Forest Park Blogs RSS http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs Forest Park Blogs en-us media@forestpark.tv Copyright 2013 2013-05-21T20:39:10-06:00 Help for Moore, Oklahoma http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/help-for-moore-oklahoma/single http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/help-for-moore-oklahoma/single We in Joplin know what it is like to have a devastating tornado tear apart our city. We also know what it is like to get help from people with compassionate hearts! We feel led to help the people of Moore and here is how you can get involved.

1. First Baptist Church of Moore has been designated a shelter for those without homes. They said, "We are now accepting donations of NEW, unused materials: air mattresses, bedding, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bath towels, clothing, shoes, bottled water and ready-to-eat foods (i.e., they don't require assembly or cooking). Reminder: these must be NEW or we cannot accept them." We have a driver to take a load of these items (AND THESE ITEMS ONLY) Friday morning to Moore. Drop off your donation at Mission Joplin from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm today (Tuesday) through Thursday.

2. We are collecting an offering to send to churches that we trust to use it to help their members who lost their homes and need financial assistance. Forest Park helped dozens of our members in this way and it was a HUGE blessing in getting them back on their feet. Make your check to Forest Park Baptist Church and designate it for "Moore Tornado Relief." Or, you can give online at forestpark.tv/give.

3. Samaritan's Purse was such a huge help in getting debris removed, repairs made, etc. Once they set up in Moore, we will send teams to work that amazing ministry.

4. We will remain open to helping in other ways that God's Spirit leads us.


Read More at Forest Park]]> 2013-05-21T04:23:49+00:00 Two Years Later http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/two-years-later/single http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/two-years-later/single The second anniversary of the tornado that claimed 161 lives in our city is two days away. I can't shake it from my memory. At my son's high school graduation yesterday, I reflected on how two students died that day. One of them would have graduated in Andrew's class. The tornadoes that hit Oklahoma last night made my heart ache. We know what they are going through. 

Joplin has come a long way in two years. Mission Joplin is honored to be a continuing part of the recovery effort. We see the hand of God giving people the strength to overcome their losses and move forward. We see God raising up generous people with compassionate hearts to bring healing and hope to people in need. Yesterday I baptized a woman who was introduced to our church through the ministry of Mission Joplin. God continues to "work all things together for good."

The class of 2013 finished high school at the North Park Mall in what used to be a department store. We smile when we say that "Andrew graduated from the mall."  In two more years, our students will graduate from the new high school.  We've come a long way. We got a ways to go. Thanks for your continued support and prayers. Mission Joplin: Hope for Joplin, Glory to God! We are open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

 

 


Read More at Forest Park]]> 2013-05-20T18:08:56+00:00 Back in the States http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/back-in-the-states/single http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/back-in-the-states/single It's great to be back home after three straight weeks of travel. I was in Canada 3 weeks ago. I was in Dallas 2 weeks ago. And we've had a team of 8 men in Haiti on a mission trip for the last 8 days. God challenged, stretched and revived my faith in so many ways on this second trip to Haiti. You'll be hearing more from us in the coming weeks about our work there. We did several projects and built lots of stuff, loved on some orphans, shared the gospel with people on the street and worshiped with our sister church in Gonaives, where I got to preach the gospel. Several people came to Christ on Sunday and it was a blessing to see God at work there. 

Big Sunday

This Sunday is a big day for us at Forest Park. We'll be baptizing on all three campuses. It's going to be a great day of worship and fellowship with one another. If you'd like to be baptized, bring some shorts and a dark t-shirt. We'll talk with you and baptize you on Sunday. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your first step of faith. It's going to be a great day. See you at 9:30 and 11am!


Read More at Forest Park]]> 2013-05-17T15:09:31+00:00 North Update: If you thought last weekend was great… http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/north-update-if-you-thought-last-weekend-was-great/single http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/north-update-if-you-thought-last-weekend-was-great/single We have one exciting weekend coming up!

This Weekend!
I hope you know me well enough by now that I try not to "over-hype" anything, but we are praying that God would do some amazing things this weekend.  I'm going to be vague because I want it to be somewhat of a surprise.  Please join us by praying that God would be active in our hearts and that we'd be willing to follow!

Camp Scholarships
We have two elementary school kids that could use a $80 scholarship so that they can attend summer camp with about 20 others from North.  If you're able to help, please let me know!

Questionnaire
As I mentioned about a week ago, we are conducting a survey among all three of our campuses.  If you would take just a couple of minutes (or 20) to fill this out, we would greatly appreciate it.  Just follow this link:

https://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_4PIhmY4ifjJUePj

Hope to see all of you this weekend!!!

Read More at Forest Park]]> 2013-05-15T15:49:03+00:00 “I Thought God Didn’t Love Me.” http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/i-thought-god-didnt-love-me/single http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/i-thought-god-didnt-love-me/single We got an inspiring thank you letter from a woman who came to Mission Joplin for help. She said, "To all of you at Forest Park:  My name is Sherrie and I spoke with several of y’all that day and we prayed. Yesterday I spoke with my crisis worker at Ozark. I told her I went to your church and how we talked and prayed. She in turn told me that God spoke to her about me. Well that floored me and I broke down. She said that God loved me. I thought God didn’t love me. She also said that God told her I needed to let go of never being loved by a mother that did not want me or my sister. My mother wanted to get rid of me as I was blamed for being born. I spent most of my teenage years in a juvenile detention. When I told her all of this and being at the church with ya’ll, she said it was time to tell me God spoke to her about me. I pray every day asking for forgiveness and to help me from all the guilt and blame I feel and to know how much He loved me, to take all the hurt away. I actually would like a lot of people to know this. Thank you each and every one of you. Sincerely, Sherrie."

Helping people experience God's love for them is part of why we work so hard at Mission Joplin. Your prayers and support are helping people like Sherrie find hope. We are open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mission Joplin: Hope for Joplin, Glory to God!


Read More at Forest Park]]> 2013-05-14T02:39:34+00:00 North Campus: Gospel, Candy House & Oasis http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/north-campus-gospel-candy-house-oasis/single http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/north-campus-gospel-candy-house-oasis/single Happy Mother's Day!
We have some great services planned this weekend celebrating God and moms!  Not only will we continue our Gospel sermon series, but we have a few surprises in store for moms.  Here's a hint for what's in store: Candy House and Oasis Spa!

Summer Camp
We have 20 from our Kid City headed to camp this summer.  If you have yet to get your child signed up, please contact Megan asap!  If you're willing to help sponsor a child, please let us know.  We have a couple of campers that could use some financial support.

May 18/19
If you have plans the weekend of the 18/19th, let me encourage you to cancel them.  You won't want to miss services this weekend at North.  I'll leave it at that. 

Mission Teams
Don't forget to be in prayer for our two Mission Teams that are sharing the gospel in Kenya and Haiti!

Hope to see all of you this weekend!

Read More at Forest Park]]> 2013-05-09T15:41:57+00:00 Samaritan’s Purse ROCKS! http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/samaritans-purse-rocks/single http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/samaritans-purse-rocks/single A couple of weekends ago I got to help dedicate a home built by Samaritan's Purse for Mark and Amy Lankford. On the night of the tornado, I drove some of their family into the disaster area to see if we could find them. The Lankfords were in the worst part of the storm and lost everything but their lives. Mission Joplin helped the Lankfords get back on their feet but the greatest blessing was when Samaritan's Purse approved their application for a house. Congratulations to Mark and Amy and thank you Mission Joplin and Samaritan's Purse for blessing our city! We are open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hope for Joplin! Glory to God!

 




Read More at Forest Park]]> 2013-05-06T21:47:51+00:00 May is for Amazing! http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/may-is-for-amazing/single http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/may-is-for-amazing/single Hello friends. It's good to be back in the good 'ol USA. I was teaching in Canada last week and got to share with leaders up there about what God is doing here in Carthage. We are seeing God change lives and that's what it's all about!

Amazing May

Pastor Matt and I planned the next few weeks out and they are going to be pretty amazing. Starting this Sunday with a special treat from our band, you'll experience a powerful new song and wonderful worship. This week we'll discuss Counterfeit Gospels. Next week, we'll discuss the cross (it will be powerful). The week after that (May 19), we'll discuss baptism and why it's a crucial first step for us. The month of May will be amazing and you won't want to miss a week.

Child Dedication

We will be having a Parent/Child Dedication next Sunday, May 12 (on Mother's Day). This is where you commit yourselves to raising your kids in the church and bringing them up partnering with our church. As we've stated before, we want to partner with you to help give you resources to see your kids grow in their faith. If you've never dedicated your kids before (this is not baptism), please contact Pastor Chris and let him know you want to participate.

Baptism

On May 19, we'll have our next baptism. We just recently baptized 39 people and had a great celebration. On Sunday, May 19, we'll once again see a public display of lives that have been changed. If you've never gone public with your faith by taking this step, plan on being a part of baptism this day. It will be an unforgettable day as we do somethings we've never done before.

See you Sunday at 9:30 or 11am. It's going to be a great day!

Read More at Forest Park]]> 2013-04-30T17:30:24+00:00 Just Keeps Getting Better! http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/just-keeps-getting-better/single http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/just-keeps-getting-better/single I recently wrote about my new friend, Rhonda, coming to Forest Park for the first time. She was looking for a church with a relaxed dress code and said she enjoyed the friendly people and warm welcome. I blogged that her daughter, a single mom who lost everything in the tornado, needs a refrigerator and stove. Another one of our "lost-everything-in-the-tornado" families gave her their refrigerator. It's amazing! Anybody want to step up and donate a stove?

Our relationship with this family started through Mission Joplin. My friend Janine from Brooklyn made quilts for Rhonda's grandbabies and Mission Joplin provided a carseat for the newborn. Now Rhonda feels led to be baptized and I will have the joy of doing that in a couple of weeks. It just keeps getting better! We are open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mission Joplin: Hope for Joplin, Glory to God!


Read More at Forest Park]]> 2013-04-29T04:40:32+00:00 Follow-Up Team: April ‘13 Report http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/follow-up-team-april-13-report/single http://forestpark.tv/media/blogs/follow-up-team-april-13-report/single This is an update on our One Church campaign – an incredible opportunity to be used by the Lord and be involved where He is working!

For years we have prayed that God would use our investments in Carthage to reach that area. Since moving into our new facility earlier this year, we have baptized 39 in Carthage alone! Two years ago average attendance was only 227. Attendance in the first quarter of this year was 441, and more than 800 attended on Easter Sunday. Starting new campuses has enabled us to touch more lives than ever before. To God be the glory!

Now we are saving for improvements on our Joplin Campus. Our Worship Center is outdated and needs a face lift. Pray for our team as we prayerfully investigate hundreds of ideas for creating an environment that will better facilitate our worship and fellowship.

Our North Campus is exploring options to alleviate overcrowding in Kid City. In one of our rooms we are cramming in more than 30 children. We’re so glad they are coming, but we need room for more. Average attendance at North grew to 440 in the first quarter of this year.

One Church giving pledges were $2,701,853. As of March 31, 2013, we have received 54% of that amount with only 45% of the three-year time commitment elapsed. Isn’t God good?

Thank you all so much for your continued faithfulness to give to One Church. For those who haven’t begun giving and wish to participate, giving to One Church is simple. You may use the building fund box on a regular offering envelope, or go to forestpark.tv/give and use the One Church option in the online giving tab.

Thank you for investing in God’s kingdom and the future of Forest Park.

Jef and Misty Frost on behalf of your One Church Follow-Up Team,

Jef and Misty Frost (Joplin)
Dexter and Donna Friesen (Carthage)
Derek and Sheri Towery (North)

Read More at Forest Park]]> 2013-04-28T18:00:56+00:00