BMA Pastors: Free Confidential Help is Available

A typical day in the life of a pastor may consist of listening to a hurting widow, counseling a marriage in crisis, comforting children in the aftermath of divorce, and arbitrating a dispute between family members.

After a long day of shepherding, who will pastor the pastor? To whom can he bring his problems? Confidentiality prohibits him from discussing matters with other church members and most pastors often want to protect their wives from the drama.

For this reason, pastors are often the loneliest people in the church. They find themselves without anyone with whom they can share their pain and struggles. Many pastors long to have someone who will listen and understand where they are coming from.

If they don’t find someone to speak with, they will likely face burnout. Many will leave the pastorate all together or grow calloused toward the ministry.

Sadly, these pastors don’t suffer alone. The isolation felt by pastors can spread to the home. Wives begin to feel that their husbands are married to the church instead of to them. Children feel neglected as their fathers spend more time with other families and less time at home.

DiscipleGuide wants to help pastors and their families receive the help they need. Pastors may call 844-877-4BMA between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. CST Monday through Friday for free, confidential help. This new partnership with Focus on the Family will provide a trained specialist for every caller. All specialists have vocational ministry experience so they understand where pastors are coming from.

The help line is available for all BMA pastors and their wives to discuss any issue ranging from dealing with a difficult church member, pornography, addictions, anxiety/depression, personal marriage issues, parenting, etc.

“Our goal,” according to DiscipleGuide Executive Director Scott Attebery, “is to give pastors resources to help them prevent pastoral burnout, family struggles, and destructive behavior. That benefits everyone –the pastor, his family, and the church.”

/0 Comments/by

Dominican Update February 2016

After filling out reports for the office I realized how helpful it is for me to stop and reflect on what has happened in the ministry.  You’re a vital part of our ministry so I wanted to also encourage you with this reflection.  Our ministry is encouraging, coaching and training other leaders.  The only way I know to see if this is being successful or not is to look at the ministries of those we are ministering to.  Not everything we tried to do this past year has been successful, but through God’s help, your prayers and a lot of work on the part of those we minister to, God has done great things here.

In 2015 two different ministries to children and youth were started.  The first is a children’s program in Bienvenido.  They meet in the carport of the parsonage below the church.  They have packed out the little carport and just bought about 40 more chairs, because more kids are still coming.  The second is the multi-church outreach to the juvenile detention center that I told you about last month.  At the last meeting we had 5 of the youth come forward and ask for God’s forgiveness.  Beyond these 2 ministries several people came to Christ in the evangelism ministry in Sanchez and the church there has grown because of it.  Also, the children’s program that Rebecca is working with right now has seen new life and become an encouragement to people even outside of that ministry.

These are just a few highlights of the things we get to see and be a part of all the time.  I don’t share these with you to say look what we have done, because that is not true.  I share this to say God has been working here and that is in large part due to your prayers and support of this ministry and the people here.  Be encouraged and know that God is using you to make a difference.  Thank you!!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL NEWSLETTER

/1 Comment/by

The Great Escape Conference

The Great Escape conference recently set sail from Galveston, Texas, on a five-day Western Caribbean cruise. The Great Escape is a time for children and youth leaders to get away and get recharged. During the conference, leaders are given the opportunity to hear valuable teaching and to connect with fellow leaders. Jeff Herring, associate pastor at Oak Park in Little Rock, Arkansas, has attended almost every Great Escape. This is how Jeff describes it.

“My wife and I have attended The Great Escape conference for as long as I can remember. I believe the only one we missed was when we were expecting our third child during the time of the conference. We have always enjoyed the conference, but we have especially enjoyed it since it has moved to a cruise ship-based conference.”

“When The Great Escape was previously held in a hotel/conference room setting it was beneficial to attend simply because of the content of the conference, but the awesome side benefit of having the conference on the cruise ship is the down time you get to spend with others that are in ministry like you and share concerns, struggles, victories, etc. In the previous hotel setting, you would attend the conference and usually break to go eat with people you already knew then come back to the conference. On the cruise you are all thrown in together and you get to know others you might not have had the chance to meet otherwise.”

“We not only attend now because of the conference and whatever content will be shared, which is usually very practical to ministry, but also so we can continue to meet others and spend time with our ministry friends that we have made throughout the years. Every year we leave refreshed and encouraged as a couple to continue in ministry. Many times The Great Escape has become a place where we have been able to give godly counsel to other ministers as they are facing difficult circumstances back home or we have been on the receiving end of that godly counsel. I believe The Great Escape conference not only provides some practical teaching on ministry, but it also provides invaluable time when ‘iron sharpens iron’ as we glean from the experiences of others.”

Mark your calendars for The Great Escape 2017, which will be January 14-19. Visit discipleguide.org for additional information on The Great Escape and other DiscipleGuide conferences.

/0 Comments/by

Lingle’s February Newsletter

New Home
We are happy to be getting settled into our new home in the area we are planning to plant a church. Above is a picture of the moving company that helped us move. We are now located in the northern tip of Bangkok.

It has been fun getting to know the area and making new friends. We stick out A LOT here in this area because there are not a lot of foreigners. People have been talking about us. Yesterday Brittney went out with Josie and people were asking where I was. We have not “officially met them yet,” but they are watching. Some people already call Josie by name and enjoy playing with her. She has made it easy to meet new people.

God blessed our House Searching 
This was actually only the second house we looked at! When we saw it we thought it was the best place to rent for the area, price, and size we needed. What helped us make the decision was the large living area. It has the living room, dinning room, and kitchen all in one big room. This will work well for us when we start hosting outreaches, parties, and bible studies in our home. We feel really blessed to get this house within our budget. We already had some friends come visit and pray that God will use this house as a place to serve and share with the Thai people. Brittney and I are happy to be in this home.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IN THE FULL NEWSLETTER

/1 Comment/by

2016 Missions Prayer Calendars

2016MissionsCalendarCoverBy Dr. John David Smith
Executive Director BMA Missions

Missions Prayer Calendars for 2016 have arrived at the Global Ministry Center and are available to be shipped to you or your church. They feature sixty-eight BMA missionaries and their families and include contact information (except for those in closed access nations), prayer requests and praises.

Your global partnership is vital to our ministry, so we ask that you not only pray for our missionaries and indigenous pastors but also subscribe to mission:world magazine (missionworldmag.com) for updates from them.  In addition, visit our website (bmamissions.org) and Facebook page for videos and worldwide reports from missionaries. Personally corresponding with our missionaries will give you an even better insight into their ministries and can offer much needed encouragement.

Order calendars and the missions video at the following website: www.bmamissions.org/worldmissions  This site also provides the opportunity to make a donation to world missions. You may also place your order by calling the missions office at 501-455-4977.

Thank you so much for your global partnership and don’t forget about World Missions Sunday on February 28!

/0 Comments/by

Thank You Churches

Sunday, December 20, 2015, was set aside as DiscipleGuide’s Kingdom Investment Sunday. Churches across the BMA took a special offering of which half went to a local ministry of their choice and half to DiscipleGuide. Thank you to the churches that invested in their communities and in DiscipleGuide. With your offering, DiscipleGuide will be able to continue investing in and helping churches as they maximize their Great Commission potential.

Your prayers and support help DiscipleGuide invest in churches through Conferences, Church Solutions, Curriculum, and Camps. Here is just a glimpse of what your support enables us to do:

Conferences:

Throughout the year, DiscipleGuide offers conferences to reach the variety of people and age groups in our churches. Each conference is designed with the Great Commission in mind. The Great Escape and Pastors Oasis provide leaders and pastors an opportunity to connect with other leaders and pastors. Students at SOAR connect with God in a high-energy atmosphere through teaching and worship. At the National Senior Adult Conference, senior adults have the opportunity to worship and learn with fellow believers. If you have never attended a DiscipleGuide conference, do not miss an opportunity in 2016:

January- Great Escape Children’s Ministers and Youth Leaders Cruise (January 16-21)

July- SOAR Youth Conference (July 6-8)

October- Pastors Oasis (October 3-5)

October/November- Senior Adult Conference (November 7-9)

For more information on conferences, visit www.discipleguide.org or e-mail conferences@discipleguide.org.

Church Solutions:

DiscipleGuide cares for our churches and our pastors, and we show this by offering the following solutions:

Activate is a church revitalization plan. Under the direction of Todd West, Activate helps declining churches with the regrowth process.

Tuesday Talks take place the second Tuesday of each month. Tuesday Talks is an online training session designed to help churches maximize their Great Commission potential. These webcast sessions are taught by experienced ministry personnel and target wide-ranging topics.

Pastors Help Line is an anonymous help line offered in cooperation with Focus on the Family. Pastors, staff members, and their spouses can call 1-844-877-4262 and speak with someone about any struggle they are going through.

For more information on Church Solutions, visit www.discipleguide.org.

Curriculum:

Even as more avenues to fulfill the Great Commission have been added to our ministry, the publication arm of DiscipleGuide is still a large and vital part of what DiscipleGuide does. DiscipleGuide offers curriculum for students in preschool through adulthood. If your church is not currently using any curriculum produced by DiscipleGuide, consider one of the following:

DiscipleKids is for preschool through 6th grade.

SoarLit and our latest product, Launch Kit, are designed to teach students in 7th-12th grades how to make an impact on their schools, families, friends and churches.

Compass Adult Study is a quarterly, in-depth Bible study divided into weekly lessons that help adults grow in their walk with Christ. To order any of these publications, visit www.discipleguide.org or call 1-800-333-1442.

Camps-Daniel Springs

Daniel Springs, located in Gary, Texas, in the heart of the piney woods of East Texas, offers summer camps starting in June and going through the first part of August. Daniel Springs has been under the direction of Jason Prewitt since January 2015. Jason has brought a fresh and energetic spirit to Daniel Springs. Thousands of campers come to Daniel Springs each summer and encounter God in a unique way. Registration is now open for the 2016 camp season. Visit www.danielspringscamp.com to plan your camp experience.

For more information on DiscipleGuide and the ways DiscipleGuide is helping churches maximize their Great Commission potential, please visit www.discipleguide.org.

/0 Comments/by

2013-2015: Two Years of Blessings

The following is a portion of Lifeword’s mission:world article, written by Steve Crawley with contributions from the Lifeword team. For the full report, see the March/April 2016 issue:

Since 2013, the cost savings associated with the integration of departments have enabled Lifeword to divert overhead costs to the funding of additional ministry opportunities. Tactical moves made by Lifeword and other BMA entities have certainly brought extensive change and required considerable effort, yet they have reduced overhead costs significantly, resulting in an increase in ministry funds. The following are just a few examples of new initiatives implemented in the past two years:

Community Radio (Low Power FM or LPFM): In the last two years, dozens of affiliate stations have been added in the United States and abroad. These efforts have resulted in many professions of faith, baptisms, and disciples being funneled into existing BMA missions and churches, some even resulting in new church plants.

Over the last two years, Lifeword has conducted training in Honduras, Guatemala, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Tanzania, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Africa, and the Philippines, which prepares believers effectively share the gospel with their communities using media. Additionally, Bible Institute classes in the Philippines and Guatemala have incorporated Community Radio training into their curriculum. Students learn broadcast/program production, recording, editing, and setting up and troubleshooting the stations.

Testimonies from around the globe offer an encouraging response:

Honduras: The Garifuna, who were among the first recipients of Community Radio, have set up five additional stations in their communities. In cooperation with BMA Honduras, they have also traveled outside the country to set up stations for other indigenous people groups and are training others to do the same.

Guatemala: The Garifuna have set up a station in the jungle. Consequently, a number of Kekchi villages are hearing the gospel in their language for the first time, resulting in many reported professions of faith. Pastors and leaders in other Kekchi villages are being trained in the use of Community Radio, which should yield even more results.

Peru: Because of the concerted efforts of BMA Missions, Lifeword, BMMI, and BMA Peru, the Lord blessed with professions of faith in the community of Picoy. One of these converts was the mayor, who is currently being discipled and has offered a place to set up Community Radio where a new mission/church is being launched this year by BMA Peru. Picoy, previously known to locals as the seat of paganism, will now have a church and a Christian radio station.

Eight hours from Picoy, in Mazamari, the Community Radio station opened the door to a hundred tribes, where BMA Peru leader and Lifeword representative Paul Tinoco has been following up. He reports many professions of faith, and both BMA Missions and Lifeword now have a presence in the communities of Shevoja, Bagua Grande, and Concepcion Huancayo.

Philippines: Open Door Baptist Church in Pandan (a small Filipino village) and Pastor Jonathan Arturo started its Community Radio station two years ago to share the gospel with nearby villagers. After a few months, station managers began receiving text messages from listeners in Melendrez, a place no one had ever heard of. It was only five miles away on the other side of a jungle so thick that no one had ever gone, but radio waves from Open Door Community Radio were able to penetrate! Melendrez now has a church with dozens of members. Since that time, Open Door has planted a mission church in the nearby village of Kalubihan and the people down the road in Hilonga have also begun to respond to the gospel.

Africa: Among the Swahili-speaking people of Tanzania, twenty-five pastors in a small association of Tanzanian Baptist churches are working with Lifeword and the following individuals and entities to spread the gospel: BMA pastors, BMA Seminary professors, Evangelistic International Ministries (EIM), and BMA Missions. Lifeword has the opportunity to step in and help with a new Swahili broadcast that should be airing in 2016.

Please join us as we praise the Lord for the following:

  • The integration process and the opportunities it has provided.
  • The expansion of Community Radio throughout the world.
  • Changed lives through gospel broadcasting.

Please join us as we pray for the following:

  • The training of broadcasters and production of gospel programming in Swahili-speaking Tanzania.
  • Discipleship of new converts throughout the world, especially those from the Islamic and Buddhist religions.
  • Radio waves to reach the ears of people who need Jesus as their Savior.
/0 Comments/by