Sirmans Revival Begins Wednesday

Please be in prayer for these services at Sirmans Missionary Baptist Church near Greenville, Florida.

Riverside Baptist This Sunday

I will be preaching for Pastor Alwin Pflueger at Riverside Baptist Church this Sunday, June 26th at 11am & 7pm. The church is located at 10760 NW 5th Ave. near Branford, Florida. Please be in prayer for these services and for Brother Pfueger and his family as they take a vacation.

10 Little Christians

10 Little Christians standing in line
1 disliked the preacher, then there were 9

9 little Christians stayed up very late
1 overslept Sunday, then there were 8

8 little Christians on their way to Heaven
1 took the low road and then there were 7

7 little Christians chirping like chicks
1 disliked music, then there were 6

6 little Christians seemed very much alive
but one lost his interest then there were 5

5 little Christians pulling for Heaven's Shore
but one stopped to rest, then there were 4

4 little Christians each busy as a bee
but one got his feelings hurt, then there were 3

3 little Christians knew not what to do
1 joined the sporty crowd, then there were 2

2 little Christians, our rhyme is nearly done,
differed with each other, then there was 1

1 little Christian can't do much 'tis true;
but brought his friend to Bible study -- then there were 2

2 earnest Christians, each won one more
that doubled the number, then there were 4

4 sincere Christians worked early and late
Each won another then there were 8

8 splendid Christians if they doubled as before
In just so many Sundays, we'd have 1,024

In this little jingle, there is a lesson true,
You belong, either to the building or to the wrecking-crew!

-- Author Unknown

White Springs on Sunday

I'll be preaching in supply for Pastor Ron Thompson this coming Sunday, June 19th at First Baptist Church of White Springs (Florida). The Father's Day Service will begin at 11am.

Please be in prayer for this service.

Huntsville Baptist Added to Schedule

I have added a preaching engagement at Huntsville Baptist Church in Lake City, Florida to my schedule. I will be preaching the morning service (10:45am) and the evening service (6:30pm) on Sunday, July 10, 2005 for Pastor Jim Steele.

Huntsville Baptist Church is located on Lake Jeffrey Road east of Lake City.

Ghana Reunion Story Online

I thought I would let you know that the Ghana reunion story that I posted on Monday on this site can now be seen online at http://www.lakecityjournal.com/show_rec.php?stories_id=884. Feel free to share it with others that may be interested.

Lake Butler Added to Schedule

I have added First Baptist Church of Lake Butler, Florida (my home church) to my schedule in July. I will be preaching in supply for my pastor Rusty Womack on Sunday, July 24, 2005 during the 11am & 6pm services.

The church is located at 195 East Main Street in Lake Butler, Florida.

Reunion at Folk Festival

Pictured front row left to right are Alexx St. John, Rita Tawiah, James Croft, & Tettey Tetteh. Back row left to right are Sonja St. John & Sarah St. John. Sonja’s husband Ernie is not in the photo because he took the photo (thanks Ernie!).

I went with the St. John family (Sonja has been on our Ghana team for three years) to the Florida Folk Festival in White Springs Sunday night after church to watch a group from Ghana, West Africa perform. The group is called Kusun Ensemble. They were great!

After the performance, we met the leader of the group, Tettey Tetteh, and talked with him for a while. We shared about our trips to Ghana and swapped contact information. It appeared that we did not know any of the same people in Ghana even though Tettey is from Teshie-Nungua which is where we stayed. As we were leaving the park Tettey called me on my cell-phone and said that one of the ladies in the group recognized me from Ghana! Well come to find out, she is the niece of Evangelist Raphael Adjei Kingbi, our host while in Ghana! Evangelist Ralph picked her up at the airport last October while we were there and I met her once or twice. Her name is Rita Tawiah. In addition, a couple of the members had attended a night of our crusade! What a small world!!!

We even called Ralph (at 3am Ghana time) and he was very surprised to find out that we were with Rita in Florida. He and Rita were able to talk for a few minutes. It was an incredibly wonderful time!

Another of our Ghana team members , Jon Fletcher, attended the festival on Saturday. Sonja said she saw him taking photos and talked with him a while. I don’t know if Jon was able to talk to the group or not.

If you would like to know more about the Kusun Ensemble you can go to http://www.kusun.us/. Tettey also has a school in Ghana and you can find out more about it at http://www.ghanadrumschool.com/.

Friends & Brothers

This photo was taken last week during revival services at First Baptist Church of Winter Springs, Florida. In the photo I am standing with Pastor Terry Elixson. I hope you will pray for my friend & my brother in the Lord and his family as they minister in Winter Springs.

Olustee Baptist This Sunday

I have been asked to preach the morning worship service at First Baptist Church of Olustee this coming Sunday, May 29th. The service will begin at 11am at the chuch located in Olustee, Florida.

Greenville Revival Added To June Schedule

Revival services have been scheduled for Sirmans Missionary Baptist Church near Greenville, Florida in June. The services will begin on Wednesday, June 29th and will continue through Saturday, July 2nd at 7pm nightly.

For more information call Pastor Johnny Carroll at (850) 948-4228.

Addition to Schedule

I have added a new engagement to my preaching schedule. I will be preaching for Pastor Alwin Pflueger at Riverside Baptist Church on Sunday, June 26th while he is on vacation. Services begin at 11am & 7pm. Riverside Baptist Church is located at 10760 NW 5th Ave. near Branford, Florida.

Winter Springs Services

Please be in prayer for these upcoming services.

Wonderful Services in Worthington Springs

The revival services at Grace Christian Fellowship Baptist Church ended tonight. It has been a wonderful series of meetings. I really enjoyed becoming better acquainted with Pastor Terry Elixson, Sr., his wife, and members of the congregation. God certainly blessed me during these services.

Next month I will be travelling to First Baptist Church of Winter Springs, Florida to preach revival services. The pastor there is also named Terry Elixson. He is the son of the pastor from Worthington Springs.

It's interesting to be preaching for the dad one month and for his son the next.

Happy Anniversary

My dear friends, Evangelist Ralphael Adjei Kingbi and his wife Mavis celebrated their first wedding anniversary last Sunday, April 17th. Evangelist Ralph has been our host in Ghana for the past three years. Ralph & Mavis live in Teshie-Accra, Ghana, West Africa.

If you would like to send Ralph & Mavis a note of congratulations or a note of encouragement for their work for the Lord you may e-mail him at evangralph@yahoo.co.uk. You can also write them at:

P.O. Box 193
Teshie, Accra
Ghana-West Africa

Worthington Springs Revival Services

Please be in prayer for these services.

Posters Arrive Monday!!!

Are you ready for this?

In September of last year we mailed over 800 posters for the 2004 Ghana Crusade to Zion Evangelistic Ministry in Teshie, Ghana. The US Postal Service said it should arrive in 10 business days which would give plenty of time for them to be distributed prior to the crusade & construction activities. However, when we arrived in the middle of October there were no posters. When we left at the end of October there were no posters.

Well, as of Tuesday, April 5, 2005 they now have posters!!!

Of course, the crusade has long since ended!

Evangelist Ralph said that some of them would be placed on the walls in the building our team helped to construct and the others would be distributed as souvenirs.

It's interesting how the Lord does things when you consider that even without posters we drew the largest crowds ever to the crusade and had more than twice as many saved as the previous year! Our God certainly is an awesome God!!!

God Gives Illustration for Sermon

Last Sunday night (April 3rd) I filled in for Pastor Mark Driskell at Shiloh Baptist Church in Fort White, Florida. Brother Mark had a death in his extended family and visited with the family. I preached that night on "compassion" and I used Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 as my focal text. I covered examples of when compassion is needed and examples of how the good Samaritan met those needs. He met the needs of a stranger who, if the tables were turned, probably would not have done the same for him. I also tried to explain how we, as Christians, should be "moved" with compassion.

After the service a reception was held in the church's fellowship hall for a newly married couple in the church. During this reception a stranger entered the building seeking assistance in his travels. His dress and hair style was different from the rest in attendance and he was not known by anyone present. However, the people of Shiloh fed him and prepared extra food for him and helped him with his travel.

A lady commented to me how interesting it was that a sermon on "compassion" had just been given and now the church had an opportunity to put it into action.

I often wonder why the Lord leads me to preach certain messages at certain times. I did not know of any great need for compassion in the church nor did I know of any "lack" of compassion. God just seemed to lead me to that message. Could it have been for this one stranger who would soon be in our midst?

Have you been faced with a need for compassion lately? If so, what did you do?

But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 1 John 3:17 (NKJV)

Please be in prayer for these services.

Mission Fair was Fun

The Mission Fair at First Baptist Church of Lake Butler (Florida) was held today. The fair was part of our "40 Days of Purpose" campaign as the emphasis centered on Evangelism. We had seven booths highlighting past mission projects & upcoming mission opportunities. Those attending were able to see photos & other items from the projects. A few of the booths even offered a sample of food that can be found in their particular mission area.

In the photo above I am explaining to Janice Parrish how to use a "Gong-Gong" from Ghana, West Africa.


In the second photo a couple of students learn more about Ghanaian Cedis from 2004 Ghana Mission Team members Sonja St. John (left) and Curtis Richards (far right). Cedis is the currency used in Ghana. You can also see some of the items & photos that were displayed in our booth.

The two photos above were taken by Jon Fletcher, a member of FBC Lake Butler and a member of the 2004 Ghana Mission Team.

For Teachers & Christians Too!

I received the following in an e-mail today and I thought it was too good not to share with others. It may be a little humorous, but I think it contains a powerful message for all of us!

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After being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said: "Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning. And I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt messages and dress habits."

"You want me to wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for weapons of mass destruction, and raise their self-esteem."

"You want me to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship, and fair play, how and where to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook and how to apply for a job."

"I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, offer advice, write letters of recommendation for student employment and scholarships, encourage respect for their elders and future employers."

"And I am to communicate regularly with the parents by letter, telephone, e-mail, newsletter, and report card."

"All of this I am to do with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin board, and a big smile AND on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps!"

"You want me to do all of this, and then - you expect me NOT TO PRAY?!"

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Pray for and offer encouragement to all of our teachers and students. Let's also pray that one day prayer is allowed back in our schools again.

Who knows, after you've prayed - the Lord may want you to contact a school board member, a legislator, a member of Congress or the White House and share your views on school prayer with them. Sometimes our prayers need to grow some feet - you know what I mean?

Mission Fair Sunday

First Baptist Church of Lake Butler will hold a Mission Fair this Sunday, March 13th featuring exhibits from the church's mission activities. The exhibits may be viewed between 10:30-11am (between Sunday School & Morning Worship) and immediately following the service and again before and after the evening service at 6pm. The Mission Fair is part of the "40 Days of Purpose" series.

The fair will feature exhibits from the following areas:

• Honduras Construction Projects
• Ghana, West Africa Crusades & Construction Project
• Montana Mission Project
• Hurricane Relief in Central Florida
• Brotherhood Local Mission Projects
• WMU Emphasis on Mission Support
• Youth Local Mission Projects

The morning worship service will feature a message by Pastor Rusty Womack on evangelism. The evening service will feature a concert by the Bluegrass Prophets.

The Mission Fair and services will be held in the Union County High School Auditorium in Lake Butler, Florida. For more information call (386) 496-3704.

First Baptist Lake Butler Tonight

I will be preaching in supply tonight (Wednesday) for my pastor Rusty Womack at First Baptist Church of Lake Butler, Florida. The service will begin at 6:30pm. First Baptist Church of Lake Butler is located at 195 East Main Street.

Brother Rusty will be concluding revival services tonight for Eastside Baptist Church in Lake City, Florida.

Please be in prayer for both of these services.

Father's Day in White Springs

Pastor Ron Thompson of First Baptist Church of White Springs has asked me to fill the pulpit for him on Sunday, June 19th at 11am. I always enjoy worshipping at FBC White Springs because I have so many friends there and my brother, John Croft, is the Music Director.

First Baptist Church is located on Camp Street in White Springs, Florida.

Gospel Concert

Dave & Sherrie will be in concert at my home church, First Baptist Church of Lake Butler, this Sunday, March 6th at 6pm. The service will be held in the Union County High School auditorium in Lake Butler, Florida. The "Sherrie" in Dave & Sherrie is my sister Sherrie Davis. Her singing partner is David Godwin.

Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend the service as I will be traveling to Pensacola, Florida to speak at a recycling conference.

Please be in prayer for Dave & Sherrie and the service, and for me as I travel.

Christian One-Liners

I received an e-mail today with the following "Christian One-Liners". I thought I would share it with you.

"Christian One-Liners"

Don't let your worries get the best of you. Remember, Moses started out as a basket case".

Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited - until you try to sit in their pews.

Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisers.

It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.

The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes and sand gnats come close.

When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.

People are funny, they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and the back of the church.

Opportunity may knock once, but temptation bangs on your front door forever.

Quit griping about your church; if it were perfect, you couldn't belong.

If the church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.

Some minds are like concrete, thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.

Peace starts with a smile.

I don't know why some people change churches; what difference does it make which one you stay home from?

A lot of church members who are singing "Standing on the Promises" are just sitting on the premises.

We were called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.

Be ye fishers of men. You catch them - He'll clean them.

Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.

Don't put a question mark where God put a period.

Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.

Forbidden fruits create many jams.

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

God grades on the cross, not the curve.

God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit" over "religious nuts!"

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

He who angers you, controls you!

If God is your Copilot - swap seats!

Prayer: Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!

The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.

The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not protect you.

We don't change the message, the message changes us.

You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to ........ discourage him.

The best mathematical equation I have ever seen: 1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.

FBC Glen St. Mary on Sunday

This Sunday, February 27th I will be preaching in my home county, Baker County, at First Baptist Church of Glen St. Mary, Florida. I will be preaching in supply for Pastor Tim Patterson at 11am & 6pm. First Baptist Church is located on George L. Taber Blvd. in Glen St. Mary, Florida.

New Family

This past Saturday I attended the wedding of my niece Krystle and her new husband Curtis. The wedding was held at First Baptist Church of White Springs (Florida) with the reception at Stephen Foster Memorial.

I took almost 200 photos of the festivities and I wanted to share one with you and ask that you join me in praying for this new family. Both Curtis & Krystle are professing Christians. Curtis is in the US Coast Guard and they will be living in Virginia.

Brinson Services a Blessing

The revival services at Brinson Baptist Church (Georgia) ended last night. These services were really a blessing to me. It was great to minister with Pastor Ellis Hardwick, Minister of Youth Avery Hutto and the congregation. Lisa Donalson led the music and done a wonderful job. Not only did I enjoy the services, but I had a great time of fellowship with various families in the church.

I hope you will say a prayer for everyone at Brinson Baptist Church and ask the Lord to use them in a mighty way to further His Kingdom.

FBC Winter Springs Scheduled

I received a call yesterday (Tuesday) from my friend Terry Elixson to schedule a revival in May. Terry has just started as pastor of First Baptist Church of Winter Springs, Florida. He had been the pastor of Attapulgus (Georgia) Baptist Church.

I will preach revival services in Winter Springs beginning Sunday, May 15, 2005 at 10:45am. The services will continue at 6:30pm nightly through Wednesday, May 18th.

First Baptist Church of Winter Springs is located at 817 East State Road 434 in Winter Springs, Florida. You can call Pastor Terry Elixson at (407) 327-5626 for more information.

Brinson Meeting Has Good Start

The revival services got underway this morning at Brinson Baptist Church in Brinson, Georgia. The morning & evening services were well attended. The meetings continue at 7pm through Wednesday. Please continue to pray for these services and my travel back home on Thursday.

Brinson Revival Services

Revival services begin at Brinson Baptist Church in Brinson, Georgia this Sunday, February 20th. Please be in prayer for these services.

Good Time in Perry & Mayo

The Valentine Banquet at New Home Baptist Church in Perry on Saturday night was a great time of food, fellowship, laughs and Bible study. It was nice to visit with some friends that I have not seen in quite some time. We played a biblical game of Hollywood Squares that featured some of New Home's own "stars". It was a lot of fun and a lot of laughs too!

The next day (Sunday) I preached the morning & evening services at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Mayo. It was great to worship again with Pastor Ted Rushing and all of the fine folks at Pleasant Grove.

I hope you will remember both of these churches and their ministries in your prayer time.

Weekend Services

Tomorrow (Saturday) I will be traveling to Perry, Florida to speak at the New Home Baptist Church Youth Valentine Banquet. I spoke during this banquet a couple of years ago and really had a good time.

On Sunday I will be returning to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church near Mayo, Florida to preach during the morning & evening worship services. It will be good to see my friends there again.

Please be in prayer for all of these services and for safe travel too.

Columbia Baptist Homecoming in September

I have just added Columbia Baptist Church's Homecoming to my schedule for September 2005. The service will begin at 11am on Sunday, September 25th.

I have preached several times at Columbia Baptist Church over the past few years. I remember preaching services for them when they were meeting in a house. It was interesting bringing the message in the living room so close to the front row you could reach out and touch them. I often joked that if the people on the front row felt like I was "steppin' on their toes" it was probably because I really was stepping on their toes! Now the church is located in a beautiful new building.

Columbia Baptist Church is located on State Road 47, south of Lake City, next to Columbia City Elementary School. For more information call Pastor Daryl Tomlinson at (386) 752-5199.

Grace Christian Fellowship Added to Schedule

Pastor Terry Elixson, Sr. of Grace Christian Fellowship in Worthington Springs, Florida contacted me today to set up revival services for the church. The revival will begin on Sunday, April 17, 2005 with services at 11am & 6pm and will continue Monday-Wednesday evening at 7pm.

Grace Christian Fellowship is located on County Road 238A off of County Road 18 near Worthington Springs. This will be my first time to minister at this church. I hope you all will be praying for the services and the preparations over the next two months.

Pinetta Baptist "Friend Day" Rescheduled

"Friend Day" at Pinetta Baptist Church in Ocilla, Georgia has been rescheduled. The special service mentioned in an earlier post on this site was scheduled for March 20th, but has now been changed to Sunday, May 22nd at 11am.

FBC Lake Butler Added to Schedule

My pastor, Rusty Womack, has asked me to fill in for him on Wednesday, March 9th at First Baptist Church of Lake Butler. The service begins at 6:30pm at 195 E. Main Street in Lake Butler, Florida.

Mayo & Glen St. Mary Added To Schedule

Today I've added two new preaching engagements to the schedule for next month. The first is on Sunday, February 13th at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, 816 SW CR351, in Mayo, Florida. I'll be preaching the morning & evening worship services at 11am & 6pm. I preached revival services there last September and we had a wonderful time of worship & fellowship. Pastor Ted Rushing and the congregation made me feel like part of the family.

On Sunday, February 27th I'll be preaching in supply for Pastor Tim Patterson during the morning (11am) and evening (6pm) worship services at First Baptist Church of Glen St. Mary, Florida. I gave a devotion during a senior's luncheon several years ago at this church but this will be my first time preaching there and I'm looking forward to ministering to them.

Please be in prayer for these services.

Alachua Youth Revival Scheduled

A very good friend of mine, Mark Spradley, has recently been called as the Minister of Youth at Forest Grove Baptist Church in Alachua, Florida. Today he called me to schedule a youth revival beginning Sunday night August 21st and ending on Wednesday night August 24th. I'm looking forward to ministering to the youth at Forest Grove. Please be in prayer for these services and for the Lord to give me just the right messages for them.

This is Mark's first full-time ministry position. He has previously served bivocationally as Minister of Youth at First Baptist Church of White Springs (FL) and Wellborn Baptist Church (FL). Please pray for him & his family as they move into full-time service for the Lord.

"Friend Day" Scheduled in Georgia

Pinetta Baptist Church in Ocilla, Georgia will be having "Friend Day" on Sunday, March 20th at 11am. Pastor Jeff Wells has invited me to preach this service. I'm looking forward to making a lot of new friends in Ocilla on "Friend Day"!

Brinson Revival Preparations

I spoke with Pastor Ellis Hartwick of Brinson (Georgia) Baptist Church last night and final preparations are underway for revival services next month. Lisa Donalson from Fellowship Baptist Church in Brinson, Georgia will lead music & worship for the services. Posters should begin appearing in the area within about two weeks.

The services will begin on Sunday, February 20th at 11am & 6pm and will continue Monday-Wednesday night at 7pm.

Please be in prayer for these services and all of the preparations.

Mission Fair in March

My home church, First Baptist of Lake Butler, Florida, will begin "40 Days of Purpose" the last Sunday of this month. Each week will have a special emphasis as believers seek God's purpose for their life.

On Sunday, March 13th we will hold a Mission Fair before and after the morning service. I will be coordinating the fair which will feature information booths about our church's mission projects in Honduras, Montana, central Florida, Ghana, West Africa and local efforts in Union County. You will be able to see photos of activities, learn how you can assist, and even taste some food found in the region.

I'll add more info on this as it becomes available or you can call Pastor Rusty Womack at (386) 496-3704.

March Mayo Meeting Scheduled

I received a call from Glenn Luttrell, pastor of Riverside Baptist Church in Mayo, Florida, to lead revival services in March. The series of meetings will begin on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 and will continue at 7pm nightly through Saturday, March 26th. The final service will be on Easter Sunday March 27th at 11am. Not only will this service be the final revival service and an Easter service, but it is also the church's homecoming service.

Riverside Baptist Church is located on County Road 151 off State 27 near Mayo. Please be in prayer for this series of meetings.

Valentine Banquet

I was contacted today by New Home Baptist Church Minister of Youth Bill Lawhon about speaking during a youth valentine banquet this year. It will be on Saturday, February 12, 2005 at 6pm. New Home Baptist Church is located in Perry, Florida.

Please be in prayer for all of the preparations for this banquet and for the message that I should bring to the youth.

Happy New Year!!!

I normally spend New Year's Day at my dad's annual cookout; however, this year my brother, John (pictured above), and I attended the 2005 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida. John received a couple of tickets for Christmas and invited me to go. We both missed the great food that is always enjoyed at the cookout, but we really enjoyed the game too. Both of us are Florida State Seminole fans and the Noles beat West Virginia 30-18.

I really had a great time watching the game and the fellowhip with my brother. I hope that the start of 2005 was a great time for you too.

Praise the Lord for a new year that will be filled with opportunities for each of us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let's make the best of every opportunity.

Children's Camp Planned for August

I have been asked to help conduct a children's camp in August for New Oak Grove Baptist Church in Alachua, Florida. The camp begins on a Sunday night and ends on Wednesday night and is held at Camp Kalaqua in High Springs, Florida. I'll be teaching the children during morning & evening chapel services. I did this camp last year for the church and we had a great time of fellowship & worship.

Please be in prayer for the church's preparations for this camp and for me as I prepare a series of lessons for the camp.

Ghana Mission Team Fellowship

Curtis Richards was one of the 2004 Ghana Mission Team members that attended a fellowship dinner tonight in Lake City, Florida. Pictured with Curtis is his wife Malinda. It was a night of good food and good fellowship at the Porterhouse Grill. This is the second time the team has gotten together since our trip in October.

Athens Baptist on Sunday

I will be preaching at Athens Baptist Church on CR240 in Columbia City (south of Lake City, FL) this Sunday at 11am & 6pm. Pastor Mike Divine and his wife will be away visiting with relatives for a few days.

Please be in prayer for these services and for safe travel for Brother Mike & his wife.

First Baptist Lake Butler on Wednesday

I will be filling in for my pastor, Rusty Womack, at First Baptist Church of Lake Butler, Florida this Wednesday night at 6:30pm. Brother Rusty will be away conducting a wedding.

Please pray for this service as well as the wedding service and safe travel for Brother Rusty and his family.

Orange Heights Services Completed

I ended my supply work at Orange Heights Baptist Church tonight. We had some great services today with one man getting saved in the second morning service! I have really enjoyed my time with the folks at Orange Heights. Pastor Lonnie Broome will return to the pulpit next Sunday.

I also was able to preach a service at North Florida Rehabilitation & Specialty Care Center today in Gainesville. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and ministry with the residents. It was also exciting to have Ken Crenshaw playing the piano for the service. Ken is a musician for Shiloh Baptist Church in Ft. White, Florida and was a member of our 2004 Ghana Mission Construction Team.

Merry Christmas!!!!

I hope that all of you have a wonderful, Christ centered Christmas!!!

Remember, without Jesus Christ there would be no Christ-mas!

Last Services at Orange Heights

This Sunday, December 26th will be my last scheduled services at Orange Heights Baptist Church in Orange Heights, Florida. Pastor Lonnie Broome is scheduled to return to the pulpit at the first of the new year. I will be preaching at 8:30am, 11am & 6pm.

I will also be conducting a service for the residents at North Florida Rehabilitation & Specialty Care Center in Gainesville this Sunday at 3pm.

Please be in prayer for all of these services.

High Springs Herald has Ghana Story

The High Springs Herald has a front page story about our 2004 Ghana Mission Trip today. The newspaper is located in High Springs, Florida where Ken Crenshaw resides. Ken was a member of the construction team and also is a musician at Shiloh Baptist Church in Ft. White, Florida.

You can view the story at: http://www.highspringsherald.com/articles/2004/12/28/news/news05.txt.

Preaching at Shiloh Baptist Sunday

I will be preaching this Sunday at Shiloh Baptist Church in Ft. White, Florida. Pastor Mark Driskell will be on vacation and I will minister during the 11am & 7pm services. Please be in prayer for these services as well as a safe, fun & relaxing time away for Brother Mark and his family.

Float Wins Again!

The Christmas float for New River Solid Waste Association took second place honors in the annual Starke Christmas Parade this morning. The parade is sponsored by the North Florida Regional Chamber of Commerce.

This is the second award this float has won this month. On Friday, December 3rd it won First Place in the Commercial Division during the Lake Butler Christmas Parade (see earlier post for details). The float was also entered in the annual Macclenny Christmas Parade on December 4th.

Preaching at Orange Heights Baptist Sunday

I will be preaching both morning services at Orange Heights Baptist Church in Orange Heights, Florida this Sunday. The services begin at 8:30am & 11am. Please be in prayer for these services.

Video Interviews Completed

I completed my interview for our video about the 2004 Ghana Mission Trip tonight. Now the real work begins... choosing which photos and video clips to include in the project. Our prayer is to have the video completed after the first of the year.

A Winning Float

The City of Lake Butler Christmas Parade was held last night and the agency that I work for, New River Solid Waste Association, won First Place in the commercial division. I am the Assistant Director of Recycling & Education, so I get to do a lot of public relations events. The Christmas parades are a lot of fun and they give us an opportunity to remind the public about recycling too.

The theme of the parade was "A Storybook Christmas", so our float featured a recycling igloo in a rocking chair reading a book to little igloos. Of course the book was the Bible which contains the REAL Christmas story. Everything on the float is made from recycled materials.

A special "thank you" goes to my staff that spent quite a few hours building the float: David McKinney, Donnie King, Paul Johnson, Bartow Lee & Darrell Williams.

We will have the float in the Macclenny Christmas Parade tonight and in the Starke Christmas Parade next Saturday morning.

I think that my "day" job is very closely related to my ministry in that God expects Christians to be good stewards of His creation and recycling is one way to do that. I often say that I am a "total environmentalist" because my secular job is to see that your environment on Earth is the best it can be and my ministry is to see that your "environment" in eternity is the best it can be.

Orange Heights Baptist Sunday Morning

I'll be preaching the two morning worship services at Orange Heights Baptist Church tomorrow (Dec. 5th) and next Sunday (Dec. 12th). The services begin at 8:30am & 11am. I'll also be preaching the morning & evening (6pm) services the Sunday after Christmas (Dec. 26th). Orange Heights Baptist Church is located at 16700 NE SR 26 in Orange Heights, FL.

Video Interviews

Kristie Fletcher adjusts the lighting prior to Ken Crenshaw's video interview on Thursday night. Crenshaw and fellow 2004 Ghana Construction Team member Curtis Richards were interviewed for the 2004 Ghana Mission Video. All of the team members have now been interviewed except for me. I'll add my narration of the trip next week. Kristie is the wife of photojournalist Jon Fletcher who has made the trip to Ghana with our team for the past two years. Kristie will be producing this years' video as she did last year.

Completion of the video is expected by the end of this year.

New River Baptist

I'm preaching the 11am & 6pm worship services today at New River Baptist Church, 16703 SW 144th Ave., Brooker, FL. Pastor Jason Reid is away for a holiday rest.

Video Moving Forward

Our 2004 Ghana mission trip video is making progress! We held an interview session with four of the team members last Friday night. The session took about 5 hours but went very well. We will conduct more interviews tonight and hopefully we will complete them in the next two weeks. We will then be able to proceed with the rest of the project. I'm still praying that we will have a completed product by the first of the year even though the holiday season will slow things up.

Another article about the trip appeared in last Saturday's (November 20th) edition of the Lake City Reporter; however, the story is not in their online version.

New Stuff Comin'

It has been a while since I've made a post on this site. It has been a busy time for me working on some new & cool stuff for the website.

• I have began adding photos from the 2004 Ghana mission trip to my website www.jamescroft.org. I have only begun and there will be many more over the next week or two.
• I've also been working on adding audio and video clips to the site.
• Kristie Fletcher has started watching our Africa videos and we will soon begin production of our presentation video.
• A story on our mission trip should appear this week in an edition of the Lake City Reporter.

I'll update this site as all of these things are updated.

Raiford Road Revival Services

Revival Services at Raiford Road Church in Macclenny begin Sunday and continue through Wednesday night.

Ghana Story in Local Newspapers

The Bradford County Telegraph has a story about our 2004 Ghana Mission Trip. Here is a link to the online version of the story: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13286107&BRD=2150&PAG=461&dept_id=411073&rfi=6.

The Baker County Standard also carried the story and the online version is here http://www.bcstandard.com/news/2004/1104/Front_Page/003.html.

The Baker County Press also carried three photos with a caption but it is not available online.

Praise God for Democracy

I praise the Lord that I live in a country where citizens have a voice. I praise the Lord for the citizens that took their responsibility seriously and voted in our general election. I praise the Lord that I live in a country where this process takes place without military force, mass revolts or loss of life.

Now that the election is over we must all come together and pray for our president. We should also pray not only for all of the winners in the election, but also for those who gave their all in their race even though they were not successfull. I personally know how it feels to win an election and how badly it hurts to lose an election, so please pray for all of the candidates and their families. Let's also make a daily effort to pray for our leaders to have wisdom, compassion, and humility as they make decisions that impact US citizens and the rest of the world. Let's also pray that if they do not know Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior that the Holy Spirit will convict them of that need. Let's pray for God's perfect will for our country and leaders!

Here is an interesting website about praying for our president and leaders: http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/.

Election Day

This is the day that United States voters will elect the man that will serve as President for the next four years. I hope that every eligible citizen will take this responsibility seriously and let their voice be heard by voting. I pray that the result will reflect God’s perfect will for our nation.

Athens Revival Services

Revival services continue through Wednesday night.

Youth Service Went Well

The youth service at Orange Heights Baptist Church went very well tonight. A good crowd of teens and young adults were on hand for the event which featured games, food, music and the Word. The Saturday service begins at 6pm. Please be in prayer for this service.

Youth Services Tonight & Tomorrow

I was contacted late yesterday afternoon by the pastor of Orange Heights Baptist Church to conduct a youth revival tonight & tomorrow night. Pastor Lonnie Broome said they had a last minute cancellation and needed a speaker. The services begin each night at 6pm. Orange Heights Baptist is located on SR26 just off of US301 in Orange Heights, FL (south of Starke & Waldo on US301).

Please be in prayer for these two services as well as the revival that begins at Athens Baptist in Columbia City on Sunday.

Home Safely

The 2004 Ghana Mission Team returned safely yesterday (Monday).

We had several challenges during this trip, but God richly blessed the effort. The crusade drew approximately 800 people the first night and over 2000 each night thereafter. Friday night over 2700 people came to the grounds. We showed “The Passion of the Christ” movie on Saturday night on the large screen and 4,892 people were in attendance. The construction team was able to complete their task and now Zion Evangelistic Ministry has a meeting place for their organization and a community center for local youth. Please continue to pray for the Lord to bless Evangelist Ralph and the members of this organization as they continue to minister in Teshie and surrounding areas.

The greatest blessing of all: 593 souls were added to God’s Kingdom during the crusade!!! Over 600 were saved when you add in decisions made in local churches where I preached. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!!!

I want to sincerely thank all who prayerfully and financially supported this trip. May God richly bless you for your investment in His Kingdom.

Photos from the trip will be added to www.jamescroft.org in about 2 weeks and video preparation will begin soon. I will post notices as details become available.

Athens Baptist Revival Services

Athens Baptist Church revival services begin on Sunday.

Thank You

Orlando Airport

Passion Night With Ralph

Passion Night Report

Friday Crusade Wrap-up

Sonja Reports From Crusade

Thursday Crusade Wrap-up With Curtis & Joe

Nsawam Report

Enroute to Nsawam Village

Wednesday Wrap-up

Tuesday Crusade Wrap-up continued

Tuesday Crusade Wrap-up

Monday Crusade

Sunday Report with Jon

Joseph's Wedding with Sonja & Angela

Ministry Team Arrives

Construction Site with Mark

Zion Construction Update with Curtis & Ralph

Baggage Found - Posters Missing

Hand Miracle with Mark & Sewing Machine with Ken

First Post From Ghana

Made It To Amsterdam

We have arrived in Amsterdam safely. After our "interesting" experience just trying to check luggage an uneventful flight was actually nice. I think we may have all slept a few hours on the flight. We begin boarding for Accra in about 35 minutes or so.

I talked to Ralph last night and they are all excited and so are we. I'll try to post a new audio tonight or tomorrow night.

Keep praying!!!

Orlando Airport - Departure

Ghana Trip Preview & Audio Test

Ghana Dates Needing Prayer

Here's an updated list of dates for you to pray for:

Saturday, October 9th: Construction Team and I depart for Ghana.
Sunday, October 10th: Construction Team and I arrive in Ghana.
Monday-Friday, October 11-15th: Construction begins on building for Zion Evangelistic Ministry.
Thursday, October 14th: Ministry Team departs for Ghana.
Friday, October 15th: Church Leader's Conference.
Friday, October 15th: Ministry Team arrives in Ghana.
Saturday, October 16th: I will be preaching during a Ghanaian wedding.
Sunday, October 17th: Ministering in Deliverance Evangelistic Ministry Church.
Tuesday, October 19th: Vacation Bible School at Teshie Orphanage Centre.
Wednesday, October 20th: Vacation Bible Schools at Teshie Orphanage Centre and two local schools.
Friday, October 22nd: Vacation bible Schools at two local schools.
Monday-Friday, October 18-22nd: Gathering of the Clouds Crusade.
Saturday, October 23rd: Showing of the movie "Passion of the Christ".
Sunday, October 24th: Ministering in local church, dedication service for new building and both teams depart Ghana.
Monday, October 25th: Mission teams arrive in Florida.

Also, please be in prayer for all of the preparations and finances for this trip along with family members that will be waiting at home.

The crusade itinerary will be updated as info becomes available at this site: http://www.jamescroft.org/Ghana%20Crusade%20Itenerary.htm.

Information about financial contributions for the Ghana mission trip is available at: http://www.jamescroft.org/Ghana%20Crusade%20Contributions.htm.

Great Services At Riverside Baptist

God really blessed our revival services at Riverside Baptist Church in Gilchrist County, FL this week. The meetings ended tonight, but decisions that were made will last for eternity. I pray that the Lord will bless Pastor Alwin Pflueger and the congregation as they minister in the community for Jesus.

Riverside Baptist Revival Services

Revival services begin today at Riverside Baptist Church south of Fort White. Please pray that God will move mightily in the hearts of His people during these services and that those who do not know Him will be convicted and will respond to the Holy Spirit.