Happy Birthday To Me

It's my birthday tomorrow -January 31st.

I give God praise for a wonderfully supportive and faithful wife (pretty too).
For two grown children who along with their spouse love Jesus.
For God's provision in meeting our needs.

I'm excited about my helathy church coaching opportunities in South Dakota and Oregon.
I'm excited about giving people an opportunity to begin a "Revolution" by redefining and bringing the church back to the Biblical standard for New Testament Community, Great Commandmant Hearts, holding onto Great Comission Priorities.

It's my birthday (January 31st) and I'm asking God to help me to do more in the last part of my life than He did for me and through me in the first part. I want to leave a legacy of Healthy Churches and Changed Lives for eternity.

I'm turning 48, but my vision for the church seems more like I am turning 25. I believe we can have a church that impacts our culture will real authenticity and transparency. I believe we can begin a Revolution where the church is wherever we are impacting lives.

I give my life to God in complete obedience and submission.

Prayer Letter for Week of January 30

Dear Faith Partners, District Leaders and Other Friends,

I'm writing because I need your daily prayers as I spend 25% of my time
working with churches to help them become more healthy and 75% of my time in
the developement of 30 new churches in Kansas City and St. Louis in the next
six years.

Last week I was out in Oregon for 8 days meeting with district leaders,
pastors and members in some of our churches. I have been invited to walk
along side of our Dever Conner Church near Albany, Oregon for the purpose of
helping them apply healthy church principles as taught by Jesus! Along with
that, I will also lead a cluster of pastors in southern Oregon with Healthy
Church Initiative. I'm very excited about this.

Next Monday I leave for Freeman South Dakota where I will be meeting with a
church board to answer questions about what it means to become more healthy.
I will likely be asked to coach this church as well.

In the surrounding counties around St. Louis and Kansas City there are
nearly 5 million people. Around 49% of the people claim some religious
affiliation. This is a high number because it includes every religion you
can think of. Anyway on average across the U.S. only 16-18% of our
population attends church on a weekly basis. So there is huge potential
here.

The bottom line is simply that I need to have two teams on the ground by
early summer. I'm asking you to pray for the Lord of Harvest to send forth
workers into this harvest field. We need a team for Kansas City and
another for St. Louis to be ready ASAP. We also need resources for my
support and other teams as well. Maybe your church would like to partner
with us.

Please pray:
For wisom and protection from the evil one.
For continued financial support -I am nearly half way! Pray for remaining
funds to come through.
For workers for this harvest region.
For my networking with the right people.
Give God praise for our progress thus far with His help.

Please pray everyday as the Spirit leads,

I love you and appreciate your continued prayers and support.

Bob

Rev. Robert D. Carder
Mission District Leader (Midwest Region)
Missionary Church, Inc
636.698.4708 & 636.332.9311

Prayer Letter for January 19th

Dear Faith Partners, District Leadership & Other friends,

I'm sorry for the delay in getting this prayer letter out to you. From Sunday until Tuesday I was in Kansas attending the District Executive Board meetings. It was a very profitable times as we met to tend to the business of district. Exciting days are ahead for the Mid-west district as we Make Disciples Who Make Disciples.

Then Wednesday and Thursday of this week my friend Pastor Jeff Ames from Florida and I spent time in consultation and brainstorming. So far, it has been a rich experience as we brainstormed the ingredients necessary for "Trusting God for a church planting or multiplication movement in St. Louis and Kansas City. Pastor Jeff is the pastor of two key leaders with Vision USA; Al Weiss, president of Disney theme parks worldwide and Steve Johnson, director of Vision USA. These guys have a heart for planting 300 churches in 50 metro cities across the United States. So while my brain is tired, I am filled up with strategy and faith in God. I wore Pastor Jeff out -he is in bed already.

This week I would like you to pray specifically for some church planting team possibilities. Please pray for Nathan and Becca B. and their children, Matthew D, Anthony M, Eric E, Kevin W as they consider God's will for the future. Pray for wisdom and protection as they consider what God may be saying to them.

Also, please pray that we will quickly nail down teams for Kansas City and St. Louis. The Lord gave us the answer for needed workers when He told us to "Pray for the Lord of the Harvest to send forth workers into the harvest field." Would you pray that God would do this for Kansas City and St. Louis?

Other concerns:

*Saturday I leave for Portland to visit all the pastors in the Northwest District (8 days) for Healthy Church Initiative groundwork.
*I must see a breakthrough or increase in monthly and yearly financial support.
*Please pray for wisdom and protection from the evil one.
*Please pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth workers.
*Can you please pray daily and many times daily for the Lord to create a church planting/multiplying movement here in St. Louis and Kansas City.
*Please pray for me to network with the right people for this right cause.
*Please pray for the lost souls in Kansas City and St. Louis.
*Please pray for possible church planters, those mentioned and those who are still unknown.

I love you for being faith partners with me and God as we attempt to redeem these metro regions for Christ. Nearly 5 million people live in these two regions and statistics reveal only 18% go to church every week. America "metro" needs an infusion of God's salvation. Will you help us see success?

Again, I love you and pray for you also. Michelle and I are still hanging out by faith.

Have a Blessed Week,

Bob

Rev. Robert D. Carder
Mission District Leader (Midwest Region)
Missionary Church, Inc
636.698.4708 & 636.332.9311
bcarder@centurytel.net

A Great Prayer for America

That America would be salted and lit up by more and more communities of vibrant, missional followers of Jesus Christ.

Maybe you can pray this pray with me and often...

The Jesus Creed by Brian McLaren

We have confidence in Jesus;
Who healed the sick, the paralyzed,
And even raised the dead.

He cast out evil powers and
confronted corrupt leaders.
He cleansed the temple,
He favored the poor,
He turned water into wine,
Walked on the water,
And calmed the storms.

He died for the sins of the world,
Rose from the dead, ascended to the Father,
And sent the Holy Spirit.

We Have Confidence in Jesus;
Who taught in Word and example,
Signs and wonders.
He preached in parables about the kingdom of God,
On hillsides, from boats, in the temple, in homes,
At banquets and parties, along the road, on beaches, in towns,
By day and by night.

He taught the way of love for God and neighbor,
For strangers and enemies, for outcast and alien.

We Have Confidence in Jesus;
Who called disciples and led them,
Gave them a new purpose,
And sent them out to preach Good News.
He washed their feet as a Servant,
He walked with them, ate with them,
Called them friends,
Rebuked them, encouraged them,
Promised to leave them and then return,
And promised to be with them always.

He taught them to pray.
He rose early in the morning, stole away to desolate places,
Fasted and faced agonizing temptations,
Wept in the garden,
And prayed, "Not my will but your will be done."
He rejoiced, he sang, he fasted, he wept.

We Have Confidence in Jesus;
So we follow Him, learn His ways,
Seek to obey His teaching and live by His example.
We walk with Him, walk in Him, abide in Him,
As a branch in a vine.

We have not seen Him, but we love Him.
His words are to us words of life eternal.
And to know Him is to know the true and living God.
We do not see Him now, but WE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN HIM. AMEN!

And we think we have problems.

This is an elephant seal off the coast of California near Pismo Beach. These creatures crawl onto the beach to mate. They literally pull their bodies onto the beach. They take a few steps and then rest. What a site. God must have some sense of humor to create these things.

Here's another bird I shot

This this was soo close. We were in Mexico when I captured this moment.

Prayer Letter -Week of January 9th

Dear friends,

Yesterday we attended a church in St. Peters and were blessed to see New
Testament community in action - the kind of community we want to see
established in our new church multiplication system. I was moved to tears by
the ethnic diversity and the fact that there were people of different colors
(lots and lots of them) in the congregation. I was also moved by the
expression "Have a Blessed Week" whenever I passed someone in the hall or
greeters at the door. I was also moved by the prayers offered for the
people in the service. They simply called the prayer partners forward and
invited anyone needing special prayer to come forward for prayer and they
did in mass. It was such a beautiful sight to see those gifted as
intercessory prayer warriers using the gift God has given them as they
prayed for the needs of people. As the service came to a close 27 people
accepted Jesus Christ into there hearts.

While there are some solid churches in St. Louis metro there are not enough
of them where the growth is occuring. My town in metro St. Louis
(Wentzville) was mostly farmland a few years ago and now it is expected to
top 160,000 people in the next few years if the growth projections are
correct. With all the new homes being built it wouldn't surprise me if that
number is surpassed. And, it is not uncommon to read as I just did in the
newspaper that a neighboring town has just approved another new 2,400 homes
in a new subdivision. We can find much of the same all around the heart of
St.Louis and in her metro area. In 12 counties including and surrounding St.
Louis we have over 2.7 million people with 49% unreached. In the 11
counties that include and surround Kansas City we have over 1.7 million
people with 52% unreached for Christ. In these two metro regions we have a
goldmine harvest opportunity. So you will not be surprised when I tell you
I'm claiming these two regions for Christ. And I need your prayers and
support.

Can I count on your daily prayers and sacificial giving as the Lord leads
and blesses you? God may even be calling some of you to move to one of these
two areas to help us. God is stirring hearts and there will be many who
join in this effort to be the true body of Christ reaching those not yet
reached. This is why Jesus came -we must partner with Him and His cause!

Please pray:
For protection from the evil one for our family.
For wisdom in the decisions that must be made.
For the Lord of the Harvest to send workers and church planters to this ripe
harvest field.
For God to raise up kingdom investors to give as we raise our own financial
support.
For souls to be added daily to the kingdom.
For safe travels this weekend to Kansas for our district board meetings.

I'm claiming St. Louis and Kansas City for Christ and I will not stop until
we reach our goals! I'm asking God for the people resources and the
financial resources to grab these souls for Christ. Will you pray and
give?

If you have an Church Planting team leads or if you would like to contribute
regularly drop me an email and I will direct your resources to the right
city and place.

Have a Blessed Week My Friends,

Bob

Rev. Robert D. Carder
Mission District Leader (Midwest Region)
Missionary Church, Inc
636.698.4708 & 636.332.9311
bcarder@centurytel.net

PS I'm honored to be your missionary to the greater metro regions of Kansas
City & St. Louis

How about a bird of paradise I shot at Melissa's home?

OK - For the Brave Ones - I did get a deer in 2005 - It's a long story.

Do You Need Something Beautiful? This is a pic I shot when we visited our daughter Melissa over Thanksgiving. Melissa means honey bee.

My 2006 Faith Goals

I'm trusting God for big things this year:

Several (3 or 4) new church plants...
All of my support raised....
A network of community leaders...
A new kind of church to prove Barna wrong in his assessment of the church...
Workers in our Midwest District harvest field...
Unlimited resources to do this job...
The developement of a new discipleship/church planting system.
A minimum of 100 souls for Jesus.

This is only a start - I will be adding to this.

Bob

I'm wondering

Will my generation and or peer group ever get into this blog thing?
Some of my friends don't even know what a blog is let alone read one and post on it. What's wrong with my peers anyway? We are missing out on something big here.

Bob

Ever Feel Like You're Talking To Yourself?

I kinda feel like I'm blogging myself when I write and no one posts comments. So please free to post your creative comments so I won't start answering myself. You know what they say about people talking to themselves and answering.

Love you,

Bob

Happy New Year --2006 is Here

With all that 2005 brought, some good and some bad, I am very optimistic that 2006 will be a very good year. When I awake on Sunday morning it will be with a deep sense of praise to God for what He is going to do in our lives.

I expect God's provision.
I expect God's faithfulness.
I expect God's fruitfullness in our ministry.

This will be a great year because we are trusting God for it.

Happy New Year to all of you and may this year bring peace and happiness to all who seek it.

Love you - Bob