with John Adams, Executive Director
A View From the Country
A View From the Country
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”
Genesis 50:20 (NASB)
When his brothers ruthlessly sold Joseph into slavery, he must have wondered why God allowed that to happen. After being falsely accused and held in prison for years, I’m sure Joseph continued to wrestle with questions and doubts. But when we reach the end of Genesis, God’s plan is explained—He allowed Joseph to be sold into slavery, suffer injustices, and be thrown into prison… so that one day Joseph could save His family and preserve the promise God made to Abraham.
On this side of heaven, we rarely have access to God’s point of view. Because of our limited and finite perspective, it’s impossible to envision “the big picture” fully.
But God is sovereign over every detail; “in Him, all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17, NASB).
Generations will remember 2020 for the rise of Covid-19, a situation that most of us still struggle to understand why the Lord allowed.
Yet through the confusion and hurting, good has already begun to blossom. Hope is on the horizon. The Lord is still on His throne.
Here at Village Missions, we already see this happening. Stories of new opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ echo all across rural North America.
In our annual report this year, I would like to share with you some of those stories and highlights from last year.
Even in hardships and challenges, we are still confident of this: the story that the Lord is writing, though it may contain many difficult chapters, will end in victory—for our good and His glory.
So as we enter a new year, let’s praise the Lord for the many ways He worked in 2020.
Serving our Savior together, John Adams, Executive Director
Contenders Discipleship Initiative (CDI)
In 2020, Village Missions conducted a nationwide survey to learn more about the impact of CDI.
The results proved an incredible testimony of how the Lord continues to use this program to equip believers and transform lives! Here are just a few testimonies from the survey:
• “A supernatural character change has taken place. I am more prepared to serve with selfless intent, driven by a passion that is the Holy Spirit.”
• “My knowledge has increased and my love for ministry has been reawakened.”
• “The way I study the Bible now is completely 180 degrees from what it was before learning about CDI.”
The numbers and stories reveal how God has been silently, but powerfully, working to transform these students so they can make disciples where the Lord has placed them! Please pray that the Lord would continue to powerfully work in the lives of all our CDI students…and maybe some future Village Missionaries!
The complete report of our findings will be available in 2021. In a recent study of over 100
CDI students, we asked the following question: “Because of CDI, I now discuss Biblical teachings with others.” Responses are shown in the graph at right.
Top left: the Hernandez family works together to complete the timeline assignment for CDI. They hope to become Village Missionaries upon completion of CDI. Bottom left: a CDI class held at Evangelical Bible Church in Dallas, OR.
To learn more about CDI, use your smart-phone to scan the QR code at left.
COVID-19
Nearly a year into Covid-19, our missionaries continue to endure. They have learned the art of navigating the hurdles of social distancing, masks, and shifting government regulations. Despite many hardships, our missionaries can already see the Lord work through these circumstances to draw people to Himself!
A few of our missionaries share their excitement about the future: • “The Lord is using this time of uncertainty in a very certain manner to invite the lost to be with Him forever! What an exciting time we are witnessing!” - Charlie & Rhonda Hargrove, Wishram, WA
• “We praise and honor God for allowing us to be able to use so many different platforms to share His message in all kinds of
different places.”- Raul & Teresa Corona, Avenal, CA 2021 might become a year of many souls coming to faith in
Christ! Please pray that the Lord would keep working through our missionaries and churches as they keep preaching the Word and loving the people!
Want to read more about how Village Missionaries are reaching out during Covid-19? Use your smart-phone to read about it!
Top: Village Missionary wife Meredith Knoop reads to area children via Zoom. Middle: Village Missionary Andrew Strickland preaches a streamed sermon from his living room. Bottom: Stonyford Community Church meets in its new “church without walls”.
Commissioning Service
In November, the Board of Directors officially installed Dr. John and Candy Adams as the new Executive Director of Village Missions. Although most of the audience joined the event via Livestream, the commissioning service remained an uplifting time of hope and anticipation as we look ahead to the future of Village Missions and what the Lord has in store.
Above: John Adams with the International Service Center staff. Left to right: Jim Cross, Robin McAllister, Noreen Holsapple, David Wright, John Adams, Jon Hansen, Erika Poston, Joanna Simpson, Susan Basaraba, Tim Griffiths, Makenzie McNeill. Find out more about each staff member and what they do for Village Missions by visiting villagemissions.org/our-staff
To view the service, use your smart phone’s camera to scan this QR code.
John and Candy sit in the center with board members ringed around them during the commissioning service.
Reach 19
What do you get when you mix a pandemic like Covid-19 with a program like Reach19? A very interesting way of reaching kids with the gospel! Reach19 is one of our special projects that provides our missionaries with resources and funds to put on programs like Vacation Bible School and provide Bibles to youth.
Thankfully, many of our churches were able to accommodate their local Covid-19 regulations and still reach the children in their community with the good news of Christ…in very unique ways! “Our Virtual VBS went well! We had people from Georgia to California watching our 5 videos. Engagements on our church’s Facebook page went up 650%. A family from out of town that is planning on moving to the local area contacted the church because they saw the VBS videos.” – Jake & Kathryn Leichliter – Mayer, AZ
Top: Village Missionary Erika Wilson leads an outdoor VBS. Bottom: Village Missionary Jake Leichliter teaches VBS via YouTube. To view more of the YouTube lesson, use your smart phone’s camera to scan the QR code.
District Representatives
The “lynchpins” of Village Missions, who faithfully encourage and support our missionaries, were more vital than ever last year. The recent expansion of the DR Ministry
—which added two more District Representative couples to allow more time for missionary care—rolled out mere months before coronavirus hit.
Even though churches were closed and restrictions were tough, our DRs made sure that our missionaries didn’t walk through this trial alone.
Phone calls and video chats can never replace the value of in-person fellowship,
but they certainly proved invaluable in 2020 as our DRs coached and cared for our missionaries from a distance.
A few of our DRs were able to host smaller “mini” conferences in the fall, allowing our missionaries the opportunity to rest after an exhausting stretch on the mission field. Covid-19 revealed just how significant and necessary our DR Ministry is to our missionaries. Please pray that the Lord would give wisdom and strength to our DRs as they continue to faithfully encourage our country churches and missionaries.
To read more about our DRs and their ministry, use your smart phone’s camera to scan this QR code.
“None of this took the Lord by surprise. He is working through this for His glory and our good.”
Skip & Venita Pullen – Eastern District
Wildfires
This past fall, several states across the western U.S. experienced an unprecedented surge of wildfires.
Several of our communities in California, Oregon, and Washington were directly impacted by the fires. Thankfully, all of our missionary families and churches were unharmed and their towns largely remained intact.
But while the fires raged and blankets of toxic smoke lingered in the air, our missionaries jumped into action. They served at evacuation centers, opened their churches to law enforcement and firefighters, and helped with search and rescue teams.
Here is one story from Village Missionary Noble Weeks of Arago, Oregon:
“Our church was asked to help with a community wide cleanup in the aftermath of the wildfire. We came with a dump truck, mini excavator, skid steer and one truck hauling a dump trailer, working from dawn to dusk. Our missions team made a difference and the work made a difference on our missions team. Praise God in the ashes and in the rebirth.”
Please pray that the Lord would use these efforts to bring hope to all those who lost homes and loved ones in these tragic fires.
To read more about how Village Missionaries are reaching out to communities affected by fires, use your smart phone’s camera to scan this QR code.
Thank You!
Ministry partners like you are the silent, unseen heroes that the Lord has used to make all these opportunities possible last year. Because of your faithful prayers and support in 2020:
…more people grew stronger in their faith and knowledge of God’s Word
…more people heard the gospel during an unprecedented pandemic
…our missionaries continued to receive care and
encouragement throughout the toughest year they had ever experienced on the mission field
…and rural communities devastated by wildfires saw the gospel in action as missionaries stepped up to serve the vulnerable
And you played an invaluable role in each of these amazing stories! We can’t thank you enough for your faithful partnership in the gospel. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:6 that “…he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (NASB).
It’s our prayer that as you continue to faithfully invest your prayers and support in the Lord’s work in rural North America, you in turn will be enriched spiritually.
2020 is gone and a new year is here. Let’s see what the Lord has in store together.
This year, the Village Missions banquet is going nationwide! We’re using technology to make this event available to anyone, no matter where they live.
You may be wondering: how can Village Missions hold a
nationwide banquet? Well, thanks to technology, we can stream our program into the homes of people who are willing to host. This means that the banquet can happen on a very small scale, in many homes, all across the United States!
What a host does: opens their home, invites 4-6 friends to share a meal and time of conversation, then tunes in to our livestream at 7 pm in their time zone.
We will stream live at 7 pm in the following 4 time zones (EST, CST, MST, PST).
This is your opportunity to share with your friends what Village Missions means to you. Every story is unique...just as every ministry partner is unique.
Just register online to get started!
villagemissions.org/national-banquet
After registering online, you will receive all the materials you need, including further information on Village Missions that you can share with your friends. Your only responsibility is to invite guests and provide a meal. Can we count on you?
And if you have any questions, please contact us! You can reach Tim Griffiths at 503.623.4107
For a little help, we’ve included 2 invitations in the center of this Country Matters. Just remove the insert, cut the 2 invitations
apart, and give each one to a friend!
February 27
7 pm
Speaker:
Village miSSionary
larry walton
Donors 21% Donors: designated to missionaries 46% Churches served by Village Missions 18% Village Missionaries 11% Other revenue 4% Income by Source $7,320,440
Purpose Statement: Village Missions exists to glorify Jesus Christ by developing spiritually vital churches in rural North America.
Village Missions Board of Directors
Top: Roy Bell, Sheldon Blattner, Chairman Peter Corak, Glenn Daman Bottom: Gil Doebler, Glenn Faxon, Ken Moore, Bill Nicholson, Keith Walker
Gil Doebler retired in November of 2020, after 18 years of faithful service on the Village Missions Board of Directors.
Village Missionaries 71% District Representatives 9% Retirement Facilities 2% Administraton 12% Development 4%
Net periodic pension costs
2%
Operating Expenses $7,418,927
2020
Fiscal year: July 1, 2019—June 30, 2020Since we value transparency, we will gladly furnish a more detailed financial statement upon request.
P.O . B ox 197 D all as , OR 97338-0197
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