I have written a post on this book on my other blog site, tangiblethoughts. I would invite you to visit it here and leave your thoughts

So, we teach the Bible and incorporate English conversation into the study of God’s Word, take field trips, and … go to Friday night high school football games under the lights. Football teams, cheerleaders, and marching bands.

Friday night we took three friends to a local high school game. They cheered when our team did well and they groaned when we didn’t, all the while enjoying the game and atmosphere of a great American cultural event.

By the way, we won, Vikings, 14- Gray Wolves, 0.

See my article on this new Bible study group, originally posted on my other blog, tangiblethoughts, on September 22, 2010, here.

Both sites contain a wealth of information and articles that both inform and inspire us toward the fulfillment of the Lord’s Great Commission.

The first site is a social network site called Great Commission Initiative (GCI). It was started and is moderated by Tim Ahlen, a pastor and missionary, in Dallas, Texas. In addition to the articles that you find here, the site provides you with the opportunity to connect with others who are committed to being a part of the Christ’s global plan to reach the world for Himself through the starting of new churches.

The second site is Church Planting Movements – Best Practices From Around the Globe. This is the web site of David Garrison, the Southern Baptist missionary who wrote the book, Church Planting Movements – How God Is Redeeming a Lost World. You’ll find many articles here under the headings of “The 5 Parts of CPM,” “Profiles in CPM,” and “CPM Resources.” along with much more. (Note: you can find a link to the Church Planting Movements booklet under the “Church Planting” heading in the right-hand column of this blog.)

I pray that you’ll be blessed by these sites. When you visit (and join) the GCI site, look me up there and connect with me as a “friend.”

We’re also talking with a missions organization in Dallas about the possibility of teaching English overseas. In fact, I’m in the process of completing an application form that I hope to have completed and submitted to the agency in a couple of weeks.

Please pray for us as we continue to minister to students, seek financial support to free us up to do more ministry locally, and work on the application. Please also pray that we might know the Lord’s perfect will regarding teaching overseas.

~ reach students … disciple the “nations” ~

You have probably noticed that I have not written and posted any articles lately. That’s because I have gone back to writing most of my thoughts on my original blog, tangiblethoughts.

Tangiblethoughts contains articles that pertain primarily to missional, church planting, organic/simple church, campus and international student ministry, and Reformed Theology issues. You’ll occasionally find an article about a current event or some random thought. (The other day I posted my 200th article in less than two years. Not many compared to many other blogs, but it was exciting for me.)

I’d like to invite you to continue searching taethnenetwork for articles of interest to you. I pray that the articles you find here have been, and will continue to be, interesting, encouraging, and profitable to you.

I would also like to invite you to bookmark my tangiblethoughts  blog and check in there regularly for my latest posts. My prayer is that they will prove to be both interesting and encouraging for you.

~ Blessings ~

Verge was a missional communities conference whose theme was the “DNA of Gospel Movements.”

The Bible studies, using a simplified English language version of the Bible, provide the students the opportunity to practice their English reading, speaking, listening, and comprehension skills. During the course of the reading and discussion time we also discuss grammar, word pronunciation, and various parts of speech as the students endeavour to improve their English skills.

As important as these aspects of our studies are to the students, the most important aspect of our time together is the discussion and application of the God’s Word to our personal and daily lives.

Many of the students that we have been involved with over the years, and are involved with this semester, have virtually no knowledge of the Bible and most do not know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. It is our prayerful desire that many will come to faith in Christ and follow Him as devoted disciples as the result of our time in His Word.

Over the course of the years that we have been involved in international student ministry at Texas A&M (beginning in 1997), we have seen the Lord draw people to faith in Christ and be baptized, believers grow as disciples and in His service, and seekers move closer to accepting Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.

Knowing that many students have very heavy class, seminar, and lab schedules during the week that prevent them from joining us at week-night studies, we are planning to conduct a Saturday night Bible study this semester as well.

Four students have already told us that Saturdays will be a better day for them to be involved in a Bible study group. We believe that Saturdays will prove to be a better day for others also.

So, this Saturday, the 23rd, we are going to initiate our Saturday night Bible study schedule with a pot-luck meal and Bible study at our home.

Each Saturday group will start with a meal which will then be followed by the reading and discussion of God’s Word.

We have conducted Saturday groups in the past and they have been well attended. Students, and their families, seem to enjoy weekend gatherings more than week-night studies. A home environment is very comfortable, casual, and conducive to the study of God’s Word and the building of relationships as we eat around the tables, children play, students talk about their studies, and wives ask about American home and family life. 

Please pray for us as we seek to expand the Kingdom of God at Texas A&M University and beyond through these international student Bible study groups.

~ reach students … disciple the “nations” ~

Most of the students in the picture we have known all semester. They have been involved with us either in our mid-week Bible study or go to the Chinese church with us on weekends. A couple of the folks we met for the first time that evening when they came with friends.

~ reach students … disciple the “nations” ~

The Summit’s Steering Group has produced a 14-page summary report of the meeting that I think you will enjoy reading if you are interested in organic, simple churches and house church movements.

The report includes: 

1. Notes on keynote sessions that addressed topics such as Global Trends, Reaching the Unreached, and Involving the Whole Family in ministry
2. Country reports
3. Highlights of the Summit
4. Benefits of the gathering

The paper also includes a contact email if you would like to receive “full collected papers and reports” of the Summit. I have requested the material and am looking forward to receiving, reading and praying through them.

You can read the Steering Group’s Report here.