Silcott Ministries

For October 2 - 5, 2011 we held a Fall Family Kids’ Kaampaign at the First Baptist Church in Perry, Iowa.  It was a unique week for the whole family with an emphasis on the youth.  For Sunday morning I preached an evangelistic message to start the meetings.  The rest of the meetings were introduced with a story from one of my ventriloquist friends and illustrated with object lessons with a surprise ending.    The meetings were well attended and one girl asked many questions about eternal life.  Pray for this little girl that she will soon understand the gospel and trust Christ as her Savior.

On Wednesday night the Awana club from the church came for our last meeting.  The parents were invited and we had the largest group of the week.  Please pray for these families and their children that they will start coming to church faithfully and trust Christ as their Savior in the near future.  On Monday Pastor Tjapkes and I were able to go fishing and add some more fish to our small freezer. 

I read the e-mail that said that Pastor Brad Hansen was working hard through the summer to put their new church up in Bussey, Iowa.  He said that they could use some help if anyone was willing to take some time and stop by.  Our schedule allowed us to be in the area so I contacted Pastor Hansen and said that we would be willing to stop in if they could use us.  It worked out for us and for the church family for us to stop in for Sunday September 25, 2011.  I preached for Brad for both of the services on Sunday which gave him some extra time to get some things done on the church. 

The rest of the week I helped with the new building project.   On Tuesday Scotty Hansen and I drove to Altoona, Iowa to pick up the carpet, so we could install the carpet on Wednesday and Thursday.   I was also able to help put some of the baseboard in the auditorium and one of the class rooms.  On Sunday, October 2, 2011 they will be holding their first service in the new building.  Their dedication service will be on Sunday, October 9, 2011.  Please pray for this growing church as they try to raise funds for their new  kitchen and gravel for their new driveway and parking lot. 

On September 18, 2011 we presented our ministry at First Baptist Church in Roxana, Illinois.  This small church in the heart of Roxana is looking for a pastor to lead them in reaching this community for the Savior.  Please pray for this church as they seek for God’s will in finding a future pastor.   For Sunday School we put the whole church together and Rawley helped me tell the story of Jonah and the Great Fish.  Then in the morning service, I preached from John 3 challenging the Saints to share the gospel with one of their friends in the next two weeks.  Please pray for the six people who raised their hands asking God to give them the opportunity to share the gospel.

On Sunday night I told the story of Daniel with my friend Rodney then I took some time sharing with the church our need for more support because of rising fuel prices and the need for health insurance.  We closed the day with a challenging message from Daniel 3 on Daniel’s three friends who stood up for the glory of God.   On Wednesday night I will be speaking for the youth group as we close our meetings in Roxana, Illinois. 

On September 2 - 5, 2011 I preached at Camp Manitoumi in Illinois for Family Camp 2.  I preached 6 times: two messages with ventriloquism and object lessons with a surprise ending and four messages to challenge the unsaved to trust Christ as their Savior and encourage believers to witness to neighbors and friends.  The weekend was filled with softball, gaga ball, swimming, and horseback riding.  On Sunday night after the service, we had a hay rack ride and ended the evening with a bonfire and marshmallow roast.

We have Sunday, September 11, 2011 open so we are planning on visiting a church near the camp.  This will give us an opportunity to do some cleaning and maintenance to the trailer,  and to repaint the flat bed on our truck.  It will also be a great time to make some phone calls for future meetings and get some well needed rest.  Please pray for our schedule as we seek God’s will for future meetings.    

I preached at the Faith Baptist Church in Carrington, North Dakota on August 28, 2011.  This church has been one of our supporting churches for several  years.  On Saturday my wife Jane was able to help the ladies of the church prepare  a meal for the memorial of one of the dear Saints that went to be with the Lord.  Debbie G. was one of the faithful ladies that directed Vacation Bible School with us just a few years ago.  It was sad to see that she was taken from us by cancer, but a joy to know that she is with the Lord. 

For Sunday School Rawley and Randy helped me tell the story of Obedience and for Sunday morning I preached a message on Nicodemus from John 3.  Five people raised their hand asking for prayer as they try to tell their friends the gospel.  Sunday night Rosie helped me tell the story about Ruth and I preached from Ephesians 4 and showed pictures of our summer ministry.  Please pray for this growing church in northeast North Dakota.

On Sunday, August 21, I had the privilege to preach at the First Baptist Church in Baker, Montana.  I first preached at this church in May of 1987 when I was asked to be their interim pastor while they looked for a new pastor.  Their Sunday morning service is broadcast live on the radio in the states of Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota and no one in the church felt that they wanted that responsibility.  So they asked me a young man just out of Bible college to take up the challenge.   It was good to see these friends again and talk about the past and how God has used us in the ministry of evangelism. 

Because I preached for the morning and afternoon service, Pastor Levi Durfey and his family were able to leave Sunday evening to visit his wife’s family in North Dakota.  For Sunday School, Rawley and Randy helped me tell the story of Israel’s Disobedience and the Golden Calf.  In the morning service that was live on the Radio, I preached on John 3 and the question that Nicodemeus wanted to ask Jesus.  Five of the church members raised their hand asking for prayer that they might witness to a friend that they know is not saved.  Please pray for these dear Saints as they seek to reach Baker, Montana with the gospel.

From August 7 - 12, 2011, we held a Vacation Bible School at Evergreen Bible Church in Evergreen, Colorado.  On Sunday I preached in the morning and introduced Rodney during the Sunday school.  Ten adults raised their hand saying that they were challenged to share the gospel with a friend.  During VBS we had one boy trust Christ as his Savior.  During the week the new believer invited a friend who raised his hand saying that he was not saved.  Please pray that he will soon trust Christ as his Savior.

During the week we made ice cream in a bag and dug in the back of the church for a treasure box.  Last year during VBS, the church buried time capsules in a waterproof metal box.  Our theme this year — Seeking God’s Treasure — fit perfectly  and on Friday, the kids dug up the box and opened the time capsules filled with small toys.  Please pray for this church as they seek to reach their friends and community for the Savior.

On August 1 - 5, 2011, I had the opportunity to speak at the Treasure Mountain Bible Camp in Marble, Colorado.  This camp is located just below the marble mine that supplied the large marble used in The Tomb of the  Unknown Soldier and the marble used in our nation’s capital.  This week was Combo Camp for 4th - 12th graders.  Each morning at ten, I was able to give a Bible study and pray with the counselors as the staff had a challenge for the campers.  Then at eleven each morning, I preached to the campers with ventriloquism and object lessons with a surprise ending.  I finished each day with a message and another story with one of my friends.

Several campers made life changing decisions concerning living for the Lord and being faithful in church.  One gave a testimony saying that he learned that you do not have to be popular to have good friends.  On Friday as the campers were leaving for home I was able to fish in the camp’s pond that they stock with brown trout.  With the help of some campers, I was able to put six nice size fish in our freezer.

Senior week at the Black Hills Baptist Camp was held on July 25 - 29, 2011.  I presented my Bible study from the book of Romans in the morning and in the evening, I introduced each one of my ventriloquist friends right after supper.  After the counselors came down from their meeting, I preached.  Later, our missionary Daniel Grings shared some exciting stories from the mission field out at the campfire. 

We saw two trust Christ as their personal Savior and four others respond to various decisions of living for the Lord and full time Christian service.  Over sixty of the teens wrote a name of a friend that they knew was not saved on a card as a testimony that they would share the gospel with them in the next two weeks.  Please pray for these teens as they head back home and face the world and share the gospel with their friends.  It was good to see all my friends again and remember the joy of the Black Hills Baptist Camp.

On July 18 - 22, 2011, I spoke for the Junior week of camp at the Black Hills Baptist Camp in Mallo Canyon not far from the post office for Four Corners, Wyoming.  I attended this camp while I was growing up in Rapid City, South Dakota.  I presented my Bible study in the morning on the Sons of Proverbs and preached each evening through ventriloquism and object lessons with a surprise ending.  The missionary for the week was Daniel Grings and his daughter Sarah.

Eight trusted Christ as their Savior and six responded to the invitation to live for the Lord at school and at home.  One gave his testimony at the camp fire saying that he believed that the Lord would have him go to the Congo as a missionary.  Many of the counselors were pastors or pastor’s wives.  Please pray for these pastors as they continue to serve the Lord in the Northern Plains.