We want to thank you for all of you who have sent word of your prayers and encouragement on our behalf as we walk through our transition. Thank you for subscribing to this blog to keep informed of our lives and ministry.
I am now on twitter ‘@bestephen’ and would appreciate you spreading the word to your friends to follow me there. My tweets are also posted in the side column of this blog.
We have been very busy with current and transition responsibilities at Harvest, preparation of our house to sell, building our database of potential partners and preparation of materials to communicate our new ministry.
We are making progress in all of the above areas and are thankful for the good health we have experienced and the daily strength of the Lord.
We are looking forward to a trip down to Los Fresnos, Texas this week (Monday-Thursday) as sort of a break from the long hours. We will be visiting To Every Tribe and look forward to meeting with staff and students. Jerry Bridges will be the guest teacher this week!
I have prepared ministry partnership proposal packets for churches and have mailed out the first batch of them tonight. Pray with us for the pastors who will receive them this week and for the follow-up calls I will begin making, seeking opportunities to schedule meetings beginning May 1st.
I will post from Texas later this week!
We are STEPPING UP our efforts to build a team of churches and people to partner with us in this work of the gospel in three areas: Prayer, Provision, and Participation. We would be privileged to have you be one of the first to join with us as a partner in one or more ways:
PARTNERS WHO PRAY – We are intentionally engaging ourselves in the territory and frontlines of gospel proclamation and church planting that we know will be strongly opposed by Satan. God is our strength in his mission and he will see us through. We invite you to partner with us in the work and pursuit of the gospel through the priority of prayer. We commit to keep you informed and updated on the ministry and mission, its challenges and needs, and God’s faithful provision and answers to prayer.
- TO PARTNER WITH US – Ask us for a Partner Response Form so that you can walk with us and stand by us in the spiritual battle for the advance of the gospel.
“. . . On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.”
~ 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
PARTNERS WHO PROVIDE – We believe that God will provide through his people to supply our personal and ministry needs. We are stepping out on faith with the affirmation of the Elders and people of our sending church, Harvest Bible Chapel of DeKalb. God has shown himself faithful and fruitful through our lives and ministry. We are sent as veterans with proven character, experience and skill. We are thankful and praise God for our church, who is standing with us as partners and will provide 30% of our monthly personal and ministry funds. We ask you to pray and consider what you might do to become one who is used by God as a Partner with us, who Provides for this ministry to reach unreached peoples with the gospel. We are trusting God to provide $6,500 a month for personal and ministry expenses with an additional expense of $5,000 to relocate to Texas. We commit to be prudent and faithful stewards of all that God has entrusted to us for life and ministry.
- TO PARTNER WITH US – Ask us for a Partner Response form to indicate the way, the pattern and the amount of your gift or gifts to To Every Tribe. You may also request more information, a personal contact, or more time to consider this step.
“Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers . . . who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.”
~ 3 John 1:5-8
PARTNERS WHO PARTICIPATE – We are privileged to provide opportunities to increase the vision and involvement of others in the mission of God to make the nations glad in him. We are looking for churches and people who would participate with us to spread the greatness of God’s mission in engaging ways. We would love to participate with you and your church on a Sunday or in a conference to cast a greater vision of reaching the lost and unreached people groups of the world with To Every Tribe. We would welcome the opportunity of facilitating a short term mission experience with you (church, mission team, small group, campus ministry, etc.) through To Every Tribe. We are also looking for those whom God has prepared to be the next missionary martyrs to take the gospel with reckless abandon to the unreached people groups of the world. Will you participate with us in prayer, and with a keen awareness, look for those in your circle of influence whom God may call in this way? We need partners who will connect us to them. So, we invite you to experience the mission of To Every Tribe in a personal way.
- TO PARTNER WITH US – Ask us for a Partner Response Form to inquire, invite, or to indicate the means of your participation with us and the ministry of To Every Tribe.
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
~ Philippians 1:3-6
FAITHFUL MINISTRY:
Once upon a time . . . has resulted in 11 1/2 years of ministry in DeKalb with a focus on preaching the Word of God, establishing believers in the faith, equipping them for ministry, entrusting the work to faithful leaders, and extending our reach to the world. All of this was with prayer and a heart for the mission of the gospel to transform lives and build the Church for the glory of God.
GENERAL CALL:
In January of 2006, Steve’s heart was stirred at the Bethlehem Baptist Pastor’s Conference, “How Must a Pastor Die? The Price of Caring Like Jesus” when John Piper and David Sitton (President of To Every Tribe) put forth a call for 10% of the pastors in attendance to give up their pulpits and become “fools for God” in the mission to reach the nations of the world with the Gospel.
SPECIFIC CALL:
In October of 2010, Steve and three others from DeKalb were moved by God at the “Reckless Abandon” To Every Tribe Mission Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On the drive home from the conference, Steve received a phone call from Rod Conner (Vice President of To Every Tribe) and David Sitton, who told him “We want you on our staff!” Steve was encouraged, shared the events with Terri and they began to pray for God’s leading.
INVITATION:
On December 3, 2010, a letter of invitation for Steve and Terri to join the staff of To Every Tribe arrived from the Executive Staff. The letter described potential areas of responsibility that seemed to align with Steve’s gifts, passion, and experience in ministry.
COUNSEL:
Two days later Steve met with the Chairman of the Elders and then the Elder board of Harvest Bible Chapel of DeKalb to share with them the opportunity presented and to ask them to pray with him and consider the timing, responsibilities, and the response to this invitation. Steve and Terri also began to share the opportunity with family and a few colleagues who know Steve well.
CONFIRMATION:
Family and colleagues were all very encouraging and confirmed that this would be a good fit for Steve and Terri and began to pray. On January 5, 2011, the Elders met and began a conversation towards seeking consensus in response to the invitation. After each of the Elders shared the focus of their prayer, study and response, they realized that they were in agreement and then confirmed their love and support for Steve and Terri to accept the invitation and affirmed their commitment to become the sending church of the Best’s ministry at To Every Tribe.
CELEBRATION:
On January 30, 2011, Harvest Bible Chapel of DeKalb, held a partnership dinner to review what God has done in the past year and to give a vision of what God may do in 2011. At this meeting, the people celebrated what God has done and is doing in calling Steve and Terri to serve with To Every Tribe. The transition begins, the story continues . . . .
WOW! A Big Task stands before us! A Big God will enable us! A Big Team will encourage us!
We would be privileged and delighted to have you on our Partnership Team!
For joy in Christ, Steve and Terri Best
More about our Partnership Team and Steve’s responsibilities with To Every Tribe will follow in later posts.
Now for a little more about our Four Big Steps:
STEPPING DOWN – A Church Transition:
We are moving from our current responsibilities to the new roll of Missionaries sent out as an extension of the ministry of Harvest Bible Chapel. Steve is currently preaching a series on the book of Acts called, “ALL FOR the Mission of God” that will lead up to Palm Sunday and Easter concluding his pulpit ministry. Steve and Terri will continue to assist Harvest in the development of their missionary program, policies, and procedures as they become a “sending church.”
STEPPING OUT – A Personal Transition:
We are moving from a generous salary to dependence upon God to provide for us through his people. We have begun the work of preparing to sell our house in what some are calling a ‘depressed market.” We will be leaving behind family and friends. We will be seeking a new home and community just north of Brownsville, Texas.
STEPPING IN – A Ministry Transition:
We moving from a position as the primary leader of a church to a member of a team staff with one primary area of ministry leadership and responsibility. Steve is looking forward to using his gifts, passion and experience, in shaping the next missionary martyrs to unreached peoples, as the Director of the Center for Pioneer Church Planting at To Every Tribe. Steve will oversee this unique training that will place the students in the classroom 60% of the time and in the field (Mexico and Papua New Guinea) 40% of the time as they gain the biblical, theological, and missiological understanding and skills of church planting among tribal people. We hope to be in Texas before the new school year begins in September.
STEPPING UP – A Growing Transition:
We are moving to create multiple means of communication to keep you informed and us connected in what God is doing in and through the development of a partnership team as we begin our ministry with To Every Tribe. We are beginning this work now and will move into a full-time effort on May 1st. We want you to be one of the first to join with us as a partner in one or more ways.
Information about the Partnership Team we are building will be available in a later post.
Now for a little more about our Four Big Steps:
STEPPING DOWN – A Church Transition:
We are moving from our current responsibilities to the new roll of Missionaries sent out as an extension of the ministry of Harvest Bible Chapel. Steve is currently preaching a series on the book of Acts called, “ALL FOR the Mission of God” that will lead up to Palm Sunday and Easter concluding his pulpit ministry. Steve and Terri will continue to assist Harvest in the development of their missionary program, policies, and procedures as they become a “sending church.”
STEPPING OUT – A Personal Transition:
We are moving from a generous salary to dependence upon God to provide for us through his people. We have begun the work of preparing to sell our house in what some are calling a ‘depressed market.” We will be leaving behind family and friends. We will be seeking a new home and community just north of Brownsville, Texas.
STEPPING IN – A Ministry Transition:
We moving from a position as the primary leader of a church to a member of a team staff with one primary area of ministry leadership and responsibility. Steve is looking forward to using his gifts, passion and experience, in shaping the next missionary martyrs to unreached peoples, as the Director of the Center for Pioneer Church Planting at To Every Tribe. Steve will oversee this unique training that will place the students in the classroom 60% of the time and in the field (Mexico and Papua New Guinea) 40% of the time as they gain the biblical, theological, and missiological understanding and skills of church planting among tribal people. We hope to be in Texas before the new school year begins in September.
STEPPING UP – A Growing Transition:
We are moving to create multiple means of communication to keep you informed and us connected in what God is doing in and through the development of a partnership team as we begin our ministry with To Every Tribe. We are beginning this work now and will move into a full-time effort on May 1st. We want you to be one of the first to join with us as a partner in one or more ways.
Information about the Partnership Team we are building will be available in a later post.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” ~ Colossians 1:15-20
Terri and I have been reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus Christ, which He shed on the cross on our behalf. On the basis of who He is and all He has done, we live by faith in Him, the Preeminent One, who rules in our lives, church, and ministry. We seek to be faithful to Him, because He is faithful to us. And because “Jesus is Worth it!” . . .
We are taking Four BIG Steps!
- We are STEPPING DOWN from our responsibilities as Senior Pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel of DeKalb on May 1, 2011. ~ www.harvestdekalb.org
- We are STEPPING OUT in faith to serve the mission of God to take the gospel to unreached people groups.
- We are STEPPING IN to the mission staff of To Every Tribe in Los Fresnos, Texas. ~ www.toeverytribe.com
- We are STEPPING UP our efforts to build a team of churches and people to partner with us in this work of the gospel in three areas: Prayer, Provision, and Participation.
More about our story and steps in the next post.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” ~ Colossians 1:15-20
Terri and I have been reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus Christ, which He shed on the cross on our behalf. On the basis of who He is and all He has done, we live by faith in Him, the Preeminent One, who rules in our lives, church, and ministry. We seek to be faithful to Him, because He is faithful to us. And because “Jesus is Worth it!” . . .
We are taking Four BIG Steps!
- We are STEPPING DOWN from our responsibilities as Senior Pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel of DeKalb on May 1, 2011. ~ www.harvestdekalb.org
- We are STEPPING OUT in faith to serve the mission of God to take the gospel to unreached people groups.
- We are STEPPING IN to the mission staff of To Every Tribe in Los Fresnos, Texas. ~ www.toeverytribe.com
- We are STEPPING UP our efforts to build a team of churches and people to partner with us in this work of the gospel in three areas: Prayer, Provision, and Participation.
More about our story and steps in the next post.
