‘MOTHERS IN ISRAEL’ SPECIAL EDITION!

During this Month – read, honor, and pray for our Missionary-Wives…

• KATHY BARROS
• BEV CREIGLOW
• ALTA HATCHER
• JUDY HATCHER
• RAQUEL HATCHER
• WANDA HATCHER
• BARB HENSLEY
• CARRIE RADFORD
• ANITA STANTON
• JULIE TATE
• CHARLENE WACASER

“MOTHERS IN ISRAEL” Judges 5.7

Deborah, the judge, called herself “a mother in Israel”.  She was not referring to her biological children because we don’t have written record, at least, that she and Lapidoth had any biological children.  But, she was ‘a mother in Israel’ because of the spiritual leadership and nurturing she demonstrated during this time of spiritual declension.  She provided the leadership of conviction, moral courage, and inspiration to trust and obey God – and she influenced and strengthened many.

So have our missionary-wives who have as faithfully and valiantly served with their husbands to be mothers, not only to their own children and families, but to countless others also.  So, in keeping with the Mother’s Day tradition we observe here in the States, we have asked our beloved missionary-wives to write this month’s letters from their own distinctive perspectives.  This is our way of recognizing them, honoring them, and rising up with their husbands and children to bless them!  Proverbs 31.10-31

WE COULD NOT FULFILL OUR BASELINE COMMITMENTS TO OUR MISSIONARIES AGAIN THIS MONTH – MAY.  When we don’t receive sufficient General Fund offerings to cover the $46,000+ commitments we make to our missionaries each month just for salaries, expense allowances, hospitalization, and correspondence – then we have no other choice but to reduce the amounts of those commitments we disburse that month.

But, we are thankful that we didn’t have to reduce their commitments as much this month as last month.  This month, we reduced their baseline commitments by only $238.84 which was equitably and proportionately distributed among them.

This month, also, we applied the $1699.00 offerings which was given during the Spring Missions Conference to their Essential Maintenance disbursements.  Thanks to everyone who contributed to those offerings.

If you are not contributing to the General Fund, would you consider doing so regularly?  Even if you want to help perhaps your ‘favorite’ missionary, by contributing to the General Fund, you are helping us supply the Essential Maintenance Transactions commitments we have made to them…so we won’t have to reduce them again.

‘Thank You!’ to everyone of you who does contribute to our monthly General Fund.  You are not only supplying the essential needs of these servants of the Lord – but you also daily increase many thanksgivings to God for you!

SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE

The Lord attended with us and blessed us with His Presence and grace during our Spring Missions Conference.  We want to thank all of you also who attended with us and prayed for us during this time of fellowship, preaching of the Word, and encouragement to commit ourselves to partnering together to help our missionaries fulfill their callings to ‘go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.’

Our special thanks also to the 40 pastors and preachers who attended during the course of the Conference.  We hope each one will help us carry the burden and need of our missionaries back to your churches and increase our prayer and financial support to supplying their needs.  These pastors-preachers represented eight U.S. states: KY, TN, OH, IL, IN, WV, MI, and FL.  Two states in Brazil were also represented: Amazonas and Sao Paulo.

In addition, five nations were represented by the missionaries who have served there, either presently or formerly.

The Lord gave to every one of our 10 preachers and presenters Spirit-filled messages from His Word.  The Holy Spirit ‘fleshed out’ the prayer-theme of our Conference ‘O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years’ from Habakkuk 3:2.  He ‘fleshed out’ this theme by giving all our speakers a burning revival message from His Word; and then by sending them to us to deliver those messages; and then by convicting our hearts to receive them into our own lives and ministries.  May He continue to ‘flesh out’ His Word through us all as we obey His Word and carry out His Great Commission to fulfillment in our own generation.

YOU are the ones who make our Conference services what they are.  We in our host churches can plan the services and provide the accommodations to make your attendance as comfortable and enjoyable as we can, but it is your attendance and presence that makes the Conference.  May God bless you as much for attending as you blessed all of us by your presence.

CONFERENCE OFFERING

We designated the $1699.00 in offerings given during the Conference services toward May’s General Fund supplies to help provide our missionaries’ Essential Maintenance Transactions.  These are the essential expenses incurred each month to cover their salaries, housing and ministry allowances, hospitalization, and correspondence costs.  These are their essential living and ministry needs.

CONFERENCE CDs

If you would like to receive copies of the audio CDs from the Conference messages, you may contact Doug Cornish, our media guy, at dougkyc[at]aol.com

CONFERENCE RECAPS

Also, if you haven’t done so – you may go to the “Conference Recaps” section of our FaithWorks Blog or to our Facebook to search for detailed descriptions and recaps of all the sessions and services during our Conference.

ANNUAL FOUNDER’S DAY OFFERING

Reminder:  One of the reasons we were able to carry our missionaries’ Essential Maintenance Transactions through last year [2012] without reducing their standard baseline commitments [after having to make significant reductions in January and February] is because of THE 2012 FOUNDERS DAY OFFERING.

June has traditionally been the month when we remember and recognize the Founders of BFM – and also to honor the faithful missionaries who have served…and are serving…over our 70+ years of ministry!

We are asking you again for a special Founders Day Offering.  We want to make our Founders Day Offering an annual event to help us continue to provide for our missionaries’ needs.  Nothing we ever ask for or do is for any personal benefit to any of us – but everything is so we can continue to meet the commitments we have made to our missionaries so they can continue their daily ministries unhindered and undistracted by a lack of financial supplies.

All we are asking you to do is to give your church the opportunity to give to a specially-announced and designated Founder’s Day Offering.  Or, if your church does not participate in the Offering, then please consider giving a special gift over and above your regular giving to the General Fund.  All offerings received for the Founder’s Day Offering will be used to go toward meeting our missionaries’ needs for monthly General Fund supplies to help fund our standard commitments we have made to them for their essential living expenses.

Will you pray and ask the Lord what He wants you to give – and plan to participate with your church in a fellowship-wide Founders Day Offering?

MISSIONARIES’ FURLOUGH SCHEDULE

Harold Bratcher is retiring from active and faithful missionary service in Manaus, Brazil, and is relocating to live here in the States.  He is selling his home in Manaus and is seeking to purchase a home here.  If you wish to contact him before he establishes a permanent address, you may contact him at: 859.277.3716 / 1012 Balsam Drive, Lexington KY 40504 / or through his email address:  harold_bratcher[at]yahoo.com

TATES AND RADFORDS – their plans at present are to be coming to the States in September and October respectively.  You may correspond with them concerning any prospective plans you would like to make with them.  Roger Tate rojuta[at]gmail.com & Nathan Radford  naterad[at]yahoo.com