As the Lord allows, we facilitate, host, organize and provide for at least FIVE main activities annually, while others are on an “As Needed” basis:
In Haiti
1. Pastor Training Seminars
2. Summer Youth Camps for Haitian children and youth
3. Host Short-Term Mission Teams (See our “Mission Trips” tab)
4. Fund Select Building Projects of The Haitian Ministries
5. Come Alongside Our Partners in Times of Special Needs ~ In Various Ways
In The U.S.
6. Host National Pastors and organize preaching tours
7. We speak at local churches and present the ministry, telling how God is at work on the field. We also offer God’s People various ways to become personally engaged in The Great Commission, as I preach the Word.
SO….. Janice and I serve the LORD by working with and for:
Select Haitian Leaders and Ministers of The Word
As the Lord leads, FITGM strives to partner with select leaders in Haiti: church planters, pastors and teachers, evangelists, and those engaged in the discipling of others within the Body of Christ. We say “select” because these men are all personally vetted by Janice and myself. That process involves our personal contact and experiences with a man, as well as the input of others with whom they have worked and served. They have proven their integrity over time, have been through years of solid ministry experience, and have demonstrated a like-mindedness with us in their doctrinal stand, their personal walk, and their Great Commission vision of ministry.
First, we work hard to provide these men with ongoing pastor training, as needed. In a country where basic education is not mandatory and a theological education can be very expensive and sometimes lacking, this can be crucial!
Secondly, we also work to provide these men with various tools for ministry that are difficult for them to access or afford. This includes both French and Creole Bibles, scripture booklets for distribution and use in the local church, bible study materials, song books, commentaries, and other pastoral study aids. Good materials are often hard to find in the native languages, but locating, sorting through, and purchasing such materials is a big part of our field ministry to these men. Our goal in this area, as good stewards of God’s resources, is to find inexpensive and reliable sources already in the country. This works far better than us bringing them in ourselves.
The American Missionary
As opportunities arise, we also assist and partner with American missionaries. Such “Fellowships in the Gospel” often serve to increase the efficiency of our own work, and further benefit all parties involved. Examples: Youth camps, leadership training, Scripture distribution, and some short-term mission projects.
Partnering Churches in the U.S.
We provide U.S. churches already invested in a particular Haitian ministry with the periodic updates and ongoing accountability which they require as cross-cultural ministry partners helping from a distance. This involves reporting from the field in the areas of finances, integrity and doctrine. We further serve as liaisons, assisting these churches with their various projects, or even trips to the field to visit their target ministries.
Mission-Minded Churches in the U.S.
Finally, we serve as mission resource people. One of the main goals of our FITGM ministry is to stimulate interest in missions and encourage individuals to obey The Great Commission. Where we find apathy, we want to challenge. Where we see a desire to become engaged, we want to provide opportunities. We, therefore, help churches by speaking at mission conferences, serving in their VBS Programs, and also touring and visiting with church planters and pastors from the foreign field. The latter are VERY interesting opportunities for an exchange with, and an exposure to, The Body of Christ from a foreign land. Janice and I always look forward to this time of year when we can introduce the men we serve to the churches here, stateside! Call us to schedule such a meeting for your church.
These various activities and encounters help members in the pew here in the U.S. to expand their world vision and to gain a real burden for others serving on the foreign field. Through such efforts, God often moves hearts to PRAY, to SEND, and sometimes even to GO!
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5