Archive for December, 2009

About an hour from the provincial capital of Edmonton and 20 minutes from two neighboring towns, our ‘town’ consists of our church, about 16 houses, a Community Hall, and a Volunteer Fire Department. Though our ‘town’ is small, the surrounding area is very populated…if you drive down any road you’ll find more houses in 5 miles than in the town itself. The community is a mix of oilfields, ranchers, and people who commute to neighboring towns or cities for work. Our church is going through a time of revival as God is reviving His church here. Our church has recently gone through a very difficult time, but we are moving forward with renewed enthusiasm. Pray for us as we move forward as a body and as we seek the Lord’s direction for His church here. Praise the Lord for our 5th child who was born in September, the day before our oldest started kindergarten (5 kids in 5 years – no twins or triplets!).

Dear Praying Friends:

Thank you for bringing Village Missions before the Lord. Please keep these special needs in mind as you pray this week.
Pray that those without Christ would understand the true purpose of His coming to earth and accept Jesus as Savior.
Pray for folks in the Midwest as they brace for another winter storm.

Please pray for Village Missionaries who share the peace of Christ in the midst of hurting relationships and broken homes.

Please pray for successful outreach as many churches make opportunities to reach their communities.

Please continue to pray for our candidates as they raise their support and for wisdom as we consider their assignment to a field.

Thank you for praying!

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2

At Christmas God reminds us that He can make big things happen in little places.

Thank you for caring about the little places all across the United States and Canada.

May you have great joy in celebrating the birth of the Savior born in Bethlehem. Merry Christmas!

Manderson is located approx. 20 miles west of the Big Horn Mountains of WY and situated next to the Big Horn River. Population includes 104 ranchers and farmers who irrigate their land around us. Main crops are barley, corn, hay, sugar beets, and beans. The Manderson community inhabits a lot of low-income and welfare families as well as many who are in trouble with the law. We visit with everyone in town and are a visible and approachable presence…but most do not attend our church. Our church folks come from rural Manderson and 4 nearby communities, traveling as far as 22 miles each way. Our biggest outreach has been the children of Manderson and teens, mostly through the influence of our own 4 teen children. Please pray for continued funds for our new church building. The shell is erected and enclosed, with the exterior walls being constructed and windows soon to be purchased with the money that is left in our building fund. We desperately need a building to minister from. Our present church building is 100+ years old with no Sunday School rooms or fellowship hall and bathrooms that barely work. We make use of the town hall on a regular basis, but it is not even big enough for some of our events. Pray for our Sunday School program as we had to remove a smaller building that housed our SS to build the new building.

Dear Praying Friends:

Thank you for bringing Village Missions before the Lord. Please keep these special needs in mind as you pray this week.
1. Thank you for praying for missionaries Phil and Valorie Rownd in Stanley, Iowa. Caleb Michael arrived on December 13th at 4:25 pm. He weighs 8lbs 14.2oz and is 21 ¼ inches long. He is a big, healthy boy!
2. Please pray for Village Missionaries who share the peace of Christ in the midst of hurting relationships and broken homes.
3. Please pray for successful outreach as many churches make opportunities to reach their communities.
4. Pray that those without Christ would understand the true purpose of His coming to earth and accept Jesus as Savior.
5. Please continue to pray for our candidates as they raise their support and for wisdom as we consider their assignment to a field.
Thank you for praying!

The church sits on a hill overlooking the beautiful areas of Ono and Igo. Full of oaks and pines, the area serves as a mix of farmers, ranchers, and a bedroom community for Redding, 15 miles away. A lot of folks drive right by our church on Sunday morning as they head to Redding to congregate at one of the many big churches there. We pray that a few might reconsider the drive and stop to worship with their neighbors. Pray for the sanity of the pastor after the holidays!  Pray for our youth groups, After-School Club, and movie nights we have twice a month. We’re also renovating the church to provide more parking. The church is very community-minded and active – pray for this ongoing outreach, which includes a senior citizens’ community meal in conjunction with Neighborhood Watch & the Grange, to provide services for the community seniors.

Dear Praying Friends:

Thank you for bringing Village Missions before the Lord. Please keep these special needs in mind as you pray this week.
1. Pray for missionaries Phil and Valorie Rownd in Stanley, Iowa. Valorie is due to give birth any time now with bad weather encroaching.
2. Pray for Village Missionaries dealing with treacherous winter weather throughout the Midwest.
3. Please pray for successful outreach as many churches make opportunities to reach their communities.
4. Pray that those without Christ would understand the true purpose of His coming to earth and accept Jesus as Savior.
5. Please continue to pray for our candidates as they raise their support and for wisdom as we consider their assignment to a field.

Thank you for praying!

We are located in the Sierra Mountains of northeastern CA at about 4500 ft elevation. We are a resort community built around the beautiful hiking, camping, fishing, and golfing locations in our little valley. While the majority of the population of Graeagle is retired, we do serve the nearby communities such as Portola where the area schools are located. Pray for our ministries to the families of our area and for greater commitment among that age group within the church. Pray for the working-age folks who have lost their jobs due to the economic downturn, and for the church’s ministry to them. Praise the Lord for the overall spiritual growth of the body of Christ and for the wonderful fellowship we enjoy.

Thank you for bringing Village Missions before the Lord. Please keep these special needs in mind as you pray this week.
1. Please pray for the financial needs of Village Missions of Canada and continue to pray as they move their office from Richmond BC to Sorrento BC.
2. Praise the Lord for Bethel Union Church in Akron CO, which recently became self-supporting. Brian and Carole Wechsler recently visited to celebrate with the church.
3. Please continue to pray for our candidates as they raise their support and for wisdom as we consider their assignment to a field.
4. Pray for the various Christmas activities on our fields-that those without Christ would understand the true purpose of His coming to earth and accept Jesus as Savior.
Thank you for praying!

Clive is a community of about 600 people in Central Alberta about 120 miles north of Calgary. It is situated in an area of farming and oilfield activity. Our church began about 20 years ago and is quite small. Most of the congregation is made up of older people. Please pray for wisdom for our ministry in this community. Pray that more young couples and families will begin attending the church. Also that we will be able to reach the unsaved and see people come to Christ.