Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller
For those of you enjoying a daily helping of Christmas Jelly, today’s post will publish at noon CST.
A word from Curt
Today, it’s three words.
StayOnMessage.
Listen to a podcast of this message:
Thoughts on Reached the Unreached ( 4 minutes Draft of message at FBC Durham)
DeDe and I share today at First Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina.
This is the church that has graciously taken in our son Terry, his wife Sara, and our precious grandchild, Emma.
I have four minutes to share about our work.
I’m sharing my message with you for several reasons:
1. I believe it’s the strong StayOnMessage of why we’re in Africa at this season of our lives.
2. By reading this (and listening to the podcast) you can pray intelligently for us. Durham’s service begins at
11 am EST (7 pm “back home” in Uganda.)
Will you pray for:
1.Clarity as I share for four minutes.
2. Listening ears and hearts in the listeners.
3. For God to be glorified in the entire service. He is worthy.
Author’s Note: the service went very well at First Durham. It is an exciting church where God is working. So many of our Louisiana seminary students have chosen to attend there. It was great to see Cory/Gabby, Brady/Britney, Cody/Catherine, and Myra (Wes is in La.)
Thanks for praying!
Will you pray?
This is the text of our brief message/report today at First Baptist of Durham.
It is a privilege and honor to share with you today.
My wife DeDe and I serve with your International Mission Board in Central Africa.
We live in Uganda but our work is focused on South Sudan and Chad.
Today, we’d like to both thank you and challenge you.
We thank you for your generous giving through both the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Missions Offering.
We challenge you to give like never before.
Your strong reputation as a mission-focused church reaches all the way to Africa.
Thank you for giving, going, sending, and praying.
We serve on the IMB’s Chadan Engagement Team.
Our job is simple but challenging: connecting the unreached and least reached to American churches.
There are 118 Unreached People Groups in South Sudan and southern Chad.
As you view the next slide:
People Groups are unreached for a reason.
They live in difficult places.
Under trying conditions.
Often, they do welcome the Gospel.
Initially at least.
This vehicle (shown in the slide) is provided through the Lottie Moon Offering.
It’s driven by one of your missionaries, Robert Lane.
He’s on the main national road connecting Uganda to South Sudan.
This muddy road is typical of where we must go to reach the unreached.
As you enter South Sudan on the challenging road from the previous slide, you reach the border town of Nimule.
Faith Baptist Church in Nimule is a partner with our team in reaching the thousands of refugees who’ve fled South Sudan’s recent Civil War.
This smiling lady is named Janet. She led her church to take in dozens of refugees from the Murle, her tribal group.
The next slide shows a worship service at Faith Baptist Church, Janet’s church.
The pastor is preaching in the local language, Madi.
He is assisted by three translators.
One translates into Murle.
The third into Arabic.
The final one shares God’s Word in English.
The bottom line is that the Gospel is going out in the heart languages of people.
And they are responding.
Paul’s words in Romans 10:17 are so true, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”
We enjoy calling these four translators, “The Real Southern Gospel Quartet.”
Finally, we share an image that sums up the work you are involved in in our part of Africa.
Don’t be distracted by the two men holding hands.
It’s one of the highest signs of respect and honor for an African to lead a visitor by the hand.
The American (on the left) is Coy Webb, director of the Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief Team.
He is led by a South Sudanese Dinka refugee camp leader, Abraham Kiir.
This photo sums up the wonderful partnership between First Baptist Durham and the work of the International Mission Board in South Sudan and its borderlands.
We are partners with you.
Joined by both hands and hearts.
Thank you for giving through the Lottie Moon Mission Offering.
We challenge you during this Giving Season to give like never before.
