Daron Butler Blog

How to use TWITTER to mobilize prayer

2012-02-02T12:09:00.001-05:00

As I learn to harness technology to advance the cause of Christ, I wanted to post tweets for Kalahari so that people can join me in prayer. I wondered if someone would want all twelve prayer request in one place via text only, no formatting.

I am sending tweets out so that people can pray throughout the day. I wished that I would have started earlier and tweeted at 12 past the hour. But I am going to tweet during the 12 o'clock hour to correspond to Kalahari 2012. Oh well! Next time I may do more planning. Please pray!

I took the 12 prayer requests sent out by the Kalahari 2012 Executive Team and created tweets for each one. I tested to see if the hashtag #Kalahari12 was already taken. It was not. So I hijacked the hashtag for my posts. I hope others will use the hashtag to post what's going on there. Next, I decided to tweet most of the 12 prayer requests during the 12 o'clock hour. It's when people are at lunch in the Eastern Time Zone and may allow people to stop and to pray for this event. I also created a bit.ly shortened link to track clicks. As of one hour, the link got 2 click-throughs. Nice!

So in sum, I learned to use the follow tips to harness Twitter to mobilize prayer for Kalahari:

Create a tweet for each prayer request, intending to leave enough room for people to retweet (RT).
Discover a hashtag (#) to use for your tweets
Draft a plan when you'll tweet
Use a link shortening program to track your clicks to see how effective you were

Please let me know in the comments how this post will help you pray for Kalahari and how to harness Twitter to mobilize prayer.

Prayer Tweets for Kalahari 2012: Pray for #Kalahari12

ONE: Ask God to prompt hundreds of students to commit to walk with Christ by awakening to abundant life. Pls RT

TWO: May God the Holy Spirit empower Dave & Mark to have godly wisdom as they work with resort.

THREE: Ask the Lord to catalyze life change in adult leaders to connect, converse, and challenge students. Pls RT

FOUR: Ask God to be glorified and to bless the Kalahari staff throughout our conference. Pls RT

FIVE: May the dramas and testimonies connect with students as Ben develops the 4 main sessions. Pls RT

SIX: Ask God the Holy Spirit to prompt everyone to keep the unity of the Spirit thru the bond of peace (Eph 4:3).

SEVEN: Pray for Exodus to be great role models, on & off stage. May dynamic worship thrive all weekend long!

EIGHT: Ask the Lord for safety, no illness, no snow, no injuries before, during, and after Kalahari12.

NINE: Ask God to create seamless session experiences thru the tech crew as Zach leads the team.

TEN: May God the Holy Spirit empower Clayton King to challenge students to be more like Jesus!

ELEVEN: Let Soar Dunk share Christ clearly as they perform a trampoline acrobatic basketball dunk show.

TWELVE: Ask the Lord to help develop lifelong friendships that honor God for every student & adult this weekend.

Things I learn from our Outreach Staff recently

2012-01-18T14:14:00.000-05:00

I got to lead our last two Outreach Staff meetings. I wanted to conduct them with a focus around three main sections: Vision, Team, & Skill.

Vision: I intended to rehearse the vision and values of our church with the team. I have heard that people lose vision in less than a month. So to rehearse our vision was part of this segment.

Wooster Grace Vision Statement "Developing everyone into fully-devoted followers of Christ"

Next, I challenged our team to ask the question everyday, "Is what I am doing developing everyone into fully-devoted followers of Christ?" I phrased the question differently and created a one-page reminder for each team member to post in their office or cubicle to help them keep the vision in front of them.

Today I asked how the reminder helped. I noted how it helped me from being too distracted. As a people-pleaser, I tend to say yes to everything. So, this reminder redirected me to refocus on the mission. I will need to say NO more. Another teammate shared how the reminder helped her clarify what she wanted to do. She used "filter-questions" to strain out her excuses and to discover what was the key issue and then to make a decision. A different teammate shared how ministry can be so overwhelming at times. We want to help others--that's why we are on the outreach team. Yet we must seek to keep a margin, even in ministry. Her gifts and talents clarified her to decide to add one more ministry project to her life because our vision is developing others. The printed reminder helped us stay on mission.

You can do the same. Insert your church's or ministries' mission statement in the question and place on postcard or page to keep you on-mission. "Ask, 'If what you are doing is advancing your mission statement?'"

Ministry can be extremely busy. I wonder how you stay on mission amid the chaos of ministry opportunities. Please share in the comments below how you stay on mission.

One of the things that I want to do in the new year is to share what I am learning in ministry. I trust these posts will encourage you and help others who are in ministry also.

God be praised! Another child comes to Christ

2012-01-13T10:43:00.001-05:00

Pic from internautdecristo.com.br

Just got off the phone with Linda Kline who is a teacher for the Norwayne/Northwestern Religious Education Program. She shared how one boy prayed to receive Christ at his home in his room. This young boy told Ms. Kline that he reviewed the Evangecube truths and decided to trust in Jesus for everyday for the rest of his life. You can view the presentation below.

How awesome is God! Someone coming to Christ brings the Lord glory! Please pray for Linda as she continues to offer these evangecubes at cost to the kids in the Religious Ed Program. May the Gospel go into homes where even the household will hear and respond to God so that the Lord is glorified. Thanks for the report, Linda.

Links:

Blogpost a year ago re: dedication of the new building
Wooster Daily-Record, letters to the Editor (scroll down to read how God glorified His name)
To order Evangecube from Christian Books

New Year, New Focus

2012-01-10T14:59:00.000-05:00

DR Trip Sep 2011

I praise God for 2011!

Many things to be grateful for, including, but not limited to:

Deeper walk with God, more sensitivity to the presence of the Holy Spirit
Family is enriched--more time with Melissa & children; still need to improve but thankful for the time to spend with them
Making ends meet financially--always need to be vigilant in taking care of the family. Praise God for food, shelter, clothes, and a vehicle to get around with.
Learning how to get things done--one thing off the bucket list is a family missions trip. By God's grace, we were able to go to the Dominican Republic (all twelve of us--Chuck, Marge, our family, and Jeff's family). We learned how to honor God, to love one another as a testimony to everyone we met, and to love the people in the Dominican Republic. This trip was one of the highlights of the year. The other highlight was the polar plunge on New Year's Day 2011 where we jumped out of our comfort zone and dove into the icy waters of Winona Lake with many others to show ourselves and to ask God to help us go beyond ourselves to honor Him. Because of the polar challenge, we made plans to go to the DR. We made it happen with God's help and provision.

Polar Bear Plunge 01.01.11

Overall, the Butler family has much to be thankful for. We praise God for His generosity. We seek to honor the Lord more in 2012. May you and your family seek to take the challenge to do great things for God. As William Carey, the great missionary of the past said, "Expect Great Things, Attempt Great Things" in 2012.

Celebrate new years across the world

2011-12-30T14:43:00.000-05:00

from itechnews

My ministry at Wooster Grace allows me to think across timezones. As you prepare to bring in 2012, please set reminders to pray for missionaries in the far reaches of the world.

On December 31, you can pause to bring in the new year and to pray for missionary partners from around the world.

At noon you can celebrate with our Grace Place orphan children & widows in Cambodia and Thailand. You can also pray for our missionary partners, Kevin & Jill Kane and Steve & Deb Wise in Cambodia. Moreover, pray for M & M who serve in SE Asia in a restricted nation.
At 1pm you can celebrate with K & C in a restricted nation in Central Asia where God's Word is hindered by governments and where God's people meet amid persecution, imprisonment, even death.
At 5pm, you can join R & Y as they celebrate the coming of 2012 in a restricted nation in Central Asia. Please pray for God to build His Church amid restrictions.
At 6pm you can join a litany of places across Europe & Africa:

Bangui, Central African Republic where orphan care children and their families will gather together at Project Hope & Charite;
Project Timothy family Sylvain & Herodia Sangessere and their new child;
Dr Francois Ngoumape & the Seminary faculty and students;
ICDI staff like Nanga & Marcellin along with orphans in their care with VisionTrust;
our friends Matthias & Melina Ezel in Moundou, Chad;
George & Cindy Swain in Prague, Czech Republic
Rainer & Susanne Ehmann in Stuttgart, Germany
R & N in Europe
Dave & Susie Hobert in Montceau-les-Mines, France

At 7pm, Tim & Julie Hawkins along with Alfredo & Rita Abreu in Porto, Portugal
At 9pm, Bruce, Lisa, Jon, & Maria Triplehorn will bring in the new year in Uberlandia, Brasil.
At 10pm, Edson & Ivanise, our friends in Curico, Chile will start their new year.
At midnight when we celebrate the new year, many friends in the East will also look forward to a new year with anticipation of God's great work--friends like Nathan & Julie Bryant in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Jesus & Rosa Munoz in Valrico, Florida.
At 2am, Arnold & Bessie Betoney bring in the new year in Albuquerque, NM ministering to Native American Indians. My parents and sister live in NM too. Please pray for them as well as my friends, Oliver & Cheryl Edwards in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada.
At 3am, Phil & Elizabeth Bryant complete the list of missionary partners bringing in 2012. The Bryants serve in Surrey, BC, Canada.

So there you go! You can celebrate the new year from noon til' the wee hours of the morning. You could celebrate new years for 15 hours! So set your calendar to celebrate around the world and impact nations for Christ as you pray for our missionaries.

Pray for North Korea--Kim Jon Il is dead

2011-12-20T12:11:00.000-05:00

Image from Huffington Post

I wonder how the world will change because of this death.As Euronews reports (see video), Kim Jong-il's son now controls nuclear missiles. May we stop to pray for the people in North Korea, especially those persecuted for their faith.

North Korea is THE most oppressive regime's in the world. The state-run doctrine of self-reliance that centers on worship of the country's leaders makes the videos realistic. The mourners were taught to revere the dictator, so they will mourn for his passing.

My prayer is for God to start revival among the people of North Korea. May the Lord start a new movement of faith in the one true God with the death of their former dictator.

I also pray for the new dictator, Kim Jong Un. His young hands and mind controls nuclear weapons. I pray for his advisers as well. I trust they will counsel him to turn from his father's ways and towards Christ.

Pray for North Korea.

Don't be stuck searching for a Christmas Gift--Choose one of these

2011-12-14T19:41:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Shimelle for the pic

Your Christmas Gift can make a great difference. More than a smile or yeehaw is possible with the gifts that I suggest. I get lots of email, mailers, and ads in my inbox regarding Christmas Deals. But I have discovered the best gift ideas without the frills or the BOGOs. Pick a gift from one of these choices and know that you are changing a life dramatically. Long after your toss the shredded wrappings and you cave on your new year's resolutions, these gifts will bring more than happiness, your gift will bring hope!

I share these Christmas Gift Options in alphabetical order:

Encompass World Partners (formerly GBIM) challenges you to reach and touch the world with gifts that demonstrate the love of Christ.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse where a shoe box gift can bring smiles, laughter, and Gospel opportunities.
Persecution.org urges you to choose the persecuted as the recipient of your financial blessings to remove the shackles from your heart and mind to remove the bonds of those under persecution.
VisionTrust seeks to provide hope to orphans this Christmas. Show God's love to the orphaned and the impoverished children of the world.
Voice of the Martyrs provides the opportunity to help Christians in North Africa where Christians are under persecution.
WorldVision offers a plethora of gift choices! "Honor family and friends with a gift of love." Then send a free card to the one you are honoring.

Please leave comments on which ones you have participated and share best practices in the comments.

I am Red-Running-Into-The-Water

2011-11-09T14:55:00.022-05:00

My heritage is Dineh. I am Tachii'nii; born for Kiyaa'aanii; Hooghan lani are my maternal grandparents; Todich'ii'nii are my paternal grandparents.

I am so proud of the fact that the first tribal college is the Dineh College in Tsailie, AZ. I thank Indian Country News Network for highlighting Dineh College during National Native American Heritage Month.

Last night I spent time with my children rehearsing their ancestry. I need to engage them more and to tell stories about their roots--roots they can draw upon to bear much fruit in this world for good, for helping, for the honor of the Infinite, Creator God.

Possible place of my clan, "Red running into the Rocks"
Photo: Thanks to mcaretaker from Flickr photostream

I forgive Kris Jenner for her "Indian Giver" gaffe

2011-11-04T12:56:00.002-04:00

Photo from HuffPost Celebrity

How ironic during National Native American Heritage Month, Kris Jenner's use of "indian giver" spotlights the challenge of racially biased stereotypes in our language. Yesterday on Good Morning America Kris made her gaffe as she commented about Kris Humphries' request to get back the engagement ring he gave Kim Kardashian.

I highlight two posts that cover the story better than I.

"Indian Giver" comment. Jen Chaney & Sara Anne Hughes provide a quick overview of the issue, then direct you to a Seinfeld episode where Jerry struggles with the language of prejudice. I wonder if you laughed at his gaffe or gasped at his insensitivity.
HuffPost Celebrity provides a response from the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). Please read their comments to get a snapshot of the wide perspective of people concerning this "incident."
Indian Country posts NCAI statement
Indian Country reviews origin of "indian giver" term

I forgive Kris for her thoughtless gaffe. "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us (Luke 11:4)." I make careless remarks too. I do hope she offers an apology though.

I believe what Jesus says is true regarding careless words, "But I tell you that men (humankind) will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words, you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned (Matthew 12:36-37)."

May our words be careful rather than careless everyday.

My Heritage is Grandfather

2011-11-03T17:55:00.000-04:00

Richard Butler stands at the center of wedding party

Today's installment of National Native American Heritage Month focuses on heritage, family heritage. The Free Dictionary online dictionary defines heritage as, "Something that is passed down from preceding generations; a tradition."

A tradition I inherited from my ancestors begins with my grandfather, Richard Butler. In my recollections from childhood, I see his silhouette casting a long shadow into my life. As I recount my heritage, I have inherited many characteristics. I wear my Navajo bun proudly in his honor. The hairstyle symbolizes symmetry, harmony in the figure-eight pattern. I see it as the harmony of the Creator God with His created human beings. Everyday I tie it up. I rehearse the harmony of God intent--to live with and to enjoy being with people of the earth.

If I were to recall one characteristic that has emerged in my life, I would suggest that it is his love for family. He may not have been the best example always. But he reviewed how much he cared for us. He may not have expressed love in the best tones. But he unabashedly loved from the heart. Whether harsh words or teasing, he spoke from a hear to love. I do miss him. In his honor, I share a few lines of poetry about grandpa from my own limited perspective.

My Heritage is Grandfather

I've heard the stories.
I rehearse them in my mind.
I long to hear your distinctive chuckle. Restored to the memories of my mind.

You walked in beauty before I was born,
You walked in new life when you were reborn
You sacrificed to make sure we had what we needed and more,
You learned to sacrifice from Jesus Christ your Lord

I am humbled to trace my lineage to you
I am proud of my strong, wise Dineh man
My grandpa, shi naalii,
You are my heritage. You are my roots.

May I draw from your strengths for today and tomorrow
May I glean from your wisdom so wise
May I strain from the desert, to the high country,
The high calling of communing with the Great Creator, you loved.

Harmony you sought to experience
You lived out harmony with the Infinite Maker of all things
Tho' trying but failing many a time
You wanted harmony for everyone in the family, you loved

You walked in beauty before I was born,
You walked in new life when you were reborn
You sacrificed to make sure we had what we needed and more,
You learned to sacrifice from Jesus Christ your Lord

I've heard the stories.
I rehearse them in my mind.
I long to hear your distinctive chuckle. Restored to the memories of my mind.

[LINKS] Engaging Native American Heritage Month

2011-11-02T13:58:00.000-04:00

Txs to Craig B. Griffin

I thank those who are seeking to engage everyone with this month's emphasis on National Native American Heritage Month. Please check out the following links to engage this month with better awareness.

A succinct overview of the heritage month from aianheritagemonth.org
American Indian Alaskan Native Heritage Month seeks to promote the month with a video from Native Youth, "That's My People!" who attended the 2011 National Intertribal Youth Summit in July 2011.
Indian Health Service offers posters to download for the month as well as listing of tribes and census data links.
National Museum of the American Indian also highlights this month's emphasis. They even promote the new memoirs of Jock Soto (Navajo), former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. His new book is entitled, "Every Step You Take" available from Amazon.
List of resources in several links for teachers who want to discover how to teach about Native Americans.

That's all for now.

Diyin God nihik'ijidlii doo (God Bless you)

[POST] Today starts National Native American Heritage Month

2011-11-01T17:31:00.000-04:00

Today is November 1. All Saints Day and the first day of the National Native American Heritage Month (NNAHM) emphasis. I intend to share a post each week or more as time allows.

Today I want to direct you to the Presidential Proclamation for the NNAHM.

As a Navajo, I am proud of who God created. I believe God placed me in my people group. He orchestrated all the nations to spread over all the earth (Genesis 11:1-9). I am so grateful that I can understand Navajo and speak it adequately.

Here is an excerpt from the Bible in Navajo from John 3:16:

Háálá Diyin God éí nihokáá’ dine’é t’áá’íiyisí ayóó’ájó’níigo bąą haYe’ t’ááłá’í há yizhchínígíí baazhníłtį́, áko t’áá háiida boodlą́ągo baa dzólíhígíí éí doo ádoodįįł da, ndi iiná doo nińt’i’ii bee hólǫ́ǫ dooleeł.

May these 30 days enhance your understanding and learning about Native Peoples. I praise the God of all nations who made me in His image for a lifelong relationship with the Creator God. May I glorify the Creator and enjoy Him forever, the infinite, limitless God of all Tribes.

Be a person of significance--Links from last Sunday's message

2011-10-20T12:16:00.001-04:00

From 4RB on Flickr

A couple of links as a follow-up from this past Sunday's message:

From Relevant Magazine by Stephanie S. Smith, article, "Attention Hungry Faith: We all want to be influential—but why? The tension between building a platform & building a Kingdom:, discussing significance in the digital world. I agree with her statement, "We need people who are able to articulate life-giving truth with elegance and clarity." We don't need buzz makers and blog stat multipliers.
From Tim Elmore's blog he presents a Chick-Fill-A leaders cast, a video discussing influence with John Maxwell, Dave Ramsey, and Suzy Welch (28 min video on Vimeo). Many take-aways here.
From Steve Jobs commencement speech at Stanford University, cited in sermon. YouTube video (15 min) Find transcript here.

Lead with your life. Lead by example. You influence those around you. Influence all to become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

Fever hits Grace Place Battambang

2011-10-13T16:05:00.002-04:00

Kids on the mend

Report from Vannak Yun, the house director for Grace Place Battambang regarding our kids and the outbreak of fever in the home.

Pastor Vannak gratefully thanks us for our prayers. Without our prayers, care for the children would be overwhelming.

He shared how 12 kids came down with illnesses. One child, VinSeang contracted both Typhoid and Dengue fever. Four others, Chin, Srey Pan, Mariya, and Joy had Typhoid. Seven others were ill but now all are better. On the road to recovery, each is taking her medicine, eating porridge, and going back to school when ready.

I praise God for Pastor Vannak. He attributes their healing to God and to the prayers of God's people for the children. All praise to God, maker of heaven and earth! Your prayers matter. My prayers matter! Keep praying everyday for our kids at Grace Place Battambang. Post your prayers for the kids in the comments below.

I close this post with his own words from an email that he sent me:

"Thank God so much for that.God is healing them. We just in Him and His name the mighty Lord. May the Lord Jesus bless all of you good health -- Vannak"

Lies the Devil Tells--The Devil is NOT real

2011-10-06T16:21:00.005-04:00

Txs Vectorportal for image only

Here is my outline for tonight's talk at Four14. I will add links to this post that seek to set you on a course of action whereby you can study and maybe come to some new conclusions.

Four14 Talk

October 6, 2011

Series: Lies the Devil Tells

Title: The Devil is not Real

Intro--

The devil is not real?

Quotes about the Devil
Images of the Devil in culture
ABC News Nightline Face-off intro
ABC News Nightline Face-off view full show & background.

“Don’t get PUNKED by Satan”

Usual Suspects clip on YouTube
Church Lady clip on Hulu

Know Satan’s strategies & schemes--

Two Strategies:

1. Idolatry (Isaiah 44:16-18 cf. I Cor 10:20)

2. Occultism (Deuteronomy 18:9-13)

Three Schemes (II Corinthians 2:11)

1. The world (Ephesians 2:1-3)

2. The flesh (Galatians 5:19-21)

3. The powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12)

How to Win—4 cheats to overcome Satan

1. Repent (Colossians 1:12-14)

2. Rely on God (James 4:7a)

3. Resist the Devil (James 4:7b)

13th Century rebuke of Satan by Thomas a Kempis, In Imitation of Christ
Sample prayers to resist and to rearm

4. Rearm (Ephesians 6:13)

Sample prayers to resist the devil and to rearm your spiritual armor

2011-10-06T14:39:00.000-04:00

From my talk at Four14 on Thu Oct 6:

Prayer to resist the Devil:

One sample prayer that you could offer must focus on God’s power, provision, and person. “Father I give thanks to you for protecting me from Satan. Satan is a liar and a destroyer. God, you have rescued me from his many attempts to destroy me and my loved ones. In the name of Jesus I ask that Satan, his evil army, and his notorious schemes be continually thwarted from harming me, my loved ones, my home, my church, my job and everywhere. Father that you shall lead me-Hallelujah! I am saved from the devil and all his weapons by your power and grace O Lord God of heaven and earth. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Prayer to rearm your spiritual armor:

Today Heavenly Father, according to Your Word, I present my body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable in Your sight. Because I am not contending against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, world rulers of this present darkness and spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places, I take the whole armor of God so that I may be able to withstand in the evil day. So today I stand and put on the belt of God’s truth. I put on the breastplate of righteousness. I place on my feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all these, I take the shield of faith to quench ALL the flaming darts of the evil one. I take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. I pray at ALL times in the Spirit with ALL prayer and supplication for ALL God's family and for me that I may open my mouth boldly TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL. The weapons of my warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds. Today I destroy arguments and EVERY proud obstacle to the knowledge of God and take EVERY thought captive to OBEY Christ. Thank you, Father, that according to Your Word the glory of the Lord is my rear guard. I praise You and thank You for the armor of light You've provided for me this day. I am completely armored up now. In Jesus’ holy name, I pray; Amen.

"Catch a Wave...And your out of your comfort zone"

2011-09-14T00:39:00.004-04:00

Missions trips s-t-r-e-t-c-h you.

Every day we have experienced new things: new foods, new schedules, and new activities.

The Dominican Republic is on the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. The country is surrounded by water. I am a Navajo and our traditional lands is surrounded by four sacred mountains on high desert plateaus. So it is a stretch to engage the water as one who's ancestors engaged the desert.

So when my bro-in-law Jeff asked us to go out-of-our comfort zone and go surfing. Part of me was excited for the new adventure. And the other part of me was a bit uneasy.

However, our family has been on a quest from the first day of 2011. On Jan 1, 2001 we jumped in the iced-over Winona Lake with other "polar bears" to declare that we would go beyond our comfort zones this year.

Rafi & Gustavo of Macao Surf Camp

Our family took another step out-of-our-comfort zones. Each child had fears. But each one overcame them. We praise God for new Christian friends from the Macao Surf Camp--Rafael & Gustavo. They minister to Dominican youth by training them to be surfing instructors. Each youth has dropped out of school in junior high because high school demands extra money to pay for transportation. Please check out their fb page and pray for their upcoming Christian Surf Camp in October.

My favorite story is Carissa. Her countenance had traces of tears forming in her precious little eyes. But she cautiously listened to the instructors, followed her personal trainer's directions, and after two wipeouts, rode her first wave onto the beach. I was so proud of her. The smile that glowed from the beach out to me was priceless.

So when you take your missions trip with your family. Take the lead. Experience new things. Then debrief with them to instill confidence in the Lord and to guide them as they experience challenging obstacles.

2011-09-03T06:03:00.002-04:00

Operation World is now available in many formats for people to use as prayer prompters to influence the world. As Mike Dworak shares, "“The exciting part is now anyone, anywhere in the world, has immediate access to this powerful resource." Read more from his post.

Prayer is a powerful resource for the Church. We must pray for all the saints diligently, especially the new believers who stand zealously firm in their faith and courageously share their faith in hostile regions of the world. May this resource help you to make epic impact in the spiritual warfare for the cause of Christ.

Thanks to PRWeb for posting a great article on their website. Thanks also to Mike Dworak who tweeted the url for the article. You can follow him on Twitter at: @missionalguy

Global Prayer Starts Today & its easy

2011-09-02T10:58:00.000-04:00

You can influence the world right where you are!

If you need a daily prayer reminder. Here are two ways to get a timely remeinder by signing up for PrayNow with GBIM.org. You can either get a tweet or an email in your Inbox everyday. You may even sign up for both like I did. Then you can pray anytime during the day. I choose to pray in the morning. Leave a comment for when you pray for the world.

I have included today's tweet and email for your viewing.

2011-09-01T15:56:00.000-04:00

Global Prayer Guide cover

Tomorrow (Sep 2)starts a new cycle of praying through the Global Ministries Prayer Guide. I reference my guide each morning before I head off to work at the church.

I peruse the prayer requests to pause and to pray for God to answer the requests provided. Then I try to send an email to the person(s) highlighted. Just to let them know that I am praying for them.

I don't send an email everyday. Most times I forget. But I would like to send an email each day for this next cycle of prayer.As Paul challenged the believers in the Ephesian church, "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18)." So be alert and persevere in prayer for the people listed in this guide.

In Ephesians 6:19, Paul states his plea for the saints to pray for him. I can imagine our missionary partners saying the same thing. "And don't forget to pray for me. Pray that I'll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time, telling the mystery to one and all, the Message that I, jailbird preacher that I am, am responsible for getting out (The Message)."

As Grace Brethren International Ministries challenges, "Take the Global Prayer Walk." Please pick up your copy of the Guide at the Wooster Grace Brethren Church. You can also sign up today for the PrayNow daily emails or get one tweet via Twitter. These highlight more current requests for the person(s) listed. Let me know in the comments whether you use the printed guide, PrayNow daily emails, or Twitter. I use all three to remind me to pray. I guess I need more reminders. :)

How to Help with Hurricane Irene Relief Efforts

2011-08-31T11:38:00.000-04:00

From US Fish & Wildlife Service

One thing I love about social media is the ability to partner with so many great organizations. One group that I find very helpful is Network For Good.

Network for Good is a website where users can donate to charities and search for volunteer opportunities. Founded in 2001 their mission is to "imagine what the world would be like if every time you were inspired to help someone or something, you could -- with just a few clicks of a mouse, anywhere online (website)."

If you want to find a way to help Hurricane Irene victims, then check out their post. Not only do they let you donate right away, but they also provide tips on giving. I provide them in a bullet-list but you can read more about each one on the second tab from their post.

Give to an established
Designate your gift
Avoid telemarketers
Research and follow up
Give online

The post even allows you to partner with them as a non-profit working with Hurricane Irene. Just click the "Nonprofit Guidelines" tab for more information.

The biggest mistake I made on the first day of school as a parent

2011-08-24T12:23:00.000-04:00

Thanks WoodleyWonderWorks for photo use

I thank God that I can learn from my mistakes. It may not always be apparent when the mistake happens. But you can remedy the miscue before the next time occurs.

My mistake was not the prayers I said at the START of the day with my children. But the failed prayers at the END of the day to celebrate how God showed up during the school day.

I created a short video showing how to pray for your children as you go to school but I did not follow through and share how to pray with them at the end of their day. You can view my video here.

I found a couple of prayers offered by parents in various life circumstances:

Parent of an autistic child from Autisable a couple of years ago
Mom's prayer for daughters from 2008

Please add your comments for how you are going to pray for your children as they embark on a new school year or share a short prayer text that others could use.

Back to School means Back to Prayers

2011-08-20T00:04:00.010-04:00

When I see back to school promotions on radio, tv, or internet, I now consider those returning to school to be a witness--to make more and better disciples on campus. We partner with four campus ministries to share the Gospel in elementary schools, in middle & high school, and in secondary campuses.

Ms Linda Kline

Release Time Religious Education is the heart of Linda Kline. She faithfully prepares each year to share God's Word with students in Northwestern & NorWayne School districts. Please ask God to provide chaperones to walk children from the schools to the off-campus Religious Ed buildings. If you live in either school district, then please consider being a "walker" for your school. Call Linda at (330) 262-6787 to volunteer.

Ms Mary

Mary Swartzentruber helps with Breakaway where students in fifth through twelfth grade get an opportunity to take as an elective a Bible Class. Green Local Schools abides by the ruling that schools may release students for a time of religious training off-campus. Parents give permission for their student(s) to be excused from study hall to attend. Breakaway's mission is to offer Christian, spiritual and moral training to young people. If you are in or near Green Local School District please consider volunteering. Please contact Breakaway at (330) 669-2056.

Ben & Sandie Dyke

Two missionary partner families serve with Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ). Ben & Sandie Dyke live in Indianapolis, IN where they help facilitate the ministries in the Great Lakes Region for Cru. Many campus ministry teams receive training and equipping to share Christ, to start bible studies, and to disciple new believers in Christ, as well as establish growing believers in their faith. Please share your prayer for the Dyke's on the Indycc facebook page. "Like," then post a prayer for the team.

Mark & Roxanne Johnson

Mark & Roxanne Johnson serve with Cru at Indiana University-Bloomington. Mark & Rox minister on campus with many students. They help with outreach, bible studies, contacting students, facilitating new student connections with Cru, as well as lead the leaders on campus. Please ask Mark & Roxanne Johnson to add you to their friends and post a word of encouragement.

The College of Wooster has the Wooster Christian Fellowship on campus. Julie Longacre coordinates the Fellowship. You can read about her prayer request from an earlier blog post.

Please pray for these servants of the Lord who prepare to go back to school. Then offer to help or send a word of encouragement today.

Orgs doing it right

2011-08-19T11:30:00.000-04:00

I praise God for ICDI and charity:water who partner together to bring fresh, clean water to many villages in the Central African Republic. Check out the link to view a report of what is happening and to watch a live drill video footage. For every well drilled many Central Africans will take a giant step forward in raising their livelihood and improving their health. May the Lord help ICDI empower and educate the villages to keep the water clean for generations to come so that grandchildren will only have the memory of clean water. Visit their facebook pages (ICDI & Charity:water) and "like" them.

Prayer needed for campus ministries

2011-08-17T11:02:00.000-04:00

Wooster Christian Fellowship

I praise God for InterVarsity at the College of Wooster. The Wooster Christian Fellowship begins their ministries this month for the upcoming school year. Please join them in prayer. My friend, Julie Longacre, wrote the following prayer request.

"We have a day of evangelism training on Friday, August 26th and then have several training events that weekend for new leaders and small group leaders...etc. the first day of class is that Monday, the 29th. We really appreciate your prayers!

your friend, Julie"

Take a moment right now to pray for the Wooster Christian Fellowship at the College of Wooster. Then send a friend request to Julie on Facebook so you can pray for her and the group.

My Heroes: Navajo Rug Weavers

2011-08-09T17:51:00.000-04:00

Traditional Navajo Loom

In honor of International Day of the World's Indigenous People (Aug 9), I want to send a shout-out to my clan-relative Bessie Betoney and master rug weaver, Roy Kady. Both artists are Navajo rug weavers and teach others the craft of weaving too; while preserving and advancing Navajo culture to others.

I laud their efforts to showcase Navajo rug making and to perpetuate the craft, one class at a time. On her own, Bessie teaches ladies how to weave as part of her lifestyle and ministry in Native New Life Church. It may take hours, weeks, and months of weaving, undoing, and re-weaving. But Bessie helps each person complete their small rug.

Roy is a master weaver teaching in places all over the world. He practices his craft and shares its blessings with many others. In fact, he has conducted the 15th annual Sheep is Life Celebration this past June where the sheep and the Navajo are intertwined like warp and woof. Visit his Facebook page to view his photos from the past Sheep is Life Celebration.

My heroes for preserving and enhancing our Navajo culture are Bessie Betoney & Roy Kady Three cheers to you both on the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples!

Bessie & Arnold Betoney

Roy Kady

Campus Crusdae for Christ changes name to 'Cru' [guest post]

2011-08-01T05:48:00.002-04:00

New logo

Mark & Roxanne serve on staff with Cru. Wooster Grace partners with them as they seek to share Christ with university students at Indiana University--Bloomington. I asked Mark to share about the recent name change from Campus Crusade for Christ to Cru on this blog.

Over the past weeks there have been stories posted by Glenn Beck and FoxNews (and other secular and religious media outlets) criticizing the name change. Some of the stories posted in major media outlets have been less than accurate. There has been growing concern in both traditional and social media that we have lost our way and are seeking to make a politically correct name change. These concerns stem mainly from the fact that "Christ" is no longer in our name.

If you would like to hear from our organization itself, our vice president, Steve Sellers, explained the name change on Fox and Friends Saturday morning, August 27.

Rox and I want you to know from the bottom of our hearts that the name change is not the result of a shift in our mission to fulfill the Great Commission. On the contrary, we made the name change because we want to be more effective in bringing the gospel of Christ to the lost and broken of this world. Research showed that 20% of nonbelievers who were interested in hearing more about Jesus would not want to talk with someone from Campus Crusade for Christ. Another interesting find from the same study was that 9% of believers would not want to be a part of our ministry because of our name. For clarity's sake, the off-putting part of our name was "Crusade", not Christ. Through a process of diligent prayer and fasting over the last two years, the leaders of our ministry decided to take a risk instead of allowing 1 in 5 people to miss an opportunity to talk about Christ.

Here is also a great blog post that links to many different articles and blogs about the name change.

Sunday, July 24

2011-07-25T01:05:00.000-04:00

Sunday morning was a delight as we joined the Battambang homes for church services. All the home participate in the service which is awesome. Savorn spoke since he drove up for the weekend.

Afterwards Zac jumped up to the drums and the kids gathered around as he played. Back to Grace Place we went for last minute massages and hugs from the kids.

Final massage

We finally had to begin the process of saying goodbye. And believe me when I say process. It only took 1/2 an hour this time to tear ourselves away from the crying children. This is the most difficult part of the trip for us because your heart just breaks and wants to stay and love on these kids some more. It would be easier to never come, some may say. A part of you is left behind, ripped out of your chest. You are never again the same. But it is more than worth it. "At least we have more children to look forward to," says my kids. "It makes leaving a little bit easier."

We drove back to Phnom Penh, rode around in a tuk tuk with Pkeakdey, had pizza down by the river, started to pack for our trip tomorrow to Thailand. Tomorrow we see Faa and the GROW children and Tutu. And now, I say goodnight!

So hard to say goodbye

Gifts from Wooster Grace to Vannak & Home Directors

Saturday, July 23

2011-07-24T23:05:00.001-04:00

Who is that on the menu from Apple Creek?

Well it is Sunday night here and a lot has happened this weekend. We had such a wonderful time with the children at Grace Place: Battambang. They are all doing so well. I had to take a picture at the restaurant where we had breakfast because the Richardsons are on the front cover of the menu at a place coalled "Cold Night"

After breakfast Saturday morning we headed out with Pkeakdey and her father again to visit three more possible children for the up and coming GROW Cambodia home.

Two of the girls are 5 year old twins and the other is three. The girls looked like they were 3 years old because they don't get enough food to eat. Their father died in an accident and their mother has some mental illness that comes and goes. The family eats when neighbors in their village give them some food like a tomato or something.

GROW Cambodia orphan rescue candidates

We spent quite awhile talking with the mother and her friend whom she was staying with in Battambang while she brought her daughter to the hospital. We gave the girls some beanie babies the Roselers gave us and the mother some money to buy some food for her daughters and self. She began to cry as I, Pheakdey and her father all handed her some cash. She was overwhelmed by the love we were sharing with her.

We then headed to Grace Place to pile all 40 kids, the staff and us into 2 vans. Yep, that's a lot of people in a small space, but we did it! The kids had so much fun at the waterpark. We pretty much had the entire place to ourselves. For hours we went up stairs and down slides, played Keep a Way and splashed (see more photos below).

After dropping the kids off, and changing, we met the staff of our home at a BBQ and buffet restaurant as way of thanking them for what they do for these children and to give them a night off.. At first we weren't sure we were going to eat at all because everything was raw (meat and fish). Then we learned that we cook it at our table on these little grills in the middle of our tables. It was quite an experience. Vannak and another staff member kept bringing us new foods to try. You may not wish to know what all we ate, but it was pretty good, never mind we all felt a little queezy in the stomach and bowels later. Yikes. But better now!

We returned to play with the kids some more of course. By this time my kids are wanting to stay here and never leave. It is that or hide 40 kids in our suitcases! We Skpyed with Pastor Ivanildo and the older kids who are doing very well in English, spoke with him. I will say I do not think I will do that again because Nga began crying after speaking with him. She held onto me for 15 minutes or so crying about how much she missed him and wanted him to come back. This began a domino effect as about 5 other girls joined in holdiong on to me. I was able to convince all but Nga to join the others dancing and having fun. I passed Nga off to Tim and she help on to him most of the rest of the evening crying.

Sokha

Sokret

Using a church as a place of hope for children in your community

2011-07-22T14:40:00.001-04:00


Pastor Dale Workman

I had a great conversation with Robin Workman, wife of senior pastor Dale Workman from Community Grace Brethren Church of Long Beach (CA). She shared how their church people renovated a room in their church to serve as a computer lab for the families in their community. In fact, they host the Andy Street Youth Ambassadors program where children get afterschool lifeskills training. Elder Ken Victor seeks to facilitate the church facility for outreach as part of the heartbeat of their church. In partnership with LaVerne Duncan who leads the Andy Street Ambassador Program for Long Beach, Community GBC of Long Beach uses their building for outreach. Here's a shout out from this pastor for what you are doing on-mission for the Lord. Find Pastor Dale & his wife Robin at Vision2020 Leadership Conference.

If you would like to have them share how they did it and what you could learn from them, please contact them via email at 2ormore@msn.com or call (562) 634-1056. Let's learn together to make a greater impact for Christ!

National Conference at Wooster Grace for FGBC

2011-07-22T10:41:00.000-04:00

Wooster Grace (OH)

Wooster Grace is part of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (FGBC). We get to host the annual national conference on our campus. I will be tweeting (@daronbutler) with the hashtag #vision2020now, posting to my blog, & adding short videos from the conference all week.

In the BMH Board meeting yesterday, the moderator for this year's conference is our senior pastor Bob Fetterhoff. He summarized the conference as "getting our eyes off of our needs and onto the needs of the world."

So please tweet with the hashtag #vision2020now as you see posts or read tweets from Vision 2020.

Banner in position for #vision2020now conference. Not too lat... on Twitpic

New traffic pattern this Sunday, July 17 for Wooster Grace

2011-07-15T09:07:00.000-04:00

The East driveway access to US 83 (Burbank Rd) into Wooster Grace will be closed because of on-going construction this Sunday, July 17. Please note changes when you come in and when you go out. Please use the north driveways that access Smithville-Western.

You can see more pictures here.

Photos from July 4 Outreach

2011-07-08T16:02:00.000-04:00

We praise God for the 50+ volunteers who helped serve our community this year. The team grilled 400 hot dogs, served 1000 cold drinks, and offered hours of inflatable jump house time along with free caricature artists renditions and free balloon artists creations.

Photos:

Up goes the tent

Long lines of fun

Grilling Dogs

Jump House

Ballon art

Does prayer makes a difference?

2011-07-08T08:04:00.001-04:00

Hobert's Give Prayer Requests

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18)."

This morning the Lord prompted me to be thankful for the prayers of the saints. Wooster Grace has a group of people who pray for God's work and for God's leaders in His Church. They meet monthly during the summer. For the school year, the group meets every Friday. Gathering to pray for the praises and prayer requests in our ministries, each person hears how God is at work and how best to intercede. I praise God for saints who pray.

What a great God! He works through the prayers His people by the Holy Spirit to bring glory to God. Join a prayer group or start a prayer group for your church, a partnering ministry, or department in your church. I praise the Lord for our prayer group at Wooster Grace. They uphold the church ministers and their ministries in prayer. Way to go Pastor's Prayer Partners! Prayer makes a difference!

Making a difference in Africa

2011-07-07T09:15:00.000-04:00

We praise God for the opportunity to partner with GBIM in The Timothy Project with the Theological Seminary in Bangui, Central African Republic. Wooster Grace helps Sylvain Sangassere and his wife, Herodia & their child Gracia.

Sylvain & Herodia

Sylvain is in his second year at the Brethren Biblical Seminary in Bangui on the road to Boali. Pastor Tom Peters of ICDI was able to hand deliver a letter from our church and to give a huge hug and greeting from us to them. I praise God for Pastor Tom's big heart for Africa and it's people.

I thank God also for David & Ruth Ann Martin who are the GBIM Engage Africa US Coordinators. They were able to get me a photo of the couple.

Please find below two prayer requests from the GBIM missionaries in regard to seminary and bible institute students who are now on summer break. May we lift them up in prayer.

1. This is the season when a lot of the men travel back to their home districts to act as apprentices in local churches and hopefully to get some help with tuition and perhaps some food from gardens left behind in their home villages. Meanwhile the wives and kids are left at Bata to keep up the fields locally so there will be food for the coming year. As families in the states often discover, when the father/husbands are away things quit working, people get sick, crises arise, etc. SO PLEASE PRAY FOR THE MEN AS THEY TRAVEL AND LEARN, AND FOR THE WOMEN AND KIDS AS THEY WORK AND WAIT.

2. 2. In the last few years, gold has been discovered in various places in the area around Bata. Students don’t go looking for it but many others have stopped farming and hoping to get rich, have gone seeking gold (sort of like 1849 in California). That means fields are left unplanted and food is becoming scarce. The price of the basic starch food, gozo (manioc), has quadrupled this year. Rains came late so that even those who were willing to work couldn’t plant their peanut crops so that will really cause hard times this fall. PRAY THAT THE STUDENT’S FIELDS WOULD PRODUCE WELL IN SPITE OF A DIFFICULT SEASON.

Please stop now to pray.

Sharing God's Truth in Neighborhood Bible Clubs

2011-07-05T08:55:00.004-04:00

Please read Ms Linda Kline's report from Neighborhood Bible Clubs in June.

Thank you for praying for Neighborhood Bible Clubs in June 2011.

How God answered Prayer is given below. Rejoice in what He has done.

Praises: Thank God for helpers, attentiveness, enthusiasm, interaction, snacks, and weather PTL!

Lessons were taught from the life of David—I am a child of God. 1. Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks on the heart. 2. The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 3. You are …members of God’s household. 4. The Lord will guide you always. 5. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. (these verses were put to music and were learned for each lesson)

Northwestern Religious Ed. building clubs: (AM and PM clubs)

Average attendance was 47 children. (Total of 60 children)

Three children accepted Christ into their life and 4 others prayed for assurance

34 children said all 5 Bible verses without any help

Norwayne Religious Ed. building clubs: (AM & PM clubs)

Total children attending was 61 with an average attendance of 41

Eight children accepted Christ (pray for continued follow-up) & 4 for assurance

29 said all five Bible verses without any help

Bible club at Linda Kline’s home on Catalina

Attendance kept building starting with 14 and 39 on Friday. (Total of 50 children)

2 children prayed to receive Christ and were very clear in their decision

Many children came ½ hour early and we had a picnic and pinata the last day

Carrie Becker’s club at her home on Wildwood

34 children enjoyed a fun four days of club with average attendance about 21

Many heard the gospel for possibly the first time

Very few of the children attend Grace Brethren church

Totals for June 2011

Clubs-6

Enrollment-205

Salvation decisions-13

Assurance decisions-8

On Mission for God

2011-06-05T08:29:00.000-04:00

Today is vision Sunday at Wooster Grace. We value outreach.

It is a privilege to be on a team that values sending people on-mission for God. Today we commission hundreds of people to go out into the community, around the USA, and into the world to share God's love in real ways.

Whether its hosting or teaching in a Neighborhood Bible Club, volunteering for Vacation Bible School, going on a short-term missions trip, Wooster Grace is seeking to glorify God by commissioning our people to share God's love with others.

Over 120 students will leave our church to experience service in many ways and in many locations. Students will move forward in their commitment to be fully devoted followers of Christ by serving in various places: Wooster, OH; Mansfield, OH; Birmingham, AL; Philadelphia, PA; & San Francisco, CA.

Hundreds of adults will serve locally and globally as fully devoted followers of Christ. Each will help with VBS, NBC, or travel to Birmingham, AL; Czech Republic, Cambodia, Thailand, Central African Republic, China, East Asia, Domincan Republic, & Haiti.

I praise God for His work in the lives of our people. He is a great God empowering His people to go do the work of ministry. May we as church leaders equip them to serve diligently and faithfully.

2011-06-01T21:44:00.000-04:00

Just shared with students to prepare them to start getting ready to minister to those in disaster areas. Although the slideshow is ultra-basic and cursory, I wanted the students and the adult leaders to be ready for what is ahead of them.

I trust this presentation will help others too. I post it for those students and adult leaders who were not able to write them down. I did blaze through the slides. But I promised to post them tonight. So here they are. (FYI--I present slideshows with blank slides at the beginning and at the end)

Tornado relief ptsd tips 06.01.11

View more presentations from daronbutler.

Praying for covert team to impact the world

2011-05-20T10:21:00.000-04:00

My friends Mark & Rox are leading a team to East Asia over the next six weeks. Please pray with me for them and their spiritual impact. They intend to learn the language, get to know the people there, and take opportunities to share the Gospel. Because they are going to a restricted country, the location is not public.

Nevertheless, you can join me in praying for them everyday over the next six weeks. Ask God:

to keep the team safe in travels there and back again.
to provide security amid the restricted atmosphere
to prepare "divine appointments" with those ready to hear and to respond to the Gospel
to give wisdom to the team as they engage in conversations so that God's love permeates their interactions and where God's Holy Spirit empowers every conversation
to help the team remain filled by the Holy Spirit of God to maintain unity and to marshal the Lord's might in serving others
to nurture spiritual growth and dependence on the Lord for everyone on the team despite nervousness and various setbacks
to sustain every team member to be free of all illness, injury, or setbacks in a foreign country.

So, start right now and pray for this team today. Please write your commitment to pray for them in the comments below.

When they send a report (if they can) I will post an update with the tag "East Asia" so you can stay informed.

Easter: God saves & deserves all praise

2011-04-21T14:58:00.000-04:00

Last Supper - Da Vinci

Easter week is so busy at churches. At Wooster Grace we planned five services. Yet I am so glad that Matt Carter, our Contemporary Worship Pastor, challenged me to take an hour to reflect on what Jesus did for every human being. So I challenge you to do the same. Turn off media. Get quiet. Read the Bible references from Justin Taylor's blog posts. Then ask God the Holy Spirit to guide you into the truth--God saves and He deserves our praise!

Helpful audio-visual aids for Easter Week to help you take an hour to reflect on what Jesus did for you:

BibleGateway provided a Holy Week Timeline. Txs!
Justin Taylor posted last year a harmony of the Scriptures related to Holy Week for your reading and meditation. I like the Google Map aid myself. Cool!
Walt Mueller will be sharing how songs have helped him reflect on Easter better. He will post three more songs over the next three days. His first song, "Behold the Lamb," is the first post on this subject on his blog.

I used the Harmony of the Gospels by Thomas & Gundry for my meditation time. And to add to Walt's song, I add "And can it be that I should gain." It is one of the first hymns that truly spoke to me of what Jesus had to do for me to be His child forever. I also came across a punk-version for those who want a different style.

Easter Sunday Challenge: U invite 1

2011-04-19T16:05:00.000-04:00

I just read Jay Hardwick's blogpost on inviting people to church on Easter--"Somebody invite somebody". I concur with his challenge to step out of your comfort zone and ask one person to come with you to an Easter service. This applies to your church too!

At Wooster Grace, I pray that God will be glorified as we see many people attend our services this weekend. We have five opportunities for you to invite someone to join you.

SAT Apr 23

6pm Contemporary Service (Childcare through age 5)

SUN Apr 24

8am & 10am Traditional Service in Worship Center (Childcare through Grade 4)
9am & 11am Contemporary Service in Family Life Center (Childcare through Grade 4)

The top three suggestions from Jay's list to use for inviting people to your church are (you can access his complete list from his blogpost):

Pray. Start praying for people by name asking God to bring them. Take a prayerwalk in your neighborhood pleading with God to give you courage to invite families to church on Easter Sunday.
Use invite cards. Display invite cards on your desk, workstation, or transaction counter. Keep a few in your wallet or purse to hand out when you get the Holy Spirit prompting you to invite someone.
Talk about Easter on Twitter, Facebook, and in conversations. "Aim for at least one status update per day that would include an invite to Easter" services. Jay hits this one out of the park!

So there you go. Now it's up to you.

I wonder if you'll commit to all three things and invite people to church on Easter Sunday. Please share your experiences. I'd love to hear what you discover. And give a shout out or leave a comment on Jay Hardwick's blog too.

Feed the Need Update [Guest post by Pastor Ivanildo]

2011-04-13T17:56:00.000-04:00

Dear "Feed the Need' Participants,

First of all, a BIG THANK YOU. Because of you, we will be able to serve 350 families in our area this weekend! Jesus will be glorified and I hope you will be encouraged.

This morning the Outreach staff prayed for you and for the families you will be serving. We prayed for positive encounters with people where the light of the gospel would shine clearly through you no matter what the response will be. We believe God would desire to grant that request, for His glory.

Just some quick reminders as we approach this weekend:

1. If you are not delivering your box, make sure you bring it to the church office by Thursday, April 14, by 4:30 p.m.

2. If you are delivering, make sure you contact the family to schedule a delivery time.

3. Depending on when you are make your delivery, come to the church (rooms 162-164) either on Saturday, April 16, at 9:30 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. or on Sunday, April 17, at 1:30 p.m. You will receive a quick orientation and a package to include with your box, and collect the milk and the meat.

4. You DO NOT need to bring your box into the church when you come to orientation.

5. Please remember to bring $10.00 to help us cover the cost of the milk and meat. If you are writing a check, make it out to Wooster Grace Brethren Church and mark it "Feed the Need."

6. If you have any questions, please contact Jeana Harley at 330 264-9459 x129 or Juana Hernandez at 330 264-9459 x246 or send an e-mail: feedtheneed@woostergrace.org

Thank you again for touching the lives of needy people in our community with the Love of Christ!

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

My Top Ten Mistakes

2011-04-13T17:45:00.000-04:00

Txs to Henrique Vicente Creative Commons

My Top Ten Mistakes to Avoid in doing short term missions trips: This list reflects my experience doing short term missions trips. The list could be longer. But I hope this short list helps you do short-term missions trips better than I did.

Trips without a purpose clearly stated--do a missions trip because you have-to
Doing it alone--Going solo is not only lonely but draining.
Not asking for help--it takes a team to make a great missions movement. Don't settle for trips. Seek momentum towards a movement.
Go with the first contact you discover that matches when you can go--rather focus on the why you go first, when you go comes later.
Not Clearly thinking about how your trip fits with your church's purpose and values--connect what you do with the vision & values of your church
Not training or equipping helpers--you might have helpers, but those helpers need some training to be great helpers.
Being too carefree in planning and during the trip--"flying by the seat of your pants" may feel exhilarating, but it often leads to missed opportunities.
Being too rigid in planning and during the trip--Micro-managing may feel like your in control, but often you short-circuit empowering new leaders.
Not praying for the right people to go on the right trip for the right purpose--have a short job description of successful outcomes for your trips.
Not debriefing or following up with those who return from a missions trip--you may lose the momentum in people's lives to synergize greater things where God can work towards a lifetime of being on-mission versus a great memory of a trip.

Using technology to share the Gospel, African-style [Guest Post]

2011-04-13T10:18:00.000-04:00

Global Prayer Walk--Ch_AD

Over the next three days, the focus for prayer will be on Ch_ad. So I thought I would provide one story of what G0d is doing in that country to advance the cause of Chr1st.

I praise G0d for faithful servants who diligently lead and equip the Ch_adians for the work of service (Ephesians 4:12). Here is one way that Ch_adians are developing fully devoted followers of Chr1st towards impacting all the nations of the world.

Harnessing technology to use for the propagation of the G0spel is one of the main objectives of any effective ministry. One of the extremely rare commodities in this country is electricity. Any sized solar panels are priceless.

Ironically, the lack of electricity has not discouraged the purchase and use of cell phones; even though charging cell phones remains a constant dilemma. Small boutiques with a basic truck battery can make a good living charging people 50 cents to a dollar to get their cell phone charged.

Recently a couple of Ch_adian entrepreneurs are using technology to advance the G0spel. These men are positive, focused and excited about their ministry despite difficulties. Excitedly they purchased with their own money, solar panels to use for charging up people’s cell phones.

Their strategy is not to use this as a source of income, but instead to offer FREE cell phone charge with an invitation to sit and talk about G0d while the phone charges. Wow, what a great idea!

Are you not challenged by these men? These men trust in G0d alone. They "remain steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the L0rd (II Thessalonians)." Please stop and pray for the country of Ch_ad and for those who go into all the world to share the G0spel.

Praise G0d for His faithful servants!

Pray for a harvest of grain and of souls

2011-04-12T12:30:00.000-04:00

Global Prayer Walk for Tue Apr 12:

I just prayed for the African bible schools and bible institutes from the daily PrayNow email. If you don't get these, then please sign up now.

I found a website that provides the crop calendar for growing corn in the CAR. Thanks to the Food & Agricultural Organization of the United Nations for providing this calendar.

Photo from Food & Agricultural Org UN

You will need to navigate this website by first selecting the country of Central African Republic. Then click "Next" at the bottom of the "select a country" column. The CAR menu will emerge. Click "All agro-ecological zones." Next, select "corn" in the menu for "select a crop" menu-list. Then click "View" at the bottom of the "select a crop" column to view the calendar for corn crops in the CAR.

The calendar reiterates the need to pray for the sowing and planting of crops for the bible school students and those attending the seminary. Ask the God of all harvests to bless the planted crops with rain so that many families will be able to feed their families and extended families as well as share some food with others who need help as a way to witness for the Lord. May people discover that there is a God among Christ-followers in the Central African Republic.

Forgo the fast food, send your money to Africa

2011-04-11T15:33:00.001-04:00

Timothy Project
Daily Prayer Walk--Leadership Development in Africa

Thanks Dave Martin for photo

If you give up one fast food meal a week, like one of the 10 meals under $10, then you could make a difference in the world for eternity rather than watching your waistline expand or feel like you are not getting what you paid for. Instead, you could direct funds to helping develop godly leadership in the Central African Republic.

I praise God for our partnership with Sylvain & Herodia Sangassere. Sylvain & Herodia are from the Senbegan Grace Brethren Church in Bossangoa. Sylvain was a teacher of the boys group in his church conducting one-on-one bible studies with the young men. Both Sylvain & Herodia sang in the church choir. They did not have children of their own when they left for Bangui, but take care of two young relatives.

Sylvain is a student now at the Grace Brethren Theological Seminary in Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR). God blessed them with their first child, Henrieta Grace. Wooster Grace provided a scholarship for the Sangassere's, just like many other people and churches through Grace Brethren International Ministries (GBIM). You can sponsor a student and his family by contacting GBIM. Your funds can help propel another equipped shepherd to develop all people into fully devoted followers of Christ.

In Sylvain's own words from a letter that he sent to our church, "After my study, I would tell about God everywhere in the world." Amen! Sponsor a seminary student today!

Soul Surfer Review

2011-04-08T23:40:00.001-04:00

I saw the movie with my boys tonight (Fri Apr 8). I loved it!

One scene that resonated with me is the scene where the father is sitting with his daughter trying to figure out what to do after a tragedy in her life. The picturesque location is the backdrop to a very challenging question, "Now what am I suppose to do after a tragedy?"

As a father, my job is to fix it. Find a solution. Figure out how to overcome it. Yet my compulsion to help may not be the best practice at that moment.

Tom Hamilton (portrayed by Dennis Quaid) answers Bethany Hamilton's question (played by AnnaSophia Robb). "You got to just stop and listen...for what's next!"

In other words, stop. Get quiet. Think. Listen. Hear what's next for you.

I just finished reading from I Samuel 1-3 today for devotions this morning. The young man Samuel responds to God's voice in the quietness of midnight. His words are simple, yet profound. "Speak, Lord; for your servant is listening (I Samuel 3:9)."

I wonder if you pause long enough to hear God "speak" to you; not in an audible voice, but prompt you, impress upon you a thought or a call to action.

I am convicted that I get so busy that I do not make time to hear from God. Let alone set aside time when things go wrong. I seldom get quiet. Pray. Listen for God to prompt me in my heart or mind.

Samuel got it right. May I listen to God's prompting and dialogue with Him. I must stop, get quiet, and listen for what is next.

God speaks to people. He reveals Himself and His will to humankind. He wants us to know Him, love Him, and follow Him. I wonder if you'll take time to unplug. Find a place out in creation. Get quiet. And say, "Speak, Lord; for your servant is listening." I wonder what you'll discover. Let me know what you discover. I'd love to hear.

Families to go without food this Easter--You can help!

2011-04-08T17:33:00.001-04:00

110 families still need to be sponsored

Delivery dates: Sat Apr 16 & Sun Apr 17

Those who attend Wooster Grace, I want to ask you to strongly consider added one family to serve this Easter season with a box of food for Feed the Need. This past Sunday, we had 120 families not sponsored. Today on Friday, 110 remain.

Please sign up this Sunday at one of the tables in our church to share food with one family in our community. Spend up to $30 ($20 for food items and $10 donation for meat and milk) to gather the items needed to provide a box of food for a family in need.

Here are the steps:

Visit the Feed The Need table Tables set up in the lobby outside our worship services.
Select a family from our list. We deliver on Sat Apr 16 or Sun Apr 17 to all parts of Wayne County.
Fill out sponsorship card. Complete the top and bottom portion of the card. The top part is for your reference. The bottom part is for our records. We want to make sure that everyone gets a box of food.
Pick up a box. Go shopping from our suggested list for an Easter meal.
Contact your sponsored family. Call to arrange a time to deliver the food box on April 16 or 17. You may need to try at different times to catch the family. If the number is disconnected, then contact the Feed the Need team to figure out how to get in touch with them.
Bring you box to the church on the day of your scheduled delivery. You will add a meat item and milk for your delivery day.

For a list of the suggested items, check our website here.

Hear Pastor Ivanildo share what Feed the Need is:

Asia's Hope Director to visit Wooster Grace

2011-04-07T11:14:00.000-04:00

Asia's Hope Director to visit Wooster Grace

Savorn & Sony in OH

This Sunday, April 10 Wooster Grace welcomes Savorn Ou and Sony Ich. We intend to get them introduced in all our services and to provide them opportunities to share in various venues throughout our church.

Please note the following times Savorn & Sony's will share at Wooster Grace:

8:30 Traditional service prayer
8:55 Fidelis ABF
9:45 Contemporary Service prayer
10:10 Church Library
11:00 Contemporary Service prayer
11:25 Internationals ABF
5-7pm South Fellowship Hall Potluck Reception: You are invited to a potluck reception and presentation. If your last name is A-M please bring a main dish AND side dish or salad. Those whose last names are N-Z, please bring a main dish AND dessert to share.

Short bio:

Savorn playing with snow

Born into a strong Buddhist family, Savorn grew up in the chaotic days of the Pol Pot regime. He learned to steal from his parents and manipulate them from the doctrine of Pol Pot. Yet in time his parents forgave him for his actions.

The Pol Pot regime ruined the country. The country was in shambles after the Pol Pot regime was overthrown. Savorn grew up in poverty along with many Cambodians. Cambodians of that era says Savorn, "People had no food to eat, no clothes to wear, no school to study, and no house to stay. To fill the empty stomach, I ate crickets, grasshoppers, spiders, rats, and tree leaf."

Savorn got a limited education before the Cambodian army forcibly inscripted him to fight the Khmer Rouge. Yet his life was empty and hopeless. So he took a great risk and went AWOL to get to a refugee camp at the Thailand/Cambodian border. There he learned three languages, studied the teachings of Buddha, and became a teacher of English in the camp.

As English teacher, one of his friends became his student. This student fled from the Army too. Yet this student became a Christian and started telling Savorn about Christ. After two years of hearing about God's love and defiantly and proudly repelling God's truth, Savorn felt foreboding hopelessness. He came to Christ and his life changed. He got baptized, attended a bible school, earned a masters in Theology along with a MBA in Business Administration. Then God prompted him to accept the position as Asia's Hope Cambodian Director.

He passion is clear, "I want to use all of my knowledge and my network of fellow believers to develop a good staff for the orphan homes." For more details on his testimony, read his full bio on Asia's Hope website.

Links about Asia's Hope:

What Asia's Hope does.
Where they work in Cambodia.
Pictures of our kids at Battambang 4 or Grace Place Battambang.

[VIDEO] Bible Quizzing recognized at NEO District Conference

2011-04-05T16:57:00.000-04:00

District Moderator, Ron Boehm, reserved part of the program to honor those people in our district who have served faithfully in our ministries. Tho' many could have been chosen, a handful were asked to attend and to give praise to God by receiving recognition for ministries well done.

Chuck & Missy Steiner serve faithfully as coach and as host for Bible Quizzing events in the NEO District. I have witnessed the evenings reviewing verses, challenging students to do their best, and offering insight into what the verses mean in real life. Last year on of my sons joined the team. He grew in character as he reviewed God's Word every week.

Thanks to Chuck & Missy for their faithfulness! I wished I would have mic-ed myself. Next time!

To send them an encouraging note for their faithfulness, you can send a note care of Wooster Grace, give them a call, or stop them when you see them and say thanks.

Chuck & Missy Steiner
C/O Wooster Grace Brethren
4459A Burbank Rd
Wooster OH 44691

Please watch this video clip. I caught them before they departed from the district conference.

The Journey Has Begun [Guest Post by Tim Harley]

2011-04-05T07:50:00.001-04:00

Our journey has begun! We left Cleveland in route for Washington D.C. We have a lay over here with our next flight leaving Tuesday at 12pm for Ethiopia and then Bangui. We will arrive at our final destination, Bangui, Central African Republic, on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30pm. We will be six hours ahead of Ohio time. Tonight we had some time to share dinner together.
We have been joined by our ICDI team leader, John Hocking. We spent time sharing and getting to know each other. We each shared about God's faithfulness in allowing us to be a part of this team. We look forward to watching God work on behalf of our team to use us to impact those in the CAR.
My next communication will hopefully occur Wednesday night which will be the next time I will have access to the internet.

Thanks for all of your prayers!!

Tim Harley

NEO District Conference includes Canada

2011-04-04T17:35:00.001-04:00

I find it great that our Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches keeps thinking global. Our fellow churches in Canada travel 6 hours to join us for district conference. This time we were privileged to have Nathan Bryant and Ted & Elise Adomanis attend.

The GBCanada team exemplifies teamwork. Please watch how the team is their focus. I asked Ted & Elise to share a prayer request with me. Listen how they honor teammates in Canada. The team exemplifies "honor one another." Way to go Team Canada!

Rick Ratzel

2011-03-31T06:42:00.006-04:00

IN HIS OWN WORDS:
Please hear how one of our people is developing into a fully devoted follower of Christ by sacrificing work and vacation time to serve the Lord in Central Africa again. Rick is returning to Central African Republic. Please pray for Rick to make new connections and to reinforce on-going connections so that God is glorified towards lasting relationships.

Pastor challenges church to feed the hungry

2011-03-30T17:10:00.003-04:00

Feed the Need 2011

A challenge from Pastor Ivanildo to those wanting to make a difference in the lives of people in the Wayne County (OH) area:

As we get ready to celebrate Easter, I am coming to you to ask you to help our church share the message of hope in a practical way with people who are under resourced in our community.

Every year for the last 8 years our church has helped feed needy families in our community. This year, for some reason, our response has been slow so far. We still have 230 families who need to be sponsored by Sunday, April 9.

Would you please consider sponsoring a family and helping us serve a cup of cold water in Jesus' Name? Contact Juana at jhernandez@woostergrace.org to sponsor someone or if you have any questions.

Your help is much appreciated. Happy Easter!

Gratefully,

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

Dale Imhoff

2011-03-30T06:49:00.001-04:00

IN HIS OWN WORDS:
Dale Imhoff is going to the Central African Republic for the first time. God provided for his trip in a miraculous way. One of his contacts outside our church is helping to get him to Africa. My how great is the Lord. Please pray for Dale to stay healthy, have Holy Spirit empowered energy, and God-centered stamina on this mission trip from April 4-16.

Team leader, Tim Harley

2011-03-29T05:55:00.002-04:00

IN HIS OWN WORDS:
Tim Harley is passionate about being on-mission. His present focus is helping serve the people of the Central African Republic with small teams in partnership with ICDI. This trip will include follow up visits and updates of various projects Wooster Grace has assisted with in the past. Wooster Grace partners with ICDI to positively impact the development of programs where Africans get equipped to teach their own people to move beyond existing to grow towards living. Please pray for Tim as he leads this team asking God the Holy Spirit to give him wisdom, discernment, and guidance throughout the trip.

Three men leave their families & pastor is excited

2011-03-28T16:21:00.000-04:00

In their own words:

Copy and print for prayer

A three-man team leaves for Central African Republic to serve from April 4-16. Each shares what they hope God will do on this trip. We praise the Lord for men who want to impact the world for Christ. We are developing fully-devoted followers for Christ to impact the world!

I am so excited to pray for them and to praise God for their upcoming adventures. Hear what they have to say about the trip. Rich Ratzel, Dale Imhoff, and Tim Harley (team leader) also need our prayers. Copy and print their picture above and affix it to your refrigerator or tape it to your mirror so you can pray for them.

You can watch their responses in the next few days on this blog. So, copy and print prayer card and join the prayer team.

Missionary walks as Jesus walked

2011-03-28T12:29:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Havangl(nl) for use of his picture

Just talked with Dave Hobert in Montceau-le-Mines, France on the phone. It is a great joy to get news from our missionary partners in the world.

After Sunday services in Paray, they enjoyed a meal together and all took a walk on the Center Canal (Canal du Centre) along the way from Paray-le-Monial. They enjoy fellowship together as believers in Christ with a leisurely walk in the evening or a recreational bike ride along a quiet canal.

I wonder if that is what's missing in churches here in the USA. I wonder if we need to pause in repose as a group of fully devoted followers of Christ to start our week better. I wonder if the believers in France fulfill the sabbath command better than US (Exodus 20:8-11). It sounds like they do, "but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work..."

So plan now to do something of leisure this week. Find a way to rest or to recharge by doing no work. You might find how much the week ahead will look. In fact, you might find God has been waiting for you to slow down to meet with Him during your leisure. Make time for leisure this week as a fully devoted follower of Christ!

Team going to Central Africa

2011-03-27T14:19:00.000-04:00


Tim Harley, Dale Imhoff, & Rick Ratzel

After church I got to pray with and to encourage a three-man team leaving for Central Africa to assist with ICDI in various ministry projects from April 4-16. This team fulfills our highest value--to develop all people into fully devoted followers of Christ.

Each departs for Africa to build relationships and to reconnect on-going relationships for the ministry initiatives that God has catalyzed over our recent trips. The team has watched God work to provide for their prayer needs, their support needs, and spiritual and health needs. God is awesome!

Tim Harley will lead this team. Rick Ratzel returns to Africa. And Dale Imhoff embarks on his first trip to the Dark Continent.

Each covets your prayers. May the Lord use their willingness to go make disciples by ministering to the whole human with ICDI--Gospel presentations (faith-based: to show Jesus Christ's love), agricultural seed bank preparations , follow-up on wood workshop center (release from poverty in holistic ways), and development on programs to help improve the health of Central Africans through spirulina ponds so that many Africans can access protein for greater and healthier lives in the future for their families, communities, and possibly their country and continent as they get empowered to continue the work themselves.

So stop and pray for Tim, Rick, & Dale. They depart April 4. Ask God for safety, healthy and energetic ministry, ability to make new relational contacts and to reconnect with existing connections, and stamina for travel and ministry in the country of Central African Republic.

Praying for God the Holy Spirit to use them

Prayers for the Triplehorns

2011-03-25T16:38:00.000-04:00

Bruce & Lisa Triplehorn

Talked with Bruce today in Uberlandia. In the next few weeks he has a full schedule. Highlights include, but are not limited to, travel to Campinas to equip area pastors, Equipping Seminar for pastors in Mexico, teaching Romans in Belem (46 hours of teaching in 4 days), teaching Koreans in Winona Lake, IN at Grace Seminary.

Please stop and pray for Bruce, Lisa, & Jonathan as they proceed with this full schedule. May God the Holy Spirit give them strength, stamina, and wisdom to rest and recover between peak times of ministry.

Praying for our kids and families in Thailand

2011-03-25T10:32:00.001-04:00

A 6.8 earthquake hit Burma (Myanmar) this week shaking buildings in Northern Thailand. Our friend Faa was in the Northern town of Chiang Rai when the quake hit. Buildings in Chian Rai were damaged and one house fell down killing one women (Reuters).

Yesterday, Faa shared on FB a couple of posts to reassure us. "

Earthquake in chiang mai my sister and beam ran out from the home and i am on my trip i am ran "out too he he he" (Thu Mar 24)

Pastor Ivanildo informed me that Faa is returning to Chiang Mai. Faa wants to be with the kids and her sister, Ning.

In the Chiang Rai province lives Faa's family and our Wiang Pa Pao home--Grace Place Thailand. So please stop right now and pray:

Ask God to give Faa's family safety
Ask the Lord to take care of Faa as she travels back to Chiang Mai
Ask God the Holy Spirit to give comfort, courage, and trust in God for the children in our rescue orphan homes in GP Thailand in Wiang Pa Pao and the G.R.O.W. home in Chiang Mai.
Praise God that they are all still safe and the homes are secure.

GP Thailand Home in Wiang Pa Pao

Did Jesus really say don't feed those who have nothing to eat?

2011-03-21T01:37:00.002-04:00

Feed the Need 2010

Jesus said to have compassion and feed those who have nothing to eat (Mark 8:1-3). The people who came to him for teaching and hope were not those who were chronically hungry. These were families who came out and got hungry while hearing Jesus teach. It was a meal. That's what Feed the Need is all about--offering a meal in the name of Jesus with God's love empowered by the Holy Spirit!

How can I get involved with Feed the Need 2011?

You need to bring hope to those who need hope. The economy, your neighborhood, and your community need hope. One hunger fact, over 33 million Americans live in homes that experience periods of hunger or food insecurity. In those homes, 13 million children experience hunger or food insecurity. As one songwriter aptly reflected,

I do believe that most men live lives of quiet desperation. For despair, optimism is the only practical solution. Hope is practical. Because eliminate that and it's pretty scary. Hope at least gives you the option of living.
Harry Nilsson

Read more:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/despair_3.html#ixzz1HAB97pum

Please sign up today by emailing Wooster Grace at feedtheneed@woostergrace.org.

Families exist in lives of quiet desperation. Each need hope. When you select a family to bless with a Feed the Need delivery, you can ignite a spark of hope in the lives of one family. Your brief visit could offer an new option for living. Your gift of food could build a heaven in hell's despair.

Please sign up today by emailing Wooster Grace at feedtheneed@woostergrace.org.

Love seeketh not itself to please, nor for itself hath any care, but for another gives its ease, and builds a Heaven in Hell's despair.William Blake

Read more:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/despair_4.html#ixzz1HADAY7bV

In Ohio over 700,000 people face food insecurity according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (2007-2008 study). Food insecurity challenges six percent of Ohioans (2010 census). Read more here.

So, follow Jesus' example. He had compassion on the people who had nothing to eat. He fed them (Mark 8:1-3). Please sign up today by emailing Wooster Grace at feedtheneed@woostergrace.org.

Pastor describes his solution to feed the hungry

2011-03-20T13:33:00.003-04:00

What is Feed the Need 2011?

Pastor Ivanildo Trindade, pastor of Outreach at Wooster Grace (my supervisor) describes what Feed the Need does for our church and for our community.

Listen and/or Sign up by emailing Wooster Grace at feedtheneed@woostergrace.org.

Why Do Feed The Need

2011-03-20T09:49:00.000-04:00

Pastor Ivanildo Trindade--Pastor of Outreach

Should Churches be like Microsoft or Apple?

2011-03-14T11:13:00.000-04:00

From AP: www.foxnews.com

I read a great discussion about how two mega-companies are trying to help Japan: Apple & Microsoft. I most like the questions posed by Charlie White (Mashable) at then end of his post:

What do you think of this...? Should multibillion dollar corporations simply donate to these causes, should they try to get us involved, or should they just facilitate our donations? Are these crass attempts at capitalizing on horrific tragedy? Do nonprofits get a pass, as long as it doesn’t look like they’re self-promoting too much? Where do you draw the line?

Join the discussion on Charlie's thread, "Apple & MIcrosoft take different approaches to Japan relief.

I think churches like ours should seek to facilitate donations whether the funds are processed through the church or not, people need help. When I look at the images or hear a report from Japan, I am reminded of Jesus' response to those in need,

"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick (Matthew 14:14)." Or "Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way (Matthew 15:35)."

Jesus saw the need and responded. How it got taken care of in His situation was miraculous. How we get it done is either compassionate or not. It's up to you. Donate now!

A few of many ways to give:

GBIM: To donate $100 now, click here. GBIM has set up a relief fund to help. Ralph & Joan Justiniano, Team leaders in Tokyo, Japan has verified the best way to provide relief and offer prayer requests for their situation in Japan.
World Vision: If you can, please donate now to help meet the urgent needs of disaster survivors in Japan and other areas devastated by the massive tsunami. And please join us in prayer for hurting children and families. Donations start at $50.
Network for Good via American Red Cross: How To Help for Japan Earthquake via Network for Good http://post.ly/1jWI7 Beth Kanter's posterous links to a long list of organizations already on the ground and offering help.
ITunes: 100% of your donation will go to the American Red Cross. Donations start from $5.

Don't be blind! Pictures serve to focus your prayer for the nations

2011-03-13T09:36:00.000-04:00

Picture from www.operationWorld.org/

As I keep Global Prayer Walking, I have discovered a few places where my prayer time is enhanced. Since the GBIM Global Prayer Guide and the PrayNow daily email is targeting Western Central Asia. I have found the following helpful places that help me better pray for this region of the world.

International Missions Board: Central Asia slideshows I am a visual person. So these pictures help me pray for the peoples of Central Asia.
Operation World has a great page of prayer resources. You can view videos from 60 different countries and then go to that country's page and pray for the nations.
For children, you can pray for various places throughout Asia like Turkmenistan. On this page you can download coloring pages and find links to recipes and games as well. (txs IMB)

So, check out these helpful places to get a better picture of who you are praying for. I know that they help me. Keep on prayer walking!

In honor of International Women's Day: Meet my friend ,Faa

2011-03-08T12:57:00.000-05:00

Faa is an incredible young lady. She comes to mind because today is International Women's Day (thanks to Beth Kanter for the heads-up). And today she lost her father. After suffering from an illness the Lord decided to take him home to be with Him.

Faa and her sister Ning will gather with family and friends in their village to make preparations for the funeral, vigil, etc. They will need God's strength, Holy Spirit courage, and godly wisdom to minister to all in their village. So please pray.

Faa's story is incredible. She is a rescued at-risk child who now serves as a passionate advocate for at-risk children in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She struggled in many ways, but God helped her. She did know how to get funds to help her mission but the Lord helped her through many partners all around the world.

Together, all Faa's supporters have helped launch G.R.O.W. (Grace Refuge Outreach Worldwide facebook link). Their mission is to rescue at-risk children and youth by supporting, educating, and providing them with a safe place to live, grow, and learn about Christ.

I praise God for Faa. I honor the Lord with words of worship for setting apart Faa to do this work in Thailand. I glorify the Lord who takes care of her even when life challenges or death enters around her life. May the Lord bring His comfort to them during these days of grief and mourning.

Please send Faa a word of encouragement or offer a prayer to them right now:

Email Faa: aseufaata@gmail.com
Facebook: Faa Sumitra

Global Prayer Walk 2011: Kevin & Jill Kane (link post & photos)

2011-03-05T11:51:00.001-05:00

Wooster Grace: This Sunday, March 6 Kevin and Jill Kane share about Cambodia (for times/locations) http://bit.ly/fuTRMt. If you are near Wooster, OH you are invited to come hear how God is working! The generous and faithful financial gifts from all who support them make a difference in our world. Find a time and place here at Wooster Grace to hear more about it.

Wooster Grace partners with Kevin & Jill. They just got home from Cambodia on Tuesday, March 1. They begin home ministries for the next five months. It is a joy to see them and to be with them.

Kevin & Jill have already ministered here at Wooster Grace. They delivered cards and letters from our rescued orphans at Grace Place Battambang (Battambang, CAMBODIA). Both shared with our Grace Brethren Boys group on Wednesday night March 3. Then Jill challenged the children, students, and teachers at Wooster Christian School on Friday, March 5.

We praise God for the Kane's. We are so proud of Kevin & Jill.

Today as you pray for the Cambodian Ministry Partners for today's prayer focus. Please pray for their spiritual strength, purity in character and thought, full devotion to the Lord, empowerment from the Holy Spirit, and physical health and stamina, and diligent leadership over God's flock in Cambodia. May the Lord help us see fruit that remains (John 15:16).

Cambodia Ministry Partners

Cambodian Youth Discipleship Camp Aug '10

Links to posts from trips to Cambodia from Wooster Grace:

Linda Kline's trip to Cambodia (Jan 11, 2010)
Community Development project: Fresh, water well Cambodia (Jan 15, 2010)
Pastor Daron's trip to Cambodia (Aug 2010)

Pastor Matt Carter's trip to SE Asia (June 2010)
Wooster Grace SE Asia Team (Feb-Mar 2011)

Firsthand Global Pray Walker--Jason & Doni Weimer

2011-03-04T15:26:00.000-05:00

For a closer look at those who are the leadership team in SE Asia, visit Weimer's blog. I appreciate their firsthand knowledge of those who lead them.

Please follow their blog for info on how to best pray for the team in Khon Kaen.

One flew over the cuckoos nest and into Cambodia

2011-03-04T11:31:00.000-05:00

Praying for Asia leadership today I couldn't help but praise God for the team that is in Cambodia. All four families with GBIM sacrifice to serve so far away (clockwise: Kent & Becky Good, Steve & Deb Wise, Tim & Jessica Robertson with Ian, and Kevin & Jill Kane).Some would consider them crazy-people for going so far away.

I journeyed around-the-world by riding in planes, sitting long hours, feeling so uncomfortable at times, trying to adjust my seat, all in a cramped airplane. If you have never traveled to SE Asia, you just don't know how far away it is. It's crazy far!

Still, these families and many other missionary families make the choice to serve God wherever He leads. Wherever!

One popular family has heard and obeyed. The Chan's are exploring what God may have for them. You can read about their exploratory journey. Some may think it's crazy. But if following God the Holy Spirit's promptings is crazy, then let's all be crazy.

I wonder if you are willing to pray for yourself and your family to consider what God would prompt in your heart. I dare you to start asking God for you to be open to serve the Lord wherever He leads. Are you willing to risk being thought of as crazy? Or as the infamous McMurphy defiantly queried his insane compadres, "Which one of you nuts has got any guts?" I want to be crazy for God, to do crazy God-like things for Him. I wonder if you are nuts for the Lord and have the guts to trust Him to go wherever. I'd love to hear about where God is leading you.

Pastor admits, "But I don't want to pray!"

2011-03-03T13:00:00.001-05:00

If you are honest, you don't always want to pray. I may not be in the mood to pray. But I must pray anyway. God already knows my attitude. So, I will speak to Him about it. You need to pray at any time and under any circumstance--"pray continually (I Thessalonians 5:17)."

Today begins a global prayer walk around the world with GBIM Global Ministries Prayer Guide to intercede for God's people serving the Lord. I find it challenging to do so.

Many excuses impede the way to prayer. Operation World (GMI: Strategic Mission Research and Mapping) answers four excuses people make:

I'm overwhelmed
I'm too busy
I struggle to believe God would answer
I don't know enough

If the above list is one of your excuses, then read how God might respond. GMI cites one Bible passage for each excuse.

In the end, you just need to stop and pray. So, pause right now. Inhale deeply to clear your mind for prayer. Exhale slowly. Then breath in again to start your prayer for the GBIM Global Leadership Team. Afterwards, send them a short encouraging note via email (gbim@gbim.org), facebook, twitter, or website.

You can make a difference in the world through prayer. Pray on!

14 people who deserve a Grammy for doing social good

2011-02-16T11:11:00.000-05:00

At 2:30 am tomorrow morning we intend to send 14 people from our church to minister in SE Asia. All seek to serve in SE Asia together:

to help, encourage, and serve with missionary partners like Kevin & Jill Kane in Battambang, CAMBODIA.
to love, hug, and play with rescued orphan children in our Grace Place home in Battambang, CAMBODIA.
to be with, lay hands on in prayer, and encourage our house parents (like Yun Vannak) and their families in each Grace Place home.
to meet and to learn more about White Doves Ministries who rescues women from the sex trade industry in NW Cambodia. You can see a video of their ministry here.
to expand awareness of the culture and history of Cambodia by visiting the (links here may contain pictures of graphic nature) Killing Fields, Toul Sleng prison, and to visit a state run orphanage.
to stay with and to work on small projects for the G.R.O.W. home in Chiang Mai, THAILAND where Faa and the rescued at-risk children live. You can follow them on Facebook too.
to love, hug, and play with rescued orphan children at Grace Place Thailand in Wieng Pa Pao.
to travel to a Hill Tribe village and to understand what challenges face the Hill Tribe peoples.

Their 30-hour journey begins early tomorrow morning. Please take a moment to pray for the team: Ask God for health, safety, Holy Spirit empowerment to love, serve, and maintain unity, and for open hearts to consider what each could do when they get back to walk more closely with God and to do something to help those that they meet. You can follow them via their blog updates.

Egypt declares its independence!

2011-02-11T15:29:00.000-05:00

As we observe what is happening in Egypt, I praise the Lord that He is Lord of all. As one great world leader of the past encountered the truth that humankind does not "call-the-shots." Nebuchadnezzar realized that God is in control (Read Daniel 4:34-36). Whereas Nebuchadnezzar came to acknowledge God in humility and his kingdom was restored; Mubarak held on to pride, then stepped down amid pressure from the people of Egypt and the eyes of the world.

Nevertheless, the people of Egypt must not be disillusioned that humankind ousts rulers. For God is the one who raises up one ruler and takes down another (Isaiah 40:22-24). God, the Son will bring down rulers too (Luke 1:52).

So rather than fret about all the "what-ifs," I will reaffirm the sovereignty of God. As Chuck Swindoll stated, "When you get hold of the knowledge of God and begin to see that He is in charge, you won't panic every time you read the paper (or refresh your Twitter feed or GoogleReader). You won't give up hope because there's an earthquake somewhere (or a typhoon like in Australia). You won't live in the fear of terrorism or possible disease...Why? Because you know the God who is in control of all things (from Growing Deep, Multnomah Press, Portland, OR, 1986, page 98)."

As you watch the Egyptians celebrate the exodus of their modern-day Pharoah, please pray for God's will to be done in Egypt so that His purposes are fulfilled and praise Him for being in control of all things.

Wooster Grace sends team to SE Asia

2011-02-06T08:29:00.000-05:00

This morning we commission a team to go minister to Cambodia & Thailand. Our mission is to develop all people into fully devoted followers of Christ. We empower and send people to minister on our behalf in places all around the world. Through the faithful giving of our people, we can REACH the world for Christ.

The team will travel to Cambodia & Thailand to minister to many people. They will visit our missionary partners, Kevin & Jill Kane in Battambang. They will be with our rescued orphan homes with Asia's Hope in Battambang, Cambodia, and Weing Pa Pao, Thailand. Likewise they will visit our emerging G.R.O.W. home in Chiang Mai, Thailand and encourage Faa. More things are listed but these are the highlights.

Please pray for the team:

Health & travel safety for team members
Team will be able to love & encourage the children and orphan home staff.
Open hearts for teammates to understand and address the needs of poverty in a global economy.

You can follow their travels on their blog: www.woostercar.blogspot.com

How to pray for Kalahari 2011: Pray the schedule

2011-02-05T15:05:00.000-05:00

From SM Facebook page:
Thanks for praying for Kalahari 2011 in Sandusky, OH! Here is a schedule of events in order to pray! Jesus is "Greater Than" anything, anyone, anywhere!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4th

4pm - Registration opens
9pm - Adult Leaders Meeting (Dave Rhoad leading)
10pm - SESSION 1 - Brian Burgess plans to present gospel (1 John 4:1-6)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5th

8:30am - Adult Leaders Meeting
9:15am - Breakfast & Devotions
10:30am - Session 2 - Exodus will be leading in Worship
12:15pm - Lunch & Youth Group time
6:30pm - Session 3 - Grace College will invite
10:15pm - Special Late Night Session with Comedian Michael Junior
11:15pm - Youth Group time (pray for all youth leaders as they shepherd students toward full devotion to Christ)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6

9:15am - Adult Leaders Meeting
10:00 - Brunch & Devotions
11:30am - Session 4 - Pray as Brian challenges students to give up idols and embrace life in Christ
12:45pm - Youth Group Time

Travel Home! Pray that Kalahari is not the 'end' but the beginning.

Thanks Student Ministries team for posting this.

Kalahari 2011 Retreat Prayer Requests

2011-02-03T11:07:00.000-05:00

Kalahari 2011 Retreat Feb 4-6

For those of us who cannot attend Kalahari 2011 this weekend, the SM staff has created a prayer list. Eleven ways to pray for the 1,168 registered for the retreat!

SAFETY: pray for all 296 people traveling from Wooster Grace starting today Thu Feb 4 with set up team, then Fri 4pm 7 buses, 3 trucks, 2 vans, and some cars head out for Sandusky, OH.
GUESTS: pray for the 50 guests who will be introduced to Jesus Christ in a personal way throughout the weekend.
SPEAKER & BAND: pray for Brian Burgess and Exodus Band to minister God's Word with confidence and love.
LEADERSHIP: pray for Pastor Nick Cleveland to make wise decisions with eternity in mind for each person.
ROOMS: pray for each room to build Christian community and develop friendships that point each other back to the person of Jesus Christ.
DECISIONS: pray for spiritual decisions to be made by each person attending. Ask God for students to come to Him or to make renewed commitments to follow Christ.
SOWING HOPE: praise the Lord for 2 girls' rooms from Wooster from Sowing Hope students. pray for a great weekend with each other and spiritual decisions made. Ask God to empower Jess Artrip & Connie Benchoff as they guides these young ladies.
LEADERS: praise God for over 200 adult leaders committing to serve the Lord this weekend. Pray that students would leave the weekend knowing an adult who knows Jesus and who is available to listen to their deepest questions about faith in Christ. Pray for Dave Rhoad and Ben Framstad as they lead these adult leaders in prayer and worship.
ADMINISTRATION: pray for Rachel Snyder & Michelle Ream who are running registration at Wooster who need God-empowered energy, vision, and excitement as they serve.
PROGRAMMING: pray for Josh Atkins as he directs the 4 sessions where students will hear the Word taught, experience God through music, and have fun being with each other.
CREATIVE ELEMENTS: pray for Ben Framstad as he works on different creative elements for each of the session and as he leads a room full of high school guys.

Visit the Wordpress site for last year's recap, theme announcement, and this year's intro video.

Prayed for the Hawkins in Porto, Portugal today

2011-01-21T08:58:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/aamaianos/

I don't know about you, but I need visuals when I pray for missionaries. So I googled today's Daily Pray Now prayer requests for Tim & Julie Hawkins, the city of Povoa de Varzim.

I discovered many images: pictures of the coast in summer, luminescent nightscapes, a map, etc. Then I envisioned a new church plant in the city. Wow! God is going to build His Church (Matthew 16:18).

Moreover, I checked out a couple of videos. The first video is a tourist clip of the coast. No comments. But again it helps me to picture God's people on the beach sharing Christ, conducting fellowship gatherings, or meeting for a prayer walk for their city.

The second video is a tour of the city of PVZ. I like the sites pictured because I can envision God's people living fully-devoted lives in that city. Ironically, the video soundtrack is Bobby Darin's popular song, "Beyond the Sea." Portugal is beyond the sea from me. But I praise God that my prayers can make a difference beyond the sea. Keep praying for our missionaries!

Make a year-end contribution where you can impact the world!

2010-12-29T04:19:00.001-05:00

Re-posted from facebook note Monday 12.27.10
Here's a list of how God has worked in Wooster Grace through your faithful & sacrificial giving and stedfast & persistent prayers to bear fruit that will remain from 2010:

4-15: Fully-devoted missionary partners on 4 continents in 15 countries
The scope: From local to global, your gifts and prayers impact every age group: unborn in Wayne County & Africa; children in Religious Ed Classes North-Central, Native New Life Church (NM); orphans in Grace Place Battambang & Grace Place Thailand and with G.R.O.W in Chiang Mai THAILAND ; students at the Battambang Ministry Training Center, in Mondou CHAD with Love in Action International through metal-fabrication training and spiritual life equipping, church planting in France, Germany, Portugal, SE Asia, Brazil, Canada, and Northeast Ohio; as well as widows in Weing Pa Pao THAILAND and community development in Central Africa with ICDI and entreprenuer micro-enterprising in CAMBODIA.

Internationals Ministries here in Wayne County: we hosted monthly gatherings for internationals in our community to join us for fun, relationship building, and interaction with Christ-followers and with biblical truth. Our ping-pong tournaments, soccer nights, and holiday dinners drew the most people from many countries of the world. Countries represented, including, but not limited to, Brazil, China, Egypt, Singapore, Japan, Uganda, Greece, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Cambodia, Mexico, Colombia, Serbia, Taiwan, Germany, Cuba, Argentina, El Salvador, Canada, and South Korea.

Short-Term Missions: This year God helped us reach out to six U.S. destinations and five countries of the world; places like Philadephia, PA; South Bend, IN; Mansfield, OH; Dayton, OH; San Francisco, CA; Albuquerque, NM; Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Argentina by sending out 116 people from our church. We are preparing to send a team to SE Asia in February-March 2011.
Growing Social Media presence: This year Pastor Daron is learning how to harness the tools of social media to connect more people to what we are doing in the world. We praise God for the tools available. You can find Pastor Daron on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, with the name "daronbutler" or "daron butler."

Thank you for your consistent prayers and financial support. Please consider making a year-end contribution to sustain God's impact in the world.

As ever,

Pastor Daron

Top Ten Images from Global Outreach 2010

2010-12-27T12:37:00.000-05:00

As I pause to reflect on all that God has done through Wooster Grace, I praise God for His work in peoples' lives. So here are my top ten images of what Wooster Grace did with the generous and faithful giving in 2010.

I post these images in no particular order:

Our missionary partners from Wooster Grace--Hoberts, Triplehorns, & Kane's;
My visit to Grace Place Battambang;
Ministry with GoTeam to serve with Kane's & Good's and CMPs;
Swain visit and help with VBS;
Ngoumape visit for construction of James Gribbell Ministry Training Center in Bangui CAR;
Nanga from ICDI visit to move forward in holistic community development;
GROW gets a truck for Faa to transport kids more safely;
Short-term Adult trip to New Mexico by ABF (Significant Times);
Student Ministries short-term missions trip to San Francisco, CA; and
Team Hope Cleveland 2010 (txs Jeff for photo);

Please comment and share what you think I missed or send me a photo of what could or should have been included. I do miss things. Can't wait to hear from you.

FIve Things I praise God for by being a pastor at Wooster Grace

2010-12-22T16:31:00.000-05:00

photo courtesy of Kelsey Love Fusion Photography via Flickr Creative Commons License
As the end of this calendar comes to a close, I want to share with you five things that I praise God for by being pastor at Wooster Grace:

Encouragement from all who attend and lead at Wooster Grace.
Support: from admin staff, congregants, and pastors
Connectedness I sense God's Holy Spirit working through the majority of us here.
Vision to develop all people into fully devoted followers of Christ Jesus. We all strive towards that end--everyone a fully-devoted follower.
Reach out: we value reaching out to people. New people are coming to Christ every month. What a great challenge to baptize and to disciple them all.

I praise God for what God does through us. I love our church! May you find a church home for your family too that is seeking to be more on mission every week.

Why I wore an elf suit to Sunday School class?

2010-12-21T10:35:00.000-05:00

Elf in Sunday School

I get to teach Internationals in an ABF at Wooster Grace each week. We have been focusing on keeping Christ in front of Christmas. I perceived that Internationals have a hard time dealing with the out-of-control consumerism around them, from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, and now to After-Christmas sales. Rather, I challenged our class to keep Christ in front of Christmas.

So on the last day of the series, I suited up in an elf costume, like Buddy the Elf. I wore it only for the illustration so I did not wander the halls of the church in the outfit (I have teenagers for goodness-sake). But I wanted to emphasize that Christmas can be a lot of different things except Jesus' birthday celebration.

I asked them to turn to Matthew 1:21 to target the word "save." Jesus was to come to save His people from their sins. I asked the class to change the third letter in the word from "v" to "l," which made the word become "sale." In contrast to what is in the media, this time of year is about Jesus' birth, the Savior of the world. It's not about sales.

I pray that you can help others who are not from this great country and help them navigate the rampant consumerism and redirect them to what is the reason for the season--the celebration of Jesus' birth to save the world from sins.

I came across and article in RelevantMagazine.com by Elizabeth G. Korver-Glenn which resonates with me. She also challenges you to reclaim the true meaning of Christmas to communicate it clearly to those from other countries who happen to be here in the USA. Thanks Elizabeth for your insightful words.

My Aunt, Honored Saint

2010-12-17T08:18:00.000-05:00

photo from Argenberg Flickr Creative Commons Licencse I received news last night that my aunt Edith has congestive heart failure. She is also battling other health issues.

I am sad.

My aunt was the first in my whole extended family to come to Christ. She was the first to commit her life to Jesus. In my lifetime I have watched God bring many of our relatives to Himself. I count it a joy to rehearse this amazing movement of God in our family's life.

Her request is to go home to Jesus. I feel conflicted but as I talked to my uncle Howard. He rehearsed with me her wishes and his perspective.

He is the oldest, revered person in my life on earth. As a Navajo I honor my elders. His life and words now carry more weight. So when he shared how he feels conflicted too. I praise God for his transparency and realism.

He reminded me to pray for God's will to be done. Diyin God bi'iiniziinii

I value his words. May God be praised as He unfolds His will. May the Lord bring her quickly into His presence where they will be no more pain, no more hurt, only joy everlasting. Lord, your will be done. Amen.

Narnia: Dawn Treader Review

2010-12-16T23:14:00.002-05:00

Movie Poster

My son and I watched Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader together on Tuesday night. I am so glad that we did something together. I enjoy time with him.

I liked the movie because it addressed the challenge facing every person: temptation. In whatever form, temptation prowls like a spectre in the shadows of your mind, flesh, and pride. Temptation is "the fact or state of being tempted; especialy to evil." On this voyage of searching for seven lost lords, Lucy & Edmund get reacquainted with Prince Caspian (now King of Narnia). Towing cousin Eustace and rejoining Reepicheep (warrior mouse) they embark on an adventure to confront evil within and without to rid Narnia of evil's fearful grip on the world with the help of Aslan.

I like the dark features to this film. Yes, it feels heavy handed to portray evil so darkly. But in my opinion, evil is darkness. Truth is light. I enjoyed the stark contrast of light and dark in the film.

I believe the message of the movie is anyone can overcome evil with the help of God and others. Although the film makes you think that overcoming evil is a once-for-all battle, life exacts an on-going struggle and skirmishes with temptation. Only until reaching the shores of Aslan's kingdom does Reepicheep give up the struggle against temptation and seek to enjoy life eternal without evil.
I think the movie is good. It engages life in realistic terms within the fantasy story. The film prompts me to re-read the book again.

Overall, I give it a thumbs up. Make time to go see it on the big screen. But if you can, be frugal and seek to watch it during the matinee. Although rated PG, I would refrain from taking little children because the temptation scenes are intense. Over the Christmas break, I'd go see it. Then come back and post your comments below. I'd love to hear you take on the message of the movie and if you liked it or not.

Other random reviews to check out:

MrDawnTreader loves the book and sees the message of redemption throughout. Rating: hot.
Luke Thompson gives a fair review, but only gives it a warm rating, but not hot.
Merrick offers a cooler review. But think before you defend. He may have a few good points.

A resource for youth leaders is available from InterLinc. Thanks for providing a Voyage of the Dawn Treader YouthWorker Guide.

THE DIGITAL STORY OF NATIVITY - ( or Christmas 2.0 )

2010-12-15T17:42:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite things is to discover unique ways to communicate the truth of Scripture. I believe Viral Videos does a fine job contextualizing the Nativity Story in digital format. I like their creativity, their attention to context.

I may not agree with all the facts portrayed in the video or the soundtrack (I would have dubbed in God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, then faded into the Hallelujah Chorus). But again, it brings to the front that this month is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord. I wonder what you think. Please leave a comment below.

Thanks to Viral Videos and Relevant Magazine for tweeting the link. You can like on FB too.

"When all I wanted was to be wanted"

2010-11-28T16:18:00.003-05:00

I got the opportunity to share with high school students this morning. The main points were:

You have to fight the lies with truth
You can feel accepted and valued
Everyone wants to be wanted.
Fight the greatest lie: "Superstar performances and great accomplishments will make you feel accepted and valued"
A Truth to affirm: "I am made in God's image (Genesis 2:27), therefore I can feel accepted no matter what the culture or others say or do"
Based on Psalm 139:14, I can fight the lies with this saying adapted from Nick Vujicic, "I am unique; a one and only; that's the way I am. Because God made me, I accept me; just the way I am"
What you can do is accept you. Accept yourself.

I mentioned a video clip that I can link to answer the question, "What if you get deformed after you are born from an accident or tragedy? Do you still bear God's image?" My answer is yes.

Links from the lesson:

photo from allday.com (March 25, 2009)
Check out this video clip of someone who has accepted his new view on life after surviving tragedy and then thriving in his life. NBC did a story on Patrick Ivison where Jenna Wolfe interviews Patrick for the Today Show. Here is the post and here is the watch video link about 7:30 minutes long (you will need to sit through a short commercial).

Here also is the link to Nick Vujicic's story, his website, and other video clips to view on your own. You can see Nick put on his headphones and turn on his Ipod without limbs. He is a man without limits.

I mentioned that my first dance was to a song. I "danced" for the students. But I did not get the song to play. Here is the link to that song ("September" by Earth, Wind, & Fire). Yes, it dates me. But the peer pressure to be accepted pushed me to some silly things back in the day.

But I thank HSM for the opportunity to share this morning. I wonder if you can come up with songs that affirm personhood in the world today. Please list them in the comments below.

Christmas Missionary Care

2010-11-23T08:17:00.002-05:00

I recently placed a flyer in the ABF folders to inform them about caring for our missionaries this Christmas season. This is not something different than before. We typically send a monetary gift from the partnering ABF to their missionary partner.

Yet I placed this flyer in all the ABF folders to see if any of the other ABFs would like to participate. I wanted to offer them an opportunity to join in sharing how we support what our missionary partners are doing for Christ.

I am setting aside the week of December 5-11 to collect monetary gifts from ABFs as well as allow me to find out what other things ABFs would like to do. I hope that they will consider sending a note or packing a care package.

Ideas on what to include in a care package are items must first begin with a disclaimer. Thanks to missionary-blogs.com I can reiterate their keen observations:

Missionary partners do not need more stuff. They are content.
Missionary partners want to fit in to their new culture. So please do not overwhelm them with clothes, perfume, or food from the US.

So why consider sending a care package? "Just because we care." Pack a small package to say here is a little bit of home where we believe in you and love you greatly.

So contact your missionary partner to ask what they would like, how to send it, what not to send, and where to send it. Above all, include a personal, hand-written note with your care package.

You can read more great ideas and tips at missionary-blog.com.

Christians Legitimate Targets of Al-Qaeda

2010-11-11T13:02:00.001-05:00

Picture from BBC online
According to Open Doors USA, Christians are now targets of terrorist groups. Since Sunday November 14 is International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, everyone needs to pray and to consider donating to provide encouragement to these fully devoted followers of Christ around the world.

Wooster Grace partnered with other churches to help the Grace Community Health Center start in Baghdad several years ago. As they seek to offer medical help to those in their part of the city, the dangers of being Christ followers in an Islamic country are many. Yet the faithful staff seeks to help Iraqi people with their medical needs.

As the BBC recently reported, Iraq's Christians are living in fear.
Please keep the staff in your prayers:

Ask God to give them courage to keep serving others in the name of Jesus Christ.
Ask God to provide confidence in Him as they travel amid unseen dangers.
Ask God to oversee their safety
Ask God to bring many people to Himself through these challenging circumstances.

Real Native American reacts to Reel Injun

2010-11-07T14:28:00.003-05:00

photo from toronto film scene
Last month, I watched PBS and the Independent Lens show, "Reel Injun." It was on late about 11:30pm (or 10:30pm daylight savings). View a clip from PBS here. In the clip cited, two Navajo elders view the finished film for the first time. I recall that my grandpa Richard was also an extra in the John Ford movie, "The Searchers." I'll have to ask my relatives what he said to them about his experience.

I digress.

"Reel Injun" was thought-provoking. I felt all the basic emotions. I felt anger for the misrepresentation of Native Peoples. I felt afraid that what is misrepresented will remain as the permanent caricature of Native Americans. I felt sad that we were not part of the process of film-making. Non-Native Americans made the films. We were merely in the films. I felt glad that others are telling their stories now in film. I felt giddy as translation of the Navajo in some films were revealed to others. I had not viewed all the movie clips where Navajo was spoken. It was intriguing how these emotions emerged. Overall, I am so glad that Reel Injun was made. Thanks!

The mis-portrayal of Native Americans is not only centered on movies, but also found in "Blood & Thunder" books. Scott Simon of NPR interviewed Hampton Sides (9 min interview) back in 2006 when his book "Blood & Thunder" was released recounting the manifest destiny of Kit Carson's campaign against the Navajo people. Author Hampton Sides describes "the blood and thunder" reports caricaturing Native Americans as blood-thirsty savages in paperback stories in the Old West.

What the Native American is or was, is lost when viewed through the prism of manifest destiny. Yet the documentary "Reel Injun" shows a different view. It provides a different perspective on Native Americans in film. I wonder what you think. One of the online discussion questions provided in the discussion guide states, "Before seeing Reel Injun, what [is] your image or idea of the American Indian? How did you develop that image?" Please answer that question in the comments below. I'd love to read your comments.

Other reviews of Reel Injun:

Trista Devries at Toronto Film Scene
Tom Brown from SXSW 2010 at twitchfilm.com
Megan Lehar from The Scorecard Review.
Mark Moring from Christianity Today

You can also read director Neil Diamond (not Jazz Singer icon) share his thoughts on the Independent Lens blog. Incidentally, the Blood and Thunder book is a movie in development with DreamWorks Studios for 2012.

Today is Orphan Care Sunday!

2010-11-07T09:50:00.000-05:00

I echo what Dr. Russell Moore (@drmoore) already tweeted, "Pray for the Fatherless!" Today is orphan care sunday. I am so grateful that many people are partnering together to reach out and make a difference.

I have been watching how this ministry has grown in our church. In the last two years, God prompted His people at Wooster Grace to launch two orphan rescue homes in partnership with Asia's Hope--one in Cambodia, Grace Place Battambang and one in Thailand, Grace Place Thailand (Wiang Pa Pao). We have also initiated outreach to at-risk children in Chiang Mai, Thailand through Grace Refuge Outreach Worldwide (GROW).

Orphan Care also takes place in Central Africa. In partnership with ICDI, Vision Trust International, and Project Hope & Charite people in our church sponsor children in the Central African Republic. Moreover, in our community we pray for and seek to encourage the Wayne County Children's Services. We know that they labor extended hours and work non-stop to be the best advocates for children who need foster care or adoption. We thank them for their hard work.

Many national organizations are also doing a great job. Thanks to Kelly Rosati for tweeting Focus on the Family's mash-up of orphan care organizations. A few that I would like to promote are:

Dream A Dream

2010-11-05T10:50:00.000-04:00

Last night I got the opportunity to hear Vishal Ralreja who is executive director of dreamadream.org at the College of Wooster. First I want to thank the Center for Entreprenuership and their sponsors for hosting Vishal here in our community. I appreciate being invited to come hear Vishal.

Vishal shared with the group his own journey of social entrepreneurship from a volunteer to an agent of social change. The main takeaway for me was his final question posed to all in attendance at the end of his speaking time:

"What potential do you have to impact another human being in this life?"

Vishal offered several tips or principles for those seeking to embark on becoming a social change agent.

To accelerate social change you must have compassion, creativity, and collaboration because solving any social ill is greater than one person.
At the outset expect a lot of worries where you have no answers and many questions unanswered as well as heartache.
Your response to the first heartache or discouragement is a litmus test for your commitment to solving social problems. If you are willing to get hurt over and over again in this same manner, then you affirm you are on the road to social change.
Gather volunteers around something bigger than yourselves while rehearsing why you do what you do and fanning into flame why you believe your work is important. Say, "I want to bring change. I believe this is possible!"
Instill volunteerism in children. Model it. Involve them. Show them how to help someone else.
Engage critics by getting them to come observe what you are doing and allowing them to ask more questions. You may find that they become a fan and eventually start volunteering for your cause.
Help others! Vishal offers assistance to people via Skype or visit for what he calls, "I think I have a solution" coffees. He offers brainstorm ideas and critical thinking about strategy. Great idea!

I again reiterate how I got to come to this lecture. Thanks College of Wooster! I wonder if anyone else went to the lecture or heard about it. Please post your comments and things that I missed. Thanks.

Dream A Dream: Vishal Talreja, Founder & Director
Vishal Talreja is founder and director of Dream a Dream, an organization committed to promoting "lifeskills" education for vulnerable children in Bangalore, India, through innovative programs and strategic partnerships with other social sector organizations, private sector groups, and volunteers. Recongnised as an Ashoka Fellow in 2005, Vishal's organization Dream A dream today works with over 500 children from vulnerable communities and does this through an extensive, active volunteer network of 500 volunteers.

Being a Jesus Peep?

2010-10-20T17:20:00.000-04:00

from @Jesus on Twitter
My friend, Kary Overbrunner, asked a great question today. Would Jesus tweet? Would he use Twitter?

I answered yes right away citing that Twitter is a tool for building relationships. I did not think that at first as I engaged Twitter. I have to thank Tee Morris for helping me understand Twitter better by reading his book "All A Twitter." Great book to learn how to use it versus learning how to make money off it or learning how to leverage it for various monetary gain.

Tee summarizes Twitter as a relationship building tool. You must use it to build relationships. If you need someone's hand to hold through all the upfront stuff, then this is the book for you. Yet if you already have a Twitter account, you will benefit from this book too. He outlines how who needs to tweet and why you need to tweet.

Jesus said that He came so that we might testify to the truth (John 18:37). Jesus communicated truth in words to people. He spoke, taught, preached, conversed, dialogued, and argued. He used all the methods of communicating truth at his disposal--questions, parables, similes, analogies, etc. Moreover, employing the advanced technology of the day--written manuscripts, Jesus' words and life were recorded in his day and for us today (II Timothy 3:16 & I Peter 1:21). So he would have a Twitter account. And he would seek to proclaim truth to the world. No 140-character limit could limit his ability to give truth! In fact, some who tweet now already tweet Scripture. Marvelous!

I could be wrong. But I think Jesus would use Twitter to build relationships so that people could see the Good News (on the screen) and later meet the Good News (offline in real life). But that's just me. I wonder what you think.

November is National Adoption Month

2010-10-20T14:54:00.000-04:00

My friend, Regina Schwartz is the Foster/Adoptive Home Recruiter for Wayne County Children Services. November is National Adoption Month. I wonder if you'd join her cause by adding her to your facebook causes. Let's see what we can do to get the word out!

The staff of Wayne County Children Services seeks to discover more loving foster families especially those in biracial homes for bi-cultural placements. As one former foster child shared, "When you are placed into a home you have many emotions; torn, broken, confused, rehearsing terrible story outcomes, and feeding negative self-image issues." Yet one family can make a difference!

One former foster parent recalls, "The challenges are real for every child. All children need people with a heart to care, to love to share life with them. Kids are devastated, broken, and need love." She scolds, "Love! It's not for the money! You must show love everyday, everyday, everyday."

One famous former foster child is Steve Jobs. He has a club online for those who are in foster care, FosterClub. He is also featured as a foster child on a list of famous former foster children on Treatment Foster Care website. Thanks to Steve at FC for the link.

If you are interested or know anyone who you think would be a candidate as a foster home caretaker, then please contact Regina.

Regina Schwartz
Foster/Adoptive Home Recruiter
Wayne County Children Services
330-345-5340 x 2351
schwar@odjfs.state.oh.us
www.waynecsb.org

Books pastors are reading from Central Focus Retreat

2010-10-15T09:25:00.001-04:00

photo courtesy of Tom T Flickr Creative Commons
During lunch on Tue Oct 12 at the Central Focus retreat I asked Pastor Terry Hofecker and Pastor Tony Webb what books they were reading or recently read. Here is their "off-the-top-of-their-head" list:

"Tangible Kingdom" by Hugh Halter & Matt Smay. View a video and other resources at missio.ushttp://missio.us/
"Tangible Kingdom" workbook was highly recommended if you thinking of starting a new ministry to young adults.
"Church in the Making" by Ben Arment
"Transformational Church" by Thom Rainer & Ed Stetzer. Read a snippet here.
"Viral Churches" by Ed Stetzer
"AND: The Scattered and Gathered Church" by Hugh Halter & Matt Smay

I find it helpful to ask others what they are reading so that I may keep on learning and growing.

Tribute to my friend Todd Scoles

2010-10-11T23:12:00.002-04:00

As I try to put into words a tribute to my friend, I am at a loss for words. I am processing his loss slowly and privately. I do miss my friend.

My tribute is more personal. I recall meeting Todd Scoles at Grace College while he was working as Security for the campus and studying at Grace Theological Seminary earning an M.Div. I remember the lean, tall, blue-uniformed security guard on duty around the campus. He was friendly and engaged in conversation readily. It was here that I first heard his chuckle.

Todd was a great friend. We chatted several times while at Grace. As his relationship with Linda grew, my relationship with Todd increased. We talked of ministry, classes, or books. We discussed the latest challenge facing seminary students and ministry. We could talk about many things. He was well read and offered good points and refuted counter-points readily.

Todd was a great minister. He served others too. I benefited from his benevolence. I needed a car for seminary. He gave me his old brown Plymouth Duster. Even in seminary or newly married both Todd and Linda gave to help others. He served others.

Todd was a great leader. At Ashland GBC, he lead teams to come help out at the Grace Brethren Navajo Mission. Each Spring Break Todd would mobilize people and resources and take teams on a 30-hour (or longer) odyssey from mid-Ohio to northwest New Mexico to serve Navajos and the mission staff.

Moreover, Todd was an excellent pastor. I served with Todd at Northwest Chapel in Dublin, OH from 2001 to 2007. He cared for the people and reinforced that people matter to God. He shared life with many and always sought to challenge them to follow Christ more closely. He shepherded God's people with skill.

Todd was also fun! He may come across as stoic when you saw him from a distance. One may even think, "geek!" But I will miss his funny side. I can hear his playful sarcastic screech when mimicking or rehearsing funny dialogue. I laugh out loud recalling his geeky, mocking-tone when he wanted his overstatement to be pointed. He also had a pretty good Kermit the Frog voice impersonation. But I will miss his infectious laugh. I had fun with Todd.

Todd was also competitive. I played ping-pong or table tennis with him. And he wanted to keep score. He wanted to win. He played within the rules and enforced the rules so that there was fair play. He loved to have fun and play games. Even though our boys were quicker and getting stronger we played soccer against them. I thought they let us win; but Todd usually thought we earned the win. :)

I miss my friend as I reminisce. But one day he will greet me as I go to be with my friend some day. I recall the final words from Gladiator spoken by Juba after his friend and warrior-hero died, "I will see you again...but not yet..not yet."

Read tribute from Brethren Missionary Herald (Terry White).

Helping Internationals Deal with Stress

2010-10-10T18:24:00.000-04:00

from dr.knitter

One of my responsibilities is teaching the Adult Bible Fellowship for Internationals. I love the interaction and the spiritual growth present in the group.

Today I finished the last lesson in a series entitled, "Welcome to the USA: what you can do to to help internationals in your community feel welcomed in the USA" You can lessen their fears by building friendships and venturing into their world while they are here in our country. Rather than staying isolated, God's people can reach out to love and to care for internationals.

Today I will post what was shared in our class. I trust this will help those working with internationals as well as those who have internationals in their neighborhood, workplace, or school.

Using a balloon to show stress build up, you can help people see and hear what holding in stress can do. Likewise, when you inflate another balloon, you can show them what happens when you let it all out without direction—you go anywhere.

As students share what stress Internationals face, you write them on the board as they share them. You may need to share one or two from your own life. But you will get them to participate.

Here is the list that they shared in our class:

Language—how to speak English
Friendships—will I get to know anyone?
Homesickness
USA Foods—get use to it?
Legal issues: visas, green card, income tax, drivers’ license
Clothing: in fashion? In season?
Work & School load
Cultural differences: discipline of children—practices or non-practice.
Lack of public transportation
Public display of affection: dating vs married, friendships, etc.
Meal invitations: accept! Bring food or not bring food. Ask clarifying questions
Metric vs English measurements
Meals: how many and when they occur
Driving (left side vs right side of road); car seats; laws
Signs: airport, driving, and hand gestures
Health remedies & health insurance needs
Weather: Cold climate vs warm climate
Filling out papers: last name first? Date? What to bring with you when apply?
Time: how people tell time 1300 hours or 1pm? Start time? On-time or whenever?
Restaurant dining: USA—“you eat, then you leave!” vs. 3 hour meal to relax
Seating in public places: “sit anywhere” of “reserved seating?”
Mail: only male listed; to and from different In Brazil—“to” is on front with stamp; “from” is on back of letter.
Beauty salon differences: expensive and lower quality
Role of women; e.g. “stay at home only” etc.
Money: “bills are all the same color;” conversion rate is challenging
Shoes: off or on when you come into someone’s house
Thank you note as way to be courteous.
Restrooms without doors on stalls
Privacy issues: when are things private and when are they public
Office etiquette: knock or no knock when entering open office door or cubicle?

When all these things and issues could stress one out, you can deal with that stress in prayer. Jesus did (Read Mark 1:35). For context, read verses 32-39. Jesus had a busy day. Then the evening and night got more busy. Yet, Jesus got up early to spend time alone with God in prayer. He prayed amid a stressful schedule.

I offer three points on who to deal with stress best. First, pray in quiet waiting for God’s instructions. Ask God to help you push off the urgent and to do the most important things. Clarify what is most important.

Second, pray from within the stress (Psalm 118:5-6). God wants us to bring our stresses to Him while it is happening. Often I find that the stresses of life push down on me weighing me down. I feel like I am being pressed into a small, confined place. Yet God wants to rescue me. He wants to place me in a wide, open space so that I can view the stresses of life differently. He wants me to discover what is most important and to do that instead of all the other things.

Lastly, God promises rest amid the stress (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus wants me to take off my yoke of stress and to put on His yoke of rest. He will be with me to help me. He will help me find rest for my soul.

So when you feel stress rising up, then seek a quiet place to pray and to reflect on what is most important, pray from within the stress asking God to bring His perspective on your life, then commit to doing what He says so that you can find rest for your soul. It takes practice. It won’t happen overnight. But with God’s help, you can handle stress better.

I wonder what we missed in our list of things that can stress on internationals. Likewise, I wonder if you have more insight on how to deal with stress in a biblical way. Please post your comments.

If I could share with a Native pastor about youth ministry what would I say?

2010-10-06T09:40:00.000-04:00

My brother asked this question yesterday on FB. I want to take a moment to share my thoughts.

He probably already does this, but I'd say that he should first pray for the youth in his community. He should start a prayer group at the chapter house or at the trading post parking lot or at the nearest school. I think he needs to be in the community, rather than only praying at his church building or in his house.

Next, I would suggest that he observe..."watch and pray." Gather data: information and stories from those who are in contact with students on a regular basis. Ask him to talk with the school administration, teachers, guidance counselor, tribal police, and tribal medical professionals (CHR if you are on the Navajo Rez).

As he listens, he can ask questions to learn more:

Are students basically smart, apathetic, athletic, party people, or other?
What is the general home situation for most students? (single parents, both parents, alcoholic, abuse, etc.)
Which activities do the largest group of students participate in or are involved in?
What are the main issues of discussion now on the school campus?
What are the biggest problems students face?
What programs are available to students and who presently leads them? e.g. rec center, drug programs, etc.
Do the students speak their native language?

Then he needs to offer to pray for those who engage the youth of the community. When he sees them around, he needs to greet them and to encourage them.

Likewise, rather than react to everything he sees, he needs to reflect on what he sees. He needs to get more educated about what students are talking about in his community. This may mean asking for help from the above group in the community for information. If he can, he could ask students. But again, he needs to gather the information without judgment for now. Discernment and discipleship come later. Right now, he needs to gather facts to inform his prayer life for students.

Finally, though I know that this is far from exhaustive, I believe he must pray for an adult volunteer to work with the youth. This ministry opportunity is not just picking someone to do it. It begins with prayer. It continues with what kind of character is needed for this adult volunteer to work with youth. It builds into a written list of expectations for this adult volunteer. Then you add more prayer and reflection. It culminates in preparing to ask one person to seriously consider working for the Lord according to the written expectations to impact youth for God's kingdom.

I may be wrong. But i think these are the things to share with Native pastors who want to impact generations to come who need Christ in their lives. I like what has already been shared on the FB comments.

Prayer for our missionary partners: Catalyst shout-out

2010-09-24T15:22:00.000-04:00

I praise God for those who help others. Catalyst does this consistently. I accessed this prayer journal from Google Reader on their blog. You can view it here. They list it as Catalyst Prayer Journal: Kingdom projects. I love the fact that they see things in a God's kingdom way. Way to go, Catalyst!

One of the responsibilities that I have is to keep our church informed about missionary partner prayer requests. I see this as one way to get the word out to pray.

I intend to submit my first one this Sunday, September 26. Please look for it here.

Steve Wise

2010-09-10T14:24:00.000-04:00

Wooster Grace partners with Steve & Deb Wise. My visit to Cambodia was enhanced by my time with Steve & Deb. As is my bent, I wanted to hear what Steve's favorite snack is.

I was privileged to have the Phnom Penh team join our GoTeam for breakfast at the Kiwi Bakery near the river the day after landing in Cambodia. Steve and Deb joined us with the Robertson's.

At the breakfast, we asked Steve to pray for our meal in Khmer. Then I asked him to share a few tips about ministering at Battambang.

He told us to enjoy the food; especially the rice. The best rice in Cambodia is grown in the area around Battambang. He was accurate. I loved the rice.

He also informed us to work diligently on building relationships with the people. The culture is a patron-client model where the foreigner is ascribed higher status than Cambodians. Thus a Cambodian may not go beyond a student-teacher relationship. He was correct. I had to work hard to engage a budding relationship with the people. But by the end of the week, relationships were built and memories forged.

Steve is a Penn State grad. Please give him encouragement for his team goes up against Alabama this Saturday. It'll be hard not to hear, "Roll Tide!" at the end of the game. Still, send Steve an email at stevendeb@mac.com. He'd love to hear from you.

I like his choice of a snack place. He didn't go for the typical salty or sweet fare. Check out what is his favorite snack place.

Deb Wise, missionary partner to Cambodia

2010-09-10T14:11:00.000-04:00

One of the best things I get to do as Pastor of Cross-cultural Ministries at Wooster Grace is encourage our missionary partners. While in Cambodia, I got to get more acquainted with Steve & Deb Wise.

One of the things that I enjoy is food--especially snack foods. So as I encounter people and get to know them I will ask them what their favorite snack is. If someone can accommodate a care package, then you'll know what to send.

But while I was in Phnom Penh, Deb was trying to nurse an abandoned, alley-kitten back to health. Unfortunately, the kitty did not make it. So if you would, please send an email with condolences to Deb at stevendeb@mac.com.

But check out what snack Deb misses most from the US.

In O'hare on the way to Seoul

2010-08-17T12:31:00.000-04:00

I am sitting in Korean Air waiting for our plane to depart. I have butterflies. But I direct the nervous energy to prayer for those I leave behind, to those I will meet. I already had the chance to help a Korean lady at check-in. Her bags were too heavy. So I asked if I could help. She allowed me to help. After lifting her heavy bags onto the check-in place, she said in unbroken English, "thank you." I praise God that we can be His hands, His feet, even His back to help others out. I will be flying to Seoul for 14 hours. So I trust you will hear from me when we land in Seoul. Thanks.