In June of this year I will be returning to South Africa to spend a week serving the faculty, staff, and students of Back to the Bible Training College in Barberton. Joining me is a good friend and fellow worker in our church, Ben Seal. This will be Ben's third trip to the college, and my fifth. We will spend the week preaching, lecturing, and training students for ministry.
The cost of travel has increased over the past year, so our financial needs are greater. The total cost of our travel and lodging will be $6700. Added to that, I would like to raise another $2000 for the purchase of ESV Study Bibles for first year students at the college. (The generous gifts of many of you provided these bibles for last year’s first, second, and third year students, along with the faculty and support staff). Any additional funds received will be used to purchase other books for the students and/or the library of the college.
In our present economy, I know that budgets are tight and that there are many requests for your missions giving. I hope that you will make a priority of supporting missionaries to unreached people groups or in difficult to reach areas. This should be our top priority. But short of that, I’m confident that giving towards this Bible College is one of the best investments you can make in the church of the third world. Pastors in Africa are very poor. Even those who have the privilege of attending a Bible college are poorly equipped with the books needed for carefully studying and teaching God’s word to the church. By putting an ESV Study Bible into the hands of each student, you are helping to equip future pastors, and through them, the church in Africa.
If you or your organization would like to help, please send your donation, payable to Fulkerson Park Baptist Church, to the following address with "Africa 2010" written on the memo line of your check:
Fulkerson Park Baptist Church
c/o Brian Hedges
1234 Fulkerson St
Niles, MI 49120
We were hoping that you were making the trip again this year!
ReplyDeleteI've posted about it on the blog & on Twitter, and I'll keep you and Ben in my prayers.