David and Judith Knapp Updates and reports on our MINISTY ASSIGNMENT BUILDING EXCITEMENT for the future!
January 26, 2009
Our excellent training staff, excited graduates and current students represent the future of NTM. Take a moment to pray for our training graduates and the new students who have arrived on all 3 campuses.
MTC Update
Ninety-seven students walked excitedly onto the stage this past December, completing their journey through the MTC course and stepping into many ministries throughout NTM.
This January thirty-six students embarked on the same journey. Please pray for them as they adjust to life and classes this month.
Perhaps one of the most exciting initiatives taking place in the training is captured by photo. One hundred students have taken part in our revamped and new launch of the Ministry Partnership Development course and the feedback from those coming back from Christmas break has been so encouraging. Read what some of the returning students are saying about the response from the course:
“The biggest thing that the partnership class taught us was that we need to be ready to share our ministry with others when asked, even when we don’t have materials in our hand. One experience we had was during the class; my uncle called and told us he was interested in supporting us. He knows some things about NTM, but was wondering about the specific ministry we would be involved in. I answered the questions as best I could but I was able to email him more information later and as a result he now supports us at $100.00 per month.” CT- CP2 Student
“We asked a friend if we could share our ministry with her church and she got us in contact with the pastor who said we could come speak. Also, our friend said she would love to have us share at her Monday night Bible study. A couple of opportunities came from just making people aware of our plans and needs. We specifically mentioned that we were trying to raise up a financial partner team. We’ll see what will happen. I am contacting the pastor today.” KH – CP2 student
“Let me tell you what happened. We made our list of 200 names and began praying over it in November for God to show us 40-50 people to ask about partnering. By the last week of class, we had 40 names we felt we would ask to join us. Out of the 40, 30 (units, some couples, some singles) I had not seen in a year or two decided to partner. We decided to use this break to meet with all of them, update them, share the vision, but wait till this summer to ask about partnering. I started calling them the last week of class and asking if we could get together for a meal or coffee and was able to schedule 30 units over the break. (I could have done all 40, but Christmas, New Years, and family got in the way). We met either in a coffee shop, a restaurant, or their homes if they offered. Many days we met with 2, and some days 3 families. I would bring the literature you gave us and my laptop with the MTC DVD, – PNG and the Flight video. From those 30 meetings, we were able to up our support level by 35 percent, and we never came out and invited. Since we have come back, I have mailed thank you cards to the 30 and plan to continue to keep in contact till this summer when I will meet with them again, and ask those who have not offered this past time to partner with us. I am confident that after what I saw this break, the others will also partner with us.
I felt hopeless and dreading the course 4 months ago. Today, I am confident that through Gods provision, we will get the last 60% in 60 days when we graduate in May. It was a lot of work, but it was fun also. Thanks to you and your team for the skills and tools you gave me, the stuff really worked!” PM – CP2 student
Brian and Andrea Holmquist did an outstanding job of communicating our “neediness” as people dependant on a sovereign God – at the kickoff of our first ever Jan. semester. We were all deeply touched by their message and commitment to the Bagwido people of PNG.
We have around 10 new staff members joining us here on campus. Among them are Paul and Faith Wyma, who have arrived and will begin their new ministry in member care. Praise the Lord for these vital additions to our staff!
We are on track to break ground for the the all-new Fleming Center June 15th at the Enrichment conference. This new center will really help to meet vital training needs and continue to build positive momentum as the MTC prepares to train more students. Continue to pray for the overall campus development and the $8 million needed for the new Fleming Center.
Upcoming ‘09 events:
Upcoming meeting dates and locations:
- Feb. 4-6 USA Leadership meetings in FL
- Feb. 10-11 Training Leadership Team
- Feb. 12-14 Morality Team
NTBI Jackson Update
Twenty five students graduated this winter and 24 have replaced them this semester. Two students are seniors and two are commuting.
Upcoming events this semester:
- Brad Buser will be here teaching for a week of speaking.
- Staff and students from the MTC will speak at our Special Emphasis.
- Other events & initiatives are on the table.
Praise the Lord for our Graduates!
NTBI Waukesha Update
At Waukesha, we started the semester off committing our success to Christ as only He who can make our ministries a success! Psa 127:1 says "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain." We want to be sensitive to His purposes and his leading.
Above is a photo of the prayer hour we recently had for Jen (Knievel) Knapp – married to Jeremy Knapp, one of our graduates and current MTC student who is 7 months pregnant, in the hospital in Colombia, MO. Pray for both the Knapp and Knievel families during this trial. Also, one of our dear friends and former staff member, Randy Wood has recently gone through significant surgery. We canceled the second hour of class to focus on these concerns. It was a very special time for our students.
Bill Keele, an NTM missionary who helped pioneer the Thailand field, was our keynote speaker during the opening of the semester. He emphasized that Christ has a calling for each believer. Just as Christ had an "appointment" to go through Samaria, He also desires that we reach the remaining 2500 unreached people groups with His name!
Some highlights of the semester will be:
- Feb 3rd- Day of Special Emphasis on the theme of “Relational Evangelism.” Bill Allison, an NTBI ‘95 graduate, will be the guest speaker.
- March 19th- Day of Missions Emphasis on the theme of Support Ministries in Missions. Tom Lotz and Britt Hemphill from the MTC will be the keynote speakers and will be focusing on support ministries with an emphasis on teacher, and boarding home parent needs on the mission field.
- April 23rd- Day of Special Emphasis. Kary Oberbrunner, an NTBI ‘97 graduate will be speaking on "Alternative to Emergent- the pros and cons of the emergent movement." The community will be invited to this event. We will offer a tour of our campus and serve light refreshments.
There is so much more that could be said in this update, but I will have to bring this to a close. Thanks again for your effective and fruitful ministries across the USA training. I appreciate each of you and are trusting God to continue to do the miraculous in our midst during these critical days in NTM. Let’s continue to pray daily for one another and those God has given us to disciple and equip for ministries around the world!
Serving You Together,
Dave Meyers – on behalf of the USA Training Leadership Team www.ntm.org/train
