Helping Joplin, MO

Friends,

I received this letter from a fellow pastor in Defiance, OH regarding aid for those in Joplin, MO.

-pastor bill

New Life out of Bryan has asked us to get the word out concerning items needed for Joplin, MO. If you are interested in getting some of the needed items together, I will be taking anything brought to our church up to Bryan late Friday afternoon. Please have any items brought to Harvest Life by

3:00 pm.

Blessings, Tim Hacker

New Life Worship Center is working in cooperation with other churches, ministries, and organizations throughout the tri-state area to collect emergency relief supplies to send down to Joplin, Missouri. Many people have seen the pictures and heard the descriptions but don't know how to respond to this great need. Please join us in giving your congregations an avenue to help those most deeply affected by this tragedy.

I have a life-long friend who has been ministering in Joplin for several years who is our contact there. His church is in the middle of the destruction but was untouched by the storm. They are in a perfect position to distribute supplies directly to those in need.

We are collecting the following items:

Diapers of all sizes....

Formulas, bottles.

Bottled water.

Children's clothes ( good condition).

Pillows and Blankets.

Personal care items (toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, soap and shampoo).

Paper and Feminine hygiene products.

And cash/check donations are welcomed.(Checks may be made out to NLWC for those seeking tax credit).

Drop off location:

New Life Worship Center

14451County Road C

Bryan, Ohio 43506

419.636.3526

Truck will leave NLWC on Friday 27th at 11pm.

If you have people interested in being part of a work crew, we are also organizing a team to leave Sunday May 29th and returning Saturday June 4th.

Contact me for more information.

We can't do everything, but we should do something! Together we can make a difference!

J. Mark Holbrook

NLWC

419.636.3526
419.551.0520

The Vision of an Acts 2 Church

A personal vision to build a Church, based on Acts 2.39-47,
for those who don’t like church

I will never be happier or more successful than when I am completely devoted to God’s will for my life. As a sinner saved by grace, I will devote my life to reaching the irreligious and connecting them with Jesus and His people. May I never forget my life before Jesus Christ and the power that first loving church had on my future.

As a pastor in Jesus’ Church, I will actively and consciously lead my flock and manage its resources toward becoming a hell-defeating congregation. The result will resemble an Acts 2 church proactively seeking out the prodigal sons of the world and lovingly teaching the elder brothers the error in their religious ways. Because I fear God and not man, I will reject excuses—in my life and the lives of others—and will hold every man-made method, ministry, and tradition accountable for the supreme task getting sinners close to Jesus.

Without jeopardizing my faith, my family, or my fitness, I am giving this task every last ounce of who I am and what I have. On my deathbed, success will be defined by the results I, my family, and the churches I have led have produced for the Kingdom of God.

Bill Mesaeh, Jr.

18 Mar 11
Defiance, Ohio

 

Acts 2:39–47 (NLT)
³⁹ This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”⁴⁰ Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” ⁴¹ Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. ⁴² All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. ⁴³ A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.⁴⁴ And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.⁴⁵ They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.⁴⁶ They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—⁴⁷ all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

The New Testament Church

Acts 2:39–40 (NLT)
39 This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”40 Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”

· God gives the world a promise of hope. This hope—salvation and redemption through Christ—is what everyone desperately longs for, whether they know it or not

· Creating a church for the unchurched is the most Christ-like effort a group of believers could desire

· The church stood as a lighthouse of salvation to the lost of its day

· The members shared a hunger for God’s Word, and they received it through strong biblical preaching

Acts 2:41 (NLT)
41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

· The Church’s greatest gift to the world is conviction about the message of Jesus Christ

· When the Church delivers the Good News in a relevant, understandable, and applicable way, God responds with exponential growth

· God blesses the Church that is unified toward achieving what He wants

Acts 2:42 (NLT)
42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

· Regardless of location, ethnicity, background, gender, etc., the Church maintained unity by focusing on these key practices:

1. Bible teaching,
2. attractive friendship that was Spirit-empowered and deeply sincere, and
3. continually deepening their bonds to each other and to God

Acts 2:43 (NLT)
43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.

· The church is constantly aware of and drawing upon the supernatural power of God

· A healthy fear of the Lord drives the Church to stay on mission and remain obedient to Christ

· The church is not a secular institution, and is therefore not limited by resources or manmade regulations

Acts 2:44–45 (NLT)
44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.

· Deep love for each other moved the Church to “take care of its own”—extending real love

· Counter-cultural, counter-intuitive love distinguished the Church from the rest of the world

Acts 2:46 (NLT)
46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—

· The church gathered corporately to worship and learn & scattered into each other’s homes to serve and fellowship

· The Church fought back the powers of hell on two battlefronts:

1. The AIR WAR of corporate worship and study
2. The GROUND WAR of scattered service and fellowship

Acts 2:47 (NLT)
47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

· As a result of the Church’s genuine worship of God, they enjoyed rapid growth and true joy

· God wants His church to grow. The Church that finds true joy and unity in radical worship and service experiences the blessings of radical growth and happiness

Secret Church

Right now, around the world, millions of Christ-followers are meeting in secret places, worshiping in hiding, practicing their faith behind closed doors. If exposed, they face prison, torture, or even death. Yet their devotion to God and His Word are unwavering, even heroic. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We must learn to take our God as seriously as they do.

When we think of “church” in America, we think of going to meet at a building, singing, praying and hearing a message from a Pastor or teacher. But in many places around the world, “church” meets in a home, an apartment, even in secret. These small groups of Christ-followers often meet for many hours in study, prayer and fellowship, as it is dangerous to travel to “church” and they want to make the most of their time together.

On May 20th, DCC will be the location for ‘Secret Church’. We will spend 5 hours, from 6 PM to 11PM in God’s Word, prayer and worship. Our desire is to see people come for the entire event, but realizing that conflicts and prior commitments might interfere, we are splitting the event into smaller sections. If you need to miss part of the event, you may still show up easily at any time to join in without feeling ‘lost’. Most of the night will be spent in Bible study as I teach through the book of Acts. There will be a time of praise and worship in music from 7:30 to 8:30.

Please make plans now to be there: this Friday (5/20) @ DCC, 6-11p.

-pastor bill

Kingdom Growth

Friends & Family,

The letter below comes from a man DCC is looking to bring on as a second full-time minister.  Praise God!  For us to do this, however, he will have to raise a considerable portion of his own salary during the first year.  Please read the letter from him and consider supporting him financially.  Of course, all checks would be mailed and addressed directly to Defiance Christian Church, so they would be fully tax deductible.

In Christ,
-bill

“For this reason I kneel before the Father”

Ephesians 3:14

Defiance Christian Church is averaging 300 members, with only 1 minister! The church has decided now is the time to aggressively pursue Kingdom growth rather than wait until their entire mortgage debt (approximately $1.4m) is exhausted. The elders and church’s CPA are working very hard to reduce this debt.

The senior minister, Bill Mesaeh, had been asking the church leaders, "Why not?  Why not?  If God owns the cattle on a 1,000 hills, why don't we slaughter a few of them?  In other words, if anything is possible with God...there has to be a way for DCC to have ministers they need in the midst of this time of financial debt.

Many of you have been praying, along with me, for God to open a door of ministry to me for the last two years of my life. Our prayers recently met up with Bill’s prayers! Bill had been praying for how God could use him to plug me in, in obedience to Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." 

DCC has decided to bring me on the team as a missionary (raising my own financial support), with the full intention and plans of this being a committed, long-term ministry. In 6 months, DCC will take on half my salary; and after 1 year, the church will provide my entire salary.

Bill foresees the church reaching anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 members. Defiance County’s population is near 40,000 people, with only 1 other decent size church.

Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Matthew 9:37-38).

Would you, kneel before the Father on my behalf?

#1 Pray earnestly this prayer of Matthew 9:37-38, for God to send out laborers into his harvest, for Defiance County, and for the world.

#2 Pray about partnering together with me in this ministry, through faithful prayer and/or financial support (details on the following page).

#3 Pray for the financial debt of the church to be wiped away by sacrificial and often insignificant gifts….which, if brought to Jesus, He will multiply and accomplish monumental things! Like when Andrew brought the boy with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread to Him, and He fed the 5,000 (John 6:1-13).

Would you, help support me financially in this year of ministry?

If so, know that any gift you can give would be so appreciated!

Checks should be sent to:

Defiance Christian Church

C/O Jason Martin

955 Standley Rd.

Defiance, OH  43512.

Checks should be addressed to Defiance Christian Church. On the memo of the check write, “for: Jason Martin’s ministry”.

If you would like to give to help DCC with this financial debt, write on the memo, “for: DCC’s Mortgage Debt”.

If you would like me to send you this letter via mail-mail.  Please give me your address, and I will send it right out with a return envelope enclosed if you would like to help in any way.

Alicia, the office manager, will generate a charity tax statement for any contributions.

Forever grateful and always at your disposal,

                               Jason Martin