Thank You for Giving Thanks!

This year's Christmas Eve Offering is focused on one of the least reached regions of the country of Indonesia--the island of Sumatra.  Sumatra is the sixth largest island in the world.  It is also one of the regions where we find the largest number of Muslim cultural/language groups with no known believers or churches. 

Bethany's partner in Indonesia, Chahaya Suku, has a group of 21 church planters living and serving among some of these people groups in South Sumatra.  Only in the last 18 months have they begun to see significant spiritual fruit for their labor. They report that just from January through August of this year they have seen 483 people attending seeker Bible studies, 34 people put their faith in Christ and 13 new house churches established.  This is truly amazing among these groups where there were previously no known followers of Christ.  God is truly blessing their efforts.

However, just as the fruit is beginning to ripen, this team's very existence is in jeopardy. The funding needed to support the 21 missionary families has virtually dried up.  The total monthly budget needed to support the 21 families is $7,000 ($300 per family).  Currently, they are only receiving support of $2,000 per month.

This is where we can step in as a church.  Through our Christmas Eve Offering 2010, we can provide emergency bridge funding over a three year period to help the work move forward while they develop a new, sustainable support base among Indonesian churches.

Our goal:

2011    $3,000 per month       $36,000 annual

2012    $2,000 per month       $24,000 annual

2013    $1,000 per month       $12,000 annual

                                                  $72,000 TOTAL

Any gifts received above this amount will be allocated to Bethany's General Fund to continue supporting our minstires on this campus, in our community and around the world.

Chahaya Suku has been our faithful partner in Indonesia for over five years.  Chahaya Suku recruits, trains and deploys teams of Indonesian church planters to reach out to Muslim people groups in their own country.  Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim country, with more Muslims than in all other countries of the Middle East combined.  Our experience with Chahaya Suku is that when Indonesian Muslims have the chance to hear and understand the good news of Jesus Christ in their own cultural setting, they are responsive and often put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's all pray and prepare our hearts to give to Christ and his work in Indonesia.

- John Wood, Missional Life Pastor

iRUN for IHELP Training

Did you know that you can donate up to $1000* to be used for grants or scholarships to a private school and get the total amount credited back to you at tax time? 

Bethany Learning Center (BLC) would like you to prayerfully consider this state tax benefit and request BLC as the recipient when you donate.  Kindergarten enrollment is drastically down due to the economy, and BLC needs your help to fund scholarships for those who are otherwise unable to attend.  This is such a wonderful opportunity to reach out to those families who know Christ, as well as those who don't know Him yet.

For additional information on the tax credit, contact Maryellen Hawkinson at the Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization, Inc. (ACSTO), 480.838.3933, or refer to their web site at www.acsto.org.  For more information on Bethany Learning Center, call 480.838.2440 or visit www.blcforjesus.org.

*Up to $500 for singles or $1000 for a couple filing jointly.