Category Archives: Discipling

123 Baptisms, 158 Restorations at River City Ministry in 2009

I just received the year end report from Anthony Wood – the evangelist for River City Ministry.

I’ve written about River City several times before having spent a good part of my growing up years being influenced by this ministry. My dad, Jim Woodell, currently serves as the Executive Director there, and my brother-in-law filled that position before him.

River City Ministry is a mission to North Little Rock, AR’s, poor and homeless population with facilities located in a pretty rough part of town.

Free groceries, shelter, clothing, showers, toiletries, medical services, prescriptions, eye and dental care, daily meals, and a host of other services are provided by the good people at River City.

But there’s one more thing: they also have a full-time evangelist on staff whose sole purpose is to share Jesus with those coming there for other services.

River City is a great example of a ministry concerned with social justice that is making an eternal impact on the individuals being served – not simply providing them with temporal care. Other ministries like this that aren’t experiencing these types of results might think about studying River City to see what you could do differently.

From Anthony’s email:

Friends I wanted to send you this list, as I have on occasion of those immersed and restored. As 2009 comes to an end, we all rejoice that because Jesus was lifted up daily by all who serve with River City Ministry, 120 were immersed into Christ and 158 were restored back to their first love.
 
I am so thankful to serve with a team of dedicated servants who glorify God in every way as they serve those whom society seems to forget. Please take a few minutes to pray each by name that the faithfulness, security, hope and love of God will richly indwell them.
 
Here’s hoping you all have a wonderful, rich, and restful holiday season.
 
Blessings,
Anthony Wood, Evangelist
River City Ministry
North Little Rock AR

2009 River City Ministry Baptisms

1/12 Alfred T.
1/14 Randy T.
1/15 Pamela M.
1/20 Ray T.
1/20 Teraz H.
2/9 Tony M.
2/10 Ricky B.
2/12 Clara H.
2/17 Gracie H.
2/24 Alonzo P.
2/26 Oliver S.
3/2 Lee B.
3/2 Loretta D.
3/10 Krystal W.
3/10 Darren B.
3/11 Bill K.
3/12 Ronnie T.
3/18 Vicki B.
3/24 Frederick F.
3/30 Tawana H.
4/1  Claude A.
4/6  Tim S.
4/6  Jackie G.
4/6  LaVonne T.
4/8 Tony B.
4/9 Freddie W.
4/14 John G.
4/15 Rachel M.
4/15 Buford B.
4/22 Ken P.
4/23 Frieda R.
4/27 Norman S.
4/28 Quartez S.
4/29 Chris H.
4/29 Bryan S.
5/6 Christy C.
5/7 Shawn C.
5/12 Mary B.
5/13 Cleophus B.
5/18 Brian T.
5/21 Mike R.
5/27 Adam M.
5/28 Helen D.
6/1 Kristopher S.
6/8 George B.
6/8 James T.
6/9 Richard S.
6/11 Mike S.
6/12 Roger G.
6/14 Archie J.
6/15 John K.
6/22 James J.
6/23 Willie M.
6/23 John H.
6/28 Frances N.
6/30 Robert G.
6/30 Troy H.
6/30 Don J.
7/1 Andre-a W.
7/6 Edgar B.
7/8 Charles F.
7/9 Greg P.
7/13 Antonio “Shorty” T.
7/13 Amy T.
7/14 Andre’ C.
7/20 Christy S.
7/20 Joe S.
7/21 William H.
7/22 Jason M.
7/23 Eddie D.
7/24 Jean S.
7/27 Robert C.
7/28 Brian-Paul W. H.
7/28 Rodney C.
8/2 Cleophus B.
8/4 Lamareo C.
8/5 Dean D.
8/5 Wes S.
8/6 Don K.
8/10 Nicky L.
8/11 Dairon B.
8/26 Ronnie R.
8/26 Ashante S.
8/26 Kenneth W.
9/3 Donneal M.
9/10 Larry W.
9/15 Tim R.
9/22 David W.
9/22 Anna B.
9/22 Sylvia A.
9/22 Carlester Y.
9/23 Torence N.
9/24 Emma S.
9/28 Craig W.
9/29 James S.
9/30 David F.
10/1 John H.
10/4 Shirley J.
10/6 Robert C.
10/7 Phillip “Billy” J.
10/7 John B.
10/13 Daniel S.
10/14 Jamie O.
10/14 Ulysses H.
10/15 Ralph R.
10/19 Gastivus H.
10/20 Marcus M.
10/26 Vernon F.
10/27 Glen W.
11/11 Teresa M.
11/12 Dennis C.
11/16 Paul D.
11/17 Herman B.
11/17 Brad B.
11/19 Terry A.
12/3 Pat B.
12/3 Steve P.
12/3 Samuel T.
12/9 Keith M.
12/9 Kyle T.
12/10 Louis B.
12/14 Kim H.
12/16 Mark B.

 2009 River City Ministry Restorations

1/6 Billy B.
1/8 Mack Y.
1/8 Rita W.
1/12 Geraldine L.
1/13 Aaron J.
1/20 Carlton W.
1/21 Cherry W.
1/22 Lilly W.
1/25 Donald B.
2/3 Brian S.
2/3 Wesley B.
2/4 Sharon H. G.
2/4 Gary Z. W.
2/4 Anthony S.
2/4 Michael Y.
2/5 Dan S.
2/11 Adam M.
2/11 Stephen S.
2/17 Alonzo M.
2/17 Willie L.
2/17 Ron M.
2/17 Earl M.
2/17 David R.
2/17 Ronnie K.
2/19 Billy B.
2/25 Oliver S.
2/26 Donald J.
2/26 Marcus T.
2/26 Joanna S.
3/2 Manuel O.
3/2 Desmond A.
3/4 Adrian B.
3/4 Wiley C.
3/4 Christy S.
3/9 Robert B.
3/10 Marty R.
3/16 Earle M.
3/17 Bryant R.
3/17 Barry M.
3/18 Albert B.
3/24 Terrence C.
3/25 Gary M.
3/30 Gastivus H.
4/1 Lloyd P.
4/1 Oliver S.
4/1 Tochelle W.
4/6  John G.
4/7 Larry H.
4/7 Kay M.
4/7  Ruth J.
4/13 Joe K.
4/16 Jeremy R.
4/20 Michael F.
4/21 Yolanda C.
4/21 Keith M.
4/22 Shantana M.
4/26 Sara B.
4/29 Danny P.
5/4 James W.
5/4 Calvin C.
5/6 Odell D.
5/7 Samuel T.
5/11 Willie J.
5/14 Mike H.
5/18 Kenneth H.
5/20 Ricky N.
5/21 Steve K.
5/26 Jay A. G.
5/27 Ed D.
5/28 John G.
6/1 Robert G.
6/5 James T.
6/9 Teraz H.
6/11 Yolanda M.
6/11 Lee B.
6/16 Dean B.
6/18 Wendell W.
6/19 Dwayne S.
6/22 Gastivus H.
6/23 Lenora B.
6/23 Michael S.
6/30 Robyne B.
7/1 Mark M.
7/13 O.J. W.
7/13 Linda H.
7/16 Tommie J.
7/22 Marcus T.
7/24 Dean D.
8/4 Roosevelt B.
8/4 Carl W.
8/11 Ronnie C.
8/11 Earnest A.
8/12 Gastivus H.
8/24 Victoria M.
8/31 Doris W.
8/31 Jesse M.
8/31 Charles C.
8/31 Linda H.
9/2 Jerry A.
9/2 Randy B.
9/9 Larry W.
9/10 Dante T.
9/15 William B.
9/21 Samuel T.
9/21 Herbert M.
9/21 Herman B.
9/21 Sylvia C.
9/22 Sylvia A.
9/22 Carlester Y.
9/28 Sandra D.
9/28 Jerry M.
9/29 Kenneth P.
9/29 Sharon W.
10/5 Frank P.
10/5 Rickey S.
10/8 Ed D.
10/8 Nandre E.
10/12 Jimmy D.
10/13 Clara H.
10/21 Tim J.
10/12 Clarence B.
10/21 Harold H.
10/21 Kenneth E.
10/22 Sherman C.
10/26 Vernon F.
10/28 Robert M.
11/2 Albert B.
11/4 Derrick C.
11/4 Terrence C.
11/5 George B.
11/5 Beth H.
11/9 Leroy K.
11/9 Andrew R.
11/9 Nathan M.
11/11 Marilyn G.
11/11 Willie J.
11/16 Charles C.
11/16 Bradley B.
11/18 Terry A.
11/18 Ronnie M.
11/18 Romero B.
11/23 Brian H.
11/24 Regina F.
11/24 Carol L.
11/30 Doris W.
11/30 L. P. F.
12/1 Donovan M.
12/1 Steve P.
12/2 Pamela B.
12/2 Dawn S.
12/14 Terrence W.
12/14 Robert A.
12/16 Rhonda B.
12/16 Darin Y.

 Awesome.

As Anthony requests, “please take a few minutes to pray each by name that the faithfulness, security, hope and love of God will richly indwell them” – I know they’ll appreciate it. 🙂

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Is Social Media Just a Fad?

Is social media like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace (etc.) just another fad, or is it a fundamental shift in the way we communicate?

I’ve leaned toward the latter for a good while now, and videos like this only strengthen my opinion. Check it out:

Still think social media might be a fad? Yes?

Okay, how about this: did you read the news yesterday?

The President of the United States said this to schoolchildren in a formal speech:

“Be careful what you post on Facebook. Whatever you do, it will be pulled up later in your life.”

I for one am VERY GLAD social media wasn’t around just a few years ago (the dirt on me would be public domain), and whether you like Obama or not, his assumption is correct: social media isn’t going anywhere. It’s here to stay.

Social media: absolutely nothing like Vanilla Ice.

Profound shifts in the DNA of our society don’t come along very often – what we’re witnessing with the insurgence of social media into everyday life is akin to the industrial revolution or even the invention of the printing press.

Ours will be a moment that historians point back to saying, “That was a time when a new technology changed the whole world.”

Why am I making a big deal about this? Because social media is about connecting with people, and Jesus is a big fan of that.

I can tell you a few stories about people I’ve been able to connect with through social media who are now connected to Jesus as a result.

Perhaps you have a few you can share too?

Brainstorm with me:

1) How could social media be used to impact the world for Christ?

2) How do you use social media to impact the world for Christ?

I’ve got to teach a group of ministers about this subject in the coming months – your feedback will help me do a good job of that. Thanks 🙂

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Free Resource: Romans Approach to Sharing Your Faith

My dad has been invited to walk the students at Harding University’s Center for Advanced Ministry Training through an evangelistic study he put together years ago.

Here’s a little testimony of my experience with it:

Here’s a copy of the study itself for free download: The Romans Approach to Reaching the Lost – feel free to share with anyone you’d like.

I’m not exaggerating – thousands of people are Christians today as the result of being walked through this study.

The gospel of Jesus truly is in the most powerful thing in the universe!

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