Kevin and Anna Ruwersma

Weekly Update

2010-01-05T22:05:00.002Z

Dear Praying Friends,

We are eager to see what the Lord has planned for 2010!

A couple days ago we were able to move Derrick and Julianna Morlan and Cathy Henschen into their new home in Oxford. We look forward to assisting them in starting a new church in Oxford. Please pray for this new ministry opportunity.

School is now back in session and we are praying the Lord will allow us to enter some new schools and hold religious assemblies. Anna will be going into a middle school and speaking to 200 teenagers next Tuesday. Please pray for wisdom and favor with the administration. On Wednesday, Anna will be meeting with the principal of a local primary school where many of our Sunday School children attend. Please pray that God would open doors during this meeting.

This week we will be preparing for the Crown College students who will be arriving in England next week, Lord willing.There is much to prepare as we anticipate a new semester. The Lord is moving and working in a great way.

Tonight Kevin posted some books on the internet about the Bible and was contacted by a man who was just released from prison. He seems to be searching for the truth and knows nothing of God or the Bible. Kevin is sending a Bible and some other literature to him to help him know the truth. Pray that God will work in his life and he will follow in the right direction. He lives in London, and we will do our best to remain in contact with him.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support. We enjoyed receiving Christmas cards, updates, and pictures from several of you. Thank you for thinking of us during this holiday season. God bless!

Weekly Update

2009-12-29T13:27:00.001Z

Dear Friends and Family,

As we look ahead to the year 2010 we are eager to see what the Lord has planned. We look forward to serving Him in whatever capacity He would have for us. We have much to pray about and seek the Lord’s face as we enter this New Year. May God give us grace and wisdom.

We had a wonderful Christmas morning celebrating the birth of our Saviour with our church family at Beeches Road. We had a lovely Christmas morning service together. Following the service, we had a delicious Christmas dinner and some good Christmas fun with our American co-workers.

We are still endeavoring to encourage local churches by assisting them with their needs. On Sunday, Kevin was able to fill the pulpit for a church that is without a pastor. We are happy to help and support other churches that are striving to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

Traditionally, the Sunday following Christmas is very poorly attended. We are grateful to the Lord for bringing 35 children to Sunday School. It was lovely to have a good group of children at church so soon after Christmas!

We are looking forward to helping our friends Derrick and Julianna Morlan and Cathy Henschen move into their new home in Oxford. Lord willing, Oxford Baptist Chapel will be starting in the near future. Derrick Morlan will be pastoring and starting the work there in Oxford. Please keep this new work in your prayers.

May God bless you during your New Year! Thanks again for your love and prayers.

Our Christmas Eve Walk in the Park

It was lovely to have snow during Christmas Eve. It melted on Christmas Day, but it was great while it lasted! Hope you all had a lovely Christmas....

Weekly Update

2009-12-23T14:16:00.008Z

Hope you all have a lovely Christmas and a very happy New Year. We have enjoyed this Christmas season and the fun that it brings! We are pleased to say we had just enough snow to blanket the sidewalks and roofs of houses. I am hoping we will have another snowfall on Christmas Day!

Kevin and I plan on attending a special Christmas service at Beeches Road Baptist Chapel on Christmas Day. Following the church service we will celebrate Christmas with some close friends. We are looking forward to celebrating our Savior’s birth. Isn’t He wonderful, to come to earth to die for our sins? Let us not forget Christ on this meaningful day.
This holiday time comes with many activities for our children and youth at the church. I have posted a few pictures for you to enjoy.
Thank you for your prayers, cards, and gifts. We appreciate you keeping in contact and letting us know you are thinking of us. God is so good! Happy Christmas…

Caroling in an Elderly Care Home

Our church family Christmas dinner last Sunday

Special Christmas lessons in Sunday School

My Little Lambs Sunday School Class

This class seems to be growing. I LOVE teaching the preschool children. They are so full of wonder and excitement!

November/December Prayer Letter

2009-12-15T13:46:00.003Z

Christmas Carol Service

Ladies Christmas Banquet

Girl Fun!

Yummy...

Dear Pastor and Friends,
Merry Christmas! We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season filled with many blessings. God has been good to us during this holiday time and given us many opportunities share the gospel. The Christmas season brings many opportunities to share the wonderful news of Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection. We are looking forward to having a Christmas Day Service at church and quietly celebrating together.

School Opportunities
Teaching the Bible in public schools and sharing the gospel has been a thing of the past, a door that had been closed for the most part in England. Amazingly, the Lord has given us favor and we have had several invitations to share the good news of the gospel. Anna has been asked to enter several classrooms and teach a Bible lesson. At times we hold assemblies with the entire school. Please pray we will continue to have favor with those in authority. Also, pray the Lord will do a work in the hearts of the children.

Blackheath “Christmas Light Swith-On”
We were invited by the Blackheath Counsel to sing during the city’s Christmas lights ceremony. We sang several Christmas songs and James Zenker gave a brief message of the true meaning of Christmas. It was a privilege to pass hundreds of gospel tracts and invitations to our Carol Service. Several parents of our Sunday School children attended and we were able to get to know them better along with seeing their children there too! This gave us good exposure to those in our neighborhood.

Ladies Christmas Banquet
We hosted our first ladies banquet last weekend. It was wonderful to see over 40 ladies attend. We encouraged the girls from our Sunday School to invite their mothers, grandmothers, and aunties. It was nice to see many visiting mothers having fun playing Christmas games with their daughters. We were blessed to have a pastor’s wife from another church clearly present the gospel to the group of ladies.

Christmas Carol Service
On Sunday we held a Christmas Carol Service at church. All the Sunday School children sang and quoted scripture. It was good to see many visitors and parents come to this special service. We broke our Sunday school attendance that Sunday with 55 children attending!

Thank you for your prayers, support, and love. We enjoy hearing from many of you. May God bless you this Christmas!

Love,
Kevin and Anna Ruwersma
http://www.beechesroadbaptistchapel.com/

Everyday Views

2009-12-09T16:31:00.003Z

Thought you might want to see views of our downtown. This is where it all happens; shopping, witnessing, and well....everyday living! Welcome to our neighbourhood...

Update

2009-11-02T20:48:00.025Z

Dear Praying Friends and Family,

We have much to share with you this week. God’s goodness has been evident these past several days. He has showered us with many blessings…

Angler's Dinner

Last Friday we held an Angler’s Dinner at the church. This was to reach men from our community. We had fish and chips, fishy stories, a great devotional, and prizes! It was great to have eighteen men come and hear the gospel message. Several of them do not attend any church. God used this dinner to reacquaint one of our members with the man who invited him to church fifty years ago. They had lost contact for thirty years!

Visitation

We had our record breaking attendance at visitation last Saturday – there were seventeen people present! We were able to knock on many doors and visit with several people who need the Lord.

Autumn Party

Saturday, October 31, we had an Autumn Party at Marsh Farm. We played fun autumn games, ate delicious food (including pumpkin pie – a novelty for the British), and had a bonfire. During the bonfire we sang songs and listened to a powerful devotional about making wise decisions. Following the lesson, three teenagers raised their hands and mentioned their need for accepting Christ as their Saviour. Please pray God would continue to do a work in the hearts of these young people.

Cathy Henschen

Cathy, a young lady who will be assisting with the chapel in Oxford, arrived safely in Birmingham on Wednesday. Cathy plans on assisting at Beeches Road temporarily to train for her upcoming work. Please pray for Cathy as she works and prepares for this exciting extension work of Beeches Road.

Thank you for your faithfulness to pray for us. We are happy to be serving the Lord!

Weekly Update

2009-12-01T14:23:00.001Z

Hello Friends and Family,
Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving! We celebrated with the other Americans who work with us. It was a nice day of fun and relaxing. I must admit, it felt a little funny celebrating a holiday that nobody around you was celebrating. We enjoyed a turkey dinner with all the works. Anna made some pumpkin and apple pies, ummm…..delicious! After stuffing ourselves, we all went outside and worked off our food by playing both American and European football. We were sore for the next couple days…a great reminder of all the fun!

Blackheath “Switch-On” Christmas Lights
Friday night was absolutely amazing. Beeches Road was invited to go to the town center of Blackheath and sing carols and give a brief devotional. It was great to pass out literature and invite many people to our special Christmas Carol service on December 13. It was a wonderful opportunity to reach our community!

Sunday Services
Anna has been visiting a lady named, Charlene, for the past couple weeks. On Sunday, Charlene and her son came to church. Please pray the Lord will continue to do a work in her heart. She is searching for the truth. Please pray Charlene will come back to church next Sunday. We also had four other first time visitors attend on Sunday. God is blessing! We had quite the exciting Sunday School with 44 children attending! What a privilege it is to serve the Lord.

State School Opportunities
Anna is enjoying every opportunity the Lord gives her to enter the schools and teach. Nearly every week we meet a new contact within the school district who seems interested. Anna will be teaching a year 6 and 7 class next week. Please pray she will have wisdom as she prepares to teach the true meaning of Christmas.

Visitation
Kevin is busily preparing the Christmas literature for this month. Lord willing, we will be passing out hundreds of invitations for our Carol Service. In the next couple weeks we will be spending many hours visiting and dropping leaflets through doors. Please pray we will have a good response. Traditionally, the Christmas Carol Service is the highest attended service of the year and attracts the most visitors.

Thank you so much for your prayers! May God bless you this week...

Christmas Caroling

2009-11-30T23:07:00.004Z

Wow.....it worked! I was trying something new. I will write all about this and MORE on Wednesday. Have a great day. :) Enjoy the little slideshow...

Weekly Update

2009-11-26T09:11:00.002Z

Thank you for your many prayers and support. We hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend. As we reflect on God’s goodness today, we have much to be thankful.
Yesterday Anna was able to go into a local high school and teach in a Religious Education class. It was a class of about twenty- eight year 7 students. She was able to teach them about God and creation. Two of the students already knew Anna because their siblings attend the chapel. They have invited us back to teach in other classes and also some assemblies. It is great to see how God has opened a door for us to teach the Bible in a state school. Here are a few thoughts from Anna…

“Have you ever done something half-hearted? Knowing God could open this door, but not having faith? Sadly, that is how I walked into the local high school a couple weeks ago. Why was I so shocked when God opened a door for us to minister to this needy school? We serve a powerful God! As I sheepishly walked around the school searching for the people I needed to contact, I felt out of place. “Lord, please help me” I muttered. This seems to be my frequent prayer, since I often feel inadequate. After speaking to the head of the Religious Education department, she asked if I could start teaching in the school. Since God had given me an opportunity to teach before, and I had the necessary essentials to teach in a state school, they warmly welcomed me. Their religious education program is broken into the five main religions of the world; I am able to freely speak about Christianity. I went on Tuesday to observe, I sat on my seat completely stunned! The teacher was speaking about the Islamic prayers. My heart was touched as I walked away with an enormous burden to pray for our young people. WE MUST PRAY SATAN DOES NOT CONFUSE THEM. They are searching for the truth. Thanks so much for your prayers. Please continue to pray the Lord will enable me and give me wisdom. The school offered to gather over 200 children for me to hold an assembly. What a privilege!”

God has also given us a great opportunity to reach the community this Friday, November 27th. The city council has asked us if our church could lead the Christmas carols at the Christmas Light Switch On and also give a ten minute message about the true meaning of Christmas. We will also be passing out many gospel tracts and invitations to our Christmas Carol Service on December 13th. This was a real answer to prayer for them to contact us. Please pray that God will work in people’s hearts and they would be receptive to the gospel and join us at church.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

(sorry no pictures this week!)

World Mission Conference

2009-11-19T14:42:00.002Z

Thrillling. Encouraging. Challenging. Those are a few words to describe our first ever Mission Conference at Beeches Road. The week started with building a Mongolian Ger and French Café in the Sunday School room. The youth rally girls made flags from around the world, and the children decorated a banner. The room was transformed into an international display. We even made passports for each of the children! Every night the children could enjoy visiting the ger and café, getting their passport stamped, write to a missionary, receive a toy, taste international food, play games, and meet the missionaries! We also were able to hear a different Sunday School class sing and quote scripture every service! What a blessing. There is so many exciting things ahead in the near future. This conference was used to prepare many people for the future work God has for us. We hope and pray God used this conference to show believers their need to surrender their life to the Lord. The gospel was clearly presented each evening, pray for those who have not yet accepted God’s gift of salvation.

The French Cafe

The Mongolian Ger

What a blessing it was to hear over 40 children sing "Be a Missionary!"

Each evening a different Sunday School class sang....

Meeting the Missionaries

The children really enjoyed having a passport! :)

We had their picture taken in a "photo booth" and every evening they received a stamp!

Writing to the missionaries...

Playing "Pin the Tale on the Reindeer" (Mongolia)

Fishing on the coast of France

Tasting French Crepes

International Banquet - We had around 70 people attend!

We had over 50 different children during the conference and 60-70 people attend each of the services!

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the unttermost part of the earth." Acts 1:8

We now have a church website if you would like to visit, http://www.beechesroadbaptistchapel.com/

It's slightly under construction, but is nearly finished. We have already seen people visit our church through the website. Enjoy!

Thanks for your love and support! God is our strength and help.

GOD IS SO GOOD!

Weekly Update

2009-11-11T14:23:00.001Z

TREASURE CLUB

During Treasure Club we memorize the greatest treasure, the Bible! Last week we had a special Awards Ceremony rewarding those who have worked hard memorizing!

AFTERCHURCH

On Sunday, we had all the long people over in our home for an afterchurch. It was an exciting time of singing, testimonies, Bible quizzing, and snacks!

DINNER CLUB

Dear Friends and Family,
We are eager to share our good news with you! God has blessed abundantly above what we could ask or think.

On Thursday we were able to visit eleven schools and give them information concerning our Bible Clubs. During the holiday season schools are looking for assembly speakers to share how Christians celebrate Christ’s birth. This is a great opportunity for us to enter schools and share God’s message of love. Please pray many schools will be interested.

Throughout the week we have several Bible studies with many individuals who have not yet made a profession of faith. This week during a Bible study with a young girl, she asked if we would pray for her salvation and the salvation of four other individuals. She looked up with a sorrowful face and said, “And that’s not all, so many people in Blackheath and around the world need to be forgiven of their sins!” What a statement for an unsaved, searching girl to make! She closed by saying, “Miss, if I become a Christian, could I do what you do and tell others about Jesus?” My heart was overwhelmed by her questions. Please pray the Lord would continue to do a work in her life.

We had ten teenagers come to the Heathfield dinner club today. Seven of them were unsaved, and four of those it was their first time coming to the club. During the Heathfield dinner club we enjoy a home cooked lunch and then close with a Bible study. We were able to clearly share the gospel today with many who have never heard. We asked, “What is sin?” The girls who had never come before couldn’t answer that question. The Lord has given us this time to reach those who have never heard. What a privilege!

This week we are gearing up for our first Mission Conference at Beeches Road. We are looking forward to starting on Saturday night with an International Banquet. Please pray the Lord will use this conference to speak to the hearts of people about sharing the gospel and being a bold witness.

Thank you for your prayers. None of this would be possible without your love and support. May God richly bless you!

In Christ,

Kevin and Anna Ruwersma

Little Update & Prayer Letter

2009-10-22T15:39:00.004+01:00

I am now half way to fifty! I had a great birthday on Sunday. :) I celebrated my birthday by attending the first morning service and Harvest service at Beeches Road. God really blessed! It was so exciting to see so many people come to praise God! After church, we hosted a special dinner in the Sunday School room. Here are a few photos...and yes, Kevin spoiled me and made me breakfast in bed!

The Children Singing
---
We had seven teenagers attend the Heathfield Dinner yesterday. Every week it seems to be growing. Several of those who attend do not go to church anywhere. This has been a great way to share the gospel and invite teenagers church.

--- We are always busy with children who stop by and visit us in the afternoons. One day we made homemade hot chocolate. This was a new experience for them - they loved it, of course! :)

I can feel my heart love these children more and more with each passing day. I think of them while they are in school, pray they will make wise decisions, and encourage them to never be ashamed of Christ. I hope and pray they will always be faithful to Christ.

Dear Pastor and Friends,

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.” (Psalm 118:1) This has been our theme during the months of September and October as we have rejoiced in the goodness of our great Saviour! So much has happened since our last letter! We hope you will be encouraged as you read the many blessings God has given us during these past few months.

On Saturday, September 12, we hosted our Thanksgiving Service at Beeches Road. This service was intended to dedicate our new extension on the chapel. It was amazing to see people come from far and near to take part in praising God for providing for our needs. This extension will enable us to expand our ministries and provide services we haven’t done in the past.

The afternoon of Saturday, October 3, was truly special as we witnessed the baptism of Simon Jakeman. It was on a cold, February evening that Simon trusted Christ as his Saviour. Many fellow Christians have faithfully prayed for Simon to follow the Lord. The Jakeman family was overjoyed to see their son make a public decision to follow Christ.

The morning of Sunday, October 18, was a beautiful sunny day! During our first morning service it was just as bright and cheerful inside the chapel as it was outside. Everyone was so encouraged and positive to have another opportunity to worship our great God! We had forty people attend the first morning service. Lord willing, the Gospel service and evangelistic Sunday School will still continue in the afternoon. We are eager to see the spiritual growth of believers who attend this new service.

The Lord gave us the incredible opportunity to go to a state (public) school and freely share the gospel with over 170 children. My heart broke as the children sat on the hard, gymnasium floor intently listening to every word as if they had never heard the good news of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. This is a generation who has never heard God’s wonderful way of salvation. Please continue to pray as we endeavor to reach the next generation with the gospel of Christ.

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve other churches in the local area. This month Kevin has been able to preach at several churches that are without a pastor. During our time together it has been good to encourage fellow believers to keep following Christ and fishing for men!

If you would like to receive our weekly email updates, please email us at “theruwersmafamily@yahoo.com”. We do our best to send either a weekly or bi-weekly update. We hope you will join our prayer team of believers who have committed to pray for our work in Birmingham, England.

Thank you for your prayers and support. We are happy to be serving the Lord in England. God is so good!

Weekly Update

2009-10-12T11:25:00.000+01:00

Dear Friends and Family,

How great is our God! We serve the Almighty God of the universe. The God who made the mountains, made the blind to see, and best of all – a God who has made a way for us to be forgiven of our sins. This is our hearts cry…that all the earth may know God’s wonderful plan of salvation. God has changed our lives by His saving power, He has given us a desire to share His love to all those who have never heard. Thank you for taking the time to read about our endeavors to serve Him this week.

The Lord has continually blessed the church and we were able to see Simon Jakeman baptized this past Saturday. We had a special service Saturday afternoon where the gospel was clearly presented. Several people came from across the country to see the baptism. There were nearly one hundred and forty people in attendance, many of them were unbelievers.

We thank the Lord we have been given another opportunity to hold a religious assembly in a primary (elementary) school tomorrow. During the assembly we are able to teach Bible songs, memory verses, and have a short Bible lesson. Please pray that the children will listen and understand their need to know Him as their Saviour.

In the past week we have had a few visitors stay with us for a several days. One was from London and the other from Tennessee. It was great for them to see the day to day ministry and to see the faithful children who come week after week! We have several exciting days coming in the near future. On October 18th we will be celebrating our Chapel’s Anniversary, this will also be the start of our morning services. We will still have our Gospel Service at 3:00 every Sunday, but will also have a morning service at 11:00. We thank the Lord for another year God has allowed the chapel to keep the doors open and look forward to the many wonderful works He will do in the coming years.

Lord willing, we will have a website for Beeches Road Baptist Chapel up and running soon. We hope this will be a help to those praying for the chapel and also be a tool to spread the word about Jesus Christ and the work in England.

Treasure Club

My dear friend and sweet helper, Sue Jakeman. Sue helps during our Friday Treasure Club. When children come to Sunday School they are rewarded by being able to attend the Treasure Club on Friday. During the club we play games and spend individual time with each child quoting scripture.

Discipleship and Bible Studies

Kevin and I have many Bible Studies throughout the week with families and individuals. We are discipling several of the young people as well. I would ask that you specifically pray for a young lady named Sandy this week. Sandy has made a profession of faith, she needs victory over many habits. Please pray God will continue to work in her life and give her the strength she needs.

Castle Bromwich Hall

Please keep the Castle Bromwich Hall in your prayers this week. Pray that God would provide and give us wisdom for the many upcoming decisions.

State School Bible Clubs

This morning we were able to share the gospel with an entire primary school! The Lord blessed and the administration asked if they could call and schedule another assembly. Praise the Lord!

Visitation

Every Saturday morning we go on visitation. We go door to door, visit prospects, and visit to those who haven't come to church for awhile. The faithful children enjoy coming with us. What an encouragement it is to see young people want to please their Saviour and share the gospel with others.

Simon's Baptism

2009-10-05T20:34:00.001+01:00

On Saturday we were blessed to see Simon follow the Lord in believer's baptism. What a blessing! It is exciting to see his life change and see his desire to obey the Lord. It was a very encouraging service. Praise God for His goodness. I will do my best to post more information later. Sorry so short - life is a little busy at the moment. God bless you! Please continue to pray for Beeches Road...

Weekly Update

2009-09-26T10:38:00.000+01:00

Dear Friends and Family,

We trust the Lord has given you a good week filled with many blessings. This week has been amazing! We are sad to see it end. Anna’s parents came for a short visit this week. They spoiled and pampered us all week long. It was lovely to see them again and share our burden for England with them. They were able to visit our church and meet several of the people we write about every week. The children at Beeches Road were thrilled to meet them! This morning, as I drove them to the airport – the magnitude of what we are doing hit me once again. Yes, it is worth leaving our homeland and families to reach a people in need of the gospel. Yes, we are happy and enjoying our work, but it is SO difficult to say goodbye! My heart ached all the way home as I drove in the silent car. God never gives you a trial that He does not give you the strength and grace to persevere. I would love to say to all the families reading this, love your families. Love them intensely. Time is so short, and family means so much! While you have your family together don’t waste a day, make each day special.

The work at Beeches Road is doing very well. We are busy preparing for our Baptismal Service on October 3rd. Lord willing we will be baptizing three people. It is exciting to see how the Lord has worked in their hearts and shown them their need to follow the Lord in believer’s baptism! Please pray we will see several visitors attend this special service. Also, pray the Lord will continue to work in the lives of those being baptized Mic, Simon, and Lizzy.

This week was our first week hosting a lunch and Bible study in our home for the children who go to the high school down the road from our house. We had five young people attend. It was great to have Paige, a girl who hasn’t been to church in a couple weeks, come and hear the truths from God’s Word. This unique opportunity has been a great way to reach children who are on the fringe. They are more likely to come to a lunch then a church service. Please continue to pray the faithful children would invite their friends and hear the gospel.

Thanks for your prayers. We love you all very much! God bless!

Painting with Mr. Ruwersma

Simon and Ryan came over and helped Kevin paint our fence. Thanks guys for your hard work! It looks great!!

Public School Lunch and Bible Study

We love these children! It's amazing how God can give you a love so strong for souls that need Him. We enjoy every opportunity we get to spend time with them!

Visit with Anna's Parents

Our visit to Cadbury World - delicious!

Our hike in the Clint Hills Thank you mom and dad for your love and encouragement! You are the best parents in the whole world. Thanks for loving me dispite all my flaws and short comings. Thank you for always putting God first in our family. Thank you for all our wise words and counsel. I love and miss you so much!

Weekly Update

2009-09-21T14:22:00.000+01:00

Sorry this is a little late this week. I thought Kevin was taking care of it, and he thought I was taking care of it.....ooops! We had a slight communication breakdown. :)

Dear Friends and Family,

Hope you are doing well. We would like to thank you for praying for us this week. Many of you have written and mentioned how you pray for us daily. It is such an encouragement to know that we have many people praying for us every day! Thank you for your faithfulness.

The Lord provided for us to build three new bathrooms and a kitchen inside the chapel. The chapel was in desperate need of updating since the only facilities were outside. Also, having a kitchen will be a huge help to our future ministry. Saturday, September 12, we had a Thanksgiving Service at Beeches Road dedicating the new addition of the chapel. God blessed and many visitors attended the service to see the updated building. It was such a special day as we gave thanks to the Lord for all He has given to us.

Anna’s parents have come for a short visit. They are staying with us off and on as they spend some time traveling and taking a much deserved vacation. They brought us over many surprises from the States. It’s always nice to enjoy the little pleasure of American culture. Many of the women from their home church made gifts to give to the children at the chapel. The children will be delighted to know that people are thinking and praying for them in a different country.

It was neat to have a school contact us this week in regards to having a Bible Club. Anna has spent many hours on the phone contacting schools. Several schools so far seem interested, but at the moment we only have one scheduled.

Here are a few snapshots from the week....enjoy!

An English Wedding

Kevin and I were invited to a sweet friend's wedding this week. It was so lovely and we had a nice time. We brought along a few children from the chapel. For most of them is what their first wedding ever! It was a great time for us to explain the principles of a Christian marriage to them.

Sue and Dan Jakeman - don't they look smart?

Annalee with my hat on!

Ummm....trouble!

The whole gang

This week I spent some time babysitting the Jakemans. It was a beautiful evening outside....I grabbed my carema and ran outside to snap a few pictures of the girls. They are SO sweet....how can you help but love them!

Annalee

Annalee and Sarah Jane

Toni Lou

Thanks for taking the time to visit with us! Until next time...

Thanksgiving Service

2009-09-16T22:00:00.000+01:00

On Saturday, September 12, we had a special Thanksgiving Service at Beeches Road. We were dedicating the new extension on our building. Praise the Lord we had many people visit and God blessed the service. Thank you to each of you who have prayed faithfully for our ministry. You have touched many lives through your prayers.

Kevin, Pete, Tim, and Pastor Zenker

Tim and Pete were the builders who added on our extension.

It was great to see the church full!

A view from the balcony...

Chapel Construction

2009-09-16T18:51:00.000+01:00

Great news - the Lord has blessed and given us the time and resources to do a little renovation on the chapel building! The building was in desperate need of updating. So many people have been kind to give of their time and money to help with this project. It looks so nice and feels like a new place! We are grateful to the Lord for all He has given us. Many of the students who have helped us in the past would be shocked to see the changes. I hope you enjoy a few of the before and after pictures....

Sunday School Classroom - BEFORE

Sunday School Classroom - AFTER

Classroom - BEFORE

Classroom - AFTER

We had an outside kitchen BEFORE

Kitchen - AFTER!

Outside Men's Restroom - BEFORE

Outside Ladies Restroom - BEFORE

We now have THREE restrooms INSIDE!

New carpet on all stairways....

We have spent several late nights and early mornings getting the chapel ready before the special Thanksgiving Service last Saturday.

All the floors in the classrooms are wood - we worked really hard to scrub them and get them all clean. They look great now and even smell better! :)

Kevin did lots of painting!

Many church members came out to help during our chapel work day.

The students last term helped in painting the Sunday School Classroom! Wish you could be here to see the fruits of all your labour. Thank you!

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR THE WORK OF BEECHES ROAD BAPTIST CHAPEL!

Weekly Update - September 10, 2009

2009-09-10T11:26:00.000+01:00

Dear Friends and Family,

“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 We are praising God for the beautiful sunshine He has given us today!

Kevin is working very diligently in preparing the chapel for our Thanksgiving Service. There is much to finish for the building; much painting, cleaning, and many other tasks. We will be dedicating the new extension and hosting a special service on Saturday, September 12. The Lord has blessed Beeches Road Baptist Chapel. We have seen several people make a profession of faith, and many who are interested in baptism. Lord willing, we will be having a baptismal service in October. The church is also looking forward to our first annual Mission Conference in November. It’s so exciting to be a part of a new work that is moving forward and growing in Christ!

Anna is assisting with the Teaching English as a Second Language program. This is a great ministry to reach international people who are seeking to improve their English. We have seen several people visit our church who have been reached through this avenue. Most of our students are from a Muslim background. Please pray we will break through their hardened hearts with the gospel of Christ.

School is back in session. This means we will once again be able to have a girls lunch and Bible study in our home with the high school girls during their lunch break. The girls seem very eager to come back to our home and try some more American food! In the past this has been a good way to reach the high school girls with the gospel. We will also do our best to enter many primary and secondary schools this term to hold religious assemblies. Last year we were invited to attend over seven schools, Lord willing we will be able to go back to those same schools and also reach new schools.

Please continue to pray for the Castle of Bromwich Hall project. The Lord keeps opening doors for us to proceed. Please pray the Lord will provide for this project. The Castle of Bromwich Hall will serve as an English Christian Heritage Center, Conference Center, and also be a home for Crown College United Kingdom.

Thanks so much for your love and support. Without your help we could not continue our work. Through your prayers and support you are touching many lives with the gospel of Christ. Thank you.

Family Devotions Ministry

These children are full of life!

Kevin teaching us the Bible lesson...

Hanging out with Mrs. Ruwersma

Getting a little sleepy...

We love to sing Bible songs and learn the Ten Commandments!

Thanks for stopping by!

Promotion Sunday

2009-09-09T16:18:00.000+01:00

Sunday was a very special day! Beeches Road Sunday School celebrated Promotion Sunday. The Lord blessed with 43 children attending! We did several fun things for the children. We had been learning about faith in Sunday School so we held a little faith program for the parents in the main auditorium. We sang Hebrews 11:6, quoted Ephesians 2:8-9, and then sang Ephesians 2:8-9. Following the program, Mr. Zenker gave the children their promotion certificates. We also awarded the most faithful, the person who brought the most visitors, and an outstanding students in each age group. Everyone was given a gift, it was an age appropriate CD of christian songs. The children had a fun day and we were able to see several parents attend the service. Praise God!

The parking lot was full!

I LOVE these children!

Award Time

Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world!

Weekly Update

2009-08-31T12:29:00.000+01:00

Dear Praying Friends,

God has been ever so faithful to us this week. He has allowed us to have Bible studies with many people. It has been good to visit again with the Plant and Jakeman families this past week for family devotions. We have been working on memorizing the Ten Commandments in family devotions. It was exciting to see the older children quote the Ten Commandments from memory! It’s encouraging to see the families grow together spiritually.

Last week we attended a Christian conference near London. Attending this yearly conference gives us the opportunity to meet several English pastors and make contacts with a variety of people. This year we were given the opportunity to present our work for the Christian Heritage Center which will be housed in the Castle of Bromwich Hall. Please continue to pray the Lord will provide for this endeavor.

We had a lovely surprise at the Youth Rally on Saturday. Our neighbor, Toni, attended the rally. She had a good time and promised to return. You never know when the seeds you plant will bring forth fruit. We had spoken to Toni months ago, with seemingly no interest. And then out of nowhere she now wanted to come to church. God’s timing is always perfect.

Please pray for Sunday, September 6. This is our Promotion Sunday for the Sunday School ministry. We will be promoting some of our students to a higher class level, and recognizing some of the outstanding students. We hope this will once again give us an opportunity to invite the parents of our Sunday School children to church.

Thank you for your prayers.
Kevin & Anna Ruwersma

My Mother's Wisdom

2009-08-29T14:46:00.000+01:00

Recently, my mom was asked to write a couple of devotionals for a book. These are her two entries that will be published in a daily devotional book. They are both quite good. I hope you enjoy!

Trusting or Fearful?
Are you fearful, anxious, fretful, or worried today? Regretfully, I have been so often.
There are so many things that call us to fear. We are fearful about the future, health, relationships,death, safety, being alone or unloved, being hurt, our jobs or our faith. Then, there are fears of cancer, heights, dentists, flying, needles......the list just seems endless. I know someone who has a terrible fear of caterpillars and our children are often afraid of the dark.
But, I am so grateful that God has not called us to a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind! (II Timothy 1:7). More than 62 times God tells us in His Word not to fear. The shepherds were told by the angels not to fear for there was good tidings of great joy. Mary and Joseph each were admonished not to be afraid. Joshua, Isaiah, Jeremiah,and so many more were all told not to be afraid,but simply to trust. And, the reason we need not fear is that we can trust our Heavenly Father who loves us. What a wonderful encouragement that He is always with us in our trials and in our joys!

His presence near to us is our sustaining strength and peace. How good it is when we have an awareness that He is with us always. As we communicate with our loving Shepherd daily through prayer and His Word He draws near to us. (Psalm 145:18) It is amazing to me that the wonderful and great God of the universe cares and hears me when I call out to Him. He who in infinite, unchangeable,wise, holy, full of truth and goodness remembers us! We are so very blessed.

During this past year Isaiah 41:10 has been such an amazing comfort to me. It says “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee;yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” It is true that we do not know what the future holds, but our total confidence can be placed in the one who holds the future. We can place every fear in Him who never leaves us or forsakes us.
So instead of all the fretting and worrying or even counting sheep----we can talk to the shepherd!

Empty Nest
When our children are small and around our feet, we are so very blessed! The Bible tells us that they are a heritage of the Lord. Yet, many times our vision is blurred through busy schedules, sickness, and sleepless nights and so many other things. We sigh with relief for just a few minutes of alone time, just to take a shower or have a devotional time. We work very hard being a mother—loving,teaching, striving to set a good example, nurturing them in every way possible. The goal being to help them become useful , compassionate, godly servants of the Lord.
Then, almost without realizing it our children are developing and maturing. It is a special bond that happens when you are not only teaching but ministering together! What a wonderful joy it is to see them making wise decisions (of course making mistakes along the way) but sincerely taking good steps to please and honor the Lord.

During busy teen years you continue to polish and shine all the rough edges of those wonderful blessings the Lord has given. You just continue to pray and encourage. It is almost like you wake up one morning and realize that really your child is an independent adult lovingly serving the Lord. Then, we are faced with what is commonly called the “the empty nest”. No, it is not a disease but sometimes you surely do have a hard time figuring out how you arrived where you are now.

For me, this season is soon arriving as our youngest son is in his final years of education. My heart has so many different emotions ranging from proud and happy to sad and emotional. It is hard not to wish for the years that are forever recorded in our photo books. I have so much seen my need of examination and wondered what do the “empty nesters do?” These are just four conclusions.

Begin with gratefulness---what a wonderful joy to be able to thrust forth arrows into the harvest field for God. It is so precious to see our children carry the torch of loving Jesus with all their hearts.

It is a great time of renewal and enrichment with your husband. You can now have a date every night! After all you have weathered many storms together and so now you can enjoy and nurture companionship.

Examine your walk with the Lord. It can be a time of knowing Him in a much deeper and close way. Now is time for more prayer, expressing greater gratefulness and yearning for the nearness of the Saviour.

Evaluate your ministry. What new and exciting challenge does the Lord have for you to do? We get accustomed to doing the same old thing---have a sensitive and available heart to follow whatever He would have you do.

God is so very good to us! Embrace and enjoy the richness of this season of being an “empty nester!”

My mom, my best friend

My mom is the ultimate example of self-sacrifice. She always puts my dad first or any us children. She always breaks my heart when we go shopping. She would rather buy me something than get something she really needed! I have seen her pour out her heart to the Lord, and seen her broken spirit as she cried out to her Saviour. I love to hear her really laugh, she has the cutest chuckle! Anytime I think of ice cream, I think of my mom - she LOVES ice cream. She loves little notes, anything little. Her favorite gift to give is pretty dishtowels. She is a very practical person, everything she buys must have a variety of uses. She always cleans when she needs to burn off worried energy. She always told be to keep my hands busy - an idle mind and body is the devils workshop. She supports my dad in all of his adventures, even when it's difficult for her. She always listens to us children, no matter what time we call! She loves no matter what we do - she is always our #1 cheerleader. She also once told me that while I iron Kevin's shirts to use that time to pray for him - I still practice that habit. I have seen her love people unconditionally, even when they treat her unkindly. She is the funniest person on Sundays, so hyper! She would give us the "talk" in the car to church. Mom would say, "I want you to smile and encourage as many people as possible. When we get home, I want you to tell me every person you spoke with." That is my mom - an encourager! I wish everyone could meet my mom. So full of patience and compassion. Mom, thanks for training us to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. I love you!

My Week at High Leigh

2009-08-28T17:32:00.000+01:00

This past week Kevin and I attended a Christian conference near London. It was a lovely, uplifting time. One special reason why I had such a good time was because my brother, Andrew, was there! We had several very late nights catching up on each other's lives. It was so nice to see him again. I have missed him so much!! What a blessing it was to spend some time with him.

The conference was very encouraging! It was nice to see many believers have a desire to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and serve Him. During the conference the special guest, Lonni Shipman, played many beautiful hymn arrangements. The Lord has given him a great musical talent. This is truly an exiciting time to be alive and serving the King of kings and Lord of lords. I have much to share but will have to wait until another time.

On Thursday evening all the young people sang, "How Great Thou Art!"

Naomi and Andrew

Me and my "little" brother! :)

Please watch this!

2009-08-27T00:40:00.000+01:00

This short video clip is shocking. Please take the time to watch this.

Muslim Demographics
Source: www.youtube.com
Islam will overwhelm Christendom unless Christians recognize the demographic realities, begin reproducing again, and share the gospel with Muslims.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-3X5hIFXYU

Daniel Firman's Obituary

2009-08-26T07:20:00.000+01:00

Daniel William Firman, 25, of Gaylord, went home to be with his Lord on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009, as a result of injuries sustained in an auto accident.Dan was born in Flint on Nov. 17, 1983, the son of Dennis and Tammy (Wiles) Firman. When Dan was 4 when the family moved to Petoskey. He graduated from Petoskey High School in 2002. He began his college career at Crown College in Powell, Tenn. After 2 years he transferred and graduated from Grace Baptist College in 2006. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Pastoral Theology. This past summer Dan was ordained and was able to perform the wedding of his younger brother.He was an active member at Grace Baptist Church, including being a Sunday school teacher, bus captain and soccer coach. He enjoyed playing and watching hockey, snowmobiling, jet-skiing and loved woodworking and carpentry.On June 15, 2007, at Grace Baptist Church in Gaylord he married Erin C. Hawley. Dan was excited for the upcoming birth of their first child due in January 2010.Funeral services will be held 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Grace Baptist Church. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery in Petoskey. Visitation at the Nelson Funeral Home in Gaylord will take place 4-8 p.m. on Monday and at the church on Tuesday beginning at noon.
Dan is survived by his wife, Erin; his parents, Dennis and Tammy Firman of Gaylord; grandparents, Richard and Shirley Wiles of Clio and Bill and Alice Firman of Vanderbilt; two brothers, Dave (Esther) Firman of Petoskey, and Chris (Jill) Firman of Boyne City; one niece, Katie Firman, and two nephews, Luke and Jesse Firman.Contributions in memory of Daniel Firman may be made to the Baby Firman Memorial Fund C/O Fifth Third Bank, 300 E. Mitchell, Petoskey, Mich. 49770.Friends may offer their condolences online at http://www.nelsonsfuneralhome.com/