Norwalk Pastor Recovering From Appendectomy

An e-mail from Amber Ayer, wife of Norwalk, CA, pastor Wayne Ayer (shown here with his family) details this prayer request:

Wayne is recovering from an unscheduled Laparoscopic Appendectomy that he had done on Friday. The timing could not have been worse, but then again, God's timing IS perfect.

On Saturday he had another CAT scan done on his hip bone because while performing the appendix surgery they saw some shadows on and around his hip bone. For 24 hours we were faced to face with the unknown and just waiting out the Lord's will to be done.

Sunday afternoon, with the help of a doctors art work on a white board, we learned that all is well and those shadows are just benign cartridge and that Wayne was homeward bound on Christmas Eve. PTL!

I am truly grateful for all of the prayers, phone calls, cards, gifts, and our children being cared for and loved on during this time! The LOVE shown to our family is so overwhelming and we are so blessed by the goodness and faithfulness of our Lord and Savior!

This morning has been a little rough as Wayne is sick from his medications, being uncomfortable, and not being able to rest as we thought he would be able to here at home with the demands of the small babies.

So we ask for recovery prayers for him as well as the rest of us. His recovery time is 1-2 weeks long....and that is going to be tough for Wayne not to be allowed to be on go, go, go and preach, preach, preach. Our whole family is going to need prayer.

January AGBM Events Calendar

January is a very busy month for the pastors and church leaders of the FGBC. Here is the headline listing of AGBM events from the AGBM webpage--go to www.agbm.org and click on "events" to see further details, contact information, etc. Send any corrections or additions to tdwhite@earthlink.net

Friday, January 05
Youth New Year's Bash

Tuesday, January 09
NAF Examining Board

Tuesday, January 09
Tri-State TSCM meeting

Thursday, January 11
DAY AWAY at Port Richey, FL

Thursday, January 11
West Penn Ministerium

Friday, January 12
DAY AWAY at Sebring, FL

Friday, January 12
NAF Holiday/Winter Banquet

Saturday, January 13
NAC/Quiz Rally, West Penn

Monday, January 15
DAY AWAY at Maitland, FL

Tuesday, January 16
Heartland Ministerium

Tuesday, January 16
NCO District Missions

Thursday, January 18
GBNAM Church-Planter Assessment

Friday, January 26
Fellowship Council

Monday, January 29
Southwest Focus Retreat

Thursday, February 01
NCO Ministerium

Pastor Dave Mitchell Facing Heart Surgery

Pastor Dave Mitchell of the Waipio Grace Brethren Church in Mililani, Hawaii, is facing some serious heart surgery, likely within the next several weeks. Here is a portion of his e-mail, sent Friday, which helps us know how to pray for him and Betty Lou:

Many of you have expressed sincere concern for me as I deal with some serious heart problems and I just want to let you know I sense those prayers and appreciate them more than you know. Betty Lou also appreciates the prayers for her during this time. You know it is often harder on the loved ones than the person who is sick, but she too knows where her strength comes from. I have such a wonderful wife.

Yesterday I had a heart cath in preparation for my open heart aortic valve replacement soon and it was discovered I also have an 80 percent blockage in my right coronary artery. I will be having both an aortic valve replacement and bypass at the same time.

What makes this surgery somewhat risky is because of the diabetes and the stroke three months ago from which I have recovered almost completely. The operation has not yet been scheduled, but due to the severity of the situation it probably will be in the next couple of weeks or sooner.

If I have a prayer request, aside from surviving this "mess," it is that whatever happens that I can be a testimony that God's grace is sufficient. I believe one has to be tested to come to that reality with both their head and heart knowledge.

Prognosis: Of course the Lord could choose to take me home with Him, but if all goes right the doc says I can have a normal life again even to the place of lifting weights which has been a 45-year hobby.

I tell people that under all this fat I have a California body, whatever that is now...Ha ! All this so I can be ready for retirement, more preaching, being with family and friends in Indiana and Virginia, and enjoying our grandson Jordan.

Hopefully I will be back with you after all this happens. Thank you once again.

Preparing Expository Sermons

Here's a review from Ray Pritchard of a resource on preparing expository sermons:

Preparing Expository Sermons

Yesterday I read Preparing Expository Sermons by Ramesh Richard, a professor at Dallas Seminary and the leader of Ramesh Richard Evangelism and Church Helps (RREACH).

This book has many virtues, foremost among them brevity and a crystal-clear structure. Dr. Richard proposes a seven-step method he calls Sermon Sculpture. The method must work because I found myself repeating it when I woke up this morning.

Unlike many books on preaching that tend to wander off in all directions, this one stays focused on communicating those seven steps. As one who has preached for almost 30 years, I found it a helpful refresher on the art and science and creative discipline of sermon-making.

Finally, this book has the additional advantage of having been field-tested in many nations, thus freeing it from an exclusive focus on preaching in American churches. If you want to know how to preach biblical sermons, start here. Each chapter is clear, concise and right to the point, just like a good sermon should be.

If more pastors preached using this method, we would have stronger churches because our people would be receiving solid food every Sunday.

Mary Meyer With the Lord

Mary Meyer, wife of the late Dr. Nathan M. Meyer, passed away this morning in Columbus, Ohio.

The burial will be Monday, December 18 near Harrisburg, PA, where Nathan Meyer is buried.

A memorial service will be at Worthington, Ohio, Grace Brethren Church on Wednesday morning, December 20. Joan Meyer Keane, Mary's daughter, has requested prayer for the family as they travel to Pennsylvania for the service and especially for unsaved friends and relatives as they attend the services and hear the gospel.

Mary Meyer's husband, Nathan, was well-known for many years as a pastor, seminary professor, author, and for the more than 60 tours of the Holy Land he conducted.

Please Return AGBM Officer, Director Ballots

Paper ballots for the election of AGBM officers and board members should now be in the hands of all paid-up AGBM members.

Please return the ballots to AGBM, P.O. Box 694, Winona Lake, IN 46590 by December 31. Ballots will be counted shortly after the first of the year and results announced shortly thereafter.

Pray for Mrs. Nathan Meyer

The following e-mail is from Joan Keane, daughter of Dr. & Mrs. Nathan Meyer:

It is with a heavy heart that I write this. Mom suffered a massive brain hemorrhage Tuesday and was not expected to live through the night. It is now late Wednesday evening and she is still breathing, but is approaching the end of her life.

Please pray for all of us. She really enjoyed singing in the Living Christmas Trees last Friday/Saturday/Sunday, but the next time she will be singing will be in heaven!

Thanks for your prayers,
Joan