Archive for March, 2012
Leader’s Conference
Thursday, March 29th, 2012
Every April STEM (Short-Term Evangelical Missions) hosts a 3-day national Short-Term Mission Leaders’ Conference (STMLC) at Bethany in Minneapolis. STMLC is one of three training conferences endorsed by the “U.S. Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission. ” We’ll help train your short-term mission leaders, coordinators, and other short-term missions staff for maximum impact in your short-term mission program.”
April 12 - 14, 2012
Growth
Thursday, March 22nd, 2012
In 2002 a 10-year goal was embraced to establish 100 mission training schools 
to prepare workers to plant churches among unreached peoples by 2012. This “GO100″goal was surpassed in 2008. Then the Field5000 goal was set to send 5000 workers in the next five years (2013). Last May, during the GlobeServe Triennial Conference held here at Bethany, we celebrated the amazing outcome of more than 8000 workers sent from what has now become nearly 500 mission training schools.
Some of these schools are four-year degree programs, others are contextualized informal schools where students come a week a month over a couple years period of time, others are “dry season” schools when farms are not needing to be tended, and others are church based schools which train every member of the church to be about evangelism and reaching neighboring tribes.
The GlobeServe Executive Committee and the Mission Training 
Consultants met this month in Kenya and came from Singapore, Kenya, USA, Canada, Indonesia, Mexico and Nigeria. During their four days together they discussed ways to continue expanding schools and improving the quality and effectiveness of training. Tim F. serves as the International Coordinator for GlobeServe. At the close of our meetings the members expressed great appreciation for all that Tim and Bethany do to serve and support the executive leadership, the HUB regions, and the hundreds of schools in more than 40 countries who are reaching out to more than 100 different people groups.
June Marathon
Wednesday, March 14th, 2012
Ezekial Rain is a ministry that works to rescue, bring healing and release to victims of sex trafficking in Thailand. Bethany International plans to come alongside them by holding an awareness and fund-raising marathon in June and also working with them through teams and projects.
STEM in Haiti
The first of two STEM teams to Haiti just returned, rejoicing in seeing God at work there. Kathie Pederson, who led this team, and other team members worked with the ladies in the photo, teaching sewing and how to use and maintain the machines. One project was to make bags that use colors to tell the Gospel story (similar to the “Worldless Book” colors); each lady was given a sewing machine which will alleviate some of the poverty they face. Twelve sewing machines in all were donated.
The team also helped in a medical clinic and children’s ministry, where some accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. Jesus’ name was lifted up in Haiti. The team overlapped a couple days with a second STEM team who is there now, building a medical clinic in Cabaret, where these ladies live.
Would you please pray for STEM teams on site right now in Haiti, France, Thailand, and doing coffee shop ministry elsewhere in Asia?
Anti-Human Trafficking Challenge: June 2, 2012
Wednesday, March 7th, 2012
The focus of this event is to raise awareness of the tens of thousands of people every year who are being trafficked many of them in the sex trade. You can walk or run in conjunction with the Minneapolis Marathon on Sunday, June 3, but instead do it on Saturday right here around the Bethany campus. Already 80 people have visited our face book site to learn more. Funds raised will go toward a specific project in Thailand and assist Bethany students who want to work alongside the Thailand project. The site is - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anti-Human-Trafficking-Challenge/239273746161744. People are already starting to get in shape by walking and or jogging! Why not join them? Not only will you feel so much better but also bring amazing spiritual and physical transformation to individual lives!
STEM
Thanks for your prayers for Kathie P. and the STEM Team in Haiti. So far they’ve kept busy teaching sewing and with children’s ministry and are asking for continued prayer for safety on the sometimes hectic Haitian roads.
Other current STEM teams out in the coming days:
- Oak Hills Christian College to Haiti, Mar 2-10
- North Central University to France, Mar 4-11
- North Central University to Asia (Coffee Shop) Mar 4-11
- BCOM to Thailand, Mar 4-18
All these groups are so dependant upon the protection, guidance, and direction of our Heavenly Father to be able to be in the right place at the right time to be about His business. Thank you for joining - going with these groups - by your faithful, fervent prayer.
