China Aid: House churches held a legal training camp during the National Day holidays

The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

House churches held a legal training camp during the National Day holidays

Released by ChinaAid, October, 2011 ...

"HENAN, CHINA – During the golden week of the China’s National Day holidays in early October 2011, 30 House Church leaders from Central China area held a 3-day legal training program at a location in Henan province. Two Christian Human Rights defense lawyers were in charge of this training program. ChinaAid was the co-organizer.
Read the Rest of the Report from ChinaAid

 

In the News ... "First Baptist Church of Midland reaches out to community on Halloween"

By Audrie Palmer
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - For years, staff with First Baptist Church of Midland said they held activities and Trunk-or-Treat events at their church and on campus for Halloween. But last year, they decided to do something different by starting ParkFest, a Halloween alternative, at local parks to try to reach those in the community.

"We were making them come to our church, but instead we decided to bring it to the parks and neighborhoods," said children's minister Sarah Arrambide.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 30, 2011

MINUTE FOR MISSION: REFORMATION DAY - As we commemorate Reformation Day, I am reminded of Martin Luther's posting the Ninety-Five Theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany, and the struggles that ensued. In spite of challenges, the Reformed tradition stands strong in many parts of the world.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 29, 2011

BRAZIL - In order to grow deep and wide, the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPIB) is committed to evangelism, education, and communication. In its evangelism efforts, the denomination supports around 250 people in church planting and service projects. About 800 pastors serve more than 500 congregations throughout this country. In respect to theological education, the church is going through a deep, two-fold reformulation.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 28, 2011

MINUTE FOR MISSION: ARGENTINA/URUGUAY - It started with crisis, and crisis created opportunity. In the 1990s, the economic politics of the country destroyed hundreds of thousands of jobs, and the churches had to feed thousands of hungry children.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Teichert Prayer Letter for October

Karl and Jenny Teichert are serving the Lord as missionaries with OC Africa, in South Africa. They moved to Johannesburg in November, 1997 with their four children; Ann, Scott, Stephen and John. Karl serves as the Southern Africa Director of the Southern Africa Regional Team. Their vision is to see a healthy, Bible-based church established in every un-reached village and community in South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia and beyond. Their strategy is to partner with key African church leaders to research, train, and mobilize the body of Christ to complete the Great Commission. They are striving to equip local leaders in Southern Africa to reach their nations for Christ and send missionaries into other countries as well.

October Letter ...

“Thank you for helping to bring Jesus to our village”

Dear family and friends,

A man shared the above statement with me during my recent trip to the rain forest of Madagascar. He lived in a remote rain forest village which had no Christian church. This man’s gratitude reflects the reality and attitude of many people in the rain forest region.

During the first two weeks of August, I had the privilege of joining two trainers from Ethiopia, a missionary from Fiji, and a ministry partner from Madagascar in presenting level-two church planting training to 120 leaders in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Forty-five leaders received level-one training one year ago. To participate in the level-two training, leaders had to successfully multiply other leaders and churches. The response was significantly more than we expected as many brought their first- and second-generation church planters.

We spent the first day listening to the amazing testimonies from church planters; they told us how entire villages are coming to Christ through bold witness and powerful works of God. Church planters shared how witch doctors and other influential leaders surrendered their lives to Christ. They began leading simple Bible discussions that grew into churches and cared for the community in practical ways. This process is being multiplied, and church planters are being sent out to other surrounding unreached villages. We are praising the Lord with the news that 800-1,300 new discipleship groups have been established in the central region of the rain forest in the past 12 months!

The rest of the first week was focused on providing relevant training to assist these 120 church planters to multiply more leaders to saturate the central region of the rain forest with disciple-making churches. They were also encouraged to discover creative ways to bridge the gospel to unreached people groups in other parts of the rain forest. During their testimonies, the leaders consistently shared about the need for Bibles. Later in the week, we were surprised that 80 audio Bibles in Malagasy were delivered from a partnering ministry. We are praising the Lord for how he continues to connect us with other missionaries, ministries, and denominations who want to partner together in this church planting movement.

During the second week, the team and I traveled into the rain forest to visit three church planters. The first village we visited was only accessible by river on a four-hour boat ride. It took five hours to reach the second village driving 4x4s over very rugged and slippery roads. The church planter from that village walked two days to meet us on the main road. On the way, we passed many small villages and fields of rice, coffee, vanilla, and sugarcane. What a treat to enjoy freshly roasted strong coffee right from the source. The simple homes in the villages are made from bamboo, wood, grass, and palm branches. They contain no nails and are built up off the ground for protection from flooding. As we entered each village, the church planter and the believers would greet us by singing and leading us to the new church building. Every evening we provided teaching which was translated in Malagasy. The believers were incredibly hungry for biblical teaching, prayer, and encouragement.

At one village, we observed the pastors baptize six new believers in the river. After the baptism, the whole assembly walked to the center of the village, where several proclaimed the gospel and we prayed for many people to receive Christ and for other needs. Several gave public testimony to the whole village of how their lives had been changed by Jesus. I was deeply touched to see how so many people are without Christ and living in darkness in these remote villages. I became all the more convinced for the urgent need for new life-giving churches to be planted.

The focus of the next 12 months will be to provide ongoing training and coaching of the strategic coordinators to saturate the central region and mobilize church planters into the northern and southern regions of the rain forest. Three specific unreached people groups have been targeted in these areas. These coordinators will facilitate regular training and coaching to other church planters in the region.

Please pray for:
• Effective ongoing training and coaching of church planters by the strategic coordinators.
• Open doors to the gospel in the remaining unchurched villages and unreached people groups.
• God’s financial provision to assist in mobilizing a new wave of church planters. (Please let us know if you are interested in helping with this need or would like more information.)

Thank you for your faithful partnership in the Lord’s mission to Southern Africa. We appreciate you so very much!

For His kingdom and glory,

Karl for the Teicherts

OC Africa is an interdenominational ministry committed to developing, equipping, and mobilizing church leaders to multiply healthy, Bible-based churches in every community in Southern Africa and the world. OC is a faith-based mission who depends on the Lord to provide committed, financial supporters and partners. The contributions from these individuals help generate ministry opportunities around the world, impact missionaries and their global work, and provide a means for the International Mobilization Center to function. CLICK HERE to learn how YOU can be a part of mobilizing church leaders around the world by donating to OC.

In the News ... "Unitarian Universalist Church of Midland to host Fair Trade Sale"

By Shelby Levins
Reporter
KMID-TV

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Colores del Pueblo, a fair trade sale, will be held at Unitarian Universalist Church, 3301 Neely Ave. (corner of Midkiff and Neely), October 28-29, 9:00 am - 7:00 pm. The sale will feature an amazing quality collection of hand-made textiles, jewelry, clothing and gifts from Latin American artists.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the KOSA story.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 27, 2011

CHILE - The Evangelical Presbyterian Church had existed in Talca, Chile, for many years. A small church, this church always attended to the needs of the community and served its neighbors.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Partners Blog: "Tired of bad news? Here’s some that’s good."

Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief & Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma. This blog is meant to be a more personal stream of conversation than newsletters allow for. The opinions expressed here may not be those of Partners Relief & Development.

Tired of bad news? Here’s some that’s good.

"Watching the news and reading the newspaper is a sure way to ruin my day. So much bad news. So much sorrow, pain and violence. So many innocent deaths and suffering. There are times that I just put the newspaper down or turn off the TV. I can’t handle more bad news. While I try to ignore the news and go on with my day, nonetheless, the suffering still continues. In Libya, in Syria, in Bangladesh and in Burma. The victims of unrighteousness cannot choose to ignore their suffering."
CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post

Service of Healing and Wholeness, tonight at First Prez-Midland

First Presbyterian Church of Midland will hold a Service of Healing and Wholeness, Wednesday, October 26, 6:30p.m. in the Chapel. The service will center on prayer for the needs of the world, others, and ourselves.

The church is located at 800 W. Texas (on the northwest corner of Texas and A streets), just west of downtown Midland. Whether in need of healing and wholeness for yourself, or if you are led to be in prayer for another, please join us for this service of prayer.

"You are medicine for me when I am sick.
You are my strength when I need help.
You are life itself when I fear death.
You are the way when I long for heaven.
You are light when all is dark
You are my food when I need nourishment!"
Ambrose of Milan (340 - 397)

"In a day and age when the concept of healing is delegated to doctors’ offices and hospitals, the church confesses that for Christians the practice of healing is much greater. The image for Christians is 'not cure but wholeness.' Wholeness may be received even when a cure is not. Sickness, suffering, and dying are occasions not only for professional care but also for an openness to the meaning of divine grace and the assurance of forgiveness ... The Scriptures reveal a God who desires shalom for God's people. God's shalom is well-being and wholeness. It is shalom that God offers to all who suffer. Shalom is mediated through God's forgiving and healing love made known to us in Jesus. It is rooted in his life, death, and resurrection. In him, we have the assurance of final victory over sickness and death."
The Companion to the Book of Common Worship

For more information, please call FPC-Midland at (432) 684-7821.

In the News ... "Local Soldier Surprises Family at Church Service"

By Jason Britsch
Reporter
KOSA-TV

MIDLAND, TEXAS - "It was really shocking, like in awe also, it was an awesome feeling to see my sister," said Thomas London. It was just a normal Sunday morning of singing and worship at the True Lite Church in Midland for Jackie Lee and her family. But it quickly turned into something else as Lee's daughter Shaquela surprised them on stage.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the KOSA story.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 26, 2011

PERU, Pt. 2 - It rained so hard the mountains came sliding down. An Artisan in the Bridge of Hope Fair Trade program, part of the Joining Hands Peru network, called from Huancavelica with the news. Luckily, some of the affected families of Group El Mercurio took shelter in their workshop. The women had been working on an order of knit llamas that now they wouldn't be able to fill.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Invitation to Prayer

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Matthew 18:18-20, Jesus, describing prayer to his disciples

"Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven.
What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this.
When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it,
God in heaven goes into action.
And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there."
The Power of a Prayer: Words to Speak and Pray from “The Message”, by Eugene H. Peterson

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

Thank you for so faithfully lifting children before God in prayer!

Each Wednesday, we provide an opportunity for Faces of Children intercessors/prayer partners in the Midland/Odessa area to come together for prayer, lunch ($5), and fellowship. We will meet for prayer on Wednesday, October 26, 2011, at 11:30 a.m. in the Bride's room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland, to pray for the children of our local and global communities. I hope you will join us this coming Wednesday to continue this important work of prayer.

If you have requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call.

With a grateful heart for your praying heart,

Chris

In the News ... "Local Charity Already Gearing Up for Christmas Season"

Staff Report
KWES-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - Christmas is still a couple of months away, but that's not stopping one organization from getting ready. On Saturday, volunteers with Operation Christmas Child met at Sherwood Baptist Church in Odessa to start preparing for their annual shoe box drive.
CLICK HERE to read/watch the rest of the KWES report

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 25, 2011

PERU, Pt. 1 - How do we reach out in faith to bridge cultural differences? This is the essence of our work in Peru. We work with Peruvian partner churches and teams from the United States work with us. There are many vital partnerships here. One is with the Presbytery of Huanta in the Andes Mountains. Recently U.S. partners built 100 pews for the new churches of the presbytery. Many "highlanders'' hear the gospel through Radio Amauta. They responded in faith and built a place to worship with adobe walls, a thatched roof, and a tamped earth floor, but with only rocks and tree stumps for seats. The gift of pews has been a huge encouragement to them!
CLICK HERE to read more.

China Aid: House church of Pastor Shi Enhao in Suqian, Jiangsu Province continues to be persecuted

The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

The house church of Pastor Shi Enhao in Suqian, Jiangsu Province continues to be persecuted

Released by ChinaAid, October, 2011 ...

"SUQUIAN CITY, JIANGSU, CHINA – ChinaAid has learned that after Pastor Shi Enhao, head of Suqian House Church of Jiangsu Province and vice-president of Chinese House Church Alliance, was sentenced to two years of reeducation through labor in July of this year for no apparent legal basis, Sister Chang Meiling, a co-worker of the church, is again persecuted.
Read the Rest of the Report from ChinaAid

In the News ... "Ministry reaches out to teen moms"

By Sara Higgins
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Amber Johnson credits much of her stability today to a ministry for teen mothers at First Baptist Church. Formerly called Teen MOPS, M.A.R.Y. Ministries is a non-denominational, non-judgmental environment for teen mothers ages 13 through 19. The group's name stands for "Mothering As Responsible Youth," and is a play off the name of the Biblical teen mother who gave birth to the son of God. Teen MOPS was an international program that provided support for mothers from their child's conception through kindergarten, which First Baptist used for five years. This year, M.A.R.Y. Ministries was formed so the group's leaders could write their own, personalized curriculum.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 24, 2011

COLOMBIA - "In a culture that is filled with death, we choose to live the resurrection." That's how a church leader in the Presbyterian Church of Colombia (IPC) responded when asked how he was able to dance and laugh in the face of great fears and hardship.

In a country that has been wracked by violence for over sixty years, with one in ten people displaced from their land and many people caught between state and guerrilla/paramilitary violence, the people in the IPC maintain their commitment to grow their church deep and wide.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Service of Healing and Wholeness, this week at First Prez-Midland

First Presbyterian Church of Midland will hold a Service of Healing and Wholeness, Wednesday, October 26, 6:30p.m. in the Chapel. The service will center on prayer for the needs of the world, others, and ourselves.

The church is located at 800 W. Texas (on the northwest corner of Texas and A streets), just west of downtown Midland. Whether in need of healing and wholeness for yourself, or if you are led to be in prayer for another, please join us for this service of prayer.

"You are medicine for me when I am sick.
You are my strength when I need help.
You are life itself when I fear death.
You are the way when I long for heaven.
You are light when all is dark
You are my food when I need nourishment!"
Ambrose of Milan (340 - 397)

"In a day and age when the concept of healing is delegated to doctors’ offices and hospitals, the church confesses that for Christians the practice of healing is much greater. The image for Christians is 'not cure but wholeness.' Wholeness may be received even when a cure is not. Sickness, suffering, and dying are occasions not only for professional care but also for an openness to the meaning of divine grace and the assurance of forgiveness ... The Scriptures reveal a God who desires shalom for God's people. God's shalom is well-being and wholeness. It is shalom that God offers to all who suffer. Shalom is mediated through God's forgiving and healing love made known to us in Jesus. It is rooted in his life, death, and resurrection. In him, we have the assurance of final victory over sickness and death."
The Companion to the Book of Common Worship

For more information, please call FPC-Midland at (432) 684-7821.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 23, 2011

MINUTE FOR MISSION: UNION PRESBYTERIAN SEMINARY - The story that ends Acts 18 and begins Acts 19 is one of transformation. Mentored by Priscilla and Aquila, Apollos is transformed from a charismatic preacher into a leader who understands and teaches the Way of God more accurately. Apollos pays their gift forward by strengthening believers whom he encounters in Achaia. Paul, no stranger to transformation himself, teaches, baptizes, and blesses believers in Ephesus, and they experience the Holy Spirit in new ways.
CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Fall festivals and trunk or treat events going on around Midland"

Staff Report
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Fall festivals and 'trunk-or-treat events going on around Midland over he week ahead.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

From ServLife International: September 2011 Message

ServLife International is a movement defined by values of God’s kingdom, not programs built around human efforts and activities. The reign and rule of God should be made apparent to every person on the planet, despite their religion, race or socioeconomic status. We believe that issues of justice are inseparable from the good news that Jesus Christ came to proclaim. ServLife exists to take the gospel of Christ and the hope of a better, more just, world to the lives of people we touch. This happens through individual contributions of time, creativity, resources and dreams.

"Got Fire?"
By Jeff Romack
ServLife International

Just yesterday a friend sent me a link to a recent article in the online edition of the Wall Street Journal. I don't often read the WSJ but when I saw the title of that article, "How Missionaries Lost their Chariots of Fire," I knew I had to read it. You can check it out here, How Missionaries ... , if you like.

While I don't agree with all that was said in that article, the author gets it right in the end when he writes that God's mission involves both serving those in need and sharing the gospel but it is sharing the gospel that distinguishes our loving service to meet human need from the humanitarian aid given by many organizations. As the author points out, "Both are motivated by the desire to help others, but Christians are spurred by that Jesus thing."

At ServLife we are very much motivated by the "Jesus thing" and not ashamed of it. That Jesus gave his life for us and for the sake of the whole world is what makes us tick. ServLife is committed to planting communities of the Kingdom and to bringing hope to children-at-risk and the global poor. We are serving life by sharing the gospel and responding to human need. This is what lights our fire. How about you; got fire? Why not light your flame at ours?

---

Speaking of sharing the fire, did you know that Servlife has trained and now supports each month more than 120 indigenous church planters serving in India and Nepal?

One of the great new realities of the Christian movement is that the church is now a global reality. Linked to that, mission can no longer be characterized as the activity of western Christians going East (or South) to share the gospel. The church exists for God's mission in the world and, these days, mission happens from everywhere to everywhere!

The ServLife church planters illustrate this point.

While the Christian movement is a global reality to be celebrated there is another piece of that reality of which we must not lose sight. There are yet many peoples in many places where the gospel is not. ServLife is doing its part to address that situation. Our efforts to plant "communities of the Kingdom" are being done on the very frontiers of mission, the growing edge of Christian faith in the world. The indigenous church planters we support go to the hard places where the church has not yet taken root and where there are few, if any, believers. We are not laboring to plant a church just down the road from one of another kind. We are pioneers.

In pioneering situations, by definition, the material resources needed to evangelize in those places must come from outside those communities. In time, when a church has been planted, the local Christians will give of their own resources to reach out to their own. At the outset; however, workers and resources to support them must be sent from outside. This is where we need your help.

Today, we have workers in 10 of Nepal's 14 zones (states) and across seven (7) states in north India. We need your help to keep these men at work on the frontiers of mission and to train and send more.

Will you give dollars to support those who are giving their lives to share the gospel with the unreached in India and Nepal?

---

Each year, in Kathmandu (Nepal) and again in Raxaul (India), we call together all our workers on the field to celebrate all that God has done, is now doing and what He will do in the coming year ...

These Leader's & Church Planter's Conferences are a big highlight for the people that have been doing the difficult work of sowing and reaping all year long. Here they receive a little bit of teaching and a great deal of encouragement. It's not easy being on the frontiers of faith without others close at hand to offer support but that is often the situation they must endure. By the close of our time together everyone is ready to go back to the harvest fields with renewed strength and vision.

To call together our church planters from across India and Nepal takes financial resources for travel and food that our workers (124 of them!) do not have and for which we must all stand together in faith trusting God to provide. That provision comes when God's people step up to contribute what they have to give to the cause of taking the gospel to the frontiers.

This year our conferences will be held November 8-12 (Nepal) and November 17-20 (India). Our budget is $14,000. At this point, our balance on hand is $zero. Can you help? To give safely and securely now go here: 2011 Leader's & Church Planter's Conference

We are asking all of our friends to simply pray and ask if they are to give to this need. And, by the way, you're welcome to join us for this time, too!

Thank you for letting us share what is happening in the world through ServLife ... together with you!

---

Help fan our flame into fire ...

• Pray with us . . . join the ServLife Prayer Team.

• Give to support our church planters on the frontiers of the gospel. A one-time gift or on a monthly basis.

• Help make our Worker's Conferences in India and Nepal possible. Give here.

• Surprise a child with hope ... become a ServLife child sponsor.

• Serve the poor via micro-lending ... give to the Hope Fund.

Together in hope,
Jeff

ServLife International is a non-profit organization planting communities of the Kingdom and restoring hope to children-at-risk and the global poor.

ServLife International, Inc.
P.O. Box 20596
Indianapolis, IN 46220
USA

Service of Healing and Wholeness, next week at First Prez-Midland

First Presbyterian Church of Midland will hold a Service of Healing and Wholeness, Wednesday, October 26, 6:30p.m. in the Chapel. The service will center on prayer for the needs of the world, others, and ourselves.

The church is located at 800 W. Texas (on the northwest corner of Texas and A streets), just west of downtown Midland. Whether in need of healing and wholeness for yourself, or if you are led to be in prayer for another, please join us for this service of prayer.

"You are medicine for me when I am sick.
You are my strength when I need help.
You are life itself when I fear death.
You are the way when I long for heaven.
You are light when all is dark
You are my food when I need nourishment!"
Ambrose of Milan (340 - 397)

"In a day and age when the concept of healing is delegated to doctors’ offices and hospitals, the church confesses that for Christians the practice of healing is much greater. The image for Christians is 'not cure but wholeness.' Wholeness may be received even when a cure is not. Sickness, suffering, and dying are occasions not only for professional care but also for an openness to the meaning of divine grace and the assurance of forgiveness ... The Scriptures reveal a God who desires shalom for God's people. God's shalom is well-being and wholeness. It is shalom that God offers to all who suffer. Shalom is mediated through God's forgiving and healing love made known to us in Jesus. It is rooted in his life, death, and resurrection. In him, we have the assurance of final victory over sickness and death."
The Companion to the Book of Common Worship

For more information, please call FPC-Midland at (432) 684-7821.

Teichert Prayer Letter for September

Karl and Jenny Teichert are serving the Lord as missionaries with OC Africa, in South Africa. They moved to Johannesburg in November, 1997 with their four children; Ann, Scott, Stephen and John. Karl serves as the Southern Africa Director of the Southern Africa Regional Team. Their vision is to see a healthy, Bible-based church established in every un-reached village and community in South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia and beyond. Their strategy is to partner with key African church leaders to research, train, and mobilize the body of Christ to complete the Great Commission. They are striving to equip local leaders in Southern Africa to reach their nations for Christ and send missionaries into other countries as well.

September Letter ...

Dear family and friends,

Lesotho is known as the “Mountain Kingdom.” It is nested inside the country of South Africa. It is one of the poorest countries in the world with one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDs. Over 40 percent of the population live in rugged mountainous regions. Many people still need to hear about the saving power of Jesus Christ, and many new disciplemaking churches are needed in these remote areas.

Karl had the opportunity to facilitate a church planting seminar in Morija, Lesotho, from June 20-24 through the Church Planting Alliance. He was joined by a church team from Madisonville, Kentucky, and Thomas Maphophe from northern South Africa. We are praising the Lord for the 65 leaders who enthusiastically participated in the training and the 55 leaders who were certified to train others.

The local Lesotho leaders responded very positively to the training. Many of them met together again in July to review the material and follow up their action steps. Karl will return in November to encourage the leaders and provide additional training. Please pray for these leaders as they plant many disciple-making churches among these remote villages of Lesotho.

We are so grateful for your friendship and partner-ship in the Lord’s mission. Thank you for standing with us!

Karl and Jenny Teichert

OC Africa is an interdenominational ministry committed to developing, equipping, and mobilizing church leaders to multiply healthy, Bible-based churches in every community in Southern Africa and the world. OC is a faith-based mission who depends on the Lord to provide committed, financial supporters and partners. The contributions from these individuals help generate ministry opportunities around the world, impact missionaries and their global work, and provide a means for the International Mobilization Center to function. CLICK HERE to learn how YOU can be a part of mobilizing church leaders around the world by donating to OC.

An Urgent Plea

Dear Champions for Burma,

I have had an urgent request from Steve Gumaer for the people served by Partners Relief and Development. Funding is essential to provide food, medicine and supplies to 31,000 recently displaced people whose homes and villages have recently been destroyed by the Burma Army.

Steve wrote: “I attach the delivery report. It shows just one of many deliveries we have done in Shan and Kachin State in the past two months. We have continued our regular budget work at the same time as we have given extra funding to these critical needs. I'm not sure how to sustain this work, this line of relief, but as long as we can, we will. Those people have nobody else to lean on and it feels more like a moral duty to do everything we can than a neat program. You know what I mean? ... I know that if the people of Burma could thank you, they would do it too - in four part harmony with big smiles, they would say Tablu Doma! (Thank you very much!)”

Please respond to this desperate situation if you are able to help.
1. Click on partnersworld.org/usa ;
2. mail a check to: Partners Relief and Development, 2066 Redlands, CA 92373 ;
3. donate to: First Presbyterian Church - Midland and mark "Urgent for Partners Relief and Development"

Please storm heaven with loving prayers for the Shan and Kachin people, and Steve and Oddny Gumaer.

Thank you for being Champions,
Margaret

Margaret Purvis
Margaret@purvisop.com
Phone: 432-682-7346

Partners Blog: "Press Release Regarding Political Prisoner Amnesty"

Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief & Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma. This blog is meant to be a more personal stream of conversation than newsletters allow for. The opinions expressed here may not be those of Partners Relief & Development.

Press Release Regarding Political Prisoner Amnesty

"Partners Relief & Development welcomes the release of about 120 political prisoners in Burma. We do, however, urge the government of Burma to release ALL political prisoners as we have noted that the most prominent ones have still not been set free. Nearly 2000 political prisoners are still in jail, many of them with sentences as long as 65 years or more.

We are encouraged by the positive changes that are happening in Burma. But in order for true change to happen, the government needs to end its atrocious deeds in the ethnic areas of the country."
CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post

In the News ... "Churches join together to build Habitat home"

By Sara Higgins
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS - Volunteers from Mid-Cities Community Church broke ground on a new home in Midland Saturday, marking the beginning of this year's Apostles Build for Midland County Habitat for Humanity.

Ten churches have pledged to help build the house at 310 S. Adams St., which will be Habitat's 110th in Midland County since its inception in 1988. Each church in the Apostles Build has reserved one or two weekends to work on the house, as well as pledged financial contributions to the project.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Invitation to Prayer

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Called beyond Comfort Zone

"“We are among your called.
We have heard and answered your summons.
You have addressed us in the deep places of our lives.
In responsive obedience we testify, as we are able,
to your truth as it concerns our common life.

We thank you for the call,
for the burden of that call,
for the risk that goes with it,
for the joy of words given us by your growing spirit, and
for the newness that sometimes comes from our word.

We have indeed been in the counsel of your summoning spirit,
and so we know some truth to speak.

But we are, as well, filled with rich imagination of our own,
And our imagination is sometimes matched and overmatched
by our cowardice,
by our readiness to please,
by our quest for well-being.

We are, on most days, a hard mix of true prophet and wayward voice,
a mix of your call to justice and our hope for shalom.

Here we are, as we are,
mixed but faithful,
compromised but committed,
anxious but devoted to you.

Use us and our gifts for
your newness that pushed beyond all that we can say or imagine.
We are grateful for words given us;
we are more grateful for your word fleshed among us."
Prayers for a Privileged People, by Walter Brueggemann

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Intercessor,

We will meet for prayer on Wednesday, October 5, 2011, at 11:30 a.m. in the Bride's room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland. Please join us for this time of prayer, and afterward for lunch ($5) and a time of fellowship.

If you have requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call.

Thank you for responding to God’s call to pray for the children of our world. Thank you for allowing God to push you out of your comfort zone!

Blessings,

Chris

In the News ... "Center chooses families of the year"

By Lyxan Toledanes
Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - The typical definition of a family usually includes mom, dad and the kids. But for a pastor, family is also about God and the church.

And for the Rev. Griffin Jones, lead pastor at CrossRoads Fellowship Church, and his wife, Donna Jones, it’s their faith in God that has kept their family close. It’s also the reason they were named the Samaritan Counseling Center’s Family of the Year.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story

John Bunyan: The English Pioneer of the House Church

The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

Pastor Xiqiu “Bob” Fu: "John Bunyan, the English Pioneer of the House Church

Released by ChinaAid, October, 2011 ...

"BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – In the 17th century, Bunyan was a pastor at the Church of England’s St. John’s Church. Because he broke the Anglican rule forbidding preaching outside the church and preached on the streets of Bedford to crowds of people from different social classes, he was accused of illegally establishing private meeting sites and illegal preaching and was persecuted by the Anglican Church."
Read the Rest of the Report from ChinaAid

 

Faces of Children: Call for Prayer, and Action

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

Lisa Thompson, a friend of Faces of Children and a dedicated advocate for trafficked or commercially sexually exploited children and women, often sends us information about what’s going on around the country and world in the battle against modern day slavery.

She sent the article below to her list serve last week and we felt it was worth sharing with you. As Margaret Purvis, our ministry founder recently wrote, “Sometimes a cause deserves to be highlighted. It gives those who wish to participate an opportunity to express their passion for the well being of children as an action in addition to prayer.”

• CNN REPORT: 'Toddlers and Tiaras' and sexualizing 3-year-olds

• PTC PETITION: Tell TLC To Stop Sexualizing Toddlers!

Thank you for bringing children before God in prayer. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about what’s happening to them and for asking God in what other way you may serve these vulnerable ones.

If you have requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call.

Blessings,

Chris

In the News ... "Christians, athletes flock to Fields of Faith"

By James Cannon
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Young Christians descended on Grande Communications Stadium in droves to hear rock music and experience a group evangelical worship experience Wednesday night.

The atmosphere was lively as students fellowshipped with each other from the region. Most wore white Fields of Faith T-shirts and bobbed their heads to the Christian rock music.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 17, 2011

CUBA - In 2009, Havana Presbytery celebrated twenty years of partnership with the Presbytery of Long Island and ten years with the Presbytery of Chicago. We thank God for the rich experiences that have borne fruit for us in every sense. When the partnership agreements were established between the presbyteries, there was a rule that the agreement lasted for three years. However, both sides concluded that after three years of working together, their relationship could not end because a family-like partnership had been established.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 16, 2011

MINUTE FOR MISSION: WORLD FOOD DAY - David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, describes our time as one in which we are called by God to be involved in a "great liberation" on an "exodus from hunger." On World Food Day we celebrate the strides made in the exodus from hunger. And we pray for strength to continue the exodus with those who are still bound in hunger's gravitational pull.
CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Diocese celebrates 50th anniversary"

By Sara Higgins
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS - Legend has it when Pope John XXIII, whose birth name was Angelo Roncalli, searched for the headquarters of the new West Texas diocese in 1961, a town with his namesake caught his eye.

"That's where it's going to be," he said, pointing to the town of San Angelo. Today, that same diocese spans 37,433 square miles in 29 counties, and is a network of 73 missions and parishes that about 82,000 West Texans call their church homes.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 15, 2011

COSTA RICA - On a mission trip In 2006, I was introduced to a ten-year-old girl and a church family who would change the way I approached mission and God and viewed my neighbor and myself. Francinny sat waiting to be introduced as, simply, a little girl with an enlarged liver. A second memory is of the sincerity of the elders at the Costa Rican Presbyterian Church in Higuito as they prayed for the children of the church.
CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "50th Anniversary jubilee Mass: Think of it as a family reunion"

By Jimmy Patterson
Contributor
Midland Reporter-Telegram

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS - By virtue of our very nature, we like to be with other people. We were not meant to be alone. And so the faithful among us often tend to flock together with others in either small, intimate faith communities or at their neighborhood church or parish. This coming together with others is such an important thing to us, we even call it "our church family."

At 11 a.m., Sunday, 82,000 Catholics from the 73 churches and missions in the Diocese of San Angelo have been invited and encouraged to attend a Mass in honor of the diocese's 50 years of spreading the faith in West Texas.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 14, 2011

NICARAGUA - We need our partners. Without them we can get by, but we don't want to do it alone.'' This was the message to Davidson College Presbyterian Church from their ASDECK (Association for Community Development of Kilambe) partners in northern Nicaragua. Aristeo proudly showed the Davidson visitors his farm, which is being used as a teaching model. The visiting group and their hosts shared updates about friends and family members that had been held up in prayer by each partner. God's grace and presence were clear in the relationship that had formed through the years.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 13, 2011

HONDURAS - Upon arriving in Copan, Honduras, in September 2009, a sixteen-member team from Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church in Duluth, Georgia, discovered they were the first to do mission work in the area since a government coup occurred four months earlier in the capital city of Tegucigalpa. Uncertain of the ramifications of the country's power struggle, some mission teams made last-minute cancellations - leaving much work to be done in nearby villages.
CLICK HERE to read more.