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Planning a Missions Trip?
Helping your Missionary...
All Missionary Photos
Experience our first week after returning to the field!
Some Hard Missionary Facts
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The Facts
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But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost..(2 Cor.4:3)
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What it means..
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This generation will not be reached.. without new candidates. It will be impossible for us to evangelize the world without
the continual flow of laborers for the harvest field.. -Dr.Bob Baird, BBFI Missions Dir. 2002
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The Missionary Decline!
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In 1950 there were 100,000 missionaries. Since 1950 we have lost 1,000 missionaries per year. Only 50 take their place -
we are running out of people.
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Baptists are Failing!
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Today while there are approximately 29,000 missionaries worldwide, there are only about 5,000 Independent Baptist Missionary
families serving on foreign fields.
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Shocking Realities
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43% of missionaries will never complete deputation, and 75% of new missionaries who return home within the first three years,
will never go back to a foreign field.
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The Results are showing!
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At this time it looks like 2009 may be one of our lowest for missionary approvals. As I pen this letter, we only have one
career couple to be approved in May and several others for September. - Recent Assessment, BBFI Missions Director
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Christ said...
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The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth
labourers into his harvest. (Lk.10:2)
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Copied from one of my Featured Weekly Articles
Yes, Philippine Churches CAN
HAVE A Missions Program!
Since our sufficency is in Him and not
in ourseves, our poverty, unemployment, corruption, age and even poor health should not limit our Missions Program. If
I can help you, please e-mail me.
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The Macedonian
Church is in the Philippines!
"Moreover, brethren,
we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that
in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;
Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of
the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves
to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God" (2 Cor 8:1-5)
After losing 15 members, only four remained with steady jobs and
the financial status of our missions program was in a real crises. So we had a church meeting, did some hard restructuring,
put up a giving barometer, decorated our auditorium with missions posters, scheduled some good speakers on missions, and challanged
our church with the themes "have a heart, do your part" and "show you care, do your share" for missions.
One lady worked all day in the rice fields to give her four dollars
to missions - she gave it with blisters in her hands! A wife did some cooking while her husband went around selling it
for missions. He has only one leg! Our Youth Pastor gave his full church salary - not once but committed it each
month for missions! Others are cooking and selling, walking to give their jeepney fare to missions, collecting
and selling bottles, praying, and even texting me on my cell phone of how excited they are to be earning money for missions.
"Gud AM Ptr. We are selling merienda start yesterday & 2day. Pray 4 us...Thanks" "U no
what Ptr? Im now selling cadies to my students I gained P200 4 dis wk as my profit. I am happy bec. it help alots 4 our missions
giving!".
Instead of saying I'm unemployed,
they employ themselves. Instead of looking at what they can't do, it's now what can I do. Instead of asking
what others give, it is now what can I give. While many blanks used to fill our missions giving column
in our financial ledger, now it looks the same as our general column. Before our crises we were meeting our missions
budget without even realizing the potential we had. Now that we lost 15 members, we are currently EXCEEDING our previous
budget! Yes, it CAN BE DONE. The heart gives more than the economy ever will.
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A SKIT YOU CAN USE!
Ten Little Missionares
NOTE: This is effective as a skit when ten members go up to the platform or altar, and leave one by one as this script is
narrated. Or even better, leave their shoes behind. The conclusion is... NOW WHO WILL FILL THESE EMPTY SHOES?
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TEN little Missionaries heard God's call divine, Mom steered her child away from it,now there is nine... NINE little missionaries
to reach a world of hate, but dad wanted an athlete,now there are just eight... EIGHT little missionaries to point the way
to heaven, Surely He didn't mean my son, now there are just seven. SEVEN little missionaries, but in the world he did mix.
Playing in a band somewhere, now there are six... SIX future missionaries, to share eternal life. But one went after financial
wealth, now there are just five... FIVE future missionaries to preach unto the poor, but this one's lost his burden, now there
are just four... FOUR bright missionaries to preach of calvary. But one fell into legalism leaving only three... THREE promising
missionaries with glorious plans in view, but after Satan's sifting trials, the Faithful were just two... TWO final missionaries,
when at first ten begun, One married an unwilling wife,and that left God with one... ONE last hope Missionary, who also heard
the Call. And you can make the difference, if he stands or if he falls.
For every ten who get the call are nine who won't be true. But did it ever occur to us it may be because of you. When
we don't pray or give to them we tell them we don't care. And this gives God who died for man a burden He must bear. Now
God searches to and fro, nine vacant spots to fill. He urges "Who will go for us" and waits to hear "I will."
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"Since becoming President, I
have come to know that the finest of Americans we have abroad today are the missionaries of the Cross. I am humiliated that
I am not finding out until this late day the worth of foreign missions and the nobility of the missionaries. Their testimony
in China, for instance, during the war there, is beyond praise. Their courage is thrilling and their fortitude heroic." -President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Click Here to Visit my archived Missionary Journals!
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What God says
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.Go ye therefore, and teach
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Mat.28
18-20)
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."(Mark 16:15)
"Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look
on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.(Jn.14:35
"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds
of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them
(2 Cor.4:3-4)
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts1:8)
"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send
me. 9 And he said, Go, and tell this people..." (Isa 6:8-9)
"And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into
Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering
that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them." (Acts 16:9-10)
"Where there is no vision, the people perish..." (Prov.29:18)
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What fifty-seven cents can do!
YOU MUST READ THIS ONE!
A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was "too crowded."
"I can't go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by.
Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and
found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so happy that they found room for her, and she went to bed
that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.
Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings. Her parents called for the kindhearted
pastor who had befriended their daughter to handle the final arrangements.
As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled red purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from
some trash dump.Inside was found 57 cents and a note, scribbled in childish handwriting, which read: "This is to help
build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School." For two years she had saved for this offering
of love.
When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do.. Carrying this note and the cracked, red
pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion.He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise
enough money for the larger building.But the story does not end there...
A newspaper learned of the story and published It. It was read by a wealthy Realtor who offered them a parcel of land
worth many thousands. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered to sell it to the little church for 57 cents.
Church members made large donations. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl's gift had increased
to $250,000.00--a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century). Her unselfish love had paid large dividends.
When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300. And be sure
to visit Temple University, where thousands of students are educated. Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and
at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of beautiful children, built so that no child in the area will ever need
to be left outside during Sunday school time. In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face
of the little girl whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history. Alongside of it is a portrait of
her kind pastor, Dr. Russel H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of Diamonds".This is a true story, which goes
to show WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57 CENTS.
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Book Quotes
Terry C Hulbert, Th.D., World Missions Today....."Even with our present resources, strategies and dedication, we are
failing to reach most people before they reach their eternal destiny..half the people alive today never have heard of Jesus
Christ...and most of the other half, have no real idea of Who He is.."
Richard R Cook, An Introduction to Christian Missions..."In many of our churches, there are untapped resources of
manpower for missions, simply because the young people have never been challenged of giving their lives for Christ in a missionary
way."
George W Peters, A Biblical Theology of Missions...."As long as there are groups of people who are not worshiping
the True God,and until the Gospel message has been presented to every creature...There will always be a
demand for missionaries..
J Herbert Kane, Understanding Christian Missions...."There are more non-Christians in China and in India alone than
there are Christians in the entire world...Obviously, the task of world evangelism is not complete.."
T C Hulbert, Th.D., World Missions Today..."World missions has developed dramatically in recent years. In our generation
as never before, whole areas of the world and groups of people have became open to the gospel....The problem of obtaining
sufficient personnel {for missions} remains since over 3 billion people are presently without the Gospel and the population
continues to increease..."
J H Kane, A Concise History of the Christian World Mission..."Never before in History have non-Christian peoples
of the world been so open to the claims of Christ...Millions in all walks of life are showing an unprecedented interest in
the Christian Faith....
Michael C Griffiths, Give up your Small Ambitions....."Personally, having seen the great need for evangelism and
church planting we know from experience of so many places where Missionaries are so desperately needed..."
Joseph L Cannon, For Missionaries Only...."We are in the most important work in the world, (yet)...how many opportunities
to save souls were lost because no workers were available.."
Dr. Lee Roberson, Start the Fire...."There are not enough on the fields, but we rejoice to know that souls are being
saved and the work is going on. But, let us join in prayer that Godwill send out more to the fields - that, the message of
Missions - the message of Christ's saving power - might reach the untold thousands who are yet in darkness...In too many cases,
we have failed to go with the message of our Saviour,and the rottenness of sin has overtaken whole areas, even whole nations!
Why? Because we failed to go. The fields were ready. The time was right, but we did not respond.."
J Herbert Kane, A Concise History of the Christian World Mission... "Animists in Africa, Hindus in India, Buddhists
in Southeast Asia, and even Muslims in the Middle East, are reading Christian literature, listening to Gospel broadcasts,
and enrolling in Bible Correspondence courses in record numbers. Everywhere the Holy Spirit is at work, creating a genuine
hunger for the Bread of Life...
Mike Mislan (ME) ......."It is only when our hearts become broken, that the means will equal the largeness of the
task.."
Melvin L Hodges, The Indigenous Church....."The New Testament Church is a powerful, vital organism with power to
not only maintain itself, but to expand and to extend itself throughout the country where it had been planted....Yet, we are
brought face to face with the fact that too often, the churches planted by missionaries on the foreign fields are not that
kind of church..."
Michael C Griffins, Give up your Small Ambitions...."Churches need revival...at present, churches are already failing
to reach their existing population effectively......"
George W Peters, The Biblical Theology of Missions...."The Church has become structured Christiandom, which is little
more than a society for religious practices...Though waves of revival have swept over the church, it cannot be said that the
church as a whole, has ever permitted the reviving power of the Holy Ghost to penetrate reform, transform, and redirect her
total life and ministry...."
George W Dollar, Fundamentalism in America...."America faces a black hour, perhaps her last. Spiritually bankrupt
religions continue to drag millions into empty caverns of lifeless ecclesiastical existence....Denominations engage in the
unscriptural business of building kingdoms dominated by religious idealism, but void of the power of the Holy Ghost.."
George E Gardner, The Corinthian Catastrophe..."For too long many churches have been the centers of dry, dull, pedantic
preaching and teaching....The philosophy has been that the Word of God preached and taught is enough, and the Author of the
Book, the Holy Spirit, has been ignored.."
W A Criswell, The Holy Spirit in Today's World...."Church history verifies that without the Holy Spirit bringing
the power of God upon a people, no blessing can be expected by the church. Mechanical, man-made gadgets will never be able
to pry up from the earth, the fallen house of God....."
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Evangelism and Eternity
Approximately 2,550 tribal groups remain unreached with the gospel.
Of the approximate 16,000 people groups in the world, 6,880, or 2.1 billion, are considered unreached with the gospel.
Currently, the worlds population has been estimated at six billion, four hundred forty seven million, with 2.4 being born
each second.
Sixty percent of the worlds population live in Asia.
Of the over one million people born each week, 900 Thousand of them will go to hell.
There are 5,867 Languages, yet only 283 have the complete Bible & 551 have the New Testament.
Almost four billion, still have no Bible.
In the USA we have five Bibles for every family, yet we're only nine percent of worlds population. In ninety one percent
of world, three out of four will have no Bible.
Missionary Quotes
"I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land
flooded with light" John Keith Falconer
"It is only when our hearts become broken, that the means will equal the largeness of the task.." -Mike Mislan
"The true test of missions is not how fast the work starts, but how long it will last after the missionary leaves"
Mike Mislan
"I can guarantee that if we will pray more specifically for our missionaries we will hear of unbelievable results around
the world with people getting saved and many churches becoming started with strong national leaders. Our missionary families
will be stronger and they will stay on the field longer. How can I guarantee this? Read Luke 11:9-10 "And I say unto
you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh
receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." -Dr. Bob Baird
Missionary Spending
It takes 7.1 Fundamental Baptist Churches to produce one missionary.
Almost 90% of all foreign missionaries go to the reached people groups. This means that only 10% of North American missionaries
are ministering to 50% of our world who is unreached.
Out of all full-time Christian workers (not just missionaries) going to the unreached, 99.9% go to area where this is
already an established church.
Of foreign missions giving, 87% goes for work among those already Christian, 12% goes for work already evangelized non-Christian,
2/10ths of 1% goes for work among people groups in the unevangelized or unreached category.
Since Guttenberg invented the movable type printing press in the 16th century, it is estimated that 6.5 billion Bibles
have been printed. Of these 85% are in English for the 9% of the world that speaks English.
For every dollar that gets put in the offering plate in the US, 96 cents goes right back into the American Christian culture.
Out of the remaining 4 cents designated for the Great Commission, 3.5 cents goes to finance mission endeavors among churches
that are reached. Less than one penny goes to reach the unreached peoples of the world where there is no established church.
Other Missionary Statistics
In 1950 there were 100,000 missionaries. Since 1950 we have lost 1,000 missionaries per year. Only 50 take their place -
we are running out of people
Today while there are approximately 29,000 missionaries worldwide, there are only about 5,000 Independent Baptist Missionary
families serving on foreign fields.
43% of missionaries never complete deputation, 30% of all Fundamental Baptist Missionaries are located in 5 countries,
42% of the 10/40 window have no missionary presence, 75% of missionaries return home within the first three years and never
go back to a foreign field, 1,000 American Missionaries return home each year, less than 1% of students attending a Bible
College ever consider the mission field
Missionary Depression
Richard Birkenes, former missionary to England, When I returned
home from the mission field , I found out that most people didn't even know that I had burned out. Some people didn't even
know that I had been on a mission.
Most people were just too busy.. I ended up taking some time off from life, and
headed to my home town ..I didn't have much money, but ..I felt to just get somewhere quiet where I could take time to heal.
Missionary Care Resources, Book, Coming Home, "Another shocking aspect of our return home was that no one was interested
in hearing us sharing about missions. No one even knew who we were. No one cared to view our nice PowerPoint and CD about
our life on the mission field. No one said, "Tell us about your missionary experience overseas," or asked, " How is life for
you now that you have returned home?"
Five page paper entitled "Missionary trauma on the front lines: Bridging the
gap between Christian counseling and global missions." One missionary wote: "I do not want to fail to appreciate or take lightly
the Lord's faithfulness and my dear wife and best friend's faithfulness during this crisis. But..when the two of us
needed someone ..to come along side and counsel us through those dark days,..no one from our mission came or even called.
Fellowship of Martyrs Web Page: As a missionary wife, I came home from years on a pioneer field and was in great need
of rest, good food, medical help and acceptance.. But I was..thrust..upon a platform to speak about "Missions, and was taken
from church to church and shown off. I tried to eat at all the feasts in my honor, but isn't there someone who will just care
about me as a person?
From "Into the Harvest" April 2003, Published by OMS International New Zealand, Things That
Missionaries Don't Often Talk About... "To be called by God to serve Him as a missionary cross-culturally to reach the unreached
for Christ is, I believe, the greatest privilege anybody can ever receive. It entails great sacrifice, hard work,
lots of study, commitment, dedication and stickability when the going gets tough. We at home tend to put such people into
a special box. We put them on a high pedestal. However, there is another side that most missionaries rarely talk about --the
realities of difficulty, hardship and often harsh living standards on the mission field."
"Things that our missionaries
rarely tell us about include: fears, fears for physical safety and for the safety of their loved ones, fears of the unknown
and of the spiritual warfare they face and fears of rejection, etc. that comes with dealing with another culture. Failure
- "Haven't I been called here by God? There are so many people who look to me and depend on me, there's the church who sent
me out, all of my supporters and prayer partners."
"Other things include: depression, discouragement, spiritual attack
in intensity and in ways that we can hardly imagine back here in our comfortable church circles and when God does not seem
to be coming through "on time". There is a loneliness, particularly for single people on the mission field when friends seem
few and far between and because of the transience of missionary work, good friends are made and then lost as they return home
or move to another place of service."
"Perhaps this short list will help you as you pray for your missionary - to
be more aware of some of the issues that you need to pray for in the areas that they not tell you about but often grapple
with each day in their missionary life. Thank you for your support and your prayers."
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Philippines Over-Evangelized?
Many Missions experts feel that the Philippines has been over-evangelized with some, like Christian Missionary and Alliance
even transferring their missionary force to more needy fields. And when you get to the Manila International Airport, there
is a big sign that reads, "Welcome to the Largest Christian Nation in Asia!" But under that same sign, is a much
smaller one that reads "Caution: Beware of Pick-Pocketers, PNP." In fact, of all Asian Nations, the Philippines
ranks number one in beer consumption, three for corruption, and is also high in drug usage. Of the 42,000 barangays in the
Philippines, an estimated 26,000 barangays with a population of 39 million, are still without any church. How can we claim
that 90 million people, speaking 87 different dialects, living on 2,000 inhabited islands, many with no Bible in their native
tongues, have all been evangelized? NO, the job is not done. In fact, the Philippines in not just one mission field, but
is many!
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