Please be in Prayer

Hi!

Praying that you have seen Jesus in a new and wonderful way this week.
Our week has been filled with what could be viewed as obstacles. Some are small and some were big and that is why I would like to share the following message with you and ask you to pray.

We would ask that you would be in prayer as we watch the Lord work in our lives and the lives of those served by Village Missions.

From Brian Weschler, Executive Director of Village Missions

Every morning our staff at our Village Missions’ office has devotions and prayer. Today, February 27, we read in Oswald Chamber’s devotion: “The thing that approaches the very limits of His power is the very thing we as disciples of Jesus ought to believe He will do.” Village Missions has entered a time of believing Jesus for something that stretches our faith.
Stonecroft Ministries notified us recently that financial support for Village Missions will end effective March 31, 2009. This will result in a loss of income to Village Missions of $40,000 per month. The giving from Stonecroft Canada to Village Missions Canada remains unchanged at this point.

Our mission has enjoyed a “family” relationship with Stonecroft since our founding in 1948. Helen Duff Baugh, founder of Stonecroft Ministries and Rev. Walter Duff Jr., founder of Village Missions, brother and sister, both had a deep burden for country churches and reaching country people with the Gospel. For many years Village Missions was the project of Stonecroft Ministries, providing extensive prayer and financial support to Village Missions and to Village Missionaries. Village Missions could never have affected so many communities and lives for Jesus Christ without the support of Stonecroft. You can read more about the history of Village Missions at this link.

Stonecroft has decided to focus its efforts and resources on “encouraging and equipping women to impact their communities with the Gospel so that women and their families not only know Christ, but share Him with others.” We will be praying that the Lord will bless those efforts and provide the needed resources for them to fulfill that vision.

Village Missions, as the Lord provides, will continue its calling to keep country churches alive. The need is great. North America, and especially rural North America, is an increasingly needy mission field. Churches in rural areas are closing throughout our land. Broken lives bear grim testimony to the despair of trying to live life without Jesus Christ.

The opportunities are great. I have seen the hope of Jesus Christ brought to community after community through the ministry of Village Missions. We send a dedicated couple to a church that asks for our help. We provide salary and other forms of support so that our Village Missionary can devote his full energy to “Preaching the Word and loving the people.” People come to Christ, their lives are changed, and even the community is transformed. The people of Helix, OR learned this when Village Missions sent a dedicated couple to live in their town.

Years ago Hudson Taylor said, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” I truly believe that God will supply the needs for the important ministry of Village Missions.

From Deb: For the past 5 1/2 years my pastor husband Jon and I have been teaching Hudson Taylors concept to our church people here in Red Cloud and now it is time to practice this concept that we have preached about more daily in our own lives. We do believe that the Lord will provide for His work. We aren't worried about facing a layoff or loss of job, because when you work for Him your work is never done. Please be in prayer for the National Board of Village Missions and our leadership as they begin to make decisions beginning tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM PST that will affect the lives of missionaries, churches and communities. We believe that the Lord still has work for the ministry of Village Missions and all of us will be stretched and our faith grown as we watch him provide for his people.

We so appreciate the many of you who help us through prayer and financial support. We wouldn't be able to serve here in Red Cloud without you partnering with us is this ministry.

Blessings,

Deb