NOVEMBER 2019
NOVEMBER QUICK LINKS
Video Index
In Case You Missed These -- New in October
November 2019 Mission Report
Steps toward Holistic Hispanic Ministry
The Work and Role of the Holy Spirit in Acts and the Early Church
The Gift, Promise, and Baptism of the Holy Spirit
Filled with the Holy Spirit
Upcoming Mission and Ministry Schedule
October 26-27: Teach, preach, installation of elders and deacons, Arrington (TN) iglesia de Cristo
November 10: Mission report, teach, preach; Northside church of Christ, Mena, AR
December 1: Mission report, preach; Main and Oklahoma church of Christ, McAlester, OK
I hope that you can attend an event when I am in your area (and perhaps we can share a cup of coffee). Contact me for specific details or to schedule an event. I am currently scheduling 2020 and 2021 (with a limited travel schedule).
ANNOUNCEMENT: SABBATICAL
As 2019 draws to a close, I am completing ten years of volunteer mission involvement since I retired from Christian education and local church ministry. For ten years, I have traveled extensively in Latin America (making up to eight trips each year) and I have served as director of Latin American Leadership Development (LALD). The mission has extended to 14 countries where Spanish is spoken. In addition to my international travels, I have worked with English-speaking and Spanish-speaking churches in the US. The results of these efforts -- evangelism training; discipleship development; seminars and instruction focused on spiritual growth, leadership, church planting and new churches -- paint an amazing picture of what God has done and is doing through his faithful servants all across Latin America. Churches biblically organized with elders and deacons, thousands of baptisms, committed disciples of Jesus, dozens of new churches, a renewed spirit and involvement in many churches. Most important, church leaders across Latin America have been trained to receive the baton and continue the work. Because LALD has been able to support special projects, the work in many locations has been advanced with temporary funding to meet immediate needs and fund projects to advance the gospel. (Details about specific projects and activities are available in my newsletters and reports.)
As I look forward to what the next five or ten years may hold for my involvement in missions, specifically anticipating that I will not be able to continue the pace of the last ten years as my health and energy diminish, I need to take a brief sabbatical to rest, recover some energy (physically), refresh my spirit (spiritually), work through my eyesight and health concerns, and prayerfully consider future plans for the work.
I will not withdraw from all my activities in missions and ministry, but I am purposefully limiting travel from November through the end of February or early March of next year. (I will also limit my social media presence.) I do not know exactly what the sabbatical time will look like, but I anticipate that part of the time will involve some writing projects that I want to move forward. I continue to schedule mission trips for 2020 and 2021, but I am trying to cut back on my travel schedule.
I covet your prayers. I ask your understanding if I respond a little more slowly to your communication. I am grateful for those who partner in this work - financially, in prayer, and by participating in mission trips. As this mission effort continues in the coming decade, I am confident that God will give even greater results. May God give us "2020 vision" to see what he sees -- above and beyond what we can think or imagine!
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A version of this announcement is also available in my most recent mission report: November 2019 Mission Newsletter.
