1. family and parenting
2. children

A 5-week missions focused devotional guide
exploring where God is actively working
through DBC’s mission partners.
Dear Dunwoody Baptist Church Family,
On behalf of the Missions Ministry of DBC, we’re excited that you
are joining us in this missions focused devotional. Our Reaching our
Neighbors and the Nations for Christ: Exploring Where God is Actively
Working through DBC’s Mission Partners devotional will identify some of
the places where God is bringing hope, the Good News and being the
hands and feet of Christ to the believer, the seeker and the non-believer.
This devotional, leading up to Easter Sunday, is a gift to you prepared by
our mission partners. Each partner shares a story of how God is working in
their ministry.
God is truly working all around us. He has given us the privilege to join
Him in service. We hope during this Lenten season of reflection you will
read each day expectantly and ask the Holy Spirit where you may join
God at work. Be open and willing to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and
He will guide you to make a connection to serve.
This five-week devotional is designed to begin Friday, February 27 and
end on Maundy Thursday, April 2. I am excited for you to see what is
happening with our mission partners.
Thank you to the many Mission Partners who took the time to share their
stories. Special thanks to Jenna Montroy for design and layout and to
Melinda Coker and Betsy Luehring for their editing assistance.
Waiting expectantly to see how God will move in His Church,
Beth Toly
Community Outreach Liaison
Day 1
February 27, 2015
Preparing
for Lent
Jeff Reams,
DBC’s Minister
of Missions
2 Peter 3:11 -1
What kind of people
ought you to be?
You ought to live
holy and godly
lives as you look
forward to the day
of God and speed
its coming.
L
ent is a time of preparation. Its origins
go back at least to the early 200s AD,
perhaps even back to the disciples. St.
Irenaeus (c. 203) wrote about the different ways
that Christians prepared for Easter. He wrote,
“The dispute is not only about the day, but also
about the actual character of the fast. Some think
that they ought to fast for one day, some for two,
others for still more; some make their ‘day’ last
40 days on end. Such variation in the observance
did not originate in our own day, but very much
earlier, in the time of our forefathers.”
So since our earliest days we have believed in
preparing for resurrection Sunday. We prepare
for things all the time. Why not Easter?
For a party, we buy food and clean the house.
For a new job, we get a haircut and wear our
best clothes. For a wedding, we order flowers
and argue over the invitation list.
But for us Christians, our biggest day, the day that started this whole
movement, is resurrection Sunday. The day that Jesus rose to overcome
sin and death, defeated the powers of evil, and won a victory for all
creation is the biggest day that has ever been. And to prepare for this
day, historically people have fasted, prayed, and served. This type of
preparation is why we have compiled this devotional. The stories in this
book were gathered to help you prepare but also to tell stories of how
people are living after Easter.
Jeff Reams has served Dunwoody Baptist Church since 2002. After five
years as Singles Pastor, he has served as Missions Pastor since 2007. His
joy is to see followers of Christ living the adventure of mission here and
around the world.
Reaching our Neighbors on the DBC Campus
Day 2
February 28, 2015
Reaching the
Poor in Our
Community
DBC Benevolence
Deuteronomy 15:11
For there will never
cease to be poor in
the land. Therefore
I command you:
“You shall open
wide your hand to
your brother, to the
needy, and to the
poor in your land.”
A
s we enter the season of Lent, a period
of contemplation and consideration for
all that is and all that can be, we thank
God for the blessings this time affords.
In the Benevolence Assistance Ministry, we work
hard to realize what every person God sends our
way is really seeking. We try to look for the pain
hidden in each word they speak
and we pray for wisdom to respond in a way that
will promote restoration and encouragement.
Just as we greet each day thanking God for His
love and concern for us, we greet each person
we see with a smile and a pleasant word to
make this time spent in our ministry an uplifting
experience.
The mother of a family we helped best expressed
this when a note she sent read, “I wish to extend
my deepest, sincere gratitude for your patience
with my busy, busy two year old twins and your
generosity to my family in the midst of our need. Your help with our
electric bill gave us much needed relief and gave us encouragement and
peace during our current trial. We pray many sincere blessings to you and
your church.” Sincerely, R, L, L, B, and LM.
Prayer: Dear Lord, we rejoice in the victory you have won for us! Give us
eagerness to live in that victory as we go about your work on earth. In
Jesus’ name. Amen.
In His service,
Benevolence Ministry
DBC’s Benevolence Assistance Ministry serves over 300 people annually
and is led by a team of over 30 volunteers. This ministry, located on our
campus, provides financial assistance, food and transportation to families
in need in our community. Volunteer shifts are available. To learn how
you can help, go to www.dbc.org/communityoutreach.
Reaching our Neighbors on the DBC Campus
Day 3
March 1, 2015
Come Find
Your Joy
Linda Vaughn, 14
year teacher at
DBC ESOL School
Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and
make disciples of all
nations, baptizing
them in the name
of the Father and of
the Son and of the
Holy Spirit.
U
pon retirement in 2000 after serving
30 years in the public school system,
the Lord led me to volunteer my time,
gifts and passion for teaching and sharing
the love of Jesus at DBC’s ESOL School. We
have approximately 90 international students,
representing 18 countries, who come each
Thursday to study English and learn about Jesus.
This is accomplished through singing, dancing,
and participation in pageants, playing games,
and having a traditional classroom equipped with
a textbook and current newspaper.
We begin the day with large group time
where volunteers serve light refreshments; the
students are engaged in activities; we close with
prayer and then all are dismissed to individual
classrooms where students have been placed
according to their level.
Our classroom becomes a family. We open with
devotion and through conversation share about our cultures, families,
hopes, problems, and our testimonies when we accepted Jesus as our
Lord and Savior. The students learn how to talk to their neighbor, make
a doctor’s appointment, and solve problems concerning their children
and school and use English in their jobs. They are invited into our homes
to experience American food and family life. We also use a traditional
textbook, studying English grammar and conversation and current
newspapers written on their level, where vocabulary, English slang and
crossword puzzles are solved.
Nothing can equate to the friendships that are nurtured, the smiles that
occur when English is actually understood, the laughter that emits while
singing, dancing, carving pumpkins, participating in pageants, and
ultimately the joy that one receives when Jesus is shared and accepted as
Lord and Savior.
There is no need to go across the pond to find missions. We have empty
classrooms that need a teacher. Our internationals are on a waiting list,
knocking on DBC’s door to become students.
DBC’s ESOL School assists adults in learning English and American
culture in a Christian environment. Adult students from about 29 nations
meet to receive encouragement and restoration each Thursday during
the school year. To learn how you can help, go to www.dbc.org/esol.
Reaching our Neighbors on the DBC Campus
Day 4
March 2, 2015
I Am Attached
Katie Phillips,
Ministry Leader (1)
Family Foster &
Adoption Ministry
1 John 4:19
We love because He
first loved us.
I
have been asked countless times if I ever
worry about becoming too attached to my
foster children. Attached? Oh yeah. Really
attached? I couldn’t love them more if they were
my biological children. They ask, “why”? And they
ask, “how”? We love because He first loved us.
I try to imagine God putting fearful conditions on
His relationship and attachment with us.
I could love you. I want to love you. I want to
help you in your struggles and fear and pain.
But I can’t fathom enduring the pain I might feel
if you ever leave me. And truthfully, I just don’t
want to open my heart up to the suffering it
might cause. I love you too much. It would be
too hard for me.
I cannot imagine it. God withholding his all-consuming, self-sacrificing
love from us? Praise Him that He doesn’t!
Why? How? We love because He first loved us.
The sweet faces we see in foster care are children from hard places.
They’ve seen too much. They’ve experienced trauma. They’re children
who need help. But you know something amazing? That’s who we are to
God. Vulnerable. Lost. Broken children. We all have pain, scars, memories
and fear. We desperately need a Father who is willing to take us into
Himself, scars and all, and says, “I will love you. I will love you as my own.
You may leave me but I’ll still love you. And I’ll take on your pain, fear,
your memories. I’ll take your troubled behavior, struggles and anger. I’ll
enter into your story and suffer with you and help you heal because I
believe you’re worth it.”
That love? That is the why. And that is the how.
I am attached. I love them as my own. I bear their wounds and scars and
memories because God loved me first and asks me to love others the
same way. You see, it’s impossible not to suffer when following Christ’s
call. I won’t shelter my heart from any of it because it’s my honor to suffer
for Him. He’s done it for me. He’s done it for us all.
(1) Family Foster & Adoption Ministry seeks to be imitators of God
by loving, serving and meeting the needs of orphaned and at-risk
children as one church family. Learn more: www.dbc.org/1family.
Reaching our Neighbors on the DBC Campus
Day 5
March 3, 2015
Standing in
the Gap with
Prayer
Gwen Kelley,
Retired ESOL
Teacher; Volunteer
Psalms 57:9
I will praise you,
Lord, among the
nations; I will sing
of you among
the peoples.
T
wo years ago a dear lady from Iraq,
Faeza, was in my Thursday ESOL class.
She and her two sons came here to
get away from the war. She was one of the best
students. She took her English seriously and
really worked at it.
She invited me to eat at a restaurant where
her son worked, and they showed me special
attention. Soon after that, Faeza was diagnosed
with pancreatic cancer. I had four prayer-warrior friends from our church
go with me to anoint Faeza and pray for her
healing. God did not choose to give her instant
healing. It was a long, drawn-out process. But
she is now cancer free after radiation, chemo,
surgery, and more chemo.
I drove her to many of her appointments, downtown. During all these
contacts, I was able to share scripture and testimony with her, and I even
gave her an Arabic Bible. Last week, Faeza’s CT scan showed no cancer, and she was able to have
her port removed. She has now gone to live with her younger son, in
Kansas City, MO. But I will still have contact with her and her sons.
DBC’s ESOL School assists adults in learning English and American
culture in a Christian environment. Adult students from about 29 nations
meet to receive encouragement and restoration each Thursday during
the school year. To learn how you can help, go to www.dbc.org/esol.
Reaching our Neighbors in Dunwoody
Day 6
March 4, 2015
Vacation Bible
School Changes
Lives, Invite
a Friend
Brenda Russell,
DBC’s Minister
with Children
Luke 10:27
Love the Lord your
God with all your
heart and with all
your soul and with
all your strength and
with all your
might; and Love
your neighbor
as yourself.
D
o you have a Bible verse that takes you
back in time? I do! It’s the verse from
Luke 10:27.
It was summer, I was 8 years old and the
family that lived down the street invited me
to something called Vacation Bible School. I
had no idea what VBS was, but they told me I
would have fun making crafts, playing games
and learning about someone named Jesus. This
family took Luke 10:27 to heart. They understood
that a neighbor isn’t just someone that lives
down the street, but is someone chosen by God
for you to love. I remember how excited they
were when I invited Jesus into my life that last
day of VBS. I can’t tell you how often I think of
this family. I’ve often thanked them in my prayers
for loving God enough to do what He said, and
for recognizing He had chosen me for them to
love that summer.
I wish I could tell them how Christ has directed
my life and how for the last 18 years I’ve been
blessed to work here at DBC as the Children’s
Minister. I’d tell them how precious VBS is to me
and to our church. We’ve had thousands of children invite Jesus into their
lives during VBS and our church lives out Luke 10:27 by inviting, loving
and seeking those God calls us to.
This summer‘s VBS, Heroes of HIStory, is coming to DBC June 8-11! Who
has He chosen for you to love this summer? You may never know how
God will use them in the future and how many others they in turn will
reach for His glory.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, may you continue to cover your people with your
love so that we may be the good neighbors you call us to be. May we
be mindful that we are your hands and feet of love in this fallen world. In
Jesus name, Amen.
DBC’s Vacation Bible School is June 8-11. We need 200+ volunteers to
put on this life changing program for over 500 children from our church,
the Dunwoody community and DBC’s mission partners. If you want to
volunteer go to www.dbc.org/vbs.
Reaching our Neighbors in Dunwoody
Day 7
March 5, 2015
Hungry for
the Truth
Steve Fortenberry,
Teacher Sponsor
of Dunwoody
Fellowship of
Christian Athletes
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider
how we may spur
one another on
toward love and
good deeds, not
giving up meeting
together, as some
are in the habit
of doing, but
encouraging one
another—and all the
more as you see the
Day approaching.
H
igh school is such a unique time in a
person’s life. The difference between
9th graders and 12th graders seems
huge, but in our lifespan it is a small period of
time. Today’s high school students get so much
information thrown at them from the media
and from their peers via social media. I believe
many students are tired of the junk they are fed
and they are hungry for truth and hungry for
something that fills their spiritual longing.
FCA at Dunwoody High School is trying to provide
that truth and we look to feed their physical and
spiritual needs. We meet each Friday morning
in our Auditorium and we meet their physical
hunger through Chick-fil-A chicken biscuits and
their spiritual needs through Biblical Truth taught
by youth ministers and other leaders in our
community. The students are encouraged and
challenged to step out and take hold of what Christ
has for them and to be that Light in our school.
We have had the honor of seeing God at work
in this school as we have seen the numbers
explode for Friday mornings as He is bringing on
average over 200 students each week. Further,
we are meeting Thursday evenings in a more intimate setting in the home
of one of the students to dig deeper into the Word and to strengthen
their relationship with Christ. From this, we have seen senior students step
forward to form and lead small groups with younger students. It has been
so much fun to watch what is happening within those discipleship groups
and to see the impact these leaders are having. Each year we look to add
a new piece to this ministry and our focus will be outside of our group and
serving within our school, community, and city.
On Friday mornings, over 200 Dunwoody High School students gather
to be inspired to follow Jesus. FCA’s weekly Bible study and additional
small groups have led students to dig deeper into the Word and to grow
in their relationships with Christ. If you would like to get involved, please
contact Steve at [email protected].
Reaching our Neighbors in Dunwoody & Sandy Springs
Day 8
March 6, 2015
Thank You
for Doing
God’s Work
Tamara Carrera,
CEO Community
Assistance Center
Isaiah 25:4
You have been a
refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the
needy in his distress,
a shelter from the
storm, and a shade
from the heat.
T
his winter, a client called Community
Assistance Center (CAC) to say...
“You need to hear from me today!
It is so cold outside. It reminds me of a day a
year ago when I was home. It was freezing on
that day and I had no heat and no food. I was
desperate. A friend told me about CAC. I felt so
dejected and ashamed about asking for help,
but I decided to go because I had nowhere else
to turn. I did not expect much and I certainly did
not expect kindness and understanding. To my
surprise, the staff and volunteers were the most
compassionate people I had met in years. They
made me feel respected and no less a person
because of my financial problems. CAC paid for
my utilities and gave me food. When volunteers
learned I had a cat, they found food for him too.
I came back to CAC to get food many times
because, despite having two jobs, I only made
enough money for rent, utilities and gas, but not enough for food. You
have no idea what it is like to be home and not know where your next
meal is coming from! CAC gave me peace of mind because I knew they
would provide for me and help me until I was in a better place.
Today I am working full time in my profession at an art museum, making
a salary that allows me to pay for all my needs. But I will not forget how
CAC blessed me, helped me and made me feel so much better. So
please, let your staff and volunteers know that they are doing God’s work
and not to stop, because there are many like me who need you.”
Community Assistance Center is a co-op that is supported by
churches, businesses and individuals. It focuses on the prevention
of homelessness and the provision of basic needs to individuals and
families such as financial assistance, food, clothing, holiday food baskets,
Christmas gifts, summer camp and school supplies. To learn more, go
to www.ourcac.org.
Reaching our Neighbors in Norcross
Day 9
March 7, 2015
A Plentiful
Harvest
Eduardo Zamora,
Founder and
Executive Director
of Spring of Peace
Luke 10:2
He told them, “the
harvest is plentiful,
but the workers
are few. Ask the
Lord of the harvest,
therefore, to send
out workers into
His field.”
I
n December, we celebrated Christmas at the
Huntington Ridge Apartments on Buford
Highway with the help of many volunteers
from DBC and friends from the area. We had a
wonderful time of fellowship which opened the
door to share the Gospel story.
Since there were so many children, we divided
them into three groups by age to share the
Good News in ways that all the children could
understand. When my wife Sheila asked a 6-8
year old boy named Daniel what he had learned
from Mr. Todd’s lesson, Daniel started telling her
the details of the nativity story. Praise the Lord, a
seed has been planted!
Now all the Spring of Peace volunteers are
coming alongside Shelia and I to water the seeds
planted at our Christmas event. We do this in
the afterschool programs, in Bible study, while
praying for and with them and during one-onone visits with the people of the Huntington Ridge community.
As a result of this evangelistic outreach, many adults confessed Christ as
their Savior and five families in the apartment complex, including their
children, were contacted and have started conversations and training with
Eduardo to grow in Christ. Pray that these new believers in Jesus become
workers in the harvest!
The mission of Spring of Peace is to bring the knowledge of Jesus Christ
and His Gospel to the Hispanic community within the Huntington Ridge
Apartment Complex in Norcross. To learn how you can get involved, go
to www.springofpeace.org.
Reaching our Neighbors in Norcross
Day 10
March 8, 2015
We Are All
Beloved
Children of God
Rebekah Edmonds,
Director of
Activities/
Agency Chaplain,
Developmental
Disabilities
Ministries
Matthew 5:5
(The Message)
I
’ve never been to a Christmas party before!”
“This is my home!”
“I feel like a princess with my very
own castle!”
“I’m so proud; I learned to count money
this year!”
“I got my job!”
These are all things that I have heard various
residents from Developmental Disabilities
Ministries say over the past year.
Things that we often take for granted­—home,
work, friendships, basic life skills—are things that
each of our residents treasure.
You’re blessed when
you’re content with
just who you are—
no more, no less.
That’s the moment
you find yourselves
proud owners of
everything that can’t
be bought.
Matthew 5:5 (The Message) says, “You’re blessed
when you’re content with just who you are—
no more, no less. That’s the moment you find
yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t
be bought.” As we look with hope towards the
wonder of the resurrection this Easter, may we
pause and be content knowing whether we are
rich, poor, abled, or disabled, we are ALL the
beloved children of God.
Developmental Disabilities Ministries, Inc. is a residential program
for adults with special needs. We currently operate 19 homes with
63 residents throughout Georgia. We also offer retreats for families
with children with special needs. We are so grateful for our long-time
partnership with Dunwoody Baptist Church! Your partnership with
us helps us empower and celebrate our residents and provide much
needed care and support for families with special needs children. To
learn more, go to www.ddmga.org.
Reaching our Neighbors in Doraville & Chamblee
Day 11
March 9, 2015
Changed Hearts
Allow a New
Life to Begin
Deborah Hayes,
Founder and CEO
of Pregnancy
Resources of
Doraville
Jeremiah 29:11
S
he (we’ll call her Alice) came into Pregnancy
Resources of Doraville with such a huge
frown. Maybe it was because her mother
had come with her or it could be that she felt
she was being forced to deal with something her
teen-self did not want to face.
Mom was extremely talkative about all she had
done to keep “that boy” out of her daughter’s
life and to what lengths she had gone in order
to convince Alice he was not right for her. The
boy had made it clear that he wanted no part of
this! Mom was also adamant that if this test was
positive, her next phone call would be to a local
abortion provider since she also felt no desire to
rear another generation.
I know the plans I
have for you, plans
for good and not
evil, plans to give
you a future and
a hope.
The test was positive. As the shock of this reality
settled in their minds, the room became eerily
quiet. Mom and Alice were deep in thought. The
volunteer client mentor chose this “teachable
moment” to share that this child was special, if
only to Jesus. He had made a plan for this life
and wouldn’t it be exciting to see what that plan
entailed and be a part of making it happen!
Alice and her mom departed the office in silence. They did promise to let
us know their final decision about the pregnancy. We did not hear from
them until one day Alice called to ask if she could come by the office to
talk. The news she had to share would bring tears to our eyes and prayers
of praise to our Heavenly Father.
Alice came to introduce us to her baby. Mom was also in attendance
to tell us that after leaving the office each time the word “baby” was
mentioned she had a strange feeling in her heart. That feeling had caused
her to rethink her decision to insist Alice get an abortion.
Alice had given birth to a healthy baby girl. Alice is currently enrolled in
her freshman year of college with plans to become a teacher. Alice’s
mom is the most proud grandmother you have ever seen. All this happy
ending because a willing volunteer shared what Jeremiah 29:11 told us
centuries ago.
Pregnancy Resources of Doraville is a non-profit ministry center providing
support to women who are mostly immigrants and refugees. To learn
how to get involved, go to www.prdoraville.org.
Reaching our Neighbors in Chamblee
Day 12
March 10, 2015
Transforming
Power of Christ
Virginia Cosgrove,
Executive Director
of Cross-Cultural
Ministries, Inc.
Luke 18:16
But Jesus called
the children to him
and said, “Let the
little children come
to me, and do not
hinder them, for the
kingdom of God
belongs to such
as these.”
R
andy came to Cross-Cultural Ministries
(CCM) as he was entering the 3rd grade.
His parents sought us out of fear that he
would fail the 3rd grade. Because our volunteers
worked with him beyond the regular homework
sessions, Randy’s reading and math skills
improved. By the end of the school year, he had
moved up two reading levels and was among the
top of his class in math.
Randy attended the weekly Bible club during the
school year. During the 4th grade, he prayed to
receive Christ as Savior. We gave him a Bible that
he shared with his mother and younger siblings.
Our Bible club was his church for two years.
During those two years, Randy’s mother began
attending the women’s morning English class.
Part of the class included Bible reading and
English hymns. She embraced the Word of
God and told how once a group of American
teens had come to her village in Mexico to
share Christ; many of the hymns were the same.
Wonderful, peaceful and joyful memories led her to pray to Christ Jesus
during a difficult time in the life of her family.
Randy’s mother started taking her children to a Hispanic church. The
father has since become a Christian and a leader in their church. He has
become a responsible and loving husband and father. God has blessed
the family greatly.
All three children continue to participate with Cross-Cultural Ministries,
Inc. Randy’s younger brother was a leading 5th grade mentor last year in
the Bible club. Both boys are a part of a special program run by Andre
Dawkins at the Fitness Center of Dunwoody Baptist Church with Randy
being a mentor. Christ has transformed the family and we at CCM are
grateful to be a part of His work!
Cross-Cultural Ministries, Inc. works with children from Pre-K through
high school in various programs throughout the entire year, including
mentoring opportunities. Their programs are to capacity and to expand
we need more volunteers to tutor in the afternoons. To learn how you
can get involved, go to www.ccmatlanta.org.
Reaching our Neighbors in Chamblee & Clarkston
Day 13
March 11, 2015
Changing
Hearts and
Minds
Bayo Otiti,
Founder and
Executive Director
of Bridge
Between Walls
H
amed was the aviation minister in the
old Somali regime but found himself
and his family living in a refugee camp
for 10 years. After coming to Clarkston, he got a
job as a translator in a refugee agency.
Hamed was highly respected, a devoted Muslim
and a teacher in the Clarkston Mosque. One
Friday afternoon I ran across Hamed in front of
Clarkston International Bible church. He drove
up looking worried and asked me if we could talk
inside the church.
I took him to the chapel and as soon as he
entered, he started crying. I asked what I could
Love your neighbor
do for him. Hamed said, “You can not help me
as yourself.
Mr. Bayo, but Jesus can. I came to ask you to talk
to Jesus for me. I am sure he will answer your
prayer as I could not get help from my prayer in the Mosque.”
Matthew 22:39
He was being laid off from his job the next day. He wanted to ask Jesus to
change the minds of his bosses so he could keep his job.
I prayed as he requested and he left. On Saturday afternoon he met
me again and said, “Jesus is real. He answered your prayer for me. I am
keeping my job!”
Hamed has since visited the chapel many times, asking questions. He said
that Christianity is a religion of love that he does not find in the Quran.
Love is changing the hearts and minds of Muslims. Jesus died for them
and wants to receive them to himself. After all, I am an example of how
prayer can bring someone to salvation!
Bridge Between Walls is a ministry dedicated to bringing the Gospel of
the kingdom to people in Chamblee, Doraville and Clarkston. Through
after school programs, sewing centers and discipleship training, hearts
and lives are being transformed. To learn how you can get involved, go
to www.bridgebetweenwalls.org.
Reaching our Neighbors in Clarkston
Day 14
March 12, 2015
It Started
with Sewing
Stephen Bandela,
Founder and
Executive Director
of New Home,
New Hope
M
rs. Kousilya Rasil is a Hindu from
Bhutan who came to know Christ.
When she first arrived as a refugee in
Clarkston, she worked in a chicken company, but
by attending our sewing classes, not only has she
improved her English at the sewing center, but
she has graduated and been able to find a better
job making dresses and earning more money.
She is so happy and grateful for our involvement
and investing her life.
She says, “I found the New Home New Hope
Sewing Center. I was looking for a learning
school for a short course related to fashion. I
I was a father to
enrolled initially for basic sewing. Since then I
the needy; I took
have attended different courses and learned new
up the case of the
techniques. It is very inspiring to me and I will
stranger.
continue to enroll in other courses. Our teacher,
Ms. Serwa, is very experienced and I feel I am now capable to design
and make my own garments. I am thankful to New Home New Hope
for my gaining knowledge and new ideas. I am now more confident and
motivated to continue my dream career in fashion.”
Job 29:16
Many New Home New Hope sewing class graduates have used our
training to help their families receive extra money by working at home
on sewing projects. Many have heard the Gospel while they were in
training and many are now sharing the Gospel with other residents in the
community at Clarkston.
Thank you for the chance to express my appreciation for the ministry
among refugees. I am so blessed and encouraged by being able to serve
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in this life. And, I thank God for His help.
Please continue to pray for the ministry. We need your involvement to
help us fulfill the vision and mission God has placed on our hearts. Thank
you for helping us make a difference.
New Home, New Hope provides one-on-one evangelism outreach to
refugee families—first by helping to meet their physical needs; then by
helping to meet their spiritual needs through sharing the Gospel. To
learn more, go to www.newhome-newhope.org.
Reaching our Neighbors in Roswell
Day 15
March 13, 2015
Life in an
Apartment
Jon Ballard,
Cares Team for
Apartment Life
Luke 19:10
T
wo years ago when my family and I
moved to Atlanta, we were fresh out of
a difficult church situation that left us
scarred. There were so many reasons for us to
completely get out of ministry and concentrate on
our family. It would have been easy to ignore the
call of Christ on our lives and remain in a state of
comfort. Fortunately, we chose the uncomfortable
over the comfortable. Julie and I decided that in
order to stay close to Christ and raise our family
in an atmosphere that was outreach oriented, we
needed to join Apartment Life.
Apartment Life places families or two singles
in apartments and asks them to serve the
apartment community by planning events,
making visits and showing overall support to the
residents and staff. With full knowledge of the
apartment management, the CARES team (family teamed with Apartment
Life) has the opportunity to provide spiritual support for residents, build
relationships, and ultimately lead them to faith in Christ. For the son of man
came to seek and
save the lost.
An opportunity like Apartment Life was exactly what Julie, our boys and I
needed. We needed an environment that was relationship oriented and
conducive to our own spiritual growth. While not always comfortable, we
have had the opportunity to reach out to so many hurting families along
this journey. From families with physical needs all the way to helping
navigate the teenage years, we have been blessed to establish relationships
with people we would never have come in contact with otherwise. Much like Zacchaeus and his experience with Jesus, sometimes the
people in our apartment community were never expecting a shoulder
to lean on or a kind word of encouragement to come from our mouths.
In fact it was, more often than not, the complete opposite. It is amazing
how much people open up and share their hurts and needs when they
know someone really cares. Our prayer is that as we all seek to grow in
Christ we never forget that Jesus did not come for the healthy, but the
sick. May our lives mirror that of Christ as we move forward in our efforts
to share the love of Christ. Apartment Life places Cares Teams of two (married or single) in local
apartments to foster community through regular social events, building
relationships and connecting residents with local churches to continue
serving them. DBC sees Apartment Life as a strategic way to impact the
growing apartment communities. To learn how you can get involved, go
to www.apartmentlife.org.
Reaching our Neighbors in Atlanta
Day 16
March 14, 2015
Changed Lives
Lindsay Hicks,
Associate
Minister at Bread
Coffeehouse
Colossians 4:3
And pray for us,
too, that God may
open a door for our
message, so that we
may proclaim the
mystery of Christ,
for which I am
in chains.
A
midst the chaos of preparing for our
weekly Thursday night event, my boss
and I had the rare chance to take
a minute to reflect on the past year. Bread
Coffeehouse, a free coffeehouse and campus
ministry for the students of Emory University,
has changed over the past 16 months, all of
which has only happened because of God’s
immeasurable power.
Yes, some wonderful things have happened in
the life of our ministry—most visibly the fact
that we were able to purchase a new campus
ministry house, thanks in part to DBC! However,
some of the most incredible ways that God has
manifested Himself has been how He has directly
changed the lives of our students.
One student in particular, let’s call her Lena. We
met Lena in October 2013, as part of an Emory
student musician trio that was performing at our
weekly event. She showed up in the coffeehouse
full of enthusiasm and love for ukuleles and trees.
As Lena began to become a regular, we learned more about her and her
passions but also about her struggles. She fought to make the world and
especially Emory a happier place, as we came to find out, because she so
fervently avoided her own grief.
After a year of accompanying Lena in and out of counseling and mental
health hospitals, in her search for God and His true happiness, we
welcomed Lena back to the stage last night! She was full of true joy,
confident in God’s love and hope despite her past pain. Every Thursday
afternoon before our event, our whole team comes together to pray for the
night ahead of us. Aaron, one of our staff members, simply prayed “God,
thank you for keeping Lena alive. And, for being such a gift to Bread.”
It’s times like these when we at Bread remember why we do what we do.
But even more so we remember the only hope we can cling to-changed
lives from Christ’s resurrection! As the Easter season continues, please
join me in prayer for changed lives because of Christ, at Emory and
universities across the world!
Bread Coffeehouse, located on the Emory campus, is sharing the love
of God through meaningful relationships with students that lead to
Bible studies and conversations about Christ. To learn more, go to
breadcoffeehouse.org.
Reaching our Neighbors in Atlanta
Day 17
March 15, 2015
The Power
of a Graceful
Volunteer
Pastor Anita
Favors, Founder &
Executive Director
of Jars of Clay
Galatians 6:2
W
hen 15-year-old Kelly knocked on the
doors of Jars of Clay, she was dirty,
her clothes were soiled, her heart was
hardened, her head was confused, and she was
hopeless in Jesus.
She said she had heard we help teenagers and
asked coldly, did we want to help her? I smiled
and said, “What took you so long to get here
kid?” She was stunned that the welcome was
genuine and receptive.
Her story, like so many, was a story of rape,
pimps, family betrayal, destruction and pain.
Carry each other’s
burdens, and in this
way you will fulfill
the law of Christ.
Each time volunteers visited, we would pair one
with Kelly. After several volunteer encounters,
Kelly finally got it! She said, “Your volunteers care
and encouraged me. They didn’t judge me and
we got along just fine.” I replied, “If you think they are cool, you should
try Jesus! He’s the reason they came.”
She looked at me and started to sob uncontrollably and said, “I never
thought He cared or would love someone like me.” I said, “He loves
us all.”
Today, Kelly thrives...the power of a graceful volunteer. To God be
the Glory!
Jars of Clay is a non-profit outreach and Christian church dedicated to
helping the inner-city poor, specifically in the Pittsburgh neighborhood
of Atlanta. Jars of Clay provides hope, shelter, food, clothing, life
rehabilitation, education, job training and biblical training to hundreds
of children, adults and families each month. To learn how you can get
involved, go to www.jocatlanta.org.
Reaching our Neighbors in the Greater Atlanta Area
Day 18
March 16, 2015
A New
Beginning
A 26-year-old client
who has been
in the Mary Hall
Freedom House
recovery program
for 30 days
2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the
Spirit, and where
the Spirit of the Lord
is, there is freedom.
M
ary Hall Freedom House is my first
rehab that I have ever attended. This
has been a wonderful experience so
far and I am proud to be here and very thankful.
Before going to jail, I lost custody of my
daughter. That was the worst day of my life. I felt
that my heart was ripped out of my chest and it
would never be replaced. I turned back to drugs
to ease the pain. In jail, when I was sobering up,
I realized drugs had done nothing for me in my
life but ruin it. I fell on my knees one night begging for
forgiveness and asking God for the strength to
help me overcome my addiction. I was ready to
change and, most importantly, I wanted
to change. After praying and crying, I saw my prayers
being answered one by one. I knew it was time for treatment. My spirit
was starting to rise more and more. God was going to help me get my
daughter back! Now that I am at Mary Hall Freedom House, I know I
will finally get the treatment and the help with my addiction that I have
wanted and needed for the last 12 years of my life. I am taking classes for
my GED and am so thankful for this program. My daughter is depending on me to help guide her. I know in my heart
that I will regain custody of her and be there for her once again.
I thank God for leading me here, for all the people who have supported
me at Mary Hall Freedom House and for my family for their prayers
and support.
Mary Hall Freedom House, founded in 1996, is a non-profit organization
and a national leader in gender-specific treatment, recovery, housing and
support services that helps women and women with children break the
cycle of addiction, poverty and homelessness. To learn how you can get
involved, go to www.maryhallfreedomhouse.org.
Reaching our Neighbors in Atlanta and Beyond
Day 19
March 17, 2015
A Peace not
Known Before
Dave Pridemore,
Founder and
Executive Director
of Camp Grace
John 14:27
A
t Camp Grace, kids come to know God
in many different ways throughout the
summer and during the year round
events. It is incredible to see God working
through our staff and counselors, and we are
humbled to be His hands and feet. The following
encouraging story was written by one of our
counselors from last summer. Lizzie attended one
of the teen weeks at camp, which are notorious
for being two of the most challenging weeks of
the summer:
Lizzie came to camp during teen week pumped
to do cheers and go to activities like horses,
the lake and canoes. After boldly opening up
to the cabin on the first night and sharing her
struggles, she seemed to be held in bondage
by the mistakes she had made in the past. At
CrossTalk on Thursday night, I was hoping she
would surrender her life to Christ and leave
those mistakes in the past, but I did not see that
happen while she was here at camp.
Peace I leave with
you; my peace I
give you. I do not
give to you as the
world gives. Do not
let your hearts be
troubled and do not
be afraid.
When she left, I was worried that what had been spoken into her did
not make a difference in her life; however, when she got back home, her
Urban Partner emailed us saying that camp had made a huge impact in
Lizzie’s life. Since leaving camp, Lizzie has been very open with her Urban
Partner about how she feels loved, knowing that Christ’s love is never
ending, and she has a peace inside her that she has never
known before.
We cannot wait to see what God will do in 2015, and we are very thankful
for amazing partners like Dunwoody who help make these stories happen.
This Lent, we thank God for sending his Son and giving us amazing
opportunities to spread the Gospel.
Camp Grace provides youth living in at-risk communities with a culturally
relevant Christian camp experience. To learn how you can get involved,
go to www.thecampgrace.com.
Reaching our Neighbors all over Georgia
Day 20
March 18, 2015
Helping the
Least of These
Rachel Ewald,
Executive Director/
Founder, Foster
Care Support
Matthew 25:40
The King will reply,
“Truly I tell you,
whatever you did for
one of the least of
these brothers and
sisters of mine you
did for me.”
I
think that God sometimes puts before
us things that we may not want to see to
challenge us. I believe that we sometimes
get angry that sadness is in sight. Perhaps He
does want us to get angry so we’ll do something
about it rather than letting someone else do it.
If it wasn’t for the children that have come to live
in our foster home, I may have never known the
pain in their lives nor how much they needed our
help. I’ve often told my own children that we live
in a bubble and life is not as simple as in Atlanta
suburbs. Fostering really made it hit home.
A four year old foster boy retold over and over
how his dad burned him with a cigarette match.
Time and time again he endured this and he
displayed over 35 markings on his legs as proof
of his tale.
A premature baby, weighing 3 pounds at
birth, was doomed to suffer from fetal alcohol
syndrome with major developmental issues
because her mom couldn’t kick her drug and alcohol habit long enough
to give her child a chance. Even with a prognosis that she might never
walk; the nurture and love of her foster family helped her take her first
steps at 26 months.
After each foster child, we thought about ending our fostering to rid us of
this pain but the childhood teachings from our faith kept pushing us to do
more, if not only to change just one more child’s life.
Two things that I learned as a child and remember still today are: A
reading from Matthew 25:40 at Sunday school and another on a candle
forever burning from the middle of my grandmothers kitchen table that
read; “God grant me the ability to change the things I can, to accept the
things I can’t, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
I pray that God helps us in our mission to know who, what, how, when
and why it’s important to help the least of these through the Foster Care
Support Foundation.
Foster Care Support Foundation is an all-volunteer community dedicated
to helping provide basic needs, resources, services and training to
foster parents and foster children in Georgia. To learn how you can get
involved, go to www.fostercares.org.
Reaching our Neighbors in Atlanta and Beyond
Day 21
March 19, 2015
Empowering
the Local
Church to Serve
Refugees
Joshua Sieweke,
Atlanta Office
Director,
World Relief
Luke 10:27
Love the Lord
your God with all
your heart and
with all your soul
and with all your
strength and with
all your mind; and,
Love your neighbor
as yourself.
E
ach year, my office receives hundreds of
refugees. They come from many different
countries, but they all have one thing
in common—they are fleeing persecution and
having to start over. The federal government
gives them permanent resident status and
assigns them to my office. Our job is to welcome
them and help them become self-sufficient as
quickly as possible. World Relief does this for one
reason—to empower the local Church to serve
the refugees.
Helping refugees is not always easy, but it is
good, and it is good because it is consistent
with God’s character. In the story of the Good
Samaritan in Luke 10, Jesus encourages the
expert in the law to “love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your strength and with all your mind, and
to love your neighbor as yourself.” When the
Church does this, it reveals the glory of God and
accomplishes His purposes in the world.
A recent experience of mine provides a
beautiful example of this. Several weeks ago, I attended the funeral of
a Vietnamese man. I did not know him well, but I am very good friends
with one of his sons and that son’s wife. Because the man was Buddhist,
the service was filled with Buddhist ceremonies that required the close
relatives to kneel in the center aisle of the room facing the casket. At
different times, everyone but my friends would bow toward their dead
relative. My friends did not bow because they are no longer Buddhist, and
they are no longer Buddhist because, many years ago when the wife was
a young girl in need of a stable home, a Christian family welcomed her
into their home and loved her like their own. In that home, the young girl
encountered Jesus, and her life has never been the same. That is what can
happen when the Church chooses to love its neighbors.
World Relief’s mission is to empower the local Church to serve the
most vulnerable. To learn how you can get involved, go to
www.worldrelief.org.
Reaching the Nations in Atlanta
Day 22
March 20, 2015
Love a
Missionary
Today
Rob Coker, DBC’s
Missionary Support
Team Lead
Colossians 1:9
For this reason,
since the day we
heard about you, we
have not stopped
praying for you.
We continually ask
God to fill you with
the knowledge of
his will through all
the wisdom and
understanding that
the Spirit gives.
T
he Apostle Paul penned these words
of encouragement to mission partners
around the world. The Mission Support
Group at Dunwoody Baptist Church aims to do
the same, to encourage our mission partners and
their support groups back home. This short verse
offers powerful accountability to all of us:
1. “We have not stopped praying for you.” Have
you stopped praying for a mission partner? Do
you need to start? We all should be praying for
missionaries, both foreign and domestic.
2. “Ask God to fill you with the knowledge of
his will.” We admire missionaries for their bold
step of faith to serve God full time. We need
to recognize, however, that they continually
struggle with knowing the will of God while on
the mission field. The challenges are many - new
cultures, new languages, new quality of life,
health and medical care, when to be bold, when
to step on toes and when to hold back…. Pray
for our mission partners, and for yourself, to be
filled with the knowledge of God’s will. We all
need it desperately.
3. “All the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.” Filter what
you are learning, what you take in through your eyes and ears, with the
Holy Spirit. Pray that our mission partners do the same. The sins I commit
against my neighbor, the omission to engage in spiritual conversation or
perhaps being too preachy, may have minor impact on my life. But our
mission partners can do the same exact things to their neighbors and
experience much greater impact-ostracized, reported to authorities, or
even be physically threatened. They need wisdom that exceeds human
understanding; that only the Holy Spirit can give.
Love a missionary today. Love them through your prayers.
If you wish to get involved with Missionary Support Teams, please email
Rob Coker at [email protected].
Reaching our Neighbors in San Francisco
Day 23
March 21, 2015
I
n a high evangelism focused ministry,
you really gain great insight into people’s
lives. Working with college students is
no different.
Sharing God’s
Love to
the Hurting
At the beginning of the semester I was passing
out flyers, letting students know about our Bible
study options on campus at City College in San
Francisco, when I met a young lady. As I stood
Joseph Fraser,
there trying to hand out these flyers as fast as I
City College
Campus Ministry
could “Stacy” asked me, “What’s this about?” I
told her about our group and our Bible Studies.
Matthew 11:28
As soon as I explained, she said a few expletives
Come to me, all you
and then, “no thank you”. She went on to say,
who are weary and
“I went to church one time and I will never go
burdened, and I will
again. God can’t do anything for me.” Since she
give you rest.
had engaged me, I decided to engage her back.
I asked, “Why do you say God can’t do anything
for you?” She replied, “If God exists, He definitely does not love me.”
She explained that she had grown up in a very abusive home and when
she was 13 had run away from home after years of abuse. She is now 25
and has this extreme hatred for the church and God and thinks anything
positive or good was birthed out of her own determination.
My goal in that conversation was to let her know that she was in fact loved
by God and show her how He truly cares for her. I read Matthew 11:28
with her to let her know that even though life can be totally terrible, He
loves us so much that He will give us rest.
Our conversation had to end, but I have to think “Stacy” left that
conversation with a new perspective on the loving God who created her
with purpose.
Joseph and Megan Fraser have a college ministry at City College in San
Francisco. To find out more information or be added to their newsletter,
please email [email protected].
Reaching the Nations in Canada
Day 24
March 22, 2015
Why Canada?
Pastor Scott
Rourk, Rendezvous
Toronto and
Church Planter
and Jeff Reams,
DBC’s Minister of
Missions
Acts 1:8
...And you will be
my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of
the earth.
I
understand going to Guatemala on a mission
trip, but why Toronto?
This was a question a Dunwoody resident
asked at a recent fundraiser in the community
for our student mission team. It was a great
opportunity to explain why we go to Canada on
mission. Simply put, the nations are there and
we have been called to help a church planter
launch a movement! Toronto is one of the most
diverse cities in the world with over 140 different
languages spoken and 30% of the city speaking
something other than English (Canadian English,
eh!) or French. In addition to the nations, Toronto
is also considered a “post – Christian” culture
where people are highly skeptical of the church
and its message.
In this environment, Georgia native Scott Rourk
serves and shares the gospel with his small
church family, Rendezvous. For the past 5 years,
DBC has supported the outreach efforts of
Rendezvous each summer through our student
mission team. Here’s what Scott had to say about our visit last summer…
“With help of the DBC team, Rendezvous lead 74 people, from six
different people groups, to give their lives to Jesus! Now we are seeking
to gather these into missional communities throughout the city. The
majority of those who committed to Jesus are children and students from
Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist upbringings. Their parents can rarely speak
English and won’t allow them to attend church. Rendezvous had three
Tibetan students pray to receive Christ. This is significant because it is
reported there are only 100 Tibetan Christians worldwide.”
Story after story emerges from every visit to Toronto. God is at work in this
city and we get to be a part of it. So, pray for the student teams going to
Toronto and Guatemala.
After all, when he says to the ‘ends of the earth,’ we never know where
that might take us!
Rendezvous is a network of urban missional communities seeking to
transform Toronto through community engagement by planting 10
churches in 10 years. To learn more, go to www.rendezvouschurch.com.
Reaching the Nations in Mexico
Day 25
March 23, 2015
From Death to
New Life
Eric and Janet
Johnson,
Equipping
Churches to Grow
John 12:24
I tell you the truth,
unless a kernel of
wheat is planted in
the soil and dies,
it remains alone.
But its death will
produce many new
kernels—a
plentiful harvest
of new lives.
W
e spent the past three and a half years
in Monterrey, Mexico working with
churches in a process called Cosecha
(co-SEH-chah; “harvest” in Spanish). Cosecha
helps churches address issues which are vital to
their health and impact for God’s Kingdom.
Health checkups for churches identify areas that
need attention, but not everyone likes the results.
At our home church, it became evident that
several leaders who invited us to work with the
church saw themselves as the church’s “owners.”
Eventually they refused to deal with the issues
which had plagued the church for decades,
sought to extend their control over the church,
and wanted to oust the pastor.
But other leaders and a large group in the church
enthusiastically embraced Cosecha’s Biblical
perspectives. They tasted firsthand the benefits
in their growth, transformation and joy, then
began to dream and pray fervently for God to
renew the entire church.
Finally, the “owners” literally ran out, not only the pastor, but 120+ people
who actively served and participated in the church’s life and ministry. We
were SO grieved when we received the news. It was the death of our
dream to see the church revived for healthy and vibrant impact.
But the story didn’t end there. Those 120+ people, including leaders who
had participated in Cosecha and now have a fresh perspective on the
Christian life, asked the pastor to lead them in a new church start! In the
first month of life, this newborn “Grace of God Baptist Church” is already
taking steps with joyous creativity to help more people become Christfollowers. What an incredible illustration this is of something dying so that
new life could be born!
Eric and Janet Johnson are serving in Monterrey, Mexico with Converge
Worldwide equipping churches to grow through church development
strategies and activities. Learn more: johnsonsmex.wordpress.com.
Reaching the Nations in Guatemala
Day 26
March 24, 2015
The Hope
of Easter
Forgotten
Ellen Powell,
Guatemala Mission
Team Lead
A
s I reflect on the days leading up to
Easter, Guatemala always comes to my
mind. For three to four weeks leading
up to Easter Sunday, there are great elaborate
and solemn processions throughout the streets
to mourn the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Many hours are spent constructing beautiful
“carpets” along the cobblestone streets. The
carpets consist of all natural materials—flowers,
leaves, sawdust, fruits, etc. Many members of the Catholic Church save up
their money to pay the church for the privilege of
God wanted his
participating in one of the many parades. This
people throughout
includes a costume that is worn as they carry an
the world to know
enormous “float” on the shoulders of upwards
the glorious riches
of 100 men (or women or children, depending
of this mysteryon the theme of the float). These floats are
which is Christ living
extremely heavy, made of wood, with shoulder
in you, giving you
the HOPE of glory.
cutouts along the sides for carrying through the
streets. Because of the weight of the floats, the
men carrying them shuffle their feet under the extreme weight, destroying
the beautiful carpets that took literally hours to construct. Mournful music
wafts through the air, along with heavy incense. The floats have giant-size
replicas depicting Jesus’ journey to the cross and His death. Colossians 1:27
Sadly…tragically, the celebrations end on the eve of Easter. The
resurrection is totally missed! Our short term teams help to bring the message of salvation, and the
HOPE of a RISEN Jesus, our Savior and Lord to those who have little or
no hope, based on their extreme poverty and malnutrition. Per capita,
Guatemala has the highest rate of malnutrition in the world today! Guatemala Mission trips are scheduled for June 13-20, 2015 (Students)
and July 18-25 (Adults/Families). If you would like more information, go
to www.dbc.org/guatemala.
Reaching the Nations in Jamaica
Day 27
March 25, 2015
God Uses
Ordinary
People
Alton Walker,
Youth Advocate
and Speaker,
on behalf of
the Jamaica
Mission Team
Acts 4:13
H
ave you ever felt that you’re not
qualified to be used by God? Do you
feel like you’re not holy enough or that
you don’t know enough Scriptures? Well, I have
great news for you! Accomplishments are not
required to be used by God. God loves using
ordinary people who have a heart to serve Him
and His people. It is incredible that the four
Gospels were written by ordinary men who just
recorded what they saw or as I like to say, “just
told the story.” The records of Jesus through
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John changed the
lives of millions over thousands of years. Their
writings became part of the Bible, the #1 bestselling book in the world today. When they saw the
courage of Peter
and John and
realized that they
were unschooled,
ordinary men, they
were astonished
and they took note
that these men had
been with Jesus.
Matthew was an ordinary tax collector whom
God called to be a disciple. Jesus may have
chosen Matthew because of his organizational
skills. Mark was a “regular guy” who just wanted
to be around and help others. Mark was probably
great at showing hospitality. Luke was a doctor
who was amazed by a virgin having a baby—
something he’d never seen in his profession.
John was young, yet Jesus called him to be a
disciple. Could it be that John was selected because he would be able to
capture how Jesus loved and related to people? The Jamaica Mission is all about allowing God to use people like you
and me to inspire and introduce salvation to youth in the Jamaican Child
Development Agency. Individuals who serve on this mission don’t have to
know a lot of Scripture or give the best prayer. What’s required to join the
team is a heart for God and people. God will handle the rest. I encourage
you to keep it simple like the writers of the four gospels and just “tell
the story.”
For 21 years, DBC has led a unique camp experience to mentor and
teach God’s love to young adults as they transition out of the orphanage
system. The Jamaica mission trip is scheduled for April 6-12, 2015. If you
would like more information, go to www.dbc.org/jamaica.
Reaching the Nations in Germany
Day 28
March 26, 2015
The Power of
the God’s Story
Crystal Burt,
Cross-Cultural
Worker with
Refugees
1 Peter 3:15
I
’ve always heard there’s power in a story.
Many trainings we received before moving
overseas were on storytelling. Many
meetings we attended while on retreat after
moving overseas were about storytelling. There
was no mistaking that God was trying to orient
me around this idea. I learned how to tell Bible
stories in a new way, by heart. I was shown how
to put the entire story of the Bible on one page.
I practiced my own salvation story over and over.
And some days I wondered what all the fuss was
about.
Then one day in my dining room, around
Christmas, my language tutor asked me about
our Christmas decorations. “Has anyone ever
told you the Christmas story from the Bible?”
I asked her. She nodded and said, “Once. But
you tell me. I want to hear it from you.” So, I
started. In my broken language I began telling
her the story. Just like I had learned, I told her
about a baby that had been born in a stable,
announced by angels, to be the Savior of the
world. I told her Jesus was my Savior. She
listened without interrupting and then asked me, “Did you get to choose
that for yourself?” Coming from her background, this was a very important
question. “Yes, I did.” She sat quietly for a minute, and then asked, “Will
you tell me that story? Tomorrow.”
But in your hearts
revere Christ as
Lord. Always be
prepared to give an
answer to everyone
who asks you to
give the reason for
the hope that you
have. But do this
with gentleness
and respect.
The next afternoon, back in my dining room I began telling my salvation
story to this woman, who had never in her life been allowed to make
a choice of her free will. The idea of a Savior that allows her to choose
Him for herself was beyond her comprehension. She was quiet for a
minute and then the questions came. As we sat and discussed Jesus, I
thought about the power of those two stories put together - the story of
Jesus coming to earth and the story of Jesus coming into my heart. And
somehow God decided those two stories were how he wanted to explain
himself to this woman.
Brian and Crystal Burt are serving in Germany in order to bring the
Gospel to unreached Persian refugees. To receive our prayer updates
please email [email protected].
Reaching the Nations in Italy
Day 29
March 27, 2015
Showing Up
David and Nicole
Hannah, University
of Bologna, Italy
Student Ministry
Matthew 29:19
W
hat does it take to make disciples?
Do you need the gift of evangelism?
Do you need special training? Both
can be helpful, but the first thing you need is
the courage simply to show up. Show up for the
appointments God will make for you. Ask God to
make appointments and watch what He
will do.
We showed up in Italy four years ago and here is
an example of a God appointment.
We had been back in the country for no more
than six weeks when I heard from her again.
Irene, (pronounced ee-RE-ne), is a 23-year-old
Bolognese college student. I first met her in
2011 shortly after we moved to Bologna when I
was mentoring Taylor, a young American study
abroad student from Berkeley University in
California. They were in class together, and Taylor wanted me to meet her
so that when she returned to the States, Irene would know someone here
in Bologna who knew Jesus and walked with Him. Irene was actually on
her way out the following semester to study abroad at Berkeley University
in California, but the connection was made. The Lord was busy at work.
God was pursuing Irene.
Therefore go and
make disciples of all
nations, baptizing
them in the name
of the Father and of
the Son and of the
Holy Spirit.
So, where is the Lord telling you to show up? At home, with a friend, at
work? We can have all the expertise and training in the world, but perhaps
the greatest thing we need is simply the courage to show up when the
Lord prompts us.
David and Nicole Hannah have begun a campus ministry at the
University of Bologna in Italy. Their vision is to see a revival on the
campus and to watch students take the love of Christ back with them as
they start their careers and families. Learn more: www.revivalinitaly.net.
Reaching the Nations in Italy
Day 30
March 28, 2015
It’s Simple
Sara Pipitone, DBC
Missions Summer
Intern 2014
Colossians 1:27-29
To them God has
chosen to make
known among
the Gentiles the
glorious riches
of this mystery,
which is Christ in
you, the hope of
glory. He is the
one we proclaim,
admonishing and
teaching everyone
with all wisdom,
so that we may
present everyone
fully mature in
Christ. To this end I
strenuously contend
with all the energy
Christ so powerfully
works in me.
H
i, I’m Sara. I’m 23, loved by God and
live in Italy.
During my internship at DBC last
summer, I learned about college student and
refugee ministries, thanks to the kindness of two
wonderful host families.
On my 8th morning in the “New Continent”, I
was speaking with my host mum and she shared
something she was worried about. Then I went
to DBC. All day I was praying “How can I remind
her of the Gospel in that situation?”
Nothing, no verse, no words came into my mind.
(I should memorize more key verses!) So I prayed
she would remember the Gospel.
The following day, we met and I asked her
if she wanted to pray with me. In her words,
she thanked God for Jesus’s cross, and for
remembering that was the only thing that helps.
Wow! I was so encouraged by God’s love in
encouraging His daughter and by the power of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I want to encourage you, God likes to work
powerfully through the prayers and love of His
limited and still growing servants in every
daily situation.
It is simple, remind yourself and others, Jesus
died and rose again. You have the one message that brings hope to the
world. Be a witness of it! This is the only one thing that helps!
Reaching the Nations in Liberia
Day 31
March 29, 2015
Being the
Hands and Feet
of Christ in the
Face of Ebola
Jessy Togbadoya,
Executive Director
of Balama
Development
Alliance
Philippians 4:57
And the peace
of God, which
transcends all
understanding, will
guard your hearts
and your minds in
Christ Jesus.
E
bola Virus Disease (EVD) has made media
headlines with West Africa being the
epicenter of the virus outbreak. The virus
rapidly spread in Liberia due to combination of
issues including: superstition that the disease
is God’s punishment for the unrighteous, weak
healthcare system, and the lack of education and
awareness about the disease.
To contain the disease and minimize new
infections, the government of Liberia declared
a state of emergency which made travel
to, from and within Liberia difficult. The
government closed most borders, instituted
screening measures, banned public and other
mass gatherings, quarantined heavily infected
communities, and authorized military personnel
to enforce prevention and control measures.
Back in September of 2014, I was burdened to
return home to help. As a father of three young
children, it did not make sense to leave safety in
America and return to a disease riddled country.
My fear intensified upon hearing that my primary
care physician at ELWA Hospital contracted the
virus and was evacuated to the States for medical
care. I had sleepless nights. I was deeply burdened for my people.
Through prayers, God’s prompting, and the generosity of BDA partner
churches, I returned to Liberia to lead Balama Development Alliance’s
Ebola relief efforts. While in Liberia, I trained 12 volunteers who went door
to door distributing emergency kits and educating the villagers about
Ebola: how to prevent their family from contracting the virus, how to
prepare disinfecting solution for sanitizing their homes and how to care for
an infected neighbor or family member.
Through God’s help and with the resources provided by partner churches,
the disease passed over the people in the communities of Balama and
Gbansue. While we mourn the deaths of those who lost the battle to
Ebola, we remain grateful for your support and God’s mighty hands.
Thank you for enabling us to be the hands and feet of Christ!
Balama Development Alliance is a Christian development organization
focused on evangelism, church planting, education, economic and
leadership development in Liberia. Learn more: www.balmaproject.org.
Reaching the Nations in Lebanon
Day 32
March 30, 2015
Meeting the
Needs of the
Refugees
Carol Carman,
DBC point person
to Lebanon,
Director of
Communications, Conscience
International
Deuteronomy 10:18
He defends the
cause of the
fatherless and
the widow, and
loves the foreigner
residing among
you, giving them
food and clothing.
T
hey come by the thousands, terrified,
horrified, almost petrified by a civil war
that has destroyed their homes, and
forced them to flee their homeland. They run,
walk, beg transport, and limp across the Syrian
border into Lebanon carrying only what they can
in their arms and on their backs, desperate to
escape the bullets, the bombs, the destruction,
looking for food, healthcare, jobs, education, the
basics of life. Most of the escapees are women,
their children now selling Chiclets gum or shining
shoes along the Mediterranean Sea and busy
side streets of Beirut to help feed their families.
They are hungry, scared, lonely, and anxious.
They once had homes and hope, but the
ongoing war in Syria changed all that.
It was a heart-breaking scene when I met them
in the slums of Beirut’s Bourj Hammoud district,
where families of five and six live in single rooms.
There are no jobs for them and there are no
official camps, although makeshift tents pervade
the Bekaa Valley where many seek shelter in
the shadow of Hezbollah militants. Two million
refugees already and more come every day.
Both Christian and Muslim women join us for Bible study, their need for
fellowship and understanding drawing them together in a land where
the Bible opens up before us. But it’s the children who tug at our hearts.
They smile easily but hide inward sadness. They have been out of school
since the war began four years ago and without an education boys can
be recruited as rebel fighters and girls forced into marriage by the age of
14. So when we placed two of them—a boy and a girl-- in a non-Muslim
school, our reward was their hugs and smiles and continuous echo of
“Thank you, thank you!” Their mothers did the same.
Following our call to Conscience, we are placing more children in school
this year, striving to follow God’s command to go, serve, and give “a cup
of cold water” in dire and dangerous places. We return blessed.
Conscience International’s mission is to respond to the world’s urgent
humanitarian needs by partnering with organizations and people of
conscience. Learn more: www.conscienceinternational.org.
Reaching the Nations in the Philippines
Day 33
March 31, 2015
A Testimony
of God’s
Redemption
Sarah Henderson
2 Corinthians 2:17
“Therefore, if
anyone is in Christ
the new creation has
come. The old has
gone and the new
is here.”
O
ne of our girls was raised in a broken
and abusive Muslim family. Growing up,
her father had two wives and families
living under the same roof. At the age of 14, Joy
began to rebel. She spent all of her time on the
streets with friends and using vices.
A local pastor talked to her about coming to
Children’s Garden (CG), however she rejected the
idea. A few weeks later she was at the darkest
time in her life. Joy knew she needed to make
a change. On September 15th she came to CG
and 2 weeks later she accepted Christ as her
Lord and Savior!
We were able to take Joy to see her father for
the first time in over 2 ½ years. When Joy saw
her father, she came running to him with open
arms and apologizing. They both cried and asked for forgiveness. “I
prayed for my dad every day and I was so scared to see him again, but
after talking to him I feel like a huge weight is lifted off of me. I have hope
now, a second chance; I’m not afraid to share my faith with
my family.”
Joy wants to go to college to become a teacher. Then she wants to enroll
with Youth With A Mission and become a missionary. This is one of many
stories told here at CG. Stories of brokenness and pain turned into a
testimony of God’s redemption and grace. Joy and her father’s story is a
perfect picture of what Easter is all about.
Through Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection we are given a new
beginning. We are able to come to God not by what we have done but
by Christ alone just like Joy and her father.
Sarah Henderson is serving in the Philippines in a new ministry,
Children’s Garden, to help street girls. Five to ten girls live
together in a home where they receive education, discipleship
and are being taught beneficial independent living skills. Learn more:
facebook.com/gatewaytohope14.
Reaching the Nations in Southeast Asia
Day 34
April 1, 2015
Seeing Christ in
Their Teachers
Robin Russell
2 Corinthians 4:7, 10
“But we have this
treasure in jars of
clay to show that
this all-surpassing
power is from God
and not from us.
We always carry
around in our body
the death of Jesus,
so that the life of
Jesus may also be
revealed in
our body”
R
ecently, we were part of a short-term
team teaching an English conversation
class at the local Islamic university. The
course lasted for 10 days and the students
were from all over the Muslim world. As part
of the curriculum, we included a daily listening
exercise that used a Bible story. We also asked
the students questions about the themes in the
stories: sin, forgiveness, peace. The students
reacted differently to the stories. Some tapped
their feet and looked around nervously while
others seemed interested in the story and eager
to discuss the themes. On day four, the Dean
asked our team to stop using the Bible.
Initially, I felt discouraged. What hope did we
have of sharing the Good News with these
students if we couldn’t use the very Word of
God? On “graduation” day, there was so much
joy and hope in the room. One young woman,
“Winni,” stood up and thanked the team for
coming. She began to cry as she shared how she
had never had a teacher smile at her on the first
day of class. She had never laughed with a teacher. She had never had fun
spending an entire Saturday exploring the city with her teachers. She was
sad to say goodbye and pledged to stay in contact with her teachers.
God had not been deterred by the Dean’s decree. He had used the
words and actions of every teacher to express His great love in ways the
students had never experienced. I finally realized what it means to “have
this treasure in jars of clay.” Those students saw Christ in their teachers.
“Winni” may not know it yet, but I’m certain she just met the
bridegroom of Heaven and I pray that she’ll be sitting next to me at
the wedding feast.
The Russell family serves as partners with Interserve in Southeast Asia.
Day 35
April 2, 2015
What Will
You Do?
Jeff Reams,
DBC’s Minister
of Missions
Acts 1:8
And you will be my
witnesses…
N
ow that you have read these stories,
what will you do?
You could close up this little booklet
and say to yourself, “Those were nice stories. I’m
glad they put that together.”
You could say, “Wow. It’s great what our church
is doing.”
Or, you could say, “What stories do I have? How
has the Lord been at work around me?”
For most of my journey with Christ, I would have
said one of the first two. I did not even consider
that the Lord might want to use me.
Why? I think because I never stopped to ask some basic questions like…
1. Do I believe the Lord can use me for His purposes?
2. Am I willing to be used?
3. How has He already prepared me?
It’s not uncommon for believers to think the Lord won’t use them for
anything significant. We normally operate out of our own strength. We
stay in our comfort zones.
Meanwhile, the Lord has defeated the powers of death and sent us out to
be witnesses of His new world, His kingdom! Who are we to think he was
wrong in choosing us?
So, what will you do? How do you answer the questions above?
Pray. Visit the websites of any ministry that inspired you. Trust the Lord.
Put yourself out there. See what He will do!
Jeff
If you would like more information on connecting to any of our mission
partners or want to discuss finding a place to serve, please contact Beth
Toly, Community Outreach Liaison at [email protected] or 770.280.1223.
Beloved,
We have journeyed together through the Missions Focused Devotional,
Reaching Our Neighbors and the Nations for Christ, Exploring Where
God Is Actively Working Through DBC’s Mission Partners. Our hope is you
have a clearer understanding of the ministries DBC partners with and that
the Holy Spirit has prompted you to seek out more information or to join
one of these Ministry Partners.
This Easter, we will greet each other with, “He has Risen! He has Risen
Indeed!” Now Church, let’s take this Easter greeting and make it how we
greet each day. Arise and embrace the reality that the Lord Jesus is alive
and actively working all around us.
Take the next step and join God where He is working,
Jeff Reams, Beth Toly, and Melinda Coker
DBC Missions Staff
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who
will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah 6:8
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were
unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that
these men had been with Jesus.
Acts 4:13
MISSION’S MINISTRY SNAPSHOT
Our Mission:
Reaching our Neighbors
and the Nations for Christ
Our Mission is Given by Jesus in the Bible:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you.
Matthew 28:19
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes
on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the
ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8
www.dbc.org/missions
Twitter: @DBCMission
SAVE THE DATE
Community Outreach
Missions Fair
Sunday,
March 22
10:30 am - 1:30 PM
To Love Jesus and Become More Like Him
1445 Mt. Vernon Road
Dunwoody, Georgia 30338
770.280.1200 • www.dbc.org
Sunday Worship Services at 8:30 & 11 am
Interim Senior Pastor: Allen Jackson