Baptism in Jibou...God's work through our Romania March 2008 mission team

Many of you followed the Romania March 2008 mission team from Prince Avenue Christian School via our blog. I just received this picture from Teofil Mihoc, pastor of Jibou Baptist Church. These are the people baptized yesterday in Jibou. Of the thirteen who publicly professed their faith in Jesus Christ through the waters of baptism, nine were young people who made decisions during our mission trip. Two other young people, who made decisions during our ministry time in Romania, were baptized in the village of Domnin a few weeks ago.

For those of you who prayed for the team, these precious people are just some of the fruit of your prayers. For those who provided financial support, this is how God honored your faithful giving. For those of you who were part of the team, look and see what God did through you.

Another team will be going to Romania in October 2008. For more information about being part of that team, click here.

Honduras mission team report

The team is wrapping up our time in Honduras. It has been a blessing to see God at work. Not only have new souls been birthed into the kingdom, but many have heard the gospel.

This was my first trip to the World Baptist Missions ministry site in Guaimaca. God has truly blessed the people of this area by raising up a hospital facility in this semi-remote area. The poverty level of those living in proximity to the campus is heartbreaking. The mountain villages are so remote that they are only reachable by four-wheel drive vehicles. Some taking three hours to reach on a good day, even though they are only within 50 miles. You can imagine the desperate situation that many find themselves when it comes to a medical emergency.

The church planting and pastor training ministries are bearing much fruit. Where once there was no evangelical witness, there are now churches dotting the mountains with bi-vocational pastors. World Baptist Missions keeps evangelism at the forefront of all they do, even through the medical ministry.

Clean water is a precious commodity. While the World Baptist Missions team has plenty of water to provide others, it is currently prohibited doing so because of the lack of equipment. The truck previously used in the water delivery program – which was always combined with evangelism – was irreparably damaged in a tragic accident. While trusting that God will provide the needed equipment, many go lacking of this most basic of need until provision is made for its purchase.

There is still much to be done. The task is nowhere near complete, but with God’s provision and the faithful commitment of the World Baptist Missions staff and volunteers, the gospel goes forth, peoples medical needs are met, and Jesus Christ is given all of the honor and glory.

Thanks for your prayers as we have ministered in Honduras. Please continue to pray for World Baptist Missions as they continue their faithful, fruitful ministry in the Guaimaca area.

For more information about World Baptist Missions you check them out on the web at www.wbmonline.org. If you want to help in the purchase of the much needed truck for the water ministry, please contact us here at WorldReach.

Google-ing John 3:16

You all have felt it. It was just a matter of time. Years of surfing the internet has finally caught up with us. Yes, I am talking about the effect of spending massive, cumulative amounts of time online on our brains.

For me, I can think back into the 1990s at some point when the web enticed me into its massive reserve of available information. I had been a library junkie all my life, leafing through pages of information about places and things I enjoy for long periods of time between the stacks. Now thanks to the internet, I could search volumes of information with mere clicks. Pretty soon I got to be very good at this and could ramble through web page after web page without processing anything but key words from the pages. Now, I must confess, these days the web has become the conduit for lots of the information that flows into my mind.

Writer Nicholas Carr expresses his concern for how the internet affects our brains in a recent article in The Atlantic, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Carr says that his past decade on the computer rendered him unable to concentrate, that perhaps the neural circuitry of his brain is remapped and his memory reprogrammed. Further, Carr says he used to be able to immerse himself in books and long articles, relishing the narratives of these talented authors; however, today he becomes fidgety and cannot endure any extended amounts of time reading. Huge amounts of research can be done in little time, a boon for writers like Carr, but this form of “power browsing” mimics a form of skimming, i.e., hopping from one source to another source and retaining only small snatches of information.

This may have implications for future generations of Christ followers. Young believers, and some not-so-young believers, today spend huge amounts of time plugged into something, whether it be the internet, cellphones, blue-tooth devices, making some look like human cyborgs. Even text messaging is a hybrid, cyborg-ic form of communication with its short, pithy remarks and lack of care over spelling and form. Our imaginations can run with this stuff and cause us to worry over the technological advances that supposedly have made our lives easier and more advanced. The web has woven something, and I think it is our brains. There may be an appearance of wisdom, but something is lacking.

Is there any wonder that fewer today are reading their Bibles? (Check out the Barna polls). We all know that God’s Word is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16), but how can it be if we are unable to meditate on it, dwell in it, and talk about it coherently? Have we been reduced to a mish-mash of gray matter that cannot process even one book of the Bible without losing focus? It is time to counter this trend and return to the tried and true methods of observation, interpretation, and application of God’s Word so that our faith, which is more precious than gold, will be refined and be our one constant in a day of rapid change. God’s Word is a lamp for our feet, and a light for our path—it is not merely a hyperlink to heaven in this cyber age. It appears we may be just one step away from the New Revised Google Version of the Bible.

WorldReach team leaving for Honduras

Please remember to pray for the mission team that leaves tomorrow. They will be traveling to Guaimaca, Honduras to work in the mountain churches being planted and to assist World Baptist Missions with their ongoing work. It is really exciting to see the opportunity that God is giving a father and son, and an engaged couple to go and minister to others as part of this team.

Updates will be posted as Internet access is available. Bookmark this site so you can check back regularly to see what God is doing in and through the team. Better yet, subscribe to the RSS feed so you can receive updates as they are posted.

Pennsylvania mission team pics

Pennsylvania mission team report

Guest correspondent Pastor Barry Shettel provides this report...

Twenty students and workers are working now in Middleburg and Mifflintown, Pennsylvania, doing Vacation Bible School and miscellaneous maintenance projects. The dates of this mission ministry are June 13-21.

New Hope Baptist Church in Middleburg ... We are doing an evening Vacation Bible School with Pastor Chad Howard, his wife Tiffani, and two sons Tyler and Steven. Attendance started with twelve on Monday and doubled to twenty-four on Tuesday evening. The Prince Avenue students are involved in teaching, music, recreation, arts & crafts, and evangelism with children ages three to twelve.

During the day we have been involved in organizing and cleaning the church library, landscaping (planting, weeding, trimming, erecting a stone wall, etc.), cleaning, washing windows, organizing the gym equipment room, pressure washing, and whatever else shows up on the church wish list! Students will also be washing windows and cleaning for senior citizens in the church.

Heaven Bound Church in Mifflintown ... A wall measuring 8' x 84' was painted (graffiti) with a message from Matthew 22:34-40, "Love God - Love People). An "events & activities" wall was also painted in the church lobby. At Heaven Bound, we worked with Pastor Casey Hostler, his wife Valerie, and daughter Holly.

Your prayers are greatly appreciated.

Team prepares for Honduras mission trip

This Saturday a WorldReach team will travel to Guaimaca, Honduras to continue working in partnership with World Baptist Missions in church planting and other ministry activities.

Please pray for those who will hear the gospel and for the team as they prepare for the task ahead and travel to Honduras. Also, check back regularly for updates about the trip on the WorldReach blog. One way to make certain you do not miss any updates is to subscribe to our RSS feed by clicking on the link below or to the left.

Mission trip opportunity - will you go?

On October 27th thru November 4th, a team will once again be joining with our brothers and sisters in Jibou, Romania for a time of evangelism and discipleship focusing on enlarging, strengthening, and planting churches. Jesus said, "You will be my witnesses," and this is an opportunity to take another step in drawing closer to Him as you witness to others about what Jesus has done in your life. Whether or not you have ever shared your testimony or the gospel, or taught a Sunday School class, or led a bible study group, or preached the gospel, if God is urging you to go, He has a plan to use you.

In furtherance of our partnership with Emanuel University in Oradea, there is an opportunity for some to teach in one of their five schools: Business, Social Work, Music, Education, and Pastoral Ministry. For those who will be teaching at the university, they will be housed in the dorms. Those teaching will join the rest of the team in Jibou for the weekend ministry.

As of now, the cost of the trip leaving and returning to Athens, GA via air travel from Atlanta, is $1,395 (If there is any increase in the trip price due to airfare changes, you will be immediately notified).

Housing in Jibou will be in the homes of the Jibou Baptist Church believers. We will be flying into and out of Budapest, Hungry,and traveling via private ground transportation from Budapest to Jibou. If you want to stay over an extra day in Budapest to sightsee, this can be arranged for an extra charge; depending upon the length of stay and the activities. We can discuss this with you on an individual basis.

For the cover letter, application, and a document relating to tax deductions for trip funds, click here.

As always, feel free to contact us with any questions: email Carly Decker - admin@worldreach.us; or call her toll free 888-540-6534.

Easier to find us at worldreachblog.com

We have decided to make it much easier to communicate our blog address by procuring a new domain name. You will notice that when you typed our old domain name in your browser, or clicked on your bookmark, you were automatically redirected to our new domain at www.worldreachblog.com. This will continue because no one gets left behind just because we made a change.

Simple things confuse wise people, so if some of you wise people are confused as to why we would do this, just think about how much time it takes to type worldreachministries.blogspot.com versus worldreachblog.com. Even better, just say it and you will understand our desire to simplify it.

We may have a new domain address, but our content is still the same. So thanks for your continued support, and spread the word about our blog site. Also, don't forget that you can subscribe to our RSS feed so that you will receive automatic updates about our postings.

WorldReach expands their partnership with MEM

I joined with a group of people to have lunch with one of our minsitry partners this week. She is the US representative for Middle East Media.

This is a multi-faceted media ministry that is bringing the love of Jesus to millions of Muslims in the Middle East and North Africa. They engage people in a culturally relevant way through TV, web sites, mobile phone downloads, training Muslim background believers in media vocations, and many other projects.

We have been asked to help provide teams to work with them in one Middle East country in a project that focuses on college students. Because of the sensitive nature of where they minister, we can't be specific here on the blog. However, we do ask that you pray for the Middle East Media team, our decisions about the project, and the millions of Muslims who need Jesus.

Helping People Step into Missions

what can God do with 32 people - 18 to 60 years old. 5 days. energy. prayer. & global passion?

"OutBound" is a conference for people considering going overseas as missionaries with OM. Marnus and I were blessed to be a part of the program team, sharing testimonies of our time in Ukraine, answering questions about dating on the field, leading Bible studies and praying with these potential new missionaries! OutBound also happened to be Marnus' first week in full-time work at OM - he jumped into the deep end, so to speak, and was totally blessed!

Marnus and I grew very close to J, a college student wanting to go overseas after he graduates. J had a heart for eastern Europe and especially for children's ministry but wasn't convinced about where he wanted to serve. I had a blast answering his questions about eastern European culture and the different ministries OM is doing particularly in Ukraine and Moldova. Marnus spent a few hours with J sharing about the practical side of missions - raising support, being a single guy, etc - and praying with him. J was especially thankful for the one-on-one relationship with Marnus, who will be his Member Care coordinator when he goes overseas. Marnus and I were absolutely blessed to be working alongside one another in ministry again, and seeing God use us both in the life of J. God willing, J will be overseas in January, learning Romanian and loving children in Moldova!













Marnus and his co-worker, Kami, help the single guys debrief after an afternoon ministering in Atlanta.




I share about Ukraine during one
of the prayer mornings.

WorldReach Bible Institute rolls out new promo video

Doctrinal Dilemmas in the 21st Century?

Is the church in the 21st century equipped for teaching and preaching sound doctrine? If we look at different trends today, one might conclude that there are issues in answering this question affirmatively.

For example, a recent report in The Christian Century indicates that the economic forces causing a “tightening of the belt” in the general population in the United States likewise has affected colleges and seminaries. Declining enrollments and rising costs have forced both colleges and seminaries to re-evaluate the effectiveness of certain programs and to adjust to financial shortfalls. One seminary stopped offering Bible courses (yes, you heard it right) and encouraged students to take those courses at other institutions. Also, the curriculums of some seminaries today abound with various practical ministry courses, such as handling the finances of church and how to run small group ministries, leaving little room for traditional Bible and theology courses. These trends also resulted in the downsizing of faculty and staff in important areas of study within the seminaries.

Another barometer that perhaps reflects this issue of doctrinal dilemmas is a study of trends in attitudes toward biblical truths held by Christians in the U.S. This study by The Barna Group, cited in their report from May 21, 2007, show that two-thirds of Christians in the U.S. agree that their purpose is to love the Lord God with all of their heart, mind, soul, and strength, yet their beliefs and behaviors call this into question. According to the Barna study, declining numbers of Christians believe in an omnipotent and omniscient God, a sinless Jesus, an adversary called Satan, and a responsibility to share the Gospel. Also, smaller numbers of believers read their Bibles outside of their regular church attendance each week (41%) and even smaller numbers attend any kind of Bible study group or small group fellowship throughout the week (19%).

Whatever we do in response to these trends, we should keep in mind that our purpose and the purpose of our church is to maintain the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ in all that we are and do (Colossians 1:24—2:5). We should work within our sphere of influence to insure that believers embrace sound doctrine within their churches and in application to their daily lives. Even the word “doctrine” may strike fear in the mind of a believer, however, we must emphasize that the word merely means “teaching” and that sound doctrine is “healthy teaching.” In Paul’s letter to Titus, he gave instructions that Titus must teach what is in accord with “sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). Scripture encourages us to both know about God and to know Him personally and experientially (Jeremiah 9:23-24, John 17:3, Philippians 3:7-9).

Where are you today in this matter? Take that first step of repenting of your sins and believing in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord (Mark 1:15). Obedience is better than sacrifice, and doctrinal matters are a joy to know and apply to our lives once we surrender our wills to God’s will as an act of obedience in every matter of life.

WorldReach Bible Institute begins new semester

WorldReach Bible Institute began a new semester today...

Bible Doctrine Survey taught by Clark Ivey, and New Testament Survey taught by John Verschuren are the two classes offered during the summer semester. Each is a 60 hour bible college level class. Enrollment continues through Monday 9 June 2008.

In the fall, we will begin offering the introductory course of Bible Study Methods and Rules of Interpretation three semesters a year. This is an excellent course for all born again evangelicals to complete. It helps you know how to read the bible for all its worth. Individual bible study will be enhanced greatly.

Visit the web site at www.wbionline.us for more information about WorldReach Bible Institute.