The Mission Foundation
P. O. Box 46358
Baton Rouge, LA 70895
April 16, 2009
Dear friends,
Becky and I want to say “THANK YOU” once again to each of you who have provided the financial means for us to carry out our ministry. We know that we have said this many times through the years, but we feel compelled to keep on telling you how much we appreciate every gift.
Men’s Retreat – Holy Trinity Anglican Church (Jackson, MS): What a joy it was to serve with my son Jake at Holy Trinity’s men’s retreat on the last weekend of March. At the invitation of Dr. Tim Smith, pastor of Holy Trinity, I was the guest speaker and Jake led in music. Also, participating in the retreat was a group of African-American brothers from Healing Relationships Church (Holiness Pentecostal) and their pastor Rev. Robert Myers. There was almost exactly the same number of men from each church. We sang and prayed and studied God’s Word on the screened porch of a fishing camp that looked out on a beautiful little lake in some secluded woods in East Mississippi. The scene and the tone of the retreat reminded me of the men’s retreat which we held at James Lake near Ruston back in 1976 with Pastor Donald Tabb as our speaker. Some of you were at that retreat thirty-three years ago, and like me you may be remembering our final moments as we gazed on the glassy lake in prolonged, serene pondering. I give thanks to the Lord Who drew us near to Him then and Who continues to do the same today.
Jim Wood Preaching at Providence Bible Church in Denver: This will be Jim’s FIRST sermon. He will be preaching at his home church, which is a multi-cultural church in the heart of Denver. Bec and I have worshipped at Providence and were amazed at the wonderful cross section of the Denver inner city society that was there. We also had the opportunity to spend some time in Pastor Jason Janz’s home on a Sunday evening for our grandson Josiah’s dedication, which was attended by a roomful of loving people from Providence. I hope you will consider going to the Providence website to see their video presentations at http://www.providencedenver.org/videos.html Those videos present the vision of the church in a clear and moving way. Would you please pray for Jim between now and Sunday? And please be in prayer for him on Sunday morning. Thanks. I wish I could be there with him!
The Dominican Republic Medical Mission, May 25-30: Our son Jake, who is a physician, has organized a medical mission to the D. R. This is a missions outreach of Crossroads Church in Ruston. However, there are a number of people from here in Baton Rouge who will also be participating. Jake served on a short-term mission in the Dominican a few years ago, and he and I have looked forward to the day when he would return and I would be able to serve with him. I am very thankful that the opportunity has now come. We are not sure whether Bec will be able to join us, but she hopes to. I am sorry for the short notice, but if any of you are interested in going, please call Jake as soon as possible at 318-254-3664.
Louisiana Legislative Session: On April 27th, the House and Senate will convene, and final adjournment will be no later than June 25th. I have been ministering at the Capitol since 1993, and this is my tenth year to lead the weekly Bible Study / Prayer Breakfast. Please pray for our governor and for our legislators.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – International Evangelical Church: Pastor Girma wrote me a few weeks ago to share the following: “I just came to the office from the Men's prayer breakfast you started. It is going well. This morning we had 20 men getting together to study the word of God and pray together. We agreed to go through Purpose Driven Life as of next week.” Please pray for this group of men.
As I close this letter, I must mention that we are in need of additional monthly supporters. If you are not presently on our monthly support team, would you please consider participating? Even the very smallest amount on a monthly basis would be a great blessing to us. As always, we are enclosing a self-addressed envelope for your convenience, although some people choose to use various forms of online “bill pay.” Also, would you please consider including us among those for whom you regularly pray? Thanks.
In the Savior,
Rod and Bec
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Langham Preaching Seminar in GHANA
The Mission Foundation
P.O. Box 46358
Baton Rouge, LA 70895
March 16, 2009
Dear friends,
The past month or so has been full and fruitful. Having sent an email from Tanzania regarding our work there, I would like to share just a bit about our seminar in Ghana. (By the way, if we don’t have your email address, please write us at rodwoodmission@yahoo.com.)
I was very happy that Bec was able to be with me this year in Ghana. She had opportunity to use her teaching gift among the women, and she was steadily engaged in much blessed interaction with our Ghanian national committee members as well as our delegates. Bec and I also very much enjoyed being with our Langham colleague Femi Adeleye and his wife Affy of Nigeria. Femi and I first met in England at the initial Langham consultation in 2003 and have served together in Ghana since 2005.
As in the past, a number of denominations/church networks were represented: Presbyterians, Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, and Independents. There were about 30 delegates who came for this level three seminar.
I was moved by the humility of certain delegates, who are widely-known, national leaders, as I watched them not only enthusiastically sharing their thoughts but also listening very intently as fellow learners with those in their workshops. This humility was unwittingly highlighted by a prominent Ghanian theologian who came as a guest speaker. As he stood before the crowd, he expressed his great surprise that “some of you are out there” in the audience rather than “up here.” What that theologian saw was, I believe, the foundation of a truly grass-roots, nation-wide expository preaching movement! Those whom God has positioned for extensive influence are working and learning alongside those who serve faithfully in less visible places!
I think it may be helpful if I mention some of the leadership positions held by delegates and committee members who have participated in the seminar over the past five years: The General Secretary of the Ghana Pentecostal Council (230 denominational churches and ministries of which one denomination has 1.5 million members), the homiletics (preaching) professor of Trinity Theological Seminary (whose students are Anglican, Methodist, and Presbyterian), the National Director of Scripture Union, the General Secretary of GHAFES (Ghana Fellowship of Evangelical Students, an affiliate of International Fellowship of Evangelical Students known in the U.S. as InterVarsity), the former Regional Secretary of IFES for all of Portuguese-and-English-speaking Africa and former pastor of Accra Chapel, the National Director of The Navigators, and others. It has been a joy to watch the servant-leadership displayed by these men!
The Ghanians have a national vision! Five years ago, they chose the name NEPS – National Expository Preaching Seminar. Today they seem to be on the verge of seeing the word “National” becoming descriptive of not just an annual seminar but of a nation-impacting movement! Would you please take a moment right now to pray for the preachers of Ghana?
Thank you again for all of your prayers and for your financial support of our ministry. As we often say, each and every gift, regardless of the size, is very deeply appreciated.
In His service with you until He comes or until we go,
Rod and Bec
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The Mission Foundation
P.O. Box 46358
Baton Rouge, LA 70895
February 20, 2009
Dear friends,
Bec and I are presently traveling by car from Mbeya, Tanzania back to Dar es Salaam. We just saw another highway accident. They are very frequent here. We ourselves had a very, very close call on the way to the seminar last weekend. We appreciate all of your prayers for safe travel.
Our Langham Preaching seminar went very well. We had 54 delegates who came primarily from the Moravian Church and the African Inland Church (established 100 years ago by African Inland), although there were also Baptists and Pentecostals. This morning, during our sharing time at the end of the seminar, one brother remarked about the uncommon sense of unity they had experienced this week. It was indeed very apparent throughout the seminar. I would like to add that this group in Mbeya was quite diligent in the carrying out their workshop assignments. They were extremely focused on their work and produced some good sermon theme statements and outlines.
LETTER CONTINUED IN DAR ES SALAAM – SATURDAY NIGHT, FEBRUARY 21ST –
Tonight I am writing from the African Inland Mission guest house in Dar es Salaam. Tomorrow morning at 3:30 a.m. the taxi will pick us up to take us to the airport for an early morning flight to Accra, Ghana (by way of Nairobi). Then tomorrow night we will begin our fifth Langham Preaching seminar in Ghana. It is known in that country as NEPS, i.e. National Expository Preaching Seminar. We will be doing a Level Three program, which means that this group of delegates will be receiving their certificates, having completed the three-year sequence.
Following the Level Three program, on Sunday night, March 1st, I will preach the induction sermon for the new pastor of Accra Chapel, Rev. Emmanuel Osae-Addo. Accra Chapel meets on the campus of the University of Ghana Medical School and has been pastored for many years by Rev. Theopholis (T. B.) Dankwa, a member of the Langham Preaching seminar committee for Ghana. It is a wonderful congregation that God has used in a very significant way in this West African country. I have preached there before and am honored that my brother T. B. has invited me to share in this special occasion as he passes the mantel of pastoral service to another brother. Please pray for us and for Accra Chapel.
On that same day, Sunday, March 1st, we will begin our two and a half day “Training of Local Facilitators” program. I mentioned this program to you in my last letter. It is extremely important to the future of the expository preaching movement in Ghana.
Please pray for Becky (who ministers to women) and me that we will have the required energy and the wisdom needed to finish our work well. We are very grateful to God for allowing us to participate in His work here in Africa through Langham Preaching (John Stott Ministries). Please see websites for more information.
For those who desire to support the work of The Mission Foundation, we will not be able to send out an envelope this month. We will only be able to communicate with you by email. Please see the address given in the heading. We are sorry for this inconvenience. We greatly appreciate your willingness to provide financially for our work. Thank you for ALL that you have done and continue to do!
Laboring and looking for His coming!
Rod and Bec
P.O. Box 46358
Baton Rouge, LA 70895
February 20, 2009
Dear friends,
Bec and I are presently traveling by car from Mbeya, Tanzania back to Dar es Salaam. We just saw another highway accident. They are very frequent here. We ourselves had a very, very close call on the way to the seminar last weekend. We appreciate all of your prayers for safe travel.
Our Langham Preaching seminar went very well. We had 54 delegates who came primarily from the Moravian Church and the African Inland Church (established 100 years ago by African Inland), although there were also Baptists and Pentecostals. This morning, during our sharing time at the end of the seminar, one brother remarked about the uncommon sense of unity they had experienced this week. It was indeed very apparent throughout the seminar. I would like to add that this group in Mbeya was quite diligent in the carrying out their workshop assignments. They were extremely focused on their work and produced some good sermon theme statements and outlines.
LETTER CONTINUED IN DAR ES SALAAM – SATURDAY NIGHT, FEBRUARY 21ST –
Tonight I am writing from the African Inland Mission guest house in Dar es Salaam. Tomorrow morning at 3:30 a.m. the taxi will pick us up to take us to the airport for an early morning flight to Accra, Ghana (by way of Nairobi). Then tomorrow night we will begin our fifth Langham Preaching seminar in Ghana. It is known in that country as NEPS, i.e. National Expository Preaching Seminar. We will be doing a Level Three program, which means that this group of delegates will be receiving their certificates, having completed the three-year sequence.
Following the Level Three program, on Sunday night, March 1st, I will preach the induction sermon for the new pastor of Accra Chapel, Rev. Emmanuel Osae-Addo. Accra Chapel meets on the campus of the University of Ghana Medical School and has been pastored for many years by Rev. Theopholis (T. B.) Dankwa, a member of the Langham Preaching seminar committee for Ghana. It is a wonderful congregation that God has used in a very significant way in this West African country. I have preached there before and am honored that my brother T. B. has invited me to share in this special occasion as he passes the mantel of pastoral service to another brother. Please pray for us and for Accra Chapel.
On that same day, Sunday, March 1st, we will begin our two and a half day “Training of Local Facilitators” program. I mentioned this program to you in my last letter. It is extremely important to the future of the expository preaching movement in Ghana.
Please pray for Becky (who ministers to women) and me that we will have the required energy and the wisdom needed to finish our work well. We are very grateful to God for allowing us to participate in His work here in Africa through Langham Preaching (John Stott Ministries). Please see websites for more information.
For those who desire to support the work of The Mission Foundation, we will not be able to send out an envelope this month. We will only be able to communicate with you by email. Please see the address given in the heading. We are sorry for this inconvenience. We greatly appreciate your willingness to provide financially for our work. Thank you for ALL that you have done and continue to do!
Laboring and looking for His coming!
Rod and Bec
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Langham Preaching Seminar in Tanzania
Becky and I are in the city of Mbeya in the deep southwestern part of Tanzanian tonight. Our Langham Preaching seminar is going very well.
We greatly appreciate the prayers of our friends. We had a very close call on the highway coming down here from Dar es Salaam. A large bus almost flipped over as it met us in a blind curve. It was going at a very high speed and fish-tailed as it was struggling to avoid hitting us. We give thanks for God's protection.
The delegates at the seminar are very eager learners. They come from a number of denominations, and most of them serve up here in the southern highlands.
Again, we are very grateful for the prayers of our friends.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Letter, January 31, 2009, "The Preacher, Standing Before"
The Mission Foundation
P. O. Box 46358
Baton Rouge, LA 70895
January 31, 2009
Dear friends,
We give thanks for God’s blessings in January. I was privileged to preach at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Jackson, MS and at The Cornerstone Chapel in Baton Rouge. The Gathering of Men is off to its best start in years, as men are bringing friends, and the Lord has granted us a very special awareness of His ministering Presence on Thursdays.
Next Sunday, February 8th, Bec and I will be leaving for Tanzania, Ghana, and Sheffield. We are joining with our British colleague Tony Swanson in holding a Langham Preaching seminar in a new area in the southern part of Tanzania, while our Tanzanian co-laborer Frank Luvanda will be leading a team in the north. The Tanzanian movement is growing by leaps and bounds. Tanzanian brothers, who participated in our “Training of Local Facilitators” seminar a year ago, have led regional seminars all over the country! When we finish our seminar in Tanzania, Bec and I will rise at 3:30 a.m. to catch a flight to the western side of Africa where we will be with Emmanuel Ahlijah and others for a preaching seminar in Ghana. The following week we will hold a “Training of Local Facilitators” seminar for participants who have been carefully selected by the Ghanian leaders. From there we will take an overnight flight to England and will see our friends at Christ Church in Sheffield where I served as a guest minister for most of 2005. I am very much looking forward to being with the Thursday Morning Men’s Group that has met every week since its beginning at Stumperlowe Hall, home of Andrew and Melanie Dunigan, during our happy days at Christ Church.
Today I wrote the poem below while meditating on Jeremiah 23:16-32, a text on which my fellow preachers in Ghana have asked me to preach at our Langham Preaching seminar. I send it to you with deep gratitude for all that you do to help Bec and me fulfill our mission.
P. O. Box 46358
Baton Rouge, LA 70895
January 31, 2009
Dear friends,
We give thanks for God’s blessings in January. I was privileged to preach at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Jackson, MS and at The Cornerstone Chapel in Baton Rouge. The Gathering of Men is off to its best start in years, as men are bringing friends, and the Lord has granted us a very special awareness of His ministering Presence on Thursdays.
Next Sunday, February 8th, Bec and I will be leaving for Tanzania, Ghana, and Sheffield. We are joining with our British colleague Tony Swanson in holding a Langham Preaching seminar in a new area in the southern part of Tanzania, while our Tanzanian co-laborer Frank Luvanda will be leading a team in the north. The Tanzanian movement is growing by leaps and bounds. Tanzanian brothers, who participated in our “Training of Local Facilitators” seminar a year ago, have led regional seminars all over the country! When we finish our seminar in Tanzania, Bec and I will rise at 3:30 a.m. to catch a flight to the western side of Africa where we will be with Emmanuel Ahlijah and others for a preaching seminar in Ghana. The following week we will hold a “Training of Local Facilitators” seminar for participants who have been carefully selected by the Ghanian leaders. From there we will take an overnight flight to England and will see our friends at Christ Church in Sheffield where I served as a guest minister for most of 2005. I am very much looking forward to being with the Thursday Morning Men’s Group that has met every week since its beginning at Stumperlowe Hall, home of Andrew and Melanie Dunigan, during our happy days at Christ Church.
Today I wrote the poem below while meditating on Jeremiah 23:16-32, a text on which my fellow preachers in Ghana have asked me to preach at our Langham Preaching seminar. I send it to you with deep gratitude for all that you do to help Bec and me fulfill our mission.
– Your brother, Rodney
The Preacher, Standing Before
Stand before God
Before you stand before men.
Keep still, listen,
Go speak what you hear.
For one day you will
Stand before God.
“Lord, I stand in Your presence,
Waiting, longing to be sent.
Please, I pray, send me, Lord,
With words from Your Mouth in mine.”
(Jeremiah 23:21-22, “I did not send these prophets, but they ran. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, then they would have announced My words to My people, and would have turned them back from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.”)
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