PAGE FIVE
Home -  Page One - Page Two - Page Three - Page Four  - Page Six

A MESSAGE from our PRESIDENT

   If you weren't there, you truly missed a wonderful event. The annual Mission Awareness Dinner was held February 23rd at Home Church. Over one hundred attended, not counting the bands and servers from Christ and Home Churches. The Regional Youth Council Worship Band, under the leadership of Br. Brad Bennett, provided musical interludes throughout the program. In addition, the typically Moravian prelude was offered by the Christ Church Band, assisted by a number from Home Church. The event was coordinated by Br. Steve Estep and his committee.

   The program featured three youth groups with their adult advisors who told of their mission trips last summer. The Raleigh team went to Haysville, Tenn. to work on homes for the poor. The two teams fom Christ and Home Churches went to Montgomery County, Md. and West Virginia respectively to perform similar work. Apart from their physical contribution, the spiritual impact on these participants was very evident and gratifying.

   A special presentation was made to Dr. Sam and Grace Marx for their many years of diligent and dedicated service in getting this publication ONWARD addressed and mailed each month. Their prayer group put in many hours of selfless effort to help. The task will now be done by Br. and Sr. George Chiddie.

   Tony and Dora Bragg shared briefly on their family's ministry to the street children in Sudan, and their plans to return in May. Pray for Dora's health and her upcoming operation. Caroline and Michael Woo told us of their pending trip to Asia this June for a four year ministry, accompanied by their newborn son, Samuel David who was a month old on the 23rd.

   A final note. Sr. Debbie Good informed us of the mission camp opportunity at Laurel Ridge this Summer. Youth weeks are 6/15-6/20, 7/27-8/1, and adult camp is 9/7-9/11. They will be using the Camp as a base and going out into the Appalachian area to help those in need. Contact Laurel Ridge for more information.

   It sounds like we are off and running on another productive mission season. New Philadelphia is planning work trips to Camp Hope, Jamaica and volunteers are welcome. Contact Br. Evan Crooks at New Philadelphia for information.

   Pray that our focus will continue to be the fulfillment of The Great Commission - and not just doing nice things for needy people.

Jack Geis - President

FROM THE
ZIG ZIGLAR NEWSLETTER

Several years ago some folks analyzed the information about people listed in Who’s Who of America. They discovered that it took 25,000 laboring families to produce one child who would be listed in Who’s Who. It required 10,000 families where the father was a skilled craftsman, 5,000 lawyers, 6,000 Baptist preachers, 5,000 Presbyterian preachers, 2,500 dentists, and only 1,200 Episcopalian preachers or priests to produce someone listed in Who’s Who. However, every seven Christian missionary families produced a member of Who’s Who. I can only speculate as to why the remarkable difference. Surely most of the preachers from the various denominations were men and women of faith, but I believe the missionaries, in most cases, demonstrated a stronger commitment. Their example demonstrated their faith and courage to their children. Also, they probably did not have many “things” to give to their children, but the mother and father, with fewer distractions, daily newspapers and television, were probably spending an unusual amount of time with them. The kids had a day-to-day example to look to and a chance to study what real success was all about. Needless to say, they were teaching and preaching the Bible everyday and felt a unique relationship with God through the person of Jesus Christ. Undoubtedly, this role modeling and demonstration of their faith played a significant part in the development of the children.

All of us have heard that we teach what we know, but we reproduce what we are, which is exactly what God tell us in Luke 6:40 (NKJ) “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” As a young father, my mother repeatedly said to me, Son, your children more attention pay to what you do than what you say.