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Dear Friends and Prayer Warriors,
Last week gave you a look at where we've been, so this week we thought it would be appropriate to give you a vision for where we're headed.
Where is the Lord taking our pastor and church leader training ministry?
This Fall, Daniel will be teaching Church History in the Seminary Extension at the Holston Baptist Association (HBA) in Johnson City. The HBA is a strategic partnership for us because it's the largest baptist association in Northeast Tennessee. They've been a key relationship building ally over the last two years. In the last seven years, the HBA has not been able to offer this class because they couldn't find someone willing to teach it. And with good reason. Teaching church history requires a working knowledge of all the church's key figures, movements, and dates for the past 2,000 years, as well as the ability to transfer that knowledge to the students in just about 100 years per hour. It should be fun, but it's not a small undertaking! Our prayer is that continued faithfulness in serving as requested, as well as teaching with excellence, will lead to additional opportunities to expand our partnership in the future.
In January, we intend to resume our lay leader BTCL class that meets in our home. Schedule conflicts for the students prevented a Fall class. These men have shown themselves faithful and continue to grow in the Lord. We pray this group will expand in the future.
Last week, we met with Sheldon Livesay in Rogersville, which is about an hour west of us. For those of you who prayed, thank you! The Lord answered! Sheldon is excited about starting a BTCL group this winter. He recognizes his own need for training, as well as the need of the bi-vocational pastors in his area. He has agreed to try to recruit a group of students to join him in starting new a class, potentially in January. Please pray for the Lord's favor on Sheldon as he recruits, that men would recognize their need for equipping and be willing to participate and learn.
By the end of our third year of ministry, it is possible that we could be training church leaders in Johnson City (through the HBA), in Greeneville (through BTCL in our home), and in Rogersville (with Sheldon's group). It's pretty amazing to sit back and see what the Lord has done, and how He continues to work!
Where is the Lord taking our benevolence ministry? (Or as Charlie would say "What do we want to be when we grow up?)
The Storehouse...
For the last 6 years or so, our Storehouse ministry has been located in a building provided to us rent free by a gentleman who loves Jesus, loves our ministry, and has labored to help us in any way he can. During that time, various short-term mission trips have completed projects to renovate the space and make it a functional ministry location. Everyone involved has benefited. Our ministry has had a place to serve the community, our landlord has had his property improved, and short-term mission teams have had opportunities to serve. What a blessing all around! Presently, our landlord is thinking about retiring. He's told us we are welcome to stay as long as he owns the building, but if he retires and has to sell the building, we'll obviously need to find a new location for our Storehouse ministry. Right now, that means there is some uncertainty about our future physical ministry site. Relocating means identifying a new host location and potentially renovating the space if that's necessary. We have a couple of options available to us, so we would ask that you pray for the Lord's clear direction as Charlie and Daniel seek Him in these decisions.
To this point, Mountain Vision has focused primarily on relieving the needs of those in crisis. For example, last week, a woman came to us in need of furniture because her husband put her out on the street. A few weeks ago, it was a 71 year old lady whose sister had kicked her out and forced her to start over. We helped her with furniture as well as some basic household items like dishes. We hear stories like these almost every week. Our food distribution primarily provides for senior adults whose Social Security check just isn't enough to cover their expenses and leaves them hungry by the end of the month. Our food boxes help with that. Each week, we provide nice, gently used clothing to people of all ages who aren't necessarily in crisis, but who live in material poverty. This last group is the one where we see the potential to do more in the way of development, as opposed to simply relief.
Jobs for Life...
This past summer, a mission team from Grace Church in Greenville, NC trekked all over Greene County to interview our clients. One of the things we learned is that Greene County is 622 square miles and has only one straight road. Another thing we learned is that a number of our clients are interested in a program that would help them find a job, because a job could move them beyond the level of needing material assistance on an ongoing basis. From my research thus far, there are no non-government programs in our area that provide job training or assistance in finding a job. We believe this is an area of opportunity for expansion of our benevolence ministry, particularly in partnership with local churches. From consulting with others who have attempted such programs, it is clear that before the program is launched, there must be employers lined up who have agreed to hire the program graduates. People who won't participate just for a reference, might very well participate if there is a guaranteed job upon completion. Inside our local church partners there are a number of men and women who represent local employers. Over the course of this Fall, Daniel will be lining up meetings with some of these people to attempt to build a base of employers who would be willing to offer entry level positions to program graduates. At the same time, attempts will be made to enlist mentors from the local churches who will coach program participants through the process. Anytime you think about launching a new program, it's best to bathe the decision in prayer. Please pray for wisdom in the coming months in knowing exactly how to minister to those who are in need of development, and not simply relief.
Project Thanksgiving...
This Thanksgiving season, Mountain Vision will again be partnering with Second Harvest and WCQR for Project Thanksgiving, which provides holiday meals with gospel literature to thousands of households in Northeast Tennessee. This year, the radio station will be tagging along with us as we deliver meals. This is a great opportunity not only to serve families in our community, but also for the Lord to shine a spotlight on our benevolence work here in Greene County and increase our credibility with other local ministries. Please pray the Lord would be glorified through this collaborative ministry effort.
The Christmas Store...
At Christmas, Mountain Vision will once again be partnering with First Baptist Church of Greeneville to bring the Christmas Store to our community. Daniel will be serving alongside Joey Tillery to help provide some new insight and direction for this ministry, which provides opportunities for parents to hear the gospel while receiving new toys for their children during the Christmas season. Please pray that this ministry would be an effective means of sharing the good news with people we might otherwise not have any contact with.
How Can You Pray?
1. Pray that the Lord continues to show favor upon our ministry here in East Tennessee.
2. Pray for the continued development of relationships and the expansion of our pastor and church leader training ministry.
3. Pray for direction regarding the future location of the Storehouse.
4. Pray for wisdom and favor in launching the Jobs for Life program next year.
5 Pray for Project Thanksgiving, that the Lord would be glorified through this collaborative ministry effort.
6. Pray for the Christmas Store, that this ministry would be an effective means of sharing the good news with people we might otherwise not have any contact with.
Dear Friends and Prayer Warriors,
Last week gave you a look at where we've been, so this week we thought it would be appropriate to give you a vision for where we're headed.
Where is the Lord taking our pastor and church leader training ministry?
This Fall, Daniel will be teaching Church History in the Seminary Extension at the Holston Baptist Association (HBA) in Johnson City. The HBA is a strategic partnership for us because it's the largest baptist association in Northeast Tennessee. They've been a key relationship building ally over the last two years. In the last seven years, the HBA has not been able to offer this class because they couldn't find someone willing to teach it. And with good reason. Teaching church history requires a working knowledge of all the church's key figures, movements, and dates for the past 2,000 years, as well as the ability to transfer that knowledge to the students in just about 100 years per hour. It should be fun, but it's not a small undertaking! Our prayer is that continued faithfulness in serving as requested, as well as teaching with excellence, will lead to additional opportunities to expand our partnership in the future.
In January, we intend to resume our lay leader BTCL class that meets in our home. Schedule conflicts for the students prevented a Fall class. These men have shown themselves faithful and continue to grow in the Lord. We pray this group will expand in the future.
Last week, we met with Sheldon Livesay in Rogersville, which is about an hour west of us. For those of you who prayed, thank you! The Lord answered! Sheldon is excited about starting a BTCL group this winter. He recognizes his own need for training, as well as the need of the bi-vocational pastors in his area. He has agreed to try to recruit a group of students to join him in starting new a class, potentially in January. Please pray for the Lord's favor on Sheldon as he recruits, that men would recognize their need for equipping and be willing to participate and learn.
By the end of our third year of ministry, it is possible that we could be training church leaders in Johnson City (through the HBA), in Greeneville (through BTCL in our home), and in Rogersville (with Sheldon's group). It's pretty amazing to sit back and see what the Lord has done, and how He continues to work!
Where is the Lord taking our benevolence ministry? (Or as Charlie would say "What do we want to be when we grow up?)
The Storehouse...
For the last 6 years or so, our Storehouse ministry has been located in a building provided to us rent free by a gentleman who loves Jesus, loves our ministry, and has labored to help us in any way he can. During that time, various short-term mission trips have completed projects to renovate the space and make it a functional ministry location. Everyone involved has benefited. Our ministry has had a place to serve the community, our landlord has had his property improved, and short-term mission teams have had opportunities to serve. What a blessing all around! Presently, our landlord is thinking about retiring. He's told us we are welcome to stay as long as he owns the building, but if he retires and has to sell the building, we'll obviously need to find a new location for our Storehouse ministry. Right now, that means there is some uncertainty about our future physical ministry site. Relocating means identifying a new host location and potentially renovating the space if that's necessary. We have a couple of options available to us, so we would ask that you pray for the Lord's clear direction as Charlie and Daniel seek Him in these decisions.
To this point, Mountain Vision has focused primarily on relieving the needs of those in crisis. For example, last week, a woman came to us in need of furniture because her husband put her out on the street. A few weeks ago, it was a 71 year old lady whose sister had kicked her out and forced her to start over. We helped her with furniture as well as some basic household items like dishes. We hear stories like these almost every week. Our food distribution primarily provides for senior adults whose Social Security check just isn't enough to cover their expenses and leaves them hungry by the end of the month. Our food boxes help with that. Each week, we provide nice, gently used clothing to people of all ages who aren't necessarily in crisis, but who live in material poverty. This last group is the one where we see the potential to do more in the way of development, as opposed to simply relief.
Jobs for Life...
This past summer, a mission team from Grace Church in Greenville, NC trekked all over Greene County to interview our clients. One of the things we learned is that Greene County is 622 square miles and has only one straight road. Another thing we learned is that a number of our clients are interested in a program that would help them find a job, because a job could move them beyond the level of needing material assistance on an ongoing basis. From my research thus far, there are no non-government programs in our area that provide job training or assistance in finding a job. We believe this is an area of opportunity for expansion of our benevolence ministry, particularly in partnership with local churches. From consulting with others who have attempted such programs, it is clear that before the program is launched, there must be employers lined up who have agreed to hire the program graduates. People who won't participate just for a reference, might very well participate if there is a guaranteed job upon completion. Inside our local church partners there are a number of men and women who represent local employers. Over the course of this Fall, Daniel will be lining up meetings with some of these people to attempt to build a base of employers who would be willing to offer entry level positions to program graduates. At the same time, attempts will be made to enlist mentors from the local churches who will coach program participants through the process. Anytime you think about launching a new program, it's best to bathe the decision in prayer. Please pray for wisdom in the coming months in knowing exactly how to minister to those who are in need of development, and not simply relief.
Project Thanksgiving...
This Thanksgiving season, Mountain Vision will again be partnering with Second Harvest and WCQR for Project Thanksgiving, which provides holiday meals with gospel literature to thousands of households in Northeast Tennessee. This year, the radio station will be tagging along with us as we deliver meals. This is a great opportunity not only to serve families in our community, but also for the Lord to shine a spotlight on our benevolence work here in Greene County and increase our credibility with other local ministries. Please pray the Lord would be glorified through this collaborative ministry effort.
The Christmas Store...
At Christmas, Mountain Vision will once again be partnering with First Baptist Church of Greeneville to bring the Christmas Store to our community. Daniel will be serving alongside Joey Tillery to help provide some new insight and direction for this ministry, which provides opportunities for parents to hear the gospel while receiving new toys for their children during the Christmas season. Please pray that this ministry would be an effective means of sharing the good news with people we might otherwise not have any contact with.
How Can You Pray?
1. Pray that the Lord continues to show favor upon our ministry here in East Tennessee.
2. Pray for the continued development of relationships and the expansion of our pastor and church leader training ministry.
3. Pray for direction regarding the future location of the Storehouse.
4. Pray for wisdom and favor in launching the Jobs for Life program next year.
5 Pray for Project Thanksgiving, that the Lord would be glorified through this collaborative ministry effort.
6. Pray for the Christmas Store, that this ministry would be an effective means of sharing the good news with people we might otherwise not have any contact with.
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