Published March 17, 2017
Emmanuel Baptist Church, Toledo, Ohio
Casey
Ministry Highlights
A ministry highlight was the opportunity to speak to the Surgery Department at the hospital with regard to employee morale and relationships with one another. Many recent changes have put a greater stress on the staff and it has led to many conflicts and quarrels in the department. The nurse managers, frustrated about what to do, asked me to speak to the group about having a positive attitude at work, being a team player, and serving others first. After observing the group for a few weeks I prepared a message that I prayerfully believed that God put on my heart. I spoke to the group on Wednesday March 1st and was able to share some of my personal testimony as well as lead them through a biblical counseling booklet on healthy communication titled, “Can We Talk?”, which presents four truths from Scripture that will promote healthy relationship through effective communication. At the end I was able to share the gospel with them, a group of about 40 people in a secular work place! I was greatly encouraged by the feedback that I received from the talk and it has stirred up a lot of conversation aimed at improving both the attitude and tone of our words at work. This opportunity to speak has been a long time in the making and God has enabled me to be blessing to the people I work for and the people I work with.
Last month I reported that I helped lead a team of 32 people from our church on a missions trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina to help some of our missionaries there finish a church construction project. Since that time we have had a number of opportunities to present that ministry to the larger church body. I have been able to have many good and profitable conversations with the team members as part of my follow up on the project. It has been a blessing to see how the Lord has used this service opportunity to really nurture and grow the faith of so many that participated.
Key Prayer Requests
Pray for my father, his health has not been good as of late. He has been struggling with it and it has him a bit depressed to see his body failing as he gets older.
Pray for a new discipleship relationship with a new regular attender at our church.
Pray for our church’s mission emphasis month coming up in March. I will have an opportunity to address the church with my vision for a medical missions team at Emmanuel Baptist Church and the plans to lead a team to Togo in West Africa later this year.
Pray for wisdom for our church staff as some difficult decisions must be made in the near future.
Pray for me to have the proper balance in my school work, church service, hospital work, and family.
Prominent Lessons
Earlier this month I helped lead a team of 32 people from our church to Buenos Aires, Argentina to help one of our missionaries there with a construction project for a new church plant. It was a successful trip in that we were able to accomplish much more than was hoped for. It was a week full of hard labor, but the team took it in stride and did a great job in serving the church in El Talar.
As part of my project, I was to assist one of our pastor’s in leading the team. This was largely to be an assist and observe learning experience for me in preparation for a medical missions team that I will be leading on my own later this year. About halfway through the week I was given the lead and tasked to see things through for the rest of the week. While this was in theory a good idea to help me grow in my leadership skills, I quickly learned that I didn’t really have any authority to lead. A team hand picked by my pastor continued to look to him for guidance. In addition, while at the site, our missionary was the one in charge, so any plan that I had deferred to him. Also, one member of our team was our senior pastor, who as times had his own agenda (preaching at two churches, meetings with missionaries, etc…). It was a frustrating experience for me because I felt people were holding me accountable for things that I had no control over (middle management is tough work).
Despite my frustrations, I learned that my ultimate authority is the Lord and that I will have to report to him for the work that I have done here. He knows the situations that I faced and will deal with me accordingly. When faced with difficulties in ministry, I have to remember that all I can do is my best with the gifts and talents God has given to me. I need to be faithful to that end and trust the rest to Him. I spent most of the week trying to work as hard as I could, doing the jobs that no one else desired, trying to set an example of humility and service. In addition, I tried to make the rounds and encourage the team in the work that they were doing so that we would all stay focused on the task at hand and give our best service to the work that needed to be done. When it was all finished, I was pleased with what we accomplished for the church in Argentina. I don’t need recognition for that because God gets the glory. That was a humble reminder.
I had a meeting with my Intern Coordinator about my leadership and management of the team we led from our church to Argentina. I was frustrated with myself to begin with, because I know that I could have handled some things better than I did, but to hear his feedback made it sting even more. I wrestled with my feelings over this for a few days. This leadership project provided a great opportunity for me to see what is within me. Difficult situations help to reveal our weakness and as such can be useful for our spiritual growth if we are willing to learn from them.
While sad and frustrated at what seemed to me a squandered opportunity, I have learned that God has not given up on me and that change is possible if I turn away from my own way and seek to respond in faith to the truth of God’s Word (sometimes delivered via Intern Coordinators) and work diligently to grow in awareness of my own way and thereby be better informed on how to put to death sin in my own life so that I might be an example to the people that God has called me to lead.
Key Goals for the Next Month
Finish the evaluation for my Leadership Training Project (Argentina Construction Team 5, ACT 5)
Present my Medical Missions Project to the church during Missions emphasis month (3/26/17)
Prepare my next Applied Bible Analysis.
Submit my last two project proposals.
Keep working through Changed Into His Image with Michelle.
Michelle
Ministry Highlights
Argentina – helped build a church and shared my testimony.
Coffee & Canvas – I taught 2 painting classes and shared my testimony, the gospel, and a devotion.
I gave testimony of our Argentina trip to our church this past Sunday.
Meeting individually with a lady who attends our soul care group.
We had Pastor Dan’s family to our house for dinner.
Key Prayer Requests
Pray for more speaking opportunities, if that is God’s will, for me. I might be teaching another bible study in April so pray for attendance and for God’s leading.
Pray for me to be more intentional about getting together with moms so I can develop some deeper relationships that might turn into discipleship opportunities.
Pray for God to lead Casey to where he wants to use Casey in ministry so we know what direction to take after internship.
Pray that Duke and Shane would be intentional about training Casey.
Prominent Lessons
God keeps reminding me that he made me with a purpose and that as long as I am willing to submit to his plan and his ways, I can do anything he asks me to…which includes public speaking. What a fulfilling month February was for that very thing! I went to Argentina and had the opportunity to give my testimony at one of the churches there. I taught the Coffee & Canvas event, where I again, shared my testimony and a short devotion. And then this past Sunday, the Argentina team gave testimony of our trip. I was one of five, who shared. God is helping me with my fear of public speaking and if I could remove the nerves I would really enjoy it. I have received compliments every time I have stepped out in faith and have shared with others what God is doing. I am starting to get excited about it! God is showing me how to trust him and to lean on him when I am weak, mainly through public speaking.
I am also learning how important it is to build relationships with our soul care attenders outside of our group time. People are what is most important and they will never know how much I care if I don’t reach out to them.
Key Goals for the Next Month
Preparing to lead a Bible study.
Meet with 2 more ladies from our soul care group.
Have another pastor’s family to our house for dinner.
Request Info
Visit
Apply Now
Give