Missionaries to Cyberspace 2Q 2018 Newsletter

Volume 31 Issue 2 (May/2018)

• Pastor Duane Crane, former pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Rockwall Texas, contacted me. I had worked with Pastor Crane in the past on the website for Bethel Baptist Church in Rockwall and hosted a website for a church plant in Oregon (Columbia River Baptist Church) that Pastor Crane set up. Brother Duane accepted a church (Trinity Independent Baptist Church) in Middleton Tennessee. I asked him if he needed help getting a website up for Trinity Independent Baptist Church and he said it would be great. We discussed options for a domain name and Pastor Crane decided on Trinityibc.com. I registered the domain and set up WordPress for Brother Duane.
• Brother Ken Capps contacted me several months ago. Pastor Capps was interested in planting Second Chance Baptist Church in San Antonio Texas. We registered a domain (secondchancebc.com) for Second Chance Baptist Church, and I built a minimal website indicating there would be a new church plant in San Antonio. Pastor Capps currently resided in North Carolina and was planning to move to Texas in March, which was moved off to April, and then to May. I received a phone call from Brother Ken indicating that the Lord had been working on his heart, and that he and Mrs. Capps had ultimately felt called to stay in North Carolina and plant their church in the Fayetteville North Carolina area. I updated the Second Chance Baptist Church website to indicate that the new church plant would now be an outreach in the Fayetteville area.
• On Facebook I noticed a request from Dr. HL Champion, requesting prayer. He has had problems with his website baptist.org, and was trying to get it back up, and is looking to relaunch the website.  I offered to help him if I could, and Dr. Champion took me up on my offer to help. Baptist.org had been down for over a week. I was able to locate a problem with their DNS entries and got the website back up. We had several subsequent discussions and I found myself volunteering (I guess I have not learned anything from the Navy) to be part of his team. I am currently handling security on baptist.org and helping with development with the relaunch of Baptist.org (even though I keep telling Dr. Champion I am NOT a web developer)! I will be helping with the project. An interesting side-note – Dr. Champion has owned a domain almost as long as I have. I registered out first domain back in February 1995 (fmlynet.org). Dr. Champion registered baptist.org back in May 1995 some three months after that.

• 1 Quarter 2018 Stats: We sent out 690 Lessons and issued 39 Certificates to 93 Students. 13 of these students were prisoners and 37 were international students. We had students in Cameroon, Canada, Nigeria, Philippines and USA.
   

Here are some comments we received from people that are taking the correspondence courses:

• From a student in MD – Thank you, I am trying to get closer to God cause I do love Him. Please pray for me, with all my heart I want my faith, my life, my mind to please Him. Thank you for these lessons.
• From a prisoner in Mississippi – As with all the Bible study courses I do with FamilylNet I take from this lesson the very reason why Christians must stay in the Word and stay very obedient what God commands us to do according to His Word the Bible.
• .From a 63 year old student in NC – She just finished the Practical Christian Living course…I have learned not to make a hasty decision when it comes down to buying things. Before doing anything to seek God first and His righteousness and all things will be added. We should be willing to give to God first and then learn how to help those in need.
• From a 68 year old student in LA that began taking our lessons in March of 2015 and has completed all the courses we offer – It has been my honor to take the courses you provide. Since 2015, these courses and truths contained therein have helped me to focus on eternal rather than temporal things. At my age, it is easy to become rather cynical about this world. These courses and especially the trues contained there have helped to focus on the facts that God is in control and knows what He is doing. Only He knows the end from the beginning and therefore, only He can be trusted with our past and present as well as our future. All I can say, is keep up the good work. I trust many have and will take advantage of these courses. God bless you.
• From a prisoner in Nebraska – Thank you so much for my lessons and thank you also for all your hard work and time in sending my lessons to me. Today here at (name of prison) we had snow. It looks like Western Nebraska and down South around here. Could get some snow the weatherman said and he was right. Everything is white again. Winter is not over yet. Thank you again for my lessons and may God bless everyone and their families at FamilyNet International.
• From a 71 year old student in AR – She is taking the Fishers of Men soul winning course. Besides the lessons, there are 8 corresponding Bible verses on card stock and we add a copy of A Simple Method for Memorizing Scripture from Ron Hood’s Spiritual Success Institute in Greenville, SC. I got the verses for book 3. Thank you so much! There are still 2 of them that I am working on. I have learned the others. (That means she had learned 22!) I am retired and live by myself. My husband passed away last year. I have time for lots of study. I am enjoying these courses so much. Thank you for everything.
• From a student in VA who just finished the course – Mark – This has been a wonderful lesson. I thank you for this study of God’s Word. It is a real joy that we can study the Word of God and not be afraid. What a joy to know that John 14:1-7 is so very true. Thanks to the Father for sending His only son to come to die for each of us for our sins for we that believe shall have a life with Jesus in heaven. What a joy.

• Would you consider praying for us when special needs arise? If so, please subscribe to our prayer warrior’s mailing list. : http://eepurl.com/SYbI9.

• Maureen had surgery on her back on May 21. She is in pain from the surgery, but it appears to have fixed the problem with her leg. Please pray for her recovery.
• Bob needs continuing prayer dealing with his throat, urinary tract and prostate issues.
• We need to have both home A/C units replaced (2 1/2 ton – has freon leak – 3 1/2 ton on last legs). Pray for finances.
• Please pray for the Lord to provide us with dependable transportation

The following are some of the projected expenses for the coming year – we at 70% of support for ministry expenses:

• Server Costs $700 Dollars
• Security Costs $250
• Postage to Kenya (increasing) $250 (15 Salvation)
• Internet Costs $1000
• Nigeria Project – Two Nigerian Churches (Non Baptist ) want to use our Courses to teach their members and children including Sunday School, Pastor Training, Public Schools). This is an opportunity to get God’s Word and good doctrine into places that would not otherwise be able to receive it. We have had over 200 students  from these churches in the last several years , so we know these people, and have a history with them and trust them. $650