil Mission Team - Overview
• A Verdade Brazil Mission Team - What is 'A Verdade?'

A Verdade Brazil Missions Trip - Overview

As Copa Airline’s flight 435 touches down in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, on July 15, it will carry nine youth and six adults from our church. Joao Pessoa will be their first destination on a missions trip that will end at Paraiba Baptist Camp, the relocated Baptist Mid-Missions camp where our Faith’s 100 missionary Jared Malcolm is working.

Those of us who are not going can still participate by providing funds for the trip and praying for the team.

Funds for the Trip

Getting to Brazil will be no easy feat for the teens. Typically a missions team will ask their church, friends, and family for donations to raise the needed support. But our team isn’t asking for free money—although all free money is welcome! Instead, team members are working toward the $1,980 each needs for the trip. And they’ve invited the entire church body to participate in three ways.

Work

In March, people were invited to sign up to have one or more youth provide a service. Instead of paying the teens, the adults write a check to the church, indicating which team member’s account should get the money.

This is a great way for our church family not only to meet our own needs but also to get to know teens better while we help them get to Brazil. Jonita Barram, for example, enjoyed having Caleb Haynes and Levi Dekker do manual labor for her. In particular, they moved furniture. She says:

I was really impressed with their willingness to work, even beyond what I was asking them to do. I already knew them by name and face. I appreciated getting to know a little more about them during the time they worked with me.

Spirit Night

On May 2, hundreds of the Faith family gathered at the Winter Haven Chick-Fil-A, enjoying food and fellowship and helping raise money for the team. From 5 to 8 p.m., couples, families, and individuals placed orders, turning in their flyers to ensure a portion of their dinner price went to the team. The evening garnered about $500 as of this writing.

(members of the Brazil Mission Team during Spirit Night at Chick-Fil-A)

Marianna Hradec—who recently went forward in church, expressing her willingness to become a missionary—can’t go on this summer’s trip, but she was at Chick-Fil-A, having fun supporting her fellow youth.

Among those at Chick-Fil-A that night were Bob and Laura Lusk, part of the older generation who has been giving, “hiring,” showing up, supporting, and praying for the missions team.

Prayer for the Team

James Berry*, Jamie Berry, Katie Deines, Jessica Dekker, Levi Dekker, J. R. Foster*, Caleb Haynes, Jana Hopkins, Rebekah Leonard*, Angel Long*, Hannah Long, Dot Malcolm*, Julie Shierling, Bill Vegter*, and Jacob Vegter need our prayers! (* Adults.)

According to Jon Reiner, the team will do general maintenance, such as painting, trimming trees and brush, and doing minor construction. He says not to worry—there’s “plenty to do!” Hannah Long says she is looking forward to meeting and fellowshipping with new people and to sharing the gospel. Levi Dekker, who has been to Brazil before, says: “It’s just great meeting all the people. We get to go to the church services, and it’s a great experience.” When asked what he expects to do, he says, “I just do whatever they need me to.”

Rebekah Leonard says: 

“We are so excited to be going, and it’s great that the word is getting out so that we will have many direct prayers behind us as we head to Brazil.” 

The Lord has something special to teach each team member. This could be a life-changing experience. For example, Cynthia Deines tells how a missions trip taken by her husband and daughter had a lasting impact on Lauren:

Lauren and Troy went to Nicaragua on a missions trip, and that just confirmed with Lauren that she wanted to go into nursing. Lauren just got her four-year degree in nursing this month. And she’s so excited about it. She and her husband are thinking that they might want to go Ecuador for a few years and do mission work down there with her nursing degree.

Only time will demonstrate to us the way this trip will change the lives of Angel, Bill, Caleb, Dot, Hannah, Jacob, James, Jamie, Jana, Jessica, J. R., Julie, Katie, Levi, and Rebekah.

Thank You

Pastor Dave says:

The church has really jumped in and helped so much. They are helping through providing work opportunities, by praying, and donating resources to help with fundraisers. The adult leaders have also put in many hours to help the team.

Related Posts:

• A Verdade Brazil Mission Team - What is 'A Verdade?'
• A Verdade Missions Trip - 14 Prayer Requests

My Little Mom (by Lisa Brock)

 

 

May is the time of year when we celebrate Mother's Day. Ephesians 6:2 reminds us that we are to "Honor your father and mother." It is always right to honor your mother. This year, we invited members of our congregation to share with us the secrets of being a great mother. Today's post comes from Lisa Brock.

My Little Mom

My mother is one of those people, perhaps easily misunderstood when you first meet her. A petite lady, now crowned with beautiful white hair, she measures only about 5’2”. From the time we were teen-agers, my three sisters and I always towered at least 5 five full inches above her. She is rather shy, blushes easily, and isn’t much for “speaking her mind”. Though her hazel eyes have that ability to express all the feeling her reserved nature prohibits her from showing, she is quiet, and demure; sometimes blends into the background. And she is small. She has delicate feet, and tiny hands. People could perhaps think she is weak, lacks imagination, has no courage, or strength; not a person who takes big risks or makes their "mark in the world."

She Read to Me

Well…these are some things I remember about my mother: I’ve seen that graceful head bent over the piano at church, accompanying as my dad and countless others sang for special music. I saw the hands leading the choir for many years, and doing Bible School crafts, or playing volleyball with the youth group. I often saw the arms hugging the kids she had led to Christ, or saw them compassionately wrapped around the shoulders of an insecure teen girl. The smallness of the hands never seemed to lack strength or ability, whether they were sewing, knitting, crocheting, cross-stitching, cooking endless meals, baking and canning, painting, gardening, or any number of chores that needed to be done on our small farm. During her 20 years as a teacher, I watched those keen hazel eyes as she graded thousands of papers for her students. But she wasn’t just a teacher at school. In her beautifully articulate speech, she taught us that priceless lessons can be learned from good, well-written books. I still feel closeness to my mom when I’m transported somewhere else through classic literature. I find myself thinking, “Mom would love this: She would love it with me.” I treasure the memory of her lilting, expressive voice in my ear, reading me classic stories like The Snow Queen, and parts of Gulliver’s Travels and The Hobbit. She read us books like The Cricket in Times Square and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Magic. I still love to hear her read scripture aloud; it brings back that safe and peaceful feeling of knowing truth, and watching it lived.

She Played with Me

I remember playing games with my mom; games like Flinch and Authors and Old Maid. She has a great sense of humor, and playfully sang us silly songs, or quipped something funny to brighten a tough situation. She still has her grandchildren begging her to recite “Prindercella and the Cince” ( a story about Cinderella and the Prince that is full of malapropisms) My mom played with me. She let me dress her up and put make up on her and curl her hair; she played dolls with me, and taught me how to knit them tiny sweaters. She taught me to play Ping-Pong, and jacks, and Chinese jump-rope.

She Cared for Me and Others

Though never given to showing dramatic emotion in crisis, I remember the coolness of her small hand on my fevered forehead and then watching those delicate hands quietly clean up after me when I was sick. I also remember seeing my mom’s arms gripping the body of my older sister to comfort her through an epileptic seizure till it subsided. I was awed, years after I left home, when I came back to visit and saw the strength of those small arms, as she lifted her own paralyzed mother, and diapered her each night. She cared for her mom for three years, during which her mother-in-law also came to live with them, and then she participated in caring for them both until their death. Neither ever went to a long-term nursing facility.

She Prayed with Me

Those beautiful hands held mine countless times around our table in prayer, and I knew when I watched them holding her worn and tattered Bible, what she truly valued most. Her tiny wedding ring was a fascinating “play thing” during the hundreds of church services we attended as small children, and only now do I understand the depth of its significance. It made me happy and secure to see my mom’s sweet smile flashed at my dad, as they spoke to one another. I remember watching her curiously as she fixed her hair, and put on fresh lipstick, just because she knew he was coming home soon.

She Taught Me By Her Example

Those delicate feet have walked into many homes to serve and encourage the old and young, believers and non-believers. She, by example, taught me the grace of being thoughtful, and slow to speak, and how important it is to choose my words carefully. She taught me the significance of being a good listener and a caring, generous friend.

Her arms have embraced my husband and held my children. Over the years, we have received hundreds of cards of love and encouragement, carefully chosen, and signed in her graceful handwriting. Throughout our home are many handmade things that “Gramma made me”. They are treasured.

She Taught Me to Seek the Good in Each Situation

I can still hear her voice reminding us to seek the good in each situation, to pity and encourage the weak, and to try to think the best of others. She always sought to share the gospel with us and those around her, weaving it in and through her daily experience. She comforted and stood by us when we failed, and always reminded us to do our best for God’s glory. Whenever she speaks of God’s greatness, her eyes are alive; they are energetic and animated, and twinkle with excitement and joy. I have also seen those eyes sympathetic and grave with sorrow and concern, yet always peaceful and confident in Her Savior. I’ve often seen them closed in prayer. Her sweet voice is lifted daily, in fervent supplication for me, my family and so many others, and her small hands are lifted in constant, humble praise for Her Lord’s provisions and blessings.  

My little mom taught me these fundamental, life-altering truths in a myriad of  small ways:

• God, what He says, and His people are the only things that are the only things that are eternal, and truly important.
• I am not the center of the Universe; God is, and His Glory and Honor is my principle purpose.   
• God’s Agenda always supersedes and overrides mine.
• Prayer is a demonstration of my dependency on and trust in, that Sovereign God.

 

So what is the measure of the influence of this one, small woman on me?

It is huge. Enormous. Immense. Just like my gratitude. Will I fill her shoes?  God grant me grace to ever be that big.

 

• Read More of our Special Mother's Day Posts

My Mother - "She is Faithful to God" (by Cindy Harrell)

Cindy Harrell (on right) with her mother

May is the time of year when we celebrate Mother's Day. Ephesians 6:2 reminds us that we are to "Honor your father and mother." It is always right to honor your mother. This year, we invited members of our congregation to share with us the secrets of being a great mother. Today's post comes from Cindy Harrell.

 What Makes My Mother Great?

Her Dedication to Her Family

Who can raise 4 kids born in less than 4 years with a wringer washer and cloth diapers and formula (because the doctor said she shouldn’t nurse)? My mom did, cooking meals from scratch, baking goodies from scratch, and sewing clothes for her children. My mom was very industrious, and probably very tired. She did not have the conveniences that we have, yet I never remember her complaining. She faithfully did what she needed to do to meet our needs. She put our needs above her own, making us new clothes while she wore her old ones.

Throughout the years, my mom was there for me. When I got home from school, she was there. Many times I would walk around the table and talk to her while she was busy in the kitchen. l still go to her when I need someone to talk to. She is a very good listener. She has been very supportive of me in my adult life, from encouraging me in the raising of my kids, to encouraging us to get counseling when our marriage was on the rocks. She has always been there for me, not giving up on me and faithfully praying for me.

She also encourages me to live a healthy life by her example. Whenever she has a health issue, she will research it and change her diet if she needs to. She still cooks a meal most days and bakes bread and other baked goods. She exercises faithfully and takes vitamins. Sometimes I think she is healthier than I am.

Her Dedication to the Church

She not only worked at home, but she also was active in our church. When I was in fourth grade, my dad became pastor of a small church and he pastored the rest of my growing up days. My mom was a very good Pastor’s wife, doing whatever needed to be done. She played piano. She made bulletins, without the convenience of a computer. She had to type on special copy paper. If you made a mistake, it was not an easy task to fix it. She spent a lot of time making the bulletin look nice. Sometimes she taught a Sunday School class. She spent time preparing her lessons. She is still involved in the church, teaching and playing piano and preparing meals when there is a need.

Her Dedication to God

I believe much of what has helped my mother throughout the years has been her faith in God and her faithfulness to God. She has made prayer a regular part of her life. She loves God and it shows in the way she lives her life.

• Read More of our Special Mother's Day Posts

My Mother - "Her Strengths are Unsurpassed" (by Stephen Simpson)

Connie Simpson with her two sons Scott & Stephen

May is the time of year when we celebrate Mother's Day. Ephesians 6:2 reminds us that we are to "Honor your father and mother." It is always right to honor your mother. This year, we invited members of our congregation to share with us the secrets of being a great mother. Today's post comes from Stephen Simpson.

What Makes My Mother so Great?

Her Honesty

My mother is honest.  I trust her completely.  Some mothers tell their children what they (the children) want to hear instead of what they need to hear.  Some mothers mislead and even lie to their children.  It is a tremendous gift from God that I can trust my mother.  She keeps her word.

Her Compassion

I have seen few people as compassionate as my mother.  I have watched her lovingly care for two different individuals in their final years.  The patience and kindness she demonstrated was truly uncommon.  I have also been on the receiving end of her compassion many times.  There have been some dark and difficult times in my life.  At those times, my mother has been there with tremendous acts of compassion.  What a blessing it is to have a compassionate mother! 

Her Love for Her Grandchildren

Another reason that my mother is great is this:  She loves her grandchildren.  I have seen grandparents grow indifferent to their grandchildren.  I have seen grandparents have little or no relationship with their grandchildren.  This is not true of my mother.  She loves her "GrandS" and she loves them all equally.  There have been many times when she has called just to see if she could come over and see her GrandS.  She loves hugging them and spending time with them.  She will gladly prepare an impromptu picnic in her backyard at the request of a granddaughter.  It is such a blessing for my children to have a grandmother who loves them.

Her Love for My Father

It is becoming increasingly uncommon to see a mother who faithfully loves the father of her children for over 40 years.  Too often, today's marriages are viewed as temporary relationships.  Since 1969, my mother has loved my father.  I have watched her love him, support him, care for him, and encourage him all of my life.  This is one of the best gifts that she has given to my brother and me.  This truly makes her a great mother.

My mother is not perfect.  But, she is great.  She has her weaknesses.  But, her strengths are unsurpassed.  May God raise up more mothers like mine.  I thank God that Connie Simpson is my mother.

• Read More of our Special Mother's Day Posts

My Mother - "She Loves Me and My Friends" (by RaQuel Love)

RaQuel Love with her mother, Cindi Love

May is the time of year when we celebrate Mother's Day. Ephesians 6:2 reminds us that we are to "Honor your father and mother." It is always right to honor your mother. This year, we invited members of our congregation to share with us the secrets of being a great mother. Today's post comes from RaQuel Love, a 17-year old member of our congregation.

What Makes My Mom So Great?

This question can be asked to many people and the answer will never be the same. I wanted to know what other people thought of their moms, so I went and asked. “My mom is someone who is always there for me, someone very special to me.” Another lady said, “ My mom gives me advice, and will never judge me.” Then I started to think about my mom. What all she has done for me in the 17 years I’ve been alive? There is so much to say, so, I better get started :)

She is Loving

My mom loves and she has always gone out of her way for me. There are 4 of us kids, so when it comes down to it, there's not much left over at the end of the month. She always finds a way to get us where we need to go, or get us what we need. She loves all the friends we bring over, and I mean a lot of friends! She is always the life of the party, and I don't mind! My friends love coming over and hanging with my mom because she is so cool and loving. She can make a dinner made for 6 into a dinner for 12 in no time at all. Her motto will always be, “ If you want to see me, all are welcome. If you want to see the house, make an appointment.”

She is an Encourager

My mom is an encourager and a hard worker. Our family has gone through a lot through the years and my mom has always been there to comfort me, encourage me and love me. I can't think of a time when my mom wasn't there to help me with my algebra, or help me figure out my future. My mom has always been an encourager to my family and other families as well. My mom has also gone back to college to further her own education and has also found time to coach my brother's baseball team. I don't know how she manages to find time for everything!

She Loves God

My mom lives for the Lord in everything she does. My mom loves God with all her heart and it shows everyday. She teaches us God's Word every night in our family devotions and has always told us to be a testimony. Every time we walk out of the house she always tells us to be a blessing. She is such an inspiration to me because when I am down about something she is always there for me and always has a Bible verse to help me up.

There is so much more I could write about, but there is not enough paper in the world to describe my mommy to you! So, what makes my mom so great? Is it everything she does for me? Is it her uplifting and joy-filled spirit? Yes! It is all this and a whole lot more! She is the love of my life and my whole world! I LOVE YOU MOMMY!

• Read More of our Special Mother's Day Posts

My Mommy - "She Hugs Us" (by Abigail, Esther, & Josiah Simpson)

Esther & Nicki Simpson

May is the time of year when we celebrate Mother's Day.  Ephesians 6:2 reminds us that we are to "Honor your father and mother."  It is always right to honor your mother.  This year, we invited members of our congregation to share with us the secrets of being a great mother.  Today's post comes from three small children:  Abigail (age 6), Esther (4), and Josiah (almost 17 months).  They write about their mommy ~ Nicki Simpson.  Actually, they told me, and I wrote it down :).

What is So Great About Your Mommy?

• "She takes care of us."  Abigail
• "She hugs us."  Esther
• "She tucks us in for bed."  Esther
• "She takes us out to eat and to the park."  Abigail
• "She takes us to the library so I can do my quizzes and get more books."  Abigail
• "She takes us to church."  Abigail
• "She coached our soccer team."  Abigail
• Abigail said her mommy is great because "She has us as her children."  
• "She taught me how to read."  Abigail
• "She taught me how to read the alphabet books."  Esther
• "She takes care of us and helps us when we are hurt by putting bandaids on our boo-boos."  Esther
• "She reads books to us."  Abigail
• "She is so great because of everything she endured to bring me into this world."  Josiah 
• "She lets me tickle her neck."  Josiah

Josiah, Abigail, & Esther Simpson

• Read more of our Special Mother's Day Posts

My Mother - "She Has Had a Great Impact on My Life" (by Suzanne Harrell)

Suzanne Harrell and her mom, Cindy Harrell

May is the time of year when we celebrate Mother's Day. Ephesians 6:2 reminds us that we are to "Honor your father and mother." It is always right to honor your mother. This year, we invited members of our congregation to share with us the secrets of being a great mother. Today's post comes from Suzanne Harrell.

Defining 'Great'

When I think of “great,” my years as a history major in college inevitably bring Alexander the Great to mind, who conquered countries and expanded his empire through sheer military prowess and power. My sister, on the other hand, thinks of the Great Depression when she thinks of “great,” where an entire country was plunged into an economic depression and forced to change lifestyles and learn to unite. Dictionary.com defines “great” as “unusually . . . large in size”; “large in number”; “considerable in degree, power, or intensity”; “wonderful”; and “being such in an extreme or notable degree.” Pastor Osborne would invariably say that no one can be truly great except for God. While he is right, there are some people in my life who have had a great impact on me, and one of these people is my mother.

My Mother's Dedication

My mother’s dedication has made a great impact on me. Throughout my life, my parents never had the easiest marriage. I can remember crying in my room while listening to them argue in the living room. I know now that all married couples occasionally argue, but when I was little it seemed like no marriage could survive such hurtful words. I once asked my parents if they would ever get a divorce, and I will never forget what they told me. They would never get a divorce, they said, because they were Christians, and they made a commitment before God to stay true to each other for the rest of their lives. I know that at times it was hard, but because of dedication to God and her family, my mom stuck it out and today shows her dedication through her care of and for us.

My Mother's Love

My mother’s love is another thing that has made a great impact on my life. Whenever I was little and would burst into uncontrollable tears, my mother was the one who could make everything seem better just by putting her arms around me. When I would call home from college, homesick and lonely, my mother’s comfort and encouragement got me through it. To this day, when I’m upset and emotional, I’ll often cry, “I want my mom!” Although my sisters and I have given her more than our share of pain and heartache, she still loves enough to want what’s best for us and to do what she can to help us achieve that.

My Mother's Example

Finally, my mother’s example has made a great impact on my life. I feel extremely blessed to have been raised in a Christian household. I often wonder: if it weren’t for my parents, would I have ever come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? Or would I be like many of my students—lost, lonely, and headed in all sorts of wrong directions? To point my sisters and I in the right direction, my mom made sure we were in church every Sunday. She homeschooled us and included Bible courses. She took us to AWANA and VBS. To this day, she advises us on our problems by pointing us to the Bible. My mother’s Christian example had a great impact on me.

My Mother Has Had a Great Impact on My Life

Because of her dedication, love, and Christian example, my mom has made, and continues to make, a great impact on my life. Some define “great” in terms of power and strength; some define it in terms of leadership; I define it in terms of personal impact. My mom has had a great impact on my life, and I love her so much.

• Read More of our Special Mother's Day Posts

My Mother - "Freshly Baked Bread" (by Theresa Beveridge)

May is the time of year when we celebrate Mother's Day.  Ephesians 6:2 reminds us that we are to "Honor your father and mother."  It is always right to honor your mother.  This year, we invited members of our congregation to share with us the secrets of being a great mother.  Today's post comes from Theresa Beveridge.

I have vague memories of my mother.  When I was very little my mother made the 3 of us mickey mouse ears so we could be one of the mouseketters! Cmon those of you that watched this, what did they say MIC (see you real soon!) KEY (why? because we like you!) M O U S E. I also have memories of coming home from school to find several loaves of freshly baked bread.  Yum! 

Being that my father was a brick mason and did not have much work in the winter, it was never hard for my mother to make soup from going to the market and asking for bones. She could make any kind of soup out of any bones.

I was born in Arlington, VA.  I grew up in Mclean, VA.  We rented a farm.  From about 10 on we lived in Falls Church VA.  I was one of 7 children the 3 oldest were all married and gone. My oldest sister gave birth to her first son and 30 days later my mom gave birth to her baby.  The 4th oldest was still at home. 

What I miss the most about my mother is her harmonizing gospel songs.  Some times she could get as low as a bass. She always liked the songs 'Daddy sang bass momma sang tenor' and 'The Old rugged Cross.'

• Read more of our Special Mother's Day Posts

My Mother - "She Taught Me How to Live Righteously." (by Rebecca Hosford)

May is the time of year when we celebrate Mother's Day. Ephesians 6:2 reminds us that we are to "Honor your father and mother." It is always right to honor your mother. This year, we invited members of our congregation to share with us the secrets of being a great mother. Today's post comes from Rebecca Hosford.

My mother's name is Bessie Hosford.   My Mother is always patient, always kind. She is my best friend. She knows when I feel bad or sad, she knows exactly what to say. She never lets me down. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her. She taught me how to live righteously. Her rule was,

"Do unto others as you would have done unto you."  Matthew 7:12.

My own brother lives by this rule and he does not believe in God! But what strength she passes down, I do not know, I only hope to make her proud! If my own son could look up to me the way I do to her... well I pray and praise God all day for her, who is still in my world. So now I worship God and give thanks for my church family, but none would replace the love I have for my Mother each and every day!

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boost, it is not proud, It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

If you would put my Mother in place of the word Love or charity, well that describes how great my Mother is. My prayers go out to all who have lost a Mother like mine. Keep her close in your heart, try to give back the love she gave you. And to those who never had a Mother quite like this, I pray you will meet a woman that could be a Mother to you. God bless Faith Baptist Church.

• Read more of our Special Mother's Day posts

My Mother - "She Has Loved Me Through it All!" (by Sarah Parmer)

Sarah Parmer (on right) & her mother (Suzie Durden)

May is the time of year when we celebrate Mother's Day.  Ephesians 6:2 reminds us that we are to "Honor your father and mother."  It is always right to honor your mother.  This year, we invited members of our congregation to share with us the secrets of being a great mother.  Today's post comes from a new mother in our congregation - Sarah Parmer

What makes my mother so great? 

I smile to myself because the answer to this question is quite simple for me. My mother is great because not only is she my mother, she’s also my best friend. Most women come to this realization when they’ve become an adult. I knew that my mother was my best friend when I was young.

The Ruby Ring

Growing up, my mother made every holiday and occasion special. She always put a lot of thought into a gift before she gave it. There is one gift, in particular, that I cherish more than the others. As a child, I can remember playing in my mother’s jewelry box. She had two rings that I distinctively remember. One was an aquamarine solitaire, her birthstone, and the other had two flowers cut out of rubies. She’d let me look at them, but I wasn’t allowed to wear them. In May of 2005, my family celebrated with me as I graduated from college. I received many wonderful gifts that day, but the gift inside a small box is the one I remember the most. That gift was from my mother and inside the box was the ruby ring from her jewelry box. I remember looking at her, the ring in the box, and then back at her with confusion. She had once told me that my grandparents had given her the ring as a gift. All at once, everything began to make sense. My grandparents had given her the ring as a college graduation gift and she was doing the same for me. All of my graduation gifts are special to me as are those who gave them, but the most special gift of all that evening was the beautiful ruby ring and the look of pride in my mother’s eyes as she gave it to me.

She Has Always Been There

My mother has always been a shoulder when I’ve needed someone to lean on. From the devastating heartbreak I felt when a boy in school didn’t like me back to hearing the news from my specialist that conceiving a child was going to be a little harder for my husband and me, she has always been there for support. I can recall my first day of middle school. I was a brand new sixth grader in a sea of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. My mother drove me to school that morning and walked me onto the campus. The bell hadn’t rung yet, and students weren’t allowed inside the halls. I can remember standing in the courtyard with my backpack on and telling my mother not to leave just yet. She was going to be late to work, and she reminded me of that fact several times, but she didn’t leave. She stood in that courtyard with what I’m sure felt like millions of preteens and waited until I told her it was ok for her go. My mother has always been there for me when I’ve needed her the most.

She Has Loved Me Through It All

Now that I’m a mother myself, I truly understand the depth of my own mother’s love for me. She has put up with a lot from me over the years. From my relentless cries as a newborn (apparently I was a terrible baby!) to my sassy, obnoxious mouth as a teenager, she has loved me through it all. And I know she’ll continue to love me-- that’s what makes all mothers so special.

• Read more of our special Mother's Day posts

The God of the Amazon Jungle is Same God of Inwood (by Jonita Barram)

‘If He Did It Back Then/He’ll Do It Again’

The Southern Gospel group Signature Sound has recorded a song called “The God of Today.” The chorus says:

For the God of the past,
Is the God of today.
If He did it back then,
He'll do it again,
He forever remains the same,
So trust in His unchanging power,
And follow Him come what may,
For the God of the past,
Is the God of today.

The Kingdom of Darkness

Several years ago, I got to read Port of Two Brothers: The Amazing Story ofTwo Missionary Brothers and Their Work on the Amazon, by Paul Schlener. Paul and his brother John evangelized and discipled a tribe of Indians called the Ticuna. These pagans were some of Satan’s choicest servants in the kingdom of darkness until “the Father … qualified [them] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light,” delivering them “from the power of darkness” and conveying them “into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (see Colossians 1:12–14). Schlener writes:

“Those people were in a sad state of spiritual, moral, and intellectual darkness.”

Any evil thing that goes on in Winter Haven went on in the Amazon Jungle, and the book gives some horrific details. Drunkenness, knife fights, revenge killings, physical and sexual abuse, thievery—all were a way of life. After the Schleners started ministering among the Ticunas, the two brothers “were convinced that Satan would not let these people go without a fight.” But God gloriously saved many of the Ticunas and transformed their tribe, much like Pastor Osborne’s vision for Winter Haven.

The Kingdom of the Son of God’s Love

When the Schleners started holding Brazilian church services, “in an unprecedented manner, our Indian friends crowded the Brazilian services on Sunday morning,” says Schlener. The missionaries then began Indian services, which were, he says, “inaugurated with at least 100 in attendance. Within a few weeks, the congregation increased to almost 500.” An American pastor who had visited the Schleners’ work encouraged the brothers, writing:

We’re asking God for a great harvest of souls—1,000 of them—why not? Is not our God able? Is this not His will? And if you are faithful, and if we are faithful, what can keep this from being accomplished? God bless you!

God did bless, and the church grew.

Schlener says

the Ticuna “didn’t have a written language, nor could they read or write Portuguese, the language of Brazil. . . . Officially the Indians were considered minors, a nation within a nation.”

So the missionaries opened a small school. Every night, a handful of their students went home and taught their families and neighbors to read and write. Christian Indians later began additional schools, camps, and churches. Several went to seminary and became pastors.

Schlener says:

“Literacy, accompanied with biblical teaching, brought higher moral standards, making life better for everyone in the Port of Two Brothers area, including the traders. The Indians began to produce more, but cheat and steal less. It took years of perseverance, maintaining an acceptable reputation in the area, to gain a good relationship with the business people.”

The following testimony illustrates the change in the Ticunas’ lives.

Nearly 800 were present one Sunday when a youth interrupted the service by walking the aisle during Paul Schlener’s sermon. He said:

My father was a pajeh [witch doctor]. No like Christians. Never come church. Come home drunk; beat my mother; beat us whole family. We run, hide in jungle. We poor. No shoes, ragged clothes. We hear neighbors across creek singing. They happy, we sad. 

Always neighbors invite Dad go church. Never go. One day Dad go, but stay in soccer field. Listen singing. Hear you two holler. Next time come closer. Stay outside, just listen. Next time come inside, stand in back. One time, he accept Christ as Savior. No more get drunk. Not pajeh no more. No more beat my mother. Work hard. All family have shoes now. Little brothers learn to read and write. Pray before eat. Nighttime recite Bible verses brothers learn in school. If God do that for Dad, can do for me, too. I’m oldest brother, need Christ, too. I accept Him today.

As their lives changed, the believers influenced their unsaved peers. For example, when the missionaries noticed a man and his son-in-law absent from church services, they asked around and learned their family had moved. They also found out why: the two men had murdered a third man on advice from a witch doctor, and their neighbors objected:

All neighbors around, explained one of the Christians, don’t want them live here no more. Can’t do that no more. Old life, long ago; we know God now. Still some believe pajeh, not accept God’s Son yet.

Souls saved. Illiterates educated. Families healed. Work ethic transformed. Generosity increased. Testimonies confirmed.

If God “did it back then” for the Ticuna Indians of Brazil (and He certainly did!), “He’ll do it again” for unbelievers in Winter Haven, particularly Inwood.

When we pray, serve, and give, we have a part in that glorious work!

What We Sow, We Reap (by Jonita Barram)

Did you hear about the teenagers whose SUV ran off the road into a pond? Six of the eight died. I felt bad as I read about them the first time. Their poor families!

Then I learned more—they had stolen the SUV. One of the mothers shared that her son and his best friend “lied about staying over at each other’s homes that evening.” She thinks they went to a party. “If only he had listened,” she says. “I told him, ‘Don’t you go nowhere.’ But they’re kids” (Fox News). I felt worse. This was no tragic accident of innocent people doing nothing wrong. This was a consequence of sinful choices. Oh, if they had only made wise choices! (If only they had just been getting up to get ready for Sunday School that morning!)

“But they’re kids.” That mother may mean that children—or in this case, teenagers—often think they know better than adults, that they are indestructible, that bad things won’t/can’t happen to them.

The Bible has a word for this. In the King James Version, it’s “froward.” It means “habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition.” Obviously, not all kids are froward and all froward people are not kids. Certainly, before we accepted Christ as our Savior, we were disposed to disobedience and opposition. Our sinful hearts were froward. And just like any other sin, frowardness can raise its ugly head even in a believer’s heart. That’s why God tells us to submit ourselves to Him (James 4:7).

Here’s another word, “presumptuous.” It means “overstepping due bounds; taking liberties.” King David asked God to keep him from presumptuous sins. The NIV puts it this way: “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression” (Psalm 19:13; italics added).

Those teens who stole a vehicle and went joyriding, or whatever they were doing, disobeyed the law, parents, and common sense. They willfully did wrong. There were consequences. Deadly consequences.

It is taking liberties (presuming) on God’s mercy to assume He will not let us suffer the consequences of our unwise choices or our sin. And it greatly dishonors Him when we disobey and oppose Him (are froward).

Twenty years ago, the Lord taught me a lesson from the life of James Jordan Sr. He did not do anything wrong, but he did do something that ended in his death: he pulled over to the side of the road in his Lexus to take a nap—something he and others did frequently. In the past, it hadn’t been dangerous to do that, but by 1993 it was.

Two young men spotted his car, killed him, and stole the vehicle. The lesson: don’t presume that because you’ve often done something unwise without horrible consequences that you won’t ever face consequences. When I have a choice to make, I often remind myself that because I seemed to get away with something before (like pulling to the side of the road in a bad area of town or traveling without a cell phone), “I can’t count on getting away with it again. Remember James Jordan.” This carries over into the area of sin too.

That’s a lesson I hope the young people of Faith Baptist Church learn now, especially those disposed to a froward or presumptuous attitude. God’s Word says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man [or woman/boy/girl/youth] sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

Learn from James Jordan—presume on God’s protection when you do something unwise, and there may be consequences.

Learn from those eight teens—sow willful disobedience and opposition, and there will be consequences.

• Read more articles from Jonita Barram

The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership That Matters (a book recommendation)

I recently finished Albert Mohler's new book, The Conviction to Lead:  25 Principles for Leadership that Matters.  It was fantastic and I highly recommend it.  With only 213 pages, the book was easily accessible and I never felt bogged down.  Mohler structured the book around 25 short leadership principles and spent one chapter on each one.  My favorite chapters were Leaders are Readers (12), Leadership as Stewardship (16), The Leader as Writer (20), and The Leader's Legacy (25).

Here are some highlights from the book.

• "Management is not the same as leadership."  p. 16
    
• "You can divide all leaders into those who merely hold an office or position and those who hold great convictions."  p. 25
    
• "This book is written with the concern that far too much of what passes for leadership today is mere management.  Without convictions you might be able to manage, but you cannot really lead."  p. 26
    
• "A robust and rich model of Christian thinking - the quality of thinking that culminates in a God-centered worldview - requires that we see all truth as interconnected."  p. 45
     
• "Passion must arise out of conviction."  p. 52
      
• "When the mission is ambiguous and the beliefs of the organization are nebulous, passion dissipates quickly."  p. 55
      
• "The conscious denial of reality is a central danger of leadership, and the leader must defend against this temptation."  p. 61
      
• "If the right decision were always clear to everyone, we would not need leaders."  p. 63
       
• "The best leaders know that the road to great effectiveness is paved with intentional communications, and the very best leaders are always learning how to be even more effective as communicators."  p. 92
     
• "If a leader has to look for a message, his leadership is doomed."  p. 92
      
• "When a true leader shows up, we already know what he is going to say."  p. 97
      
• "A leader without accountability is an accident waiting to happen."  p. 112
      
• "Common goals are the product of intensive communication, enduring influence, and constant affirmation."  p. 118
      
• "The sovereignty of God puts us in our place, and that place is in God's service." p. 135
      
• "Leaders have to be concerned not only with what their organization is doing but with what it ought to be doing."  p. 138
      
• "Indecisiveness is one of history's greatest leadership killers."  p. 142
      
• "Leaders will be humble, or they will be humbled."  p. 154
      
• "Leaders write because words matter and because the written word matters longer and reaches farther than the words we speak."  p. 172
     
• "The leaders who make the biggest difference are those with long tenure."  p. 191
      
• "Leaders often overestimate what can be accomplished in a single year, but underestimate what can be accomplished in a decade."  p. 194
      
• "There is no place as humbling as a cemetery - and there is no place more likely to remind the leader of the limits of one's leadership."  p. 201
       
• "There are no indispensable people, only indispensable convictions."  p. 202
      
• "The leader's central concern with regard to legacy is the perpetuation of conviction."  p. 208
      

Buy this book today from Amazon.

Mission Conference Recap & Highlights (by Stephen Simpson)

Some highlights from David Totman's Messages:

• Friday Night "Pursuing God"
• "The righteous pursue a relationship with God and enjoy its results." 
• "Can I describe my relationship with God as a 'pursuit?'"
• "The wise person chooses to 'plant' themselves near God.  The foolish person chooses the wisdom of the world and distances themselves far from God."
• The tree in Psalm 1 was planted 'intentionally' by the streams of water.  It was no accident.  
• "Being blessed is a result of choosing the right path.  There is a blessing that comes from choosing to place ourselves right next to God." 
• Sunday morning "The Power of Influence"
• "There is a lot of grey in our society today." 
• What are the major influences in my life?  We must be discerning about our sources of influence.
• The righteous person avoids sinful influences.
• The righteous person desires God's influence.
• "Is what is coming through your phone influencing you in a positive way?" 

Jeff & Becky Raymond

Jeff & Becky Raymond, Visual Communications Missionaries with ABWE

• The Raymonds help other missionaries communicate clearly and effectively with their supporters.  
• "Whatever God is asking you to do, He will give you everything you need to do it."  Becky Raymond (from the Sunday night Q & A)
• The Raymonds facilitate short-term mission assignments for professional photographers/videographers.  They will send them out to the field to help document a particular missionary or ministry. 
• Prayer Requests:
• Unsaved neighbors
• Strength to face spiritual battles
• visit their website - http://www.raymond.abwe.org/

Dan & Marsha Haynes

Dan & Marsha Haynes, Mali, FBM

• "Serving the Lord as a long-term career missionary is not a sacrifice.  It is an honor and a privilege."  Dan Haynes (from Sunday night Q & A)
• The Haynes have had a long and fruitful ministry in Mali.  
• Prayer Requests:
• With the unrest and unstable situation in Mali, the Haynes request prayer for clear direction for their future. 
• Malian Christians - That God would strengthen them during these difficult times. 

Dan & Sherri Lethers

Dan & Sherri Lethers, pre-field ministry, headed to Togo, ABWE

• Both Dan & Sherri worked at Word of Life.  It reminded me of the importance and value of summer camp.  Many individuals and saved and called into ministry at summer camp.
• Prayer Requests:
• The people of Togo
• That God would provide the resources to build the radio station in Togo
• That their family would thrive in Togo
• visit their website:  http://hoperadio.abwe.org/lethers-family

Other Highlights:

• Meeting Pastor Nouh, a persecuted Pastor from Mali - He spoke with so much passion and energy.



Pastor & Mrs. Nouh Yattara

• Spending time with Colin & Teena Ovenell, (www.beninbound.org) FBM Missionaries from Benin.  They were passing through Winter Haven on their way to their home in Washington state.  It was good to spend some face-to-face time with them and to hear about their ministry.

Colin & Teena Ovenell

Big Prayers, Big Answers (by Jonita Barram)

A Praying Church

       Have you noticed that some of Faith’s members are looking slimmer, healthier, more buffed? Would you believe that their appearance is an answer to a BIG prayer? Last March 4, small prayer groups prayed “that all of Faith Baptist Church will be good stewards of our relationships, our bodies, our families, our homes, our resources, and everything that God has given us to manage” (emphasis added). That is indeed a BIG prayer!
      Did God answer 100 percent of those requests in 100 percent of our membership—I like to think yes; some of us are just slower to respond, but the Holy Spirit is still working, still answering this BIG prayer.
And speaking of 100 percent of our membership, that membership has increased to at least 1,000, largely in answer to BIG prayers, like this one, also from Mar. 4, 2012: “That souls will be saved, new believers baptized, and that discipleship will happen at every level.”
      Or how about this BIG prayer, one that cannot be answered in the short-term: “That Faith Baptist Church will have the courage to see the FX vision all the way to the end—an entire community changed by the gospel”! All the children who have believed on Jesus Christ through the FX ministry are the fruits of this BIG prayer and the hope for “an entire community changed by the gospel.” Now we’re asked to pray for and give toward establishing the first Faith Baptist Refuge, a courageous step toward fulfillment of the FX vision.
      On Mar. 25, 2012, Faith members prayed “that God blesses our April Faith Day offering on Sunday.” With an offering of over $130,000, God’s answer was a big YES!  (You can read specifically about April Faith Day 2012 here.)

BIG Answers from the Past

Dot Malcolm, one of the church’s charter members, recalls some BIG answers to prayer.

     One of our deacons, Pete Jenks, was critically injured in an accident. This was when our church was new. He had a head injury; he had broken ribs, a broken hip. It was touch and go. His wife, a nurse, stood by him, took him home in a full body cast, she was working full-time, they had four children, they were living in a mobile home. We just prayed and prayed. She had to teach him the alphabet all over again; she had to teach him to feed himself—it was just amazing. Yet he had a quick recovery. And to this day you would never know about the injuries because he has been able to compensate because now his brain causes him to read backwards, but he’s done it so for so many years now that he’s used to it. That was a big prayer request and a big thing for our church to go through when we were just new.

     Even finding places to meet—God answered those prayers. God answered prayers for property. God answered prayers for our first pastor, Missionary Pastor Willard Benedict. Then when we had some really challenging times come along, God helped us through those. And then when we were two years without a pastor, God sent such wonderful men to the pulpit at that time who just kept our church going.

     A large prayer group formed, and we prayed and prayed for a pastor. God sent us Pastor Osborne, and that’s probably one of the biggest blessings our church has ever experienced, because he has taught us and shown us what we were and what we should be.

     Pastor is very plain about God not being pleased with a critical spirit, to love people where they are, and to try to see them as God sees them, where they’re going to be. All the discipleship classes available and Bible study groups available we never had before. And the programs—it seems like a lot of programs that our church is involved in, but they’re all helping to show people Jesus Christ. That’s our purpose. And they’re tools, and we’re just so privileged to have the people who can head up those programs and keep them going and give them insight as to where they want to be in a few years with that. And, of course, our pastor is a visionary. He stretches our faith, and that’s a good thing. So we have been challenged through the years, and God has been faithful to lead us along through the good and the bad times.

     We’re so thankful for where we are today, and we know that we have much to learn, and we’re eager to learn, eager to continue learning, and to be able to just serve the Lord on this corner and to reach out to the whole world where He sends us.

It is no surprise that Faith has been and continues to be a praying church.

     Dot says that large prayer group—about 30—met before every evening service. “We were just praying mainly for a pastor at that time,” she says. Over the years, “that prayer group has dwindled down to where there are two or three of us now, but we still meet—mainly to pray for different individuals in our church—people who are ill or people who are hurting or any specific need in our church.” This group still meets every Sunday evening at 5:30.

‘BIG Prayers’ Groups

     People in “BIG prayers” groups met the first three months of 2012 and have been meeting in these early months of 2013. Volunteers lead the groups, which comprise the leader and those he or she invites to join; and they meet when and where they choose. That’s not to say the groups are closed to newcomers. If you are interested in joining a “BIG prayers” group, contact the church office.

Other Prayer Groups

     Most of the “BIG prayers groups” disband after April FaithDay (the first Sunday in April), but the Faith family has plenty of opportunities to join other prayer groups that meet regularly.

I am privileged to attend a monthly meeting to pray for six or eight of our missionaries. Most of them work in connection with the USA. Then, once a month on Mornings for Missions, we meet together and remember the camp ministry at Camp Gilead and organizations that carry on missionary work if we have some requests from them.—Lorraine Hooser

Intense Prayer

In a letter dated Feb. 27, 2013, Pastor Osborne wrote:

     The Deacons and Prayer Leaders and I are urging and pleading with all of you to enter the month of March on your knees with us for a 31 day season of INTENSE PRAYER. Every day will find us—and I hope everyone of our church members—on our knees fervently praying for God to save souls in Winter Haven, praying that the baptismal waters would be constantly used, praying that God would show His powerful and victorious hand in establishing the first Faith Baptist Refuge, establishing Faith Baptist Christian Academy, and building a new auditorium that will be used to transform lives for generations to come. That Intense Prayer time will culminate on Easter Sunday March 31st with a service of Glorious Praise. I pray you and your family will join us in those days of INTENSE PRAYER.

     Our leadership has BIG faith, so they’re not afraid to ask God for BIG things. As a church family we have a BIG future of ministry to look forward to—because God gave the vision, honors our faith, and is glorified in granting our BIG requests.

How About You?
Which prayer group are you a part of?  To learn more about any of these prayer groups please contact our church office.

What is April Faith Day?

Have you ever heard of April Faith Day?  Hopefully, if you are a part of FBC, you will answer YES.  Every year since 2000, April Faith Day has been held on the first Sunday of April.  On this day, we take a sacrificial offering.  Over the years the purpose of the offering has varied.  Originally, April Faith Day started to help FBC pay off our debt.  Then the focus changed to help us begin funding Faith's 100.  Later, the focus changed again as we began a Building campaign.

One hallmark of April Faith Day is the gifts that are given away each year.  Each year, several gifts are given from the offering that is collected.  Since 2000, $223,500 has been given away.  Consider some of the gifts that have been given in the past.

• $10,000 to help Russian children attend summer camp
• $10,000 to help an African pastor buy a truck that will assist him in ministry
• $10,000 to help an African school build and furnish a classroom building
• $10,000 to help a church in The Philippines finish their building project
• $5,000 to help a Haitian orphanage
• many more gifts to local Camps, foreign missionaries, & other mission agencies

April Faith Day is always a significant day.  I encourage you to even now begin praying about what God would have you to do.  Don't make a quick decision in the car on the way to church.  Start praying and planning today.  Visit our April Faith Day page to learn specifically about April Faith Day 2013.

Here are some articles that have been posted on our blog about previous April Faith Days:

• April Faith Day 2012 Report
• A Look Back at April Faith Day 2011 (by Jonita Barram)
• April Faith Day 2011 - What Can We Learn? (by Stephen Simpson)
• April Faith Day 2010
• Lessons from April Faith Day 2009
• Stewardship Month & April Faith 2009 (by Pastor Osborne)

Q & A with FPU Coordinators Paul & Bethel Cleveland

As we gear up for our 10th FPU class, we thought it would be helpful to feature a short interview with our FPU coordinators Paul and Bethel Cleveland. If you have never taken this life-changing class, consider signing up today.  Our next class begins on March 3rd.

1. How did you first get introduced to Dave Ramsey and FPU and when did you first take the class?

When we became engaged 5 years ago, Paul bought the online version of the class for us. We each took the class at our own leisure and then discussed it with each other. We made the decision to never use credit cards again. This was our first real introduction to Dave Ramsey and his baby steps.

2. How did the class help your personal finances? 

FPU truly put us on the same page in our finances. Taking it while engaged was the best thing we could do. When we got married, we quickly combined our finances and started living on a monthly zero-based budget where every dollar has a name. Because of Dave Ramsey’s teachings, we are debt-free, have a 6-month emergency fund and the right amount of insurance, and are contributing both to our retirement and our girl’s college funds.

3. When did you first begin leading the class at Faith and what drew you to the FPU ministry?

We married in October of 2008. While on a trip to NC over Christmas, we were listening to Dave Ramsey's podcast. We had been seriously praying about a ministry where we could serve. One of the calls on the radio that day was from FPU coordinators who were offering FPU at their church and seeing the difference that made in people's lives. We discussed it together and decided this was the ministry to which God was leading us. We had Pastor and Jill over for dinner in mid-January and asked if we could bring this ministry to our church. Pastor readily agreed that this was a necessary and vital ministry to bring to our church. We began leading the class in March of 2009.

4. Do you know how many families have gone through the class at Faith?

We have had over 140 units (single, couple, or family) take FPU at our church. This does not take into account those who have taken it multiple times. We encourage those who are not part of this count to consider joining our next class starting March 3rd.  All previous class members are welcome to take it again as part of their lifetime membership.

5. Do you know how much debt these families have paid off while taking this class?

In each class, we have added up the class debt at the beginning of the class and the end of the class. In every class, significant amounts of debt are paid off.  This is caused by class members making the conscious decision to consistently apply what they are learning, allowing them to win in their finances. One of our favorite things about leading this ministry is having former class members come up and share what a positive impact the class has made in their relationships and finances.

6. I've heard that FPU has undergone some changes.  Can you explain what has changed? 

Yes, FPU has changed. The 13-week course has become a 9-week course with additional sessions available to watch online. The class format is now a half-hour shorter allowing us to offer FPU during the Sunday school hour. In addition, all the materials and online experience have been updated. The first time FPU was filmed, they tried to make it as universally usable as possible so it could be used in churches and community groups. This time they have created a "Church FPU” more specifically aimed to lead Believers to a better understanding of the Scriptures in regards to money.

7. Would it be profitable to someone who has already taken the class to take it again?

This class starting on March 3rd makes 10 times that we have taken FPU. We feel strongly that it is always beneficial to take the class again. Each time we travel through FPU, we are in a different place in our finances and we more keenly absorb Dave’s principles for that baby step. One of our favorite aspects to the class is that the small groups provide not only accountability, but also fellowship with other believers that we would not have come to know otherwise. This class is beneficial every time.

8. In our society, debt is so common place.  It is expected.  Being in debt is 'normal.'  And yet, in FPU, Dave Ramsey encourages everyone to get out of debt and to stay out of debt. In your opinion, why is it so important to get out of debt?

The importance of being debt free is where it will lead you. In FPU, we come to understand that careful financial planning will take us to a place where we can impact the kingdom of God significantly by our generous giving. This is the whole point: LIVE like no one else, so later you can GIVE like no one else.

9. Is there anything else that you would like to share?

Yes. Since Paul has been driving 56 miles to work for the last 4 1/2 years and he feels called to continue on with The Jesus Film Project, we feel it is best for our family to sell our home here in Winter Haven and make the move to the Orlando area. So, we will be leaving Faith in May. The FPU ministry will continue. Nate and Raquel Noel will be trained as the FPU coordinators throughout this class and take on this ministry as their own in the fall. As always, we can use more help in this ministry, so if you wish to be a part of this ministry that is changing lives and marriages for the better, please let us know. It has been our privilege to be used of God in this ministry at Faith. We pray that it continues to make a significant impact in our church. Thank you for allowing us to serve you through FPU. We love you all.

Related Posts:

• How Our Family Gained Financial Peace (by JR Foster)
• What Would You Do If You Were Debt Free?  (by Stephen Simpson)