Travel, travel, and more travel
The past two months have felt like one long road trip. I began the month of March sitting on an airplane while headed to Florida. After a three hour delay during which the largest snow storm of the year enveloped the Piedmont, our flight was cancelled and I slid my way home in six inches of snow. Several days later our family participated in the Mission Conference at our sending church, Canton Baptist Temple, in Canton, OH. Lisa and I then returned to Mexico City for five days where I preached at and officiated the wedding ceremony of two young people who were members of the church which we planted. I was also able to preach in the Iglesia Bautista de Fe and the Iglesia Bautista Nueva Esperanza, both located in the suburbs of this huge metropolis. Upon our return I traveled to West Virginia where I preached a four-day Bible Conference at the Grace Baptist Church in Bridgeport, WV. This is the first church in which Lisa and I served following Bible College more than twenty-five years ago. On April 19 I was privileged to preach at the Iglesia Bautista Cristo Vive here in Winston-Salem, NC. Last week I again traveled to Canton, OH to attend the funeral of Joan Stephens, one of our coworkers at EBI. She had been battling cancer for many years but God saw fit to take her home. Finally, I traveled to Chattanooga, TN to pick up our daughter from college.
I relay this travel diary to request your prayers that God would continue to grant us safety in travel and effectiveness in ministry. While the challenges of present-day missionary journeys pale in comparison to the hardships which the Apostle Paul and other first-century missionaries encountered (2 Cor. 11:23-28), they are nonetheless real. Lisa and I returned from Mexico just six days prior to the public announcement of the swine flu. On a trip to Caracas, Venezuela last year I got lost late at night in a dangerous section of the city with absolutely no idea where I was to go and with incorrect contact information. After teaching in the seminary in Trujillo, Peru several years ago my students “rewarded” me with a celebratory dinner of ceviche (uncooked citrus marinated seafood) which resulted in an agonizing six hour flight home and a bad case of Salmonella thirty days later. And just this week while traveling in heavy rain on the WV Turnpike there was a devastating accident involving a semi-truck and several other vehicles just minutes in front of me. Yes, missionary travel can be dangerous yet God often uses these obstacles for a clear demonstration of His glory.
Next Theological Curriculum course is finished (finally!)
The Old Testament Survey I course is now finished and available for distribution throughout Latin America. Many of you have been praying with us for its completion. Although the formatting and graphic work took us longer than we had anticipated, the project is done and there is rejoicing in the halls of Editorial Bautista Independiente. We now can turn our attention to the next courses on our publication docket including Bible Doctrine I, II, III, and The Family.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Be strong
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:9
God’s declaration to guide, protect and promote His people even along previously untrodden paths is a contemporarily relevant and personally encouraging promise. While the year 2008 certainly led EBI along some unanticipated and at times completely unwelcomed pathways, God has fulfilled His Word. He has ministered to our staff amidst extremely trying times. He has provided wisdom and strength to fulfill responsibilities, even those above our “pay grade” and His ministry through EBI continues to grow as current materials are promoted and new materials are developed. Although often hesitant and fearful of taking paths on which we have not passed heretofore (Joshua 3:4) God continually encourages us to press on with courage and confidence. We are grateful for God's faithfulness in the past year which provides us with great courage and confidence for the year ahead!
God’s declaration to guide, protect and promote His people even along previously untrodden paths is a contemporarily relevant and personally encouraging promise. While the year 2008 certainly led EBI along some unanticipated and at times completely unwelcomed pathways, God has fulfilled His Word. He has ministered to our staff amidst extremely trying times. He has provided wisdom and strength to fulfill responsibilities, even those above our “pay grade” and His ministry through EBI continues to grow as current materials are promoted and new materials are developed. Although often hesitant and fearful of taking paths on which we have not passed heretofore (Joshua 3:4) God continually encourages us to press on with courage and confidence. We are grateful for God's faithfulness in the past year which provides us with great courage and confidence for the year ahead!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
December 2008 Prayer Letter
“The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.”
The Christmas season provides each believer with a visual reminder of Christian missions. While contemporary custom focuses inordinate attention upon the presents received, the biblical message accentuates the person sent. Jesus Christ, who is coequal with the Father according to the Godhead, voluntarily set aside the glories of Heaven to humble himself through incarnation and death on the cross. He is the season’s true message. His vicarious sacrifice forms the true gift and His missional obedience is the true Christmas spirit.
Old Testament Survey 1 course taught in Ecuador
The course preparation manual that we created to guide the development of our Theological Curriculum Project specifies that each new course be “field tested” prior to publication. The purpose of this step is to ensure that the freshly created notes accurately communicate the intended content and that the pedagogical helps for both professor and student are clear, concise, and easy to follow. Having recently completed the notes for Old Testament Survey 1 I was invited to “field test” them in a new Bible Institute in Cuenca, Ecuador.
Situated at the top of the Andes Mountains, Cuenca is a 400 year old colonial village with 500,000 inhabitants that is home to several BMM missionaries and three Baptist churches. These growing ministries have sensed the need to provide a more formal environment for the training of their pastors and theological leaders, thus they have begun offering modular classes. This was my first time in the country of Ecuador and the second time modular classes were offered.
Ten students studied with us during the week. Classes were held for three hours each evening, Monday through Friday, and all day on Saturday. I am pleased to report that the notes were very well received. Several recommendations were given to improve the course’s overall presentation all of which we plan to incorporate prior to publication. I also was able to preach at the Iglesia Bautista la Gracia on Sunday morning. It was a real blessing to interact with each of these believers and we remain excited about what God is doing in Ecuador and throughout Latin America.
Additional responsibilities call for additional prayers
I want to repeat our request that you would join us in special prayer that God would supply a new General Director for EBI. While we are confident in God’s timing and we rest in His sovereign direction, the appointment of a new Director is urgent for two very important reasons. First, I have been asked to function as the Interim Director during this period of transition and I admit to being ill-equipped to fulfill many of the tasks inherent in the position. The sooner that God would provide such a leader, the more quickly our ministry could function at optimum efficiency. Secondly, due to these increased administrative demands upon my time and energy the development and production of Theological Curriculum materials has been greatly curtailed. You may remember that we had promoted an aggressive timetable for the release of our upcoming new courses but we are now several months behind schedule and each month spent as Interim Director limits my involvement in course development and production.
Praises & Prayer
1. Several EBI staff members are experiencing serious physical challenges. Both Joan Stephens and Gary Sammons have been in and out of the hospital. While Gary is now home recuperating, he is still very weak and in need of prayer for strength. Joan is facing additional treatments and an uncertain future. We ask that you faithfully lift both her and her husband Marv up to the Lord in prayer. Gary Hilliker has also experienced physical difficulties the last several months. We ask your prayers that upcoming treatment options would alleviate his discomfort and allow him to continue to minister effectively.
2. The M.A.B.S program which we introduced last prayer letter is off and running. Some twenty-five students are enrolled from four different countries: Mexico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and Ecuador. You may remember that we at EBI are representing BMM and helping Piedmont Baptist College in the administration of this program. The first class, Investigative Writing and Communication, which is preparatory for graduate level work, began in October. The next module, Biblical Hermeneutics, is scheduled for January of 2009. Please pray for these students, many of which are juggling ministry and continuing ministry preparation.
3. Please pray with us for more staff. The growth of the Theological Curriculum Project as well as the addition of new literature tools demands more help especially in the areas of Spanish editing, document formatting, and graphic design. We are praying that God would raise up additional missionaries with expertise in these specialized areas who could join us in our ministry. However, we are quick to acknowledge that many of these tasks do not demand missionary involvement. In fact, the Church is filled with talented individuals who are looking for an opportunity to invest their abilities in Great Commission ministries. Please pray that God would supply this important need and if you or someone that you know is interested in helping us with one of the aforementioned tasks, please let us know. We would love to hear from you!
¡Les deseamos una feliz Navidad y un próspero año nuevo
The Christmas season provides each believer with a visual reminder of Christian missions. While contemporary custom focuses inordinate attention upon the presents received, the biblical message accentuates the person sent. Jesus Christ, who is coequal with the Father according to the Godhead, voluntarily set aside the glories of Heaven to humble himself through incarnation and death on the cross. He is the season’s true message. His vicarious sacrifice forms the true gift and His missional obedience is the true Christmas spirit.
Old Testament Survey 1 course taught in Ecuador
The course preparation manual that we created to guide the development of our Theological Curriculum Project specifies that each new course be “field tested” prior to publication. The purpose of this step is to ensure that the freshly created notes accurately communicate the intended content and that the pedagogical helps for both professor and student are clear, concise, and easy to follow. Having recently completed the notes for Old Testament Survey 1 I was invited to “field test” them in a new Bible Institute in Cuenca, Ecuador.
Situated at the top of the Andes Mountains, Cuenca is a 400 year old colonial village with 500,000 inhabitants that is home to several BMM missionaries and three Baptist churches. These growing ministries have sensed the need to provide a more formal environment for the training of their pastors and theological leaders, thus they have begun offering modular classes. This was my first time in the country of Ecuador and the second time modular classes were offered.Ten students studied with us during the week. Classes were held for three hours each evening, Monday through Friday, and all day on Saturday. I am pleased to report that the notes were very well received. Several recommendations were given to improve the course’s overall presentation all of which we plan to incorporate prior to publication. I also was able to preach at the Iglesia Bautista la Gracia on Sunday morning. It was a real blessing to interact with each of these believers and we remain excited about what God is doing in Ecuador and throughout Latin America.
Additional responsibilities call for additional prayers
I want to repeat our request that you would join us in special prayer that God would supply a new General Director for EBI. While we are confident in God’s timing and we rest in His sovereign direction, the appointment of a new Director is urgent for two very important reasons. First, I have been asked to function as the Interim Director during this period of transition and I admit to being ill-equipped to fulfill many of the tasks inherent in the position. The sooner that God would provide such a leader, the more quickly our ministry could function at optimum efficiency. Secondly, due to these increased administrative demands upon my time and energy the development and production of Theological Curriculum materials has been greatly curtailed. You may remember that we had promoted an aggressive timetable for the release of our upcoming new courses but we are now several months behind schedule and each month spent as Interim Director limits my involvement in course development and production.
Praises & Prayer
1. Several EBI staff members are experiencing serious physical challenges. Both Joan Stephens and Gary Sammons have been in and out of the hospital. While Gary is now home recuperating, he is still very weak and in need of prayer for strength. Joan is facing additional treatments and an uncertain future. We ask that you faithfully lift both her and her husband Marv up to the Lord in prayer. Gary Hilliker has also experienced physical difficulties the last several months. We ask your prayers that upcoming treatment options would alleviate his discomfort and allow him to continue to minister effectively.
2. The M.A.B.S program which we introduced last prayer letter is off and running. Some twenty-five students are enrolled from four different countries: Mexico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and Ecuador. You may remember that we at EBI are representing BMM and helping Piedmont Baptist College in the administration of this program. The first class, Investigative Writing and Communication, which is preparatory for graduate level work, began in October. The next module, Biblical Hermeneutics, is scheduled for January of 2009. Please pray for these students, many of which are juggling ministry and continuing ministry preparation.
3. Please pray with us for more staff. The growth of the Theological Curriculum Project as well as the addition of new literature tools demands more help especially in the areas of Spanish editing, document formatting, and graphic design. We are praying that God would raise up additional missionaries with expertise in these specialized areas who could join us in our ministry. However, we are quick to acknowledge that many of these tasks do not demand missionary involvement. In fact, the Church is filled with talented individuals who are looking for an opportunity to invest their abilities in Great Commission ministries. Please pray that God would supply this important need and if you or someone that you know is interested in helping us with one of the aforementioned tasks, please let us know. We would love to hear from you!
¡Les deseamos una feliz Navidad y un próspero año nuevo
Friday, July 11, 2008
June 2008 Prayer Letter
Mexico ministry update
Last week Lisa, Lindsay, and I had the opportunity to return to Mexico City with the youth group from Salem Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC. This is our church here in North Carolina and a number of the teenagers were students in Lisa’s Spanish classes at Salem Baptist Christian School. Let me say first of all that these young people did an excellent job of ministry through singing, giving public testimony of their relationship with Christ, witnessing, and providing skits for DVBS - all of this in Spanish! It was exciting to see God work in their lives. Of even greater encouragement to us was the opportunity to visit and encourage our brothers and sisters at the Iglesia Bautista de Fe in Nicolás Romero and to interact with our missionary coworkers.
While the construction of the building is not yet completed, the church is already meeting inside. Although there are still no windows in the building I was able to preach the morning service in the new auditorium with solid walls, a roof, an elevated platform, and tile floors. Now, this may not be a big deal to many who know no other scenario, but after 10 years of preaching out under the open air, this was a huge privilege for which we are extremely grateful. God continues to provide what is needed for the construction as the church, through much sacrifice, slowly erects its building piece by piece. It is exciting to see how God is using the new building to give positive testimony to the grace of God and to demonstrate the faithfulness of his people within the Nicolás Romero community. New families frequently visit the services, some out of curiosity and others as a direct result of the church’s public testimony. Please pray with us that God would provide the remaining funds and that construction of this phase of the building will be completed soon.
The church continues to grow and prosper under the leadership of Pastor Juan Matías. Several new believers have come to Christ in the past few months and the church has expanded its ministry to include a Bible Institute. This is not to say that the church has not experienced challenges. Several cases of church discipline over issues of immorality have caused internal conflicts, but Pastor Juan and the other leaders of the church are responding with love, patience, and, most importantly, a determination to follow the instructions in God’s Word. Please pray that God would continue to build His church in Mexico City and use these believers to declare the truth of the Gospel of Christ.
New medium for prayer letter
I am repeating this section from the last letter so as to give everyone another chance to respond. Due to advances in technology and the ever increasing cost of traditional delivery we are proposing a change in our delivery format. While we will continue to provide a “hard copy” sent through the US postal service for all who would request it, starting with this prayer letter (June 2008) our preferred means of delivery will be a digital (PDF) copy via email. It is here that we need your help. If you have not yet responded we are asking that each church and/or individual supporter contact us at brburk@yahoo.com either expressing your desire to receive the prayer letter via traditional means or providing us with your preferred email address for email delivery. Thanks for your help in this area!
Praises & Prayer
1. We have had a good response to the introduction of the Theological Curriculum. Copies of professor’s and/or student’s notes of the Hermeneutics course have already been sent to the Dominican Republic, Chile, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guatemala, Spain, as well as Hispanic ministries here in the United States. That is a pretty good start! Please pray with us that God would use these materials for the effective training of Hispanic men for pastoral ministry.
2. Our trip to Mexico City provided several opportunities to minister. I was able to preach in our church, Iglesia Bautista de Fe, with good results. We also helped missionary David Hyde and the new church, Iglesia Bautista Nueva Esperanza, which is located in a northern suburb of the city, with their three-day DVBS. There were over seventy-five children and adults in attendance each of the first two days and over one hundred on the last. Most of these were unbelievers with whom we were able to share the gospel for the very first time. Please pray that God would use our time and the missionaries’ continual ministry to draw many to Christ. Two interesting stories come to mind:
On the first night a gentleman brought his daughter to the DVBS service and while not willing to enter he did stand outside and listen as I taught the story of the Parable of the Lost Sheep from Luke 15. He was captivated by the biblical story listening intently as we emphasized the truth that each person is just as lost as that sheep and that Christ the Good Shepherd is seeking to save that which was lost. After the service the missionary approached him and asked what he thought. His response was, “I have never heard that before. I’ll be back tomorrow evening to hear more.” Sadly he did not return the next night, but please pray for his salvation.
On the second evening a mother was sitting in the service about half-way back, literally on the edge of her seat during the entire lesson. On this evening I taught that Christ is the Bread of Life relating the biblical account of the feeding of the five thousand to our need for that bread which provides complete and permanent sustenance. As we gave the invitation this lady jumped to her feet and responded immediately. While she was not yet ready to make a decision pastor Juan Matias was able to deal with her for over 30 minutes carefully opening the Scriptures to more clearly explain the Gospel. She has asked the missionary to begin Bible studies in her home with the entire family!
3. Our partnership with Piedmont Baptist College in the development of the Hispanic M.A.B.S. is in full swing. The Spanish web site is up and running. (It can be found at http://www.pbc.edu/grad/spanish/ if you are interested.) Fifteen students are needed by September 1 to begin the program. At last count there were twelve already enrolled. Although we have already elaborated upon the necessity of this program in previous letters, let me remind you of the tremendous need for doctrinally sound Hispanic theological leaders and professors. As the national church continues to grow exponentially the demand for pastors and teachers grows as well. This increases the demand for Bible colleges and seminaries throughout Latin America. It is our prayer that God would raise up a host of national leaders to minister in this way. Would you pray with us for this new ministry? Please pray for Gary Sammons, our EBI liaison who is administering the program. Also please pray each student enrolled (present enrolled students hail from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela, and Honduras). Please pray that God would supply them with the needed finances and strength to handle the additional responsibility.
4. The Old Testament Survey I course for the Theological Curriculum has been translated and is now in the format stage - that means that it is almost finished! Please pray with us for its completion. Also pray for the other courses under development: Bible Doctrines I, III, IV, Family, Evangelism and Discipleship, A Christian View of Science.
5. Finally, please pray for staffing needs at EBI. While the task before us is huge, as in many ministries, the laborers are few. We need help in just about every area including: theological writing, Spanish editing, graphic design, production, distribution, and representation. We especially ask your prayers for a new director. Marv Stephens, who has successfully directed EBI for some ten years, has announced his intent to retire. Please pray with us that God would provide the needed personnel.
Last week Lisa, Lindsay, and I had the opportunity to return to Mexico City with the youth group from Salem Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC. This is our church here in North Carolina and a number of the teenagers were students in Lisa’s Spanish classes at Salem Baptist Christian School. Let me say first of all that these young people did an excellent job of ministry through singing, giving public testimony of their relationship with Christ, witnessing, and providing skits for DVBS - all of this in Spanish! It was exciting to see God work in their lives. Of even greater encouragement to us was the opportunity to visit and encourage our brothers and sisters at the Iglesia Bautista de Fe in Nicolás Romero and to interact with our missionary coworkers.
While the construction of the building is not yet completed, the church is already meeting inside. Although there are still no windows in the building I was able to preach the morning service in the new auditorium with solid walls, a roof, an elevated platform, and tile floors. Now, this may not be a big deal to many who know no other scenario, but after 10 years of preaching out under the open air, this was a huge privilege for which we are extremely grateful. God continues to provide what is needed for the construction as the church, through much sacrifice, slowly erects its building piece by piece. It is exciting to see how God is using the new building to give positive testimony to the grace of God and to demonstrate the faithfulness of his people within the Nicolás Romero community. New families frequently visit the services, some out of curiosity and others as a direct result of the church’s public testimony. Please pray with us that God would provide the remaining funds and that construction of this phase of the building will be completed soon.
The church continues to grow and prosper under the leadership of Pastor Juan Matías. Several new believers have come to Christ in the past few months and the church has expanded its ministry to include a Bible Institute. This is not to say that the church has not experienced challenges. Several cases of church discipline over issues of immorality have caused internal conflicts, but Pastor Juan and the other leaders of the church are responding with love, patience, and, most importantly, a determination to follow the instructions in God’s Word. Please pray that God would continue to build His church in Mexico City and use these believers to declare the truth of the Gospel of Christ.
New medium for prayer letter
I am repeating this section from the last letter so as to give everyone another chance to respond. Due to advances in technology and the ever increasing cost of traditional delivery we are proposing a change in our delivery format. While we will continue to provide a “hard copy” sent through the US postal service for all who would request it, starting with this prayer letter (June 2008) our preferred means of delivery will be a digital (PDF) copy via email. It is here that we need your help. If you have not yet responded we are asking that each church and/or individual supporter contact us at brburk@yahoo.com either expressing your desire to receive the prayer letter via traditional means or providing us with your preferred email address for email delivery. Thanks for your help in this area!
Praises & Prayer
1. We have had a good response to the introduction of the Theological Curriculum. Copies of professor’s and/or student’s notes of the Hermeneutics course have already been sent to the Dominican Republic, Chile, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guatemala, Spain, as well as Hispanic ministries here in the United States. That is a pretty good start! Please pray with us that God would use these materials for the effective training of Hispanic men for pastoral ministry.
2. Our trip to Mexico City provided several opportunities to minister. I was able to preach in our church, Iglesia Bautista de Fe, with good results. We also helped missionary David Hyde and the new church, Iglesia Bautista Nueva Esperanza, which is located in a northern suburb of the city, with their three-day DVBS. There were over seventy-five children and adults in attendance each of the first two days and over one hundred on the last. Most of these were unbelievers with whom we were able to share the gospel for the very first time. Please pray that God would use our time and the missionaries’ continual ministry to draw many to Christ. Two interesting stories come to mind:
On the first night a gentleman brought his daughter to the DVBS service and while not willing to enter he did stand outside and listen as I taught the story of the Parable of the Lost Sheep from Luke 15. He was captivated by the biblical story listening intently as we emphasized the truth that each person is just as lost as that sheep and that Christ the Good Shepherd is seeking to save that which was lost. After the service the missionary approached him and asked what he thought. His response was, “I have never heard that before. I’ll be back tomorrow evening to hear more.” Sadly he did not return the next night, but please pray for his salvation.
On the second evening a mother was sitting in the service about half-way back, literally on the edge of her seat during the entire lesson. On this evening I taught that Christ is the Bread of Life relating the biblical account of the feeding of the five thousand to our need for that bread which provides complete and permanent sustenance. As we gave the invitation this lady jumped to her feet and responded immediately. While she was not yet ready to make a decision pastor Juan Matias was able to deal with her for over 30 minutes carefully opening the Scriptures to more clearly explain the Gospel. She has asked the missionary to begin Bible studies in her home with the entire family!
3. Our partnership with Piedmont Baptist College in the development of the Hispanic M.A.B.S. is in full swing. The Spanish web site is up and running. (It can be found at http://www.pbc.edu/grad/spanish/ if you are interested.) Fifteen students are needed by September 1 to begin the program. At last count there were twelve already enrolled. Although we have already elaborated upon the necessity of this program in previous letters, let me remind you of the tremendous need for doctrinally sound Hispanic theological leaders and professors. As the national church continues to grow exponentially the demand for pastors and teachers grows as well. This increases the demand for Bible colleges and seminaries throughout Latin America. It is our prayer that God would raise up a host of national leaders to minister in this way. Would you pray with us for this new ministry? Please pray for Gary Sammons, our EBI liaison who is administering the program. Also please pray each student enrolled (present enrolled students hail from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela, and Honduras). Please pray that God would supply them with the needed finances and strength to handle the additional responsibility.
4. The Old Testament Survey I course for the Theological Curriculum has been translated and is now in the format stage - that means that it is almost finished! Please pray with us for its completion. Also pray for the other courses under development: Bible Doctrines I, III, IV, Family, Evangelism and Discipleship, A Christian View of Science.
5. Finally, please pray for staffing needs at EBI. While the task before us is huge, as in many ministries, the laborers are few. We need help in just about every area including: theological writing, Spanish editing, graphic design, production, distribution, and representation. We especially ask your prayers for a new director. Marv Stephens, who has successfully directed EBI for some ten years, has announced his intent to retire. Please pray with us that God would provide the needed personnel.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Is that real mission work?
Real life events are often the best catalyst for personal and ministry evaluation. I can remember numerous times in ministry where one circumstance or another drove us back to the Bible so as to better understand God´s take on a situation and to obtain wisdom and guidance in how to proceed, how to live, and/or how to minister. Well life is shaking us up again, but this time from an unexpected source.
Many are familiar with the health challenges that precipitated our return from Mexico now over three years ago. (Where does the time go?) Although it was our intent to stay in Mexico for the long-term, God had other plans. He allowed me to experience severe and repeated heart problems culminating in triple bypass surgery and then six months later a failed bypass to boot. It was then that our Mission Agency in cooperation with our sending church called us home. Their analysis: My health situation was too precarious; the Mexico City environment was not health friendly; the ministry situation was too pressured; and my family was too traumatized by it all. Well now I am rambling, but I promise to return to the theme of this post. Through our return God, again using the wise council of our sending church and BMM leadership, led us to Editorial Bautista Independiente where we are charged with the task of producing a Theological Curriculum for Hispanic Bible Schools and Pastoral Training Institutions. While we reside in the United States, our ministry extends throughout the Spanish-speaking world as these theological materials are now being used amongst Hispanics here in the United States, throughout Latin America, and even in Spain.
On frequent occasions we are questioned as to the relationship between our ministry at EBI and missions in general. Now here is what I meant previously by being “shaken up from unexpected sources” for in the three years since our return from Mexico we have lost over 25% of our support. Granted many fundamental Baptist churches are struggling both in their evangelistic outreach and in internal ministry so much so that church attendance, church finance, and ultimately missionary support are drastically affected. However, much of our loss is due to missionary considerations. In other words, our present ministry of developing theological training materials for EBI, the spanish literature division of Baptist Mid Missions, is not considered sufficiently missionary.
This begs the question, what is true missionary activity? Over the course of the next few blogs I hope to evaluate this question in the light of biblical, demographic, and ministerial evidence. So, how does the Bible define missions? How does the explosive growth of Christianity within the Global South affect our understanding of missions? As the national church matures does our role change? Is there ever a time when our mission is completed regionally? These are just a few of the issues which we hope to tackle. Does this interest you? Then I invite you to join the conversation.
Many are familiar with the health challenges that precipitated our return from Mexico now over three years ago. (Where does the time go?) Although it was our intent to stay in Mexico for the long-term, God had other plans. He allowed me to experience severe and repeated heart problems culminating in triple bypass surgery and then six months later a failed bypass to boot. It was then that our Mission Agency in cooperation with our sending church called us home. Their analysis: My health situation was too precarious; the Mexico City environment was not health friendly; the ministry situation was too pressured; and my family was too traumatized by it all. Well now I am rambling, but I promise to return to the theme of this post. Through our return God, again using the wise council of our sending church and BMM leadership, led us to Editorial Bautista Independiente where we are charged with the task of producing a Theological Curriculum for Hispanic Bible Schools and Pastoral Training Institutions. While we reside in the United States, our ministry extends throughout the Spanish-speaking world as these theological materials are now being used amongst Hispanics here in the United States, throughout Latin America, and even in Spain.
On frequent occasions we are questioned as to the relationship between our ministry at EBI and missions in general. Now here is what I meant previously by being “shaken up from unexpected sources” for in the three years since our return from Mexico we have lost over 25% of our support. Granted many fundamental Baptist churches are struggling both in their evangelistic outreach and in internal ministry so much so that church attendance, church finance, and ultimately missionary support are drastically affected. However, much of our loss is due to missionary considerations. In other words, our present ministry of developing theological training materials for EBI, the spanish literature division of Baptist Mid Missions, is not considered sufficiently missionary.
This begs the question, what is true missionary activity? Over the course of the next few blogs I hope to evaluate this question in the light of biblical, demographic, and ministerial evidence. So, how does the Bible define missions? How does the explosive growth of Christianity within the Global South affect our understanding of missions? As the national church matures does our role change? Is there ever a time when our mission is completed regionally? These are just a few of the issues which we hope to tackle. Does this interest you? Then I invite you to join the conversation.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Strategic Planning
“Strategic thinking and acting is no stranger to the Bible. References to and examples of it are generously sprinkled throughout the Old and New Testaments…In the Gospels, Christ informs the church of its mission – the Great Commission. The Book of Acts records how the Holy Spirit used the church strategically to implement this mission. Paul does not wander aimlessly but appears to have carefully and strategically selected the cities he visited for ministry while on his missionary journeys…It becomes obvious, then that God has sovereignly chosen to work through strategic thinking and acting and to accomplish his divine will on earth.” (Aubrey Malphurs, Strategic Planning: A Model for Church and Ministry Leaders, 12)
On Monday of this week the staff of EBI met in Sebring, FL to continue our process of strategic planning. Now I must admit from the get-go that my personality leans toward a strategic mindset. As the saying goes, I love "to plan my work and then to work my plan." You will then find it as no surprise to know that I am really pleased with the strategic planning which we at EBI have accomplished. Our plan of action is beginning to take shape and I believe that it clearly sets the course for how God would have us to minister. That being said, let me blog a few moments about our mission statement. It reads like this,
EBI exists to assist Hispanic churches in the fulfillment of the great commission by creating, publishing and distributing Biblically-based materials.
Several aspects of this statement stand out to me as being particularly relevant. First of all our mission is defined in terms of assisting. We are a service organization. We exist primarily to minister to the needs of others. Secondly, these "others" are specifically defined as the Hispanic church. We at EBI are local church at the core. Being the Spanish literature division of Baptist Mid Missions we exist to serve Hispanic churches both here and abroad. Thirdly, we help these churches in their attempt to fulfill the Great Commission. In other words we are an organization that focuses our attention upon Great Comission ministries. We are missions minded. Finally, we accomplish all of this through the specific task of creating, publishing, and distributing Biblically-based materials. Through the provision of these resources the Hispanic church can more efficiently accomplish their role of reaching the spanish-speaking world with the Gospel, of discipling their members to greater Christ-likeness, and of training the next generation of pastors and leaders.
That's a pretty good mission statement isn't it? May God give us the grace, strength, and wisdom to fulfill it!
On Monday of this week the staff of EBI met in Sebring, FL to continue our process of strategic planning. Now I must admit from the get-go that my personality leans toward a strategic mindset. As the saying goes, I love "to plan my work and then to work my plan." You will then find it as no surprise to know that I am really pleased with the strategic planning which we at EBI have accomplished. Our plan of action is beginning to take shape and I believe that it clearly sets the course for how God would have us to minister. That being said, let me blog a few moments about our mission statement. It reads like this,
EBI exists to assist Hispanic churches in the fulfillment of the great commission by creating, publishing and distributing Biblically-based materials.
Several aspects of this statement stand out to me as being particularly relevant. First of all our mission is defined in terms of assisting. We are a service organization. We exist primarily to minister to the needs of others. Secondly, these "others" are specifically defined as the Hispanic church. We at EBI are local church at the core. Being the Spanish literature division of Baptist Mid Missions we exist to serve Hispanic churches both here and abroad. Thirdly, we help these churches in their attempt to fulfill the Great Commission. In other words we are an organization that focuses our attention upon Great Comission ministries. We are missions minded. Finally, we accomplish all of this through the specific task of creating, publishing, and distributing Biblically-based materials. Through the provision of these resources the Hispanic church can more efficiently accomplish their role of reaching the spanish-speaking world with the Gospel, of discipling their members to greater Christ-likeness, and of training the next generation of pastors and leaders.
That's a pretty good mission statement isn't it? May God give us the grace, strength, and wisdom to fulfill it!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
April 2008 Ministry Update
EBI Strategic Planning
Last week EBI met for an intense three-day session of strategic planning. Our goal was to clearly articulate the nature of EBI’s mission, to prayerfully consider our vision for the future, and to determine strategic objectives which will allow us to most effectively accomplish our God-given task. The ten participants (drawn from EBI staff, the EBI board of directors, and the BMM home office) were unanimous in their conviction concerning the escalating importance of EBI ministry and resources for future missionary efforts in Latin America. We reaffirmed the following statement of mission, “EBI exists to assist the Hispanic church in the fulfillment of the Great Commission by creating, publishing, and distributing biblically based literature.”
As the Hispanic church continues to grow both in Latin America and here in the United States there is a mounting need for quality Bible based materials to aid the national church in the accomplishment of this task. EBI is in a great position to meet these ever-expanding needs. Please pray with us that God would continue to provide the necessary personnel and resources.
New medium for prayer letter
Modern technology has dramatically simplified missionary communication. Past communication mediums were slow, sporadic, and one-sided; however, the internet has opened up new vistas of communication that promote an immediate, continuous, and much more personal flow of information. It is for this reason that we propose a change in the method of prayer letter delivery. While we will continue to provide a “hard copy” sent through the US postal service for all who would request it, starting with the next prayer letter (June 2008) our preferred means of delivery will be a digital (PDF) copy via email. It is here that we need your help. We are asking that each church and/or individual supporter contact us at brburk@yahoo.com either expressing your desire to receive the prayer letter via traditional means or providing us with your preferred email address.
I am also glad to announce another technological jump. Our bimonthly updates as well as additional reports, personal reflections, pictures, and ministry links will soon be available on our new ministry blog titled Faithful Men. It can be found at http://bruceburkholder.blogspot.com/. It is our desire to provide a more accessible and interactive communication with each of you. So we invite you to join the conversation.
Praises & Prayer
1. Our oldest son, Jared, was married to Janelle Halladay on March 29th at Faith Baptist Church in Peckville, PA. It was a beautiful wedding with many family and friends attending from all over the country. While Pastor Michael Cantando delivered the charge to the couple it was my privilege to officiate the actual ceremony including the official pronouncement (“I now pronounce you…”) and the introduction of the couple (Mr. & Mrs. Jared Burkholder). What fun! It was a great weekend. God was glorified through each aspect of the wedding. We are especially grateful that Janelle is part of our family and for the relationship which we have with her parents Jim and Grace Halladay. Thank you to each one who prayed for the event!
2. We thank the Lord for the great weekend of EBI strategic planning mentioned above. We are also grateful for the godly leadership and team of workers which God has brought to EBI. Please pray for EBI as we look to the future. We appreciate your prayers as we seek to provide additional resources to aid the Hispanic church.
3. The Hispanic On-line M.A.B.S. offered by Piedmont Baptist College to promote the development of theological leaders through Latin American is a “go.” Details are falling into place and promotional materials are set to be released. Please pray that God would raise up a significant number of men to study with us in the program. A cohort is a group of students that enter the program together, study together, and ideally who complete the program together. We are praying for a group of 15-25 to fill the cohort.
4. The formal announcement of our Theological Curriculum Program is ready for distribution. This eight page glossy spread is being sent out to Bible Schools, missionaries, and national pastors throughout Latin America explaining the benefit of this curriculum to their pastoral training programs. I have included to the right a glimpse of a few pages from the brochure. These two pages illustrate a few of the educational components in the courses which we are developing. While the text is in Spanish it should give you a better understanding of what our materials look like.
5. The Old Testament Survey I course is written and is now in the hands of a content editor. This course was written in English so after the editing process is complete it will be passed to a professional translator and then on to formatting. We are projecting a June 15 availability so please pray with us for each step of the process. These other courses are still under development: Bible Doctrines I, III, IV, Family, Evangelism and Discipleship, A Christian View of Science. Please pray with us for the different authors and individuals involved in the process.
Last week EBI met for an intense three-day session of strategic planning. Our goal was to clearly articulate the nature of EBI’s mission, to prayerfully consider our vision for the future, and to determine strategic objectives which will allow us to most effectively accomplish our God-given task. The ten participants (drawn from EBI staff, the EBI board of directors, and the BMM home office) were unanimous in their conviction concerning the escalating importance of EBI ministry and resources for future missionary efforts in Latin America. We reaffirmed the following statement of mission, “EBI exists to assist the Hispanic church in the fulfillment of the Great Commission by creating, publishing, and distributing biblically based literature.”
As the Hispanic church continues to grow both in Latin America and here in the United States there is a mounting need for quality Bible based materials to aid the national church in the accomplishment of this task. EBI is in a great position to meet these ever-expanding needs. Please pray with us that God would continue to provide the necessary personnel and resources.
New medium for prayer letter
Modern technology has dramatically simplified missionary communication. Past communication mediums were slow, sporadic, and one-sided; however, the internet has opened up new vistas of communication that promote an immediate, continuous, and much more personal flow of information. It is for this reason that we propose a change in the method of prayer letter delivery. While we will continue to provide a “hard copy” sent through the US postal service for all who would request it, starting with the next prayer letter (June 2008) our preferred means of delivery will be a digital (PDF) copy via email. It is here that we need your help. We are asking that each church and/or individual supporter contact us at brburk@yahoo.com either expressing your desire to receive the prayer letter via traditional means or providing us with your preferred email address.
I am also glad to announce another technological jump. Our bimonthly updates as well as additional reports, personal reflections, pictures, and ministry links will soon be available on our new ministry blog titled Faithful Men. It can be found at http://bruceburkholder.blogspot.com/. It is our desire to provide a more accessible and interactive communication with each of you. So we invite you to join the conversation.
Praises & Prayer
1. Our oldest son, Jared, was married to Janelle Halladay on March 29th at Faith Baptist Church in Peckville, PA. It was a beautiful wedding with many family and friends attending from all over the country. While Pastor Michael Cantando delivered the charge to the couple it was my privilege to officiate the actual ceremony including the official pronouncement (“I now pronounce you…”) and the introduction of the couple (Mr. & Mrs. Jared Burkholder). What fun! It was a great weekend. God was glorified through each aspect of the wedding. We are especially grateful that Janelle is part of our family and for the relationship which we have with her parents Jim and Grace Halladay. Thank you to each one who prayed for the event!
2. We thank the Lord for the great weekend of EBI strategic planning mentioned above. We are also grateful for the godly leadership and team of workers which God has brought to EBI. Please pray for EBI as we look to the future. We appreciate your prayers as we seek to provide additional resources to aid the Hispanic church.
3. The Hispanic On-line M.A.B.S. offered by Piedmont Baptist College to promote the development of theological leaders through Latin American is a “go.” Details are falling into place and promotional materials are set to be released. Please pray that God would raise up a significant number of men to study with us in the program. A cohort is a group of students that enter the program together, study together, and ideally who complete the program together. We are praying for a group of 15-25 to fill the cohort.
4. The formal announcement of our Theological Curriculum Program is ready for distribution. This eight page glossy spread is being sent out to Bible Schools, missionaries, and national pastors throughout Latin America explaining the benefit of this curriculum to their pastoral training programs. I have included to the right a glimpse of a few pages from the brochure. These two pages illustrate a few of the educational components in the courses which we are developing. While the text is in Spanish it should give you a better understanding of what our materials look like.
5. The Old Testament Survey I course is written and is now in the hands of a content editor. This course was written in English so after the editing process is complete it will be passed to a professional translator and then on to formatting. We are projecting a June 15 availability so please pray with us for each step of the process. These other courses are still under development: Bible Doctrines I, III, IV, Family, Evangelism and Discipleship, A Christian View of Science. Please pray with us for the different authors and individuals involved in the process.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
