MINISTRY FOCUS: Russian Ministries

Peter Deyneka Russian Ministries  is NOT a traditional missionary-sending agency. It's an international, evangelical mission organization that is there to help people in Russia (and all of the former Soviet Union) to grow and reach deep into their communities. The ministry evangelizes and equips Next Generation leaders to become light in the darkness, and bring hope to areas where situations seem hopeless.

How can you make a difference? 

(1)  Support the work of Russian Ministries through your daily prayers. You can check the website for a LIST of prayer requests. There is at least one listed for each day of the week.

(2)  Join their RAPID RESPONSE TEAM. Rapid Response Team Members receive up-to-the-minute information in their e-mail inbox, timely prayer requests and practical ways to make a difference in the lives of post-Soviet people. There is no cost to join the team and you can leave at any time.

(3)  Make a monetary DONATION.  This ministry relies on the gifts of people, churches and Christian groups for their outreach to the former Soviet Union. Gifts given in the United States or Canada are tax-deductible.

(4)  EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES are also available to those who are interested. There is an office located in Wheaton, IL, as well as in Canada.  

MINISTRY FOCUS: Your Story Hour

 

UPDATE 1-6-2013:  A friend of mine directed me to several links pertaining to "Your Story Hour" products and, after reading through the information, I feel it is important to mention that this organization is owned and operated by Seventh-Day Adventists. They do not admit to using SDA theology in their recordings. However, intenitional or not, there are times when it does present itself. While some of their stories are basic history dramatizations, and some are just stories with good morals, there are many that also intertwine the Bible with the writings of Ellen G. White, a woman who the Seventh-Day Adventists believe to be inspired by God as a prophet (even though her teachings do not match up with Biblical teachings). For more information, take a look at THIS BLOG POST by Andy Naselli. (Scroll down the page to read all the comments posted by former SDA church members.) In my opinion, if parents are serious about wanting to raise biblically literate children without causing unnecessary confusion, then I would suggest being very careful about introducing them to "Your Story Hour" and other SDA-affiliated ministries.

 

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ORIGINAL POST:

 



YOUR STORY HOUR with Aunt Carole and Uncle Dan is "a global, non-profit, interfaith Christian educational organization working with children, youth and families of all denominations." Since 1949, their main vehicle for reaching children has been their radio broadcasts of character building stories.

Children can be inspired to make sound choices by exposure to dramatized stories evidencing the positive results of developing character traits such as honesty, integrity, courage and faith. Your Story Hour exists to provide children with this exposure.

Thousands of entertaining STORIES can be purchased on the website. Or, you can listen to full episodes of the most recent broadcasts for FREE at ONEPLACE.COM.

Other options for our children include: 

CLUBHOUSE MAGAZINE - available online for FREE - a colorful magazine filled with stories, jokes, puzzles and quizzes. Read it online, or print it out.

ADVENTURES IN THE HOLY BIBLE - 52 Online Bible lessons with quizzes, also available FREE to children.

THE RAVEN & THE RING - a FREE printable coloring book to go along with the story of "The Raven and the Ring," which can be listened to at no charge. My children and I recently listened to this story about how a poor family chose honesty over provisions, and how God provided for their needs. We all enjoyed it.

 

"You Can’t Make Me" Revised Edition, by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias (Book Review)

Cynthia Ulrich Tobias has revised her book “You Can’t Make Me (But I Can Be Persuaded).” I never read the original version, so I can’t really compare; but I can at least tell you what I know about this newer version.

The book defines what a strong-willed child (SWC) is, and includes a checklist to help you determine just how much strong will is prevalent in your child (or yourself). We ALL have strong will. However, some of us rarely use it, and others find it impossible not to use. This book is specifically geared towards the latter - towards those kids who refuse to budge, even when given an ultimatum. It discusses how your SWC thinks, and gives practical suggestions on how to motivate him, while still keeping peace in the home.

My husband and I have a 9-year-old son who is somewhat in the middle of the strong-will spectrum. We know he has a healthy dose of it, but we have learned he will generally get on board with our expectations if we approach him the right way. This book helped solidify that the most important thing is to respect our son as a person who has his own thoughts and ideas, while still remaining consistent with our own expectations and not backing down on consequences when the line is crossed. We are still in the learning process and don’t pretend to have it all figured out, but we have realized there are battles worth fighting (and winning), and others that are not. Finding a good balance is the key.

With that in mind, the overall theme of the book seems to be encouraging good relationships with our SWC (and with ALL of our children, for that matter.) Without a good relationship, our authority over our children won’t mean a single thing. The author (who is also a SWC) says:

"It’s not authority strong-willed children have trouble with – it’s how the authority is communicated. If you put your finger in my face and tell me I have no choice, you’ve already lost the battle... However, if I know you value and respect me, we can build a relationship that can result in my voluntarily submitting to your authority.” (Page 120)

So.... if you are dealing with a SWC, or just need more suggestions on how to effectively motivate your children to be the best they can be without yelling and pointing fingers at them all the time, I would recommend picking up this book. It doesn't have ALL the answers; but, it can help by providing some helpful suggestions to frustrated parents, grandparents, and teachers. 

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for review purposes only.

MINISTRY FOCUS: EvanTell

EvanTell  helps believers in Jesus Christ to "overcome the two biggest challenges in evangelism – (1) fear, and (2) not knowing how – so that they can go and have an immediate and eternal impact for the Kingdom."

Their website offers various resources, including FREE online evangelism training courses in personal evangelism, children’s evangelism, and workplace evangelism. Each course has 4 sessions, and each session lasts 15-20 minutes. The sessions include animation, narration, and video, as well as interactive exercises. They will help equip you to share the gospel clearly and simply whenever the opportunity arrises.  

MINISTRY FOCUS: Breath of Life Online Ministry

Breath of Life Online Ministry is a Christian site, run by Schuler Murdock, which offers FREE screensavers, greeting cards and graphics downloads.

Mr. Murdock is using this ministry to share the message of God's love by providing a place of  "inspiration and encouragement on the internet." He takes this outreach very seriously as he believes "something as simple as a screensaver or a picture can have an awesome, permanent impact on a life."

This is a non-profit, non-commercial venture. However, contributions are welcome, and they will be used to make improvements to the ministry.

Here is a sample of one of the many wallpaper choices on this site. I like this one because it goes along with the theme of this blog; but be sure to TAKE A LOOK at them all! While you are there, you can also find Bible Study tools, links to other Christian ministry sites, and inspirational music on various topics.

MINISTRY FOCUS: Wallbuilders

With the Presidential election coming up, I wanted to share the ministry of WALLBUILDERS, which is an organization "dedicated to presenting America's forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on the moral, religious, and constitutional foundation on which America was built – a foundation which, in recent years, has been seriously attacked and undermined."

The GOALS of Wallbuilders are to:

1. Educate the nation concerning the Godly foundation of our country.
2. Provide information to federal, state, and local officials as they develop public policies which reflect Biblical values.
3. Encourage Christians to be involved in the civic arena.

As you browse the website, you will find many helpful LINKS, information on radio and TV BROADCASTS, and a LIBRARY of articles on various historical topics.

And, don't forget to check out the VOTER RESOURCES to help you in your voting decision and in your RIGHT AND YOUR DUTY TO VOTE.

If you know you will not be available to vote at your local polling station on November 6th, don't hesitate to VOTE EARLY! I will be having minor surgery on November 6th, so my husband and I both went to our local County Clerk's Office and voted early with no problem. It is simple and painless.

Please take part in voicing your opinion about the future of our country. 

MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA!

MINISTRY FOCUS: Jewish End-Time Ministries

JEM, otherwise known as Jewish End-Time Ministries, is a Bible-believing, independent Baptist ministry. Their desire is to "educate and encourage individuals to witness to their Jewish friends and co-workers in their community."  They provide resources to anyone interested in learning how to more effectively communicate the truth of the Messiah with Jewish people.

One of the resources JEM provides is FREE high-quality TRACTS. Anyone is able to order them free of charge. It does cost them money to provide these, however. So, they do request assistance in helping with this cost. If you would like to make a one-time donation, or even sign up for monthly donations, go to the DONATE  page.

For churches, JEM also provides Evangelism Seminars, Passover Demonstrations, and conferences on Israel and End-Time Prophecy. If your church is interested in any of these, please CONTACT JEM for more information. Please keep in mind, even though their headquarters are located in the state of Georgia, there are various partners located across the United States.

Romans 10:1 - "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved."

MINISTRY FOCUS: Righteous Rides

THE MISSION of RIGHTEOUS RIDES is to further the spread of the gospel message of Jesus Christ by assisting evangelistic organizations in meeting their transportation needs. Their primary ministry is leasing reliable minivans to evangelical missionaries for use during their trips home from the field.

Missionaries have a temporary need for a dependable vehicle while they are home on furlough. Rather than face the challenge of finding reliable transportation, finding the funds needed to buy or rent it, and trying to maintain it, Righteous Rides will help alleviate those stresses. When missionaries know they will be flying into St. Louis, MO or Dallas, TX, they can REQUEST a vehicle from Righteous Rides, who will meet them at the airport when they arrive. They also coordinate all of the paperwork and insurance for them in advance. NOTE:  There is a small fee.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?  If you have a car or van you are considering trading in, you can donate the vehicle to Righteous Rides and receive a tax deduction for its full market value, and then go shopping for a new car without the hassles of negotiating on a trade-in. Righteous Rides will even remain in contact with you, and update you periodically on how your donated vehicle is being used. For more information on how to donate a car, check out their WEBSITE. 

If you would like to make a monetary donation to the ministry, please visit the DONATE PAGE.

There is an IMMEDIATE NEED for a FULL-TIME MISSIONARY MECHANIC to work in their shop in Moscow Mills, MO, servicing the fleet of late model Chrysler minivans, as well as repairing and prepping donated vehicles to sell. CONTACT Righteous Rides for more information on serving in this way.

MINISTRY FOCUS: Bible Related Ministries

Is your church experiencing problems from within that are making it difficult to thrive? Are you a Pastor, a Board Member, or a Layperson seeking encouragement and advice about how to improve the function of your church? BIBLE RELATED MINISTRIES, in Hinsdale, Illinois, is primarily dedicated to aiding churches undergoing internal strife and helping them through a reconciliation process.

Bible Related Ministries is a missionary outreach in that it is striving to keep Gospel preaching church doors open in America so that missionary support for those at home and abroad should not be terminated, and so the unsaved in the communities surrounding those churches can better be reached. 

BRM is affliated with IFCA (Independent Fundamental Churches of America), but will minister in any kind of church, as long as God's Word is the final authority. To name just a few, they have been active in Baptist churches, Bible churches, Community churches, Christian Missionary Aliance, Evangelical Free, Congregational, and Covenant churches.

There are NO upfront fees for their services. They do, however, request traveling expenses and a donation if possible. A Proposed Agreement is required to be signed by churches requesting arbitration.

HELPFUL LITERATURE for ministries is also available free of charge upon request. Or, you can download various articles from the website.

They do ask that any church seeking their assistance to please consider putting Bible Related Ministries on their missionary budget for monthly giving. By doing so, you will be travelling with them as an active participant in helping other churches. Donations and monthly support is also welcome by any individual who feels led to give.

MINISTRY FOCUS: Higher Ground Mission

I have never been to Higher Ground Ministry Mission, which is located in Sebree, Kentucky, but would like to visit someday.

The goal of this ministry is "to impart truth, zeal and purpose to today’s generations."

This is accomplished through many different forms such as:

~ Camps [including a Family Camp in the Fall]
~ Retreats [such as Leadership Retreat for ages 14 and up]
~ Weekly riding lessons
~ 'Pony Parties'
~ On-site and off-site LIFE Presentations
~ Children’s Programs
~ Gospel Chalk Art Presentations

Check them out on the WEBSITE or on their FACEBOOK PAGE for more information.