NAC 09 - Blast from the Past – Reminder of God’s Provision

"Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out." James Bryant Conant, US chemist, diplomat, & educator (1893 - 1978)

One of the best parts of the North American Convention of the Church of God each year is seeing old friends, fellow students, former professors, pastors, and colleagues in ministry. I was delighted to see a colleague for the first time in several decades – my former Tri-S team mate, Denise. As we reminisced traveling 3000+ miles without a car, Denise remarked, “I can’t believe we did that.” That was quite a stretch for me also, a faith-testing experience. Here’s the lowdown:

Jesus sent out his disciples and 72 others in pairs to share and serve. Likewise in the early 70’s Anderson College (now Anderson University) Tri-S program called ‘Student Summer Service’ (now called ‘Study, Share, Serve’/international only) included sending out student teams of two on domestic tours to serve in youth camps, Bible schools, and camp meetings. I applied for a summer 1972 U.S. tour expecting to be matched with someone who had a car. Denise did the same. We were paired together and assigned an itinerary of Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and Michigan. We had the option of finding transportation or letting the assignment go to other students. We both strongly felt God calling us to that service program that summer, stuck out our necks trusting God to provide each step of the way, and He did!

It was indeed one step at a time. We were able to line up most arrangements before starting, but not everything. Three days before we needed to travel approx. 500 miles from Yellow Creek Lake Camp in Indiana to Michigan, we had no earthly ideas how we would get there. We prayed – big time... asked around, made calls, and God provided via the guest speaker for the Michigan Camp Meeting.

That summer’s stepping out in faith and experiencing God’s provision step-by-step helped give me the courage to stick out my neck in faith and say yes to the invitation to go to Cote D’Ivoire for October 2007 to catalog French books for the West African Bible Institute library and lead a 2-day Christian Education Seminar. I confess there were many a “yes, but” – but I don’t know French, but I don’t have the money, and more. God provided and helped me accomplish the tasks with the help of many folks.

Having experienced God’s provision for transportation for the 3000+ miles during summer 1972 and October 2007 in Cote d’Ivoire gave me the courage to again stick out my neck in faith for the even bigger challenge to accept Sherman and Kay Critser’s invitation to join them as a career missionary in West Africa. I continue to stick out my neck in the humongous task of raising missionary support and invite your partnership.

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A summary of the 1972 experience of God's provision went around the world in the devotional booklet, Pathways to God, Winter 2005-2006, p.16:

God Provides

Thursday, December 15 ~ READ Luke 1:26-38
For nothing is impossible with God. --Luke 1:37

In 1972 I applied to work in church camps and vacation Bible schools through a summer program coordinated by the college I attended. My partner and I found, however, that we were responsible to find transportation to our work sites. Arranging for travel that covered over three thousand miles seemed impossible.

Many individuals in the Bible were faced with tasks far more overwhelming than mine. Nevertheless, people such as Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Paul, and Mary found that God is able to provide a way when there seems to be no way.

My partner and I decided to be obedient and to trust God to help us work out the details. Throughout the summer transportation was provided by a variety of people: an uncle, a boyfriend, an evangelist, and others. Thank God for the marvelous ways he provides, even when we think we have run out of options.

Trust God at all times.

NAC 2009 - This & That

The 2009 North American Convention of the Church of God, Anderson Indiana June 26-July 1 was another whirlwind of activities. Some highlights not in mentioned in other NAC posts include:

-New Missionary Orientation - June 26

-Nightly Worship Service @ Madison Park Church yielded wonderful singing and outstanding speakers. Wed. evening I participated in the missionary processional prior to the commissioning service & served as an anointer. On Demand Streaming Archive of evening services is available @ http://www.churchofgodministries.com/Events/NorthAmericanConvention/NACintheMedia/tabid/1290/Default.aspx.

-Workshop Led: Children's Literature in Christian Education - Jesus the master storyteller often taught with parables, “earthly stories with heavenly meanings.” In this interactive workshop on June 30, I demonstrated how to use children’s literature as the earthly stories to teach scriptural character and other Biblical principles. I provided a list of books, scriptures, class participation ideas and free online supplemental resources.

Seminars Attended: Feminine Art of Preaching; Feminine Art of Leading.


Visiting with children at Kid's Place




Food & Fellowship: WCG Prayer Breakfast; Anderson University Heritage Dinner; Christian Educators Luncheon; Franco Lunch; Dessert for Former Missionaries & Missionaries; Living Link Appreciation

-International Conversation following NAC. This July 2 event to focused on international partnership in leadership development.

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A special THANK YOU to "Living Link" partner Judy Lighty for her gracious hospitality during the week plus her ongoing support and encouragement. It was a delight to get better acquainted with Judy as well as with missionaries Ron and Alta Ruth Jack whom Judy also hosted.


Also special THANKS to Bonnie Newell for her willingness to send me a copy of her doctoral writing project "Leadership Development for Teacher Training in Church of God Congregations in Africa." I anticipate using that to teach the "Christian Education" module at the West African Bible Institute.

NAC 09 - Reunion with 3 Ivorian Pastors

It was a delight to have three pastors from Côte d’Ivoire at the North American Convention of the Church of God: Pastor Soukalo from Platform village, Pastor Daniel - French CBH speaker and teacher at West African Bible Institute, and Pastor Emmanuel from Korhogo Church of God. I appreciate Pastor Daniel serving as interpreter at my 2-day Christian Education Seminar in Yamoussoukro during October 2007.


CBH (Christians Broadcasting Hope) ViewPoint Live Taping. Hosts Rev. Jim Lyons and Jennifer Wilson interviewed CBH French speaker Pastor Daniel N’Goran with missionary Rev. Larry Sellers serving as interpreter. Some of us NAC guests had the privilege of sitting in on this taping as the studio audience.



Côte d’Ivoire ministry team at NAC 09 Family Funfest Global Mainstreet. First row: Pastor Daniel, Pastor Soukalo, missionary-elect Kay Watts, Pastor Emmanuel, missionaries/regional coordinators Sherman & Kay Critser; second row: missionary Larry Sellers and son Lee.

NAC 09 - Family Funfest Global Mainstreet

North American Convention of the Church of God, Anderson IN
Sat. 6/27: Family Funfest Global Mainstreet, 10 AM-2 PM.

To help celebrate 100 years of foreign missions, missionaries staffed experiential stations: bank, bookstore, food store, church, cinema, clothing store, craft store, music store, park, and school.

At the bookstore tent, I presented two African folktales. In the picture above, I am sharing the book, It Takes a Village based on African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child" with audience chiming in on a repeated phrase. Children discovered consequences of greed as they dramatized the story, "Why Spiders Have a Thin Middle" with felt hand puppets.