Our Ministry
Thanks for your curiosity!
Judy and I are involved in a very exciting neighborhood ministry
seeking to lead many to a relationship with Jesus Christ and helping
those new to Him grow. We are involved in both in
evangelism and discipleship (More about this shortly).
We live in the northeastern most corner of New Jersey on the border of New York State about a 20 minute car ride outside of Manhattan. We live in a very bi-state and tri-state community region so that our ministry often extends outside our most local residence area. Anyone residing the New York City metropolitan area, also knows this area is referred to as the "Tri-State" area. The three states that overlap to form this region are NY, NJ, and Connecticut. The area is very interwoven and overlaps economically, socially and culturally in many ways.
Our ministry work begins with relationships. These take time, time, and more time. We build genuine and natural relationships with those whom we come in contact with in our community. They are genuine because they are not based on whether a person actually turns to Christ or not or when. We love all our friends and acquaintances, though it is our great hope and prayer that all will come to a personal and growing knowledge of the Savior. We share the Gospel with our lives long before our words. In today's rapidly secularizing culture we have learned and experienced that this is the most effective way of helping someone find Jesus and grow.
There was a time in our nation's history and culture when secularization had a more minimal effect on the minds, hearts and attitudes in the American culture, even in large urban areas like NYC. Judeo-Christian values and knowledge of the Bible and even religious traditions and understandings held much greater sway on how people lived their lives and saw the world. (see our "Domestic Missionaries Greatly Needed" article and you will see more actual statistics)
We seek naturally occurring relationships that come about by being around people in our community in as many public and private settings as possible. We are a young family and so we are most naturally related to families of young children, though our ministry influence is not only with that age group or type of individual. And though we seek naturally occurring relationships our work is very intentional and focused. It demands a great deal of time and a willingness to sacrifice one's own time and activities on a regular basis to take advantage often of the spontaneous relational opportunities that present themselves daily and weekly. Sometimes counseling, sometimes just being with people and sometimes assisting them, and as things progress and in time, after prayer and the listening to the Spirit, sharing the Gospel with them. We also work hard to seek to understand the culture and backgrounds of the community we live in. Much like missionaries in other parts of the world.
As we grow in relationship with folks and even more exciting thing occurs, doors to their friends, relatives and acquaintances swing wide open from the ministry we have had to their lives. And on and on. For just one example, one man who Ernie meets with at his job during lunch to help him grow in the faith, reading and discussing the Bible now has co-workers interested in meeting with Ernie as well! These co-workers are not yet in the faith. This is one of a number of similar situations that occur.
We are thrilled to tell you that we now have an Adult Community Bible Study that has 5 couples attending. Almost all of these individuals were led to Christ through an initial evangelistic study they were invited to by us a few years ago. But the ability to invite them required years before that of just being around naturally as friends. We also have lots of others who we have good relationships with like families that are very open to the Gospel. We find people all around us in familial pain and crisis of one sort or another as well.
Also Ernie was miraculously asked 5 years ago to teach a Bible Study at our local public school. Anyone who knows this area knows how incredible that this was approved by the school board two years in a row after being initiated by the students. The club is coming to the end of its 5th year and we have seen over two dozen young people come to Christ and we are seeking to follow up all the children in their walks with God. The club meets weekly. This also has allowed us to further influence families for Christ in our community. We have even had people in other towns in the area express interest in us doing a club in their town!
Another aspect of our ministry is what is called "church discipleship." Ernie has worked in conjunction with The Navigators, Church Discipleship division to provide training to local churches via seminars to enhance their outreach and ability to promote
intentional disciple-making in there congregations.
International and Overseas Missions Impact potential is a significant dimension to our ministry in the great metropolitan area of New York City. It is after all the economic, cultural capital of the USA and the world. We have numerous ethnic groups from many countries and all continents of the world all over this greater metropolitan area. These numbers are always increasing. And these precious people often return to visit their countries and lands of origin to visit family and friends and look after them. The implications of this are very significant and exciting because as these people are brought to Jesus, they can then be channels of the Gospel to reach their own nationality groups, circles of relationships and places of origin around the world. For example, in just the town and area we reside in alone, people have come from the Philippines, parts of the former Yugoslavia, France, Brazil, Japan, China, Korea, Ecuador, Cuba, India, and Muslims from different nations. Just to name a few. Great diversity. We have opportunities to share Christ with people of many backgrounds and thereby share with their nations.
Our ministry, with more prayer and financial support, has great potential to continually expand!
We live in the northeastern most corner of New Jersey on the border of New York State about a 20 minute car ride outside of Manhattan. We live in a very bi-state and tri-state community region so that our ministry often extends outside our most local residence area. Anyone residing the New York City metropolitan area, also knows this area is referred to as the "Tri-State" area. The three states that overlap to form this region are NY, NJ, and Connecticut. The area is very interwoven and overlaps economically, socially and culturally in many ways.
Our ministry work begins with relationships. These take time, time, and more time. We build genuine and natural relationships with those whom we come in contact with in our community. They are genuine because they are not based on whether a person actually turns to Christ or not or when. We love all our friends and acquaintances, though it is our great hope and prayer that all will come to a personal and growing knowledge of the Savior. We share the Gospel with our lives long before our words. In today's rapidly secularizing culture we have learned and experienced that this is the most effective way of helping someone find Jesus and grow.
There was a time in our nation's history and culture when secularization had a more minimal effect on the minds, hearts and attitudes in the American culture, even in large urban areas like NYC. Judeo-Christian values and knowledge of the Bible and even religious traditions and understandings held much greater sway on how people lived their lives and saw the world. (see our "Domestic Missionaries Greatly Needed" article and you will see more actual statistics)
We seek naturally occurring relationships that come about by being around people in our community in as many public and private settings as possible. We are a young family and so we are most naturally related to families of young children, though our ministry influence is not only with that age group or type of individual. And though we seek naturally occurring relationships our work is very intentional and focused. It demands a great deal of time and a willingness to sacrifice one's own time and activities on a regular basis to take advantage often of the spontaneous relational opportunities that present themselves daily and weekly. Sometimes counseling, sometimes just being with people and sometimes assisting them, and as things progress and in time, after prayer and the listening to the Spirit, sharing the Gospel with them. We also work hard to seek to understand the culture and backgrounds of the community we live in. Much like missionaries in other parts of the world.
As we grow in relationship with folks and even more exciting thing occurs, doors to their friends, relatives and acquaintances swing wide open from the ministry we have had to their lives. And on and on. For just one example, one man who Ernie meets with at his job during lunch to help him grow in the faith, reading and discussing the Bible now has co-workers interested in meeting with Ernie as well! These co-workers are not yet in the faith. This is one of a number of similar situations that occur.
We are thrilled to tell you that we now have an Adult Community Bible Study that has 5 couples attending. Almost all of these individuals were led to Christ through an initial evangelistic study they were invited to by us a few years ago. But the ability to invite them required years before that of just being around naturally as friends. We also have lots of others who we have good relationships with like families that are very open to the Gospel. We find people all around us in familial pain and crisis of one sort or another as well.
Also Ernie was miraculously asked 5 years ago to teach a Bible Study at our local public school. Anyone who knows this area knows how incredible that this was approved by the school board two years in a row after being initiated by the students. The club is coming to the end of its 5th year and we have seen over two dozen young people come to Christ and we are seeking to follow up all the children in their walks with God. The club meets weekly. This also has allowed us to further influence families for Christ in our community. We have even had people in other towns in the area express interest in us doing a club in their town!
Another aspect of our ministry is what is called "church discipleship." Ernie has worked in conjunction with The Navigators, Church Discipleship division to provide training to local churches via seminars to enhance their outreach and ability to promote
intentional disciple-making in there congregations.
International and Overseas Missions Impact potential is a significant dimension to our ministry in the great metropolitan area of New York City. It is after all the economic, cultural capital of the USA and the world. We have numerous ethnic groups from many countries and all continents of the world all over this greater metropolitan area. These numbers are always increasing. And these precious people often return to visit their countries and lands of origin to visit family and friends and look after them. The implications of this are very significant and exciting because as these people are brought to Jesus, they can then be channels of the Gospel to reach their own nationality groups, circles of relationships and places of origin around the world. For example, in just the town and area we reside in alone, people have come from the Philippines, parts of the former Yugoslavia, France, Brazil, Japan, China, Korea, Ecuador, Cuba, India, and Muslims from different nations. Just to name a few. Great diversity. We have opportunities to share Christ with people of many backgrounds and thereby share with their nations.
Our ministry, with more prayer and financial support, has great potential to continually expand!