We interrupt this week’s regularly scheduled message to share an important update concerning the matching grant. We had an overwhelming response and have already exceeded the $5,000 grant. We are grateful to each person who participated in this but even more important than that is that we praise God for His faithfulness. If you planned to give but didn’t get to participate in the matching grant, your gifts will still be appreciated. We now have enough up-front funds to put Austin and Taylor through language school and only need a few hundred more dollars per month to keep them on the field and then we will begin working on Ben and Julie’s funding. If anyone else is interested in providing another matching grant please let us know.
Now back to the regularly scheduled message from Pastor Zane, another member of our Board of Directors…..
Hi, I’m Zane Owens and I
have the privilege of serving on the board of directors for New Beginnings.
I’ve served with Ben and Julie in ministry for seven years now, was Austin and
Taylor’s youth pastor through their high school years, and I am currently blessed
to serve this wonderful family as their pastor. It’s because I know this family
so well, their heart for God and their passion to make Him known to all nations
that I have no reservations of being a part of this ministry and I was humbled,
as well as honored, when asked to be on the board.
have the privilege of serving on the board of directors for New Beginnings.
I’ve served with Ben and Julie in ministry for seven years now, was Austin and
Taylor’s youth pastor through their high school years, and I am currently blessed
to serve this wonderful family as their pastor. It’s because I know this family
so well, their heart for God and their passion to make Him known to all nations
that I have no reservations of being a part of this ministry and I was humbled,
as well as honored, when asked to be on the board.
I am so excited about
what God is doing, and going to do, in the Agees’ lives and ministry. But, if I
am to be completely honest with you, I must admit, that this is a bitter-sweet
occasion for me. On one hand I’m thrilled about this opportunity, this
ministry, and I can hardly wait to see what God is going to do. But, on the
other hand, I will miss them greatly once they are on the field. This family
has become precious friends of ours and we love them dearly, so this is an
exciting time (spiritually speaking) yet a gloomy time (humanly speaking) for
me. Am I the only one who has an inner
struggle between the spirit and the flesh?
Does anyone else have to constantly be on guard to not let their own
desires and preferences take the leading role? Man, this is a battle that I
regularly fight. How about you? Why don’t
we pause for a minute and pray for each other as we try to navigate through
these troubled waters of humanity? Go
ahead, I’ll wait………
what God is doing, and going to do, in the Agees’ lives and ministry. But, if I
am to be completely honest with you, I must admit, that this is a bitter-sweet
occasion for me. On one hand I’m thrilled about this opportunity, this
ministry, and I can hardly wait to see what God is going to do. But, on the
other hand, I will miss them greatly once they are on the field. This family
has become precious friends of ours and we love them dearly, so this is an
exciting time (spiritually speaking) yet a gloomy time (humanly speaking) for
me. Am I the only one who has an inner
struggle between the spirit and the flesh?
Does anyone else have to constantly be on guard to not let their own
desires and preferences take the leading role? Man, this is a battle that I
regularly fight. How about you? Why don’t
we pause for a minute and pray for each other as we try to navigate through
these troubled waters of humanity? Go
ahead, I’ll wait………
Ok, so “New Beginnings”… I
love this name. There is no better, or more important, thing that we can do
than to offer the people of this fallen world a new beginning in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says,
“Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have
passed away; behold, all things have become new.” This is the ultimate goal of New Beginnings,
to share the good news of Jesus Christ and make disciples. In Matthew 28:18-20,
Jesus gave His followers our final orders before He ascended into heaven. He said, “And Jesus
came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the
end of the age.” At New Beginnings, we believe
that Jesus meant what He said and so we are committed to accomplishing the
Great Commission and make disciples of all nations. Salvation of the lost, this is the driving
passion of this ministry. So some
questions and answers:
love this name. There is no better, or more important, thing that we can do
than to offer the people of this fallen world a new beginning in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says,
“Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have
passed away; behold, all things have become new.” This is the ultimate goal of New Beginnings,
to share the good news of Jesus Christ and make disciples. In Matthew 28:18-20,
Jesus gave His followers our final orders before He ascended into heaven. He said, “And Jesus
came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the
end of the age.” At New Beginnings, we believe
that Jesus meant what He said and so we are committed to accomplishing the
Great Commission and make disciples of all nations. Salvation of the lost, this is the driving
passion of this ministry. So some
questions and answers:
Q – How do we bring
salvation to the lost?
salvation to the lost?
A – Romans 10:13-17 “For whoever calls on the
name of the LORD shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom
they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not
heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach
unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of
those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has
believed our report?” So then faith comes
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We take the
Word of God to them.
name of the LORD shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom
they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not
heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach
unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of
those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has
believed our report?” So then faith comes
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We take the
Word of God to them.
Q – How do we get them to
listen to our message?
listen to our message?
A – This is where the
orphan ministry finds its foundation. It
has been often said that people do not care what you know until they know that
you care. This is so true; a homeless man probably won’t pay much attention to
your speech about the Bread of Life or the Living Water when they’re physically
hungry and thirsty. But, if you will first meet their physical need, showing
them that you care, this will open up doors of opportunity to share the
Gospel. This is the principle that New
Beginnings operates on with orphans. Before we can share the good news of a
loving heavenly Father to children who are fatherless we must first be a father
(and/or mother) to them and meet their physical and emotional needs. It’s then
that we are afforded the opportunity to share with them the love of THE FATHER.
orphan ministry finds its foundation. It
has been often said that people do not care what you know until they know that
you care. This is so true; a homeless man probably won’t pay much attention to
your speech about the Bread of Life or the Living Water when they’re physically
hungry and thirsty. But, if you will first meet their physical need, showing
them that you care, this will open up doors of opportunity to share the
Gospel. This is the principle that New
Beginnings operates on with orphans. Before we can share the good news of a
loving heavenly Father to children who are fatherless we must first be a father
(and/or mother) to them and meet their physical and emotional needs. It’s then
that we are afforded the opportunity to share with them the love of THE FATHER.
That’s the purpose and
desire of this ministry, to provide a safe, stable, nurturing environment for
at risk children, so that we can offer to them a New Beginning in Christ! I will never forget, and will forever be
thankful, for the first time I was blessed to go to Honduras and meet the precious
children in the orphanage. It forever changed my life. When I returned the
following year, the love and passion in my heart for these little ones just
grew even more and so, I was thrilled when the Agee family told me that they
had heard God’s call to orphan ministry on a full time basis. I pray for and
look forward to many trips in the future.
desire of this ministry, to provide a safe, stable, nurturing environment for
at risk children, so that we can offer to them a New Beginning in Christ! I will never forget, and will forever be
thankful, for the first time I was blessed to go to Honduras and meet the precious
children in the orphanage. It forever changed my life. When I returned the
following year, the love and passion in my heart for these little ones just
grew even more and so, I was thrilled when the Agee family told me that they
had heard God’s call to orphan ministry on a full time basis. I pray for and
look forward to many trips in the future.
Please prayerfully
consider being a partner to this ministry.
If you are able to give financially, what a blessing that would be. Like
everything else in this world, this ministry takes money to operate, so would
you pray about it? Maybe you hear God speaking to you to go to
Honduras and see firsthand the work that God is doing there. Now we’re not ready for short term
missionaries just yet, but you can be praying and preparing (learning Spanish
will be a great help to you) so that when we are ready, you can be one of the
very first to come and be a part of this amazing work. If you’re not able to do either of these,
would you commit to being an intentional, routine prayer partner with us? You cannot overestimate the importance of
having a team of believers behind you, holding you up through the power of
prayer. Would you commit to this?
consider being a partner to this ministry.
If you are able to give financially, what a blessing that would be. Like
everything else in this world, this ministry takes money to operate, so would
you pray about it? Maybe you hear God speaking to you to go to
Honduras and see firsthand the work that God is doing there. Now we’re not ready for short term
missionaries just yet, but you can be praying and preparing (learning Spanish
will be a great help to you) so that when we are ready, you can be one of the
very first to come and be a part of this amazing work. If you’re not able to do either of these,
would you commit to being an intentional, routine prayer partner with us? You cannot overestimate the importance of
having a team of believers behind you, holding you up through the power of
prayer. Would you commit to this?
I am so excited to be
part of this ministry and I eagerly wait to see what God is going to do in and
through it!
part of this ministry and I eagerly wait to see what God is going to do in and
through it!
Until He Returns,
Pastor Z
“Religion that is pure
and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and
and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and
widows in their
affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
James 1:27