It is with sadness in our hearts that we share with you the news that long-time member, Ed Sass passed away Sunday, December 15th. It is with great joy that we celebrate that he is now in heaven with his savior and his body is healed! The Celebration of Life service for Ed Sass was held at Fellowship Greenville on Wednesday, December 18th. You may view it here.
Please lift up Dan Lampinen and his family in prayer. They are asking for peace and physical healing. Thank you.
"In Algeria only 1% of the population are followers of the Cross, and these believers are often persecuted for their faith. Under a controversial law that forbids 'undermining the faith of a Muslim,' a pastor was fined over $800 last year for possessing Bibles. Since November 2017, eight Protestant churches have been closed by the government for failure to have the proper registration. One of these churches had applied for registration in 2013, but the government refused to process their application and has now threatened to demolish the church building. Furthermore, Christians have been arrested for sharing the Gospel of Jesus with Muslims. (via
Frontline Missions)" Source: Frontline Missions.
Way to Pray: Pray for God’s grace for these believers as they seek to be faithful to Christ while facing persecution from the government and also their families.
John Mark and Sara Sheppard serve as missionaries in Liberia, West Africa with SIM. John Mark grew up a missionary kid in Africa and returned to Liberia to work after college. Although John Mark was born in Minnesota and Sara in Wisconsin, they met while serving in rural Liberia. They were married in June 2009 and have three children--Audrey, Noah, and James.
The Lord has given the Sheppards a special burden for the least-reached people groups of Liberia, especially the Manya. John Mark is working to translate and record the Bible in their language, along with teaching people to read and write in the mother tongue. Sara works with children, teens, and moms in their community, providing medical care, tutoring, daily meals, counseling, and discipleship.
Way to Pray: Pray for the Bible translation as John Mark works to complete the rest of the New Testament in the next two years. Pray that the Manya people who are hearing the word of God through dramatized audio programs would come to faith in Jesus. Pray for the Sheppard children and their Liberian friends, that they would grow in their faith and knowledge of God’s Word.
United Ministries exists in the upstate to identify various contributing factors to homelessness, financial crisis, and poverty and then offer multiple services with one goal: to serve and empower those on the transformative journey to self-sufficiency. They do this through employment readiness programs, financial education, utility assistance, family housing, a day shelter, and much more!
If you (and your family or company) were looking for a place to give this season, United Ministries would love your donations. The infograph to the left shows a quick list of the items they need and their participants use on a daily basis, as well as items they do not use.
For a more in-depth list of our needs, refer to United Ministries website for a list of needs.
Lt. Matthew Clark
Caleb Ford
2nd Lieutenant Parker Lewis
SFC Josh McSpadden
Cpt. Laura Rodgers
Major Tiffany Scheivert
...and the many others who are in active military service.