Off to a Good Start
This week the district association meetings began Thursday night with the Mount Calvary Association meeting at Letona Baptist Church just west of Searcy. The BMA of the Ozarks convened Friday afternoon at Springdale Baptist Church. Three meetings were scheduled to meet Saturday, which usually happens, and as I was only able to attend one, it was time in my rotation to attend the North Arkansas Association
held at Center Grove Baptist Church in Cord. I was blessed to have others share my report at the United and Mt. Vernon Associations. After all, we are, by nature, all representatives of mission work, be it here or around the globe. It was great to see things returning to enough of a norm to get to see my friends and to thank many of those churches personally for their faithful support.
Blessed Opportunity
Monday night, I was privileged to share the work and bring the message at the Mount Vernon District Brotherhood at Central in Hughes. As usual, the meal was only topped by the sweet fellowship. It was good to see friends and to make new ones. A very special thanks for the invitation.
Stepping Up
Report after report at this year’s meetings that I have had the opportunity to attend were very encouraging and uplifting — especially to state missionaries, as Mt. Calvary voted to help Johnny Shew in Flippin and the Ozarks Association voted to help Clinton, Roberto and Jake financially in this upcoming year. Thanks to all involved, and we are just getting started!
From Our Missionaries
Misión Creciendo en Cristo (Growing in Christ), North Little Rock: Juan Carlos Posadas writes, (9/4) “Thursday night, we returned to the Bible Institute. This time we joined the joint effort of the Hispanic churches of Central Arkansas. All church members have the option to enroll in the institute, and the classes will be taught in Spanish by the pastors.
On this occasion, Ruben Isturiz is teaching the Old Testament and I am teaching Bible Study Methods. Please pray that the training provided at the institute will help us develop church planters and strengthen the leadership of existing churches.
“Sunday, we started a series of studies on the book of I Peter. We focused on the first 12 verses of chapter 1, talking about the hope every believer has, its nature, the result and how wonderful it is.
“At the end of the meeting, Jhordany Aguilar was baptized. He is a young man who has helped his family to stay close to the Lord, now he takes a very important step of obedience in his manifest desire to serve his God. We are very happy. Pray that he can develop his gifts and become a church leader.
(9/11) “Last week, we had the opportunity to make contact with Ramón and his wife, Rosa. They did not have a table to eat at, but we saw the opportunity to give them a table, chairs, plates and other things for their house. We talked extensively. Mr. Ramon likes to read, so he has read the Bible and is open-minded about the gospel. Unfortunately, they do not have a car and it is difficult for them to congregate with us. We prayed and then shared our phone numbers. We hope we can cultivate a relationship that allows us to present the gospel to them. Pray that God will prepare their hearts.
“Wiliam Chilel is a young man of Guatemalan origin. He came to the temple to help Ramón transport the things the church had provided him. We took the opportunity to meet him and give him some things he needed. We prayed with him and invited him to join us.
“Rocio also needed some things for her house. We provided them for her and had a time of prayer with her. We encouraged her to visit us in our meetings and we hope she can attend.
“Yesica is Beverly’s mother. She is very interested in her daughter attending church. Unfortunately, Yesica’s work schedule conflicts with Sunday meetings. After praying for her, we said goodbye to her and encouraged her to participate in the prayer meetings on Friday nights.
“We would appreciate you adding these people to your prayer list. None of them have made their profession of faith. We hope that, very soon, God will give us the opportunity to share the gospel with them.”
Ebenezer, West Little Rock: Ruben Isturiz writes, “It has been a busy two weeks getting the ‘Instituto Teologico Bautista Misionera de Arkansas’ (ITBMA) going. We have 11 students enrolled from four Hispanic congregations. The Hispanic congregations in Arkansas have asked me to start ITBMA and, so far, we are doing well. Please be praying for the training of our leadership.
“We are also continuing the training in Ebenezer with the workshop on ‘Principles of Evangelism, Discipleship and Gospel Movements.’ My desire is that after this training the new leadership for the Berean Groups (home groups) will come out.
“On Sunday (Sept. 14), we had the invitation from South City Church to share the Word of God. I preached in Spanish and Elvis Garcia interpreted for me. It was a good time outdoors, then we had some tacos and piñatas to celebrate ‘Hispanic Heritage Month.’ Thank you, South City Church brethren, for giving us the opportunity to represent Ebenezer and for your promises of prayer. To God be the glory!”
Faith Chapel, Flippin: Johnny Shew writes, (9/4) “We had a few sick and a few out traveling for the holiday weekend Sunday, but we still had a really good number with several returning and four first-time visitors. Some of our members had family in for the holidays and they brought them to worship. Some live close enough to say they will come again.
“Our message this week was probably meant as much for me as it was for anyone else. It was about purposing in the Spirit, as Paul did on his missionary journeys, about seeking and following the leading of the Spirit when we make our plans and being faithful to Him and His will as we try to carry them out. It can be hard sometimes, to wait because our nature is to ‘do something.’ But we know, nothing could be better than doing what God wants us to do — certainly not our own plans. We must wait and hear His voice.
(9/11) “We had another great week at Faith Chapel. Even though we had three of our families out, we still had a great number, with several returning and five first-time visitors. Four of those were from the Gideons, and they gave a presentation, telling us about their ministry. It did my heart good to see that while we need and receive support from so many of you as we plant and grow Faith Chapel, our people were willing to offer some support to the Gideons, whose mission is to spread the Word of God to the world. The Great Commission is not only about going, but also about helping others go, and reaching the world for Christ. That is why I love the BMA so much. Through your selfless love and support and prayers, we can do what we do, and even sometimes help others as well.
“We thank you all for your support, not only for us, but for all of our missionaries, from the BMA of Arkansas and the BMA of America, and all of the other state and world associations, but we thank you especially for your prayers, that you would lift us up to God in support of us is humbling, and it means so much to us.
“We thank you for your prayers for us, Faith Chapel and for Flippin. Please continue as God is answering them.
The Table, Springdale: Clinton Morris writes, (9/4) “The martial arts studio kids’ ministry has launched, we had six kids in attendance. We are now working at an older kid’s (9-12) table within the main service. The table will have a leader and will have its own small group study time through the Good Soil Materials. We are praying for a leader to emerge that has the heart to talk with young people.
“I had a car accident this last Monday and it took out the front end of our van and the airbag lit my arm on fire. Alberto Herrera from Temple Baptist in Rogers came to our rescue. He lent us his personal vehicle and was able to repair our van. We are so grateful for him quickly coming to our aid.
“We are moving to the next stages in many of our relationships. We are beginning to invite people to come and be part of our church. We are prayerfully seeking out the right time/words to engage these individuals. Pray that God moves more hearts.
“We have lost a couple from our weekly service due to moving beyond 30 minutes away. We are still trying to engage them during the week since they currently do not have another church that they feel comfortable attending.
(9/11) “We helped move one of our families to Gravette, a city that is 45 minutes away from our meeting space. We are praying through ways of still engaging this family with the gospel and further spiritual training. I am meeting with Gio tonight to discuss the gospel again. He is interested in being baptized, but we need to insure that he has been saved first. So awesome to see what God is doing.
“A huge thank you from me and my church plant to the BMA of the Ozarks and your incredibly generous gifts. This money will help offset the new costs of the Martial Arts Studio rent and also the Right Now Media. We are grateful for an association that is supporting missions.
“My music leader’s family has been ill the last few weeks, and his wife also is expecting their third child. Please keep them in prayer as we continue to feel their absence.
“I am looking forward to all of the items on my checklist getting marked off for this church plant. There is a bit more work to do, but the finish line is in sight for my involvement. Currently, the plan is to organize the church in June 2023. More news will be shared at the state meeting. Please come and hear how God has blessed and moved this plant.”
Faith Journey, Benton: Bryan Clay writes, “Faith Journey had a great time of fellowship that was all put together by the men last Sunday! It was ladies’ night off from having to prepare a delicious meal. It was a great time and we enjoyed having a large group that night.
“Our folks at Faith Journey love trivia! We have been studying the lives of Moses and Joshua for the last few months and we created a fun (and a little competitive) game of trivia with teams. We all learned so much, and it really helped us to keep what we have been studying fresh in our minds while sharing a good time with everyone there.
“This week, we shared what we consider our life verses with each other. These are verses that have been significant to us throughout our lives and ones we keep close to our hearts. Psalm 37:4 is one that my wife and I share: “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.” God knows what our hearts are seeking and if we are abiding within His will, He is always faithful. Have a blessed week!”
Misión Gracia Soberana (Sovereign Grace), NWA: Roberto Marcelletti writes, (9/4) “II Corinthians 5:17 has great meaning for my life and ministry. The text that is well known to believers says ‘If any is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed and here all are made new.’ This passage as it said marked our lives when we planted the first church in Venezuela, and for that same reason the name we
gave to the church we planted was Iglesia Bautista Central Nueva Vida (New Life Central Baptist Church), this was in the city of San Cristóbal, a city on the border between Venezuela and Colombia, in 2007. We started the meetings on Saturdays with a group of patients from our office that my wife, Patty invited to our apartment. That day, approximately 40 people came to hear the gospel the rest is history. The church turned 15 years old and the disciples we formed continue to lead us by doing an excellent job.
“But let’s go back to the text that summarizes what it is to have Christ as Lord and Savior. What is it to be a real Christian? It is a change of life, a change of perspective, of goals and of the eternal place of destiny. It is a transformation into a new person who has been forgiven, free, and has been adopted as a son or daughter. Their old way of life has been left behind, their value system, their priorities, beliefs, loves and life plan are changed. Since sin no longer dominates him because he had a personal encounter with the Savior, he is now in Christ a new position before God and now lives for Him and for His eternal purposes.
“This week, we had a connection with people from the Hispanic community of Springdale. We also had a meeting with Hispanic faith leaders planning community relief events.
“We continue with the discipleship and we have two groups. Some come on Tuesday and another group comes on Friday afternoon and talks about the implications of the resurrection in the life of the believer. We had an excellent time of questions. Patty discipled a little girl and her mother testified to the great change the girl has made, especially now that she started classes.
“Sunday was the afternoon of the movie, and we saw a Christian movie and then analyzed its message.
(9/11) “The task that the Lord has assigned me in this season of my life is to plant churches. Planting a church is the goal and I hope it will be the first of several in the area. Why is it important for the planter to know that he answers the question of what a church is? According to God’s Word, it must be not only a church, but it must be biblical, healthy and strong. It is important to know that it is a church according to the Word of God. It seems that it is something basic to know what the church is really about, but if we see around us what happens inside the ‘churches’ it seems that we have forgotten what it is. Some seem like entertainment centers, social clubs, places of fun for children or charity centers. This is why the planter needs to have a clear biblical concept to know what God meant for His churches. It’s important to have a clear definition of what a church is and what kind of church God expects us to plant.
“The Lord calls it the pillar and support of the truth. The church is God’s central place to unfold His glory and it is different from the world. The church plays a fundamental role in God’s redemptive plan. It is so vital that God sent His Son to die for it, buying it for Him and says in His Word that He is personally the One who is building it. Where God’s truth is paramount, the true Church proclaims the truth and the people who come there to hear the truth. And the truth, of course, is the revealed truth of God. He uses the truth well, defends the truth, and his members practice it in their life, worship and service.
“This week we have met to help these people, Monday we helped a couple who were newly arrived in the area with their move. Tuesday we helped with the car that was given and took it home. Wednesday, we gave biblical counseling to a woman who asked us for help and planned to divorce.
“On Friday, I attended the BMA of Ozarks association meeting and presented a brief report on what we are doing at the NWA Mission. In the afternoon we were visited by the people we are discipling week after week. It was a time of great joy as we sang, prayed and heard testimonies of what God is doing in their lives.
“Sunday, after attending the service of our mother church, we met with a man and his daughter who are very interested in being discipled and we made an appointment to begin to disciple him on Thursdays.”
Epic Life, Pea Ridge: Jake McCandless writes, (9/4) “As I shared, my family’s heart is on the neighborhood. We’re covering it in prayer and expecting God to move. During the worship service at our mother church last Sunday, we were challenged to ‘forgive.’ This brought to our attention a neighbor with whom we haven’t had the best relationship. We committed that Sunday to apologize and ask for forgiveness. That
Monday, part of the fence we shared blew down. Through a peaceful text exchange, my neighbor and I planned to fix it together. That night we had a three-hour conversation, and I was able to apologize. God worked in a major way, mending a relationship we didn’t think could be. Our Bible study group also committed to covering their neighborhood and networks in prayer. Within our small group, 15 neighborhoods and networks are being covered.
“Continuing how we got here, convicted that our church couldn’t be the same after COVID and wanting to see impact like the church in Iran, at Epic Church NWA we divided our church into geographical connection groups. These groups were missional, seeking to reach people in our neighborhoods and networks through Discovery Bible Studies. We had leaders emerge and begin training. I modeled the groups and our new study the ‘Live Epic Dare.’ Then we launched out into our 10-week studies in homes across NWA. I took a backseat and let the leaders lead, but I wasn’t on the sideline long.
(9/11) “What a week! This week not only did we start the ‘Discipleship Track’ Discovery Bible Study with our leaders, but we launched our second neighborhood and network Connection Group. Our original Connection Group is now our ‘leader training’ and, on Friday, the Woodbridge Connection Group launched. We believe in the 2x2 model Jesus had when He sent out the 12 and 72 in Scripture. This new connection group is being ‘coached’ or led by two of our leader families. I wasn’t there! They actually felt it better for me to stay away with my ‘preacher vibes.’ They were right, these two couples poured into a couple who have been out of church for a long time. It’s awesome to see God work.
“On Sunday night, we had a prayer meeting in our new space at Legacy Tea & More. Our leaders gathered and did what Hezekiah did in II Kings 19 — we spread out our prayers and commitment before the Lord. We had a powerful night of prayer and commitment. Eleven committed to the mission. Former BMA State Missionary Larry Morrison spoke and prayed over the group of leaders.”
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Paul White
Arkansas State Missions Director Paul White pens a weekly column to inform the BMA of Arkansas concerning Arkansas Missions’ activity and includes individual reports from each church planter.
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