You view the articles on the website or download the newsletter as a PDF.

April 2, 2011

Alive in Christ

Speakers Mike Weaver and Scott Bloyer

At Little America Banquet Rooms Cheyenne, WY Cost $20- includes lunch. For more information go to cheyennegmm@yahoo.com or www.godsmightymen.com

It has been a great few weeks back at school.  I would like to share with you just a few of the things God is doing through the BCM here at the University of Wyoming.  Although we have only been back in school a short time, we are already seeing great things happen.

This semester we are starting a new outreach called, “World View”.  Our hope is to bring in other student groups (Chinese Student Organization, African Student Organization etc.) to come and share with us their perspective on life, school, and what it is like to be here in Wyoming.  Through this gesture, we hope to learn more about their culture and heritage in order to build meaningful and lasting relationships.  As we get to know them, they will get to know us, and the number one thing these students will learn about us is how important our relationship with Jesus Christ really is, and how he desires to be in relationship with them as well.  The Gospel is powerful, and it is most powerful when seen through the lives of his children.

Last semester we began an internet-radio show on Campus.  Daniela Ribeiro and Andrew Smyth hosted the show every week to broadcast the Gospel over the internet.  This semester Daniela is leading this up again with another student in our group and we are excited about the opportunity to share the Gospel to such a broad audience.  If you are interested in listening you can go to www.uwyo.edu and search for ASUW radio.  They air every Monday from 3-4pm.

This semester I will continue taking the group through the Gospel of John.  The key theme is, “who do you say Jesus is?”  My desire is to equip these young people with the truth, so that they might be strong in the Word, so that they can stand fast when people question, or attack them because of their faith.  These students are bombarded with false teaching about Jesus, the Bible, and truth.  It is my job to encourage and disciple them in the faith.  One verse that keeps coming up in our group in found in 1 Peter,

“[14] But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, [15] but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, [16] having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame “  (1 Peter 3:14-16 ESV).

Please continue to pray for our students.  Pray that they will be a light in the darkness, and that many will see and come to believe through testimony.  Since the start of this semester, we have seen our meeting grow from 6 to 18.  God is at work.

In Him,

David Martin

Director

Baptist Collegiate Ministries

University of Wyoming

“ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

(Romans 11:36 ESV)

Let’s look at the second of them briefly, within our context, and with a charge from God’s Word.
Devoted to teaching
Mark Dever, senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C. wrote the book, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. He states that, mark one of a healthy church is, expositional preaching – “that preaching which takes for the point of a sermon the point of a particular passage of Scripture.” His second listed mark is, commitment to a biblical theology based on God’s character and His ways. Both require strong devotion to the apostles’ teaching as found in the Bible. Acts 17:11 tells of the Bereans who hungrily sought to verify truth from God’s Word. 2 Timothy 2:2 instructs that we accurately, faithfully and intentionally teach what we have been taught, fulfilling Jesus’ great commission to teach all that He commanded. And Psalm 119:105 encourages that we can rely on God’s Word to show us how to function. A church that emphasizes teaching the scriptures well and dynamically says to people, “God has the way!” and says to God, “Your Word is our lantern.”
In our association, Trinity Baptist Church in Laramie has focused on solid, accurate teaching and has seen numerical growth as a result. Teachers have trained teachers who have started new classes. People want to be taught the truth consistently, thoroughly and accurately. In your personal life can you say, with your church and on her behalf, “Your Word is my lantern!” He will bless you with solid growth that provides a great foundation and a healthy church.

Frontier Association is certainly bless to have a partnership with Hillcrest Baptist Church. They have sent teams every year to help with Frontier Day Ministries, VBS, prayer walking, etc., and is a strong supporter of our new work starts. Hopefully this year we may be able to send a group to be a part of their Love Out Loud Ministry, September 24th. This is in the beginning stages but you can check out this outreach by going to their web page at hillcrestbc.com.

Also I would like to say thank you to everyone who provided food for the mission banquet especially Pit Crew Barbecue who provided the meat.

Other reports were given by the Marty Rodstat, Zack Edwards, both church planters in Frontier Association and Aaron Bell, BCM director at LCCC.

You view the articles on the website or download the newsletter as a PDF.

Day 1 Pray for Zach and Amber Edwards, Church Planters in Cheyenne. Currently they have about 20 people attending their initial Bible Study. Zach has challenged the group to have a Daily Bible Reading Plan and is praying that God would rise up leaders from within this group so they can multiply their number of Bible studies.

Day 2 Pray for Marty and Nancy Rostad, Church Planters in Torrington. Marty mentioned that they had 30 people come to their candle light service over the Christmas holiday and that they have two different Bibles Studies going on.

Day 3 Pray for our BCM Directors. Aaron Bell is working on the Laramie County Community College and has started Why Card Evangelism. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel and that the seeds sown would soon be harvested. David Martin is working on the University of Wyoming campus. Please pray that God would rise up College Leaders to help in this ministry and that they would have an impact on the International community.

Day 4 Pray for the Mission teams coming up to help in Wyoming. Some of the teams will be doing VBS, others will help with building projects, still others with Frontier Day Ministries. Pray for their safety, that God would bless their efforts in a mighty way, and that they will have a great Wyoming experience.

Day 5 Pray for our Church Pastor‘s and their Families. New pastor’s especially like Jonathan Moore in Saratoga, Dean Edwards in Wamsutter, and Sam Frost in Cheyenne as they adjust into their new ministries.

Day 6 Pray for outreach ministries. Many of our areas are showing signs of growth due to the Oil Field Industry and related fields. Pray for ways we can reach out to all.

Pray 7 Pray for the Director of Missions and all association volunteers.

Come and learn things that can help your Church grow. Church health is a way of understanding growth that views the church as a living organism. The focus is not on numerical growth, but on improving the health of the church, with the understanding–impressively documented by research–that when a church is sufficiently healthy, numerical growth will follow. Marvin Owen will be 12 Keys to an Effective Church, by Kennon Callahan, and I will have several of these books on hand for you to glean through.

Please let us know how many people you will bring from your church so we can know how to plan for lunch. E-Mail me at porterma@yahoo.com or call 307-638-8100

Free book. 12 Keys to an Effective Church, by Kennon Callahan, for each church that attend!

Let’s look at the first of them briefly, within our context, and with a charge from God’s Word.
Constant additions by salvation
Laramie Valley Chapel led the Frontier Baptist Association in 2010 with 30 baptisms. That is a sign of health that should encourage us all!

Acts 2:36-41 gives the account of Peter basically responding to the question, “What do we do now?” with, “Reject what you are doing and embrace what Jesus is doing!” That led to 3000 people being saved. Consider this story:
“We’ve tried to focus on getting outside the four walls of the church,” said the Rev. Steve Freeman, pastor of Grace Baptist about 30 miles north of Nashville. “We’re taking the Gospel to where the people are.” The church had gone 12 months without a pastor. Sunday morning attendance hovered around 120. And, in 2008, the Southern Baptist congregation baptized only three people. That changed last year when a new pastor and a new approach to ministry led to 53 baptisms and 200 new people showing up on Sundays.
Will you and your church reject what you are doing and embrace what Jesus is doing? Will you see constant additions to your fellowship by salvation? May God bless in such a wonderful way!
Sincerely,

Max Janzen, Frontier Association Church Health Strategist
(ASSOCIATION CHURCH HEALTH TRAINING WILL BE MARCH 19TH, 10 AM, AT SUNNYSIDE, CHEYENNE)