Washington & Alaska Field Director

T4G

2010-04-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

T4G! This is the abbreviation for Together For The Gospel, a conference every two years in Louisville, Kentucky. It was started in 2006 with around 2,000 pastors, church leaders and some wives. This year marked a 7,000 attendance. The theme was The Unadjusted Gospel. Last week I was able to join with some of the leaders from Edgewood Bible Church. And with that many people it is hard to believe that we ran into Pastor Mike Jones from Independent Bible Church and a few of his guys.

The conference was held in the Kentucky Convention Center with a number of main sessions, workshops one day, panel discussions among the speakers and plenty of opportunities to explore and purchase books from the various publishers with their tantalizing discounts. While I enjoyed the time of being stimulated in some thought-provoking issues, I must admit that my true enjoyment came from discussions with the Edgewood leaders following the sessions, and of course the fellowship at the various meals.

It has been interesting to observe over the years the swing toward a more conservative view of Scripture, especially among young pastors. While not everyone agrees with all the tenets of Reformed Theology, myself being one, I must admit there is a freshness that excites one to see thousands who are wanting to stand upon the solid teaching of the Scriptures.
Since there was a lot of information downloaded, I will find myself going on line to download the sessions to listen to them again. One of the sessions that was of interest to me concerned the Church Fathers. I suppose some of that comes as a result of my picking up my Church History book and rereading it. We can learn some valuable lessons from the Church Fathers, especially those who identified so closely with the Apostles as their disciples, or disciples of the disciples of the Apostles.

I even had a short time one afternoon to walk down to the Louisville Slugger Museum. This was my second time; the first time Katherine and I went when we had a IFCA Annual Convention in Louisville. As I walked down
the "Walk of Fame" various names like Lou Brock, Johnny Bench, Babe Ruth, etc. brought back fresh memories of my growing up years.

Now to tackle all those free books they gave out - about 20 we figured. I've got my work cut out for me.

Sequim, Southhill, Carson, INW Regional

2010-04-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

Well, we've been busy the last number of weeks, but then what's unusual about that? We had an opportunity to pop up to Sequim Bible Church on March 7, our Anniversary day. We enjoyed Pastor Dave Witala's message on unity. Our hope is to get back up soon and give a presentation on NICE. The Adult Sunday School teacher would like us to share in his class.
We also were at Faith Bible Church on Southhill, Puyallup the middle of the month for services and annual report. We always enjoy the times when we can drop in for worship in the Morning or Evening Services. Dr. Roy Sprague, former Director of NICE and Earl (Shirley) Brubaker, current Director of NICE were also able to be there. Here is a picture of all three Directors, Past (L), Present (R) & Future (M).

We recently made a trip to southern Washington and Idaho. We started out at Carson Bible Church on a Saturday for a n Ordination Council which Bob and Dr. Sprague participated in. We spent the evening with our Missionary Pastor & wife, Dave & Glenda West (he's the preacher on the left). It is always a treat to visit with them. On Sunday morning there was an Ordination Service in which Bob and Dr. Sprague preached. Then after services we headed to Deary, Idaho to spend the evening with Katherine's sister Linda and family. On Monday afternoon we made out trek to Southwick Bible Church for the Inland Northwest Regional. It was good to see a number of folks we've known and get the opportunity to meet new and begin to establish new friendships. Bob sat on an impromptu panel Tuesday and Katherine enjoyed a time of crafts.

NICE New Year's Luncheon

2010-01-31T16:24:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful time we had yesterday at a NICE New Year's Luncheon along with a couple of our IFCA brothers. Usually we have planned either a Thanksgiving Dinner or Christmas Sing Dessert Night. So our thought was this year we'd skip those two events and do something centered around the New Year. We met at Edgewood Bible Church around 12:30pm and enjoyed a great time of fellowship, food and sharing. We brought some meats and cheeses and others brought salads and desserts - way more food than we could possibly eat. There were around 30 of us that gathered together. After eating our delicious meal, I (Bob) started us off with a "What's New?" Quiz. All the questions basically had the word "new" in it or some various form. The group didn't do too bad at answering the multiple choice of questions. Afterward, Dr. Roy Sprague shared 5 Things God Wants Us To Know from the book of Jude: Know Your Position, Know Your Profession, Know Your Opposition, Know Your Priorities and Know Your Power. It was a thought-provoking challenge to consider in looking forward or upward as Roy concluded, for 2010. Our Executive Director, Earl Brubaker closed our time in prayer and many of us continued to stay around for more fellowship and dessert. We are thankful for Pastor Frank Emrich and EBC hosting us for this first time event.

Wishkah Valley Community Church/Shelton Bible Church

2010-01-22T16:51:00.001-08:00

Our last couple church visits have taken us to Wishkah Valley Community Church and Shelton Bible Church. Jim & Christy Edgell serve at WVCC. The Adult Sunday School class has been studying the Minor Prophets. Pastor Jim started the class with a Bible drill from the Minor Prophets. There were a few that really knew their prophets. Pastor Jim led us through an overview of Haggai, then we split up as tables to discuss a few questions. After some quality time of answering questions in our group we had a joint discussion.

Jim asked Bob to share about the ministry of Northwest Independent Church Extension during the morning service. There was a good turn out of people and the Worship time truly led us before the throne. Jim preached on Ephesians 2:1-3 mainly, but he did highlight some thoughts from vs5-10. His message was on the depravity of man and the mercy of God. One of the special treats for us was to have lunch with the Edgell's in their new home in the country. Jim had a number of valuable questions for Bob related to ministry.

Last Sunday we venture over to Shelton Bible Church for Sunday School around 9:30am. One of the gals is taking the group through a Bible Survey she has done in the past. While the Worship Service was small, it was a nice group to fellowship with. Don Wantland preached on a series he has been doing called Urgency for the New Year. Don & Jodi are Special Missionaries with N.I.C.E. helping SBC out since they don't have a pastor. Don concentrated on Truth and Spiritual Mindedness by way of review then shared thoughts on the Sonship we have in Christ. After Church a few of us ended up at Denny's where ministry thoughts and concerns continued to be a part of our fellowship.

Keyport Bible Church/Elma Christmas Cantata

2009-12-14T13:59:00.001-08:00

This past Sunday we headed over to Keyport Bible Church (Bob's home church) for Sunday School and Worship. We sat in on Curt Browning's Adult class in which we covered Zechariah 13. Curt was Bob's Junior High Sunday School teacher, former Elder, hiking partner and continuing mentor. Pastor Mike Chinn preached from Luke 9 on a "Glimpse of Glory! Back to Present Reality." It was a good time to get to know a few new people and fellowship with many we've know for years. We had a nice lunch with Curt and Marilyn Browning following church. There are already a couple others who want to spend time with us next go round.

After lunch we headed south across the Narrow's Bridge toward Elma, west of Olympia. We took a short detour to the Tacoma Mall for a few items. It also gave us time to contemplate where we go on to Elma considering the snowy situation on the road. We decided to make the trip which went fine. Arriving a bit early we decided to stop in at Saginaw's Cafe for coffee and dessert. Then we made our way to the High School for a Christmas Cantata. Grace Community Church, where NICE Missionaries Ken & Ruth Davis serve as Pastor, were one of five churches involved. Pastor Ken was given the privilege of sharing some thoughts following the concert. The musical was called The Promise of Light which had a great Christmas gospel message.

EBC Men's Retreat-Rock Island-Wenatchee Valley Bible

2009-11-16T17:55:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was a busy weekend. On Saturday morning, while Katherine, Sarah Joy, Kimberly and Emma (daughter-in-law and granddaughter), went to "TEA" in Sumner, I headed out to the Edgewood Bible Church Men's Retreat in Ravensdale. This was my first time to Lake Retreat and was an enjoyable time. Our speaker was Steve Janho who is the College Pastor at Crossroads Bible Church in Bellevue. Steve used to be the Men's Ministry Leader when he and his family attended Valley Bible Church before his current role. Besides the main sessions there was opportunity for Frisbee Golf and a Basketball Freethrow contest. Katherine picked me up in the early afternoon and we headed to Rock Island where we spent the evening with Dennis and Lori Stark, pastor of the Community Church. The Starks have been at this ministry now for about four years. While we didn't see any children for Sunday School this particular Sunday, there were a dozen or so adults looking through Ephesians 3. Dennis preached from a few different passages on the subject of Thanksgiving. We were tickled to see over 55 people in the Worship service followed by a delicious Thanksgiving Dinner with all the trimmings. Boy was it crowded. I told one of the men they need to get the kitchen done and if they keep growing they may have to begin building an addition. It is encouraging to see new faces attending, being baptized, becoming new members and taking on ministry roles. Following our time of fellowship we headed over to the Bong's house so I could participate in the Wenatchee Valley Bible Church Board meeting. I serve in this capacity along with Pastor Dan and three other men. Katherine and Charlottee (wife of the Treasurer) went for coffee and hang out together during the meeting. In the Evening Service I shared from a variety of passages, via Powerpoint, on the subject of Thanksgiving. I began with Philippians 2:14 sharing concerning the subject of not complaining and disputing about the situations of life. After a time of fellowship and goodies we made our way over Blewett and Snoqualmie Pass which saw lots of deer but thankfully not a lot of snow. Unfortunately one deer had been hit in the hindquarters and was still on the road. The hazards of this time of year.

Moody Northwest Mission's Conference

2009-11-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

Katherine and I got back last night, more specifically 12:30am this morning, from the Moody Northwest Mission's Conference in Spokane. The Conference was held at Fourth Memorial Bible Church which doubles for the Bible Institute. We began Sunday afternoon with Orientation, setting up the display and a Chili-Potato Bake. This gave us the opportunity to begin touching base with many of the students. There are a little over 300 students at Moody this year which is an increase over last year. We met up with our Inland Northwest Field Director, Roger and Karen Hayden that evening as they drove up after ministering in their church at Cambridge. On Monday morning the Conference officially began with the first General Session. The main speaker was Rev. Abraham Thomas from India who founded Agape Royal Ministries. He spoke for three of the four main sessions. Dr. Gerald W. Peterman, Chair of the Bible department at Moody Bible Institute, spoke for one session. During the main sessions there was a worship time. There was a number of seminars throughout the two days. Roger Hayden taught one seminar titled, "Is Your Church a Lighthouse?" He focused on the "first" impressions churches give when people come to the church and walk through the doors. We had a great time of fellowship with the Hayden's and a number of conversations with other displayers and students. Following the conference we enjoyed a wonderful dinner and fellowship with John & Janet Johnson at a local restaurant in downtown Spokane. We first met John years ago when he would fly into Hailey as a corporate pilot. They also spent a few years at Ravensdale Bible Church as they are related to Matt & Terri Sconce, former N.I.C.E. Missionaries who now live in Minnesota.

Forks Bible Church

2009-10-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I had a wonderful trip over to Forks this past weekend. The only thing that would have made it better was to have my wife along, but she was unable to attend. Our hope is for the two of us to head back to Forks sometime the first of the year. For those who don't know, the once "log" booming town of Forks has now regained popularity due to the "Twilight" books and movie. Not necessarily a bragging point for the church folks of Forks. Some of you know that this is my "annual" trek to Forks Bible Church to touch base with the folks through Worship and Fellowship. However, many say my main reason for going is to fish for Salmon and Steelhead. I arrived on Saturday night and visited with Pastor George and Rita Williams, who are always wonderful hosts. Even though Forks & the Forks Bible Church are small, they continue to be busy as a couple with many ministries: Sunday Services in the am & pm, mid-week Bible studies, community outreach, helping in the restoration of the church building, etc. I preached on Sunday morning from James 1 which was interesting since the Adult Sunday School class was going through the same text. However, a number of folks said it was a subject that needed "double" attention. This was followed by a Soup & Bread dinner and skit by the Pastor & three Elders, with costumes and all. Sunday night Pastor George continued a series through Exodus which was a good study. Monday morning found me and George on the river bank bright and early at 7am, along with about 10 other men. We started out for a few hours catching nothing (unusual for George), while everyone else below us was catching fish. Eventually we moved down river and limited out with our 4 Coho (Silver) Salmon each. The conditions were perfect and the expectation on a great amount of fish going through. We were really the sight carrying our four fish each tied to our backpacks, averaging around 10lbs each, up the trail. We headed out again Tuesday morning and I banked the first silver but not much was happening so we went to another location and George brought in two and the guys next to us had brought in three. We've tried to convince our wives that this is work, not play; that we are "providing" for our families. They're not so easily swayed to our thinking. Oh well. All in all it was a good trip and I enjoyed it immensely as always.

Southern Washington Ministry

2009-10-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

Katherine and I took off late Saturday afternoon to Oregon for an overnighter at our daughter and son-in-laws. Elizabeth prepared a roast beef dinner and afterwards we all did some bowling - wii bowling that is. Sunday morning, after a bright and early breakfast at 6:30am, we headed out for Carson Bible Church across the river from Cascade Locks. Dave and Glenda West, Missionaries with N.I.C.E. have served there as pastor for 16 years. Even though a smaller church, they have two serves so I had the opportunity to preach a couple times. My sermon topic was "Responding to the Test of Faith in Life" from James 1:2-8. I started with two as the foundation: 1) Trials are the means God uses in testing the character of our faith (vs2-4), and 2) Godly wisdom is from a spiritual dimension, not human cleverness or insight (vs5-8). Then I shared four responses God expects from us: The Response of Joy in Trials (v2), The Response of Endurance (vs3-4), The Response of Prayer (v5), and The Response of Confidence (vs6-8). We enjoyed Sunday School in between the services. The Adult Teacher is working through the book of Genesis and discussed part of the Fall in chapter 3. Following church we had lunch with Pastor Dave and Glenda at the house and enjoyed a time of fellowship. On our way home we met for dinner with Don & Jody Wantland, Missionaries with N.I.C.E. who live in Castle Rock. We always enjoy our visit and chats about ministry and family. Don always has some great thoughts or usually has a theological question he has been pondering that he throws out.

IFCA Regional

2009-10-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

Monday through Wednesday this past week was our semi-annual IFCA Regional Conference. We met at Faith Community Bible Church in Bremerton, pastored by Dan Wilson. The folks of FCBC did an outstanding job of hosting us, not only as the site for the Conference but in providing us with great meals and snacks.

Four of our own men spoke from the book of Philippians in our Main Sessions. Pastor Jay Mosser of Sunset Bible Church in University Place spoke from Chapter one. Pastor Tim Walton from Alderwood Manor Church in Lynwood delivered a message from Chapter two. Pastor Mike Jones, Shepherd of Independent Bible Church in Port Angeles preached from Chapter three. Dan Wilson, Host Pastor wrapped the book up speaking from Chapter four.

The ladies had a wonderful time on Saturday with Elizabeth George, speaker and author of numerous books. Elizabeth did two main sessions with them. At the last meeting on Wednesday the board introduced their new appointee as President, Katherine Rodgers. Sadly her predecessor Birtha Richards passed away a few months ago. Judi Allen, former President, had been filling in until a new President could be appointed. The men participated in a number of workshops.

At the Tuesday night dinner time, which reflects on the ministry of Northwest Independent Church Extension, Earl Brubaker, Executive Director, announced his resignation which will be effective at the end of September next year. The Board is beginning the process of looking for a new Director during this time period and would appreciate prayer.

Our next Conference will be in February next year at Edgewood Bible Church in Edgewood. It will be followed by their annual Mission's Conference. Paul Seger, Executive Director of Biblical Ministries Worldwide will be the speaker for both Conferences.

FBC Picnic & Baptism

2009-09-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

What a privilege for Katherine and I to attend Faith Bible Church as they joined together for a picnic and baptism last weekend. We began the picnic by singing a few songs down by the water. Then Pastor Tim shared a few verses and thoughts concerning baptism from Romans 6. Following his comments, Jessica Shipman gave her testimony and then Ben Dort followed sharing his story of coming to Christ. It was a wonderful act of obedience by these two in following the ordinance of baptism as Pastor Tim led them in the process of believer's baptism in the lake. The weather was great and we had plenty of food. A couple of the men barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs and many of the gals brought various salads and desserts. The kids had an opportunity to play in the water while some of the guys threw the football around or tossed the frisbee while others just visited.

Rural Home Mission's Conference

2009-09-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

I recently attended, along with Bob Allen, Church Team Missionary with N.I.C.E., the Rural Home Mission's Conference at Frontier School of the Bible in Southeastern Wyoming. It was Bob's first time in this neck of the "frontier" and my second. This was a great opportunity for about five different organizations to share their ministries in Church Planting, Restoration, Youth Ministry and Camping. I taught a workshop called, "Keeping Hope Alive in Small Town America: The Challenges & Blessings of Rural Ministry." Bob taught "Country Church Meets City Folks: The Impact of the Migration of the City Mindset Into the Country Church." I also shared a multi-media presentation on the ministry of Northwest Independent Church Extension in one of the chapel times. We spent a majority of time answering questions and getting to know students around the table at the various meal times. We hopefully have a couple possibly candidates for ministering with NICE. We also had the opportunity to attend a few classes with the students. One sideline opportunity was a trip to Scott's Bluff in Nebraska, about an hour from the school, where we went to Monument Rock. This is one of the areas that the Oregon Trail passes through that the pioneers used. Frontier School of the Bible seems to be a solid, biblical school that has a unique ministry for those planning to obtain their BA degree. The students must be involved in an internship program their fourth year; either with a pastor, missionary, camp director, etc. It is definitely set in the frontier in the town of Lagrange, Wyoming. Outside of a local store-cafe, auto shop and a tavern, the school pretty much is the town. They have great facilities and a brand new chapel. Part of our time there was evaluations and discussions with Will Fellows, the Mission's teacher and organizer of the conference. Bob and I enjoyed the trip and spending some quality time getting to know each other better but also participating in the ministry of encouraging the students to seriously consider planting a church or being part of a revitalizing ministry in a church that needs help.

Faith Bible Church Campout & Burn Road Bible Church

2009-08-31T21:14:00.000-07:00

On Friday morning, the three of us (Andrew, Katherine & Bob) went to Cougar Rock Campground to spend a couple days with the Faith Bible Church group. Pastor Tim & family went out on Wednesday and some others joined on Thursday. We had a wonderful time of fellowship, time in the Word, singing....and yes, some awesome hikes. Friday the three of us headed down to Longmire to look through the store and then we took a short hike around the meadow reading various signs on the history of Longmire (we also had a beautiful view of Mt. Rainier). Then we headed back toward camp but stopped to hike up to Carter Falls. A treat for us was a doe with her two fawns that walked right up to us. We got some pictures and a video. Once everyone got back to camp from their various hikes (some of the group went up to Paradise), we had dinner and devotions around a nice campfire.

On Saturday morning, five of us men got up at 5:30am and drove up to Paradise Lodge for a 4.4 (1700ft elevation) mile hike up toward Mt. Rainier. We were fortunate to have a great view all the way up to about the 7000ft height before returning. We could almost reach out and touch Nisqually Glacier we were so close. Boy we're we bushed when we got back for breakfast which Katherine, Sarah, and Eric had ready for everyone (Mountain Breakfast Burritos). Pastor Tim shared from a couple Proverbs and some Psalms which were a nice inspiration for the day.

Just before lunch we all loaded up to head out for another hike starting at Narada Falls, which ended up being somewhat over 5 miles with some real nice e levation in it. We stopped part way through at Reflection Lake and ate lunch. Along the way we saw a fox and took some pictures. We headed out after a wonderful spaghetti dinner arriving home to unload, take showers and prepare for Sunday morning.The two of us got up early to drive up to the Arlington area for services at Burn Road Bible Church. Pastor Doug took the group through a portion of their Doctrinal Statement for Sunday School and Bob preached a topical message, "Finding Delight in the Word of God" from Psalm 119. Afterwards we went to Doug and Rene's home for a delicious lunch and then headed home in the late afternoon. All in all it was a long, but great fulfilled weekend.

NICE/IFCA Annual Picnic

2009-08-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Beautiful weather, great friends, good food and wonderful time of sharing made for another annual picnic at Earl & Shirley Brubakers. They always host us with a beautiful, wooded landscape surrounded by high rise apartments in Tacoma - spittin' distance from the Tacoma Mall. The NICE Board met earlier in the morning to interview Randy and Angela Koch. They will be working with Eric & Jennifer Nyborg at the Antioch Bible Church in Beaverton.

The kids had a wonderful time romping around, playing on the trampoline and enjoying the gold fish in the pond. Bob led us in a time of sharing any plans for the fall, what God has done over the last few months and any prayer requests. After a time of prayer Earl, Director of NICE introduced the Koch's as new missionaries with NICE and handed out some NICE travel mugs to any missionaries who hadn't received any yet. God gave us a beautiful day of calm weather with a gentle breeze to enjoy ourselves.

Idaho Trip & West Memorial

2009-08-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

On the weekend of July 24-26th we (Bob, Katherine & our daughter Sarah Joy) headed to the Sun Valley area for a wedding. A pastor friend of ours had a daughter getting married who is also a friend of Sarah's. It was a great wedding even though it was warm. They say Sun Valley hasn't really experienced much sun these days as they've had lots of rain. What a change! On the Sunday we were there Bob preached at Larkin Memorial Community Church in Carey, Idaho. This is a predominantly Mormon town with LMCC being the only other church; one building down from the LDS church none-the-less. And with a last name of "Kimball" the pastor gets many questions. Yes, he is distantly related to Spencer Kimball, past president of the LDS. While it was a short weekend it was a pleasant time. On August 6th, the two of us made another trip to Idaho spending five days on the road visiting different ones along the way. We started out early Thursday morning dropping by Noel & Lorraine Olsens home in Gleed then ending up in Yakima for lunch at a local restaurant. We drove on to Nampa, Idaho arriving at Leroy & Carole Reddings home for a late dinner and overnight stay. The Reddings served a short time as Associate Pastor at Bonney Lake Community Church. They are great hosts and we had an enjoyable time of fellowship. Friday morning we packed back in the car and headed to the Sun Valley area. We made a stop in Fairfield, Idaho to visit our friends, Chuck and Fay Butler who pastor the Community church there. After a time of visiting we decided to grab a bite to eat at the local cafe and then headed to the church and visited some more. We're glad things are going well for Chuck who has recently had eye surgery. Friday night we arrived in time for dinner in the Wood River Valley at our friends, Dan & Mary Shoemaker who we also stayed with for the weekend. Saturday was a slow start to the day but eventually we meandered over to the Hansen's house, another friend of ours, for lunch and fellowship. Saturday night found the Shoemaker's and us in Bellevue for a bite to eat and then home to review & print the Sunday morning message. Sunday am came quick and off we went to Sunday School, which after we arrive with just a couple people, we discovered it had been canceled. Oh well, we had a good time talking with those who came. Bob preached to a full house which was great to see. A number of people from various churches, for various reasons, have been attending Calvary Bible. Bob shared from Hebrews 12:1-3 on Focusing on the Right Perspective in the Course of Life concentrating on the theme "Faith initiates responsible action by concentrating on Christ in the Christian race." He shared the need for three responsibilities: Responsibility of Laying Aside Various Hindrances, Responsibility of Running with Endurance and Responsibility of Concentrating on Christ. It was great to see the new Sanctuary that has been framed and now ready to finish off the interior. God has been gracious to CBC and they continue to trust God for the final financial resources to finish the Sanctuary.

Sunday after we headed back to Fairfield where we visiting some more friends, the Browns. We had a great chicken dinner with Apple pie & Ice Cream (one of Bob's favorites). We stayed the night and headed out Monday morning for home which was about an eleven hour trip. All in all Katherine handled the trip well as she is recovering greatly from her surgery.

On Tuesday morning Bob headed to Carson, Washington with Earl & Shirley Brubaker, Executive Director of Northwest Independent Church Extension, for a Memorial Service for Florence West. Katherine was unable to come due to a prior commitment with Andrew and his upcoming job. Florence and her husband Bill have served with N.I.C.E. for a number of years. Her son David, pastor of Carson Bible Church did a fantastic job, as did many other members of the family, in honoring their mother and faithful saint.

IFCA Church Extension Conference & Convention Kalamazoo

2009-06-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

"Yes, there really is a Kalamazoo" is a slogan you often see in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This is where we had our recent IFCA Church Extension Conference and Convention all last week. We began last Saturday, June 20th for our CE Conference at the Oakwood Bible Church about 15 minutes from the Radisson Hotel where we were staying. For those thinking we just struck it rich, we didn't. The IFCA always gets a great break on these higher class hotels where we can all be together for meals and meetings. The Church Extension Conference is an opportunity for Church Planters & Leadership to join for fellowship, challenge in the Word and updates by various Mission Agencies throughout the country. Our main speaker this year was Steve Wilt, President of Fellowship International Mission which assists local churches and missionaries to carry their ministries effectively. Our theme was "Be Encouraged." It is always a refreshing time to see what God is doing around the country in planting churches, revitalizing the struggling churches and encouraging the strong churches.
The IFCA Convention was held this year at the Raddison in downtown Kalamazoo. Due to a recent rain storm the main dining room was flooded so we had to eat in a couple different rooms throughout the week. Our main session opened Monday night with Dr. Les Loftquist, Executive Director, challenging us from Scripture on being sent to the world to proclaim the gospel. This is in correlation with our theme which is "Vision World." The purpose of Vision World is to enlist 100 churches in 2009 to pray intentionally that God would raise up international vocational missionary church planters from their number, resulting in identifying 100 new international workers from IFCA churches by June 2011. The main speaker this year was Dr. Robert Alderman, Minister-at-Large, and former pastor of Shenandoah Baptist Church in Roanoke, Virginia. We had a number of seminars we could attend, Ladies meetings, Men's Business meetings and fellowship times.

Bob was on the Nominating Committee again this year. The only difference was he was a nominee for a position on the Board of Directors; his name being one of the final six names. Unfortunately they only needed three and Bob wasn't one of them. However, our Executive Director of Northwest Independent Church Extension, Earl Brubaker was voted in this year as the President of IFCA International (he's the one smiling - or is it shock)? We're confident Earl will make a great President as he has a lot of wisdom, discernment and heart for God's leading in the IFCA. Next year's Convention is scheduled for Springfield, Illinois which was the stomping grounds of Abraham Lincoln.

Wenatchee Valley Bible Church & Stark's Visit

2009-06-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

What a glorious and beautiful day for driving on Sunday morning for Central Washington. But then Katherine might say Bob would have no idea as he slept a good portion of the way. That was partly due to allergy medications and lack of sleep the night before. We arrived in Wenatchee about 10:00am and proceeded to our typical hangout - Starbucks, then over to Dan & Donna Bong who pastor Wenatchee Valley Bible Church. Services began in their home at 10:45am with Pastor Dan leading us in song. We had some announcements, reading & opening prayer by one of the young men in church and praise time with prayer requests. Bob was the main speaker for the morning and typically does a "sermon from the seat" message. There were about 9 adults and 2 children. Bob spoke from Daniel 3:16-18 on "Faithfulness in Times of Pressures to Do Wrong" from the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He concentrated on three marks: 1) The Mark of Unwavering Determination; by not giving into wrong even when it isn't popular, 2) The Mark of Unwavering Confidence; knowing God has the ability to deliver, but recognizing His plan might be different, and 3) The Mark of Unwavering Allegiance; understanding clearly what God's Word says and determining to do right regardless of the consequences. Following the service we had a wonderful time around the table eating a great pot roast meal provided by Katherine. Mike Jones, Child Evangelism Director and board member of WVBC joined us. At 2:30pm we had our WVBC Board meeting with discussion and prayer for the church and God's blessings in reaching the few ethnic folks in this ministry. We are truly thankful for Dan and Donna Bong ministering for God's glory. About 4:00pm we had dinner with our missionaries from the church at Rock Island Community Church. What a blessing Dennis & Lori Stark continue to be at their ministry. God continues to bless with a growing attendance. They are planning a Marriage Seminar this coming weekend using the Love and Respect Series. They are hoping for 10 couples. We continue to pray for Dennis who will be having a number of shots in his back for the pain.

Faith Bible Church Leadership/DuPont Bible Study

2009-06-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday evening we had our monthly leadership meeting for Faith Bible Church. Bob sits on the team along with Dr. Roy Sprague, Minister at Large with N.I.C.E. and Chris VanLiew of Edgewood Bible Church. The other men are all involved in Faith Bible. The goal is to someday establish Elders from among the congregation. Pastor Tim Atkins leads us in a time in God's Word, prayer and discussion concerning aspects of ministry life, vision, goals, etc. of FBC. We always start with a delicious meal often created by Brenda Atikins and dessert provided by Elvia Sprague. Once the meeting begins the ladies head out for their Bible study at one of the women's house close by while the kids head up stairs to their rooms. We appreciate the ministry of the Atkins and ask for prayer as they continue to move forward in this church plant to reach the people of South Hill and Graham.

On another front, we were at the DuPont Bible Study Wednesday night for the second week in a row. A bit unusual for us but the calendar seems a bit more cooperative these days at the midweek point. Pastor Tim Atkins is leading us through the Gospel of John, but we always start with a couple songs; Brenda Atkins playing at the keyboard. There is a group of about a dozen or so that attend; although one of the faithful couples had their last night as they are getting more involved in the church they are attending in Olympia.

The goal is to turn the Bible study over to our new Church Planter, Mark and Tracy Wilson, once they move up from California in the late Fall. Mark will be working with Pastor Tim in a Church Residency Program for a year or so learning many aspects of Church Planting and giving help to Faith Bible Church. We are praying for a number of churches to help financially with the church plant and/or give assistance in a number of areas in the months ahead.

Wishkah Valley Community Church/Wagner Visit

2009-06-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Early morning coffee was the routine as we headed out Sunday morning for Wishkah Valley Community Church about 20 minutes north of Aberdeen. Of course the quiet hour of the morning is good for prayer together and chatting about family and ministry. Arriving in Aberdeen about 8:45am gave us the opportunity to stop for a "real" cup of coffee at Starbucks. After a short break we headed up to Wishkah for the 9:45am Worship Service; the first Sunday for the new summer schedule. It was great to see many familiar faces and greet some new folks. After a time of worship in song Pastor Jim led us in communion to celebrate the Lord's death, burial and resurrection. We sang a few more songs before Bob preached on "Living Holy & Godly in Light of the End Times" from 2 Peter 3:1-13. He stated seven facts raised by Peter and then spent some time on a major principle from verses 11-13, "Because the world will end in severe judgment by God, believers must live in such a way as to exemplify a holy and Godly life." He then developed two primary applications on Holy Conduct and Godliness.

Following the service time we viewed the newly finished Multi-Purpose Building which is lovely. It has a library, a few classrooms, bathrooms, kitchenette and a small multi-purpose area. We spent a couple minutes talking with Pastor Jim before heading out to lunch with a couple in the church. He needed to be at a funeral he was conducting in the afternoon and a baccalaureate at night so they were unable to host us this time.

On our way through Olympia we stopped at Denny's to meet John and Judy Wagner, retired missionaries with N.I.C.E. We had a great visit and enjoyed getting updated on what they are doing. They were a great asset for many years to George and Rita Williams and the Forks Bible Church. They have served in Alaska for many years and enjoy a trip now and then back to Fairbanks to visit their son and family who pastor a church and give oversight to a Christian school.

Then it was off to Faith Bible Church for their evening service at the Silver Creek Retirement Center and a time of fellowship and food at the Atikins home following.

Browning Wedding/Loomis C.C. Dedication

2009-06-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend was another special time in our travels. Bob had the opportunity of conducting a wedding at Keyport Bible Church, along with Pastor Mike Chinn. Curt Browning was the Groom and Marilyn Curcio was the Bride. This was especially a blessing because Curt was one of Bob's Sunday School teachers growing up, as well as an elder while we pastored at Keyport Bible Church for many years. Bob and Curt have grown to have a special friendship over the years through various day hikes in the Olympic mountains, chats in the Pastor's Study, emails and still to this day they meet for breakfast whenever they get a chance. Rehearsal was Friday night with a small wedding party and a Saturday afternoon wedding in the main Sanctuary at 2pm and reception in the Multi-Purpose Building. It was also nice to visit with many of the folks we've known over the years.

Over the years Katherine has enjoyed being involved in the children's lives of various churches. Keyport Bible Church was one places she was adopted as "mom" by the Olsen daughters, Metasha and Melissa (Melissa is pictured on the right above).

Following the wedding we headed to Bainbridge Island and got on the Ferry for Seattle for our trip to Loomis. It was a beautiful day for a ferry ride, which Bob had given to Katherine as part of her birthday present. It has been a long time since we've had this type of opportunity.

We arrived in Loomis about 10:30pm and stayed with Pastor Vern and Ann, who were gracious enough to wait up for us. After spending some time in fellowship we all retired to bed knowing the Lord's Day would come soon with a full day.

After breakfast the next day we headed over for Sunday School. Loomis Community Church continues each Sunday with an Opening for all classes, which is something you don't find in many churches these days. Pastor Vern teaches the Adult Class and is currently working through Dispensationalism, Covenant/Reformed Theology and Hyper-Dispensationalism. It was a good class discussing various aspects of Covenant Theology and the distinction between Israel and the Church and the fact that God will bring Israel back into the land God promised in the future.

This was a momentous occasion for Loomis Community Church as they celebrated the addition of their new Sanctuary. What used to be the old Sanctuary is now the Foyer with a small library, a couple small tables and sink/counter top, plus room now to visit and fellowship (the addition is right of the steeple). Five of the older men were involved in the main process of building the church addition (pictured on the right below). There was a few moments to share a little gift with the men in appreciation.

We are pictured here with some of the folks who were part of the original church back in 1954, that met in a local school building (the gal below on the left in the back row was the wife of a former pastor). The Worship Service was longer than normal with various singing special's, testimonies and stories. Before preaching, Bob was asked by the church folks to honor, with some gifts, the Pastor and Board members for their guidance and spiritual help.

He then preached out of Nehemiah 12 and the Rebuilding of the Walls of Jerusalem. His topic was "From Joyful Celebration to Faithful Ministry." He concentrated on four characteristics of dedication in the Lord's work which involves: An Act of Purification/Cleansing, A Time of Celebration, A Commitment to Ministry and A Submission of Obedience to the Word. He concluded as he started; that the dedication of the wall in Nehemiah's day had no meaning without the dedication of the people for God's glory. In reality, we dedicate ourselves first, and then we can rightly dedicate other things, such as church buildings & our homes for God's use.

We had beautiful weather, great fellowship, safety on the roads and time for plenty of conversation with each other. We continue to Praise God for the ministry of imparting our lives and God's Word to others.

Foster Silver Anniversary & Ministry to Deary Community Bible Church

2009-05-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had the privilege of participating in Tom and Linda Foster's 25th Wedding Anniversary in Deary, Idaho. Linda is Katherine's sister. It was a wonderful time of celebration with some family members and numerous folks from the church. Katherine helped out with the decorations along with her mother and niece Naphtali. Katherine and Naphtali had planned out a number of things through email and phone prior to the big event. Bob put the slide show together. Bob, Andrew and some others helped to set up tables and chairs.

On Sunday we went to Deary Community Bible Church, starting with Sunday School taught by a former missionary who is helping the church out as they are without a pastor at this point. Bob gave the message from Philippians 4. Following church we enjoyed a barbecue lunch celebrating Tom's 49th birthday. About 3:30pm we loaded up and headed home arriving around 9:30pm. Our prayers are with Deary Community Bible Church, about 30 minutes outside of Moscow, Idaho, as they seek a pastor for their church. We were just part of their new building dedication a number of months back. It is a great facility that is being used for the glory of God.

EBC Bible Conference

2009-05-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

Edgewood Bible Church had their annual Bible Conference Sunday morning through Wednesday evening. We were only able to participate Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. The featured speaker was Dr. Paul Benware who is on faculty at Southwestern College in Phoenix, Arizona. Before that he was on staff at what was then called Los Angeles Baptist College, now Master's College and also Moody Bible Institute and Philadelphia Biblical University.

Dr. Benware is author of seven books and surveys of both the Old and New Testament. Recently he published a commentary on Daniel. His series this past week was titled, "Experiencing God - or Maybe Not" dealing with the Emergent Church, Contemplative Prayer and Prophetical areas; including "The Church Is Not Israel." We appreciated the challenge from God's Word related to our Christian lives as we anticipate the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. On Tuesday evening Dr. Benware spoke on "The Believer's Coming Payday" in which he preached about the "Bema Seat" Judgment of rewards for the believer. On Wednesday evening he began by answering a number of questions from the congregation and then spoke on the Day of the Lord, specifically in the area of the Tribulation.

Grace Brethren Ladies Retreat & Bellingham Ordination

2009-05-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Katherine had the wonderful privilege of being the speaker in Mabton, Washington at a Ladies Retreat for the Grace Brethren Church. The pastor and his wife were on staff at Grace Community Church a number of years ago. One day he felt God calling them to be involved in a small community somewhere and the door opened in the small town of Mabton in the Tri-Cities of Washington. Katherine stayed with an older couple who owned a farm house with a large wheat farm.

The theme of the retreat was Growing in God's Fragrant Beauty from 2 Peter 3:18 & Ephesians 5:2. Katherine chose as her topics: "Growing in Grace & Knowledge" which dealt with growing in awareness of God's blessings in our lives beginning with salvation, as well as in the knowledge of God through God's Word and prayer. From Ephesians 5:2 she shared on "Walking in a Christ-like Love" in which she dealt with loving in sacrificial ways. She also spent time talking about the subject of forgiveness and our responsibility according to God's Word. Many of the women were moved by her teaching as they felt the Lord dealing with their hearts in a number of areas.

The ladies did a great job of decorating in a Victorian theme and providing delightful meals as well as fun crafts. Even though the crafts were simple Katherine tends to be "craft-challenged" but found it a good time anyway.

The drive home was NOT uneventful but reminded her of God's protection as she made the three and one half hour trip. She went from 70 to an immediate stop to avoid a herd of elk (twice), backing up vehicles behind her. She was truly thankful for God's grace and care.

This past Monday Bob had the privilege of being a member of an Ordination Council for the Assistant Pastor of Evergreen Community Church in Ferndale just outside of Bellingham. He rode up and back with Earl Brubaker, Executive Director of N.I.C.E. and former director Dr. Roy Sprague; both of whom were also on the Council. Steve Finkbonner has been involved with ECC for about 17 years and had been preparing for his ordination for a couple years. About 10 men participated in the questioning time. We began with lunch provided by the church and then a hymn and prayer. Then Pastor Steve Vanvleck addressed the steps leading up to the Ordination. Once a moderator was chosen (Earl) and a clerk (Pastor Steve) the examination began.
There was an oral examination period consisting of Steve's Christian experience and Ordination Standards: call to ministry, training, reasons for seeking ordination, and personal qualifications for spiritual leadership. This led to the primary Oral examination where we had time to ask Steve about his doctrinal statement and questions related to various areas of doctrine. Following this was a time of examination of church history and polity with more questions. After a short break there was a time for a couple men, who had reviewed the written documents ahead of time, to share about the Doctrinal statement, Exegetical study and Sermon manuscript.

We finished the Council time with discussion among ourselves indicating areas to share with Steve that he needs to fine tune in doctrine and current issues. The advice was then to recommend to Evergreen Community Church to ordain Steve Finkbonner. We all gathered around Steve and closed in a prayer of dedication. for him.

Anchor of Hope Fellowship/Goshen Community Church

2009-05-04T10:25:00.001-07:00

Anchor of Hope Fellowship began a few years back in Ferndale, just outside of Bellingham. Larry & Jeanette Larson give leadership to the church which now meets in the VFW Hall in a beautiful country setting south of Lynden. Katherine had the opportunity to share God's Word and fellowship with the ladies at a retreat that met at the Cedar Springs Campground. Katherine shared three lessons: "A Life that Qualifies" from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, "Obedience: No Excuses" from 1 Samuel 15, and "Finishing Well" from Daniel 6 & 2 Timothy 4. While Katherine and Jeanette attended the retreat, Bob & Larry spent time together encouraging one another. They had dinner in Lynden Friday night chatting about ministry and then spent the evening watching the Mariner's ballgame. Saturday morning was breakfast at IHOP and then a golf outing with a couple men in the church at a Par 3, nine hole course not far from Larry's house. While there were a few sprinkles of rain, the weather held and it was a good time of fellowship on the course. After dinner on Saturday night, we enjoyed talking more about ministry and family with Larry and Jeanette. On Sunday morning we headed out to church where Bob preached a message on Philippians 4:4-9, "Three Cures for the Disease of Anxieties in Life." First, The Disease of Anxieties is Treated by "Developing a Consistent Spirit of Joy"; second, by "Practicing the Goal of Praying Thankfully" and third, by "Cultivating the Mind to Think Biblically." He had a fourth point but knew he wouldn't get through it in time. Pastor Larry ended the service with a time in communion. Following a time of fellowship after the service, eight of us headed to Applebee's for lunch. Then we drove up the road to the Woods Coffee shop to meet with our missionary couple from Goshen Community Church, Bill & Sharilyn Peter's. We viewed pictures of both our grandchildren and discussed various aspects of family situations and how ministry is going. Bob will be speaking at Goshen in July while the Peter's head to New York to celebrate their 30th Wedding Anniversary and visit with relatives. While it was a long weekend it was definitely profitable and enjoyable.

N.I.C.E. Director's Retreat

2009-04-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

Our annual Director's Retreat took place this past week Monday-Wednesday in beautiful Sun River, Oregon. The Mission (NICE) rented a five-bedroom home for all of us that gave us the privilege of all being together. Our Director's wife, Shirley planned the meals and the other ladies helped her out with preparation and table setting. Maria Cordova wasn't able to make it but Jesus, our Hispanic Director was able to come. Earl & Shirley Brubaker (Executive Director) led our discussions. Others who attended were our Inland Northwest Field Director Roger & Karen Hayden, Oregon Field Director Jerry & Lois James, and Katherine along with myself. We were so glad Jerry was able to make it after his previous stroke. He is doing remarkably well! We also missed Larry & Linda Ott, our former Assistant Director who now lives in Sequim, Washington.

The weather was interesting as it snowed most the time but occasional rain also. Shirley commented that she should have brought a Christmas tree to decorate the place for the flurry of snow we evidenced.

Monday night we began with a fabulous Lasagna dinner. Earl then led us in a discussion of prayer requests for our NICE family in specific fields of ministry. After some time in discussion and prayer we had a time of fellowship of ice cream and goodies.

Tuesday morning following breakfast we discussed Progressive Dispensationalism and those within the IFCA that may be leaning that direction as opposed to Classic Dispensationalism, Calvinism and recent amendments to our Statement of Faith. Then we had a break for lunch and then free time for a few hours. A few of the gals headed out to visit the shops down by the Sun River Lodge. The guys worked on their computers, read and took a nap.

When we came back together in the late afternoon we spent some time discussing "Vision America" mainly concentrating on the uniqueness, similarities and differences of "Internships" and "Church Residency" programs; the former dealing mainly with under-graduates and catering to a broader scope of ministry while the latter deals with graduate level men specifically designed for church planting & training under a church planter.

After a wonderful ham and baked potato dinner we met in the living room again and spent some time discussing parts of "From Embers to a Flame: How God Can Revitalize Your Church." Along with this we discussed planting churches and serving churches. Earl also gave us some update in administrative changes and challenges without the Ott's in the office. We spent a short time looking at the N.I.C.E. Website updating areas and asking about changes or additions that might need done. The retreat was a great time of fellowship and discussion as usual.

One the way home Katherine and I stopped at Calamity Jane's in Sandy, Oregon to split a "big" hamburger. We were the only ones in this 1930's building. The economy has really hit them hard. We also drove around Napavine and downtown Chahalis and Centralia to get a physical view of churches. This is another area we are looking at starting a Bible study with the goal of a Bible church some day. Then on our way home we stopped by DuPont to participate in the Bible study in John's Gospel, taught by Pastor Timothy Atkins. What a blessed time to see the folks sharing and asking questions. We only got through two verses in John 17 but it was a rich time of learning.

Bong Wedding & Loomis Community Church

2009-04-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

Wedding bells rang in Wenatchee this weekend as we attended Missionary Dan & Donna Bong's youngest daughter's wedding. Grant & Ashley returned vows at the Eastmont Baptist Church on the East side of Wenatchee Saturday evening.

It was a nice wedding with Pastor Dan (dad) escorting his daughter to the front and then giving the prayer of dedication. The pastor from Eastmont gave a short encouraging talk and then the couple shared vows and rings. Follow the ceremony was a reception in the entry way. We headed afterwards to our hotel to relax. Katherine ended up not feeling well so Bob headed out to roam Wenatchee until he found a Dominoes Pizza and brought dinner back to the room. As a little side note we got two pizza's for the price of one so we shared part of one and put the other in the little motel freezer and the rest of the other in the fridge.

On Sunday morning we headed out for Loomis Community Church about 6:30am and about half way up Katherine mentioned, "We forgot the Pizza in the freezer." This was supposed to be dinner on the way home Sunday night - oh well.

We had a great time a Loomis. The Adult Sunday School class ended up doing a partial dvd on Islam. During the Morning Service, a missionary couple from southern Mexico with Wycliffe, shared from the Word and their ministry. Afterwards we all enjoyed a nice potluck. An added blessing was another local church that joined us for the dinner and even sang a couple songs.

Bob will be speaking at the church on May 31st for their new Building Dedication. We always enjoy revisiting with the folks as they are dear to us. It was almost 7 years ago we stepped in as a "new" Field Director to help the church in finding a pastor.

On the way home we stopped for a hamburger just outside of Wenatchee. This must have been our time for food trouble because two couples after us got theirs first. After Bob finally asked about our order they discovered they lost the ticket so it wasn't even cooking yet. But we eventually got the order and devoured it on a beautiful, sunny evening.

One thing we did on our way over and back was to read eight chapters of the book, "Embers to a Flame: How God Can Revitalize Your Church." Bob read while Katherine drove. This is a book that we will be discussing at our Director's Retreat next week. Bob also wants to take the Elders at our home church through it as a training tool.

DuPont Church Planter Candidates

2009-04-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

Closer to the Goal? Perhaps the Lord is allowing us to see the DuPont Church Plant become a reality after all these years. A few weeks ago Pastor Tim Atkins and myself spent a couple hours interviewing Mark & Tracy Wilson for the Church

Residency Program for the Church Planter in DuPont. We invited them to fly up for a week from California where Mark is attending Seminary and teaching College. They arrived last Friday hitting the ground running. Since they both have family in the area this has been an added blessing for them. They are staying with the Atkins on South Hill which gives them time to chat and fellowship about church planting. Saturday was a busy day as Mark shared God's Word at the Men's Breakfast for Faith Bible Church and then they headed out to DuPont to see the area and do some canvasing. On Sunday morning Katherine and I attended Faith Bible Church Worship Service where the Wilson's were introduced to the group and Mark gave a greeting and read Scripture. Pastor Tim finished preaching through the book of Philippians. We shared time in Sunday School in prayer and a survey of James. Following the service we met at the Atkins home for lunch and had more time to visit with Mark and Tracy; whom by the way both grew up in Western Washington. Sunday night we met at the Silver Creek Retirement Center for a time of singing and sharing. Katherine and I were invited to do a duet so we sang "In the Sweet By & By." After a short introduction by Pastor Tim, Mark Wilson preached from Jeremiah 28, "Discerning True Hope in Deceptive Days." He shared from the passage that we need to Consider the Source: Who the Prophet Is and What He Is Saying (vs1-4); Apply the Scriptures by: Responding Wisely, Recounting Prophecy, and Reacting Appropriately (vs5-11); and Trust the Lord to : Preserve His Promises, Protect His People and Punish False Prophets (vs12-17). On Tuesday night Mark & Tracy will be meeting with the Leadership Committee of Faith Bible Church for a time of dinner and interview. This will be an opportunity for the men to get to know them better and ask questions, etc. Wednesday morning we will meet the Wilson's at the N.I.C.E. Headquarter Office in University Place and have them greet our Executive Director and wife, Earl & Shirley Brubaker. Then we will have lunch together somewhere close by. In the evening we will gather in DuPont for the Bible Study where Wilson's will be introduced and have an opportunity to formally see the progress of the church plant in action. All in all it will be a long week for them with very little relaxing time. They have got to spend some time with family which is good. Keep praying for the Lord's direction for the Wilson's and those of us in leadership as we move forward and watch God bring about His purpose for the ministry in DuPont.

Shelton Bible Church Ministry

2009-04-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we had the opportunity to spend some time with the folks at Shelton Bible Church. They are not a big cChurch and over the almost four years of existence they have struggled with attendance. The group was small on Sunday but a good spirit.

They meet in the Funeral Chapel which is a beautiful bright building. Most people would hardly think it a Chapel for funerals. Since it was a small group we met in the back around tables singing hymns, choruses, a time of sharing praise and prayer requests and message.
Don Wantland, one of our NICE Missionary pastors shared the Word from 2 Thessalonians 2. His wife Jody was also with us. Don introduced the chapter by reminding us of the pressures and sufferings we will have as Christians in light of the fact of Christ's soon return. Following a short time of fellowship after the message, most of us headed to downtown Shelton for lunch at "Blondies." It was interesting to discover that one of the elderly ladies had done some sky diving up the road where Katherine did her jump.

They had a good time swapping their "leap-in-the-air" stories. Pray along with us please for Shelton Bible Church and God's will for them in the community.

IFCA Regional

2009-03-26T00:49:00.000-07:00

Our bi-annual Pastors/Leaders Conference of the Pacific Northwest Regional took place this past Monday-Wednesday at Keizer Community Church just outside of Salem, Oregon. Our keynote speaker was Dr. Art Azurdia, from Western Seminary. His topic may sound a bit unusual, especially when addressing a room full of preachers; "A Clarion Call to a Worldly Christianity." Sounds like a oxymoron doesn't it? Actually, Dr. Azurdia did a great exposition of John 17:17-19 and reminding us of engaging the culture around us without compromising our biblical standards. As Jesus was sent into the world by His Father, so we too have been commissioned with the same assignment. His second, third and fourth messages, along with a Question and Answer time, can be downloaded from the website, www.eternaltruthworldwide.com.

We always have a great time of fellowship and renewing acquaintances. The folks of Keizer Community Church fed us well and provided for our needs. The ladies had some separate meetings concentrating on the theme, "Ministering with Compassion" while the men had their business and prayer sessions.

Bob had the opportunity of doing a workshop seminar with the Oregon Church Planter on "Getting Involved In Vision America." Bob started the session off by addressing the Purpose and Goal of Vision America. Eric shared about the need for pastors and churches to be involved in Vision America and Church Planting in Washington and Oregon. We had some good questions and discussion with those who attended. We were all challenged with the need to pray for God's moving in the Northwest.

We also had the privilege of attending a special prayer time, led by Pastor Tim Atkins (he took the picture of Dr. Azurdia above) for Vision America and Church Planting. The goal of IFCA International is to have 100 sponsoring churches involved in planting churches across our country. We have a long way to go yet but God is moving in hearts.
Our next Regional is scheduled for October 5,6,7 at Faith Community Bible Church in Bremerton, Washington with four of our own men sharing from Philippians on the theme, "Preaching the Word."

BLCC Leader's Retreat

2009-03-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

Skeet shooting, rain, & fellowship helped get us prepared for our first annual Leaders Retreat with the new Board of Bonney Lake Community Church. Jeff and I didn't do too bad considering years of not shooting. About 2pm last Friday afternoon the two Pastors; Jeff and Anthony and two Elders; Tim and myself, headed out for Packwood, Washington and the McCoy family six-acre property with a nice big field, creek and plenty of woods. We had some encouraging and uplifting chats in Jeff's VW as we meandered through the back route to Eatonville, Morton and Packwood.

Friday night began with unpacking, getting a fire going and casual fellowship entailing a trip across the creek ending up at the river. Eventually the rain moved us back indoors where we had a wonderful "Tritip & Baked Potato" dinner fixed by Tim. As we sat around the fire, Jeff proposed a question for us to consider, "If we could write some history related to the four of us meeting this weekend, what would it look like in 10 years?" He shared his thought and challenged us to consider our thoughts for the next day. We then spent time seeking God for His direction for the weekend and lifted up a number of folks in prayer.

Saturday morning consisted of a great waffle breakfast, recipe from Anna McCoy's grandmother, then a hatchet throwing contest (Anthony won) and a hike to a waterfall with encouraging chats along the way. After lunch we concentrated on Jeff's question with the men sharing ideas. One of the main thought that flowed from our discussion is the need for Prayer and God's Word to be a priority in our lives and the folks of Bonney Lake Community Church. We set down some goals and steps for accomplishing this. Bob eventually shared some thoughts on Core Values and Vital Signs/Distinctives for us to consider. We are planning to spend more time on this in the future. Just before leaving we celebrated a short time of communion.

Women's Conference

2009-03-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Katherine was one of three speakers recently involving a number of gals from Hillside Community Church in Enumclaw. They met Friday night through Saturday late afternoon. Katherine began the conference as the opening speaker addressing the subject of "Christ: Our Enduring Hope." She started by defining what hope is, some history from the key verse: Jeremiah 29:11 and then talked about "Where Does Our Hope Come From?", "Who Do We Place Our Hope & Trust In?", "False Hopes", "Hope Stealers" and "Ways to Restore Our Hope." There was plenty of singing, small group discussions and fellowship around tables with goodies. It was a beneficial time of encouragement for all the ladies.

Shepherd's Conference

2009-03-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

This past week Bob had the opportunity to attend the Shepherd's Conference in Los Angeles, California. It was a good time of being challenged in the Word through main speakers and seminars. Bob stayed with his former intern from the Sun Valley , Idaho and his family. The Basolo's were great hosts even amidst a hectic schedule of a mid-week Memorial Service, attending the Conference and preparations for Sunday services. Scott is the pastor of Santa Clarita Baptist Church, not far from The Master's College. Pastor Ron Brown and Dr. David Verst from Calvary Bible Church in Hailey stayed and attended the Conference also. As tradition, the Shepherd's Conference gave the men a number of free books along with a gift card for the bookstore. It is always fun transporting them back home.

Pastor Tim Atkins and four of his men came to the Conference also. Bob and Tim interviewed a couple for the position of Church Planter for DuPont. It was a two and a half hour meeting that went well and all parties seemed encouraged. The couple may be coming up for a week during Easter to participate in some events and see the area. Bob split his time between the Faith Bible men and the Sun Valley men. What a wonderful time of fellowship with both. The theme of the Conference concentrated mainly on the need for solid, expository preaching; one highlight being a question and answer time with Dr. John MacArthur.

All the Keynote Speakers gave exhorting messages. Perhaps the one that continues to stir in my mind was from Dr. Al Mohler on the Authority of Preaching. The other highlight in preaching was the challenge by Dr. Steve Lawson from Galatians 1:6-10 and his hard hitting directive on the preaching of another gospel heralded across our country today as noted by Paul's Amazement, Paul's Adversaries, Paul's Anathema, and Paul's Aim. Wow! Heads are still spinning from the impact of this message.

Katherine flew down to Burbank on Saturday using some frequent flier miles. We spent the weekend with the Basolo's celebrating our 28th Anniversary on Saturday and then attended Santa Clarita Baptist Church. This was a wonderful time of fellowship and teaching in the Word. What an excitement for us to see Scott, Karyn, and their two boys ministering in the church. Scott is a gifted teacher and preacher. Karyn has a wonderful gift of hospitality and her warm personality sheds light everywhere. What a delight to see God's work in their lives. Pastor Scott shared from Colossians 1:14-15 on "Your 4-Fold Life; Four Divine Decrees that Finalize Your Life." They are "You Were Forgiven, Your Debt Was Canceled, Your Sin Was Nailed to the Cross and Your Accuser Is Disposed." What an amazing amount of depth to the text and application to life. All in all it was a wonderful week and weekend being stimulated in obedience to the Word and delight in fellowshipping with God's people.

EBC Mission's Conference Highlights

2009-03-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

Edgewood Bible Church held their annual Mission's Conference this past week. It is always a delight to be involved in the Conference. We always bring a display in which to share with the folks the ministry of our Field and N.I.C.E. The Conference began on Wednesday night with Pastor Tim Atkins, one of our Missionary Pastors, sharing the Word from 2 Timothy 1:8-10 on "Suffering for the Gospel According to the Power of God." The Conference began with an introduction of all the Missionaries that were present for the meetings. On Thursday we were in home with a number of different families for a dessert and sharing of our ministry. Friday night began with an all Church/Missionary dinner and the main session with Rev. Vincent Price; International Director for European Christian Mission. Saturday was the Men's Breakfast and Ladies Lunch followed in the evening with a meal in different home and sharing our ministry with another few families, then another main session at the church. We were the Featured Missionaries for the evening so we shared about our ministry via a DVD and some reporting. Then Rev. Vincent Price challenged us with the Word once again. On Sunday each Missionary had the opportunity to be in Sunday School classes; we attended the 5th & 6th grade class and shared a few aspect of ministry along with information about Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The Worship service followed with our main speaker. We then ate another meal in a different home which was another opportunity to visit and fellowship with two couples. In the Evening Service all the missionaries shared prayer requests and then the "famous" Missionary Choir sang "I Love To Tell the Story." It was then our privilege to join the Children's Conference where we showed slides of our ministry time in Alaska (the kids were anxious to hear an update and see pictures). After heading back to the main session to hear the final words of Rev. Price, we finished the Conference with communion and time at our display. What a privilege to be a part of Edgewood Bible Church's Missionary Conference; a time we look forward to each year. It is always exciting to hear how God is working in the hearts of people both at home and abroad.

Marblemount Chapel

2009-02-23T12:53:00.001-08:00

On Saturday afternoon I was speaking with the wife (Betty) of one of our Missionary Pastor's (Bob Dillard). He had had a stroke the precious day or two before and was in the hospital. The reality was he would not be preaching on Sunday so as I talked with her I volunteered for us to come up and fill the pulpit if they needed someone. She thought that was a great idea and invited us to come and stay for the potluck afterwards. So we headed out early Sunday morning meandering up I-5 and then heading east through Burlington, Sedro Woolley, Concrete and arriving at Marblemount on the North Cascade Highway. Marblemount Chapel is an AMF (American Missionary Fellowship) ministry; formerly the American Sunday School Union.

We joined the small group of folks for Sunday School and since no one had prepared for a lesson we sang hymns most of the time. Then they turned the Worship Service time over to me and I preached from Colossians 1:9-12 on The Deliberated Priority of Prayer for Others. Following the service we enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship and great cooking. Then we headed down the road following Betty to the Skagit Valley Medical Hospital to visit Bob for a few moments. After a short visit we turned our direction toward home arriving about 4:30pm. We're praying that God gives Bob strength to continue his ministry as Pastor and ability to preach the Word in the days ahead.

Faith Bible Church & Silver Creek Retirement Center

2009-02-23T12:35:00.000-08:00

After arriving home for about an hour to visit with our daughter and son, we headed up to South Hill, Puyallup to be a part of Faith Bible Church's Evening Service at the Silver Creek Retirement Center. Pastor Tim Atkins led us in worship through singing various hymns. Then after a time of prayer, he continued his series of messages from the Psalms on the 96th Psalm.

It was a blessing to see a number of folks from Faith Bible Church and a number of the residents. We were challenged from Psalm 96 in the area of our worship in light of the fact that the King is coming again to judge the earth; Singing a New Song tot he Lord because He is our Great God, Giving the Offering to the Lord because He is our Holy King, and Rejoicing before the Lord because He is the Coming Judge. Following our time of worship many of us went to the Atkins home for a delicious meal, fellowship and time of reflecting on the morning and evening messages.

North to Alaska

2009-02-21T10:17:00.000-08:00

Dutch Harbor! Known better to most by the PBS production "Deadliest Catch" which ports out of DH, Unalaska. Unalaska is an island on the Aleutian Chain, approximately 800 miles southwest of Anchorge. Many remnants of World War II can still be seen on the island. A number of canneries still operate sending crab, polluck and a variety of other seafood around the world. You'll find no McDonald's, Burger King, Walmarts, Penny's or Macy's. A couple multi-purpose, or what we used to call "merchantile" type stores, provide necessary items. The internet helps tremendously for purchasing needed items not found on the island. A couple small restaurants dot the island for those times when you just don't want to cook a meal. A number of events keep the island a close community like music recitals, ball games at the local schools and Recreation Center, annual Soap Box Derby (the only course in the world with a turn), Roller Blade Hockey, etc. The docks keep busy with barges and ships coming and going. A couple times a year there are Cruise Ships that drop anchor for a short tour.

The weather can be windy and cold with snow in the winter (but not as cold or as bad as Anchorage & Fairbanks) and a few nice sunny days in the summer. A number of churches line the streets of Unalaska; Russian Orthodox, LDS, Bahai', Methodist, Catholic and a couple Evangelical churches (Aleutian Bible Church being one). For an island of around 4,000 there is still a desperate need for the gospel to be spread. Aleutian Bible Church joined the IFCA a couple years back and are seeking to be a Godly testimony to the island folks. They are without a pastor at this point, but praying diligently and hoping for God's provision. Many people ask when we're planning to go back up to Dutch Harbor. Only the Lord knows although we'd love to get back up to see the folks. They are a great encouragement and blessing of faithfulness and perseverance to us. Who knows, if schedules and details work out maybe we'll make it an adventure and pop up late summer using some of our frequent miles. We've never been there in the summer, so this would be a treat. Keep praying with us for the folks at Aleutian Bible Church.

DuPont Church Plant

2009-02-16T16:52:00.000-08:00

DuPont, Washington is a planned city snuggled alongside the I-5 corridor. It is growing rapidly with new businesses and housing. The population is expected to continue to do so over the next 10-15 years, and with only four churches established in the city limits, as Dr. Roy Sprague so eloquently states, “It is not a matter of if churches will be planted, but who will plant the churches.” Therefore, we are targeting, by God’s grace and leading, the fall of 2010 to see a new, independent Bible church started in DuPont. It seems the door is opening wider as we move forward to reach the people with the gospel of Christ in the DuPont area; in realizing the wider direction of the IFCA Vision America Church Planting efforts. We have termed the work in DuPont as Vision America South Sound. Our vision, purpose and goals are stated below:

VISION
To see a working cooperation of Pastors/Churches united toward the implementing of an independent, Biblically sound church in DuPont, Washington.

PURPOSE
To develop a new church work that reaches the growing population of DuPont with the Gospel of Christ. To be a part of the growing church plant ministries associated with IFCA Vision America.

GOALS

To identify the specific needs found within the community of DuPont.
To identify a key church contact to oversee and give help in the process of development.
To identify associate Church Partners that will minister as time and resources allow.
To identify a core Bible study group to be the foundation for the church plant.
To identify a Church Planter/Team who will eventually take over the work at DuPont.

Last October a Bible study began in the Forza Coffee shop with Pastor Tim Atkins of Faith Bible Church leading the study. The Bible study has since moved to the Liberty Inn Motel for more space and fellowship. A Church Planter Residency Program has been established with the potential goal of interviewing candidates for the position of Church Planter. We've already had three men respond to the initial information sent out. Bob and Pastor Tim have one man scheduled for an interview at the Shepherd's Conference the first of March.

Rock Island Community Church/Wenatchee Valley Bible Church

2009-02-16T13:36:00.000-08:00

In our recent travels this past weekend we had the privilege of enjoying a wonderful Valentine meal at Rock Island Community Church put on by the men. They did a great job and the women were impressed. About 50 people, plus a number of children in another room, gathered in the converted sanctuary for a time of food, fellowship and games. Pastor Dennis Stark shared a short devotional from 1 Corinthians 13 encouraging our hearts toward Godly love expressed in tangible ways. We stayed overnight with the Starks and after breakfast headed next door for Worship. To our delight, and the answer to many people's prayer over the years, 58 people were in the service. It seems they've been averaging around 50 the last few weeks. Dennis and Lori are thrilled, not only with the attendance, but the ladies "New Believers" Bible Study, Youth Group attendance and overall positive attitude in the church. Praise the Lord!

Sunday afternoon found Bob at Dan & Donna Bong's residence for the Wenatchee Valley Bible Church Board meeting. Then around 5pm we joined with a few of the folks from the church to share the ministry of N.I.C.E. and the IFCA International and even answered some questions. Following this time Bob shared from Romans 8:31-39 and God's Incredible Love. The Bong's continue to reach out to the ethnic community of Wenatchee with a diversity of Hispanics and one young Russian couple. Even with Donna's physical limitations of MS, she continues to minister to the Care Givers and provides a cheerful attitude & smile. Praise the Lord!