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News from Todd & Tina Cox BMAA Missionaries at StonePoint Church North GA

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2020…what can I say? It is been a crazy year to say the least. We have all used and overused some words this year such as: Unprecedented, Pandemic, COVID-19, Coronavirus, and more! I know you all experienced many things as a family and at your local churches.

First and foremost, we know that God is still on His throne and in control! Praise the Lord!! We also are very thankful for you, our prayer and financial partners. Without your prayers and gifts and the Lord’s multiplication math, we couldn’t do what He has called us to do. Thank you again!!

As the year kicked off and as we headed into March, we were trending towards excellent growth headed towards year 4 as a church. Based on our attendance numbers, we were all set to launch to two services towards the end of March. And then…the pandemic hit us all! We had to close our doors to the public just as many other churches did. This obviously put a halt on two services. Thankfully, we had already been streaming our services live to Facebook for a couple of years so we were ahead of the curve and were able to help many churches get going as they started online streaming.

After being closed to the public for almost 3 months, we were able to open back up for in-person services in June on Father’s Day. We went ahead and launched 2 services when we reopened to allow for social distancing and growth. We were thankful to be able to meet back in person but the pandemic and closure certainly hurt our growth.

In September, after much prayer, we decided to go from two services back to one service due to the lower numbers returning in person and the taxing on our worship team and volunteers. Within a month we began growing again and things were looking promising. Unfortunately, around Thanksgiving, many in our church, including all of our staff, came down with COVID-19. We closed the doors again to in-person services for 3 weeks and I preached online only. We are all better now and were able to reopen for in-person services again December 20th.

We also lost two special women in our church this year. In March we lost Nan Brown to her battle with cancer. Nan started coming to our church about 6 months after our launch and came to help her aunt find a church. She ended up falling in love with us and us with her. We were able to hold her funeral at StonePoint a week before the shutdown.

In November, we lost the wife of our former worship leader to cancer as well. Rebecca Rothenberger was a sweet young lady and mother of 2 boys. She gave her life to the Lord while at StonePoint and was baptized on our 1 year anniversary. She battled lung cancer a year and was in remission when the cancer came back very aggressively. Our church continues to minister to the Rothenberger family and has help set up a college fund for the boys.

Praises from 2020 – StonePoint is still reaching people, preaching the Word, discipling others, baptizing believers, helping in our local community, nationally and internationally!! We know God is still in control and He is still faithful so we must continue to be faithful to what He has called us to do and we know He will provide as we continue to step forward in faith! This year, we have helped more people and more ministries than ever before.

Locally, we have helped families affected by the pandemic through sickness or job loss/reductions. We still partner with The Place which provides food, clothing, job assistance, and financial assistance to those in need. We partner with Family Promise which helps local families that have found themselves homeless. We continue to provide backpacks for students in need as well as providing presents for children in need during Christmas. This year, we provided 40 electronic Bible Sticks to military personnel that didn’t have a Bible.

StonePoint is also partnering with the Risner Family in Romania, as well as sponsoring children in need in Indonesia and other areas. We are a Mission Church living out the Mission and supporting other Missions!!

God has worked mightily in the lives of many people since we moved to Georgia and starting meeting people and holding Vision Casting meetings in our house. What started from our family is now over 40 families representing over 100 people that call StonePoint home in 4 years is amazing!!

We have had nearly 60 Baptisms and many of those have been entire families! We’ve seen over 20 professions of faith, and countless lives have been changed! Marriages being healed, and families being restored through accepting and giving forgiveness. People have been released from the bondage of sin and the shame of their past. We have also seen the miracle of God’s healing touch as several people have been completely healed of many things!! Praise God and help us celebrate Life Change for Christ!! We Are Thankful for YOU!! Because of your faithfulness, StonePoint has been able to reach out to many people in North Georgia. Your investments have also helped us invest into the lives of hundreds of different people that have come through our doors. Lives have been transformed by the power of Jesus. People have been Saved, Baptized, Rededicated their lives, Addictions have been broken, Marriages have been healed and restored, families have gotten control of their finances, people have asked for and given forgiveness and shown grace. All this has happened through the combined efforts of everyone’s prayers and financial support and willingness to get involved and make a difference. Thank you for making a difference!!

No Rules, No Punishment, Leads to Anarchy

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by Dr. John M. Adams • Executive Director, Moral Action

Proverbs 29:2 “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” It seems today that the wicked are ruling. So many true Christian believers are disillusioned. So many watch as the streets are filled with violence and corruption. Anarchy is defined as “a state of disorder due to the absence or non-recognition of authority. Synonymous words are revolution, disorder, chaos, mayhem and mobocracy. There seems to be a lack of punishment and a lack of obedience to the laws of the land.

Punishment for wrongdoing is operative in this world although man has not faced his responsibility in performing it. Paul the Apostle has summed up the principle in the words of Galatians 6:7; “For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” This axiom of truth is far-reaching, invading all of creation.

• The Basis for Punishment

Historically the basis for punishment in our society has been man’s belief in God – the God Who is Sovereign over the universe, the God Who has revealed Himself as moral, having a standard of right and wrong with punishment for the wrongdoer. This punishment is not based particularly on its being a deterrent to wrongdoing, but rather as the wage for wrongdoing. Romans 6:23 bears witness in these words, “For the wages of sin is death.”

Today the philosophy of unbelief with its rejection of the living and moral God and the exaltation of man to a supremacy that is subject to no higher power than himself is demanding a hearing in our land. Such a belief is not new, having always been present; but our intellectual climate and our growing freedom of expression have provided man with liberty to accept or reject the declarations of Scripture.

Our concept of right and wrong and the punishment of wrongdoers will be determined on the basis of our belief or unbelief in the living God. Humanism does not believe in God.

Believing that God is and that He alone is the Director of this universe, we must submit to His dictates; and in the realm of punishment we must obey His commands. God rules according to His standard of right and wrong. This includes punishment for wrongdoers!

• Manifestations of Punishment

It is Observed in Creation

Punishment is seen in the operation of natural law. Violation of these laws have their results. To jump off a cliff, expecting a reversal of the law of gravity, in no way stays off a broken body. Punishment is also manifest when one tampers with the animal kingdom. To antagonize the “king of the jungle” would be to receive a recompense of reward.

It is Observed in the Societies of the World

As societies develop, they include regulations and punishments. Even those which fall under the caption of being freedom fighters, a term which implies deep concern for the common man, have punishment – severe punishment – for all who do not conform to the rules. It is difficult to conceive of a society continuing which does not incorporate into its life a system of punishment for offenders.

It is interesting to note that before the Pilgrims landed on the shores of the new world, they covenanted to be ruled by a document which would control each member of the company.

It is Observed in the Scriptures

Believing that God has spoken and that the Bible is that message, we shouldn’t be surprised to find many passages dealing with the subject of punishment.

Punishment Inflicted Directly by God.

Consider the following examples: Cain: (Genesis 4:11-16). When God made His pronouncement, Cain responded, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.”

The Flood: (Genesis 6:1-8:22). Rejection of God’s warning resulted in the removal of that society. When the door of the ark was shut, there was no change in the announced punishment.

Sarai: (Genesis 12:17). In protecting His “chosen,” God inflicted punishment on Pharaoh’s house although his offense was in ignorance!
Ananias and Sapphira: (Acts 5:1-11). As a definite and shocking example of God’s righteous indignation toward lying – and that to God – these two met immediate physical death.

Punishment Administered by Man.

(Genesis 9:1-7) Disrespect and destruction of human life were the first offenses to be placed under man’s jurisdiction. Capital punishment was to be the consequence of murder. This principle continues throughout Scripture, being affirmed in the New Testament by Christ and the Apostle Paul (Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:1-14).

Exodus-Deuteronomy, “If we knew, we would do,” sums up Israel’s appeal to Moses (Deuteronomy 5:27). This prompted God to give the Law, coupled with specific punishments for those who failed to comply. A careful analysis of Scripture will reveal the severity of punishment accompanying the Law.

• Responsibility in Punishment

Man’s responsibility in punishment is divided between the family, the church and the state. When each is diligent in the task, the entire society functions with a measure of peace and prosperity.

The Family

Being ordained of God, the family stands as a very important part of God’s plan for mankind. Although some sociologists don’t accept the family as an absolute, God does. He calls for a man to leave his parents, cleave to his wife and, living together, rear their children according to God’s rules (Genesis:24; Matthew 19:6)

Children Need To Be Trained.

No child comes into this world programmed to do that which is right (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:23). Right actions are the result of right training, beginning the first day and including God’s plan of salvation.

Life must be directed if it is to develop the kind of character acceptable to God and one that will function in society. In order to accomplish this task there must be a penalty for disobedience (Proverbs 22:15; Ephesians 6:1-4).

Children Need to Understand Punishment.

Abraham must have been an example of this kind of parent (Genesis 18:19). Having made clear to the child the difference between right and wrong, the rewards and penalties must also be clearly presented (Proverbs 22:6).

Parents Must Carry Through in Punishment.

Consider Proverbs 13:24 and 23:13, 14. When rules are established and broken, it is the parents’ responsibility to administer the punishment. If children don’t learn this lesson at home, will they learn it in society? If we neglect our responsibility as parents, can we rightfully criticize state officials who have become soft in administering punishment?

• The Church

It is an established principle in Scripture that all who are born-again believers are to be identified with a local church. In this communion there are certain rules laid down by God, including the discipline of the offenders.

The Guiding Principle (Matthew 18:15-17; I Timothy 3:1-16). A church congregation is responsible to maintain a good testimony in the community. This is possible only when each individual member keeps the rules. If sin is allowed to reign and situations are overlooked which scream for correction, the church is failing in its responsibility.

• The State

The state with its rule is ordained of God. It has been authorized to administer punishment on wrongdoers to protect society (Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:1-14). This is a basic principle in the structure of our government.

According to Scripture, governmental officers are just as responsible to God as are gospel ministers. They are commissioned by God to “carry the sword.” They are guardians of human life and are to use all means available to maintain decency and order including capital punishment of those committing deliberately planned murder.

Growing Softness in Punishment

Today’s softness in punishment reigns from the home to the church to the state. It appears that all too frequently the offender received greater protection than does the offended! The older generation, observing the moral breakdown, blames the younger generation; and the younger generation, beholding the hypocrisy of the day, blames the older generation. Yet all the while there is a philosophy which is sapping the very heart of our great nation.

Why Such Softness Against Crime

God and His Word are excluded. Once God’s Word controlled the decisions of our government and our courts. Punishment was meted out as the just penalty for crimes committed.

Walter Lippmann saw this change coming in his day. In his book, The Preface to Morals (1929), he showed that a switch from the living and true God to the created god of the liberal mind would change the moral standards and stamina of America. His conclusion is apparent today!
To teach that man is the product of evolution without responsibility to the supreme God and that there is no destiny beyond the few days of this life which is destined to annihilation, is to foster an attitude of “eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”

Once again to the Scriptures, we find that when “the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn” (Proverbs 29:2). The designation “wicked” in this text is used in the Old Testament of those who walk apart from God’s Word and His authority! Without question the answer to our plight in regard to honest punishment for crimes committed will be realized only through a spiritual revival which enthrones God and His moral standard of right and wrong!

Faithful Till Death

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Revelation 2:8-11
by Dennis Baker, President BMAMO Brotherhood

It costs to be a dedicated Christian, in some places more than in others. In the midst of persecution and poverty the Lord’s evaluation of the Smyrna church was that she was rich and encouraged her to be faithful unto death. The church of Smyrna was poor in material possessions because of not being able to secure employment due to strong labor unions that did not respect their Christian values. Other religions considered them atheists because they did not worship God like they did or because they worshipped a different god.

Included in American history is God’s blessings on His churches to have the resources to not only evangelize the people of America but to be able to send God called individuals into other countries so that they can share God’s blessing of salvation through Jesus Christ. But as the Lord’s churches move forward, Satan is rising up strong opposition from governments and religious organizations. Biblical values concerning family, marriage, morals, and death are being challenged in our schools and courts. The current economic situation is not only affecting the family budget but the budget of the local churches.

As the Lord’s churches move forward how will they respond to these increasing pressures? Do our Mission, Focus, and Core Value Statements still have any value? Are we willing to be faithful unto death?
In John’s day, Caesar was looked upon as a god and anyone refusing to say, “Caesar is Lord” would be subject to execution or at the very least excluded from the labor unions. Being excluded from the labor unions resulted in unemployment and poverty. The large Jewish community was accepted by the Roman government, but they did not cooperate with Christianity.

Polycarp, a disciple of John and pastor of the Smyrna church suffered a martyr’s death in 155 AD, at the age of eight-six, because of his faith in Jesus Christ. Polycarp when under threat of being consumed by fire if he refused to recant responded by saying, “Thou threatens the fire that burns for an hour and in a little while is quenched; for thou knowest not of the fire of the judgment to come, and the fire of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But why delayest thou. Bring what thou wilt.” When the authorities tried to persuade Polycarp to recant his faith by asking, “Now what harm is there in saying “Lord Caesar” and offering incense, and so on, thus saving thyself? Polycarp responded by saying, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He hath done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”

As end-time pressures increase persecution will also increase. I Peter 4:12-13. In my opinion Polycarp was not a super Christian but a man who genuinely loved his Lord and Savior. As I think about what it means to die for my King, and Savior, I wonder what would happen to my family if I were called by the Lord to die for my faith. How would God provide for my family’s needs? The best answer I ever received was from one of my seminary professors, Dr. Hal McNeil.

As we studied the life of Polycarp in his class, someone commented, I wonder if I could stand for my faith in Christ and die for Him? Dr. McNeil responded by saying, if God were to call on me to die for Him, He would give me the grace to do so.

We should be encouraged by the reassurances that God is in control!

Be faithful unto death.

Pound in a Purse

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Dear Church Ladies of Missouri BMA,

Kewanee Baptist and First Baptist of Matthews would like to invite you to our event, POUND IN A PURSE. We did this last year and it turned out to be a GREAT fundraiser for our WMA National Project. This year our project is CAMP GARWOOD!

What takes place at this event is you get to bid on a purse of your choice and inside this purse will be a pound of something. This is done in a silent bidding fashion and at the end of the bidding you will be able to reveal what’s inside!

This will take place at Matthews’ fellowship hall on March 13, 2021 from 11AM to 3 PM.

We will be serving a lunch and our speaker this year will be Deanna Wisely George.

Please let us know if you plan to attend and how many ladies from your church. This is not a WMA event, this is an event for all ladies from our churches.

We look forward to seeing as many ladies as possible. We love our camp and what a great way to support it.

Your Pound in a Purse Committee

Respond to Terri Adams 573-380-0331 or email.

Introducing Our New Missionary Family: Juan Fernandez

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Fernandez FamilyGreetings from Saint Louis, Missouri! My name is Juan Fernandez and I am the new missionary to the Hispanic population in the Saint Louis area. My family and I are so excited to share a little about who we are and our calling so you can get to “know us” better and look forward to meeting many of you this year.

My wife Hannah Fernandez and I were married February 8, 2014 in Nebraska (almost 7 years ago) and have 2 children Victoria (4 years old) and Eleanor (2 years old) Fernandez. Some of our hobbies include spending time outdoors (hiking), travelling and experiencing new places/people, reading, and running (I am hoping to start training again for another 25k soon).

Right now, since we are beginning this ministry – we are spending 40 days in prayer for this community and that God would lead us in everything we do. We would ask you to please join us as we pray! I have been doing devotionals through facebook live everyday and my wife also does one on Sunday mornings for women. If you would like to follow us on Facebook and see these devotionals please do so (even though they are in Spanish). If you would like to be added to our prayer list and spend these 40 days in prayer with us please contact me at (618)581-8056 or email and we will add you.

“We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father” 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

Thank you so much for your prayers as we begin this work in the Saint Louis area.

Bro. Juan Fernandez and family

January 2021 – Mission Director’s Report

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A Page from my heart…

Dear churches of the state of Missouri,

Three months in and I am extremely excited about what God is doing!

Because of the deadline for material for the paper, we do not yet know the outcome of the Missionary committee vote, at the time I am writing this article, but I do very much hope, pray, and expect support to be approved of Bro. Juan Fernandez. The local Meramec Association has already begun support.

Bro. Juan hopefully will be planting a Spanish-speaking church under the auspices of Bethany Baptist Church. Bro. Juan and his wife joined Bethany a couple of weeks ago and the church has already voted to allow them to use the facilities and be the mother church of the church plant. We are excited about the possibilities and probabilities of that.

I ask you to pray for Bro. Juan. It’s been awhile since we’ve been able to say that we have a missionary working in the state of Missouri with both the state and a local association supporting.

This is similar to the church plant in Nixa, in that the national work was the impetus used to get it started, so please pray for both of these churches. It’s’s my understanding that the church in Nixa is now full support so we praise God for that! Now this mission is getting started, so please, please, please pray for them.

I am hoping to be in touch soon with those who have reached out to me to come and present the mission work of Missouri.

I have two churches already that have requested a visit. It is my intention to take up to one Sunday evening per month to go to other churches. I am also open to getting several churches in an area to meet together for a Saturday night meeting to lessen the need to miss a Sunday from Bethel’s pulpit. Let me know if you would be interested in setting up such a meeting.

I served on the national missionary committee during Bro. Grady Higgs’ term as Director, and I saw him turn around a program through prayer. Now, I don’t believe that this department needs turning around as much as we need men and fields to go to and those challenges will be met through prayer. Will you join me in daily seeking the throne for men and fields and finances to reach these goals for the Glory of the Lord?

PS:
We had a wonderful meeting last evening (Tuesday, January 5th) on the conference call. I am so appreciative to Bro. Claude Evans and all the churches’ missionary committeemen that participated. We had a unanimous positive vote as we voted to support Bro. Juan Fernandez as our missionary from the standpoint of we are going to support him to the tune of $28,000 a year from the state association. The Meramec local Association will also contribute support as both associations work in cooperation with the BMA of America. Please pray for Bro Juan and His family as He seeks “men of peace” and their families to build the kingdom work in reaching Hispanics in the St. Louis region.

Ben Kingston, BMA of MO Missions Director

December 2020 – Mission Director’s Report

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A Page From My Heart…

Ben KingstonDear churches,
Most people know what someone means when they refer to a person as having a ‘Type A’ personality: self-driven, goal-oriented, strong leader, etc. While I would never refer to myself this way, I have heard a ton of people try to push me into this mold. So, let me say quickly that I see myself more as a person who wants to affect change and accomplish goals for the Lord’s kingdom. If that makes me an A-type personality, so be it! But, all this has been said to make a funny about the fact that my first two months as your director has been anything but earth-shaking and motivational!

We had an amazing start to it with a wonderful meeting with Juan Fernandez and both missions committees from the Missouri State and the Meramec associations. More to be said on this soon. Please pray for Juan and our Association as we prepare this project to present to the churches.
Then, November 9th I was quarantined until December 1st! The quarantine started with taking care of Dawn and Molly, and then Tony. As of this writing, God has spared me from contracting the virus, for which we are very thankful, since I am diabetic. Dawn, Molly, and Tony all had mild cases, for which we are also very grateful.

Thank you to all who prayed for me and my family. Bethel has been amazing in their support of their pastor during this time.

And lastly, you may have heard that my father-in-law Ken Burnett passed away November 22nd, so you can see it’s been a difficult month. As of this writing, we do not have his arrangements settled yet.

A word of honor and memorial: Suffice it to say, Ken is easily in the top three of the most influential men in my life. He had reached 90 years of age, and his death date was also his 68th wedding anniversary. He married Joan Hoff 68 years ago and it was clearly his best decision. God then blessed him with Debbie, Diane, Denise, and Dawn, who are definitely his greatest accomplishments. He loved, supported, and mentored His sons-in-law: Jerry Grodie (whom he is reunited with in heaven, and who was a faithful husband, father, and worker in Ken’s heating and plumbing business), Gavin Hooks (who has followed Ken’s footsteps as a faithful and successful husband, father, and business owner), and myself.

Ken was most proud of his daughters and their accomplishments. He was a faithful child of God, church member, deacon, treasurer, business owner, school board president, St. Clair citizen, and that’s just to name a few of his accomplishments. He was also very involved on all three levels of the BMA.
So, to come full circle, I am still studying our missions program and trying to prayerfully shape my approach on how to design, teach, and grow the missions effort in the BMAMO. Please pray with me in this effort.

Please Note:
Stacie sent out an e-mail to all our pastors, clerks, and/or missionary committeemen last week to ascertain the viability of holding a Missionary committee meeting via a conference call in December. So far, I have gotten all positive feedback but if you are the missionary committeeman of the church you attend and didn’t get this e-mail, please contact us and get us your information so you can be part of this conference call.

We will discuss the meeting that was held with Bro. Juan and the motions that the special missions committee made regarding our support of him as a missionary in the St. Louis region. (I was asked by Bro. Claude Evans, our missionary committee chairman, to set up the conference call, and then he will conduct the meeting when it is arranged.

Here are the best ways to communicate with me:
My Cell • (636) 629-2526
My E-mail • Bethelbaptistchurch@live.com
Bethel Church Office • (636) 629-2978

May the Lord bless you and His churches,
Bro. Ben

World Mission Offering is now “Jerry D. Kidd”Missions Offering

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Sue & Jerry KiddJerry Kidd has been serving the BMA for 62 years. First as a pastor, then as missionary, church planter, assistant director of international missions, director of international missions, and director of missionary care.

Known as “Pastor of Missionaries,” his pioneering spirit and faithfulness to share the gospel to indigenous people has created a legacy of multiplying disciples and churches worldwide. With Sue, his wife and ministry partner, by his side, he continues working to change lives and point people to Jesus.

With this legacy of humble service in mind, BMA Missions Executive Director John David Smith announced on October 28 that the annual World Missions Day offering is now the Jerry D. Kidd Missions Offering.

Smith presented a combat helmet to Kidd, explaining that, “This combat helmet, to countless men and women serving in world missions who have found life-saving protection in a raging battle and encouragement to fight on in a foxhole with Jerry Kidd, symbolizes his faithful life-long ministry of sharing the sufferings of fellow soldiers.”

World Missions Day 2021 is February 28, and BMA Missions invites BMA churches and their congregations to celebrate this emphasis day by showing the World Missions Day video, praying for global missions, and giving to the Jerry D. Kidd Missions Offering.

Invitation for Churches to Join us for World Missions Day • February 28, 2021

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Go Disciple Plant Repeat 2021BMA Missions invites churches to join us for World Missions Day on Sunday February 28, 2021. This year’s theme represents the very essence of our global mandate to Go-Disciple-Plant-Repeat. It is the purpose for which we exist.

We pray that each church will use this time not only as a reminder of our purpose but also as an opportunity to give to the Jerry Kidd Missions Offering.

Funds given during World Missions Day are used to support over 500 national ChangeMaker missionaries who are making disciples and planting churches in over 71 countries.

Register your church today at www.bmamissions.org/worldmissionsday and receive free promotional materials and a free polo for your pastor!

November 2020 – Mission Director’s Report

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A Page From My Heart…

Dear Sister Churches:

I hope things are going well for you in this Thanksgiving and Christmas season! Believe it or not, we are in this time of year as well as deer season, but that’s a whole different topic!

I am thrilled to be your newly-elected state Missions Director. We had a tremendous meeting with Brother Juan Fernandez last month. There will be much more information coming about this potential effort when it is available. Please be praying for this opportunity and for the state and local association involvement.

This first month is basically getting acclimated to the needs and expectations of this office. We set up a bank account this week and would remind you to update the address to send your Missions offerings:

BMA of MO Missions
c/o 1220 Park Drive
St. Clair, MO 63077

If I, as the Missions Director, can help you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me by calling: (636) 629-2526
or writing to:

BMA Missions Director
569 Bethel Church Rd.
Lonedell MO 63060

In the months to follow, I will be using this article to flesh out the dream and desire of carrying out missions through our state association churches. I would beg you to pray for me to be led and guided by the Holy Spirit as to how He wants this department to work, and specifically for our churches that we would carry out mission on a local, state, national, and global level.

I am praying for our Pastors and Churches to have a clear understanding of what that should look like. May the Lord richly bless you this month as you strive to carry out the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ben Kingston