Baptist Missionary Association of Missouri
Mission Symposium – May 20th 6:00 p.m.
Mid-Year Business Meeting –
May 21st 9:00 a.m.
at
Bethel Baptist Church – Lonedell, MO
Dear Missouri Churches,
What a wonderful men’s Renewal Retreat we had! Special thanks to:
Dr. Gavin Hooks, who was our speaker that spoke on his book ‘The Core Principle,’ which is love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Bro. Chris Polk and his crew for preparing and serving our meals – it was tremendous!
Every man that was able to be there just had an amazing time! I want to encourage you, men, please mark March 24-25, 2023 on your calendar for our next Renewal Retreat per approval at our semi-annual meeting and the Meramec annual meeting as they fund the event.
Our annual Missions Symposium is right around the corner – May 20 at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Lonedell, Missouri beginning at 6:00PM. Bro.Larry Wood will speak to us about his missionary efforts in Ukraine, the three churches that have been planted there, and about church planting in general. Bro. Juan Fernandez will give a report and I will give a report as your missions Director. I’m so looking forward to this meeting. We will begin at 6:00 PM, take a half hour break at 7:00 PM and will end somewhere in the neighborhood of 8:30 p.m.
Please plan to come! There are two hotels in the area: Super 8 and Pinemark, where many of you stayed last year when the Mission Symposium was at New Testament. Please invite your church folks and let’s pack this event out for brother Larry and brother Juan. I know that you’re going to be blessed as we come and hear about missions and see how we can be more involved as a Church and as an association in our missions effort.
The semi-annual association meeting will also meet at Bethel church at 9 AM that Saturday, May 21.
If you have any questions about Mission Symposium, please do not hesitate to contact me 636-629-2526 and if you have questions about the semi-annual meeting on Saturday, Bro. Jerry Adams is our moderator, so he’s the one to contact about that.
I look forward to seeing you on May 20 and 21. May the Lord richly bless you!
Ben Kingston
“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase” … 1 Cor 3:6 (KJV)
Home Bible Study:
Baby Isaac is here! Our friends Nahum and Ermelinda’s baby Isaac was born on 2/27 at 9:25 p.m. in the St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond’s Heights, MO. He is 6 lbs7 oz. and 19 inches long. Very healthy and strong baby. He arrived 3 weeks early surprisingly for his parents and all of us. I met him 30 minutes after his birth and stayed almost until 2:00 am.
Bible Study in Misión Bautista Belen: Sunday 9:00 am starting this 3/6 is called Discovery Bible Group. We are promoting it on Facebook page “Misión Bautista Hispana” and with our many contacts we have made since 3/2021 We are hoping to practice hospitality and offering coffee and doughnuts those who arrive early… in our community we are known for always arriving late, so some encouragement here. We promote this event through our FB page so if you have a chance to hit like and share that will help to spread the word and this unity to share will be a blessing to others who don’t know about Jesus.
Evangelism:
We are so happy that spring is around the corner, also we are so thankful for this opportunity to say thank you for keeping me and my family in your prayers. We continue reaching out to Hispanic families and individuals in this area of Missouri, Harvest is plenty! Continue praying for more laborers. It is a privilege to bring you an update on how God is leading us.
Bible contacts, every Saturday from 9:00 to 11:00 am we are partnering with local business owner where Hispanic spend time shopping and hanging out to connect and offer time to hand out a Bible and go over the basics of the gospel. This has been a huge learning curve about our community. Many of the people contacted don’t have interest nor have heard about passages like John 3:16. Harvest is plenty!
Prayer:
Prayer Network: Follow us @Belenprayernetwork every day 12:00 pm. We read a passage of Scripture and pray for Salvation for each one of our contacts and special prayer request for health and wisdom while life happens. Wednesday at 7:00 pm in Florissant we continue recording a lesson of discipleship on Facebook live.
• Prayer walks: Every day from 2:00 to 2:45 pm we walk in neighborhoods seeking for open doors to share the gospel and pray for people in need.
Special Training this Month!
Aligning every believer with the mission of Jesus. The Multiplication Workshop a Missional Challenge by Dr. David DeVries. I pray and hope you have had the privilege of going through this amazing, effective practical tool for you and your ministry. I was able to join this training a second time last week in Conway Arkansas. Bro. Larry Barker, Elvis Garcia and Eli did an awesome job training us with real life experience and this amazing workbook.
Applying the WIN acronym:
What are we doing WELL?
What do I need to IMPROVE
and finally
What is Next?
I was able to redefine our Vision and core Values as well adjust our ministry timeline. In the last couple weeks, we have lost contact with two families who were already planning to join our church plant and becoming significant part of the core team. We celebrated 18 worship services, then they stopped coming and communicating…well God knows we did the best to equip them with the gospel. Now is time to go back to the basics: Prayer, Evangelism and Bible Study. We are excited to start a Discovery Bible Study this coming Sunday. If you have not gone through this workshop, I highly recommend it. It will encourage, will energize and help you define better your purpose and reason to serve the Lord Jesus.
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation”
2 Corinthians 5:18
Dios le bendiga! God bless you.
David Earl Griggs, age 70, of St. Louis, MO passed away Thursday, February 10, 2022. David was born September 29, 1951 in St. Louis, MO. Beloved son of the late John D. and Pearlie M. Griggs (nee Smith). Dearest brother of Delmar (Vicki) Griggs and Darran (Christine) Griggs. Loving uncle of Christopher Drysdale, Eric Griggs, Elizabeth Griggs and John Griggs. Our dear cousin, pastor and friend of many.
David pastored Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church in Lemay, MO for 35 years. Outside his loving family David was a dear cousin, pastor and friend of many. His personality is revealed by some of the comments made by those who knew him best.
A friend said, “Bro. David was a very special person. When he came to Emmanuel, he became part of my family. He was a blessing to all that knew him. I have many fond memories of Bro. David. Always there when you needed him!”
A relative said, “Uncle David was one of the most influential people in my life. He introduced me to GOD, he embraced me as his own nephew. This man was, and still is, the most pure Soul I have ever met!”
And still another friend said,” An outstanding singer, minister, and wonderful personal friend. He was in my college choirs and especially on several European concert tours.”
The funeral service was at Lakewood Baptist Church, near Potosi, MO February 16, with Pastor Mike Jarvis officiating. Interment was at Lakewood Baptist Church Cemetery.
Dear BMA of MO Churches:
Wow, we have two months in the book of 2022. The ole speed boat of life is barreling down the lake, that’s for sure.
We have been telling you about the Renewal Retreat for a couple of months, and now it’s decision time! I am asking all our pastors to prayerfully consider attending this special time. Please invite the men of your church also because this is for all the men of the association. This is a free event! Bro. Gavin Hooks will share in four sessions about the need of our churches and individuals to carry out ‘The Core Principle.’
You may ask, “What is the core principle?” Mark 12:29-31 KJV “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
This is probably one of the most popular or most well-known scriptures in the Word of God. In his sessions, brother Gavin will bring out the connection between these verses, America’s founding, and the desperate need today of the Body of Christ to continue to carry out this principle, which is to be the core of all we do.
Please pray that many of our pastors and men attend, and please pray that we hear from God on this most vital issue. I have had several indicate that they are coming, and I am thrilled and excited. If you could, let us know when you get this paper how many are coming from your church, then we can make food arrangements.
I continue to hear great things from the churches that are taking the benchmark assessment. If you don’t get the result you were hoping for, please don’t lose heart! Remember: this is a twice a year endeavor so please attempt to assess your church every six months. If you have any questions, please contact me. I would love to personally present Missouri missions to your church on a Wednesday night through the summer.
May the Lord richly bless you is my prayer.
Bro. Ben
Churches of the BMAMO:
I hope you have enjoyed this Christmas and New year season. It is hard to believe that we have already put a month into the books of 2022.
I want to encourage you to pray for our national Missionary Bro. Juan Fernandez, I know He does His own article, but as your missions director, it is imperative that I encourage you to lift him and his family up, not just for the ministries that He is conducting, but on every level.
One of the most disturbing principles in Scripture is the Golden Rule. Think about it, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
If you were Bro. Juan would you just want someone to pray for you occasionally and then only that you succeed as a missionary? No! You would want the people that populate the churches that support you to pray for every facet of your life. Such as: Finances, health, leisure, family, friends, spiritual health, possessions, as I like to say every facet of life. I know Bro. Juan and his family will be forever grateful if we pray like this for him.
Now what I have just illustrated is the very reason for the benchmark assessment, the assessment addresses how well you as an individual and a church are achieving this type of praying, and the pamphlet that accompanies it helps us get this lifestyle into a discipline. Please use the pamphlet weekly to help you accomplish this discipline. If I can help in any way please let me know.
Pastor, if you would like me to come this summer on a Wednesday, please contact me and we will set it up. May the Lord richly bless you all.
Again pastors please plan to come and bring your men with you to the Renewal Retreat at Camp Garwood March 25 – 26, 2022!
The Retreat is free but you need to register all that are coming from your church with me at 636-629-2526 or by email . We need to hear from you by right away.
Bro. Ben Kingston
