From the DOM

 

Praise to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who gives us the drive, power and potential to minister to you.  Your association has been involved in your churches in the last few months.  The work has been thriving and God is being glorified.  He alone is the reason. 

We have great volunteers like Mary Susan Wilson, Lydia Patterson, Gus Smith, and Sylvia Johnson, along with new volunteers Barbara West, Randy Dampier, Donna Floyd, and Nancy Saunders.  These give above and beyond themselves to help our churches in great ways.  Take a moment to thank God for them.  We have a host of other volunteers who serve on our committees.  They are faithful in every way.  I enjoy seeing new volunteers come on board and begin to see all God is doing in the St. Johns River Baptist Association. 

At Anastasia Baptist Church, many people have been surprised to find out that their giving on Sunday to the local church is multiplied in a cooperative effort throughout the world because of their gifts to the association.   I hope you will get this message to your church, too.  Your association is a group of churches networking together to serve our Lord Jesus and to make a great impact on our area in Flagler, Putnam, and St. Johns counties, as well as Florida and around the world.

Here are a few of the things you as an association have been able to do in the last 6 months:

> Start 4 new churches in Ivory Coast(Cote d’Ivoire)

> Help our workers in China

>Support mission trip to Haiti (14 saved and 3000 gallons of water given, 30 homes and churches assessed for damaged)

>Hosted 4 different conferences for your church workers covering subjects of IRS Updates, Prayer, WMU, and Church planting.

>Sent Associational VBS team to training(Our VBS clinic April 29^th at 1^st Baptist Bunnell)

 

>Aided in the start of two more new works locally and researched the local area for two more

 

>Went on mercy trip to Atlanta(Three men from our association went with me to do cleanup at my home in Atl. that was flooded) May 14-15 possible work days

>Finished first Baptist College of Florida Bible College classes, trained 15 students.

 

>Brought mission team and church together for a building project.  Westside Baptist

 

>Counseled three couples and performed three weddings.

>Preached on many occasions (not enough please asked )

>Personally I have had the privilege of preparing myself to better serve you through:

>National DOM training in Dallas, TX

>Transitional Pastor Training in Jacksonville, Fl

>Florida BaptistState Convention in Pensacola, Fl

 

These are just some of the ministries we do as an association of 55+ churches.  This is not exhaustive even though I am exhausted to just read it.  As you see, only God could be the one to use us as His willing servants.  I like Luke  17:10 “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”  I will encourage you with this to give more to your local church and pray for the work of the association in your church so the ministry of helping churches be all God wants them to be will continue.

Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Director of Missions

                                                                                                              - ASA