March 26, 2014
 Download a printable Bulletin Insert
or Poster version of this S.T.O.R.M. Report
  
"Short-Term Missions, Long-Term Good" Revisited
 
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap,
if we do not give up."  Galatians 6:9  (ESV)
Team Haiti from the Presbytery of Southern California, May 2011
Spring officially began last week, so summer cannot be far behind!  Time to think about the many opportunities for summer short-term service in the OPC!
 
Why participate in short-term missions (STM)?  Consider reviewing Jamie Dean's article, "Short-Term Missions, Long-Term Good" (New Horizons, April 2012), which presents a discussion on the value of STMs.
  
". . . the Great Commission is a command given to all believers. STMs provide one avenue for many more people to participate in bringing the gospel literally to 'all the nations.'"
  
"Some of our missionaries are building greater portions of their ministries around the help that short-termers bring . . . (which) is good for the whole church."
  
". . . many OP churches have come to appreciate the role that STMs can play in shaping their members and the mission-mindedness of their whole church."
 
Review the full article at www.opcstm.org under "General Information" by clicking here.
 Meet Janet Birkmann!
 
 
 By David Nakhla 

This month marks six months since the OPC's Short-Term Missions and Disaster Response program was blessed by the addition of Miss Janet L. Birkmann to the team.  I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce her to you!
 
Janet serves as my Administrative Assistant.  Having worked for three years as the Office Secretary for the Committee on Foreign Missions, Janet is very familiar with the OPC, and many churches will probably recognize her name from previous interactions with her.  With an undergraduate degree in English, and decades of experience working in hospital administration, Janet brings a variety of skills that have supported me in my administrative responsibilities and enhanced our communications vehicles such as www.opcstm.org and the S.T.O.R.M. Report.
 
Janet has been a great help to me, for which I am so thankful!  She is available to help churches draft their communications regarding any short-term missions opportunities or needs that they may have.  Janet can be reached at birkmann.1@opc.org and looks forward to working with you!
 Skilled Workers Needed at the Boardwalk Chapel!
(May 1-22, 2014)

 

The Boardwalk Chapel in Wildwood, New Jersey, is in need of individuals or teams skilled in carpentry, plumbing, and painting to help prepare the Chapel and its ancillary buildings for its busy summer season that starts on Memorial Day Weekend!

 

Work can be scheduled for any weekday or weekend from Thursday, May 1 thru Thursday, May 22, 2014, based on volunteers' availability. Some of the work may also be scheduled for

Tuesday, May 27 thru Friday, June 13, 2014.


Scope of Work:

  • Four doors at the Dunn House need to be installed or replaced.
  • A stall shower at the Dunn House needs to be removed and replaced with a donated tub and surround. (This is where the plumber is needed!)
  • A team of 3-4 individuals is needed to prime and paint the recently installed sheetrock inside the Chapel. There is also painting to be done in the apartments behind the Chapel.
  • The front deck on the Kay House needs to be replaced. (This could be done in June.)

This opportunity is posted at www.opcstm.org under "National STMs - Current Opportunities."

 

For further details or to schedule a work date for you or your team:

  

Contact:

Rich Seither, Maintenance Coordinator
Phone: 609-600-7754
Email: trishaseither@yahoo.com

 Third Anniversary of the Japan Tsunami:
"An Oasis for the Heart"
  
  
March 11, 2014, marked the 3rd anniversary of the devastating tsunami in Japan.  One article that commemorated the event, "An Oasis for the Heart," was written by Lawrence K. Spalink of Christian Reformed World Missions.
  
In his article, Mr. Spalink reviewed the various means by which God's people continue to reach out to survivors by providing "a place of refreshment and rest in the middle of a wasteland." 
  
The article includes a description of the Nozomi Center, which OPC short-term mission teams helped to build, and at which our missionaries and others continue to serve to this day. See "The Work Continues in Japan - Summer 2014," below.
  
Mr. Spalink writes: 
  
"... the focus has shifted more and more to extending 'heart care' to the survivors, deliberately seeking out the most vulnerable, listening to their stories, offering activities to help them escape the loneliness and drudgery of present circumstances, helping them move on, giving children whose schools were devastated homework help and places to play, facilitating the development of new relationships and communities, extending the love of God with words and deeds, offering the cup of living water to thirsty souls."
  
Read the full article at www.opcstm.org under "News" by clicking here.
The Work Continues in Japan - Summer 2014!
 
The Nozomi Center (from "An Oasis of the Heart")
Disaster response efforts continue in Japan three years after the tsunami of 2011.  The Presbytery of Ohio is hoping to send a team once again this summer to assist in the relief work of the Nozomi Center in Yamamoto-cho.
  
Dates for this short-term missions trip have not yet been set, but in the meantime, team organizer, Rev. Ken Montgomery, invites interested individuals - especially Japanese speakers who can help with translation - to contact him to discuss the trip!
  
The Nozomi Center - as described by Lawrence Spalink in "An Oasis for the Heart" - "provides a base to help rebuild the community, hosting many events for folks to 'get away' from their troubles, welcoming children and providing activities or just a safe place to play, basing volunteer groups who come to serve the community, and carrying out mobile caf�s and other programs that reach out to the many temporary housing villages."
 

Visit "Global STMs - Current Opportunities" at www.opcstm.org for updates on this trip.

 

Contact:
Rev. Ken B. Montgomery

Phone: 937-361-7973
Email:  montgomery.1@opc.org

Help Present a VBS
 in Middletown, Delaware!
(June 23-27, 2014)
Middletown VBS - June 2013
Grace OPC in Middletown, Delaware, will be holding its weekday-morning Vacation Bible School (VBS) again this summer, the week of June 23-27, 2014.

 

Pastor Bob Harting is looking for committed young individuals or groups to join the team at Middletown in conducting a fun-filled week of ministry from God's Word to about 70 children, ages 3 through 14. Experienced teachers are in place for each class, but help is needed with every other aspect of the VBS, including recess!

  • Middletown is a little over 1 hour south of Philadelphia, and about 1.5 hours from Baltimore.
  • Housing and meals with church families will be available, and pastoral oversight will be provided for the week.
  • Having your own vehicle on site would be a big help!
Fun activities, including local side-trips, will be planned for team members to enjoy together each day after VBS work is done!
  
This opportunity is posted at www.opcstm.org under "National STMs - Current Opportunities."

 

Contact:
Rev. Robert P. Harting, Jr. 

Phone: 302-545-5038

Email: harting.1@opc.org 

Help Present a VBS
 in Cincinnati, Ohio!
(June 9-13, 2014)
  
Cincinnati, Ohio - Roebling Bridge

Good Shepherd OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio, will be holding an Evening VBS from Monday through Friday, June 9-13, 2014.  Elder Robert Taylor and other church members will oversee this ministry - selecting the curriculum, buying supplies, etc.  But, they are in need of a team of 8 to 10 additional volunteers to come in from the outside to help them with everything from canvassing the neighborhood, and playing and doing crafts with the children, to setting up and cleaning up. 

All team members will be housed with church families.  During the day, there may be some prep work that needs to be done for the Evening VBS, but you'll also have leisure time during which you may want to visit nearby attractions such as The Creation Museum or King's Island Theme Park.   
  
Learn more at www.opcstm.org under "National STMs - Current Opportunities" by clicking here.
  
Contact:
Elder Robert Taylor
"English for Kids" Bible Camps in Quebec!
(June 23-27, 2014)
   
Quebec City - Chateaux Frontenac

Volunteers are still needed to complete the team for the first week (June 23-27, 2014) of "English for Kids" Bible Camp in Quebec!
 
Young adults or adults are also needed for the "English for Teens" camping trip, the dates for which will be determined by the availability of volunteers.
  
The campers speak French, but all camp activities (songs, Bible stories, crafts, videos/DVDs and games) are conducted in English as a means of increasing the children's language skills and sharing the gospel with them.  A bilingual camp coordinator will be on site. 
 
Interested individuals are invited to contact Rev. Ben Westerveld (OP Missionary and Pastor, St-Marc's church in Quebec) as soon as possible!
 
Learn more at www.opcstm.org under "Global Opportunities - Quebec" by clicking here. 
  
Contact:

Rev. Ben Westerveld
westerveld.2@opc.org

The Boardwalk Chapel Still Has Some Openings

for Summer 2014!

 

A skit at the Boardwalk Chapel (2013)
 

How about spending the summer sharing the gospel and growing in your faith at the Jersey Shore?  There are still some openings for Summer Assistants and volunteers to serve at the Boardwalk Chapel in Wildwood, New Jersey, this summer!  The photo above gives you a glimpse into the creativity and fun involved in this ministry!


Be sure to visit the chapel's website at www.boardwalkchapel.org, or their great Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/BoardwalkChapel, to learn more about this special corner of the OPC, and consider applying to take part in this very affordable short-term missions experience!

 

Personal testimonies of staff workers can be found at www.opcstm.org under "National STMs - Boardwalk Chapel" by clicking here.

 

Contact:

Rev. James A. Zozzaro

Director, Boardwalk Chapel
zozzaro.1@opc.org.

Learn Evangelism in Key West, Florida - Summer 2014!

 

Bill Welzien at Mallory Square
 

Here's a great idea for an STM trip for your youth group this summer!

 

Travel to Key West for a week and receive classroom instruction from Rev. Bill Welzien ("Bible Bill" as he is known in Key West) on the art, science, and heart of evangelism.  Then, practice what you've learned by joining Pastor Welzien as he presents the gospel several nights each week in an engaging open-air style at the famous Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square in Key West, Florida.

 

Here's a testimonial from a group from Frederick, Maryland, that went to Key West in the summer of 2013: "We had such a great experience spending time with Bill and learning from him. We came home wanting to know God's word better and with a renewed desire to tell others about the good news of Jesus Christ."

 

Click here to watch some YouTube videos of Bill in action!

 

This opportunity is made very affordable by Keys Evangelistic Ministries, which provides housing for up to 12 in its four bedroom dormitory.

 

Learn more at www.opcstm.org under "National STMs - Current Opportunities" by clicking here.

 

Contact:

Rev. William V. Welzien

welzien.1@opc.org

Skilled Workers Still Needed

 

Neon, Kentucky 

Neon Reformed Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Neon, Kentucky, welcomed volunteers from several OP presbyteries in 2013 in response to their request for help refurbishing the apartment/ manse on the 2nd floor of their church building!  They hope to continue the project in 2014, including a "face lift" to the store-front exterior of the building.  Read more at www.opcstm.org under "National STMs - Current Opportunities" by clicking here.  If you have the skills and time to travel to Neon to help out, please contact Pastor Jay Bennett at bennett.1@opc.org. 

 

New Jersey    

We recently engaged the services of several skilled tradesmen who agreed to work at a discounted rate in order to complete the work necessary to get the last few OPC families back into their homes in Brick and Seaside Park, New Jersey, following Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Read more at www.opcstm.org under "National STMs - Current Opportunities" by clicking here.  If you are interested in helping out in this way and are available to work for periods of one or more weeks, please contact Site Coordinator Charlie Farrell at farre954@regis.edu.

Year-Round Opportunities for Service 

 

Uganda 

The Orthodox Presbyterian Uganda Mission (OPUM) is the largest mission station in the OPC, and is ripe with opportunities for short-term mission work - year round!  With an operating medical clinic, a farm project, an education outreach project and village evangelism, not to mention continual construction projects including well-drilling, there are many ways for a short-term visitor to serve on this field.  Read more at www.opcstm.org under "Global STMs - Uganda" by clicking here.
(Note: The deadline to serve in Uganda this summer was March 15th, but applications continue to be accepted for the Fall.)

 

Key West, Florida 

How would you like to spend a week in beautiful Key West, Florida, growing in your ability to speak with boldness about the eternal hope that is in you?  OPC pastor Bill Welzien presents the gospel three times a week in an engaging open-air style during the famous Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square, and he invites you to come, learn and practice hands-on evangelism with him, at any time during the year.  Read more at www.opcstm.org under "National STMs - Current Opportunities" by clicking here.

 

 

 

Quebec City

Rev. Ben Westerveld, OP Missionary and Pastor of St. Marc's church in Quebec welcomes you to come join in a "Cafe anglais" (English Cafe) in the parks and malls of Quebec City.  Since, the mother tongue of most of the citizens of Quebec is French, they enjoy being invited to practice English with real Anglophones (those whose mother tongue is English). This type of outreach can present opportunities to share the gospel and Reformed church.  Read more at www.opcstm.org under "Global STMs - Quebec" by clicking here.

 

Current Missionary Associate Openings

 

A missionary associate (MA) is an individual who is appointed by the Committee
on Foreign Missions to labor on an OP foreign mission field without cost to the committee.
There is an application process, and terms of service are generally 3 months to 2 years.

 

Asia

Individuals able to teach English at the university level (must have at least a Bachelor's degree).

 

Quebec

An individual able to speak French (or interested in learning to speak French) to assist in the outreach and discipleship ministries of �glise r�form�e St-Marc's church.
 

Uganda

Two individuals to assist our missionary families in Mbale with homeschooling and more.

Two individuals to participate in the Karamoja Education Outreach program.

Skilled individuals to assist our missionary deacons.

   

For more information and/or to apply for missionary associate service:

Contact Rev. Douglas Clawson, Associate General Secretary
Committee on Foreign Missions at clawson.1@opc.org

 
Printable  S.T.O.R.M.  Reports:   www.opcstm.org/storm-reports  
  

 David P. Nakhla

  Administrator, OPC Committee on Diaconal Ministries

  Coordinator, Short-Term Missions & Disaster Response

 

  Phone 562-760-7606

  nakhla.1@opc.org

  www.opcstm.org

  www.facebook.com/OPCShortTermMissions

  www.facebook.com/OPCDisasterResponse