Dear Church Planter Intern,

As your time in Montana is approaching you may be having some questions as to what you will be doing this summer.  In hopes to help you prepare, I would like to give you one piece of advice you will hear a lot – BE FLEXIBLE.  Your schedule may change weekly and even daily to wherever the Lord is leading.  It is so exciting to see Him work and to follow Him in His work. 

I want to encourage to spiritually take time to get your heart and mind right before you come.  Meditate on Psalm 51.

 ¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

 

This next verse really stuck out to me while I was going through this chapter before I came to serve in Montana.  This is the purpose for getting my heart right.
¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.

Your time may be similar to the types of ministry I was involved in during my summer in Montana.  These may include prayer walking, surveying, leading an adult Bible study, leading a kids Bible study, working with churches doing VBS, working at Back Yard Bible Clubs and various forms of servant evangelism. 

You will get to know your team very well.  A large majority of your time may be spent in a car driving from one place to another.  Be prepared for times of frustration with your team members. Ask God to change your mindset to always be on Him and ask God to show you how you can serve Him and your team members effectively and with joy.

In closing, I want you to know that you will have a great time serving in Montana.  Seeing God’s creation will blow you away and remind you of His greatness (Psalm 104).  I encourage you to choose a lengthy passage of Scripture to memorize and meditate on while you are serving in Montana. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at nacarrozza@aol.com.

We are so blessed to serve our incredible God.  I hope the Lord reveals Himself to you in a new and refreshing way while you are serving Him out in “Big Sky” country.  Have a great summer!

  In Him,

 Nicole Carrozza

Psalm 86:11

Dear Prospective Church Planter Intern,

            I am so excited that you are considering spending your summer ministering in Montana.  It will be a great experience.  From what I understand, plans for future interns are a little bit different than the ways in which they used us this summer, but I’m sure these things will still help you prepare to come next summer. 

In general, flexibility and good walking shoes are important.  It is very dry up here, so women in particular will want to bring chapstick and lotion.  Especially at the beginning of the summer the weather is unpredictable, so bring a windbreaker and some long sleeves. 

            More specifically, let’s talk about exegeting culture.  I had never heard of such a thing before I came up for the summer and it took me all summer to learn how to do it.  Start with your own culture and the culture in which you live before you come to Montana.  Pay attention to the people, how the neighborhoods are set up, what people wear, how families are set up.  Also, what types of traditions are important to them, how do they express hospitality?  Do they use words or phrases that are particular to their area, are there large industries in that area that you need to learn about?  Are the people generally trusting or will it take time and effort to break into their lives?  All of these and more go into making up culture.  You need to practice noticing these things and wrapping them all together to form a picture of the culture.  Seek to figure out where the people are without judging them for not being like you or like you expected.

            Communication is also very important.  We all know how to speak, but communicating can be a little more complicated than that.  It is important with your team that you are intentional in your communication.  Seek to draw out those who are less free in sharing their thoughts and feelings.  Unconditional love and acceptance of the person may need to be expressly stated to assure him/her of your desire to hear what he/she has to say.  Make it a priority of your team to work at establishing effective communication.  Really getting to know each other (personality, background, expectations) will help tremendously with communication by helping you understand where the other person is coming from.

Pray before you get here and pray a lot: for the people, for your team, for the ministers you will be working with, for God to move in Montana.  Come excited and with lots of energy because Dave will put you to work.  Meet as many people in ministry up here as you can and soak up from them everything they have to offer.  Serve with a joyful spirit as unto the Lord.

Have a great summer,

Christina Bishop

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?
As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”
Romans 10:14-15

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! 

                                                   Do you want to go and minister where God is working?  Come this summer to the breath-taking state of Montana where you will find an urgent need for more workers to expand the search and rescue team of lost, valuable souls.  Montana is a state in much need of the saving power of the gospel where it is estimated that 60% of the people you will be working with have never heard of Christ and 80% do NOT attend church on a regular basis.  The harvest in Montana is plentiful but the workers are few.  Montana needs missionaries who will take the initiative to reach non-Christians and lead them to a saving transforming faith in Jesus Christ, their only hope of an abundant life.  Also you will provide encouragement and extend a helping hand for the local pastors and lay people of the churches you will be ministering with.

How should you prepare for ministry in Montana? First, begin to develop a search and rescue mindset with eternal truths keeping you in search mode. Know your objectives so you don’t walk blindly. Then enlist an army of prayer warriors for yourself, as you will be in spiritual battle all summer. Also, learn how to exegete cultures and be able to contextualize or to develop and /or adapt a strategy determined by a specific context.  Remember to pack light.  Simplicity in living style will be an asset to you due to your team’s traveling schedule.  Finally, learn to meet people’s physical and emotional needs as well as their spiritual needs.  People will respond more readily to the words of the gospel after they have seen it lived out in ministry.

   Please consider the opportunity to work as a Church Planter Intern Missionary with a team of other missionaries who desire to make Him known in Montana.  You will be under the direction of David Howeth, the Director of Missions and Church Planting Supervisor of Treasure State Baptist Association and your trip will be funded by the North American Mission Board.  The area of Montana that your team will be working in is around the Helena, Bozeman and Butte area.  While in Montana, you will obtain 1-½ week training session and then an eight to ten week session of field training.

May God Bless You As You Continually Walk Faithfully Fully Trusting in His Promises,

Melissa A. Matthews

◊  Pray that the Word of the Lord would spread swiftly and be glorified (2 Thess. 1)
◊  Pray that I will preach the gospel, not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.  (1 Corinthians 1: 17)
◊  Pray that the Lord will give me strength so that the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles (people living in Montana) might hear it. (Titus 4:17)
◊  Pray that in every way that I will make the teaching of the gospel about our Savior attractive. (Titus 2: 10)
◊  Pray that I may be active in sharing my faith, so that I will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. (Philemon 1:6)
◊  Pray for the Lord’s guidance as our team prepares strategies to reach the people in the Helena, Bozeman and Billings area of Montana. Pray for the people of Montana that they would have open hearts and minds to hear the gospel.