November Crier
So Much to be Thankful For
Thanksgiving Day is this week! Where did the year go? This year we have a great deal to be thankful for. The biggest news with OAFC is that we're up and going again. Yes, we're moving slow right now, the point is we're moving. In October there were two weekends the first being in Montecello WI, and the second in New Minden IL. The details of each weekend are below.
OAFC is also in contact with the National Office of Church Planting and we are talking about ways in which we can partner with the church plants all over the nation to foster a culture of utilizing the methods OAFC has been employing for over 50 years and even some new ways to go about it. More on that as it developes.
The bottom line is that God is Good all the time and that we have the Good News to share with all those we meet that God Loves them, each and every one of them so much that He sent Jesus to save us from our sins. The Old old story that we have loved to tell for so long continues to be the best news there is. Thank you God for all you've given us, and for the opportunity to continue to share this with those you bring into our lives.
What's Happening
Peace Valley Lutheran Church (Monicello)
From Pastor Josh Benish, Church Planter:
The first weekend in October, we welcomed Pastor Martin Herzberg of Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ (OAFC) to lead us in our canvassing effort in Monticello. On Friday night (Oct. 4) Pastor Herzberg reminded us of the joy that Christ gives to His Church through Word of the Gospel and in the Means of Grace and he taught us how, then, we can share that joy with others. On Saturday (Oct. 5), five of us began canvassing the neighborhoods of Monticello. Three took one side of the street and two took the other. The very first house we went to, we encountered a person interested in the new Church in town and asked for worship times and a follow-up visit! This encounter set the tone for the rest of the day. In total, we knocked on 102 doors of which 31 answered the door. 7 of the 31 who answered, were receptive (some even grew up in the Lutheran Church) and wanted to learn more about Peace Valley Lutheran Church. One person was emotional when we asked, "where do you think you will go when you die?" his response was, "I don't know." We were able to tell him the comfort that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. At least three people were neighbors of our members. As the day went on, the verse that kept coming to my mind was 1 Corinthians 15:58 where St. Paul writes, "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain" (emphasis mine). Although we, at times, stumbled in our words and were nervous, although some were not receptive to the Gospel, still the Lord was doing His work among us. On Sunday, Pastor Herzberg preached for our matins service and we enjoyed a pot-luck afterwards.
Friends, the field in Green County, WI is ripe for harvest! We pray for those who opened their door to us, who gave us a few minutes out of their day to hear that Christ has taken their sins upon Himself and saved them through His cross and secured a place for them for eternity that the Lord would bring them into the ark of the Church and join us in our pilgrimage, until we are in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
One of the "hallmarks" of OAFC is their personalized version of John 3:16. If you need a reminder of God's promise to you, or if you know someone who is going through various trials and tribulations, here is something you can say (I will be making it personal for you, but in place of you put the persons name in the blank:
"For God so loved you that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer, die, and rise in victory for you , so that believing in Jesus as the Savior from sin, you shall not perish, but you shall have everlasting life." This is God's Promise to you!
New Minden IL. We also held a weekend in New Minden IL. There were 3 local congregations represented and we were able to knock on 54 doors in total with 10 people taking the survey. Out of those 10 people we had 3 people who were certain of going to Heaven through what Jesus has done. 4 believed they would go to Heaven by their own good works 1 didn't know how they would get to Heaven and 2 people didn't answer the question or complete the survey. Through the neighborhood canvass we discovered 2 people who wanted further follow up from the congregation. New Minden has a long history of involvement with OAFC and the youth that attended the weekend are wanting to continue to be involved and grow in their ability to share their faith with others through OAFC.
Upcoming Weekends!
December:
ARE YOU AN ACTOR? Would you like to be? How about putting on a show without having to show your face? Dramas and puppet shows are two of the ways for sharing Jesus developed by Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ. Pastor Tim Mueller (with lots of help) will be leading a workshop Saturday, Dec 7, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church, New Minden. The day will feature Bible Study, singing, fellowship, an introduction to OAFC, and especially practicing dramas and puppet shows. The highlight of the day will be to present a program at a local nursing home. There is no cost and lunch is provided. Youth (mature 6th graders on up) and adults of all ages are welcome. If you plan to come, please call or text Pastor Mueller (618-314-3972) ahead of time.
ScheduleIn Other News
What else is going on? OAFC is in contact with both the Office of Church Planting and the Office of Youth Ministry. The big news is that with the Office of Church planting we are making plans to work with our many church plants around the country. We are working to discover how this will look going forward. Stay tuned as this develops we are greatly looking forward to working with new churches to further the Kingdom of God.
We are also in talks with the office of Youth Ministry to equip youth and those working with youth to share their faith in their daily lives as well as in formal situations.
Prayer Requests
Personal Witness
By Rev. Martin Herzberg
Have you ever had a sweet tooth or a craving for something and you just can't figure out what it is? That's not my problem right now. I want licorice. Something fruity and sweet and chewy. Nothing else seems like it will handle satisfy. Believe me I've tried and it's looking like I'm going to have to dust the snow off of my pickup and go to town to deal with this craving. Do I really want to do that though? Not just to satisfy a sweet tooth. There are other reasons to go out in the cold and go into town today too. But this is the one that is more or less motivating me to get a shower and get dressed, dust the snow off my truck and then drive into town.
Amazing how that works isn't it? Nothing like an craving for something to make you act. That itch you can't scratch. You know what though? Even if I do go and get that licorice, I'm going to be hungry again. I'm going to end up craving something else, or just more of the same. It really gets to be a lot of running in circles for stuff that doesn't ever really satisfy. As I was thinking about this idea this morning as I was debating about getting ready to go into town it reminded me of Isaiah 55.
“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
Now I know this is a bit of a long quote for a Personal Witness. Honestly I started out to only talk about the first two verses. The problem is that it isn't a good place to stop. There just isn't one. That's how it is with God's Word it speaks for itself in ways that we don't understand. His wisdom is far above our own. The stuff that we chase after to satisfy our desires won't ever do it the way God can. God's Word accomplishes so much more than we could ever ask for. It's in God's Word made flesh that we find the answer to all of the really big questions. We find answers to the questions we didn't even know we had. I'm not going to say that every question gets answered. It doesn't. Again this is the wisdom of God at play. The answer to the most important question is Jesus. Jesus is the fulfillment of this promise. He is the Bread of Life given for the life of the World. He is that Spring of Living Water that satisfies our thirst. Ultimately Jesus is the answer to the most important question. Does God Love Me? The answer is YES! So much that He thinks you're worth dying for. As we begin to prepare for the Christmas season, we go through the Season of Advent. We celebrate the fact that Christ came into the world and was made flesh for us. We also remember that He's promised to come again and eagerly await His second coming, where we're lead forth in peace, and the mountains and the hills will break forth in singing, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! And we get to go home to be in the presence of God forever
Do you have a Personal Witness? Send it to [email protected] and you could see it in the next issue of the Crier!
This email was sent to you by OAFC Ongoing Ambassadors For Christ
P.O. Box 712
Greenville, IL 62246
United States
618-664-4056 | www.oafc.org
OAFC exists to grow faith in LCMS members by sharing the Faith with the unchurched.
Unsubscribe
So Much to be Thankful For
Thanksgiving Day is this week! Where did the year go? This year we have a great deal to be thankful for. The biggest news with OAFC is that we're up and going again. Yes, we're moving slow right now, the point is we're moving. In October there were two weekends the first being in Montecello WI, and the second in New Minden IL. The details of each weekend are below.
OAFC is also in contact with the National Office of Church Planting and we are talking about ways in which we can partner with the church plants all over the nation to foster a culture of utilizing the methods OAFC has been employing for over 50 years and even some new ways to go about it. More on that as it developes.
The bottom line is that God is Good all the time and that we have the Good News to share with all those we meet that God Loves them, each and every one of them so much that He sent Jesus to save us from our sins. The Old old story that we have loved to tell for so long continues to be the best news there is. Thank you God for all you've given us, and for the opportunity to continue to share this with those you bring into our lives.
What's Happening
Peace Valley Lutheran Church (Monicello)
From Pastor Josh Benish, Church Planter:
The first weekend in October, we welcomed Pastor Martin Herzberg of Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ (OAFC) to lead us in our canvassing effort in Monticello. On Friday night (Oct. 4) Pastor Herzberg reminded us of the joy that Christ gives to His Church through Word of the Gospel and in the Means of Grace and he taught us how, then, we can share that joy with others. On Saturday (Oct. 5), five of us began canvassing the neighborhoods of Monticello. Three took one side of the street and two took the other. The very first house we went to, we encountered a person interested in the new Church in town and asked for worship times and a follow-up visit! This encounter set the tone for the rest of the day. In total, we knocked on 102 doors of which 31 answered the door. 7 of the 31 who answered, were receptive (some even grew up in the Lutheran Church) and wanted to learn more about Peace Valley Lutheran Church. One person was emotional when we asked, "where do you think you will go when you die?" his response was, "I don't know." We were able to tell him the comfort that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. At least three people were neighbors of our members. As the day went on, the verse that kept coming to my mind was 1 Corinthians 15:58 where St. Paul writes, "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain" (emphasis mine). Although we, at times, stumbled in our words and were nervous, although some were not receptive to the Gospel, still the Lord was doing His work among us. On Sunday, Pastor Herzberg preached for our matins service and we enjoyed a pot-luck afterwards.
Friends, the field in Green County, WI is ripe for harvest! We pray for those who opened their door to us, who gave us a few minutes out of their day to hear that Christ has taken their sins upon Himself and saved them through His cross and secured a place for them for eternity that the Lord would bring them into the ark of the Church and join us in our pilgrimage, until we are in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
One of the "hallmarks" of OAFC is their personalized version of John 3:16. If you need a reminder of God's promise to you, or if you know someone who is going through various trials and tribulations, here is something you can say (I will be making it personal for you, but in place of you put the persons name in the blank:
"For God so loved you that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer, die, and rise in victory for you , so that believing in Jesus as the Savior from sin, you shall not perish, but you shall have everlasting life." This is God's Promise to you!
New Minden IL. We also held a weekend in New Minden IL. There were 3 local congregations represented and we were able to knock on 54 doors in total with 10 people taking the survey. Out of those 10 people we had 3 people who were certain of going to Heaven through what Jesus has done. 4 believed they would go to Heaven by their own good works 1 didn't know how they would get to Heaven and 2 people didn't answer the question or complete the survey. Through the neighborhood canvass we discovered 2 people who wanted further follow up from the congregation. New Minden has a long history of involvement with OAFC and the youth that attended the weekend are wanting to continue to be involved and grow in their ability to share their faith with others through OAFC.
Upcoming Weekends!
December:
ARE YOU AN ACTOR? Would you like to be? How about putting on a show without having to show your face? Dramas and puppet shows are two of the ways for sharing Jesus developed by Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ. Pastor Tim Mueller (with lots of help) will be leading a workshop Saturday, Dec 7, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church, New Minden. The day will feature Bible Study, singing, fellowship, an introduction to OAFC, and especially practicing dramas and puppet shows. The highlight of the day will be to present a program at a local nursing home. There is no cost and lunch is provided. Youth (mature 6th graders on up) and adults of all ages are welcome. If you plan to come, please call or text Pastor Mueller (618-314-3972) ahead of time.
ScheduleIn Other News
What else is going on? OAFC is in contact with both the Office of Church Planting and the Office of Youth Ministry. The big news is that with the Office of Church planting we are making plans to work with our many church plants around the country. We are working to discover how this will look going forward. Stay tuned as this develops we are greatly looking forward to working with new churches to further the Kingdom of God.
We are also in talks with the office of Youth Ministry to equip youth and those working with youth to share their faith in their daily lives as well as in formal situations.
Prayer Requests
- Please keep both synodical and OAFC Leadership in your prayers. We ask God's guidance going forward both in terms of how to utilize the financial resources available to us, as well as developing and revitalizing existing teams and building new ones.
- That God would sustain and encourage the workers in OAFC in faithfulness to Him, and also in the joy of training youth and adults at OAFC weekends and activities.
Personal Witness
By Rev. Martin Herzberg
Have you ever had a sweet tooth or a craving for something and you just can't figure out what it is? That's not my problem right now. I want licorice. Something fruity and sweet and chewy. Nothing else seems like it will handle satisfy. Believe me I've tried and it's looking like I'm going to have to dust the snow off of my pickup and go to town to deal with this craving. Do I really want to do that though? Not just to satisfy a sweet tooth. There are other reasons to go out in the cold and go into town today too. But this is the one that is more or less motivating me to get a shower and get dressed, dust the snow off my truck and then drive into town.
Amazing how that works isn't it? Nothing like an craving for something to make you act. That itch you can't scratch. You know what though? Even if I do go and get that licorice, I'm going to be hungry again. I'm going to end up craving something else, or just more of the same. It really gets to be a lot of running in circles for stuff that doesn't ever really satisfy. As I was thinking about this idea this morning as I was debating about getting ready to go into town it reminded me of Isaiah 55.
“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
Now I know this is a bit of a long quote for a Personal Witness. Honestly I started out to only talk about the first two verses. The problem is that it isn't a good place to stop. There just isn't one. That's how it is with God's Word it speaks for itself in ways that we don't understand. His wisdom is far above our own. The stuff that we chase after to satisfy our desires won't ever do it the way God can. God's Word accomplishes so much more than we could ever ask for. It's in God's Word made flesh that we find the answer to all of the really big questions. We find answers to the questions we didn't even know we had. I'm not going to say that every question gets answered. It doesn't. Again this is the wisdom of God at play. The answer to the most important question is Jesus. Jesus is the fulfillment of this promise. He is the Bread of Life given for the life of the World. He is that Spring of Living Water that satisfies our thirst. Ultimately Jesus is the answer to the most important question. Does God Love Me? The answer is YES! So much that He thinks you're worth dying for. As we begin to prepare for the Christmas season, we go through the Season of Advent. We celebrate the fact that Christ came into the world and was made flesh for us. We also remember that He's promised to come again and eagerly await His second coming, where we're lead forth in peace, and the mountains and the hills will break forth in singing, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! And we get to go home to be in the presence of God forever
Do you have a Personal Witness? Send it to [email protected] and you could see it in the next issue of the Crier!
This email was sent to you by OAFC Ongoing Ambassadors For Christ
P.O. Box 712
Greenville, IL 62246
United States
618-664-4056 | www.oafc.org
OAFC exists to grow faith in LCMS members by sharing the Faith with the unchurched.
Unsubscribe