STATE MISSIONS: Strength in Numbers
“And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a three strand cord is not quickly broken” (Eccl. 4:12).
“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest” (Luke10:1-2).
I have mentioned previously that the days of the “parachute drop” church planting method (sending one family) seem to have seen their better days. For this reason, we need to begin considering a team concept. We know from Scripture that Jesus sent them out two by two, and I would love to see us begin to send a team to the same location.
My father always said two can plow more than one, meaning they should be able to do at least twice as much in the same period. In doing so, the team concept would add accountability, encouragement and comradery between team members and families and, in the current volatile building construction costs, reduce the need for multiple buildings.
At first, sending a team to one location may seem wasteful, but I believe the constructive collaboration a team can produce would drastically shorten the time they would need the mother church or the association’s aid, allowing us to establish stronger works in a shorter time, which would allow us to move to another field to do it again. I would love to hear from you concerning this suggestion.
I have been hearing a lot concerning common sense from the government lately, and I believe this next verse makes common sense: “For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up” (Eccl. 4:10).
Trying to Help
Cornerstone Baptist in Arkadelphia contacted me to discuss their options. They need a bi-vocational pastor and will have to shut down the church soon if they cannot find someone. They have a nice facility in town. I asked permission to share this with our people before they do. If you or someone you know might be interested, please contact Larry Newsom at (501) 617-5595 or the State Missions office. Thank you.
From Our Missionaries
Misión Creciendo en Cristo (Growing in Christ), North Little Rock: Juan Carlos Posadas writes, “Unfortunately, David and Michelle Gonzalez’s house burned down. They stopped attending our congregation a couple of years ago, but one of their cousins is a member and informed us of their misfortune.
We collected an offering for them, and someone also donated a dining set for four, two nightstands and a living room table. We pray they can see the love of God through the church and recognize their need to restore their relationship with Him.
“Sunday afternoon, Isaí invited several families from the church to a taco party at his house. It was a great opportunity to share with his wife and son since only his daughter, Cindy congregates with us. He is very grateful to the church for the attention Cindy receives, especially from my daughter, Fernanda since she is discipling her. It was a beautiful afternoon of fellowship and strengthening bonds of friendship with Isaí’s family. Let us pray that God will give us grace with Tracy, his wife and the rest of the family and that we can present the gospel to them.
“We began the emphasis on missions in the Sunday service. We prayed for our ministry in the European continent, for Regional Coordinator Larry Wood and the entire work team — Sean & Kendall Pasley in France; Cristian & Vanessa Martinez, Sara Filimon, Candra Barnett, Bryan & Pam Risner, Bogdan Bilav and Dani Bagosi in Romania; Milan Bulak in Czech Republic; Sasha Grebenyuk in Ukraine; and Marco Gaspa in Portugal. May God bless the lives of His servants.”
Ebenezer, West Little Rock: Ruben Isturiz writes, “The ethnic missions have many challenges. We minister to people who sometimes are only here for a season. Economic factors cause people to move, and immigration laws change. We minister to many people during the year, and few remain, so growth is slow.
Many people are afraid because of the changes in immigration policies. When I go to the stores, there seem to be fewer Hispanics. Fear has taken hold of many. I think it is a great opportunity amid fear to share love through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the right time to bring hope. Keep praying for those who must migrate during this time of uncertainty. God is in control. Pray that we can see God’s opportunities.
“January is over, and we were able to pray for each family representative. This week, I will visit the last family in Ebenezer to bless and fellowship with them. Once again, thank you for your support and prayers. To God be the glory!”
Faith Chapel, Flippin: Johnny Shew writes, “What a great week at Faith Chapel, even though there seem to be several types of illness going around — type-A the flu, COVID, RSV and a mystery respiratory illness along with the plain old crud. Many of our folks who were out last week were back, but many who were here last week were out.
I will be glad when it all passes, and we can all be together to worship! Even with all that, we still had a great time of worship, with a good number and special music by our own ‘Heavenly Highway Trio.’ (I named them that, and they were really good.) To top it all off, during the invitation, a family of three, some of our faithful visitors, came forward and joined us. Not only that, but another couple who has been coming for a while came forward and joined us as well. Praise God for increasing us by five this morning. They all bring different gifts and talents to our church body, and we are thankful God chose to bring them to us to serve Him here in Flippin. We are truly being blessed in this mission!
“Thank you for your faithful support and especially for your prayers. We thank God for each of you!”
Faith Journey, Benton: Bryan Clay writes, “This week at Faith Journey has been full of blessings and encouragement as we continue serving those around us. Even though several of our folks were traveling, we were still blessed with a strong turnout. One of the week’s highlights was receiving a generous offering in the mail from a couple who felt led to give to our mission.
This offering will help ensure that our outreach efforts continue to serve those in need, bringing hope and love to those who need it most. We are deeply grateful for their support and the reminder that God’s provision comes in many forms, often when we least expect it.
“This week, we also had the opportunity to serve others through a simple yet meaningful gesture — creating homemade Valentine’s cards for local nursing facilities and adult daycare residents. It’s always a joy to think about how something as simple as a handmade card can brighten someone’s day and show them the love of Christ. We know these cards will bring smiles and encouragement to those who receive them, and we’re grateful to be part of such an effort. We also continue to ask for your prayers as we seek God’s guidance in finding our permanent location. We trust that He will lead us to the place where we can best serve His purpose and share His love with others. Each card, each offering and each prayer is a testament to the fact that God is at work in our lives and at Faith Journey, and we are blessed to be a part of His plan.”
Misión Gracia Soberana (Sovereign Grace), NWA: Roberto Marcelletti writes, “We had many out with the flu this week, which forced us to suspend some of our meetings. They could not attend our Sunday service, but it did not prevent us from doing our shepherding work. On Monday, I picked up Nani and her sister, Iris and took them to the airport.
They were heading to Florida. Nani, who gave her life to Christ last year and was baptized, went to visit her mother. They hadn’t spoken in about 10 years, but since committing her life to Christ, Nani felt she should reach out to her mother and ask for forgiveness. Thankfully, they were able to reconcile, and the Lord restored their relationship. Now, they share a new bond, as her mother has also given her life to Christ and attends a church in Orlando, Fla.”
“Our Sunday School was well attended, even though many were sick. During our Sunday service, we were able to worship the Lord together and continue our expository series on the book of John.”
Epic Life, Pea Ridge: Jake McCandless writes, “Maybe things aren’t going as fast as I hoped or pictured, but I love what I’m seeing and how Epic Life is impacting my own family.
“I spent a lot of time this week with our leaders. I’ve slowed down on pushing ‘my vision’ and have been doing much more listening. At a recent worship gathering, a guest mentioned that all the answers regarding our needs, people-wise, were right there in that room. This approach is helping our leaders feel more empowered to share their ideas and hearts. I attended both Connection Groups this week, met with our worship leaders about our new approach to Collective Gatherings and connected with host coaches. One of the exciting things is that we have two more student gatherings planned for this month! Please keep praying for our community coaches!”
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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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