A late fall ‘prayer update’

November 8, 2023

Here are several ways we would appreciate you praying beside us as board members as the new year approaches…

+Thanking our Father that those who give to BTS met the ‘matching gift goal’ this spring for the 7th year in a row

+Also thanking God that Steve’s surgery went well in March…and for a few follow-up medical appts. this month

+For God’s continued guidance as we work on the ministry calendar for BTS (both home & abroad) during the weeks ahead

+For Steve’s extended family as they miss both his father & mother this holiday season (after Dad A. went Home in February and Mom A. went Home in August…and if you would like to see her memorial service, you can click here)

An early spring ‘prayer update’

March 16, 2023

Here are some general areas we would be privileged to have you pray with us as board members about…

-That those who give to BTS would meet the annual ‘matching goal’ for the 7th consecutive year

-A positive outcome and speedy recovery for Steve’s surgical procedure on March 17

-For God’s guidance as the ministry calendar for the rest of the year is set

-Thanking our heavenly Father for the unique impact of the 2 refreshment retreats in Ethiopia in December and praying for the 2 groups of leaders as they strive to form ongoing ‘encouragement circles’ after bonding at the retreats

-That folks would continue to be impacted by the ‘behind-the-scenes legacy’ of Steve’s father who was called Home in February (if you would like to view the memorial service, you can click here and the service begins at the 12-minute mark)

A Thanksgiving weekend ‘prayer update’

November 25, 2022

Since our previous ‘Praying page update’ on October 2 (which you can read below), our Father opened the doors for 3 of the 5 ministry opportunities mentioned on that post AND responded in other ways as well…

+Time with Hispanic pastors on the island and in Orlando—It was evident that you were praying beside Steve’s connections with all of these dear brothers (and some of their wives). The week on the island was ‘God-timed’ on multiple levels and Steve was also able to communicate more freely in Spanish than he ever has before!

+Ethiopia Visit (Nov. 30 - Dec. 9)—As God has guided, BTS will be hosting (and Steve will be leading) two different 3-day/2-night spiritual refreshment retreats for leadership couples & individuals. Please pray for safe travel for the attenders (2 are flying in from Kenya), for all of the participants to be encouraged, for the translators to be clear, and for Steve to lead wisely & without any ‘medical distractions’.

+For Steve’s medical issues—Not only did our Father graciously prevent any potential distractions, but He also led Steve to 2 new, more experienced doctors during the past month…and those doctors set a new treatment plan while he was on the island!

Grateful for your continued prayers

October 2, 2022

Because it has been almost 6 months since our previous ‘Praying page’ update, you may want to reread the post below from April before reading this new one. We continue to experience our heavenly Father responding as you pray beside us and will be as deeply grateful for your future prayers as we’ve been for your prayers in the past…

+Please pray beside BTS as the fall schedule is ‘finalized’—As you know, there are more obstacles than ever that can potentially impede scheduling, planning, and traveling as we strive to come alongside those who serve our Savior. During 2022, the ever-changing travel restrictions in response to Covid have combined with other factors to minimize our retreat schedule (both on foreign soil and on home turf). Although individual connections (both in person and ‘virtually’) have continued, we strongly desire to actually be present with groups during our retreats so they can develop into ongoing “circles of encouragement”. (Steve would personally appreciate you praying that ongoing medical issues following his accident in May 2020 would not interfere with the ‘open doors’ to ministry described below in the months ahead.)

+Please join us in praying that the following BTS ‘physical’ connections will happen and that the hearts of those who serve will be encouraged:

*October 29: Steve is scheduled to spend a ‘timely week’ on the Caribbean island which will hopefully include 1-2 retreats

*Sunday, November 6: Steve is scheduled to spend time with the leaders of a Hispanic church in Orlando

*Sometime in November: Potential BTS men’s ministry trip to Indiana

*Sometime in November/December: Potential BTS spiritual refreshment retreat in Alabama

*Early December: Possible BTS spiritual refreshment retreat on foreign soil

Praying for those who serve our Savior

April 15, 2022

If you have been praying beside the ministry of BTS for a while now, you may remember what was posted on the website on December 25, 2020 (shortly after Steve returned from a 2-country visit to Latin America earlier that month):

“As Paul described in 2 Corinthians 2:12, our Father will at times make it clear that there is an ‘open door to serve’ that He desires us to walk through. Other times, as Paul experienced in Acts 16:6-10, God will close one ‘opportunity door’ and open another. With this in mind, please pray beside us as Steve ‘walks toward several doors’ during the next 4 months…”

We want to thank you if you are among those who prayed in that way 16 months ago and wanted to give you a quick update on some ways our heavenly Father responded…

+Although Covid-testing was an ‘unpredictable’ challenge, Steve was able to facilitate a spiritual refreshment retreat for 8 ministry couples in Ethiopia during March 2021 and it was probably the most meaningful retreat thus far on foreign soil.

+Even though Covid travel restrictions have prevented Steve from traveling to any other foreign countries besides the 2 in Latin America in late 2020 and Ethiopia in early 2021, God has opened doors for BTS to host a handful of very meaningful domestic retreats on our own continent during that time span.

+With our annual ‘matching month of May’ being 2 weeks away, please pray beside us that BTS supporters will be able to give above & beyond what they already give to their churches and other ministries they support so that the matching goal of $10,000 will be met (this year’s matched total will be split between the BTS foreign soil retreat fund and the BTS domestic retreat fund).

+Please continue to pray that God will make very clear which ‘opportunity doors’ BTS should walk toward in the months ahead. Several of the potential foreign-soil retreat countries which have been under consideration are experiencing different levels of internal turmoil (including locations in Eastern Europe, East Africa, and Latin America).

+Let’s also continue to ask our very gracious Father to strengthen & encourage pastors, missionaries, and Christian leaders around the globe who are facing a variety of difficult challenges as they extend the Good News to others.

Grateful for your continued prayers & personal involvement in BTS

November 20, 2021

We are grateful for your continued prayers for our souls, bodies, and families

The other board members and I have, like you, experienced a challenging year on several fronts. As we grow older, it seems that health requires more attention for us and for our families (even without considering how Covid has impacted us). Speaking on behalf of the other brothers, through your prayers we have experienced God’s closeness in unique ways this past year and would be delighted for you to continue praying for us to patiently endure on our individual journeys. Although I will not mention specific health areas for anyone else on the board, you may be aware that I had an accident in 2020 and continue to deal with some of the effects today. Through the prayers of many, I’ve been able to continue my normal ministry schedule and have only had occasional medical appointments & procedures since. I do have a procedure scheduled for early December that will require a week of recuperation and I would deeply appreciate your prayers in that area.

We are grateful for your continued faithful giving to BTS

Realizing that not all BTS supporters are able to give above & beyond what they already give to their churches and to other ministries, God has once again provided through those of you who have been able to invest in the BTS ministry. We are thankful to Him that your gifts have made it possible for BTS to continue 'normal operations' in 2021. In addition, we are grateful for the $20,091 which was given during our 'matching month' of May that will be used to cover expenses for foreign-soil spiritual refreshment retreats in the months ahead.

We are grateful for your continued prayers for ‘open doors’ of ministry

Although several BTS retreats and a few individual connections have been affected by Covid restrictions both here & abroad, 3 foreign trips and 3 domestic retreats have taken place since last Thanksgiving. To say we are grateful to God for opening those doors would be an understatement! And each of those 6 ministry opportunities turned out to be quite fruitful. Unrelated to Covid travel-restrictions, there has been civil unrest in several countries we have visited in the past and/or have been looking for an opportunity to visit in the future. Please continue to pray beside us as we strive to move toward these opportunities during a time when freedom of travel is unpredictable.

Grateful for an “open door of opportunity”

March 25, 2021 (after original post on March 10, 2021)

After returning from Ethiopia on Monday evening, March 22, Steve has given a brief update below (in “bold italics”) as to how he saw our Father answer your prayers in the 3 ways you were invited to pray. As always, he would welcome you to reach out and ask him how he saw God respond to ‘other specific ways’ you were praying…

Thank you for praying beside us for a potential BTS team trip to South America in February AND for Steve to possibly lead a BTS refreshment retreat in East Africa in March. Although Covid-related travel restrictions prevented the February team trip from happening, Steve received the ‘green light’ today to fly to Ethiopia when the results of the Covid test he took yesterday came back ‘negative’. This exciting opportunity door is wide open and we would deeply appreciate you praying beside us…

+Travel to & from Ethiopia: Please pray for restful sleep during the entire trip and that nothing transportation-related would hinder the ministry God has in store for Steve as he spends time with fellow Christian leaders. He flies east on Saturday, March 13 and is ticketed to fly home on Monday the 22nd. (Please also pray that he will test ‘negative’ for Covid on Friday the 19th so he will be able to return as scheduled!)

*I am so delighted to let you know that God gave me more than enough sleep/rest during my time in Ethiopia…that I ‘passed’ both of my Covid tests (going & returning)…and that I was even able to ‘stretch out’ in the airplane and actually get ‘decent sleep’ during both the 13-hour flight to Africa and the 17-hour flight back to Chicago!

+Before & After the retreat: Steve will be striving to encourage various Christian leaders and will be speaking in a church on at least one of the 2 Sundays (the 21st) while he is in East Africa. Please pray that God would give Steve wisdom as he spends time with these dear brothers & sisters.

*Although there is not adequate space here to describe the unexpected ministry opportunities God provided for me, I was able to spend a Sunday morning with a church family who was quite responsive as we took a closer look at the “New Commandment” Christ gave the disciples in the Upper Room…I was also able to spend extensive ‘unplanned’ time with 2 Christian leaders (who did not attend the BTS retreat) whose need for encouragement matched the timing of my visit…and I also was spontaneously invited to spend a ‘free evening’ guiding a group of two dozen lay/volunteer leaders through the Upper Room conversation!

+The Retreat Itself: Those who gave to the BTS ‘foreign soil fund’ in 2019 have made it possible for 10 Ethiopian ministry couples to experience a 3-day/2-night spiritual refreshment retreat next week (March 17-19). BTS will be paying all of the necessary food & lodging expenses as well as helping the couples with their transportation costs to the retreat location. Please join us in asking our Father to protect these couples between now and the retreat so that they will be free to attend (many of them have younger children and are making arrangements for extended family members to care for them so the couples can attend). Also, please ask God to give the various translators clarity as they translate.

*On the day before I flew to Ethiopia, my host was informed that the retreat location had double-booked and we would need to find another site for the retreat. Our Father turned this around ‘for very good’ by guiding our host to a hotel which ended up being a more ideal location in several ways! Not only were the accommodations better, but we had more space to meet in smaller groups throughout the 3-day retreat. 8 of the 10 couples who had been invited were able to attend (one couple had child care issues at the last minute and the other couple ended up not coming because they were not feeling well and ended up testing positive for Covid). The flow of the retreat and the responsiveness of the folks participating had ‘God’s fingerprints’ all over it! It was a refreshing & significant time for all involved. And the translators did a fantastic job! Thank you so much for praying!!!

Praying for BTS “doors of opportunity” to stay open!

December 25, 2020 (after original post on November 25, 2020)

As Paul described in 2 Corinthians 2:12, our Father will at times make it clear that there is an ‘open door to serve’ that He desires us to walk through. Other times, as Paul experienced in Acts 16:6-10, God will close one ‘opportunity door’ and open another. With this in mind, please pray beside us as Steve ‘walks toward several doors’ during the next 4 months…

+The travel plans are in place for Steve to travel to 2 Latin American countries in mid-December. Please pray with us that God will clear away all obstacles as he travels to these countries AND that these 2 multi-purposed visits would be very productive.

***Our heavenly Father responded to your prayers and Steve was ‘allowed into’ both countries without any obstacles hindering him! At 2 points on the trip, he may have met ‘angels in disguise’ to help him make his travel transitions. Even more significantly, Steve was able to accomplish many ‘objectives’ on both of these multi-purposed visits including making plans for a potential BTS team trip (hopefully in early 2021)…providing much-needed counseling for several brothers & sisters (thank you to those of you who prayed for his Spanish-speaking ability)…and conducting a ‘training retreat’ for leaders (who will now facilitate future retreats in their own country).

+Plans are forming for a potential BTS team trip to South America in February AND for Steve to possibly lead a larger BTS refreshment retreat in East Africa in early March. Please pray with us that God will clearly guide in both of these opportunities.

***Please continue to pray for these 2 ‘opportunity doors’ to open on these 2 different continents…that God would guide in the timing of these potential trips (beginning with the freedom to travel to and gather in these countries due to Covid)…and that God would make it possible for specific brothers & sisters to be a part of these retreat & ministry opportunities. Under normal circumstances, there would be many obstacles in the ‘path of preparation’ for these opportunities and the obstacles are even larger due to the worldwide response to Covid.

+Although BTS has only been able to schedule one domestic retreat this fall due to ‘Covid-fallout’, please pray beside us that God would clearly guide us as we pursue the Who, When, and Where of future retreats within the US in the months ahead.

***Thank you for continuing to pray for these domestic spiritual refreshment retreats as well.

Praying beside each other as we “shine our lights”

March 25, 2020

As Paul reminded us in Ephesians 6:18, praying for each other is vital…especially during ‘opportune times’ like we are living in now. Here are 3 specific ways you can invite those brothers/sisters closest to you to pray for YOUR personal ministry in the days ahead (as you also offer to pray beside them in the same way)…

+For wisdom as you pursue friends & family members who are not yet convinced of Christ’s personal love for them. As a growing number of people are displaying more ‘openness’ to think about God’s involvement in their lives, we can pray for each other in the way Paul encouraged us to pray in Colossians 4:2-6.

+For direction as you come alongside brothers & sisters who have unique needs—both physical and emotional. Galatians 6:2 and 6:9-10 remind us that we are on this journey together and that we fulfill Christ’s desire for us when we care for each other.

+For wisdom & creativity as you strive to encourage those who serve our Savior in your sphere. Pastors, missionaries, and leaders of other ministries will be bearing the ‘burden of ministry’ more & more in the days ahead…and that will give us even more opportunities to serve them (Galatians 6:2 and 6:9-10 may also prompt some creative ways we can encourage them).

Praying for the BTS Southwest Trip

February 18-28, 2020

For those of you who have been praying that God would continue to guide BTS to walk through the ‘doors of opportunity’ which He desires for us, including those related to ministry in foreign cultures, THANK YOU. We are delighted to let you know that our Father has once again provided a unique ‘open door’ to serve those who serve our Savior in February…

The second door of the “2019-20 BTS foreign-soil travel season” will be a trip to the Southwestern US to provide spiritual refreshment for pastors & missionaries who minister to Native Americans there. Although those who minister on the various Reservations are not ‘technically’ serving on foreign soil, they are certainly striving to reach those in a very different culture.

As you read the ways you can pray for this February opportunity below, thank you for investing your time in prayer for the BTS ministry as we “serve those who serve”…

+Travel to & from The Southwest: For restful sleep and that nothing transportation-related would hinder the ministry God has in store for Steve as he spends time with fellow Christian leaders.

+The Retreat Itself: Steve has been invited to be the speaker at an annual conference for those pastoring Native Americans from different tribes and in different states. The conference will take place in Phoenix on February 21-22 and Steve will also be spending time encouraging these leaders for 2 days before and 2 days after the conference (including a weekend visit to northern Arizona where he will be speaking on Sunday the 23rd).

+Theme of our times of reflection together: That God would use the time spent in John 13-15 and the time spent in fellowship to deeply refresh each person who attends. Even though Steve will be adjusting the ‘typical’ format of the “BTS spiritual refreshment retreat” because of the larger group size, please join us in praying that God will significantly use the smaller ‘encouragement circles’ Steve forms at the conference to refresh the hearts of those attending.

+Trip to L.A. while out west: Following his time in Arizona, Steve will spend several days making ‘BTS connections’ in the Los Angeles area before returning to the Midwest on the 28th.

Answers to prayer from the island & beyond

November 2019

Thank you for praying beside Steve during his 17-day ‘October Opportunity’ which found him striving to encourage brothers & sisters in the southeastern U.S. and in the Caribbean. He clearly saw our Father responding to your prayers in a variety of ways. After you read through a brief description of the 3 ‘areas’ in which he asked for all of us to pray, you can also hear a few more details by viewing his 3-4 minute video using the link at the bottom of this post.

+Travel to & from the island: God indeed gave him restful sleep, safety, hurricane-free weather, and incredibly ‘smooth travels’ as he spent time with fellow Christian leaders (both on foreign soil and our own).

+Time with leaders & wives: Based on what was expressed to Steve, these ‘October connections’ were rich, encouraging, and refreshing for these dear brothers & sisters (most of whom he had met in the past).

+Theme of our times of reflection together: The impact was not ‘lost in translation’ (Steve did not use much English while on the island!) and, according to the feedback received, God used Steve’s BTS visit in a timely way in the hearts of those he met with.

In more than a few of these connections, Steve will be following-up during the Holidays and would appreciate your ongoing prayers for future interactions with them. If you want to hear several more specific answers to prayer and a few ways to be praying for those serving our Savior on the island, you can watch a brief video by clicking here!

Praying for the BTS ‘October Opportunity’

October 11-27, 2019

For those of you who have been praying over the past months that God would guide BTS to walk through the ‘doors of opportunity’ which He desires for us, specifically related to ministry on foreign soil, THANK YOU. We are delighted to let you know that our Father has once again responded in some unique ways. Grateful for this, we invite you to pray beside Steve during the 2nd half of October…

The first door of the “2019-20 BTS foreign-soil travel season” will be a trip to the Caribbean to provide spiritual refreshment for several key leaders there. Steve’s 4th visit to the island will be ‘sandwiched’ between a BTS domestic road trip (making BTS connections along I-75 from Michigan to Miami) from Oct. 11-17 and his return BTS road trip (through the Carolinas) Oct. 24-27. As you read the 3 main ways you can pray for this October opportunity below (and you can hear more details on the short video ‘linked to’ at the end of this post), thank you for investing your time in prayer for the BTS ministry as we “serve those who serve”:

+Travel to & from the island: For restful sleep, safety, hurricane-free weather, and that nothing transportation-related would hinder the ministry God has in store for Steve as spends time with fellow Christian leaders (both on foreign soil and our own).

+Time with leaders & wives: That these ‘October opportunities’ to connect would be rich, encouraging, and refreshing for these dear brothers & sisters (most of whom Steve has met in the past).

+Theme of our times of reflection together: That the impact would not be ‘lost in translation’ (Steve will not be using much English while on the island!) and that it would be used by God in a timely way in the heart of each person.

To hear how to pray specifically in these 3 areas, there is a short video (only 3 minutes long) you can watch if you click here!

A ‘prayer update’ for the BTS East Africa trip

(and please reach out to Steve for more details!)

Although there is no way to briefly summarize the MANY ways our Father responded to your prayers, Steve did make an attempt to share some of the ways he witnessed God respond through a 9-minute video. As you will see when you have time to watch, he uses the prayer guide (provided in the post below on this page) as he shares some ways He saw God move. Steve also personally invites each of you to reach out to him to hear how he saw our Father respond to your ‘specific’ prayers.

A second thing Steve briefly mentions in the video is that he returns from East Africa with many new relationships with Christian leaders who desire to connect with him and BTS in the future. Please be praying for these connections in the months ahead and for these dear brothers & sisters serving our Savior in Africa! And if now is a good time to watch the “prayer-update video”, all you need to do is click here and you will be taken directly to the video…THANK YOU again for your prayers!

A “prayer guide” for both BTS Spring ‘19 trips

(the prayer guide for each trip can be found under each location)

Here are the dates & destinations of the 2 trips (to view/print the prayer guide, simply click on the location!)

*March 31-April 11: A two-country trip (with 2 refreshment retreats) to Moldova & Ukraine

*April 22-May 13: A two-country trip (with 3-4 refreshment retreats) to Kenya & Ethiop

An exciting update as 2019 begins…

(Some breaking news with more to come soon)

If you have been waiting to hear how God has been answering prayer by guiding BTS to the ‘doors of opportunity’ He desires us to walk through, there is some recent news to follow-up from the October post (beneath this one)…

+On the domestic front, God has guided Steve to walk alongside a significant number of new connections (in addition to established ones) and he has appreciated your prayers for him and those he is serving. These new opportunities to walk beside brothers & sisters in their ministries have increased steadily since early fall of 2018.

+On the foreign-soil front, the next spiritual refreshment retreats have been scheduled and tickets have been purchased! (Before reading on, if you have not yet read the “trip report” from the October post below, it may be helpful to scroll down and read it before reading the rest of this section.) Although we will describe these opportunities in more detail through a video update in the weeks ahead, here are the recently confirmed “double-header” trips:

*March 31-April 11: A two-country trip (with 2 refreshment retreats) to Moldova & Ukraine

*April 22-May 13: A two-country trip (with 3-4 refreshment retreats) to Kenya & Ethiopia

It has been nothing short of amazing how our heavenly Father has guided us to these unique opportunities. Please continue to pray in the weeks ahead as the ministry schedules for these 2 trips are finalized! And we will look forward to going into more detail when we send out the link to a video in the weeks ahead (or when you talk to us in person). God clearly responded to those praying specifically for His guidance…thank you for praying that way in the past, present, and future!

Grateful, still again, for your prayerful involvement!

October Reflections

First, if you have been praying with us since July that God would guide BTS to walk through the ‘doors of opportunity’ that He desires for us, THANK YOU. (With one of those opportunities now behind us, there are still several on foreign soil being considered for the coming months.) Your continued prayers would be deeply appreciated between now and the end of the year that our Father would guide us in this planning. If you would also join us in praying for the ‘domestic side’ of BTS during November and December, we would be extremely grateful (this will include a regional trip or two).

Secondly, if you prayed along the lines of what Steve described before he left for the island, he has done his best to “sum up” how he saw God respond to your prayers (and as always, feel free to ask Steve because he would be delighted to be more specific!). Here are some of Steve’s reflections in the 3 areas he expressed before leaving on the trip…

+Travel while there: Although the return flight to the U.S. did not go smoothly, that was by far the least important leg of the trip! There were no accidents involving the rental car and it endured many “off road” miles…especially in the mountains! (And if you saw the conditions of the roads as well as the number of bicycles, pedestrians, and animals using them, it is a miracle that there were no incidents!) Steve slept well—particularly before days that included the most ministry opportunities. And yes, the hurricane did ‘brush by’ the western end of the island but the trip itinerary found him on the eastern end when it did!

+Time with pastors & wives: These connections, according to the pastors & wives, did turn out to be rich, encouraging, and refreshing for these dear couples. Steve was also able to have 1-on-1 conversations with the pastors (and sometimes family members) related to their individual challenges as they strive to grow personally & to lead their churches well.

+Theme of our times of reflection together: According to reliable sources, God used the themes from James 1 and Hebrews 12 in a unique way in each context. And according to the same sources, our Father gave Steve the ability and mental stamina to be able to communicate clearly in a foreign language without a translator! Even though he led most of the gatherings without reading the notes he had prepared (and translated in advance), the pastors expressed that these conversations were used by God in a timely way in the heart of each person. (If you were not able to see some of the photos from the trip because you are not on the BTS email list, get in touch with Steve and he will send you that email…)

Praying for the BTS Retreat on Wheels

September 29, 2018

For those of you who have been praying with us since July that God would guide BTS to walk through the ‘doors of opportunity’ that He desires for us, THANK YOU. And we are delighted to let you know that He has been responding in some unique ways. The first door of this next “BTS travel season” will be a return trip to the Caribbean to provide spiritual refreshment for a number of pastors & wives there. As you read the 3 main ways you can pray for the trip below (and you can hear more details on the short video you can link to at the end of this post), thank you for investing your time in prayer for this next opportunity…

+Travel while there: For restful sleep, safety, hurricane-free weather, and that nothing related to transportation would hinder the ministry God has in store for Steve as he serves those who serve.

+Time with pastors & wives: That these connections would be rich, encouraging, and refreshing for these dear couples.

+Theme of our times of reflection together: That it would not be ‘lost in translation’ (Steve will not be able to use any English!) and that it would be used by God in a timely way in the heart of each person.

To hear how to pray specifically in these 3 areas, there is a short video (just over 4 minutes long) you can watch if you click here!

Praying beside BTS during the Summer of '18...

July 9, 2018

We would be deeply grateful to have you pray beside us this summer in these 3 areas...

1)  Thanking our Father for how He provided through the 'May matching opportunity'

Whether or not you were able to give in May toward this special purpose, so many of you let us know you were praying along with us during this year's opportunity to set aside funds for BTS foreign-soil ministry during the next 12 months.  In May of 2017, $10,015 was matched by a family so that $20,015 was available last year to use for BTS trips & retreats to encourage those serving on foreign soil.  During the May of 2018 matching period, $11,030 was matched by two families and $22,060 will be available for this purpose in the coming year!  Our board not only wants to thank you for praying (and for giving if you were able) but we also want to invite you to thank our Father together for how He continues to guide BTS through how He provides.

2)  Asking our Father for His clear guidance as we plan future BTS foreign trips

As you probably already know, BTS has been invited to come alongside those serving in foreign countries more often than we are able to actually go.  In some cases, there are other ministries that are better suited to encourage those who have invited BTS (and we actually strive to connect them with those other ministries).  At this point, the BTS board senses it is wise to devote 1/3 of our ministry focus on foreign soil ministry (which also means that approximately 1/3 of Steve's time and 1/3 of what is given annually to BTS is used in this area).  Please join us in asking God to guide us to walk through the "doors of opportunity" which He desires for us.  (A 3rd trip to the Caribbean island has been tentatively set for early October and Steve is having conversations with 2 different ministries in the Middle East about a potential team trip to serve those serving refugees there...yes, we will keep you posted as trips are scheduled so you can join us in praying!!!)

3)  Praying for continued wisdom as we continue to come alongside those who serve

With 2/3 of Steve's time & energy being devoted to those who serve our Savior in our own country, we would continue to be grateful as you pray with us for our efforts in this main focus of our ministry.  (Steve's next domestic trip is July 9-11 which will find him striving to encourage a number of BTS connections in Indiana.)  Over the past several months, Steve has sensed God guiding him to pray along the lines of James 1:4-5 for those Christian leaders he serves.  This prayer emphasis has developed as Steve has recently connected with so many dear brothers & sisters who are facing challenges that are very difficult to endure.  He and the board are also praying for YOU as you come alongside leaders in your own sphere who are facing their own individual challenges...that our Father will touch them deeply as you personally encourage them.

Praying for BTS during the upcoming April Adventure

March 30.2018

We would be deeply grateful to have you pray beside us in the coming weeks as described below...

April 1-8:  BTS Southern Road Trip and Retreat Preparation

On Easter Sunday, Steve will begin a BTS road trip during which he will be connecting with Christian leaders in Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida.  Please ask our Father to provide timely encouragement through Steve as he meets with those who serve our Savior so faithfully.  At the end of this week, please also pray for Steve as he spends several days preparing for 2 spiritual refreshment retreats in April...

April 9-14:  Spiritual Refreshment Retreat in the Caribbean 

On Monday the 9th, Steve will be flying from Miami to facilitate 2 small retreats for pastors & wives (similar to the one he led last September but in a different location).  This time, however, he will be leading the retreats in Spanish without an interpreter. Please pray with this in mind!  Also join us in praying that the couples will be spiritually refreshed (and that their children, who will be staying home with relatives, will do well while their parents are away for several days).

April 15-17:  Return trip 'North-bound'

After flying back to Miami on the 14th, Steve will make his way north while making several BTS connections on his way home.

April 25-May 2:  Spiritual Refreshment Retreat in Eastern Europe

Steve and Mark Morsehead (a BTS board member) will be traveling to Moldova to lead a spiritual refreshment retreat for 20 English-speaking leaders of various Christian ministries there.  Although these men are from different English speaking countries around the world, they have formed an informal network built around their common purpose of proclaiming the gospel in Moldova.  In addition to praying for the weekend retreat itself, please also join us in asking God to give Mark and Steve grace-filled wisdom as they come alongside leaders before & after the retreat.

After reading how you can be praying in the days ahead, here are a couple of links you may be interested in as well...

*If you would like to listen to the message I recently gave related to a theme that has been surfacing in many of my conversations (and you might need to listen to it in 'sections' because of its length), you can click here and then scroll down to March 4, 2018.

*And if you would like to see an 'announcement' related to the delivery of the many collected items to northern Virginia (which will be shipped to Christian leaders in the Middle East in the near future), then click here. 

Praying beside BTS during the Winter of '18

January 15, 2018

                                   Here are 3 ways we would really appreciate you praying beside BTS in the weeks ahead...

1)  For the "Delivery Trip" to Virginia January 18/19 and the East Coast "BTS Road Trip" beginning Jan. 19

Two dear brothers (who have remarkable behind-the-scenes ministries of their own) will be helping me transport the LARGE shipment of refugee donations to Virginia on the 18/19th.  BTS will be renting a cargo van and using the Adriansen's '02 minivan to transport this "Load of Love" to Virginia.  Thank you to ALL of you who donated, collected, boxed, and/or helped load all of these items.  Please pray for our vehicles to reach the destination smoothly, for the 2 brothers as they drive the cargo van back to Michigan on 1/19, and for Steve as he goes on from Virginia to make some BTS connections on the East Coast.

2)  For the next BTS Foreign-soil trip: February 10-17 to Honduras

We will be visiting 3 different ministries in Honduras and exploring the possibility of a future 'spiritual refreshment retreat' for those serving there.  Who is the 'we' you ask?  Because it was wise to invite a travel companion (who is familiar with bus travel in Latin America) and ideal to have a skilled interpreter (even though God answered your prayers in strengthening my Spanish on my previous trip), I have invited my son Dan to join me as we make our way around this Central American country.  Please pray for wisdom, 'smooth' travel, 'non-distracting' health, and that we will be an encouragement to those we will be spending time with!

3)  For the BTS planning calendar as 2018 continues  

The BTS board members and I would appreciate your continued prayers as we seek God's guidance on which 'opportunity doors' of ministry we should walk through in the months ahead.  With the number of invitations continuing to grow, we are seeking our Father's wisdom on which ones we should walk through (and in what sequence).

***Now if you want to jump over to the 2-minute video related to the refugee shipment (and note the time & energy my wife Kathy invested in sorting, boxing, and organizing this project), then click here 

Being grateful together to our Father for responding to our prayers...

NOVEMBER 23, 2017

He really does listen to His children when we ask Him to move in & through us.  And He really does respond in ways beyond what we ask!  Looking back on Behind the Scenes in 2017, our Father has displayed His involvement in more ways than can be listed.  As we spend time this season expressing our thanks to Him in each area of our lives, we can also thank Him together for how He has moved in & through us to serve those who serve our Savior... 

*We can thank Him that, in response to your prayers and support, He has touched the lives of a growing number of Christian leaders around the world.  Even though many of your prayers have been 'nameless', our very-involved Father is listening and responding in rich ways.  I deeply wish you could have been sitting beside me when our brothers & sisters shed tears of gratitude while hearing that folks they have never met are praying beside them (and have sent me & others to encourage them).

*We can thank Him for the growing number of you who have reached out to me to pray specifically for those serving on foreign soil.  Some of you have been praying for the individuals mentioned in past prayer updates (like those servants described from the post on October 7 below).  Others of you have joined small 'prayer teams' this year who receive periodic updates from me that are not posted on the website.  And once again, God is responding by moving in significant ways.

*We can thank Him for working in 'obvious' ways that can only be explained by the fact that you are asking Him to move in the lives of others.  One surprising way God has been working this past year is through bringing me/us alongside those who God is guiding into new areas of ministry.  Again, I wish you could be a 'fly on the wall' to see how He is moving in this way!

*We can thank Him for how He continues to guide BTS through how He provides for BTS....through those who are able to give above & beyond what they are already giving to their churches and other ministries.  There are more individuals/families involved in supporting BTS this year than ever before.  And the couple who offered a 'matching gift' in May, combined with the generosity of many of you, has made 3-4 BTS foreign soil trips possible during this fall and the months ahead!

*We can thank Him for how He will work through many of us to encourage Christian leaders ministering to refugees in the Middle East!  If you are interested in donating items to be shipped to those leading this ministry, you can click on the link below to read more about it.  And yes, I will be in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana during December so I could potentially pick up your donated items at a location near you!  For more information, click here! 

Prayer matters because God responds & changes things!

october 7, 2017

Thank you again for your commitment to pray beside us on the recent foreign-soil trip I described in the video (you can click on the Your Sphere page if you have not yet seen the video which includes a brief overview of the trip).  As I mentioned in that video, I wanted to pass 2 important things on to you.  First, below you can read a brief summary of how I saw God respond to our prayers in specific areas we were praying for (and please call or email me if you would like a 'report' on how I saw God work in response to other ways you were praying).  Second, you will see a short list of ways we can be praying for the pastors & wives I met on the trip in the days ahead.  I hope you will take time to read both sections below...

Some ways God specifically responded to your prayers in different areas:

+Arriving & Departing 'without a hitch'...my host was quite surprised that I was asked no questions by officials on the way into the country nor were my bags searched...and he was also surprised that neither occurred when I left!

+For health & travel safety...not one sniffle or tummy ache (for me or my friend)...I was able to get 'enough' sleep...and 3 families who needed to travel over 17 hours by bus (to & from the retreat) made it safely & soundly with their young children!

+For the language barrier...in addition to my traveling friend being the best translator possible, God enabled me to speak the language 'as close to fluently' as I ever have...because of this, over 80% of the retreat ended up being in the 'native tongue'...and on Sunday I ended up leading a church service with no translator (your prayers were quite evident during those 2 hours!).

+For the effectiveness of the retreat...after deciding that we could all fit snugly in my hotel room, we were able to have our sessions there while a 22 year-old daughter of one of the couples flawlessly watched the younger children...the same sections of John 13-16 which we 'chewed on' during the spiritual refreshment evenings in our home this past summer were very encouraging to the 14 pastors & wives...several of the pastors will be converting the content from our retreat sessions into a 'sermon series' for their own congregations...for the 7 families, this was their first vacation-like experience ever and this really enhanced their overall experience of refreshment!

+For the other connections that took place before & after the retreat...not only did I have many opportunities to speak personally with each of the pastors & wives, but I also had multiple conversations with my host (the visionary leader of this growing church-planting effort) and others in his church family & community.

Several ways we can be praying beside these pastors and wives:

+For the pastor I traveled with...please pray that God would either make it possible for his wife & children to receive permission to legally join him in the US or that God would guide his family to another country where he can minister as a pastor.

+For one of the wives named Yarrlenis...this soft-hearted young mother, who is under 30 years old, is expecting her fourth child and there are complications related to her pregnancy.  Her doctor has told her that she will die in child-birth due to the need for a C-section and he has urged her to abort the baby (she has a blood disorder that causes 'thin blood').  She and her husband are trusting God through this difficult situation.  One way we can pray for her is that she will be able to give birth naturally.

+For one of the pastors in the 'network'...this dear brother, who was not at the retreat, was stabbed last week during an assault by a young man who did not seem to know that he is a pastor.  We can pray for his recovery as he remains in the hospital.

+For ongoing 'refreshment'...let's ask our Father to continue to encourage and refresh these dear brothers and sisters as they take the Good News of what Christ has accomplished for us to the others in their country.

Praying Beside BTS: Summer Dates & Themes

June 6, 2017

Timely dates you can pray beside us this summer...

*Sunday, June 4:  Guest-speaking at a Hispanic church in Ohio (on the theme of prayer)

    *Sunday, June 11:  Second of 7 'spiritual refreshment evenings' in our home (from John 14-16)

        *June 19-July 5:  Board member Dan Gregory with wife and 2 sons on family mission trip to Poland

            *Sunday, June 25:  Third of 7 'spiritual refreshment evenings' in our home (from John 14-16) 

                *June 26-29:  Guest-speaking in Georgia to camp full of 13-15 year-olds (and serving the staff there)           

                    *Sept-Dec:  Potential 'spiritual refreshment retreats' for church leaders "around the world"

Timely themes you can pray for BTS this summer...

+Please pray with us that God would guide the planning of these potential retreats in the months ahead...

  +Please pray for our fellow Christ-followers in the Middle East as they strive to spread the Good News despite persecution.

    +Please pray for the growing number of leaders Steve is striving to encourage as they transition into new ministry roles.

      +Please pray for those leaders in Your life whom God has worked through to impact You and your family!!!

BTS 2017 Spring/Summer "Prayer Calendar"

April 6,2017

Timely ways you can pray beside us in April and May...

*Sunday, April 9:  Guest-speaking at a church in Central Ohio (from John 15:9-13)

     *Sunday, April 30:  Guest-speaking at a church in SE Michigan (also from John 15:9-13)

          *Sunday, May 21:  First of 7 'spiritual refreshment evenings' in our home (from John 13:1-17)

               *Sunday, June 4:  Guest-speaking at a Hispanic church in Ohio (on the theme of prayer)

                    *Aug/Sept:  Potential 'spiritual refreshment retreat' for church leaders "off the continent"

                    +Please pray with us that God would guide the planning of this potential trip as He provides the resources...

Praying beside the BTS ministry as 2017 begins...

january 16, 2017

Specific ways you can pray beside us in the coming months...

+Saturday, January 21:  A personal evangelism workshop Steve will be facilitating in Metro Detroit

     +January 22-29:  A BTS week in Central Ohio & Way Down in Dixie--making many BTS connections

          +February 10-12:  A small, relational men's retreat Steve will be facilitating in Northeast Ohio  

               +February 21-28:  A BTS "road trip" beginning in Dallas--including serving at a missions conference in Birmingham

                    +Sometime in the Spring:  A possible "spiritual-refreshment retreat" for leaders in Eastern Europe

And if you are able to join several others in praying...

As you have probably noticed during the past year, God has uniquely connected BTS to a "missions movement" among our Arabic brothers and sisters in Egypt.  Because this movement is "organic" and not related to any one organization or denomination, there is an amazing opportunity for BTS to encourage those Egyptians God is guiding into missions.  Most of these missionaries-in-training are in their 20's and 30's and are thirsty to be mentored, prayed for, and encouraged.  (To this point, not one of them has asked me for financial support!)

Early last year, a church in Michigan invited me to an after-service potluck dinner where I was asked how they could pray for these dear believers in Egypt.  Just before the potluck, I had made the offer to a sweet, single young lady in Egypt that I could find some folks here in the U.S. to pray for her as she considers where God was guiding her to serve.  A number of people at this potluck jumped on that opportunity and have been praying for her this past year.  This month, that young lady begins a year-long mission endeavor in Turkey!

For a year and a half, I have been staying in touch (via email and Skype) with a young man who is in his 2nd year of college who is also desiring God's guidance for his future.  As 2017 began, I offered him what I had offered the young lady last year and he enthusiastically accepted!  So if you would like to join several others in praying specifically for this college student, all you need to do is send me a personal email at steveadriansen@gmail.com. Then I will add you to the email list of those who I will send periodic updates of how you can pray (and for a few reasons, I use the "blind-copy" feature so all those receiving my update remain anonymous).  Thank you for considering being an "anonymous behind-the-scenes" prayer partner!

Praying for BTS as we head into 2017...

November 27, 2016

Here are several upcoming opportunities we would be grateful for you to be praying for...

     +December 9-18:  A 10-day BTS "road trip" to Akron, Boston, Philadelphia, and Columbus

          +Before December 31:  That God would guide as He provides through year-end giving to BTS

               +January 21:  A personal evangelism workshop Steve will be facilitating in Metro Detroit

                    +In 2017:  The scheduling and planning of spiritual refreshment retreat(s) for those on foreign soil  

Timely ways to be praying for BTS...

October 16, 2016

Thank you again for your commitment to pray beside us as we come down the home stretch of 2016.  You may have just come from the Your Sphere page on this website where you read the ways our Father has been responding to your prayers since July.  The other Board members and I would appreciate your continued prayers in those 4 areas.  Here are several timely, specific ways we would also be grateful for you to be praying beside us with some details below...

+That God would give us wisdom as we continue to seek to deeply encourage missionaries

As you have probably noticed over the past few years, God has been opening more opportunities for me/us to come alongside and encourage those serving in missions.  Even though it would be 'easy' to focus 100% of my time on those in missions, at this point we are allotting 1/3 of my time and focus on those serving in this way.  So the question becomes, 'How do we wisely and efficiently use 1/3 of the BTS ministry focus on missionaries?'  Following my 2nd trip to Egypt in January, it seems that God may be guiding us to build this part of the BTS ministry around "spiritual refreshment retreats" for groups of those serving in foreign countries.  Of the 5 formal invitations we have received to minister to those who serve in 3 foreign countries, the 2 that we accepted were both opportunities to serve a group of Christian leaders in Egypt.  Moving forward in this area is related to another way you can be praying beside us...

+That God would continue to "guide BTS through how He provides for BTS"

One reason we have accepted only 2 of the 5 invitations to encourage those abroad is based on our desire to focus on the retreat-type-ministry described above.  A second reason involves finances.  In addition to covering my travel expenses (and potentially the expenses of a small team accompanying me), there are costs involved in providing lodging and food for the retreat (which most of those we desire to serve would not be able to cover on their own).  Since shifting to full-time BTS-focus in July 2015, giving to the BTS Fund has covered most of my 'normal' ministry expenses.  However, there is not currently enough in the fund to schedule retreats like these.  During the past year, I have become convinced that God will guide us by providing the money He chooses to provide and, in turn, that will show us what level of ministry He desires BTS to have!  Please pray for us in this way and if you have any questions about any part of this, please feel free to get in touch with me!

+That God would give the Board members a productive and clarifying annual meeting on October 29

Although I regularly meet with the other board members individually throughout the year (either in person or via email), we have one annual meeting where all of us are present.  This will be our 6th annual meeting since BTS was launched as a "non-profit organization" in 2011.  And this will be the first annual meeting we have had that we will be able to evaluate an entire year in which I devoted my full-time focus to BTS.  We would deeply appreciate your prayers as we seek God's guidance together!

Praying for BTS as the summer of '16 continues...

July 16, 2016

Your willingness to pray beside me during my travel-filled months of May & June (see the entry from May 5 for more details) was quite evident.  As in the past, God responded!  Time after time our Father displayed His involvement through His guidance, strength, wisdom, and timing.  If you desire to know some specific ways He answered your prayers, please call me, send me an email, or stop me if our paths cross and it would be a delight to describe it to you personally.  As I mentioned in the email letting you know of the updates to this BTS website page, here are some more details describing the 4 ways we can pray beside each other in the weeks ahead....

*wisdom in discerning which 'doors of opportunity' to walk through during the 2nd half of 2016:  Since last July when I began focusing full-time on BTS, I have been able to 'say yes' to many more ministry opportunities but still have not been able to walk through every "open door."  For example, after my trip to Egypt in early January, I have received several invitations to return there to come alongside various missionaries and serve in different ways.  Although I was honored to be invited each time, I have sensed God guiding me (through various means) to wait for future open doors which would maximize the kind of ministry He wants me to have to the missionaries and leaders there.  So instead of traveling to the missions conference as I did last summer, I will probably be driving to Wisconsin to help prepare a small team to oversee the student-track that I coordinated last year.  As you might guess, this need to discern which open doors to pursue applies to other areas as well.  Please join me in seeking God's wisdom and guidance in this way!

*for the increasing "band of brothers & sisters" reaching out to serve those who serve:  You may have already read on the Your Sphere page on this site about 3 recent examples that have been quite encouraging.  What is even more encouraging is the fact that I could have described MANY more!  Whether relationally "putting their arms around" a local (or distant) Christian leader or investing a weekend to help that leader in some concrete way, it has been a thrill to witness a growing number of folks come alongside those who are serving our Savior.  Please join me in praying that even more people will trust God and be confident that He can work through them!

*for God's guidance and wisdom in assisting those in 'ministry transition':  The number of "transitions" which God has allowed me to come alongside has honestly been surprising.  Whether our Father is guiding those in 'secular' careers to 'ministry' careers, or vice versa, it seems to me that God is really on the move in this way.  In addition, I have been involved with several brothers who God has guided from their former ministries into their future ministries.  Even though I have a great deal of empathy for those in transition due to my own journey during the past few years, please ask God to give me large doses of wisdom and insight into how to best encourage them!

*for God to continue to guide and provide for BTS as He has during the past year:  When the other BTS board members and I met last summer, we invited God to uniquely guide as I began my full-time focus on BTS.  Then we invited you to pray beside us as well.  Through your prayers and ours, and the generosity of those who have been able to give to the BTS ministry, I look back over the past 12 months with a deeply grateful heart.  God has guided me into even more serving opportunities than I could have anticipated and the donations to BTS have been ample to cover 2 trips to Egypt, several longer trips outside the Midwest, many shorter trips within the Midwest, administrative expenses, countless meals with those who serve, one-time financial gifts of encouragement for several leaders in need, and a modest salary for me that has made it possible for me to devote my full focus to BTS ministry!  Thank you for your encouragement, support, and your prayers...please continue to pray beside us in this area as we continue to trust God's guiding hand.

Ways you can pray for me as summer approaches...

May 5, 2016

Thank you for your willingness to pray beside me as I continue to strive to serve those who serve!  And even though it may have been better "weather-wise" to be in Dixie during the winter, many of the opportunities to come alongside brothers & sisters living "further south" will take place during the next 2 months.  If you are one to jot down dates in your planner (or hand-held device!), here is a brief description of some of the open doors to encourage that are on the BTS horizon....

+May 5-8: Central Ohio (will include time with a pastor from Cuba, at least 2 pastors from Columbus, and a young couple preparing to move to Cairo to minister there...Yes, there were a lot of C's in that summary!)

+May 11-18: Dixie Trip I  (will include time with several dear brothers serving in Atlanta, a pastor in northern Florida, a missionary couple stationed in Tampa, visiting my daughter, and a BTS connection in Charlotte, NC)

+May 25-June 12: Lower Michigan "Blitz"  (will include a wedding with a long-time ministering family, 'filling the pulpit' on 5/29, two chances to encourage ministry teams who are serving those in ministry, and a summer Bible study in our home!) 

+June 18-22: Trek to Texas  (will include spending Father's day with my son, time with BTS supporters in Dallas, and a potential/important connection with a missionary couple focusing on medical ministry in Central America)

+June 25-30: Birmingham-bound  (an opportunity to guide a church ministry team from Michigan to Alabama where they will be serving those who serve on an inner-city ministry staff there)

Final thoughts on your specific prayers for Egypt

March 7TH, 2016

If you have not yet read the posts on the Your Sphere page from the "blog stream" entitled Answered Prayer (dated 1/16/16), you may want to jump over to the Your Sphere page to read those comments and my responses!  In order to make it easier to read, I am responding to the final comment on that "blog stream" here on the Praying page.  Expressing what others also expressed to me, a good brother wrote:

                   "I prayed that you would be able to accomplish ALL that God desired for you to accomplish while you were in Egypt."

With what he expressed also being my prayerful desire, I think you will thank our Father with me when you read below....

+The spiritual refreshment retreat for 50+ North Africans involved in missions in the Middle East was incredibly encouraging.  Not surprisingly, God caused the impact of the retreat to exceed what I had prayerfully pictured it to be!  Because most of my 4 days spent with these dear folks involved personal/pastoral conversations flowing out of my guiding the group through John 15, I cannot go into much detail. The conversations were quite varied, to say the least, and included...helping a 30 year-old single woman discern if God was guiding her to a different country than the one she has been preparing to move to...counseling a couple who is struggling with infertility...thinking with a 40 year-old missionary how to discern what his wife's role in ministry could/should be...encouraging a young lady in her 20's to trust God for wisdom and courage as she wrestled with being "unequally yoked" in a relationship that began before she had trusted Christ as her Savior...and I could go on for a while with other examples.  From this retreat alone, I came home with more than 30 brothers & sisters on my long-term prayer list who I had the chance to talk to, counsel, and pray for.

+The 3 days I was able to spend teaching/counseling the 24 Sudanese young men who are training to become church-planters was even a richer time of fellowship than I anticipated.  Their hearts for the people they will be reaching (beginning later this year) are amazingly soft and compassionate.  It was a privilege to guide them in thinking about how they can deepen their ministries to those they will lead to Christ in the years ahead.  Even though they did not speak English as fluently as those at the retreat, we were still able to have meaningful conversations through translators. 

+In addition to the retreat and my time at the training school, God opened other opportunities for me to encourage, counsel, and teach other ministry leaders while in Cairo.  Speaking to a larger gathering of college-aged students and a smaller gathering of parents were 2 unexpected highlights, especially the conversations that followed those speaking opportunities.

+Finally, you may be among those who told me after I returned that you were praying for other areas such as my family, my new leg brace, and for the continued transition to me devoting my full focus to BTS.  Here are some ways God answered your prayers in those areas:

     *After having an enjoyable Christmas season (including long visits with Dan & Rachel), God once again blessed and protected my family while I was abroad.  There were no 'unexpected developments' until the day I returned from Egypt!  (Some of you know that my father was hospitalized the day I flew home and you have been praying for him during these past 2 months...he is very grateful for your prayers.)

     *Some of you have been aware that my transition to a new leg brace (beginning several weeks prior to leaving for Egypt) has been a rough one.  God intervened and prevented it from being a distraction, or even painful, during my time overseas.  I am so grateful that He protected me from the pain & resulting drain of energy while in Egypt.  (Since returning, the issues have escalated and I am now receiving treatment for some damage to my leg that the new brace has caused...and I would appreciate you continuing to pray that this would not limit my ministry in the weeks ahead.)

     *A growing number of brothers & sisters invested their prayers, their time, and their financial support during 2015.  Through increased praying and giving, God made this trip to Egypt possible--including covering most of the expenses for the missionaries to be able to attend the retreat described above.  (And God continues to work through the prayerful support of a growing number of folks like you to make it possible for me to continue my "full-time focus" on BTS as 2016 begins...Thank you for your commitment to serving those who serve our Savior!)

Prayer Update from Steve

January 5th, 2016

• Thank you for asking our Father to move in the hearts of those missionaries who were able to attend the refreshment retreat.  To say He responded would be an understatement!  God gave us a rich, rewarding and refreshing time together as I guided their hearts to our Father through some Bible passages which helped renew and soften their weary hearts.  God also gave me opportunity to have many conversations with those who attended the retreat and those who attended were eager to approach me for counsel and encouragement.  These are dear brothers and sisters who are facing an assortment of challenges, most of which are personal, and God gave me the strength and wisdom through your prayers to respond to each of the many I talked with.  Below you will see a few examples of how God used this retreat in their hearts...

• A Sudanese pastor flew in from South Sudan and, according to Philip, the whole retreat would have been worthwhile if he were the only missionary able to attend! He experienced God's closeness and the encouragement of others in a VERY deep way...2 missionary couples who are my age attended and we spent personal time together talking and praying about where God is guiding them as they trust Him during the 2nd Half of their lives...A young Egyptian woman, who is preparing to move to Spain where she will be working with Campus Crusade to reach arabic unbelievers living there was strengthened and encouraged in a variety of ways...A single missionary to Sudan who serves at an orphanage for girls there was moved as she considered the way Jesus patiently pursued Martha and prepares to return to Sudan with a renewed spirit soon (she is accompanying the young girl with cancer from Sudan you read about during the previous update)...and I could go on and on. Thank you again for joining me in asking God to move. During the concluding sharing time this morning at the retreat, it was VERY obvious that you were earnestly praying for the hearts of these very dear folks.
  

• Moving forward, I will have several appointments with those who attended the retreat today and tomorrow, on Thursday I will be celebrating Christmas (for a 2nd time!) with Philip's family, and on Friday I will begin a 3-day time of teaching and encouragement at the training school for 25 Sudanese young men. Please ask God to continue to give me strength, health and most importantly, a soft heart that He can love others through. There are no words to express how deeply I appreciate your prayers, encouragement, and support that have made this trip BOTH possible AND impacting!!!

Steve ( 4:30pm Cairo time/9:30am EST on Tuesday)

Prayer Update from Steve

January 4th, 2016

It is 3:00 pm on Sunday here and we have already finished the first day of the retreat for missionaries that I am speaking at and doing some counseling. Please pray that our Father would meet each person at the retreat in a personal way.  The retreat will last until Tuesday.

Several of the attenders are missionaries from different countries -- most are young men and women -- who are at different stages of preparation to go on to the field.  There are also ministry leaders from missionary training schools at the retreat.  Each of them has come to the retreat with different needs such as rest, guidance, and encouragement.  Please pray specifically for a young single woman who is sensing God guiding her to change countries where she will eventually serve.  Also please pray for a young man who is a very mature eighteen year old who is experiencing being bullied during the end of his senior year and who has a physical challenge that is making it difficult to pass his drivers test.

Gods presence has been uniquely felt to this point.  Please pray that I would be sensitive to His guidance as I teach, counsel, and encourage.  There are many other conversations that I have had but have not asked permission to put on the website.  I think it would be ok to ask you to pray for Christine who is sitting next to me as I type this email update.  She is a sweet eight year old Sudanese girl who is singing as I write this.  She is wearing a winter knit hat due to her recent chemo treatment for her cancer.  I am told her body is responding to the treatments but please join me in asking God to heal her.  The song she is singing is about Jesus...Who she was introduced to by a team of missionaries in Sudan.

Thank you for praying!!!

Christmas 2015 Prayer Update Video

12/18/15

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS, IN ADVANCE!

Please pray for these opportunities in whatever ways our Father guides you.  I would especially appreciate you praying for my health including the strength of my voice...for discernment as I strive to encourage these dear brothers & sisters...for wisdom as I teach...and for sensitivity to God's leading in each of my interactions.  Here is my itinerary at this point:

December 31:  My flight is scheduled to arrive in Egypt

   January 1: Speaking opportunities to college students, high school students, and parents of teens

      Jan. 2-6: Facilitating/Speaking/Counseling at Spiritual Refreshment Retreat for arabic missionaries

         Jan. 7: Celebration of Christmas with other believers in the Middle East!

            Jan. 8-10: Teaching at Sudanese training school for soon-to-be church-planting pastors

               January 11: Currently scheduled return flight home from Egypt

AND AS I MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO, WE WILL TRY TO UPDATE WAYS YOU CAN BE PRAYING AS I SEND BACK BRIEF UPDATES FROM THE TRIP IN THE SPACE BELOW...

Giving Thanks for your personal involvement in BTS in 2015...

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

As the others on the BTS Board and I look back on the BTS ministry during 2015, there is so much to be grateful for as we give thanks to our amazing God.  As our Savior reminded us, we can do nothing of lasting worth or value unless He is working in us and through us (John 15:4-5).  And as we reflect on how He moved through BTS this past year, so much of our gratitude centers on the deepening involvement of so many of you who have joined us in the mission "to serve those who serve".  We are deeply grateful to our heavenly Father for your involvement in this ministry AND for...

Your Caring Hearts

Your caring heart for those who serve our Savior has been evident in a variety of ways.  Just the fact you are reading this shows how deeply you care for those who sacrificially serve our Savior and how you want to be God's 'hands & feet' to encourage them!

Your Praying Hearts

The faithfulness you have displayed in praying for me and for those on BTS team trips has been obvious.  We have keenly experienced what Paul expressed in Ephesians 3:20-21:  "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory..."  The increasing number of "open doors" and opportunities to serve those who serve can only be explained by you and others continually praying for BTS.  Your continued prayers are vital...

*I would appreciate your prayers for my upcoming travels to Ohio and Pennsylvania (Nov. 11-16) and for a small team 'mini-trip' to Alabama (Nov. 17-19) where 2 servant-hearted brothers will be joining me as we spend 3 days in Dixie.

*The other board members and I would also invite you to continue to be praying with us for God's guidance as we consider whether I can continue my "full-time focus" on BTS as we head into 2016.

Your Giving Hearts

The growing number of people investing in BTS has made it possible for me to be involved in the BTS ministry full-time during August, September, and October.  Not only has it been a joy to devote my full focus to this ministry, but we have also seen a large increase in the number of my serving opportunities including...

+A 2-week BTS trip to Egypt where God opened the door for me to serve 3 different ministries there in 3 unique ways (and you can read more about that on this page in the posts below!)

+Multiple conversations with brothers and sisters who are being guided by our Father to begin OR expand ministries God desires to accomplish through them (some are 'younger' while most are 'older' and desire to finish thier journeys strongly!)

+More regional travel in this part of the U.S., both on 'day trips' and for 2-3 day visits (we have found it is so helpful to those who serve to spend time with them in their homes and their communities...and it is much more personal than calling/Skyping them) 

+Being more available to "relationally engineer" work projects that assist Christian leaders with their specific needs (house projects, auto repair, etc.) and this includes inviting BTS-minded volunteers to come alongside!

Your Pursuing Hearts

It has been incredibly encouraging to hear from a growing number of you how you are pursuing the hearts of Christian leaders in your own "personal spheres".  Some of you have let me know the ways God has used you to encourage those who serve in a timely way.  Others have told me how they have formed "encouragement plans" for those leaders experiencing particular needs.  And with my recent full-time availability, I have had the privilege of joining some of you in meeting with the leaders together!

 

 

How you can pray for BTS...

How our Father responded to your prayers during my time in the Middle East...
Wednesday, September 23, 2015

I genuinely wish that I could sit down with each of you to hear how you specifically prayed for the BTS Middle East trip.  Then I could let each of you personally know how God responded!  Short of that, there is no way I can adequately summarize all of the ways I saw God move.  Nevertheless, I will try to express some of the specific ways I saw Him working...

For those Christian leaders I hoped to serve...

Our Father gave me many more opportunities than I could have pictured to spend time with and to encourage the 3 primary leaders who I went to visit.  God also allowed me to serve beside each of them (within their ministry spheres) in unique ways while I was there.  And along the way, I also had multiple conversations with members of their "leadership teams" while we were serving together or following times when I was invited to teach.  

For those who traveled to and attended the Missions Conference...

To say "God is on the move" in the Middle East, based on what I witnessed at the conference, would be an understatement.  And our protecting Father showed His presence in some very noticeable ways: each of the participants and leaders traveled safely to the event...the temperature was not as hot as the week before or the week after the conference...the translators did an amazing job...and the team of leaders I oversaw for the "student track" of the conference were amazingly servant-hearted and we had a rich times as we led/taught/interacted with the more than 100 students at the conference.  And if you were asking God to guide more participants to this annual gathering, I want you to know that the number of attenders doubled between last year and this year!  More significantly, many young adults (as well as some older ones) are responding to the opportunity to carry the Great News into the world by taking the "next steps" in moving toward becoming missionaries.  If you would like to read the recently published "conference update", keeping in  mind that 'living streams' = missions, you can read more by clicking here. Click Here 

For my personal health, safety and stamina...

Even though I am not as young as I used to be, God responded to your prayers and gave me enough strength, enough sleep, and enough voice during the 15-day trip!  Being especially careful not to drink the water, God protected me from any tummy sickness which is quite unusual for me!  Because I used my voice so much to lead, teach, and counsel during the conference, I did end up losing my voice but not until my leadership responsibilities were complete on the final day.  Being escorted continually by my newly-met Arabic brothers & sisters, transportation during my visit was never an issue and there was never a moment when I felt unsafe.

For how God worked in me as He worked through me...

There is no way I can adequately put this into words, and if I could, it would be much longer than you would want to read!  When my responsibilities at the conference were behind me, I was able to spend some private time in prayer and reflection.  What God brought to my mind and heart during that time was quite significant.  Shortly after returning from the trip, I was invited to be a guest speaker at church in Michigan and the pastor gave me the freedom to speak on any theme I prayerfully desired.  A large portion of that message includes some of the personal reflections during that private time at the end of the conference.  And because the sermon I gave on September 20 is so aligned with the vision of Behind the Scenes, we have included the recording on the Your Sphere page of the website.  If you choose to listen to it, I trust you will find it helpful and practical as you reflect on your personal role in extending the Great News to a needy world.

An Update from Steve from the Middle East...
Monday, August 31, 2015

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for Steve's trip. We received a brief report that God has given him many opportunities to minister and teach -- including the chance to coordinate the youth portion of the conference!

Steve also sent along a prayer update from Philip, who is the leader of the conference. You can download it by clicking here.

We thank God for this encouraging report! 

Because it is appropriate for us to be sensitive to the 'privacy' of those we serve and to their ministries, you have probably noticed that the names of the Christian leaders we hope to encourage are usually not included in our emails. Nor are the names of the ministries through which they are serving. At times, when it is appropriate, we do communicate the area where the servant is currently ministering and the "type" of ministry we are coming alongside.

Here are some of the current ways you can be praying with us as we strive to serve those who serve....

*If you were not able to view the video above (put together by Me, Tarzan), here are the 3 main ways we on the BTS Board of Directors want to invite you to pray beside us....

1) For God to give me discernment to know how to encourage each of the 3 ministry leaders (and their ministry teams) I will be coming alongside and serving while in the Middle East. Each of the 3 has a very unique ministry and all 3 have a unique burden and opportunity to minister to believers who have been forced to leave their countries due to religious persecution. As I have become acquainted with these 3 men, it has been amazing to learn how God is moving through them to reach, disciple, and train those they are leading. All three are faithful servants of our Savior.

2) For God to protect the missions conference and each individual participant that I will be serving at while I am there. Many young people from across North Africa will be attending this 5-day conference where they will be encouraged to consider how God might spread the Good News through them! I have been invited to assist the director of the conference to help in organization of the daily sessions and to perhaps "fill-in" as a host/speaker where needed. Please pray for the safety of the attenders as they travel many miles and that the seasonal heat will not be a distraction. And I would appreciate you asking our Father to give me strength & stamina during the conference and the rest of my trip!

3) For God to guide us as board members to discern if this is a wise time for me to shift from my current "part-time" level of involvement to a "fuller-time" level. A large part of this decision will be based on how much money is available in the BTS Fund. If you are among those who have only recently begun to receive updates about BTS, you may not be aware what giving to the BTS Fund has covered during the past 4 years. As BTS supporters have generously given above & beyond what they already give to their churches and to other ministries, the BTS fund has been able to cover all of the travel expenses of each of the BTS Team trips, most of my personal BTS travel expenses, all of the administrative and legal fees for BTS, all of the meals and "customized" encouragement offered to those who serve, and a part-time salary that has freed me to be available to come alongside these Christian leaders. With an ever-growing number of opportunities to serve those who serve coming our way, we will be watching the balance of the BTS Fund in the weeks ahead to gauge if I will be able to devote "fuller" time to this ministry.