November 22nd, 2010 by Zac

I (Zac) have recently accepted a new role in my work. I will be coordinating a new dimension of our national work focused on increasing the  health and reproductive capability of local churches. This new focus is called ADVANCE and will carve out about 15% of my work schedule. This is a new direction for Josiah Venture and  Kompas Training Center, because our primary focus to date has been youth ministry.

However, Josiah Venture has noticed a pattern over the years resulting from healthy youth groups in unhealthy churches. The pattern involves the average youth group member, who hits some imaginary ceiling in the adult church, after he is old enough to leave the youth ministry. Eventually, they drift away from the church because of a lack of continuity in health, passion and vision between the youth ministry and the adult church. Our vision is an entirely healthy church, where this disparity doesn’t occur. And ultimately, more healthy churches will be produced and multiplied.

Over the past few years, I have spent more time than ever before in the place of directional leadership of our local church. So presently, my passion runs high in the area of having a healthy church. This seemed like the right appointment for me in this present environment.

Prayer fuel:

* That God would raise up a group of young leaders and seasoned pastors with a passion for healthy, reproducing churches.

* We need new model churches that are strong in the Word, discipleship, community, outreach and multiplication.

* I should only be a temporary leader of this new direction. Pray for the right Slovak national who would step into this role with experience, vision and passion.

November 22nd, 2010 by Zac

Just for your information, Josiah Venture has a new website.

You might be interested in some of these features:

1. A place to subscribe to Josiah Ventures monthly, e-mail newsletter.

2. A place to make a special gift to one of our three current projects in Slovakia- (click here)

4. Josiah Venture mailing address

5. Our latest Shepperson family profile

The new web address is the same as the old one – www.josiahventure.com

November 16th, 2010 by Kim

At least for me anyway. I often feel like I am living from one thing to the next. At the same time, I DO feel like I am “living life” , enjoying family, our church and serving our Lord. But still the fact remains, life doesn’t move slow. It’s fast. Often not even yielding  time for reflection.

I am a planner/scheduler: grocery shopping, weekly menu, home-school planning, school events, bible study, after school activities, meetings. . . Most of the time, if I get it on the schedule, it will more than likely get done. Now with that said, I also fully believe that at the present moment, I have (or can think of) enough things on my schedule to plan for the rest of my life. So then my planning becomes more prioritizing, staying ahead, SURVIVING.

One day, it finally hit me just how full my days are when I was at the grocery store for my weekly shopping. I saw there a friend. I had my list, he had his, we laughed at how we both were moving so fast through the dairy section. Then as we were parting he said to me, “ok, so we’ll see you when you bring Oli (his son) home from sports”. Immediately I panicked, flushed and my heart sank at the realization that despite my good planning, I had missed it. How could I have forgotten such an important thing. This couldn’t be happening to me. Not only had I forgotten that it was my “day” to pick up from sports, but I had not even remembered to “take” my boy to sports! What a mess! Thankfully my friend was very understanding and stepped right in my crisis and helped me out.

This week (and for many weeks now) on my schedule is to write a web post update on all the great things going on over here in Slovakia. When I see it on my “list” through-out the week,  I immediately think of all the things I can write about and in my mind I have really nice elaborate posts. All i need to do is get them out of my head and onto the web (easy enough). Unfortunately, so many things take over and prevent the latter from happening. Not major things, but just life: dinner preparation, shopping, homework, homeschooling, teaching, bible study, cleaning – the list goes on.

But today, I found a space. I finished homeschool with Emili, sent her off to regular school for the rest of her classes. The house is cleaned (yesterday’s list).  Dinner is already started and on the stove.  Hampton is watching a “program” and occupied for the moment. Here I am, in the kitchen,  computer at hand, ready to dictate all those nicely composed posts. . . . how can i just pick up and write without first an explanation? that done, and now. . . the timer goes off (time’s up) ! Off to the  next thing (lunch date with Zac,  school pick-ups, small group preparation for tonight). But first, necessities to squeeze in (get out of my pj’s, brush teeth, clean up breakfast dishes)

Still I’m thankful for what i did write and hopefully “next time” will prove to be a bit more productive! Until then!

September 2nd, 2010 by Zac

“Why are you all dressed up in a costume?” I asked Gwyneth one day. “Because I need a costume for kids camp” she said with a certain urgency. There is only one surprising fact about this conversation. Kids camp was still THREE  WEEKS away! This made me pause for a minute and realize how important kids camp is for our kids. So, much so, that they prepare costumes 3 weeks out!

Kids camp is a special event  organized by our mission organization (Josiah Venture) every summer for all the children of it’s missionaries, ages 8 and up. It’s a week long experience, dripping with gripping adventure, novel amusements, strong spiritual challenge and enriching relationship.

This years camp was located in an unknown village on a previously uncharted border between Croatia and Slovenia. And the stories that subsequently emerge are equally obscure – crazy games with dead fish and other strange animal parts, painful paintball explosions and ferocious team competitions.

But without a doubt, all parents know there kids will come home with two things; a deeper desire to follow Christ and be more like him and a solid confidence that there is a group of people in the world that loves them till it hurts.

Thank you kids camp team for your strategic efforts and personal sacrifice for our kids!

August 10th, 2010 by Zac

I wanted to share a few stories about how God works through English camps in Slovakia this summer.

In case you didn’t remember, we had 8 camps with 9 participating Slovak local churches and 6 American local church teams. The last camp is finished and now the stories are streaming back.

“I came to camp to find God – and I found Him” one teenage boy said. A rough life with an abusive parent had made his heart soft even before camp started,  to the idea that there must be something better out there. We always pray that God will prepare the students who come to camp. This is one classic example that unveils our passionate God, who works quietly behind the curtain of individual lives to make his love known. We praise you God, for being infinitely more at work than we imagine!

“I only go to church with my grandmother during the holidays, and I don’t really believe in God”, one camper commented. But after the influence of a christian schoolmate (who, by the way, had met Christ previously at a KECY camp), an intense week hearing truth and being with other God followers, gave his life over to God´s control. Thank you God for your perfect power to convince.

Classic quote – At the beginning of camp – “I don’t like that kind of music” At the end of camp – “Could you please give me the names of those bands and camps songs?” You are a God that changes our mind!

Rado was a typical students these days…. black clothes, long hair, earphones, “leave me alone” type … who met Christ at camp.  “He cried at least 5 times on the last day as we all said our goodbyes” someone said. Thank you God for breaking our hearts.

One student said, “I already decided against following God last year” (because of his refusal to enter catholic confirmation classes – we found out later) . But because of the persistence of a loving camp leader, he decided to give his life to Christ. He is already a part of a small group of believers who meet in his local village.  We worship you God, because you give us second chances.

These stories can be repeated over and over with slightly different details across Slovakia and Central Europe. God has changed lives this summer – it’s easy to hear.

And for those of you who pray and support the work of Kompas Training Center, I hope you sense and hear the impact of your sacrifice in the words of the above comments.

June 16th, 2010 by Zac

English, fun and truth. They make a great mix! That’s why the camping ministry in Josiah Venture bears more fruit than any other effort. In Slovakia, we’ll spend a week with 400 to 500 high school students over the course of the month of July. 6 American church teams will join teams from 9 Slovak churches to carry out 8 camps around Slovakia.

This years theme is “Redeem” and will focus on our need to be “bought back” from our slavery to sin and death. Our whole family will be attending the camp organized by a local church in Bratislava (our capital city).

Will you please pray with me that God will open the eyes of hundreds to their need for a redeemer.

June 16th, 2010 by Zac

Emili has taken piano for several years from the same teacher. This spring we went through a crisis that challenged us all. Emili’s teacher grew more and more frustrated with her because of her lack of practice and progress. Her teacher would get so angry at times that she would scream at and harshly demean her.

But Emili is a trooper and she didn’t let it discourage her. She began to push herself to practice more regularly and in a more focused way. She knew that what the teacher was concerned about wasn’t all just hot air. And by the time it was recital day, she was fully ready.

She sat on the stage with nerves of steal and played her 3 pieces without a mistake. And, she looked like a princess as well. We are proud of her strong and determined spirit and we look forward to years of pleasure as she serves God with her piano skills.

June 16th, 2010 by Zac

I could tell by the way the students stared at their diplomas that they were impressed with the way it looked and that they were proud of what they had accomplished. Likewise, I could tell by the way the students said goodbye, that what we had accomplished together this year had left a deep impression on their hearts.

On Sunday, the last day of May, 20 students traveled back to their homes from graduation, probably better equipped than 90% of Slovak church members. Pray with us that God will mobilize them in the years ahead to pour themselves out into the lives of those around them.

Our school for youth leaders is an investment. It is a serious investment of time, money, influence, experience, wisdom and knowledge. And it’s all for the strengthening of the church in Slovakia.

June 16th, 2010 by Zac

There is a certain part of me that wakes up when someone is crying. It awakens a desire to help, to rescue, to comfort. And when there is something that keeps me from responding, I feel really helpless and trapped. I guess that is partly the man in me and partly the parent instinct inside.

Now that it’s warmer outside, we have the windows at our office open all day. Just behind our building is the city hospital. Often we can hear the children in the hospital crying and screaming. It’s not a good feeling to hear this and not be able to help or calm or comfort or care.

But I have been taking it as a reminder that there are thousands outside, beyond our office walls that are crying out for help. Crying out because they don’t know the meaning of life, because a sinful world has cruelly punished them, because they are alone, because they don’t have hope.

God help me to find those who are crying out and need you and the joy that you offer.

June 14th, 2010 by Zac

Annual reports are typically very boring, with lots of  numbers and percentages. But I have to say that our Training Center Kompas annual report is not so bad. It has lots of pictures, stories and a thumbnail view of our whole work in Slovakia. It’s online, easy to read through (in English or Slovak) and of course, it has all the numbers if you’re the numbers type.

I hope you’ll take 10 minutes to browse through it. Just click here

When you get on the report page, just click the arrow on the right to advance to subsequent pages.