ISM Phillipines Newsletter

Januarry 1999

This is the first International Sports Ministry-Philippines newsletter this year. As we reflect the past year, we are grateful to God because he blessed our ministry last year.

Thanks for your prayers.

The first season of the basketball league that we organised ended last January 10, 1999. One hundred and eighty men and boys participated in this three-month season.

Highlights of the season are:

• About 90% of the participants submitted their individual bible study materials for checking. They studied "The Men Who Met the Master". It is a study about the dying thief on the cross and the man that crucified Christ
• Every Sunday in the Cabagan Bine Community Church there are a good number of people who are the fruit of the basketball ministry

Points of Praise

• Please Pray that the word of God that was planted to participants' hearts will grow and they may bear fruit.
• This week we are planning for the next phase of the ISM-Philippines. Please pray for finances for the operations of the sports ministry and wisdom for the workers, and pray also that the problems we encountered in the last season will not be repeated.

World Harvest Ministries

Church Planting Ministries

Points of Prayer

• Please pray that the church can acquire a piece of land this year.
• There is a plan of the World Harvest Ministries to build a church building for the San Pablo Community Church. Please pray for Tom Randall (World Harvest director) and his building team as they plan and do this ministry.

ISM Philippines Newsletter

October 1998

This month, things are happening here in the International Sports Ministry. Last October 3, we had an opening program of the Inter-Evangelical Basketball League. The participating teams paraded in downtown Cabagan. Cabagan is a town in the northern Philippines with a total population of 50,000. Ten teams out of the 18 participating played on the opening day.

Good reports started to come in. One team mentor, trained in "Evangelism Explosion" reported that his whole team prayed a prayer of acceptance in their first bible study. Praise god for this!

Points of Prayer and Needs:

• Computer and a printer
• A$600 to run the 3 month basketball league. Pray that the funds come in.
• There is a plan to duplicate the activity in some parts of the country next year. I am thinking of the central part of Luzon where I can work with Dennis and Sally Harms. The Harms are Canadian missionaries working in the beautiful mountain province of Neuva Viscaya. Neuva Viscaya is six hours north of Manila. Please pray for this plan and finances.

World Harvest Ministries

Church Planting Update

If you have any word of incouragement I'll appreciate it very much if you can send to this address:

Ray's First Newsletter

Dear friends in WA,
Greetings in the Philippines! It's good to be back in my own country but I'm missing my friends in WA. It's been busy days for me here in the Philippines working in the sports ministries and church planting ministry. In the last two weeks I spoke four times. My messages consist a good percentage of educating the people how great Australia is and how beautiful and friendly the people are.

My message in the Cabagan Bible Community Church (CBCC) contains about 60 % of talking about my friends in WA, how you guys loved and took care of me whilst I was in OZ. And spent the rest of my sermon explaining that they can have a greater friend that can do greater things than any other friend in the world. I called my sermon "What a Friend We have in Jesus". CBCC is one of the biggest churches in the northern part of the Philippines. Membership numbers to more than 800. I hope I will not become a full time spokesman of Australia so that I can preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sports Ministries:

The format of the team composition is 50% christians and 50% non christians. Only christians will be allowed to handle the coaching and mentoring position. There will be a basketball outreach night every last Sunday of the month in their respective churches and a weekly team bible study is a must. The league will commence on the third day of October this year and about 20 teams will be participating. ISM was initiated and organized by a group of friends in WA.

Prayer requests:

• Please pray for the staff and finances of this league. We are planning to offer free games to the players. So we are depending on God's provision.
• A missionary friend of mine who is working in Dakestan, a part of former USSR needs some support in his church planting endeavor. Could the sports ministry could be a help? Please pray that God will use ISM and other sports ministries to reach out Dakestanis. World Harvest Sports Ministries. This November there will be a team coming from the United States to play ministry games for 8 days here in the Philippines. I will be starting organizing this tour come October.
• Pray that God will give me wisdom and strength as I organize this tour.
• Pray that God will prepare the hearts of those who hear the gospel in this tour. We are expecting 20-25 thousand people to attend the games of this tour.

Church Planting:

Prayer requests:

• Pray that we can acquire a block of land for the church this year.
• Pray that we can raise leaders among the youth who are attending this church .
• Pray for the church planting team.