Cottageville, South Carolina Report

It was the end of an era in South Carolina last month as 2 more of our youngsters graduated high school. Samuel & Brylie both closed this chapter of school. Please keep them in prayer as they consider their futures and where the Lord might want them.

Lisa also graduated in May, having completed her Associates Degree in Health Services. She’s now working on the 2nd half of her Associates Degree to be an occupational therapy assistant.

Edmund Jr. has begun his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering while continuing his full-time work at the water plant where he’s spent the last 3 years.

Steve is still studying for the South Carolina Bar exam which is about 8 weeks away.

Please keep all these students in prayer as they study towards the goal of finishing, and finishing well.

Linda & Lisa took a trip to visit family in Indiana, which was a great blessing and ministry opportunity.

Angie is venturing into new territory in her work, bringing with her the experience she has gained from working for Rick as she starts on her own.

The Athertons participated in a Color Guard for the VFW over Memorial Day weekend, placing flags on the graves of veterans in commemoration of their lives and service for our country.

Please keep one another in prayer and if someone comes to mind, lift them up to the Lord and maybe give them a call. 

Ongoing events:

• Children’s Bible study takes place every Friday morning at 11:00 a.m. Contact Maggie for more information at: (915) 246-6136 or Email Maggie
• Sunday evening Bible Studies are at 6 p.m. and any who are inclined to join together for a meal beforehand are welcome to do so at 5 p.m.

People to contact: if you have questions about the ministry in South Carolina, or how you can participate, here’s the list of who to get in touch with.

The South Carolina fellowship:

• Philip (Spartanburg): (843) 217-2644 or Email Phillip
• Carter (Cottageville): (303) 257-5470 or Email Carter 
• James (Lynchburg): (706) 283-2688 or Email James 

The music team and how you can be a part:

• Megan (802) 485-8624 or Email Megan

Grace Ranch Report

Hello all, and greetings from Grace Ranch. The weather is starting to turn hot and the days are certainly getting longer. We have had some wonderfully cool mornings followed by very warm afternoons and evenings. The wildlife is starting to come out more and more too.

It's been a very busy month with more progress made on the RV park electrical system. We hope to have each station fully completed by the end of this month.  Right now, they are all functional, but they yet need to have the concrete poured to secure each location. 

We continue to discuss options for creating a comprehensive Gap Year Program based on everyday life and the challenges we face daily. This should not only give those coming out an opportunity to learn a little about life in the "real world" but also give folks here at the ranch the opportunity to impart their own life experiences through what they do daily.  We are excited to start putting some meat on the bones of our outline and look forward to sharing it with you all as things get more concrete.

Lastly, Airgun Expo 2024 concluded on Friday, May 31st. While there was a lot to learn from a business perspective and the practicality of looking to hold another expo in 2025, the evidence that the Lord carried us through was present every day.  We had 5 full days of creating live video content that went about as seamlessly as one could hope or imagine. We only had one product fail, which we had to substitute.  The biggest testimony was how well everyone pitched in supporting each other.  The Lord truly accomplished something special. 

That's it for our May report. We are looking forward to June and possibly getting some cleanup started and completing some smaller indoor projects as the weather starts to really heat up. We thank you for all your prayers and look forward to our next report here from Grace Ranch.

For questions regarding the Grace Ranch, Texas fellowship:

Contact Rick: 

(928) 302-9078 or Email Rick 

Contact Bob: 

(915) 345-2229 or Email Bob 

REFLECTION ON PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY

1 THESSALONIANS 4:1 (KJV)

Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more….

Christian Living is meant to be practical: so practical that the unbelievers as well as non practicing Christians (church goers) will notice the difference and desire to also walk in the faith.

Whilst I was out there on the Practical Christianity Campaign in Northern Uganda, I took the time to deeply reflect on what and who is a Christian. One thing that kept recurring in my mind was the sharp contrast to scriptures way of living that many nominal Christians portray as Christianity in which there is no fear of God and not conscious effort to walk in the way of the Lord clearly depicted in the Word. For example, many Christians do not have personal relations with the Lord Jesus and have substituted true personal practical Christian life with mere church attendance. To some people attendance of church and church related programs alone define their Christianity. What happens in between one church attendance to the next still remains a struggle for many. Every believer must know and relate to the Lord Jesus personally as the foundation for practical Christian living. We have to study and meditate on the Word of God to show ourselves approved unto God as workmen that need not to be ashamed but rightly dividing the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

1 Peter 3:15 says “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear”

Nowadays almost anytime you hear that people are trooping to join some revival crowd meetings, it's usually for prayers and spiritual gifts manifestations / demonstrations but not for the sound Biblical teachings. Start introducing sound Biblical teachings and they all disappear to the next 'revival' place. Non practicing Christians are inclined to follow signs and wonders. Actually, Christian ministry is primarily for the advancement of Christ and His Kingdom on earth, not the advancement of self on earth.

One of the reasons for the lack of Christ formation in many believers is the over-emphasis on programs and noise, and under-emphasis on teaching to equip, mature and disciple the congregants who attend church every Sunday. Actually, our true love of God is proved by our obedience to the Commandments of the Lord (John 14: 15) and our genuine love for people in His vineyard. Not just by our love for church, prayer or gospel songs.

Christianity is a very practical religion. The Christian faith translates into the very lives of the people who read the Word of God and walk in the truth. A true Christian demonstrates the relevance of Christianity in every dimension of his/her life. Christians must communicate the importance of the faith by exhibiting a lifestyle based upon the Christian philosophy of life. There is a need for practical Christian living and I recommend that we all continue to follow Steve’s weekly series on the subject matter on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/YiIQ5vPNFEs?si=VAqBK6nazg_cHfYa