http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465 Return here for updates from our Missionaries! Radiant WebTools Dear Friends, I continue having conversations with 'Jim', one of the neighbors in our apartment complex. 'Jim' tells me that I am his resident expert on God. However, he is very clear that he doesn't agree with me on most of my responses. He is a good reminder that we don't talk with people about the Lord because they will agree with us and respond as we think they should! We do it because we care and because God has told us to do so! Jesus is their only hope as they face eternity. Keep praying for 'Jim'! God is able to break through when there seems no chance of reaching someone! He has done so before, and He will do so again! I have been thinking about my future resurrected body that God will give someday. That will be so cool! Perfect hearing, perfect eyesight, a godly brain, and a fantastic spinal column that will never go bad. No shabby workmanship! Designed by God with a warranty that has no expiration date! Can't wait to take it for a test drive! Still, the body that God has given us now serves a great purpose. God uses its frailty and weakness to accomplish His purpose and put us where He wants us to be. Only God knows how to use this old model T body in the way that enables us to serve Him! How can we not be grateful! I'll have an eternity to cruise Heaven in the new model, but for now God has given me this time on earth, filled with the adventure of serving Him, and that is way cool! My latest adventure is the dentist gave me a special mouthwash to help with an infection. It turns out that I had a very serious reaction to the mouthwash! Seriously? Mouthwash?! Why, God? How does this help in serving you? I'm not shot as a martyr or eaten by lions… Instead, I am painfully miserable because of mouthwash! My conversation with the dental hygienist led to a discussion about the God who doesn't make mistakes. It was a great conversation, and God didn't make a mistake! BEM now has a YouTube channel and a Podcast channel. Both are still in development, but you should check them out! I believe God has plans for these two channels that we haven't even thought of yet. Here are the links: BEM Podcast Barnabas Enrichment Ministries - YouTube People have been asking about the novel I wrote titled, The Daystar Conspiracy. I am receiving some very good comments and the books continue to sell. We are in the early stages of promotion, so keep praying for God to accomplish His purposes in His way. A couple of suggestions made to me by others have been interesting. The first one was people should buy a copy and donate it to their local library. That way it would be available to the public when the 'Rapture' takes place. The other suggestion was to put a notice on a person's Facebook page. I am not a social media expert so I don't know what that involves. However, I will share this in case you are considering buying a copy. Amazon and Walmart online are having competitive sales that are over half off. This would be the time to buy copies of the book if you are planning to do so. My final item in this newsletter is to encourage you to attend the Small Church Conference in Utah on April 18th next month. At the close of this newsletter is all the information you need. Sadly, I will not be able to attend because of health issues. I truly would love to be there. I believe this conference may well be the most important one we have ever held. I don't believe you will be disappointed. If you are able to come, please register right away at Small Church Enrichment Conference - Nephi, UT ! Curious about what God has ahead… Confident it will be good! (Romans 8:28) Your fellow servant, John (and of course, my superhero, Beabea—known as Wonder Wife, Servant of God, and The Incredible Grandma!) Dear Friends, I continue having conversations with 'Jim', one of the neighbors in our apartment complex. 'Jim' tells me that I am his resident expert on God. However, he is very clear that he doesn't agree with me on most of my responses. He is a good reminder that we don't talk with people about the Lord because they will agree with us and respond as we think they should! We do it because we care and because God has told us to do so! Jesus is their only hope as they face eternity. Keep praying for 'Jim'! God is able to break through when there seems no chance of reaching someone! He has done so before, and He will do so again! I have been thinking about my future resurrected body that God will give someday. That will be so cool! Perfect hearing, perfect eyesight, a godly brain, and a fantastic spinal column that will never go bad. No shabby workmanship! Designed by God with a warranty that has no expiration date! Can't wait to take it for a test drive! Still, the body that God has given us now serves a great purpose. God uses its frailty and weakness to accomplish His purpose and put us where He wants us to be. Only God knows how to use this old model T body in the way that enables us to serve Him! How can we not be grateful! I'll have an eternity to cruise Heaven in the new model, but for now God has given me this time on earth, filled with the adventure of serving Him, and that is way cool! My latest adventure is the dentist gave me a special mouthwash to help with an infection. It turns out that I had a very serious reaction to the mouthwash! Seriously? Mouthwash?! Why, God? How does this help in serving you? I'm not shot as a martyr or eaten by lions… Instead, I am painfully miserable because of mouthwash! My conversation with the dental hygienist led to a discussion about the God who doesn't make mistakes. It was a great conversation, and God didn't make a mistake! BEM now has a YouTube channel and a Podcast channel. Both are still in development, but you should check them out! I believe God has plans for these two channels that we haven't even thought of yet. Here are the links: BEM Podcast Barnabas Enrichment Ministries - YouTube People have been asking about the novel I wrote titled, The Daystar Conspiracy. I am receiving some very good comments and the books continue to sell. We are in the early stages of promotion, so keep praying for God to accomplish His purposes in His way. A couple of suggestions made to me by others have been interesting. The first one was people should buy a copy and donate it to their local library. That way it would be available to the public when the 'Rapture' takes place. The other suggestion was to put a notice on a person's Facebook page. I am not a social media expert so I don't know what that involves. However, I will share this in case you are considering buying a copy. Amazon and Walmart online are having competitive sales that are over half off. This would be the time to buy copies of the book if you are planning to do so. My final item in this newsletter is to encourage you to attend the Small Church Conference in Utah on April 18th next month. At the close of this newsletter is all the information you need. Sadly, I will not be able to attend because of health issues. I truly would love to be there. I believe this conference may well be the most important one we have ever held. I don't believe you will be disappointed. If you are able to come, please register right away at Small Church Enrichment Conference - Nephi, UT ! Curious about what God has ahead… Confident it will be good! (Romans 8:28) Your fellow servant, John (and of course, my superhero, Beabea—known as Wonder Wife, Servant of God, and The Incredible Grandma!) http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63388 63388 Sun, 8 Mar 2026 18:40:00 +0000 Do you feel every time you blink it's a new month? This has been my experience lately. With a full time job, family, and ministry work life certainly has been keeping us busy. I must apologize for not communicating with you these last several months. Over the past few months, I've had the opportunity to help a couple churches/pastors with their tech needs as well as serving my own church in that capacity. We also continue to serve in various other roles at our home church. One new role we volunteered for this year is to direct the VBS program that will be held this summer. We've already begun planning and are looking forward to what we pray will be a life-changing time for children in our community. Please pray for this event! There are over 400 children in our church's neighborhood. We'd like to reach as many of them as possible! This April BEM will be holding our biennial Small Church Enrichment Conference in Nephi, Utah on April 18th. I will be flying out with my oldest daughter to serve there. My primary goal will be to network with pastors in attendance and to provide any technical assistance needed. Please pray for this event! Pray that the words spoken and our interactions with the local pastors will be an encouragement to them! If you would like to give specifically towards this trip you can do so online by clicking HERE or mailing a check marked Utah Conference to the address below. In 2026 I will continue to pursue churches that I can be of help to for their technology needs. Also, I will be working with our BEM team in developing a new BEM website. The new modern site will improve communications, making it easier to interface with those we seek to serve. I look forward to the ministry opportunities this year brings! Also this year we have another child graduating from high school! Mckenzy is completing her senior year. We have lots of planning to do as we work towards her graduation and celebrating this milestone in Mckenzy's life. Please pray for her as she seeks the Lord's will for her life and makes decisions on the path she will take! Thank you all for continued support and encouragement! Here are a few items you can be in prayer for: Ministry April BEM conference. Pray for safe travels and effective ministry in Utah. More opportunities to serve local churches in our region Personal Pray we rely on the Lord for strength with our busy schedule Pray we prioritize time with God in His word Pray we trust the Lord's provision in all things For Him,The HewittsPhewitt.bem@gmail.com574.304.4251 To help support our ministry financially you can do so by mailing a check to: Barnabas Enrichment Ministries Philip Hewitt PO Box 4 OR Donate Online by clicking Here!Goshen, IN 46527-004 Do you feel every time you blink it's a new month? This has been my experience lately. With a full time job, family, and ministry work life certainly has been keeping us busy. I must apologize for not communicating with you these last several months. Over the past few months, I've had the opportunity to help a couple churches/pastors with their tech needs as well as serving my own church in that capacity. We also continue to serve in various other roles at our home church. One new role we volunteered for this year is to direct the VBS program that will be held this summer. We've already begun planning and are looking forward to what we pray will be a life-changing time for children in our community. Please pray for this event! There are over 400 children in our church's neighborhood. We'd like to reach as many of them as possible! This April BEM will be holding our biennial Small Church Enrichment Conference in Nephi, Utah on April 18th. I will be flying out with my oldest daughter to serve there. My primary goal will be to network with pastors in attendance and to provide any technical assistance needed. Please pray for this event! Pray that the words spoken and our interactions with the local pastors will be an encouragement to them! If you would like to give specifically towards this trip you can do so online by clicking HERE or mailing a check marked Utah Conference to the address below. In 2026 I will continue to pursue churches that I can be of help to for their technology needs. Also, I will be working with our BEM team in developing a new BEM website. The new modern site will improve communications, making it easier to interface with those we seek to serve. I look forward to the ministry opportunities this year brings! Also this year we have another child graduating from high school! Mckenzy is completing her senior year. We have lots of planning to do as we work towards her graduation and celebrating this milestone in Mckenzy's life. Please pray for her as she seeks the Lord's will for her life and makes decisions on the path she will take! Thank you all for continued support and encouragement! Here are a few items you can be in prayer for: Ministry April BEM conference. Pray for safe travels and effective ministry in Utah. More opportunities to serve local churches in our region Personal Pray we rely on the Lord for strength with our busy schedule Pray we prioritize time with God in His word Pray we trust the Lord's provision in all things For Him,The HewittsPhewitt.bem@gmail.com574.304.4251 To help support our ministry financially you can do so by mailing a check to: Barnabas Enrichment Ministries Philip Hewitt PO Box 4 OR Donate Online by clicking Here!Goshen, IN 46527-004 http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63387 63387 Mon, 26 Jan 2026 13:27:00 +0000 Merry Christmas! This past year of traveling with Barnabas Enrichment Ministries (BEM) has reminded us once again of the beautiful unity within the body of Christ. Whether in India, Thailand (not this year), Escalante, Utah, Staten Island, or as close as Britton, Michigan, we have seen firsthand the shared love for the Lord and His Word. Despite differences in culture, background, education, or life experience, the Holy Spirit binds us together through our common faith in Jesus Christ. That is truly amazing to observe and experience! Our Ministry Travels In January, we spent three weeks serving at First Baptist Church in Escalante, Utah – a community of 786 people within a predominantly Mormon area. While the pastor and his wife were away, we were blessed to minister to and fellowship with a small, joyful congregation. We even had the fun task of caring for their two energetic 50‑pound 'puppies'! YIKES!! Throughout spring and summer, we served once a month at a nearby church currently without a pastor. Their kindness and warm welcome were immediate. Interestingly, serving so close to home proved more challenging than traveling far away – our regular responsibilities at our home church during that time kept our schedule quite full! In September, we returned for a third time to Resurrection Baptist Church (RBC) on Staten Island while their pastor and his wife were away. RBC is a predominantly Liberian congregation, made up of families who came to the U.S. three generations ago as refugees from civil war. We cherish the fellowship there and always leave feeling loved and spiritually refreshed. Family Updates Our family continues to do well. Among our 15 grandchildren, we are thrilled to see their growing love for the Lord and their desire to serve Him. With two graduating college and three graduating high school this year, only six remain under age 18. We also enjoyed our 19th year of Cousin Camp! Our goal is to continue until the youngest ages out: five more years if the Lord allows. Watching the cousins maintain such strong bonds despite living far apart has been a tremendous blessing. A highlight of our year was welcoming our son Tim and his family back to the U.S. after 14 years of ministry in South Asia. We were excited to celebrate our first Thanksgiving with them in all that time! Now living in Springfield, Ohio, just three hours away, we are grateful for every new opportunity to attend their family events. We loved watching Levi in his high school play, something we could never do when they lived 8,000 miles away. Life at Home Life in Ypsilanti, Michigan, continues to be wonderful. Living near our daughter and her family has given us countless special moments to share. Even with a three-hour distance to our other children, God has allowed many trips and precious times together – soccer games, cross‑country meets, baptisms, birthdays, graduations, Bible Quiz competitions, plays, and more. While I still dream (and pray!) for a large family compound with five houses within walking distance, I realize that may never happen. Thankfully, God has given us a strong love for road trips! �� As 2026 approaches, we are in the midst of planning for two Small Church Enrichment Conferences we have scheduled for mid-April in Nephi, Utah and early November in Kokomo, Indiana. Please pray for God to give us wisdom and energy in the planning and doing of these bi-annual events. As 2025 ends, we want to thank you for your continued prayers, generous financial support, friendship and interest in our lives and ministry. We truly appreciate you all and wish you a Merry Christmas and blessed New Year!!! Love to all,Tim & Sandy Hewitt ��Barnabas Enrichment Ministries Merry Christmas! This past year of traveling with Barnabas Enrichment Ministries (BEM) has reminded us once again of the beautiful unity within the body of Christ. Whether in India, Thailand (not this year), Escalante, Utah, Staten Island, or as close as Britton, Michigan, we have seen firsthand the shared love for the Lord and His Word. Despite differences in culture, background, education, or life experience, the Holy Spirit binds us together through our common faith in Jesus Christ. That is truly amazing to observe and experience! Our Ministry Travels In January, we spent three weeks serving at First Baptist Church in Escalante, Utah – a community of 786 people within a predominantly Mormon area. While the pastor and his wife were away, we were blessed to minister to and fellowship with a small, joyful congregation. We even had the fun task of caring for their two energetic 50‑pound 'puppies'! YIKES!! Throughout spring and summer, we served once a month at a nearby church currently without a pastor. Their kindness and warm welcome were immediate. Interestingly, serving so close to home proved more challenging than traveling far away – our regular responsibilities at our home church during that time kept our schedule quite full! In September, we returned for a third time to Resurrection Baptist Church (RBC) on Staten Island while their pastor and his wife were away. RBC is a predominantly Liberian congregation, made up of families who came to the U.S. three generations ago as refugees from civil war. We cherish the fellowship there and always leave feeling loved and spiritually refreshed. Family Updates Our family continues to do well. Among our 15 grandchildren, we are thrilled to see their growing love for the Lord and their desire to serve Him. With two graduating college and three graduating high school this year, only six remain under age 18. We also enjoyed our 19th year of Cousin Camp! Our goal is to continue until the youngest ages out: five more years if the Lord allows. Watching the cousins maintain such strong bonds despite living far apart has been a tremendous blessing. A highlight of our year was welcoming our son Tim and his family back to the U.S. after 14 years of ministry in South Asia. We were excited to celebrate our first Thanksgiving with them in all that time! Now living in Springfield, Ohio, just three hours away, we are grateful for every new opportunity to attend their family events. We loved watching Levi in his high school play, something we could never do when they lived 8,000 miles away. Life at Home Life in Ypsilanti, Michigan, continues to be wonderful. Living near our daughter and her family has given us countless special moments to share. Even with a three-hour distance to our other children, God has allowed many trips and precious times together – soccer games, cross‑country meets, baptisms, birthdays, graduations, Bible Quiz competitions, plays, and more. While I still dream (and pray!) for a large family compound with five houses within walking distance, I realize that may never happen. Thankfully, God has given us a strong love for road trips! �� As 2026 approaches, we are in the midst of planning for two Small Church Enrichment Conferences we have scheduled for mid-April in Nephi, Utah and early November in Kokomo, Indiana. Please pray for God to give us wisdom and energy in the planning and doing of these bi-annual events. As 2025 ends, we want to thank you for your continued prayers, generous financial support, friendship and interest in our lives and ministry. We truly appreciate you all and wish you a Merry Christmas and blessed New Year!!! Love to all,Tim & Sandy Hewitt ��Barnabas Enrichment Ministries http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63386 63386 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:22:00 +0000 Dear Friends, In our last newsletter, I mentioned a man who lives in our apartment complex not far from us. I also shared that Beabea and I have had a couple of really good visits with him in the parking lot. Since then, the Lord has provided many opportunities to talk with him. It seems he finds us regularly when we check our mail or walk out to our vehicle. Let me tell you about 'Jim' (not his real name). Pray for 'Jim.' God will know who you are referring to! Jim was raised in a religious home. He shares that his father was 'trying to buy his way to heaven' by giving lots of money to the church they attended. However, when his dad needed help from the 'church' and the people in it, they did nothing. Apparently, his dad was bitter toward God after that, and Jim has lived with that reality in his life ever since. (I believe he is slightly younger than I am.) Jim has told me that he can't stand religion. He seemed surprised that I agreed with him! I told him that instead of having a religion, I have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. He then asked the million-dollar question, 'What's the difference?' I was able to share the truth about God from the Bible, and he listened. Well, actually, he interrupted me many times and continues to do so as we talk, but he listens intently. Jim is not a believer, not yet. However, he has started finding other Christians in the apartments where we live and asking what they believe about God. He is also reading my book on Christ's return and asking many more questions—good questions—some tough questions! He often stops me when I check the mail or am outside the apartment for some reason and asks even more questions. Our last conversation was about how to get to Heaven, especially if none of us are good enough to be acceptable to God. I finished that conversation with the story of Charles Blondin, who in 1859 crossed Niagara Falls on a tightrope more than once. The story is told that on one of his crossings, he pushed a wheelbarrow in front of him. When he arrived on the other side, a man in the cheering crowd shouted loudly that he truly believed Blondin could walk back and forth with a wheelbarrow many times and never fall. Blondin challenged him to get in the wheelbarrow, but the man refused. I shared with Jim that there was an important difference between believing Jesus can take a person safely to God and actually trusting Him to do so. I then shared that safety is not found in our trust, but in the One who holds God's wheelbarrow of eternal life. Pray for Jim that he will trust our Lord to give him eternal life and take him safely to God! Salvation is more than facts, it's a relationship! I had hoped that the new type of injections into my back and neck would help with the pain in my aging spine. It looked promising, but the last injection barely lasted a week, and I became very sick from it. Pain is discouraging, but God is amazing. We are not alone in this world, nor are we abandoned by God! In the weeks ahead, I am scheduled to see several doctors. Pray they have wisdom. Also, pray that I will be alert to God-given opportunities to talk about Jesus. God has a way of opening the right moment to talk about Him, and I enjoy watching how He does it! Pray for the many counseling opportunities God keeps opening up. They are mostly by phone. What a privilege to help others and experience God working in their lives! I have been asked more than once what our future plans are, considering all that is happening with my health. I don't have answers, but God does. I want to thank all of you who have helped us serve our Lord through the many years. You are precious to us! Curious about what God has ahead… Confident it will be good! (Romans 8:28) Your fellow servant, John (and of course, my superhero, Beabea—known as Wonder Wife, Servant of God, and The Incredible Grandma!) Dear Friends, In our last newsletter, I mentioned a man who lives in our apartment complex not far from us. I also shared that Beabea and I have had a couple of really good visits with him in the parking lot. Since then, the Lord has provided many opportunities to talk with him. It seems he finds us regularly when we check our mail or walk out to our vehicle. Let me tell you about 'Jim' (not his real name). Pray for 'Jim.' God will know who you are referring to! Jim was raised in a religious home. He shares that his father was 'trying to buy his way to heaven' by giving lots of money to the church they attended. However, when his dad needed help from the 'church' and the people in it, they did nothing. Apparently, his dad was bitter toward God after that, and Jim has lived with that reality in his life ever since. (I believe he is slightly younger than I am.) Jim has told me that he can't stand religion. He seemed surprised that I agreed with him! I told him that instead of having a religion, I have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. He then asked the million-dollar question, 'What's the difference?' I was able to share the truth about God from the Bible, and he listened. Well, actually, he interrupted me many times and continues to do so as we talk, but he listens intently. Jim is not a believer, not yet. However, he has started finding other Christians in the apartments where we live and asking what they believe about God. He is also reading my book on Christ's return and asking many more questions—good questions—some tough questions! He often stops me when I check the mail or am outside the apartment for some reason and asks even more questions. Our last conversation was about how to get to Heaven, especially if none of us are good enough to be acceptable to God. I finished that conversation with the story of Charles Blondin, who in 1859 crossed Niagara Falls on a tightrope more than once. The story is told that on one of his crossings, he pushed a wheelbarrow in front of him. When he arrived on the other side, a man in the cheering crowd shouted loudly that he truly believed Blondin could walk back and forth with a wheelbarrow many times and never fall. Blondin challenged him to get in the wheelbarrow, but the man refused. I shared with Jim that there was an important difference between believing Jesus can take a person safely to God and actually trusting Him to do so. I then shared that safety is not found in our trust, but in the One who holds God's wheelbarrow of eternal life. Pray for Jim that he will trust our Lord to give him eternal life and take him safely to God! Salvation is more than facts, it's a relationship! I had hoped that the new type of injections into my back and neck would help with the pain in my aging spine. It looked promising, but the last injection barely lasted a week, and I became very sick from it. Pain is discouraging, but God is amazing. We are not alone in this world, nor are we abandoned by God! In the weeks ahead, I am scheduled to see several doctors. Pray they have wisdom. Also, pray that I will be alert to God-given opportunities to talk about Jesus. God has a way of opening the right moment to talk about Him, and I enjoy watching how He does it! Pray for the many counseling opportunities God keeps opening up. They are mostly by phone. What a privilege to help others and experience God working in their lives! I have been asked more than once what our future plans are, considering all that is happening with my health. I don't have answers, but God does. I want to thank all of you who have helped us serve our Lord through the many years. You are precious to us! Curious about what God has ahead… Confident it will be good! (Romans 8:28) Your fellow servant, John (and of course, my superhero, Beabea—known as Wonder Wife, Servant of God, and The Incredible Grandma!) http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63385 63385 Wed, 3 Dec 2025 10:09:00 +0000 Dear Friends, Sitting in the office of one of the top neurosurgeons in Tennessee, I listened as I was informed that there were no surgical possibilities for my condition of an aging spine. If they repaired one area, another would go bad. It was similar to replacing a leaking water hose on a car engine. The new hose would trigger weaknesses in the other hoses, and they would start to leak. Unless I could replace the whole spinal column with a completely new one, surgery would only complicate my situation and cause more damage to occur. I told the person sitting across from me that I did have a new spine on order and that Jesus was personally delivering it someday. (Just for the record, the diagnosis fit my medical history very accurately. I have had five spinal surgeries in my life, and after each one, something else has gone wrong in my spinal column.) The Lord continues to teach me new things as well as old things in new ways. I have found in my own life that prayer tends to be about helping God understand what needs to be done. Of course, when you think about it, helping God to better understand anything is kind of a humorous concept. Prayer does not make God change! He doesn't need to change. That brings me to a biblical truth I have known since grade school. Somehow, it keeps getting buried in life's complications, but here it is: You don't have to convince God to be good or do good! God is good and always does good! There, I said it… Wow! That changes a person's prayer life! Prayer isn't about changing God; it is about God changing me! My prayer now is 'God, help me trust that you really do know what you are doing and help me see the events of life as you see them.' As I sat in the surgeon's office and listened to words that were not encouraging from a human perspective, I became very aware that God was with me. It was as if God was saying, 'Calm down, take a breath, relax, and trust me!' Since surgery is no longer an option, I am now receiving treatments involving spinal injections. A year ago, the medical people tried steroid injections into my spine. Those injections didn't help much at all. The new injections I am now receiving are nerve blockers, and they do seem to help. I just had a second round in a new area of the spine last week. These injections do not heal the body, but having pain relief does have merit! I remember an old saying I have heard through the years… 'This is going to feel so good when it stops hurting!' I am receiving injections in two areas. The area directly behind the heart has been the main location for pain, but a new area of pain has developed near the base of the skull. The disadvantage of pain relief without healing is the possibility of damaging an area even more because you no longer have the pain to warn you. When the Lord leads to other doctors and new locations, it opens fresh opportunities to share Christ with the people who are there. Last week, I started a conversation with the lady receptionist at the injection clinic. This was my first visit to this new location. I was praying, asking God to give an opening to talk about spiritual things. We chatted for a few minutes, and the discussion moved to how vulnerable the human body was when she stated, 'I don't have any concerns because I know where I'm going when I die!' It turns out she was a believer and was trying to find a way to witness to me! What an encouragement that was! I felt like she was cheering me on when I started talking with the nurse! This month, I have been involved in more than the usual counseling opportunities. Most of these are done by phone. Pray for wisdom! Human beings live very complicated lives that only our Lord can sort out! Continue to pray for the book, The Daystar Conspiracy , that God will use it for His glory. I have given many of my neighbors at our apartment complex a copy of the book, and I am having some very interesting conversations! Also, Beabea and I have had two good conversations (in our apartments' parking lot) with a man who lives a couple of buildings over. The gentleman is friendly, but wary of Christians because of the way his father was treated. Our relationship with him is becoming very positive, and we have talked about spiritual things in a limited way. I have not given a book to him yet. Perhaps I will in the future, but one step at a time. Thank you for your prayers! We have lost some support this year because I am not on the road due to health issues. Also, churches are going through some challenging times that affect their ability to support missionaries. God is not overwhelmed or confused in all of this, and He has provided for us in so many ways. He has met every need and gone beyond. Just a reminder… We are still receiving mail at our daughter's place. (We used her address when we first moved to Tennessee.) There is no problem getting our mail from her, but here is our actual address: John & Beabea Rogers 235 Carta Road, APT L1 Knoxville, TN 37914 Our mission address is: (New address! Same mission!) Barnabas Enrichment Ministries P.O. Box 4 Goshen, IN 46527-0004 Curious about what God has ahead… Confident it will be good! Your fellow servant, John (and of course, my superhero, Beabea) jtrbem@gmail.com Dear Friends, Sitting in the office of one of the top neurosurgeons in Tennessee, I listened as I was informed that there were no surgical possibilities for my condition of an aging spine. If they repaired one area, another would go bad. It was similar to replacing a leaking water hose on a car engine. The new hose would trigger weaknesses in the other hoses, and they would start to leak. Unless I could replace the whole spinal column with a completely new one, surgery would only complicate my situation and cause more damage to occur. I told the person sitting across from me that I did have a new spine on order and that Jesus was personally delivering it someday. (Just for the record, the diagnosis fit my medical history very accurately. I have had five spinal surgeries in my life, and after each one, something else has gone wrong in my spinal column.) The Lord continues to teach me new things as well as old things in new ways. I have found in my own life that prayer tends to be about helping God understand what needs to be done. Of course, when you think about it, helping God to better understand anything is kind of a humorous concept. Prayer does not make God change! He doesn't need to change. That brings me to a biblical truth I have known since grade school. Somehow, it keeps getting buried in life's complications, but here it is: You don't have to convince God to be good or do good! God is good and always does good! There, I said it… Wow! That changes a person's prayer life! Prayer isn't about changing God; it is about God changing me! My prayer now is 'God, help me trust that you really do know what you are doing and help me see the events of life as you see them.' As I sat in the surgeon's office and listened to words that were not encouraging from a human perspective, I became very aware that God was with me. It was as if God was saying, 'Calm down, take a breath, relax, and trust me!' Since surgery is no longer an option, I am now receiving treatments involving spinal injections. A year ago, the medical people tried steroid injections into my spine. Those injections didn't help much at all. The new injections I am now receiving are nerve blockers, and they do seem to help. I just had a second round in a new area of the spine last week. These injections do not heal the body, but having pain relief does have merit! I remember an old saying I have heard through the years… 'This is going to feel so good when it stops hurting!' I am receiving injections in two areas. The area directly behind the heart has been the main location for pain, but a new area of pain has developed near the base of the skull. The disadvantage of pain relief without healing is the possibility of damaging an area even more because you no longer have the pain to warn you. When the Lord leads to other doctors and new locations, it opens fresh opportunities to share Christ with the people who are there. Last week, I started a conversation with the lady receptionist at the injection clinic. This was my first visit to this new location. I was praying, asking God to give an opening to talk about spiritual things. We chatted for a few minutes, and the discussion moved to how vulnerable the human body was when she stated, 'I don't have any concerns because I know where I'm going when I die!' It turns out she was a believer and was trying to find a way to witness to me! What an encouragement that was! I felt like she was cheering me on when I started talking with the nurse! This month, I have been involved in more than the usual counseling opportunities. Most of these are done by phone. Pray for wisdom! Human beings live very complicated lives that only our Lord can sort out! Continue to pray for the book, The Daystar Conspiracy , that God will use it for His glory. I have given many of my neighbors at our apartment complex a copy of the book, and I am having some very interesting conversations! Also, Beabea and I have had two good conversations (in our apartments' parking lot) with a man who lives a couple of buildings over. The gentleman is friendly, but wary of Christians because of the way his father was treated. Our relationship with him is becoming very positive, and we have talked about spiritual things in a limited way. I have not given a book to him yet. Perhaps I will in the future, but one step at a time. Thank you for your prayers! We have lost some support this year because I am not on the road due to health issues. Also, churches are going through some challenging times that affect their ability to support missionaries. God is not overwhelmed or confused in all of this, and He has provided for us in so many ways. He has met every need and gone beyond. Just a reminder… We are still receiving mail at our daughter's place. (We used her address when we first moved to Tennessee.) There is no problem getting our mail from her, but here is our actual address: John & Beabea Rogers 235 Carta Road, APT L1 Knoxville, TN 37914 Our mission address is: (New address! Same mission!) Barnabas Enrichment Ministries P.O. Box 4 Goshen, IN 46527-0004 Curious about what God has ahead… Confident it will be good! Your fellow servant, John (and of course, my superhero, Beabea) jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63384 63384 Tue, 2 Sep 2025 10:41:00 +0000 Greetings from Michigan! It's difficult to believe that we are halfway through summer! It's equally difficult to believe that we have neglected to officially share our activities, blessings and prayer requests with you all for several months. We apologize for that delay but hope to catch up with this (hopefully not too long) missive!!! �� Many of you will recall that we spent 3 weeks in southern Utah in January, helping a church while giving their pastor and his wife a break. Although challenging, it was a wonderful experience, making new friends, challenging them (and us) with God's Word and being reminded of the sweetness of the 'Family of God' wherever we go! For the past several months, we have been working with a small church only 35 minutes from our home who are determining how they want their church to proceed. Tim is filling in once a month while they pursue their options. They have various men speaking the other 3 weeks. We've spent time with their lone Deacon and his wife and shared Sunday Dinner with them, hopefully encouraging them during this difficult decision-making time. In June, we attended a Retreat organized by BEM Board Members, who are also a small church pastor and his wife. There were 15 people in attendance, which allowed for unusually personal and sweet interaction. Our group included Small Church Pastors and their wives as well as other retired men and most of their spouses who are offering ministries similar to BEM. It was such a great opportunity to 'pick people's brains' as well as to rejoice together regarding God's amazing provisions. The food was exceptional and the Retreat Center, located in northern Indiana, was amazing…so peaceful and refreshing! Although 'retired,' it certainly hasn't felt that way! We continue to be very active in our home church as well. We're thankful for our new Pastor and are working hard to keep up with him! Although our church would qualify as a 'small church' (130 people on average), there is sure a lot going on!! We just finished our annual Vacation Bible School. While I (Sandy) had signed up to just show up to help with crafts, due to last minute changes, I somehow ended up as the lead person for that! Welcome to the Small Church Culture!! While a bit stressful, it was great fun, watching the children engage with both other kids and adults and enjoying the enthusiasm of our Pastor, who was the leader and Bible teacher for the week. Our Theme was 'What A Mess, VBS!' Sin causes a mess in our lives, but Jesus can set it right! And, YES, all of the crafts made a real mess!!! �� Tim continues in the role of Deacon, Team Teacher for an adult Sunday School class and as co-chairman of our Mission's Committee. I help co-chair the Mission's Committee as well as visitor hospitality and mentoring a gal. This all adds up to lots of meetings and various duties. Our family happenings have been a bit over the top these past few months! We had 5 grandchildren graduate, 2 from college and 3 from high school. We were fortunate to be able to attend 4 of the graduations and parties in person, although in different states, (Ohio and Indiana). While not personally present for our Thailand grandson's graduation, due to the school's successful streaming, we were able to view the entire event! Because of the 11-hour time difference, we were up early, with our U.S. viewing time beginning at 8:00 AM!! Our regularly scheduled annual family events, including Memorial Day Weekend and Cousin Camp were also special times of fun, silliness and laughter, special birthday celebrations, planning for the future and acknowledging God's rich blessings. In closing, we would ask for your prayers as we begin planning for our two Small Church Conferences to be held in Nephi, Utah and Kokomo, Indiana, scheduled for April and November of 2026. Although that time sounds so far away, 10 months go by very quickly and there is much that must be completed in advance for these conferences to go well and be effective. Ahhh…more meetings!!! We would also appreciate your prayers for Tim & I for good health and energy as well as for additional opportunities to serve through BEM. Please pray too, for our family, our son and his family as they adjust to life back in the United States and our 4 young adult grandchildren as they pursue God's plan for their lives in Ohio, Michigan and around the world. We would also covet your prayers for our other 11 grandchildren (12-18), for God's direction, protection and their continued spiritual well-being. Thank You for praying and caring. We always look forward to those times, often too rare, when we can share hugs and your life stories in person. Until then… Blessings, Tim & Sandy Hewitt 'How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?' Romans 10:14 P.S. THANK YOU to Milan Baptist Church and those individuals who have given financially to keep us on the road. We truly appreciate your generosity! Greetings from Michigan! It's difficult to believe that we are halfway through summer! It's equally difficult to believe that we have neglected to officially share our activities, blessings and prayer requests with you all for several months. We apologize for that delay but hope to catch up with this (hopefully not too long) missive!!! �� Many of you will recall that we spent 3 weeks in southern Utah in January, helping a church while giving their pastor and his wife a break. Although challenging, it was a wonderful experience, making new friends, challenging them (and us) with God's Word and being reminded of the sweetness of the 'Family of God' wherever we go! For the past several months, we have been working with a small church only 35 minutes from our home who are determining how they want their church to proceed. Tim is filling in once a month while they pursue their options. They have various men speaking the other 3 weeks. We've spent time with their lone Deacon and his wife and shared Sunday Dinner with them, hopefully encouraging them during this difficult decision-making time. In June, we attended a Retreat organized by BEM Board Members, who are also a small church pastor and his wife. There were 15 people in attendance, which allowed for unusually personal and sweet interaction. Our group included Small Church Pastors and their wives as well as other retired men and most of their spouses who are offering ministries similar to BEM. It was such a great opportunity to 'pick people's brains' as well as to rejoice together regarding God's amazing provisions. The food was exceptional and the Retreat Center, located in northern Indiana, was amazing…so peaceful and refreshing! Although 'retired,' it certainly hasn't felt that way! We continue to be very active in our home church as well. We're thankful for our new Pastor and are working hard to keep up with him! Although our church would qualify as a 'small church' (130 people on average), there is sure a lot going on!! We just finished our annual Vacation Bible School. While I (Sandy) had signed up to just show up to help with crafts, due to last minute changes, I somehow ended up as the lead person for that! Welcome to the Small Church Culture!! While a bit stressful, it was great fun, watching the children engage with both other kids and adults and enjoying the enthusiasm of our Pastor, who was the leader and Bible teacher for the week. Our Theme was 'What A Mess, VBS!' Sin causes a mess in our lives, but Jesus can set it right! And, YES, all of the crafts made a real mess!!! �� Tim continues in the role of Deacon, Team Teacher for an adult Sunday School class and as co-chairman of our Mission's Committee. I help co-chair the Mission's Committee as well as visitor hospitality and mentoring a gal. This all adds up to lots of meetings and various duties. Our family happenings have been a bit over the top these past few months! We had 5 grandchildren graduate, 2 from college and 3 from high school. We were fortunate to be able to attend 4 of the graduations and parties in person, although in different states, (Ohio and Indiana). While not personally present for our Thailand grandson's graduation, due to the school's successful streaming, we were able to view the entire event! Because of the 11-hour time difference, we were up early, with our U.S. viewing time beginning at 8:00 AM!! Our regularly scheduled annual family events, including Memorial Day Weekend and Cousin Camp were also special times of fun, silliness and laughter, special birthday celebrations, planning for the future and acknowledging God's rich blessings. In closing, we would ask for your prayers as we begin planning for our two Small Church Conferences to be held in Nephi, Utah and Kokomo, Indiana, scheduled for April and November of 2026. Although that time sounds so far away, 10 months go by very quickly and there is much that must be completed in advance for these conferences to go well and be effective. Ahhh…more meetings!!! We would also appreciate your prayers for Tim & I for good health and energy as well as for additional opportunities to serve through BEM. Please pray too, for our family, our son and his family as they adjust to life back in the United States and our 4 young adult grandchildren as they pursue God's plan for their lives in Ohio, Michigan and around the world. We would also covet your prayers for our other 11 grandchildren (12-18), for God's direction, protection and their continued spiritual well-being. Thank You for praying and caring. We always look forward to those times, often too rare, when we can share hugs and your life stories in person. Until then… Blessings, Tim & Sandy Hewitt 'How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?' Romans 10:14 P.S. THANK YOU to Milan Baptist Church and those individuals who have given financially to keep us on the road. We truly appreciate your generosity! http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63383 63383 Tue, 22 Jul 2025 10:41:00 +0000 Thank you all for praying for the soccer camp in Utah! It was a great time ministering to the children of the Rocky Ridge community. Please pray for these kids. Pray that the seeds sowed throughout the soccer camp and the consistent outreach by churches like First Baptist Church in Nephi will bear fruit! We enjoyed teaching and playing soccer with these kids and being able to share the true gospel with them. We saw increased numbers every day. Day 1 we had about 16 kids but by day 3 we had over 30 kids in attendance! Again, thank you for all your support! You can view our pictures by clicking HERE! Philip and Katie Thank you all for praying for the soccer camp in Utah! It was a great time ministering to the children of the Rocky Ridge community. Please pray for these kids. Pray that the seeds sowed throughout the soccer camp and the consistent outreach by churches like First Baptist Church in Nephi will bear fruit! We enjoyed teaching and playing soccer with these kids and being able to share the true gospel with them. We saw increased numbers every day. Day 1 we had about 16 kids but by day 3 we had over 30 kids in attendance! Again, thank you for all your support! You can view our pictures by clicking HERE! Philip and Katie http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63382 63382 Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:31:00 +0000 Hi Everyone,Years ago, when we lived in Utah as church planters, one of my favorite get aways was going into the rugged wilderness. There were so many choices to hike since we lived in a valley surrounded by the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Occasionally, I would find myself in an area that I had never been before. That is always exciting and somewhat concerning at the same time. Going where you have not gone before is adventurous, but it can feel risky. In my times in the mountains, I've seen a bear, a mountain lion, and a wolf among other things. (It turned out the wolf was owned by somebody, and it had escaped its cage.) I have discovered in my life that serving the Lord is like hiking in the mountains. You often don't know what is beyond the next turn. I have shared with you before that my life adventure theme for the last couple of years has been, When God Puts You Where You Don't Want to Be… My favorite Bible verse has been Isaiah 42:16 where God states that He will lead the blind in a way they know not, but our Lord also adds the following, '…I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.' The rest of this Update is about Beabea and I hiking through the wilderness of life experience, along a path we know not. I have been working my way through a host of doctors and have arrived at the top level of bone and nerve surgeons. Through the last month, I have been involved in high-tech testing and specialized treatment visits. This last week I had a CT scan with radioactive dye involving my spinal column. As I shared in other newsletters, my spinal column is aging faster than the rest of my body. The result has been five spinal surgeries through the years. One place is repaired and anther place breaks down. The main surgeon has informed me there are not many options left. Just to keep from getting bored, there have been new problems developing even in the last few months. Anyway, back to my story… My body reacted to the radioactive dye, and I have been feeling lousy. In the last few days, I have had a Crohn's Colitis flareup. Not bad enough to put me in the hospital, but most certainly classified as ugh! In the midst of this adventure, what has the Lord been doing? Well, He has been providing opportunities at each turn that I don't expect and often surprises me. One of the procedures I have experienced is a new type of injection into the bone of the spinal column. I have had steroid shots before, but this is different. As I was checking out of the medical facility after the procedure, there was no one else in line behind me. I found myself in a casual conversation with the lady behind the desk. Through the years I have discovered that witnessing really is relationship building. Talking to others about Jesus doesn't have to be forced. The lady started sharing with me about her frustrations of being a parent to two teenagers. As we were talking, I noticed that someone had left a track on her desk titled, How to Know You are Going to Heaven. The Lord opened the opportunity, and I asked her if she knew. She told me she was trying her best to do the right things. I told her I knew I was going to Heaven, but it wasn't because I was doing the right things. We talked a while longer about how a person can know where they are going when they die, and then I left. As I walked out the door, I noticed that she had picked up the tract and was reading it. God is amazing. He continues to create all kinds of situations. I am still very much involved in phone counseling as well as person to person counseling that keeps happening on a regular basis. The adventure continues!Not only does God open doors to talk to others in this journey of life, He is our protector and our provider. God often takes care of us in ways we don't see coming. I want to share with you another adventure Beabea and I just experienced as we encountered the next bend of life's trail. Many of you may remember my Jeep Commander I have driven across the country uncountable times. The vehicle had close to 400,000 miles on it when the motor finally broke down completely. Up until that point, I'd been keeping it going, fixing this and fixing that at a local car repair. I like going there because the ownership and some of the people in the car repair shop are believers in our Lord. I enjoyed my developing relationship each time I was there, getting my vehicle fixed. I wasn't always excited about the car repair, but the fellowship was great. Beabea and I were uncertain about what to do in replacing the Jeep Commander. Our monthly budget has been tight with medical expenses as well as other items. Then God did His God thing, and the repair place gave us a low mileage 2000 Saturn. They put good tires on it, replaced the brakes and wheel cylinder, replaced the power steering pump, installed a new battery, and gave us $2500 back that I had spent on repairing the Jeep Commander. I wanted to tell everyone about what they had done, but the car repair people didn't want to be recognized publicly for doing this. They wanted God to get the glory, not them. So I can't tell you their name. Since then, I have learned that they have been helping people like this for sometime now. Here is a picture taken on the day they gave us the car. Their logo has been blotted out wherever it appears in the picture. Some of the people at the repair shop are reading my new novel about the second coming of our Lord. Pray that God will use The Daystar Conspiracy for His glory and open opportunities to share about our Savior as well as encourage believers.Please pray for the weeks ahead and all the tests and procedures I will be having. I am certain the Lord will have divine appointments as He puts me in the places, I don't want to be… Wait a minute, I think I want to change that. I want to be where He puts me, then I get to see Him do the amazing things that He does! Pray for Beabea also! My Wonder Wife continues to be involved in so many opportunities in so many ways as well as helping me. What a Grandma! What a woman!!! One final item… We are still receiving mail at our daughter's place. (We used her address when we first moved to Tennessee.) There is no problem getting our mail from her, but here is our actual address: John & Beabea Rogers 235 Carta Road, APT L1 Knoxville, TN 37914 Our mission address is: (New address! Same mission!) Barnabas Enrichment Ministries P.O. Box 4 Goshen, IN 46527-0004 Looking forward to being caught up in the air as I listen for a trumpet, but I am not forgetting the precious people all around us who do not know the Lord! John (and of course, Beabea) jtrbem@gmail.com Hi Everyone,Years ago, when we lived in Utah as church planters, one of my favorite get aways was going into the rugged wilderness. There were so many choices to hike since we lived in a valley surrounded by the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Occasionally, I would find myself in an area that I had never been before. That is always exciting and somewhat concerning at the same time. Going where you have not gone before is adventurous, but it can feel risky. In my times in the mountains, I've seen a bear, a mountain lion, and a wolf among other things. (It turned out the wolf was owned by somebody, and it had escaped its cage.) I have discovered in my life that serving the Lord is like hiking in the mountains. You often don't know what is beyond the next turn. I have shared with you before that my life adventure theme for the last couple of years has been, When God Puts You Where You Don't Want to Be… My favorite Bible verse has been Isaiah 42:16 where God states that He will lead the blind in a way they know not, but our Lord also adds the following, '…I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.' The rest of this Update is about Beabea and I hiking through the wilderness of life experience, along a path we know not. I have been working my way through a host of doctors and have arrived at the top level of bone and nerve surgeons. Through the last month, I have been involved in high-tech testing and specialized treatment visits. This last week I had a CT scan with radioactive dye involving my spinal column. As I shared in other newsletters, my spinal column is aging faster than the rest of my body. The result has been five spinal surgeries through the years. One place is repaired and anther place breaks down. The main surgeon has informed me there are not many options left. Just to keep from getting bored, there have been new problems developing even in the last few months. Anyway, back to my story… My body reacted to the radioactive dye, and I have been feeling lousy. In the last few days, I have had a Crohn's Colitis flareup. Not bad enough to put me in the hospital, but most certainly classified as ugh! In the midst of this adventure, what has the Lord been doing? Well, He has been providing opportunities at each turn that I don't expect and often surprises me. One of the procedures I have experienced is a new type of injection into the bone of the spinal column. I have had steroid shots before, but this is different. As I was checking out of the medical facility after the procedure, there was no one else in line behind me. I found myself in a casual conversation with the lady behind the desk. Through the years I have discovered that witnessing really is relationship building. Talking to others about Jesus doesn't have to be forced. The lady started sharing with me about her frustrations of being a parent to two teenagers. As we were talking, I noticed that someone had left a track on her desk titled, How to Know You are Going to Heaven. The Lord opened the opportunity, and I asked her if she knew. She told me she was trying her best to do the right things. I told her I knew I was going to Heaven, but it wasn't because I was doing the right things. We talked a while longer about how a person can know where they are going when they die, and then I left. As I walked out the door, I noticed that she had picked up the tract and was reading it. God is amazing. He continues to create all kinds of situations. I am still very much involved in phone counseling as well as person to person counseling that keeps happening on a regular basis. The adventure continues!Not only does God open doors to talk to others in this journey of life, He is our protector and our provider. God often takes care of us in ways we don't see coming. I want to share with you another adventure Beabea and I just experienced as we encountered the next bend of life's trail. Many of you may remember my Jeep Commander I have driven across the country uncountable times. The vehicle had close to 400,000 miles on it when the motor finally broke down completely. Up until that point, I'd been keeping it going, fixing this and fixing that at a local car repair. I like going there because the ownership and some of the people in the car repair shop are believers in our Lord. I enjoyed my developing relationship each time I was there, getting my vehicle fixed. I wasn't always excited about the car repair, but the fellowship was great. Beabea and I were uncertain about what to do in replacing the Jeep Commander. Our monthly budget has been tight with medical expenses as well as other items. Then God did His God thing, and the repair place gave us a low mileage 2000 Saturn. They put good tires on it, replaced the brakes and wheel cylinder, replaced the power steering pump, installed a new battery, and gave us $2500 back that I had spent on repairing the Jeep Commander. I wanted to tell everyone about what they had done, but the car repair people didn't want to be recognized publicly for doing this. They wanted God to get the glory, not them. So I can't tell you their name. Since then, I have learned that they have been helping people like this for sometime now. Here is a picture taken on the day they gave us the car. Their logo has been blotted out wherever it appears in the picture. Some of the people at the repair shop are reading my new novel about the second coming of our Lord. Pray that God will use The Daystar Conspiracy for His glory and open opportunities to share about our Savior as well as encourage believers.Please pray for the weeks ahead and all the tests and procedures I will be having. I am certain the Lord will have divine appointments as He puts me in the places, I don't want to be… Wait a minute, I think I want to change that. I want to be where He puts me, then I get to see Him do the amazing things that He does! Pray for Beabea also! My Wonder Wife continues to be involved in so many opportunities in so many ways as well as helping me. What a Grandma! What a woman!!! One final item… We are still receiving mail at our daughter's place. (We used her address when we first moved to Tennessee.) There is no problem getting our mail from her, but here is our actual address: John & Beabea Rogers 235 Carta Road, APT L1 Knoxville, TN 37914 Our mission address is: (New address! Same mission!) Barnabas Enrichment Ministries P.O. Box 4 Goshen, IN 46527-0004 Looking forward to being caught up in the air as I listen for a trumpet, but I am not forgetting the precious people all around us who do not know the Lord! John (and of course, Beabea) jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63378 63378 Thu, 22 May 2025 10:25:00 +0000 Friends, We are excited and looking forward to our next big ministry event! In a little over a month we will be in Nephi, Utah ministering to local students by running a 3 day soccer camp. During this camp we will be exploring the game of soccer, practicing skills, and scrimmaging. However, most importantly we will have time set aside each day to share God's truth from the bible and share the gospel message. As with any event there is always a monetary cost. We will be driving to and from Nephi, so the biggest expense will be fuel costs. Thankfully FBC Nephi has great accommodations for us to stay in so we won't have to pay for lodging while there, but we will be stopping for the night on the way there and back. If you would like to give financially towards this missions trip you can do so online by CLICKING HERE or by mailing a check to: Barnabas Enrichment Ministries Philip HewittP.O. Box 4Goshen, IN 46527-004 More importantly, whether or not you contribute financially, please be praying: ~Pray for safe travels with no mechanical issues ~Pray for physical strength and stamina ~Pray that the gospel message will be clearly presented ~Pray for the kids who will be in attendance Thank you in advance and we look forward to updating you all upon our return home! Philip Hewitt phewitt.bem@gmail.com 574.304.4251 Friends, We are excited and looking forward to our next big ministry event! In a little over a month we will be in Nephi, Utah ministering to local students by running a 3 day soccer camp. During this camp we will be exploring the game of soccer, practicing skills, and scrimmaging. However, most importantly we will have time set aside each day to share God's truth from the bible and share the gospel message. As with any event there is always a monetary cost. We will be driving to and from Nephi, so the biggest expense will be fuel costs. Thankfully FBC Nephi has great accommodations for us to stay in so we won't have to pay for lodging while there, but we will be stopping for the night on the way there and back. If you would like to give financially towards this missions trip you can do so online by CLICKING HERE or by mailing a check to: Barnabas Enrichment Ministries Philip HewittP.O. Box 4Goshen, IN 46527-004 More importantly, whether or not you contribute financially, please be praying: ~Pray for safe travels with no mechanical issues ~Pray for physical strength and stamina ~Pray that the gospel message will be clearly presented ~Pray for the kids who will be in attendance Thank you in advance and we look forward to updating you all upon our return home! Philip Hewitt phewitt.bem@gmail.com 574.304.4251 http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63374 63374 Thu, 15 May 2025 10:21:00 +0000 Dear Friends, It is always exciting to share (with those who care about you) some special event that has happened, especially when you have waited a long time for it to happen. I have had several moments like that in my life. For example, graduating from Bible college, marrying my beautiful Beabea, turning ten years old! (That was before marrying Beabea!) They were all important events in my life and felt very monumental at the time. Now, a new 'monumental' has happened. I am pleased to announce that a book I have worked on for many years has finally been published! It is a novel, and it is titled, The Daystar Conspiracy. The book is a fictional story based on biblical prophecy. It is also an explanation of the thinking processes that lead to good or evil actions and the world views of people that choose to do those actions. Furthermore, the book is an examination of the spiritual world and how God and Satan view humanity and the future. The story also teaches Bible doctrine and clarifies events in prophecy. My desire in writing it was that it would be filled with Biblical truth. The study of prophecy is a great privilege. However, we can easily become casual about the suffering in people's lives, especially those who are left behind as we rejoice in Christ's return and the final destruction of evil. We tend to forget the horrors that awaits those who remain here on earth as they live and suffer in the Tribulation. These are fictional people in this novel, but the Tribulation story written by God is real, and there will be real people who live it. They will have to face this terrible nightmare ahead if they do not come to Christ before it all begins. The designers at the publishers based the cover of the novel on Revelation 12 where Satan and his angels go to war with Michael and his angels. They wanted it to be somewhat ambiguous and mysterious so that it would draw a potential reader in. Also, the designers didn't want the book to appear as a Christian story, but more like an adventure novel so it could be given to people who do not know the Lord without putting them on the defense. The novel is actually three books; however, both the publishers and I wanted to avoid the books being published separately. We didn't want anyone getting a hold of one of the copies and not have the complete story. That might create confusion on the part of the reader. My desire in writing this book was to create a novel where people faced real human challenges in their lives as well as a story with plenty of action to draw the reader in. I also wanted the book to teach Bible doctrine without it being too obvious. Ultimately, I sought to ensure that the way to know God personally was made very clear as the story unfolded. There are many times in the novel where individuals come to Jesus for eternal life. There are also many times where the way of salvation is presented in addition to that. It is my prayer that God will use this book to bring precious people to Christ for salvation as well as encourage believers. Will you pray with me that God will do that? (I have given copies of the book to neighbors and staff in the apartment complex where we live. I have already had some very interesting conversations with these dear friends!) This week I read about a 22-year-old Israeli staff sergeant who was killed while rescuing another soldier. This happened during the infamous October 7 attack by Hamas. Later, his grieving family found a notebook of his. Inside, he had written some words during his intense military training. Exhausted in that difficult time of exertion as he prepared for war, he wrote, 'This isn't sweat, it's the tears of 2000 years.' This book I wrote isn't just about the Lord coming back and setting up His Kingdom on earth, although that will be wonderful. This is a story centered in the love God has for both Jew and Arab in His desire to redeem, and how the Lord will solve this centuries old conflict of Abraham's sons and daughters. There are moments in a believer's life that he senses God is clearly leading him to do something that has true eternal value. This book is that for me. I wish I could give everyone I know a copy of this novel, but financially that is difficult at this time. If you are able to purchase the book, it is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, as well as other websites. You can order paperback or digital eBook versions. The novel may also be ordered through any bookstore. Organizations can order the book in bulk at (866) 909-2665 or marc@salemauthorservices.com. Here is the link to purchase it on Amazon: The Daystar Conspiracy: Rogers, John Thomas: 9781662897214: Amazon.com: Books If you read the novel and believe it has value in the lives of people, would you consider doing a review of the book on Amazon and/or other websites? (If you don't like the book, please don't feel any pressure to leave a review!!!!) Finally, I want to thank all of you for your continued prayers for my health and for Beabea who takes care of me. I just received word that I do not have cancer! Praise the Lord! I am still dealing with pain, but the Lord is with us, and by His grace, we continue to serve Him! We are making plans for this new year as we explore ways to serve the Lord. Actually, we don't have to do much exploring. God keeps coming up with different ways on His own without my help. Can you imagine that?!. Love ya, my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord! John (and Beabea) Rogers Dear Friends, It is always exciting to share (with those who care about you) some special event that has happened, especially when you have waited a long time for it to happen. I have had several moments like that in my life. For example, graduating from Bible college, marrying my beautiful Beabea, turning ten years old! (That was before marrying Beabea!) They were all important events in my life and felt very monumental at the time. Now, a new 'monumental' has happened. I am pleased to announce that a book I have worked on for many years has finally been published! It is a novel, and it is titled, The Daystar Conspiracy. The book is a fictional story based on biblical prophecy. It is also an explanation of the thinking processes that lead to good or evil actions and the world views of people that choose to do those actions. Furthermore, the book is an examination of the spiritual world and how God and Satan view humanity and the future. The story also teaches Bible doctrine and clarifies events in prophecy. My desire in writing it was that it would be filled with Biblical truth. The study of prophecy is a great privilege. However, we can easily become casual about the suffering in people's lives, especially those who are left behind as we rejoice in Christ's return and the final destruction of evil. We tend to forget the horrors that awaits those who remain here on earth as they live and suffer in the Tribulation. These are fictional people in this novel, but the Tribulation story written by God is real, and there will be real people who live it. They will have to face this terrible nightmare ahead if they do not come to Christ before it all begins. The designers at the publishers based the cover of the novel on Revelation 12 where Satan and his angels go to war with Michael and his angels. They wanted it to be somewhat ambiguous and mysterious so that it would draw a potential reader in. Also, the designers didn't want the book to appear as a Christian story, but more like an adventure novel so it could be given to people who do not know the Lord without putting them on the defense. The novel is actually three books; however, both the publishers and I wanted to avoid the books being published separately. We didn't want anyone getting a hold of one of the copies and not have the complete story. That might create confusion on the part of the reader. My desire in writing this book was to create a novel where people faced real human challenges in their lives as well as a story with plenty of action to draw the reader in. I also wanted the book to teach Bible doctrine without it being too obvious. Ultimately, I sought to ensure that the way to know God personally was made very clear as the story unfolded. There are many times in the novel where individuals come to Jesus for eternal life. There are also many times where the way of salvation is presented in addition to that. It is my prayer that God will use this book to bring precious people to Christ for salvation as well as encourage believers. Will you pray with me that God will do that? (I have given copies of the book to neighbors and staff in the apartment complex where we live. I have already had some very interesting conversations with these dear friends!) This week I read about a 22-year-old Israeli staff sergeant who was killed while rescuing another soldier. This happened during the infamous October 7 attack by Hamas. Later, his grieving family found a notebook of his. Inside, he had written some words during his intense military training. Exhausted in that difficult time of exertion as he prepared for war, he wrote, 'This isn't sweat, it's the tears of 2000 years.' This book I wrote isn't just about the Lord coming back and setting up His Kingdom on earth, although that will be wonderful. This is a story centered in the love God has for both Jew and Arab in His desire to redeem, and how the Lord will solve this centuries old conflict of Abraham's sons and daughters. There are moments in a believer's life that he senses God is clearly leading him to do something that has true eternal value. This book is that for me. I wish I could give everyone I know a copy of this novel, but financially that is difficult at this time. If you are able to purchase the book, it is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, as well as other websites. You can order paperback or digital eBook versions. The novel may also be ordered through any bookstore. Organizations can order the book in bulk at (866) 909-2665 or marc@salemauthorservices.com. Here is the link to purchase it on Amazon: The Daystar Conspiracy: Rogers, John Thomas: 9781662897214: Amazon.com: Books If you read the novel and believe it has value in the lives of people, would you consider doing a review of the book on Amazon and/or other websites? (If you don't like the book, please don't feel any pressure to leave a review!!!!) Finally, I want to thank all of you for your continued prayers for my health and for Beabea who takes care of me. I just received word that I do not have cancer! Praise the Lord! I am still dealing with pain, but the Lord is with us, and by His grace, we continue to serve Him! We are making plans for this new year as we explore ways to serve the Lord. Actually, we don't have to do much exploring. God keeps coming up with different ways on His own without my help. Can you imagine that?!. Love ya, my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord! John (and Beabea) Rogers http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63361 63361 Fri, 7 Feb 2025 10:42:00 +0000 January 25, 2025 Hi Everyone, Many of you have expressed that you are praying for us and have asked how we are doing. It means a lot to both of us to know that you care at the level you have shared. The obvious joy of Heaven is being with God, but another area that will be wonderous is sharing Heaven with other believers and spending time together! (We will even enjoy the believers we have had conflicts with or experienced irritation when we are around them!) I have been able to have some good conversations with neighbors in our apartment complex as well as build good relationships with the workers here. God's solutions to this world's insanity are so simple, but it is amazing how complicated those around us make their lives! I continue to do counseling over the phone and locally as well. I will never run out of opportunity to find people in need! Beabea has been on the go constantly, taking care of me, fixing great meals, running grandchildren to places grandchildren need to go, and helping wherever else she is needed. I thought about getting her a hero outfit, but I can't decide if it should say Super Grandma or Wonder Wife! My health continues to be a challenge. I am experiencing more pain. It is hurting near the damaged area of my spinal column but has been spreading out to arms, hands, legs, and feet. I have finished an extensive set of MRIs, and I am waiting to be referred to a neurosurgeon. I am not sure what that will lead to. The dermatologist found an area on the back of my elbow that might be cancerous. (Actually, Beabea spotted it first! Nothing gets past her!) I am waiting the results of the biopsy. BEM has a new way of giving and that is online. I have had requests over the last few years by people who want to give by credit card. Now, BEM is able to do that thanks to our tech missionary, Philip Hewitt. He is really good at what he does! The link to give is at the bottom of the BEM home page, but here is the link to give online directly: BEM Online Donations I do want to thank all of those that support us and/or have sent extra funds to help us financially. It is amazing how God takes care of us! Thank you for letting Him use you! As I say to my grandkids: LOVE YOU BUNCHES! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com January 25, 2025 Hi Everyone, Many of you have expressed that you are praying for us and have asked how we are doing. It means a lot to both of us to know that you care at the level you have shared. The obvious joy of Heaven is being with God, but another area that will be wonderous is sharing Heaven with other believers and spending time together! (We will even enjoy the believers we have had conflicts with or experienced irritation when we are around them!) I have been able to have some good conversations with neighbors in our apartment complex as well as build good relationships with the workers here. God's solutions to this world's insanity are so simple, but it is amazing how complicated those around us make their lives! I continue to do counseling over the phone and locally as well. I will never run out of opportunity to find people in need! Beabea has been on the go constantly, taking care of me, fixing great meals, running grandchildren to places grandchildren need to go, and helping wherever else she is needed. I thought about getting her a hero outfit, but I can't decide if it should say Super Grandma or Wonder Wife! My health continues to be a challenge. I am experiencing more pain. It is hurting near the damaged area of my spinal column but has been spreading out to arms, hands, legs, and feet. I have finished an extensive set of MRIs, and I am waiting to be referred to a neurosurgeon. I am not sure what that will lead to. The dermatologist found an area on the back of my elbow that might be cancerous. (Actually, Beabea spotted it first! Nothing gets past her!) I am waiting the results of the biopsy. BEM has a new way of giving and that is online. I have had requests over the last few years by people who want to give by credit card. Now, BEM is able to do that thanks to our tech missionary, Philip Hewitt. He is really good at what he does! The link to give is at the bottom of the BEM home page, but here is the link to give online directly: BEM Online Donations I do want to thank all of those that support us and/or have sent extra funds to help us financially. It is amazing how God takes care of us! Thank you for letting Him use you! As I say to my grandkids: LOVE YOU BUNCHES! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63359 63359 Sat, 25 Jan 2025 12:32:00 +0000 Hello! It's hard to believe that 15 of our 19 days serving here in Escalante, Utah are behind us! Tonight will actually be our last official time of Tim teaching as we meet here in the home of our Hosts to complete our study on 'What is the Gospel.' There will have been 4 sessions in all. Many were excited to receive their own personal copies of the book this study was based on, written by Greg Gilbert. We had purchased these ahead of time and had them shipped to this location. Tim's messages on the I Am's, 'I am the Good Shepherd' and 'I Am God' seemed to be such an encouragement and reminder of God's Presence, Love, Faithfulness and Authority. Although we have had little interaction with the youth of Turn-About Ranch (due to their strict schedule), their attentiveness during the service and words at the end of the service encouraged us that God's Word will 'will not return void.' We can't say enough about the loving spirits of the small congregation of First Baptist Church Escalante! They have shown us hospitality multiple times, extended offers of assistance with 'the Boys' and provided yummy food on a number of occasions! Most endearing to us has been their desire to discuss God's Word and how it applies to our personal lives for both guidance and healing. From the two artists to the retired BLM Forest Manager and later local police officer, his retired banker wife and many others, we have heard stories of both struggle and God's provision. Some have lived here for decades and some for only a few years. 'The Boys' have certainly kept our days (and nights) interesting! We feel that they have done well for 8 month old 50 pound teething puppies! In keeping with their normal routine, we've taken them out (using our Host's truck) multiple times to 'run' on a somewhat deserted BLM road. It really has been fun to watch them take off together, racing one another, jumping on each other and generally playful! Because they are good about not running off too far, we were even able to take them to a local (30 min. away) tourist area showing beautiful rock formations (hoodoos). Prayers are still appreciated! �� Our plans at this point are to leave Sunday (Jan 26th) after church (Pastor Dale will preach.) and drive to the DeMorell's, about 4 hours north of here, where we will spend the night once again. Our flight is out of Salt Lake City on Monday at 1:55, with a short layover at Midway Airport in Chicago. We're thankful for the ministry we've had and ask that you pray for our remaining time here in Escalante, as well as for our trip home. We also look forward to other opportunities God will provide for us to minister to Small Church Pastors and their Congregations! Thankful & Blessed (again),Tim & Sandy Hewitt 'Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.' 1 Corinthians 15:58 Hello! It's hard to believe that 15 of our 19 days serving here in Escalante, Utah are behind us! Tonight will actually be our last official time of Tim teaching as we meet here in the home of our Hosts to complete our study on 'What is the Gospel.' There will have been 4 sessions in all. Many were excited to receive their own personal copies of the book this study was based on, written by Greg Gilbert. We had purchased these ahead of time and had them shipped to this location. Tim's messages on the I Am's, 'I am the Good Shepherd' and 'I Am God' seemed to be such an encouragement and reminder of God's Presence, Love, Faithfulness and Authority. Although we have had little interaction with the youth of Turn-About Ranch (due to their strict schedule), their attentiveness during the service and words at the end of the service encouraged us that God's Word will 'will not return void.' We can't say enough about the loving spirits of the small congregation of First Baptist Church Escalante! They have shown us hospitality multiple times, extended offers of assistance with 'the Boys' and provided yummy food on a number of occasions! Most endearing to us has been their desire to discuss God's Word and how it applies to our personal lives for both guidance and healing. From the two artists to the retired BLM Forest Manager and later local police officer, his retired banker wife and many others, we have heard stories of both struggle and God's provision. Some have lived here for decades and some for only a few years. 'The Boys' have certainly kept our days (and nights) interesting! We feel that they have done well for 8 month old 50 pound teething puppies! In keeping with their normal routine, we've taken them out (using our Host's truck) multiple times to 'run' on a somewhat deserted BLM road. It really has been fun to watch them take off together, racing one another, jumping on each other and generally playful! Because they are good about not running off too far, we were even able to take them to a local (30 min. away) tourist area showing beautiful rock formations (hoodoos). Prayers are still appreciated! �� Our plans at this point are to leave Sunday (Jan 26th) after church (Pastor Dale will preach.) and drive to the DeMorell's, about 4 hours north of here, where we will spend the night once again. Our flight is out of Salt Lake City on Monday at 1:55, with a short layover at Midway Airport in Chicago. We're thankful for the ministry we've had and ask that you pray for our remaining time here in Escalante, as well as for our trip home. We also look forward to other opportunities God will provide for us to minister to Small Church Pastors and their Congregations! Thankful & Blessed (again),Tim & Sandy Hewitt 'Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.' 1 Corinthians 15:58 http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63358 63358 Sat, 25 Jan 2025 12:26:00 +0000 Hi Everyone! Wow, we are truly in the middle of nowhere! At least we feel that way. For perspective, we are about 50 driving miles east of Bryce Canyon National Park. We've spent many vacations out west, so the smallness of the town (700 people) is actually enjoyable to us. The people are incredibly friendly and welcoming! Just to give a quick update after our first week out… some answers to questions you may be asking. �� Our flights to Utah went well, except for the snow delay in Denver (circling for 30 minutes before landing due to closed runways), which gave us (mostly me, Sandy) a brief pause until we realized that everyone else had been delayed too and we would not miss our connecting flight to Salt Lake City. We spent Tuesday evening and night with our board members who live 45 minutes south of Salt Lake. Chris and Rachel DeMorrell are our BEM Western Field Representatives here in Utah. We treated them to dinner and caught up with recent happenings in their church in Nephi (where our past two conferences were held). After spending the night with the DeMorrell's, we had beautiful driving weather on Wednesday for our 4-hour drive down to Escalante. Although we had met the pastor and his wife at our two previous conferences, it was good to get to know them on their home turf and hear more about the work at First Baptist Church Escalante. Wednesday P.M. through Saturday found us being a part of the church's mid-week Bible Study (held at the Richard's home), meeting additional people from the church, neighbors and business owners. We also played tourist as the Richards' took us on a driving tour to some pretty amazing vistas and learned how to 'run the dogs!' Part of the uniqueness of our BEM Pastor Refreshment Ministry is that we maintain not only the church and congregation, but also the home of the Pastor (if that is where we are staying). It turns out that a very important part of this Pastor's home is their 8 month old puppies who are about knee high and weigh 50 pounds each! We had two days of intense training (Thursday & Friday) to learn all of the particulars of their daily schedule, including food and snack schedule, activity schedule etc. They are really cute; however, we did have to establish some boundaries, such as no licking our face, no sitting on our laps and no sleeping in bed with us! �� They've done a great job thus far, appearing to feel loved and content. They have certainly kept us from getting bored! We're sooo thankful for the 2 days of training and the opportunity to bond to some degree. The four of us are doing really well! This was a very important piece of our ministry here, as the Richard's could not take the dogs with them and needed to be completely comfortable with us in that role. Sunday was a blessing as we met with the people of First Baptist Church Escalante. It was so helpful to have already met many of them. Their friendliness and thankful spirits were an encouragement to us, as well as their easy interaction during Sunday School ('What is the Gospel'). FYI….Escalante is 76.3% Mormon, 1% Roman Catholic, 0.5% Baptist. Part of the 21 in attendance was a group from Turn-About Ranch, a local ministry for 'at risk' teens (some with pretty hard hearts)! Tim's message and visual presentation on The Good Shepherd from John 10 (Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows us, died for us and is the Door to salvation), was a perfect challenge for all of us, especially for those young people who clearly have had huge struggles in their lives. As always, God's Word offered hope to all who were in attendance!! BEM was established to minister to Pastors of Small Churches. We love ministering to these small pockets of believers and encouraging their Pastors, in hopes of helping them avoid burn-out and discouragement. We're so thankful that our Heavenly Father has equipped us with the desire, ability and excitement in serving in this way. Please pray for us through the next 2 weeks… for good health, endurance, continued opportunities to meet with the congregation outside of church, for a fruitful time of Bible Study, Sandy's piano playing (good so far!), success in taking care of 'The Boys' and especially for good physical and spiritual refreshment for Dale & Lella Richards as they are away. Thankful & Blessed, Tim & Sandy Hewitt 'Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always aboundingin the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.'1Corinthians 15:58 Hi Everyone! Wow, we are truly in the middle of nowhere! At least we feel that way. For perspective, we are about 50 driving miles east of Bryce Canyon National Park. We've spent many vacations out west, so the smallness of the town (700 people) is actually enjoyable to us. The people are incredibly friendly and welcoming! Just to give a quick update after our first week out… some answers to questions you may be asking. �� Our flights to Utah went well, except for the snow delay in Denver (circling for 30 minutes before landing due to closed runways), which gave us (mostly me, Sandy) a brief pause until we realized that everyone else had been delayed too and we would not miss our connecting flight to Salt Lake City. We spent Tuesday evening and night with our board members who live 45 minutes south of Salt Lake. Chris and Rachel DeMorrell are our BEM Western Field Representatives here in Utah. We treated them to dinner and caught up with recent happenings in their church in Nephi (where our past two conferences were held). After spending the night with the DeMorrell's, we had beautiful driving weather on Wednesday for our 4-hour drive down to Escalante. Although we had met the pastor and his wife at our two previous conferences, it was good to get to know them on their home turf and hear more about the work at First Baptist Church Escalante. Wednesday P.M. through Saturday found us being a part of the church's mid-week Bible Study (held at the Richard's home), meeting additional people from the church, neighbors and business owners. We also played tourist as the Richards' took us on a driving tour to some pretty amazing vistas and learned how to 'run the dogs!' Part of the uniqueness of our BEM Pastor Refreshment Ministry is that we maintain not only the church and congregation, but also the home of the Pastor (if that is where we are staying). It turns out that a very important part of this Pastor's home is their 8 month old puppies who are about knee high and weigh 50 pounds each! We had two days of intense training (Thursday & Friday) to learn all of the particulars of their daily schedule, including food and snack schedule, activity schedule etc. They are really cute; however, we did have to establish some boundaries, such as no licking our face, no sitting on our laps and no sleeping in bed with us! �� They've done a great job thus far, appearing to feel loved and content. They have certainly kept us from getting bored! We're sooo thankful for the 2 days of training and the opportunity to bond to some degree. The four of us are doing really well! This was a very important piece of our ministry here, as the Richard's could not take the dogs with them and needed to be completely comfortable with us in that role. Sunday was a blessing as we met with the people of First Baptist Church Escalante. It was so helpful to have already met many of them. Their friendliness and thankful spirits were an encouragement to us, as well as their easy interaction during Sunday School ('What is the Gospel'). FYI….Escalante is 76.3% Mormon, 1% Roman Catholic, 0.5% Baptist. Part of the 21 in attendance was a group from Turn-About Ranch, a local ministry for 'at risk' teens (some with pretty hard hearts)! Tim's message and visual presentation on The Good Shepherd from John 10 (Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows us, died for us and is the Door to salvation), was a perfect challenge for all of us, especially for those young people who clearly have had huge struggles in their lives. As always, God's Word offered hope to all who were in attendance!! BEM was established to minister to Pastors of Small Churches. We love ministering to these small pockets of believers and encouraging their Pastors, in hopes of helping them avoid burn-out and discouragement. We're so thankful that our Heavenly Father has equipped us with the desire, ability and excitement in serving in this way. Please pray for us through the next 2 weeks… for good health, endurance, continued opportunities to meet with the congregation outside of church, for a fruitful time of Bible Study, Sandy's piano playing (good so far!), success in taking care of 'The Boys' and especially for good physical and spiritual refreshment for Dale & Lella Richards as they are away. Thankful & Blessed, Tim & Sandy Hewitt 'Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always aboundingin the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.'1Corinthians 15:58 http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63355 63355 Wed, 15 Jan 2025 12:12:00 +0000 Merry Christmas From the Hewitt's Great is Thy faithfulness! A while back we sang that old hymn at church, and it rang differently than the many times I've sung it before. God has really been working in my life these last few months to trust in Him more. Not to just say, 'I know God can do this, but will he?!?!' but to actually trust in His provision for our needs. These needs vary from finances to health questions to navigating parenthood. Guess what? He has never failed us! More importantly as I explore the lyrics to that song further, I'm reminded of a much greater need. Salvation. God is faithful to save the lost. He is faithful to complete the good work started in His children's lives! Hallelujah! There have been several ministry opportunities in the last couple months. At the beginning of November BEM hosted a small church pastor's conference in Kokomo, IN. It was a great time of encouragement for pastors and lay leaders in the area. I was also able to help several pastors with running basic maintenance on their laptops during the conference. I've also been working with a retired missionary pastor in Utah for several months. We've been building a website to share information and to be a place where people can discuss theological differences and ask any questions they may have. As this project is wrapping up, I'm thankful for the opportunity and the connections made. In the new year we will be seeking opportunities to grow our ministry team and seek out areas where we can serve. Please pray for us as we seek these opportunities. Also, please pray as we are seeking the Lord's provision for a new vehicle. Though it has served us well, our family van is really on its last leg. At 16 years old and nearly 300,000 miles it's beginning to break down and requiring repairs. For Him, Philip and Katie Hewitt Phone: 574.304.4251 Email: phewitt.bem@gmail.com Join with all nature in manifold witness To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. -Great is Thy Faithfulness Merry Christmas From the Hewitt's Great is Thy faithfulness! A while back we sang that old hymn at church, and it rang differently than the many times I've sung it before. God has really been working in my life these last few months to trust in Him more. Not to just say, 'I know God can do this, but will he?!?!' but to actually trust in His provision for our needs. These needs vary from finances to health questions to navigating parenthood. Guess what? He has never failed us! More importantly as I explore the lyrics to that song further, I'm reminded of a much greater need. Salvation. God is faithful to save the lost. He is faithful to complete the good work started in His children's lives! Hallelujah! There have been several ministry opportunities in the last couple months. At the beginning of November BEM hosted a small church pastor's conference in Kokomo, IN. It was a great time of encouragement for pastors and lay leaders in the area. I was also able to help several pastors with running basic maintenance on their laptops during the conference. I've also been working with a retired missionary pastor in Utah for several months. We've been building a website to share information and to be a place where people can discuss theological differences and ask any questions they may have. As this project is wrapping up, I'm thankful for the opportunity and the connections made. In the new year we will be seeking opportunities to grow our ministry team and seek out areas where we can serve. Please pray for us as we seek these opportunities. Also, please pray as we are seeking the Lord's provision for a new vehicle. Though it has served us well, our family van is really on its last leg. At 16 years old and nearly 300,000 miles it's beginning to break down and requiring repairs. For Him, Philip and Katie Hewitt Phone: 574.304.4251 Email: phewitt.bem@gmail.com Join with all nature in manifold witness To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. -Great is Thy Faithfulness http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63352 63352 Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:21:00 +0000 Hi Everyone, God, who continually demonstrates that He is smarter than the rest of us, often chooses to teach us truth not only in doctrine, but also through the lives of the people in the Bible. I discover myself relating to God's servants in a personal way because I find myself going through experiences now that are similar to what they were going through then. Often, they didn't like it any better than I do now. We all have our personal image we desire to associate with ourselves. I mean who doesn't want to be David slaying Goliath instead of Peter denying Christ. However, I have discovered we all tend to experience both aspects in our lives. My current Bible example is the Apostle Paul. Now I need to clarify the following. I am not saying that I am of the quality of Paul when we examine his ministry... Wait a minute! Paul's ministry value was centered in the quality of the Lord Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, Paul identifies himself as the chief of sinners. Therefore, because of Jesus, the quality of my ministry and what is accomplished through it is centered in the Lord Jesus just as Paul's was! That's a relief! This whole serving God thing is about who the Lord is, not who I am! Okay, now that the issue of greatness is settled, let's continue with the example of Paul's life. He had a very exciting life of travel involving starting churches and developing them as well as encouraging many believers along the way. I am sure there were some scary moments, but overall, what a thrilling ministry! He was where the action was taking place! Then Paul gets thrown in prison, not just once either. Ultimately, he is executed during his final stay in a Roman cell. I often wonder what he thought there. Did he feel like his ministry had come to an end? Did he try to explain to God how he could be more effective if he could travel again? Those would be easy conclusions to make from a human perspective. God's perspective is better! A whole new ministry was being developed by God for his servant. He mentored believers all over the Roman Empire from his jail cell. He led people to the Lord he would never have met if he wasn't confined in prison. He counseled and taught people who left, carrying messages of hope to other believers in many places. How many times did he express in his writings that he wished he could be with fellow believers in person? Writing became a tool that God would use in his life to continue his ministry. God gave him the privilege to record truth in scripture that has been read by thousands. Excuse me, I believe the actual figure is in the millions! When Paul ultimately arrived in Heaven, did he tell God that his ministry would have been better had God done it Paul's way?! Doctrinally, we know that is not true! Does our heart agree? All of us tend to view the world and ministry from our reference points and our way of doing things. God has a better view. My prayer life for the last few months has been wrapped in the Apostle Paul and his life of ministry. For many years of God's ministry in my life, I traveled all over the United States and some places in other parts of the world. Then God allowed me to have serious health issues. I found myself in the 'prison' of my home, unable to travel much at all. I did make a few trips, but the damage in my spinal column often prevented me from traveling. However, God used the years of travel to open doors of counseling even though I was unable to go on many trips. Through Skype, Zoom, and phone calls, my counseling opportunities have actually increased. Just as Paul had a prison ministry, God has given me a hospital ministry. I have had many opportunities to share Christ with the medical world as well as friends and neighbors. Through emails, I have been involved in encouraging others. Obviously, I haven't written any new Bible scripture, but I get to write about the scripture of the Bible! I also finished a new novel about the second coming of Christ. It should be available the first of the year. I love writing books. Books allow me to minister to people even when I am not there! One of the most encouraging aspects of experiencing ministry guided by God is His provision. We have been at 50% support for many years and honorariums have made up the difference. Being unable to travel at this time has reduced our income in a major way, but God has amazingly provided our needs. We have not been late in paying any bills including medical bills. I am so very grateful to those who are supporting us financially as well as prayerfully in all these challenges. It has given me a new appreciation for Paul's gratefulness to the Church at Phillippi who sent to his need while in prison. Thanks for letting me share my heart! I want to thank all of you for praying for the BEM Small Church Conference that has just taken place the first of November. All the reports I have received indicate it was a great conference. I was unable to attend due to increased pain in my spinal column. (I have an aging spine with serious damage to a vertebra near my heart that involves a collapsed disk.) I have been meeting with specialist for almost two years without solving the issues. I am currently being scheduled with a neurosurgeon in the next couple of months. I have met with other surgeons, but this one has a reputation for solving issues. There will probably be several MRI's in the weeks ahead. One is already scheduled. Pray for God's guidance in the months that are to come. Pray for Beabea as she is busy with husband, grandkids, and serving God all mixed into one! These years on earth seem overwhelming at times, but God has never been distracted by the challenges of life on a sinful planet. He is still God! Serving our amazing God! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Personal Contact Information: John and Beabea Rogers 235 Carta Road, APT L1 Knoxville, TN 37914 Cell: (765) 753-0056 Mission Contact Information: Barnabas Enrichment Ministries P.O. Box 4 Goshen, IN 46527-0004 (765) 667-2532 www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org Hi Everyone, God, who continually demonstrates that He is smarter than the rest of us, often chooses to teach us truth not only in doctrine, but also through the lives of the people in the Bible. I discover myself relating to God's servants in a personal way because I find myself going through experiences now that are similar to what they were going through then. Often, they didn't like it any better than I do now. We all have our personal image we desire to associate with ourselves. I mean who doesn't want to be David slaying Goliath instead of Peter denying Christ. However, I have discovered we all tend to experience both aspects in our lives. My current Bible example is the Apostle Paul. Now I need to clarify the following. I am not saying that I am of the quality of Paul when we examine his ministry... Wait a minute! Paul's ministry value was centered in the quality of the Lord Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, Paul identifies himself as the chief of sinners. Therefore, because of Jesus, the quality of my ministry and what is accomplished through it is centered in the Lord Jesus just as Paul's was! That's a relief! This whole serving God thing is about who the Lord is, not who I am! Okay, now that the issue of greatness is settled, let's continue with the example of Paul's life. He had a very exciting life of travel involving starting churches and developing them as well as encouraging many believers along the way. I am sure there were some scary moments, but overall, what a thrilling ministry! He was where the action was taking place! Then Paul gets thrown in prison, not just once either. Ultimately, he is executed during his final stay in a Roman cell. I often wonder what he thought there. Did he feel like his ministry had come to an end? Did he try to explain to God how he could be more effective if he could travel again? Those would be easy conclusions to make from a human perspective. God's perspective is better! A whole new ministry was being developed by God for his servant. He mentored believers all over the Roman Empire from his jail cell. He led people to the Lord he would never have met if he wasn't confined in prison. He counseled and taught people who left, carrying messages of hope to other believers in many places. How many times did he express in his writings that he wished he could be with fellow believers in person? Writing became a tool that God would use in his life to continue his ministry. God gave him the privilege to record truth in scripture that has been read by thousands. Excuse me, I believe the actual figure is in the millions! When Paul ultimately arrived in Heaven, did he tell God that his ministry would have been better had God done it Paul's way?! Doctrinally, we know that is not true! Does our heart agree? All of us tend to view the world and ministry from our reference points and our way of doing things. God has a better view. My prayer life for the last few months has been wrapped in the Apostle Paul and his life of ministry. For many years of God's ministry in my life, I traveled all over the United States and some places in other parts of the world. Then God allowed me to have serious health issues. I found myself in the 'prison' of my home, unable to travel much at all. I did make a few trips, but the damage in my spinal column often prevented me from traveling. However, God used the years of travel to open doors of counseling even though I was unable to go on many trips. Through Skype, Zoom, and phone calls, my counseling opportunities have actually increased. Just as Paul had a prison ministry, God has given me a hospital ministry. I have had many opportunities to share Christ with the medical world as well as friends and neighbors. Through emails, I have been involved in encouraging others. Obviously, I haven't written any new Bible scripture, but I get to write about the scripture of the Bible! I also finished a new novel about the second coming of Christ. It should be available the first of the year. I love writing books. Books allow me to minister to people even when I am not there! One of the most encouraging aspects of experiencing ministry guided by God is His provision. We have been at 50% support for many years and honorariums have made up the difference. Being unable to travel at this time has reduced our income in a major way, but God has amazingly provided our needs. We have not been late in paying any bills including medical bills. I am so very grateful to those who are supporting us financially as well as prayerfully in all these challenges. It has given me a new appreciation for Paul's gratefulness to the Church at Phillippi who sent to his need while in prison. Thanks for letting me share my heart! I want to thank all of you for praying for the BEM Small Church Conference that has just taken place the first of November. All the reports I have received indicate it was a great conference. I was unable to attend due to increased pain in my spinal column. (I have an aging spine with serious damage to a vertebra near my heart that involves a collapsed disk.) I have been meeting with specialist for almost two years without solving the issues. I am currently being scheduled with a neurosurgeon in the next couple of months. I have met with other surgeons, but this one has a reputation for solving issues. There will probably be several MRI's in the weeks ahead. One is already scheduled. Pray for God's guidance in the months that are to come. Pray for Beabea as she is busy with husband, grandkids, and serving God all mixed into one! These years on earth seem overwhelming at times, but God has never been distracted by the challenges of life on a sinful planet. He is still God! Serving our amazing God! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Personal Contact Information: John and Beabea Rogers 235 Carta Road, APT L1 Knoxville, TN 37914 Cell: (765) 753-0056 Mission Contact Information: Barnabas Enrichment Ministries P.O. Box 4 Goshen, IN 46527-0004 (765) 667-2532 www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63343 63343 Thu, 7 Nov 2024 18:40:00 +0000 Hi Everyone, Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 12:7 that God kept him from being arrogant by allowing him to experience a certain difficulty consistently in his life. He titled this difficulty his 'thorn in the flesh' and stated that Satan tried to use it to disrupt his daily life of faith and ministry. He even asked God several times to take it from him! Being human, he might even have shared with the Lord the advantages of God doing it Paul's way. I am certain most of us have found ourselves in Paul's situation in different ways. It is normal to conclude what we think should be the solution for our lives and our 'problems.' We know from a biblical standpoint that God is wiser and smarter and good and loving. Biblical truth is not always accepted emotionally, even when we know the truth is 'true!' It ultimately comes down to the decision to trust God even when our emotions scream otherwise. This last year and a half ought to have been overwhelming from a human perspective. The doctors have told me there is not a good solution for the damaged vertebrae near my heart. It probably is something that I am just 'going to have to live with.' I have had multiple infections this year as well (some serious). I have just come off of an infection that the super strong anti-biotic needed was almost worst than the infection. I have had to cancel various ministry trips since this all started which is humanly disappointing. Despite all this, the last year and a half have been some of the most effective ministry times I have ever spent. I have had wonderful witnessing opportunities to medical staff and neighbors as well as others across the country. I have been involved in counseling (several very challenging situations) through ZOOM and phone calls. It has been amazing to tag along as God does what He does in the lives of others. I can't even claim credit for what is happening! I have been way to sick to make any of this happen. God's strength has been made perfect in my weakness. It doesn't get any better than that! One of the ways God is working is in the 'Relationship' messages on the BEM website. Recordings of the Relationship Conference sessions that I have done in many churches are available by clicking on the links of the home page. I have received some really positive comments personally how these have been helpful. Another wonderful way that God is working is in the upcoming BEM Small Church Conference on November 2nd of this year at Grace Baptist Church in Kokomo, IN. Excitement is growing, and I personally believe this conference on 'Worship' may well be one of the best conferences that God has chosen to do through us! As always, there is no charge, and the conference is for the whole family to enjoy. If you have questions, please call (765) 667-2532. Register HERE I want to share one more way that God has been working during this challenging time I have had the privilege of living in. I have always loved the study of Bible prophecy and enjoy teaching about it. In recent years I have been doing Bible conferences about the subject. I also have been working on a novel about Christ's return off and on for many years. (My first version was when I was about 10 years old!) Last year when I started having to cancel some ministry trips because of health reasons, I started working on this novel again. It is now at the publishers and hopefully will be available in the next few months. I ask you to pray that all goes well in these final stages and that God will use the book to bring honor to Himself as well as help many understand biblical truth. I will let you know when it is available! Finally, continue to pray for Beabea, my gorgeous and wonderful wife, as she takes care of me, drives grandchildren to their many activities, and ministers to others! Serving our amazing God! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Hi Everyone, Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 12:7 that God kept him from being arrogant by allowing him to experience a certain difficulty consistently in his life. He titled this difficulty his 'thorn in the flesh' and stated that Satan tried to use it to disrupt his daily life of faith and ministry. He even asked God several times to take it from him! Being human, he might even have shared with the Lord the advantages of God doing it Paul's way. I am certain most of us have found ourselves in Paul's situation in different ways. It is normal to conclude what we think should be the solution for our lives and our 'problems.' We know from a biblical standpoint that God is wiser and smarter and good and loving. Biblical truth is not always accepted emotionally, even when we know the truth is 'true!' It ultimately comes down to the decision to trust God even when our emotions scream otherwise. This last year and a half ought to have been overwhelming from a human perspective. The doctors have told me there is not a good solution for the damaged vertebrae near my heart. It probably is something that I am just 'going to have to live with.' I have had multiple infections this year as well (some serious). I have just come off of an infection that the super strong anti-biotic needed was almost worst than the infection. I have had to cancel various ministry trips since this all started which is humanly disappointing. Despite all this, the last year and a half have been some of the most effective ministry times I have ever spent. I have had wonderful witnessing opportunities to medical staff and neighbors as well as others across the country. I have been involved in counseling (several very challenging situations) through ZOOM and phone calls. It has been amazing to tag along as God does what He does in the lives of others. I can't even claim credit for what is happening! I have been way to sick to make any of this happen. God's strength has been made perfect in my weakness. It doesn't get any better than that! One of the ways God is working is in the 'Relationship' messages on the BEM website. Recordings of the Relationship Conference sessions that I have done in many churches are available by clicking on the links of the home page. I have received some really positive comments personally how these have been helpful. Another wonderful way that God is working is in the upcoming BEM Small Church Conference on November 2nd of this year at Grace Baptist Church in Kokomo, IN. Excitement is growing, and I personally believe this conference on 'Worship' may well be one of the best conferences that God has chosen to do through us! As always, there is no charge, and the conference is for the whole family to enjoy. If you have questions, please call (765) 667-2532. Register HERE I want to share one more way that God has been working during this challenging time I have had the privilege of living in. I have always loved the study of Bible prophecy and enjoy teaching about it. In recent years I have been doing Bible conferences about the subject. I also have been working on a novel about Christ's return off and on for many years. (My first version was when I was about 10 years old!) Last year when I started having to cancel some ministry trips because of health reasons, I started working on this novel again. It is now at the publishers and hopefully will be available in the next few months. I ask you to pray that all goes well in these final stages and that God will use the book to bring honor to Himself as well as help many understand biblical truth. I will let you know when it is available! Finally, continue to pray for Beabea, my gorgeous and wonderful wife, as she takes care of me, drives grandchildren to their many activities, and ministers to others! Serving our amazing God! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63337 63337 Thu, 26 Sep 2024 13:51:00 +0000 Hello from the Hewitts! Wow! The last few months have been a whirlwind of activity. Both with family activities and ministry. At the beginning of June Katie and I directed a 5-part drama for our church's VBS. I also operated lighting and sound. We had a great time working with the youth that made up the cast. Two of our own children, Landon and Mckenzy, were part of the cast. This year's VBS was entitled 'The Great Jungle Journey'. It explored the 7 C's of history: Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, and Consummation. Though the attendance numbers were a bit low it was still a great time where students were able to learn about our creator and their need for a savior. Landon and Mckenzy were also able to help in other areas outside the drama. Landon helped with games and Mckenzy helped with crafts. Aiden and Lana were in attendance as students. Near the end of June, we were blessed to be able to take a family vacation to Mississippi. It was a great time to relax with our family and enjoy God's creation. The coast of Mississippi is rich with Chesapeake Blue Crabs, Hermit Crabs, and dolphins. The highlight of the vacation was the ferry we took to a barrier island called Ship Island for the day. This provided amazing views of the Gulf, clean beaches, and a plethora of seashells waiting to be collected. We were truly thankful for the time of rest and bonding we were able to have during that week. Aiden, Lana, and I left for our church's summer bible camp the last week of July. The camp if called 'Checkpoint Bible Camp'. Its purpose is to provide a week where students can slow down and survey their walk with Christ. While Aiden and Lana were campers in the middle school camp, I was a middle school boy's counselor. We all experienced a true miracle when it came to the weather. The forecast for the week was rain and storms. Each day we would pray as a group that the weather would turn around and God would hold off the rain. Without fail until the very last night of the week God did just that.The storms would either part around the area or fizzle out altogether. While a week at camp can be exhausting it truly was a great time to pour into the kids' lives and hopefully help them come closer to Christ. Over the last couple months, I've been in contact with two individuals serving in Utah regarding their technical needs. I look forward to working with them more and assisting them in whatever ways I can. November 2nd we will have our bi-annual BEM small church conference in Kokomo Indiana. We look forward to meeting pastors and lay leaders from the region to discuss how we can be of encouragement and help to them in their ministries. We have been blessed by the addition of more supporters to our team. Thank you to all who support our ministry. If you would like to join our ministry team by giving financially, please send donations to the address below. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please pray for us as we continue to build our ministry team and learn to balance new responsibilities. Pray for us as we start a new school year with the kids. Pray that we continue to trust in God's provision and His perfect will. Again, thank you all for your support and prayers. Please feel free to contact us if there is any way we can assist you: Cell: 574-304-4251 Email: Philip.hewitt@barnabasenrichmentministries.org For Him, Philip, Katie and family You may send Donations to: Philip Hewitt AccountP.O. Box 4Goshen, IN 46527 Hello from the Hewitts! Wow! The last few months have been a whirlwind of activity. Both with family activities and ministry. At the beginning of June Katie and I directed a 5-part drama for our church's VBS. I also operated lighting and sound. We had a great time working with the youth that made up the cast. Two of our own children, Landon and Mckenzy, were part of the cast. This year's VBS was entitled 'The Great Jungle Journey'. It explored the 7 C's of history: Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, and Consummation. Though the attendance numbers were a bit low it was still a great time where students were able to learn about our creator and their need for a savior. Landon and Mckenzy were also able to help in other areas outside the drama. Landon helped with games and Mckenzy helped with crafts. Aiden and Lana were in attendance as students. Near the end of June, we were blessed to be able to take a family vacation to Mississippi. It was a great time to relax with our family and enjoy God's creation. The coast of Mississippi is rich with Chesapeake Blue Crabs, Hermit Crabs, and dolphins. The highlight of the vacation was the ferry we took to a barrier island called Ship Island for the day. This provided amazing views of the Gulf, clean beaches, and a plethora of seashells waiting to be collected. We were truly thankful for the time of rest and bonding we were able to have during that week. Aiden, Lana, and I left for our church's summer bible camp the last week of July. The camp if called 'Checkpoint Bible Camp'. Its purpose is to provide a week where students can slow down and survey their walk with Christ. While Aiden and Lana were campers in the middle school camp, I was a middle school boy's counselor. We all experienced a true miracle when it came to the weather. The forecast for the week was rain and storms. Each day we would pray as a group that the weather would turn around and God would hold off the rain. Without fail until the very last night of the week God did just that.The storms would either part around the area or fizzle out altogether. While a week at camp can be exhausting it truly was a great time to pour into the kids' lives and hopefully help them come closer to Christ. Over the last couple months, I've been in contact with two individuals serving in Utah regarding their technical needs. I look forward to working with them more and assisting them in whatever ways I can. November 2nd we will have our bi-annual BEM small church conference in Kokomo Indiana. We look forward to meeting pastors and lay leaders from the region to discuss how we can be of encouragement and help to them in their ministries. We have been blessed by the addition of more supporters to our team. Thank you to all who support our ministry. If you would like to join our ministry team by giving financially, please send donations to the address below. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please pray for us as we continue to build our ministry team and learn to balance new responsibilities. Pray for us as we start a new school year with the kids. Pray that we continue to trust in God's provision and His perfect will. Again, thank you all for your support and prayers. Please feel free to contact us if there is any way we can assist you: Cell: 574-304-4251 Email: Philip.hewitt@barnabasenrichmentministries.org For Him, Philip, Katie and family You may send Donations to: Philip Hewitt AccountP.O. Box 4Goshen, IN 46527 http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63336 63336 Thu, 26 Sep 2024 10:01:00 +0000 Jeanne and I are both staying busy and looking forward to serving wherever we can. We as a BEM team are presently planning a Small Church Enrichment Conference in Indiana November 2, 2024. I am preparing a break-out session for Pastors entitled 'The Heart of a Pastor in Worship'. The feedback we received at the previous April conference in Utah, was possibly the best conference we have done thus far. Pray for wisdom and an effective, challenging and encouraging ministry with these faithful Pastors and their congregations in the November Conference as well. In our previous letter we mentioned a Deliberate Outreach that I was going to be involved in starting in June. Thank you so much for praying regarding this. So far, I have had the opportunity to interact with approximately 31 individuals and passed out the Gospel of John and tracts to 57. A number were open and interested in listening to the reason why it was necessary for Christ to come and die for our sins and then in three days raise from the dead, so we can have forgiveness of our sins and eternal life. One individual didn't want to talk about God or Jesus Christ but was willing to do so briefly. Two claimed to be atheists but were willing to interact with me. Both were open to accepting additional information. I returned with books from Lee Strobel, Normal Geisler and Frank Turek. They seemed to be willing to read a particular chapter I recommended. Pray God would continue to work in their lives to bring them to faith in Christ. Their identities are Brian, Branine, plus all the others I've had an opportunity to share Christ with. I still have a number of individuals whom I want to contact. I recently had the opportunity to fill the pulpit at The First Baptist Church in Wilson, Kansas and Shawnee Heights Baptist Church in Topeka. This Fall we are serving with Awana at Bethel Baptist Church in Topeka. I love the following scriptures: '23The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way… 31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.' Psalm 37:23-31 '9 A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.' Proverbs 16:9 Without your prayers and God's work in the hearts of the people we are attempting to reach, nothing long term would take place. Pray we would be led by the Sprit in planning and presenting. Jim & Jeanne Keller 415 NW 48th Terrace Topeka, KS 66617 jeanne-jim@sbcglobal.net (785) 230-9126 Jeanne and I are both staying busy and looking forward to serving wherever we can. We as a BEM team are presently planning a Small Church Enrichment Conference in Indiana November 2, 2024. I am preparing a break-out session for Pastors entitled 'The Heart of a Pastor in Worship'. The feedback we received at the previous April conference in Utah, was possibly the best conference we have done thus far. Pray for wisdom and an effective, challenging and encouraging ministry with these faithful Pastors and their congregations in the November Conference as well. In our previous letter we mentioned a Deliberate Outreach that I was going to be involved in starting in June. Thank you so much for praying regarding this. So far, I have had the opportunity to interact with approximately 31 individuals and passed out the Gospel of John and tracts to 57. A number were open and interested in listening to the reason why it was necessary for Christ to come and die for our sins and then in three days raise from the dead, so we can have forgiveness of our sins and eternal life. One individual didn't want to talk about God or Jesus Christ but was willing to do so briefly. Two claimed to be atheists but were willing to interact with me. Both were open to accepting additional information. I returned with books from Lee Strobel, Normal Geisler and Frank Turek. They seemed to be willing to read a particular chapter I recommended. Pray God would continue to work in their lives to bring them to faith in Christ. Their identities are Brian, Branine, plus all the others I've had an opportunity to share Christ with. I still have a number of individuals whom I want to contact. I recently had the opportunity to fill the pulpit at The First Baptist Church in Wilson, Kansas and Shawnee Heights Baptist Church in Topeka. This Fall we are serving with Awana at Bethel Baptist Church in Topeka. I love the following scriptures: '23The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way… 31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.' Psalm 37:23-31 '9 A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.' Proverbs 16:9 Without your prayers and God's work in the hearts of the people we are attempting to reach, nothing long term would take place. Pray we would be led by the Sprit in planning and presenting. Jim & Jeanne Keller 415 NW 48th Terrace Topeka, KS 66617 jeanne-jim@sbcglobal.net (785) 230-9126 http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63332 63332 Mon, 2 Sep 2024 15:28:00 +0000 Dear Friends, What will you be doing during the early days of November? Praying fervently for the election of those who will 'rule' over us? Obviously, our hope is not in earthly leaders and their capability to solve issues and protect us! True hope, the only real hope, is found in the God of eternity who rules in the hearts of men! He, alone, deserves our hope, and He alone deserves our worship! In the midst of the presidential race with all its excitement, as the nation searches for its political hero, I want to invite you to join us in worshipping the Lord of Glory who is truly worthy of humanity's adoration! On November 2nd, BEM will be hosting another Small Church Conference. I always enjoy these Small Church Conferences, but I am espcially excited about this particular conference. Why? The flier that was just mailed out for the conference says it best: 'We believe strongly that the local church was designed by God for ministry. We further believe that the church and God's people were designed for worship in ministry. Worship is more than just having a Sunday service with good singing. The Bible teaches that worship is not just what we think and feel or sing, but involves what we do and how we live. It is not religious actions, but relational service to God in all areas of our lives.' I really want to encourage you to come to this particular conference. It is designed for more interactive discussion with extra breakout sessions. This will give the leadership and people of our local churches an opportunity to share with each other what the Lord has been teaching them. I am looking forward to learning as well as teaching! We invite the whole church family to come! Teens and Children will have their own services and fun activities. As always, there is no charge for this conference. Snacks and meals will be provided. Free books and materials will be given to each family. A love offering will be taken to help with cost if a person is able to give, but don't let finances keep you from coming. Register for the Conference at: HERE BEM's Technology Missionary will be present to consult regarding your technology needs! Bring your laptops for a 'tune-up' or repair. Philip will be available all day to assist you! Philip Hewitt (574) 304-4251 email: phewitt.bem@gmail.com Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to enjoy a time of great fellowship! Bring your family and bring your congregation! This is for the whole church! Questions About the Conference? Call: (765) 667-2532 IMPORTANT! BEM has a new mailing address that is effective immediately: Barnabas Enrichment Ministries P.O. Box 4 Goshen, IN 46527-0004 The old address will still work for a while, but please make the change in your records and begin using the new address. See you in November! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Dear Friends, What will you be doing during the early days of November? Praying fervently for the election of those who will 'rule' over us? Obviously, our hope is not in earthly leaders and their capability to solve issues and protect us! True hope, the only real hope, is found in the God of eternity who rules in the hearts of men! He, alone, deserves our hope, and He alone deserves our worship! In the midst of the presidential race with all its excitement, as the nation searches for its political hero, I want to invite you to join us in worshipping the Lord of Glory who is truly worthy of humanity's adoration! On November 2nd, BEM will be hosting another Small Church Conference. I always enjoy these Small Church Conferences, but I am espcially excited about this particular conference. Why? The flier that was just mailed out for the conference says it best: 'We believe strongly that the local church was designed by God for ministry. We further believe that the church and God's people were designed for worship in ministry. Worship is more than just having a Sunday service with good singing. The Bible teaches that worship is not just what we think and feel or sing, but involves what we do and how we live. It is not religious actions, but relational service to God in all areas of our lives.' I really want to encourage you to come to this particular conference. It is designed for more interactive discussion with extra breakout sessions. This will give the leadership and people of our local churches an opportunity to share with each other what the Lord has been teaching them. I am looking forward to learning as well as teaching! We invite the whole church family to come! Teens and Children will have their own services and fun activities. As always, there is no charge for this conference. Snacks and meals will be provided. Free books and materials will be given to each family. A love offering will be taken to help with cost if a person is able to give, but don't let finances keep you from coming. Register for the Conference at: HERE BEM's Technology Missionary will be present to consult regarding your technology needs! Bring your laptops for a 'tune-up' or repair. Philip will be available all day to assist you! Philip Hewitt (574) 304-4251 email: phewitt.bem@gmail.com Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to enjoy a time of great fellowship! Bring your family and bring your congregation! This is for the whole church! Questions About the Conference? Call: (765) 667-2532 IMPORTANT! BEM has a new mailing address that is effective immediately: Barnabas Enrichment Ministries P.O. Box 4 Goshen, IN 46527-0004 The old address will still work for a while, but please make the change in your records and begin using the new address. See you in November! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63333 63333 Fri, 30 Aug 2024 15:31:00 +0000 Hi Everyone, One of the wonderful privileges of being a child of God and a servant of Jesus Christ is other believers pray for you. I want to thank all of you for praying that we would be able to attend the 2024 BEM conference in Utah. God made it happen, and it was a great conference! Beabea and I flew out to Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 25th, and returned on Monday April 29th. To be honest, these were the worst plane flights we have ever experienced for several reasons including delays. We hadn't flown for a while and the friendly skies were not as friendly as we remembered. Welcome to the new world of air travel! However, despite all the challenges, we arrived safely and had a day to rest up before the conference started. Another part of the adventure was the rent a car we reserved at the airport. We had paid for a mid-size car but was given something that almost qualified as a compact. It would have needed to be several sizes bigger to be a compact. They assured me it was a mid-size car. We squeezed into our 2024 Mini Cooper CV. I have always thought it would be fun to drive a 'go-cart.' Now, I had my chance! Our suitcase wouldn't fit into the trunk, but we were able to lower the convertible top and get it in the back seat. After several times, I figured a way to put it in the vehicle without lowering the top. I was very proud of myself in a spiritual Christian sort of way. In any case, the 'go-cart' was a big hit at the conference! The conference itself went very well with 85 in attendance if you count children and teens. We had more interactive sessions this time and there were a lot of positive comments about that. I had the last session of the day. I have to admit I was very tired by the time it came for me to speak, but God is amazing (nothing new about that!) and He supplied the strength and power needed. I also spoke on Sunday morning at Grace Baptist in Orem, Utah. The dear people there support us financially and in prayer. It was a great time of fellowship! I want to praise the Lord and give Him the glory for the ministry of BEM. It was wonderful to see so many believers united in their love for God. I especially enjoyed seeing friends from my years of church planting in Utah. I also want to thank you again for your prayers and the encouragement of your words. By the way, Beabea did a great job of taking care of me, as usual! Praise the Lord for my wonderful wife. Keep praying! I see another doctor next month (unless the Lord comes back before then!) In Christ's love and with much appreciation! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Hi Everyone, One of the wonderful privileges of being a child of God and a servant of Jesus Christ is other believers pray for you. I want to thank all of you for praying that we would be able to attend the 2024 BEM conference in Utah. God made it happen, and it was a great conference! Beabea and I flew out to Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 25th, and returned on Monday April 29th. To be honest, these were the worst plane flights we have ever experienced for several reasons including delays. We hadn't flown for a while and the friendly skies were not as friendly as we remembered. Welcome to the new world of air travel! However, despite all the challenges, we arrived safely and had a day to rest up before the conference started. Another part of the adventure was the rent a car we reserved at the airport. We had paid for a mid-size car but was given something that almost qualified as a compact. It would have needed to be several sizes bigger to be a compact. They assured me it was a mid-size car. We squeezed into our 2024 Mini Cooper CV. I have always thought it would be fun to drive a 'go-cart.' Now, I had my chance! Our suitcase wouldn't fit into the trunk, but we were able to lower the convertible top and get it in the back seat. After several times, I figured a way to put it in the vehicle without lowering the top. I was very proud of myself in a spiritual Christian sort of way. In any case, the 'go-cart' was a big hit at the conference! The conference itself went very well with 85 in attendance if you count children and teens. We had more interactive sessions this time and there were a lot of positive comments about that. I had the last session of the day. I have to admit I was very tired by the time it came for me to speak, but God is amazing (nothing new about that!) and He supplied the strength and power needed. I also spoke on Sunday morning at Grace Baptist in Orem, Utah. The dear people there support us financially and in prayer. It was a great time of fellowship! I want to praise the Lord and give Him the glory for the ministry of BEM. It was wonderful to see so many believers united in their love for God. I especially enjoyed seeing friends from my years of church planting in Utah. I also want to thank you again for your prayers and the encouragement of your words. By the way, Beabea did a great job of taking care of me, as usual! Praise the Lord for my wonderful wife. Keep praying! I see another doctor next month (unless the Lord comes back before then!) In Christ's love and with much appreciation! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63314 63314 Tue, 7 May 2024 12:27:00 +0000 Hi Everyone, I recently put together a message that I plan on using in reporting back to churches. In it I share how God has worked through my health situation this year in ways I wouldn't have planned or even thought of! I've titled the message, 'When God puts you where you don't want to be...' I think I am going to add a subtitle to that. It will go something like this, 'When God doesn't do what you want Him to do...' Paul wrote that on earth we know in part, that is partial understanding. He also said that we see though a glass darkly. The truth is we are very limited in our ability to comprehend God and how He works in our lives. We don't have the reference points to understand why God does what He does. The great comfort is we don't have to understand! It will be an amazing moment for believers when we stand before God and find ourselves saying, 'Wow, Lord, you really did know what you were doing!' Until then... We live by faith. Through the years I have learned to define faith as 'The decision to trust God even when I doubt.' Because Grandpa Adam and Grandma Eve are a part of my lineage, I will always have doubts (at least until that moment my faith becomes sight, and I see Jesus face to face.) However, the more I know the God of the Bible and the quality of who He is, hope builds; not by my emotional response, but based on God's trustworthiness. I want to thank the many, many who have been praying for me and my health situation. I know you have been praying because of all the emails and cards that have been sent. It will be several hundred years into the Millennium before I get them all answered. So, here's what has been happening... I did have the second injection into my spinal column on April 1st and had my follow up visit with the surgeon, yesterday. Simply put, the injection didn't work, didn't help relieve any pain, and caused more problems than the first injection. The doctor does not want to do the third injection. My body's reaction is becoming more severe with each procedure. We talked about what to do next. As far as he is concerned, surgery is a dangerous alternative. He informed me that there isn't a surgeon in our area that would do it. (I have a damaged spinal vertebra and collapsed disk that is putting pressure on the main nerve in my back. Surgery might involve moving the heart.) The doctor further explained that other pain control methods may not work in this situation either. He said the best solution is learning to live with the pain if that is possible. As the doctor talked with me, I thought of the Apostle Paul who asked the Lord three times to remove what he called a thorn in his flesh, but God didn't do it. (I'm no Apostle Paul. I asked God to remove this 'thorn' of mine at least a hundred times.) I love the conclusion of God's apostle despite his difficulty. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul informed his fellow believers what the Lord had told him, 'My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Then Paul responds, 'Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.' Think about it! The thorn in the flesh was a good thing. It made Paul depended on God and not on his own strength. Of course, all believers rely totally on God's strength and never depend on their own ability, right? Please stop laughing! I have learned a lot about my strength and God's strength this year! The phrase, 'I can't do this without you, Lord!' has become a daily expression of my soul. It's time to get on with life as God sets the boundaries and opens the doors. Plane tickets are bought as Beabea and I plan to fly out on Thursday, April 25th for the BEM Small Church Conference in Utah. Riding in an airplane for several hours will be easier than traveling by car for several days. We are learning to adapt! Pray for the conference on Saturday, April 27th, and all God has planned in His perfect will. I will be speaking in the last session of day. Pray for God's power to be shown perfect in my weakness! I will be teaching about godliness in ministry, and I look forward to honoring our Lord with the truth of His word. The Evil One does not want these biblical concepts taught, but God is bigger than him. May God continue to work in your lives; and I pray you will know Him better and understand the quality of who He is even more... as you serve Him each day! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Hi Everyone, I recently put together a message that I plan on using in reporting back to churches. In it I share how God has worked through my health situation this year in ways I wouldn't have planned or even thought of! I've titled the message, 'When God puts you where you don't want to be...' I think I am going to add a subtitle to that. It will go something like this, 'When God doesn't do what you want Him to do...' Paul wrote that on earth we know in part, that is partial understanding. He also said that we see though a glass darkly. The truth is we are very limited in our ability to comprehend God and how He works in our lives. We don't have the reference points to understand why God does what He does. The great comfort is we don't have to understand! It will be an amazing moment for believers when we stand before God and find ourselves saying, 'Wow, Lord, you really did know what you were doing!' Until then... We live by faith. Through the years I have learned to define faith as 'The decision to trust God even when I doubt.' Because Grandpa Adam and Grandma Eve are a part of my lineage, I will always have doubts (at least until that moment my faith becomes sight, and I see Jesus face to face.) However, the more I know the God of the Bible and the quality of who He is, hope builds; not by my emotional response, but based on God's trustworthiness. I want to thank the many, many who have been praying for me and my health situation. I know you have been praying because of all the emails and cards that have been sent. It will be several hundred years into the Millennium before I get them all answered. So, here's what has been happening... I did have the second injection into my spinal column on April 1st and had my follow up visit with the surgeon, yesterday. Simply put, the injection didn't work, didn't help relieve any pain, and caused more problems than the first injection. The doctor does not want to do the third injection. My body's reaction is becoming more severe with each procedure. We talked about what to do next. As far as he is concerned, surgery is a dangerous alternative. He informed me that there isn't a surgeon in our area that would do it. (I have a damaged spinal vertebra and collapsed disk that is putting pressure on the main nerve in my back. Surgery might involve moving the heart.) The doctor further explained that other pain control methods may not work in this situation either. He said the best solution is learning to live with the pain if that is possible. As the doctor talked with me, I thought of the Apostle Paul who asked the Lord three times to remove what he called a thorn in his flesh, but God didn't do it. (I'm no Apostle Paul. I asked God to remove this 'thorn' of mine at least a hundred times.) I love the conclusion of God's apostle despite his difficulty. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul informed his fellow believers what the Lord had told him, 'My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Then Paul responds, 'Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.' Think about it! The thorn in the flesh was a good thing. It made Paul depended on God and not on his own strength. Of course, all believers rely totally on God's strength and never depend on their own ability, right? Please stop laughing! I have learned a lot about my strength and God's strength this year! The phrase, 'I can't do this without you, Lord!' has become a daily expression of my soul. It's time to get on with life as God sets the boundaries and opens the doors. Plane tickets are bought as Beabea and I plan to fly out on Thursday, April 25th for the BEM Small Church Conference in Utah. Riding in an airplane for several hours will be easier than traveling by car for several days. We are learning to adapt! Pray for the conference on Saturday, April 27th, and all God has planned in His perfect will. I will be speaking in the last session of day. Pray for God's power to be shown perfect in my weakness! I will be teaching about godliness in ministry, and I look forward to honoring our Lord with the truth of His word. The Evil One does not want these biblical concepts taught, but God is bigger than him. May God continue to work in your lives; and I pray you will know Him better and understand the quality of who He is even more... as you serve Him each day! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63312 63312 Sat, 20 Apr 2024 16:41:00 +0000 Dear Friends, April has two very important dates to remember in your prayers. The obvious one is the BEM Small Church Conference on April 27th. I tried to give a 'few hints' so I'm guessing you figured that one out right away. I'll talk about the conference in a moment. First, let's discuss the other important date. That date is April 1st. No fooling! I'm not joking! April 1st is when I will be given the second injection into my spinal column for pain in, let me see, my back, shoulder, arms, legs, and neck. Did I leave anything out? The MRI shows a collapsed disk right next to my heart area, so the doctors want to avoid surgery. (If they did surgery, they would have to come in through the chest and work very close to the heart.) This collapsed disk has been the main culprit in my health issues (along with a recurring infection that apparently started in my spinal column). There are two areas, involving the collapsed disk, that are causing pain directly as well as other problems. The first is the crushed nerve that passes through the collapsed disk; but a second more serious problem is the vertebrae, itself. It has shifted and is putting pressure on the main nerve running up and down the back. This has caused severe irritation and inflammation along with actual pressure on the nerve. The injections are for the inflammation. The first injection did not last very long and had some side effects. The surgeon is going to try one more injection on April 1st. If that goes well and gives some relief for a longer period, he will do the third injection later. If it does not go well (doesn't help or has negative side effects), He will not do the third injection. Again, surgery is out of the question because the injury is near my heart. Pray for me. I am not sure what will happen, but if you pray to the Lord who knows what should happen, I will be greatly encouraged! Remember to pray for Beabea who takes care of me, takes care of grandkids, helps with their homeschooling, and countless other things. She never runs out of things to do! Continue to pray for opportunities to witness to doctors and nurses. I am always amazed at the openings that God gives. Also, pray for several counseling situations I am involved with through phone, skype, and zoom. I will be buying tickets next week for the BEM Utah conference. Beabea and I plan to fly out for that weekend. I would love to stay longer, but the doctors have cautioned me about making a long trip at this time. The third injection needs to happen around the first of May. Pray for wisdom. Now, let's discuss the BEM Utah conference. I really want to encourage you to come to this particular conference. It is designed for more interactive discussion with extra breakout sessions. This will give the leadership and people of Utah churches an opportunity to share with each other what the Lord has been teaching them. I am looking forward to learning as well as teaching! We invite the whole church family to come! Teens and Children will have their own services and fun activities. As always, there is no charge for this conference. Snacks and meals will be provided. Free books and materials will be given to each family. A love offering will be taken to help with cost if a person is able to give, but don't let finances keep you from coming. Register for the Conference at: BEM Small Church Conference Registration BEM's Technology Missionary will be present to consult regarding your technology needs! Bring your laptops for a 'tune-up' or repair. Philip will be available all day to assist you! See you in April! John (and Beabea) Dear Friends, April has two very important dates to remember in your prayers. The obvious one is the BEM Small Church Conference on April 27th. I tried to give a 'few hints' so I'm guessing you figured that one out right away. I'll talk about the conference in a moment. First, let's discuss the other important date. That date is April 1st. No fooling! I'm not joking! April 1st is when I will be given the second injection into my spinal column for pain in, let me see, my back, shoulder, arms, legs, and neck. Did I leave anything out? The MRI shows a collapsed disk right next to my heart area, so the doctors want to avoid surgery. (If they did surgery, they would have to come in through the chest and work very close to the heart.) This collapsed disk has been the main culprit in my health issues (along with a recurring infection that apparently started in my spinal column). There are two areas, involving the collapsed disk, that are causing pain directly as well as other problems. The first is the crushed nerve that passes through the collapsed disk; but a second more serious problem is the vertebrae, itself. It has shifted and is putting pressure on the main nerve running up and down the back. This has caused severe irritation and inflammation along with actual pressure on the nerve. The injections are for the inflammation. The first injection did not last very long and had some side effects. The surgeon is going to try one more injection on April 1st. If that goes well and gives some relief for a longer period, he will do the third injection later. If it does not go well (doesn't help or has negative side effects), He will not do the third injection. Again, surgery is out of the question because the injury is near my heart. Pray for me. I am not sure what will happen, but if you pray to the Lord who knows what should happen, I will be greatly encouraged! Remember to pray for Beabea who takes care of me, takes care of grandkids, helps with their homeschooling, and countless other things. She never runs out of things to do! Continue to pray for opportunities to witness to doctors and nurses. I am always amazed at the openings that God gives. Also, pray for several counseling situations I am involved with through phone, skype, and zoom. I will be buying tickets next week for the BEM Utah conference. Beabea and I plan to fly out for that weekend. I would love to stay longer, but the doctors have cautioned me about making a long trip at this time. The third injection needs to happen around the first of May. Pray for wisdom. Now, let's discuss the BEM Utah conference. I really want to encourage you to come to this particular conference. It is designed for more interactive discussion with extra breakout sessions. This will give the leadership and people of Utah churches an opportunity to share with each other what the Lord has been teaching them. I am looking forward to learning as well as teaching! We invite the whole church family to come! Teens and Children will have their own services and fun activities. As always, there is no charge for this conference. Snacks and meals will be provided. Free books and materials will be given to each family. A love offering will be taken to help with cost if a person is able to give, but don't let finances keep you from coming. Register for the Conference at: BEM Small Church Conference Registration BEM's Technology Missionary will be present to consult regarding your technology needs! Bring your laptops for a 'tune-up' or repair. Philip will be available all day to assist you! See you in April! John (and Beabea) http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63308 63308 Tue, 2 Apr 2024 18:22:00 +0000 Hi Everyone, Counseling in ministry is always challenging, especially when you deal with conflict. More than once I have walked into a room charged with tension. I remember one time entering a meeting that was called to resolve a serious conflict in a church. Not only was everyone mad at everyone else, but they were also mad at me for not solving the problem right away. I remember praying the night before, hoping Jesus would come back before morning. In a way I just described the first Christmas. When the Lord of Heaven came to earth to be born in a manger, He was arriving at a world emersed in conflict. People hated each other, and they would hate Him as well. Jesus came to bring peace to a planet at war. It was no casual journey from home. He knew what He was getting into, and He still came. In Hebrews 4:15 we read, 'For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.' I remember my uncle, the preacher, saying, 'Jesus knows!' The baby in the manger would grow up experiencing the hardship of living in a fallen world, a world that tried to kill Him shortly after He was born. I have been told that it is not fair to compare what Jesus faced with what we face. After all, He is God, and when He lived on earth, He still knew who He was. That is true, but a great comfort for all believers is we know who He is also. When we face pain, uncertainty, and even conflict, we are able to do so because we know the Lord of Power who will sustain us even in our weakness. I have to admit this has been a tough year. I never planned on canceling meetings, going to emergency rooms, spending quality time with doctors, living days in pain, or fighting multiple infections. None of these items were a possibility in my mind as I looked forward to 2023. However, God was fully aware of all these things before He made the first grain of sand. He also planned the outcome of all this even then. I met with a spine specialist this last week, and I find myself very encouraged as a result. God has led me to a doctor who apparently understands what has been happening to me and is able to provide potential treatment that could actually help with the damage in my spine. He informed me that surgery was not even an option. I have had five spinal surgeries in my life, and my spinal column displays it. He said that surgery could cause more problems than it might solve. What the doctor said lined up with what another surgeon had told me twenty-five years ago after my first spinal surgery. That surgeon informed me that at the age of forty-two, I had a sixty-year-old spine. He even asked me for permission to use my spinal column as an example in classes he taught at a university. Alas, the joys of fame! Thank you for all your prayers! Please pray especially for the next few weeks. This new doctor will be doing additional tests including an extensive MRI before any treatments can start. In addition to that, I will be seeing another specialist concerning the infections. Don't forget to pray for my wife, Beabea. After all, she has to put up with this 'old man!' Some very exciting news. I had the privilege of leading one of my grandchildren to the Lord recently. He is the last one of my grandchildren to come to Christ. Amen and Amen! Pray for my grandchildren, in fact, pray for the children everywhere on this planet, growing up to what the world has become. They are facing real dangers that involve genuine evil. May God send a spiritual awakening to the children of earth. God is still God, and He will show that to be true in the days ahead. Finally, I have a Christmas present for you. Years ago, I taught a conference on Biblical Relationships in a church, and they did a good job of recording it. Harvest Productions took the audio recordings, and professionally edited them and put them on CDs that I gave away on a donation basis. I asked Dennis Schermer, the good friend who edited the recordings, to put the messages on YouTube for me, and he has done that. They are now available to listen to freely. It is my hope that they will be a blessing to many people. BEM plans to put the links on our website sometime soon. I also plan to create a study guide to be available in the near future. Here are the Biblical Relationship Links: The first 12 minutes of Session 1 explains the BEM Ministry… Session 1 – BEM Introduction and Biblical Relationships Session 2 – The First Relationships Session 3 – The Desire to Experience Session 4 – Search for Self-Worth Session 5 – Need for Security Happy Birthday, Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers Hi Everyone, Counseling in ministry is always challenging, especially when you deal with conflict. More than once I have walked into a room charged with tension. I remember one time entering a meeting that was called to resolve a serious conflict in a church. Not only was everyone mad at everyone else, but they were also mad at me for not solving the problem right away. I remember praying the night before, hoping Jesus would come back before morning. In a way I just described the first Christmas. When the Lord of Heaven came to earth to be born in a manger, He was arriving at a world emersed in conflict. People hated each other, and they would hate Him as well. Jesus came to bring peace to a planet at war. It was no casual journey from home. He knew what He was getting into, and He still came. In Hebrews 4:15 we read, 'For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.' I remember my uncle, the preacher, saying, 'Jesus knows!' The baby in the manger would grow up experiencing the hardship of living in a fallen world, a world that tried to kill Him shortly after He was born. I have been told that it is not fair to compare what Jesus faced with what we face. After all, He is God, and when He lived on earth, He still knew who He was. That is true, but a great comfort for all believers is we know who He is also. When we face pain, uncertainty, and even conflict, we are able to do so because we know the Lord of Power who will sustain us even in our weakness. I have to admit this has been a tough year. I never planned on canceling meetings, going to emergency rooms, spending quality time with doctors, living days in pain, or fighting multiple infections. None of these items were a possibility in my mind as I looked forward to 2023. However, God was fully aware of all these things before He made the first grain of sand. He also planned the outcome of all this even then. I met with a spine specialist this last week, and I find myself very encouraged as a result. God has led me to a doctor who apparently understands what has been happening to me and is able to provide potential treatment that could actually help with the damage in my spine. He informed me that surgery was not even an option. I have had five spinal surgeries in my life, and my spinal column displays it. He said that surgery could cause more problems than it might solve. What the doctor said lined up with what another surgeon had told me twenty-five years ago after my first spinal surgery. That surgeon informed me that at the age of forty-two, I had a sixty-year-old spine. He even asked me for permission to use my spinal column as an example in classes he taught at a university. Alas, the joys of fame! Thank you for all your prayers! Please pray especially for the next few weeks. This new doctor will be doing additional tests including an extensive MRI before any treatments can start. In addition to that, I will be seeing another specialist concerning the infections. Don't forget to pray for my wife, Beabea. After all, she has to put up with this 'old man!' Some very exciting news. I had the privilege of leading one of my grandchildren to the Lord recently. He is the last one of my grandchildren to come to Christ. Amen and Amen! Pray for my grandchildren, in fact, pray for the children everywhere on this planet, growing up to what the world has become. They are facing real dangers that involve genuine evil. May God send a spiritual awakening to the children of earth. God is still God, and He will show that to be true in the days ahead. Finally, I have a Christmas present for you. Years ago, I taught a conference on Biblical Relationships in a church, and they did a good job of recording it. Harvest Productions took the audio recordings, and professionally edited them and put them on CDs that I gave away on a donation basis. I asked Dennis Schermer, the good friend who edited the recordings, to put the messages on YouTube for me, and he has done that. They are now available to listen to freely. It is my hope that they will be a blessing to many people. BEM plans to put the links on our website sometime soon. I also plan to create a study guide to be available in the near future. Here are the Biblical Relationship Links: The first 12 minutes of Session 1 explains the BEM Ministry… Session 1 – BEM Introduction and Biblical Relationships Session 2 – The First Relationships Session 3 – The Desire to Experience Session 4 – Search for Self-Worth Session 5 – Need for Security Happy Birthday, Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63292 63292 Tue, 19 Dec 2023 10:56:00 +0000 Dear Prayer Partners: (Family & Friends!) Fall 2023 Isn't it amazing how time just moves on, and opportunities are in front of us on a daily basis. My thoughts go to a Scripture . . . . 'So, teach us to number our days,that we may gain a heart of wisdom.' Psalm 90:12 Jeanne and I have been spending many hours of our summer preparing for the Fall BEM Conference in Michigan. A number of conflicting events, that we were unaware of in our initial planning, were taking place in the Conference area. Our director and team, decided to postponed the Conference to a date yet to be decided. Proverbs 6:9 tells us 'A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.' We would ask you to pray for the BEM Conference that is being planned for April 26-27, in UTAH. We have been praying for a ministry that is going through Spiritual warfare. Pray with us that things can be resolved and the local congregation can continue to have an effective influence in their community. This weighs heavy on our hearts. Pray for the Pastor, his family and the leaders of the church, to have wisdom, a sense of God's presence, direction and victory. I have had some ministry opportunities and am looking forward to additional preaching opportunities at my home church (Bethel Baptist). They are continuing their search for a Pastor. We are both, again, serving in the Awana Ministry at Bethel this year. Jeanne has also been very busy, as she is serving on a Missions Team at Bethel. They are preparing for a Missions Emphasis during the month of October. We look for and have been given unique opportunities to share Christ with our peers at work. THANK YOU so much for praying for us! We don't always know how you may be praying, but do know God will respond to you and do the right thing. THANK YOU also for the anonymous gifts for our ministry. This helps cover costs for our involvement in the Conferences and we have used it to help purchase books for the Pastors who will attend the next Conference. We know our days are numbered (Psalm 90:12), but want to use the time God gives us to do our best in faithfully serving Him whenever the doors open. Jim & Jeanne Keller 415 NW 48th Terrace Topeka, KS 66617 785-230-9126 jeanne-jim@sbcglobal.net. Dear Prayer Partners: (Family & Friends!) Fall 2023 Isn't it amazing how time just moves on, and opportunities are in front of us on a daily basis. My thoughts go to a Scripture . . . . 'So, teach us to number our days,that we may gain a heart of wisdom.' Psalm 90:12 Jeanne and I have been spending many hours of our summer preparing for the Fall BEM Conference in Michigan. A number of conflicting events, that we were unaware of in our initial planning, were taking place in the Conference area. Our director and team, decided to postponed the Conference to a date yet to be decided. Proverbs 6:9 tells us 'A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.' We would ask you to pray for the BEM Conference that is being planned for April 26-27, in UTAH. We have been praying for a ministry that is going through Spiritual warfare. Pray with us that things can be resolved and the local congregation can continue to have an effective influence in their community. This weighs heavy on our hearts. Pray for the Pastor, his family and the leaders of the church, to have wisdom, a sense of God's presence, direction and victory. I have had some ministry opportunities and am looking forward to additional preaching opportunities at my home church (Bethel Baptist). They are continuing their search for a Pastor. We are both, again, serving in the Awana Ministry at Bethel this year. Jeanne has also been very busy, as she is serving on a Missions Team at Bethel. They are preparing for a Missions Emphasis during the month of October. We look for and have been given unique opportunities to share Christ with our peers at work. THANK YOU so much for praying for us! We don't always know how you may be praying, but do know God will respond to you and do the right thing. THANK YOU also for the anonymous gifts for our ministry. This helps cover costs for our involvement in the Conferences and we have used it to help purchase books for the Pastors who will attend the next Conference. We know our days are numbered (Psalm 90:12), but want to use the time God gives us to do our best in faithfully serving Him whenever the doors open. Jim & Jeanne Keller 415 NW 48th Terrace Topeka, KS 66617 785-230-9126 jeanne-jim@sbcglobal.net. http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63283 63283 Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:21:00 +0000 Hi Everyone, There is an old saying, and we all have heard it said many times on television and in real life. The phrase I'm talking about is this… 'Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first?' This famous and common question is actually biblically wrong in my opinion. Now, I am not condemning anyone that has used it. In fact, I have to admit I have used it once or twice or twenty-seven times. However, the more I consider the question and its implications, the more I am convinced something's wrong here. Actually, it is fairly obvious. Maybe… It seems like any honest believer should see it immediately if that person paused and thought about it. Well, I paused and thought about it, and I'm trying to be an honest believer. If we truly believe Romans 8:28 where Paul tells us that God works all things together for good for those who love the Lord, there really isn't anything that qualifies as bad news. Believers live in the realm of good news even when we think it is bad news! Now that can be difficult or at least challenging to grasp and actually believe. What about the lost all around us, and physical pain, or mental pain? The Bible never said those were good things, but that God uses them for good. Even sinful thoughts, God can use and does. To understand that, we must also understand that God uses sin and its consequences to change our hearts. The pain and sorrow we experience when we do wrong is good and often draws us back to God. Therefore, God's discipline of the believer in sin is good news! Hebrews 12 teaches that. No wonder God says, 'In everything give thanks…' Then there are health challenges we all face. Health is a wonderful tool used by God for many good things. True, sin can lead to damaged health; but many times, heath issues are not tied to our failures, but to divine purposes we are not even aware of. A challenging question I have had to ask myself is… Am I willing to live with health difficulties if God uses them to put me in places where I can share with others the good news of Christ's salvation? I rest my case. There is no bad news for the believer. So here is my first good 'bad news.' My health condition has become painful again with more infections returning. After several days of prayer, I have had to cancel my fall trips as I begin seeing specialist again in the weeks ahead. That brings us to some good 'good news.' Even though I have not traveled this year as I have in the past, I have had many chances to witness to people this year, perhaps even more than I normally do. (I always look for opportunities to talk about Jesus wherever I travel.) Staying home has opened the door to witnessing to neighbors and others locally. Of course, all the medical visits have led to many opportunities to talk about Christ to those who know the Lord and those who do not. Some examples… Waiting for an invasive medical procedure, I chatted with a nurse who is facing several ministry challenges as her husband and family seek to serve the Lord. (Her husband is a presbyterian minister.) I visited with another patient who was very ill as we both were waiting to see our doctors. This scenario has happened over and over again. I led a spur of the moment '45 minute' Bible study for two physical therapists after their clients failed to show. (I had just finished my physical therapy.) They had heard me talking to another client and had questions. There are many more stories. I just want to thank those who have purposely prayed that I would have opportunities to talk about the Lord during all these health challenges. Keep it up. There are more opportunities ahead! Now for another good 'bad news.' BEM has chosen to cancel the Small Church Conference in Milan, Michigan, scheduled for later this month (Sept. 22-23). Registrations were low due to other activities in the state that we were not aware of. Although we dislike canceling a conference, it has become clear that the timing was not the best for this area. We would not choose to overlap with other organizations that have activities planned at the same time. We desire that God's servants in the area are able to benefit from all that is being offered and are planning to reschedule in the future. Now, some good 'good news!' In our last couple of newsletters, we have shared our financial need due to all the health issues I have been facing. As I said before, I try not to make finances the center of our updates, but this was clearly the time to make the people, who love and pray for us, aware of our situation. Well, my dear friends, between the GiveSendGo account that was set up by a friend and our missionary support account at BEM, extra money has come in to totally meet the need of the past year. Beabea and I are overwhelmed with the generosity of those who have given. I have to admit, it is fun to pay off bills! I have been asked to keep our GiveSendGo account open until the end of the year. There are people who have given reoccurring gifts, and of course, we are going to have a new set of medical bills with the upcoming tests. Here is the link if you want to use the account: GiveSendGo - John and Beabea Rogers If you wish to give through our missionary account at BEM, the information is below. This is a wonderful way to give to any of our missionaries. As always, please feel no pressure from us in anyway. God's people are amazing when they are sensitive to what God is doing, and we cherish your prayers most of all. As my grandchildren say, 'Love you bunches! Love you most!' The good 'good news' is God loves you most, but Beabea and I are trying for second place! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Hi Everyone, There is an old saying, and we all have heard it said many times on television and in real life. The phrase I'm talking about is this… 'Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first?' This famous and common question is actually biblically wrong in my opinion. Now, I am not condemning anyone that has used it. In fact, I have to admit I have used it once or twice or twenty-seven times. However, the more I consider the question and its implications, the more I am convinced something's wrong here. Actually, it is fairly obvious. Maybe… It seems like any honest believer should see it immediately if that person paused and thought about it. Well, I paused and thought about it, and I'm trying to be an honest believer. If we truly believe Romans 8:28 where Paul tells us that God works all things together for good for those who love the Lord, there really isn't anything that qualifies as bad news. Believers live in the realm of good news even when we think it is bad news! Now that can be difficult or at least challenging to grasp and actually believe. What about the lost all around us, and physical pain, or mental pain? The Bible never said those were good things, but that God uses them for good. Even sinful thoughts, God can use and does. To understand that, we must also understand that God uses sin and its consequences to change our hearts. The pain and sorrow we experience when we do wrong is good and often draws us back to God. Therefore, God's discipline of the believer in sin is good news! Hebrews 12 teaches that. No wonder God says, 'In everything give thanks…' Then there are health challenges we all face. Health is a wonderful tool used by God for many good things. True, sin can lead to damaged health; but many times, heath issues are not tied to our failures, but to divine purposes we are not even aware of. A challenging question I have had to ask myself is… Am I willing to live with health difficulties if God uses them to put me in places where I can share with others the good news of Christ's salvation? I rest my case. There is no bad news for the believer. So here is my first good 'bad news.' My health condition has become painful again with more infections returning. After several days of prayer, I have had to cancel my fall trips as I begin seeing specialist again in the weeks ahead. That brings us to some good 'good news.' Even though I have not traveled this year as I have in the past, I have had many chances to witness to people this year, perhaps even more than I normally do. (I always look for opportunities to talk about Jesus wherever I travel.) Staying home has opened the door to witnessing to neighbors and others locally. Of course, all the medical visits have led to many opportunities to talk about Christ to those who know the Lord and those who do not. Some examples… Waiting for an invasive medical procedure, I chatted with a nurse who is facing several ministry challenges as her husband and family seek to serve the Lord. (Her husband is a presbyterian minister.) I visited with another patient who was very ill as we both were waiting to see our doctors. This scenario has happened over and over again. I led a spur of the moment '45 minute' Bible study for two physical therapists after their clients failed to show. (I had just finished my physical therapy.) They had heard me talking to another client and had questions. There are many more stories. I just want to thank those who have purposely prayed that I would have opportunities to talk about the Lord during all these health challenges. Keep it up. There are more opportunities ahead! Now for another good 'bad news.' BEM has chosen to cancel the Small Church Conference in Milan, Michigan, scheduled for later this month (Sept. 22-23). Registrations were low due to other activities in the state that we were not aware of. Although we dislike canceling a conference, it has become clear that the timing was not the best for this area. We would not choose to overlap with other organizations that have activities planned at the same time. We desire that God's servants in the area are able to benefit from all that is being offered and are planning to reschedule in the future. Now, some good 'good news!' In our last couple of newsletters, we have shared our financial need due to all the health issues I have been facing. As I said before, I try not to make finances the center of our updates, but this was clearly the time to make the people, who love and pray for us, aware of our situation. Well, my dear friends, between the GiveSendGo account that was set up by a friend and our missionary support account at BEM, extra money has come in to totally meet the need of the past year. Beabea and I are overwhelmed with the generosity of those who have given. I have to admit, it is fun to pay off bills! I have been asked to keep our GiveSendGo account open until the end of the year. There are people who have given reoccurring gifts, and of course, we are going to have a new set of medical bills with the upcoming tests. Here is the link if you want to use the account: GiveSendGo - John and Beabea Rogers If you wish to give through our missionary account at BEM, the information is below. This is a wonderful way to give to any of our missionaries. As always, please feel no pressure from us in anyway. God's people are amazing when they are sensitive to what God is doing, and we cherish your prayers most of all. As my grandchildren say, 'Love you bunches! Love you most!' The good 'good news' is God loves you most, but Beabea and I are trying for second place! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63281 63281 Thu, 14 Sep 2023 12:18:00 +0000 Hello from Michigan … Finally, home! This has definitely been a summer of 'Firsts' for us! From June 11th through July 16th we assisted a church in Harrah, Oklahoma, helping them in a variety of ways, including organizing their new pastoral search strategy. Then, for me (Sandy), there was the 'first' of spending a week with our Granddaughter, Helena (and a group from our church) at Big Creek Mission (Southeastern KY) in what is described to be the economically poorest county in the US. Our group assisted in child care, VBS, food distribution, house projects and a variety of other things. From July 26th – August 15, we were on Staten Island, NYC (another 'first') assisting a long-time friend and missionary couple as they enjoyed some down time with their family in Virginia and reported to supporting churches. WOW! What a wild ride this summer has been for us!!!! And…what a great summer of serving the family of God, making new friends and doing what we can to show the love of Jesus. The ministry on Staten Island at Repentance Baptist Church was unique to us in that the church is a Liberian African Congregation, many former refugees who escaped during that country's Civil Wars during the 1990s. 20+ years later, we are into the 2nd and 3rd generation. The pastor we were helping grew up in Liberia as a missionary kid and served as an adult in Liberia and Ivory Coast before returning to America due to family health issues. His mission board asked Nate and his wife, Karol, to take over this church on Staten Island, whose Liberian pastor was elderly and sick. During our time there, Tim enjoyed preaching and teaching Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings as well as leading the Tuesday morning Men's Bible Study. I taught the children on Sunday mornings and accompanied the hymn singing during the worship time. I also participated in their ladies' Zoom Bible Study on Saturday mornings. One of our favorite parts of the Sunday morning music service was when the congregation (about 40 people) enthusiastically sang a Liberian praise song medley with the tambourine and shakers, making beautiful (and very loud) music to the Lord, all in their Liberian English. We could only understand about 50% of the words … just enough to join in every now and then when we realized they were repeating a specific phrase!!! For us, it gave a glimpse of what Heaven will be like, with so many different people groups, traditions and music styles represented. The Family of God truly is an amazing thing! What a summer of multi-cultural immersion! The Oklahoma culture was part southern, part western, military (current and retired), multi-acre landowners, hardworking, educated and part Native American heritage. The KY culture I experienced was deep poverty, high unemployment (since the mines closed), struggling families, minimal education and addictions. The NYC (Staten Island) culture we experienced was different for us in that many are still strongly influenced by their Liberian heritage, making the experience both fun and challenging. They are hopeful and hardworking, embracing education as a way to a better life. Nate and Karol's role is to befriend, encourage, disciple and shepherd them in many different ways. Our observation was that Nate's role often finds him acting as a loving father or grandfather figure, helping his flock navigate the difficulties and needs experienced when combining cultures. As a side note, when Nate asked us how we were doing during his absence, my response was, 'We are living your life and it is exhausting!' When we began Barnabas Enrichment Ministries, we never imagined 15 years down the road and how God would bless and grow this ministry! Although we (our BEM group) may not be saving the world, we do believe that we are making a difference in the lives and ministries of those churches and pastors we have been able to assist. We humbly recognize that we would not be able to do this on our own. It is only through God's provision, protection and direction, along with your faithful prayers and support that we are able to serve. Thank You for partnering with us in this ministry! Tim & Sandy Hello from Michigan … Finally, home! This has definitely been a summer of 'Firsts' for us! From June 11th through July 16th we assisted a church in Harrah, Oklahoma, helping them in a variety of ways, including organizing their new pastoral search strategy. Then, for me (Sandy), there was the 'first' of spending a week with our Granddaughter, Helena (and a group from our church) at Big Creek Mission (Southeastern KY) in what is described to be the economically poorest county in the US. Our group assisted in child care, VBS, food distribution, house projects and a variety of other things. From July 26th – August 15, we were on Staten Island, NYC (another 'first') assisting a long-time friend and missionary couple as they enjoyed some down time with their family in Virginia and reported to supporting churches. WOW! What a wild ride this summer has been for us!!!! And…what a great summer of serving the family of God, making new friends and doing what we can to show the love of Jesus. The ministry on Staten Island at Repentance Baptist Church was unique to us in that the church is a Liberian African Congregation, many former refugees who escaped during that country's Civil Wars during the 1990s. 20+ years later, we are into the 2nd and 3rd generation. The pastor we were helping grew up in Liberia as a missionary kid and served as an adult in Liberia and Ivory Coast before returning to America due to family health issues. His mission board asked Nate and his wife, Karol, to take over this church on Staten Island, whose Liberian pastor was elderly and sick. During our time there, Tim enjoyed preaching and teaching Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings as well as leading the Tuesday morning Men's Bible Study. I taught the children on Sunday mornings and accompanied the hymn singing during the worship time. I also participated in their ladies' Zoom Bible Study on Saturday mornings. One of our favorite parts of the Sunday morning music service was when the congregation (about 40 people) enthusiastically sang a Liberian praise song medley with the tambourine and shakers, making beautiful (and very loud) music to the Lord, all in their Liberian English. We could only understand about 50% of the words … just enough to join in every now and then when we realized they were repeating a specific phrase!!! For us, it gave a glimpse of what Heaven will be like, with so many different people groups, traditions and music styles represented. The Family of God truly is an amazing thing! What a summer of multi-cultural immersion! The Oklahoma culture was part southern, part western, military (current and retired), multi-acre landowners, hardworking, educated and part Native American heritage. The KY culture I experienced was deep poverty, high unemployment (since the mines closed), struggling families, minimal education and addictions. The NYC (Staten Island) culture we experienced was different for us in that many are still strongly influenced by their Liberian heritage, making the experience both fun and challenging. They are hopeful and hardworking, embracing education as a way to a better life. Nate and Karol's role is to befriend, encourage, disciple and shepherd them in many different ways. Our observation was that Nate's role often finds him acting as a loving father or grandfather figure, helping his flock navigate the difficulties and needs experienced when combining cultures. As a side note, when Nate asked us how we were doing during his absence, my response was, 'We are living your life and it is exhausting!' When we began Barnabas Enrichment Ministries, we never imagined 15 years down the road and how God would bless and grow this ministry! Although we (our BEM group) may not be saving the world, we do believe that we are making a difference in the lives and ministries of those churches and pastors we have been able to assist. We humbly recognize that we would not be able to do this on our own. It is only through God's provision, protection and direction, along with your faithful prayers and support that we are able to serve. Thank You for partnering with us in this ministry! Tim & Sandy http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63282 63282 Thu, 31 Aug 2023 12:22:00 +0000 Hi Everyone, Have you ever had something terrible happen and you feel like Habakkuk, wondering if God has forgot who He is or, at the very least, fails to remember His promises? Of course not, we believers wouldn't never question God, right? Right? However, we may have a moment or two where we have no idea what He is doing! Remember this, God stories always finish well even if we don't understand until eternity. Amazingly, there are times that God let's us see His blessings from disaster while we are still down here on earth. I shared in our last Newsletter that I have been fighting different infections in my body for over six months now, one after another, and that these infections have forced me to cancel many ministry opportunities this year. (There have been other health issues as well, and I have been seeing several doctors. An MRI has shown a new cyst on my pancreas, but I am thankful that no cancer was detected at this point. I have also twice weekly been going to physical therapy to reassemble my body since it keeps trying to fall apart!) Anyway, back to my story about infections. As I explained in the last Newsletter, the doctors gave me a very strong anti-biotic because of a stubborn infection that the normal anti-biotics were not effectively stopping. After taking most of the medicine, I was hit with a serious side effect that almost hospitalized me. My right side of my body burned hot like it had caught on fire, and I felt like I was paralyzed on that side from head to foot. I could hardly move my right arm without severe pain… Enough of that. You already heard that sad story in our last Newsletter. Here is the God twist. It took over a week to start feeling better as the anti-biotic worked through my system, but since then (over a month) I have had no infections. The anti-biotic about killed me, but it also killed all of the infections! I am actually starting to feel better! And it feels good to feel better! Now, I am not going to write the script for God. He may have other plans than what I would want to happen. That's okay! After all, He is smarter than me, and wiser. My motto now is one day at a time and let God deal with the future! Just a reminder, if you plan to attend, please register as soon as possible for the BEM Small Church Conference next month. The conference is being held at Milan Baptist Church Milan, Michigan. The dates again are September 22-23, 2023. (See information below.) We will have the usual Friday Family Fun night plus the main conference taking place on Saturday. As always there will be a program for children and for teens while the adults have their sessions. There is no charge for the conference. Instead, an offering is taken on Saturday morning to help with costs. People who attend are free to give or not give. We only ask is you consider what God would have you do! The link to register online is: BEM – Milan Conference Registration Finally, Beabea and I want to thank all of you who have sent funds to our GiveSendGo account online. It has truly helped with our finances during this last month. What a blessing it has been to have that kind of love and support from friends, fellow servants, and people we don't know. We are grateful for the BEM board members that set it up for us. Thanks, Chris and Rachel! We had no idea that this kind of opportunity existed to share our needs. We also want to thank those who sent extra by way of our BEM account. The encouraging words written to us have been a wonderful comfort as well. Thank you most of all for your prayers on our behalf! It has been suggested that I include the link one more time for anyone who would still like to give using the GiveSendGo account. So here it is: GiveSendGo - John and Beabea Rogers Please continue to pray for my health and for Beabea and all she does. I am most certainly moving the right direction and look forward to speaking in churches once again as Christ's servant. I am scheduled to leave the middle of September and be gone through the middle of October. Also, pray for the many counseling opportunities that have developed even though I have not been traveling. The various methods God has been using are Skype or Zoom, phone, and amazingly, in person. Thank you for your prayers. As always, you are truly an encouragement to us! God is using you! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Hi Everyone, Have you ever had something terrible happen and you feel like Habakkuk, wondering if God has forgot who He is or, at the very least, fails to remember His promises? Of course not, we believers wouldn't never question God, right? Right? However, we may have a moment or two where we have no idea what He is doing! Remember this, God stories always finish well even if we don't understand until eternity. Amazingly, there are times that God let's us see His blessings from disaster while we are still down here on earth. I shared in our last Newsletter that I have been fighting different infections in my body for over six months now, one after another, and that these infections have forced me to cancel many ministry opportunities this year. (There have been other health issues as well, and I have been seeing several doctors. An MRI has shown a new cyst on my pancreas, but I am thankful that no cancer was detected at this point. I have also twice weekly been going to physical therapy to reassemble my body since it keeps trying to fall apart!) Anyway, back to my story about infections. As I explained in the last Newsletter, the doctors gave me a very strong anti-biotic because of a stubborn infection that the normal anti-biotics were not effectively stopping. After taking most of the medicine, I was hit with a serious side effect that almost hospitalized me. My right side of my body burned hot like it had caught on fire, and I felt like I was paralyzed on that side from head to foot. I could hardly move my right arm without severe pain… Enough of that. You already heard that sad story in our last Newsletter. Here is the God twist. It took over a week to start feeling better as the anti-biotic worked through my system, but since then (over a month) I have had no infections. The anti-biotic about killed me, but it also killed all of the infections! I am actually starting to feel better! And it feels good to feel better! Now, I am not going to write the script for God. He may have other plans than what I would want to happen. That's okay! After all, He is smarter than me, and wiser. My motto now is one day at a time and let God deal with the future! Just a reminder, if you plan to attend, please register as soon as possible for the BEM Small Church Conference next month. The conference is being held at Milan Baptist Church Milan, Michigan. The dates again are September 22-23, 2023. (See information below.) We will have the usual Friday Family Fun night plus the main conference taking place on Saturday. As always there will be a program for children and for teens while the adults have their sessions. There is no charge for the conference. Instead, an offering is taken on Saturday morning to help with costs. People who attend are free to give or not give. We only ask is you consider what God would have you do! The link to register online is: BEM – Milan Conference Registration Finally, Beabea and I want to thank all of you who have sent funds to our GiveSendGo account online. It has truly helped with our finances during this last month. What a blessing it has been to have that kind of love and support from friends, fellow servants, and people we don't know. We are grateful for the BEM board members that set it up for us. Thanks, Chris and Rachel! We had no idea that this kind of opportunity existed to share our needs. We also want to thank those who sent extra by way of our BEM account. The encouraging words written to us have been a wonderful comfort as well. Thank you most of all for your prayers on our behalf! It has been suggested that I include the link one more time for anyone who would still like to give using the GiveSendGo account. So here it is: GiveSendGo - John and Beabea Rogers Please continue to pray for my health and for Beabea and all she does. I am most certainly moving the right direction and look forward to speaking in churches once again as Christ's servant. I am scheduled to leave the middle of September and be gone through the middle of October. Also, pray for the many counseling opportunities that have developed even though I have not been traveling. The various methods God has been using are Skype or Zoom, phone, and amazingly, in person. Thank you for your prayers. As always, you are truly an encouragement to us! God is using you! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63280 63280 Thu, 3 Aug 2023 11:51:00 +0000 Hi Everyone, I am pleased to share with everyone that BEM will be having another Small Church Conference this fall. The Lord has blessed these conferences in so many ways, and it is a privilege to be a part of them. In the past we have held these conferences in Indiana and Utah with very positive results, and we are planning on continuing to do so. We are adding a new location to our expanding schedule as God continues to open doors. This new conference will be at Milan Baptist Church in Milan, Michigan. The dates are September 22-23, 2023. We will have the usual Friday Family Fun night with the main conference taking place on Saturday. I am very excited about this conference because of the emphasis on the entire church congregation. In the past members of churches have always been welcomed, but the main focus of the teaching was centered in the pastoral ministry of the church. This conference has been expanded to include a strong emphasis on the congregation as well as the leadership. The theme of the conference is The Joy of Small Church Ministry. We at BEM have all been involved in 'Small Churches' for most of our ministries. Because of this, we believe it is a great privilege when God directs one of His servants to be a part of a small church. Whether you are a pastor, a pastor's wife, or a member of the congregation, you will always be a valid part of the ministry in a small church. As always there will be a program for children and for teens while the adults have their sessions. As in all of the Small Church Conferences that BEM has done, there is no charge for this conference. There will be an offering taken during the conference, but there is no pressure to give. We want you to come to the conference no matter what the financial situation is in your life. God has always met the conference financial needs, and we trust Him completely to do so again. In addition to what I just shared; a book packet will be given away at no charge to each family unit as we have always done. It is important to register as soon as possible. Registering helps in our planning of the conference and the purchase of books to give away. The link to register online is: BEM – Milan Conference Registration I want to thank all of those that have been praying for me through this year. It has been a roller-coaster ride when it comes to my health. I have been having infections in multiple locations of my body for months now. As a result, I have been to the emergency room twice since this has started. (Just another adventure in a servant's life!) One of the areas affected has been my spinal column, but there have been several other areas as well. I am in physical therapy to help with the spinal situation. Over all, I have been taking a lot of medicine to help my body heal. These infections have forced me to cancel many ministry opportunities this year, but serving God has never been about what we think should happen. I have in the past canceled a trip because of health or other reasons. Almost everyone who travels and speaks has to do that occasionally. This has been different. The many various infections have weakened my body resulting in me needing antibiotics at a level that is way above normal. I have been going to doctors and doing medical procedures as they work at diagnosing what has been happening to me. This has opened several really good opportunities to talk with doctors and nurses about the Lord. I have also done more counseling by phone and online than normal. A few weeks back, I once again had a very severe infection, this time in the urinary tract. This is awkward to talk about! The doctor gave me a very powerful antibiotic for the infection. I had a serious side effect reaction to the medicine that almost hospitalized me. The right side of my body felt like it had caught on fire and I felt like I was paralyzed on that side. I could hardly move my right arm without severe pain. It has taken weeks, but I am now starting to get over my body's reaction to the antibiotic. I had no idea that antibiotics could do that! Finally, a board member of BEM approached me and asked if he could set up a GiveSendGo account online to help with our finances. This is the Christian version of GoFundMe. He also asked if I would put it in our newsletter. Finances have been a little tight for us with the medical bills, several major vehicle costs, and loss of income from not speaking. Our support level is at 47%. In the past, offerings from travel have been used by the Lord to help make up the difference in support. Obviously, cancelled meetings have affected our income. Although good friends have sent additional money, finances have been much more challenging this year. No complaints! God has met our daily needs, and I am certain that He will continue to do so. We also realize that God uses people to be a part of His plan. If God burdens your heart to give to our GiveSendGo account, we will use the money as good stewards. We have never centered our prayer requests around finances, so please do not feel obligated. However, if God burdens your heart to do so, we will of course be grateful! Here is the link: GiveSendGo - John and Beabea Rogers Of course, you may also send funds throught BEM as those funds will come to us.Please pray that I will continue to heal and be able to do all that is scheduled this fall. Also, pray for Beabea who has done a great job of helping me through all of this. She has spent hours at emergency centers waiting with me, and she has done so without complaint. I think she handled it better than I did, as usual! Again, thank you for your prayers. All of you are truly an encouragement to us! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Hi Everyone, I am pleased to share with everyone that BEM will be having another Small Church Conference this fall. The Lord has blessed these conferences in so many ways, and it is a privilege to be a part of them. In the past we have held these conferences in Indiana and Utah with very positive results, and we are planning on continuing to do so. We are adding a new location to our expanding schedule as God continues to open doors. This new conference will be at Milan Baptist Church in Milan, Michigan. The dates are September 22-23, 2023. We will have the usual Friday Family Fun night with the main conference taking place on Saturday. I am very excited about this conference because of the emphasis on the entire church congregation. In the past members of churches have always been welcomed, but the main focus of the teaching was centered in the pastoral ministry of the church. This conference has been expanded to include a strong emphasis on the congregation as well as the leadership. The theme of the conference is The Joy of Small Church Ministry. We at BEM have all been involved in 'Small Churches' for most of our ministries. Because of this, we believe it is a great privilege when God directs one of His servants to be a part of a small church. Whether you are a pastor, a pastor's wife, or a member of the congregation, you will always be a valid part of the ministry in a small church. As always there will be a program for children and for teens while the adults have their sessions. As in all of the Small Church Conferences that BEM has done, there is no charge for this conference. There will be an offering taken during the conference, but there is no pressure to give. We want you to come to the conference no matter what the financial situation is in your life. God has always met the conference financial needs, and we trust Him completely to do so again. In addition to what I just shared; a book packet will be given away at no charge to each family unit as we have always done. It is important to register as soon as possible. Registering helps in our planning of the conference and the purchase of books to give away. The link to register online is: BEM – Milan Conference Registration I want to thank all of those that have been praying for me through this year. It has been a roller-coaster ride when it comes to my health. I have been having infections in multiple locations of my body for months now. As a result, I have been to the emergency room twice since this has started. (Just another adventure in a servant's life!) One of the areas affected has been my spinal column, but there have been several other areas as well. I am in physical therapy to help with the spinal situation. Over all, I have been taking a lot of medicine to help my body heal. These infections have forced me to cancel many ministry opportunities this year, but serving God has never been about what we think should happen. I have in the past canceled a trip because of health or other reasons. Almost everyone who travels and speaks has to do that occasionally. This has been different. The many various infections have weakened my body resulting in me needing antibiotics at a level that is way above normal. I have been going to doctors and doing medical procedures as they work at diagnosing what has been happening to me. This has opened several really good opportunities to talk with doctors and nurses about the Lord. I have also done more counseling by phone and online than normal. A few weeks back, I once again had a very severe infection, this time in the urinary tract. This is awkward to talk about! The doctor gave me a very powerful antibiotic for the infection. I had a serious side effect reaction to the medicine that almost hospitalized me. The right side of my body felt like it had caught on fire and I felt like I was paralyzed on that side. I could hardly move my right arm without severe pain. It has taken weeks, but I am now starting to get over my body's reaction to the antibiotic. I had no idea that antibiotics could do that! Finally, a board member of BEM approached me and asked if he could set up a GiveSendGo account online to help with our finances. This is the Christian version of GoFundMe. He also asked if I would put it in our newsletter. Finances have been a little tight for us with the medical bills, several major vehicle costs, and loss of income from not speaking. Our support level is at 47%. In the past, offerings from travel have been used by the Lord to help make up the difference in support. Obviously, cancelled meetings have affected our income. Although good friends have sent additional money, finances have been much more challenging this year. No complaints! God has met our daily needs, and I am certain that He will continue to do so. We also realize that God uses people to be a part of His plan. If God burdens your heart to give to our GiveSendGo account, we will use the money as good stewards. We have never centered our prayer requests around finances, so please do not feel obligated. However, if God burdens your heart to do so, we will of course be grateful! Here is the link: GiveSendGo - John and Beabea Rogers Of course, you may also send funds throught BEM as those funds will come to us.Please pray that I will continue to heal and be able to do all that is scheduled this fall. Also, pray for Beabea who has done a great job of helping me through all of this. She has spent hours at emergency centers waiting with me, and she has done so without complaint. I think she handled it better than I did, as usual! Again, thank you for your prayers. All of you are truly an encouragement to us! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63279 63279 Thu, 13 Jul 2023 10:31:00 +0000 Jeanne and I have the privilege of sharing in Barnabas Enrichment Ministries' Small Church Pastor's Conference in Milan, Michigan, September 22nd and 23rd. The theme of the Conference is 'The Joy of Small Church Ministry'. There is no charge for this Conference and it is planned for the entire family as we recognize that ministry is a team effort. In addition to general sessions there are several workshops throughout the day. Jeanne will be involved with two: The first one is a team effort presented by Kelly, Sandy and Jeanne for the ladies attending the Conference entitled 'A Cup of Tea'. The second one is for Pastor's Wives, entitled 'The Heart of a Pastor's Wife in a Small Church' (Marilou and Jeanne). I will be presenting a workshop for Pastors entitled 'The Heart of a Pastor in a Small Church'. We are preparing for this ministry with great excitement, recognizing the value of having input into leaders' lives that can impact ministry in the hearts of their people for years to come. Therefore, we covet your prayers. We recognize God must be leading, energizing and implanting His Word, the Scriptures shared, for it to be an encouraging conference. I've had the joy of preaching the last two Sundays at Bethel Baptist in Topeka. We have completed another year serving with Bethel's Awana Ministry. I had the privilege of giving each Awana Jr. & Sr. High Student Lee Strobel's book 'The Case for Faith'. Jeanne was invited to serve on Bethel's Mission Team and is thoroughly enjoying it. God has given me numerous opportunities to share my faith at my part time job. Pray that as I share some will listen and ask more questions. When opportunities come our way to serve with BEM, we need God's direction to determine His will in serving. Keep on praying for us as God brings us to your attention.Jim & Jeanne Keller Jeanne and I have the privilege of sharing in Barnabas Enrichment Ministries' Small Church Pastor's Conference in Milan, Michigan, September 22nd and 23rd. The theme of the Conference is 'The Joy of Small Church Ministry'. There is no charge for this Conference and it is planned for the entire family as we recognize that ministry is a team effort. In addition to general sessions there are several workshops throughout the day. Jeanne will be involved with two: The first one is a team effort presented by Kelly, Sandy and Jeanne for the ladies attending the Conference entitled 'A Cup of Tea'. The second one is for Pastor's Wives, entitled 'The Heart of a Pastor's Wife in a Small Church' (Marilou and Jeanne). I will be presenting a workshop for Pastors entitled 'The Heart of a Pastor in a Small Church'. We are preparing for this ministry with great excitement, recognizing the value of having input into leaders' lives that can impact ministry in the hearts of their people for years to come. Therefore, we covet your prayers. We recognize God must be leading, energizing and implanting His Word, the Scriptures shared, for it to be an encouraging conference. I've had the joy of preaching the last two Sundays at Bethel Baptist in Topeka. We have completed another year serving with Bethel's Awana Ministry. I had the privilege of giving each Awana Jr. & Sr. High Student Lee Strobel's book 'The Case for Faith'. Jeanne was invited to serve on Bethel's Mission Team and is thoroughly enjoying it. God has given me numerous opportunities to share my faith at my part time job. Pray that as I share some will listen and ask more questions. When opportunities come our way to serve with BEM, we need God's direction to determine His will in serving. Keep on praying for us as God brings us to your attention.Jim & Jeanne Keller http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63278 63278 Mon, 12 Jun 2023 09:42:00 +0000 Hi Everyone, In our last Newsletter I talked about God not doing what we want or expect Him to do. Well, He has gone and done it again! Many of you have been praying for me as I have been preparing to leave for Alaska tomorrow. I was to be the 'keynote' speaker in a state wide fellowship conference in Anchorage and speaking in a couple of the churches in Fairbanks as a bonus. (The term 'state wide' has a lot more meaning in Alaska!) Things have changed. The leadership of the conference has prayerfully decided to move the conference from this upcoming week to fall this year (Sometime in October - November). This decision was based on a multitude of good reasons that have nothing to do with me. This means I will not be flying up to Alaska tomorrow, but I will be going to Alaska this fall. The positive in this is I probably will be able to spend more time in Alaska later this year and be in more churches as well as the conference. Also, Beabea will probably be able to come with me! Another advantage is this will allow me to start the physical therapy for my neck and back a week earlier, and that is a good thing! Thank you for your prayers in all of this. The medicine I am on has really helped so I am very encouraged. A second prayer request is to pray for our grandson, Isaiah, who fell and hurt his neck. He developed an infection where he was hurt. (The doctors state this is not contagious, but it is amazing that I had the same thing in early January.) Isaiah has been on anti-biotics and steroids and is doing much better – enough to be outside playing and perhaps an occasional misbehaving. He did have a reaction to the anti-biotic, but he seems to be getting through that okay. Please keep praying for him. Grandchildren have a special place in all our hearts! Well, I guess I will continue to let God figure all this out! The Lord is smarter than me, and I know you would agree with that! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Hi Everyone, In our last Newsletter I talked about God not doing what we want or expect Him to do. Well, He has gone and done it again! Many of you have been praying for me as I have been preparing to leave for Alaska tomorrow. I was to be the 'keynote' speaker in a state wide fellowship conference in Anchorage and speaking in a couple of the churches in Fairbanks as a bonus. (The term 'state wide' has a lot more meaning in Alaska!) Things have changed. The leadership of the conference has prayerfully decided to move the conference from this upcoming week to fall this year (Sometime in October - November). This decision was based on a multitude of good reasons that have nothing to do with me. This means I will not be flying up to Alaska tomorrow, but I will be going to Alaska this fall. The positive in this is I probably will be able to spend more time in Alaska later this year and be in more churches as well as the conference. Also, Beabea will probably be able to come with me! Another advantage is this will allow me to start the physical therapy for my neck and back a week earlier, and that is a good thing! Thank you for your prayers in all of this. The medicine I am on has really helped so I am very encouraged. A second prayer request is to pray for our grandson, Isaiah, who fell and hurt his neck. He developed an infection where he was hurt. (The doctors state this is not contagious, but it is amazing that I had the same thing in early January.) Isaiah has been on anti-biotics and steroids and is doing much better – enough to be outside playing and perhaps an occasional misbehaving. He did have a reaction to the anti-biotic, but he seems to be getting through that okay. Please keep praying for him. Grandchildren have a special place in all our hearts! Well, I guess I will continue to let God figure all this out! The Lord is smarter than me, and I know you would agree with that! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63275 63275 Thu, 20 Apr 2023 09:49:00 +0000 Greetings from Ypsilanti, Michigan! Question… Has God ever changed your direction? Have you ever experienced a circumstance where you had big plans for an event or ministry, you truly believed that God was directing those plans, yet, at some point, well into planning, all was changed … cancelled? If so, I'm sure you must have felt frustration at perhaps not knowing why, perhaps even questioning God's purpose in it all. I have to say that was our personal frustration, confusion and disappointment when, after several weeks of communicating with a church regarding their need for help during the summer months (and putting it tentatively on our schedule), we were informed that the church had decided to utilize someone else's help. Hmmm But God … As we were quietly shaking our head, a bit frustrated and wondering how God might use us through the BEM ministry this summer, we received a call regarding a small church in Oklahoma. Their pastor will be leaving in mid-June. The church would truly desire our help in filling in the gap, preaching, teaching, shepherding and helping the congregation to rally after his leaving. They also desire our help formulating a plan for finding their new pastor. Ironically, the dates are the same as what we had previously planned on for the other church! The dates are now set. They have reserved our housing. And, communication is flying back and forth between Tim and the present pastor. God's sovereignty and planning in these changes is so clear, a good reason to always 'Keep Calm, Trust and Carry On!' We're excited to see how God will allow us to encourage this body of believers in Oklahoma! We are reminded once again that God has the better plan: 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,' says the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.' Isaiah 55:8,9 Other opportunities with BEM include Tim teaching a 13 week Sunday School module at our church, Milan Baptist Church, as well as him speaking this coming weekend at a men's retreat for our son's church in the Elkhart. In addition, BEM will be hosting another Small Church Enrichment Conference in Michigan at Milan Baptist Church this September. It has been a true blessing to experience the generosity and encouragement of God's people through our sending church in central Indiana and our present church in Michigan, along with several individuals. As our mission has hosted Small Church Enrichment Conferences in several locations, we found that travel expenses resulted in our personal BEM expense account nearly running dry. But God, (don't you just love that?), as always, provided in a wonderful way! Our present church chose to support us monthly, which will help cover these expenses. The interest shown and offers of help from those we fellowship with weekly has been a true encouragement and energizer for us!!! To each of you reading this letter, THANK YOU for your prayers, words of encouragement and gifts. We covet your continued prayers as we pursue the ministry opportunities God designs for us. Thankful to be serving,Tim & Sandy Hewitt Greetings from Ypsilanti, Michigan! Question… Has God ever changed your direction? Have you ever experienced a circumstance where you had big plans for an event or ministry, you truly believed that God was directing those plans, yet, at some point, well into planning, all was changed … cancelled? If so, I'm sure you must have felt frustration at perhaps not knowing why, perhaps even questioning God's purpose in it all. I have to say that was our personal frustration, confusion and disappointment when, after several weeks of communicating with a church regarding their need for help during the summer months (and putting it tentatively on our schedule), we were informed that the church had decided to utilize someone else's help. Hmmm But God … As we were quietly shaking our head, a bit frustrated and wondering how God might use us through the BEM ministry this summer, we received a call regarding a small church in Oklahoma. Their pastor will be leaving in mid-June. The church would truly desire our help in filling in the gap, preaching, teaching, shepherding and helping the congregation to rally after his leaving. They also desire our help formulating a plan for finding their new pastor. Ironically, the dates are the same as what we had previously planned on for the other church! The dates are now set. They have reserved our housing. And, communication is flying back and forth between Tim and the present pastor. God's sovereignty and planning in these changes is so clear, a good reason to always 'Keep Calm, Trust and Carry On!' We're excited to see how God will allow us to encourage this body of believers in Oklahoma! We are reminded once again that God has the better plan: 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,' says the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.' Isaiah 55:8,9 Other opportunities with BEM include Tim teaching a 13 week Sunday School module at our church, Milan Baptist Church, as well as him speaking this coming weekend at a men's retreat for our son's church in the Elkhart. In addition, BEM will be hosting another Small Church Enrichment Conference in Michigan at Milan Baptist Church this September. It has been a true blessing to experience the generosity and encouragement of God's people through our sending church in central Indiana and our present church in Michigan, along with several individuals. As our mission has hosted Small Church Enrichment Conferences in several locations, we found that travel expenses resulted in our personal BEM expense account nearly running dry. But God, (don't you just love that?), as always, provided in a wonderful way! Our present church chose to support us monthly, which will help cover these expenses. The interest shown and offers of help from those we fellowship with weekly has been a true encouragement and energizer for us!!! To each of you reading this letter, THANK YOU for your prayers, words of encouragement and gifts. We covet your continued prayers as we pursue the ministry opportunities God designs for us. Thankful to be serving,Tim & Sandy Hewitt http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63274 63274 Tue, 18 Apr 2023 11:52:00 +0000 Dear Friends, How many of you have read missionary newsletters that begin with 'I want to share with you that God answered your prayers for us!' or something similar to that. Most of the time the missionary asked in a previous letter for everyone to pray that a certain something would happen, (and usually, that something seems to be the logical action that God should take). Then the missionary will share how God did what everyone was asking Him to do. (Of course, all of these requests have the phrase attached 'If it is God's will'.) All of us are grateful when God does what we have asked Him to do. But what if He doesn't? Does that mean God didn't answer the requested prayer? We are not allowed to think such a thought! So, did God answer the prayer or not? Of course, the immediate correct theological answer is yes, God answered, but not the way that we thought best. He answered the way God thought best. That declarative statement often comes with an internal disappointment that is not shared. The truth is we are just human, but we are also New Creations in Christ, and God challenges us to think like He does! The beauty and joy of knowing the true God is the fact that our Lord is trustworthy and does right in our lives. The more we get to know Him, the more our confidence grows in this area. I am still developing in my spiritual life (no surprise there), but this truth helps me sleep at night. Why am I sharing all this with you? In January I sent out a newsletter that asked you to pray for my health. (You have received several of these from me through the years!) I explained that during the last week of December, I was on my way to a ministry assignment in California when I started having terrible pain in my head, neck, and arm. The whole left side of my body was going numb. I found a hospital in eastern Texas and went to the emergency room. Their first reaction was I might be having a stroke. They later concluded after many tests that my spinal column, especially in my neck, had severe arthritis problems, and I had a severe infection in my body in several places. Both of these helped trigger the reaction I was experiencing. They recommended that I cancel the trip, return home, and rest. After prayer and consultation with the BEM leadership, I did exactly that. After I arrived home, I went to my family doctor. Doc gave me a second set of anti-biotics (Texas emergency room gave the first set) and worked at getting me scheduled with some specialist as well as arranging for me to have X-rays and CT scans. In the January Newsletter, I also asked that you be in prayer for a trip scheduled in February. The plan was for me to minister in several churches in Florida. That did not happen. Once again, I found myself in the emergency room, but this time at the local hospital here in Knoxville, Tennessee. I once again was in severe pain. This time the pain was on the right side of my body. They ran the usual tests and concluded that I was having the same problems as before. They told me it could come in waves and switch sides. The result of all this is I was unable to go to Florida. This was my second canceled trip in a row! I don't think I have ever experienced that before. I have shifted trips around as well shorten or lengthen them, and I have cancelled a trip before; but to actually cancel two trips next to each other was new. So, did God answer your prayers for me? The answer, of course, is yes! The answer is yes even if I don't understand, even if God never clarifies to me in this life what He is doing by canceling those trips. In March I was finally able to get into the office of a surgical back & neck specialist. I am pleased to say that I think this one knows what he is doing and how to help me recover. He put me on some powerful muscle relaxers and is scheduling me for physical therapy. All of this is to prevent the need for surgery. Important! I am scheduled to be in Alaska in April. The churches there have reworked my trip so I will only be there for one week instead of three. They consolidated the church meetings into one Sunday follow by my speaking at the Alaska Foundations Baptist Fellowship during the week. (This Fellowship is a collection of churches and pastors from across Alaska. I am the 'keynote' speaker, and I look forward to this opportunity very much.) So once again I am asking that you pray for me – especially April 21st through 27th – that it will be a God honoring time of ministry and that travel will go well. All of this is of course subject to the wisdom of God! Please, continue to pray that my body will heal and not be an obstacle to these ministry plans. Okay, I will add and mean it, please pray that the Lord of Glory do what He thinks best in my life and health! After all, He is smarter than me! Finally in closing, don't forget to pray for Beabea as she puts up with and takes care of me through all of these adventures!! Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death (both spiritual & physical)! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Dear Friends, How many of you have read missionary newsletters that begin with 'I want to share with you that God answered your prayers for us!' or something similar to that. Most of the time the missionary asked in a previous letter for everyone to pray that a certain something would happen, (and usually, that something seems to be the logical action that God should take). Then the missionary will share how God did what everyone was asking Him to do. (Of course, all of these requests have the phrase attached 'If it is God's will'.) All of us are grateful when God does what we have asked Him to do. But what if He doesn't? Does that mean God didn't answer the requested prayer? We are not allowed to think such a thought! So, did God answer the prayer or not? Of course, the immediate correct theological answer is yes, God answered, but not the way that we thought best. He answered the way God thought best. That declarative statement often comes with an internal disappointment that is not shared. The truth is we are just human, but we are also New Creations in Christ, and God challenges us to think like He does! The beauty and joy of knowing the true God is the fact that our Lord is trustworthy and does right in our lives. The more we get to know Him, the more our confidence grows in this area. I am still developing in my spiritual life (no surprise there), but this truth helps me sleep at night. Why am I sharing all this with you? In January I sent out a newsletter that asked you to pray for my health. (You have received several of these from me through the years!) I explained that during the last week of December, I was on my way to a ministry assignment in California when I started having terrible pain in my head, neck, and arm. The whole left side of my body was going numb. I found a hospital in eastern Texas and went to the emergency room. Their first reaction was I might be having a stroke. They later concluded after many tests that my spinal column, especially in my neck, had severe arthritis problems, and I had a severe infection in my body in several places. Both of these helped trigger the reaction I was experiencing. They recommended that I cancel the trip, return home, and rest. After prayer and consultation with the BEM leadership, I did exactly that. After I arrived home, I went to my family doctor. Doc gave me a second set of anti-biotics (Texas emergency room gave the first set) and worked at getting me scheduled with some specialist as well as arranging for me to have X-rays and CT scans. In the January Newsletter, I also asked that you be in prayer for a trip scheduled in February. The plan was for me to minister in several churches in Florida. That did not happen. Once again, I found myself in the emergency room, but this time at the local hospital here in Knoxville, Tennessee. I once again was in severe pain. This time the pain was on the right side of my body. They ran the usual tests and concluded that I was having the same problems as before. They told me it could come in waves and switch sides. The result of all this is I was unable to go to Florida. This was my second canceled trip in a row! I don't think I have ever experienced that before. I have shifted trips around as well shorten or lengthen them, and I have cancelled a trip before; but to actually cancel two trips next to each other was new. So, did God answer your prayers for me? The answer, of course, is yes! The answer is yes even if I don't understand, even if God never clarifies to me in this life what He is doing by canceling those trips. In March I was finally able to get into the office of a surgical back & neck specialist. I am pleased to say that I think this one knows what he is doing and how to help me recover. He put me on some powerful muscle relaxers and is scheduling me for physical therapy. All of this is to prevent the need for surgery. Important! I am scheduled to be in Alaska in April. The churches there have reworked my trip so I will only be there for one week instead of three. They consolidated the church meetings into one Sunday follow by my speaking at the Alaska Foundations Baptist Fellowship during the week. (This Fellowship is a collection of churches and pastors from across Alaska. I am the 'keynote' speaker, and I look forward to this opportunity very much.) So once again I am asking that you pray for me – especially April 21st through 27th – that it will be a God honoring time of ministry and that travel will go well. All of this is of course subject to the wisdom of God! Please, continue to pray that my body will heal and not be an obstacle to these ministry plans. Okay, I will add and mean it, please pray that the Lord of Glory do what He thinks best in my life and health! After all, He is smarter than me! Finally in closing, don't forget to pray for Beabea as she puts up with and takes care of me through all of these adventures!! Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death (both spiritual & physical)! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63268 63268 Mon, 27 Mar 2023 12:23:00 +0000 Greetings from Michigan! As I begin this 'catch-up' letter, I first want to say Thank You all for your commitment to BEM, your love, friendship and prayers. From the inception of BEM 14 years ago, God has blessed us with quality Board Members who were committed to our ministry, loved the Lord, loved us, trusted us and were willing to share their wisdom, time and resources in order to further this ministry. As a reminder, from 2008 through 2011, we were blessed to serve pastors and churches in Canada and Utah. When, very unexpectedly, God presented an opportunity (through BEM) to serve a hurting church in Indiana on a full-time basis, we put BEM on the backburner (figuratively speaking) with the goal of re-kindling the ministry during our retirement. It turned out that God had bigger things in mind for BEM! As a result of a mission board closing its doors very unexpectedly in the fall of 2011, a friend and co-worker in ministry approached us about coming on with BEM as an additional missionary, offering similar services and with the same goal of encouraging pastors and small churches. Having served as missionaries in Utah and global missions for many years, John and Beabea Rogers brought a wisdom and insight to BEM that we had never dreamed of having. Several years later, a third couple was added, Jim & Jeanne Keller, serving primarily in their state of Kansas as well as in Utah. Through the guidance of our Board and the insight and willingness to go where needed, BEM has very unexpectedly (on our part) been able to serve churches across America. In addition, at the suggestion of our Board, our Small Church Enrichment Conferences have been an additional blessing and mode of outreach to pastors. Although our work with Barnabas Enrichment Ministries (BEM) was limited through 2020 & 2021 due to Covid and the aftermath, we were able to serve in several churches in various ways, along with providing Small Church Enrichment Conferences. Our primary areas of service were in Utah, Indiana and Michigan. With our Youth Pastor leaving unexpectedly in June of 2021, Tim has had opportunity many times to preach and teach Sunday School for our pastor, helping to ease the extra work load left to him as we continue to look for the Associate Pastor God would have for us. It has been interesting to see how God has used our BEM mission and goals to minister in our local environment with people we have worshipped with since the summer of 2018 at Milan Baptist Church. They have been tremendously encouraging and uplifting. What a blessing it was to our hearts when Milan Baptist Church voted to support us and our BEM ministry on a monthly basis! Although we have not sought out monetary support since temporarily leaving BEM to serve at New Hope, we have begun to realize this past year that all of the travel expenses involved were beginning to add up. God's timing and encouragement were perfect in our receiving this unsought, but much appreciated blessing! As we begin 2023, we are looking at several BEM opportunities to serve. One will be a 6-week opportunity in Muncie, Indiana, serving as interim for a pastor fulfilling his duty as a Navy chaplain. The second will be serving a pastor and his American Liberian church on Staten Island, NY for 4-6 weeks this fall. Lord willing, we will also be hosting a Small Church Enrichment Conference at our home church, Milan Baptist Church, Milan Michigan in September, hoping to serve a new area of pastors which we have not yet met. Organizationally, God has blessed BEM with a new accountant who has offered his services without charge. Having lost our previous accountant in the fall of 2021, Tim was very grateful to have that burden lifted from his shoulders and to let Charles Kurk assume that responsibility. In addition, at our recent Annual Board Meeting, we were thrilled to take on two new board members who were well known to most of the 12 people serving on the BEM board of directors. After serving in Utah for a number of years as missionaries, and, having an exceptional understanding and rapport with both the LDS community and the Christian pastors and mission boards ministering there, Chris and Rachel DeMorrell have agreed to serve as board members of BEM and as Western Field Representatives. On a regular basis, Tim & I co-chair our Missions Committee, Tim is serving as Deacon and I am heading up a Visitor Hospitality Team, with occasional substitute teaching…way too many meetings; but, it's exciting to see all that God is accomplishing at Milan Baptist Church! In closing, we ask you to pray for us, for good health, for safety in travel and for wisdom and success in bringing encouragement to the pastors we serve. In Paul's words, 'I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,' Romans 15:30 We treasure you all and thank God for you. Thank you again for your love, friendship, prayers and generosity! Excited to be serving, Tim & Sandy Hewitt Greetings from Michigan! As I begin this 'catch-up' letter, I first want to say Thank You all for your commitment to BEM, your love, friendship and prayers. From the inception of BEM 14 years ago, God has blessed us with quality Board Members who were committed to our ministry, loved the Lord, loved us, trusted us and were willing to share their wisdom, time and resources in order to further this ministry. As a reminder, from 2008 through 2011, we were blessed to serve pastors and churches in Canada and Utah. When, very unexpectedly, God presented an opportunity (through BEM) to serve a hurting church in Indiana on a full-time basis, we put BEM on the backburner (figuratively speaking) with the goal of re-kindling the ministry during our retirement. It turned out that God had bigger things in mind for BEM! As a result of a mission board closing its doors very unexpectedly in the fall of 2011, a friend and co-worker in ministry approached us about coming on with BEM as an additional missionary, offering similar services and with the same goal of encouraging pastors and small churches. Having served as missionaries in Utah and global missions for many years, John and Beabea Rogers brought a wisdom and insight to BEM that we had never dreamed of having. Several years later, a third couple was added, Jim & Jeanne Keller, serving primarily in their state of Kansas as well as in Utah. Through the guidance of our Board and the insight and willingness to go where needed, BEM has very unexpectedly (on our part) been able to serve churches across America. In addition, at the suggestion of our Board, our Small Church Enrichment Conferences have been an additional blessing and mode of outreach to pastors. Although our work with Barnabas Enrichment Ministries (BEM) was limited through 2020 & 2021 due to Covid and the aftermath, we were able to serve in several churches in various ways, along with providing Small Church Enrichment Conferences. Our primary areas of service were in Utah, Indiana and Michigan. With our Youth Pastor leaving unexpectedly in June of 2021, Tim has had opportunity many times to preach and teach Sunday School for our pastor, helping to ease the extra work load left to him as we continue to look for the Associate Pastor God would have for us. It has been interesting to see how God has used our BEM mission and goals to minister in our local environment with people we have worshipped with since the summer of 2018 at Milan Baptist Church. They have been tremendously encouraging and uplifting. What a blessing it was to our hearts when Milan Baptist Church voted to support us and our BEM ministry on a monthly basis! Although we have not sought out monetary support since temporarily leaving BEM to serve at New Hope, we have begun to realize this past year that all of the travel expenses involved were beginning to add up. God's timing and encouragement were perfect in our receiving this unsought, but much appreciated blessing! As we begin 2023, we are looking at several BEM opportunities to serve. One will be a 6-week opportunity in Muncie, Indiana, serving as interim for a pastor fulfilling his duty as a Navy chaplain. The second will be serving a pastor and his American Liberian church on Staten Island, NY for 4-6 weeks this fall. Lord willing, we will also be hosting a Small Church Enrichment Conference at our home church, Milan Baptist Church, Milan Michigan in September, hoping to serve a new area of pastors which we have not yet met. Organizationally, God has blessed BEM with a new accountant who has offered his services without charge. Having lost our previous accountant in the fall of 2021, Tim was very grateful to have that burden lifted from his shoulders and to let Charles Kurk assume that responsibility. In addition, at our recent Annual Board Meeting, we were thrilled to take on two new board members who were well known to most of the 12 people serving on the BEM board of directors. After serving in Utah for a number of years as missionaries, and, having an exceptional understanding and rapport with both the LDS community and the Christian pastors and mission boards ministering there, Chris and Rachel DeMorrell have agreed to serve as board members of BEM and as Western Field Representatives. On a regular basis, Tim & I co-chair our Missions Committee, Tim is serving as Deacon and I am heading up a Visitor Hospitality Team, with occasional substitute teaching…way too many meetings; but, it's exciting to see all that God is accomplishing at Milan Baptist Church! In closing, we ask you to pray for us, for good health, for safety in travel and for wisdom and success in bringing encouragement to the pastors we serve. In Paul's words, 'I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,' Romans 15:30 We treasure you all and thank God for you. Thank you again for your love, friendship, prayers and generosity! Excited to be serving, Tim & Sandy Hewitt http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63259 63259 Sat, 11 Feb 2023 16:11:00 +0000 Dear Friends, As a young lad growing up, I remember a common phrase – 'If I had a dime for every time some…(Named whatever happened!), I'd be a rich man or you wouldn't see me plowing ground or pumping gas (they actually paid people to pump gas at one point in history…).' Later on, the phrase was – 'If I had a dollar for every time some… (Hum…Inflation!) Okay, so here goes… If I had a dollar for every time I started a Newsletter with 'I planned to do this, but God decided to do something else…' Last year was filled with all kinds of opportunities to serve the Lord. We were involved in helping churches without pastors, churches with projects, BEM conferences, Bible and Relationship Conferences, reporting back to supporting churches, counseling, and all kinds of 'stuff'! Our traveling led us across the country to Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Texas, Kansas, Utah, Arizona, Tennessee, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Missouri. December was spent back in Tennessee working on the computer including counseling (Skype/Zoom sessions) and end of the year paperwork. I felt somewhat exhausted as I approached the end of 2022, but I had no complaints. Serving the Lord is such an amazing adventure. A couple of days after Christmas, I packed up our Jeep Commander and headed to California for six weeks of ministry. I was looking forward to seeing dear friends in the churches where I as scheduled. (The only down part was Beabea was not traveling with me on this trip. She had other obligations with our family.) On the first day of the trip, the Jeep Commander started having 'car trouble'. I got as far as Little Rock, Arkansas and stopped for the night. The next morning, I located a shop to work on it. They were able to fix it with a nice price tag. (Well, they have to eat too!) All day sitting in the shop, I felt awful. (Not because of the repair cost…) I felt like I was coming down with something. The next day when I got up to travel, I had some pain in my chest, plus my neck and the back of my head felt like a baseball in a homerun situation. Having parts of the body hurting is not that unusual for me so I packed up and headed down the road. The pain grew worse and the left side of my body felt very weak. My neck and shoulder were very painful to the touch, and I could tell there was some swelling. I thought to myself, 'Am I having a stroke?' I kept driving – I was now somewhere in Texas. I'm a little slow sometime, but I finally concluded I needed to go to an emergency room. It took a while to find one. I want to say that I don't enjoy waiting in waiting rooms! Okay, no body does! It turns out I didn't have to. When the nurse saw me walk in, she came right over and started asking questions. There is something important to remember from that experience… When going to the emergency room for help – always look awful. The nurse concluded that I was probably having a stroke and they took me to the head of the line. After a couple of hours of tests, the doctor concluded that I wasn't having a stroke. This means more tests. Later, the doctor shared with me that I had severe arthritis in all the areas where I have had spinal surgeries… By the way, I have had about five neck and back surgeries. (You lose count after a while.) He also told me that I had a really bad infection most likely causing the swelling. The treatment was anti-biotics and steroids. It was suggested that I cancel by trip and return home and rest. When I left the emergency room, I called Tim Hewitt, the director of BEM, to discuss what to do. After talking over the situation, it was concluded that I should return home and rest. (I have a full year scheduled in Florida, Alaska, Utah, Montana, Michigan, and Indiana ahead.) From a human perspective, it is difficult to cancel meetings. I enjoy ministry even with its many challenges. I really enjoy people even with the difficulties living in this world causes. Of course, the most important and most enjoyable aspects of ministry is serving our Lord who overcomes 'difficulties and challenges' and getting to watch Him do it. Once again, I am reminded of Proverbs 16:9 that tells us, 'A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.' Or, in other words – We make our plans, but God decides! When I canceled the trip, the California churches where I was scheduled to speak were so generous in their understanding. They are amazing people. Our amazing God worked out the details for them as well. Upon arriving back home in Tennessee, I had to locate a doctor for follow up. Even though Beabea and I have 'officially' lived in Tennessee for over a year, I haven't been here long enough at one time to establish a doctor. (I have been seeing the doctors in Indiana, where we use to live, when traveling through that state.) Be in prayer that I will recover well and be ready to leave for Florida on February 23rd. The new doctor has changed my anti-biotic to a more powerful version. It also looks like I will be getting an MRI to check for the possibility of another collapsed disk in my neck. Why did God do this? There are ways that God works where we may not know the reasons until the eternal ages, but God graciously clarifies some of the time (not all of the time) why He does what He does. (Often, that clarification is only partial like seeing through a glass darkly.) Since coming back to Tennessee for the weeks in January and February that I have to be here, I have been watching God open doors in relationship building and witnessing that I have been praying for. I have had the chance to talk about the Lord, who He is, and what He does in our lives, to several people that I was looking for an opportunity to share. I have even had a chance to talk with the new doctor as well! Amazing… In conclusion, I have a very exciting piece of information to share with you about BEM. At the annual business meeting, we voted Chris and Rachel DeMorell, who are missionaries in Utah, onto our BEM Board. One of their responsibilities will be to serve as Western Field Representatives for BEM. Our director, Tim Hewitt wrote this about them: 'BEM's mission is to encourage pastors, churches and missionaries through preaching, teaching, exhorting, counseling and loving care. We believe that the DeMorell's undisputed gifts of administration, service, their ability to bring pastors together for mutual benefit and growth, along with their unconditional desire to serve our Lord and 'lift up the arms' of small church pastors uniquely qualifies them for this position. We at BEM look forward to how God will use them in this ministry!' So am I!!!!!! If you would like to get to know the DeMorells, check with me, and I will send you their contact information! Thank you for all your prayers, the words of encouragement, and the many financial gifts that are sent to us. As I tell my grandkids, 'We love you bunches!' Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death (both spiritual & physical)! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Dear Friends, As a young lad growing up, I remember a common phrase – 'If I had a dime for every time some…(Named whatever happened!), I'd be a rich man or you wouldn't see me plowing ground or pumping gas (they actually paid people to pump gas at one point in history…).' Later on, the phrase was – 'If I had a dollar for every time some… (Hum…Inflation!) Okay, so here goes… If I had a dollar for every time I started a Newsletter with 'I planned to do this, but God decided to do something else…' Last year was filled with all kinds of opportunities to serve the Lord. We were involved in helping churches without pastors, churches with projects, BEM conferences, Bible and Relationship Conferences, reporting back to supporting churches, counseling, and all kinds of 'stuff'! Our traveling led us across the country to Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Texas, Kansas, Utah, Arizona, Tennessee, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Missouri. December was spent back in Tennessee working on the computer including counseling (Skype/Zoom sessions) and end of the year paperwork. I felt somewhat exhausted as I approached the end of 2022, but I had no complaints. Serving the Lord is such an amazing adventure. A couple of days after Christmas, I packed up our Jeep Commander and headed to California for six weeks of ministry. I was looking forward to seeing dear friends in the churches where I as scheduled. (The only down part was Beabea was not traveling with me on this trip. She had other obligations with our family.) On the first day of the trip, the Jeep Commander started having 'car trouble'. I got as far as Little Rock, Arkansas and stopped for the night. The next morning, I located a shop to work on it. They were able to fix it with a nice price tag. (Well, they have to eat too!) All day sitting in the shop, I felt awful. (Not because of the repair cost…) I felt like I was coming down with something. The next day when I got up to travel, I had some pain in my chest, plus my neck and the back of my head felt like a baseball in a homerun situation. Having parts of the body hurting is not that unusual for me so I packed up and headed down the road. The pain grew worse and the left side of my body felt very weak. My neck and shoulder were very painful to the touch, and I could tell there was some swelling. I thought to myself, 'Am I having a stroke?' I kept driving – I was now somewhere in Texas. I'm a little slow sometime, but I finally concluded I needed to go to an emergency room. It took a while to find one. I want to say that I don't enjoy waiting in waiting rooms! Okay, no body does! It turns out I didn't have to. When the nurse saw me walk in, she came right over and started asking questions. There is something important to remember from that experience… When going to the emergency room for help – always look awful. The nurse concluded that I was probably having a stroke and they took me to the head of the line. After a couple of hours of tests, the doctor concluded that I wasn't having a stroke. This means more tests. Later, the doctor shared with me that I had severe arthritis in all the areas where I have had spinal surgeries… By the way, I have had about five neck and back surgeries. (You lose count after a while.) He also told me that I had a really bad infection most likely causing the swelling. The treatment was anti-biotics and steroids. It was suggested that I cancel by trip and return home and rest. When I left the emergency room, I called Tim Hewitt, the director of BEM, to discuss what to do. After talking over the situation, it was concluded that I should return home and rest. (I have a full year scheduled in Florida, Alaska, Utah, Montana, Michigan, and Indiana ahead.) From a human perspective, it is difficult to cancel meetings. I enjoy ministry even with its many challenges. I really enjoy people even with the difficulties living in this world causes. Of course, the most important and most enjoyable aspects of ministry is serving our Lord who overcomes 'difficulties and challenges' and getting to watch Him do it. Once again, I am reminded of Proverbs 16:9 that tells us, 'A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.' Or, in other words – We make our plans, but God decides! When I canceled the trip, the California churches where I was scheduled to speak were so generous in their understanding. They are amazing people. Our amazing God worked out the details for them as well. Upon arriving back home in Tennessee, I had to locate a doctor for follow up. Even though Beabea and I have 'officially' lived in Tennessee for over a year, I haven't been here long enough at one time to establish a doctor. (I have been seeing the doctors in Indiana, where we use to live, when traveling through that state.) Be in prayer that I will recover well and be ready to leave for Florida on February 23rd. The new doctor has changed my anti-biotic to a more powerful version. It also looks like I will be getting an MRI to check for the possibility of another collapsed disk in my neck. Why did God do this? There are ways that God works where we may not know the reasons until the eternal ages, but God graciously clarifies some of the time (not all of the time) why He does what He does. (Often, that clarification is only partial like seeing through a glass darkly.) Since coming back to Tennessee for the weeks in January and February that I have to be here, I have been watching God open doors in relationship building and witnessing that I have been praying for. I have had the chance to talk about the Lord, who He is, and what He does in our lives, to several people that I was looking for an opportunity to share. I have even had a chance to talk with the new doctor as well! Amazing… In conclusion, I have a very exciting piece of information to share with you about BEM. At the annual business meeting, we voted Chris and Rachel DeMorell, who are missionaries in Utah, onto our BEM Board. One of their responsibilities will be to serve as Western Field Representatives for BEM. Our director, Tim Hewitt wrote this about them: 'BEM's mission is to encourage pastors, churches and missionaries through preaching, teaching, exhorting, counseling and loving care. We believe that the DeMorell's undisputed gifts of administration, service, their ability to bring pastors together for mutual benefit and growth, along with their unconditional desire to serve our Lord and 'lift up the arms' of small church pastors uniquely qualifies them for this position. We at BEM look forward to how God will use them in this ministry!' So am I!!!!!! If you would like to get to know the DeMorells, check with me, and I will send you their contact information! Thank you for all your prayers, the words of encouragement, and the many financial gifts that are sent to us. As I tell my grandkids, 'We love you bunches!' Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death (both spiritual & physical)! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63258 63258 Sat, 11 Feb 2023 16:09:00 +0000 http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63249 63249 Mon, 19 Dec 2022 16:16:00 +0000 http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63248 63248 Mon, 19 Dec 2022 14:13:00 +0000 Dear Friends, I have been told that when a person enters the 'Elderly' stage of life, there are certain things that start to happen. One is you don't bend as well and another is when you do bend, the movement is slower! I have come to understand those are accurate statements. Another occurrence that happens is you begin to hear of friends and associates you have known through the years entering into eternity. That has also been happening the last few years. When a dear friend leaves this life behind, there is always a sadness because you will not see the departed one in this life any longer. However, if that friend has trusted Christ to take him to God in heaven, there is also great joy (and maybe a little envy…) knowing he is experiencing the wonder of eternity with our Lord. I experienced this sadness and this joy last week when I learned that Kevin Robinson, a close friend I have known since Bible college, passed into eternity. This godly man had a heart for serving God and has for several years now pastored one of our supporting churches. Kevin has always been an encouragement to me. Looking at the funeral website, I read this statement made by someone who also had experienced that quality in him. Kevin '… was a man of God first and foremost, and it was always obvious. Anytime I had the chance to chat with Kevin - he would look me in the eyes and always asked 'How are you doing?' His heart was for others, and he genuinely cared.' All of us live on the edge of eternity. The old saying about this world is '...you can't take it with you!' However, you can leave behind memories, and the memories we leave will have an impact on others. Thanks, Kevin, for the memories of what God did through your life that had an impact on mine! Since the August Newsletter, I have been in Wisconsin, Missouri, and Tennessee. Next year is filling in rapidly with ministry trips to California, Florida, Alaska, Utah, Montana, and Michigan. Next month Beabea and I head to Kokomo, Indiana for the BEM Small Church conference at Grace Baptist Church. As I said in the last newsletter, I believe this will be one of the very best conferences BEM has ever held. God deserves the honor for putting together a program that goes to the very heart of the challenges that pastors and churches face in this ever-changing culture of today. Spiritual warfare is often associated with the pressures of the outside world that Satan uses in believers, but spiritual warfare is mostly in us and the decisions we make every day. How we view God in our lives and what that really means is where the real battle is. Don't miss one session of this conference! The Lord has also placed in my heart a desire that these BEM Small Church Conferences might be a place where churches without pastors might connect with pastors without churches. There is such a great need in this area. Tim Hewitt (Director of BEM) and I have been talking about ways we could help facilitate potential pastors and churches in connecting. If you are a church without a pastor or a God called pastor without a church, consider coming to the conference and spend time networking with others. Pastors with churches often know of possible men or locations. God could use this conference to help answer your prayers for God's direction in your future. If you are coming or would like to come to the BEM conference in November, you need to register as soon as possible. There is no charge for the conference, but registering helps with planning programs, meals, displays, gift bags etc. As I have shared in the past, we will be taking an offering, but there is absolutely no pressure placed on anyone to give. That is between you and God. You may register here: BEM Small Church Conference Registration Please continue to pray for us as we travel. Pray for the power of God's truth in the messages we preach and teach. Pray for the counseling we do every day on the phone, on the computer, or in person. We have recently been working with people who claim to know Christ, but are involved in eastern religious worship and others who have possible connections to witchcraft. Those ministry opportunities are extreme situations that seem to be happening more and more, but some of the most destructive spiritual battles are taking place in everyday Christian living before many believers become aware of the danger. Praise God, the Lord is never taken by surprise! Thank you for all God does through you to enable us to serve Him each day! Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death (both spiritual & physical)! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Dear Friends, I have been told that when a person enters the 'Elderly' stage of life, there are certain things that start to happen. One is you don't bend as well and another is when you do bend, the movement is slower! I have come to understand those are accurate statements. Another occurrence that happens is you begin to hear of friends and associates you have known through the years entering into eternity. That has also been happening the last few years. When a dear friend leaves this life behind, there is always a sadness because you will not see the departed one in this life any longer. However, if that friend has trusted Christ to take him to God in heaven, there is also great joy (and maybe a little envy…) knowing he is experiencing the wonder of eternity with our Lord. I experienced this sadness and this joy last week when I learned that Kevin Robinson, a close friend I have known since Bible college, passed into eternity. This godly man had a heart for serving God and has for several years now pastored one of our supporting churches. Kevin has always been an encouragement to me. Looking at the funeral website, I read this statement made by someone who also had experienced that quality in him. Kevin '… was a man of God first and foremost, and it was always obvious. Anytime I had the chance to chat with Kevin - he would look me in the eyes and always asked 'How are you doing?' His heart was for others, and he genuinely cared.' All of us live on the edge of eternity. The old saying about this world is '...you can't take it with you!' However, you can leave behind memories, and the memories we leave will have an impact on others. Thanks, Kevin, for the memories of what God did through your life that had an impact on mine! Since the August Newsletter, I have been in Wisconsin, Missouri, and Tennessee. Next year is filling in rapidly with ministry trips to California, Florida, Alaska, Utah, Montana, and Michigan. Next month Beabea and I head to Kokomo, Indiana for the BEM Small Church conference at Grace Baptist Church. As I said in the last newsletter, I believe this will be one of the very best conferences BEM has ever held. God deserves the honor for putting together a program that goes to the very heart of the challenges that pastors and churches face in this ever-changing culture of today. Spiritual warfare is often associated with the pressures of the outside world that Satan uses in believers, but spiritual warfare is mostly in us and the decisions we make every day. How we view God in our lives and what that really means is where the real battle is. Don't miss one session of this conference! The Lord has also placed in my heart a desire that these BEM Small Church Conferences might be a place where churches without pastors might connect with pastors without churches. There is such a great need in this area. Tim Hewitt (Director of BEM) and I have been talking about ways we could help facilitate potential pastors and churches in connecting. If you are a church without a pastor or a God called pastor without a church, consider coming to the conference and spend time networking with others. Pastors with churches often know of possible men or locations. God could use this conference to help answer your prayers for God's direction in your future. If you are coming or would like to come to the BEM conference in November, you need to register as soon as possible. There is no charge for the conference, but registering helps with planning programs, meals, displays, gift bags etc. As I have shared in the past, we will be taking an offering, but there is absolutely no pressure placed on anyone to give. That is between you and God. You may register here: BEM Small Church Conference Registration Please continue to pray for us as we travel. Pray for the power of God's truth in the messages we preach and teach. Pray for the counseling we do every day on the phone, on the computer, or in person. We have recently been working with people who claim to know Christ, but are involved in eastern religious worship and others who have possible connections to witchcraft. Those ministry opportunities are extreme situations that seem to be happening more and more, but some of the most destructive spiritual battles are taking place in everyday Christian living before many believers become aware of the danger. Praise God, the Lord is never taken by surprise! Thank you for all God does through you to enable us to serve Him each day! Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death (both spiritual & physical)! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63238 63238 Thu, 20 Oct 2022 17:02:00 +0000 Dear Friends, All of us at one time or another have become excited about some future event in our lives. I remember as a kid looking forward to birthday parties, and of course, Christmas. Well, that's me as I write this! (Not about Christmas yet, and I've tried to ignore birthdays the last few years!) What I am really looking forward to right now is November 11th & 12th of this fall. Beabea and I will once more be involved in BEM's Small Church Enrichment Conference held at Grace Baptist Church in Kokomo, Indiana. This has been a wonderful location with plenty of room for all the activities that take place. The reason for my anticipation is I truly believe this will be one of our best conferences ever. We are going to be dealing with the nature of ministry that comes from understanding God's heart for us. All of the sessions will involve what ministry is and how God views it. Every session will be relevant to human need in our culture including the culture that exists within our churches. I truly believe you will find this time well spent as each session will be encouraging and practical. I know all of the conferences have been very helpful, but don't miss this one! The title for the conference is 'The Lord of the Ministry,' and I will be presenting the final session in the afternoon on Saturday. I have known all the conference speakers and teachers for many years, and they are godly servants who care about their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I believe the truths shared in this conference are at the center of the struggle many churches deal with in today's culture. God really cares about what we face in ministry, and we are not wrong to seek Him in the anticipation of what He plans for our church and the dear people we work alongside in serving Him! As before, the conference will start on Friday evening with a time of fellowship and adventure for the family. Please plan to attend. These times of casual interaction have been enjoyed at previous conferences, and I truly believe you will not be disappointed! During the Saturday schedule we will be having breakout sessions for the men and women. These have always been very popular with those who come to the conference! BEM has always had a heart for small churches and the special pastors God has called to serve in their congregations. We care very much for the pastor's family. We also recognize the need to be an encouragement to the people God has brought to these small churches. They are on the front lines as well. We want to encourage you to come and experience this great time of fellowship together. Bring the family! There will be activities and fun learning sessions for all ages! We again plan to have a gift bag with books for each family unit. Needless to say, I am really looking forward to our time together. As always, there is no charge for this conference. BEM recognizes the financial challenges small churches face in ministry. It has been amazing to watch how God provides for each conference, and once again, we are willing to trust God to meet the financial need. As we have done in the past, we will be taking an offering on Saturday allowing God's people to give as the Lord has burdened them – but we want you to come whether you have finances to give or not. The Saturday conference will be a time of teaching, sharing, and spiritual renewal. You may go the following link and register online: BEM Small Church Enrichment Conference Registration Form Register as soon as possible. That will help us in planning. If you have questions about the conference, please feel free to call me at (765) 753-0056 or Tim Hewitt (BEM Director) at (765) 667-2532. Looking forward to seeing you at the conference! Wait a minute, I just said that earlier – Well, I really am looking forward to seeing you there! John Rogers BEM Field Director jtrbem@gmail.com Dear Friends, All of us at one time or another have become excited about some future event in our lives. I remember as a kid looking forward to birthday parties, and of course, Christmas. Well, that's me as I write this! (Not about Christmas yet, and I've tried to ignore birthdays the last few years!) What I am really looking forward to right now is November 11th & 12th of this fall. Beabea and I will once more be involved in BEM's Small Church Enrichment Conference held at Grace Baptist Church in Kokomo, Indiana. This has been a wonderful location with plenty of room for all the activities that take place. The reason for my anticipation is I truly believe this will be one of our best conferences ever. We are going to be dealing with the nature of ministry that comes from understanding God's heart for us. All of the sessions will involve what ministry is and how God views it. Every session will be relevant to human need in our culture including the culture that exists within our churches. I truly believe you will find this time well spent as each session will be encouraging and practical. I know all of the conferences have been very helpful, but don't miss this one! The title for the conference is 'The Lord of the Ministry,' and I will be presenting the final session in the afternoon on Saturday. I have known all the conference speakers and teachers for many years, and they are godly servants who care about their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I believe the truths shared in this conference are at the center of the struggle many churches deal with in today's culture. God really cares about what we face in ministry, and we are not wrong to seek Him in the anticipation of what He plans for our church and the dear people we work alongside in serving Him! As before, the conference will start on Friday evening with a time of fellowship and adventure for the family. Please plan to attend. These times of casual interaction have been enjoyed at previous conferences, and I truly believe you will not be disappointed! During the Saturday schedule we will be having breakout sessions for the men and women. These have always been very popular with those who come to the conference! BEM has always had a heart for small churches and the special pastors God has called to serve in their congregations. We care very much for the pastor's family. We also recognize the need to be an encouragement to the people God has brought to these small churches. They are on the front lines as well. We want to encourage you to come and experience this great time of fellowship together. Bring the family! There will be activities and fun learning sessions for all ages! We again plan to have a gift bag with books for each family unit. Needless to say, I am really looking forward to our time together. As always, there is no charge for this conference. BEM recognizes the financial challenges small churches face in ministry. It has been amazing to watch how God provides for each conference, and once again, we are willing to trust God to meet the financial need. As we have done in the past, we will be taking an offering on Saturday allowing God's people to give as the Lord has burdened them – but we want you to come whether you have finances to give or not. The Saturday conference will be a time of teaching, sharing, and spiritual renewal. You may go the following link and register online: BEM Small Church Enrichment Conference Registration Form Register as soon as possible. That will help us in planning. If you have questions about the conference, please feel free to call me at (765) 753-0056 or Tim Hewitt (BEM Director) at (765) 667-2532. Looking forward to seeing you at the conference! Wait a minute, I just said that earlier – Well, I really am looking forward to seeing you there! John Rogers BEM Field Director jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63232 63232 Sat, 24 Sep 2022 12:29:00 +0000 Dear Prayer Partners: (Family & Friends!) August 2022 Since our last letter we had an opportunity to serve God's people through a conference for Pastors and their families, in Nephi, UT. It was a wonderful experience to challenge these Pastors and servants for Christ. From the comments we received I am confident that God used it to encourage and motivate those who attended. In addition to excellent presentations and workshops, the Friday evening fellowship time was encouraging and well received. • PRAY for the up-coming 'Small Church Pastor's Conference' in Kokomo, IN. this coming November. In preparation for a 'Ladies Workshop' at the November conference, Jeanne has been blessed by the donation of many wonderful tea cups by a number of ladies from Bethel. We are preparing and looking forward to the Conference. It is indeed a privilege to know and serve Christ; and to do so through Barnabas Enrichment Ministries, our home church, and our work places. We have been as active as possible in all of these areas. I am filling pulpits when called upon and preached again on Aug. 7th & 14th. I am, on a weekly basis, discipling two young men (on separate occasions). PRAY for their development. I see, in both of them, a tremendous potential and further ability for them to serve Christ. Jeanne weekly attends a prayer group called 'Connect in Prayer'. A group of ladies, from Bethel, meet to pray for various prayer requests, including Bethel families and missionaries. • PRAY for additional opportunities to be an encouragement, and that we would be ready and open to the Holy Spirit as He opens doors to share Christ. • Also, PRAY for God to continue to use us at our work place, as we build relationships with our co-labors. On a regular basis, I have had the opportunity to be a witness as conversations and interaction occurs, allowing me to give a Biblical and Christian perspective. We are in need of your prayers and always grateful for both your prayers and financial gifts. We are thankful to Bethel for the gift they gave to help with the costs of the Utah Conference and for the anonymous gifts given to us to use in ministry. May God Bless You, Jim & Jeanne Keller 415 NW 48th Terrace Topeka, KS 66617 785-230-9126 jeanne-jim@sbcglobal.net. Dear Prayer Partners: (Family & Friends!) August 2022 Since our last letter we had an opportunity to serve God's people through a conference for Pastors and their families, in Nephi, UT. It was a wonderful experience to challenge these Pastors and servants for Christ. From the comments we received I am confident that God used it to encourage and motivate those who attended. In addition to excellent presentations and workshops, the Friday evening fellowship time was encouraging and well received. • PRAY for the up-coming 'Small Church Pastor's Conference' in Kokomo, IN. this coming November. In preparation for a 'Ladies Workshop' at the November conference, Jeanne has been blessed by the donation of many wonderful tea cups by a number of ladies from Bethel. We are preparing and looking forward to the Conference. It is indeed a privilege to know and serve Christ; and to do so through Barnabas Enrichment Ministries, our home church, and our work places. We have been as active as possible in all of these areas. I am filling pulpits when called upon and preached again on Aug. 7th & 14th. I am, on a weekly basis, discipling two young men (on separate occasions). PRAY for their development. I see, in both of them, a tremendous potential and further ability for them to serve Christ. Jeanne weekly attends a prayer group called 'Connect in Prayer'. A group of ladies, from Bethel, meet to pray for various prayer requests, including Bethel families and missionaries. • PRAY for additional opportunities to be an encouragement, and that we would be ready and open to the Holy Spirit as He opens doors to share Christ. • Also, PRAY for God to continue to use us at our work place, as we build relationships with our co-labors. On a regular basis, I have had the opportunity to be a witness as conversations and interaction occurs, allowing me to give a Biblical and Christian perspective. We are in need of your prayers and always grateful for both your prayers and financial gifts. We are thankful to Bethel for the gift they gave to help with the costs of the Utah Conference and for the anonymous gifts given to us to use in ministry. May God Bless You, Jim & Jeanne Keller 415 NW 48th Terrace Topeka, KS 66617 785-230-9126 jeanne-jim@sbcglobal.net. http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63219 63219 Wed, 17 Aug 2022 12:56:00 +0000 Dear Friends, Besides knowing the Lord God, Creator of the Universe, who personally rescued me from Hell to live with Him till the end of time and beyond – I think the best part of being a Christian is getting to spend time with my brothers and sisters in Christ! The desire of our Lord is for us to love each other as God, the Father, and Jesus Christ love each other! Amazingly, Christ prayed for the disciples and the others that would believe in Him through the centuries that '…they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.' (John 17:21). In BEM ministry I find myself dealing with all kind of conflict situations. Through the years, I have watched Christians who truly love the Lord fight over earthly issues as if eternity hung in the balance. Many times, I have reminded these dear brothers and sisters in Christ that in the future eternal ages they will be living beside each other in heaven and lovin' it! However, I remember one old guy (who was a deacon) informing me that the New Jerusalem was 1500 miles wide, and he wanted to be at the opposite end of the one who hurt him! God help us! So back to my original comment – I love being with my brothers and sisters in Christ wherever they are at! I have to say that this has been an incredible year of travel! Beabea and I have spent time with fellow believers in churches and ministry visits in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Kansas, Utah, Arizona, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, and of course Tennessee! What a privilege to spend so much time with so many of God's people! The year is not over yet. In the remaining months I will be Wisconsin as well as Indiana again. Next year I am already booked in Alaska and Utah with possibilities in California, Nevada, and New York. These travels have been filled with many opportunities to speak to congregations, plus sharing with people (outside of the church building) the hope of eternal life. Finally, we have loved the privilege of being involved in the lives of so many fellow believers! One of the highlights of this year's travel is BEM held our Small Church Conference in Utah for the first time! We had almost 100 people present for our time together. It was great, and we all enjoyed the three famous Baptist distinctives of food, fun, and fellowship! I encourage you read the report on the conference on our website home page. Some more exciting, good news! This fall on November 11th & 12th we will be holding our Indiana Small Church Conference once again. The theme this year is 'The Lord of the Ministry'. It will have all of the usual 'food, fun, and fellowship,' but the most exciting part of the conference will be our interaction as we consider what it means to follow Christ and minister to others! Mark the date on your wall calendar, wait a minute, what is a wall calendar? Punch the date into your phone and plan to come with the whole family. We always have activities for everyone! Well, that's it for now. I've got to load my Jeep and head down the road to another adventure of serving Lord Jesus! Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Dear Friends, Besides knowing the Lord God, Creator of the Universe, who personally rescued me from Hell to live with Him till the end of time and beyond – I think the best part of being a Christian is getting to spend time with my brothers and sisters in Christ! The desire of our Lord is for us to love each other as God, the Father, and Jesus Christ love each other! Amazingly, Christ prayed for the disciples and the others that would believe in Him through the centuries that '…they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.' (John 17:21). In BEM ministry I find myself dealing with all kind of conflict situations. Through the years, I have watched Christians who truly love the Lord fight over earthly issues as if eternity hung in the balance. Many times, I have reminded these dear brothers and sisters in Christ that in the future eternal ages they will be living beside each other in heaven and lovin' it! However, I remember one old guy (who was a deacon) informing me that the New Jerusalem was 1500 miles wide, and he wanted to be at the opposite end of the one who hurt him! God help us! So back to my original comment – I love being with my brothers and sisters in Christ wherever they are at! I have to say that this has been an incredible year of travel! Beabea and I have spent time with fellow believers in churches and ministry visits in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Kansas, Utah, Arizona, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, and of course Tennessee! What a privilege to spend so much time with so many of God's people! The year is not over yet. In the remaining months I will be Wisconsin as well as Indiana again. Next year I am already booked in Alaska and Utah with possibilities in California, Nevada, and New York. These travels have been filled with many opportunities to speak to congregations, plus sharing with people (outside of the church building) the hope of eternal life. Finally, we have loved the privilege of being involved in the lives of so many fellow believers! One of the highlights of this year's travel is BEM held our Small Church Conference in Utah for the first time! We had almost 100 people present for our time together. It was great, and we all enjoyed the three famous Baptist distinctives of food, fun, and fellowship! I encourage you read the report on the conference on our website home page. Some more exciting, good news! This fall on November 11th & 12th we will be holding our Indiana Small Church Conference once again. The theme this year is 'The Lord of the Ministry'. It will have all of the usual 'food, fun, and fellowship,' but the most exciting part of the conference will be our interaction as we consider what it means to follow Christ and minister to others! Mark the date on your wall calendar, wait a minute, what is a wall calendar? Punch the date into your phone and plan to come with the whole family. We always have activities for everyone! Well, that's it for now. I've got to load my Jeep and head down the road to another adventure of serving Lord Jesus! Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63218 63218 Wed, 17 Aug 2022 12:53:00 +0000 Dear Friends and Prayer Partners, We apologize for the time delay since our last update with regard to Barnabas Enrichment Ministries (BEM). Although the mission of BEM has remained the same since its inception in 2008, for a number of reasons, our methods have changed. While we still offer intense 1-2 month long help to Small Church Pastors, we have also added interim pastor services, conference speaking, conflict resolution and missionary pastor relief assistance. In trying to encourage small church pastors through networking and fellowship opportunities with one another, we have hosted biennial Small Church Enrichment Conferences in Kokomo, Indiana and this year in Utah (free of charge to those attending). BEM's numbers have increased as well! We now have 3 couples representing this Mission through the above mentioned services. Tim & Sandy Hewitt (part-time) John & Beabea Rogers (full-time) and Jim & Jeanne Keller (part-time) are all actively serving at different times in various locations around the country (Indiana, Michigan, Kansas, New York, Wisconsin, Arizona, Alaska, California and Utah, just to name a few). A fourth couple is in the process of applying to BEM to act as our Western Representatives. We are also very thankful for our BEM Board of Directors who has helped us to think outside the box on several occasions in order to better determine how our services could best be utilized to serve in our ever changing world. Of course, COVID altered much of our plans in 2020 and 2021. In spite of COVID, with some program alterations, we were able to hold our second Biennial Small Church Enrichment Conference in November of 2020, in Kokomo, Indiana. Plans are also in the works to offer that conference once again this coming November, 2022. We believe that keeping up the dependable momentum and fellowship opportunities for these pastors and their family's needs to be a priority! After several requests from Utah, through the collective efforts of all of our BEM missionaries plus an on-site worker, we were recently able to hold our first Utah Small Church Enrichment Conference April 29-30 of this year. With God's blessing and an encouraging attendance of about 90 people, including wives and children of all ages, the Friday evening/Saturday event seemed to be a tremendous blessing to all! While we have been happy to travel distances to help out churches and pastors (Indiana, Utah etc.), it has been a blessing to be of help numerous times at our own church in Milan, Michigan. Having lost our Youth Associate Pastor a year ago, Tim has assisted our pastor a dozen times or more over the past year with teaching and preaching. We have both taken on the leadership of our church's Missions Committee. This group is very committed and worked tirelessly with us in organizing and hosting a church-wide Missions Conference (the first in 50 years!) March 5th – 6th. By God's grace, it was a huge success and a real encouragement to our pastor, our church leadership, the congregation as a whole and the missionaries who attended. Sandy was afforded the opportunity to speak at our church's Ladies' Christmas Banquet December 7th and has co-led special Ladies' sessions during each of our Small Church Conferences. In reality, it seems like BEM has a big piece of our combined mind-share on almost a daily basis. Preparations for the Small Church Enrichment Conferences take an immense amount of time in message preparation, mailings, purchasing and logistics planning. We are so thankful that God has given us the time and mind power to accomplish those things! It has definitely been a group effort and thus challenging, with the 6 (almost 8) of us living in 3-4 different states. Technology has been much used, much appreciated and sometimes cursed! We are very aware that we are able to have an effect on only a minuscule portion of the family of God in this way. Yet, we are so thankful that God has given us the vision, the mind, energy and support to accomplish these things. We have personally witnessed the difference this ministry has made in the lives of small church pastors, their families and their churches! Questions? Please feel free to email us at the address below. We would love to hear from you!!! While our personal expenses are small, mostly travel and lodging expenses, BEM bears the majority of the expenses involved in running a 501c3 organization, as well as the sizeable cost of the Small Church Enrichment Conferences (2 this year). Although the conferences are offered at no charge to those who attend, there are definitely significant expenses involved! Should you feel led to contribute to our Personal Expense Fund, or more importantly, to the BEM General Fund or Conference Fund, you may send your gift to: Barnabas Enrichment Ministries P.O. Box 229 Elkhart, IN 46515-0229 Please make sure to note where you would like the contribution to be applied. Thank you once again for your love, support and prayers. Blessings, Tim & Sandy Hewitt 'Our vision is to encourage pastors, churches and missionaries through preaching, teaching, exhorting, counseling and loving care.' Dear Friends and Prayer Partners, We apologize for the time delay since our last update with regard to Barnabas Enrichment Ministries (BEM). Although the mission of BEM has remained the same since its inception in 2008, for a number of reasons, our methods have changed. While we still offer intense 1-2 month long help to Small Church Pastors, we have also added interim pastor services, conference speaking, conflict resolution and missionary pastor relief assistance. In trying to encourage small church pastors through networking and fellowship opportunities with one another, we have hosted biennial Small Church Enrichment Conferences in Kokomo, Indiana and this year in Utah (free of charge to those attending). BEM's numbers have increased as well! We now have 3 couples representing this Mission through the above mentioned services. Tim & Sandy Hewitt (part-time) John & Beabea Rogers (full-time) and Jim & Jeanne Keller (part-time) are all actively serving at different times in various locations around the country (Indiana, Michigan, Kansas, New York, Wisconsin, Arizona, Alaska, California and Utah, just to name a few). A fourth couple is in the process of applying to BEM to act as our Western Representatives. We are also very thankful for our BEM Board of Directors who has helped us to think outside the box on several occasions in order to better determine how our services could best be utilized to serve in our ever changing world. Of course, COVID altered much of our plans in 2020 and 2021. In spite of COVID, with some program alterations, we were able to hold our second Biennial Small Church Enrichment Conference in November of 2020, in Kokomo, Indiana. Plans are also in the works to offer that conference once again this coming November, 2022. We believe that keeping up the dependable momentum and fellowship opportunities for these pastors and their family's needs to be a priority! After several requests from Utah, through the collective efforts of all of our BEM missionaries plus an on-site worker, we were recently able to hold our first Utah Small Church Enrichment Conference April 29-30 of this year. With God's blessing and an encouraging attendance of about 90 people, including wives and children of all ages, the Friday evening/Saturday event seemed to be a tremendous blessing to all! While we have been happy to travel distances to help out churches and pastors (Indiana, Utah etc.), it has been a blessing to be of help numerous times at our own church in Milan, Michigan. Having lost our Youth Associate Pastor a year ago, Tim has assisted our pastor a dozen times or more over the past year with teaching and preaching. We have both taken on the leadership of our church's Missions Committee. This group is very committed and worked tirelessly with us in organizing and hosting a church-wide Missions Conference (the first in 50 years!) March 5th – 6th. By God's grace, it was a huge success and a real encouragement to our pastor, our church leadership, the congregation as a whole and the missionaries who attended. Sandy was afforded the opportunity to speak at our church's Ladies' Christmas Banquet December 7th and has co-led special Ladies' sessions during each of our Small Church Conferences. In reality, it seems like BEM has a big piece of our combined mind-share on almost a daily basis. Preparations for the Small Church Enrichment Conferences take an immense amount of time in message preparation, mailings, purchasing and logistics planning. We are so thankful that God has given us the time and mind power to accomplish those things! It has definitely been a group effort and thus challenging, with the 6 (almost 8) of us living in 3-4 different states. Technology has been much used, much appreciated and sometimes cursed! We are very aware that we are able to have an effect on only a minuscule portion of the family of God in this way. Yet, we are so thankful that God has given us the vision, the mind, energy and support to accomplish these things. We have personally witnessed the difference this ministry has made in the lives of small church pastors, their families and their churches! Questions? Please feel free to email us at the address below. We would love to hear from you!!! While our personal expenses are small, mostly travel and lodging expenses, BEM bears the majority of the expenses involved in running a 501c3 organization, as well as the sizeable cost of the Small Church Enrichment Conferences (2 this year). Although the conferences are offered at no charge to those who attend, there are definitely significant expenses involved! Should you feel led to contribute to our Personal Expense Fund, or more importantly, to the BEM General Fund or Conference Fund, you may send your gift to: Barnabas Enrichment Ministries P.O. Box 229 Elkhart, IN 46515-0229 Please make sure to note where you would like the contribution to be applied. Thank you once again for your love, support and prayers. Blessings, Tim & Sandy Hewitt 'Our vision is to encourage pastors, churches and missionaries through preaching, teaching, exhorting, counseling and loving care.' http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63213 63213 Thu, 7 Jul 2022 16:17:00 +0000 Dear Prayer Partners: (Family & Friends!) April 2022'What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart!' I could sing that song every day of my life, as God gives us opportunity, to live for Him and speak in His favor. Several months ago, I gave a co-worker the DVD 'Evolution vs God' (I pass those out regularly) and after watching it, he opened the conversation and asked for a time to meet. 'I have some questions' he said. Pray that the door would be opened to further share with him and see him develop a personal relationship with Jesus. We appreciate your prayers for these kinds of opportunities to share, and for good health to keep on serving. It is so good to see God open doors in both public ministry and in personal relationships. Thanks for praying for us! We enjoy the people God has placed in our path and have been deeply impacted by them. • We are involved at Bethel, our sending church, working with Awana and wherever we can, in order to be helpful and encouraging to our Pastor, Glenn Farris and the people at Bethel. • Jeanne and I, along with others, will be making presentations at a Pastor's Conference in Nephi, UT on April 29-30, 2022. It is such a blessing to be able to do this as a couple. We both, along with others, are doing different sessions. I will be presenting in one of the main sessions, Jeanne will be doing a ladies' breakout session with a co-leader, Sandy, from the team. And at the end of the conference, we both will join other team members on a Q & A panel, interacting with the audience. We pray that the Holy Spirit would use us to encourage others who are actively and faithfully serving in the church, God has called them to. • I will be preaching at the Berean Bible Church, Sandy, UT. on May 1st. • We are working our part-time jobs, building relationships, serving our employers and sharing about Christ as the doors open to us. As you know it takes time to earn the trust so that people will want to listen. It is a 'Praise the Lord' thing as to how many times these doors open to us. We are so thankful for each and every one of you who are praying and for those who are helping us financially. We will use any funds for ministry. Keep on investing in the Kingdom, in your local churches, your families, your relationships and in your own spiritual growth. We need your prayer (wisdom, spiritually surrendered, vision and some health issues with Crohns). Thanks! Let us know how we may pray for you… Jim & Jeanne Keller 415 NW 48th Terrace Topeka, KS 66617 785-230-9126 jeanne-jim@sbcglobal.net. Dear Prayer Partners: (Family & Friends!) April 2022'What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart!' I could sing that song every day of my life, as God gives us opportunity, to live for Him and speak in His favor. Several months ago, I gave a co-worker the DVD 'Evolution vs God' (I pass those out regularly) and after watching it, he opened the conversation and asked for a time to meet. 'I have some questions' he said. Pray that the door would be opened to further share with him and see him develop a personal relationship with Jesus. We appreciate your prayers for these kinds of opportunities to share, and for good health to keep on serving. It is so good to see God open doors in both public ministry and in personal relationships. Thanks for praying for us! We enjoy the people God has placed in our path and have been deeply impacted by them. • We are involved at Bethel, our sending church, working with Awana and wherever we can, in order to be helpful and encouraging to our Pastor, Glenn Farris and the people at Bethel. • Jeanne and I, along with others, will be making presentations at a Pastor's Conference in Nephi, UT on April 29-30, 2022. It is such a blessing to be able to do this as a couple. We both, along with others, are doing different sessions. I will be presenting in one of the main sessions, Jeanne will be doing a ladies' breakout session with a co-leader, Sandy, from the team. And at the end of the conference, we both will join other team members on a Q & A panel, interacting with the audience. We pray that the Holy Spirit would use us to encourage others who are actively and faithfully serving in the church, God has called them to. • I will be preaching at the Berean Bible Church, Sandy, UT. on May 1st. • We are working our part-time jobs, building relationships, serving our employers and sharing about Christ as the doors open to us. As you know it takes time to earn the trust so that people will want to listen. It is a 'Praise the Lord' thing as to how many times these doors open to us. We are so thankful for each and every one of you who are praying and for those who are helping us financially. We will use any funds for ministry. Keep on investing in the Kingdom, in your local churches, your families, your relationships and in your own spiritual growth. We need your prayer (wisdom, spiritually surrendered, vision and some health issues with Crohns). Thanks! Let us know how we may pray for you… Jim & Jeanne Keller 415 NW 48th Terrace Topeka, KS 66617 785-230-9126 jeanne-jim@sbcglobal.net. http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63201 63201 Sat, 16 Apr 2022 18:10:00 +0000 March 23, 2022 Dear Friends, In our December Newsletter I talked about our move from Indiana to Tennessee and shared some thoughts about our future move as believers from earth to heaven someday. Since then, a very close friend of mine made that journey to heaven. Dan Snyder attended our church plant in Spanish Fork, Utah many years ago. It was there where he grew as a newly saved believer into a genuine servant of Christ. Eventually, Dan would go on to pastor a church in Topeka, Kansas where he and his wife, Brenda, truly enjoyed serving the Lord. Dan's taxi to heaven was pneumonia with COVID mixed in. He began his journey in El Paso, Texas, and entered his God prepared home in Heaven with a travel time of less than one second. What a way to travel! No waiting in line or trying to make a flight connection! We all are a just a few breaths away from eternity. People die for so many different reasons from sickness to natural disasters. Right now, people are entering the eternal realm as war rages in the Ukraine. (I think of the friendships that formed when I once traveled to Ukraine to teach in a Bible institute. I wonder what is happening each day in those precious lives, and I pray for them.) I also know of people who have traveled through the door of death due to car wrecks, and others who have died because of bad decisions. If those passing into eternity have trusted Christ to take them to God in Heaven, our resurrected Savior greets them with open arms. No sin is too great - these dear ones are forgiven! When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the cost of their sin. Many years ago, my friend, Dan, asked me to tell the people at his memorial service that they didn't have to be afraid of life, death, or God. He asked me to share I John 5:13 and tell those who came that they could truly know God. It was my privilege to do exactly that on behalf of Dan. One day I will enjoy fellowship with Dan again and many others including my parents. Have you paused today and wondered at the miracle of sinners changed to saints through Jesus Christ? One day we will celebrate our Savior together around the His heavenly throne! Meanwhile back on planet Earth, it is a privilege to share Christ with those who do not know Him and fellowship with those who do! The Lord has given us a very active schedule this year. We will be in Indiana, Kansas, Utah, Arizona, New York, and Wisconsin! The Covid isolation is starting to disappear, and God has thrown the door wide open to us in the months ahead. So, pray for safety in travel, physical health, and financial provision. Most of all, pray that Beabea and I will stay close to Jesus, enjoy Him, and honor Him in all we do! Of course, the number one big item this spring is the BEM Utah Small Church Conference we are a part of on April 29th and 30th in Nephi, Utah. If you live out west, I hope you can be there. BEM does not charge for this conference! (An offering is taken to give those who are able an opportunity to help if God has burden them to do so.) The conference will be a great time of fellowship as we worship God and discuss ministry in small churches including the challenges that are faced by missionaries, pastors, their family, and small congregations. If you are planning on coming and haven't registered yet, please do so as soon as possible. It will help us if we have a fairly accurate count of those who will be there. (We will be giving away books and providing food along with great fellowship!) After the conference concludes on Saturday, we look forward to special piano music and testimony by Matt Wilder of Adam's Road Piano. This will follow for those who stay. Please register for the conference if you have not done so: Register for the BEM Utah Small Church Conference Beabea and I hope to see you there! Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com 2022 BEM Utah Small Church Conference Brochure - Cover 2022 BEM Utah Small Church Conference Brochure - Inside March 23, 2022 Dear Friends, In our December Newsletter I talked about our move from Indiana to Tennessee and shared some thoughts about our future move as believers from earth to heaven someday. Since then, a very close friend of mine made that journey to heaven. Dan Snyder attended our church plant in Spanish Fork, Utah many years ago. It was there where he grew as a newly saved believer into a genuine servant of Christ. Eventually, Dan would go on to pastor a church in Topeka, Kansas where he and his wife, Brenda, truly enjoyed serving the Lord. Dan's taxi to heaven was pneumonia with COVID mixed in. He began his journey in El Paso, Texas, and entered his God prepared home in Heaven with a travel time of less than one second. What a way to travel! No waiting in line or trying to make a flight connection! We all are a just a few breaths away from eternity. People die for so many different reasons from sickness to natural disasters. Right now, people are entering the eternal realm as war rages in the Ukraine. (I think of the friendships that formed when I once traveled to Ukraine to teach in a Bible institute. I wonder what is happening each day in those precious lives, and I pray for them.) I also know of people who have traveled through the door of death due to car wrecks, and others who have died because of bad decisions. If those passing into eternity have trusted Christ to take them to God in Heaven, our resurrected Savior greets them with open arms. No sin is too great - these dear ones are forgiven! When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the cost of their sin. Many years ago, my friend, Dan, asked me to tell the people at his memorial service that they didn't have to be afraid of life, death, or God. He asked me to share I John 5:13 and tell those who came that they could truly know God. It was my privilege to do exactly that on behalf of Dan. One day I will enjoy fellowship with Dan again and many others including my parents. Have you paused today and wondered at the miracle of sinners changed to saints through Jesus Christ? One day we will celebrate our Savior together around the His heavenly throne! Meanwhile back on planet Earth, it is a privilege to share Christ with those who do not know Him and fellowship with those who do! The Lord has given us a very active schedule this year. We will be in Indiana, Kansas, Utah, Arizona, New York, and Wisconsin! The Covid isolation is starting to disappear, and God has thrown the door wide open to us in the months ahead. So, pray for safety in travel, physical health, and financial provision. Most of all, pray that Beabea and I will stay close to Jesus, enjoy Him, and honor Him in all we do! Of course, the number one big item this spring is the BEM Utah Small Church Conference we are a part of on April 29th and 30th in Nephi, Utah. If you live out west, I hope you can be there. BEM does not charge for this conference! (An offering is taken to give those who are able an opportunity to help if God has burden them to do so.) The conference will be a great time of fellowship as we worship God and discuss ministry in small churches including the challenges that are faced by missionaries, pastors, their family, and small congregations. If you are planning on coming and haven't registered yet, please do so as soon as possible. It will help us if we have a fairly accurate count of those who will be there. (We will be giving away books and providing food along with great fellowship!) After the conference concludes on Saturday, we look forward to special piano music and testimony by Matt Wilder of Adam's Road Piano. This will follow for those who stay. Please register for the conference if you have not done so: Register for the BEM Utah Small Church Conference Beabea and I hope to see you there! Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com 2022 BEM Utah Small Church Conference Brochure - Cover 2022 BEM Utah Small Church Conference Brochure - Inside http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63195 63195 Wed, 23 Mar 2022 19:25:00 +0000 December 2021 Christmas Greetings to our Family & Friends! This season gives me pause to reflect on God's goodness & grace. Both Thanksgiving (just past) and Christmas (on our heels) make my heart, mind and life fully satisfied with what God has and is doing. I am so grateful that He is faithful and kind to each of us. He has been so in the past and praise God that He can be trusted to do so in the future-forever. The future certainly will be good for those who trust Him and have received Jesus Christ into their lives. I know I may have experienced more mercy and grace than many others, but when I accepted Christ as my Savior at the age of ten, I had no idea what all that meant and how good He would be to me, even when I least deserved it. Come to think of it, I have never deserved it. I am so thankful for my health – even in May when I spent a few days in the hospital with a Crohn's flareup. Three things come to my mind: The three 'Great G's' in life. 1) Be grateful to God! 2) Be gracious to others! 3) Be generous whenever possible! I know I can use a 'check-up' and improve in all of these areas, but my heart is bent in that direction when I think of God and others. We were excited that our granddaughter, Alice, had the opportunity to participate in a Summer Missions Trip with Cru to Croatia. She is a Jr. at Kansas University. Sadie started college at Washburn University, so it has been fun having her in Topeka and getting to spend some extra time with her. Kristen is a 9th grade student at Olathe North, a school of over 2100 students. She made the freshman 'A' basketball team and also plays Club Soccer as a super goalie. Nick moved to Topeka and is enjoying his job at RetireWise Tax & Wealth Advisors. Travis & Rachel and Debby & Greg continue with their busy lives and are always a blessing to us. We've been involved in various ministries this past year. It definitely was different and challenging for everyone. I have done some preaching, had a funeral for a young man, have been involved in some consultation with various pastors and Jeanne & I have had opportunities to teach in Bethel's Awana ministry. We enjoyed celebrating Bethel's 60th Anniversary. We also have enjoyed hosting missionaries in our home. Jeanne & I will be heading to Indiana for a BEM Board Meeting in January. Barnabas Enrichment Ministries is in the middle of planning a Pastor's Conference for a group of Pastors in Utah in the Spring of 2022. We love to travel and have had opportunities to share Christ with those we met along the way. This past year gave us the opportunity to visit Jeanne's sister in MN as well as a few other short trips; to Praise Fest in Branson for Jeanne's birthday with her brother, Ted and Pam, The Omaha Zoo, a B&B in St. Joe, MO with friends and recently The Auschwitz Presentation in KC. A summer highlight was our first trip to Glacier National Park after a family wedding for a great-nephew in the Black Hills. A wonderful time with our Keller relatives. We finished up with a drive thru Yellowstone and the Tetons. Jeanne and I enjoy our part-time jobs at O'Reilly's and the Nystrom Law Firm. We believe even these areas and contacts are opportunities to be a witness and an opportunity to share Christ. We are so thankful for each and every one of you! Let us know how we may pray for you… May God bless you! Jim & Jeanne Keller 415 NW 48th Terrace Topeka, KS 66617 785-230-9126jeanne-jim@sbcglobal.net December 2021 Christmas Greetings to our Family & Friends! This season gives me pause to reflect on God's goodness & grace. Both Thanksgiving (just past) and Christmas (on our heels) make my heart, mind and life fully satisfied with what God has and is doing. I am so grateful that He is faithful and kind to each of us. He has been so in the past and praise God that He can be trusted to do so in the future-forever. The future certainly will be good for those who trust Him and have received Jesus Christ into their lives. I know I may have experienced more mercy and grace than many others, but when I accepted Christ as my Savior at the age of ten, I had no idea what all that meant and how good He would be to me, even when I least deserved it. Come to think of it, I have never deserved it. I am so thankful for my health – even in May when I spent a few days in the hospital with a Crohn's flareup. Three things come to my mind: The three 'Great G's' in life. 1) Be grateful to God! 2) Be gracious to others! 3) Be generous whenever possible! I know I can use a 'check-up' and improve in all of these areas, but my heart is bent in that direction when I think of God and others. We were excited that our granddaughter, Alice, had the opportunity to participate in a Summer Missions Trip with Cru to Croatia. She is a Jr. at Kansas University. Sadie started college at Washburn University, so it has been fun having her in Topeka and getting to spend some extra time with her. Kristen is a 9th grade student at Olathe North, a school of over 2100 students. She made the freshman 'A' basketball team and also plays Club Soccer as a super goalie. Nick moved to Topeka and is enjoying his job at RetireWise Tax & Wealth Advisors. Travis & Rachel and Debby & Greg continue with their busy lives and are always a blessing to us. We've been involved in various ministries this past year. It definitely was different and challenging for everyone. I have done some preaching, had a funeral for a young man, have been involved in some consultation with various pastors and Jeanne & I have had opportunities to teach in Bethel's Awana ministry. We enjoyed celebrating Bethel's 60th Anniversary. We also have enjoyed hosting missionaries in our home. Jeanne & I will be heading to Indiana for a BEM Board Meeting in January. Barnabas Enrichment Ministries is in the middle of planning a Pastor's Conference for a group of Pastors in Utah in the Spring of 2022. We love to travel and have had opportunities to share Christ with those we met along the way. This past year gave us the opportunity to visit Jeanne's sister in MN as well as a few other short trips; to Praise Fest in Branson for Jeanne's birthday with her brother, Ted and Pam, The Omaha Zoo, a B&B in St. Joe, MO with friends and recently The Auschwitz Presentation in KC. A summer highlight was our first trip to Glacier National Park after a family wedding for a great-nephew in the Black Hills. A wonderful time with our Keller relatives. We finished up with a drive thru Yellowstone and the Tetons. Jeanne and I enjoy our part-time jobs at O'Reilly's and the Nystrom Law Firm. We believe even these areas and contacts are opportunities to be a witness and an opportunity to share Christ. We are so thankful for each and every one of you! Let us know how we may pray for you… May God bless you! Jim & Jeanne Keller 415 NW 48th Terrace Topeka, KS 66617 785-230-9126jeanne-jim@sbcglobal.net http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63177 63177 Thu, 23 Dec 2021 10:40:00 +0000 Dear Friends, It has been said that moving is a great adventure. There is some truth in that, but another term that might describe it is insanity. My dad once told me that living in a place for more than seven years was a mistake. He was referring to the number of items that one accumulates while living. My dad had a lot of wisdom! We just moved from Indiana to Tennessee after living in our house for nineteen years. I had no idea how much stuff I actually owned until I started packing it! Before we finished loading the truck and trailer (you heard that right – truck and trailer), we were giving away items to those who were helping us move! The positive side of moving and packing is I found various things I had tried to locate for many years and thought I had lost. I gave away most of those too. Driving down the road with the U-Haul truck, I began thinking about moving from a biblical perspective. The Bible is filled with people moving. We all know the story of Abraham (who did not have a U-Haul truck) leaving all he had ever known. Then there was Paul, living on the road, without a real home of his own, sharing Christ with those around him. So many people in the Bible journeyed into the unknown knowing that God knew. And of course, Jesus! He made a huge move from King of Heaven surrounded by those who adored Him to a manger in Bethlehem, born into a very poor family under cruel government rule. (No U-Haul truck brought His personal items and magnificent throne! No luggage traveled with Him.) As I thought about Jesus and His move to earth, I thought about the last move I will ever make… my journey to heaven – perhaps because Jesus comes back or perhaps because this body dies, but I won't need a U-Haul truck either way!! None of the things I have accumulated on earth that are materially mine will be important than. Only the dear people who know Christ (some of whom I had the privilege of being a part of what God was doing in their lives) will I be able to enjoy in eternity. One of the joys of our ministries here on earth is the privilege of traveling to many different places and meeting so many of those future citizens of heaven before we all move there. This has allowed us to be free to live near my own family now before that great journey. (The move to Tennessee certainly was influenced by the fact that all of our grandchildren now live in Knoxville, Tennessee.) I do have to admit it was really difficult saying good-bye to our brothers and sisters in Christ in Indiana whom we have come to love very much, and who have loved and encouraged us in so many ways. We are looking forward to what the Lord has in this new area where we will begin to build relationships with those around us. The future involves us being together forever with all those who know Christ, so good-byes and hellos involve an eternal connection. I think about all of those friends who are believers that God has brought me into contact with, and I feel so privileged to know them. I also think of the dear friends I have encountered that are not yet apart of God's family. It too is a privilege to be a part of their lives and share with them about the God who loves me and them. For now our new earthly address is: John and Beabea Rogers 5000 Spring Valley Drive Knoxville, TN 37917 We are only using our cell phones now. Again, those numbers are… John: (765) 753-0056 Beabea: (765) 210-1570 The months ahead are filling in quickly which means that we will be traveling a lot in the days ahead. Pray that we stay safe, both physically and spiritually. I was in the middle of the intense winter storm in Wisconsin this month while Beabea was in the thunderstorms that tore through Kentucky and Tennessee. One never knows what adventures are ahead as we travel this planet! It would be insane not to trust God with the future! Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Dear Friends, It has been said that moving is a great adventure. There is some truth in that, but another term that might describe it is insanity. My dad once told me that living in a place for more than seven years was a mistake. He was referring to the number of items that one accumulates while living. My dad had a lot of wisdom! We just moved from Indiana to Tennessee after living in our house for nineteen years. I had no idea how much stuff I actually owned until I started packing it! Before we finished loading the truck and trailer (you heard that right – truck and trailer), we were giving away items to those who were helping us move! The positive side of moving and packing is I found various things I had tried to locate for many years and thought I had lost. I gave away most of those too. Driving down the road with the U-Haul truck, I began thinking about moving from a biblical perspective. The Bible is filled with people moving. We all know the story of Abraham (who did not have a U-Haul truck) leaving all he had ever known. Then there was Paul, living on the road, without a real home of his own, sharing Christ with those around him. So many people in the Bible journeyed into the unknown knowing that God knew. And of course, Jesus! He made a huge move from King of Heaven surrounded by those who adored Him to a manger in Bethlehem, born into a very poor family under cruel government rule. (No U-Haul truck brought His personal items and magnificent throne! No luggage traveled with Him.) As I thought about Jesus and His move to earth, I thought about the last move I will ever make… my journey to heaven – perhaps because Jesus comes back or perhaps because this body dies, but I won't need a U-Haul truck either way!! None of the things I have accumulated on earth that are materially mine will be important than. Only the dear people who know Christ (some of whom I had the privilege of being a part of what God was doing in their lives) will I be able to enjoy in eternity. One of the joys of our ministries here on earth is the privilege of traveling to many different places and meeting so many of those future citizens of heaven before we all move there. This has allowed us to be free to live near my own family now before that great journey. (The move to Tennessee certainly was influenced by the fact that all of our grandchildren now live in Knoxville, Tennessee.) I do have to admit it was really difficult saying good-bye to our brothers and sisters in Christ in Indiana whom we have come to love very much, and who have loved and encouraged us in so many ways. We are looking forward to what the Lord has in this new area where we will begin to build relationships with those around us. The future involves us being together forever with all those who know Christ, so good-byes and hellos involve an eternal connection. I think about all of those friends who are believers that God has brought me into contact with, and I feel so privileged to know them. I also think of the dear friends I have encountered that are not yet apart of God's family. It too is a privilege to be a part of their lives and share with them about the God who loves me and them. For now our new earthly address is: John and Beabea Rogers 5000 Spring Valley Drive Knoxville, TN 37917 We are only using our cell phones now. Again, those numbers are… John: (765) 753-0056 Beabea: (765) 210-1570 The months ahead are filling in quickly which means that we will be traveling a lot in the days ahead. Pray that we stay safe, both physically and spiritually. I was in the middle of the intense winter storm in Wisconsin this month while Beabea was in the thunderstorms that tore through Kentucky and Tennessee. One never knows what adventures are ahead as we travel this planet! It would be insane not to trust God with the future! Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63176 63176 Mon, 20 Dec 2021 16:25:00 +0000 Dear Friends, When Joseph was asked by his father, Jacob, to check on how Joseph's brothers were doing tending the flocks of sheep, Joseph didn't hesitate. He probably was aware of some of his brothers' negative feelings about him, but I doubt if he even considered what might happen out in the wilderness alone with them. In fact, I would imagine that he looked forward to the adventure of getting away from home and seeing his brothers – after all they were his brothers. He had no idea of what was ahead. Before it was over, the brothers would throw him into a pit, then sell him off as a slave who would be taken to Egypt; and finally, they would lie about him to their father, implying he was killed by a wild animal. Sometimes, it is very good that we don't know what lies ahead, otherwise, we would probably 'freak out' and worry constantly. Now, fast forward to September of this year. Beabea and I are on our way to speak in churches in New York state. The area we are headed to is where Beabea was raised and ultimately came to know the Lord. We both were really looking forward to the adventure that was ahead. It was going to be great seeing our many friends at the churches we were scheduled to speak in and visiting relatives in the area as well. Like Joseph, we were unaware that God had different plans. A couple of days before we left, I had picked up an occasional cough. I just figured it was allergies. Now as we traveled along, I realized I was experiencing more than allergies. By the time we stopped at the motel that night, I clearly understood that what was happening was not good – at least from my point of view! The next day when we got up to go, I was very sick with difficulty breathing normal. With the possibility of Covid, I knew I couldn't continue with the trip so I contacted the churches I was suppose to speak in. (Very few times in my life, I have cancelled meetings – so this was not an easy decision!) The New York churches were very understanding and let me reschedule for later. As soon as we arrived home, I did a Covid test. The results were negative. I then went to the medical clinic. They took one look at me and were convinced I had Covid. So, they retested me. Again, the results were negative. They then gave me some powerful anti-biotics and strong cough syrup. A couple of weeks later I felt somewhat resurrected. Why does God allow this stuff? In the case of Joseph, it would be many years before that question was answered. God was strategically placing Joseph where he would be able to save his family's lives in a horrible famine. As Joseph would later say to his brothers, 'you thought evil against me; but God meant it for good…' (Genesis 50:20) I really don't know why God moved our trip to New York, putting us there at a time of His choosing. I know I have had several opportunities to share with people what happened, and I am certain God wants us in New York when He places us there for some future divine appointment. Nothing is without purpose with God so I will let Him figure it out. God will do that whether I choose to give to Him or not. Another definition for faith could be, 'Trusting God even when I have questions!' Beabea and I would appreciate your prayers in several areas (actually all the areas!) In a few days we head south to speak in churches in Florida. I have asked God to keep us well, but I am glad He knows best, and I don't have to convince Him to do right! After all, my concept of right might be a bit off. Also, we have accepted an offer on our house that is set to close just before Thanksgiving. Please pray all will go as God would have it. We look forward to moving to Tennessee and being near grandkids when we are not traveling. However, it will be really difficult saying good-bye to everyone we know in Indiana. The positive part of traveling is most roads lead through Indiana, so we know we will have plenty of opportunities to visit in our travels! The last two years have been interesting when it comes to being involved in churches. We have done some face-to-face contact, speaking and helping, but we have also done many Zoom meetings including speaking in churches long distance. Two months ago, we had an almost clear schedule. Now, amazingly we are booked for in person meetings and projects all the way up to August of next year. We just have few empty slots along the way. That is exciting and a bit of a surprise. We will be in Florida, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Utah, and New York state. On the road again…! Please pray for all the travel including safety and health. Again, most important of all is that we stay close in fellowship with our Lord! Now that is an exciting adventure to look forward to!! Last letter, I closed with this statement: (Lots of positive comments about it!) So…. Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Dear Friends, When Joseph was asked by his father, Jacob, to check on how Joseph's brothers were doing tending the flocks of sheep, Joseph didn't hesitate. He probably was aware of some of his brothers' negative feelings about him, but I doubt if he even considered what might happen out in the wilderness alone with them. In fact, I would imagine that he looked forward to the adventure of getting away from home and seeing his brothers – after all they were his brothers. He had no idea of what was ahead. Before it was over, the brothers would throw him into a pit, then sell him off as a slave who would be taken to Egypt; and finally, they would lie about him to their father, implying he was killed by a wild animal. Sometimes, it is very good that we don't know what lies ahead, otherwise, we would probably 'freak out' and worry constantly. Now, fast forward to September of this year. Beabea and I are on our way to speak in churches in New York state. The area we are headed to is where Beabea was raised and ultimately came to know the Lord. We both were really looking forward to the adventure that was ahead. It was going to be great seeing our many friends at the churches we were scheduled to speak in and visiting relatives in the area as well. Like Joseph, we were unaware that God had different plans. A couple of days before we left, I had picked up an occasional cough. I just figured it was allergies. Now as we traveled along, I realized I was experiencing more than allergies. By the time we stopped at the motel that night, I clearly understood that what was happening was not good – at least from my point of view! The next day when we got up to go, I was very sick with difficulty breathing normal. With the possibility of Covid, I knew I couldn't continue with the trip so I contacted the churches I was suppose to speak in. (Very few times in my life, I have cancelled meetings – so this was not an easy decision!) The New York churches were very understanding and let me reschedule for later. As soon as we arrived home, I did a Covid test. The results were negative. I then went to the medical clinic. They took one look at me and were convinced I had Covid. So, they retested me. Again, the results were negative. They then gave me some powerful anti-biotics and strong cough syrup. A couple of weeks later I felt somewhat resurrected. Why does God allow this stuff? In the case of Joseph, it would be many years before that question was answered. God was strategically placing Joseph where he would be able to save his family's lives in a horrible famine. As Joseph would later say to his brothers, 'you thought evil against me; but God meant it for good…' (Genesis 50:20) I really don't know why God moved our trip to New York, putting us there at a time of His choosing. I know I have had several opportunities to share with people what happened, and I am certain God wants us in New York when He places us there for some future divine appointment. Nothing is without purpose with God so I will let Him figure it out. God will do that whether I choose to give to Him or not. Another definition for faith could be, 'Trusting God even when I have questions!' Beabea and I would appreciate your prayers in several areas (actually all the areas!) In a few days we head south to speak in churches in Florida. I have asked God to keep us well, but I am glad He knows best, and I don't have to convince Him to do right! After all, my concept of right might be a bit off. Also, we have accepted an offer on our house that is set to close just before Thanksgiving. Please pray all will go as God would have it. We look forward to moving to Tennessee and being near grandkids when we are not traveling. However, it will be really difficult saying good-bye to everyone we know in Indiana. The positive part of traveling is most roads lead through Indiana, so we know we will have plenty of opportunities to visit in our travels! The last two years have been interesting when it comes to being involved in churches. We have done some face-to-face contact, speaking and helping, but we have also done many Zoom meetings including speaking in churches long distance. Two months ago, we had an almost clear schedule. Now, amazingly we are booked for in person meetings and projects all the way up to August of next year. We just have few empty slots along the way. That is exciting and a bit of a surprise. We will be in Florida, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Utah, and New York state. On the road again…! Please pray for all the travel including safety and health. Again, most important of all is that we stay close in fellowship with our Lord! Now that is an exciting adventure to look forward to!! Last letter, I closed with this statement: (Lots of positive comments about it!) So…. Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63147 63147 Sat, 16 Oct 2021 11:20:00 +0000 Dear Friends, My mom's brother, Uncle Tell, was an exceptionally wise pastor that I enjoyed talking with in my grade school years. We would discuss theology from subjects such as the Second Coming of Christ to the Sovereignty of God. I remember one discussion when he said something that I cannot forget. Uncle Tell stated that one of most wonderful things about serving the Lord is 'ministry is everywhere.' He then added that one of the most difficult things about serving the Lord is 'ministry is everywhere!' I've thought about that statement through the years, and he was right. If you want to serve the Lord, there are opportunities every time you leave the house. The flip side is wherever you go, human need is overwhelming. The bottom line is where there are people, there is ministry! Only God can give the power to mend the broken hearts around us! When I realized I was going to have knee replacement surgery earlier this year, I asked that you would pray for opportunities to live Christ, especially before the medical workers I would meet at the surgery (as well as the physical therapy people that would be helping me afterward). Of course, God answered your prayers. The last few months have been filled with one opportunity after another. I have had many open up to me, asking questions and wanting answers to difficulties they were facing. This has more than once allowed me to present Christ as the solution they needed. I also want to thank you for praying that my knee would heal, allowing me to stay mobile! I have one more week of Physical Therapy, and then I will be done. I will continue doing exercises just to make sure I continue to heal. The knee is doing great. God has been so gracious. There were challenges along the way. A few weeks after the surgery, I was having increasing difficulty getting the knee to bend. I was going to Physical Therapy three times a week and doing exercises on my own as well, but none of this seemed to help. I finally had to go back into the surgical room, and the doctor forced bent the knee in a procedure called Knee Manipulation. Thank God I was not awake for that one! The doctor told me afterward that he could hear the scare tissue cracking as he bent the knee! (I am really looking forward to that new body when Jesus comes!) After the Knee Manipulation, everything started to progress much better! In August I have been speaking in churches in Indiana. In September I will be speaking in churches in New York. In October/November I will be speaking in churches in Florida. Praise the Lord that my knee is truly healing. In addition to the knee surgery, I have had an MRI of the pancreas and a colonoscopy concerning my crones. That doctor has given me an A+ rating. Praise the Lord! We are about to put our house up for sale. Our grandkids have taken up residence in Tennessee, and since where we live does not affect our ministry, we are planning to move to Tennessee. Speaking of grandkids, our granddaughter, Laurie, is doing so much better! Her health continues to improve! Please continue to pray for her and the rest of our grandchildren. Pray for our whole family! There are so many challenges in the world today. We all need God's protection! More important than physical health and wellbeing is our relationship to God! Pray for our spiritual health, that we will love the Lord and continue to serve Him as we walk among human need! Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com Dear Friends, My mom's brother, Uncle Tell, was an exceptionally wise pastor that I enjoyed talking with in my grade school years. We would discuss theology from subjects such as the Second Coming of Christ to the Sovereignty of God. I remember one discussion when he said something that I cannot forget. Uncle Tell stated that one of most wonderful things about serving the Lord is 'ministry is everywhere.' He then added that one of the most difficult things about serving the Lord is 'ministry is everywhere!' I've thought about that statement through the years, and he was right. If you want to serve the Lord, there are opportunities every time you leave the house. The flip side is wherever you go, human need is overwhelming. The bottom line is where there are people, there is ministry! Only God can give the power to mend the broken hearts around us! When I realized I was going to have knee replacement surgery earlier this year, I asked that you would pray for opportunities to live Christ, especially before the medical workers I would meet at the surgery (as well as the physical therapy people that would be helping me afterward). Of course, God answered your prayers. The last few months have been filled with one opportunity after another. I have had many open up to me, asking questions and wanting answers to difficulties they were facing. This has more than once allowed me to present Christ as the solution they needed. I also want to thank you for praying that my knee would heal, allowing me to stay mobile! I have one more week of Physical Therapy, and then I will be done. I will continue doing exercises just to make sure I continue to heal. The knee is doing great. God has been so gracious. There were challenges along the way. A few weeks after the surgery, I was having increasing difficulty getting the knee to bend. I was going to Physical Therapy three times a week and doing exercises on my own as well, but none of this seemed to help. I finally had to go back into the surgical room, and the doctor forced bent the knee in a procedure called Knee Manipulation. Thank God I was not awake for that one! The doctor told me afterward that he could hear the scare tissue cracking as he bent the knee! (I am really looking forward to that new body when Jesus comes!) After the Knee Manipulation, everything started to progress much better! In August I have been speaking in churches in Indiana. In September I will be speaking in churches in New York. In October/November I will be speaking in churches in Florida. Praise the Lord that my knee is truly healing. In addition to the knee surgery, I have had an MRI of the pancreas and a colonoscopy concerning my crones. That doctor has given me an A+ rating. Praise the Lord! We are about to put our house up for sale. Our grandkids have taken up residence in Tennessee, and since where we live does not affect our ministry, we are planning to move to Tennessee. Speaking of grandkids, our granddaughter, Laurie, is doing so much better! Her health continues to improve! Please continue to pray for her and the rest of our grandchildren. Pray for our whole family! There are so many challenges in the world today. We all need God's protection! More important than physical health and wellbeing is our relationship to God! Pray for our spiritual health, that we will love the Lord and continue to serve Him as we walk among human need! Saved, Sealed, and Delivered! Saved from sin / Sealed to God / Delivered from death! Praise Jesus! John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63129 63129 Thu, 26 Aug 2021 21:37:00 +0000 April 29, 2021 Dear Friends, I remember watching a TV show when I was a kid called the 'Six Million Dollar Man'. (Obviously inflation and government spending would change the title today!) There was a famous line that was said at the start of each show – you are probably thinking it even before you read it – 'We can rebuild him; we can make him better!' Well, I have been rebuilt! Friday, April 23rd, I had my left knee replaced. (Right knee was rebuilt in 2004.) However, even before either knee was rebuilt, I was remade! At the age of five years old, I came to Christ for eternal life. Spiritually, I am a new creation and that cost Jesus a lot more than my knee replacement! One day when Jesus comes back, I will have both knees replaced again along with the rest of my body. I will no longer be new in my spiritual existence alone, but also new in my physical body as well! I have often wondered that if in the catching up to be with Christ in eternity, will my metal parts be left behind to clang on the floor where I was standing? Wow, that is too deep for me to theologically figure out! The knee surgery went well! (I should know 'cause I was there at the time!) Actually, I don't have any memory of what happened after they rolled me into the surgical room. I know they did the knee replacement because my knee hurt in a whole new way after they did the surgery! The truth is I came out of the procedure feeling much better than I did after the last knee replacement. Thanks for praying!! (I told the surgeon beforehand that I had a lot of people praying for him to which he responded, 'Amen!') The new way of doing knee replacement is they send you home the day of surgery. (Last time I was in the hospital for four days!) After one and a half days the blocker shots they had given me in the back and above my left knee to stop pain began wearing off. Yep, they had diffidently done surgery on my left knee! There was now no question about that! Ooooooowche….! I meet with the physical therapist tomorrow and will begin physical therapy within a few days. (I have been doing exercises the doctor gave me to do until I could get started with the therapist.) In my last newsletter I asked for prayer that God might open doors to build relationships with the nurses, doctors, and staff in my upcoming surgery. Again, thanks for praying because I had many opportunities to talk about Christ in my life. God has even opened a way to allow me to follow up with some of the individuals I talked with. God is always amazing! Continue to pray for Beabea! She has been a professional caregiver for many years; however, I don't think I truly understood how good she was until watching her take care of me this last week after the surgery. Wow! She's good! Beabea truly knows how to take care of a person in my situation. No wonder the clients she had as a caregiver kept asking for her to come back! Finally, I have thought of a verse in the Bible quite often this week. It is found in 2 Corinthians 12:9. Paul wrote it concerning his own life struggle with difficulty and perhaps even pain. After Paul asked God three times to deliver him from whatever Paul was going through, the Lord responded, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Then Paul wrote his own thoughts, 'Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.' The phrase 'God's grace is sufficient for me' is not just a set of words we Christians use to sound spiritual and help our 'godly' image improve before others. These words have real meaning from the real God! Because Christ lives, I can face tomorrow as well as today! Thanks for listening to me, not forgetting me, and praying for me! From the one who is being made perfect in weakness, John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com April 29, 2021 Dear Friends, I remember watching a TV show when I was a kid called the 'Six Million Dollar Man'. (Obviously inflation and government spending would change the title today!) There was a famous line that was said at the start of each show – you are probably thinking it even before you read it – 'We can rebuild him; we can make him better!' Well, I have been rebuilt! Friday, April 23rd, I had my left knee replaced. (Right knee was rebuilt in 2004.) However, even before either knee was rebuilt, I was remade! At the age of five years old, I came to Christ for eternal life. Spiritually, I am a new creation and that cost Jesus a lot more than my knee replacement! One day when Jesus comes back, I will have both knees replaced again along with the rest of my body. I will no longer be new in my spiritual existence alone, but also new in my physical body as well! I have often wondered that if in the catching up to be with Christ in eternity, will my metal parts be left behind to clang on the floor where I was standing? Wow, that is too deep for me to theologically figure out! The knee surgery went well! (I should know 'cause I was there at the time!) Actually, I don't have any memory of what happened after they rolled me into the surgical room. I know they did the knee replacement because my knee hurt in a whole new way after they did the surgery! The truth is I came out of the procedure feeling much better than I did after the last knee replacement. Thanks for praying!! (I told the surgeon beforehand that I had a lot of people praying for him to which he responded, 'Amen!') The new way of doing knee replacement is they send you home the day of surgery. (Last time I was in the hospital for four days!) After one and a half days the blocker shots they had given me in the back and above my left knee to stop pain began wearing off. Yep, they had diffidently done surgery on my left knee! There was now no question about that! Ooooooowche….! I meet with the physical therapist tomorrow and will begin physical therapy within a few days. (I have been doing exercises the doctor gave me to do until I could get started with the therapist.) In my last newsletter I asked for prayer that God might open doors to build relationships with the nurses, doctors, and staff in my upcoming surgery. Again, thanks for praying because I had many opportunities to talk about Christ in my life. God has even opened a way to allow me to follow up with some of the individuals I talked with. God is always amazing! Continue to pray for Beabea! She has been a professional caregiver for many years; however, I don't think I truly understood how good she was until watching her take care of me this last week after the surgery. Wow! She's good! Beabea truly knows how to take care of a person in my situation. No wonder the clients she had as a caregiver kept asking for her to come back! Finally, I have thought of a verse in the Bible quite often this week. It is found in 2 Corinthians 12:9. Paul wrote it concerning his own life struggle with difficulty and perhaps even pain. After Paul asked God three times to deliver him from whatever Paul was going through, the Lord responded, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Then Paul wrote his own thoughts, 'Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.' The phrase 'God's grace is sufficient for me' is not just a set of words we Christians use to sound spiritual and help our 'godly' image improve before others. These words have real meaning from the real God! Because Christ lives, I can face tomorrow as well as today! Thanks for listening to me, not forgetting me, and praying for me! From the one who is being made perfect in weakness, John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63120 63120 Sat, 10 Jul 2021 15:55:00 +0000 April 17, 2021 Dear Friends, I mentioned in my last newsletter that I was teaching the Adult Sunday School Class at First Baptist in Russiaville (the local church we attend when we are not traveling). This has been a mind-expanding study for me. The title of the series is 'Is Your Christianity Cultic? – What is Real Christianity?' I have often thought about this subject for many years, ever since I did church planting in Utah, an area of our country that is highly religious. What has been interesting recently is we are in a church that takes this topic very seriously. Over and over again I have watched the people of First Baptist live out Biblical Christianity. It is amazing what can happen when the people of a church remove 'religious activity' and replace it with 'relational interaction' toward each other. God is the God of Relationships and always has been. In eternity past God had perfect relationship within Himself. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit enjoyed the harmony of unity in one. An example: Recently, on my birthday, I sat in church without Beabea. (She has been in Tennessee helping our daughter with our granddaughter, Laurie, who has had health challenges – by the way Laurie is doing much better.) The people of the church knew Beabea and I have been apart quite a bit in the last year because of this. I also mentioned on occasion that I had been missing my grandkids in Tennessee. So, there I was sitting by myself in church on my birthday when the pastor announced there was going to be special music provided by some visitors. I glanced over my shoulder down the aisle and thought, 'Hum, that first kid looks a lot like my granddaughter, Morgan. It was then that I realized the visitors were my daughter, Christy, and her three children including, Laurie! Many commented on the very surprised expression on my face. Then Beabea quietly came up behind me and gave me a kiss. I remember thinking that better be Beabea or we have a serious situation here! I found out after the service that the people of the church had paid the cost for these family members to come up and see me on my birthday. The church even had a surprise birthday cake (at the fellowship afterward) with presents! Beabea's birthday is close to mine so they celebrated hers as well! This is just one example. There have been many including financial gifts from people in the church (we are at the 50% support level) to physical help around our home when there is need. Recently there has been need because of the increasing severity of pain in my left knee. This has been going on for a couple of years – but now it is at the level that requires surgery. On Friday, April 23rd, I will be having my second knee replacement. (The first was the right knee back in 2004 and it has done very well.) I have to admit that I am not exactly thrilled as I anticipate this upcoming surgery. I remember in Bible College praying for the Rapture just before finals. I am experiencing a very similar emotion. However, I love the definition of faith that I have lived my life by for many years. 'Faith is the decision to trust God even with all my doubts and fears!' Circumstances are not what brings 'Hope'. Hope comes from the quality of who God is – that He is trustworthy. The trustworthy God has been meeting my needs for the upcoming surgery in many ways. (Another example of Relational Christianity is a couple from the church brought over their kids and moved my office from the basement to a room upstairs because of the knee surgery!) So here are some prayer requests… Please pray for the upcoming knee replacement surgery. Of course, I don't mind you praying that I heal quickly, but more important, pray that I will live out Christ to the many people who will be a part of the surgery and the recovery afterward. God has always amazed me how He opens doors of opportunity to encourage those around me with the wonder of God. He especially seems to do it when I have a medical need. I get to interact with people I normally wouldn't be involved with and that is special! Pray for strength and patience for Beabea as she takes care of me after the surgery. (It is great having her back! She is a fantastic cook!! – not to mention really pretty!) Pray for Christy, our daughter, as she will not have Beabea to help with Laurie while I am recovering (and of course, continue to pray for Laurie). While you are at it, pray for all of my grandkids! They are very special! After all, they have Beabea's genes! Continue to pray for our ministry and the upcoming travel this fall. With Covid cases dropping, doors are really starting to open up. Finally, Relational Christianity is precious. Thank you for the relationship we have with you, and your interest in our lives! Your fellow servant and brother in Christ, John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com April 17, 2021 Dear Friends, I mentioned in my last newsletter that I was teaching the Adult Sunday School Class at First Baptist in Russiaville (the local church we attend when we are not traveling). This has been a mind-expanding study for me. The title of the series is 'Is Your Christianity Cultic? – What is Real Christianity?' I have often thought about this subject for many years, ever since I did church planting in Utah, an area of our country that is highly religious. What has been interesting recently is we are in a church that takes this topic very seriously. Over and over again I have watched the people of First Baptist live out Biblical Christianity. It is amazing what can happen when the people of a church remove 'religious activity' and replace it with 'relational interaction' toward each other. God is the God of Relationships and always has been. In eternity past God had perfect relationship within Himself. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit enjoyed the harmony of unity in one. An example: Recently, on my birthday, I sat in church without Beabea. (She has been in Tennessee helping our daughter with our granddaughter, Laurie, who has had health challenges – by the way Laurie is doing much better.) The people of the church knew Beabea and I have been apart quite a bit in the last year because of this. I also mentioned on occasion that I had been missing my grandkids in Tennessee. So, there I was sitting by myself in church on my birthday when the pastor announced there was going to be special music provided by some visitors. I glanced over my shoulder down the aisle and thought, 'Hum, that first kid looks a lot like my granddaughter, Morgan. It was then that I realized the visitors were my daughter, Christy, and her three children including, Laurie! Many commented on the very surprised expression on my face. Then Beabea quietly came up behind me and gave me a kiss. I remember thinking that better be Beabea or we have a serious situation here! I found out after the service that the people of the church had paid the cost for these family members to come up and see me on my birthday. The church even had a surprise birthday cake (at the fellowship afterward) with presents! Beabea's birthday is close to mine so they celebrated hers as well! This is just one example. There have been many including financial gifts from people in the church (we are at the 50% support level) to physical help around our home when there is need. Recently there has been need because of the increasing severity of pain in my left knee. This has been going on for a couple of years – but now it is at the level that requires surgery. On Friday, April 23rd, I will be having my second knee replacement. (The first was the right knee back in 2004 and it has done very well.) I have to admit that I am not exactly thrilled as I anticipate this upcoming surgery. I remember in Bible College praying for the Rapture just before finals. I am experiencing a very similar emotion. However, I love the definition of faith that I have lived my life by for many years. 'Faith is the decision to trust God even with all my doubts and fears!' Circumstances are not what brings 'Hope'. Hope comes from the quality of who God is – that He is trustworthy. The trustworthy God has been meeting my needs for the upcoming surgery in many ways. (Another example of Relational Christianity is a couple from the church brought over their kids and moved my office from the basement to a room upstairs because of the knee surgery!) So here are some prayer requests… Please pray for the upcoming knee replacement surgery. Of course, I don't mind you praying that I heal quickly, but more important, pray that I will live out Christ to the many people who will be a part of the surgery and the recovery afterward. God has always amazed me how He opens doors of opportunity to encourage those around me with the wonder of God. He especially seems to do it when I have a medical need. I get to interact with people I normally wouldn't be involved with and that is special! Pray for strength and patience for Beabea as she takes care of me after the surgery. (It is great having her back! She is a fantastic cook!! – not to mention really pretty!) Pray for Christy, our daughter, as she will not have Beabea to help with Laurie while I am recovering (and of course, continue to pray for Laurie). While you are at it, pray for all of my grandkids! They are very special! After all, they have Beabea's genes! Continue to pray for our ministry and the upcoming travel this fall. With Covid cases dropping, doors are really starting to open up. Finally, Relational Christianity is precious. Thank you for the relationship we have with you, and your interest in our lives! Your fellow servant and brother in Christ, John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63119 63119 Sat, 10 Jul 2021 15:50:00 +0000 February 19, 2021 Dear Friends, 2020 is the year where God says you are not going to figure me out! It doesn't matter how much you analyze what is happening (and so much is happening), you still won't be able to put the pieces together to clarify a constant 'Why?' I would guess that 2020 has been a biblical Job experience for most of us. If so, it means Satan has been actively accusing us of our often failures and sometimes accusing us even when we don't fail. I love Job's response in Job 3:15, 'Though He (God) slay me, yet will I trust in Him…' How could any rational person say such a statement? The only way any of us could make such a comment is we must believe God is good, and that He knows what He's doing! The only way we could believe that with confidence is we have come to truly know God based on His word lived out in His personal involvement in our lives. My favorite definition of Faith is trusting God even when I doubt! So, what is happening in our lives in 2021? First let me share with you what I have been doing already this year. (Let me correct that – what God has been doing as He works in me…) I have been involved in several intense counseling situations through phone and ZOOM as well as some in person meetings. Given all that has happened this last year, the emotional need people have to interact with someone has opened several doors. Since the first of the year, I have been teaching the Adult Sunday School Class at First Baptist in Russiaville, Indiana. (This is the church we attend when we are not traveling.) This teaching is both in person and shared online. The subject is titled, 'Is Your Christianity Cultic? – What is Real Christianity?' I really enjoy teaching this class. The people attending have been very interactive and interested in how easily we live our lives as religious people instead of being impowered by God's Spirit in our worship and service. I am using this opportunity to develop this into a conference that I will be able to share in other churches. Please pray that God continues to give clarity on how to teach this crucial subject. I am also teaching in person the Children's Church at First Baptist. The subject is 'The Return of the King' and obviously about Biblical prophecy and Jesus coming back to earth. I have taught this in Children's Church and Sunday School Classes for children in other churches, but only as a one-time session. This time the class will last for about 8 weeks. I have to admit, that I am having a great time. It is amazing how deep thinking the children are, and they ask very good questions! On location meetings with churches are now being scheduled for the latter part of 2021. ZOOM has been a marvelous tool during the last year, but I am really looking forward to spending in person contact with fellow believers again. God designed us for fellowship, and we all need it very much! I will be in New York state in September and in Florida in October/November. Health is always an adventure in this fallen world! I have been dealing with a left leg that has been getting worse over the last few years. It is now official. I will be having knee replacement surgery in April. (I had the right knee replaced in 2004.) I thought of several puns I could share right now, but I am practicing self-control! Seriously, I am sincerely asking for your prayers in this. I know what's coming and the discipline necessary for physical therapy afterward! I am glad I know God! Many of you have been praying for our granddaughter, Laurie, who has had a difficult medical condition since last March. This condition is known as Viral Gastroparesis, and one of the symptoms is vomiting on a regular basis, sometimes several times a day. This has been going on for almost a year now as the doctors have been trying several things to help her. Some of the medical solutions they have tried have worked temporarily, but the condition keeps coming back. Laurie has recently had a procedure done that the doctors believe could really help her. It can sometimes take awhile to work and may need to be done several times. Beabea has been traveling back and forth from Tennessee to help our daughter, Christy, with the situation. (With Covid, Christy is not allowed to take the rest of the children with her when she goes to the doctors with Laurie.) With my knee surgery coming up, Beabea will need to be back here for a while if possible. Only God truly understands what is happening in this as it unfolds. In the last year many of my friends and fellow believers have been going though difficult times, often in health. I have been praying for all of them with a total sympathetic heart. The part that amazes me is that God is personally involved in each one's situation, cares about what is happening to that person, and is working to accomplish His good purposes in all that is going on. While He is doing that, God is also taking care of the birds I see out in the cold winter snow. He even takes care of cats. My daughter's cat, who now lives in our garage, disappeared one frozen night (below zero) while out in the snow. Personally, cats are not at the top of my 'concerned about list,' but I did ask the Lord to take care of this one during the freezing night. (I hope I don't loose any support over that statement from either side of the cat issue!) The next day, 'Jazmine' was waiting somewhat impatient for me to let her into the garage. God is much bigger and more interested in our lives – and what is happening in this world… than we could possibly understand! Well, 2020 never surprised God even one time, therefore 2021 doesn't hold any mystery for Him either. So, if He is not worried, I don't think I am going to waste my time doing it for Him! Resting and serving in Him, and anticipating… John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com February 19, 2021 Dear Friends, 2020 is the year where God says you are not going to figure me out! It doesn't matter how much you analyze what is happening (and so much is happening), you still won't be able to put the pieces together to clarify a constant 'Why?' I would guess that 2020 has been a biblical Job experience for most of us. If so, it means Satan has been actively accusing us of our often failures and sometimes accusing us even when we don't fail. I love Job's response in Job 3:15, 'Though He (God) slay me, yet will I trust in Him…' How could any rational person say such a statement? The only way any of us could make such a comment is we must believe God is good, and that He knows what He's doing! The only way we could believe that with confidence is we have come to truly know God based on His word lived out in His personal involvement in our lives. My favorite definition of Faith is trusting God even when I doubt! So, what is happening in our lives in 2021? First let me share with you what I have been doing already this year. (Let me correct that – what God has been doing as He works in me…) I have been involved in several intense counseling situations through phone and ZOOM as well as some in person meetings. Given all that has happened this last year, the emotional need people have to interact with someone has opened several doors. Since the first of the year, I have been teaching the Adult Sunday School Class at First Baptist in Russiaville, Indiana. (This is the church we attend when we are not traveling.) This teaching is both in person and shared online. The subject is titled, 'Is Your Christianity Cultic? – What is Real Christianity?' I really enjoy teaching this class. The people attending have been very interactive and interested in how easily we live our lives as religious people instead of being impowered by God's Spirit in our worship and service. I am using this opportunity to develop this into a conference that I will be able to share in other churches. Please pray that God continues to give clarity on how to teach this crucial subject. I am also teaching in person the Children's Church at First Baptist. The subject is 'The Return of the King' and obviously about Biblical prophecy and Jesus coming back to earth. I have taught this in Children's Church and Sunday School Classes for children in other churches, but only as a one-time session. This time the class will last for about 8 weeks. I have to admit, that I am having a great time. It is amazing how deep thinking the children are, and they ask very good questions! On location meetings with churches are now being scheduled for the latter part of 2021. ZOOM has been a marvelous tool during the last year, but I am really looking forward to spending in person contact with fellow believers again. God designed us for fellowship, and we all need it very much! I will be in New York state in September and in Florida in October/November. Health is always an adventure in this fallen world! I have been dealing with a left leg that has been getting worse over the last few years. It is now official. I will be having knee replacement surgery in April. (I had the right knee replaced in 2004.) I thought of several puns I could share right now, but I am practicing self-control! Seriously, I am sincerely asking for your prayers in this. I know what's coming and the discipline necessary for physical therapy afterward! I am glad I know God! Many of you have been praying for our granddaughter, Laurie, who has had a difficult medical condition since last March. This condition is known as Viral Gastroparesis, and one of the symptoms is vomiting on a regular basis, sometimes several times a day. This has been going on for almost a year now as the doctors have been trying several things to help her. Some of the medical solutions they have tried have worked temporarily, but the condition keeps coming back. Laurie has recently had a procedure done that the doctors believe could really help her. It can sometimes take awhile to work and may need to be done several times. Beabea has been traveling back and forth from Tennessee to help our daughter, Christy, with the situation. (With Covid, Christy is not allowed to take the rest of the children with her when she goes to the doctors with Laurie.) With my knee surgery coming up, Beabea will need to be back here for a while if possible. Only God truly understands what is happening in this as it unfolds. In the last year many of my friends and fellow believers have been going though difficult times, often in health. I have been praying for all of them with a total sympathetic heart. The part that amazes me is that God is personally involved in each one's situation, cares about what is happening to that person, and is working to accomplish His good purposes in all that is going on. While He is doing that, God is also taking care of the birds I see out in the cold winter snow. He even takes care of cats. My daughter's cat, who now lives in our garage, disappeared one frozen night (below zero) while out in the snow. Personally, cats are not at the top of my 'concerned about list,' but I did ask the Lord to take care of this one during the freezing night. (I hope I don't loose any support over that statement from either side of the cat issue!) The next day, 'Jazmine' was waiting somewhat impatient for me to let her into the garage. God is much bigger and more interested in our lives – and what is happening in this world… than we could possibly understand! Well, 2020 never surprised God even one time, therefore 2021 doesn't hold any mystery for Him either. So, if He is not worried, I don't think I am going to waste my time doing it for Him! Resting and serving in Him, and anticipating… John (and Beabea) Rogers jtrbem@gmail.com http://www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org/index.cfm?i=4826&mid=25&blogid=8465&comments=63043 63043 Thu, 4 Mar 2021 11:17:00 +0000