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Fort Gibson
Church of Christ
806 S Lee
Fort Gibson, OK
74434
918.478.2222

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Welcome to Missions!!

 

The Missions ministry oversees the collection and allocation of funding used in our mission efforts.  We also provide opportunities for our church family to actually travel into mission fields.   Currently, we are involved in efforts internationally in Africa, Mexico and Poland.  Also, we sponsor activities here in the US in Spearfish, SD, and the Prison Ministry in Hominy, OK.

Please click here:

Missions Blog

for photos of the February 2008 adult mission trip to Mexico and other items of interest.

And if you would like to see and read about the very dedicated man behind the mission, Rick Owen, click here.

Eli Schnell is a young man we're helping support at Bear Valley Bible Institute as he trains to become a preacher.  Click below:

Eli's Newsletter from Bear Valley

 Eli's Blogsite (daily/weekly thoughts)

 

 

Mexico 2007

June 23-30 we went to Saltillo, Mexico to help construct a church building about an hour south of Saltillo in a little town called General Cepeda.  There were only two members of the church in the entire town.  But we know God will make it grow.

  Here's a song Kenny Lashley and Barrett Vanlandingham wrote about our trip.  Click here or click the flag to hear the song. 

Words to song:
(verse 1) We headed south to the border to fulfill an order,
that Jesus gave two-thousand years ago,
to obey the Gospel, to go into the world,
and that includes Mexico.

(chorus)  Brothers and sisters, Hermanas and Hermanos,
We found God's people in Saltillo.
The roads that we traveled to General Cepeda,
Up and down the mountains as we go.

(verse 2) The foundation was laid for only one family.
His name was Ignacio.
A little planting here, a little watering there.
And we know God will make it grow.

 (verse 3) The walls went up with blocks and morter,
as joy filled each of our souls.
We sang our good-byes, under a palm tree,
knowing God is in control.


 Adult sponsor missionaries include:
Glen Elliott
Robin Elliott
Julie Huggins
Jacki Jameson
Doyle Kelley
Gabe Laney
Matt Laney
Kenny Lashley
Mona Lashley
Colleen Leal
Barrett Vanlandingham
Jerry David Walker
Vicki Walker

Student missionaries include:
Cole Berkenbile
Robby Branscum
Sammie Jo Brown
Kris Elliott
Rachel Elliott
Adam Fleming
Chase Hardin
Colby Hardin
Josh Huggins
Mallory Jameson
Zak Kelley
Kyle Lashley
Trey Lashley
Mario Leal
Maritza Leal
Montana Leal
Ashton Vanlandingham
Brooke Walker
Levi Walker
Anthony Wallace

 

2007 Video Report from Spearfish, South Dakota

featuring missionaries Jerry Savage and Ken Tackett.  Ken will be moving back to Oklahoma in June to become thepulpit minister at the Lake Road Church of Christ in Gore.

Click here:  Jerry and Ken Video

 

Report from Spearfish, South Dakota (Posted 04-25-07)

     Greetings from your family in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  The year 2006 was a special year for us. Having begun a ministry, focusing on the students of Black Hills State University, we were not sure what blessing and transitions would come.  As students began to make connections with our people, our campus ministry grew and, thus, our Sunday morning church gatherings brought new faces.  To this point, though, the changes occurring have been found primarily within our body.  Realizing how “un-churched” the students around here are has changed our expectations for the ministry.  I would like to say that tons of kids are becoming Christians but, as is often the case, and should be, the introduction to Jesus must come first, and thoroughly, before we see changed lives spring forth.  And so we teach, slowly, and encourage those who are, perhaps for the first time, considering a life in Christ.
     Transitions for our group, though, have been many.  We have had a refocusing of our ministry to children.  A new approach has been adopted for teaching kids classes.  God has blessed us with many growing children and many adults who have grown to the point that they can teach the Word to the kids.  Thank the Lord for that.  Also, a class for “special needs children” has also been created and word is spreading through the community of its availability.  God may have plans for a flourishing ministry there also.  Our teen group has also been growing with the assistance of a non-paid youth minister.  A young man from Oklahoma Christian has moved to the area and is doing wonderful things with our kids and many new kids that are showing up.  This has also caused changes in our plans and expectations for the body.
     In retrospect, then, 2006 took on a little different focus than previous years. Yes there have been a handful of baptisms over the past year, but fewer than in years before.  It seems that with the emerging campus ministry, children’s ministry, and youth ministry, we have had to “re-tool” and focus on member implementation. Evangelism has always been at the forefront of our work, but getting people plugged into emerging ministries seemed a necessary detour for growing our people spiritually. This has been so necessary among our people that this year we have chosen to continue training leaders for the body, who can shepherd the growing flock.  Our year-long program of “Discovering Leadership”, currently in its 4th month, is proving to be a blessing to the 24 maturing Christians involved in the class.  Hopefully, prayerfully, some devout men will soon stand in the gap to shepherd this growing congregation, so that our ministry team can re-focus on evangelizing the lost.
     And so we approach coming full circle after 9 years.  From making disciples, to baptizing many of them, to the teaching of a lifetime of obedience, to the maturing of leaders… and then… back to evangelism.  (see Matt 28: 19-20 for a great pattern of this.) This pattern is our prime directive…. and with the Lord’s help, we will accomplish it.
     Thank you, Fort Gibson Church of Christ, for your support of our work.  May God bless you for your partnership in our ministry.
Ken Tackett and Jerry Savage        Mission Team to South Dakota

 

 

Fort Gibson Supports Warsaw Missions

A Newsletter by Royce and Holly Gambill
January 22, 2008

Holly and I will be leaving Warsaw tomorrow morning and arriving in Oklahoma City Wednesday evening, Lord willing, for furlough.  This will be a different furlough in the sense of Holly’s scheduled surgery.  We do hope to see all of you during our stay.  We are scheduled to leave to return to Warsaw on February 25, health permitting.  Please keep Holly in your prayers. 

 We are thankful that Mirek Bartczak is now in Warsaw.  His wife and son, Marilu and Timmy, will be joining him next week.  The church has greeted him warmly and is looking forward to working with him.  Also, our coworker Nicole Linebaugh has almost completed her requirements for Polish residency and we are thankful for that.

Again, we hope to see you some time while we are in Oklahoma and share with you news about the work in Warsaw.  Thank you for your concern for sharing God’s word to the people in this city and country.

 God bless, Royce and Holly

 

Missions Updates
WARSAW 2007
A Newsletter from Royce and Holly Gambill
November 2007

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4-7 (TNIV)

Dear Friends,

We have been remiss in writing and keeping you updated about our activities and work in Warsaw the past several months. I have been challenged to keep my “eye on the prize” as one of our son’s favorite Bible teachers used to say. But in spite of the challenges and the worries, the Lord has seen us through, and for that we are very thankful. Briefly, we will try to highlight some of our recent activities.

In June and July we continued with our teaching at the Bible Institute. Our co-workers Nicole Linebaugh and Tyson Condict have been very helpful in this area of work. In July eleven members of the congregation in Warsaw attended the 2nd Annual Polish Retreat in Wroclaw, Poland. It was the first time for some of our members to attend a function such as this. The first night we sang long after the ending time of the scheduled activities. Congregations represented included Gdansk, Wroclaw, Radom, Slask, and Warsaw. Lessons were presented by Jarek Ciesielski, Robert Nowik, and Mirek Bartczak from Matthew 11:28-30 (“Come to me,…and I will give you rest.”). Our members were excited to see the love of Christ shared among brothers and sisters from different congregations. It was very important for our members to have the opportunity to participate in such wonderful fellowship.

In July, four of us from Warsaw and five from Radom represented Poland at the 38th? annual Bible Camp in Crkvenica, Croatia, on the Adriatic Sea. It was encouraging to meet many brothers and sisters from Croatia. Mladen Jovanovic encouraged our members to attend the camp. Mladen and his lovely wife Dragica have been a great blessing to the church in Warsaw and we are thankful for them. In August, I represented the congregation at the Pan European Lectureship in Berlin, Germany. Many congregations were represented and good Bible lessons were taught. The missionary reports about the local work in different European cities were of special interest.

In September, several of our members attended the Central European Retreat near Brno, Czech Republic. What a blessing for our members to share lessons and fellowship with brethren from several other Central European Countries! They especially enjoyed singing in different languages. It was a great blessing for our congregation.

October brought many visitors from the U.S. It was good to have Gerd and Lucky Fecht, Royce Sartain, Jack and Winona Skaggs, and Charlie and Joy Cleek. Gerd and Jack were here for consecutive Sundays and met with the Christians to hear ideas about how Memorial Road can best help in Warsaw. Jack and Charlie also met with the men of the congregation to find out their thinking about possible ways to better assist in the future. Royce Sartain taught two excellent lessons to the congregation. Royce also brought a Video Conferencing system that has great potential to help in the training ministry. We are still having some technical difficulties but hope to have them worked out in the near future.

Mladen and Dragica Jovanovic visited in August and he presented his newly-printed book, entitled “Why Am I a Christian?” Our members were challenged by the book and have handed out many copies to friends and families. We have also sent copies to other congregations in Poland. Mladen also spent almost a week in Warsaw earlier in November and did much teaching and counseling with our members. Mladen and his family lived in Warsaw from 1972-79 when he was a visiting professor in Serbo-Croatian languages at the University of Warsaw. During that time he worked with the church in Warsaw and so he knows many of our members and he is fluent in Polish! Mladen and Dragica have been a blessing to the Lord’s work in Warsaw and we are very thankful for their love for the church in Warsaw.

Tyson Condict, our dear coworker, left this week to return to the U.S. He will help his sister and her three daughters while her husband is TDY. He will be missed! We were pleased to be able to spend Thanksgiving with him, Nicole and her dad, Ed, Sheree and her sister, Sydnee, Tracy and our son Matt. Holly cooked a great meal and we had a wonderful time together. Our younger son, Zac, along with his girlfriend, Ashley spent a few days with us the week before Thanksgiving. We are very thankful to have been able to spend time with both our sons recently!

Nicole’s Dad taught Bible class last Sunday. Afterward, the congregation held a surprise fellowship to bid Tyson farewell and in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday. Ryszard’s wife prepared a huge turkey, and Marysia prepared pumpkin cake, and pumpkin dumplings! We also had pumpkin and pecan pie. This was our day to celebrate November birthdays. Milena, Sheree, Sydnee, and Ewa were our birthday girls.

We are still searching for a building to buy. Property is unbelievably expensive in Warsaw, but we are confident the Lord will provide. Holly made a quick trip home in late October to consult with a specialist and a surgeon about her health. She will have tests and a surgical procedure done next year in Oklahoma City. We pray that this will help her have more freedom in her day-to-day activities.

Thank you for your interest in the Lord’s work in Warsaw. We miss you all and would love to hear from you at any time.

God bless,

Royce and Holly
 

 
 
WARSAW 2007
A Newsletter by Royce and Holly Gambill
March 2007

WHY ARE YOU HERE?

While on furlough recently, we visited Ridgecrest Church of Christ in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Ridgecrest had been our home congregation for many years and we continue to have many dear friends there. During the worship service the minister asked a question of the congregation. The words appeared through power point on a screen, and then the elders of the congregation spoke in turn about various works of service of which the members could be a part. These works would provide physical and spiritual assistance to the people in their neighborhoods, cities, and throughout the world. I have thought about that question ever since. WHY ARE YOU HERE?

We have been back in Warsaw for almost a month, and this question is on our minds. There is so much work to be done and our languages skills are still very limited, but we are assured that God can use our inadequacies for His glory. We love and care for the people of the congregation here in Warsaw. We love our teammates. We want to help our students at the Bible Institute learn more about Jesus. Maybe you are wrestling with the same question. In the busyness of life it is easy to ignore such an important question. Paul urged his readers, because of the divine sovereignty of God, and “in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship (or service).Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2.


ABSS

February 19-23 we attended the Advanced Bible Study Series in Gemunden, Germany. It is always one of the highlights of our year. While there, it was good to visit with missionaries and church workers from several countries in Europe. We had thoughtful lessons from God’s word. Patrick, from the British Bible School, challenged us with lessons from the book of James, but with application from Romans 12:1-2. Be transformed, not conformed. Don’t just add Christian teaching to our earthly lives, but get a NEW system. Be transformed—THINK DIFFERENT! Don’t think the way the world thinks. We know God has given us everything we need: his mercy, his grace, an in Christ relationship, no condemnation for those in Christ, the law of the Spirit, freedom from the law of sin and death, life and peace through the mind controlled by the Spirit, freedom from fear, adoption to sonship, a share in his sufferings in order that we may share in his glory. (Romans 8:1-17 summarized).

WHY AM I HERE? THINK DIFFERENT!!

As we go through our work at the Bible Institute and our work with the church we better know the answer to the question. Living transformed lives is a challenge, and a decision we must make each day. We are thankful to be able to serve in Warsaw.

Visitors

We were happy that Bart, Tamika and Izabela Rybinski were able to be with the Warsaw congregation while we were on furlough. Bart and Tamika will be leading a new team to work in Warsaw in 2008. For Bart, it will be coming home, as Warsaw is his hometown. We were greatly strengthened and encouraged by Ernest and Joyce Andreas from Edmond, Oklahoma. They spent the last six weeks in Warsaw and Ernest preached every Sunday. They are great examples to us. We are thankful that the Memorial Road Church sent Charlie and Joy Cleek to work with the Warsaw team. Their advice is invaluable. We will have workers from Oklahoma who will help teach at the Bible Institute. Gerd and Lucky Fecht, the Warsaw coordinators for Memorial Road will be leading a team of eight adults. We also look forward this month to some special lessons from Dr.Curt Niccum of Oklahoma Christian. He will talk to several audiences about the translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other ancient texts. We are blessed that he and his wife, Deborah, are willing to spend spring break traveling to Warsaw. We are excited to offer these lectures as a means of outreach in a public forum. Also, we are very happy that Mladen and Dragica Jovanovic will be with the Warsaw congregation for several days the end of this month through the first few days in April. It will be a real encouragement to hear some Bible lessons in the Polish language!

We wish all of you well. We are thankful to have so many of you who encourage us through your service and faithfulness to Him, our Lord Jesus.

Father, bless our friends and our family. Bless those who serve in the kingdom of you Son because of their love for other people and their desire to do your will. Bless those who are asking, seeking and knocking, for we know they will receive, they will find, and the door will be opened just as Jesus told us. Father, send out workers into your harvest field, for the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.

Royce and Holly

 


Monterrey Pics
These pics were taken in Monterrey during our mission trip June 24-July 1, 2006.  We were on the road at 7am each morning on the way to the job site where we helped construct church buildings at three different locations.  Very tiring work, but very rewarding.  We are going back to Mexico next summer.  Talk with Glen if you're interested in being a part of this mission effort.

Kenny and Barrett wrote a song on the way back from Mexico that tells the story of our group’s dirt leveling, block laying, cement work, and relationships that made the trip even more special.

Monterrey (click to hear)
 by
Kenny Lashley and Barrett Vanlandingham (June 29, 2006)

(verse one) The boards and the cords, we used on the floor, to help our amigos worship the Lord.  The dirt we tossed, so no souls will be lost; Jesus’ blood will cover the cost.

[Chorus] Monterrey, Monterrey. We see Jesus, in Monterrey. (2X)

(verse two) Cement was poured; the blocks were laid, so beautiful music could be made.  The forms torn down; the walls went up, as God’s gentle breeze would fill our cup.

[Chorus] Monterrey, Monterrey. We see Jesus, in Monterrey. (2X)

(verse three) The old gentle man, with blood, sweat, & tears, we worked side by side, with children & cheers.  Like manna from heaven food fell from above, prepared with hands so full of love.

[Chorus] Monterrey, Monterrey. We see Jesus, in Monterrey. (2X)

Click here to Listen to Monterrey


Click below to read an article on the church's efforts in Spearfish, South Dakota which we support.
The Christian Chronicle - Bringing new hope to the Black Hills
 

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