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Missions Conference Notes
10th Annual World Missions Conference
March 27-29, 2015
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Missions...
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...the heart of God
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Westwood Presbyterian Church
(334) 794-4080
www.westwoodpca.org
Jesus had compassion for the crowds, for they were harassed and
helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
from Matthew 9:36
Westwood Presbyterian Church
Dothan, Alabama
Missions Conference Notes
Welcome to Westwood’s
10h Annual World Missions Conference
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In 2005, four members of Westwood (Joe and Sarah Ford, Vance Rutan,
and Rick Kennedy) accepted the responsibility to organize our first World
Missions Conference, which was held in April, 2006. They invited Dr.
Frank Barker, pastor emeritus of Briarwood Presbyterian Church, to come
and challenge us to be more intentional in engaging the world for Christ.
Our collective response was, and continues to be, an overwhelming “Yes!”
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Since that time, Westwood has established an annual missions conference,
developed a missions manual, established long-term relationships with
missionaries in South America, Europe, and Asia, and provided more than
$430,000 in monetary support. Our World Missions Team typically has
10-12 members, and each year they strive to heighten our awareness of
missions and to improve our ability to engage the world for Christ.
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This year’s theme reflects the biblical emphasis of “Missions: the Heart of
God.” Matthew 9:36 reminds us that as Jesus looked around at the crowds
of people, “He had compassion on them because they were harassed and
helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
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Our God has extended this compassion to us, and we desire to be intentional in doing our part to extend that compassion to others as we plead
with them to call on His name for salvation!
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As we welcome Dr. Stephen Estock to Westwood as our keynote speaker,
we look forward to hearing more about God’s heart for missions. And as
we do, our prayer is that we will be challenged to better reflect God’s heart
-- as we join Him by praying, sending, and going -- across the street and
around the world.
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Grace and peace,
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Pastor David
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Missions Conference Notes
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2015 Missions Conference Schedule
Fri., March 27
4:30-5:15 pm Pre-Conference with Missionaries
5:30-6:15 pm Dinner in the Fellowship Hall (FH)
6:30-7:00 pm Adults & Children- Worship in the Sanctuary (S)
• Field Presentation - Tom & Catalina Nachtergaele
7:00-8:00 pm • Children - dismissed to Conference Room (CR)
before sermon to meet with Jean Sharpe
• Sermon - Dr. Estock (S)
Sat., March 28
8:30-9:15 am Breakfast - prepared by Westwood men (FH)
9:15-9:55 am • Field Presentation - Jean Sharpe & Scott Simmons (FH)
• Children - Field Trip
10:00-11:55 am • Adults - Missionary Groups
• Children - Field Trip (continued)
12:00-1:30 pm Lunch (FH)
6:30-7:45 pm Adults & children - Worship (S)
• Field Presentation - Ben Johnson
• Children - dismissed to CR before sermon to meet
with Johnny Johnson
• Sermon - Dr. Estock
Sun, March 29
9:00-9:15 am Adults and Children - Pastor David Temples (S)
9:15-10:00 am • Missionary Display Tables (FH)
• Children - Becca Johnson (CR)
10:00-10:30 am Refreshments and Fellowship (FH)
10:30-11:45 am Adults and children - Worship (S)
• Field Presentation - Johnny Johnson
• Sermon - Dr. Estock
12:00-1:15 pm Lunch: Missionaries, WMC members & helpers (FH)
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Please be in prayer for the 2016 Missions Conference. Our
speaker will be Dr. Richard T. Pratt Jr., president and
founder of Third Millennium Ministries. The organization
distributes a free digital multimedia seminary program to
church leaders around the world which allows them to
study theology in their home country and bring the Word
of God to the people who need it most.
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2015 Mission Conference Guests
Dr. Stephen Estock
PCA Committee on Discipleship Ministries (CDM)
[email protected]
Dr. Estock has been in pastoral ministry for 20 years, serving
churches in Montgomery, AL and St. Louis, MO. He also
served as adjunct professor at Birmingham Theological
Seminary in Birmingham, AL and at Covenant Theological
Seminary in St. Louis, MO.
With his family roots in Alabama, Dr. Estock attended Rhodes College in
Memphis, TN. During college, he became active in the ministry of Young Life
in the Memphis high schools. It was during those years that his initial call to
the ministry began to take form. After graduation he served for five years as a
US Air Force intelligence officer, first in Texas and later in California. He
met his wife Susan at a small PCA church in California. It was there that they
were introduced to the Reformed Faith.
Dr. Estock was ordained in February 1990. In September he and Susan were
married. The following year he entered Covenant Theological Seminary,
where he received his MDiv four years later in 1995. His first ministry call
was Assistant and Associate Pastor to the Covenant Presbyterian Church in
Montgomery, AL. In 1999 he was called to be Senior Pastor.
Missions Conference Notes
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Three years later in 2002, Dr. Estock became Minister of Education at Kirk of
the Hills Church in St. Louis. During his residence there, he completed his
PhD in Education at the highly respected Capella University, a leader in
online education. The emphasis of his PhD was competency-based learning
for ruling elders and leadership training. His experience and education will
greatly benefit his new position with PCA Discipleship Ministries (CDM).
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The mission of CDM is to serve members and churches of the Presbyterian
Church in America (PCA) as they seek to make disciples of all nations.
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Discipleship encompasses all of what it means to walk with Christ.
The content of the Gospel must be conveyed in relationships that are
empowered by the Truth of the Gospel.
Dr. Stephen Estock
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Faith Promise Giving
It is our privilege and duty to support our missionaries. The Faith Promise
giving commitment is not simply an appeal to support our missionaries; it is
an invitation to become intentional in the greatest cause on earth - extending
the Good News and sharing God’s compassion.
2015 Mission Conference Guests
Johnny and Annette Johnson
Mission to the World-Europe
[email protected]
Missionaries need an army of faithful prayer warriors who will daily bring
their names and needs before God’s throne of grace. They need us at the
home front to befriend them, keep in touch with them, stay alert to special
needs, and welcome them graciously when they return.
Johnny and Annette began serving with Mission to the World
in the Czech Republic in 2010. They work with a small
church in the city of Zlín, engaging primarily in discipleship and evangelism.
They provide oversight to other missionary teams in Europe, prepare material
for children’s Sunday school, and help publish Christian literature in the
Czech language. They are awaiting publication of The Jesus Storybook Bible.
The Faith in Faith Promise
We cannot expect to excel in one area if we are miserly in another. If we want
to grow in giving, we must grow in faith; if we want to expand our faith, we
must expand our giving. One moves the other!
Regular ministry activities for the Johnsons include prayer meetings with
Czech church leaders, one-on-one and small group discipleship meetings, and
development of activities designed to connect Czech non-believers to Czech
Christians. They also host summer interns, an evangelistic English summer
camp, and a girls camp for teenage girls.
The Promise of God
We are all finite. Even at our best, we are not always as involved as we should
be, not always there when we’re needed. The faith promise commitment is a
time for us to reaffirm our faith in the promises of God.
How Much Should I Give?
Is this the right question or should we instead be asking, “How much does
God want me to give?” The first question is self-centered. It focuses on bank
accounts, bills and obligations. The second question places the focus on God.
The Call to Stewardship
Your Faith Promise pledge for missions has the potential to have a greater
impact on your spiritual life than any other event. It is not about how large a
gift to give; it is about how large a place God has in your heart.
Our Faith Promise Goal for this year is $48, 000.
By God’s grace and as He provides, I promise to give ______ to missions
over the next year. A record of my giving:
Date and amount: _______$ _______; Date and amount: ______$ _______.
Date and amount: _______$ _______; Date and amount: ______$ _______.
Date and amount: _______$ _______; Date and amount: ______$ _______.
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Rev. Scott Simmons
Third Millennium Ministries
[email protected]
Scott is Director of Professor Relations for Third Millennium
Ministries, an evangelical Christian ministry dedicated to the
education of pastors and church leaders who lack sufficient training for the
ministry. Scott interviews seminary professors and pastors in the US and
around the world for the creation of the ministry’s multimedia curriculum,
lesson forums and videos. He also frequently teaches for The Perspectives
Studies Program at the US Center for World Missions where Sundee, his
wife, serves as the East Coast Regional Administrator. Scott and Sundee have
three children: Nathan (18), Emily (16), and Julianna (9).
Jean Sharpe
Partners in Asian Missions
[email protected]
Jean Sharpe is Assistant Director for Partners in Asian Missions
(PAM), a ministry that spreads the Gospel through national pastors of Nepal
and India. Jean provides public relations support for partner churches in the
southeastern US and conducts public presentations. She also communicates
with “Rev. B,” who works directly with the nationals pastors, the Asian team
leaders, and Evangelism Explosion International (EE).
Jean attends Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, AL.
Read more about PAM on page 7.
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2015 Mission Conference Guests
Tom and Catalina Nachtergaele
Mission to the World-Europe
[email protected]
The Nachtergaeles have been with Mission to the World
(MTW) since 1998. Tom is the Regional Director for
Enterprise Europe, the MTW division that reaches out to immigrants in
Europe. Tom and Catalina’s personal ministry is in church planting and the
discipling of non-believers in Northern Europe. They live in Gent, Belgium
and have four children: Katriena, Kyle, Amanda, and Andrew.
As Regional Director, Tom mentors six team leaders of European cities: East
and West London, England; Athens, Greece; Nimes, France; Copenhagen,
Denmark; and Skopje, Macedonia. He mobilizes church planting through the
International Presbyterian Church (IPC) and serves on the Enterprise Europe
member care task force. Tom also mentors two key church planters in Gent:
Leo, pastor of the international community church, and Murat, pastor of the
Turkish church. Both men are ordained in the IPC.
Ben and Rebecca Johnson
Mission to the World-Thailand
[email protected]
God sparked a passion for missions very early in the
lives of Ben and Rebecca Johnson. Ben’s love of
aviation spurred him to study missionary aviation and his compassion for the
lost led him to the pastoral ministry. His career began as a youth pastor in his
local church and led him to take the Gospel into the military community by
serving as an Air Force chaplain. Rebecca’s passion to care for those hurting
led her to study social work.
The Johnsons recently changed from short term to long term missionaries.
They will soon become part of a new MTW team and church plant in Chiang
Mai, a Buddhist city nestled in the mountains of northern Thailand. Although
many missionaries live in Chiang Mai, very few are focusing on reaching the
Thai people. After they arrive, the Johnsons will use their training in the Thai
language as a tool to build relationships and share the Gospel with people in
Chiang Mai. They are deeply passionate about the church and hope to form a
congregation that is self-sustaining and deeply Thai in leadership and culture.
Opportunities for Service
Dothan Rescue Mission: Once a quarter,
Westwood prepares a meal, serves it to the
residents of the mission, and conducts the
evening worship service. Help is always
needed. Please join us!
Prayer for Revival and Awakening: You are invited to join Pastors David
and Lynn weekly in a time of prayer and calling out to God to bring revival to
His Church and an awakening to those who are unsaved.
The History of Christmas and Easter School Presentations: In preparation
for Christmas and Easter each year, Westwood joins other area churches in
presenting the history of these holy days from a Christian perspective.
Spiritual Interest Survey: A few times each month Pastor David goes out
into a local neighborhood in order to survey how people think about spiritual
issues. His simple five question survey often leads to deeper conversations.
Wiregrass Hope Group: This ministry provides numerous
opportunities for service. Contact the organization individually
or through the church to see how you can help!
Read more about Wiregrass Hope Group on page 11.
Reading Books on Missions and the Lives of Missionaries: Westwood has
a large collection of mission books in its library. Challenge yourself to read a
number of them before the 2016 conference and document them here.
Name of Book
Author
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Ben and Rebecca have four children: Eliana (11), Elizabeth (7), Samuel (5)
and Miriam (2).
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Opportunities for Service
Westwood Supported Missionaries and Ministries
Tom and Teresa Wilson
Nagoya, Japan
[email protected]
PCA Global Missions Conference: Every three years, the PCA sponsors a
Global Missions Conference. The next conference will be held in 2016. We
provide several options at Westwood to help defray the cost of this trip.
Summer Mission Trip to Dalton, Georgia: Each year Westwood sends a
team to Dalton, Georgia, to assist in home repairs and lawn care and to help
conduct backyard Bible clubs. Westwood sponsors fundraisers to help defray
the cost of transportation, housing, and meals for those wishing to participate.
Book Table at Wallace College: Westwood
regularly hosts a book table at Wallace College in
order to provide reading materials and gospel
tracts on a variety of life issues, and to engage
with students about spiritual matters. Materials
are free of charge to students.
Fathers Focused on Faith and Family Ministry, or 4f as it is known, is a
mentoring program for young men founded by Westwood’s Bill Bruce.
Aimed primarily at helping boys age 14-17 to become Christian men, the
ministry reaches out to all age groups and provides a unique opportunity for
men of all ages to become spiritual leaders. Are you willing to mentor one of
these young men? Can we count on your support for this ministry? We need
curriculum materials and Bibles. Visit our website: 4fministry.org
The Wilsons are church planters who have been based in
Nagoya, Japan for the past few years. Their approach to
church planting is to start a choir first! Most of their choir members are not
Christian. As songs are rehearsed, the Wilsons take the opportunity to explain
the text and share the message of Jesus. When choir members later become
friends, Tom and Teresa have more opportunities to share the hope of Christ
in a more personal way. Japanese Christians also partner with the Wilsons to
sing and share the Good News.
The Wilsons received some additional good news in December. Their prayers
for a Christmas baby were answered! Little Anna Teresa (Ah-na), a preemie
born 7 weeks early and weighing less than 4 pounds, arrived on December 26.
The Lord has led the Wilsons to be Anna's foster family until adoption papers
are approved. Tom and Teresa have two other children, Ian (9) and Liana (4).
Tom and Teresa held two concerts during the week of Christmas. Their newly
formed boy’s choir and an instrumental group were the focus of an evening of
music, Scripture reading, and an evangelistic explanation of Christmas. The
second concert, a gospel musical Black Nativity was presented in a celebration
with 53 singers, two soloists (including Teresa), a gospel band, and a nativity
cast complete with shepherds and wise men.
Jean Sharpe, Assistant Director
Partners in Asian Missions (PAM)
[email protected]
PAM provides a different role from that of the
traditional missionary. Since its inception in 1972
Director
as a Christian ministry to the leper colonies of Thailand, PAM’s KidsEE
Ben Thomas
focus has shifted to India and Nepal. Today PAM develops church planting
strategies and supports the work of Southeast Asian evangelical pastors who
minister to unreached groups. PAM also partners with Evangelism Explosion.
EE focuses on reaching people who live in
outlying and underdeveloped rural areas of
Nepal and India and have never heard the
name of Jesus.
Ben Thomas is KidsEE Director for India..
PAM’s Agape Team in South India
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Westwood Supported Missionaries and Ministries
Pete and Ruth Mitchell
Toulouse, France
[email protected]
My Missions Prayer Requests
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The Mitchells are church planters who have
served with Mission to the World (MTW)
James, Ruth, Mary Ellen, Pete, Charlie, Roger since 1992. Over the past 35 years, their team
has successfully planted and revitalized churches in four different locations in
the area of Marseille, France.
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Between 2013-14, MTW-France explored possible sites for church plants in
Bordeaux and Toulouse. After much travel and prayer, God provided clear
direction for the Mitchells to move to Toulouse and partner closely with the
existing French Reformed Evangelical Church near the city center.
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Over the next two years, Pete will serve as co-pastor in the Toulouse mother
church. The Mitchells pray that God will revitalize this church and allow it to
become a springboard for church planting in the western suburbs. Their team
in Marseille will join them in 2016-2017.
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Pete and Ruth have four children. Roger (22) currently works in Washington
DC and is engaged to be married this summer. Charlie (21) is a sophomore at
North Greenville University in South Carolina. James (19) began studies last
year at the University in Aix-en-Provence. Mary Ellen (15) is a high school
student in the international track.
Third Millennium Ministries
Dr. Richard Pratt, Jr.
[email protected]
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Dr. Richard Pratt, founder and president of Third
Millennium Ministries, launched this ministry in
response to a lack of training of Christian leaders around the world. Third
Millennium Ministries equips church leaders and pastors with a two-year,
master’s level seminary curriculum in the language of their own land. The
course is created and distributed free of charge in five languages: Arabic,
Spanish, Russian, Mandarin Chinese and English.
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These teaching materials are currently being used in 127 countries. To date,
more than three million hours have been distributed to indigenous pastors and
seminary students. Each multi-media curriculum is comprised of three central
elements: printed instructions, internet resources, and graphic-driven videos.
Dr. Pratt and his family live in the Orlando area.
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Prayer Requests for our Missionaries
Day 1 - Relationship with God: Missionaries struggle in their relationship
with God just as we do. Pray that your missionary will mature spiritually,
have a strong prayer life, be filled with the Holy Spirit, love and study God’s
Word, and make progress over personal sin.
Day 2 - Physical and emotional needs: Pray for financial security and good
health. Our missionaries have busy schedules, travel often, and may live in
difficult climates filled with disease. Pray for safety, stamina and a sense of
priority. Pray against discouragement, loneliness and depression. Pray for
family members left behind.
Day 3 - Family relationships: Pray that your missionary’s family life will
provide an excellent model for local Christians and the unsaved. Pray for
health, education, salvation, and the spiritual growth of their children. If your
missionary is single, pray for strong, healthy friendships and contentment in
singleness.
Day 4 - Ability to communicate: Pray for the stamina and understanding to
demonstrate Christ cross-culturally. Learning a new language and adapting
to a new culture can be frustrating and difficult. A superficial understanding
of a language is insufficient for communicating spiritual truths and defending
the faith. Even an elementary knowledge of a language takes years of study
and practice.
Day 5 - Effective ministry: Remember to pray for the things your missionary
is actually doing: witnessing, visiting, teaching, preaching, counseling and
nursing. Pray for the people to whom they minister. Pray for boldness, open
doors, open hearts and excellence in the effort. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower
your missionary for productivity.
Day 6 - Team relationships: Missionaries often team up with other pastors,
evangelists, missionaries and local believers. This personality mix is designed
to strengthen the ministry but can sometimes become weakened or strained by
poor relationships. Pray for fellow workers mentioned in your missionary’s
letters and pray that they will all serve one another in good and healthy ways.
Day 7 - Country of service: Expand your prayers to include the total country
where your missionary is located. The political situation, its government and
its leaders, freedom to preach the Gospel, and visas are all important factors
in world evangelization. Pray that the entire country will become responsive
to the Gospel.
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Westwood Supported Missionaries and Ministries
Harold and Sarah Schepian
High Wycombe, England
[email protected]
The Schepians are church planters who have served
with World Harvest Mission (WHM) since 2000. The
Thomas, Sarah, Nathanael, Harold organization has since changed its name to Serge, to
and Owen
represent the missionaries who “immerse themselves
in the fabric of foreign culture and join their lives with those they serve.”
Harold and Sarah live in High Wycombe, a town near London, England with
their three sons, Thomas (9), Nathanael (7), and Owen (4). They center their
ministry on building friendships with non-believer neighbors, sharing the
Gospel and arousing a curiosity in others for reading the Bible. They also use
discussion groups, door-to-door evangelism, Gospel surveys, home visitations
and the distribution of literature, Bibles and Bible calendars as their tools.
In 2014 the Schepians returned to the US on a much needed fund-raising trip
as the cost of living in Europe has increased dramatically. During that visit
they sought to develop new partnerships by inspiring others to live and share
the Gospel around the world.
Joe and Becky Harrell
Bogotá, Colombia
[email protected]
Joe and Becky Harrell have been with Mission to the
World (MTW) since 1986. Joe is a member of our S.E.
Alabama Presbytery. They began their ministry in Mexico and served there
from 1986-2006, mentoring and supporting national church planters. During
that time, Joe became increasingly involved in theological education which
eventually led them to Columbia, South America.
The Harrells work with the growing Reformed Evangelical Presbyterian
Church in Colombia. Their primary focus is raising up strong leaders who can
bring about reformation in Columbia’s homes and churches and throughout
Latin America. Their principle task is church-based training of Presbyterian
pastors and elders through church planting, but ministry opportunities often
extend beyond their own denomination to other evangelical churches and
leaders hungry for the reformed faith.
The Harrells have 2 daughters, Elizabeth and Rachel, and 5 grandchildren.
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Westwood Supported Missionaries and Ministries
Wallace and Barbara Pouncy
New Tribes Mission (retired)
[email protected]
Westwood Supported Missionaries and Ministries
Wiregrass Hope Group
Dothan, Alabama
wiregrasshopegroup.com
Wallace and Barbara Pouncy began their long and
venturous journey with New Tribes Mission (NTM)
in 1970 when God challenged them to go to the ends of the earth and share
the Gospel with those who had never had a chance to hear it.
Wiregrass Hope Group is a resource center which
offers practical assistance to families and individuals
in local churches and the Dothan community while
encouraging spiritual growth. Programs include:
In the jungles of South America, they helped befriend the last of the Yaqui
Indians, uniting them with members of the same tribe where they could hear
the Gospel in their own native tongue. Wally and Barbara helped build two
airstrips in Bolivia’s virgin jungles and provided support in Puerto Ayacucho,
Venezuela and in the Bolivian cities of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz.
Marriage and Family Ministry: Pre-marital counseling is provided to couples
entering a covenant marriage, to those in crisis, and to those who want to
strengthen their marriages.
Their last assignment was with the NTM Retirement Homes in Florida. Now,
45 years later and retired, the Pouncys praise God for allowing them to serve.
And still they continue to serve! They regularly attend missions conferences
where they encourage, challenge, and mentor younger missionaries and share
their field experiences with the host churches.
Brad and Brandi Hardy
Dothan Rescue Mission
[email protected]
The Dothan Rescue Mission was founded in
1979. The ministry has a 34-year history of
providing temporary shelter, clothing, hot
meals and hope for a more abundant life to those who call the streets their
home. Brad Hardy has been the Executive Director since 2004. His wife,
Brandi serves as the Human Services Director. Brad and Brandi have three
children: JP, Abby and Anna.
The Mission has a chapel and a kitchen, a 16-bed Family Lodge, a 60-bed
Men’s Lodge, and a 25-bed Women’s
Lodge. The community center provides
training in GED competency, job and life
skills, discipleship growth, and computer
skills. It is supported by donations and
proceeds from three local area thrift stores
that provide 80% of its income.
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Character and Relationship Program: Classes are conducted by experienced
facilitators to help teenagers in grades 6-12 who reside in Houston, Henry and
Geneva counties to set healthy personal goals for their future. The program
promotes sexual abstinence and encourages teens to avoid potential at-risk
behavior by teaching positive, hope-based methods.
Fatherhood Program: The Boot Camp and fatherhood mentoring programs
are designed to provide dads with the tools and strategies for becoming the
kind of father their children and family need them to be.
Pregnancy Resource Center: This ministry provides prenatal
care and counseling, birth preparation, post-natal adjustments and
alternatives to abortion through its well trained volunteers and
professionals. The Women's Hope Center also provides practical
support and compassionate care to those facing an unplanned
pregnancy.
Baby Bottle Boomerang: This is a fun and easy way to help new
mothers and babies! The fundraiser kicks off each January with
Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Baby bottles are distributed by
Wiregrass Hope Group to churches and organizations throughout
the Wiregrass area. Participants fill the bottles with change, cash,
or checks and return them by the designated date. Westwood is
an annual participant in this program.
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