Graduating Seniors, Dinner and John Bunyan!
 
The Manila E-quipper

 

 

 

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Graduating Seniors, Dinner and John Bunyan!

We are on a vacation break this Easter week, but a week ago last Tuesday saw 15 of my 17 Travel Epistles students in our home for their last lecture.  We enjoyed a Filipino meal and dessert together, laughed and told jokes too!  Afterwards, I held a final lecture and dialogue on John Bunyan (life & theology) and The Pilgrim’s Progress.  This is a book they had to read twice during the semester and do 10 response papers related to it.

It was a joy to find out in our discussions that the reading and studying of the Travel Epistles coupled with the reading of The Pilgrim’s Progress made a big impact on my students. It seemed to make the truth of Scripture that much richer for them related to theological truth, salvation and sanctification.

Some shared how it has made them think differently about serving in the church.  They all know they first will serve as an intern. They know then they will serve as pastors and shepherds of followers of Christ in churches even while they themselves are pilgrims on their way to the "Celestial City".  

My hope is they will become even more biblical in their shepherding and preaching skills as they seek to lead lost souls to the "narrow gate" and find their burden removed by the look of faith of Christ's death in their place on the cross.  We hope to again host these, plus the two who could not make it, for a dessert before graduation on April 14th. Thanks for praying! 
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Sermon Prep Tools Night!

A recent gathering of the Preachers' Coalition was fruitful in that we preachers discussed various tools to help us prepare well for our expository sermons.  We started out with an Application Grid we are trying to decipher from Dr. Mark Dever of 9Marks Ministries and Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Wash. DC. 

We all decided that we are just scratching the surface on how this tool can be useful to us.  So, now, I am on the internet hunt to find some further training with this special sermon prep tool. I'll find it, believe me!

In addition to this, I pulled out a couple other apps that are useful, such as my mind-mapping app called MindMaple. I showed examples of my mind-maps and encouraged them to experiment with a mind-map app.  I use MindMaple not just for sermon prep, but for many other areas of responsibility as well.  I learned a few years ago that this is just the way my mind thinks, organizes, plans and reasons things out. But, since I can't draw worth beans, I have turned to this tool.  There are many free mind-mapping apps out there (X-mind, FreeMind, MindMeister, etc.). 

Then, we turned our attention to the never ending problem of finding and filing something good from the internet webpages (articles, blog posts, illustrations, etc.).  It's hard to secure what we need and to file it well without taking up all kinds of memory on our computer or gadgets.  It's hard to organize all of that for quick reference. 

Enter Evernote! Evernote is another free app that allows me to clip out all excess info on the sidebars or ads, etc., and just get the article or illustration that I want.  It clips things straight to my designated Evernote account into the exact notebook I have designated to hold it.

This has truly been a great help to me!  The other preachers of our coalition were intrigued by it as well!  There are other tools to ponder and use but we will save them for another discussion night.  Thanks for praying for these men: Pastors Roi, Vincent, Joseph, Yutaka, Erril and Rey...me as well!
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New Panoramic Bible Survey Series at EBC!

Beginning some time in April, on Wednesday nights, I will be teaching a new Bible Survey series at Emmanuel Baptist.  The pastors of EBC were asked by members to offer a series that will help them see the panoramic view of both the Old & New Testaments while targeting each of the 66 books of the Bible.  They have approached me to help them in meeting this need.  This Bible Survey series could take us into the beginning of next year as we take our time. 

We will work through some material that I have access to through our home sending church's Training Center.  The series will be a massive benefit to the brothers and sisters of EBC as so many of them serve in various ministries and need good training in the whole Bible. 

The Bible Survey series will combine lectures with in-depth reading, memorization of ministry verses and also some practical theology discussions.  We will fuse this with discussion of each Bible book and how to apply God's Word to common church situations. Maybe there will even be some quizzes!  You never know!  

Eventually, I will be team teaching this material with the other EBC preachers.  I will work at training them in teaching this material along with me.  I'm sure they are capable in many respects already, I just want to familiarize them with this material in preparation for us all being on the same page.  Thanks for praying!

 

 

 

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Training Resources Needed!

Our EBC Ministry Enrichment Seminar is now scheduled for May.  Here at the beginning of April we are preparing to send a balikbayan box to us here as it take about 30-45 days to arrive.  We want to be ready to distribute them for the ME Seminar. 

There's still time to help us with resources for these faithful servants of the Lord at Emmanuel Baptist their numerous ministry venues, please click the button below. 

So far our tally looks like this:
~  10 DONATED! = NKJV Holman Study Bibles (Large Print/Imitation Leather)
~  9 DONATED! = Spiritual Depression by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
~  20 DONATED! = Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, by Dr. Mark Dever

If you want to just purchase any of these resources from Amazon without using the Amazon list we created, then you can just have the book or books you buy shipped to: 
Jonathan Stout, 38065 Murrieta Creek Dr., Murrieta CA 92562.

(PS - the Amazon list we created works best from a laptop/desktop browser or iPad...it's having troubles from an iPhone).  Thank you for your help in training God's people in the Philippines!  

 

 

 

Partnering for a Generational Legacy!

The seminarians Robert equips at BBSI are training for their calling to serve with excellence. The missionary kids Kim works with at Faith Academy need an education and to be challenged with the truth of the gospel, even while their parents serve in ministries all over the Philippines.  

Out of 2 Timothy 2:2 we find a premier passage related to passing the baton of ministry to the next generation... "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." 

When you join us in prayer ministry and regular financial partnership, you are investing in a movement of equipping a new generation for Christ and thereby partnering in a legacy for future ministry in the Philippines and beyond. 

We are presently down in support by about 5% of our pledged monthly needs, which is common after arriving to the mission field again even after a long and fruitful furlough.  To invest in this work, simply click the button to go to ABWE's secure online donation page.  There you can arrange automatic monthly support.  All support donations are tax-deductible.

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Visit our Website to Learn More!

Click on the Equip logo and you will be directed to our website to know more about the vital ministries we are involved with in Manila and beyond.  It's been said that the Philippine Islands are the "gateway to Asia". Well, in regards to the gospel being taken to Asia that could very well be true as many young Filipino men and women are preparing for ministry even as missionaries in other Asian countries.  They need our prayers!  We need to help prepare them.  Click on the button to see my new ministry blog..."THRIVE!".

How to Stay in Touch:
RTClark@icloud.com or Kim.Clark@faith.edu.ph 
951-286-6390 (CA area code, but rings us in Manila)

www.EquipManila.com 

Questions about donations? Contact ABWE Donor Help:
DonorHelp@abwe.org  or  717.774.7000 
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