“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:17-18).
Dear Ones,
We hope you are all doing well. You are often in our prayers of thanksgiving to God. May you be encouraged by our update. There are several ministries happening in our midst. Your prayers are most appreciated. Our church has recently started its free English classes once a week. This outreach is drawing around 20-25 folks, and it’s taught by an enthusiastic American couple from our church. Our goal is that these students will attend our worship services someday. We want everyone to have an opportunity to know Christ as their personal Savior.
Our church also provides members with opportunities to join several “small groups” that meet in their homes. It is a sweet time of fellowship and spiritual growth. We believe that home groups provide an excellent place to nurture friendships through encouragement and support. For some who have language barriers, it is a chance for them to hear summaries of the sermons in their native language.
We are blessed to have two children’s church classes: ages 3-5 and 6-12. As I have previously mentioned in other updates, we ask for prayers for wisdom in teaching this future generation. It is a mighty undertaking to instill within them God’s Truth rightly divided (2 Tim. 2:15).
During these last several Sundays we have covered the passage above on 2 Cor. 5:17-21. Recently, we made a butterfly craft using a tracing of their little hands. The lesson discussed the doctrine of being new creatures in Christ. Just as a caterpillar becomes a new creature (a butterfly), people can become new creatures in Christ as they accept His free gift of salvation by faith. The children loved making their crafts (pic below).
A few weeks ago, we studied our spiritual “standing” and our “state” in Christ. They made wheel crafts with statements such as “I am perfect in Him.” It is important for them to realize that God sees Christ’s righteousness in His saints (“standing”), and we must always do our best to walk with Him (“state”). These are excellent lessons from Berean Bible Society.
This past Sunday we studied the doctrine of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18). I explained the importance of trusting in Christ as our personal Savior as I had long ago at the age of thirteen. It’s a serious matter to teach children the concept of eternal salvation. I told them that it’s the most important decision of their lives. Praise the Lord, two souls were saved in our classroom! Thank you for praying!
We also ask for your prayer as we begin the Wisdom Literature course in our Bible school next week. It’s an awesome responsibility to instruct others in the Word, and it’s one that we don’t take lightly. Thank you for praying for our nine adult learners.
We appreciate you, and we thank you for the sacrifices that you make for the Lord. May He reward you abundantly. We are serving Him together for His glory, always.
Love in Christ,
Pat and Michelle
