FLF receives word on a regular basis from our partners in several Eastern European countries about their continuous challenges.  One of the most severe, of course, is the effort to greatly restrict the work of Christian ministry.

New challenges are occurring now in Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Actions range from Christians being barred from entering their homes to new restrictive freedom of religion laws barring Christians from any evangelism and ministry opportunities outside the church walls.

Evangelical Christians are considered members of a cult in the former Soviet Union. It is an image that is very hard to break. Our partners are teaching us how they need to work in their own culture and communities.

Pray for these brothers and sisters, for FLF to be able to partner with them without endangering them further, and for the work of the powerful Holy Spirit throughout these lands.

It is always our desire to start with prayer than to simply resort to it. Please be in prayer for, and share these concerns with others:

§    Zaur Balaev, an Azerbaijani Baptist pastor imprisoned on what his supporters have called trumped-up charges, has been released, according to the Baptist World Alliance.

§     Finances will limit the Minsk Theological Seminary to add only one of two new, badly-needed training programs in late 2008 or 2009. The seminary also desperately needs a couple of key staff persons. Finally,  the seminary has been told to pay a tax of $1,400 USD a month for using a new building. Please pray for the Lord's wisdom as MTS works with state authorities.

§     A very restrictive religious law has been avoided at this time that would immobilize the freedom of religion in Kyrgystan.

§     Remember training at the Baptist House of Mercy by Steve Jones, The Baptist Home in Missouri president, and Roger Hatfield, Executive Director, Future Leadership Foundation. The BHOM opens in 2008-2009 and has received $280,000 of the $500,000 goal for facilities and endowment. The training will be 30 April - 2 May at Kobrin Camp. Another member of the team, Dan Gremminger, Windsor Baptist Church, Imperial, MO, will be teaching the construction crew how to finish sheet rock walls, a new aspect of Belarusian construction.

Find more prayer requests and further details on the FLF Prayer Request page.

Jeremiah shared the Word of the Lord with the exiled Israelites when he told them, "...I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing.  I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. When you come looking for me, you'll find me."  [29.11-13, The Message]

The Future Leadership Foundation's Board of Directors has voted to conduct a strategic planning experience beginning in March 2008 under the leadership of RDI Resources, Inc. The purpose is to:

    §    Examine our mission, vision, values

    §    Set strategic goals

    §    Create the structure

    §    Staff the structure

Every ministry organization needs to stop to do evaluation on a regular basis. Is it responsive to the needs for which it was created? Does it demonstrate to donors the strict accountability of the ministry?

Pray for us in this process over the coming weeks and be watching for the results of this evaluation in future information.

The Future Leadership Foundation is pleased to announce that Nick Davis (standing behind pulpit), another great volunteer, has joined the development team as Grants Director. Nick is employed by the Missouri Baptist Foundation as Regional Vice-President, East. He also serves through the MBF as one of the strategic leaders of the Baptist House of Mercy project for Belarus.

Natives of Missouri, Nick and his wife Sherrie, have been in Louisiana the past sixteen years in local church and hospital chaplaincy ministry. They have two children, Tyler and Audra.

Nick, who has already written and received grants through the Missouri Baptist Foundation, will be helping our staff locate and write foundation grants for our use in leadership development, church planting and other critical issues of our ministry.

Nick can be reached through ndd@flfmissions.org or PO Box 105225, Jefferson City MO 65110.

FLF has entered a partnership with the Baptist Medical and Dental Fellowship (www.bmdf.org).  
Our dream is to assist this Christian organization in strengthening their ministry and cooperating in global projects.

We have a decided interest in developing the medical facet of our ministry -- beginning in Belarus. 

Why there?  There is a need for trained medical staff, medicines, medical equipment and other services for the Children's Camp at Kobrin, the new Baptist House of Mercy project for the elderly on the Kobrin campus and the beginning stages of addiction recovery programs. We hope to uncover additional needs to the Christian medical community while a team is there in the next month.

Brad Dixon, Regional Vice-President, West, for the Missouri Baptist Foundation, represented FLF at the BMDF annual meeting in Oklahoma City in February. 

By Rocky Good, Pastor
New Heights Church
Farmington, MO

New Heights Church has as slogan, "A Church on the GO!"  Our call is to go into our community to love the people God loves.  FLF allows us to go far beyond ourselves to the people of Eastern Europe.  NHC determined in 2007 to give on a percentage basis from the church's budget.  We chose to give on a percentage basis; so as our giving grows, so does the amount we send each month to support the leadership training FLF provides around the world. 

Partnering with FLF has allowed us to host a regional banquet for the Baptist House of Mercy with Nikolay Sinkovets, president of the Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists of  Belarus speaking to those from our growing congregation.  NHC is a church made up of unchurched spiritual seekers or damaged-Christians who have been disappointed by assorted church backgrounds.  Learning to think beyond ourselves is new for many.  FLF gives us visibly viable opportunities to invest in the Kingdom of God beyond our walls.

Many churches and individuals look for ways to provide resources to churches in Eastern Europe.  Some churches have systems that work for them; others are still searching.

The Future Leadership Foundation has in place an electronic transfer system to help if you or your church is interested.  Because of the sensitive nature of our financial resources partnership in Eastern Europe, we ask that you contact us via email or phone for further information regarding this ministry.

Under American law regarding non-profits, we remind you that we are not able to provide you a charitable tax deduction for resources sent through us to a named individual. The transfers apply to church or ministry partnerships: a local church, a union of churches or a local ministry that does not have an office in the United States.

Gary D. Collins has agreed to serve as our volunteer Treasurer for FLF, replacing Karen Enloe, who continues to help us in areas of her expertise of planned giving.

Gary is Senior Vice President at Hawthorn Bank and former president of the Missouri Baptist Foundation. He and Jay Seaver will work to provide our financial services and will provide a transition to online services.

Gary currently works with other local non-profits and is on the Baptist Senior Ministries Foundation, the foundation for The Baptist Home.

Hawthorn Bank (formerly Exchange Bank) was instrumental in the Missouri Baptist Convention-Belarus partnership. It has provided all of our financial services to Eastern Europe.