Volume 1, Issue 9
T h e M c C o l l u m Fa m i l y
F e b r u a r y 2 0 06
AMERICA PRAISE & PETITION Praise • We are going to be church planters! • Brenda has finished her SEND educational requirements! Even so, she is continuing with her education. • We received some new pledges and Valley View Baptist Church voted to partner with us annually! Petition • Pray for us as we learn more about what church planting in Croatia means. • Please pray that we would find a way for our children to learn the Croatian language • Pray that more individuals and churches would join our team. Monthly Pledges 41%
Outgoing Support 35%
TO
Z AG R E B
C H U RC H P L A N T I N G “I was going to talk to you about this lieved that this put us in a unique posiwhen I visit in March, but I think we tion to lead a team in Croatia. Steve need to talk now,” said Steve Meeker explained that not many missionaries when he called early one morning in have any experience with church plantJanuary. Steve is the country coordina- ing. After much prayer, contemplation, tor for SEND International in Croatia and Godly advice, we agreed to this and Slovenia. This phone call was pre- request. Now, we will be church plantcipitated by an email Michael had sent ers! the day before. Our Global Outreach pastor, Scott Countryman, had pre- What do we know about church plantsented us to a consortium of Twin Cit- ing in Croatia? We know we have a lot ies churches in hopes that they would to learn! There will be a high emphasis on being serchoose to partvant learners. ner with us We will have financially. He the opportunity had left that to learn from a meeting feelcouple of sucing positive, cessful Croabut with some tian church questions. Mip l a n t i n g chael forteams. We will warded the also work to questions rebuild trust and garding the relationships camp to Steve within the Bapin Croatia. tist church in When Steve Zagreb. During called, he told our first two Michael that Baptist Church in Severin na Kupi, Croatia years it will be he had been very important thinking and praying about asking us to change our for us to get a good grasp of the Croaprimary responsibility in Croatia away tian language and culture. from camping and toward leading a church planting team. Wow! Michael We are still learning what being church was unexpectedly excited. We had planters in Croatia will look like, but been part of a successful church plant- we’re very excited to be part of what ing team in Eagan, Minnesota. Steve, God is doing among the Croatian peoand others at SEND International, be- ple in Zagreb!
A faith promise form is included with all mailings. If you are already supporting this ministry, thank you. If you are not and would like to, please use the form. As contributions are tax-deductible, they are sought with the understanding that SEND International has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds. If you would rather not receive this newsletter, please tell us so we can honor your desire.
Michael & Brenda McCollum 7486 157th Street West Apartment #109 Apple Valley, MN 55124 952-223-4859 mccollum@sendcroatia.org
Web Address: http://mccollum.sendcroatia.org It’s a work in progress!
SEND International P.O. Box 513 Farmington, MI 48332 248-477-4210 www.send.org 24 CROATIANS IN TURIN OLYMPIAD ZAGREB, Feb 4 (Hina) - Seven days remain before the start of the 20th Winter Olympic Games in the Italian city of Turin. Croatia will be represented by 24 athletes in six sports. The most numerous Croatian team will be in Alpine skiing with 12 skiers: five representatives in women's competitions and seven in men's races.
HELP IS AT THE DOOR! “Prince Caspian blows a battle trumpet, and Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are sucked out of a train terminal and back into Narnia where the good dwarf Trumpkin’s mission is to bring the four to Caspian’s aid. Caspian’s entourage has grown faint with waiting, and mutiny is on Nikabrik’s tongue: ‘Whether it was that the Horn was blown too late, or whether there was no magic in it, no help has come...Are you still asking us to hang our hopes on Aslan and King Peter and all the rest of it?’... ‘The help will come,’ says Trufflehunter. ‘I stand by Aslan. Have Patience….It may be even now at the door.’”-Prince Caspian, C.S. Lewis (World Magazine December 24th 2005) Is help at the door for us? For a year now we have been in the process of discovering who our teammates are for reaching the lost in Croatia with the Good News about Jesus Christ. We have felt discouraged at times, but God reminds us to “stand by Aslan,” who represents Jesus. We also stand by those who God has called to join us in His ministry. We are having patience and praying that the help our partners are called to give is “even now at the door!” Do you hear the sound of Susan’s horn?
IMPORTANT DATES February 6—Michael meets with Pastor Bendell of Westwood Community Church. February 13—Michael meets with Pastor Parker of Woodcrest Church.
Croatia's team has also qualified for four man bobsleigh competitions.
February 15—Michael meets with Pastor Oehrig of Grace Church Roseville.
Other Croatians will compete in figure skating, Nordic combined, skeleton and biathlon.
February 28—Presentation before Grace Church Eden Prairie’s Sending and Support committee.
The triple Olympic gold winner, skier Janica Kostelic, will carry the Croatian flag during the ceremony of the opening of the games on 10 February. It will be Italian Giorgio Rocca to take the solemn oath of the athlete at the ceremony.
March 6—Steve Meeker is in Minnesota and will be meeting with us.
Over 2,500 athletes coming from 85 nations will compete in the Games.
A Favorite Bible Passage Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix out eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
JUST FOR FUN DATES PENDING SUPPORT May 31—Michael’s last day of work. June 13-20—Michael taking class at Moody. July 2-22—Missionary Orientation Program (MOP) at SEND International headquarters. July 24-August 3—Language acquisition training (PILAT) in Colorado. September—Arrival in Croatia!
WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BOIL THIS MISSIONARY ... HE IS A FRIAR
A faith promise form is included with all mailings. If you are already supporting this ministry, thank you. If you are not and would like to, please use the form. As contributions are tax-deductible, they are sought with the understanding that SEND International has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds. If you would rather not receive this newsletter, please tell us so we can honor your desire.