Starting Something New

Our little church is going along great; we have visited, had special meetings, got college kids to help, but...is there something more or something new that we could be doing? I invited Phil Bell, a pastor friend from a town near us, to come by and talk to me about a new ministry idea for our church.

Phil began an AWANA program in his church. AWANA is a club for kids that my home church uses and I have seen work very well. Phil liked the program so much that he became the Regional Ministry Directors for AWANA for Latin America.

I interviewed him all about it and also what it was like to be a missionary. It is about a 45 min. interview. I don't have a podcast yet, but I will put the mp3 recording of it in my Dropbox folder. You may listen to it by going here.You can download the file and are welcome to listen in on our conversation.

Four people from our church came to the meeting we had about it at my house and we had a great time of orientation and training. We plan on getting everything ready, having a few practices and then officially starting the program when school starts up again, after the Three Kings' Day Holiday, around the 3rd Sunday of January.

Pray for us! If you have AWANA in your church, consider us as an AWANA missionary project that your club can get behind and help get of the ground!

We are willing to do some new things in the new year to have some new growth. But we need some new support and new helpers to make that happen. Please pray and plan on doing something new yourself this year. We hope that you will have a fruitful year and that you might help us have one also here on the mission field of Puerto Rico.

Don't Let Your Help Get Hijacked.

Don't Let Your Help Get Hijacked.

We see it all the time. A well meaning visitor to Puerto Rico sees a beggar and gives him aid, only to find out from us later that they just boosted the local drug trade. The sad thing is, there really are worthy poor people here on the island who could use the help, but it just gets hijacked by some hoodlum and it never makes it to the person who truly needs it. It hurts us to see church members  and Bible college students in tragic conditions while needed funds are hijacked away from unwary, but well meaning, loving people.

What to Do?

1. When you hear of a hurricane, earthquake or other tragedy  and your heart goes out to those people, ask your church if they know of a missionary or of a good church in that area. Contact those missionaries and churches and ask about the needs they have among their own people and the other needs that they see. Contribute to the afflicted through them to the people they minister to. Offering sent to relieve the poor and needy in our own churches and within reach of our own missionaries should be a priority. People who you can trust and who are local to the event are in a better position to make sure the sacrificial offerings of God's people are not sacrificed in vain.

2. Call a Bible College, Seminary, or other institution that you respect and tell them that you would like to make a donation to help pay the school bill of a worthy but struggling student, or alumni. This way the school gets the funds it needs to help others and the student gets to finish his training and begin his ministry. Funds directed in this way can help both at the same time.

Why Bother? 

You could just forget the church and give towards helping someone through McDonalds. But then there will be a photo shoot of Ronald McDonald giving a big check to some hospital and everyone saying how wonderful they are.

Some might say: "Who cares who gets the credit as long as people get the help they need?"

But I say this: "Why should some clown get the credit for your love, when our sacrificial love is designed to bring glory to God? "


Here are some suggestions of where you could start:
A Good Mission agency: Continental Baptist Missions
A Good Bible College: Puerto Rico Baptist College
Our Ministry: (This blog, go to the right hand margin, under"Support" and "Offering Plate")