Newsletter

Jul 02 2010

Our Family is Growing

Since our last newsletter we have seen some exciting changes in our family.
In April our first grandson arrived. With much anticipation, Nathan Jack came into the world bringing joy and happiness to his parents, Russ and Frances. Needless to say we are very proud¬† grandparents and anticipate each visit with excitement. Each day Nate grows cuter and stronger. We look forward to teaching him about Jesus

Amongst these major events in our family we have been able to invest in our church families. We have been able to visit and minister at 6 churches, help with 2 Easter services, teach on Mother’s Day, attend 3 missions conferences and conduct 2 training sessions at the NACMC (North American Children’s Ministries Conference) Each gave us opportunity to pour into the lives of children and the people that minister to them on a weekly basis.
Serving as BGMC coordinator for the Potomac District, I was able to help prepare and mail 315 bright yellow Buddy buckets to every church in our district encouraging giving to missions through Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge (BGMC).

Just recently I was part of a summer long lunch program for low-income families. This week I was able to help as the team served lunch, led a craft and spent time with the kids.
With sculpting balloons and pump in hand, it was with great excitement that I was able to make and teach kids how to twist a variety of balloon sculptures. On the last day I presented each child a balloon cross letting them know that Jesus loves them. Though it may seem like a small act of kindness it is showing the love of Jesus through service and time committed to bringing hope to families.
Now we turn our attention to a summer filled with kids camps. Our first camp is the beginning of July as we prepare for Camp Wannahockalugie, a day camp in Hagerstown, followed by 3 weeks of district kids camp and then a trip to the Sioux reservation in South Dakota to conduct a sports camp, serve meals, share ministry and help as needed with home improvements on the reservation.
Please be in prayer that as we plant and water the seed that God himself will make it grow and that many children will be added to His family this summer.

Jan 30 2010

Man Plans But God Directs His Steps

I just finished reading a book “Whose Child is This” by Bill Wilson and he made a statement that resonates in my heart. He said, “We have to come to the point where we are willing to win the nation one person at a time.”

As we make plans for 2010, we desire to reach children one at a time until we see the millions come to know Jesus as their friend and Savior.

Here are a few things we are planning and would appreciate your prayers as we work out the details.

South Dakota Indian Reservation
Together with Pastor TJ at Warwick AG, we are heading to the Sioux reservation where we’ll be working with Missionaries Tim and Elaine Harris. With two teams of twenty, comprised of adults and children ages 10-15 we are planning evangelism and some hands-on projects.

Homeless Women and Children
We are praying that we can partner with Hope Alive, a Christian ministry called to embrace homeless women and their children with the life-changing love of God. They provide transitional homes and the skills they need to live self-sustaining lives filled with hope and a future. With a team we are offering our assistance with hands on projects as well as evangelism.

Ecuador Missions Trip
I am also planning to be part of a training team to Ecuador in September. Many missionaries around the world need experienced children‚Äôs leaders/workers to come and train children‚Äôs workers in their countries in skills for reaching kids. As part of the team I will be helping to equip leaders/workers in that country to be more effective in sharing the message of Christ’s love and forgiveness.

Urban Church Plant
We are also in the process of joining with a pastor of an urban church plant. We‚Äôd like to take a mission team into that community to conduct a fun day and three-night crusade. Such an outreach has the potential of bringing more people into the community of believers and changing lives for eternity.

Training and Encouragement
Along with several weeks of kids camp during the summer we will also be conducting training workshops for those serving in children’s ministry. On a regular basis we visit churches to teach the children how they can help people locally and around the world. We encourage them as we share how they can be a powerful tool in the hands of God as missionaries to their community.
Although we make the plans it is God that directs our steps. Be in prayer that as we plan, God will open the doors and direct our steps so that we see his purpose revealed in all we do for Him.

Nov 11 2009

Eternal Differences? You Can Help!

Six straight weeks of kids camp, two United States missions trips and 126 souls later I’m humbled how God chose to use me this summer. As I sit down to share what God did in the lives of children over the past four months I continue to think, ‘what more can I do to reach the children that have yet to know Jesus?’ God opened the doors for me to minister to children throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland. In the 3,700 miles I traveled, I led 126 children in first time decisions to follow Jesus.
clowns The summer started in Appalachia where I partnered with Pastor TJ Wolfe from Warwick AG. We trained and prepared a team to go into Oak Hill West Virginia where we did street ministry and then held a three day evangelistic outreach for the children in that area. Over 26 children invited Jesus into their lives that week.
COH Next I headed to Dallas Pennsylvania where I spent a week at Camp Orchard Hill as the guest speaker. Using “Deeply Rooted” as the theme, I challenged the campers to evaluate their personal relationship with Jesus and to grow deeper in their faith. 76 children gave their hearts to Jesus and many others fell deeper in love with Him. When testimonies were shared one girl stood up and said, “Before coming to camp I really didn’t know Jesus and didn’t care but today I want everyone to know that I know Him and want to live for Him forever.” One of the boys stood and shared, “Now I know that Jesus will provide for me and I don‚Äôt need to worry about things.” The most touching was a girl that said, “I’ve learned that I can still have happiness even though my dad just died.” There are children here in the United States that are hurting and need the hope and love that only Jesus gives.
Keyser The summer was rounded off with five more weeks of kids camp and then I headed to Keyser WV with a team from 1st AG in Harrisonburg VA led by Trevor Whetzel. We had been invited to participate in a city wide outreach and minister to the children. All of our efforts were rewarded with 24 children making decisions to follow Jesus.
There are many more children to be reached. I want to continue to prepare people, train teams and minister to these children but we need your help. We’ve raised 28% of our budget. To remain on the mission field we’re asking you to invest in our ministry through a monthly Faith Promise. We are making an eternal difference in the lives of children, now you can help.
Click on our Donate page for instructions how you can partner with us. Please prayerfully consider investing in the lives of children through our ministry!

Jun 07 2009

I can give them a Bible!

Are we looking beyond ourselves to see the needs of others?

FACT: Homelessness affects 200,000 children every day in the United States. Following Paul’s instruction to the Galatians, I spoke to the children at a local church about the needs of the homeless and challenged them to seize every opportunity to do good to others. I tried to help them understand that doing good comes in many forms including, physical, emotional or spiritual. It was my prayer that they would look beyond themselves, grasp hold of one of those areas and look for the needs of people around them.

After the service I felt a gentle tug to my shirt. As I looked down I saw a young girl looking up at me with big blue eyes. I crouched down to hear her speak as she said, “I want to give them one of my Bibles. Can I bring one of my Bibles from home to give to the kids that don’t have one?” She had grasped hold of the need to tell the homeless children about the love and hope that only comes from Jesus. Providing them with a Bible was her way to share that love. Often times it takes the eyes of a child to help us see how simple it is to share Jesus with others. What we sometimes overlook is often times what others need the most, that unused Bible laying around the house. I pray that I will always be able to see through the innocent eyes of a child to see the needs of others and be willing to reach out to meet that need.

I know that I won’t be able to reach the 200,000 homeless children or the 24 million children in the United States that need to hear about Jesus. But, I can help to develop a ministry team committed to reaching children in their neighborhoods, one at a time, until the millions have heard about Jesus and His amazing love. By training people in individual churches I am committed to Jesus’s approach of multiplication so that we can reach the multitudes and see children radically saved and serving Jesus.

This summer, in preparation for two different home missions trips, I’ll be coordinating two teams, one from Hampton, VA and one from Harrisonburg, VA. They will be heading to Oak Hill WV and Keyser, WV respectively, to minister to the children in those communities. I will be training them in the use of Kids Quest USA, a focused strategy to empower local church ministries to reach kids in America by partnering with another church for outreach.¬† The greatest value of training teams is its ability to mobilize the local church for evangelism.

Please keep these teams, the partnering churches and myself in your prayers as we reach and change kids lives for etermity.

Jan 30 2009

The harvest is plentiful…

What more can we do to reach the lost children in the United States?

There are over 24 million children in the United States that lack the hope and the joy that comes with knowing Jesus as their friend and savior. Only 32% of those between ages 8 and 12 that hear about Jesus’ love will make a personal commitment to Him. This number is too low. This number can only rise if we better equip people to do the works of ministry so that they are more effective in their call to reach the lost.
Since my commissioning in March, my face as a Children’s Missionary has been ever changing. Each different venue brought with it an opportunity to reach kids that have not yet committed themselves to a relationship with Jesus.

As Chef Tera Masu I hit the streets again as I traveled to Potomac District Kids Camp. My goal… to bring about a missions awareness and the need for shelters in Togo Africa. Along with Head Chef Ramsey and the 2,500 campers that attended this years camp over $8,000 was raised to help build 12 shelters, protecting over 2500 children from the harsh elements in Africa so that they can attend Sunday School.

Hiking the “Friendship Trail” became my next adventure as I acted as a missionary consultant over a 3 month period in a large church in my district. We journeyed with kids as they discovered the many exciting aspects that come along with a friendship with Jesus Christ. Filling the gap between children’s pastors, I was privileged to help maintain the momentum until a full-time pastor had been located.

Plowing along as Harvester Harriet I made my way across the county helping to bring in the harvest. This was not a harvest of corn, wheat or even hay but this was a harvest of people. Equipped to bring in a harvest, I was able to help kids realize the need to reach the lost in their schools, neighborhoods and communities. ‚Äúthe harvest is plentiful but the workers are few”. We must train our children to reach the harvest field around them and become one of the much needed workers that Jesus is calling us to be.
surgeon

Convoy of Hope provided the backdrop to see kids and adults alike give their lives and their hearts to Jesus. This time I portrayed a frantic heart surgeon and helped kids realize their need for a pure heart. A heart in need of the good things that only Christ can give. As a surgeon, I was able to challenge kids to ask for the forgiveness that only Jesus can give so that their hearts, currently filled with the ugliness of sin, could be instantly changed and made pure by Christ himself. Then and only then could they live a life that honors God. That day I had the privilege of leading over 75 children and adults to the Lord.

Although I was able to reach out to a number of children over the past few months, it wasn’t anywhere close to the 24 million that need to hear about Jesus’ love.
Let’s keep the children of the United States in our prayers and ask that God provide opportunities for us to share the gospel message with as many as possible.