Confirming the Faith

Confirming the Faith

by | Oct 24, 2022 | Cambodia, The Church and Evangelism

On October 9th, the Church of Christ Our Peace held a very special confirmation service. One of the things that was so special was that it combined all of the CCOP congregations into one large church service with members of the English, Khmer, and Chinese being able to take part in worshiping the LORD together. CCOP is made up of three separate congregations that each meet separately on Sundays, but before Covid, we used to regularly have these types of combined services four times a year, and it is great that we are able to return back to this combined worship!

For Anna and I this was a really powerful service. For this service, Bishop Titus Chung from the Diocese of Singapore came to lead the confirmation of 23 members of the different CCOP congregations and 27 members of The Church of the Good Shepherd (a sister church of CCOP). This was the first time Anna and I have been able to witness a confirmation ceremony and many of the people confirmed had been baptized earlier this year! In addition to witnessing many people confirm their faith in the LORD, we also got to witness a member of CCOP Khmer be made a deaconess! Lina has been involved with the CCOP since 1996 and has grown in her faith and involvement in sharing the Gospel of Christ all over Cambodia. It was really powerful to witness her faith in Christ being rewarded in this way. We also were able to get a small taste of what it looks like to shift out of education and into church ministry. Anna was asked to take photos of the service and I was able to help. It was really wonderful to be able to use our talents to practically serve a need for our church and it encouraged and invigorated us for the season ahead where we can fully invest in church ministry here in Cambodia.

Would you join us in prayer for the work of the church in Cambodia and also for the future combined services at CCOP. We are looking forward to seeing the LORD call people to faith in him and seeing more people get baptized, confirmed, and choose to follow Christ! Below is a photo gallery of the service.

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Different Mission, Same Lord

Different Mission, Same Lord

by | Apr 6, 2018 | SAMS-USA

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-5

As members of the body of Christ, God has uniquely gifted us to play an important role in the work of the Church (1 Corinthians 12-14). The gifts God has given us should contribute to the fulfillment of the responsibilities of the church – including missions. Even if only 5% of the people in the church have a calling to cross-cultural service, the spiritual gifts of the other 95% still have as much a bearing on missions as they have at home.

For instance, if you are gifted in helping other people, you can not only help friends and fellow believers but also non-believers and missionaries.

Are you an encourager? Missionaries love to receive letters and emails with words of encouragement.

Are you musically talented? Musicians are quite helpful on the mission field and in motivating other Christians to a commitment to missions.

Do you have a knack for making money? Consider financing people to take the Gospel to cultures which have never had a witness or a Bible!

Are you a teacher? Part of teaching and educating the body of Christ is to equip them for spreading the knowledge of God to others.

Do you have the resource of time? Budget that time to get serious about regular prayer for missionaries and people in need of Christ.

The list goes on. We must remember that Jesus would not have commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations unless He knew we were capable of completing the task. He gave us the tools to do so. Are we responding? There is a great need for participation in mission, either right at home or across the world.

Do you see the big picture? God gave us a glimpse into the future to John in Revelation:

 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”

Consider your own spiritual gifting and calling; how can you work in partnership with the body of Christ to participate in mission around the globe to see the task finished? Maybe you are being called to participate in mission with SAMS. Discover how SAMS Missionaries are using their gifts around the world here.

Loving Honduras Jan 2018

Loving Honduras Jan 2018

by | Jan 4, 2018 | Honduras

Since arriving in Honduras, I have been very busy. I have two children going to Operation Smile, I had one heart patient report in, completely healed and no longer a heart patient, I am preparing for the vet team, meeting with Santa Maria Magdalena church on the building of their temple, arranging scholarships, helping to get the shoes and uniforms ready for the children in the elementary, and going forward with the work on the kindergarten. Read more in my newsletter! 

“None But Jesus Can Do Helpless Sinners Good.”

“None But Jesus Can Do Helpless Sinners Good.”

by | Aug 20, 2017 | Indonesia

“None but Jesus can do helpless sinners good”  is such a simple yet profound statement found in the hymn, “Come Ye Sinners Poor and Needy.”  Listen now to the song in it’s entirety:

We sang these lyrics as a church family, coming together to witness and celebrate our sweet sister’s baptism.  As the picture proves, there could not have been a more beautiful spot for this joyous service!  To add to this, we were honored to host the Archbishop of Melbourne (Primate of Australia) along with his lovely wife, Joy, and their associates for this special occasion.  His message encouraged us and the fellowship of believers from around the globe gladdened our hearts.

Made in Indonesia

Made in Indonesia

by | Aug 8, 2017 | Indonesia

The kids and I are back in Jakarta and finally starting to feel the effects of jet lag wearing off!  What a blessing to be once again in the midst of our PAC family (Providence Anglican Church.)  Jim was busy setting up the Lord’s Table with an array of beautiful furnishings provided by St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Phoenix, AZ  and the International Anglican Fellowship.  What a remarkable visual picture it created in our humble rental space!  Upon unwrapping the wooden stand for the display of the Bible, Jim discovered a sticker on the bottom that read, “Made in Indonesia.”  Can you imagine this stand, made by native hands here, exported across the vast ocean with years of service in America, then carried all the way back to our little church in Jakarta?   We all had a good chuckle and yet this served as a reminder that God is truly at work, connecting believers around the globe.  What an encouragement to us.  “He’s got the whole world in His hands!”