2024 May Newsletter

From the Ocean to the Trough:                                                                                                                                                              In March we finished up our Baptism/Membership classes with the Evans family, the family that I wrote about in our last newsletter that Received Christ as their Saviour at the end of January and the beginning of February. In Ghana, West Africa, when people from our church plant there got Saved, we would go to the ocean for our Baptismal Services. On Easter Sunday they, the Evans family, all got Baptized in a holding tank/ trough that you would use on a farm. To me that was pretty sharp!!! It has been exciting for the church and those who come and are not yet saved, or yet have decided to become members to see a whole family getting Saved then getting Baptized and joining the church.

Gary Got Saved:                                                                                                                                                                     Since last October there has been a couple coming with her teen daughter. The couple, Gary and Regina, back in October called me at the church here at Old Paths for some help and counsel with Regina’s daughter. After they called me, I went over to visit and talk with them about their situation and getting Saved. Regina had already gotten Saved a long time ago, but Gary was not and he told me that. But they have been coming faithfully ever since October. On Saturday, April 20^th of this year, Gary got very sick and was taken to the hospital’s emergency room. By that afternoon I went to visit him and Regina there. It was a good hour’s drive and all that I could think is, “That He Needed To Get Saved!” So, when I arrived and got to his room everything seemed to be fine, but his blood pressure was very high, at times it was over 200. I started with some small talk and questions on why he thinks that he was there (God Knew). Then I asked him about getting Saved, he was under conviction and really wanting to get Saved, but in his mind he was just uneasy on how to do that and go about that. So, when I asked him, he said, “O, I will do it tomorrow at church (Sunday). Regina sitting across from me said to Gary, “What If You Don’t Make it till tomorrow?” Then I looked at him and said, “she is right, you are not guaranteed tomorrow.” We then did a little-more small talk and then he said, “Well, maybe I’ll get saved on Wednesday evening?” All the while wanting to get Saved and knowing he needed to get Saved, he in his mind was just uneasy on how to go about it. I asked him, “Who is going to win today, You or the Devil, there is nothing stopping you from getting Saved right now, you do not need to wait to get to church.” He, then said, “I will, I will get Saved after they let me go to the restroom.” When Gary got back to the room he was laying in I got to lead him to the Lord!!! Gary told me after he got Saved what was going on in his mind that he wasn’t sure and uneasy of how to go about getting Saved. He also said, “I should have done this 60 years ago.” “I told him, it is better late than never!” Thank you all for your faithfully supporting of us financially and prayerfully in our ministry at Old Paths church planting, Establishing, and Strengthening, God Builds His Church and more is in the works!!! The Lord Orchestrates, We Must Just Follow!

Regina front left, Gary next to her and then Bro. Siekbert

Prayer Requests:                                                                                                                                                                       

My wife and I are looking to go back to visit and encourage our Church Plant, Cornerstone Biblical Baptist Church with Pastor Prince, and the Anaji Bible Study with Pastor Koasi in Ghana, West Africa. We are thinking around September/ the fall time, but we need to raise funds for that; Our son Nehemiah is graduating from High School on May 18^th, for our family as we travel to Florida for that; Our continued church growth at Old Paths. The Lord is at Work!

 

Bits Of Bread:                                                                                                                                                 

It Is Quite Amazing To Look Back At How The Lord Orchestrates His Mercy for Our Salvation!!! “Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?” – Romans 11:12  (11:1-36)                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                           

 Matthew J Siekbert

 

2024 March Newsletter

January/February Activities:                                                                                                                                                                   In the beginning of the year as I was preaching on our theme, “The Church that God Builds after the morning service a couple wanted to join the church, but they had some question and wanted to share some things with us. So, I asked them to come over to our house during the week to start some Baptism/Membership classes. I also had a question for them!!! That night on Thursday, January the 26th, they came over and made sure of their salvation and asked if they could bring their children the next week? I said, “Sure that would be Great!” The next week on Friday, February the 9th, they came with their kids and we began the baptism/membership classes, the first lesson being on Salvation! Their children, ages 10 and 18 were not saved so I explained Why and How to get saved. Then I asked Dylan, the 10 year old son, if he would like to get saved. He hesitated, then said that he was not ready just yet. Then I asked Aubrey, the 18 year old daughter, and quickly with no hesitation she said, “Yes, I would like to get Saved” She then bowed her head and asked Jesus Christ to be her Saviour. After receiving Christ as her Saviour, her brother said, “I’m ready to get Saved! Amen, Praise the Lord! The two accepted Christ and joined their parents with their hearts in the baptism/membership class. Aubrey had a spiritual birthday that day and the next day she had her physical birthday and turned 19. These classes have been good for all of us, It Is a Joy To Be with them asking questions, sharing experiences, and the fellowship. Although we eventually, go over our notes together we have other good discussions that they bring up.

Dave & Emma

Kids Dylan & Aubrey

Also, in February we had a teen activity, it was a Progressive Dinner. We had 5 teens join the activities and some of the church families host different parts of the meal playing a game at each house as the evening went on. We had a good time. I was asked to speak at a Valentines Dinner and one couple from our church at Old Paths joined us for the Valentine’s Banquet. We rode together and fellowshipped before the dinner. We had a nice time together with Pastor Warnick and Calvary Chapel which hosted the

Valentine dinner. We at Old Paths Baptist Church hosted a Pastor’s Fellowship for the month of February for North Central Ohio Baptist Fellowship. We had about 23 pastors coming, I spoke the first session and Pastor Joe Williams spoke the 2nd session, then we had our lunch down stairs. Another church who was not able to host the fellowship gave us some money towards the preparing of the meal. Jackie made sloppy Joe's, real Macaroni and Cheese and Green Beans. A few days before the Pastor’s Fellowship the Ladies of the church helped clean and spruce up the church. The Day of, they brought in desserts, helped with serving and cleaned up. It was a blessing to see them get involved. The day went well!

Valentine Dinner

Updates/Prayer Requests & Praise!:

My trip to Heartland Baptist Bible College’s Church Planting Conference with my son Nehemiah went well. I did not get to present our work here at Old Paths, but there were contacts that were made. The Church Planting Conference was big with many pastor and people coming to help fund the church planters that came and presented, but only about 30+ church planters were selected to present during the week. Although we did not get to present they printed out a booklet of all the Church Planters present at the conference and everyone that attends the conference received one. Through that there has been some pastors and other people contact us with financial support one time giving and maybe longer. Pray for us, time will tell. It was a good conference and good to see the many of those who are supportive of America’s need. 

Pray for the Spencer Family in the passing of Pastor James Spencer; Pray for Our

upcoming Easter Breakfast we are planning at Old Paths, our Church growth and Effectiveness! Thanks for the Birthday Cards and Wishes; Thanks For Your Faithful Support!

Bits Of Bread: “And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” - Col 3:14; “Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!” – Jn 11:36 “Others Need To See Your Love”

Love is the bond of perfectness; Love is comforting, consoling, and fulfills; Love gets you farther in your faith; Love helps others to convert; Love is something others remember; Love is what others need to see:

I. It (LOVE) Is What Others Remember - Jn 11:1-3;

II. It (LOVE) Is What Heavily Influences Our Decisions - Jn 11:4-7;

III. It (LOVE) Is What Causes Others To Follow, Even If They Don’t Quite Understand - Jn 11:7-16;

IV. It (LOVE) Is What Others Need To See - Jn 11:17-46

We Have A World That Needs Christ and the Best Way That They Will Ever Have a Hope Of Receiving Him as their Saviour Is To See The LOVE OF Christ In You!!! 

Matthew J Siekbert

November Newsletter 2023

 November/December Activities:                                                                                                     At Old Paths we had during November National Bible Publishing Month and we did our lessons on: God’s Plan; God’s Place; God’s People; and God’s Purpose for Getting God’s Word out to the world. During the weeks of November and December we decided to take up Special Offerings for Rolls of Paper to print the Word of God on. The logical thought behind the giving of this offering in November and December was that IT WAS A WAY of Giving Thanks To God for His Word that we have as Christians, and also, IT WAS A WAY of Giving the Lord a Gift on His Birthday!!! One roll cost $800 and is to produce 400 Whole Bibles or 1,800 New Testaments. Between some guests we had on Friend Day and our church here at Old Paths we were able to raise money for 2+ rolls of paper. Praise The Lord!!! In December we had a teen Christmas gathering with a gift exchange and of course, food! We had 6 teens for this activity. It was our first and last activities for 2023. We have more planned for 2024. The ladies from our church prepared some cookies for our Caroling stops and on Wednesday evening December 13th we at Old Paths went out Christmas Caroling to some of the elderly in connection to the church. One of the families that have been coming, her Mother has cancer so we went there and it was uplifting for her Mother to see. Please pray for her, Denise is her name. Afterward we went back to the church for some cookies and hot chocolate. The ladies finished up their Bible Study for the year and also had a gift exchange after their last study together. We had a good Christmas Eve service. I Preached on “Glory To God For The Glory Of God!” and on New Year’s Eve I Preached on “A Fresh Start Being Close To God”. We had our last potluck, and in the evening observed the Lord’s supper. 

                 

     

Our New Theme & Our New Year:                                                                                                Here at Old Paths Baptist Church we had our Vision Sunday January 7th. Our theme for 2024 is: “The Church That God Builds” our theme verse is Psalm 127:1a, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it...” This Passage is associated with the Building/Construction of Solomon’s Temple. Using this passage of Scripture we want

to parallel that truth to Building Up Old Paths Baptist Church and teaching those that come and are to come that “THE CHURCH THAT GOD BUILDS has to be done GOD’s WAY shone us in GOD’s WORD or else our labor is in vain, an Empty and an Open show if God is not behind it and in How it is to be done! We are looking forward to what the Lord will do. We set the goals and plans we would like to see accomplished this year. We also set the calendar of events. Please pray for us as we will be making some painful changes, but they are right and they are needed at this time! We just started this in the last month or so that on Wednesday evenings, if

the teen girls we have come, my wife will go down stairs with them and teach them. This Wednesday evening Emily, one of the new comers told us that in December after she left one of our Wednesday evening services that she asked Christ to be her Savior! Amen! God Is At Work and I Do Not Know How it will all play out. This year we have a few engagements to learn from and to try raising more support and awareness of America as a needy mission field. Next week, January 15-19, my son Nehemiah and I will be going to a Church Planting Conference in Oklahoma and later on in the near future there are more speaking engagements that will give

opportunity to share our Church Planting and Establishing ministry here in America at Old Paths Baptist Church.

Emily (Left) Olivia (Right)

Update from Ghana:                                                                                                                           I was able to talk to Pastor Prince before Christmas the family is doing well. The church has been able to accomplish putting in a platform up front in their church auditorium for the preaching. The church is growing and I got to Preach their Christmas Eve Service through a Recording of our message here, then sending it to them.

Prayer Requests & Thank Yous:                                                                                                 Travels to a Church Planting Conference in Oklahoma; Support; For Denise and her Cancer;

More Saved; More Teens; More Folks Coming; More Joining. Thank you for your continued Prayers and Financial Support and Gifts for our family and our work at Old Paths Baptist Church.

Bits Of Bread:                                                                                                                               “And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.” – Esther 8:3

Be Committed To The Cause Of Christ – “Esther reaches across the centuries to join hands with Believers today and to say to the church: Be Committed!” - Wiersbe

Matthew J Siekbert