So many people contributed to the success of our annual conference.  I would like to thank Jonathan Oue and the rest of our Global Advancement Team (Joy Portis, Billy Cox, Joel Thompson, Judd Hough, Brittany Oue, Steven Bray) for their efforts this weekend and the work that they do on a consistent basis to keep us focused on our global task.  I would also like to thank Kem Holley and Jennifer Graham and all our Preschool and Children’s workers.  You all do such an excellent job caring for and teaching our young ones.  Barbara Holley and Teri McDonald and the rest of the kitchen staff once again served us so well.  And our Deacons are top-notch when it comes to caring for the building and meeting dozens of service needs.  Thank you all so much for your labors in Christ.

With the rest of this space, I want to revisit the points from Dr. Lawless’s Saturday evening message.  It was a sermon on the power of God and how we can pray for our missionaries.  His first point was (1) “Pray that God will raise up missionaries who will take up the impossible.”  From a human standpoint, reaching all the people groups of the world is an impossible task.  As you know, the last frontier people group that we are partnering to reach does not have a single church, a single missionary, or even a single believer that we have been able to confirm.  The government in that region is doing all it can to control the people and block all outside religious influences.  But remember what Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  We need to pray for missionaries who will take on such impossible tasks knowing and believing that no human stronghold can withstand the power of our God.

(2) “Pray that our missionaries will let God fight the battles and that others will see God’s power in the victory.”  Faith in the valley grabs people’s attention.  Faith in the face of insurmountable foes exalts the glory and power of almighty God.  Think of David and Goliath, a story we know well.  The boy David went forward in faith against a foe that struck fear into the hearts of the entire army of Israel.  With only a sling and some stones, he brought about a victory for God’s people and glory for God’s name.  Whether facing their own besetting sins or the trials and persecutions of a sinful world, we need to pray that our missionaries will trust God to fight the battles.

(3) “Pray for the International Mission Board, our Seminaries, and for our churches, that we will not train our missionaries out of dependence upon God.”  Training and education in the theology and methodology of missions is a blessing from God.  However, we all know how quickly to can resort to living out of a sense of our own self-sufficiency.  Pray that God would protect our missionaries from slipping into such a sinful mindset.  No missionary, no pastor, no Christian is capable of saving anyone else.  None of us is capable of even saving ourselves.  Only God can change the human heart, and only in Christ can we accomplish anything of eternal significance.  Thus, missions and evangelism is His work, and we are simply tools in His hands as He builds His kingdom.  Let us pray that our Missionaries will remember these truths and stay humbly dependent upon Him.

As I conclude this article, I would like to leave us with this thought:  We should not only pray for our missionaries this way, we should pray for each other this way.  These same needs/truths apply to every single one of us.  May we be a people who do not shrink back from taking up the impossible.  May we be a people who look to God for His power and strength to be exalted in our battles.  May we all, by the grace of Christ, be kept from the sin of depending upon ourselves rather than upon God.  Finally, remember that we are all missionaries; though most of us will never be vocational missionaries, we are still called to proclaim His excellencies wherever we may go.  I love you all dearly!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

• Youth will attend Sessions with Adults
• PLUGGED-IN Sessions are planned for children ages K-6th grade
• Nursery available for children ages 0-4
Reservations needed for dinner and for childcare

~ SCHEDULE ~

Friday, September 30

5:15 p.m.     Dinner in Armstrong Hall (sign-up required)
6:00 p.m.     Conference Opening
7:00 p.m.     Session #1 (Adults), Plugged-In (Children)

Saturday, October 1

3:00 p.m.     Opening Assembly
3:15 p.m.     Session #2 (Adults), Plugged-In (Children)
4:15 p.m.     Session #3 (Adults), Plugged-In (Children)
5:15 p.m.     Dinner (sign-up required)
6:00 p.m.     General Assembly

Sunday, October 2

9:15 a.m.     Session #4 or Sunday School
You may select a session to attend or go to your Sunday School class
Sessions:
• Missions 101
• Prayer in Missions Partnerships
• Unengaged People Group: What/Who Is It?
10:30 a.m. Morning Worship
Global Missions Offering
5:00 p.m.     Session #5 (Adults) , Plugged-In (Children)
You may select a session to attend
Sessions:
• 1 Might Be Called to Missions
• Reaching Local Internationals
• Unreached People Group: What/Who Is It?
5:55 p.m.     Meet-n-Greet
6:30 p.m.     Evening Worship

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

We will also welcome back one of our mission partners this year.  Ted will be here in person to lead some breakout sessions and to update us on his work in Central Asia.  Jeremy will also be speaking in one of our evening sessions via Skype.  Leaders from our recent Ecuador Mission Trip will be briefing us on our ongoing partnership with Steve and Carol Thompson.  Hearing first-hand reports of what God is doing in them and through them as they seek to raise up disciples of Christ among their people groups will be a tremendous blessing, and it will also help us develop a more detailed vision of how we will be partnering with them as we move into 2012.

We will also have the blessing of fellowship with them and with each other as we gather for 2 different meals in the course of the weekend — Friday and Saturday evening.  At the Saturday evening meal, we even plan to have some foods from our partner regions so that you will be able to sample local cuisine.  You won’t want to miss it.

Also keep in mind that we will receive our World Missions Offering in conjunction with our missions conference.  In years past, we had the blessing of giving above our normal tithes and offerings to support our Lottie Moon offering for the International Mission Board and our Annie Armstrong offering for the North American Mission Board.  Our combined giving to those offerings was around $20,000.  Last year, we consolidated those two offerings into one World Missions Offering and we received over $32,000.  $25,000 went to Lottie Moon, $5,000 to Annie Armstrong, and the remaining $2,000+ went to directly support our missions partners.  What a tremendous outpouring!

The goal I would like us to exceed with our World Missions Offering this year is $35,000.  We will have the privilege of giving to this offering just as we are receiving hands-on experience and eyewitness reports from those who are serving in the field.  I trust that over the next several weeks, we will all pray diligently and consider carefully how we can make significant financial sacrifices so that we are able give liberally and cheerfully to God’s work among the nations.

On a final note, as we anticipate our upcoming missions conference, I would like us to continue in prayer for our partners from Central Asia, Jeremy and Cyndi.  As many of you know, they are currently stateside because of a pregnancy complication.  Their little boy, Jonathan David, has been diagnosed in utero with spina-bifida.  He is due to be born in mid September.  Please pray for God to heal little Jonathan.  Please pray that Jeremy and Cyndi would be at peace in their hearts, resting in God’s good sovereignty.  Also pray for their work in Central Asia to be strengthened and to continue even in their absence.  As far as we know, our adopted people group there is still completely unengaged, so pray for only doors and faithful indigenous evangelists.

I am truly excited about all that God is doing in and through us, especially how He is shaping and sharpening us as a force for world missions.  So join me in praying for this event and participating in it when it arrives.  It will be an incredible time together!  I love you all dearly.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

6:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Your children will learn more about our missions partnership with Central Asia and Ecuador and about the missionaries serving there.  Register your children for this fun missions learning experience by calling the church office or in your Adult Sunday School class.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm

We will need volunteers to help in the following areas:

Hygiene Kits Team, Children’s Ministry Team, Preschool Ministry Team, Grounds Teams, Hands of Christ Paint Team, Shepherd’s Staff Paint and Light Construction Teams, Housekeeping Teams, Servant Evangelism Team, Neighborhood Outreach Team, Friendship Mission Team

We are in need of travel size items for the Hygiene Kits:  Deodorant, Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Soap, and Shampoo

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

If you are interested in joining us please email Joy Portis at joy@portis.com to ensure enough food for lunch.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm

We will need volunteers to help in the following areas:

Hygiene Kits Team, Children’s Ministry Team, Preschool Ministry Team, Grounds Teams, Hands of Christ Paint Team, Shepherd’s Staff Paint and Light Construction Teams, Housekeeping Teams, Servant Evangelism Team, Neighborhood Outreach Team, Friendship Mission Team

Sign up sheets available Sunday morning or you may call the church office at 272-2304 to sign up and reserve childcare.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Friday, September 10 – Sunday, September 12

~ Schedule ~

Friday, September 10

5:15 pm    Dinner in Armstrong Hall (sign-up required)

6:00 pm    Conference Opening

7:10 pm    Breakout Session #1

Saturday, September 11

3:00 pm    Opening Assembly

3:25 pm    Breakout Session #2

4:30 pm    Breakout Session #3

5:30 pm    Dinner/Worship (sign-up required)

Sunday, September 12

9:15 am    Sunday School

Children, Adult 4, Adult 5 classes on normal schedule

Youth – Steve (Ecuador)

Adult 1/Adult 2 combined – Jeremy (Central Asia)

Adult 3/Fellowship Class/Singles – Ted (Central Asia)

10:30 am    Morning Worship

Global Missions Offering

4:30 pm    Meet and Greet the Missionaries

5:00 pm    Breakout #4

6:00 pm    Meet and Greet the Missionaries

6:30 pm    Evening Worship

Youth will attend Breakout Sessions with Adults.  Separate Breakout Sessions are planned for children ages K-6th grade.  Nursery available for children ages 0-4.
*** Call the church office to make your reservations for dinner and childcare.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

8:00 am – 1:00 pm

Childcare provided by the Preschool Ministry Team (Please sign up).  Mark this date on your calendar now and make plans to be involved in this day of service to our community.  Sign up sheets will be available beginning Sunday, September 19.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

The term Reached refers to an area where over 2% of the population are believers.  This term does not mean that the task of reaching people is complete, but it is simply a category that missiologists use to describe a population where the missionary task has surpassed the 2% mark and much of the focus is on discipleship.  Our Ecuador seminary partnership falls into this category.  Steve and Carol from Ecuador will be with us for our missions conference and you will have the opportunity to hear the latest about what is going on in Ecuador–specifically with the work at the Ecuador Seminary.

Another area of partnership is with the Unreached.  While there are many individual unreached people around us, including here in Montgomery, this category refers to a people group or ethnic group where less than 2% of the population are believers.  We have adopted an unreached people group in Central Asia, and our missions partner for our adopted people group, Ted, will be with us for our conference as well.

Our third missions partnership is with a Last Frontier group.  A Last Frontier group is the term used when there is no gospel witness among a particular ethnic or people group and there is no work being done to reach them.  Our Last Frontier group is also located in Central Asia, and we are partnering with Jeremy to reach them.  Jeremy will also be with us during our missions conference, and we will get to hear more about the future of our partnership with him to reach this people group.

Ken will also be speaking, and I know you will appreciate hearing from him once more.  There will be breakout sessions for adults, youth and children in K-6 grades.  This will be an exciting opportunity for our children to hear directly from the missionaries for whom they have been praying.  Childcare will be offered for those with nursery age children, but you must sign up for this.  There will be fellowship dinners on Friday (5:15 pm) and Saturday (5:30 pm).  Saturday’s dinner will be from Chick-fil-a and will also include a sampling of foods from the regions where our missionaries are serving.

This is an exciting time in the life of our church and we are blessed to have a senior pastor and staff who have a strong biblical understanding of missions and therefore have a passion for missions as well.  Please make our Third Annual Global Missions Conference a priority and set aside September 10-12 to be with us.    If you plan to attend either of the dinners or require childcare for the conference, please call the church office at 272-2304 to sign up.  I am looking forward to seeing you at the conference.

Jonathan

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

We will also have the immense blessing of having all of our mission partners here with us.  Ted, Jeremy, and Steve and Carol will all be joining us from their respective fields and they will be leading the breakout sessions for adults, youth, and children.  We will have the privilege of hearing first-hand reports of what God is doing in them and through them as they seek to raise up disciples of Christ among their people groups.  Having them here will also help us develop a more detailed vision of how we will be partnering with them in 2011.

We will also have the blessing of fellowship with them and with each other as we gather for 2 different meals in the course of the weekend — Friday and Saturday evening.  At the

Saturday evening meal, we even plan to have some foods from our partner regions so that you will be able to sample local cuisine.  You won’t want to miss it.
Another new aspect of this year’s Global Missions Conference is the consolidation of our annual SBC offerings into a single World Missions Offering.  Every year, we have the blessing of giving above our normal tithes and offerings to support our Lottie Moon offering for the International Mission Board and our Annie Armstrong offering for the North American Mission Board.  This year, to coincide with our annual conference, we will receive one World Missions Offering that will cover both.  It will be divided between them based upon our historic giving patterns.  For example, our goal for Lottie is usually about 4 or 5 times larger than our goal for Annie, so we would distribute the offering to the respective agencies based upon that historic ratio.

We are making this change because we want these offerings to receive even greater emphasis.  Normally, the promotion of these offerings is overshadowed by annual holiday preparations and celebrations at Christmas and Easter.  By linking a World Missions Offering with our Annual Global Missions Conference, we will foster and undistracted focus on world missions efforts.  Furthermore, our congregation will have the privilege of coupling their missions giving with hands-on experience and eyewitness reports from those who are serving in the field.  It will be a blessing to have our missions giving coincide with our missions emphasis.

On a final note, it would be wonderful if we could celebrate the Grand Opening of our Mission House with a ribbon cutting ceremony the same weekend of our conference.  The house has come together so well, but there are still some items we need:  One Queen mattress set, mattress covers ( 3 twin, 1 queen), a vacuum, mop and broom, bathroom towels, flatware, glassware, pots and pans, blinds for 3 bedrooms and kitchen, 8 pillows, cooking utensils, a TV stand, a floor lamp, a chair for the master bedroom, and 3 rugs.  If each of us just took responsibility to purchase one of these needs, the house could be fully finished by next week.  What can you contribute to its completion?  If you feel led to take care of one or more of these items, call Heidi at our church office and let us know which ones.

I am truly excited about all that God is doing in and through us, especially how He is shaping and sharpening us as a force for world missions.  So join me in praying for this event and participating in it when it arrives.  It will be an incredible time together!  I love you all dearly.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Save the dates for the Global Missions Conference: September 10-12.

Friday, September 10
5:15-8:00 pm

Saturday, September 11
3:00-7:00pm

Sunday, September 12
Regular Schedule Times

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

The mission house is not yet complete but we want you to come out and see how much progress has been made.  We are so excited about how it has taken shape and the privilege we will have to host one of our missionary families this fall.  So, come tour the house and see how you can continue to support the completion of this work.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Pastoral Training Resourses

Classic Christian books for pastors and leaders are one of the most important aspects of our Ecuador Mission trip next month. We’ve assembled a good set of solid biblical resources in Spanish that we feel will be helpful in encouraging and equipping the Ecuadorian pastors and leaders teach their families and lead their churches. We would like each of our Morningview families to look over the list of books below and consider giving to help provide these books for the pastors/leaders. Each ‘Pastor Training Pack’ contains key theological books, family shepherding books, and pastoral reference books in Spanish. The retail value for each packet is about $85.

Here are the books each pastor or leader will receive in Spanish:

For Biblical and Theological Training:

Finally Alive by John Piper

Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul

Let’s Study Ephesians by Sinclair Ferguson

For Biblical Pastoral Ministry:

Introduction to Biblical Counseling by John MacArthur

All Round Ministry, 2 Vols by Charles Spurgeon

The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges

For Biblical Family Training:

Strengthening Your Marriage by Wayne Mack

Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp

Please prayerfully consider how you can give towards a ‘Pastor Training Pack’ to help us provide these great resources to the church leaders in Ecuador. Each family may want to consider giving half of the cost of a packet, which is about $40. Sunday school classes can sponsor a pastor for $85; we’re training (30) pastors in total. Whatever part you can have in helping us will be greatly appreciated. These packets will be an excellent resource for the Ecuadorian church leaders for many years to come. Thank you church family for your prayerful support of this ministry. Please mark your giving envelope, ‘Ecuador Pastor Training Pack’.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Please be in prayer for our team of 13 as we continue to prepare for our trip.  Look for a prayer guide in this Sunday’s worship bulletin.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

This year our featured country will be China.  The night will be filled with activities to enhance understanding of how the gospel is being spread.  Stations will be prepared representing the missionaries who have served in China.  Lottie Moon will be one of the favorites!  Parents please send one tray of brownies or cookies. Be sure to look for sign-up sheets in Adult Sunday School classes or call the church office at 272-2304.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Date of Trip:  June 18-26, 2010.

Costs:  $1380, plus spending money

Deposits:  $150 non-refundable deposit is needed by Sunday, April 11^th.  You are responsible for the remaining costs of the trip.  You are encouraged to begin now writing support letters to family and friends that would consider praying and financially supporting your mission endeavor.  The church will assist by paying (up to) 25% of the trip cost.

Who can participate:  Adults and students.  All participants must be members of Morningview Baptist.

Students must have completed the 10^th grade.

Is there an application for the trip? Yes.  Participants must turn in application wit deposit by April 11^th.

What is the main purpose of our trip? We’ll serve alongside with Missionary Steve Thompson at Camp Chacauco through pastoral training, bible clubs, and construction/camp work.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Generally speaking, we often find it very easy to complain about problems and shortcomings in our communities, and those problems are real.  However, at the root, the problems we face here are no different then the problems faced in China or Brazil or Pakistan or England or Nigeria or Canada.  The universal human problem is sin, and the only universal solution is faith in Jesus Christ.  Thus, just as we would labor to reach the unreached on the other side of the globe, we should labor to reach the unreached on the other side of the street.

On March 27th, we will have a Community Missions Service Day where we will have the privilege of serving our own community and, Lord willing, opening many doors for true gospel witness.  The event will last from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon (a few teams may go slightly longer).  Child care will be provided for nursery age children and those in grade school will have a ministry activity to participate in.

We will have teams serving our Hands of Christ Ministry Center in Chisholm, some serving our shut-ins, and some serving other community needs organizations.  We will also have teams engaging in evangelism and outreach projects, our children will be singing in nursing homes, and we will have events here on our campus for our senior adults to participate in.

I hope you will set aside this day on your calendar, because all of us have a role to play.  This event is structured to include every able-bodied member of our congregation.  By God’s grace, we will be able to touch many, many lives with the Gospel, and the joy we will glean from our obedience and witness will be an immense blessing.  I love you all!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

The Ecuador missions trip will be June 18-26.  Have you considered how God would have you be involved in this partnership this year?  Will you send or will you go?  Please be open to being involved in our Ecuador partnership this year and consider whether or not God would have you go on this trip or financially and prayerfully support those going.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

The diet of the Turks consists of a dense bread, olives, cheese from sheep or cows milk, onions, molasses from grapes, fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Meats such as fish, wild game, or poultry are only eaten once a week.  Pray that the Turks of Turkey would know the Bread of Life, so that they will never hunger again. (John 6:35)

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

During the most recent business meeting, Shawn presented the MMT’s proposal for adopting specific people groups.  Please be in prayer for the proposed “Unreached” and “Last Frontier” people groups.  Pray that God would make clear to us what our involvement should be regarding these people groups.  Also, continue to remember the Ecuador Seminary partnership upon which we have already embarked.  Pray for the construction of the building and the work being led by Steve and Carol Thompson.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Second Annual Global Missions Conference

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Schedule:

9:15 AM – Session 1 (Adults and youth in sanctuary)
10:30 AM – Session 2
5:00 PM – Session 3 (Adults and youth in sanctuary)
6:00 PM – Session 4

Children’s activities will resume as usual

24 Hour Prayer Wall

There will be a 24 hour prayer wall for the persecuted church on the day of our missions conference.  Please sign up for an hour by contacting Judd Hough (284-5567).

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Hebrews 13:12-14 says, “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.  Hence, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.” (NAS) These words of Scripture are exactly what you think they are – a call to leave the ease of our comforts, to get outside ourselves and outside the four walls of our church buildings and identify with the sufferings of Christ.  This is not our home; we are seeking the city which is to come.

As a reminder of the importance of our prayers, I want to share with you the the story of Asia Bibi, and Christian woman in Pakistan who is currently imprisoned and on trial for blasphemy against Islam.  Her story is reported by the Voice of the Martyrs:

On Oct. 14, Asia Bibi appeared in court, in Sheikhupura, Pakistan and spent some time with her family before the court appearance.

Asia’s husband, Ashiq Masih, her daughters and VOM contacts met  her for 15 minutes before the court appearance. “Asia is in strong faith. Her eyes were hopeful. Praise God,” VOM contacts said. Asia told VOM contacts she prays everyday at 3 a.m. “I thank God that the jail administration has good behavior with me,” she said. “I don’t have trouble from them, but I miss my daughters and family. Please arrange my soon release from this jail,” Asia told VOM contacts.

Asia’s daughters were visibly upset when they met her. “The little daughter was continuously asking her mother ‘Mama when are you coming back home?’” VOM contacts said. Isha, the eldest daughter, cried and hugged her mother and would not let her go.  Isha pointed to the veil on her mother’s face and said, “I want to see your face, remove this cover.” It was a sad scene.

The court rescheduled another hearing for Oct. 27. Asia was arrested by police on Friday, June 19, and charged with blasphemy. Her family is one of only three Christian families in a village of more than 1,500 families.

Many of the local women, including Asia, work on the farm of Muslim landowner Muhammad Idrees. During their work many of the Muslim women have pressured Asia to renounce Christianity and accept Islam.

On June 19, there was an intense discussion among the women about their faith. The Muslim women told Asia about Islam. Asia responded by telling the Muslim women that Christ died on the cross for our sins, according to VOM sources.  She told them Jesus is alive. “Our Christ is the true prophet of God,” she reportedly told them.

Upon hearing this response the Muslim women became angry and began to beat Asia Bibi. Then some men came and took her and locked her in a room. They announced from mosque loudspeakers that she would be punished by having her face blackened and being paraded through the village on a donkey.

Local Christians informed the police, who took Asia into custody before the Muslims could carry out their plan. She is currently being held at the police station in Nankana city. Christians there urged the police not to file blasphemy charges, but police claimed that they must go forward due to the pressure from local Muslim leaders.

Pray for strength for Asia and her family to endure the sufferings of whatever sentence is handed down.  Pray that God would be glorified and Christ lifted up through her unswerving commitment to the Savior.  Also pray for the salvation of Muslims in Pakistan.  I love you all dearly!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Our students will be serving at Brantwood Chhildren’s Home on Saturday, November 14th from 2:00 – 5:00 pm.

Our afternoon will include games with the students, drama skits, music, and a meal.  We will meet at Morningview Baptist Church at 1:40 pm.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

1.  It will awaken and embolden your heart to God’s global purpose.  Evangelism and Missions are commissions given to each believer – they are not options.  We are to share God’s burden for the salvation of persons from every tribe, tongue, and people group.  Going on a short-term trip serves to widen our perspective and instill us with a passion in this regard.

2.  It will contribute significantly to your spiritual growth.  A short-term trip takes us out of our daily habits and comforts and stretches us in ways we cannot anticipate, thus deepening our dependence upon God and our experience of His grace.  No true Christian will ever go to a foreign field and remain spiritually unchanged or unchallenged.

3.  It will provide you with new venues and opportunities for obedience.  Quite often, we allow the comforts of our Christian “bubble” to insulate us from new ministry opportunities.  A short-term trip will take you out of your bubble and provide new ways for you to use your spiritual gifts to further global missions endeavors.  It is a spiritual delight to discover these outlets and to experience new ways of investing in eternal things!

4.  It will reawaken your zeal for personal evangelism.  If you can travel to another part of the world to tell people about Christ, then you can also cross the street or the aisle to tell a neighbor, co-worker, or classmate.  God has an amazing way of using short-term mission trips to lead us to repent of our apathy in this area and to renew our passion for personal evangelism.

5.  You will love interacting with vocational missionaries.  These men and women have sacrificed the relative ease of American culture and their relationships here to follow God’s calling upon their lives.  As you spend time with them on the field, their love for lost persons and their dedication to sow the gospel in their chosen people groups will touch your heart and open your eyes to aspects of God’s work that you have never before considered.

6.  You will either be called to vocation mission work or you will develop a fervor to send more missionaries.  God commonly uses short-term mission trips to call persons into full-time mission service, to confirm callings He has already put in place, or to develop in us a passion for sending more workers to the field.  I have even seen entire congregations driven to prayer and shaped into fertile seed-beds for future missionaries.  We could want nothing better for our children or our church!

7.  You will gain first-hand experience of new cultures.  We are a very “Ameri-centric” people who largely choose to remain ignorant of the beauty of other cultures.  Trust me when I say that we are missing out on so much.  When you go to interact with people in other cultures, you will experience the joy of seeing how much we have in common with them, but you will also be struck by the beauty of their unique traditions, perspectives, foods, and family dynamics.

8.  You will appreciate what God has given you here in America so much more.  Visiting other nations deepens your appreciation for the religious and political freedoms we enjoy as Americans.  Being away from home for a time will likewise make you appreciate your parents, spouse, and children even more.  It also makes you realize how wealthy we are when compared to the rest of the world.

9.  You will build deeper relationships with members of your own church family.  As fellow members in one local body, we worship and learn and serve along side of one another in many ways, but often we still lack “deep” friendships in the church.  Traveling together, rooming together, and serving together in a foreign land will build bonds of friendship that will last you the rest of your life.

10.  Your example and testimony will touch your congregation and build a passion for global outreach.  When we go, we pray that the passion of those going will be matched in the congregation by a passion for sending and supporting.  When we share testimonies upon our return, we hope to foster in our spiritual family a common joy and unity in striving for the completion of God’s global purpose.  God wants to use you as a catalyst for this kind of congregational growth.  Regardless of your age, your occupation, or the current constraints of your life, you NEED to go and experience the glorious privileges and challenges of sharing Christ among the nations.  I love you all!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Continue to use the prayer guide for our team.  Please also pray for the families of the team members who are still stateside.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

“World Missions: The Purpose, the Promise, and the Price”
By John Piper October 21, 1997

The purpose of world missions is to spread a passion for the supremacy of God into people groups where there is no indigenous, evangelizing church. This assumes something about “disciples” and something about “nations.” These terms are used in Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” My assumption about “disciples” is that they are people who have seen “the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6), and who cherish “God in Christ” as the supreme value of their lives (Philippians 3:8). My assumption about “nations” is that they are not geographic, political countries but “tribes, languages, peoples and ethnic groups” (Revelation 5:9; 7:9).

Based on these two assumptions, then, the purpose of world missions is to spread a passion for the supremacy of God into people groups where there is no indigenous, evangelizing church.

According to one research group (Joshua Project 2000), in June of this year there were 579 peoples in the world with populations over 10,000 which did not have any church planting missionary effort in them. In July, the Global Consultation on World Evangelization (GCWE ’97) met in Pretoria, South Africa with the result that all but 172 of these peoples were targeted by mission agencies. This is a remarkable progress toward finishing the real missionary task of the church.

But the real source of hope in world missions is not the statistics of man; it’s the promise of God. Namely, Matthew 24:14—“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations.” The “shalls” of God are backed by omnipotence. This great work of spreading a passion for God into people groups where there is no indigenous, evangelizing church cannot fail. This is the great hope of the missions enterprise. The word of God will not fail.

But the price will be very high. Not so high that it is not worth it. But very high. Jesus expresses it in Matthew 24:9: “You will be hated by all the nations because of my name.” The purpose and the promise will not happen without the price of opposition and suffering. In fact, the price is not just the result but the strategy of the purpose. God has a certain number of martyrs appointed (Revelation 6:11). Jesus said that when you are arrested and taken before governors, “this will be a time for you to bear testimony” (Luke 21:13). The purpose, the promise and the price are all bound together.

Did you notice the phrase, “all the nations,” in the purpose, the promise and the price?  The PURPOSE – “Make disciples of all the nations.”  The PROMISE – “This gospel . . . shall be preached. . . to all the nations.”  The PRICE – “You will be hated by all the nations.”  I call all of you with Hebrews 13:13 (again!) to “go out to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach.” What will this mean for you? It will have to do with “all the nations.”

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

The church family is invited to commit to pray and fast on Friday, October 2 on behalf of the Southeast Asia Mission Trip October 10 – 23. Those going are Shawn Merithew, Tom Hicks, Jr., Scott Knuteson, Shannon Sullivan, Debey Epps, Bella Epps, and Jodie Jernigan.  We will have a commissioning for these folks in the morning service Sunday, October 4.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Ecuador Theological Seminary In-Gathering

Sunday, September 13

10:30 am

Missionaries Steve and Carol Thompson (our missionary contacts in Patate) have been serving faithfully in Ecuador for over twenty years. They have detailed plans to open a much needed theological Seminary in Patate by January 2010. They have secured the initial leadership for this Seminary and are ready to complete the first floor and phase of this pastoral training center.

At the recommendation of our Pastors body and the Missions and Ministry team, we want to help support the Thompsons by helping to fund this Ecuadorian Seminary. Please know how exciting this opportunity is for us and these Ecuadorian pastors.

There is no available conservative theological seminary in the entire country!

The Thompson’s camp (Camp Chacauco) already serves as a strategic base of operations for planting churches among unreached people groups. With the addition of this Seminary, by God’s grace, it could grow to become the epicenter for sound theological training for pastors and lay persons for decades to come. In some ways, the hope of training and sustaining pastors to continue to ‘preach the gospel’ to this entire country rests on the opening and operation of this Ecuadorian Seminary. What a glorious privilege it is for our church to give sacrificially to meet this need to continue allowing pastors to ‘preach the gospel’ in a spiritually needy place like Ecuador.

Approximate costs for the seminary

Level 1 *
Construction of the First Floor and basic facilities for Start-Up
This includes completion and furnishings of first floor of the building, including the Auditorium, Kitchen, Dining Hall and Library
A total of $ 24,000 is needed to complete this portion

Level 2 *
Construction of the Second Floor
This floor will include Classrooms, Administration areas, a Lecture Hall and the Main Entrance
A total of $ 45,000 is needed for completion of the 2nd Floor

Furnishings *
A total of $ 15,000 is needed to furnish the building for seminary use.

Total Funding Needed for Entire Seminary: $ 84,000

As you can see, the task of single-handedly meeting this need is far beyond the reach of the vast majority of us as individuals, but as a church (and especially one in the wealthiest nation on earth!) this is, by God’s grace, very attainable. For less than the cost of almost any one of our homes here in Alabama, an entire seminary can be built! What a privilege it would be for us to play such a part in impacting an entire nation with the Gospel!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

As I said on Sunday morning, the reward for fasting and prayer is personal conformity to God’s will and person, a clearer picture of His splendor, and a stronger confidence in His sovereign purpose.  The model and teaching of Scripture is that fasting is an appropriate undertaking for any weighty circumstance or need:  as a sign of repentance, as an act of mourning, when in serious danger, when facing a significant transition, at a time of deep need, for the healing of loved ones, for wisdom in important decisions, and when seeking the specific will of God.

But in more practical terms, how do we actually “fast.”  FIRST, we need to be mindful and careful of our own physical limitations.  If you have any health reservation, check with your doctor before fasting; you may want to consider only a partial fast from certain foods or only fasting for very small amounts of time.  Even if you do undertake a full fast, be cautious of going any longer than a few days and do not abstain from water so that your body does not dehydrate.  A normal time range for a completely healthy person to fast from food consumption is anywhere from one to three days.

SECOND, understand that the purpose of your fast is to seek God in praise, confession, scriptural meditation, and supplication.  Thus, while a fast is technically only abstaining from food, I would suggest that you also abstain from other non-necessary earthly pursuits during this time.  You may need to go to work or take care of necessities with your family at home, but keep the TV off and avoid indulging yourself with other media (novels, movies, the internet, your iPod, cell phone, etc.).  Also avoid or limit your pursuit of extra-curricular involvements like sports, shopping, and events with friends.  The goal of this time is to make the absolute most of being on your face before God.

THIRD, have a plan for how you will use the time.  Prepare certain Scriptures that are appropriate for your concern to meditate upon and pray through as you fast.  Make a list of your specific supplications.  If you have children in your home, prepare some family devotions that will help them understand why you are fasting and how they can pray with you (and for you!).  If you are married, plan prayer times with your spouse.  If you have to work on days that you have designated for fasting, plan how and where to spend your meal-breaks so that those times can be used for prayer and Scripture reading.  You don’t have to have every minute scheduled, but a plan will help you to stay focused and it will help you to protect your time of fasting from the little things that “pop up.”

FINALLY, be prepared to obediently submit to God in whatever way He reveals Himself and in whatever course He chooses.  He may answer your prayers as you hope He will, and He may not.  He may give you a very clear leading or answer, and He may not.  Be content in His will, follow obediently where He leads, and know that He is God.  Whatever the outcome, you will benefit spiritually just by drawing near to Him and expressing your trust in Him through the disciplines of prayer and fasting.

Given all of that, what are some good immediate needs to consider fasting over?  I would first direct you to our Ingathering for the Seminary in Ecuador this coming Sunday.  We have an incredible opportunity to be a part of equipping pastors who lead and plant churches in that nation.  You might want to consider fasting and praying about how much of the Lord’s money you can give to this effort.

In October, we have a team of seven leaving on a Mission Trip to Southeast Asia.  We would greatly appreciate you fasting and praying for us as we receive offerings for our trip and as we prepare for the work.  Furthermore, my plan now is for our church family to follow that Acts 13 model where we will invite our whole congregation to fast and pray before we send out any mission team.  That opportunity will come early in October, so I hope you will plan to be a part of it.  You may have thought of other needs to consider as you have read this, so just trust Him and seek Him as He leads you.  I love you all!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Please be in prayer about what God would have you give to the Ecuador Theological Seminary In-Gathering on September 13.  As you consider how God would have you involved financially in supporting this ministry, consider the words of Randy Alcorn:

“The opportunities for using our financial resources to spread the gospel and strengthen the church all over the world are stronger than they’ve ever been. As God raised up Esther for just such a time as hers, I’m convinced he’s raised us up, with all our wealth, to help fulfill the great commission. The question is, what are we doing with that money? Our job is to make sure it gets to his intended recipients.”

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Continue to pray for a Uighur Christian who has been imprisoned for a year and a half for “his Christian faith and witness among the Uighur people” in Northwest China.  Pray for this believer, his family, and the Uighur church as they await the result of his trial this week.  Ask God to strengthen the Uighur church in the midst of this persecution.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

A Uighur Christian has been imprisoned for a year and a half for “his Christian faith and witness among the Uighur people” in Northwest China.  He was finally granted a trial last week.  Chinese authorities did not permit his wife, two children, and mother to attend the trial.  Authorities warned his wife that she should not have become involved in advocating  and speaking out about her husband’s case.  Please be in prayer for this believer and his family as they await the outcome of the trial in 2 weeks.  Ask God to strengthen the Uighur church in the midst of this persecution.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Praise God for the great trip our team had to Ecuador.  I trust that you heard their wonderful report this past Sunday night.  Continue to pray for the church, the pastors, and the political situation in Ecuador.  Please pray that our church would have the Lord’s wisdom in knowing how we should be involved in the seminary project at Camp Chacauco.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Please continue to pray for Bella Epps and her missions trip to Kenya.  Please pray for the aftermath of the drought that has been occurring in Meru, Kenya.  The lack of rain has caused waves of doubt in many people in Meru, especially in the families of the farmers.  Please pray for the doors that have been opened through their doubt, and for the Lord to speak through Bella in this incredibly difficult time.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Ecuador’s religious climate is one of syncretism:  a religious blend of pagan idol worship from long ago and Catholicism.  Most families are raised with the errant theology that Mary, the mother of Jesus, remained sinless her entire life and is the co-redeemer for salvation.  This Catholic theology is centered on man-centered works rather than biblical doctrine.   The Catholic church in Ecuador recognizes that authority is shared by a multi-faced panel composed of Jesus, Catholic tradition, the Pope, and, chief among these – Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Obviously, this is heretical and undermines the exclusivity of Christ for salvation and as our sole redeemer.

In this religious culture, our partners in ministry, missionaries Steve and Carol Thompson, have been serving for over twenty years.   They have helped start over thirty different churches, established a growing campground for conferences and retreats, as well as trained many faithful pastors to shepherd the churches throughout Ecuador.

Our team was fortunate to experience the fruit of Steve and Carol Thompson’s labor.  On just our second day in the country, we worshipped with a church that was founded in persecution.  During their initial evangelistic outreach in the town where they now worship, the believers were literally attacked by an angry religious mob and driven from the town.  Now, God has a faithful pastor and church family witnessing effectively in this community.  Many who are new believers in the church today were throwing stones as part of the angry mob just 15 years ago.  The dear Saint who sat behind us lost an eye that very day that the Gospel might go forward.  It was in this very town (Patate) that our team was privileged to lead a VBS in the local school where children heard that ‘Jesus is the true light of the world’ through Bible stories and other activities daily.  We pray some of these Patate school children will become devoted Christians and continue the evangelical growth in their community.

Additionally, our team led a four-day conference for about twenty-two pastors and some of their leaders.   The group of pastors were from diverse backgrounds, but shared a common faithfulness to serve Christ regardless of the cost.  Their gratitude to Morningview Baptist for your sponsorship of the ‘pastor’s packs’ of ten biblical resources was overwhelming.  Please know you provided a wealth of resources that will equip these pastors and likewise their churches to be healthy congregations for generations to come.  This never could have happened without God’s work through you.

Still, the needs and opportunities for support in the area of theological training are great in this country.  The new government leadership is requiring all pastors to be certified with a certain level of theological education within the next two years.  Failure to comply with obtaining appropriate theological certification can result in imprisonment of up to eight years on the first offense.  Sadly, in the mid-nineties our own International Missions Board redirected their resources and left the Ecuadorians with no seminary and no staff or funds to train pastors.  As a result, today about 95% of all Ecuadorian Baptist Pastors have no formal training and lack the resources to travel internationally to get it.

Thanks be to God, the Thompson’s have been working for many years to reestablish a seminary.  Steve and a team of five other godly leaders are committed to provide this necessary training.  The timing today is more critical than ever.  After much prayer, planning and work, their ministry center, Camp Chacauco, is almost ready to add a theological seminary on their grounds to train pastors for ministry.  What can we as a church do to help?  Pray, give and go.  First, pray for this theological seminary which will be only the faithful institution of biblical, conservative theology and essentially one of a kind in the country.  The seminary needs funding to the amount of $24,000 to complete the first floor of the building and begin enrollment in December of this year.  You can give to support the work of the seminary.  They are still enlisting staff, garnering resources to provide their seminary library and establishing curriculum for the theological students.  The total financial needs to start this work are about $84,000.   Pray about how your family can give towards this need.  In addition to giving, all of us can pray and many of us can go.  It is our hope and prayer that God will allow us to continue to partner with Steve Thompson and to play a key role in the advance of the Gospel among the vast numbers of the lost in country of Ecuador.  Please plan on coming this Sunday night as we share more of the incredible work that God allowed us to see and partner with there in Ecuador.  We believe that God has brought our church to this point for such a time as this and it is our hope and prayer that our work last week will be but the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship of taking the Gospel to those who have never heard.

Written by:  David Hardgrave & Randy Breedlove

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Friday, July 3

7:30 Breakfast / Devotional

8:30 Load Bus / Travel to Apátug

9:30 Visit Apátug (Quichua Indian Village)

10:30 Travel to Old Hacienda

12:30 p.m. Lunch at “La Ciénega”

2:00 Travel to Equator

4:00 Shop at “La Mitad Del Mundo”

6:00 Travel to Quito

7:00 Supper at Food Court

8:30 Head to Airport

8:45 Arrive Airport

11:30 Fly Out – Delta

Please be in prayer for our Ecuador team as they embark on their missions trip.  Pray specifically for the people on the missions teams going to Ecuador:  Randy Breedlove, Billy Cox, Emily Cox, David Hardgrave, Monica Lott, Caleb Quave, Erin Sellars, and Jaelyn Smith.  In addition to this team, remember to pray for Bella Epps as she serves in Kenya.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

7:30 a.m. Breakfast / Devotional

8:30 Camp Clean Up / Construction

12:00 p.m. Lunch at Camp

1:00 Travel to Waterfall – “Pailón del Diablo”

2:15 Stop at Swinging Basket – “La Tarabita”

3:00 Walk Through Catholic Cathedral in Baños

3:30 Return to Camp

4:30 Prepare for Evening Session

5:30 Travel to Ambato

6:30 Supper with Pastors and Leaders

7:30 Pastor Training Time Session 4

9:30 Return to Camp

10:30 Rest

Please be in prayer for our Ecuador team as they embark on their missions trip.  Pray specifically for the people on the missions teams going to Ecuador:  Randy Breedlove, Billy Cox, Emily Cox, David Hardgrave, Monica Lott, Caleb Quave, Erin Sellars, and Jaelyn Smith.  In addition to this team, remember to pray for Bella Epps as she serves in Kenya.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

7:30 a.m. Breakfast / Devotional

8:30 Camp Clean Up / Construction

10:30 VBS Begins

12:30 VBS Ends

12:30 p.m. Lunch at Camp

1:30 VBS Preparation Time

2:30 Team Travels to VBS Site – (Ficoa)

6:30 Supper with Pastors and Leaders

7:30 Pastor Training Time Session 3

9:30 Return to Camp

10:30 Rest

Please be in prayer for our Ecuador team as they embark on their missions trip.  Pray specifically for the people on the missions teams going to Ecuador:  Randy Breedlove, Billy Cox, Emily Cox, David Hardgrave, Monica Lott, Caleb Quave, Erin Sellars, and Jaelyn Smith.  In addition to this team, remember to pray for Bella Epps as she serves in Kenya.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Please be in prayer for our Ecuador missions team all week.  Pray for all of the people we sent to Ecuador: Randy Breedlove, Billy Cox, Emily Cox, David Hardgrave, Monica Lott, Tyson Lott, Caleb Quave, Erin Sellars, and Jaelyn Smith.  Be sure to keep your prayer guide handy and lift up their needs during your prayer time this week.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Part of the change involves the requirement that all ministers who preach or lead churches must be registered with and licensed by the government.  It is anticipated that part of the requirements for licensing will be some degree of formal religious training at the college or seminary level.  Unfortunately, 95% of the Baptist pastors in Ecuador have no formal training and are thus unlikely to secure proper certification status with the new government.

It is expected that these new restrictions will begin to be enforced within 2 years, after enough time has passed for the registration process to be completed.  After that, pastors who are caught preaching without government certification will be arrested and sentenced to 8 years in prison.  Right now, the Baptist network in Ecuador is working with the government in an effort to establish certification criteria that most Baptist pastors could achieve through training seminars and classes.

The good news is that the classes that our team will be leading with 22 pastors this week will count as credit toward their certification.  In terms of our future involvement, it means that the Pastor Training efforts we have initiated in Ecuador are now absolutely critical to sustain the preaching of a biblical gospel in that region of South America.

What can we do right now?  First, we can add this new development to our prayer list for our mission team that is on the field right now and for our missions ministry here at Morningview.  I have no doubt that God is using these political developments to create in us a sense of urgency that should guide all of our missions efforts.  Furthermore, we are privileged to see His providence at work through this situation.  He sovereignly put this burden to train pastors on our hearts long before we were ever aware of the needs resulting from this political shift.  What else might He providentially have in store for us?

Second, each of us should consider how we can help meet this need.  As Dr. Sills told us at our last missions conference, if you can teach Sunday School in the United States then you can train church leaders on the mission field.  Perhaps God would lead more of us to be invested in this work in Ecuador.  If we cannot go, there are also others ways to be of help.

One of the greatest needs that now exists for these pastors is the availability of training resources.  The average pastor in Ecuador earns only $200 per month, yet the books they need are the same price as they are here in the states.  It would take their entire monthly income just to purchase a dozen textbooks, leaving them nothing left with which to feed their own families.  Thus, one of the most immediate needs we can continue meeting is for theological books and resources in Spanish, like those we just sent with our mission team.

There will be other needs and ministry possibilities that arise from these developments in Ecuador, and I look forward to bringing them to our attention as our Missions and Ministry Team prepares to respond.  I truly believe that God has chosen Morningview to be in this partnership “for such a time as this,” and I am excited about how He will lead us and use us.  I love you all!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

7:30 a.m. Breakfast / Devotional

8:30 Camp Clean Up / Construction

10:30 VBS Begins

12:30 VBS Ends

12:30 p.m. Lunch at Camp

1:30 VBS Preparation Time

2:30 Team Travels to VBS Site – (Ficoa)

6:30 Supper with Pastors and Leaders

7:30 Pastor Training Time Session 2

9:30 Return to Camp

10:30 Rest

Please be in prayer for our Ecuador team as they embark on their missions trip.  Pray specifically for the people on the missions teams going to Ecuador:  Randy Breedlove, Billy Cox, Emily Cox, David Hardgrave, Monica Lott, Caleb Quave, Erin Sellars, and Jaelyn Smith.  In addition to this team, remember to pray for Bella Epps as she serves in Kenya.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

7:30 a.m. Breakfast / Devotional

8:30 Camp Clean Up / Construction

12:30 p.m. Lunch at Camp

1:30 VBS Preparation Time

2:30 Team Travels to VBS Site – (Ficoa)

4:00 VBS Begins

6:00 VBS Ends

6:30 Supper with Pastors and Leaders (Ficoa)

7:30 Pastor Training Time Session 1

9:30 Return to Camp

10:30 Rest

Please be in prayer for our Ecuador team as they embark on their missions trip.  Pray specifically for the people on the missions teams going to Ecuador:  Randy Breedlove, Billy Cox, Emily Cox, David Hardgrave, Monica Lott, Caleb Quave, Erin Sellars, and Jaelyn Smith.  In addition to this team, remember to pray for Bella Epps as she serves in Kenya.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Sunday, June 28

7:30 a.m. Breakfast / Devotional

8:00 Bible Study at Camp

9:00 Travel to Ambato for Worship

10:30 Worship

12:30 p.m. Lunch (Sandwiches or Chicken)

1:30 Travel to Quisapincha (Leather Shopping)

2:30 Shop

3:30 Return to Camp Chacauco

4:30 Preparation Time for Conferences

6:30 Supper

7:30 Share Time

8:30 Rest

Please be in prayer for our Ecuador team as they embark on their missions trip.  Pray specifically for the people on the missions teams going to Ecuador:  Randy Breedlove, Billy Cox, Emily Cox, David Hardgrave, Monica Lott, Caleb Quave, Erin Sellars, and Jaelyn Smith.  In addition to this team, remember to pray for Bella Epps as she serves in Kenya.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Saturday, June 27

6:30 a.m. Wake Up / Pack

7:30 Devotional with Breakfast

8:00 Load Bus / Travel to the Historic Downtown Quito

9:00 Travel to Patate

1:00 p.m. Lunch at Camp

2:00 Check In / Tour of Camp

5:30 Visit from Apátug Group

6:00 Supper at Camp

7:00 Visit with Pastor

7:30  VBS Preparation / Bon Fire

9:00 Rest

Please be in prayer for our Ecuador team as they embark on their missions trip.  Pray specifically for the people on the missions teams going to Ecuador:  Randy Breedlove, Billy Cox, Emily Cox, David Hardgrave, Monica Lott, Caleb Quave, Erin Sellars, and Jaelyn Smith.  In addition to this team, remember to pray for Bella Epps as she serves in Kenya.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

10:30 p.m. Arrive Quito

11:30 p.m. Arrive Hotel “Howard Johnson”

Tel. # 011‑593‑2‑226‑5265

Please be in prayer for our Ecuador team as they embark on their missions trip.  Pray specifically for the people on the missions teams going to Ecuador:  Randy Breedlove, Billy Cox, Emily Cox, David Hardgrave, Monica Lott, Caleb Quave, Erin Sellars, and Jaelyn Smith.  In addition to this team, remember to pray for Bella Epps as she serves in Kenya.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Our team will be traveling to Patate, Ecuador, with many of our resources provided by this gracious Morningview congregation.  Thank you for giving to fund pastoral packets, backyard Bible club supplies and donating to the general expenses of our mission.  We’ll be providing a four –day Pastor’s conference for over 20 pastors/lay leaders in the area and serving in a three day backyard Bible Club. We’ll additionally do some construction work at Camp Chacauco in Patate to help complete there expanding campus.  Below is a daily prayer guide so you may intercede for our team.

Friday, June 26th
Pray for safety as we have a non-stop 5-hour flight from Atlanta to Ecuador.   Pray for opportunities to witness for Christ during this transit.  Pray that all of our luggage and supplies arrive with us.
We’ll stay the night in the capital city of Quito at a hotel.

Saturday, June 27th
Pray for our 4-hour bus ride from Quito to Patate.  Patate is where Camp Chacauco is located and our home for the week.  We’ll visit with a local pastor tonight and have a visit from a local group of believers from Apatug.   Pray that we’ll encourage & challenge one another in our faith.

Sunday, June 28th
Today we’ll worship in an Ecuadorian church in Ambato (about 45 minutes from Camp).  Pray for God to use this time of worship in our lives to prepare us for the ministry of the week.  Pray for some effective group preparation time, in the evening, for our respective conferences/Bible clubs.

Monday, June 29th
Today is a busy day.  Pray for organization and group unity as we do construction at Camp Chacauco, begin our Backyard Bible Club and commence our first night of the Pastors conference.  Pray for us to have boldness to share the gospel with the children and preach with clarity to the group of pastors.  Pray for our first day of backyard bible club.  Pray for our bible story,  recreation and craft teams to serve with the aim of sharing of the gospel in all we do.

Tuesday, June 30 & Wednesday, July 1st
Both days will be identical in schedule.   We’ll build at our Camp, serve at backyard Bible club and lead two evenings of the Pastors conference.  Pray for us to rely upon God’s strength and wisdom as we develop relationships with all groups we’re working with.  Pray that God would give us favor with the  children and pastors.  Pray for our safety as we do construction tasks.  Pray for our team’s health and ability to adjust to the Ecuadorian food.  We’ve been in country for 5-6 days now.

Thursday, July 2nd
This is our final day of construction at camp; we also visit some tourist sites today.  Pray for our opportunities to share our faith in the public arenas that we’ll visit.  As Americans in Ecuador, many will ask about our reason for visiting their country – pray for us to share boldly about our Lord.  Tonight is our final night at the Pastor’s conference.  Pray for the preached word and the great Biblical resources in the Pastoral packets to be effective in transforming the hearts of these ministers.

Friday, July 3rd and Saturday, July 4th
We’ll be traveling from Camp back to Quito for our return flight.  Pray for our safety in our return flight and witnessing opportunities at different popular spots we visit – such as the ‘Equator monument.’  Pray for the alertness and effectiveness of our Delta flight crew.  We arrive in Atlanta at 6:00 am on Saturday morning.  Pray that God will grow the seeds we planted during our mission with the people of Ecuador.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Please be in prayer for our Ecuador team as they embark on their missions trip this week.  Pray specifically for the people on the missions team going to Ecuador: Randy Breedlove, Billy Cox, Emily Cox, David Hardgrave, Monica Lott, Tyson Lott, Caleb Quave, Erin Sellars, and Jaelyn Smith.  In addition to this team remember to pray for Bella Epps as she serves in Kenya.  She has arrived in Kenya safely and will be ministering there for the next 4 weeks.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Please be in prayer for our team going to Ecuador later this month. Pray that God would give the team a heart to see the Ecuadorian people as He does: lost and helpless without a Savior. Pray for the pastoral training group as they discern how to effectively lead Ecuadorian pastors in ‘how to shepherd their own souls as well as their congregations’. Pray for the entire team as they prepare to lead a children’s Bible club, in Spanish. Pray that God would use the bible stories and activities to clearly present the message of Christ’s love to these children and families. Pray for the opportunities our team will have to encourage Ecuadorian believers in their faith and for many witnessing opportunities during the week. Pray for their safety during travel and stay.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

UIGHURS OF NORTHWEST CHINA (WEE-ghurs). Pray for A, a Uighur believer who has been under arrest for many months but who has not been brought to trial. Recently there have been indications that A’s treatment in prison has progressively deteriorated. There is fear for this believer’s life by the hand of prison authorities. People saw A being escorted to a hospital, at which time A called out to people there to contact A’s lawyer. Please pray that pressure can be brought to the right people to seek an immediate release for A. http://www.pray4them.com/

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Pray for Muslim-background believers who are experiencing persecution. Some are in prison or are enduring increased government scrutiny, restrictions and opposition. Others have been opposed by their family and community. They may have been kicked out of their homes, beaten, or harassed because of their decision to follow Christ. Pray for them to stand firm in their faith, with their eyes fixed on Christ. Pray for their lives to reflect the character of Christ and for their words to bring honor to the One who suffered and died for them. Pray for them to respond to hatred with love. Ask the Father to comfort, strengthen and encourage them and to use their testimony in life and words to call their family and friends to faith.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Pastoral Resource Packets

One of the key aspects of our Ecuador Mission trip next month is the biblical books we’ll provide for Ecuadorian pastors and leaders.  The list we’ve assembled should be helpful in equipping and encouraging these men to lead their families and churches.  We would like for our Morningview families to know the book list and consider giving to help provide these resources for the pastors/leaders.  Each ‘Pastor Packet’ contains a study Bible, a commentary and various Christian books.  The retail value for each ‘Pastor Packet’ is about $165.

Here is a look at some of the books each Pastor or leader will receive in a Spanish translation:

For personal devotion and study:
Pierced by the Word by:  John Piper
Desiring God by: John Piper
Systematic Theology by: Wayne Grudem

For family biblical training:
Shepherding a Child’s Heart by: Ted Tripp
The Cross Centered Life by: C.J. Mahaney
The Gospel According to Jesus by: John MacArthur

For training in biblical truth we have:
How to Get the Most out of the Word of God  by:  John MacArthur
Commentary on Ephesians, by John MacArthur

For Church leadership:
God is the Gospel  by:  John Piper
Let the Nations Be Glad by:  John Piper
The Pastoral Ministry  by: John MacArthur
The MacArthur Study Bible

Please prayerfully consider how you can give towards a ‘Pastor Packet’ to help support these men.  We’d love for each Morningview family to consider giving one fourth of the packet cost or about $40.  To fully fund one ‘Pastor Packet’ would cost around $165.   Whatever part you can have in helping with this resource ministry would be greatly appreciated.  These packets will be a great resource for the Ecuadorian church leaders for many years to come. Our team will be spending four evening sessions in targeted ‘pastoral training’ with these men.  Thank you, church family, for your support of this ministry.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

OF MILESTONES AND MAPS

This Sunday, I will celebrate my 3^rd anniversary as Senior Pastor of Morningview. In some ways, it is hard to believe three years have flown by so quickly. In other ways, it is like I have been here so much longer. Lisa and I feel so content and loved and affirmed in our calling to serve this congregation, and that feeling has grown consistently over the past 3 years. You all have truly become our “family” and we love you all dearly.

As I take time to reflect upon the last 3 years, it is amazing to consider all that God has done in our midst. He is so faithful and He has led us through many changes into a time of growth. One of the areas of growth I have been most excited about is in the area of missions. It has been such a blessing to see our missions vision and involvement grow with a degree of consistency.

In that regard, I would like to point our church family to the Missions Action Plan (MAP) that was recently submitted to the church by our Missions Ministry Team. The MAP is posted on our church web site and it is also available in hard-copy through our church office. It does an excellent job of not only stating the biblical basis for our own philosophy of missions, it also outlines some exciting opportunities and goals for the immediate future.

To introduce you to our evolving Vision for Missions, I wanted to provide you with an excerpt that details the immediate goal of ADOPTING people groups, GOING to specific ministry locations, and SENDING missionaries in both short-term and long-term endeavors. Here’s what it says:

4.3 Going – Without setting arbitrary numerical goals, in 2010 we would like to add an additional missions trip to our two current international trips that we take each year.  We would like to see MBC send an additional missions team to work cross-culturally among an international focus group (i.e. another people group) somewhere in the United States.  This would potentially increase the number of trips from two to three.  The trips would be as follows: 1. Open Access People Group; 2. Restricted Access Unreached People Group; 3. North American International Focus Group

4.4 Sending – MBC participates in sending through these conduits: finances, prayer, commissioning, organization/administration, and training.  When short term teams are sent, we would like to see the missions team set aside through a formal commissioning service for the teams (Acts 13:3).  The church needs to conduct a screening process that recognizes present character qualities, ministry involvement, and training as prerequisites.

Our goal for 2010 is to adopt at least one unengaged people group and begin efforts to send missionaries to them from our congregation.  An initial goal is to send a short-term team.  The long-term goal is to send those who will serve long-term on the field.

Missiologists state that 98% of missionaries who are sent go to countries where the church already exists.  Only 2% go to the unreached world.  Our goal for 2010 is to adopt an unreached people group and begin efforts to send missionaries to them from our congregation.  The first step in the process is to send a team on an investigative trip to gain information and make contact with people of peace.  The IMB is able and willing to facilitate this process.  Another goal for 2010 is to have financial support for short-term mission teams as a specified part of the annual church budget.

In the months ahead, we are going to be carefully praying and considering exactly where God would lead us in terms of these missions goals. God is already opening up exciting opportunities for us, so I hope you will make time to join us in intentional prayer for these efforts. I also hope you will take the time to read the entire MAP. It will not only be a great resource for developing your own understanding of biblical missions, it will also help open your eyes to opportunities for involvement.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Pray for three North African Arab women living in a closed country who are meeting regularly with a couple of believing women to study the Bible. Pray for them to understand and respond to the Good News as they hear it. Pray for them to choose to follow the Messiah no matter what the cost. Pray that they will become shining stars who courageously share Christ so that others may know the hope, joy and peace found only in Him.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Many families have family gods, and build them mini shrines.

Praying that a dead pet will make it to "doggy heaven."

Photos on Facebook

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SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

The team once again departed from the hotel at 7:45 for breakfast at the Royal Host.  To continue the morning ritual they then drove the the Heyoshedai park for a time of prayer and bible study before beginning their ministry in Togane.  Shannon this time shared numerous passages about godly women as this narrator has pointed out in past times that their are significantly more female believers in Japan.  See below for the complete story on why this has occurred.

After morning worship the team set out for prayer in the neighborhoods and to finish the distribution of the New Testaments and other Christian literature.  Near about noon time Shannon and Jeremy wandered around the international college to try and speak with English speaking Japanese students.  There they met no success as many students either did not know any English or simply just did not care to talk.  Meanwhile the rest of the team finished passing out the rest of the literature, bringing the amount to around 2,000 for the three days.

The team then set out for a small pastry and coffee shop in Togane where they met the Toda family and heard two of the daughters perform an original song.  See below for the full story on the Toda family.

With the last hours of the afternoon and the evening approaching the team then set out to pray over a Buddhist temple.  Many Japanese come to pray at this temple to their gods or any god who will listen, to give incense or money offerings, and pray to dead ancestors.  Pray that God will tear down these strongholds in Japan and prepare the soil as missionaries and local Japanese believers take the word to the local communities.

The story of the Toda family

The Toda family owns a small coffee and pastry shop and vineyard/garden off the beaten trail in Togane.  Mr. Toda for reasons unknown to the family decided that life was no longer worth the living and was found by his oldest daughter not that long ago.  This left the mother to take care of the shop, the garden, and the vineyard along with her 3 daughters.  The vineyard was Mr. Toda’s responsibility and no longer brings in the income as it did and the oldest sister is off to school in Australia leaving Mrs. Toma, Isuzu, and Tomie (toh-me-eh) with the shop to bring in their only income.  Toma and Isuzu are also small town artists who produce music, perform, and sell their CD’s in the family shop.  Emiko, Lana, and Tak have shared with the family before and today the team had a chance to meet them and give Isuzu some Christian literature for her 2st birthday (May 28th).  There is still no change in the Toda’s families hearts towards the gospel and they still find difficulties physically and spiritually since losing a husband and father.  Please pray for Christ to draw the Toda family unto himself and take their burdens to Christ.

The problem with many Japanese men

As many know the Japanese take work very seriously and are expected to work many days and long hours.  For working men this could mean leaving before the sun is up and coming home well after sundown 5-7 days a week.  Many will stay at work the entire 5 or 6 days because they commute an hour or two and may need the time to sleep rather than drive home causing many Japanese men to live a separate life from their families who the hardly ever see.  All of this causes great stress on the men and is much of the reason that the rate of depression and suicides in Japan is the highest in the world.  Sometimes daily men will jump in front of trains even to the point that the train station will not charge money to the families for inconveniencing them and their passengers.  To add to the stress, many Japanese men have a great feeling of need for independence, to rely on no one and provide for themselves and their family.  Thus many Japanese men see Christianity, a religion of dependence on Christ, as something for women, children, and weak men.  Please pray for God to breakdown this stronghold in the minds of Japanese men.  Pray that they will see that by giving up their independence, their life, that they will gain it.  Pray that God will raise up godly men to lead the church in Japan.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Next, pancakes and eggs (mmmmmm) at the Royal Host made for a rather large and needed breakfast.  As our new friend Karen put it: “You always wake up hungry when jet lagged.”  Never spoken so true Karen.  After breakfast the team drove from Tobu Narita over to the city of Togane where they would spend the rest of the afternoon.

Stop one: The Heyoshedie neighborhood.  Here is where the team met for a short morning worship together in order to give praise and thanks to God, to give him glory and to ask for his will to be done.  The team then spent the next hour and a half or so in prayer over the neighborhood and the next hour and a half passing out New Testaments.  Lunch at Jonathan’s and then stop number two: another neighborhood in Togane that this narrator can’t seem to recall the name of.  We spent about the same time on prayer and the passing out of New Testaments.  Tak tried sharing with a lady at her house who “already had a religion” while Jonathan and Shannon shared with another lady who was “91 years old and was just sitting down to take a rest from her walk.”  She was more receptive and took the literature we passed to her. The team passed out about 600 New Testaments total.

After that much walking, the team stopped for beverages at a small coffee shop in down town Togane where the owner was a fellow believer in Christ.  Jeremy played the guitar and they sang a few songs, then headed home for dinner at the mall (sushi for some of us including the protected whale) and finally rest at the hotel in preparation for another day.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

We are presently having orientation for the team and it is 3:30 a.m. Sunday morning so if any of you are awake there in Alabama, I am sure they would appreciate your prayers to be able to stay awake. J

Thank you for your prayers for the safe arrival of the team. Continue to pray for them. Pray for them to quickly overcome jetlag.

Also pray to God for divine encounters and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit as they go prayer walking, distribute literature, share testimonies with non Christians they meet this week.

Ask God to give them just the right words as they share in meetings with the Christians (and some son-Christians) at Tabiji group home (Thursday) and the house churches (Tuesday and Wednesday) in Togane.

Claiming His Promises for His Glory,
Lana (writing for the team)

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church