Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. 1Thessalonians 5:24

Please bring enough food for your family and to share with others. The church will provide the meat (spiral ham) and drinks.

In AWANA Clubs, each child works at his or her own pace toward specific goals. Achievement of each goal earns the child a patch or pin to display on their AWANA vest. The children love this exciting atmosphere, and parents love seeing their kids learn the Bible and grow in their faith!

Come hear the testimony of God’s providential grace in the life of two young people, from two different continents, two different cultures, and two different languages who meet in the eastern African country of Mozambique. It is a stark reminder that God’s program focuses on people for His purpose, His glory, and our good.

Sharing with us this Sunday morning, July 17, at 8:45 will be Missionaries to Metz, France, Phil & Helaine DeMarte and Callun. Phil & Helaine’s home church is Grace and Truth Bible Church in Aurora, Minnesota and are working with Biblical Ministries Worldwide. Take a few moments to get acquainted with the DeMarte family by reading their testimonies below and then make a point to be with us this week. Come early and enjoy some coffee, refreshment and good fellowship.

Phil’s Testimony

I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior when I was around the age of five. My parents explained to me that I was a sinner in need of a Savior (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 64:6). My dad made the plan of salvation very personal to me as he would read John 3:16 and put my name in it. I am so thankful for my salvation because without it I would have absolutely no hope or reason to live. At age 15 the Lord began working in my heart to move me towards missions. Follow-ing my senior year in college I surrendered to serve the Lord in missions full-time.

Helaine’s Testimony

Growing up as a missionary kid in Scotland, I heard the Gospel message from a young age. I accepted Christ as my Savior at the age of 5 during Vacation Bible School. One of the group performed a mime that depicted Christ’s death and I came to understand that He had suffered and died for my sins and for my salvation. Isaiah 53 describes the suffering and death Christ endured so that I might have eternal life. I surrendered my life to missions a few years later and am thankful to the Lord for His leading Phillip and I to serve Him “back home” in Europe.

We are looking to serve in the city of Metz, France. There we will be working alongside veteran Missionaries Steve and Viki pounds and Tim and Kathy Heijermans.
These missionaries are part of a team that serves with Biblical Ministries Worldwide. BMW desires to serve the lord and the local church by establishing reproducing churches through evangelism, discipleship and leadership development. We plan to come alongside this team and help specifically with children and teen ministries as well as the church planting endeavors.

(NOTE: This post was shamelessly taken from Justin Taylor and the Gospel Coalition because it’s just that good)

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek, more earnestly, His face.

’Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer!
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour,
At once He’d answer my request;
And by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in every part.

Yea more, with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,
Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?
“’Tis in this way, the Lord replied,
I answer prayer for grace and faith.

These inward trials I employ,
From self, and pride, to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”

Indelible Grace has a version of this entitled “I Asked the Lord“

• Sal Johnson with Hispanic Church Planting
• Bryan Brock with UIM Missionary Aviation
• Tom Guffey in France
• Mike Holmes with Baptist Youth Mission
• Jon Johnson in Brazil
• Paul Sudbrock in Eastern Germany

“Osama Bin Laden’s dyed beard is blown half-off his skull. His body is submerged somewhere in the sea. And he is awaiting his turn at the Judgment Seat of the One he never expected to see. Most of us, thank God, will never approach the wickedness he unleashed on the world. But all of us will wrestle with the same root pathology. That’s because, left to ourselves, we all share the same religion as Osama Bin Laden. It isn’t Islam; it’s self-worship.

“For those who are in Christ, there’s a more excellent way. As we worship God instead of self, we will find that the love of Christ is “not easily angered” but instead “keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Cor. 13:5). As the Spirit wrenches us away from our temple of self, and builds us into a living stone in the Temple of Christ, we will find a new way of life, a way that calls us out of our petty offenses, away from our dime-store jihads.”

The idea is for this site to be a welcoming, unpressured and jargon-free place for people to explore the Christian faith. It is packed with answers to tough questions as well as some wonderfully engaging real-life stories of people who have come to faith in Christ Jesus.

We trust and pray God’s gospel truth might have eternal impact through this ministry.