God’s Church is global, and in many ways, Camp Falcon Rock is a snapshot of this in action. One of the ways we see this is in the stories of people connected to the camp, those like Chad Merrifield, a member of Whitecourt Baptist Church. Below is some of Chad’s story of his connection to Camp Falcon Rock.
When I first visited Romania in April 2018, I really didn’t know what to expect. I had only met Paul and Tanya once, just a few months earlier, and through their invitation I found myself on a small team at Camp Falcon Rock.
Everywhere I looked, I could see the lingering impacts of communism, from the housing styles to sustenance agriculture to the desire of the people for mentoring and leadership training. Then I met the youth Paul and Tanya were investing in. The quality of their character was so impactful that I could not help but become more involved in the vision of the Camp and the ministry in the area.
With every trip, I see enormous growth in the youth, who are now the leaders of the summer camps at Camp Falcon Rock and of ministries in the region. Camp Falcon Rock always has a large waiting list for kids who want to learn about Jesus.
My family will be returning to Romania in April 2024 for my fifth trip. The highlight for our teams is always connecting with the youth and seeing their growth as people.
Together, we can help build God’s Kingdom globally.
This Sunday is Spring Missions Sunday, the day we invite every NAB church to promote the international missionary efforts of the NAB and help raise support for the Global Missions Fund. There are a number of ways you can integrate Spring Missions Sunday into your typical worship service:
- Share stories from the various NAB mission fields around the globe. You can find your supported missionaries’ newsletters and updates at nabonmission.org/missionaries.
- Highlight the international missionaries your church supports.
- Encourage your congregation to invest in the Global Missions Fund by taking a special offering.
While we invite you to celebrate Spring Missions Sunday on this upcoming weekend, we understand that is not always feasible, so feel free to select another date in the coming weeks after Easter that best suit your church.
Visit www.SpringMissions.com for more info and resources.
Last week, we announced Randy Schmor as the new interim VP of International Missions. While we are excited to have Randy help guide the NAB’s International Missions efforts during this transitional period, we are also eager to find the individual God has set aside to take on this role long term.
If you are interested in finding out more about what this VP position entails, we invite you to check out the job description below, which includes your next steps if you feel God nudging you in this direction.
The newest Missional Initiatives newsletter is in, and it is all about evangelism. Merv Bud, equipping evangelist on the Missional Initiatives Team, has an article, story, and resources all about being formed and forming others to be evangelistic, which he set in contrast to evangelizing. Check out this month’s newsletter to find out what he means by that difference, as well as discover some great resources for you and your church to help you think differently about evangelism.
Statistics indicate that fewer Christians engage in evangelism. While some suggest people have lost confidence in the Gospel, others would argue the problem lies in how evangelism is taught. We have lost confidence, not in the Gospel but in the techniques for sharing the Gospel. Many pastors feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. They either teach the techniques they don’t believe work and feel guilty, or they feel guilty because they don’t teach evangelism at all. Many believe the old models of evangelism are no longer effective, which makes it difficult to know how to train others.
Those who do endeavor to equip their people report that they find it just plain hard! It is slow, frustrating, and difficult to measure. It takes time and intentionality, and it is not easily controlled. The attempts that are made feel unsuccessful, and many feel they are not doing a good job.
This training will provide an evaluative framework to help you assess your evangelistic equipping efforts. It will help you to recognize gaps you may need to fill, find distortions you will want to correct, and provide a clearer path forward toward helping your church become more evangelistically faithful.
Join Merv Budd, equipping evangelist on the Missional Initiatives Team, in this four-session, 60-minute webinar training. The first session is on April 11. Sign up soon, as there are a limited number of spots available.