Great Plains Region Briefing

Some years ago I read a fascinating book entitled Aftermath. The book chronicles some of the unintended, long-term consequences of this century’s wars. The author, Donavan Webster, calls his opening chapter “The Forbidden Forest.” It tells of the work of French demolition experts who labor throughout the villages and countryside of France disposing of unexploded artillery shells (conventional and chemical), hand grenades, bombs, and sea mines from the First and Second World Wars. Millions of these “duds” have remained buried in the earth for 50 or 75 years.

Though some sixteen million have been disposed of since 1946, countless millions still remain. Each year new explosives work their way to the surface, some to be safely exploded by demineurs, as they are called. Others are inadvertently exploded by construction workers and farmers, with scores of people being killed or maimed each year. Millions of acres of land, still crosshatched with the trenches of the First World War, remain cordoned off, declared out of bounds. These regions may remain uninhabitable for another 100 years.

As I read that chapter, I saw in it a metaphor for our spiritual condition. I began to wonder what kind of explosive ordnance might be working its way to the surface of our lives. It’s a question worth pondering, for perhaps we think that, having come to Christ, our spiritual problems are over. After all, haven’t we been “saved”? Maybe we cherish overly optimistic assessments of our spiritual well-being, mistaking the forgiveness of sins–which is freely given to all who believe–with the total life-transformation that has only begun when we first come to faith.

For what the Bible classifies as the “flesh” (sarx) or the “sin nature”--that base, corrupt, unregenerate part of our self that produces all manner of pride, lust, and greed–may be subjugated when we believe, but it is by no means destroyed. The flesh–that too-familiar component of our identity that causes us to live selfishly, as if we’re the center of the universe–lives on, locked in perpetual conflict with the new nature birthed in us when we first believed.

We know the truth of this, both from the testimony of the Scriptures and from our own experience. The Bible tells us that we (and it’s addressing Christians, mind you) must “put to death . . . whatever belongs to [our] earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5). In our own experience, we find explosive spiritual elements regularly making their way to the surface of our lives from the depths of our beings. Maybe we had no idea that the soil of our lives contained such potential for destruction. With the apostle Paul, we often find ourselves exclaiming, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” (Rom. 7:24).

But the voice of spiritual realism is not the voice of despair. No doubt, dangerous spiritual ordnance will continue to wend its way to the surface of our lives. We may, on occasion, be surprised by its destructive potential. In France, unexploded shells fired by the so-called “Paris guns” of the First World War, huge artillery rounds weighing around 2200 pounds, are still working their way into the light. We may stumble upon such monumental spiritual dangers ourselves. But, if we refuse to treat them as mere curiosities, acknowledging the grave danger they pose, they can (with care) be safely unearthed and safely destroyed.

- Pastor Andy

Registration is still open!

While the main event will take place in Fort Wayne if the trip to Indiana doesn't work for you there are other ways to participate. Harvest Fellowship in Shambaugh, IA will serve as a remote site for the Great Plains Region and there is an option to join by Zoom. Please consider how you can participate in this Conference. See the attached flier with the schedule listed in CST.

2024 SPEAKER: Dr. Bob Bakke

A graduate of Taylor University and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Bob spent 14 years serving Connecticut and New Jersey churches, 12 years as an Executive Director of the Evangelical Free Church of America (promoting prayer and spiritual awakening), before assuming leadership of Hillside Church. He is an historian, a published author, and a producer of national simulcasts. Over the course of nearly 25 years, Bob produced The Nationally Broadcast Concert of Prayer; on the evening of the National Day of Prayer, as well as the Global Day of Prayer, a movement he helped found.

Pastors & Wives' Retreat will be hosted in Kansas City, MO this year October 17-19. Additional information can be found on the Region's website.

July and August were super busy months here at Timber Lakes!

Hosted the following groups:

• Church of God Worldwide Association Youth Group

• Midtown Baptist Church fifth and sixth graders

• Freedom Church Youth Group, Augusta Kansas

• Coppoc Family Reunion

• Great Plains District Family Camp

• Gateway Youth Group, Blue Springs, Mo

• Cair Paravel Latin Hight School, Topeka, Kansas

• Lee's Summit High School Choir

• Iglesias el Verbo de Dios, Kansas City, Kansas

• Emporia State University Young Adult Group

• Kansas Woori Church, Overland Park, Kansas

Lots of improvements and repairs were completed during July and August.

A BIG Thank You to all who came and helped with these projects:

• Finished the retaining wall by the pool

• The Gazebo is repaired and is ready to paint

• Cable bridge repaired

• New toilet in the shower house

• The Dining Hall and Sanctuary doors are painted

• Clearing and burning of hiking trails (more to be done in the fall)

• New rope in the pool

• The slide has been repaired so the water flows down in again

• The gym roof is scheduled to be repaired in September

Last week week we were privileged to have a visit from our state senator, Roger Marshall. He

was interested to find out what our mission here was and take a tour of the grounds.

As always we are all so very thankful for the opportunity to serve others here at Timber Lakes. We have lots of projects planned to accomplish during the off season. We always covet your prayers and support as we all labor together to add to the Kingdom of our Lord.

by Rodney Arnold, Missionary Church President

Last month marked the one-year anniversary since the Missionary Church gave me the honor of a lifetime and I began serving as president of this incredible family of churches. When I began in this role just over 12 months ago, I continued praying a prayer that had sustained me through nearly 14 years of church planting and pastoring in the local church: “God, do something so great that only you can get the credit!”...continue reading

Today’s world is filled with sexual images, temptations, and unbiblical sex and gender ideologies that seek to destroy our leaders, children, and communities. The threats have never been more real. Pornography has grown to be a $100 billion industry and even 57% of pastors admit they have struggled with pornography. Our children are being indoctrinated into an ideology of oversexualization and gender-confusion where 30% of all teens report they are exposed to pornography at school on a regular basis and 20% of youth identify as LGBTQ.

In an effort to support and equip our pastors to navigate these challenging waters, the Missionary Church has partnered with Before It Begins, a nonprofit ministry whose mission is to protect and promote biblical sex and gender in our churches, families, and communities. As part of this partnership, our ministers and churches have confidential access to:

1. Complementary protection programs to help you resist sexual temptation and sin

2. Discounted programs to protect children in our churches and families from oversexualization and gender confusion

3. Discipleship programs to train your people to:

1. Stand firm in the midst of sexual temptation

2. Minister to and help restore the identity of those who are already in bondage to sexual sin

3. Effectively demonstrate truth in love so that we can win over the next generation with the beauty of God’s design for our sex, gender, identity, and relationships

4. And more!

We urge you to contact Before It Begins to learn more about the unique programs available to you as a result of this partnership. As a free gift to you for calling or emailing them, Before It Begins will share its detailed review of the public school sex and gender education curriculum with screenshots, notable lies, what God’s Word says about these lies, and how to communicate these truths to our children in age appropriate language based on their age.

INFO@BEFOREITBEGINS.ORG

Northwind Church, Keewatin, MN

Northwind Church is looking for a Lead Pastor/Bi-vocational of a three year old church plant in Northern MN. To visit their website go here.

Please send resume to Tim Maki.

In the coming weeks please pray specifically for Iowa.

• For new believers to pursue discipleship and become deeply rooted in Christ.
• Leadership would continue to be strengthened and new leadership would be developed.
• Disciple-making communities would be strengthened and new communities would develop.
• Churches would be strengthened and new churches would develop.

1. Pastoral Cohorts would form and deeper connections would be made.

2. Complete the adoption of incoming churches.

3. The development and implementation of an internship program to develop young leaders.

4. Pray for disciples to be made and disciple-making communities & churches to be formed in North Dakota.

PERSONAL REFLECTION: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

• Pray for parents that they will have courage to raise their children to trust in the Lord rather than be shaped by the culture.
• Pray for parents to have strength to persevere in teaching their children to follow Jesus.
• Pray that God will grant couples strength and courage to commit to each other “’til death do us part.”
• Allow the Lord to bring to mind any marriages that might be struggling. Lift them before the Lord.

*We want to join you in prayers of rejoicing and need. Please send any requests to greatplainsregion.mc@gmail.com or text +1-844-463-7808 to have items included here.

Email: greatplainsregion.mc@gmail.com
Website: greatplainsregion.org
Phone: (402) 840-5056
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GPRMissionaryChurch