Treasure study guide for September - December

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Treasure ISSN# 8960038) Volume 9 • Number 5

A Year of Transition

EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-chief Elizabeth Hodges Managing editor / Circulation Phyllis York

WNAC Board Amy Johnson, Indiana Pam Hackett, South Carolina Jonda Patton, Kentucky Sarah Sargent, Ohio Tracy Payne, Oklahoma LeeAnn Wilfong, Missouri Khristi Shores, Oklahoma Jessica Edwards, Tennessee Katie Postlewaite, South Carolina

Contributors Phyllis York, Tennessee Sarah Sargent, Ohio Elizabeth Hodges, Tennessee Ashley Bennett, Georgia Dawn Elliott, New York Kellie Penn, Illinois Jody Sullivan, West Virginia Bobby Bowen, Uganda Luba K., KZ Paul Hagelgans, Germany

TREASURE (ISSN# 8960038) is produced and printed quarterly by Women Nationally Active for Christ of the National Association of Free Will Baptists, Inc. 5233 Mount View Road, Antioch, TN 37013-2306. Copyright privileges reserved. 2020 Member of the Evangelical Press Association.

Studies September Faithfulness In Kingdom Work

6

October A Year of Transition

13

November The One

21

Feature Glimpses

of

for

December

Christmas

27

Inquiries Mail questions or comments to Treasure, P.O Box 5002, Antioch, TN 370115002; treasure@wnac.org or online at wnac.org and through Facebook: Women Nationally Active for Christ.

In Every Issue From the Editor Thirtysomethings

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FROM THE EDITOR

Phyllis York

“Courage is facing life from the perspective of God’s faithfulness to watch over you every moment of every day” (One Minute with God/Dayspring Daybrightener).

I don’t know about you, but I’ve needed an abundance of courage to face the chaos of life over these past months. Death, disease, disaster, distance have caused me to feel discouraged and defeated. Difficult days become easier when shared with church family, experiencing their love and compassion, warm hugs and shared tears. You don’t realize what you have until it is no more.

But one thing is certain: God is and will always be there, watching over me every moment of every day, and this gives me courage!

It is no coincidence that this year in Treasure, the theme dealt with our faithfulness. It began with developing a battle plan for discipleship and continued with faithfulness in finances, priorities, friendships, adversity, upside-down world, and crying uncle when we were ready to give up. God always knows what we’ll face in the future, and this year He knew we needed a reminder to continue in faithfulness—even when the world is upside down. Thank you, God, for preparing us for what we’re facing.

Now that Treasure is an online publication, we can make changes as needed. So, this issue will continue the current theme through the end of the year. It will contain four studies/devotions in order to put us on a calendar year schedule. The new theme of “20/20 Vision” will begin in January 2021. When this theme was chosen at the convention in 2018, we had no idea we would be able to make this change.

With the world as it is, maybe, just maybe God knows we will need to face 2021 with clearer vision!!

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June-August 2020

IMages Summer Quarter We are excited to share IMages articles from some of IM's current stateside missionaries below. We ask that you prayerfully consider supporting their mission. By giving, you are a part of reaching the unreached people around the world with the gospel.

Annabelle tells us how she experienced God calling her to missions. She shares, "He's telling me to go now, so I'm obeying."

Read more from Annabelle about her call to Japan in the "Snapshot" article.

IMages gives you a digital glance into the life of IM missionaries around the world. Through both pictures and missionary-written articles, you get to know IM missionaries on a personal level and get a behind-the-scenes look of their field. Stay updated with IM missionaries and subscribe to the IMages online publication by signing up for the quarterly emails or view the individual articles on our website www.iminc.org/updates/.

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Faithfulness in Faithfulness

Kingdom Work Work

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SEPTEMBER STUDY

God’s Promises “Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.”

Deuteronomy 7:9

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A promise is a declaration or a commitment. We have all heard the rebellious phrase “rules were made to be broken.” In today’s world of selfishness and deception, it seems “promises are made to be broken.” Someone’s word is not as trustworthy as we wish it would be. In our own lives, we experience broken promises—maybe not intentional, but it happens. We break promises due to plans not working out, forgetfulness, or something out of our control. But...we can trust the promises of God! The psalmist David wrote, “The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works” (Psalm 145:13b ESV). And Paul told the Thessalonians, “Faithful is He that called you who also will do it” (1Thessalonians 5:24). I have seen this in my life.

We read in God’s Word about promises to or about women. Several deal with having children, and all were fulfilled.

-Sarah in her old age conceived an heir of promise, Isaac.

-Hannah was given her heart’s desire, her son, Samuel, whom she gave back to the Lord.

-Elizabeth also in her old age had a son, John, who prepared the way for Christ.

-Mary, a sincere God-follower, was chosen to bring the Messiah into our world.

Reading about promises is encouraging and inspiring. Fulfilled promises by God urges us to continue in faithfulness, and like you, I have personally experienced promises from God.

God Is In Control “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).

God sees the future when we cannot. Raised in a pastor’s home my entire life, I acquired a positive perspective of ministry (not perfect, but positive). I love my home church family. The visiting missionaries and their experiences fascinated me.

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SEPTEMBER STUDY Herman Hersey did his false teeth trick in MY living room.

In high school, I felt led into ministry and missions but did not realize what that would look like. Participating in ETEAM and a mission trip to Japan with a lifelong friend assured me more of God’s leading.

I am a planner; I always have been. Though I wanted to know every step of my future, I had to give God complete control.

I attended Welch College and along with my elementary education courses, I enrolled in several missions classes.

I served in elementary and middle school classes with ESL students (English as a Second language). During one spring break, I participated in a missions trip. At the time, I did not realize how much the cross-cultural experiences and ministering out of my comfort zone would impact my life of ministry. But God knew.

My husband, Josh, attended ABAC, a college in Tifton,

Georgia, for one year before attending Welch. He knew God was calling him to go to Welch even when others thought it didn’t make sense. Over ten years later, we understood God’s plan for giving Josh a heart and a base in Tifton. He wanted us to plant a church in that city. God saw our future when we couldn’t.

Our first ministry was in Homerville, Georgia, Josh’s hometown, where he served as youth pastor. We loved our church and community and prayed for God to do BIG things.

We did not realize those BIG things would take us across the country.

The Lord spoke to our hearts about planting a new church, and, at the same time, He was moving in the heart of the senior pastor and his wife, Jeff and Heather Goodman. We decided to team up to start The Springs Church in Marana, Arizona.

God saw our future and had BIG things planned.

I have learned and experienced that God is in control.

Look back over your life. Where was God at work when you didn’t realize it?

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God Is Always With Us Israel had rejected God, and He was angry with them.

In His wrath He destroyed their nation, city, and temple.

In chapter 43 the Lord spoke through the prophet to encourage His people. “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walketh through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God” (Isaiah 43:2-3).

The New King James puts it this way, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you; when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God.” If He encouraged Israel, even when He was angry with them, He will not leave us alone.

Our first experience planting a church in Marana, Arizona came with triumphs and struggles. Early on we were doing it all ourselves—unloading and setting up, greeting, working with the children, preaching, 10 treasure

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tearing down, and packing up.

But God did not leave us alone.

The Lord sent couples and families to minister with us, sometimes only for a season, but they definitely made an impact.

People far from God came and experienced a life change through Christ. Hiram came as a teen trying to impress a girl.

He professed to be atheist but eventually started opening his heart. After a couple years, he gave his life to Jesus and was all in. Less than a year later he felt called into ministry. BIG things from God. With mentoring by Josh and Jeff and leading by God, Hiram developed into an awesome youth and worship pastor at The Springs. It is amazing to see how God transformed his life. The Lord was always with us. We gained community and a church family through the people God brought to The Springs. Through family small groups, moms’ Bible studies, and just doing life together, we made bonds that will last a lifetime.

The Springs Church is still thriving and reaching people

SEPTEMBER STUDY for Christ. During those seven years, God shaped us and gave us experiences that have been pivotal in planting Awaken Church. God continued to show that He does not leave us alone.

Church planting is a daunting, difficult call to accept on your own. When God led us to Tifton, Georgia, to plant a new church, we earnestly prayed for teammates. God directed Josh to the Suggs family, quite literally. At the National convention in 2017, Josh was praying about a teammate as Shane walked by him. Josh had known Shane when they were both youth pastors in Georgia, and Shane had experience in church planting.

Our entire family quickly developed a bond with Shane, Jamie, Grace, and Eden. In Josh and Shane’s working relationship, they complement each other with strengths and weaknesses. Jamie and I have developed a close friendship and enjoy serving together. Their girls love our kids like siblings, (maybe even more). Shane has years of construction experience, which has been vital in the renovations to our new building. He has poured blood, sweat, and tears, literally, into our new facility.

This may seem trivial: we get along with our teammates.

Shane helps with the new building. Jamie and I share the responsibilities as pastor’s wives.

But I see it as God fulfilling another promise to work all things out for His purpose. He will not leave us alone in the ministry He has called us to fulfill.

Now we have our Awaken Church family! We are growing in number. We are growing closer to the Lord with salvation decisions, public baptisms, and numerous people serving in our church and community sharing God’s love. We are growing closer to each other with many involved in small groups.

For me, the best way to see our closeness is through Harper, our youngest daughter.

Each Sunday and other times we are together, she is excited to walk around and talk to ladies, men, and teens in our church. They are family to her, too.

We bond over our common vision and purpose, to be engaged with the mission of Christ, to reach our community and beyond with the love of Jesus. With small groups, serving at church and at community events, our co-ed softball team, and doing life together, we have become family, welcoming more each week.

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God Guides Us “And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them” (Isaiah 42:16). God leads us as we trust in Him. When I look back over my 35 years, I can see God’s hand guiding me. From early on as a PK (preacher’s kid), God led me into His mission. In college, God led me to my husband and then to growing and raising our children. The Lord guided us to our ministry in Homerville, to the church He planted in Marana, and to our present and future at Awaken Church.

Think back over your own life. No matter how short or long you have lived on this earth, can you see God’s plan unfolding?

I am sure you can say like me: yes, I may have been “blind” through some of His leading. Yes, some of His guidance was through rough places that I did not know or understand. Yet, I can say with confidence that the Lord did not forsake me.

God was always in control. God was always with me. God was always guiding me. He has always fulfilled His promises, and I trust Him to continue.

Adapted from the Celebration Service at the 2019 National Convention.

About the Author: Raised in an Illinois pastor’s family, Ashley is married to Josh Bennett and has three children: Sawyer, Finn, and Harper. After spending several years in Arizona co-pastoring The Springs mission church in Marana, Josh and Ashley are currently planting Awaken Church in Tifton, Georgia.

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OCTOBER STUDY

A Year of Transition

Seventeen months ago, we were at a crossroads in our life and ministry. We had spent nine years in Quebec, and, by no choice of our own, it was over. Due to new immigration laws, it was impossible to continue ministering in Quebec.

We had no idea what we would do next. We cried, we prayed, and we waited. Never in a million years could we have imagined what was to come.

After a roller coaster of events and emotions, we headed to Buffalo, New York, to join the church planting team there. It was a time of sad goodbyes and excited hellos for our family.

What I had not counted on was how difficult the transition would be. We were going to be ministering with friends.

Piece of cake, right?

But you see, for the nine years we ministered in Quebec and the two years before that when we were traveling to raise our support, it was just Danny, the kids, and I. We were a team of five,

then six, then seven, and then eight. We have a big family!

Now, we were part of a team with new dynamics and new leadership, and a bit of reverse culture shock. Don’t get me wrong; I love our team. It’s just that everything in my life

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was suddenly different.

Our second oldest daughter married and moved to the other side of the country; we moved from one country to another; and literally everything in my life was changing at a rapid pace. I was having to learn a new leadership dynamic; I wasn’t even sure what my place was in the new ministry.

My husband was going into the office every morning instead of working from home, and he was no longer my “boss.” I no longer knew what was expected

of me because my situation was new and different. Added to this was the fact that this situation was temporary because we planned to eventually break off from this team and begin a second campus of the church. I felt like I was floundering.

However, God, in His faithfulness, led me through a year of learning, growing, and changing. I learned that God’s promises are not dependent on my location, and neither should be my faithfulness to Him. Here are some things I learned:

God Had Not Changed.

Scripture tells us in

zero expectations when we

Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is

pulled into the driveway. The

the same yesterday and today

previous house (that we thought

and forever.” Though people

might be ‘the one’) was AWFUL.

change and circumstances

I mean, I can’t even describe

change, we can rest assured

to you what a disappointment

that Jesus never changes. The

that house was. The moment

same God who provided for

we walked into this house, with

us in unfathomable ways in

the beautiful back yard, we fell

Quebec went before us in the

in love. It was perfect for our

details of our move to Buffalo.

needs and had been recently

We had only a few days to

discounted! We put in an offer

find a house, with only a few

and found out another offer had

prospects. One of the homes

already been accepted. We were

we put on our list had a beauti-

disappointed, but knew there

ful back yard and absolutely no

was still hope.

pictures of the inside. We had 14 treasure

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After some ups and downs

OCTOBER STUDY and waiting out a contingency, our Christian realtor called us shouting that we had gotten the house. He had prayed with us and for us and was just as excited as we were. God pro-

vided once again. He didn’t care about us more when we were in a foreign country than He did now that we were moving back Stateside. His care and provision for us never changed.

Describe a time when your life took an unexpected turn and God proved Himself to you.

God Never Leaves Me Alone God was still going

insecurities about our tasks are

to be with me wherever I was

every bit as important to God,

because He never leaves me

and He promises to be with us

alone. Let’s look at some ex-

every step of the way.

amples of God’s presence in the lives of His people.

Joshua 1:5 says: “No man

Isaiah 41:10 says: “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will

shall be able to stand before you

strengthen you, I will help you,

all the days of your life. Just as

I will uphold you with my righ-

I was with Moses, so I will be

teous right hand.” When God

with you. I will not leave you or

chose Israel to be His servants

forsake you.” When Joshua faced

and do His will, He did not leave

the monumental task of going

them to their own devices. He

against the Canaanites, God

promised to be with them, to give

reminded him he would not be

them strength, to help them, and

alone. The jobs we face may not

to uphold them. He is not a God

be as grand as conquering an

of unreasonable expectations.

Jeremiah 1:9 says, “Then

entire nation. Still, our fears and

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the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, ‘Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.’”

When God told Jeremiah He had a job for him to do, Jeremiah’s response was to remind God he was young. God then reminded Jeremiah under whose authority he was to act, the protection God would provide, and the source of the message he was to deliver.

In a very personal act, the “Lord put out his hand and touched” Jeremiah’s mouth. God is a personal God who does not give us a job to do because of how good we are going to be at it. He assigns us a task to do and gives us the tools to do it; our job is to humble ourselves before Him and rely on His

strength rather than our own.

God didn’t stay behind in Quebec while we moved to Buffalo. He made the trip with me and has walked beside me through every step of this transition. How often do we forget that He knows our fears, pain, frustration, insecurities, and desires? He doesn’t push us into situations outside of our comfort zone to see us squirm and suffer. His purpose is always for our good and His glory. I have often seen the phrase “God never gives us more than we can handle.” That is simply not true. God never gives us more than HE can handle. To thrive in these uncomfortable situations, we must humble ourselves before God and submit to His plan.

We must be ALL IN.

Has God ever put you in a situation you thought you couldn’t handle? How did He help you? What was the outcome?

God’s Plan Had Not Changed.

Psalm 139 tells us God formed us in our mother’s womb, and verses 15-16 go on to say, “My frame was not hid16 treasure

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den from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed

OCTOBER STUDY substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” God has a plan for each of us and is not surprised by the “curve balls” thrown at us.

We may be shocked and overwhelmed, but He already knew what was coming and had a plan for us.

That makes Psalm 139:17 special to me: “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” The fact that He knows the things which will knock me off my feet with surprise and is there to pick me up and point me in the right direction is just one more aspect of His bound-

less love for me.

My heartbeat is having people in my home and feeding them. I have what Danny affectionately calls my “cookie ministry.” In Quebec, I made homemade chocolate chip cookies for neighbors whose birthdays I knew, neighbors who helped us in some way, and those neighbors who had recently returned from wintering in Florida. Here in Buffalo, I have had the opportunity to open my home to many. I have been able to feed them, love them, and mentor them. They have even given me the nickname, “Mama Dawn.”

God continues to use our home and my love of cooking to minister to those around us.

What is God’s plan for you? Are you being obedient in following His plan? If you don’t know what His plan is, spend time fasting and praying, seeking His direction.

God’s Expectations Have Not Changed.

PROCLAIM The great commission is truly clear to all of us. Mark 16:15 says: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole EXTRA ISSUE 2020

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creation” (ESV). The imperative given here is to proclaim. Not just proclaim in only the terrible places or to the especially evil people, but to the whole creation.

It is easy to think that after being in another country, we can’t possibly be needA disciple is, ed as much by definition in the United States where a learner, and there are to learn, one must be taught. so many churches.

However, that is simply not the case.

Acts 1:8 instructs us to be witnesses “in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Our call is to take part in spreading the Gospel to every part of the world. No one location is more important than another.

MAKE DISCIPLES The command does not stop at proclaiming. Matthew 28:19 tells us that as we are going, we are then to make disciples.

That does not mean we tell

them about Jesus, lead them in prayer, and leave them on their own to figure it out. Our task is an ongoing one.

A disciple is, by definition, a learner, and to learn, one must be taught. We can do this through direct instructional teaching and by example. Titus 2 reminds us we are to “teach what accords with sound doctrine” (verse 1). It goes on to mention the older men and women are to be examples in their way of life and “teach what is good.”

As women, it tells us in verses 4-5 to “train the young women to love their husbands and children, be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.”

As you can see, no matter where we are called to serve, the people may look, sound, and act differently, but the task is the same. God has not changed; He has never left me alone; His plan has not changed; His expectations have not changed.

How are you meeting God’s expectations of proclaiming the gospel and making disciples? Do you ask God to give you opportunities to share the gospel every day? Are you mentoring someone?

Is someone mentoring you?

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OCTOBER STUDY In this year of transition, God has given me friends who have encouraged me and held me up in prayer as I acclimated to a new place and leadership structure, a pastoral staff who regularly challenges us in spiritual growth through sermons and teaching, young ladies to mentor and love, and a heart burning with love for the people of my new hometown. God is faithful and deserves my faithfulness and so much more.

About the Writer: Dawn Elliott has been married to Danny for 25 years, is a mother of six, mother-in-law to two, and Memaw to twins (Daisy and Theodore). She is also a homeschool mom and is on the church-planting team in Buffalo, New York.

Shine Blog Is communicating with your child a struggle?

Visit www.shinefwb.com for helpful tips.

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thirtysomethings

by Sarah Sargent

Once or twice a week, my dog Regal goes to doggy daycare and plays with his friends while I am at work. “Catch-nFetch” is Regal’s absolutely happy place.

(Mine is sitting in front of Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom, but to each his own.) Regal is a chocolate labradoodle. This breed is known for being pretty intelligent, and Regal lives up to the attribute. He knows the exact route we take to the daycare—turn for turn. Occasionally if I’m tired, or he is being unusually quiet on the drive, I’ll turn left toward work instead of going through the light to daycare. Regal catches this immediately (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnIwY3efEoY&feature =youtu.be! From this mistake on, there is wailing in the backseat.

Unfortunately, he does not settle once the mistake is corrected. He will whine, cry, whimper, and howl for the rest of the trip to daycare. He is grieving for the mistake I made.

I was thinking about this silly thing he does when something occurred to me. Maybe I should take a cue from Regal when it comes to my sin. I tend to sin, repent, and immediately try to pretend nothing happened. Upon repentance, I don’t want to see or think about the weight of my sin. Thinking about Regal’s grief, I wonder if I shouldn’t be more affected by my sin. Yes, upon repentance I am cleansed. But maybe if I spent more time grieving over it and looking at the ugliness of it, I wouldn’t find myself making the same mistake so frequently. You gotta love that God can even use our dogs to convict us!

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:8-10 ESV). I never want to lose sight of what my sin cost Jesus. I am willing to embrace my discomfort longer if it will prevent me from making the same or similar mistake again.

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JANUARY STUDY

the

One

November brings us the Thanksgiving season, my favorite holiday. However, gratitude is not usually automatic, complaining and grumbling is much easier.

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The Psalmist View

concept or math fact. Are the

The Psalms are filled with reminders to be thankful; they command us to give thanks.

Psalm 100:4 tells us to enter His presence with praise and thanksgiving. The command to be thankful is for public expressions of praise.

Psalm 105:1: “Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!” (NKJV) Psalm 107:2 reminds us the redeemed of the Lord should say so. But how often do we keep God’s blessings to ourselves?

Are we silent when we should be sharing His work in our lives with others?

Psalm 106:1; 107:1; 118:1; 118:29; 136:1-3, 26 begin with “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (NKJV). Mercy can also be translated as loyal love, a term often used in the Psalms to describe God’s character. His mercy is forever; it is part of His eternal character.

writers of the Psalms trying to

Do you see the repetition? As a classroom teacher, I often repeated a concept or drilled math facts. Why? Students did not often learn to a mastery level the first time. So, we reviewed and repeated until we mastered the

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help us master giving of thanks and publicly acknowledging such?

A Leper’s View When pondering thanksgiving, I immediately think of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19.

Take a few minutes and read this passage, searching for details you may have missed or forgotten. Jesus is traveling to Jerusalem passing through Samaria and Galilee. He enters a village and encounters ten men.

Due to their leprosy, these men were isolated from others and “stood afar off” (verse 12).

They lifted their voices and cried, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Had they heard of His miracles? Had they hoped He would one day come their way?

We don’t know the answers, but we do know they cried out and called Him by name.

Scripture tells us He looked at them and said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests” (verse 14).

Luke records, “as they went, they were cleansed” (verse 14).

Can you imagine the range of emotions these men experienced? Awe, wonder, happiness, expectation—but were

NOVEMBER STUDY they thankful? Maybe. But only one acted on that emotion.

Verse 15 gives us several important details. When one leper realized he had been healed, he returned. As he was going, he glorified God with a loud voice.

When he reached Jesus, he fell down and gave thanks. He was

a Samaritan. This man did exactly what we are commanded in the Psalms.

Imagine the response of those who had not seen Jesus or knew He was in the vicinity. They would have known this man was a leper. Did they follow him to better understand his praise? Or did they ignore him because of his illness?

Jesus asks poignant questions. “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the

nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” (verse 17-18) The Samaritan, the outcast, was the only one who returned to give thanks.

We assume the other nine were Jews. This Samaritan man not only received physical healing but also spiritual healing. Listen to Jesus’ response to his gratefulness, “Arise, go your way.

Your faith has made you well” (verse 19).

Where are the nine? Jesus seems disappointed. Have you been experienced this? No one showed gratitude to you in a particular situation. How did you handle that?

Where are the nine? Would we be in that group? Too busy getting to the priest to return and give thanks? Would we have even given it a second thought?

Or....would we have been the one. Is thankfulness and gratitude our default attitude? If not, let’s develop that grateful spirit beginning today.

A Women’s Ministry View One of the blessings of Covid-19 for me has been the extra time to read. One of the books I recently read was The Freewill Baptist Woman’s Missionary Society: Faith and Works Win (1922). This book chronicled the ministry of Freewill Baptist women from 1780, when

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Benjamin Randall founded our northern movement, to 1911, when the merger occurred between Freewill Baptists and Northern Baptists. Sparks to Flame, written by Dr. Mary Ruth Wisehart (1985), begins with the organization of WNAC in 1935 and covers our first 50 years. I was blessed by many similarities to our current ministries. Our women have been faithful. What a legacy we have to build upon!

1841: The first local group formed in Providence, Rhode Island.

1847: FwBWMS (Freewill Baptist Woman’s Missionary Society) organized in Sutton, Vermont.

Amos Sutton, missionary to India spoke at their third annual meeting. “Teach your children about missions. Sow the seed in their young hearts and it will blossom and bring forth fruit when they are men and women.” So, the women responded by developing materials and training leaders for their Cradle Rolls, Rolls Jewell Bands, and Advanced Light Bearer Heralds.

Does this remind you of WNAC’s involvement in Young People’s Association (YPA), Girls’ Association (GA), declamation contests, and FWB League. When CTS was formed, we joined forces with Randall House and became cheerleaders for our young people in National Youth Conference and Vertical III competitions.

1873: A national FwBWMS board was formed with specific goals: adopt a constitution and by-laws; develop a local, state, national framework; cooperate with Home and Foreign Missions Societies; maintain an independent treasury; and incur no debt. Due to travel difficulties at this same time, the “West” was organized.

1874: support first missionary—a single lady to India.

For us....Laura Belle Barnard in 1935.

1875: The salary for the lady principal at Storer College in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, was paid.

Women are strong supporters of our colleges. Funds are raised for specific projects or needs, as well as sponsoring scholarships. The Mary Ruth Wisehart Student Scholarship is given annually to a deserving female student at each of our four Free Will Baptist colleges. The Cleo Pursell Foreign Student Scholarship Fund is given to international students 24 treasure

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NOVEMBER STUDY studying at our Bible Institutes and Seminaries.

1878: The first edition of Missionary Helper was published to raise support and inform women of activities and needs on the mission field.

Heartbeat, Aim, Contact magazine, ONE Magazine, Treasure, and e-blasts have done and still do this for us. The Steward Provision Closet meets the physical needs of our church planters and international missionary families.

This same year, Rhode Island became the first state to “assume support” of their missionary to women and children.

Acts 1:8, Show Me, Total Support, and other state plans accomplish this today. What a blessing to the various missionaries who are beneficiaries!

1890: Thank offerings began to support the work, complete with suggested programs.

These are precursors to our Emphasis Month, Pre-Easter and Pre-Thanksgiving Weeks of Prayer for the World Missions (WMO) and North American Ministries Offerings.

1899: Glennville, Georgia, mentions an auxiliary, the earliest record in the South. The “sisters” contributed $5.95 to the pastor’s annual salary.

1905: FwBWMS merged with the General Conference after the Home and Foreign Missions Societies. The ladies recognized we could do more together to greater influence the denomination.

Two quotes near the end of the book describe godly women in each generation who serve the Lord faithfully and give sacrificially.

“With the passing of years, acquaintanship and Christian fellowship have grown and Freewill Baptist women have been ready to keep step with the onward march of Christ’s Kingdom.”

Mrs. Mary Augusta Wade Bachelder

From 1935-1939, WNAC was a national department and then functioned as an auxiliary until 2015 when we became a department again.

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“We have realized the incompleteness of our system of organization for our girls and young women.”

Lena Fenner Dennet Our Shine! ministry began in 2015 for girls 12-18 and the adults in their lives. We also began a new scholarship program, Miley International Scholarship, for international students coming to the United States for their college education.

1910: The Freewill Baptists merged with the Northern Baptists.

Local groups continued to work under various names: Missions, Women’s Work, Ladies’ Aid Society, Woman’s Missionary Society, and auxiliaries.

1920-1935: Though there was no national organization, women in Texas, Missouri, Ohio, and North Carolina supported missions through the organization in the Northeast.

June 13, 1935: Meeting at the Black Jack FWB Church in Pitt County, North Carolina, the Women’s National Auxiliary Convention (WNAC) was organized and then approved by the National Association when it organized in November 1935.

The chosen watchword, found in 1 Corinthians 3:9, “laborers together with God,” describes our purpose as Free Will Baptist women. We desire to fulfill our roles in the Great Commission at home and abroad.

Our mission and purpose remain the same. However, each local group is encouraged to structure themselves to best meet the needs of their women. We acknowledge we are better together and will accomplish more for the Kingdom.

Ladies, I hope you have heard my loud praise through this review of our rich history. Join me and be the one who is grateful and makes known His deeds and talks of His wondrous works (Psalm 105:1-2).

About the Writer: Elizabeth Hodges, WNAC director, is the daughter of Mary Belle Creech, who taught her children to develop an attitude of gratitude by modeling it daily. Elizabeth seeks to do the same for her three children and seven grandchildren.

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Christmas With the Penns One of our favorite Christmas traditions as a family is cookie baking day. It’s not only special because we use recipes handed down or because the treats are delicious, it’s truly special because of the friends who join us.

On a Saturday in December, after finals are over, we invite the international students we’ve met over the course of the fall semester to join us in our home for Christmas baking day. It involves five hours of baking, endless amounts of sugar and butter, and a small kitchen packed with 15-20 students from around the world.

The sheer amount of sugar we use in our baking shocks the students! Some students are really into decorating and spend their time perfecting gingerbread houses and creating the most beautifully iced, sugar cookies. Others love the start to finish process of baking cookies from scratch.

Every inch of my kitchen counter is covered in sugar and flour by the end of the day, and our table is covered in delicious treats!

The students enjoy sitting around trying the treats they helped create and afterwards packing up some for their roommates.

The students also enjoy walking around our home and looking at all the Christmas decorations. On our Christmas tree there are special ornaments and photos, and they love to ask my kids questions about the meaning of the ornaments. There’s also a nativity scene and other symbolic Christmas decorations that allow us to talk about the real meaning of Christmas with these 28 treasure

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DECEMBER students who have never heard about the birth of Jesus.

Traditions like this allow us to build relationships with students.

It’s amazing how conversations naturally happen in the kitchen, while baking together, or at the table while eating together. These moments lay the foundation for more meaningful conversations as the spring semester begins. They allow us to invite students to church with us on Easter Sunday.

I’m so thankful that on a day when the students leave our home covered in flour and sugar, they also leave with a deeper friendship with our family. Hopefully, one day, they will also walk away with a friendship with our Savior.

About the Penns: Kellie and her husband Tyler, along with their three children, have been serving with IM for five years. They have a unique ministry to international students at the Univerity of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois.

Central Asia Christmas Projects Nine months ago, my mom became a widow. Writing this fact, makes me cry because now this word is very close to me (not the word but the condition). The mood of cold loneliness, corrosive despair, and freezing weakness—like winter nights when you need something to give warmth and light.

Thank you, dear Free Will beauties, from the inside and deepest part of my heart, for supporting the project WIDOWS for many years. Because, now, I really know what women feel when they lose a part of their lives.

We visited such women with many of you. Some of the living conditions are awful—one room (a bedroom at night, in the daytime a kitchen, living room, and even a shower/bathroom), no food, no light, no heating system—and meat? What is that?

When Free Will Baptists first came to Central Asia, The Hanna Project and a local team went to Tajikistan—a beautiful Persian country in southern Central Asia bordering Afghanistan with 93% of the land covered in mountains. One of the poorest countries in Central Asia, with 50% of its population children and teenagers. Our local Bible Mission team member asked us to visit one family and EXTRA ISSUE 2020

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give them some food. Life was so difficult at that time—a civil war had just ended, poverty and hunger were everywhere, with no jobs, and no hope.

When we visited, we found four families with eight children living in a one-room house, dragging out their miserable existence. Actually, you can not call them families because they were not. They were living far away from the institution of marriage God created. They were living in a garbage dump.

Stinky and ugly. And, their lives were full of garbage.We shared the gospel with them and gave them food.

One of the kids, a girl named Zhenya, started comimg to the House of Prayer (local church) just to get food. Later, she 30 treasure

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got married and disappeared, without accepting Jesus Christ.

(Sometimes it takes years for people in Central Asia to accept the gospel and believe it.)

Her life got worse and worse.

She divorced, remarried, and it seemed her life would change.

And it did! Zhenya’s husband died. She decided to come to the church to look for consolation and relief. She knew where to get help. She got it from the Lord!

Yes, she is a widow with three little children. But now she is His daughter. God takes care of her through people like you. You deliver coal for cold houses or heaters where there are no ovens, food, and medicine, which is extremely expensive.You brought warm words from God that He loves and cares like those warm blankets.

Zhenya, the girl from the garbage grew up, sipped grief, accepted Jesus Christ, and now serves the Lord and her family.

Thank you that we, together with you, came to that family and brought the light and warmth needed during the cold winter season of life.

View this video from Bible Mission for real stories from widows in Central Asia: https://rb.gy/acc566

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For many years, the sisters of Free Will Baptists have been supporting the ministry called “Joy of Christmas” in Central Asia—in countries where Islam is the predominate religion (over 90% of the population).

But Central Asia is also a place where God is acting today. He is calling people from the nations of Central Asia to living faith in Jesus Christ.

Christmas is the perfect time to reach out to families—not only by giving children wonderful Christmas gifts, but also by giving the Word of God to the entire family. In many places, we were allowed to see and continue to see God’s blessing Hand on this ministry.

I want to share about the nation of the Uyghurs living in Kazakhstan, close to the Chinese border.

In 2007 God touched the heart of Bible Mission and several local churches, with the need to serve among the Uyghurs (an ethnic community living in Kazakhstan close to

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the Chinese border) and take the Gospel to them. Ten years passed, but there was almost no evident results. In 2017 God opened new doors to the Uyghurs and revealed new opportunities.

One of these doors was a family living in the village of Charyn. Masha is a Russian lady, and Abdullah is her Uyghurian husband. Masha is a faithful believer, almost the only one in her region, and Abdullah had started reading the Bible. God lead us to this family, who lived in poverty in one little room. But they had a big heart. When they heard about organizing a Christmas outreach program for the kids of their village, they immediately opened their home. When they saw the crowd of kids “flooding” their front yard, they realized their little room—kitchen, living room, and sleeping room all in one—would not be big enough for one tenth of these kids.

It was the first Christmas event we organized for

DECEMBER Uyghurian kids in the winter of 2018-2019. A freezing wind was blowing from the deserts of Kazakhstan, so there was no way to have the Christmas program in the yard. God acted through a team of young people from Almaty who had come to help (under the leadership of Luba Kudratova). He gave Masha, Abdullah, and the youth team a bright idea. Masha and Abdullah had a small cattle shed they used as a winter shelter for the sheep, cows, calves, and donkey. They decided to celebrate the first Christmas in this Muslim village in the cattle shed!

What a wonderful celebration it was! If you had seen the

joy in the eyes of those kids when they left the cattle shed, each embracing their very own Christmas gift box complete with a family-time Bible!

Yes, the setting of this Christmas event had been so different from what we are used to—with the straw-covered floor in the cattle barn with sheep and cows around. But nothing compared to the “Joy of Christmas” we were allowed to share with these kids for the very first time in their lives.

This was not our last visit to Charyn, to Masha and Abdullah. We continue visiting them, watering and cultivating the seed of the gospel planted in the hearts of children and adults.

About the Writers: Luba K. works with Bible Mission in Kazakhstan.

Paul Hagelgans, Bible Mission field director, was born in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and later moved to Germany. His father was a deacon of the Evangelical Christian Baptist Church, and although the Communistic government prohibited teaching children about God, Paul could hear the Bible stories and learned how to pray. At age 14, he made Jesus the Lord of his life. At 17, he answered the call to preach. He has served in various positions at Bible Mission since 1993. Paul is married to Katharina, and they have three children and three grandsons.

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People who live in Appalachia “are very close to nature and have a deeply held belief in God. They are friendly, kind and helpful to one another, taking care of the needs of others…(They) also have a strong sense of what is right and what ought to be.” (Appalachian Culture/awolnews.

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weebly.com) We take God’s Word seriously. We believe the Bible is our guide for how to live and treat our neighbors each day.

The ladies at Prince of Peace Free Will Baptist church know that anything we do for those in need is given as unto the Lord. With this in mind, not only do we support missionaries monthly, we also support local ministries and non-profit organizations, showing ourselves to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

One of the newest projects is to providing gifts for Operation Soldier Care. Our WAC is working in conjunction with WEMM-FM 107.9 Christian radio in Huntington, West Virginia, and providing needed items for deployed military. We chose to collect toothbrushes, tooth paste, and lip balm.

These items will be taken to Military Missions in Lexington, Kentucky, where they will be packed and shipped to the soldiers serving overseas.

A second new project we’ve adopted is providing various items for Lily’s Place, a Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Center for drug-addicted, newborn babies. Sadly, Huntington is a major hub in the drug trade.

So many addicted babies are born in this area born that the

hospital has created a special nursery for them. On any given day the unit averages 40 babies in that nursery. Unwanted babies are transferred to Lily’s Place and placed in the rehab program. We have provided garbage bags, baby wipes, paper towels, and Walmart and Kroger gift cards to cover other needs.

While we are making a difference in their live, those precious babies will never know who provided for them—but the Lord knows.

At our annual WAC Christmas party, the ladies bring personal hygiene items for the homeless and low-income families in the Huntington area. We provide items that cannot be purchased with a food card. In the last several years, one of the ladies has crocheted lap throws. This year, 60 throws were distributed to those who had been out in the cold for two hours. These folks truly depend upon the kindness of strangers.

Opportunities surround us if you will just look. Ask the Lord to show your WAC various ways to become the hands and feet of Christ. You’ll be surprised at what you might find to do!

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All I want for Christmas is...

What happens when you allow your children to fill in that simple phrase? Do immediate images of dollar signs begin to flash through your mind? Been there, done that.

I have spent the past three Christmases in Jinja, Uganda, my mission home. Christmas is entirely different in a land that values community and family. No gifts, no tree, none of the frills we think we need.

Christmas is a time for families to gather in their home villages and spend time with each other, cooking and singing and visiting. Churches are generally open to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Shops are closed for the week so workers can spend time with family. If it is at all possible, people go “home.”

For the past two years, I have hosted a Christmas party for the kids we help in a slum area of Jinja called Works Village. On a typical day we have between 60 and 75 kids for classroom study.

We have become family there.

Many of these kids can’t return to the village of their extended families due to the excessive cost of transport. They spend Christmas as if it is just another normal day. That is why we wanted to make this day extra special for them. The party was

open to anyone in the community, so our normal 75 grew to over 300.

The kids love to do dramas.

The first year they acted out the nativity story all on their own, and did a fabulous job. No costumes, no props—just kids and the Word. How funny it was to see some of our younger kids acting as sheep, bouncing all over the performing area! Then they sang “Joy to the World” in English. I still watch the video of their singing when I begin to miss them. The day included Scripture memorization, and traditional singing and dance. It was their day to be kids.

The highlight of the day was the meal. We had the traditional food of rice, posho (maize flour/ cornmeal cooked with water to a dough-like consistency) and beans.

But, we wanted to give the kids something to make this day extra special.

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meal—something they never get in their normal daily life. Both years, I bought a goat, and the children had meat with their meal.

They love cake as well, so we had cake. A ten-inch cake fed 300 kids last year. (All they want is a small taste.)

Christmas seems real there, even amidst the poverty and deplorable living conditions. They have not forgotten what it is all about—spending time with family and worshiping the One on Whom this day is centered—JESUS. About the Writer: Bobby Bowen served as secretary-treasurer of West Virginia WAC for 14 years. She was also the collection center coordinator for the West Virginia/Kentucky/Ohio area for Operation Christmas Child for 13 years. For over ten years, Bobby was deeply involved with street ministry in Huntington, West Virginia.

She was commissioned by Global Outreach International in Tupelo, Mississippi, in June, 2017, and has served as full-time missionary in Uganda since October, 2017. She is now on extended pandemic furlough but is overseeing hunger relief and food distribution programs in Uganda from the United States.

At the time of this publication, a new landowner tore down the entire village where Bobby served, displacing at least 3,000 people.

They are now running five feeding programs in different parts of the city for those displaced and out of work. Bobby said, “I am busier now than I was in Uganda.”

Visit www.wnac.org to view the online event.

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As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches on, many of us face situations where we cannot come together for church as we have previously. How should we respond during these strange days? The Jeremiah 29 initiative looks to the instructions God gave the Jewish exiles in Babylon: Build, Plant, and Pray. Find resources at www.nafwb.org/Jeremiah29.

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P. O. Box 5002 Antioch, TN 37011-5002 www.wnac.org 877-767-7662