NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

Many of us know Branson, MO as a fun weekend getaway, where you can go for countless shows and unique shopping.   It is also home to College of the Ozarks, where Shelbi got her teaching degree a few years ago.  But why am I mentioning this to all of you today?  Well, last night a series of serious storms (say that 5 times fast) came through the area, and unfortunately, Branson got an up close and personal look at a tornado.  We bring this up for two reasons.  Number 1, one of our supporting churches resides in Branson, and we have lots of good friends and supporters in that area.  To the best of our knowledge, they are all doing fine along with the church building.  But we ask that you pray for them over the course of the next few weeks that this incident will provide a platform for the church to use its resources in a way to communicate Christ’s love to a community in need.  Number 2, our Administration team and their wives were and are in Branson for a few days, which includes Shelbi’s parents.  We praise the Lord that they were not staying in one of the hotels that was affected or were on the “strip” when the storms came through.

Even before this tornado came through Branson, I have been thinking through the aspect of death, and I am comforted by the fact that I am always in HIS grasp and that I carry with me the hope of knowing what will happen to me at the end of my life.  I praise God for that hope and security.  Yet, as I praise Him on the one hand, my heart aches on the other.  There are far too many people that are in the communities around us, people that we know, sometimes even close friends, that have no hope.  They don’t have the security that we do as believers.  I am then reminded of my responsibility before God to those without our hope.

Romans 10:14 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

Who among us hasn’t been shaken by the storms of life?  Unfortunately, who among us has also let an opportunity to share with those who have no hope slip by?  We will all be held responsible for our actions, or lack thereof.  I, as a believer, have the responsibility, the command, the privilege to share Christ so that they may hear, so that they may believe.   My prayer for my friends in Branson is my prayer for myself and for all of you as well.

Father, as you bring people into our lives daily, may I lay aside my fears and confidently share the hope that someone once shared with me.  Amen.

“Huh? Sept. 21, what’s that?  And what’s on your head dad?”

• It’s the 264th Day of the year, leaving only 101 days till the new year starts
  
• On Sept. 21,1776  part of NYC was burned shortly after being occupied by British Forces
• In 1780 Benedict Arnold gives the British the plans to West Point
• In 1937 J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit is published
• In 1942  The B-29 Superfortress makes its maiden flight
• In 2001  America: A Tribute to Heroes is broadcasted by over 35 networks and cable channels, raising over $200 million for the September 11 attack victims.
• On Sept. 21, 2012 … The work continues, the challenge begins.  Our first weekend is scheduled!  The first of many groups will have their worlds turned upside down as they’re challenged  to consider how God can equip and use them to join the work given to the church “going to ALL the world and preaching the gospel.”

As the news has gone out about the start of our interactive and innovative program, we are being inundated with requests from churches and organizations wanting  to bring groups to come through our program.  We’ve even received emails from groups that have only been able to visit our campus briefly in the past, and they tell us how much they were challenged just by that quick visit, so they are even more excited about the possibility of what a weekend designed for the purpose of exposing and challenging them to missions will mean for them and the rest of the group they will bring.

Our Team is humbled by the task He has given, “being the voice to those who have no voice” .  We often ask ourselves, if we could capture the thoughts of what a tribal person would want the American Church to know or hear about them, what would it be?  And then, how do we best convey their need along with the command from Scripture, that the Lord wants all people from all language groups to have the opportunity to hear and put their trust in Him.

We will never make history books for kicking off our program on Septmeber 21st, but our hope and prayer is that heaven’s “history book”, the Book of Life, will forever be changed by the work we get to be a part of here.

Matthew 9:37-38

“…The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

  Surveying the Land where we will be building tribal houses, meeting huts, wash houses, and huts for those who come to use and stay in during their time here going through our mission’s challenge program.  Yes, Adilai gets to be a part of all our meetings too

Meet our discipleship group!  We are so excited to get the privilege to meet with this group of students over the next year and a half to walk alongside them and encourage and challenge them during their time of training here at the Missionary Training Center.  Oh, and I’m pretty sure we’ll probably learn more from them, than they will from us

Shelbi’s been crocheting hats to give away and sell, and Justin decided he liked the owl so much, he wanted one too.  Who’s the cuter owl?