Summer Ministry Update

With Families at Heart and a Heart for the World

SUMMER 2016 — Ministry Update

 Dear Friends in Christ,

We have had the privilege of serving several Christian schools and churches in recent weeks. Whether sharing spiritual insights from America’s Christian heritage on site in DC, or using historic flags as part of creative demonstrations, Bernie continues to have many remarkable ministry opportunities as an “American History Missionary!” And our core vision of helping Christian families become Great Commission families comes through in every ministry outing and speaking opportunity!

1. Christian Schools - Seeing God’s Providence On Site With Insight

It was fun and rewarding to have dozens of junior high students (plus parents & teachers) be marked with stories of America’s Christian heritage. They also had the opportunity to step out in faith themselves by giving scores of Bernie’s “Monumental Words” gospel fliers to tourist in DC at the WWII Memorial. The flier is filled with the words on the monuments about God: Washington Monument, Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, the White House Prayer and words about God left out of the newer WWII Memorial. Some students said, “This is easy! Can I have more to give out?"

Pray that these young people are marked by this evangelistic experience in a way that continues in their lives as they mature in Christ. And pray that they are not fooled by modern attempts to separate Americans from our revolutionary roots. Specifically, that ultimately our rights come from God, not government.  

2.  Every Church Family’s Three Mission Fields - (1) Under Your Own Roof, (2) Where You Live Now and (3) Wherever in the World the Lord Might Take You!

Daniel and Bernie had the delight to speak at the annual church family retreat for Midtown Church of Altoona, PA. The location was at a castle (no kidding!) near Franklin, PA. The church’s weekend theme was “Celebrating the Harvest.” The leadership and people of this church have a growing heart to reach out to the world around them. Bernie shared ideas biblically and practically about how to do that with sessions on: “God’s Plan for Households — It has always been God’s plan to use earthly households to grow His heavenly kingdom.” “Your Home, Your World, Your Calling, and Your Voice (multiple sessions).” If you would like a pdf of Bernie’s handout notes, just send us a quick email. After each talk it was a great encouragement for all to hear Daniel recite significant portions of Scripture, including entire chapters: I John 1, 2 & 3 and Matt. 5:1-16. The weekend wrap-up discussion on how to apply these things evangelistically as families and as a church was wonderfully inspiring to witness!

 

3.  Using Flags in Evangelism - Bernie Beall Style!

A few weeks later Bernie was back to help a group of Altoona area churches for their annual outreach: Frontier Family Fest. Bernie served as the after lunch evangelistic speaker where he did two flag presentations. The first was entitled, “Four Flags George Washington Served Under, or How We Got Our American Flag!” Young kids helped hold each flag as Bernie shared a faith filled quote from George Washington and a Bible verse with each flag. We’ve enclosed for you a card with his handout notes for that presentation. (The back of the card are his handout notes of spiritual lessons for the mansion tour at Mount Vernon.) For the evangelistic conclusion, he shared the gospel message in the history of the Pennsylvania state flag: “True liberty is not permission to do whatever you want to do, but the ability to do what’s right. And that is only possible in a right relationship with God.” In total, Bernie has 14 state and historic American flags he uses to share spiritual  lessons. Visual aids make it easier for people to follow along. And all his flag presentations can be done anytime, anywhere. :-)

To you our dear friends in Christ, THANK YOU for holding us up in prayer and with your support. We appreciate you!

In Christ, Bernie & Linda Beall