2025 May Newsletter

March, Finishing Missions Month at OPBC:                                                                                             In March we had our Missions Month at Old Paths Baptist Church. The Theme of our Missions Month was “Our Need and Our Fruitfulness”.  During this month many things took place: 1) On March 1st, Olivia, a teenager of a family that started coming in October 2023 received Christ as her Savior. This Teenager is the reason that Gary and Regina first contacted me at OPBC and started coming. As mentioned in March’s Newsletter the Lord has done many great things that transformed this family. (Read March’s Newsletter if you missed it!, it is a testimony of God’s Goodness and Greatness!!!); 2) During our Missions Month, We had Brother Brian Starre and his wife, Diane Starre come to OPBC to do an Outreach and Inreach session. They are missionaries helping Encourage and Strengthen churches. When I think of Brother and Sister Starre and the “HEART MINISTRY” that they have started I think of the first part of Proverbs 21:5, “The thoughts of the Diligent tend only to plenteousness;…”.They  spent the morning with us, teaching us about Outreach and In-Reach into our community, then we had a delicious potluck lunch the church folks brought in. It was a good time of Edifying the church, with fellowship, and Food! The Starre’s Ministry reaches worldwide with free online materials that can help individuals and churches in their growth with the Lord at: https://www.kjvhearthelps.com/; 3) After our morning services on March 30th I had the privilege of Baptizing Olivia, the teen the received Christ on March 1st; 4. On the first Sunday of January at OPBC was our Vision Sunday and I presented our theme for the year, which is, “Going Forward with Christ The Lord” using that theme, our theme verse for the Year in Matthew 26:46, “Rise, Let Us Be Going”and It’s provoking thoughts. One of those plans were the bringing in of a new pastor, so in the evening of March 30th I had an Installation Service for their new pastor, Pastor Chris Caley. Pastor Chris Caley and his wife Natalie have six children, their oldest married in September 2024. They are a fine family that went to Massillon for Bible School. They are excited in doing a work for God at OPBC. In April we transferred church accounts, emails, and other needed information concerning OPBC, and we were able to go visiting with the new Pastor and the church for their Easter 

Bro. Starre

 Mrs. Starre with the ladies

APRIL and MAY, Furthering Ministry Outreach:

There are 2 Letters attached along with this Newsletter: 1^st, a Letter from Pastor Royalty of Broadview Heights Baptist Church which our ministry is now under, where Bro Brian and Diana Starre are members with the HEART Ministry; 2^nd, a Description Letter of our ministry, “HEART For The LOCAL CHURCH”. We are thankful for your continual support in every ministry move the Lord has led us in, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT CHRIST and HIS CHURCH, whether in SERVING the small CHURCH at Chippewa Lake as an assistant pastor, later going to CHURCH PLANT as their 1^stsending missionary, then returning to PASTOR the struggling Old Paths Baptist CHURCH of a pastor dying of cancer; to Now, this new work, as an extension associated with the HEART Ministry, “HEART For The LOCAL CHURCH”. A ministry in short as the Apostle Paul said, “…the Care Of All The Churches”- II Corinthians 11:28. This ministry is a helps ministry. It is designed to Help, Encourage, and Strengthen churches, pastors and their families. It is to assist with church re-starts and new-starts where needed, and to help each church carry out the Great Commission. There are many churches that need help. There are at least 60 smaller independent Baptist churches within an hour of our location in Medina. As missionaries we will be focusing our ministry on Northeast, Mid-Ohio and Beyond. We have had some churches take us on already with other pastors and speakers saying that they will spread the word of our ministry “HEART For The LOCAL CHURCH”. The Lord has been working on me about furthering our ministry for quite some time. Every time the Lord moves us in a ministry direction He has given me a Bible Passage/Verse and a Replacement for ministry opportunities He has afforded me to be involved with. The Mailing address for all future support is: Broadview Heights Baptist Church, 9850 Broadview Road, Broadview Heights, OH 44147. Checks are to be written out to Broadview Heights Baptist Church with a Note in the Memo that the Supportis for Matthew Siekbert/ or “HEART For The LOCAL CHURCH”. Chippewa Lake  Baptist Church will be forwarding the support they receive for us through this transitional period until all is clear. We will be in contact with our Supporters. We look forward to your continuing with us as God has always worked through you and the ministries He has had for us to do. We need time and room for adjustment and development, but the Lord is already at work. Thank you for your help and patience in this transition. God Bless you and your Faithful prayers and financial Support!!!!

Family News, Ghana News, Needs, and Prayer Request:

At the end of April we went to Bill Rice Ranch for their Bible college graduation. Our son, Joseph graduated with a 4 year degree; Our son, Nehemiah finished with a one year certificate. Joseph will be staying down in Murfreesboro; and Nehemiah has gone back to Bill Rice to be a camp counsellor for this summer. In Ghana, Pastor Prince and Linda Tackie had a baby girl on May 2^nd. He sent me a picture of the baby on WhatsApp saying, “Be The First Ones To Know and See”their baby girl, Rosemary Tostos Tackie. Pastor Prince’s Mother, Mary Tackie passed away Saturday, May 17^th; also, today, June 3^rdPastor Koasi called me about needing some help renewing rent on their Bible Study Room in Anaji, the need is $500. Please Pray for our boys, our Pastor’s in Ghana, and the Launching, Developing, and Support of our Furthered Outreaching Ministry, “HEART for The LOCAL CHURCH” 

 

Rosemary 

Joseph 4 year

Nehemiah 1 year

Bits Of Bread:  My Prayer and Plea is the Lord Establishing our Work for His Glory: “And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.” – Psalm 90:17       

Matthew J Siekbert       

2025 March Newsletter

 Bowling and Baskets: 

In February, we at Old Paths went Bowling having some Pizza and Pop! We had two teams and the team that scored the highest won, but that team had a little help having the bumper guards up. We had a good time of fellowship. Also, in February the church collected two Laundry Basket full of Baby Items. There were two couples that I knew of
from Wynford Public School that had babies in late November and early December. The First Couple: They had a new baby girl named Blair, and have been married for about a year and a half. This couple teach at Wynford Public School and live right across the street from the church. He is the coach that I mentioned last year that has been very responsive in conversations we’ve had together. When we brought the Basket of Baby items, they were very appreciative and allowed me to give the gospel and mention to them that the children God gives us is a precious gift and we are to be stewards of His gift which we will give an account of. The Second Couple: They are some young teenagers that are living together with her mother. They both are connected with Wynford Public School. She is doing classes online to keep up with school. Pray that we would have more opportunities with them. Their baby’s name is Coralyn.

Salvation: Back in October of 2023 an unmarried couple called Old Paths Baptist Church and asked me to come over because they had some issues in dealing with her daughter, Olivia. Since then, as I’ve mentioned the Lord’s working in the last few years in their lives: through Gary getting saved, through Gary and Regina getting married, then baptized and joining the church, and faithfully coming to church. On March the 1^stof this year Regina’s daughter, Olivia asked Jesus to Save her!!!  Regina was concerned about Olivia’s Salvation and Regina had asked us to come over March 1^st. My wife and I went over to have pizza with them and share the Gospel with Olivia. It was a wonderful day to see how and what all the Lord has done for them!!!

 

The Start Of Our Missions Month At OPBC: Our main Emphasis this year is on our Community, our Jerusalem. We want to show the people that are all around us that we care. The idea is if we can get people around us to see we care for them and their situations, it may be that they might start caring about what we need to say and its importance. God is not willing that any should perish, but have Eternal Life, so we that are Saved need to be wise in Getting the truth out most effectively. As a Church and individual Believers, we should want to be affective and, I believe, showing others that we care will lead, in the long-run, to a better outcome. “And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.” - Mark 6:34; “And of some have compassion, making a difference:” – Jude 1:22

 

Prayer Requests:Steve and Debbie Wingard, Non-Member of OPBC, Steve was just Diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer last Friday, Steve made a Reassurance of his Salvation this Friday at the Hospital; Old Paths Baptist Church work and growth; Our Missions Month this month; My wife and I would still like to go visit our church plant and Pastors back in Ghana West Africa if you all would pray about helping us in that, we would need around $5000. We have been given $250 back  in September 2024, Thank you Calvary Bible Baptist Church.

 

Bits Of Bread:  II Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

                            

Thank you all for your Support in Helping us Do our mission, “Missions In America!”       Matthew J Siekbert