HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED: ECMI-USA has worked hard the past couple of years to develop processes to guide the mobilization of North American missionaries. As some of our staff face retirement and volunteers face time constraints, we have developed a Mobilization Handbook to help train future mobilizers. What we need is someone with expert skills using Microsoft Word to help us format this 35 page document into something that will be manageable and easy to edit going into the future. If you or someone you know might be able and interested in helping us, please let me know as soon as possible. I don’t anticipate the project taking more than 5 hours for a skilled person.

One foot in front of the other, one step at a time . . .

January 31, 2012

Dear Friends,

As we look back on 2011, I stand in awe of all God has done and all He continues to do.  Eugene Peterson’s take on Psalm 17:4-5 in the Message says this, “I’m not trying to get my way in the world’s way.  I’m trying to get your way, your Word’s way.  I’m staying on your trail; I’m putting one foot in front of the other.  I’m not giving up.”  I like that – “one foot in front of the other” – one step at a time.  Faithfulness is often about taking one step at a time, putting one foot in front of the other – kind of like climbing a Colorado mountain at 14,000 feet!

God continues to honor the faithfulness of His servants at ECMI.  He surprised us all in December with the amazing generosity of His people in providing for ministries across Europe, but in particular for places like Romania, Portugal and the Balkans.  Nearly $50,000 was given to these three projects alone.

God blessed us personally by providing just over 80% of our needed support in 2011, up from 40% just two years ago.  Thank you for standing with us!

Many have already noticed the difference in the receipts they receive from ECMI-USA.  Our transition of financial services to VisionQuest Alliance continues to move forward.  Anyone who has experienced computer conversions and this kind of transition knows how challenging it can be.  We believe that in this transition, God is laying the foundations for the future growth of ECMI and ultimately greater impact in Europe.  Keep praying.

And we are very thankful for our family.  Cathy and I rejoice in the upcoming wedding of Christopher and Cierra.  Those who have had this experience know all that we have in front of us and know how to pray for us.

Thank you again for standing with us in taking the Gospel to the peoples of Europe, one step at a time.

With grateful hearts,

George for Cathy and the family

P.S. You can give online to our ministry with ECMI-USA

Check it out:  www.ecmi-usa.org/donate-now

Donations preferenced for our ministry can be mailed to:
ECMI-USA
P.O. Box 2217
Monument, CO 80132-2217

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

December 14, 2011

Dear Friends,

THANK YOU!

Cathy and I want to express our thanks to you for your partnership in ministry this past year.  We would not have witnessed the amazing things God did were it not for the prayers and financial investment of His people.  He has sustained us because of friends and family like you.

As we head into the Christmas holiday season remembering why we do what we do,  I would like to ask two things of you:

1. Would you please continue praying for us?  We cannot accomplish all that God has for us next year without your prayers.  Pray for laborers for the harvest in Europe.  Pray for the upcoming Urbana conference in 2012.
2. Would you ask God if He wants you to make a special financial investment in our ministry this Christmas season?  Often the special gifts given at this time of the year help sustain us throughout the rest of the year.

If you cannot give online, please send your donations preferenced for our ministry to this address before or on December 31, 2011:

ECMI-USA

P.O. Box 181

West Unity, OH 43570-0181

If you give after January 1^st, please send and make your donations payable to:

ECMI-USA

P.O. Box 2217

Monument, CO 80132-2217

THANK YOU FOR STANDING WITH US THIS PAST YEAR!

May the Lord bless you and your family this Christmas season.

With grateful hearts,

George for Cathy and the family

P.S. You can give online to our ministry with ECMI-USA

Check it out:  www.ecmi-usa.org/donate-now

November Ministry Update – Portugal, Candidates, and VisionQuest Alliance

November 30, 2011

Dear Friends,

This past year you have partnered with us to take the hope of Jesus to a continent where the Gospel is hidden behind secularism and materialism. God is on the move. Here are three exciting things we have seen God do this past month:

In Portugal, Vitor Biscaia, found he had to respond to the economic crisis by laying off his only employee, Rui. Strangely, the closure of the business coincided with an upturn in the progress of the church plant in Mora. For the first time in ten years since ECM began work with Vitor and Bea Biscaia the group is able to rent a small facility. And among this small group are Rui, Vitor’s ex-employee, now a vibrant new Christian, and his partner, Zezinha. “While I was his employer, though I often shared my faith in Jesus Christ with him, he did not respond”, says Vitor. “But in all those years working together have obviously had an impact. Now he is so hungry to know more about God, it’s just amazing!” Praise God for what He is doing!

Two weeks ago we held another Candidate Orientation class with three more completing the course, for a total of 8 this year! Praise the Lord for the workers He continues to raise up. Pray for Jessie Sweeney (Ireland) and Jim and Lore Schwenk (mobilization) as they begin the support raising process.

The transition of our financial services to VisionQuest Alliance on January 1, 2012, continues to go well. Pray that this will go as smoothly as possible.

Thank you for partnering with us to reach Europe for Christ. Your prayers and gifts make you part of God’s transforming work in reaching people like Rui and Zezinha! Will you pray for us and with us that God will continue this good work which He has begun?

May the Lord bless you and your family this Christmas season.

With grateful hearts,

George for Cathy and the family

P.S. You can now give online to our ministry with ECMI-USA
Check it out: www.ecmi-usa.org/donate-now

Praise and Prayer Requests:

Ministry Prayer Requests:

• ECMI-USA Board Meetings Dec. 2-3
• Praise for new appointees
• Pray for the support needs of our missionaries
• Pray for the transition of our financial services to VisionQuest Alliance on January 1, 2012!

Family Prayer Requests:

• Praise that Michelle has been hired to do substitute work in the school district
• David returns from Belfast this  Monday, 12/5
• Pray for Christopher and Cierra’s wedding plans in March 2012

October Ministry Update – Austria, Ireland and more . . .

October 27, 2011

Dear Friends,

Making our way from Belfast to Dublin, Cathy and I sat across from a gentleman on the train listening intently as he described to us the upheaval in the Republic of Ireland’s society over the past decade.  The Irish, once devotedly Catholic, now bear the shame of multiple scandals that have rocked their society.  The materialistic prosperity that came suddenly with the rise of the “Celtic Tiger” has been completely pulled out from under them.  All of this has left the Irish questioning and spiritually hungry.  For an hour and a half Cathy and I had the opportunity to plant seeds of the Gospel with him.

We arrived in Waterford later that afternoon to meet up with the team that is faithfully ministering there.  That spiritual hunger I described above has led to the establishment of two churches, with one more on the way.  Last summer the team began an initiative in Ferry Bank, a town across the river from Waterford.  Kids clubs began last summer.  They anticipated maybe a dozen children showing up, but when 60 showed up, they where completely taken by surprise.  Currently they have two separate clubs meeting every week.  Plans are in place to start mid-week meetings in November for the adults.

Pray for the team (see part of the team on the left) working in these three church plants.  ECMI-USA appointee, Jessie Sweeny, is raising her support to join this team made of two couples from Australia (one currently raising support in Australia), two single women (one from Australia, the other from Germany), two Dutch couples, and two couples from Northern Ireland.  God is doing something big in Ireland.  Jonathan McCracken, Field Director, is now looking for the next area in the Republic of Ireland for ECMI to consider starting additional churches.

Thank you for your prayers while were gone.  The trip was very productive, not only in Ireland, but also our time at leadership meetings in the UK and Austria.  I have tried to capture in photos below some of the things we did while there.

With grateful hearts,

George for Cathy and the family

P.S. You can now give online to our ministry with ECMI-USA

Check it out:  www.ecmi-usa.org/donate-now

Our trip in a few pictures . . . believe me, we took a lot more.

L to R: 1. Cathy and friend Diane Hakala at Cambridge.  2. Cathy and me in front of the Word of Life Center in Villach, Austria  3. The Leadership group during our prayer walk in Austria, Slovenia and shown here in Italy.  4. The group hard at work. 5. Cathy hard at work in the kitchen with Carrie.  6. Luke Bajenski leads part of the training.  7. We had 5 wonderful hours in Belfast with David.  8. Our hosts Charlie and Miriam Anderson leading the sending section in Northern Ireland.  9. First stop in the south, Waterford of the famous Waterford Crystal.  10. The town of Tramore and  11. Ferry Bank.  12. Our friends Jonathan and Nicola McCracken leading the team in the Republic of Ireland.

September Ministry Update

Our mailing address: 8314 Ravenel Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920   Telephone: 719-598-3695 H 719-650-9598 C   Email: george.brown@ecmi.org   Donations can be mailed to: ECMI-USA P.O. Box 181 West Unity, OH 43570-0181   Or donate online at: www.ecmi-usa.org/donate-now   On the web: www.ecmi-usa.org   Our blog: brownsbyline.wordpress.com

September 22, 2011   Dear Friends,   One church, two teams . . .   This past summer two teams from Carlsbad Community Church in California ministered alongside ECMI missionaries in Germany and Kosovo.   The Kosovo team introduced new camp games, includingAmerican football, which opened doors for sharing stories from the Bible of God’s love for them.  In Germany, the team spent time in refugee camps (apartment blocks).  Showing kindness to the stranger is the focus of this ministry where the team was able to talk to and share the Gospel with men and women from places like Syria, Iran, Cameroon and Sri Lanka.  On their way home the team leader was even able to share the Gospel with a Japanese couple!   At the end of the day, we pray that God will take seeds that have been sown in so many lives and transform them into fruit for Christ’s Kingdom.  Could you see yourself on a team like these?  As you pray for the effectiveness of our missionaries in Europe, ask God if He wants you to participate in such an experience.   Cathy and I leave on Sunday, September 25th, for nearly three weeks in Europe.  We will be involved in leadership meetings in England and Austria, as well as paying  visits to ECMI missionaries and ministries in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.  Pray for effective ministry opportunities with our colleagues, but also for opportunities to share the Gospel along the way.   With grateful hearts,   George for Cathy and the family   P.S. You can now give online to our ministry with ECMI-USA  Check it out:  www.ecmi-usa.org/donate-now

Ministry Prayer Requests: Upcoming minsitry trip to Europe September 25- October 14 Effective follow-up of potential missionary leads Candidate Orientation planning November 13-17 Pray for the appointment of a short-term ministry coordinator.   Family Prayer Requests: Praise for Michelle’s safe return from England.  Pray she will be able to find a job quickly. Praise for Christopher’s graduation and engagement to Cierra Flick.  Pray for their future together. Praise for David’s good summer at Eagle Lake Camp.  Pray for him as he studies in Belfast this semester.

June Update – belated

Our mailing address: 8314 Ravenel Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920 Donations can be mailed to: ECMI-USA P.O. Box 181 West Unity, OH 43570-0181 Or donate online at: www.ecmi-usa.org/donate-now Telephone: 719-598-3695 H 719-650-9598 C Email: george.brown@ecmi.org On the web: www.ecmi-usa.org Our blog: brownsbyline.wordpress.com

June 20, 2011 Dear Friends, Many are familiar with the ministry of Nick Vujicic, a young Australian born without limbs, and a young man whose life in Christ bears a powerful and tremendous testimony that brings all of life into perspective.  If anyone has the credibility to convey the transformational power of Christ, Nick does.  ECMI missionaries to Slovenia, Sebastian and Gloria Forjan, report that the handful of Slovenian churches and their 1,500 believers sponsored a 5 city tour for Nick.  14,940 tickets were sold to hear him.  This event has unified the churches in this country, and now the tremendous work of follow-up begins.  Pray for the Forjans and others involved in this life changing ministry. Sebastian and Gloria’s ministry cannot take place without the partnership of those who send them.  Here in the United States we continue this critical work of serving behind the scenes – identifying and engaging people who will pray, go, partner and give.  You, too, share in the blessing of make that happen as you pray, go, partner and give.  Thank you for helping us reach the more than 800 million Europeans who do not know Christ. Cathy and I head to Lexington, Kentucky, tomorrow morning for our Board meetings.  Please pray for safe travels and that we will be effective in making decisions and carrying out the responsibilities God has given us. [NOTE: The board meetings and trip went very well.] With grateful hearts, George for Cathy and the family P.S. You can now give online to our ministry with ECMI-USA Check it out:  www.ecmi-usa.org/donate-now

Ministry Prayer Requests: Effectiveness in our outreach and mobilization of workers ECMI-USA Board Meetings June 23-25 Upcoming meetings in July with various denominational and church conference leaders Support needs of our appointees Family Prayer Requests: Michelle’s time at Capernwray this summer and future after her return David’s time at Eagle Lake Camp Christopher’s continued success at the Police Academy – he’s halfway through

Brown’s Ministry Update

Our mailing address: 8314 Ravenel Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920 Telephone: 719-598-3695 H 719-650-9598 C Email: george.brown@ecmi.org On the web: www.ecmi-usa.org Our blog: brownsbyline.wordpress.com Donations can be mailed to: ECMI-USA P.O. Box 181 West Unity, OH 43570-0181 Or donate online at: www.ecmi-usa.org/donate-now

May 23, 2011 Dear Friends, I love to watch the Lord raise up people who He is calling to work in Europe.  Jessie Sweeney has heeded God’s call and will work with our team in Ireland.  Right now she’s finishing up a mission trip to China, but her burden for the people of Ireland has led her to join ECMI. Vanthy has just completed her short-term trip to France and Austin is eager to do the same next summer.  In addition, God has opened conversations with many others as we discern how God might be leading us together to reach the strategic, post-Christian continent of Europe for Christ. At least four teams from the US will be serving at ECMI ministry sites this summer in Kosovo, Germany and Romania.  We cannot wait to hear back on what God accomplishes in and through them. Partnership continues to be a key strategy for sharing the love of Christ in Europe.  Recruited by Greater Europe Mission, UK citizens, Bryan and Tracy Doyle, along with ECM Britain are engaged in efforts to reach the world at the London 2012 Olympics and catalyze church planting in the UK.  Bryan and I recently enjoyed some time together at the 2011 Exponential Conference in Orlando, Florida where some 4,000 church planters from around the world gathered to consider what God is doing and how we can be more effective in partnership with Him and with each other. As we continue to see God raise up people to pray, go, and partner, He also supplies our needs and the needs of those He is sending.  Last year, Cathy and I only had 40% of our needed support committed.  We rejoice that God has brought that up currently to 72%.  Will you pray with us that we will be at 100% by the end of the year or sooner? With grateful hearts, George for Cathy and the family P.S. You can now give online to our ministry with ECMI-USA. Check it out:  www.ecmi-usa.org/donate-now

Ministry Prayer Requests: Praise that Hans and Jennifer Anderson made it to Spain God’s supply for ECMI missionary candi-dates raising support For the teams mini-stering in Europe this summer   Family Prayer Requests: For Michelle’s prepartions to serve at Capernwray Bible School this summer – praise that her visa came through For David’s summer at the Navigator’s Eagles Lake Camp as camp photographer For Christopher’s continued success at the Colorado Springs Police Academy

April 2011 Ministry Update

Mail donations to: ECMI-USA P.O. Box 181 West Unity, OH 43570-0181 Or donate online at: www.ecmi-usa.org/donate-now Our mailing address: 8314 Ravenel Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920 Telephone: 719-598-3695 H 719-650-9598 C Email: george.brown@ecmi.org  On the web: www.ecmi-usa.org   Our blog: brownsbyline.wordpress.com

April 23, 2011   Dear Friends,   Cathy and I rejoice at the progress of the Gospel in Europe.  Reports continue to come in of lives transformed by the Gospel.  Klaus and Fränzi Libuda in Rostock, Germany, recently reported encouraging signs of growth and involvement in home Bible studies.   They, along with Justin and Kristin Sismey, continue to develop good relationships in the community.  ECMI-USA’s Alison Settle has shared encouraging progress in raising her support as she prepares to serve in Rostock.  Pray for Alison that she will see all of her support come in soon. Our involvement in raising up resources for the work in Europe continues to go well (See pictures below). Clair Longuevan and I spent some time in California last month on several college campuses interacting with students interested in missions.  Pray we will effectively follow up on the 50 or so new contacts we made from our time in CA.  We also spent time at Carlsbad Community Church which is sending out two teams this summer – one to Kosovo and one to Germany.  I really enjoyed my time with these teams in helping prepare them for their time on the field. Just last weekend Cathy and I had the wonderful privilege of assisting in Hans and Jennifer Anderson’s commissioning service.  They left for Spain this past Tuesday, and by all accounts arrived in good shape with their two young children, Jack and Eliana.  Pray for their adjustments as they get settled and start their orientation for field ministry. Praise God for the workers He continues raise up. Please check out the pictures below and remember to pray for us and the ministry of ECMI. With grateful hearts, George for Cathy and the family P.S. You can now give online to our ministry with ECMI-USA Check it out:  www.ecmi-usa.org/donate-now

Ministry Prayer Requests: Follow up of contacts the Lord has given us Preparation of the teams going out this summer The Anderson’s adjustments in Spain Candidates raising support Family Prayer Requests: David’s preparations for this summer at Eagle Lake Camp That Christopher will continue to do well in the CSPD Academy Approval of Michelle’s visa to the UK to work at Capernwray

Brown’s Ministry Update – March 2011

Donations can be mailed to:  ECMI-USA P.O. Box 181 West Unity, OH 43570-0181 Or donate online at: www.ecmi-usa.org/donate-now Our mailing address: 8314 Ravenel Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920 Telephone: 719-598-3695 H 719-650-9598 C Email: george.brown@ecmi.org On the web: www.ecmi-usa.org Our blog: brownsbyline.wordpress.com

March 11, 2011  Dear Friends, The picture below is one of our new ECMI-USA candidates.  Thank you for praying.   Our candidate orientation (Feb. 20-24) was a real blessing as the Christian Fellowship Church of New Holland, PA, hosted our time together.  Our good friend, former GEM missionary, and pastor of the church, Doug Bozung, also helped in some of our workshops and devotions. We are so excited at what God is doing in our midst as He continues to raise up workers for the field.  It looks as if we may have another Candidate Orientation in the Fall.  My colleague, Clair Longuevan and I will be visiting several college campuses this Spring.  Next week I will be in California for the Mission Conference at Biola University, meetings with Carlsbad Community Church near San Diego and a visit to Masters College. Earlier in February, I had a very productive time with our Sending Section leaders near Valencia, Spain, and our Field Leaders near Madrid.  Unfortunately, a 24-hour bug just about decimated our field leadership group in Madrid, but somehow we still managed to accomplish quite a bit. Thank you for your prayers. With grateful hearts, George for Cathy and the family P.S. You can now give online to our ministry with ECMI-USA Check it out:  www.ecmi-usa.org/donate-now

Ministry Prayer Requests: Campus and church visits Potential Candidate Orientation in the fall Family Prayer Requests: Praise:  Christopher has been accepted into the Colorado Springs Police Academy beginning March 30! David has accepted a position at the Navigators’ Eagle Lake Camp as the camp photographer Michelle will be applying for a visa to work this summer at the Capernwray Bible School in England