Burgeoning ministry opportunities

By God’s grace, the past couple months and next many months are promising an escalating number and variety of ministry opportunities, both locally and globally, as COVID restrictions slowly dissipate. I am encouraged by the fact that God always provides plenty of ministry outlets according to His purposes, so I hope to be fruitful with my time while walking with Him.

For example, in our Pathways staff prayer meeting yesterday, it became very clear that while the rest of the world is still fairly closed to travel and training, the African continent is largely open. My team members are looking to me to provide them with opportunities to train pastors, and again by God’s grace, we have many networks in place in the western, southern, and eastern parts of Africa with pastors waiting to be trained. Having just returned from training our network in Togo in the west, I leave Friday for Ivory Coast (also in the west), and will bring our team leader Steve and another Global Equipping team member, Tim, who specializes in orality. It will be a sweet reunion with our coordinators, Daniel and Ann Sahin, in Abidjan, and the rest of the master trainers I’ve been working with for two years.

Then, shortly after returning, I’ll be leading a local training in Bremerton, Washington along with my training buddy Jeremy to equip local pastors in how to train others with the Pathways Bible Training material.

Along the way, I am continuing to receive opportunities to preach in various churches. Last Sunday I was preaching in Vancouver, southern Washington. Shortly after returning from Ivory Coast, I’ll be preaching a couple weeks at our church in Olympia, and I just received another invitation to preach on nearby Vashon Island. I sense God’s pleasure as I preach the Word and expose God’s people to ways God is working globally and God’s call on their lives.

Of course, there is my highest ministry calling of being a husband for my wife (who has extra needs these days due to her fractured ankle), and a father for my kids. Plenty of ministry opportunities right in my own home.

So I have much to be thankful for. God is sustaining me for all these prospects, and my prayer is that I may minister faithfully and fruitfully to His people and spread His glory, locally and globally.