Thank you for your prayers and gifts for the repayment of the loan on our student dorm. Many responded to the project and we were able to reimburse about $70,000, saving over $22,000 in interest! We now have just $20,000 left to pay to be totally debt free and move to the next phase of our building program.
Every spring our Institute students take a week-long break from their classes to work with a local church. It is often a small mission church that appreciates help with their evangelistic program, as well as having additional faces in their regular services. This year we stayed close to home and worked with the church that has generously loaned their former church building to us rent-free. The students helped with a day-long ladies' gathering, a youth meeting, Sunday church services, a special evangelistic meeting and, most of all, door-to-door evangelism in four communities. The Lord gave us good weather, and though the majority of the people we met predictably responded, "Ca ne m'intéresse pas" (That doesn't interest me!) we did have a handfull of excellent opportunities to witness. Best of all, the Lord worked in the heart of our students, most of whom had previously done very little door-to-door ministry. They were very reserved about it at the first, but by the end of the week they were asking to continue in spite of the meager results. We were thrilled by their response and are trusting the Lord to use them to water the seed of His Word that was planted in several hundred homes. God is answering your prayers and changing lives. Thank you for continuing to seek God's blessing!
The French Pastoral Baptist Bible Institute recognizes that in today’s face-paced world it is increasingly difficult and important for pastors to stay up with all the unbiblical trends in the world. That is particularly true in a country like France were few pastors have the opportunity to study beyond a 3-year Bible Institute program. So we will be organizing our first “continuing education” seminar August 3-5, 2009. Mr. Tim Heijermans, pastor of an excellent international church in Luxembourg, will present the theme “Methodology, biblical or pragmatic?” One often hears that while we cannot compromise on doctrine, any method of worship, edification and evangelism used in the church that ”works the best” can be used. The seminar will touch on the following subjects:
> The historical and biblical context of the debate on methodology
> Key texts in the New Testament that should guide our choices of methods.
> Discussions about how to apply biblical methodology in European evangelical churches today.
Thank you for praying with us that this seminar would be used of the Lord to encourage a good group of national pastors and missionaries in their local church ministries.
