Nehemiah's Call

P.O. Box 95

Broadway, VA 22815

540-896-2580

Eyes to See and Ears to Hear

Eyes to See and Ears to Hear

July 11, 2008

Year End 6/30/08 Nehemiah's Call Update Letter

As you know Nehemiah's Call is a support to the local church and body of Christ throughout the world. In this mode we have given support to many projects and continue to do so. Our exempt purpose is to assist in church planting efforts, prayer strategy, teach the Bible and minister the gospel of Jesus Christ in an evangelistic setting.

Marketplace Ministers

This past year our organization began developing a ministry called Marketplace Ministers. The development process included Basil Marin and Lawrence R. Yoder testing this concept. Out of this testing time came the desire to plant a church together. In May Pastor Basil Marin and Preacher/Teacher Lawrence R. Yoder launched a new church plant called New Song Anabaptist Fellowship in Harrisonburg Virginia.

At the end of this development period from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 it was determined that Basil would move the new church plant forward primarily through the pastor role. He is working with his overseer Owen Burkholder and the Virginia Mennonite Conference. The group is around 25 or so and brings a unique blend of gifts to the congregation. Please pray for this congregation to flourish. They will take the Burn Brightly Beyond church planting concept into the future.

During the winter months Basil and Lawrence had a strong sense to preach through the book of Joshua. There were some powerful messages that came out of this study time and are available on cd.

Costa Rica Ministry

Vice President and board member Milford Lyndaker, along with his wife Carolyn and some of their family went to San Isidro Costa Rica during April of 2008. They assisted in building a goat barn for the Gortons. These goats will be used as their primary income source for the years to come. Our goal was to assist this ministry to a self-sustaining place. Chris and Joy are holding Bible studies in their home and look to establish some form of a congregation in the years to come. Milford and Carolyn have walked with Chris and Joy and are providing primary oversight for them. Chris and Joy had been re-sent from their local congregation in Florida this past year which we strongly recommended. Please pray for the Gortons in their ministry in Costa Rica.

Montenegrin Call

Ron and Blanche Nyce continue to successfully plow the ground in Montenegro. We initially assisted this project with substantial counsel, fundraising and prayer support. The prayer support continues however all else has been transferred to others to continue as planned. A not-for-profit organization called SML Inc. has formed to give primary and ongoing support to this work. It has its own board and supporting relationships. Souderton Mennonite Church in Pennsylvania has grounded them as well as CCMI here in Harrisonburg Virginia. The Virginia Mennonite Conference is sending a family to the region and there are more in the planning stages. So the pioneering efforts of the Nyce's have blazed the trail forward for others to see.

Future plans

Lawrence is in the process of discerning with the Conference how best to continue in a preaching and teaching ministry. He is the one who has the passion and time to be sent out speaking evangelistically. Since his tax and accounting practice wraps up in April each year Lawrence has the remainder of the year to offer his gifts to the body of Christ. He has also discovered that he is most ideally suited as a church planter through the preaching and teaching gifts. His deep discernment and prophetic gifts enable him to establish content quickly and precisely to give a strong foundation. He desires to find others to walk with that can add some stability and maintenance to move things forward.

Lawrence has recently met with his overseer Owen Burkholder and they both are in agreement to wait and see the movements that emerge. Lawrence will be giving the keynote address for the Mennonite Men's Breakfast at the Virginia Mennonite Conference annual gathering July 26, 2008. He will be speaking on Jesus our Hope using John 13 and Colossians 1 as the primary text. Please pray for him during this time.

He and his family will be traveling to Spruce Lake Retreat in the Pocono Mountain region of Pennsylvania to be the keynote speaker for the age 60+ Weekend. He will lead two sessions and have the Sunday Morning camp-wide message. This will be during August 22-24, 2008. Please pray for him and his family during this time.

Lawrence and Bonnie are discerning with a few people and the recommendation is to plug into an established congregation for the next year. The best fit is one that can provide support and stability for the young children while Lawrence makes himself available to be sent out. The desire to see churches planted in the Northern Shenandoah Valley and even farther north is still primary; churches that have Anabaptist distinctives and exist primarily to be evangelistic in their purpose as their foundation. He really would like to work with younger church planters and couples to see an Anabaptist church planting and evangelistic movement.

Our working definition of evangelistic endeavor is important:

Definition of Evangelistic Endeavor= the intentional act of partnering with the Holy Spirit in moving a non-believer one step closer toward a covenant with Jesus Christ.

These days it is looking more and more to be a season of no return. As the body of Christ we need to be prepared not to accept the conditioning of "shock and awe". The move toward higher gas and food prices without true supply shortages points to the power and control the free market system really has over people. Simplicity and faithfulness are fleeting. Our Americanized version of Christianity continually misses the mark of authentic New Testament application. We have all settled for some form of this costless substitute.

It is looking like the apostolic call to the return to preaching a costly gospel will provide fire in this spiritual battle now unfolding across the globe. Our desire as an organization is to offer congregations or informal settings good solid biblical preaching for this time or season. The evangelistic zeal of yesterday encourages us to come and see Jesus change lives right here in America! The mission field is wide open, a blue sky if you will.

BURN BRIGHTLY BEYOND,

Lawrence R. Yoder
Ordained preacher/teacher/marketplace minister
Nehemiah's Call Inc.

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