Announcement - FRIENDSMISSION.COM

Kibbe Family Announcement

Kimberly Mer — Wed, 04 May 2022 14:00:09 +0000

In March of this year I was in Chiang Rai, Thailand, with Ben Kibbe. Ben and his family are now living in Ohio after ten years of missionary service in this part of Thailand. Ben and I were there to help me get to know the national leaders that they have helped to raise up and also to get better acquainted with the ministries the Lord has given them. As a former missionary myself, I was impressed with the leadership training, whole-life discipleship, and church planting efforts that are going on. I also saw a strong vision to reach the unreached with the gospel in Thailand and the surrounding nations. I was struck by how strategic their location is! They are within reach of numerous unreached people groups in Asia. That makes them valuable partners in EFM’s goal of planting at least five new fields by December 31, 2025.

Throughout this year we will continue laying the foundation for our partnership in the gospel. That means meeting together via Zoom as well as another onsite visit at the end of this year. Even though Ben and his family are retiring from full-time missionary service as of May of this year, Ben will continue to be involved in various ways, including fundraising. The Thai leaders are already part of planning a Luke 10 Exploration Trip to Southeast Asia which will likely take place this coming December. They are planning it along with Ben and leaders from Evangelical Friends Church-Eastern Region (EFC-ER). Together we are praying to the Lord of the harvest to send more workers into this region of the world.

Below is a message from John Ryser, Senior Lead Pastor at Damascus Friends Church, the sending church of the Kibbe Family.

Dear Friends,

Ten years ago, Damascus Friends Church took the initiative to send Ben and Charity Kibbe to Thailand to minister to the Lahu people, a tribe of vastly unreached people. Since that time, they have laid a strong foundation of national Lahu leaders and disciples. They have done this through evangelism, discipleship, and church planting.

In this past year, both Ben and Charity have sensed God leading them away from Thailand as full-time missionaries. They will remain a part of our church and we at DFC will remain involved in the ministry to reach Lahu people. We have strong ties to our churches there as well as leaders like Charlee and Solomon. The future of their ministry is as bright as it has ever been as the Kibbe’s have made contacts with Lahu tribes in Laos, Myanmar, China, and Vietnam.

It is for this reason that I ask you to prayerfully consider helping to fund this great mission. The opportunity for significant church planting effort is within reach as God opens doors throughout Southeast Asia. Thank you for praying about this and considering what your church might do to help financially. Your generosity will help expand this ministry by plant churches for Jesus in this part of the world.

John P. Ryser
Sr. Lead Pastor

This ministry in northern Thailand is still fairly new to EFM. This may be the first time you have heard about it. I trust that you can see already what a valuable partnership this is when it comes to carrying out the Great Commission of Jesus Christ in Southeast Asia. I recommend it to you whole-heartedly as worthy of your prayers and financial support.

Together in Christ’s service,

Dan Cammack

Field Director

There are two ways to support EFM Thailand, through prayer and through financial giving. Both are needed and appreciated!

If you would like to partner with EFM Thailand financially there are a few ways to do that:

Donate online on EFM Thailand’s webpage here.
Donate by credit card over the phone at 303-421-8100.
Mail a check marked with “EFM Thailand Support” to EFM, PO Box 771139, Wichita, KS 67277.

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Special Announcement

Kimberly Mer — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 18:47:18 +0000

Dear EFM partners,

I have some very exciting news to share with you! After a long and thorough search process, the EFM Board has asked Stan Leach to join the EFM team as our new Executive Director. I’m sure that Stan is no stranger to many of you. He has served the Friends Church for many years in several different capacities, as a missionary in Guatemala and Honduras, the General Superintendent of EFC Southwest, and as a member of the EFM Board. Most recently Stan has served as President and Founder of Equipping Leader Ministries, Inc. Stan brings a wealth of ministry experience and expertise to this role. More importantly, the Board believes that Stan is a man of great character who loves the Lord and His Church and who is uniquely called to lead EFM at this time.

Stan joins a great team, which includes Dan Cammack (Field Director) and Matt Macy (Director of Mobilization), a very gifted and devoted support staff, and not least of all, our missionaries on the field. I know that many of you have been praying for the Board as we have gone through this search process. Thank you. I believe God has been faithful to answer those prayers by leading us to a place of great confidence and genuine unity.

Please pray for Stan and his wife, Sandi, as he steps into this new role. He will officially begin on August 1. I know he is anxious to get started; and I am very excited to see how God continues to use EFM to make disciples of Jesus and gather them into churches all around the world in this next chapter of ministry.

Rusty Savage

Board Chair

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I am thanking the Lord for how he has been at work in the selection of a new executive director for EFM. I am very pleased with the decision the EFM Board has made in choosing Stan Leach to be in that role.

As a former missionary to Central America, Stan has personal experience with carrying out the Great Commission. As a former superintendent, he has developed skills in leading organizations and building relationships. As a former member of the EFM Board (for over 10 years), he helped shape the mission and vision of EFM. And as the former director of Evangelical Friends Church-North America, he is well acquainted with all the regions/yearly meetings in the U.S. that are part of this joint missions effort called EFM. All of this will allow Stan to hit the ground running when he starts work in August.

Matt Macy and I are looking forward to moving into the new roles Rusty mentioned in his message. We and the Board believe that these roles will help EFM grow in its capacity to take good care of our missionaries, to mobilize more people in support of the Great Commission, to send more missionaries, and to launch more new fields.

EFM could not do what it does without your prayers and financial support. Thank you for your partnership in the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Dan Cammack

In transition from Executive Director to Field Director

Dear EFM partners,

My heart is marked with a deep appreciation for the Church. This love has been nurtured since boyhood by Friends churches. I am grateful to serve the people who have so deeply invested in my life.

I am grateful for EFM’s missionaries. Their passion and sacrifice inspire me. It is an honor to serve them.

I am grateful for the vision that inspires EFM – Friends churches in North America working together to fuel a world-wide church planting movement. The Five-Year Goal is a God-sized assignment. But, what a privilege to pursue it together.

God is at work. His character is to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine. Since that is true, our best days are ahead of us. I’m grateful and excited to walk into this future together.

Stan Leach

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Twaddell Retirement Announcement

Kimberly Mer — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 18:08:49 +0000

In 1993 the Roy and Jinky Twaddell family started a journey with EFM that involved living in several different locations (like the Philippines, Jordan, and England) but always focused on reaching Muslims with the good news of Jesus Christ. They were among the first EFM missionaries to draw our attention to unreached people groups in limited-access countries and how to go about reaching them. It has been a long, eventful, and fruitful journey!

As you will see in their message below, Roy and Jinky are feeling led to retire from EFM at the end of this year. Lord willing, the Twaddells will travel from the Philippines to the U.S. around October of this year and spend time with those who have supported them along the way through prayer and finances. It will be a time to celebrate what the Lord has done! Then they will return to the Philippines where they plan to live and continue in ministry as the Lord opens doors for them to do so. Since the world we live in is still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, please pray that this visit to the U.S. will be possible.

On behalf of EFM I would like to express our appreciation to Roy and Jinky for their faithfulness in ministry and their passion to reach the lost for Christ. We are proud of you!

Dan Cammack

Executive Director

Here’s the announcement from the Twaddells:

This 2021 year has been unusual. Originally we were scheduled to be back in the USA for our furlough/deputation, but that did not happen. We do pray that we will be able to come towards the end of the year around October/November.

First, we want to thank all our Prayer and Financial Partners for your support of God’s work through us. Together we have seen God’s kingdom come and the salvation of Christ revealed to many.

We had hoped that we would be there right now to make this announcement in person. However, circumstances do not allow this to happen. Jinky and I have been praying over the last two years about God’s direction, which is why we came to the Philippines. It was our thought at the time to stay two more terms and then retire in country. We have prayed and discerned with our close prayer team. We have decided to retire at the end of this term which is December 2021. Our decision then is one of being a good steward and we felt it best to retire, thus freeing up resources for Friends to support new unreached fields.

We have always listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit. After 28 years with EFM and several more as Friends, we are moving on to the next stage of that journey. We will continue to fellowship with Friends here and in the USA when we visit.

Roy and Jinky

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