Newsletter
JULY 2010
Larry’s Lines. . . .
by Larry Murphy, Executive Director
water main break
In the typical American home, washing dishes by hand takes about five gallons of water. Nduri Isandap used to walk seven miles for that much.
During those walks, she often wondered how she’d make the 44-pound jug of well water sloshing on her back last. It had to meet the needs of seven people and a few goats. Dodging a solution wasn’t an option. A person can survive maybe a week without water, and Kenya’s daily temperatures average 100 degrees. If those facts weren’t enough to spur Isandap to action, bones were. During her daily treks for water, she passed by the remains of goats, sheep and camels that succumbed to thirst. Before a Baptist Global Response relief project came along, some women used to camp out all night just to hold their place in line at the well. The next day, they’d dip a bucket into muddy and often unsafe water. Now safe, clean water is available in their own village.
Scenes like this are found everywhere in Sub-Saharan Africa. You could help alleviate this problem by going, giving and praying for the International Mission Board, Baptist Global Response, or our ministry in Asembo Bay.
One of the ministries we will be helping with the drilling of wells, feeding orphans, medical clinics, pastor training and church planting all for the purpose of sharing the gospel.
Please pray about your role in this ministry and help us reach thousands for Christ. One very important need now is financial help to get these ministries started.
For more information contact the associational office 731-668-5690.
Alan’s Actions. . . .
by Alan Teel, BCM/CCM Director
Dear Fellow Christians,
We are gearing up for a super year at the Baptist Student Center at Jackson State Community College. This summer, we had 9 students go on mission trips around the country and 3 students go on mission trips to Asia. We anticipate having them return with great enthusiasm to get the new school year started.
As you know, during the school year, we provide lunches to the students at Jackson State for $2 and to the rest of the community for $3. We rely upon faithful churches like yours to provide meals each week. These lunches serve two great purposes: 1) they are a wonderful outreach to new students and people in the community; and 2) all of the money raised from the lunches goes toward sending more students on missions. I know that the economy has affected most areas and we are certainly not immune. When we do not have a church volunteer to provide lunch, we have to pay for it out of our budget. This causes us to lose money for missions. If we had enough churches volunteer to provide one meal a year, we would not face this situation. You could even join forces with another church in the association.
By providing a meal, you would prepare a main dish, sides and dessert for approximately 80 people. The BCM will provide the tea. Or, you could send in a check to cover the cost for a meal and we would handle the rest.
For those of you who have helped in the past, we really appreciate it and look forward to your participation again this year. If you are a church that has never been a part of this ministry or have not helped out in a long time, please prayerfully consider helping out this year. We want our next generation to consist of students who have a passion for sharing the love of Jesus Christ around the world. Your contribution will help achieve that goal.
Please contact my office at the Baptist Student Center at 424-6065, if you would like to prepare one of our lunches, or if you have any questions.
In Christ,
Alan Teel
Mission Matters
Carl Teel, Missions Coordinator
Hodi
(Hello)
We are just a few days from leaving for Kenya, Africa. We leave on Sunday, August 15, and will return on Friday, August 27. Please be in prayer for the team of 14 that will be going. Pray for our safety but most of all pray that we will see many Kenyans com to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Larry will be leading a team to an area near the Indian Ocean and the Kenyan border near the country of Somalia. I will be leading a team of 10 back to Asembo Bay near Lake Victoria. As always, our emphasis will be one-on-one evangelism with an effort to establish a church in each village we work.
On my first trip to Kenya I did not know what to expect, so I was very apprehensive about going into a foreign country. Even on my second trip, on the flight over I was asking myself, “Why am I doing this again?” But after that things really changed for me. I have always wanted to go to Africa. After that second trip, God really gave me a stronger burden for Africa and an excitement for the work there that is growing each day.
I heard a missionary from a remote area of South America say we go on the mission field so that “some might be saved.” More and more we see that the Kenya needs Christian influence in leadership positions, so many need to be saved. In short the people and the country need Jesus. That is the reason we go.
The Asembo Bay project is moving forward. With this facility our presence there will greatly expand and there will be many ministry opportunities for us. But, we need your prayers and financial support to make sure we are there for the people of Kenya.
Mission Trip to Kenya
August 15-27, 2010
Please begin now praying for the 14-member team that will be involved in the mission trip to Kenya.
Equipping Missions Leaders 2010
August 20-21
Calvary Baptist Church, Jackson
Friday: 5:30-8:45 p.m.
Saturday: 8:30 a.m.-2:15 p.m.
Registration fee: $15 per person
Fee includes Friday and Saturday conferences and Saturday lunch.
“Evangelism Through the Sunday School”
Crockett Association Sunday School Conference
Tuesday, August 31
6:30 p.m.
Walnut Hill Baptist Church
Conference Leader: Steve Witt
Pastor of Evangelism and Discipleship
Thompson Station Church, Thompson Station, TN
Holiday Closing
The associational office will be closed Monday, September 6, for Labor Day.
Madison-Chester Senior Adult Meeting
Tuesday, September 14
10:30 a.m.
Mercer Baptist Church
Mercer, Tennessee
Crockett Senior Adult Meeting
Tuesday, September 21
10:30 a.m.
A host church is needed for this meeting. If your church is willing to host the
September Crockett Senior Adult meeting please contact the associational office 731-668-5690.
Future Associational Events
Deacons and Pastors as “Gardeners of the Fellowship”
January 7-8, 2011
West Jackson Baptist Church
“Call to Repentance Conference”
April 8-9, 2011
West Jackson Baptist Church