Archive for February, 2009

Every morning our staff at our Village Missions’ office has devotions and prayer.  Today, February 27, we read in Oswald Chamber’s devotion: “The thing that approaches the very limits of His power is the very thing we as disciples of Jesus ought to believe He will do.”  Village Missions has entered a time of believing Jesus for something that stretches our faith.

Stonecroft Ministries notified us recently that financial support for Village Missions will end effective March 31, 2009.  This will result in a loss of income to Village Missions of $40,000 per month.  The giving from Stonecroft Canada to Village Missions Canada remains unchanged at this point.

Our mission has enjoyed a “family” relationship with Stonecroft since our founding in 1948.  Helen Duff Baugh, founder of Stonecroft Ministries and Rev. Walter Duff Jr., founder of Village Missions, brother and sister, both had a deep burden for country churches and reaching country people with the Gospel.  For many years Village Missions was the project of Stonecroft Ministries, providing extensive prayer and financial support to Village Missions and to Village Missionaries.  Village Missions could never have affected so many communities and lives for Jesus Christ without the support of Stonecroft.  You can read more about the history of Village Missions at this link.

Stonecroft has decided to focus its efforts and resources on “encouraging and equipping women to impact their communities with the Gospel so that women and their families not only know Christ, but share Him with others.”  We will be praying that the Lord will bless those efforts and provide the needed resources for them to fulfill that vision.

Village Missions, as the Lord provides, will continue its calling to keep country churches alive.  The need is great.  North America, and especially rural North America, is an increasingly needy mission field.  Churches in rural areas are closing throughout our land.  Broken lives bear grim testimony to the despair of trying to live life without Jesus Christ.

The opportunities are great.  I have seen the hope of Jesus Christ brought to community after community through the ministry of Village Missions.  We send a dedicated couple to a church that asks for our help.  We provide salary and other forms of support so that our Village Missionary can devote his full energy to “Preaching the Word and loving the people.”  People come to Christ, their lives are changed, and even the community is transformed.  The people of Helix, OR learned this when Village Missions sent a dedicated couple to live in their town.

Years ago Hudson Taylor said, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”  I truly believe that God will supply the needs for the important ministry of Village Missions.

Recently I’ve received some links that have been a blessing to me and I pass them on to you.

 A retired Village Missionary passed on the devotion in Our Daily Bread for January 24, 2009 entitled Small Is Beautiful.  The title says it all.  I know for a fact in meeting Village Missionaries that He has sent “His best workers to labor for a lifetime in some small place.”

Breton Murphy, Village Missionary in Nova Scotia, sent me a link to an article on SermonCentral.com entitled “Six Benefits of Not Changing Churches” by Dean Shriver.  Discussing the first benefit of a long stay Shriver writes:

Unfortunately, our cultural disregard for commitment has infected the American Church. As pastors, we loathe the consumerism and the “what’s in it for me” attitude that causes many to drift from church to church, seeking “God-honoring music,” a better youth group or a place where they can finally “be fed” (whatever that means). But in a day when pastors on average change churches every five to eight years, is it possible that we’re part of the problem, too? Where can believers see what long-term commitment looks like if they can’t see it in the example of their pastors?

Finally, John Adams, Village Missionary serving Hauser Community Church in Hauser, Oregon sent me this insight about long-term stays:

This is from Western Seminary’s quarterly newsletter: The executive director of the Association of Theological Schools, Dr. Daniel Aleshire reports that by a conservative estimate, a pastor who spends 30 years in congregational ministry will likely touch the lives of up to 100,000 individuals.  I’m sure a lot of that influence is second-hand and generational, but it’s still a tremendous impact for the Kingdom.

So, keep on keeping on and do so even if God has placed you in a so-called little place!