July 2019 360 Spotlight by Light for the Lost

JULY 2019

LFTL.AG.ORG | MEN.AG.ORG

Light for the Lost provides evangelistic resources for missionaries and missionary partners through five platforms: print, audio, video, internet, and technologies.

CELEBRATE THE LIGHT: FREEDOM and FIRE RELEASES NEXT MONTH!

Words

FROM RICK

hope you are able to attend the premiere of Celebrate the Light at our Light for the Lost luncheon at General Council on August 2. This year’s Celebrate the Light is a video presentation that details our ministry partnerships with Project Rescue and the FireBible. If you are coming to the luncheon next

month, please make sure to RSVP with Casey at clinder@ag.org. We have complimentary tickets for district leaders, lead pastors and their spouses. All other tickets are $55 each. If you are unable to attend Council this year, don’t worry. You will be able to watch Celebrate the Light: FREEDOM and

FIRE on our website, August 3. Also, we have big news from Men’s Ministries. Details are on page 5. We have just released LAUNCH and LEAD, two valuable resources designed to help a pastor or a men’s director start, sustain, and grow an effective Men’s Ministry within their church. Ministry to men matters! LAUNCH and LEAD will help you make it happen. They can be purchased and downloaded at digital.myhealthychurch. com. Rick Allen National Director MM/LFTL

CELEBRATE THE LIGHT: FREEDO Next month, August 2, at the Light for the Lost luncheon at General Council in Orlando, Celebrate the Light: FREEDOM and FIRE will finally premiere. We thought this month you would be interested in hearing from the two men who wrote, directed, filmed and produced Celebrate the Light. Here they both share about memorable moments from the film trip to Armenia and Spain.

Dan Kersten (writer, director)

astors in Armenia use a 150-year-old Armenian Bible translation, but they don’t understand much of it due to numerous errors and confusing phrases. Few speak old Armenian any more so pastors also reference modern Russian Bible translations to confirm they understand the text. Imagine needing two languages to understand the Bible! During a Sunday morning service in one Armenian church, I observed my

translator using a Russian-to-Armenian Bible app on her phone. I snapped this photo. She read the text in old Armenian, and then in modern Russian so she could understand. This got to me. The Armenian churches NEED the FireBible in their heart language, the language they use every day. And they need it now. We hope this video helps inspire churches and families to get behind the Armenian FireBible project. Dan Kersten is Director of Communications and Development for LFTL and MM. He was a ‘missions journalist’ from 2004 to 2018, during which time he wrote and directed LFTL’s Celebrate the Light. Email Dan at dkersten@ag.org or call 417.862.2781 ext. 4174. He would love to hear from you.

OM and FIRE! (PRODUCTION NOTES) Nate Sims (videographer, editor, producer)

ne outstanding moment took place in a Yazidi village high in the mountains. The road there wound into cold and frozen valleys, over snowy peaks, and through chilly clouds.

identities are being protected

When we arrived in the village, snow was falling. A Yazidi pastor and his wife immediately greeted us with big smiles. Over the next few hours, and several cups of hot tea, they shared with us stories of their ministry amongst the Yazidi people, an unreached people group.

In such a distant place, the light of the Gospel does find its way into the hearts of men. But it must be brought there; and to be brought, it must be sent! Next, in Spain we observed the tragedy of human trafficking and sexual exploitation—women forced into prostitution on dark and hopeless street corners. The Yazidi people, and the “unseen” survivors of human trafficking; two different kinds of people, two different circumstances. They both need the Light! The Gospel is freedom, a light of hope and salvation for those living in darkness. Through these videos, we hope that Light will find its way into the hearts of people everywhere. Nate Sims is a professional videographer with a passion for missions and serving in ministry. He lives in Orlando, Florida, with his wife, Stephanie. Contact Nate at nate@natesimsphotography.com.

MINISTRIES FEATURED IN CELEBRATE THE LIGHT: FREEDOM and FIRE

ight for the Lost and FireBible have a very long and wonderful partnership in ministry. The FireBible combines the Scripture along with detailed explanations and commentary in the heart language of the people whose desire is to more fully understand God’s Word! A person’s heart language is the key to biblical understanding. LFTL and the team at FireBible are helping people like the Ethiopian in Acts 8, who read Isaiah and stated, “How can I understand unless someone explains it to me?” Together since the very first days, you and LFTL have helped make the FireBible available for millions in the 53 major languages of the world with many more language editions in process!

or women and children being trafficked and sexually exploited, rescue seems impossible. Yet rescue and restoration are exactly what God does through Project Rescue! Light for the Lost provides Project Rescue with innovative resources to reach into the lives of exploited persons and give them a ray of hope in Jesus. Some of those resources include Bibles or simple, inexpensive gifts accompanying a message of hope and freedom. In addition, we help Project Rescue maintain an evangelistic outreach and presence in brothels, “red light districts,” and secret places where women and children are being exploited. Thank you for partnering with us to help rescue and restore these precious people!

HOW TO LAUNCH AND LEAD A LOCAL MEN’S MINISTRY

inistry to men matters! That cannot be debated. So we have created two resources to help the local church do exactly that while following a biblical model. LAUNCH and LEAD will help a pastor, men’s ministry director, or lay leader to start, sustain, and grow an effective men’s ministry at the local level. These resources have been written and designed with the local church (of any size, context or location) in mind, and can be found at digital.myhealthychurch.com. LAUNCH provides a helpful framework for starting a men’s ministry. There’s a lot to consider when undertaking this. This will be a valuable tool as you get started. LEAD is all about cultivating your

men’s leaders, increasing discipleship effectiveness, and vision casting for the long-term. Men all over America are desperate to live lives of honor, truth, and real manhood as exemplified by Christ. They also want to lead the way again in the home, the church and the community as Christ-followers. But so many just don’t know or realize how. We are excited about the potential within the men of your church and what LAUNCH and LEAD will mean to them. Please download LAUNCH and/or LEAD today. Ministry to men matters! Dr. Jimmy White is director of discipleship for Men’s Ministries. You can email Jimmy at jdwhite@ag.org or call him at 417.862.2781 ext. 4171

Purchase LAUNCH and/or LEAD today at digital.myhealthychurch.com.

CHANGED BY THE LIGHT THANKS TO YOU!

Nigeria is a very troubled nation, but in the midst of those troubles the Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo FireBible language editions are in the hands of thousands of pastors.

This young woman was rescued from her traffickers through the partnership of Light for the Lost and Project Rescue. Today she is learning a trade so she can start a new life.

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To receive a digital version of the LFTL© 360 Spotlight, sign up at lftl.ag.org or email request to lftl@ag.org. 360 Spotlight is the oﬃcial voice of Light for the Lost, an evangelism missions focus of the Assemblies of God. National Light for the Lost Director: Rick Allen; LFTL Advisory Committee; Designer: Josh Thomassen. LFTL may be reached at 1445 N. Boonville Avenue, Springﬁeld, MO 65802. Please feel free to visit our website: lftl.ag.org or send us an email at: lftl@ag.org. If you are a missionary or missions partner that utilizes Light for the Lost funds and would like to send us your story, please email us at lftl@ag.org.