STATE MISSIONS: Winding Down
Judson Association
It was good to see old friends and to share the work of Missions. There was a wonderful spirit among those attending as they went about the business of their association. The main theme of their meeting was being missionaries to those around us in any way we can.
Harmony Association
It was good to be back with the churches of the Harmony Association, which is in the southwest corner of the state. Sometime back, they moved their meeting to Sunday night, and it has proven to be a successful move as their attendance has grown each year. The annual message is brought by the speaker elected at last year’s meeting. They meet, take a break, come back to have the annual message and then dismiss for fellowship and snacks in the fellowship hall. That’s just something for your association to consider. Since we had two meetings on the same day, I thank Roy Hill for standing in for me at the Greenbrier Association.
Winding Down
As our state meeting approaches, so does the end of our local association meetings. Saturday, I will attend the Jonesboro Association in Pocahontas and conclude with the Howard Association on the Oct. 28, to be held in Delight.
State Meeting
I encourage each of our churches to send representatives to this year’s meeting in Conway Nov. 2-3. God is doing a wonderful and an amazing work through your four departments right here in our own state. A special thanks goes out to CBC for the invitation and to all our officers who serve. I hope to see you there!
From Our Missionaries
Misión Creciendo en Cristo (Growing in Christ), North Little Rock: Juan Carlos Posadas writes, “On the first days of the week, we met neighbors in the community through the Community Service Program. We had the opportunity to support several families with beds, shoes for the children, disinfectant towels and other household items.
“I invite you to pray for Angelica’s family. She is a woman with five children, all under 16, and the only boy has just survived brain cancer. She has a cyst in her pancreas, and her husband is not fulfilling his responsibilities as head of the household — on the contrary, his behavior is one of the biggest problems the family has. She has many needs, but the one that stands out the most is that of Jesus Christ in her life.
“We thank God for the Re:Charge conference provided through BMA Global. It allowed a break from day-to-day ministry and allowed us to be refreshed. May God bless each and every one of those who helped make this conference a reality. We had a very blessed time.”
Ebenezer, West Little Rock: Ruben Isturiz writes, “This week, we continue with a series of teachings to go deeper into topics that have to do with the gospel and the church. There are some new people with Catholic backgrounds that we are teaching what the Bible says about Jesus and the meaning of His death on the cross.
“Kory (my wife) and I were able to attend the Re:Charge conference for the third time. It is one of our favorite conferences where we have the opportunity to connect with people in ministry, be edified with the Word of God and have a time of spiritual refreshing.
“We ask you to continue to pray for Ebenezer, that God will continue to introduce us to people who have a spiritual thirst. Thank you for your prayers, to God be the glory!”
Faith Chapel, Flippin: Johnny Shew writes, “We had another wonderful week at Faith Chapel! This cooler fall weather is so beautiful. I love this time of year! We had a wonderful time of worship on Sunday with a good number, even though some of our families were out sick.
We also had another great surprise of first-time visitors — some old friends and neighbors of ours that lived down the road from us before we moved to Flippin came to visit us, and it was so good to see them! Everyone made them feel welcome, and they said they enjoyed it. We hope so and that they will return, they really are a sweet couple.
“Then immediately after the service, a wonderful lady who has been coming for two years decided to join us, and is now our oldest member at 93 years old. Praise God! She started coming because her granddaughter, who is one of our youngest members, was saved and baptized here. We also baptized this young lady’s mother. Praise God, I love it when families are part of our church family, to worship and to grow together.
“We are working on the HVAC for the fellowship hall now, as well as finishing up the wiring and lighting. Even though it is going slow, it is still moving right along, and we will be worshipping in our new building soon, Praise God!
“We thank you for your prayers and support, please continue! God is blessing us here in Flippin, in mighty ways.”
Faith Journey, Benton: Bryan Clay writes, “We were able to attend the Re:Charge conference for pastors and pastors’ wives in Moore, Okla. this week. We had the joy of getting to meet many couples who are in various stages of ministry from all over the country. It was inspiring to see God’s hand working in their lives and seeing how He is answering prayers in lives of people using these couples for His glory.
We were prayed over and challenged to pour into the lives of others. We were able to enjoy some time of rest and feel refreshed to continue the call the Lord has laid before us in starting this mission.
“We had a special blessing this week from a guest speaker that was able to stop by and bring the message for Faith Journey. Darrin Smith started a local mission in Haskell 18 years ago that has now grown into Celebration Baptist Church. We were part of that church plant at its start, and we learned so much through that experience. Bro. Darrin has had a huge impact on my life as well as countless others through his love for God and his love for people. It really was a great time to spend together.
“I would like to say a special thank you to our mission family at Faith Journey. They recognized me today for Pastor Appreciation month with a thoughtful gift and a really nice card. These great folks are a true blessing to me every day, and I appreciate all that they do!”
Misión Gracia Soberana (Sovereign Grace), NWA: Roberto Marcelletti writes, “As we begin October, God has us very impressed by the work He does in those who in His grace are saved. I was talking with Angeles, a new believer who came to our church emotionally destroyed by the loss of her husband of 47 years.
She is Mexican, and her whole family lives in Guadalajara, Mexico, so she is dealing alone with her widowhood. She told me this week that she has felt an extraordinary peace since she met Christ. She is of Catholic tradition and had never heard the gospel, never read the Bible before she began four months of reading it and listening to the gospel. The healing grace of God has flooded her life and we give glory to God for what she does. She is very faithful in her discipleship and to our Sunday services.
“We continue with the Grace groups in three different locations, and we continue to listen and see the transformations that only God can make. At the end of our Sunday service, we gave glory to God by celebrating our cultural richness by sharing typical dishes from the various countries where our brothers originate.”
Epic Life, Pea Ridge: Jake McCandless writes, “This was a disappointing week at Epic Life. All our Connection Groups had low attendance, then we had our lowest attended ever at Worship Night. It was crazy how our Worship Night worked out. We have been interacting well online. This week we had five great conversations where new families said they would come.
Four of those were renewed conversations, but none of them showed. The sincerity of the conversations and that none followed through is bizarre to me, but I guess that’s the world we live in.
“We still have a lot to be encouraged about. Once again, we did have first-time guests at our Connection Groups. The response afterward from the father of the new family was that it was the first time he felt valued at a church or Bible study. We also were greatly encouraged through the words and music of our guest worship leader during our worship night.”
El Faro #2Hispanic Mission, Cabot/Jacksonville: Michael Hight writes, “This has been a great weekend. I was able to share the gospel with Alicia and Gilberto. Please pray for Gilberto to keep his word. We have a time set up to study the Bible together. I also made several contacts in a Cabot restaurant and presented the gospel to two soccer teams in Hermitage.
“Sunday morning, I preached at South City. In the meantime, we are still trying to learn the city and where to find contacts and meet people. This mission was birthed in prayer and must continue to be bathed in prayer. Thanks for all your support.”
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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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