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.