July 2012 Newsletter

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Dear Friend:

At this time, we would like to let you know where we’re at on our 2012 goals. This letter will serve as our regularly scheduled MAP Update for the months of July and August. We invite you to rejoice with us and give honor to the Lord for all He has done through you and the ministry to the Amish. I am continually amazed at how much God’s people can do when they join hands and hearts with God in reaching our generation with the pure and simple gospel that Jesus alone can save and change the human heart for eternity to come.

We look at each one of our donors, volunteers, board members and prayer warriors as more valuable than all the gold and real estate in the world. You are just as called of God as the prophets, apostles, missionaries, pastors and evangelists of the Old and New Testament. The only thing that changed is the fact that we are in a different generation. Otherwise, the callings are the same. The same God and Saviour still rule over us. People still get saved the same way—by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

Jesus is not just a picture on the wall we point to or just another person we read about in God’s Word and say: yea, we believe all those things about Him. No! He is a real person—the Living Saviour of the world—who wants to live in your heart and mine. Just like He lived in the Tabernacle—just like He lived in Solomon’s Temple—So He wants to live in you and me. The everlasting Words of God say:

• To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:—Colossians 1:27

• Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? —1 Cor 3:16

• But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. —Romans 8:9

• But as many as received Him, to them gave He power [the right] to become the sons of God…—John 1:12

• He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. —1 John 5:12

Do you have Jesus?

1. My Relationship With God

In January, I started getting up one hour early to pray and it is my desire to continue to do so throughout the year. I would also like to read through at least three books.

Six Month Update: Getting up and praying for an hour each day has been a struggle for me lately. Why is spending time in prayer so difficult? As for reading three books, I finished the second one—Why Revival Tarries, by Leonard Ravenhill and Anabaptist Destiny, by Ben Girod. Anabaptist Destiny has not yet been published, however, I had the privilege of reading the manuscript. It shares the miraculous story of Ben Girod (former Amish) and his family, as they forsook all to follow Christ. To read about Ben and his Anabaptist vision, go to http://www.anabaptistconnections.org.

2. Bible Club Promotion (24-page catalog)

In His Steps Foundation gave MAP a $5,000 grant to help us get a catalog printed, listing all the Bible courses we have to offer at MAP. Our goal is to send this 24-page catalog into a minimum of 7,500 Amish homes. This will allow a family to see what all we have to offer, as well as allow them to choose which course each person in the family would like to enroll in. The cost to print and mail 7,500 catalogs will run us: printing = $3,495; postage = $5,600.82.

Six Month Update: At the time of this writing, we have mailed out 7,500 catalogs. Our response: 1,821 people have requested that we enroll them in their choice of Bible study course. About 50% of the requests came from adults. So far this year, 106 people have made professions of faith.

3. More Office Space

Anybody that has ever worked at the MAP office knows that our little 2000 sq. ft. building has long been over-due for an expansion. At times, we have very little elbow room. What we would like to do is add at least 2,000 more sq. ft.

Six Month Update: Our goal has always been to run a debt free ministry. For that reason, we are continuing our efforts to raise the needed funds before we get started. Churches from as far away as IA and NY have offered to come and help us build. In all, we will need to raise about $20,000. At this point, we are at the $5,530 mark. Once we reach $11,800, we’d like to start putting up the main structure.

Note: In a few weeks, you should receive a letter from us showing a breakdown of all materials and costs. At which point, we would like to invite individuals, businesses and churches to buy a certain package of materials—a door, a window, 2x4’s, nails, insulation, roofing supplies, etc.

4. Missionary For Columbia Missouri

We have long prayed that God would send a missionary to the former Amish in Columbia MO.

Six Month Update: Off and on, I run into people who share our burden for Columbia. However, no one has stepped up to the plate and said, “God is calling me.” The need is overwhelmingly great, as many of you saw during the 10 episodes of “Amish Out of Order” during May and June.

5. Part Time Assistant For Joe

It is my desire to add a part time person who can help me in the following areas: A) present MAP to new churches and update the ones who already support us. B) take over some areas of ministry that I can hardly keep up with, such as the Amish Voice, mentoring, discipleship groups, emails and phone calls.

Six Month Update: We have not been able to raise the necessary funds to bring another person on.

6. Make More Adult Level Bible

Since many of our Bible courses are very simple and evangelistic in nature, we have a desire to offer deeper topical and verse by verse studies. At this time, myself and two other pastors are working on Bible courses that cover the gospel of John and Romans.

Six Month Update: These lessons are coming right along and are being used on a weekly basis. We have also gotten permission to use additional adult Bible study courses, written by other people in ministry.

7. Counseling Center: Send Someone For Training Under John Regier in Colorado

This is a carry over from 2011. We are still praying that God would send us a couple who is willing to go to Colorado for training under John Regier, Caring for the Heart Ministry. We have $3,000 in an account for this very purpose but no one has stepped forward. Regier offers a 5-day counseling approach that is very much accepted among the plain culture. Many have come free from legalism, incest, alcohol and depression. There are some other ministries throughout the country that are already trained to use his approach and materials, but most are backed up 6-months to 2 years.

Six Month Update: Nothing has changed in this area. We continue to use a local counseling ministry as well as Healing of the Heart in Lapeer MI.

8. Add 3-5 People To The Board

In 2011, two couples stepped off the board because of having too many irons in the fire. At this time, we are talking to several couples about coming on as advisors. Our goal is to meet a minimum of 6 times this year.

Six Month Update: We did add five new people as advisors for one year. At the completion of their first year, each new advisor will have an opportunity to move into a board position. Thus far, we have met three times and are in the process of bringing our bi-laws up to date.
 

9. Increase Our Financial Support

As the ministry grows, so do the financial needs. Years ago when Esther and I went to Missionary School, we were informed “what God orders, He will pay for.” As of January, we have just over $7,000 in the checking account. I believe this is the best we have ever seen. If it continues, it is a sign that God wants us to move forward on a part time person.

Six Month Update: This year, seven new churches have taken MAP on for monthly support while some other churches had to cut or drop their monthly support. Over all, we are running $61,158.02 behind from last year’s giving with $147.47 in the checking account. We are booked with church presentations all the way into October of this year. That means, I will be on the road pretty much every weekend.

10. Continue Prayer Meetings, Mentoring Connections, Church Presentations

The prayer meetings and mentoring connections are going strong, but still many stand on the fringes, waiting for someone to come by and show them how to live Sunday through Saturday. Many are being rejected by their family, confused, struggling with alcohol, living together and not attending church.

Six Month Update: Many of the young single men work in construction, which means they work from daylight to darkness. This has, at times, made it difficult to meet for Bible studies. Having said that, there is hardly an evening that goes by, that we don't have a Bible study or prayer meeting in someone’s home.

As always, we are excited about these goals for 2012. At the same time, we also realize that none of this is possible without God and His family coming together, hand in hand, winning a lost, confused and searching world to Christ.

Later in December, we would like to give you another update on these goals. Until then, may the Lord bless you with passionate heart to serve Him.

Journey on, friend and co-laborer. This is our generation; our turn to make a difference for the Kingdom of God.

—Joe Keim

1. Bible Club

Dear Bible Club, I am glad that there are Mail-Box Club Teachers, I took the Lord Jesus as my Savior with what I learned from Lessons 11 and 12. I learned that proud, cheating, stealing, lying, hate, ugly, disobedience and bad attitude is the self-life. Marlin

2. Donor

Dear Brother Keim, Our Children’s Club has been working throughout the school-year to collect their change offerings in order to present them to your ministry.

The kids have had contests and also weekly challenges in order to provide an offering which may be used toward reaching the children within the scope of your ministry with the Amish.

In one such contest, I grew out my moustache for a few weeks and the kids were able to “vote” on whether or not I kept it! One container for coins was marked “SAVE” and the other was marked “SHAVE.” Whichever of the two contained the most money by the end of the contest, I would do -- as it happens, there was a TIE in the amount. (I knew there would be, as I wanted the most fun to occur for the kids) Well, what do you do in a TIE? Shave HALF of the moustache off! The kids cheered on as my wife took off half of it while leaving the other half! All in fun Brother, all in FUN!

The Club Kids present you with this offering with cheerful hearts! Note: They gave $350. —In Christ, Thomas Isaacson

3. Amish Voice

Here is my donation of $20.00. I would like for you to send me the Amish Voice every month. I read my parents Amish Voice and I believe it got me closer to God and a better understanding. Thank you. —Nelson

4. Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund

Dear Friends, I'm glad to see that there is a mission dedicated to those Amish people who are looking for a way out. Sadly, I have seen Amish young people fall into bad situations simply because they had nowhere to go when they left home. I left the Amish when I was 16 and there were kind helping hands along the way and I have always felt that someday I should give back to the community. Me and a few other former-Amish people have founded a scholarship fund for students with Amish background.

I always had a strong desire to get a higher education and I would like to make it a little easier for those who come behind me. We don't know how much the scholarship/s will be yet because we have to see how many donations we get, but we're hoping to give the first one this June. I was wondering if you know quite a few people that would qualify for the scholarship? We want to reach as many former-Amish as we can and create a support network for those who want to go to college. I'd be happy to hear your thoughts. —Emma

More Information: http://adsfund.weebly.com