CONFERENCE THEME:
“THE FUTURE AND HOPE OF BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS”

Jeremiah 29.11:  “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” saith the LORD, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Luke 12.32:  “Fear not, little flock;  for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

WHAT IS ‘FUTURE AND HOPE’?
God gave this promise to Israel to assure them that He was not done with them, and that His kingdom purposes and plans were still very much on task, on target, and on time – and that, in truth, greater service and effectiveness was yet in store for them in their future.  The struggles they were going through at that time were driving them to depend more on God, call more on God, and look more to God.  They must just follow God into the future He was giving them – and hope only in Him.

God’s ‘thoughts’ that He thinks toward us are His purposes and plans.  God doesn’t think fleeting, passing thoughts.  His thoughts are His plans, the eternal counsels of His own will [as in Ephesians 1.1-14].  And, whatever God thinks, purposes, and plans – that He will do [Isaiah 46.9-11].

So, when God assures them [and us] that His plans are to give them [and us] ‘an expected end’, He is promising them a FUTURE and a HOPE – and He will make it happen.  Our King James translators have given us an alternate reading on ‘an expected end’.  It is ‘Heb. end and expectation’.

• ‘End’ is ‘FUTURE’ where God is taking us, what God is going to give us, what God is going to do with us.

• ‘Expectation’ is ‘HOPE’.  Hope is not mere wishful thinking.  Hope is a certain assurance and confident expectation that God will do what He has promised to do and give us what He has promised to give us.

WHAT IS OUR FUTURE AND HOPE?
Jesus Christ has promised to give His kingdom to us, His churches.  When He established His church, He gave us ‘the keys of the kingdom of heaven’ [Matthew 16.18-19].  He commissioned and sent us into every nation of the world to preach and proclaim ‘the gospel of the kingdom’ [Mark 1.14 & Matthew 24.14].  When unbelievers receive the Gospel and God saves them by the Cross of Christ, the Holy Spirit calls them and births them into God’s kingdom [John 3.1-8].  Then, Jesus Christ sets them in His churches as it pleases Him.

This is how the kingdom of God grows and increases in the world.  This is how the will of God is done on earth as it is in Heaven [Matthew 6.9-13].  And, this is the FUTURE AND HOPE Jesus promises us when He says, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  Jesus promises this FUTURE AND HOPE to His churches – and Baptist Faith Missions is a voluntary fellowship of such churches who are partnering together to preach His Gospel of the Kingdom in all the world as a witness to all the nations [Matthew 24.14].  We have been mutually committed to this purpose for the past 70 years – and we are committed to continuing His mission until He returns.

70 YEARS OF CHURCH-PLANTING AND KINGDOM-BUILDING
The missionaries who have served in many of the nations of the world through the support given by the churches in fellowship with Baptist Faith Missions have faithfully and fruitfully led thousands to faith in Jesus Christ, planted hundreds of churches, and increased the kingdom of God.  Many of these churches have, in turn, become multiplying churches themselves – and the mission outreach of Baptist Faith Missions continues to network to more and more countries, disciple more and more believers, and establish more and more churches.

You will not find another group of God-called and church-sent Baptist missionaries and supporting churches who have served Jesus Christ more faithfully and effectively than those in fellowship with Baptist Faith Missions.  One of the purposes of this Conference is to tell you at least a small part of their stories.

“…FELLOW WORKERS UNTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD…” Colossians 4.11
But, we also recognize that there is so much more that we need to do.  And, WHAT JESUS CHRIST HAS GIVEN US TO DO THROUGH THE MISSIONARIES WHO SERVE IN FELLOWSHIP WITH BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS IS WORTH DOING.  We are committing ourselves to CALLING ON JESUS CHRIST, GOING AND PRAYING TO HIM [Jeremiah 29.12-13] for HIS FUTURE AND HOPE that He wants us to pursue and receive from Him.

We continue to struggle more and more just to maintain the essential commitments we have made to our missionaries to meet their basic needs for daily life and ministry.  We want to do so much better, but it will require a concerted, increased participation from each one of us – and all of us together.

So, we will also be presenting during our Conference services several challenges we face along with some initiatives and measures we believe the Lord is giving us to implement together – all with the FUTURE AND HOPE in view that we can increase our outreach, increase God’s Kingdom in the nations of the world, and above all, INCREASE GOD’S GLORY THROUGH THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE GOSPEL OF HIS GRACE.

We need and want your fellowship and help.  We encourage you to plan to attend with us, pray with us, worship with us, participate with us, and labor with us as we SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My Name, I WILL DO IT!”  [John 14.12-14]

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CHILDREN’S MISSIONS CONFERENCE SESSIONS

Every year we conduct sessions for the children [age 4 through grade 5] who attend our Conference services.  My wife, Debbie, conducts these learning and activity sessions.  Each year, we focus on a particular nation of the world, highlighting its culture and customs along with their need for the Gospel and opportunities to take the Gospel to those peoples.  This year’s theme nation is INDIA. Our Children’s Center is always set up with crafts and activities which engage the children’s attention and interests in the missions lessons.

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CONFERENCE OFFERING:
MISSIONARIES’ TRAVEL EXPENSES ‘TO THE REGIONS BEYOND’ YOU 

We want to designate our Conference offering this year to MISSIONARIES’ TRAVEL EXPENSES.  These expenses are disbursed from our GENERAL FUND and are always one of the largest line items in our annual GENERAL FUND budget.  For example, in 2010, we disbursed $16,000.00 just for our missionaries’ furlough transportation expenses.  Last year, 2011, we disbursed another $17,000.00.  We don’t anticipate that our 2012 outlay will equal those of the past two years [$5,000.00 so far this year], but we still need to try to make up as much of these General Fund expenditures as we can from additional offerings.  So, our Conference offerings will go toward providing these disbursements from our GENERAL FUND.

These funds are supplied from our Thanksgiving Offerings.  2010’s Thanksgiving Offering was $63,700.00. This year’s current Thanksgiving Offering is $56,000.00.  So you can see how quickly these expenses can deplete those funds.

Paul made two appeals to the churches to HELP HIM WITH HIS TRAVEL EXPENSES TO TAKE THE GOSPEL TO THE OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD.  Read Romans 15.22-24 and 2 Corinthians 10.13-17 and either bring with you or send as generous an offering as you can to MISSIONARIES’ TRAVEL EXPENSES.

By the way, Paul was appealing for this help so he could continue to take the Gospel ‘TO THE REGIONS BEYOND’ you ‘FOR THE GLORY OF GOD’!  Thank you for helping us advance the Gospel in this way.

If you cannot attend the Conference, but still want to give a gift, send it to our Treasurer: Pastor George Sledd  |  PO Box 471280  |  Lake Monroe FL 32747-1280
Or, you can contribute online either by check/debit or by credit card on our Donate/Support page. Enter your designation for “SPRING CONFERENCE OFFERING.”