You are reading the second edition of the FLF newsletter, Reaching Across. It is designed to inform you through stories and
testimonies of people, share prayer requests and suggest ways you can be involved, both locally and globally.
This year the Future Leadership Foundation
www.flfmissions.org
has:
- Worked with developing leaders from as many as ten republics in the former Soviet Union
- Participated in a pre-Worship Summit in April
- Provided Crown training in both May and November
- Hosted the Belarus National Christian Choir America tour
Through these and other efforts,
hundreds of individuals have come to learn of our ministry and vision, both here and abroad.
Through our work and
collaborations, we claim the wonderful words of Scripture that says, "Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works in us, to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all
generations forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20,21)
Thank you for joining us in a
God-sized vision of equipping the church around the
world. |
| Belarusian Choir Tours Missouri
|
|
Leading
worship before American crowds in October, the Belarus
National Christian Choir performed in 35 venues
throughout Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri.
Between $80,000 and $100,000 was gathered on behalf of
church planting.
Included
also was support for the School of Music, Minsk
Seminary, through the sales of the beautiful
CD,
Fresh Wind.
Hearts
of hundreds were strengthened in the various locations
the choir performed: colleges, churches, the aged in
Christian long-term care communities. Both Christian and
unbelievers (Russian and English speaking) were touched
by their music. (First
Baptist Clinton pictured above.)
Many
thanks to those at the tour locations and those opening
their homes for sharing your love with these men and
women.
|
A present that makes a difference
|
> It is never
too late to purchase a Fresh Wind CD for
yourself or others even as Christmas 2007 gifts. Sales
of this collaboration between the Belarus National
Christian Choir and FBC Farmington choir and orchestra
go to benefit the Minsk Seminary School of Music. (Hear
an excerpt on our site.)
You may order in three
ways:
1) If you want to write a check or send a
money order, go to www.flfmissions.org/fresh_wind.html and print off the
order form and use that. All the information is included
there.
2) If you want to
order via credit card from a secured Internet site, go
to www.flfmissions.org/fresh_wind.html and click on
"Order Online."
3) If you do
not have e-mail or Internet service, send a check or
money order payable to the Future Leadership Foundation
to PO Box 105225, Jefferson City MO 65110, and we will
mail the CDs to you.
Tell us
how many you want and your address. Give us two weeks to
do that. We will pay all shipping charges for
you. |
| Keep in your
prayers... |
Prayer undergirds our work and is
a starting place rather than an afterthought. Please be
in prayer for these concerns and share them with
others:
§
For
Arturas Puckovas, pastor, Good News Baptist
Church, Kaunas, Lithuania, coordinator of the 2008
central Lithuanian training event, April
24-27.
§
For
Alexander Kreshchuk , Christian Music Academy of
the Ukrainian Baptist Union, coordinator of the 2008
Worship Summit, bringing leadership from the Baptist
Unions from Eastern Europe.
§
For
Eric Mock, Slavic Gospel Association.
He now serves as SGA's Vice President of Ministry
Operations, and travels extensively throughout the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to encourage
and serve local, national Bible-preaching churches.
§
For
Leonid Mikhovich, Rector, Minsk
Theological Seminary. The seminary is up for
accreditation and has some projects to complete before
that is done in 2008.
§
Peter Briscoe, Leiden, The Netherlands, as he
gives leadership to Crown's European ministry of which
FLF is a partner.
|
| Church Planting in Belarus
|
The
Future Leadership Foundation is working toward a
partnership with the church planting movement in Belarus
beyond the proceeds of the choir tour. It is our vision
to help the newly trained missionaries [name for church
planters in Belarus] and families to start their
ministries. More information about this will follow as
the strategy unfolds.
|
| Crown Training in Eastern Europe
|
Six Missourians spent
a week in Belarus during November coaching Belarusian
pastors and lay leaders in Managing God's
Resources, the name used by Crown Financial
Ministries in Belarus.
Approximately 100 persons
participated throughout the six districts and were
provided notebooks and PowerPoint presentations by
FLF. (Left -
Participants pose with James Smith, standing at the
podium.)
Financial planning and the
Christian principles of the stewardship of life are new
concepts in the curriculum of the church and theological
education. Interest has been shown in other Eastern
European countries with Crown materials and
conversations are turning to coaching events in
2008. | |
|
Looking
ahead to the first half of 2008:
- FLF will be in
Belarus in January to help The Baptist Home train the
new Board of Trustees for the Baptist House of Mercy
at Kobrin, home of the Children's Health Care Center.
- We will also be
working with Minsk Seminary on future development of
its facilities and academic programs for leader
development.
- April will find us
with a training event in Lithuania again with pastors
and lay leaders.
- Later in April, FLF
will be sponsoring the large Eastern European Worship
Summit at Central Church, Kyiv, Ukraine.
- We have scheduled an
Executive Leadership Retreat for Moldovan pastors and
spouses and national Union leaders in the spring as
well.
When you
give us your gifts and skills as a trip participant,
when your church says "yes" to working with us as a
partner, when you give a financial gift to this
ministry, you are saying to the new generation of
leaders in post-Soviet Eastern Europe, we are here for
you. We believe in you. We want to partner with you. We
love you as our brothers and sisters in Christ. We
believe that God has given you a vision and a passion
for reaching your countrymen and women for Christ and
the church.
How can we help you do
that? When you give to FLF and
participate in what we believe to be our God-given
mission, you are helping Christ and those leaders become
all they feel God is calling them to become.
Sincerely,
Your Friends at
Future
Leadership Foundation
| | |
| A Note to the Generous |
Future
Leadership Foundation relies totally on the generosity
of donors for providing resources needed to conduct
ministry and training.
Many
involved in conducting ministry projects or doing the
training not only volunteer their time but also provide
the finances needed.
Future
Leadership Foundation is increasingly being blessed
through prayers and financial gifts from those that are
not in a position to personally "go and do." The
requests for FLF training teams are greater than our
financial support allows. Some exciting ministry
opportunities are on hold awaiting God's provision of
the resources.
Whatever
your involvement in Future Leadership Foundation's work
and leadership training projects, we appreciation your
participation.
For
those making financial contributions, remember
that Future Leadership Foundation is a 501c3
not-for-profit organization and your gifts qualify for
charitable deductions as the tax laws allow.
We encourage you to work with your tax advisor to
receive full benefit from your contributions to FLF.
In
making gifts to FLF, please think about both cash and
non-cash gifts. There are numerous added tax
benefits from gifting appreciated assets such as stocks,
mutual funds, or even real estate. For 2007 there
is a special benefit available for gifting through IRA
accounts if you are over age 70½. We can provide
planning assistance for you for these types of
gifts. Please let us know how we may help you in
your generosity.
Author
Stephen Mathis is Vice President of Future Leadership
Foundation and also Executive Vice President of the
Missouri Baptist
Foundation.
|
Faces of FLF
|
I often think about truths we
discussed in leadership lessons in our recent training
and try to use them in my service to the Lord and His
people.
Please pray for God's vision for our
church and others Lithuanian churches... We praise God
for your coming with Future Leadership Foundation team
and ministry to believers of God's churches in
Lithuania.
We were refreshed and encouraged
by God through you and others team members. May our Lord
richly bless you and use you for His glory as you
continue serve Him. Last seminar was so big help to our
church. We prayed for at least one small group, but now
we have already two.
Please come again next year. Our
churches need Future Leadership Foundation help so much.
Arturas
Narbutas
Pastor,
God's Grace
Baptist
Church
Kaunas, Lithuania
|
| Choir comments |
"When we sang with the choir
it was the most amazing sound. Some said they felt they
were in heaven singing with the choir. They didn't
even need microphones to be heard. One man sang a
solo and didn't even use one and we could hear
him."
-- From a FBC Ferguson host
family during the Belarusian National Christian choir
tour, October 26
| | |
