2026 May Newsletter

    Ministry Update:            

  We have been giving out some Outreach and In-reach folders to some of the newer churches that we  

   have been in these last two months. This material has the Christ-like Caring courses in it, Bible Study 

   courses of the book of John in it, and the Salvation Bible Study sheet that we put into some of the    

   John and Romans that we pass out while doing outreach visitations. This folder of materials is  

  part of what the Starre's have developed over the years in the Heart Ministry and a part of what Bro   

  Brian and Diana Starre went over with us last March at Old Paths Baptist Church during our Missions    

  month before I turned that church over to a new pastor and became an extension in ministry along 

  with the Starre's. We have used this material at Crusade Baptist Church in January as we helped them  

  in starting up an outreach/ visitation program there. If you are interested in getting involved with this 

  as a church, please let us know we would like to help your church in this endeavor getting your church  

  involved in the Great Commission. Also, this last month the Lord has used some people and churches  

  to meet some of our financial needs being a blessing to us and the Lord’s Work: a gas card for 

  ministry use (at gas prices, as of now, that is a huge help), $2,000 was given for a car replacement,  

  and $5,000 for Tickets to visit with our church plant in Ghana W Africa, Cornerstone Biblical Baptist 

  Church, Pastor Prince, and Pastor Koasi. Praise The Lord and to God Be The Glory! Thank you 

  Broadview Heights Baptist Church, the anonymous, and Chippewa Lake Baptist Church. We have   

  some additional needs for this trip that we would like you to pray about and 

  consider helping us with: Visas Expenses for Ghana is $407.09; Expenses Traveling by Plane inside 

  of Ghana, $900; Capital City, Accra Estimated Expenses with one night stay in Accra, is about     

  $340.69; Takoradi/ Sekondi Estimated Expenses (of taxis, eating, lodging) maybe $1,000; Plus,  

  Copies of the “Salvation Bible Study” at an Estimation of $120. The Estimated Total of these    

 Additional Expenses we need to raise funds for is $2,767.78. Please pray for us about this. I am sure  

 there are somethings I have not thought of or that may come up. However God lays these on your heart  

 to give towards these needs, we will be Grateful for!!! Our trip will be July 20^th– July 30^th. You can 

 write the check out to our sending church, Broadview Heights Baptist Church, and memo it for Africa  

 Trip Expenses. Their address is at the bottom of this Newsletter in the blue area. THANK YOU and 

 GOD BLESS YOU!!!

  

Ghana News:

We have been able to purchase airplane tickets and have just submitted our Visa applications for Ghana, and now we are waiting for them!!! This trip will be an encouragement to them, it has been a long time in coming, and a big Blessing to us to go see the Lord’s Work there! This is our tentative plan while we are there in Sekondi/ Takoradi, Ghana. At Cornerstone, Wednesday - Sunday, we are looking at holding a Bible Conference each evening 6-8 and visit each day in the 

mornings until about noon inviting and passing out John and Romans with a “Salvation Bible Study” insert in the John and Romans from the Heart Ministry.

At Cornerstone the Following Monday - Wednesday mornings from 8 am - 1 pm they are planning a VBS (It is a little different than in the States, there will be teaching sessions for the kids: Bible, Math, and English).

  

Family Update:

Our son-in-law, Joe and our daughter, Naomi gave us our first grandchild. Naomi gave birth April 17th to a boy and his name is Thomas Joseph. Please be in prayer for Naomi as she recovers from this birth as it came with some unusual trauma, for Joe and Naomi as hey are now new parents stewarding God’s gift to them. We are excited and thankful to be new grandparents that don’t know what all that means, but we pray that we will be good ones. After coming back from Bill Rice Ranch in Murfreesboro, Tennessee Joseph has joined Broadview Heights Baptist Church our sending church in Ohio.

 

Bits Of Bread:In this portion of Psalm 119:97-104,We find the Christian is “The Greater Because Of God’s Word”

In Psalm 119:97-104 We find the Psalmist’s Emphasis and Expression of the Emphatic Love that he had for the Word of God because of the Greater Increase and Advantage It had given him over all others!!!“O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.”- Psalm 119:97; “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” – Psalm 119:103  

       I. Through God’s Word, I GET MORE… v98;

       II. Through God’s Word, I HAVE MORE… v99; 

       III. Through God’s Word, I UNDERSTAND MORE… v100; 

       IV. Through God’s Word, I Have a BETTER DISCIPLINE, and a BETTER RESOLVE to Keep His 

            Word v101-102; 

       V. Through God’s Word, I HAVE MORE PLEASANT Experiences, than the best of nature v103; 

       VI. Through God’s Word, I GET TRUE UNDERSTANDING THAT CAUSES ME TO HATE EVERY 

            FALSE WAY v104

                                                                                                                                                              Matthew J. Siekbert

                                                                                                                 

2026 March Newsletter

 Ministry Update:             

Four Baptisms in Homerville: 

A Pastor, who has a church with a Methodist background, is teaching it in Biblical ways    

verses the Methodist ways. So, during a four-week vacation the pastor and his wife took at the   

ending of last summer he asked me to fill-in  for him at his church for those four weeks that he would be gone teaching and  preaching on Biblical Salvation, Biblical Baptism, Biblical Church Offices and their proper order, and Biblical Missions. On December 28^th the Pastor was able to have a “Baptismal Sunday with 4 being Biblically Baptized! Amen!!! I followed up and visited a couple of weeks later. In January we were invited to help start up a Visitation Soulwinning/ Community Outreach at Crusade Baptist Church; On Sunday evening the 11^th the pastor had me come preach on “Sowing Seed”, then we were with them for 4 weeks to begin their visitation/Community Outreach on Saturdays. I gave 15 to 20 minutes on some Talking Points, lessons and encouragements in knocking on doors, then we went out those first few weeks in January and into February having a few interruptions with winter weather, but non-the-less, obedience brings blessings. The pastor sent me a text that they had some first-time visitors the following weeks. The Lord is blessing their outreach there. The pastor had me come back the evening of March 15^th. I followed up with them preaching on “Serving the Lord and Commitment”. As First Baptist Church in Valley City was looking for a pastor, I was able to fill-in several times encouraging and challenging them on getting a prayed for pastor that the Lord is leading in. In the first part of January, they were able to decided on a new pastor there, and with joy and good reports of that decision. At this point in the New Year, along with speaking at a pastor’s banquet in February, we have filled in for 16 different churches so far and we have visited another 12 churches to encourage and let them know we are there to help where we can. We have been able to do some visits for Chippewa Lake Baptist, Crusade and Southwest Baptist. Thank you for allowing us to help fulfill needs, and encourage others in God’s Work!!!

Ghana News / Family Update / Prayer Requests:

 Traveling Plans out of the country to go to Ghana W Africa is our desire, but we are not set on the date     

 with events happening in the Middle East. We would like to visit Ghana this summer. We are seeing if   

 we can’t get a time set up for a visit with the church there, Cornerstone Biblical Baptist Church, Pastor Prince, and Bro Koasi; Van Replacement or Repair! My wife was in a small accident with no injuries, thanks to the Lord, but totaling out our 2012 traveling mini-van. We are in the process of buying my sons 2011 Honda Accord; March 30^this our 30^th Wedding Anniversary. Jackie and I are planning to go to Sight and Sound to see the play of “Joshua”; Our daughter Naomi will be having our first grandbaby on April 16^th or there about. She looks like she swallowed a beach ball!! She and the baby in this pregnancy are doing great, in good health and doing well, please keep them in continued prayer as she has a healthy deliver, and her and her husband start a family. 

  

The Starre's and The Heart Ministry:

Meeting up with the Starre's, in January, Diana Starre, my wife and the ladies were going to make some visits, but first they had to have breakfast. But because they were going to take Pastor Roller out, an older and former pastor out they asked if I would join them so Pastor Roller wouldn’t be out numbered. I gladly accepted. I took Pastor Roller home while Jackie went with Diane and Geri (Diane’s mom) and Emily to make some visits. This past Saturday the Starre's took my wife and I out for our 30^th

Anniversary, with also talking over what the Lord has been doing in the ministry. They are a wonderful couple that we are glad to be a part of!!! Please pray for Diana Starre as she will be having a heart oblation on April 8^th.

 

Bits Of Bread: “And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.”“And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by 

them.” – Mark 6:45, 48(V 45-52)        

The Lord Leads Us into “Contrary Winds” for a Reason, or Reasons:

  1. Contrary Winds, Helps Us Balance Out Our Spiritual Highs; 

  2. Contrary Winds, Remind Us of Our Frailties; 

  3. Contrary Winds, Show Us Our Weaknesses in Character, and in Commitment; 

  4. Contrary Winds, Builds Our Faith and Trust in 

      the Lord; 

  5. Contrary Winds, Illustrate to Us that Doing Right, Obeying and Following Don’t Come Without     

      Controversy;                

  6. Contrary Winds, Help Us Step Back and Assess Ourselves to See if our Situation is Self-Inflicted, 

      or God Directed!   c/w Acts 27:20-21                                                                                                                                        

Matthew J. Siekbert