National B.B.F.I. Report

     The Fall Fellowship meeting of the BBFI in Canton, Ohio was such a blessing! Pastor Mike Frazier and the folks at the Canton Baptist Temple did a fantastic job of hosting the meeting. Here are some of the highlights:

    

     Two couples and two single ladies were approved as TEAM missionaries (1-3 year internship), serving with veteran missionaries already on the field. Five couples and one single lady were approved as career missionaries (one of those couples was a reinstatement). Together, that means sending seven couples and three singles out into the harvest fields of the world. This year, a total of 33 new missionaries have been approved through the BBFI Mission Office. Do I hear an "Amen"?

     The 2013 Missionary Projects Offering stood at $159,540 with only twelve states reporting. Florida came through with $14,950, which actually was one of the higher totals from individual states. The report from the 2012 MPO is that of the $270,000 that was promised, $242,000 was received which resulted in nine missionary Home projects and eleven missionary Church projects being completed.

     Missions is still the strong right arm of our Fellowship. Remember, the Mission Office in Springfield doesn't produce missionaries; they come out of local churches just like yours and mine. Let's continue to pray that the Lord of the harvest would send forth laborers into His harvest (Matthew 9:38). For the missionaries already on the front lines, they need our encouragement and support. They are the combat units, and we are the supply lines. Let's hold them up prayerfully and financially. Thanks for all you do for the cause of world missions!

Gratefully serving,

Pastor George Mulford

Florida National Director

Don't Take a Knee

Communicating truth to our congregations is always a challenge.  Jesus was a master communicator because He was a great illustrator.  Paul was the same way.  Jesus used everyday things to illustrate truth such as fishing, sheep, a door, a candle etc. Paul used several sports analogies.  People relate to such things.  So here is one I used Sunday.  The topic was the fact we are living in the last days.
I like the new coach of the Tampa Bay Bucs.  At the end of the game against the New York Giants it seemed like the game was over.  As New York took a knee the bucs defense stormed through and tried to cause a fumble.  After the game the coach was criticized for it.  His response was “I tell my players to play till time has run out.”  My admonition to our people was for our church not to “take a knee.”  There is still time on the clock of life.  I don’t want to be a pastor who has mailed it in just because we are living in the last days.  People are still getting saved, God is still working and we need to stay faithful as long as the clock is ticking.
I think the same can be said for us as a Fellowship.  May the only knee we take is the one where we kneel in prayer.  Let’s keep encouraging one another.  Let’s keep supporting church plants.  Let’s keep supporting our colleges and missionaries.  See you in November at Park Street.  

Dan Jeffers,

FBBF Chairman

NOTE: We are currently accepting nominations for officers.  The only office not up for vote is Treasurer.  There is one more year on that term.  

Church Planter Report - Church@South Creek

It's amazing to see God work in the lives of those around us. This past summer at South Creek was full of attacks from the enemy and blessings from God...isn't that the way it is for all of us?! There are several families in our church that have experienced difficulties in these past months, but we have seen people give their lives to Christ and have also seen many new faces at South Creek. We have a good group of girls coming now that are in high school and college. We are excited to start a new small group just for them. 

Back in January 2012, I shared the wonderful news with you about my friend/neighbor, David and how he made the decision to give his life to the Lord. These are the friends are here as political refugees from Venezula. We asked for prayer for his wife as she was still relying on her good works for salvation.  She had seen and recognized a change in her husband. Fast forward to July 2012, my wife received a text early one morning from David's wife, Maggie asking if she could meet with us that evening. She had not been able to sleep and was afraid. They arrived at our home and she proceeded to tell us of her need for Christ. Answered prayer! Rachele was able to lead her to the Lord that night at our dining room table. God is good and we are humbled to be a part of His plan for our wonderful friends and neighbors. 

Please continue to pray for South Creek! Thank you for your faithful support! We are blessed to have you backing us up!

Next Meeting: September 10 - Big Cypress

Our folks at Big Cypress New Testament Baptist Church are so excited to host the FBBF state meeting for September. We are planning a great day of Music, preaching, and food. We will be serving some traditional Seminole dishes for lunch including spam and tomatoes on rice, as well as barbecue ribes along with some Indian frybread, you might even get to drink some sofke. Directions can be found on our website at www.bigcypress.us. If you want to use a GPS you might try 34800 Josie Billie Hwy, Clewiston, FL 33440, there are no guarantees but it might get you close. When you get to the Reservation, we are next the Safety Complex and across the street (East) from the Ah-Tah-thi-Ki museum. We look forward to seeing you.

Arlen Payne,

Big Cypress

Schedule

11:00 Missionary and Church planter showcase

     - Missy Sanders - Bolivia

     - Bobby Harjo - Missionary to Navajo Indians

     - Bill Blomberg - Missionary to Seminole Indians

12:00 Lunch (Business meeting)

1:00   Billy Haas - Missionary to Native America

2:00   Brian Burkholder - Pastor -Hollywood Community Church, Hollywood FL

Music in the morning will be provided by Amos & Cookie

Music in the afternoon will feature a Native Voices from Brighton Reservation

Directions

34800 Josie Billie Hwy, Clewiston, FL 33440

Missionary Projects Offering

Missionary Projects Offering

By now, every pastor who contributes through the BBFI Mission Office should have received a second mailing of the Missionary Projects Offering brochure, commitment card and letter from Dr. Jon Konnerup. The goal and desire of the Mission Office is to reach a $400,000 collective commitment fellowship wide. The Missionary Projects Offering is to help acquire stable and secure housing in which our missionaries can reside while ministering in foreign lands as well as assist national churches to erect buildings in which they can worship. This offering is one of the greatest things we can do for our missionaries.

 

Please let me know if you did not receive the brochure and commitment card or if you have any questions about it, or if you have a pledge amount in mind so that I can record it and bring it to the meeting in Canton, Ohio next month. You can reach me by phone at 352-326-5738 (office) or 352-516-9134 (cell). My email is gbbclees@aol.com. I did not receive a goal for our state, but last year Florida pastors pledged $20,700, of which $15,950 has been paid according to the last statement I received. I believe we can do better this year but it will not be done without your help. May God continue to bless and use you is my prayer.

 

Sincerely in Christ,

George A. Mulford

National Director

Next Meeting: August 13th First Baptist Port Richie

"Surviving and Thriving in the Ministry"

Guest Speakers: Steve Lawrence & Ed Johnson

Speaker Bio's

Schedule:

10:00 Officer's meeting

11:00 Steve Lawrence

12:00 Lunch

12:30 Business meeting

1:00 Ladies' meeting

1:00 Ed Johnson

2:00 Ed Johnson

727-277-9628

Directions


First Baptist of
Port Richie FL
5708 River Gulf Rd.
Port Richie, FL 34668

Speaker Bio's

 Our first speaker is Bro. Steve Lawrence, Pastor of Beacon Baptist Church, Melbourne. Steve was raised in a pastor's home and has served in numerous positions in the ministry all the way from school administrator, associate pastor, professor at Baptist Bible College, and now senior pastor. His thirty years of experience plus having six children of his own gives him a unique perspective on how to help our kids not only survive but also thrive in the ministry.

Our second speaker is Bro. Ed Johnson. He has pastored two churches for a total of 33 years. During that time he was actively involved in the state fellowships of Ohio and Indiana as chairman and as state representative. He has served on the Mission committee for a number of years. He has a counseling ministry, C.A.R.E., International, which is geared toward those in full time ministry. In his two sessions he will offer valuable insights to helping us not just survive but to also thrive in doing God's work.

Update On Dan Holland

As many of you already know, one of our friends and Florida Pastors, Dan Holland of Community Baptist Church in Stuart FL suffered a heart attack in late July and is still in a coma. We ask that you continue to pray for him, his wife, and the church family as they seek God's grace and mercy during this difficult time.

he church website provides daily updates to his condition here.