2012 December/2013 January fellowship!

fellowship!

CBF

Cooperative baptist fellowship | www.thefellowship.info

December 2012/January 2013

Serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission

Skills for life Through the ministry of CBF field personnel in the Middle East, artisans have an opportunity to develop their skills, support their families, build community and find hope.

CBF photo

Read more about this story on pages 10-11.

Keeping faith with missions

By Patrick Anderson, CBF Interim Executive Coordinator This year, it takes $4.8 million to keep CBF field personnel on the field. It’s a promise we make to CBF field personnel such as Melody and Sam Harrell, who were commissioned in 1999 to work among remote tribes in Kenya and inner city children in the slums of Nairobi. As they stood before us at the Commissioning Service, and we placed our hands on them and prayed for them, each of us in CBF made the commitment to provide for their livelihood, expenses, care and ministries. Today, all these years later, that same commitment holds and the mission of Melody and Sam is changing lives.

We spent the $4.8 million we received last year for field personnel costs, and we will spend the same amount this year and next just to keep the people for whom we are responsible on the field. We would like nothing better than to spend more, to place more fully funded personnel on the mission field. In fact, we spend every available dollar doing just that. All that it would take to double our missions force would be an additional $4.8 million this year and next, the year after and the following years.

In addition to field personnel like the Harrells, the ministry of the Fellowship is expanding through men and women who appeal directly to local churches and individuals to fund their calling. I believe that the same high degree of passion for missions exists today in our churches than at any time in our past, but the method of putting money behind that passion is changing as the new wave of these “self-funded” personnel has emerged.

Approximately 44 percent of current CBF field personnel are funded through new ways. About 27 percent of our total personnel are able to use their professional vocational income to support themselves in mission. The remaining 17 percent secure their funding through church and individual support.

In addition to the funds raised by individuals, CBF provides these individuals with support services such as travel grants for team meetings, computer and technical support, college scholarship support for their children, networking assistance for developing donors and financial services to enable support to come through the CBF tax-exempt channel. We help their work to be sustainable, effective, efficient and accountable. We claim them as our own, embrace their calling and service, honoring those who have promised to support them.

I have heard it said that because CBF’s Offering for Global Missions has been relatively the same for a few years, CBF must be on a plateau, or worse, in decline. I beg to differ. Sometimes we have a stubborn affinity for accepting simplistic explanations that may be false. The truth is that overall funding is larger than we can report in our CBF Offering for Global Missions for the very facts that I have described.

But now, toward the end of 2012, I want to remind us all that our commitment to our field personnel remains intact, that we owe them our support for the calling to Vol. 22, No. 6 which they have responded. They have followed God’s call in faith believing that we will Interim executive Coordinator • Patrick Anderson stand with them in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, ’til death do us part!

Editor • Patricia Heys And, what a joy it is to be joined together in the global mission enterprise. We Phone • (770) 220-1600 cannot go perhaps, but we can send. And when we send, we promise ourselves to Fax • (770) 220-1685 the mission.

E-Mail • fellowship@thefellowship.info Our gifts to the CBF Offering for Global Missions right now is a way to fulfill Web Site • www.thefellowship.info our promises to all of the persons we have sent far and wide to be the presence of fellowship! is published 6 times a Christ. Let us be faithful to our commitment.

year in Feb./March, April/May, June/July, Aug./Sept., Oct./Nov., Dec./Jan. by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Inc., 2930 Flowers Road South Suite 133, Atlanta, GA 30341. Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta, GA. USPS #015-625. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to fellowship! Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, 2930 Flowers Road South, Suite 133, Atlanta, GA 30341.

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Contents

Serve: Summer Opportunities in the United States

Prayer Calendar

Church Spotlight: Winter Park Baptist Church, Wilmington, N.C.

Partner Spotlight: Faith Comes By Hearing Five Tips for using the fellowship! magazine in your church Skills for life • Middle East artisans support families through crafting Christmas ornaments • Cowies provide skills training, share God’s love in Haiti • Business as mission

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Affect: December Skills for life Translating the gospel • CBF field personnel provide Christian resources to Persian speakers • Holmes brings God’s story to Romany people

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Affect: January Translating the gospel

Opportunities for students Upcoming CBF events

CBF Photo

CBF field personnel Mich and Pat provide worship resources for Persian speakers all over the world. Read more about their work on pages 16-19.

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At the Naomi Women’s Center, Roma women have the opportunity to learn new skills, fellowship together and find support in community.

When you give...

“Roma women have the same desires that we all do. They’re the backbone of the family. They’re the backbone of faith for their husband and children. So by reaching out to them and helping them grow, we’re touching families in a transformational way. We are being the hands and feet of Christ.”

Tammy Stocks, one of CBF’s CBF photo

field personnel

W

ith men at the helm of Roma Gypsy culture, women are expected to feed, clothe and sustain their families, while facing discrimination in healthcare, employment and education.

Mothers often have little time to nurture their children, let alone their own hearts.

But through weekly sewing classes, counseling and a welcoming community at the Naomi Women’s Center in Bucharest, Romania, Roma women are finding renewal.

CBF field personnel Ralph and Tammy Stocks began organizing classes at the Naomi Women’s Center in April, when mothers at the nearby CBF-supported Ruth School proposed a sewing group. Through support from Virginia Baptists and the CBF Offering

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for Global Missions, the Stocks provided machines, childcare and an instructor to teach classes twice a week. The center also provides trained counselors to address mental and emotional health. But as Tammy Stocks learned, sewing mends the soul as well.

“Women want to be together and want to talk about husbands, children, lives.”

Tammy said. “This sewing group and the Naomi Women’s Center give the women a safe environment in which they can come together to discuss their problems and find support. We see hugs. We see tears. And they’re finding the hope and strength that they scarcely receive elsewhere.”

Inside the group’s “No Man Zone” women enjoy coffee and snacks and talk as fast as their sewing machine run, Tammy said.

On two mornings a week, beginners learn

how to operate the machines while expert sewers take advantage of an opportunity to provide for their families. When a single mother of four began selling her creations at a local market, the group discovered an opportunity for profit and developed plans to sell aprons, bags and fabric brooches to support their growing expenses. While the Stocks push to provide a market for the women’s products, they also experience the true power of relationships and are grateful for freedom to build them.

“The gifts of Fellowship Baptists allow us to do what God has called us to do,” Stocks said. “Women have needs that men often don’t understand, and relationships are at the heart of this ministry. Because people give, we have the time to build those relationships.

We have the freedom to answer God’s call.”

Your support of all the Fellowship’s mission and ministries makes possible countless stories of lives changed. To give, go online to www.thefellowship.info/givenow or use the envelope provided in this issue.

December 2012/January 2013

Serve Opportunities to

Engage in summer missions across the United States

At Touching Miami with Love in inner-city Miami, volunteers reach out to children through education and loving community.

www.thefellowship.info/togetherforhope CBF’s rural poverty initiative, Together for Hope, provides a two-week opportunity for churches across the country to work alongside churches and individuals in Phillips County, Ark. The All Church Challenge missions blitz needs mission teams to lead camps for kids and teens ages 3-19, teach swimming lessons, repair homes, work in community gardens and more.

Miami, Fla. www.thefellowship.info/pittman CBF field personnel Angel and Jason Pittman direct the Touching Miami with Love ministry center in the Overtown community of Miami, where they reach out to children, youth and families living in poverty. TML can accommodate groups of eight to 30 people to assist with summer camps for children and youth.

Atlanta, Ga. www.edgewoodchurchatlanta.org CBF partner Edgewood Church, led by pastors Nathan and Carrie Dean, has a need for groups to assist them with construction and rehabilitation work as well as extensive landscaping at their location in the Edgewood neighborhood.

serve

CBF photo

Helena-West Helena, Ark. St. Louis, Mo.

Eastern Kentucky

www.thefellowship.info/zivanov Kirkwood Baptist Church and CBF field personnel Mira and Sasha Zivanov need partner groups to assist in providing food pantries, computer classes and ESL training to immigrants from Bosnia, Slovenia and Croatia in the St. Louis area.

www.thefellowship.info/settle In Nada and Owsley County, Ky., Paula Settle, one of CBF’s field personnel, coordinates more than 35 church mission teams each year for housing repairs, reverse mission trips, tutoring and microenterprise work among those living in poverty in eastern Kentucky.

Texas www.thefellowship.info/Texas/kidsheart CBF partner KidsHeart and CBF’s Together For Hope need teams to assist with work along the Texas-Mexico border doing construction projects, medical projects and outreach efforts to children and youth affected by poverty.

Charleston, S.C. www.pushingforward.org CBF partner ministry Metanoia focuses on addressing poverty in the Chicora-Cherokee community of North Charleston. Churches and individuals may connect through mentoring opportunities and landscaping and painting projects, as well as basic construction endeavors.

Eastern North Carolina www.thefellowship.info/anderson CBF field personnel Anna and LaCount Anderson serve in Halifax and Northampton counties and welcome mission teams to assist with summer events for children, a literacy fair, Vacation Bible School, a community garden, food ministry and the operation of a woman’s shelter in Enfield.

Fremont, Calif. www.thefellowship.info/sample In the San Francisco Bay area, CBF field personnel Lita and Rick Sample need teams to assist in outreach to victims of human trafficking.

To learn more about specific opportunities, contact CBF staff member Chris Boltin at engage@thefellowship.info or visit www.thefellowship.info/serve. fellowship!

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prayerspeople of the

Praying the Beatitudes

days of feeling meek or falsely accused. On these dark days, I don’t feel like light. How about you?

This month, pray the Beatitudes as you begin your prayer

By Bo Prosser, CBF Coordinator time.

Read these verses of blessof Missional Congregations ing and encouragement out loud. atthew 5:1Hear Jesus challenge you, comfort 16 is one of you, care for you. Feel the light Bo Prosser my favorite of Christ and the flavor of Christ passages. I pulse through you. Thank God for the enfrequently turn to the ergy and opportunity to do good works and Beatitudes and let Jesus remind me of how to share good words with those around you. blessed I am and can be. There are days Next, identify what you’re feeling: “Towhen I mourn or feel poor in my spirit. day, my attitude is…” and fill in the blank There are days when my hunger for righwith one of the verses from Matthew 5:1teousness, mercy and peace drive me to my 16. Now, pray for God to make you aware knees seeking the heart of God. There are of God’s blessings to you. So if today your

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CBF Ministries Prayer Calendar CH = Chaplain FP = Field Personnel FPC = Child of Field Personnel GMP = Global Missions Partner PC = Pastoral Counselor PLT = Church Planter

2 Connie Madden, Kirkwood, MO (CH) 3 Rosemary Barfield, Jeffersonville, IN (CH); Ed Beddingfield, Fayetteville, NC (PC); Rachel Gunter Shapard, Jacksonville, FL (CH); James Heath, Dry Prong, LA (CH); Shane McNary, Slovakia (FP); Gennady Podgaisky, Ukraine (FP); Jim Tillman, Swansboro, NC (PLT); David Wilson, Chapel Hill, NC (CH) 4 __, Jordan (FP); Jose Albovias, Louisville, KY (CH) 5 Chuck Gass, Gainesville, FL (CH); Kenn Lowther, Columbus, OH (CH); Chris O’Rear, Nashville, TN (PC); Judith Powell, Whiteville, NC (CH) 6 Mickael Eyraud, China (FP); John Norwood, Houston, TX (PLT) 7 Phil Hester, Emeritus (PLT); Ed Wilder, Jacksonville, FL (CH) 8 Stephanie, Los Angeles, CA (FP); Tommy Deal, Dalton, GA (CH); Edward Erwin, Pensacola, FL (CH); Virginia King, Columbia, SC (CH); Donald Kriner, Canton, GA (CH); Robert Pitts, Greenville, MS (PLT) 9 Julie Brown, France (FP); Wayne Hyatt, Spartanburg, SC (PC) 10 Cecelia Beck, Shelby, NC (FP); Beth Roberts, Raleigh, NC (CH); James Williams, Montgomery, AL (CH)

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15 Anna Anderson, Scotland Neck, NC (FP); Craig Cantrall, Louisville, KY (CH); James Close, Louisville, KY (CH); Sheree Jones, Greensboro, NC (CH) 16 Cayden Norman, 2000, Europe (FPC); Ina Winstead, Emeritus (FP) 17 Perry Carroll, Anderson, SC (CH); Josh Smith, South Africa (FP); Ronald Wilson, Northport, AL (CH) 18 Joel DeFehr, Oklahoma City, OK (CH)

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13 Tom Cleary, Emeritus (FP); Rick Landon, Lexington, KY (PC); Scott Lee, Auburn, AL (CH); James Stillwell, Lexington, KY (PC); Robin Sullens, Dallas, TX (PC)

19 Anna-Grace Acker, 2005, Uganda (FPC); Bernard Morris, Chester, VA (CH); James Palmer, Pensacola, FL (CH) 20 Robert Brasier, Silver City, NM (CH); Emily Jane Clark, 2008, Philippines (FPC); Larry GloverWetherington, Durham, NC (PC); Jan Thompson, Cornelia, GA (CH); Alan Willard, Blacksburg, VA (PC)

spirit is sagging, pray something similarly, “God, today I am poor in spirit. I’m trusting that you will bless me with the kingdom of heaven today.” Sit silently, wait, focus on your prayer for a few moments.

Now, add one more part to the prayer experience. Choose one of the names from the prayer list. Pray, “God, today (say the name) might also be feeling as I am. Bless them today with the same measure of grace that you will bestow on me.” Pray also for their work, their families, their health and safety, and their place in the world.

Close your prayer time by another minute of sitting quietly. Place your hands in your lap and feel the blessings of God pouring over you. Know that you are blessed as a child of God.

30 Shay Crenshaw, Raleigh, NC (CH); Revonda Deal, Emeritus (FP); James Garrison, Arden, NC (CH); Kenneth Kelly, Black Mountain, NC (CH); Ramona Reynolds, Orlando, FL (CH); Lex Robertson, Spokane, WA (CH) 31 Nathaniel Newell, 1998, San Antonio, TX (FPC); Pamela Rains, Wynne, AR (CH) January 1 Sam Bandela, Atlanta, GA (FP); Christina Pittman, Summerville, SC (CH); Andy Cowie, Haiti (FP) 2 Gabriella Newell, 2002, San Antonio, TX (FPC); Jon Parks, Slovakia (FP); Tammy Stocks, Romania (FP) 3 Christopher Bowers, Powhatan, VA (PC); Bill McCann, Madisonville, KY (CH); Meilyn Norman, 2001, Four Oaks, NC (FPC) 4 Joshua Hickman, Newnan, GA (CH)

14 Randy McDaniel, Floyd, VA (PLT); Maxine Moseley, Olive Branch, MS (CH) 15 Keith Ethridge, Yorktown, VA (CH); John Foxworth, El Paso, TX (CH) 16 Merrie Grace Harding, 1995, Orlando, FL (FPC); Fran Graham, Asheville, NC (FP); Jerry Hendrix, Abilene, TX (PLT); David Hormenoo, Durham, NC (CH); Mary Lynn Lewis, San Antonio, TX (CH); Michelle Smith, Pemberton, NJ (CH) 17 Anjani Cole, Spain (FP); Aaron Norman, 2005, Europe (FPC); Glenn Norris, Sherwood, AR (CH); Neal Sasser, Suffolk, VA (CH) 18 William Beaver, Fort Benning, GA (CH); Jeanell Cox, Smithfield, NC (CH); Bill Cubine, Louisville, KY (CH); Justin Nelson, Mount Airy, NC (CH) 19 Kaelah-Joy Acker, 2008, Uganda (FPC); Jackie Ward, Goshen, KY (CH)

5 Richard Durham, Mount Pleasant, NC (CH); Charles Kirby, Hendersonville, NC (CH); Kevin Lynch, Spartanburg, SC (PC); Calvin McIver, Sacramento, CA (CH); Linda Serino, Memphis, TN (CH)

20 Marcia Binkley, De Soto, KS (FP); Marshall Gupton, Smyrna, TN (CH); Kevin Morgan, Pisgah Forest, NC (CH); Paul Tolbert, Clayton, NC (CH)

23 Frances Brown, Surfside Beach, SC (PC); Robert Elkowitz, Cumming, GA (CH); Stephen Ivy, Indianapolis, IN (CH); Hal Lee, Clinton, MS (CH); Mary Lois Sanders, The Villages, FL (PLT); Linda Strange, Denton, TX (CH)

6 Larry Hardin, Topeka, KS (CH) 7 Denny Spear, Dunwoody, GA (CH)

23 Richard Atkinson, Bastrop, TX (CH); Mark Williams, South Africa (FP)

8 Rachel Hill, Shelby, NC (CH); Gerard Howell, Lexington, KY (CH); Ethan Lee, 2009, Slovakia (FPC)

25 Mich, New Jersey (FP); Cyndi Levesque, China (FP); Chris Nagel, Houston, TX (CH)

24 Michael Carter, Dallas, TX (CH); Phuc Luu, Houston, TX (CH); Bogdan Podgaisky, 1997, Ukraine (FPC)

9 Bill Cayard, China (FP); Paul Hamilton, Lodge, SC (CH); Patrick Moses, Mansfield, TX (PLT); Jonathan Myrick, 1994, Kenya (FPC); Bella Smith, 2010, South Africa (FPC)

26 Sandy Hale, Lebanon, NH (CH)

21 Bethany McLemore, Roanoke, VA (PC) 22 Eli Williams, 2011, South Africa (FPC); Sarah Wofford, Mooresville, NC (CH)

25 Taylor McNary, 1993, Slovakia (FPC) 26 Scottie Stamper, Charlotte, NC (CH) 27 Larry Austin, Fredericksburg, VA (CH); Steve Clark, Louisville, KY (FP); Gail Davidson, Orlando, FL (CH) 28 Claudia Forrest, Cordova, TN (CH); John Halbrook, Pound Ridge, NY (PC); Mitch Holbrook, Berea, KY (PC); Cynthia Jordan, Conover, NC (CH) 29 Maner Tyson, Waterbury, CT (FP); Art Wiggins, Triangle, VA (CH)

December 2012/January 2013

10 Melody Harrell, Kenya (FP); Kenny Sherin, Columbia, MO (FP)

21 Jim King, Fort Belvoir, VA (CH)

27 Darrell Bare, Boone, NC (CH); Ben Sandford, Portsmouth, VA (CH); Eric Smith, Willow Park, TX (CH) 28 Chuck Ahlemann, Des Moines, IA (CH); Griselda Escobar, Tyler, TX (CH); Kristen Long, Morgantown, WV (CH)

11 Chris Carson, Fayetteville, NC (CH); Ed Waldrop, Augusta, GA (CH)

29 Darryl Jefferson, Charlotte, NC (CH)

12 Neil Cochran, Greenville, SC (CH); Larry Connelly, Decatur, GA (CH); Scott Smallwood, Englewood, FL (CH)

31 Rebecca Andrews, Irving, TX (CH); John Manuel, Dupont, WA (CH); Paul Smith, Oakland, TN (CH)

13 Dianne McNary, Slovakia (FP); George Pickle, Marietta, GA (CH)

30 Hal Ritter, Waco, TX (PC)

church spotlight Winter Park Baptist Church Location: Wilmington, N.C. Founded: 1913 Pastor: Eric Porterfield Congregation Size: Averages 560 on Sunday mornings in worship

building a community committed to Christ that lives the Great Commandment and fulfills the Great Commission.

“It’s a great privilege to be part of the CBF family. Through the work of CBF personnel, we’re now friends and neighbors with people who live far from our own neighborhoods.

As we travel to serve, we’re really traveling to a reunion with our friends as we do God’s work together.”

— Eric Porterfield, pastor

Helping end hunger

Photo courtesy of Winter Park

Mission Statement: Through God’s power,

Members of Winter Park and others in the community prepare 40,000 meals each Thanksgiving to send to people in need around the world.

Winter Park hosts a Thanksgiving worship

members frequently travel to Mexico to build

service for all who participated.

homes for people living in poverty.

“At our Stop Hunger Now event we do tangible, measurable work that blesses people in need: we pack 40,000 meals in two hours that will be distributed in schools and

• Mission Trips to Helena-West Helena, Ark.: For eight years Winter Park has partnered with CBF field personnel to minister among the most neglected in this community.

Reaching the world in authentic ways is a

orphanages in Haiti to feed hungry children,”

priority of Winter Park Baptist Church. On the

said Winter Park pastor Eric Porterfield. “We

weekend before Thanksgiving, the congregation

do this work together; it’s a team effort

Studies: Winter Park Baptist Church, along

hosts a Stop Hunger Now event. Through this

involving people of all ages from different parts

with three other predominately Caucasian

event, the church partners with three local

of our neighborhood working together to bless

congregations and four predominately

congregations and an elementary school to

our neighbors in need.”

African American congregations, join

prepare 40,000 rice and bean based meals in two hours for children in Haiti. The church raises $10,000 each year to fund the supplies for the meals, which each costs 25 cents.

But only through the help of the community is Winter Park’s congregation able to prepare these life-sustaining meals in such a short period. With the shared goal of combatting global hunger, this program of cooperation allows church members to engage others in the community. Following the meal preparation,

Additional ministries • Tutoring at Winter Park Elementary

• Interracial Congregational Bible

together each fall for a six-week Bible study.

• Christian Women’s Job Corps: The church partners with Christian Women’s Job Corps,

School: The pastoral staff tutors students

which focuses on helping women obtain work

weekly at the school and as a result has built

and job training following tough life situations

a strong partnership with the faculty.

such as prison and economic difficulties.

• English as a second language classes: For more than 25 years, Winter Park has provided classes to people in their local community.

• Mexico Ministry Partnership: Church

• Centro Latino Ministry: The church houses on its grounds the Centro Latino Ministry, which focuses on ministering to the greater Hispanic population of Wilmington. fellowship!

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Partner spotlight

Faith Comes

By Hearing Faith Comes By Hearing records and uses heart-language audio Bibles to bring God’s church together and make

Faith Comes By Hearing

disciples from every nation, tribe, language and people.

Founded: 1972 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico

“In the early 70s, we were living and ministering on a Hopi

Website: www.faithcomesbyhearing.com

reservation in Arizona. One day, I found a large inventory of Hopi Bibles stored in the back of the church … I was told that they were basically useless since the people couldn’t read their language. More than 40 years later, I am as committed as ever to getting the word of God to the 70 percent of the world who are illiterate or live in oral cultures. Faith Comes By Hearing can only do this partnership with others, and we appreciate CBF for standing with us.”

Approximately 50 percent of the world’s population is illiterate. Faith Comes

By Hearing has recorded audio Bibles in more than 670 languages spoken by more than 5 billion people, representing two-thirds of the world’s population.

There are currently 1,233 New Testament translations completed, and the organization continues to work toward recording the New Testament in every translation, providing free access to all who want to hear the gospel.

Jerry Jackson, Faith Comes By Hearing Founder and President

“Faith Comes by Hearing

is a partner that has as its single focus sharing the words of Scripture with the world. Imagine hearing the Bible story in your own heart language for the very first time. Imagine then hearing that story over and over again as God speaks to you, intimately, personally. I am so grateful for the friendship and ministry we share in this work. Our field personnel, our church pastors and leaders, and countless Fellowship Baptists are benefitting from such a rich partnership.”

Bo Prosser, CBF’s Coordinator for Missional Congregations

Partnership Faith Comes By Hearing and CBF began their partnership in 2009 through the You’ve Got the Time Bible listening program. More than 500 CBF churches participated in the program, and Faith Comes

By Hearing equipped each church with MP3 audio Bibles for all members, including children’s Bibles. The churches listened through the New Testament in 40 days and took an offering to support Faith Comes By Hearing’s ministry, raising more than $320,000.

The money raised by CBF partner churches helped fund Bible Romani Sinte in Germany, and Romani Arlij in Bulgari. Combined, these languages are spoken by more than 19 million people.

Faith Comes By Hearing has also partnered with 194 CBF churches to support military troops with audio Bibles through the Military Bible Stick project. The participating CBF churches have given more than $100,000, providing more than 4,283 Bible sticks to U.S. military personnel.

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Photo courtesy of Faith Comes By Hearing

recordings for the Kambaata in Ethiopia, Chin Tiddim in Myanmar,

Faith Comes By Hearing provides audio Bibles for people all over the world, including children in Rwanda.

5tips

for using fellowship! magazine in your church

fellowship!

By Devita Parnell, CBF Missional Resources Specialist

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CBF

Cooperative baptiSt fellowShip | www.thefellowShip.info

December 2012/January 2013

Serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission

Skills for life

ou can trust fellowship! magazine to keep you up-to-date on the ministries and events within

through the ministry of Cbf field personnel in the Middle east, artisans have an opportunity to develop their skills, support their families, build community and find hope.

CBF life. Like any other magazine, readers enjoy the images and stories on the pages and

Read more about this story on pages 10-11.

find inspiration from the work of the Fellowship. But did you know that fellowship! magazine can be much more in the life of your church than just reading material?

fellowship! is designed to be the foundation for the missional teaching in your congregation.

Here are some suggestions for using fellowship! magazine as the missional curriculum for your church:

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Parents During family time, read the stories and look at images in fellowship! magazine. Talk to your children about the needs of others and God’s work in the world. If your church uses Form or Spark, CBF’s missional formation resources for children, use the information in fellowship! to reinforce what children have been learning in their mission groups. To learn more about these resources, visit www.thefellowship.info/missionseducation.

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Missions leaders The missional stories featured throughout each fellowship! coincide with the missional focus of CBF’s missional formation resources. Whether you are teaching preschoolers or senior adults, the stories in fellowship! provide more information about featured field personnel and more options for participating in their ministries.

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Adult leaders Using the Affect curriculum in fellowship! and the online component, you can lead adults in weekly Bible studies, mission group, Wednesday night meetings or even a Book Club. Use the missional stories as mission moments in worship and large group meetings. See www.thefellowship.info/affectonline for lesson plans and worship helps.

C B F P R E S C H O O L M I SSI ON AL FOR M ATI ON R E SOUR C E

Preparing to Serve

Answering God’s Call to Minister in Chile

Saying “Yes” to God

Students Serve at Home and around the World

C B F C H I L D R E N ’ S MISSIONAL FORMATION RESOURCE

P Preparing i to Serve S

Answering God’s Call to Minister in Chile

Saying “Yes” to God

Students Serve at Home and around the World

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Youth leaders Engage teenagers in missional learning and action by using the free downloadable youth Bible study e3. e3 lesson plans use the mission stories from fellowship! along with biblical examples to encourage youth to be missional Christians. Find two lesson plans for each issue of fellowship! at www.thefellowship.info/e3.

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Church leaders Help your church learn more about the ministries and CBF field personnel that your church supports. Use the prayer practice on page 6 or share inspirational stories from fellowship! to focus planning, budget or mission committee meetings. Post field personnel and chaplain birthdays in your church e-newsletter and download up-to-date prayer requests from www.thefellowship.info/pray.

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Skills for life

Middle East artisans build community, support families and create Christmas ornaments Due to global security concerns, names and specific locations of CBF field personnel will not be publicized.

N

o plant has a stronger history in the Middle East than the olive tree. It’s revered in the Bible as a sacred plant — the oil suitable to anoint a king. Yet the tree itself is not regal in appearance. The olive tree is short and squat with a trunk twisted

and gnarled against the harsh conditions of the Middle East. It is this adversity that creates the beautiful grain prized by wood workers.

In the same way, a workshop in the Middle East is providing a place for people who have survived life’s tough conditions, enabling them to find a way to support their families.

Each morning at this workshop approximately 20 workers gather. As they work, with saws whirring and sewing machines humming, they create handcrafted

ornaments from olive wood, many with Christmas themes, such as nativity scenes.

They also make textile products such as carpets and Damascus silk purses, all marketed for export under the name Glad Tidings Holy Land Designs. A network of volunteers distributes the items in the United States, with revenue from sales paying artisan salaries or buying supplies.

Many of the artisans are deaf or have other physical disabilities. Others are girls who’ve never had the opportunity to go to school and can’t read or write. That lack

— Continue on page 12

CBF Photos

A ministry in the Middle East teaches artisan skills to men and women — including many with disabilities — who create crafts that are sold through volunteer networks in the United States.

Proceeds support the ministry and the artisans, who likely wouldn’t have another source of income.

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December 2012/January 2013

“I have seen lives changed, and I have seen those that have come to know the Lord, to know Jesus Christ as their Savior, and become true believers.” of education can sometimes be a bigger handicap than a physical disability, said Elizabeth, one of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s field personnel in the Middle East who helped sponsor the workshop until her retirement in October.

The workshop began in 1998 with a young woman, the eighth of 11 children, who was searching for a way to pay for her education. Sitting on a bamboo floor mat, she took a bolt of fabric and a sewing machine and created 90 brightly-colored camel saddlebags. It also started with a man who needed to figure out a way to feed his five children. He took 90 blocks of olive wood and carved them into a herd of camels. Then these two artisans connected with a retired American teacher who believed she could find a way to sell the camels and saddlebags.

Since then, Elizabeth and three other Americans joined the effort, and the workshop has grown from a glassed-in front porch to a three-story building. For 14 years, the ministry has empowered people once isolated and limited by their disabilities with jobs and marketable skills.

This occurs in a country where the lack of employment opportunities leads doctors to drive taxis and engineers to sell lottery tickets on street corners.

“Everything in the Middle East works on an honor-shame system,” Elizabeth

give

said, “and so we are doing things that help to raise not only self-esteem but also status in their families and in their villages.

And so this brings a greater sense of honor to them.”

The workshop is a business, registered with the host country government, so within the four walls of the building they are focused on operations. Yet, the workshop also serves as an opportunity for Elizabeth and other sponsors to demonstrate God’s love to the workers.

“We have made a covenant that we will love each other,” she said. “And that has to be evident to those that are around us before we can even begin to talk to them about God’s love.”

Beyond the walls of the business, Elizabeth’s work is focused on building relationships with the workers. Those relationships are what kept Elizabeth in the Middle East for 16 years after she initially planned to live there for two.

“I have seen lives changed, and I have seen those that have come to know the Lord, to know Jesus Christ as their Savior, and become true believers,” she said. “It’s

really pretty amazing because you honestly do see a change in that person. You see a brightness and a hunger, and honestly it’s a hunger that you really don’t see that much in the West.”

Building relationships takes time. She makes the comparison to a thread that God, the ultimate artisan, is weaving through actions and lives.

“It’s a thread that shows God’s love working in and through us,” Elizabeth said. “And so we realize that everything that we do to help these people is another thread woven into this fabric. And someday, they will see a complete picture, and our hope is that the picture they see will be the picture of the Good Shepherd and God’s love for them.”

Elizabeth is moving back to the United States and retiring, but she leaves the business in the hands of the other sponsors and 20 artisans. Just because she’s retiring doesn’t mean she’s giving up ministry.

She plans to become involved in the Arab community in her hometown and work to improve race relations in her city.

By contributing writer John Foster

Your gifts to the CBF Offering for Global Missions enable the lifechanging work of CBF field personnel such as Elizabeth. To give, go to www.thefellowship.info/givenow or use the envelope provided in this issue. fellowship!

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‘Teaching the trade I know’

C

ars have played a key role in Andy Cowie’s life. They are part of his heritage, his first job and his introduction to his wife. Now, cars have drawn him to Haiti, where he and his wife, Jutta, serve as Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel. He’s using his

Cowies provide skills training, share God’s love in Haiti

passion for cars to change lives and share the love of Jesus.

Andy grew up in England, spending lots of time with his grandfather and father, both mechanics. At age 10 he was filling up customers’ cars and changing money at his father’s garage. By age 16 he was a mechanic.

Although his love for vehicles never

changed, Andy’s heart was drawn to missions. As an adult, he often spent two weeks a year doing short-term missions in Romania, where his church sponsored four villages. He visited Romania 13 times. He could see a change in the lives of the people he ministered among, but he wanted to be more directly part of that change.

CBF photos

After the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Andy and Jutta Cowie felt called to move to Port-au-Prince and help Haitians rebuild.

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Andy Cowie, far left, uses his experience and training as a mechanic to teach these skills to others and start a garage. Jutta Cowie facilitates self-help savings and lending groups among women.

While working as a mechanic for a medical mission organization in Ghana and Liberia, his life took another change. One day, on the side of the road, he met Jutta, a German missions worker.

Jutta had finished showing a film in a rural village when her team’s SUV broke down in the dark amid the ruts, gullies and mud of an African road during rainy season. Her group waited more than three hours for Andy and the others arrived to tow the vehicle.

The couple, who have now been married for more than three years, had always focused their ministry in West Africa, but when an earthquake devastated Haiti in January 2010, that focus changed. The Cowies have been in Port-au-Prince, Haiti since June 2012 — sent by the BMS World Mission of Great Britain in partnership with CBF. In the poorest country in the western hemisphere, one of the greatest needs for people is a source of income. The Cowies’ ministry centers around giving people the skills and knowledge they need to improve their own lives.

Jutta facilitates self-help savings and lending groups among women. Each

learn

member contributes a small amount to a fund, then the group makes loans to each other to finance individual microenterprises, such as making macramé bags or beads made out of paper and lacquer.

The women sometimes come to her, wanting to know what kind of business they should run. She tells them it has to be their own idea. If it’s their own idea, then they can build the confidence needed to run the business and grow in self-esteem.

Andy’s ministry draws on his lifetime of experience as a mechanic.

“I’m here to spread the love of God,” he said. “The way I do that is to teach the trade I know and use my passion for vehicles.”

Andy is creating a garage to service cars from the various non-government organizations in Port-au-Prince. More importantly, the garage is a vocational training center for approximately 20 students from local churches. Instead of trying to earn money by selling bags of water at busy intersections or other low-skilled jobs, students are learning a valuable skill in a country with a surplus of broken-down vehicles.

Drive down any major road and broken tap taps — the colorful trucks used as taxis

— are often broken down in the middle of the road, clogging up traffic and causing absolute chaos. At the end of the day, the tap taps that make it through the day are welded back together for use the next day.

Even good vehicles don’t last too long in Haiti without need of repair.

“With the state of the roads, there is constantly a need for mechanics,” he said.

Andy doesn’t plan to stay on as supervisor of the repair shop forever.

His goal is for the garage to become selfsufficient; where students can become skilled mechanics then teach the next generation of mechanics. In the long run he sees it being managed by a Haitian.

“The idea is to teach myself out of a job,” he said.

The shop has a purpose beyond teaching a marketable skill. Andy is there to walk alongside the students and encourage them.

Haitians are a spiritual people. Religion is a part of everyday life. “By the grace of God” is included in every greeting, no matter how small. He hopes to help turn that spiritual awareness toward Christ.

By contributing writer John Foster

If you are interested in serving alongside the Cowies in Haiti, contact CBF staff member Chris Boltin at engage@thefellowship.info. Learn more about the Cowies’ ministry at www.thefellowship.info/cowie. fellowship!

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Business as mission

B

en Newell has a message for Christian entrepreneurs trying to get out of poverty: “You are not alone.”

To prove it, he and his wife, Leonora, are creating a network that links microbusinesses in the country’s 20 poorest counties with Christian business people

nationwide who want to help them succeed.

The Newells, CBF field personnel since 1996, have been ministering effectively for years among people living in poverty in rural settings, most recently in HelenaWest Helena, Ark. “We were doing a comprehensive approach to economic development, but the main thing we weren’t getting was the

transformational response of creating jobs,” he said. “We weren’t building the capacity for people to take care of themselves.”

The Newells recently moved to San Antonio, Texas, to focus their work exclusively on business as mission, an economic missional strategy that encourages Christians to use their business expertise to advance God’s kingdom.

How does it work?

PRINCIPLE: It takes more than charity to cure entrenched poverty, the Newells say. It takes a transformation — one that combines charity with economic development. Although a lot of work is being done to help people living in poverty, the Newells say that the basic need for economic development — facilitating jobs and improving income in poor areas — is not being met.

STRATEGY: Help people in need start their own small businesses to pull themselves out of poverty using Christian economic principles and collaboration with other Christian business people.

NETWORK: Business as Mission, or BAM, is a nationwide network that connects Christian entrepreneurs, especially in the poorest The Newells have created a website on Christian Business as Mission. communities, with faith-based companies and individual business people that have the resources, equipment PARTICIPATION: BAM is recruiting Christian professionals and expertise the entrepreneurs need to succeed.

— whether accountants, retailers, teachers, construction supervisors or something else — to embrace their calling to TOOLS: BAM provides those entrepreneurs with business-planning mission by training and mentoring BAM entrepreneurs. That includes seminars, accounting-software training and access to capital. It also Fellowship Baptists. facilitates mentoring relationships between aspiring business owners and established ones.

Participants don’t have to be entrepreneurs to be involved. They can GOALS: Christian business people want to make a profit but in a teach seminars on retail marketing, construction methods, bookkeeping biblical way — with fairness, justice, excellence and sustainability. or any other facet of business.

Learn

Learn more about the Newells’ ministry at www.thefellowship.info/newell. You can connect with the Business as Mission network at www.christianbusinessasmission.com.

The Newells’ ministry is supported each year by the annual CBF Offering for Global Missions.

To give, use the envelope provided in this issue or go to www.thefellowship.info/givenow.

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Opportunities to

Missions Education Resource How to use this page

December 2012

The suggestions below will be helpful for using the stories on pages 10-16 of this issue in the life of your church. Small Group interaction, Study Group or Reading Group options are given, as well as suggestions for other congregational or family settings. Go online to www.thefellowship.info/affectonline for more suggestions.

Skills for life

In Small Groups:

The following is an outline for adult mission groups, Bible study classes or other small groups. Share copies of fellowship! with group members prior to the meeting and have some extra copies available. These suggestions are for a 45-minute time frame.

1. On a board, flip chart or slips of paper, write: Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10b) and “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime,” a common proverb.

2. Ask someone to read the first passage and another to read the second. Invite group members to consider what the two passages have in common. Ask, “What might teaching a person to fish have to do with living abundantly?” Or, “How can teaching a person to fish help lead them to abundant life?”

3. Explain that this issue of fellowship! examines how several CBF field personnel use economic development to share the love of Christ. Pass out this issue of fellowship! and ask people to turn to the article on the Cowies (page 12).

4. Have the group read the article silently or invite someone to read aloud.

5. Divide the group into three smaller groups, asking each group to consider these questions:

Group One: According to the article, what is the biggest need in Haiti?

How will teaching mechanics address this problem?

Group Two: How is teaching mechanic skills a ministry? How can it lead people in Haiti to know Jesus?

Group Three: Why does Jutta Cowie say it is important for the women’s ideas for microenterprises to come from them and not from her or another

outsider? How might this approach show them the love of Christ?

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Cooperative baptiSt fellowShip | www.thefellowShip.info

December 2012/January 2013

6. After giving the groups about five minutes to discuss the questions, ask each group to report the highlights of their discussion.

Allow time for any discussion that arises.

Serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission

Skills for life through the ministry of Cbf field personnel in the Middle east, artisans have an opportunity to develop their skills, support their families, build community and find hope.

Read more about this story on pages 10-11.

7. The article says that Andy Cowie is “sharing the love of God by teaching the trade he knows.” Encourage the group to brainstorm skills that could help someone out of poverty.

Jot these down on the flip chart or board.

Then ask the group to name certain ministries in your church and community that serve those in need. Write these down in a list on the flip chart or board.

End by saying that God has given each of us certain skills, passions and abilities. For Andy Cowie, it is mechanics. For Jutta Cowie, it is empowering women in need. Point out the list of local ministries in your area. Invite the group to consider how God might be calling them to use their skills, passions and abilities to serve God and God’s people. End with a prayer that asks for God’s guidance in linking our skills to people in need, uplifting the Cowies and all they serve, as well as all CBF field personnel mentioned in the prayer calendar on page 6.

In Worship: A Mission Moment 1. In preparation, read the articles on skills in this issue of fellowship! magazine. Begin with this verse: “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded” (Luke 12:48b).

2. Note that we often think of this verse in terms of financial gifts. But what if it also applies to our skills, from business know-how and teaching to sewing to mechanics to woodworking? What if even our learned skills are gifts from God to be used to help others?

3. Summarize the work of the Newells and the Business as Mission Approach — “an economic missional strategy that encourages Christians to approach their business expertise to expand God’s kingdom” (page 14).

4. Explain that the Newells help people in need start small businesses so they can “pull themselves out of poverty using Christian economic principles and collaboration with other Christian business people.”

5. Highlight that the Newells are seeking short-term workers with experience in anything from construction work or marketing to teaching or accounting

to partner with business start-ups in impoverished areas.

6. Wrap up by saying that for those of us who have been given much in terms of marketable skills and professional experience, this is a chance to give back. End by praying for the Newells and all who are working to teach skills to those in need, asking that God would transform whole communities through these businesses.

In Reading Groups In her book Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life, Queen Noor tells the story of how she, as an American woman, became queen of Jordan. In this book, readers are given an inside look at peacekeeping efforts in the Middle East through listening to the experiences of Queen Noor and King Hussein.

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Translating

CBF photo

Through the Internet and other new technologies, CBF field personnel can minister among Persian speakers worldwide.

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the gospel

CBF field personnel provide Christian resources to Persian speakers around the world Due to security concerns, names and specific locations of CBF field personnel will not be publicized.

F

or Mich and Pat, the revelation came on Christmas Eve 2003. They were using the Internet to talk with a Christian family in Iran, which has been closed to Christian mission work since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

“I started reading the Bible,” recalled Mich, an Iranian-born U.S. citizen and one of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s field personnel. “Then we started singing songs. And all of a sudden, we were worshiping.”

“That was the first ‘Aha!’ moment for me,” said Pat, his wife, who, like Mich, works for CBF from their home base in the United States.

In the last decade, the Internet and other new technologies have fundamentally changed how Christian mission work is done. Now countries that are closed or hostile to a Christian witness are suddenly open because of new and affordable means of sharing the gospel — in video, print and live communication — under the protection of privacy.

There still are dangers. The Internet is not completely private, and some countries shut down Internet access during times of unrest, as the Iranian government did during protests in 2009. But those obstacles aren’t enough to extinguish the spiritual hunger that drives people, Mich said.

“They are surprisingly willing to take risks to get information,” he said. “[At least] it’s safer for them through the Internet.”

Mich and Pat are the Fellowship’s only field personnel who work exclusively with Persian speakers. That population includes Iranians, Afghans and Tajiks both in the United States and elsewhere.

Mich is a former Muslim who in 1984 fled Iran for Denmark during the Iran-Iraq War. There, he became a Christian and later a missionary, eventually moving to the United States, studying theology and marrying Pat, an American.

Distributing Christian resources for Persian speakers In 1998, while ministering to Persians in California, the couple started Persian World Outreach (PWO) to meet the fellowship!

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CBF photos

spiritual and physical needs of Persian speakers, who number approximately 100 million worldwide and 1.5 million in the United States.

Persian World Outreach is the largest U.S. distributor of Persian Christian resources, sending materials to 18 states and 13 countries last year. It is an indigenous ministry operated primarily by Persians for Persians and overseen by a small board of directors.

Mich and Pat are supported by the CBF Offering for Global Missions, which provides for their salary and ministry expenses. PWO is self-sufficient, funded primarily by income from the sale of its materials.

Planting churches, distributing resources and training leaders are the primary ways PWO spreads the gospel. But the organization also relies on networking, mobilizing believers for action and providing humanitarian relief to Persian Christians overseas.

Persian World Outreach has put together an online catalog of 810 resources — Bibles, Christian books, music, worship resources, commentaries, theological curricula, pamphlets, tracts, videos, DVDs and CDs. Some materials date back prior to the 1979 Iranian revolution, when missionaries were still active in the country, and much earlier. The catalog represents the majority

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of Christian resources that are available in the Persian languages, which include Farsi (Iran), Dari (Afghanistan) and Tajik (Tajikistan) among many others.

The massive publishing project started innocently enough — with a Persian songbook printed on a California church’s photocopier.

“We realized we could create a simple songbook to help Persian speakers in their worship even with basic equipment,” Mich recalled.

While 90 percent of the catalog’s materials come from outside sources, PWO itself produces about 10 percent. Mich and Pat acquire permission to translate and republish many of the works. Print-ondemand technology, which now makes it economical to print one book at a time, makes expensive or out-of-print resources more readily accessible.

Encouraging Christians around the world The couple’s publishing work has opened many other doors. They consult with Persian-language churches in the United States and abroad. They work closely with other Christians worldwide who minister among Persian speakers, who number 4.5 million outside the Middle East.

Mich and Pat use the PWO website to

contact and encourage believers and seekers around the world, including in closed countries. They have visited the three Persian countries and made contact with the people they meet online.

Not only does the Internet enable email, messaging, chat and Skype communication, with some degree of privacy, it also permits downloads and live audio and video streaming, which PWO uses for teaching, preaching and personal testimonies.

Since 2002 — because of the pervasive influence of the Internet — the couple has been in regular, direct contact with both Christians and non-Christians living in Iran.

“Every week we are online with Iranians and others in the region,” even during Iran’s post-election uprising in 2009 and violent government crackdown that followed, Mich said.

In the United States, there are approximately 40 congregations established by Persian immigrants. These are typically made up of Iranians but in some cases include Afghans and Tajik. After starting one of those churches in California, Mich and Pat moved to the East Coast to work with the growing Persian population there. They have since helped establish congregations in three states and provided counsel and mentoring to leaders of other churches.

Already some of those 40 congregations

(Above) In Afghanistan, house churches in cities and villages use resources distributed by Persian World Outreach, which has (opposite) produced more than 90 resources for Christians, churches and mission organizations.

are using technology to create their own outreach efforts. They distribute preaching and teaching content through national cable channels and community-access television. Some regularly transmit Christian material back into Iran via the Internet.

In a sense, the Internet revolution — and its effect on ministry — means Christian outreach to Persian speakers has come full circle in 33 years and is

Give

finally bearing fruit.

“I’ve talked to older missionaries who were in Iran before ’79,” Mich said. “They worked hard. They gave their lives for a handful of converts.”

Those missionaries were forced to leave the country during the Islamic revolution, and many Iranians likewise left. They began immigrating to the United States where, in a climate of freedom, the gospel

flourished among Persian speakers. Tiny congregations grew stronger. And now, with the help of the Internet, there is even more growth.

“You can do things from halfway across the world that you can’t do even face to face,” Mich said. “And that kind of networking exists no matter where you are.”

By CBF contributing writer Greg Warner

Your gifts to the CBF Offering for Global Missions support the life-changing ministry of Mich and Pat. To give, go to www.thefellowship.info/givenow or use the envelope included in this issue. fellowship!

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‘Jesus speaks

my language’

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the possibility of bringing gospel stories to speakers of this widely-used Romany language, Holmes recorded each story in English and Romany for a series of YouTube videos, which feature illustrations, sound effects and Jesus’ words in uncomplicated language.

“The interesting thing is, we think we’re producing these stories at a children’s level because the language is so simple,” Holmes said.

“But for Roma who have never seen one single video, one single children’s book, one single Bible in their own language, these stories attract people of all ages and they Holmes works with partners and individuals, such as Anglican are so hungry for it. And priest Martin Burrell, right, to produce Bible stories in the the truth is, we all come as language of the Romany people. children to Christ.”

In addition to YouTube, Holmes and spoke my language. To me God speaks his partners are producing the video series English, God speaks German, God speaks on DVD for distribution among Romany French. And when I pray, I pray in German communities, which have begun circulating because that’s the language God speaks. But hundreds and even thousands of copies. now I have seen Jesus speaks my language.

Holmes said that when their YouTube Now I can pray in my language, and I know videos receives 300, 400 and 1,000 views, that God can hear me.” they know the Romany are embracing a After presenting their videos at God who speaks all languages and loves a Wycliffe Bible Translators’ media all people. Following the completion of conference this year, Holmes and his a Romany gospel video series, Holmes partners opened up a new way to present noticed one of his Roma partners the Bible to people across the world. Using crying as the team reviewed the story in whatever media is available, even YouTube, its final form.

Holmes says he will continue to answer “He had been involved with this video God’s call to bring the message of Jesus to for weeks, so I asked him what was wrong,” the Romany people.

Holmes said. “Then he told me, ‘Before I saw this video, I never knew that God By contributing writer Blake Tommey CBF photo

W

hen three PayPal employees created a cutting-edge video sharing website called YouTube in 2005, they imagined many inspiring possibilities for its use. Watching movie clips, music videos, personal blogs, advertising and breaking news are only a few of those early visions. Sharing God’s story was probably not one of them.

But through media delivered straight into people’s homes, Keith Holmes, one of CBF’s field personnel, is sharing the story of Jesus with the Romany people in whatever country or continent they live. As a media specialist for Wycliffe Bible Translators, Holmes has been facilitating Christian media in the Romany language since he and his wife Mary van Rheenen were commissioned by the Fellowship in 1996. But Holmes says bringing God’s story to the Romany people is not as simple as publishing a Romany Bible or storybook.

“Many Romany people are illiterate, and those who are literate are not exactly literary,” Holmes said. “It’s not unusual to walk into a Romany home and not see a single newspaper, magazine or even a kid’s book.

But where the printed word fails, technology opens the door to faith by hearing and seeing, because Romany have cell phones.

They have access to YouTube.”

This year, Holmes began partnering with Martin Burrell, an Anglican pastor in London, who works with Romany refugees and started translating children’s stories from the New Testament into their heart language. With a native Romany speaker at his side, Burrell translated 20 Bible stories, including creation, the birth of Jesus, the first miracles, two parables, Jesus crucifixion and the resurrection. Excited by

Holmes brings God’s story to Romany people

Your gifts to the CBF Offering for Global Missions enable the life-changing ministries of Keith Holmes. Learn more about his ministry at www.thefellowship.info/holmes. To give, go to www.thefellowship.info/givenow or use the envelope provided in this issue.

December 2012/January 2013

Opportunities to

Missions Education Resource How to use this page

January 2013

The suggestions below will be helpful for using the stories on pages 10-16 of this issue in the life of your church. Small Group interaction, Study Group or Reading Group options are given, as well as suggestions for other congregational or family settings. Go online to www.thefellowship.info/affectonline for more suggestions.

Translating the gospel

In Small Groups:

The following is an outline for adult mission groups, Bible study classes or other small groups. Share copies of fellowship! with group members prior to the meeting and have some extra copies available. These suggestions are for a 45-minute time frame.

1. In this session, you’ll be focusing on the translation work of CBF field personnel for Persian speakers. Gather copies of fellowship! for participants. Read the articles on translation so you can summarize the work of Mich and Pat for the group. If possible, provide a globe or large world map.

2. Begin by holding up the globe/map. Ask who has connected over the Internet (e-mail, Facebook, blogs, Skype, etc.) with a person who lives outside the United States? Which one lives the farthest away from our church? Point out the areas mentioned on the globe/map.

Group Two: Read the second section. What is the goal of Persian World Outreach? How does the CBF Offering for Global Missions help? How did their publishing ministry begin?

Group Three: Read the third section. How do Mich and Pat help Persian believers and seekers?

How do they reach believers in Iran, which has been closed to Christian missionaries since 1979?

fellowship!

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Cooperative baptiSt fellowShip | www.thefellowShip.info

Serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission

Skills for life through the ministry of Cbf field personnel in the Middle east, artisans have an opportunity to develop their skills, support their families, build community and find hope.

Read more about this story on pages 10-11.

3. Ask if anyone knows the location of Persia. Point out Iran on the globe/map, explaining this area was known as Persia. Persians now inhabit Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Persian languages include Farsi (Iran), Dari (Afghanistan) and Tajik (Tajikistan). Islam is the primary religion in this area.

5. After allowing time for each group to read their section and discuss the questions, invite them to summarize their section and answer the questions for the larger group.

3. Say, “Until the advent of modern technology, sharing the gospel with Persian speakers was very difficult. Today, we’ll be learning about the work of CBF field personnel and how they bridge this gap.”

6. Invite discussion on this quotation from the article: “In a sense, the Internet revolution — and its effect on ministry — means Christian outreach to Persian speakers has come full circle in 33 years and is finally bearing fruit” (page 19).

Remind the group that barriers to the gospel have always existed, but God is very good at finding ways around those barriers, just like at Pentecost in Acts 2:1-13.

4. Divide the group into three smaller groups, each one assigned to one section of the article.

Group One: Read the first section of the article and answer the questions: How do Mich and Pat connect with Christians in Iran? When and how did their “revelation” occur about mission work with Persian speakers?

In a Children’s Sermon 1. In preparation, read the articles on translation in this edition of fellowship!. Write the word “Jesus” on one sheet of paper, “loves” on another and “you” on the third.

2. Welcome the children and ask, “How many of us already know how to read?” Hold up the paper with “Jesus” on it. Ask them to read the word out loud. Do the same with “loves” and then with “you.”

2. Invite three children to hold the papers in order: “Jesus loves you.” Ask the congregation to read the papers. Compliment their good reading skills.

3. Have the children sit and gather the papers. Ask, “What if you couldn’t read? What if you were an older child or an adult or even a grandparent and no one had ever taught you to read? How could you learn that Jesus loves you?”

4. Allow children to offer answers, highlighting options like “someone could show you … tell you … read it for you.” If children do not name these options, offer them in the form of a question: “What if someone read it for you?”

5. Summarize the work of the Holmes family translating the Bible into the Romany [pronounced RAH muh nee] language (page 20). Explain that most Romany people living in Bulgaria and Romania cannot read. So CBF field personnel Keith Holmes and Mary van Rheenen tell simple stories about Jesus in the Romany language and

7. Offer a prayer in closing, highlighting the work of field personnel with Persian speakers around the world and thanking God for using the Internet to share the good news everywhere.

In Reading Groups Let Me Tell You Where I’ve Been — by Persis M. Karim Until recently, Iranian literature has been written primarily by men. This collection of stories by more than 50 women writers covers themes such as exile, family, culture resistance and love, providing a rich look at the Iranian diaspora from the words of its women.

show them YouTube videos on the Internet.

6. Note that even though many Romany people cannot read, most of them have access to YouTube through their smartphones. Hold up your own — or a borrowed — smartphone. Say, “Just like many Americans, many Romany people have smartphones and can watch YouTube videos in their language about how much Jesus loves them.”

7. Wrap up by emphasizing that Jesus’ love can be shared through written words spoken words or even YouTube videos. End with a prayer that God will use these videos to help the Romany people know how much Jesus loves them.

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Opportunities for students Collegiate Congregational Internships

www.thefellowship.info/collegeinternship This summer, 40 students will be placed in CBF churches to explore their call to ministry within a congregational context.

Students applying should have completed one year of college and be at least 18 years old by June 1.

Recent college graduates and seminary students are also encouraged to apply. Applications can be found at the above website. Deadline for applications are rolling until all positions are filled.

Cooperative Student Fellowship CBF has multiple active Cooperative Student Fellowships (CSF) in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Missouri and Florida. CSFs help connect college students through worship, Bible studies and retreats. They help foster community and engagement for college students looking to connect with fellow Baptist. If you would like more information, contact Wanda Kidd at asyougo5@aol.com.

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Student.Go provides mission opportunities for dozens of college students to serve alongside CBF field personnel.

Student.Go

www.studentdotgo.com Student.Go provides opportunities for college and seminary students to engage in mission around the world and to serve among the most marginalized and neglected communities. Opportunities include summer, semester and year-long placements. Student.Go offers a wide variety of experiences from urban settings to international locations for students to serve with CBF field personnel.

Applications and the list of opportunities can be found online. Applications for summer placement are due March 1.

Young Baptists: Get Involved www.cbfyoungbaptists.org

Looking for more ways to get connected and involved with CBF ministries? This new website was designed specifically to help young Baptists discover avenues of involvement in CBF life. The site includes upcoming events, resources for young Baptists in varying stages of life and spotlight stories about how others are connecting. If you access the site on your mobile device, you can download a web app that sends you the most recent updates.

Upcoming CBF events ChurchWorks

February 25-27 — Broadway Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas

Kenda Creasey Dean

Join Princeton University professor and author Kenda Creasey Dean to discuss the church, culture and our response to the times in which we find ourselves. The ChurchWorks Conference combines worship and small group time in a setting where ministers deepen their understanding of ministry, discover new ideas and meet others who are also in vocational ministry.

www.thefellowship.info/churchworks

Advocacy in Action

March 10-13 — Washington, D.C.

Join the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship on a three-day journey to become a voice for the world’s poor and marginalized, to advocate for religious liberty and to witness a local missional congregation in action.

www.thefellowship.info/advocacy

Practicing Resurrection: The Call of the Mountain April 1-4 — Shenandoah National Park with lodging at Graves Mountain Lodge in Syria, Va.

Come the week after Easter to kneel, walk and pray the mountainside of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Place your feet solidly and firmly on God’s wild earth. Take pause. Let the solitude, silence and mountain vistas call you forward into the community of the resurrection.

Begin the great 50 days of Easter together with us at this spiritual renewal retreat.

www.thefellowship.info/easter2013

Greensboro awaits.

Be here June 26-29, 2013.

Join us for the CBF General Assembly June 26-29 at the Sheraton Hotel and Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, N.C. Register online now — www.thefellowship.info/assembly

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship fellowship!

December 2012/January 2013

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Cooperative Baptist Fellowship 2930 Flowers Road South, Suite 133 Atlanta, GA 30341 www.thefellowship.info • (800) 352-8741

lc eatner wa

The best gifts don’t fit under Christmas trees This Christmas use the CBF Gift Catalog to shop for the perfect life-changing gift. Choose from dozens of items such as water, food, medicine or a Bible. Whatever your choice, you will help meet physical and spiritual needs in the name of Jesus Christ. And that might be the best Christmas present ever.

www.thefellowship.info/giftcatalog