Peru Short Term Missions Trip Dec 31-Jan 9

Today is the day the ChildReach Ministries Medical team from Malone University leaves for Lima, PERU.  I am so proud of the ladies from our church who are going: Holly, Jacoby, & Sarah.

If you are unfamiliar with ChildReach you can check out name, one of the founder's, to read his reflections of this new ministry of "giving people a global vision of God and His Kingdom."  God has helped ChildReach impact 27 families in five years.  That's good!

I praise God for His work in the greater reaches of God's Church.  Way to go Childreach!

New Prayer Guide coming soon from GBIM

I received in the mail today my copy of the 2010 Global Ministries Prayer Guide. I could smell the hot-off-the-presses aroma as I thumbed through all of the pages.  I want to say thanks to Jim Folsom for sending me an advanced picture of the cover pre-printing.  On the printed cover are three key verbs: discover, intercede, and rejoice.

GBIM Executive Director, Dave Guiles, showed me an advanced copy earlier this month. He gave me the following insights about what is new:

• The Guide will seek to celebrate what God is doing in the world
• The Guide is also intended to educate everyone what God is doing through Grace Brethren International Miissions
• The Guide will help you understand the global influence of all God's workers who are laboring in the Lord's harvest around the world

I am already enjoying a few interesting facts on the inside cover:

• I praise God for this global movement our fellowship of churches is enjoying--GBIM is "impacting dozens of people groups scattered among 33 countries on 5 continents.
• I marvel at how the Lord is helping to mobilize nationals to serve together with missionaries to start new churches and ministries within their own countries and to start praying for how to initiate new fields of harvest in neighboring countries.
• I am grateful for all who compiled the information so that I can pray better for God's work to impact the nations in 2010.  I will be able to intercede more efficiently with the expansion of national missions prayer requests in places like the Central African Republic.

I recommend that you get your free copy sent to you right away. 

Prayer for Andrew Simms on his way to Burkina Faso

On Sunday, December 27 the Truthseekers ABF commissioned Andrew Simms with prayer for his short term missions experience starting on January 1 and tentatively concluding on February 12.  Follow him on his blog. Please keep Andrew in your prayers.

• Pray for safety
• Ask the Lord for stamina and great flight connections and he travels
  
• Request that God would be true to His Word, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you (Psalm 32:8)."  

Check out the beginning moments of a fifteen minute prayer of commissioning for Andrew below.

Middle School Open Cafe Offers Food & Fun

Pastor Josh Atkins, his wife Amber, and a team of several parents hosted over 30 middle school students today.  I briefly chatted with a few of the guys.  They love the nachos with cheese dip, soft drinks, popcorn, cookies, and brownies.  Moreover, they love hanging out in the Student Ministries Center to play hoops, participate or cheer on others who are playing video games, or to challenge Pastor Josh in any activity.  What a great job!  May more students come to know Christ through efforts like this.

Linda Kline reports from Cambodia

Linda sent an email stating the following:

A note to let you know that all is going well and I am fine.  It has been a tremendous experience being here and following Jill around.  She has been building relationships with so many people.  Last night we had over 80 people from her English class here for a Christmas party.  WOW what an evening.  We visited Grace Place orphanage yesterday and took then a few small gifts.  They were thrilled.  One day we went to sign the agreement for the well to be drilled from money of Wooster GBC Sunday school classes and Kid's Praise.  They had been praying for a well for a long time and the physical conditions their were not very good.  It was exciting to see and experience.  Today we are going to two more churches for Christmas celebrations then tomorrow wel will visit Angkor Wat which is considered the 8 wonder of the world.  Thanks for praying they are evident.  See you next week.

Linda

Please keep praying for Linda who returns on Dec 30-31.  

Christmas Eve Services Boom

Wooster Grace welcomed 2145 people to our four Christmas Eve Services.  Each was packed.  The six o'clock hour numbered over 1000. 

I loved the different musical formats.  The Traditional services (6pm & 8pm) lead the audience in several Christmas carols. My favorite was 'O Holy Night."  The Contemporary services (6pm & 11pm) directed attendees to sing variations on a few carols. 

Nevertheless, the message remained the same in each service.  How does Jesus intersect with your life?  Using intersections as the analogy, you were challenged to consider how your life intersects with Jesus at Christmas time. 

I personally loved how the worship team responded to comments from last year.  They worked extra hard to create two types of servcies.  One point of feedback came from those who would have liked a candlelight service option for the traditional at 11pm.  Otherwise, I discovered many who loved how things worked out.

Christmas Concerts Packed

We praise God for this year's attendance at our Christmas concerts = 1650! Wow!  What a great job by a huge team of people in our church who gave up hours of time to create a wonderful challenge to make the First Christmas the prominent part of a Christmas celebration.  Way to go Randy Moomaw, Teri Myers, & Brad Frederici and their teams! I am looking forward to tonight's Christmas Eve services.

Short Term Team to Peru

On December 31, three ladies are leaving for Peru, SOUTH AMERICA for a medical missions trip with Malone University.  All three are from Wooster Grace.  Jacoby Gessel, Holly Moomaw, & Sarah Roseler will be ministering from Dec 31 to Jan 9 to set up medical clinics, conduct a mini-VBS program, and help with first aid at several orphanages.

Prayer Requests:

• Ask God to give them safety and health as a team
• Ask God to work through the language barriers to facilitate friendships for sharing Christ
• Ask God to empower each to return home challenged to greater devotion to God and to faithful service to Him
  

You can read my first post about the trip "Pray for sarah."

Video from Internationals Christmas Dinner 2009

Please check out how many people were there at 6pm.  We had more come after this video was taken.  Our total number is 86 internationals from 12 different countries.

Pictures from Internationals Christmas Party 2009

What a wonderful time with our International friends! Read the exciting report.

Internationals Christmas Dinner

Tonight we had 81 people attend our Internationals Christmas Dinner.  We asked internationals to bring a main dish to share and to invite friends to join us.

Fantastic meal was enjoyed.  I tasted two Asian dishes with two different kinds of noodles.  One dish as cold but delicious.  The other dish was spicy hot. Loved it!

Eleven countries were represented.  Two internationals have just come into the USA in the past four days.  One from Brazil and the other from Sri Lanka.

An interesting question posed last night: "How many languages do you speak?"  I can only speak two, Navajo and English.  But the majority of our internationals can speak at least three languages. Amazing!

The evening included prayer, feasting, fellowship, Gospel presentation, prizes, and lots of food.  We even had a year in review of all our events.  Our team did a fantastic job getting things together.  Our Internationals Coordinator, Celeste Hodgdon, orchestrated a sensational event. Way to go Celeste!

See pictures here.

Impact Cambodia & Portugal for Christmas

From GBIM website, please pray for Kane's and Hawkins as they reach out during this Christmas season.  Check out two other places where GBIM missionaries are using this holiday to share about Jesus (link).

Greetings from our Kids at Grace Place Cambodia

Thanks to John & Bobbie Campbell.  You can watch our kids from Grace Place Cambodia sing two songs:

• O Holy Night (Khmer)
  
• Silent Night (English)
  

My favorite part is after the songs when they shout out, "Merry Christmas!"  I love the choreography too. 

Merry Christmas to you litlle ones!  We love you!

Commissioned to go

Linda Kline was commissioned at New Community tonight.  She was already commissioned by her Children's Church on Sunday, December 13.  Keep Linda in your prayers. She travels over 30-hours to get to Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA. 

Pictures from give-a-christmas 2009

Christmas Concerts for the Community

First Christmas, portrayed vingettes from a variety of stories.  Whether a mom hiding in a bathroom from family and new additions to the family Christmas or a mourning spouse dealing with the loss of a loved one for the first time at Christmas, the segments would appeal to many in our community.

One other story so poignant is the first Christmas while a family deals with a divorce.  The storyteller shared how Christmas was not about a small tree or no tree.  It was about being together as a family and working through the challenges of a split home.  Our program tried to speak into the lives of those who are facing a Christmas in a first-time kind of way.

Interspersed throughout were timely songs emphasizing the message of the birth of Christ.  You can glorify God even when your Christmas is not what you expected it to be.  When everything changes for the worse, what next?  Trust Jesus. 

I wonder if you invited someone to the Christmas program.  Please let me know. I'd love to hear your story and pray for your friend who came. 

Give-A-Christmas 2009

This morning Wooster Grace mobilized 151 people to reach out to 59 families: delivering 29 decorated Christmas trees, 238 gifts, and dozens of Christmas cookies to families in our community who would have nothing for Christmas this year.

Times are hard.  It's difficult for a lot of people.  But praise God we were able to help families in our network of relationships here in Wayne County.

My family delivered gifts to two families. Both families were so appreciative.  They listened to our presentation of the Christmas story from Luke 1 and heard the Gospel message as well.  We asked for prayer requests and they gave the following:

• Pray for good health
• Pray for a job for anyone in the family
• Pray for disability insurance paperwork to be approved
• Thank God for your church for helping us out
  

Making plans for trip to Cambodia: August 2010

photo by mackaysavage
I met with David James today to discuss the plans for a missions trip to Cambodia.  The tentative dates are August 13-29, 2010.

David James is on a special assignment with GBIM for Cambodia.  Roger Snyder and David James are part of the Community Transformation Ministries.  Together with Dr Paul Wan and his wife Rebekah these four are the crux for the USA team.  Their Cambodian partner is Wooster Grace's Kevin Kane. 

Last year's Cambodia Camp served in the following areas: food preparation, sports, teaching English, connecting with Khmer campers.  This year's camp will include teaching a section on first aid as well as teaching from the Cambodian Ministry Partners.

As David shared from his previous trips to Cambodia (his first trip was October 2005), the Cambodian people are gracious, warm, loving, outgoing people.  This team is planned as a joint venture between Wooser Grace and Ashland Grace Brethren Church.  More detailed information will be provided as things solidify. 

I was clueless to the many ways God works--11 numbers

Here are some numbers from my semi-annual report to our board.  I was clueless how much God has done through our church. 

• 57--Wooster Grace partner  with 57 missionary partners
• 21--Of those missionary partners 21 are missions or community organizations
• 36--we partner with 36 missionary partners (single adults, married couples, or families)
• 15--Wooster Grace has partnerships in 15 countries (including the USA)
• 26--missionary partners are here in the USA
• 118--is the number of people sent out from our chruch on short-term missions trips
• 12--international locatoins received our peoples' ministries
• 7--national locations received our peoples' ministries
• 132--people attended our internationals thanksgiving dinner
• 19--countries were represented at the dinner
• 4--we devoured four whole turkeys
  

Here's a flyer to help you invite others

Thanks to Janet Beaver, our ministry specialist--publications, provided this for me. I am posting it here so you can invite others to any one or all of our events this holiday season. 

You can email me at dbutler@woostergrace.org so i can send you the pdf file for printing on your own. 

Invite your neighbors to our Christmas programming

Christmas is so busy. If it's not school events, it's work events, and then on top of that, you have family events, let alone church or community events.

But please review your December calendar and see if you can make room for inviting a friend, co-worker, or new acquaintance to one of our many events here at Wooster Grace.

• Baptism Wed Dec 2 @ 7pm  If you want to observe how people make a public demonstration of their faith in Christ, then please come tonight.
• Christmas series: Sundays this month! A Reality Christmas is our series of messages on the true core of the Christmas season--the birth of Jesus.
• Christmas Concert: Dec 11, 12, 13 at 7pm Our Celebration Choir and Orchestra along with the Children's Choir will share songs and a skit about the true meaning of Christmas--the birth of Jesus.
• Christmas Eve: We have four times for you to come join us to refocus on the birth of Jesus. Traditional services are at 6pm and 8pm in the Worship Center. Contemporary services are at 6pm and 11pm in the Student Ministries Center. Childcare is available through age 3 at 6pm and 8pm.

So choose any one and invite a friend, co-worker, or new acquaintance to one of our Christmastime events.  You'll be glad you came.

Pray for Sara

This past Sunday, November 29, Sara Roseler shared in our services about her upcoming short term medical missions trip to Peru with Malone University. The team travels from December 31 through January 9, 2010. Please pray for Sara as she prepares to go. She will send me a link for their team's blog in the weeks ahead.

Day of Generosity

I want to praise God for the amazing offering given by our church. Those giving above and beyond their regular offering gave $7,559 for the Day of Generosity Sunday. There may be more given in the weeks ahead from our church. But we praise God for a church that gives. May God use our offerings along with many other churches and individuals to help encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ who are nationals within their countries to reach their own people for Christ with these resources.

Lucky Numbers: 132, 19, 4

Our church conducted a Thanksgiving Dinner for Internationals and friends where we offered a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner (turkey, potatoes, gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce, and pies). God brought 132 people from 19 different countries to eat 4 complete turkeys. Wow! What a feast! Thanks to Celeste, Regina, Ping Ping, Linda, Jay, and many others who helped make this event so wonderful. When I discover who took pictures, then I will post them later. Thanks.

We can't serve alone

Every quarter a team of women gather to help sort and cut out curriculum for our Children's Ministries program.  They have been given the endearing name, Curriculum Sortin' Sisters.  We could not do ministry without people like these who sacrifice time and energy to advance God's kingdom. They are my heoroines.  Tremendous!

Curriculm Sortin' Sisters @ Wooster Grace from Daron Butler on Vimeo.

If you can't see this video, you can check out their video on VIMEO.

Our kids in Battambang, Cambodia

Here are two pictures from Bobbie Campbell sent to us today (Wed Nov 18). You can read more about John & Bobbie Campbell as they travel in Cambodia for awhile at their blog: one thousand kids. 

Eat a PBJ and ministry to the homeless!

Tonight Wooster Grace sought to spread some Christmas Joy by hosting a Smucker Taste Panel.  Smucker's is donating all the proceeds from this event to the Haven of Rest Homeless Shelter for their Children's Christmas Program.  One hundred and ninety-two people from our church participated.  Children and students from ages 8-17 along with Adults ages 18-65 were part of the taste testing.

One of our attendees, Janese Woodward, gave me the final numbers. 192 people completed the taste panel. What a great event!  I enjoyed tasting peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a great cause. I even have my lunch for tomorrow... BONUS!

The Haven of Rest Ministries is a great ministry.  As their website states, The Haven of Rest is a faith based rescue mission, serving as a light to the homeless community in and around the Akron Ohio area by offering food, shelter, safety, drug rehabilitation, and most of all hope to those most in need. Wooster Grace raised $3600 to help with the Children's Christmas Program at Haven of Rest Ministries.


As Matthew 25:35 states, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in."  I prasie God for our commitment to help those in need in a fun, unique way.  Way to go Wooster Grace!

Talking to the world on SKYPE

If you need to talk to people on an international scale or even a national scale, SKYPE is a great option.  I recommend it for churches to stay in contact with their missionary partners. 

Technology is incredible.  But It can also be very distracting.  I must use discernment when I get to use a new technology.  I must answer the question: "Is it a tool or a toy?"

Brian Bailey and Terry Storch offer insight here in their book, The Blogging Church (pp.13-14).  "A toy is something that you want to PLAY WITH more than you want to USE...A tool is something that SOLVES a problem (caps are my emphasis)." 

So as you begin to venture out and to begin finding technology that advertises itself as helpful. Keep asking the question over and over again.  "Will it be a tool or a toy?" 

One helpful technology is SKYPE. I spent 30 minutes talking with my friends in France.  It was six o'clock there and noon for me.  I caught up on what is going on and how I can pray.  And it was free. It was an online connection. All I needed was the software, a headset & microphone, and their contact information. 

What a great tool!  The problem SKYPE solves is cost for calling overseas or around the country.  Expenses can grow quickly.  But this tool helps you make calls without charge to those who have online access.  In fact, the cost may be low for making landline calls too. I have not used that feature yet.  Overall, I like SKYPE.  If you are in ministry where international calls are important. Then I suggest you test it out.  Add it to your ministry toolbox. 

Month of Compassion

Wooster Grace has set aside the month of November to target compassion endeavors.  Last Sun (Nov 8) we targeted orphans and widows.  This coming Sun we focus on the persecuted church.  On the 22nd we emphasize NMPs and the Day of Generosity.  On the 29th we highlight medical missions.  So please pray for God to work in everyone who comes to our services.  We want everyone to act in service and generosity from a passionate heart of compassion; because  God is the source of our passion and our compassion.  


This coming Sunday focuses on the persecuted Church.  Here is a video that answers what is persecution.  Thanks. to Open Doors USA for putting this together.  

Friday Update

As I review all that God has done this week at Wooster Grace, I marvel at God's greatness.  He is a great God.  His still at work in the lives of people.  May God get the fame from all these things He has done.

• Fall Fun Festival--Wooster Grace served more than 1000 free meals and handout over 450 candy bags to children who came to our church for fun on Halloween.  My favorite highlight was the International Foods on the mezzanine. Ten countries offered bit-size samples created by the people from those countries.  I tasted them all and all had a distinct flavor with a yummy taste.  It was a great hit!
• Missionary Partner Visit--Wooster Grace partners with over 40 people and families who are on mission for God in local and global endeavors.  This past Sunday Tim Hawkins who serves in Porto, Portugal visited our church to update us on what the Lord is doing.  His daughter, Stephanie, accompanied him.  My favorite story is how the dog, Lucy, got in their prayer card picture.  As I paraphrase what Stephanie shared

• "All my life I wanted a puppy, but my daddy would not allow one.  Everyday I asked. Everyday I heard no.  I stopped trying around age 16.  Then one day my friends and I were hanging out in Porto when we found this puppy in the trash.  Someone had put the puppy there for discarding.  So we rescued this dog.  One of my friends, took it home until we could figure out what to do.  Of course, you know what I did.  I asked my dad reluctantly, expecting him to reject my request.  But without notice, my father said yes.  Yes!?  Yes!  I ran all the way to my friends house.  However, they had given the dog away to a nice, caring family already.  I returned home dejected.  My dad was incredulous!  "What? How could they give your puppy away?!"  Later I found another dog, Lucy, who has become my mom's favorite companion.  They are now inseparable.  Lucy is our dog.  Sometimes you have to wait a long time for a wish to come true"
• Our children at Grace Place Thailand started school this week.  All twenty children now have sponsors.  Seventy people in our church have committed to give $35 per month to rescue these orphans and to offer them a new start on life.  Sponsors give to provide food, shelter, clothes, schooling, a place to sleep, encouragement and care from house directors, and get to hear about the love of Jesus everyday.  I am so proud of our church family.  We are doing a great work for God.

• Lastly, this month is our churches emphasis on Compassion.  Wooster Grace desires to reach out with the love of Jesus to the lost, the least, and the lonely. Please check out church website to download the sermons from this series.  You may find the download to be slow. We are working out the "bugs" on providing each sermon online with this new website format. 

What I didn't know about Habitat for Humanity

Occassionally, as part of my responsibilities, I get to enjoy a luncheon where our church is invited to attend. One of us pastors gets to go to a few events.  Today at lunch I attended the Habitat for Humanity in Wayne County luncheon.

The keynote speaker was Clive Rainey.  He was deemed THE first volunteer for Habitat.  Two bonuses for me were:

1. Lunch with my wife
2. Hearing from Clive

There are many things I did not know about Habitat.  One of them is the founding principle of helping others because they want to serve people in God's power.  It's a Christian organization.

Habitat Wayne county mission statement: work in partnership with God and people from all walks of life to develop communities with God's help for people in need by building houses and by renovating homes.

Wooster Grace recently helped fund a Habitat House for Megan Parker with other churches in our county.  Our community gathered together to help Megan. That's why I love Wooster Grace.  We seek to help people in our community and around the world by collaborating with others to make a difference in our community.  We seek to reach out to our community with the love of Jesus.  That's what I love about our community. We can come together and bless a whole family.

That was the thrust of Clive Rainey's comments today at lunch.  We can do things together!  So let's keep working together.

The other thing that I did not know about Habitat is that each affiliate has a world affiliate.  Wayne County has Romania as its affiliate country.  Habitat is seeking to help families get into homes all around the world.  What an enduring vision!  Way to go Habitat!