Archive for July, 2010

In the westernmost part of VT right off Lake Champlain, we can see the mountains of VT and NY. Primarily filled with dairy cows, our county produces more milk than anywhere in New England. Our town has 600 people (scattered over many miles) and about 1800 cows.

A group from our church is going to Nicaragua for a short-term mission trip August 8-14. Pray the teens can raise support and be a blessing to the people they meet. As I wrap up two discipleship programs, I pray for more men interested in deepening their walk with Christ. Evangelism is going strong; we’ve had many visitors pop in.

Two new families just joined. Three individuals have had the gospel presented but don’t feel the need for Christ in their lives.

Thank you for bringing Village Missions before the Throne of God in prayer! Please remember these prayers as you pray this week:
As the deadline in August approaches for formal applications to Village Missions, pray that God will call many to the forgotten mission field of North America. Perhaps someone reading this needs to be open to God’s call upon your life, or perhaps you know someone that could serve as a Village Missionary to a country church. The harvest in rural North America is plentiful but the workers are few! Please pray!

In the Upper Peninsula of MI, about 800 people live in the village of Calumet. This was once a thriving mining community and the primary source of copper in the world. Now the mines are closed and there is high unemployment and a large elderly population. The community is very friendly and has a pioneer spirit. Hunting, fishing, skiing, and snowmobiling build the economy.

The core group of the church is truly amazing –people step up to do the jobs necessary to build and maintain a church body. The behind-the-scenes is what holds us all together. A growing group of women meet to study the Word regularly, and a team of people are developing a meaningful children’s Sunday school program. While the youth group continues to ebb & flow, it impacts teens along the way.

Drug & alcohol abuse is prevalent, resulting in many broken people and broken homes. About 1½ years ago we started a Bible study called the Biblical Perspectives of the 12-Step Program, and have ministered to over 100 men from the drug & alcohol abuse center near us.

As we continue to grow, pray for more helpers in all aspects of ministry. We need more teachers, particularly in the Sunday School and youth programs. Pray as we reach out to the community, especially those with broken hearts and homes. And praise God for causing us, individually and as a Body, to “Grow in the grace and knowledge of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We are in a beautiful high mountain valley (1 mile in elevation), surrounded by several mountain ranges. Although in the past this was a mining community, the economy is largely ranching, logging, U.S. Forest Service, recreation, and retired. Pray that God would give us vision and direction to reach this area with the gospel of Christ. We have a wonderful body of believers, but there are many who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would lead us in creative ways to make contacts with people in the community.

We’re ½-hour from Spokane in eastern WA. Several thousand people live within 5 miles of the church; most commute to Spokane for work. Four students from our local high school have died this year. Pray for students, families, and school staff as they deal with this loss. Our church is sponsoring a marriage seminar this fall as an outreach to the community. Pray that both churched and unchurched people will benefit. Last year our soccer camp/Vacation Bible School drew about 80 kids. Pray for a good response this August as we do it again.

Dear Praying Friends:

Thank you for bringing Village Missions before the Lord each week. Please join us in praying for the following:

Please pray for the candidates that were accepted at the Spring Candidate school (7 couples) as they raise their support and as we make decisions for placement.
Pray for the churches that are waiting for the placement of a missionary. That God would strengthen them and prepare them for a Village Missionary.
Pray for God to call those He would have to serve as Village Missionaries to our fall candidate school. The application deadline is in August.
Pray for Brian and Carole as they travel this week to Colorado to speak at Morning Star Community Church in Red Feather Lakes. Brian and Carole served there for 11 years.

Thank you for praying!

From the Director

Village Missions made the painful decision to eliminate its annual staff conference following the conferences in 2008. But Village Missionaries have still been getting together for smaller, regional conferences.

These conferences, generally organized by the District Representatives, have been made possible by Peace Haven Ministries, local churches, and individual donors who recognize the need for missionaries to get away for a time of renewal and refreshment.

The United States Board at its spring 2010 meeting voted to start setting aside money for a staff conference in a few years. In the meantime, these mini-conferences are meeting a great need.

If you would like to help toward a staff conference, please go to this link.

Carole and I had the time to take in part of the Southwest District’s Summer Connection in Graeagle, CA. You can see pictures and read about the conference here.

If you would like to see pictures of the beautiful Graeagle area, including a picture of a bear we saw while on a walk you can click here.