FaithWORKS Report [May 2014]

PRAY AND PRAISE in this issue…

  • ODALI AND KATHY BARROS—PRAISE GOD for preparing the way for them to begin holding services in homes along the river. PRAISE GOD for opening the door for a school ministry. PRAY for them as they begin working in these new places that God would direct every step of the way.
  • MIKE AND BEV CREIGLOW— PRAISE GOD for good visits with 11 of their pastors and missionaries. Since the beginning of the year, Mike & Hudson have traveled 2,341 miles on 3 rivers to report on 17 mission works. PRAY for all of these works, that God would continue to grow them and strengthen them! PRAISE GOD for continued progress at their home church as well.
  • JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER—PRAISE GOD for being able to celebrate nearly 60 years of service in Brazil with the pastors and people in Urai. PRAY for them as they transition to a year-long furlough.
  • JOHN MARK AND JUDY HATCHER—JOHN MARK AND JUDY HATCHER—PRAISE GOD for opportunities to show Christ’s love to neighbors in France! (And PRAISE GOD for safety in that situation! Bzzz!) PRAY for their upcoming neighborhood dinner. PRAY for their new “English Club.”
  • PAUL AND WANDA HATCHER—PRAISE GOD for an enjoyable time at the Spring Missions Conference. PRAY for them as they transition to a year-long furlough with their parents and seek to relocate to Florida. 
  • AJ AND BARBARA HENSLEYPRAISE GOD for safe travels to and from the States. PRAY for their health, for their finances, for the ministry, for the plans they are trying to complete at the church, and for the attacks Satan is trying to hurl at them.
  • NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD—PRAY for their upcoming return to Kenya. PRAY especially for them and their daughters as they travel such a long way and adjust back to the culture of Kenya. PRAY for the people of Kenya they are blessed to work with.
  • SHERIDAN AND ANITA STANTON—PRAISE GOD for continued progress on the building for the Calvary Baptist Mission Church! PRAY that God would provide the remaining funds they need to complete the project. PRAISE GOD for a good missions conference in Huaral.
  • ROGER AND JULIE TATE—PRAISE GOD for a safe arrival back in Kenya. PRAY for them as they adjust back to the culture. PRAY that the Spirit would work in hearts to create lasting change. 
  • BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER—PRAISE GOD for the way He is working in the life of Toni. PRAY for the mechanical problems they are facing in their Projeto Vida ministry. PRAY for Elias and his wife that seeds planted would take root and grow.

YOUR APRIL GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS…

When you review the Contributions page in this issue, you will note that the monthly General Fund Offerings total given in April is $31,604.16.  This is a $5-6 thousand dollar increase over the past three months.

First, we thank God and commend every one of you gives to the monthly General Fund.  Without your faithful and sacrificial giving, our missionaries would not be receiving month-by-month what we are able to provide for them.

However, that being said, our total monthly commitments to our missionary families – which must be supplied from the monthly General Fund – amount to $43,300.54.  Every month, that same amount must be disbursed just for their essential maintenance.  If each of us will remember that number as we give to the monthly General Fund – $43,300.00 – it will help remind us of the gigantic financial responsibility just to ‘keep them on the field,’ ‘keep the lights on,’ and supply their essential living and ministry expenses.

When the monthly General Fund Offering doesn’t meet that disbursement threshold [$43,300.00], then we have no other choice but to reduce the amount of disbursements to our missionary families by the proportionate amount we did not receive in General Fund offerings.

We know you have heard this before – and we also know that we keep repeating ourselves – but the first of every month, it comes around again!  Please make a generous offering to your missionaries’ General Fund right now – or increase your present giving! 

You can give online by going to our website: baptistfaithmissions.org and clicking on the ‘Donate/Support’ tab.  Designate your offering for ‘General Fund’.  Thank you on behalf of our missionaries! 

Click here to make a one-time donation.
Click here to set up a recurring donation.



Founders Overbey and Clark
JUNE IS FOUNDER’S DAY OFFERING MONTH: 
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FOUNDERS DAY OFFERING TO THE CONTINUING SUPPLY OF YOUR MISSIONARIES’ ON-GOING NEEDS

We are coming up on June again, and we are appealing to you to give an extraordinary offering to our Founder’s Day Offering to supply our missionaries’ Essential Maintenance needs.

72 years ago, Hafford Overbey began appealing for and receiving offerings to assist in the support of a missionary who had returned to the Amazon Valley in Brazil.  Baptist Faith Missions has been assisting Baptist churches in sending their missionaries to the nations of the world for the purpose of church-planting missions ever since.

We recognize that many of you do not remember Hafford Overbey or Z. E. Clark, the first Treasurer of Baptist Faith Missions.  But, what you do need to remember is that your missionaries who are currently serving the Lord in the nations of the world are carrying on with the same missionary vision and ministry that prompted the very first missions offering in 1942.

So, will you please help us?  Last year [2013], it was the Founder’s Day Offering that enabled us to NOT have to reduce our missionaries’ monthly funds.  We devote the Founder’s Day Offering to supplying our missionaries’ monthly Essential Maintenance Transactions.  What that means is: we will supply any deficits in our Monthly General Fund Offerings with Founder’s Day Offering funds.

So, by giving to the Founder’s Day Offering, you are helping your missionaries receive the full commitments of monthly funds they must have to maintain their living and ministry needs.

[Click here to download the BFM Founders Day Offering Appeal 2014]


BFM BROCHURESbrochure (2)

We now have TWO very attractive and informative professionally-produced brochures.  We want you to help us get these promotional messages into the hands of anyone and everyone who is interested in the mission work the Lord is accomplishing through the missionaries who are supported by your offerings through BFM.

(1) The first of these brochures is one that will introduce you to BFM and inform you about the basic principles by which BFM functions. (click here to view)

GF Brochure(2) The second brochure is just now ‘hot off the press.’  This one is entitled “Caring for those who care for the world,” and is designed to inform and explain just how essential the monthly General Fund is to the daily living and ministry needs of our missionaries. (click here to view)

Both of them are full-color, either 6 or 8 pages 8 ½ x 11 format, pictorial, and informative.  Will you please help us distribute these brochures as widely as you can?

If you will send your name and mailing address to:
Dave Parks, 3985 Boston Road, Lexington KY 40514
email: daveparks[at]twc.com | phone: 859.223.8374 –
and tell us how many sets of these brochures you want – we will get them back to you by return shipping.

For now, you can access an electronic flip-through version of the new brochure by going to our website and clicking on the brochure cover.

Again, please serve as ambassadors for your missionaries by helping us get either single-copy sets to interested persons or bundles to distribute in our churches.  The brochures will ‘speak for themselves’ – for our missionaries.


MISSIONARIES ON FURLOUGH

Two of our longest-serving missionary families are on furlough in the States together at this time: John and Alta Hatcher and Paul and Wanda Hatcher.  Paul has written in his Mission Sheets newsletter, “Wanda and I have been in Brazil for 40 years.  During this period, we have taken only one full-year furlough.”  But, they all have come together to the States for a year’s furlough.  John and Alta Hatcher have been serving our Lord in partnership with Baptist Faith Missions for 60 years and wanted to come Stateside for this furlough.  Paul and Wanda have come with them to accompany and help them.  Also with them is Wanda’s mom, Willa McGary.  ‘Miss Willa’ and Wanda’s deceased dad, Wilford, served as church-planting missionaries in Eastern Kentucky Appalachia for 35 years.  Willa has also been living with Paul and Wanda in Manaus since Wanda’s only sibling, Ross McGary, went to be with the Lord in December 2013.  But, living in Manaus was very difficult for ‘Miss Willa’ since she was away from her friends and in an all-Portuguese environment with different customs.

So, they are all living and traveling together.  They plan to set up their residence in Florida during this time to give them better access to Brazil, especially for family and friends in Brazil to come and visit with them during this year.

Paul says: ‘We will be available to speak and share missions.  We can be contacted at: (239)227-6551 or rphatcher[at]gmail.com.’  We encourage you to pray for them and correspond with them.


SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE UPDATES AND RECAPS

The Lord blessed us during the April Spring Missions Conference.  You came and attended with us as we worshiped Jesus Christ, gave ourselves to work with Him in His “Day of Salvation,” and asked the Lord to stir and encourage us all to greater commitment and usefulness in His mission.

Ten preachers, pastors, and missionaries delivered God’s messages from His Word.  35 preachers, pastors, and missionaries were in attendance with us during the services.  We thank each one of you for your prayers to God and your encouraging fellowship as we all seek together to follow Jesus Christ into the nations of the world.

You can still update yourself on the happenings during our Conference services by going to our website and opening the FaithWorks Blog page.  On the right hand side of the page, you will find a list of links “Categories.”  Click on the link that says “Conference recaps,” and it will open up a list of the services and give you a brief recap of the service [OR CLICK HERE]. I want to thank Steve and Sarah Wainright for posting these services for us.  They are continually providing invaluable services for our Lord and our missionaries by updating and maintaining our website and Facebookm.


Founders Month 2014FOUNDERS DAY OFFERING APPEAL AND RESOURCES

For many years, we have remembered and honored our principal founders, Hafford Overbey and Z. E. Clark, by giving special offerings for the missionaries during the month of June. We call it our FOUNDER’S DAY OFFERING.

But, the Founder’s Day Offering not only memorializes our original founders in 1942 – we are also honoring our eleven faithful missionary families who are currently serving the Lord in Brazil, Peru, France, and Kenya.

Their support needs are great – and the supplies are low. We use the Founder’s Day Offering to help supply our missionaries’ monthly essential living and ministry support. And, these offerings will also help prevent our having to reduce the monthly commitments we have made to them due to a lack of General Fund supplies.

Here’s what each of us can do:
PASTORS – we encourage you to observe a special Missions or Great Commission Emphasis Sunday and give your church the opportunity to give to the BFM General Fund. Emphasize Jesus’ command to preach His Gospel to all nations. That is what our missionaries are doing. That is the original burden and vision that inspired the founding of BFM. We are continuing to perpetuate that vision and burden. That is what we are supporting when we give to BFM’s General Fund. We will use these offerings to continue to supply our missionaries’ on-going needs.

GIVING FRIENDS – if your church is not participating in our Founder’s Day Offering, we encourage you to support your missionaries by giving a personal offering.  Of course, you can give as the Lord enables you to give, and no offering of any amount is insignificant. But what if every one of our missionaries’ Giving Friends gave at least a $70 offering in honor of the 70+ years our missionaries have been faithfully preaching the Gospel?  But – please do give as the Lord impresses and enables you.

You can visit our website’s Donate/Support page to easily contribute through the options we have made available to you.  Or, you can mail your offering to: Baptist Faith Missions, Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer, P.O. Box 471280, Lake Monroe FL 32747-1280

You will find on our website [Faith Works Blog] some PDF resources that will be helpful as you help us promote Founder’s Day:
BFM Founder’s Day Offering – Bulletin Insert
BFM Founder’s Day Offering – General Letter
BFM Founder’s Day Offering – Letter from Our President
BFM Founder’s Day PowerPoint Slide


Read more

FaithWORKS Report [April 2014]

PRAY AND PRAISE in this issue…

  • MIKE AND BEV CREIGLOW— PRAISE GOD for good visits 290 miles up-river with five missionaries in four villages.
  • JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER—PRAISE GOD for being able to celebrate nearly 60 years of service in Brazil with the pastors and people in Urai. PRAY for them as they transition to a year-long furlough.
  • JOHN MARK AND JUDY HATCHER—PRAISE GOD for the ways He’s blessing their investment (and your investment!) in France. PRAY the believers there would be encouraged. PRAY for those who are seeking truth.
  • PAUL AND WANDA HATCHER—PRAISE GOD for one new church organized in Coroado and one ordained to pastoral ministry. PRAISE GOD for one family who moved to a capital city in a northeastern state of Brazil to start a new church plant. PRAY that this family will fully rely on God to overcome all challenges and as they seek the best location to rent, make new friends, evangelize, and disciple new believers. PRAY for them as they transition to a year-long furlough with their parents.
  • NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD—PRAISE GOD for insight on raising “third culture” kids. PRAY God would give them wisdom as they raise their children. PRAY as they prepare to return to Kenya, all the logistics of packing and what to take and what to leave behind. PRAY Carrie would be able to obtain the permit that is necessary to continue the hospital ministry upon their return in June.
  • SHERIDAN AND ANITA STANTON—PRAISE GOD for the help of three from the States to train Peruvians how to drywall. PRAISE GOD for how they were also able to help a church in a mountain town with their building.
  • ROGER AND JULIE TATE—PRAISE GOD for time they were able to spend with family and friends while on furlough. PRAY for them as they adjust back to life in Kenya. PRAY for God to lead them to a rental house to train in and to send them faithful men they can teach to teach others.
  • BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER—PRAISE GOD for working through the team of young people from Brandon, Florida to share the Gospel in parks and with over 6,000 students and teachers in public schools. PRAISE GOD for using Charlene to share His love through ESL Classes—and especially for His work in the heart of Ana Paula.

YOUR MARCH GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS…

When you review the Contributions page in this issue, you will note that the monthly General Fund Offerings total given in March is $25,634.71.  First, we thank God and commend every one of you gives to the monthly General Fund.  Without your faithful and sacrificial giving, our missionaries would not be receiving month-by-month what we are able to provide for them.

However, that being said, our total monthly commitments to our missionary families – which must be supplied from the monthly General Fund – amount to $43,300.54.  Every month, that same amount must be disbursed just for their essential maintenance.  If each of us will remember that number as we give to the monthly General Fund – $43,300.00 – it will help remind us of the gigantic financial responsibility just to ‘keep them on the field,’ ‘keep the lights on,’ and supply their essential living and ministry expenses.

When the monthly General Fund Offering doesn’t meet that disbursement threshold [$43,300.00], then we have no other choice but to reduce the amount of disbursements to our missionary families by the proportionate amount we did not receive in General Fund offerings.

We know you have heard this before – and we also know that we keep repeating ourselves – but the first of every month, it comes around again!  Please make a generous offering to your missionaries’ General Fund right now – or increase your present giving!

You can give online by going to our website: baptistfaithmissions.org and click on the ‘Donate/Support’ tab.  Designate your offering for ‘General Fund’.  Thank you on behalf of our missionaries! 

Click here to make a one-time donation.
Click here to set up a recurring donation.


 

Founders Overbey and ClarkJUNE IS FOUNDER’S DAY OFFERING MONTH

We are coming up on June again, and we are appealing to you to give an extraordinary offering to our Founder’s Day Offering to supply our missionaries’ Essential Maintenance needs.

72 years ago, Hafford Overbey began appealing for and receiving offerings to assist in the support of a missionary who had returned to the Amazon Valley in Brazil.  Baptist Faith Missions has been assisting Baptist churches in sending their missionaries to the nations of the world for the purpose of church-planting missions ever since.

We recognize that many of you do not remember Hafford Overbey or Z. E. Clark, the first Treasurer of Baptist Faith Missions.  But, what you do need to remember is that your missionaries who are currently serving the Lord in the nations of the world are carrying on with the same missionary vision and ministry that prompted the very first missions offering in 1942.

So, will you please help us?  Last year [2013], it was the Founder’s Day Offering that enabled us to NOT have to reduce our missionaries’ monthly funds.  We devote the Founder’s Day Offering to supplying our missionaries’ monthly Essential Maintenance Transactions.  What that means is: we will supply any deficits in our Monthly General Fund Offerings with Founder’s Day Offering funds.

So, by giving to the Founder’s Day Offering, you are helping your missionaries receive the full commitments of monthly funds they must have to maintain their living and ministry needs.

[Click here to download the BFM Founders Day Offering Appeal 2014]

SPECIAL JUNE ISSUE OF MISSION SHEETS
In addition to this regular monthly Mission Sheets, we will also be mailing to you an additional issue of Mission Sheets in June designated exclusively to Founder’s Day month and the Founder’s Day Offering.  Be watching for it!


BFM BROCHURES
We now have TWO very attractive and informative professionally-produced brochures.  We want you to help us get these promotional messages into the hands of anyone and everyone who is interested in the mission work the Lord is accomplishing through the missionaries who are supported by your offerings through BFM.

(1) The first of these brochures is one that will introduce you to BFM and inform you about the basic principles by which BFM functions. (click here to view)

(2) The second brochure is just now ‘hot off the press.’  This one is entitled “Caring for those who care for the world,” and is designed to inform and explain just how essential the monthly General Fund is to the daily living and ministry needs of our missionaries. (click here to view)

Both of them are full-color, either 6 or 8 pages 8 ½ x 11 format, pictorial, and informative.  Will you please help us distribute these brochures as widely as you can?

If you will send your name and mailing address to:
Dave Parks, 3985 Boston Road, Lexington KY 40514
email: daveparks[at]twc.com | phone: 859.223.8374 –
and tell us how many sets of these brochures you want – we will get them back to you by return shipping.

For now, you can access an electronic flip-through version of the new brochure by going to our website and clicking on the brochure cover.

Again, please serve as ambassadors for your missionaries by helping us get either single-copy sets to interested persons or bundles to distribute in our churches.  The brochures will ‘speak for themselves’ – for our missionaries.


Read more

General Fund Brochure

Have you ever wondered what happens with the money given to the General Fund or why you should give to it? We encourage you to flip through this stunning new brochure that will tell you what services your General Fund offerings provide.

Click here to flip-through the brochure.


Read more

FaithWORKS Report [August 2013]

HOW THE GENERAL FUND OF BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS
SUPPLIES THE NEEDS OF YOUR MISSIONARIES

When you support the General Fund, you are relieving YOUR missionaries from the daily concerns of whether their essential financial needs will be supplied.  He no longer has to worry:  “Will I receive enough support this month to make the house payment/rent?  Pay my bills?  Feed and clothe my family?  Cover the medical expenses of my family?  Do I have commitment from my supporters to help supply the financial needs of the church-planting ministry God has called me to?”

Baptist Faith Missions is a God-called support ministry designed to free YOUR missionaries from the burden of raising their own support for their basic needs so that their time can be spent in focusing on their ministry itself.  Sending churches, supporting churches, and individual disciples bear the collective burden to fulfill the charge of the “Great Commission” when Jesus said, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

This article answers the questions:

Why should I give to the BFM General Fund?”
Where do my contributions go?”
What services do my General Fund offerings provide?

The BFM GENERAL FUND provides the following BASIC, ESSENTIAL needs of YOUR missionaries.

We call these commitments ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE TRANSACTIONS
(or EMT)

YOUR MISSIONARIES’ SALARY
Many of you who are reading this article have a job that you depend on to provide a regular income for the financial means to meet your living expenses and provide for your family needs.  Salary costs for YOUR individual missionary are $1,803.00 each month.  The combined salaries for ALL twelve missionaries every month is now over $21,449.00.  The TOTAL salary expenditures for your missionaries each year is $257,388.00.  (Two Hundred Fifty Seven Thousand Dollars).  When you look at your monthly Mission Sheets contribution record, you will notice that some missionaries do not receive enough individual support to cover even their basic salary…let alone the other additional expenses described below – all of which are supplied from the General Fund.  The difference between what is given directly to an individual missionary [either undesignated or designated “as needed”] and his basic salary is covered by BFM supporters from the General Fund.  NOTE: all contributions to an individual missionary that exceed his salary amount are deposited in the individual missionary’s account for his use. 

In hard economic times you expect to see increases in your pay that enable you to cover the increasing expenses of your family’s needs.  This past year (2013), by faith, the BFM Directors voted to give a 5% salary increase to your missionaries. 

In 2014, pending available General Fund support and “as the LORD provides” through your offerings, BFM Directors would like to be able to approve another 5% salary increase to YOUR missionaries.  We can, and will, do this as your contributions to the General Fund supply that increase.

YOUR MISSIONARIES’ HEALTH INSURANCE
Many of you who are reading this pay for your own health insurance premiums either in total or part.  You realize how expensive it is, and every year it is more expensive for you and your family.  Health insurance premiums for each of YOUR individual missionaries average $1,040.00 each month.  The cost for ALLtwelve missionaries every month is currently over $12,478.00. (Twelve Thousand Four Hundred Seventy Eight Dollars each month).  The TOTAL ANNUAL health insurance costs for your missionaries each year is over $149,736.00.  (One Hundred Forty Nine Thousand Seven Hundred Thirty Six Dollars).  BFM contributors to the General Fund currently pay the FULL AMOUNT of your missionaries’ health insurance premiums.  NOTE: The missionary pays the first $1000 of medical services as a personal deductible – and BFM reimburses $600 of that…again from the General Fund.    

As contributions to the General Fund allow, BFM Directors, missionaries, and supporters would like Health Insurance to continue as a fully-paid benefit to YOUR missionaries.

YOUR MISSIONARIES’ HOUSING ALLOWANCE
Each month each of YOUR missionaries receives from the General Fund a housing allowance of $250.00 to be applied toward either rent or house payment.

As contributions to the General Fund allow, BFM Directors, missionaries, and supporters would like the Housing Allowance to continue as a fully-paid benefit to YOUR missionaries.

YOUR MISSIONARIES’ MINISTRY EXPENSE ALLOWANCE
Each month each of YOUR missionaries receives from the General Fund a Ministry Expenses Allowance of $500.00 to help defray the expenses of his Gospel outreach and church-planting efforts.

As contributions to the General Fund allow, BFM Directors, missionaries, and supporters would like this Ministry Expense Allowance to continue as a fully-paid benefit to YOUR missionaries.

YOUR MISSIONARIES’ MISSION SHEETS
Paul, as a New Testament missionary, had the responsibility to carry the Gospel message to the known world of his day.  He also had the responsibility to report back to supporting churches and individuals by letter and in person (for example: Acts 14.26-27 & Philippians 4.15-17).  Your missionaries have that same responsibility.  The Mission Sheets, in both printed and electronic form, give monthly reports of YOUR missionaries’ ministries.  Missionary letters describe his activities and needs.  Monthly offerings from churches and individuals are reported in the monthly Contribution Record identifying contributors and contributions.  This shows where your money goes.  It allows you to assess how the needs of YOUR missionaries are being met.

Contribution Terms:
“salary” or “support” – contributions to an individual missionary designated as “salary” or “support” are applied toward the missionary’s monthly salary expense.  When they are listed in the Contribution Record in the monthly Mission Sheets, they will be listed without these designations.  But, they will go toward supplying his monthly salary.  NOTE:  if the missionary’s contributions for “salary” exceed his salary amount, then the remaining balance will be deposited in his account as “personal” funds to be used at his discretion.

“as needed” – a contribution designated “as needed” will also be applied toward supplying his salary since his basic salary is the most “as needed” need your missionary has.

“personal” – contributions designated “personal” are NOT used to meet the BASIC, ESSENTIAL expenses of the missionary.  These contributions are deposited in the missionary’s account for use at his discretion.

“designated project” – ALL contributions designated for a specific work project, appeal, or need are directed fully to that work project or need.

The TOTAL ANNUAL COSTS of publishing and distributing YOUR missionary’s monthly newsletters is $22,500.00. (Twenty Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars).  These services are paid for from the General Fund.  Your missionaries are not required to pay for their own ministry newsletters and reports.

YOUR MISSIONARIES’ OTHER SUPPORT ALLOWANCES

Periodically YOUR missionaries will request other benefits we have committed to them from the General Fund “as the LORD provides.”  As contributions to the General Fund allow, BFM Directors, missionaries, and supporters would like to continue these benefits to YOUR missionaries.

YOUR MISSIONARIES’ FURLOUGH EXPENSES
YOUR missionaries have the option to return to the States for six months after a completing two years of service on the field or one year after completing four years of service on the field.  This is for the dual purpose of spending time with family and friends and giving a status report to supporting churches when requested.  You may be aware that this year these expenses exceed $17,000.00 for furlough travel expenses which are paid for from the General Fund.

As your contributions to the General Fund allow, BFM Directors, missionaries, and supporters would like Furlough Travel Expenses to continue in the coming years as a fully-paid benefit to YOUR missionaries.

YOUR MISSIONARIES’ CHILDREN’S EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES 
YOUR missionary families may not have the option of sending their children to a free public school.  Their options are to home school, pay for private or boarding schools, or even send their children back to the States for education.  If the funds are available, a Children’s Education Allowance of up to $1000.00 per school year per child may be awarded.  This disbursement is based on a priority of financial need and availability of funds.

As your contributions to the General Fund allow, BFM Directors, missionaries, and supporters would like to continue this Children’s Education Allowance benefit to YOUR missionaries. 

YOUR MISSIONARIES’ ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
Of our fifteen Directors, only one is a paid position: the Executive Secretary, Pastor Dave Parks.  He receives the same monthly salary as each of our missionaries.  He performs the very wide-ranging and demanding responsibilities of handling the day-to-day issues and transactions of BFM.  These responsibilities include: daily correspondence with the missionaries and inquiries from supporters;  coordination of the elements and processes that go into The Mission Sheets, website, and electronic correspondences;  transacting, recording, and tracking the disbursement of all funds to missionary expenses and operational expenses;  resolving banking and legal issues that impact the missionaries;  documenting and filing quarterly and annual IRS and Exempt Organization returns;  and often as a listening ear, giver of advice, and coordinator of resources in meeting the needs of your missionaries.  He is a full-time husband and father.  He is also the full-time Pastor of Thompson Road Baptist Church.  His commitment of attention, time, and energies to BFM goes far beyond the monetary compensation received.

BFM Directors, missionaries, and supporters would like this Administrative Support to continue in the coming years as a benefit to YOUR missionaries.

IN SUMMARY: When you support the GENERAL FUND you are supporting all of YOUR missionaries.  Very few churches can fully support all the financial and administrative needs of their missionary.  However, whether you are a church or an individual disciple, by partnering together with others and giving as the LORD leads and provides, ALL THE NEEDS OF ALL YOUR MISSIONARIES WILL BE SUFFICIENTLY AND ABUNDANTLY SUPPLIED.  And, by the Grace of God, all of our missionaries – along with others who are called into full-time missionary service – will be able to focus without unnecessary distraction on sharing the Gospel and planting churches.

“AS THE LORD PROVIDES” AND LEADS, SUPPORT THE BFM GENERAL FUND.

 – Your BFM Council of Directors

Click here to make a one-time donation.
Click here to set up a recurring donation.


Read more

FaithWORKS Report [April 2013]

WE COULD NOT FULFILL OUR BASELINE COMMITMENTS TO OUR MISSIONARIES THIS MONTH [APRIL].

When we don’t receive sufficient General Fund offerings to cover the $46,000+ commitments we make to our missionaries each month just for salaries, expense allowances, hospitalization, and correspondence – then we have no other choice but to REDUCE THE AMOUNTS OF THOSE COMMITMENTS WE DISBURSE THAT MONTH. We had not had to do that since last February 2012 – but we had to do it again this month. What this means is that we must significantly reduce the standard commitments we make to our missionaries from the General Fund. We continue to forward to them the offerings designated for projects or personal use – but these designated offerings will have to make up for the reduced basic living expenses commitments which are supplied from the General Fund.

IF YOU ARE NOT CONTRIBUTING TO THE GENERAL FUND, would you consider doing so regularly? Even if you want to help perhaps your ‘favorite’ missionary, by contributing to the General Fund, you are helping us supply the Essential Maintenance Transactions commitments we have made to them…so we won’t have to reduce them again.

One of the reasons we were able to carry our missionaries’ Essential Maintenance Transactions through last year without reducing their standard baseline commitments is because of THE 2012 FOUNDER’S DAY OFFERING.


FOUNDERS DAY OFFERING

June has traditionally been the month when we remember and recognize the Founders of BFM. We are asking you again for a special Founder’s Day Offering. We want to revive this giving ministry to help us continue to provide for our missionaries’ needs. Nothing we ever ask for or do is for any personal benefit to any of us – but everything is so we can continue to meet the commitments we have made to our missionaries so they can continue their daily ministries unhindered and undistracted by a lack of financial supplies.

All we are asking you to do is to give your church the opportunity to give to a specially-announced and designated Founder’s Day Offering. Or, if your church does not participate in the Offering, then please consider giving a special gift over and above your regular giving to the General Fund. ALL OFFERINGS RECEIVED FOR THE FOUNDER’S DAY OFFERING WILL BE USED TO GO TOWARD MEETING OUR MISSIONARIES’ NEEDS FOR MONTHLY GENERAL FUND SUPPLIES TO HELP FUND OUR STANDARD COMMITMENTS WE HAVE MADE TO THEM FOR THEIR ESSENTIAL LIVING EXPENSES.

Will you be praying ahead to June – and plan to participate with your church in a fellowship-wide FOUNDER’S DAY OFFERING?


PRAY AND PRAISE!

  • MIKE AND BEV CREIGLOW – PRAISE GOD for fruitful missions trips to distant regions. PRAISE GOD for workers and helpers in the ministries God has raised up right in First Baptist Church of Cruzeiro do Sul
  • HAROLD BRATCHER – PRAISE GOD for his years of faithful service to our Lord. PRAY that God will continue to give him health and strength to serve.
  • ODALI AND KATHY BARROS – PRAISE GOD for the outreach they are making through their services of mercy. PRAY for God to help them meet the deep needs they deal with every day.
  • JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER – PRAY that God will give fruit and increase in the struggling church in Assai under the new leadership of Daniel and Leticia. PRAY also for several pressing physical needs among their fellow-laborers.
  • JOHN AND JUDY HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for their 40 years of marriage and serving God together. PRAY for the numerous contacts and conversations they are making for the Gospel.
  • JUDSON AND RAQUEL HATCHER – PRAY for their continuing efforts in the new church plant in Goiania. PRAISE GOD for new small groups involving others in the church.  
  • A.J. AND BARB HENSLEY – PRAY for all the open doors and opportunities for Gospel witness God is making for them. PRAISE GOD for opening the doors to the prisoners, especially, for the ministry of witness.
  • NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD – PRAY always for the struggling church plant in Shangalamwe and the elder who is leading this work. They are continuing to instruct and encourage indigenous church independence and growth.
  • ROGER AND JULIE TATE – PRAY for God to encourage and strengthen them for the rigors and demands of missionary ministry in their country.
  • BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER – PRAISE GOD for new believers confessing Christ in baptism. PRAISE GOD for recent Gospel outreach activities–and those who responded!

MISSIONARIES’ FURLOUGH SCHEDULE

Harold Bratcher is retiring from 53½ years of active and faithful missionary service in Manaus, Brazil, and is relocating to live here in the States. He is selling his home in Manaus and is seeking to purchase a home here. If you wish to contact him before he establishes a permanent address, you may contact him at: 859.277.3716 / 1012 Balsam Drive, Lexington KY 40504 / or through his email address: harold_bratcher@yahoo.com


2013 SPRING MISSIONARY BIBLE CONFERENCE
April 22-24
Hosted by Thompson Road Baptist Church | Lexington, KY | Dave Parks, Pastor
Block these dates and plan to attend.

The theme for our Conference is “O LORD, REVIVE YOUR WORK!” based on Habakkuk’s prayer in Habakkuk 3.2.

Check our website’s FaithWorks Blog and Events pages for the complete Conference program. One of the prominent features of this Spring Conference will be the presence of two of our most veteran missionaries: Harold Bratcher and John and Alta Hatcher. Brother Bratcher is retiring from 53½ years of active and faithful overseas service and is relocating here in the States. John and Alta Hatcher are marking 58 years of missionary service in Brasil. We will be blessed to have these faithful servants of the Lord in our Conference services – and we want to take this opportunity to recognize them and express our love and gratitude to God and to them for their exemplary service.

Also be sure to join our Facebook Event for the conference and invite your friends!


LBC ALUMNI BREAKFASTPicture courtesy of http://baptisthistoryhomepage.com/

WHEN: Thursday, April 25 from 9:00 am-1:00 pm
[This will be the Thursday morning following the conclusion of the BFM Spring Missions Conference.]
WHERE: The old Ashland Avenue Church Building at 163 North Ashland Avenue; Lexington, Kentucky
COST: No cost for the breakfast
Alumni, Family, & Friends Welcome!

For more information, please correspond with Michael Campbell at jacknjackie [at] windstream.net.  



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FaithWORKS Report [February 2013]

2013 SPRING MISSIONARY BIBLE CONFERENCE
April 22-24
Hosted by Thompson Road Baptist Church | Lexington, KY | Dave Parks, Pastor
Block these dates and plan to attend.

The theme for our Conference is “O LORD, REVIVE YOUR WORK!” based on Habakkuk’s prayer in Habakkuk 3.2.

Be checking our website’s FaithWorks Blog and Events pages for the complete Conference program. One of the prominent features of this Spring Conference will be the presence of two of our most veteran missionaries: Harold Bratcher and John and Alta Hatcher. Brother Bratcher is retiring from 52½ years of active and faithful overseas service and is relocating here in the States. John and Alta Hatcher are marking 58 years of missionary service in Brasil. We will be blessed to have these faithful servants of the Lord in our Conference services – and we want to take this opportunity to recognize them and express our love and gratitude to God and to them for their exemplary service.


THANKSGIVING OFFERING TOTAL-TO-DATE:  $51,098.17

You will note in the Contributions Record in The Mission Sheets that an additional $5,883.00 was given for our current Thanksgiving Offering. We bless God for each one of you who has given to this offering. We are still running significantly behind on what we will need to complete the commitments for our missionaries through the current year. But, we know that you who have given have done so faithfully, generously, and faithfully.

The offering is still open for your contributions – or re-contributions as God supplies you with the ability to give.

These offerings are essential to fulfilling the financial benefits and commitments we have made to provide for their needs and to support all the activities required to keep their ministries going.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY TO GOD – AND ASK HIM TO GIVE YOU A GENEROUS OFFERING TO CONTRIBUTE! ‘THANK YOU!’ to every one who has contributed this year to make this offering what it is!


THANK YOU EACH ONE FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS TO OUR GENERAL FUND!

Our General Fund supplies the essential disbursements we make to our missionaries each month for their salary, standard expense funds, hospitalization premiums, and their correspondences with you through the Mission Sheets.

The total disbursement each month just for these Essential Maintenance Transactions is $46,039.61. That amount must be supplied each month from the General Fund to supply these commitments. If we don’t receive sufficient offerings to meet these commitments, then we will necessarily have to REDUCE the deposits we make to your missionaries’ accounts.

Please do this right now – note the amount given each month to the General Fund [click here to view the January 2013 Mission Sheet in PDF format] and compare it with the above amount of standing committed disbursements. Please give all you can to the General Fund to help us NOT have to reduce the disbursements we make to them.

If every one of us increases our contributions to the monthly General Fund by even a few dollars, we can more than supply these essential needs for our missionaries.

Our love, praises to God, and repeated ‘THANK YOU!’ to each one of you who gives to the General Fund each month!

“For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings to God!” 2 Corinthians 9.12


MISSIONARIES’ FURLOUGH SCHEDULE

Harold Bratcher is retiring from 52½ years of active and faithful missionary service in Manaus, Brazil, and is relocating to live here in the States. He is selling his home in Manaus and is seeking to purchase a home here. If you wish to contact him before he establishes a permanent address, you may contact him at: 859.277.3716 / 1012 Balsam Drive, Lexington KY 40504 / or through his email address: harold_bratcher@yahoo.com


PRAY AND PRAISE!

  • ODALI AND KATHY BARROS – PRAISE GOD for increases in their church’s outreach and God’s work in transforming lives.
  • MIKE AND BEV CREIGLOW – PRAISE GOD for God’s work especially in interior mission works – and how about that 9-year-old protégé, Carlos!  PRAY that we will be calling ‘Timothy’ in coming years!
  • JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER – PRAY that God will give them a good and safe trip to the States for our Spring Conference.  Continue to PRAY also and always for God’s hand to work in Assai.  PRAISE GOD also for these faithful and fruitful evangelists and church-planting warriors – 58 years and still going!
  • JOHN AND JUDY HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for continuing ‘providential encounters’ God gives them to witness the Gospel to unbelievers.  God is at work even when they walk the dog!
  • A.J. AND BARB HENSLEY – PRAY for their new church plant, Caragua Baptist Church.  PRAISE GOD for the people He is bringing and for the life-changes the Holy Spirit is working.
  • NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD – PRAY always for the struggling church plant in Shangalamwe.  PRAY also for their move out of their current home into a new one.
  • ROGER AND JULIE TATE – PRAY for God to cover them and shield them with His Spirit from the discouragements of ministry and many adversities – and also that the Lord will establish the infant church at Shangalamwe.  PRAY also that the Lord will direct their works going forward.
  • SHERIDAN AND ANITA STANTON – PRAISE GOD for a safe return to Peru and for delivering them through many obstacles.  PRAISE GOD also for increases in their missions and new converts to Christ.
  • BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER – PRAY for them and their church as they seek to reach other neighborhoods, especially Corbelia.  PRAISE GOD for progress and growth in their church.
  • JUD AND RAQUEL HATCHER – PRAY for God’s direction in a possible new church plant [already!] in another state, Goias.  PRAY and PRAISE God for growth in Active Baptist Church – and for growing problems and pains.
  • HAROLD BRATCHER – PRAY for his continuing health and strength and for the sale of his house in Manaus.

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FaithWORKS Report [January 2013]

SALARY INCREASE FOR OUR MISSIONARIES – IF WE HAVE IT!
As we reported in last month’s Mission Sheets, we have begun in January 2013 to increase our missionaries’ salary by 5% – from $1717.00 to $1803 per month.  That means that we will disburse $21,449.00 every month for just their salaries.  Also added to that salary amount are: $10,950.00 per month for Standard Ministry Expense Allowances, $11,918.11 for hospitalization premiums we pay for them each month, and $1722.50 which we disburse to publish their newsletters for them each month.

Those commitments amount to a total of $46,039.61 which is supplied from the General Fund.  We want to emphasize that WE CANNOT MEET THESE COMMITMENTS WITHOUT THE SUPPLIES OF THE FUNDS EACH MONTH.  If we don’t receive enough in General Fund offerings each month to meet these Essential Maintenance Transactions, then we will be required to reduce the amounts we have committed.

Will you help us provide this much-needed and belated salary increase for our missionaries’ basic and essential living expenses BY INCREASING YOUR PERSONAL OFFERINGS TO THE MONTHLY GENERAL BY JUST 5% – or more – as the Lord enables you?

If every one of us increases our contributions to the monthly General Fund by even that amount, we can more than supply this modest salary increase for our missionaries.

Our repeated ‘THANK YOU!’ to each one of you who gives to the General Fund each month!


TWO OF OUR FAITHFUL, LONG-TIME, VETERAN MISSIONARY-WIVES HAVE GONE HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD.

June Bean, who faithfully served 31 years as a missionary in Brazil with her husband George, entered the Presence of the Lord the morning of Wednesday, December 12.  In 1964, the Beans went to serve the Lord in São Luís, capital of the northeastern state of Maranhão, Brazil, until their retirement from active missionary service in 1995. They also spent a couple of years relieving furloughing missionaries.  Brother George Bean went Home to be with the Lord in May 2000. Sis. Bean had dementia for several years and had declined rapidly in the last six months.

Ada Mayfield Hunter, who faithfully served 22 years as a missionary in Peru with her husband Del, entered the Presence of the Lord on Saturday evening, January 12.  Brother and Sister Mayfield went to Peru in 1961 and served the Lord there – principally in the two cities of Pucallpa and Iquitos – until they returned to the States in 1983.  The Lord blessed them with a fruitful ministry both in believers brought to know Jesus Christ and churches established.


2013 SPRING MISSIONARY BIBLE CONFERENCE
April 22-24
Hosted by Thompson Road Baptist Church | Lexington, KY | Dave Parks, Pastor
Block these dates and plan to attend.


THANKSGIVING OFFERING TOTAL-TO-DATE:  $45,215.17
We have been receiving your offerings for our 2012-13 THANKSGIVING OFFERING for the past 3 months now.  We think we may have received the bulk of what this year’s offering will be.  If that is so, then we are going to come up short from even last year’s offering – which didn’t carry us through to the end of 2012.

2012 Offering was $56,365.38.  This year’s Offering stands at $45,215.17.  If this offering is not increased, then we will be unable to fulfill some of the benefits and commitments we have made to our missionaries.

These offerings are essential to fulfilling the financial benefits and commitments we have made to provide for their needs and to support all the activities required to keep their ministries going.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY TO GOD – AND ASK HIM TO GIVE YOU A GENEROUS OFFERING TO CONTRIBUTE!  ‘THANK YOU!’ to every one who has contributed this year to make this offering what it is!


PRAY AND PRAISE!

  • ODALI AND KATHY BARROS – PRAISE GOD for professions of faith in Christ.
  • HAROLD BRATCHER – PRAY for his relocation in the U.S.  PRAISE GOD for his safe travel back to the U.S.
  • MIKE AND BEV CREIGLOW – PRAISE GOD for a new church established and for on-going evangelistic outreach into their city.
  • JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER – PRAY that God will give them a break-through in Assai and encourage them in their struggles there.  PRAISE GOD also for these faithful and fruitful evangelists and church-planting warriors – 58 years and still going!
  • JOHN AND JUDY HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for their safe return to France and for reunions with past converts to Christ.
  • A.J. AND BARB HENSLEY – PRAY for their first services in their new church plant, Caragua Baptist Church.  PRAISE GOD for reports of new converts to Christ.
  • NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD – PRAY for the renewal of their work permit to remain in Kenya and for the struggling church plant in Shangalamwe.
  • ROGER AND JULIE TATE – PRAY for God to cover them and shield them with His Spirit from the discouragements of ministry – and also that the Lord will establish the infant church at Shangalamwe.
  • SHERIDAN AND ANITA STANTON – PRAISE GOD for a safe return to Peru.  PRAY for Anita’s sister, Hilda.
  • BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER – PRAY for them and their church as they seek to reach other neighborhoods, especially Corbelia.  PRAISE GOD for His protection in recent accidents.

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