Test Run Life

     Sometimes I feel like I am always the guinea pig. Do you ever feel that way? When I was younger, I always resented that because the first guinea pigs always get the hardest tests. In testing labs, they usually die the most gruesome deaths. "Oops! I guess we won't try that again..." I just watched a history channel - type video about World War 2's secret weapons and the development of technology by genius individuals. I kinda feel sorry for the test pilots of those aircraft that had never been tested before. It's not like there was a flight simulator available or anything... If they crashed, many times they died.

     But, here's one thing that inspires me about "guinea pigs:" it's all about progress and development. If you find something that you can give your life to, it won't seem like that much of a sacrifice to be a guinea pig. Wanting to develop a way for missions to be done more efficiently and effectively, I've dedicated myself to become the guinea pig doing the test run on this. Why try to encourage others to try what I have not been successful at myself? With that in mind, I am eager and zealous to do something great in the local church that I am part of. This realization has been sobering too, but it has been an encouragement to work with Daniel (the Pastor's son) here who is also somewhat of a visionary. We see the great potential that Grace Baptist Church has to grow and expand in the community. Can I be completely honest here? It's completely by faith in what we believe God can do through two individuals willing to serve and obey God. When we are successful, not a single future missionary can use as an excuse that their church is too small to send them. We can point back to what God did (will do) with Grace Baptist Church. In light of what we believe about God, Daniel and I are planning on getting ready for future growth.

     Along the same lines of being a guinea pig, God will never lead us into a situation for the purpose of hurting us. God doesn't experiment because He already knows the outcome. That's a comforting thought. Every guinea pig experience is a chance to develop. So, starting this Sunday, I will be teaching the teens and it will be my responsibility to handle all of the activities that we do each month. I have never been a youth pastor before - this is gonna stretch me. But that's a good thing. I pray for the young men and women that they will have the patience to stay as I grow into the role. I think the patience-thing will be a two-way street. Without God all over this, I will fail miserably -same with the Gospel Lilypad Project. Here's to being a guinea pig!

Missions Video Published to Youtube!

To be honest, I really don’t have much talent in the way of creating videos, but then again I’m a missionary not a computer expert. In fact, I really wish that someone else would catch the vision and put them together for me. Microsoft’s Movie Maker isn’t the best program, but that’s what I have. And even though it took hours for me to make this four minute missions video, I really feel like it could be improved. Please watch it and feel free to suggest improvements or maybe make recommendations as to who might be willing to do a better job. The cause is that important. Enjoy.


Gospel Lilypad Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_72MPoPZ3I

Click here for our GLP Youtube video! 

Revolution

While driving from Arizona to Pennsylvania, I had some time to ponder how we view missions across the pond. Keep in mind, this outline isn't perfect but should provide some insight into what the first Lilypad concept is about.




Here are the Steps of Revolution:

1. Realize the current failure
A. 67% of missionaries reach the field.
B. 75% of missionaries that reach the field never complete even their first term of four years

2. Calculate the money lost through failure.
A. The estimated $300k - $600k and upwards that is spent to travel on deputation
B. Only 16.5% of all money spent by missionaries actually goes to further missions (67% make it, 25% stay longer than 4 years)

3. Not Biblical vs. unBiblical
A. No Biblical bases either way
B. Just the methodology of the 1950s

4. Need to evolve to something that will work
A . Failure to change will not change the failure.
B. Time and resources are decreasing
C. Defeat breeds defeat
D. Technology, political and cultural atmospheres have changed

5. Expansionist thinking must be used
A. Using the resources of freely giving people cannot but be an asset
B. Being good stewards of what God has offered in the way of resources, talents, and technologies will be rewarded with trust, credibility, and success
C. Prayer, ingenuity, and work will be required to make necessary changes

6. Churches must be taught to operate locally but think globally
A. Prepare for the future by budgeting money away for investment into and preparation of church members
B. If you have ten 5-year olds, you have 12-13 years to save money for Bible college scholarships for as many as will surrender to go. (Families more likely to stay)
C. When young men and women see that their church is behind them, they will be more likely to step out.
D. Following current examples of the local church plan makes the whole process less foreign and more likely to be chosen
E. Bible institutes are first choice and Bible colleges second
F. All graduates would be required to complete a successful internship (bringing 5-10 families, discipling them, taking part in ministry, determining their spiritual gifts and specific place of calling)
G. The pastor would choose a veteran missionary for the intern to work under until language and culture are acquired
H. After one term, the new missionary would start a new work in the language and culture that they have already learned and adapted to.

GLP Community

Last night, we finally received our Photoshop art work from one of our volunteers. We needed the talents of Philip to create some concept art to be used in explanation of Gospel Lilypad procedures. Thank you Philip for your hard work and well-used time to make it for us!

We are also glad to announce that we now have a Google+ Community as of yesterday. Yippee! We haven't advertised it much yet, but hopefully such a forum will allow us a discussion board for future ideas and opinions on plans. Anyone who would like to join and take part can search and find it. Just send us a request to join and we will respond 99% of the time within the next 12-24 hours.

Why Missions Does Not Take-Off

To some this does not apply, but for those to whom it does...

Who would volunteer to dedicate their life to four years of dragging themselves and their family all across the country to beg at churches and hopefully not give any pastors an excuse for not supporting them?
 
Who would want to do that?

That is what we expect our missionaries and their families to do...

Are local, independent, fundamental Baptists able to send their own young men and women out and say, 

"Don't worry, we'll take better care of you than that. In fact, we've planned for God to use you so we saved our money as a church and waited for this day to come."

That seems so foreign to us doesn't it?

We wonder why so many young people grow up and wander away from God's will for their lives.
Imagine with me for just a minute as you think of the last time you watched a rocket or a shuttle launch into the atmosphere. Was it alone standing there on the launchpad? No. There is a launch tower (supplying guidance) or at least a service tower or "gantry" (supplying fuel and and support cargo). Very few of us would sell everything and travel with the Gospel to a people group speaking a foreign language. We would feel stranded and lost the moment we arrived. Why then do we send missionaries (if at all) to fend for themselves. Would you agree that they would need more than a little pocket change from each of us to get the job done?
We may have to give up the Sea-doo, the deer stand, or the beach condo idol that keeps us from serving in and through our local church. But that shouldn't be a problem, right, since we are not our own, but rather bought with a price?


To send some soldiers off to fight overseas in the Great Cause that affects us all, yet do nothing to push the front line back where you live is counterproductive. It has been said that in regards to missions, there are three options, "Go, Send, or Disobey." Surely, we must go when called and support those we send.

We must send in five main parts:

First, we must prepare the children in our churches from the earliest of ages. Sunday school must be taught by prepared and Holy Spirit-controlled teachers. Sunday School is only a reinforcement though for the devotional time that each family has together around God's Word. Each father and mother must be sensitive to God's plan and direction for their child and willing to let that child serve God how and where the Lord decides.  
Second, each church should budget its money in order to save toward sending those future young men and women to Bible college and for what God calls them to do. Bible college should simply be a reinforcement of what the pastor teaches and should encourage that young man or woman to serve in his or her local church.
Next, with a new wave of trained young men and women, the local church can use their pre-established ministries and capacity to start new ministries as a training ground to give their young adults practical ministry training. The pastor should take time each week and train the young men interning part-time for future ministry.
Then, with a good amount saved for God's work through that generation, the pastor and church can send out those who will start new churches both domestic and foreign. With term of internship work bringing in new people who have been converted and discipled, the local church will have a greater capacity to send, the supported young men and women will have proven themselves, and those whom they have converted and discipled will be additional members to the dedicated prayer base for them.
(If one young couple is going to the foreign field, it would be best to have them intern with an independent, fundamental Baptist among that people group or culture. This will provide them an opportunity to adjust to the culture, learn the language, and learn missionary techniques. It is important that the missionary training your young missionary couple has a strong position on the authority of the local/sending church and will support that concerning your new missionary couple.)
Lastly, it will be necessary for the sending church pastor to visit the new domestic and foreign field churches as well. This will keep the vision of church reproduction alive and real in the mind and heart of both the pastor and the home/sending church. 

This is the philosophy of the Gospel Lilypad Project.
Each church is required to reproduce itself. If a church does not strive to accomplish that, then there is a great need to revolutionize its thinking. Once a church grabs hold of their Biblical mandate to replicate in other parts of their country and world, then it will be ready to start with the readying process. When a local church is ready to send their missionaries to the foreign field, it is best to reinforce that which already remains abroad in order that the first-term missionaries can begin relating with and respond to the culture and language before leaping straight into service completely alienated from everything. New missionaries who have acclimated to the culture and language group in the foreign country God has called them to have a much higher success-and-stay rate than those who pioneer with their only support being the knowledge of a monthly check. Please consider helping us help others.

You can catch us on Twitter by browsing for #gospellilypadproject or you can follow us on Facebook.
There is also an RSS feed option via Wordpress and a Google+ Page coming soon...

In a "Ribbit" What "GLP" Means...

In a "ribbit," what is the Gospel Lilypad Project?

It is part of a four-phase philosophy:

Phase 1: Revolutionize the way our independent, fundamental Baptist churches partake in Missions.
                     For more information, visit Need to Reevaluate Missions
Phase 2: Ready our churches to become Biblically, effectively involved in international outreach.
Phase 3: Reinforce already-existing foreign-field works by investment of our resources and by allowing                       them to provide support and training to newly arriving missionaries in that area.
Phase 4: Reproduce with another church, functioning later as another "lilypad" for future missions
                      work.

The Gospel Lilypad Project at this time is raising money to reinforce one such "lilypad" in Kharkov, Ukraine. The scope of this project will affect two future missionary couples in addition to two existing missionary couples. Our goal is $40,000 to reach current missions objectives and possibly complete secondary objectives (such as helping with necessary surgery for one of the missionaries).
We will need many volunteers to give of their talents in many areas: web design, video production, marketing, solicitation of donations, recruitment of new volunteers, prayer, and more. 

When we are successful, we will do this again probably in a different part of the world.
(Your recommendations and prayers as to where would be appreciated.)

To Volunteer, please send an email to: ForWordMissions@gmail.com

Eager but waiting...

I'm biting at the bit to get this all started, but I'd like to first have our project logo. It has to be original artwork - otherwise there would be the danger of copyright infringement. I want to do this project 100% above-board in every area and facet of what we are working toward. I've even thought of taking up acrylic painting again just to get it done!
Praise the Lord that I had a good conversation with my hiking partner named Bob. He's a winter visitor to Arizona here and is from Washington State where I am originally from. He expressed his willingness to help be one of the 100 callers we need to help fundraise and spread the word about the project. That was encouraging.

I've been making sketches of what I'd like to see take place amongst our fundamental Baptist churches today. Every church needs to be the epicenter of its members' lives. I was talking with my wife Katrina about how churches grow so fast their first couple of years but then slow down and agonizingly increase from then on. What's different? Usually, in the early days, a church family will fellowship together in so many more ways than 1-2 church services. Potlucks, softball games, picnics, family activities, etc all encourage more people to visit and join that church community. That's just what churches should continue to do - fellowship as brothers and sisters in Christ and give their lost friends something to desire to belong to. Of course, this should not exclude the importance of daily witnessing. I believe that it should also be a church function (after all it is the church's mission). The second thing churches need to do is save money for the future of their young people. What if God calls them to a Bible college and/or to be a missionary: will the church be able to help that young man or woman with their training? Will that church be financially able to send that young person to the mission field or did you think to plan for that?

I believe it wise that we protect our investment. That's why the Gospel Lilypad Project exists. Surely, we will build places for your young people to serve on the foreign field and receive further overseas assistance. With only a very few making it longer than 3 years these days, something has to be done.

The Need to Re-evaluate Missions

I don’t know about you, but are we really getting the job done in respect to Missions?

      In 1950, there were over 100,000 missionaries spreading the Gospel worldwide – that’s Baptist missionaries. That number is now down to approximately 29,000 worldwide. That’s an attrition rate of 1,000 missionaries per year. Of those remaining on the field, there are only 5,000 independent Baptist missionaries serving the Lord on foreign fields.

Why is this happening? Seemingly, all of the ground that was gained by the blood, sweat, and tears of missionary families in the years before us is now running like sand through our fingertips. We cannot hold on.

      Looking at statistics, we can easily feel disheartened and unless we fix something, the problem will continue until only America will only be reaching America with the Gospel.

      I believe the problem exists in three parts: Seeing, Sending, and Supporting.

1. At the get-go, on average only 1% of students attending Bible colleges today ever seriously consider the need for missionaries. (That’s not 1% being called – that’s one 1% only considering it.) Only a percentage of 1% of all highly-trained men and women surrendering to be missionaries would explain in large part why there is no workforce overseas; barely anyone caught the vision. They did not look upon the fields white already unto harvest – the fields that missionaries years earlier have sown and prepared people for God’s working in their lives. More people need to see the need!  
2. Second, 43% of the people who surrender, complete their training, and commit to God’s purposes for them never complete deputation. Nowhere in Scripture can it be found that deputation is a Biblical process, but it has been used in the past to provide a means of acquiring financial support. Something must be wrong though if nearly half of missionaries never even make it to the field. The lack of churches’ ability around the country to send off the chosen is appalling. You would think that we could sacrifice a little more as comfy Americans than that. 
3. Lastly, would be the issue of support. I know that your mind goes directly to financial support, but money existing in the bank account of the well-supported few will not keep those few on the field. As statistics show, 75% of first-term missionaries quit and never return to the foreign field to complete that four years. Not only is there something missing from how we support missionaries, there is something wrong with the way we view the area of support.

      Something, we must admit, is seriously wrong with the way most independent, fundamental Baptist churches partake in Missions. If we truly care about the Gospel reaching across the oceans to other peoples speaking different languages, we’re gonna have to change.

       Change is not easy – nor is it appreciated most times amongst fundamental Baptist circles, but obviously it is necessary. Whether you are a pastor considering what God will do in the lives of the young people in your church, or a college student considering God’s calling in your life, or a senior ready to graduate and wondering if your home church is ready, capable, and willing to take part in God’s purposes for you, or a church member who has realized that there is more to what needs to be done than giving your tithe from an 8-5 job, pray and to be ready do something Biblically different...

(more information coming soon, make sure to subscribe)

Praises

You know, I should have expected that our Adversary would try to stomp on this from the very beginning. No matter how much Satan tries to stop us, we will succeed by hoping in the Lord and counting the blessings that He bestows in His grace.

Praise the Lord for men of God who encourage young men to keep their zeal and increase in wisdom.

Praise the Lord for a friend of mine named Jonathan Danson looking at the project and now praying about joining the cause, meanwhile looking at what he can do to make us a logo. That's two people now for that part of the project. God is good.

Praise the Lord for a wife who encourages me to follow what I believe God wants me to do.

Praise the Lord for friends who mean well when they counsel and who are praying that God's will be done with this project.

God is good. God will keep us going.

Is There Not a Cause?

Many, I'm sure will ask, "Is your project a ministry of a local church?"

The short answer to the question is, No - but keep reading...

At this point, we are not a ministry as you would think of one in the context that many ministries are thought of in respect to churches.

This is one man's dream of striving to help missionaries by launching an independent one-time project. 

Now, I really hope that someday we can do this all again and fund more "lilypads", but it's nothing more than a fundraiser to help complete the building of a local church on the foreign field. 

Being really big on making sure things are Biblical, I consulted the Bible for Its counsel on the subject of fundraisers and things like that. What I found was interesting. 

For those of you who ask about whether or not this is a ministry of a local church, here's your answer:

Act 11:27-30  

 "And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul."

Now, as you read the context here, you'll see that from the church in Jerusalem was sent unto the church in Antioch prophets. During an assembly (or church service, we would say), they had a prophet stand up and prophesy that there would be a famine in the years ahead. Therefore, the disciples took up an offering and gave individually as much as they could toward the local church in Jerusalem. Then the church of Antioch sent that offering via two faithful servants named Barnabas and Saul who had been working and teaching in the church of Antioch. This would seem to restrict any contributions to the work of God to be done strictly through the local church. But does it? We have no record of whether or not other churches in the area were asked for relief, but we do know that Antioch was. Let's think about this: each one of us should be a member of a church somewhere. You will be asked to partake in this offering for a local church in Kharkov. If it is your standard to do so, please present this project to your church and they can contribute to the cause. This project will be headed up by myself assisted by a team in partnership with FaithLauncher under the blessing and authority of Faith Bible Baptist Church in Kharkov Ukraine. 

 

Sometimes, it is necessary to break out and do something unexpected...

If you think back to Sunday School when you learned about Jonathan and his armor bearer sneaking away from their Israelite army as they relaxed on the frontline, you'll remember that their valor was neither condoned by King Saul nor their victory congratulated when they returned. Here we would all agree that Jonathan and his armor bearer did the right thing because King Saul wasn't doing what needed to be done.

We do not strive to promote and complete this project to receive any recognition, we do so that the objective of missions may be accomplished. We may be few, but there is a job to do.

To the skeptics who watch with no involvement for whatever reasons they claim; When like Eliab, uninvolved people fling their accusations, "Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle." I will quote little David who had the right focus and purpose, "What have I now done? Is there not a cause?"

Praying for Helping Hands.

It seems weird blogging from my iPhone, but it's better than driving all the way down to McDonalds. Downloaded Google's Blogger app so I can more conveniently update the project's blog.

Spent some time today praying about who to ask for help concerning the Gospel Lilypad Project. If even Jesus prayed before He chose the twelve disciples, I definitely ought to pray concerning my need for assistance concerning a project or ministry, if you will, like this.

Of course, I cannot force anyone to follow God's will concerning this, but I will pray for them that if God wants them to dedicate their time, talents, and treasures to this cause that they would.

I contacted another friend of mine who I have considered teaming up with in the past. I love Brother Smith's focus on prayer and the need that exists for it. Without prayer, we cannot and will not succeed. Anything done by merely our might will only be to our glory - and that does not glorify God. Therefore, we must have a strong and sincere emphasis on prayer realizing our total dependence on God to bless our efforts and supply the needs of this project as we work to accomplish our goal and ultimately Christ's goal of saving the lost, healing the broken, and restoring the fallen.

Giving our Project a Name

To have a logo, you've got to have a name. It honestly didn't take long before the concept of what we are trying to accomplish transformed into concept. What is this all about? 

It's about spreading the Gospel, training disciples, and building families through the Biblically-approved method of planting churches and from those churches sending out more people to do the same. That's where the concept of the lilypad came in. Each of us need a place to serve God and a place that will support us when we strive to obey God. Sometimes that church needs to be a launch pad for exploration into regions that have never had the Gospel or very little exposure to it. That's where this concept comes in. 

I have a special burden for missions. God gave it to me after I prayerfully considered the needs of missionaries on foreign fields. After becoming sensitive to the burden God gave, God used it in my call to Russia. But Russia is not alone in its need for the Gospel - neither is Eastern Europe, but one thing at a time right? In an effort to reach through a once "godless" region with the Gospel, we are going to build a support line of churches that will assist Gospel-preaching missionaries right through the whole area - a network of "lilypads," if you will, to propel the Good News into the regions beyond.

Therefore, we are going to call it the Gospel Lilypad Project.

Building a team

Today, Fernando and I reviewed my progress in narrowing my goal. This past week, I've been trying to expand my network on Facebook so that more people can potentially be reached about the project.
I gave him my goal: $40,000. That would complete the church building in Ukraine, allow FaithLauncher their 15% fee for helping with the project and maybe even help the missionaries son find proper treatment for his deformed finger (two doctors, two surgeries later on a splintered bone). Steven, the missionary's son has worked on the church building regardless. Most would accept worker's comp (if available) and forget about working until their body was healed - but Steven isn't typical in this regard and neither is the work that needs to be accomplished. 
So, my homework for this next week and the week after is to assemble a team of like-minded, like-hearted individuals who have a burden of their own for missions work. I have a few Bible college classmates who may be willing to help - but it's going to take a ton of work no matter who volunteers.
I sent off a rough piece of concept art to Philip Vaughn, a college friend who has skill in that area. He has kindly agreed to look at it and maybe will help with the design of the project logo.
Contacted another friend who will pray about joining the team. I have a few other names in mind.
Of course, everyone has busy schedules. One just has to figure out what is most important and prioritize accordingly.

Getting Started

Wow, I am overcome by this idea - this burden to help missionaries. While checking Twitter one day, I noticed a new follow, FaithLauncher.
"Who are they?" I pondered.
Turns out, they share a similar interest in that they help with the funding of faith-based projects. For a long time, I've wanted to do great things in missions on a large scale. I wondered for awhile if this was a God-send for I had many missions-related dreams sharing my heart. I decided to casually check them out by stopping by their site while at the library one day.
"Various projects; a few worthwhile causes", I estimated.
"How about one that can further the Gospel in a big way? Nah, I'm not sure that I would be successful at something like this..." I thought to myself.
But, knowing that one cannot walk anywhere without taking the first steps, I decided to sign up and submit my project...

The following week, I talked on the phone with the coach they assigned. His name was Fernando. We got to know each other and come to find out, he has a heart for missions work too.
We talked over the goals and plans that I had. He advised that I should select from all that I dreamed of doing and focus on that one.
"But which one?" I questioned within myself.
My homework that week was to pick one and find the exact amount that we were going to work to raise - then we'd talk about it the same time next week.

That day, I talked with one of the missionaries that I was thinking about fund-raising for. He happened to be my father-in-law who had come home on furlough (a period of time when missionaries return to the States to report to their supporting churches). He and his family were ones that I had followed on Facebook for awhile, reading their reports of church services in spite of sub-zero temperatures. They and their small church had sacrificed much to meet together in the first church of its kind. I had the privilege of visiting Ukraine for about a week during a two-month missions trip to Russia and not only watch them in ministry but participate with them as they distributed the Gospel, shared the Gospel in their neighborhoods, and built by hand the church building themselves. This they do to save money.

Though I might go alone at first, I'm starting this project and carrying this torch. There are so many missionary families out there that give of themselves to further the Gospel - somebody needs to do something while most of us Americans enjoy the comfort of living here.