How to Become a Practicing Church

Dear Friends of Ethnic to Ethnic Ministries

As I try to follow the vision for Multi-ethnic churches it seems that several things need to change from church traditions that I have known for over 60 years. I know that most younger men have approached ministry with more personal application of Scripture to daily life and social outreach so this is not all new. The article listed below has some thought provoking suggestions for reaching the culture we in which we live.

I would love to have some response, negative and positive.

We Are the Body: How to Become a Practicing Church

Whitney Hopler

Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer

Link - http://www.crosswalk.com/pastors/11626074/

Test for your unconditional love.

Most everyone would say the are loving and accepting of anyone unconditionally. Here story to test your openness to those with a handicap, or another ethnic group or another culture whether it be those different than you. It is a challenge to me as to what I am willing to give.

Click on this link to see a slide program with text and then double click the picture.

http://www.inspiringthots.net/movie/unconditional-love.php

One Human Race

Carlos Pena, 1st baseman of Tampa Bay Rays, was in his homeland, Dominican Rep. at the time of the earthquake in Haiti. Haiti and Dom. Rep. are not friendly nations but Carlos has donated $15,000. He said" This is a good time to show we are one race - human race". If everyone understood this then Multi-ethnic ministry in our churches would be a natural. Christ's death and resurrection is for the Human Race -all. How could it b e otherwise when there is ONE Creator God.

Below are some historical and projected population stats for the USA. [Also note the web site for many interesting facts.]

This rate of growth becomes more significant when recently our newspaper reported that Florida 9 grew by 114,091 to a total of 18.5 million July 2008 to July 200. The growth was an influx of 87,381 international immigrants and a natural increase of 58,169 as births outnumbered deaths for the year. It also reported that Florida like some other states is experiencing and outflow of residents.

To some this may scare you and maybe anger you that there are so many immigrants. But I hope when you consider the potential that God has moved them to our land so you can begin to pray for them, try to befriend them and offer them the Gospel. If they should receive Christ that makes them a brother or sister in Christ. Rejoice!

Also, since these people have connections to other lands, maybe lands where Americans could never, they could find a way to send or take the Gospel to their homeland since they know family and friends, the culture, the language and probably ways around the government controls.

It is really our opportunity to "Reach the World without Leaving Home." [See the figure to show how the population is increasing.]

Total Population of the World by Decade, 1950–2050

(historical and projected)

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762181.html

Year	Total world population (mid-year figures)	Ten-year growth rate (%)
1950	2,556,000,053	18.9%
1960	3,039,451,023	22.0
1970	3,706,618,163	20.2
1980	4,453,831,714	18.5
1990	5,278,639,789	15.2
2000	6,082,966,429	12.6
20101	6,848,932,929	10.7
20201	7,584,821,144	8.7
20301	8,246,619,341	7.3
20401	8,850,045,889	5.6
20501	9,346,399,468	—

Christmas letter, Review of 2009

Christmas Letter – 2009
Eldon and Ruth Brock
251 Timothy Rd, Sebring, Fl 33870
Eldon26@gmail.com or Laughinglady1@gmail.com

Merry Christmas to our Family and Friends,

Our desire is and has been to serve and honor the Lord with the abilities and energy He has graciously given. At our age we can’t expect much but as the opportunities come we have given our best. We pray that you also have experienced great blessings from serving Our Savior with the gift he has given you.

Ruth and I rejoice in the blessings of our marriage; it really does grow sweeter. We both enjoy good health except Eldon had a knee repair September 1 but we were able to travel for the month of Oct. with limitations. Ruth has continued contact with the Navajo ladies and served as president of the Maranatha Ladies Mission Fellowship. You should taste some of the fruit cakes she makes; they are not the typical.

Our lives tend to be filled with trips and recovery from trips. Eldon has seen God do some special things with Ethnic to Ethnic Ministries and he is trusting for even bigger developments in 2010.

2008 Christmas we rode the train [one of Ruth’s dreams] to Washington, DC where we were able to enjoy a few days with Jack and Carolyn, Don and Eldonna, the two Long grandsons and their families. Being in Florida limits the time we can have with family. April we flew to Erie, PA to speak in an International Dinner and speak in the church on Ethnic Ministries. May Eldon led the 1st Multi-ethnic Ministries Round Table, in Clarks Summit, PA. This was 2 day discussion group of 16 on the why, who and how of a Multi-ethnic Church. June was a trip to the GARBC conference in Elyria, OH where we enjoyed great preaching and made several contacts for the mission.
October was a big trip of a 4-legged air trip for 3 ½ weeks. We went to Toronto to visit a multi-ethnic church and spend a lot of time discussing ministry and the future of E-tem. This also allowed us to visit the church on Six Nations Reserve where Ruth ministered for 5 years. Even though it had been 30 years they had a special celebration with many who knew her. [perhaps the biggest highlight for her].

The second stop was in New Jersey so we could see several of Ruth’s family and to attend Ruth’s 60th H S Reunion [another one of Ruth’s dreams]. Eldon conducted another Round Table with 16 from very diverse backgrounds. The third stop Washington where from Carolyn’s we visited churches. Eldon held a Round Table in Virginia and in Maryland. Again there was great interest from pastors on how to meet the needs of the diverse ethnicity in each of their local areas.

The Kachin believers are a blessing. They are from the churches in Myanmar that Eldon visited and served from 1994 to 2004. In August a pastor came to the States to connect with many Kachin people here but he made a special effort to visit us. Then Dr Naw Mai came for Thanksgiving. He is the first teacher Eldon sponsored for a D Min degree and now he is President of Hanson Baptist Bible College in Myanmar. He brought his daughter to be an exchange student and visit churches and family but he included a trip to Florida to express his gratitude for believing in him. The college, churches and friends sent special greetings to Eldon for helping them with their ministries.

That is a peek at how God led us in 2009. It would be great to hear how God is encouraging you. This is one of the traditions we enjoy, at least it is not a bore to us.

Yours in Christ, Eldon and Ruth
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To PURCHASE People, That's why He came.

"You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." Revelation 5:9. Today It hit me special that Christ "purchased" people from every people group. With His sacrifice to leave heaven, become man, Die and rise to be ready to welcome born again of every ethnos gives meaning to Christmas.