March 2015 Prayer Letter
March 2015
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Silent Word Ministries! Thank you for taking a few minutes to read of God’s blessings in 2014 and the plans for 2015. As you read this news, please pray for God’s continued blessing in the days ahead.
A Year of Blessing – On February 8, we conducted our annual SWM Board of Directors meeting. What a joy to report that in 2014 SWM had 605 reported salvation decisions. As of this past year there have been 6,909,006 total items printed on SWM presses. Also, in 2014, two new SWMI missionary families were added to the SWMI team – Bruce and Amanda Stuart, Missionaries to the Deaf of Gabon, and Drew and Melinda Wright, Missionaries to the Deaf of England. Both families will officially begin deputation this year. They are worthy of your prayer and support.
A Year to Prepare – 2014 was a year of preparation, stretching, and strengthening at SWM. We developed the ministry in several needy and essential areas. Ted Camp has begun to convert many SWM materials to PDF format so they can be downloaded through the online catalog and sent free to missionaries and national pastors (M&M Ministry). For the first time the SWM online catalog offers materials via PayPal with over 50 materials available for download with a 50% discount. The new SWM website has been divided into 7 separate websites to better serve the various needs. By visiting SilentWordMinistries.org, it is easy to find the Silent Word Newspaper, our Online Catalog, the Deaf Bible Institute, our salvation follow-up program Follow8Steps.org, and Silent Word Ministries International. We also have a private website just for SWM missionaries. The SWM website and DeafVitalSigns.org offer free Bible teaching in signs and voice with Jon Barr, Jim Bracelin, and many others.
Newspaper News – Beginning with this year’s first issue, The Silent Word Newspaper is now available online in an easy-to-read format. This helps those in foreign countries receive the newspaper immediately (instead of in weeks), and it makes the articles easily searchable and available for downloading, printing and reuse in ministries. SWM is thinking outside the box, but not outside the Book. It is exciting that both the printed word and the “electronic word” are now being used to reach the Deaf worldwide.
Ministries? – SWM is not just one ministry, but many ministries in one. SWM include, the SWNewspaper, the Deaf Bible Institute, the T&T Bible Institute, the SWMission Board (14 missionary families, including 4 SWMI missionaries), SWM Publications, the M&M ministry to foreign missionaries and national leaders, SWM Northeast and SWM Outreach Operations (Jim Bracelin), SWMI (David Bennett), and the SWM Home Office.
Home Office: Some have asked if SWM has fees for missionaries. No! Missionaries receive 100% of the money sent to them. Also, our *EOB missionary staff is non-salary. SWM ministry provides for the mission board, and also many other “free-as-the-Lord-provides” evangelistic outreaches such as tracts, newspaper, DBI, and Outreach ministries. SWM Home Office operates within a $6,100 monthly budget which is provided by support, gifts and self-generating ministries. We only seek to raise funds (outside our operating budget) for special large projects. It seems our friends and supporters always respond. We still continue to operate debt free. A recent visitor to SWM commented how he was amazed that SWM is able to do so much with so little. God is good! Thank you for your prayers and support!
For Deaf Souls,
Jon Barr
SWM *Executive Operating Board: Ted Camp, Director/Founder – Jon Barr, Director of Operations – Jim Bracelin, Director of Outreach Operations