“Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me . . . .” (Psalm 101:6)
First, I would like to thank all of you for your faithfulness in supporting our ministry, both financially and prayerfully. Often the emphasis is placed on the missionary’s need to be faithful; though true, God also recognizes the faithfulness of those that have sent him. Your continued support has allowed my family and me to help others in many ways.
I have personally been able to lead 124 people to Christ so far this year. The Lawrenson family as a whole has been able to see over 225 people saved. As of November 22, 2015, International Baptist Church at Dumaguete has been able to see 5,609 souls saved and 156 converts baptized so far this year.
The music program at our church has grown to include over 12 special singing groups. Kim does a great job organizing, practicing, practicing, practicing . . . and then performing with each of the groups. Josiah has joined his three older siblings in the church orchestra, and Chloe has taken up practicing the violin and is preparing to join the orchestra soon.
My wife and I have had the thrill of teaching the college-aged ladies’ and men’s Sunday school classes. Many of the college students come from the neighborhood known as Tubtubon (pronounced Tube-two-bone). This is the area where Elmer Rusiana, one of my faithful converts from almost two years ago, lives. Elmer is still an active soul winner and works hard at motivating the others in his neighborhood to come to church. He comes faith-fully to the church-wide soul-winning programs, both on Thursday evenings and Saturday morning. He has become a confident and bold soul winner. Elmer’s confidence in sharing the Gospel is probably best recognized by the fact that he is often seen leading people to Christ by the dozens.
Our Saturday church-wide soul-winning group has been able to systematically knock through almost all of Dumaguete and our neighboring city Sibulan over the past two years. Every week we see many people trust Christ as their Saviour. Our group from last Saturday, pictured below, was able to see 33 people trust Christ as their Saviour during our normal three-hour soul-winning time. Many Christians have built their confidence in the Gospel and have grown in their ability to tactfully lead different sized groups of various ages by consistently attending our soul-winning programs.
Our soul-winning program starts at 8:00 Saturday mornings during the same time that our Outreach Transportation Ministry meets. We meet for an hour, sing songs, have soul-winning testimonies, followed by a brief lesson. Bro. Christiansen and I teach lessons on many aspects of soul winning, including being a silent partner, false doctrines that we may encounter when soul winning, soul-winning motivational lessons, boldness, the simplicity of the Gospel, etc. We all go out as a group to a housing area, usually near where we ended the week before. Soul winners are encouraged to visit their coverts from the previous week with a convert from the week, and then we continue soul winning in the direction we were headed the previous Saturday.
Please pray for our fellow team members Brother Scott and Debbie Christiansen as Mrs. Christiansen battles with cancer. Please view his most recent prayer letter that is available at the FBMI website at fbmi.org.
MEET A CHURCH MEMBER OF INTERNATIONAL BAPTIST CHURCH AT DUMAGUETE
I have the honor of serving with several good men at International Baptist Church in the area of ushering. Ismael Canaveral is one of our several ushers. Ismael is one of the many men God has given us in Dumaguete who is eager to serve and always willing to lend a hand to the work.
Ismael attended a Korean church as a child but never heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. Later during his time in high school, a teacher shared the Gospel, but even then, Ismael was still confused about the Truth. While in college a man invited Ismael to a Baptist church; he attended the church and received Christ as his Saviour on June 23, 2003.
Ismael worked out of town in Cebu City for a year. When he returned to Dumaguete, he did not know of a good church in the area to attend. While working downtown as a parking attendant, a beggar shared a tract from International Baptist Church with Ismael. Ismael read the tract and visited IBC with a friend the following Sunday. Ismael has been faithfully attending IBC with his wife Mitchelle and his two junior-aged children, Earl and San Perle, since his first visit in June 2011.
Near the end of October, I received a call from my good friend, Pastor Eddie Galyean. He told me that he needed a good electrician to come help him pull electrical wire in his new church building. I assured him that I would look and let him know if I found one! Ha!Ha!
My son Zechariah and I both took the time to go to Urdaneta City for a week. I was excited to be able to preach both the morning and evening services for their Building Program Sunday. After the Sunday morning service, the congregation gathered at the construction site of their unfinished church building. We sang hymns, followed by a prayer of dedication. After the dedication service, the members of the Crossroads Baptist Church pledged over 100,000 pesos to be used toward their Building Program!
For the next two days, Zech and I busied ourselves with pulling electrical wire in the new building. Wednesday afternoon we finished making the necessary electrical connection, and after I taught the evening Bible study, we invited the congregation to come see their new church building in a new light.
It was a great honor for Zechariah and me to be able to help the Crossroads Baptist Church! I look forward to getting good reports from them for many years to come!
Another year has come and is nearly gone. May we, as God’s children, be encouraged as we invest our lives for others. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (I Corinthians 15:58)
Thank you again for your unwavering faithfulness and continued support as we serve Him together.
Serving the Lord with gladness,
The Lawrenson Family
Stan, Kim, Elisabeth, Zechariah, Bethany, Josiah, Chloe Anna, Stephen, and Luke
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- A recent picture of Elmer (in the blue shirt and tie) with a group of family and friends he has been able to influence to come to church
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- Church-wide soul-winning group
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- Bro. and Mrs. Scott Christiansen
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- IBC’s church orchestra
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- Lights are on in the new building of the Crossroads Baptist Church!
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- Ismael Canaveral, one of IBC’s faithful ushers