| In this special update, we focus on the Safe Haven Ministry Home and a generous decision made by our sending church, Altoona Regular Baptist Church. Later next week, we plan to send our regular update, highlighting the blessings of our April deputation.
As you read this update, we pray that you will sense our burden for the ministry home needed for Safe Haven for Missionary Soul Care. We also pray that you will rejoice with us at our sending church’s enthusiasm for the ministry home and consider joining them in giving.
From the beginning of the vision for Safe Haven in the heart of Dr. Vernon Rosenau, a ministry home played an integral role. This vision always included a couple and a place—a place where missionaries could connect with the couple in a welcoming, safe environment to share their burdens and to be encouraged, challenged, and refreshed.
In God’s good providence, we know the couple. Sherry and I thank the Lord continually for His loving direction in our lives. In that same good providence and wise timing, we know God will lead us to the ministry home. He already knows the paint color (or the color of the vinyl siding or brick). He will direct our steps to the place for this ministry that He already has in His heart.
In our early conversations with BMM leadership, they shared three criteria for the location of the ministry home.
- A place convenient for travel—a crossroads of travel that would facilitate ease in coming to and getting from the ministry home.
- A place of appropriate anonymity—a location that missionaries would pass through for various reasons so they would not feel like an uncomfortable spotlight was on them during their visit.
- A place where the Safe Haven couple (us) would already have at least one established relationship of encouragement and accountability. A location where we would not have to start from scratch to recreate all of our front-row relationships while at the same time assisting missionaries in carrying their burdens.
In addition to these criteria, we have developed and are sharpening critical criteria for the specific property. Among these are:
- A ministry home where Baptist Mid-Missions missionaries feel welcomed and loved.
- A ministry home which, by its very atmosphere, points missionaries to the reality that “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.”
- A ministry home with sufficient space for private lodging for a visiting missionary family, home office space for Safe Haven, and living space for us.
With these criteria in mind, we are asking the Lord to supply a ministry home in the western Chicagoland region of Illinois. For those familiar with the area, consider Warrenville, Winfield, North Aurora, Batavia, Naperville, etc. We suspect that you are immediately making connections between this area and the convenience of travel and anonymity. Allow us to link a couple of additional items to the above criteria.
First, Pastor Dale and Shirley Williams serve at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Warrenville. The four of us have been friends since college. We have the kind of friendship that allows us to pick up where we left off, even if we’ve not seen each other for a long time.
Additionally, Emmanuel Baptist Church loves missions and missionaries. BMM missionaries have repeatedly told us about the hearts of the people of this church for missions. Just this week, a missionary emailed me and wrote, “Pastor Williams is a great encourager of missions and for us. [They are] consistent in keeping us up to speed on life with them and making us feel like they are keeping up with us.” We plan to make this our church home in the ministry of Safe Haven while remaining, of course, with Altoona Baptist as our sending church.
Finally, the western areas of Chicagoland have an abundance of opportunities for rest and recreation. Don’t just think big city. The Fox and DuPage River Valleys and several forest preserves in the region, coupled with the proximity of the city with its abundant opportunities (around an hour away), should provide both families and singles with a variety of options for recreation, relaxation, and reflection when they stay with us in the ministry home.
We could develop this information in far greater detail, but we trust that we have provided enough information for you to see the vision and to pray with us about God’s provision of a Safe Haven Ministry Home. We would welcome the opportunity to answer any questions you would have about this. Please reply to this email with your questions or to arrange a time to talk together about the ministry home. |
