Church Planting in China

Transcription

1 Introducing people to Jesus in the 10/40 Window December Church Planting in China By Audrey Folkenberg hanks to the generosity of Gospel TOutreach and its many loyal contributors, 120 Gospel Outreach workers, organized into 60 teams, work in the vast unreached areas of China! The combined effect of the 120 workers you help sponsor will not be known until eternity. We will probably need hundreds of years to hear the testimonies shared by all these workers. But let me share the testimony of just two young women you support as they recall how God called them to spread His message of hope in China. Judy I was an atheist who learned about the Adventist Church while studying in a Chinese university. I began attending a church service every Sabbath and a youth group every Wednesday. When I realized» God is opening doors to reach previously unreached cities in China with new Gospel Outreach workers. that salvation was a free gift from Jesus, I was overjoyed and became a Christian. After graduating from university, I began working for a company. As time passed, I seemed to have this nagging sense that I could do more for God. My father refused to let me study Christian theology, yet I spent a year attending a training course organized by a local Adventist church. When I completed continued on pg. 3

2 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES Published monthly by Gospel Outreach Vol. 25, No. 12 ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS TEAM Editor: Ann Fisher Art Director/Designer: Mark Bond Copy Editor: James Fisher Circulation Manager: Nadine Reneau Printing: College Press, Collegedale, TN PLEASE SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: Adventures in Missions Circulation P.O. Box 8, College Place, WA Or ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS President: Brent Scully VP for Administration: Richard Madson VP for Field Operations: Pat Gustin Treasurer: Lois Hellie Associate Treasurer: Danielle Stewart BOARD OF DIRECTORS Larry Dodds, Chair Brent Scully, Secretary Carl Bauer Ken Crawford Jon Dybdahl Rick McEdward Shirley Panasuk Leo Ranzolin Robert Rawson Dwight Rose Steven Rose Marj Simons Beverly Thompson Bruce Thorn Kevin Waite Fred Webb Janet Wilkinson Lenard Wittlake GOSPEL OUTREACH P.O. Box 8 (712 NE C Street) College Place, WA USA (509) office@goaim.org GOSPEL OUTREACH CANADA P.O. Box Kelowna, B.C. V1X 7L7 (778) Praying Through It s hard not to marvel at God s goodness and the reality that God is with us. With me. With you. As I have prayed throughout my life, I found God beginning to work His miracle of changing my heart and my mind and revealing His goodness to me. When I am willing to invite the Holy Spirit into my life, this commitment takes my Christian experience to a whole new level. My willingness to believe in God s word, surrendering myself to Him this is what facilitates intimacy with Him. When I read 2 Chronicles 7:14, I hear God saying to me, Brent, if you would humble yourself, pray, and seek Me, then I am able to develop you into the person I want you to be. I can recall countless miracles of God answering my simple prayers. Prayers like asking God to help me find my wedding band that I had lost on a job site. From a roof top, two weeks later, I spotted it sparkling in the mud about 100 feet away! Or just recently, we had our Gospel Outreach rally week when our regional directors came for training and re-connecting. I had asked God to send His Holy Spirit to inspire and bless us. And He did. My committed prayer life is what ignites the Holy Spirit s work in my life and makes me spiritually alive. Is your spiritual life stagnant? I challenge you this month, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus and the hope He brings into our lives, to start by committing your life to prayer and humbly inviting the Holy Spirit into your heart. Keep asking until God s promise is fulfilled.» Brent Scully, Gospel Outreach president GOSPEL OUTREACH BRAZIL Instituto de Disseminação do Evangelho Gospel Outreach do Brasil IDE-GO Caixa Postal 44, Engenheiro Coelho, SP, secretaria@ide-go.org.br 2 GOSPEL OUTREACH December 2017

3 ... continued from cover page. the course, my church sent me to serve at a small church plant. I continued to have a passion and desire to learn more. Eventually, I embraced the opportunity to join the 1,000 Mission Movement campaign a two-year program that trains and oversees volunteer Bible workers in the Philippines. Here I learned how to give Bible studies to non-christians and to trust Jesus with my entire life. Returning to China, I have continued my gospel work in a local church setting. Mandy I, too, was an atheist. I had been taught that God doesn t exist. I believed the world evolved from a speck of dust. I had no goals, no plans for my life, until I was introduced to the Adventist Church. Then my entire outlook totally changed. I remember my first visit to an Adventist church. A stranger on the platform in the front was speaking about things I found hard to understand. I had never heard music like they were singing. Surrounded by all of this newness, I quietly sat in the back of the church. Over time, I was drawn to what I was learning Sabbath after Sabbath as I began to understand the messages shared from the front. Church members greeted me warmly and visited me at home. I began to study the Bible and was eventually baptized. After a year, I decided to quit my job in order to attend a one-year theological training program at my church and to become a full-time gospel worker for Jesus. Eventually, a local church called me to serve, and that is where I met Judy. Together, we felt» This blurred photo shows Judy and Mandy s church plant, which is a house in a residential area. There they conduct worship, give Bible studies, and offer Christian fellowship. impressed to enter an unreached city and plant a church to expand God s kingdom. This past January, both Judy and Mandy were called to be full-time Gospel Outreach workers in an unreached city in eastern China to plant a new church. It s amazing how God brought two young women out of an atheistic culture to love and serve Him. He had a plan for their lives and brought them together to minister in an unreached city in China. You, members of the Gospel Outreach family, play a part in Mandy and Judy s story. With your prayerful support, pioneer teams such as theirs are able to set up places of worship in unreached areas of China, enabling many people to learn about Jesus, read the Bible for the first time, and to have a place to enjoy Christian fellowship. You are an important part of the story of 120 gospel workers in China and their testimonies that will resound throughout eternity. Thank you for your prayers and financial gifts that support workers like Judy and Mandy and allow them to share Jesus with those who have never heard the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.» Audrey Folkenberg lives in Hong Kong where she serves as the Gospel Outreach regional director for China and as the director of development for the Chinese Union. ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS 3

4 FEATURE: Big Challenge Big Opportunity By Dennis N. Carlson, Scott E. Schalk, and Ann Fisher t s December, a very busy and festive How you can help Meet Itime of year. We are guessing that you, the challenge like we, are busy preparing your Christmas list, addressing Christmas cards, and writing letters to family and friends. Since God gave us the greatest gift of all in Jesus, we re sure you will also want to put Him at the top of your Christmas list this year. The Gospel Commission calls us to reach everyone on earth with the good news we celebrate at Christmas how Jesus came to save every nation, tongue, and people. This is the big challenge Gospel Outreach (GO) strives to fulfill by financially supporting approximately 2,000 local gospel workers in the 10/40 Window unreached areas of Africa, the Middle East, India, Central and Southeast Asia, China, and the Philippines. Your financial support has enabled God to work in miraculous ways, yet this mission challenge continues to daunt us. Be assured that a dedicated volunteer staff and board of directors help ensure your donation is one of the most cost-effective ways of investing in advancing God s kingdom. Remember to Pray: Pray for the unreached people in the 10/40 Window and ask God to bless our GO workers. Make a Donation: 1. Send a check in the provided envelope. 2. Use a credit card or e-check Make a one-time gift by visiting our website at goaim.org/giving. Set up an automatic monthly payment, saving you time and postage. 3. Call our office at and give over the phone by credit card. Adopt a Worker: You, your church, your Sabbath school, or any other group may sponsor a specific worker for $150 per month. For more information, visit our website at adoptaworker.org. Be an Ambassador: As a GO Ambassador, you will share the story of Gospel Outreach and its mission 4 GOSPEL OUTREACH December 2017

5 with the members of your local church; receive brochures, DVDs and other promotional materials to share; and invite people to participate in our ministry. Contact Dan or Nancy at , ext. 255 for more information. Three other options are also available for making larger gifts: Tax-free Gifts Directly from Your IRA: The Protect Americans From Tax Hikes Act of 2015 made legislation permanent, allowing taxpayers, age 70½ or older, to make tax-free charitable donations directly from their IRAs. These qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) count toward satisfying any required minimum distributions (RMDs) that you would otherwise be required to withdraw from your IRA. Each year you are allowed to donate as a QCD any amount up to $100,000. The amount can even be less than your RMD. The main advantage is that any QCDs taken will not show up as taxable income on your 1040 form and will likely reduce your amount of taxable social security benefits. However, by donating money to a charitable organization, this disqualifies the contribution from also being deducted as an itemized deduction. But for those who either don t itemize their deductions on Schedule A or who have itemized items exceeding the standard deduction only slightly, this might not be a negative. Ask your tax advisor to calculate the tax implications using IRA withdrawals for charitable contributions versus pulling the RMD out and then donating the money, checking to see which option is more favorable tax wise. Charitable Gift Annuities and Charitable Remainder Trusts: You may have real estate or other valuable assets that you wish to donate to Gospel Outreach. By using annuities and trusts, you may designate GO as a beneficiary. Learn more by calling James Brown, the director of Western Adventist Foundation (WAF) at (602) WAF provides management of assets for the benefit of various entities and ministries within the Adventist Church. You can fully trust WAF to handle matters for your benefit while you are living and then for the church after your death. WAF is now handling a number of instruments for the benefit of GO. Wills: When you form your estate plan, you may name Gospel Outreach in your will. Ask your attorney to include that wish in your planned giving if you so desire. We are so grateful for your continued financial support of Gospel Outreach. During this holiday season as you reflect on the big challenge we all face, ask God what you should do to help meet that challenge.» Dennis Carlson is a fundraising consultant and former VP for Advancement at Walla Walla University; Scott Schalk is a certified financial planner in Berrien Springs, Mich.; Ann Fisher is the current editor of Adventures in Missions. ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS 5

6 FIELD NOTES Threatened With a Knife Africa When I arrived at my assigned village, I gave out tracts. One day a man came up to me and asked for one of my tracts. What church do you belong to? he asked. I said that it didn t matter. Then he said, I know this is an Adventist tract. During the first months I spent in the village, he continued to harass me. One day he threatened to kill me and accused me of being a troublemaker in his village. He took out a knife and looked at me with his red, angry eyes. I started praying and told the Lord, If I am to die, You know I have given my life to serve You. As the man started circling me with his knife, a woman came by and asked, What s wrong? I told her I had given him a tract, and she said, Is that all? Just then the mad man came to his senses, threw the tract on the ground, tore it in pieces with his bicycle tire, and left. Amazingly, today this man is my friend and has asked me for Bible studies. I am grateful to God for His protection, but also for caring for my new friend. A Curious Neighbor China Sister C, a member of GO workers Judy and Mandy s church plant (see cover story), bought a house near the church. She knew that Brother Z,» Sister C s neighbors are now studying the Bible with the Gospel Outreach team. also a church member, does renovation work and knows how to do electrical and plumbing work. She and Brother Z met at her new home to discuss the materials they might need to renovate her home. Speaking rather loudly, Sister C asked Brother Z, Brotherin-Christ, what materials should I use for my water supply? Right then, a curious neighbor happened to be standing in front of Sister C s home, wanting to take a look at her house. Hearing what Sister C had called Brother Z, the neighbor asked, Did you call this man brother-in-christ? Isn t that a title used in a Christian church? Do you believe in God? Sister C replied, Yes! We both believe in God. We go to church every Saturday. The neighbor said, Really? I have finally found a church! After moving here from Shanghai, my husband and I thought there was no Christian church here, and we had almost given up searching. I am so happy to hear you have a church in our city. Where is it? Please take me to your church! Sister C brought the couple to the church, where they started attending every Sabbath. They also joined a weekly Bible study group. Our GO team has encouraged Sister C to keep sharing Jesus with her neighbors. 6 GOSPEL OUTREACH December 2017

7 THE MAIL BOX It won t be long now until we are home with all the precious souls won for Christ! I pray that we all will be there and will recognize one another. What a wonderful day that will be. I am 90, and I am longing for home! God bless you all. H. F., Florida I appreciate so much receiving Adventures in Missions. I read it from cover to cover. How I wish I could do more to help the people in India learn about Jesus. I rejoice in what Gospel Outreach IN MEMORY mission is doing. May God continue to bless you all. Marvin Bischoff C. B., Washington Carol Traylor Bobst ANNOUNCEMENT: Joedy & Judy Melashenko are now volunteering as Gospel Outreach singing ambassadors. They will represent GO as they present concerts throughout North America. They are scheduled to sing two December concerts in California as follows: Dec. 16: Placerville Adventist Church 11:00am Worship Service; Dec. 16: Sacramento Slavic Adventist Church 6:00pm Vespers. WATCH ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS 3ABN Blue Mountain TV College Place, WA Good News TV Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Flagstaff, Payson, Phoenix, Prescott, Tucson, and Yuma HOPE Channel KBLN Grants Pass, OR FOLLOW GOSPEL OUTREACH facebook.com/gospel1040 KHBA Spokane, WA LLBN Loma Linda, CA RCCTV Sacramento, CA rcctv.html Roku Add the Gospel Outreach channel to your favorites. SAFETV instagram.com/gospel1040 Elmer Danner Nona Kay Dawes Elaine Derby J. Paul Grove Maryetta Henry Jack Hinds Jack Jacobson Vernita Marriott Duane Peterson Emanuel Rittenbach Bud Roberts Jack Sturgill Jack Thompson James Wade Janet Wiggins IN HONOR Bruce & Marilyn Babienco (62nd anniversary) Delia Biggar Ron Colcord Dick & Jean Hall (mission service) Raleigh & Dorothy Hardin (anniversary) Ted Howard (birthday) Wanda Thompson (birthday) ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS 7

8 no... Q: Are you your brother s keeper? Two billion people in Africa, the Middle East and Asia have yet to hear the gospel story. Won t you help us reach them? IF JESUS HAD TURNED HIS BACK ON US, there would ve been no angel choir. No bright star to guide three wise men on their way. No baby s cry in a Bethlehem manger. No miracles. No cross on a hill. No resurrection morning. And no Christmas this year. He could ve said Am I my brother s keeper? PO Box 8, College Place, WA Address service requested PAID CHATTANOOGA, TN PERMIT NO NON-PROFIT US POSTAGE