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  • The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering; fueling new churches

    PLYMOUTH – It is hard to imagine where I would be personally and more importantly where the life of Mile City Church would be without experiencing the benefits from the fuel of the Annie Armstrong Easter offering. Early on, having the financial support as a brand new church planter was monumental and helped give my wife Jen and I the courage to take the leap to start Mile City seven years ago. However, beyond the actual support dollars, was the spiritual support that was fueling and investing in us greatly. The church planter support system that is fueled by the Annie Armstrong offering is in a league of its own. It is the greatest church planting engine on the planet. Not only have I gotten to experience it myself, but now I have had the continuous privilege of walking with many other new church planters on their journey and watching them experience those benefits. At Mile City church it is a joy and honor to give back annually to the Annie Armstrong Easter offering that has helped give us the fuel that we needed to take off. To all the pastors out there reading this - if you have ever wondered if your investment into the Annie Armstrong offering is worth it; I humbly say with all glory to our great God that after seven years of existence, Mile City is now in two locations with three different languages, has multiplied six other times and is helping to plant many other churches. I’m living proof, and just one of many examples, that this offering is truly working. But as you know, there is much more work to do, and God in his amazing plan wants to use all of us to keep on fueling His great mission. What a privilege it is for each one of us to get a front row seat of watching him show off! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Travis Whittaker is Lead Pastor of Mile City Church. In 2015, Travis and a launch team of 75 people set out together to plant Mile City. Travis and Jen are raising their four children, Tristan, Lena, London and Tavin, and are honored to lead the Mile City family. #MARCH23

  • Mandoos, lies and Satan

    PLYMOUTH – It is now almost three years since we came to the US. One thing that our family is still getting used to is the potluck culture, which is not as common in Japan or Korea (where my wife Sunhee is from). So this happened last year when our family was invited to a dinner by one of our good American friends. We figured it will be a potluck, so we got some frozen mandoos (i.e. Korean dumplings) from a very fancy supermarket called Kroger. Three minutes in the microwave, bam! Easy peasy. Then, just to make it look more presentable, we placed the mandoos on a nice plate and brought them to our friend’s house. As soon as people saw the mandoos, they all exclaimed “how marvelous!” as if they have never seen a microwaved meal before. Sure enough, they all assumed that Sunhee cooked that thing from scratch. Even though I felt very guilty, it became too late to tell the truth and we went with the flow that evening. It really became awkward after that day, as people started talking about my wife’s homemade mandoos. Eventually, it became so awkward, and we found a good time to tell the truth, and it all ended with a big laugh. Oh, what a relief! If we are not careful, we can be living in a life full of lies. Scripture says that Satan is the father of lies and he is capable of cooking those lies as easily as those mandoos. I share this with you because Satan has been speaking lots of lies in my life. Since our church began three months ago, I wish I could say everything is going well. But things are tough. Some Sundays are great, others are not. Our church attendance is not growing as fast as I hoped. In those moments, the enemy finds a small crack, and speaks a lot of lies in my ears to discourage me. “Hey, do you really think you’re in the right profession?” “Do you think people are really changing through your sermons?” “Do you think you’re a good leader?” I’ll be honest. Sometimes I fall for those lies and get discouraged. There are mornings when I don’t want to get up from my bed. In those moments, what can I do but cling on to God’s truth. The Apostle Paul rightly said that we must wear the armor of God and fend those lies off with the truth of the Gospel. I am a child of God. I am forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ. I am not perfect, but Jesus is perfect, and He will build this church. It may not be according to my timing, but He will build this church in His timing and praise the Lord for that. As I write this, my heart goes out to those pastors who are discouraged. My heart goes out to those pastors who are feeling insignificant. If that is you, I want to gently remind you that Jesus has won this battle. The Author and the Creator of life has got this thing rigged, and he will open the way. Let’s cut the lies of the enemy and keep sowing, keep plowing, and God will show His grace upon us. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pastor Maki Umakoshi is a pastor of Hikari City Church which was launched in October 2022 in Plymouth, Michigan. His family came to the US in February 2020 to bring the Gospel to Japanese people living in greater Detroit. His wife Sunhee is from South Korea and they have an 8-year old daughter. #MARCH23

  • Missionary’s ministry in the Big Easy highlights hard work

    NEW ORLEANS, LA – Faithfulness in difficult places sums up missionary Kay Bennett’s ministry to the marginalized in one of America’s most challenging cities.“Baptist Friendship House is a ministry center to folks who are impoverished, to folks who are unhoused and to human trafficking survivors,” Bennett said. “The people we minister to come from all walks of life. Some grew up here in NewOrleans, in Louisiana. Others come from different states, and some even come from different countries.” Bennett, a missionary with the North American Mission Board, has served through the Baptist Friendship House for more than 30 years. She works among those society routinely overlooks, believing the gospel message can transform any person’s life. Through their ministry, the Baptist Friendship House gives out food, clothing and hygiene kits in backpacks that help meet the needs for those in the community. “As we minister to those basic needs that we all have, it opens the door to minister to the spiritual need, which is the greatest need of all, so that a life-changing relationship can begin with Jesus Christ, ”Bennett said. Life on the street means — whether rain, shine, in oppressive New Orleans humidity or through the occasional cold spell — constantly enduring the elements outdoors. There are consistent threats of violence, addiction, sickness and infection. The National Library of Medicine stated in 2017 that the average lifespan for a homeless person is 17.5 years shorter than the general population. “You’re at risk every day of your life when you walk around on the streets,” Bennett said. “On Tuesdays when we have folks come in our yard at the Friendship House, one of the things that we often do is we have lots of first aid supplies, antibacterial ointments, creams and band-aids to give away for those who’ve been hurt.”No one wants to live this way, but the hurdles they have to overcome to get a job and find a place to live can seem insurmountable. They lack identification, and they have either lost or never had the documentation to get an ID. Many have endured trauma and abuse. They have run away or been cast out, grown up on the streets and become adults. “We encourage them to come to Friendship House where we can offer them counseling and case management and try to resolve some of those past issues too,” Bennett said. “I’ve even had folks that can’t read and write. So we’ll teach them to read and write, and then build on that skill and help them get their GED,” she noted. “Then, we build on that with life skills and with job readiness skills.” Bennett first met a young woman named Yvonne Schaad in 2006. Schaad visited the Baptist Friendship House when they were handing out food. For 10 years, Schaad would attend a Bible study while continuing to struggle with alcoholism and living on the streets of New Orleans before things began to change. The overwhelming love Schaad experienced from Bennett and others at the Baptist Friendship House played a huge role in her transformation. “You know, they loved me no matter what. And it took some time, but they showed me that there is a God, and He loves you,” Schaad recalled. “And that’s just amazing right there, everything that I’ve done and did, God forgives me,” she said. “It took me a long time to forgive myself, but I think that I have now.” Schaad has been sober for several years and regularly comes to the Friendship House to serve. With the help of Bennett and her staff, Schaad completed her GED and is successfully working. “I’m grateful I can come here ...and help them,” said Schaad. “Most of the people I used to run with have passed, but there’s some that I still see now and maybe they’ll see that there is another side.” Schaad’s transformation is just one of many that Bennett and her fellow staff members have seen. “No matter what circumstance or situation we find ourselves in, Jesus Christ is truly the only person that can turn somebody’s life around,” Bennett said. “I get to watch God show up and show out. It’s amazing to watch. He still works miracles.” The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering provides half of NAMB’s annual budget, and 100 percent of the proceeds go to the field. The offering is used for training, support and care for missionaries, like Bennett, and for evangelism resources. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brandon Elrod writes for the North American Mission Board. #MARCH23

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Other Pages (126)

  • Archives | Baptist Beacon

    ARCHIVES VIEW ONLINE PRINTABLE PDF March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 ​ December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 ​ December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 ​ December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 ​ December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 ​ December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 ​ December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 ​ December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 ​ December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 ​ December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 ​ December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 ​ December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 ​ December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 ​ December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 ​ December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 ​ December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018​ ​ December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 ​ December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 ​ 1/3

  • Baptist Beacon

    Telling the story of Michigan Baptists TOP STORIES Travis Whittaker 2 minutes ago TOP STORIES The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering; fueling new churches Maki Umakosi 2 minutes ago MICHIGAN NEWS Mandoos, lies and Satan Brandon Elrod 2 minutes ago SBC NEWS Missionary’s ministry in the Big Easy highlights hard work Doru Radu 3 minutes ago MICHIGAN NEWS A first-hand report of the Turkish earthquake through the eyes of Christian relief workers COLUMNS Tim Patterson 3 minutes ago 3 min Lasagna life PLYMOUTH – The longer I live the more I realize that the persons we have become are a composite of all the experiences of our lives. Some... Tony Lynn 4 minutes ago 3 min Sending out new generations PLYMOUTH – Save the date Saturday, 09/09/2023, 9 am - 2 pm, in Michigan. Imagine repeated waves of Michiganders making noise and... Mike Durbin 4 minutes ago 2 min Vacation Bible School grants and training PLYMOUTH – People all over Michigan have heard the Good News through VBS. It’s a great opportunity to share Jesus and we encourage every... Garth Leno 4 minutes ago 3 min Fatal entry plans There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. – Proverbs 14:12 WINDSOR, ONTARIO – In January 1985, a large... MICHIGAN STORIES The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering; fueling new churches Mandoos, lies and Satan A first-hand report of the Turkish earthquake through the eyes of Christian relief workers New steps to connect pastor’s wives in Michigan New growth, new development, and Revitalization Not an option: church revitalization Fix your eyes on Jesus What good is a bruised reed? Classified Ads More MICHIGAN stories… SBC & OTHER STORIES Missionary’s ministry in the Big Easy highlights hard work Missionary returns to field a third time to finish task How to get your “WHY” back More SBC stories…

  • Cooperative Program | Baptist Beacon

    COOPERATIVE PROGRAM GIVING For archived reports from previous months, click here . 1/3

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