What a year! I have seen God move in our lives this year! We have been on deputation for all of 2015. It has been a very busy year. We are just a few months away from our departure to Argentina! The end of the year is usually a time of reflection, and that is exactly what I have been doing the past few days. Here are a few words that help describe 2015 for my family and I…

• Growth: I have grown spiritually. I have grown in faith. I have stepped out and believed God. Believing God has brought growth. I have seen our daughters grow, both physically and in maturity.
• Love: We meet brothers and sisters in Christ every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. We have friends who pray for us from coast to coast. Leslie and I are very close. I love her very much. I have been reminded how important it is to keep our marriage right and to love her as Jesus loves the church! Our family is very close. Leslie and I have three daughters. We travel together and are very close. I am blessed by the love we have all together.
• Safety: We have seen horrific wrecks on the road. We have seen wreckage that was so bad, we could not figure out what kind of car was involved. In all of this God has kept us very safe. We have not had any accidents (with the exception of a run in I had with an owl). God has kept us safe.
• Partnering churches: That is what deputation is really all about. We need churches that will partner with us in prayer as well as churches that will partner with us financially. God has blessed this year with many partnering churches. We are still in need of more churches partnering with us and we believe God will bring this to pass in the coming months.
• Calling: Part of deputation is spending hours on the phone requesting to schedule meetings with churches of like faith to present what God is doing in our hearts. Multiple hours have been spent on the phone calling and re-calling churches.
• Traveling: We have had meetings in 21 states in 2015. We have travelled…a lot!
• Preaching and Presenting: Every church we are in I have the opportunity to present. The majority of the time I also am given the opportunity to preach as well. A preacher’s dream is to travel around the country and preach in different churches. That dream has been my life through 2015!

These words help describe 2015. What words will describe 2016? Departure. Argentina. Language learning. Preparing to plant churches and train men. Although we are not assured tomorrow, if God allows us to live and continues to bless, we believe these will be some of the words that will describe 2016!

I am sitting here in front of our Christmas Tree this rainy morning. My daughters are sitting around me. We are enjoying this morning together. It is unusually warm here in Atlanta. The local news meteorologist forecasts that this Christmas will be the warmest recorded in Atlanta’s history. I share this warm scene, sheltered from a nasty rainy day with you because this is our last Christmas in the states for a long time. We will be leaving for the mission field in just a few months. We have worked very hard deputation and God has given the increase. We are still in need of a little less than 25% of our needed monthly support. We are believing God for the rest.

We have tried to make this Christmas Season special since it will be our last one in the states for several years (until a furlough). This does not invoke bitter-sweet or somber feelings, it brings about excitement! With this being our last Christmas here for a long time, I will share with you a thought I am trying to live by to make this a wonderful Christmas season. This thought was advice given to me by a Pastor (a post already published a few weeks ago).

It is all about Jesus.

It is so easy to get caught up in everything else and neglect what matters most. Jesus is the reason for Christmas, but really Jesus is the reason of every season. Our lives should be about Jesus. He is the motivation of our lives. Jesus bought us with a price, we are no longer our own. It is sad that Christmas can be a time where believers neglect Jesus and make our lives all about everything else. Presents get in the way. Our finances can make Christmas a burden rather than an enjoyment. Christmas parties with family can be fun, but can detract from Jesus. It seems that Jesus is put up against everything else this time of year and if we are not careful, everything else gets our attention.  Jesus should be the focal point of Christmas! Make Christmas about Jesus in your own life and in your family. Talk about Jesus, listen to Christmas music about Jesus. Read the Christmas story in Luke 2 and in Matthew 1. Think about what Jesus’ coming to Earth means for us! Pray for the billions of people who do not understand what Christmas is about because they have never heard the Gospel of Jesus. Make this Christmas about Jesus.

Merry Christmas,

Patrick Henry
Missionary to Argentina

The book of Proverbs has a lot to say about receiving counsel. In Proverbs 11:14, the Bible says “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellers there is safety.” In Proverbs 15:22, the Bible says, “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellers they are established.” Proverbs 24:6 says “For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Godly counsel is important. It can save a man from a lot of heartache, it can guide a man into a prosperous life. Counsel (or advice) is what this series is all about.

Today’s advice comes from a man of God who has seen people hurt. As we sat together before the church service, he told me, “A servant of the Lord must be gentle”. There is no room for harshness or cruelty for a pastor or missionary. People have been hurt by men who lead by a “It is my way or the highway” mentality. He proceeded to advise me, “Be gentle, lead with love and compassion. People are hurting and they need a man of God who will show them love. Many times, young men over compensate for their youth and can be harsh in an attempt to come across as strong, but he only ends up hurting people.”

This does not mean that Scripture is bypassed or watered down in an attempt to make people feel good. That was not the counsel given. Teach the Bible. Preach the Bible. Proclaim what it says. It is the Word of God. Even so, we can proclaim the truths of the Word of God with compassion and in love.

There are a few different passages about pastoral authority. 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 are both passages on this subject. 1 Peter 1-3 also is addresses this subject, “The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.” As men of God, we must lead, but lead as examples to the flock.

I look forward to getting to Argentina, to finishing up language school, to starting churches, and to training men. These things are exciting to think about. This is what God has called us to do. God also desires me to be a man of God that is gentle. A servant of the Lord must be gentle. Here is some advice, be gentle.

This series on the advice I have been given has been a blessing to me. I have heard from others who have enjoyed it as well. Today’s installment of this blog series is on the subject of communication. I was with a Pastor who I have known for some years. He has been a real friend and encouragement to me over the years. I was given the opportunity to share our hearts about missions, Argentina, what God has called us to do and to preach. We sat at the dinner table of a restaurant a few miles from the church. Church had ended. My family and Pastor’s family talked about life and ministry. Pastor told me about how he leads the church. He believes it is a very good thing to be open. He believes that people want to know what is going on so it is important to communicate. Don’t keep things hushed up, get the church people involved. Here is some advice, communicate.

Obviously this does not stretch into the realm of counseling. Some things are spoken in private counseling sessions and confidentiality should be upheld. That is not at all what Pastor was talking about. Pastor was speaking mostly about the future of the church, about the desires and goals God has put on his heart for the church. People want to be involved, people want to know.

How does this apply to me as a missionary? I think it applies in a few ways. We will be starting churches, it is important for people that are saved and become a part of those churches to know what is going on. They should know that, as a missionary, I am training men who will advance the Gospel. They should know that they are a part of the church and are included in building the church. It also applies to me as a missionary with our supporting churches. I think it is important for supporting churches to know what is going on in our ministry. I strive to communicate. I remember when I was an Assistant Pastor at my home church. At one time we supported a few missionaries who rarely ever communicated with us. We would only get a few prayer letters a year. With technology like it is today, I can send (and do send) emails and letters on a regular basis. Why not communicate? People want to know what is going on. People who invest in a man’s ministry desire to know the state of affairs in that ministry. Churches like to know that they are investing in eternity around the world and that God is at work. It is a blessing to me to see that our missionaries we support at our home church are reaching out, starting churches, and training men.

Here is some advice, communicate. Let people know how God is working in your heart.