Chambersburg Bible Church

Dear Friends in Christ

It is a delight to be able to come your way again via the mail. Please forgive us for the long delay in writing. We bring you a belated new year greetings and thank you so much for your faithfulness in praying for us and supporting us to carry out God’s work in this part of his vineyard—Ghana, West Africa.

A Vehicle for the Family: We praise the Lord for providing a new car for our family use. Of course with the Mission’s vehicle still in the garage, this will be used for the ministry as well. We still owe some money to pay it off. We have up to the end of June to settle the balance. Please pray that the Lord will provide this amount.

MINISTRY NEWS

Our entire family attended two Youth Camps in the month of August in Tema and Cape Coast respectively. Vera and Gideon were counselors in both camps while Miriam and Martha participated representing the Solid Rock Baptist Church of Tema. I preached in the first camp and visited the second to encourage our campers. Continue to pray for the Baptist Youth Camp Committee for the successful organization of this year’s program.

Revivals & Baptisms:

Solid Rock Baptist Church of Tema, at the end of August 09, organized a one week of revival services. At the end of the program, we baptized and received into membership thirteen new members. Eight of those baptized were for the Nungua South outreach of the Church.

At Dominase in the Central Region, we baptized thirteen people on February 28, 2010. Prior to this baptismal service, Pastor Enoch Ofosu had conducted a three day revival services which brought about three hundred people to hear the Gospel and many got saved.

At Dobro in the Eastern Region, we baptized sixteen people on March 14. Some of those baptized were among those saved during the revival of April 09, which had Brother George Stouffer as guest preacher.

A NEW CHURCH IS BORN IN EASTERN REGION:  In November 09, we the SRBBC students to the township of Oda, during the mid-term week. We held open air meetings from Thursday to Saturday which was attended by hundreds of people each night. More than one hundred people responded to the invitation for salvation. The Sunday which followed we held our first Sunday morning service in the town. About two dozen people came to this first service. Since then Pastor Michael Dossa, a graduate of SRBBC has moved with his family to Oda to take care of the young Church. 12 people attended Family Retreat 2010 in January from this new Church. Pastor Dossa reports 45 children enrolled in the Youth club and 35 average in Church attendance.

FAMILY RETREAT 2010: This year’s annual Family Retreat took place at Solid Rock Baptist Bible College. There were about 450 in attendance.  Except for Dr. Seth Mohenu, who preached at the general service, all the workshops were handled by graduates of SRBBC who are now pastors. One workshop was handled by a lay preacher from Tema Solid Rock Baptist Church.  It was a blessing to see the men trained by our college doing the job. The joint Church service which followed on the Sunday was attended by close to six hundred people.

RADIO MINISTRY TO ENHANCE CHURCH PLANTING

In June 2009, we lunched “ The Solid Rock Baptist Hour” as an auxiliary program of the Solid Rock Baptist Church of Tema. It is a weekly program where I preach for about 25 minutes and five minutes are used for announcements and a song. Towards the end of the year we started receiving calls from the Northern Region of Ghana from our listeners. So far we have received two invitations from Walewale, and Bole from listeners who desire to have a church like ours in their townships. Please pray that we will be able to make use of this great opportunity. We are planning to visit Walewale in the third quarter of the year. Please pray that God will bless this follow up. Pray also that the Lord will help us sustain this new ministry. We need $250.00 a month to sustain this Radio Ministry. However, if we receive more, we could extend the program on other radio networks across the country. If the Lord will lead you to help with the Radio ministry send your contribution to IPM and designate it to Dapaah-Radio Ministry. I have been informed the average FM Radio station IN Ghana has about 150,000 listeners!

VISITORS FROM THE USA: On February 23, we received John and Debra Forsee from First Baptist Church of Caro, MI,  in our home for a four-day visit. Brother John had been with CWE mission team that came to build for the Church in Dominase, in 2006. This time they were in Togo and so they came by to visit and to see how the ministries they and their Church support were doing. It was very encouraging to have them visit. Debra had an opportunity to speak to our women’s fellowship while John visited with the men.

Dr. Bill Bowen, IPM Vice President of Church Mobilization, was the next to visit from March 1, to 9. His one week intensive course on World Missions was very much enjoyed by the students of our Bible College. Some of our Pastors seized the opportunity to attend the classes as well. It was a blessing to have Dr. Bowen, to also, minister to some of our Churches, as time allowed him.

A SHORT DEPUTATION: Lord willing, by the time you receive this News Letter, I would be in the USA for a short deputation. My visit will take me to Texas, Washington State, Idaho and probably Michigan. It is my desire to report to our supporters in the North West and possibly introduce our ministry to some new Churches in the area. Please pray for my safety as I travel and also that, the Lord will bless the ministration of his word.

Please Continue to Pray:

1. For the Lord to provide the balance needed to pay off our family car.
2. For the funds needed to sustain Radio Ministry
3. For the financial needs of the Church in Nkoranza and Drobonso to secure documents for their Church property.
4. For good health of our family
5. For the Lord to provide for the Library & Administrative block of SRBBC
6. For all our supporting Churches and Families for God’s blessings and the meeting of their needs.
7. For Tema Solid Rock Baptist Church Building project

Thanks again for your prayers, for your letters, for your greeting cards and for your support. God richly bless you.

In Christ

George & Vera Dapaah

As we think about the faithfulness of the Lord at this time of the year, we give thanks for you and pray that you will experience his goodness and rejoice in him.  We live in a world filled with turmoil, uncertainties, failures and sometimes disappointments. Nevertheless, we can still rejoice in the goodness of the Lord.

David was a man whose life was filled with many ups and downs. For example, from a giant-slaying hero he was reduced to a fugitive by the jealous King Saul. From the position of a just and righteous king, he dropped into the valley of despondency-after he became guilty of adultery, concealment of sin and murder, and but for the pardon of God would faced the death sentence. He knew firsthand how it felt to be loved today and hated the following day. How it felt to be betrayed by those he had loved and trusted. His own son staged a coup and drove him out of his palace and would have succeeded in overthrowing him, but for God’s own intervention. David knew how it felt to be chastised of God for doing the right thing in the wrong way.    And yet his praises in the Psalms out number every Bible writer.  Yes, and he came to the end of his life not in the valley of despondency, but as God’s victorious warrior. Indeed a man after God’s own heart!  How did David accomplish this feat in spite of the contrasts and ironies in his Life? Third, He recognized his own weakness and shortcomings and sought to be strong in the Lord.

For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.  As for man, his days are as the grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.  For the wind passeth over it , and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more” (Psalm 103:14-16Psalm 103:14-16
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. ¹⁵ As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. ¹⁶ For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. it is...: Heb. it is not  
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Fourth, He focused on the goodness of the Lord so that he would not forget His benefits.

“But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children.  To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.  The Lord has prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the Lord, ye his angels that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.  Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.  Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion; bless the Lord O my soul” (Psalm 103:17-22Psalm 103:17-22
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; ¹⁸ To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. ¹⁹ The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. ²⁰ Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. that excel...: Heb. mighty in strength ²¹ Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. ²² Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.  
).

Like David, let us accept God’s forgiveness as well as his chastisements, when necessary, in good faith. Let us recognize our weakness and thus depend on him for strength. And let us learn to count our blessings so that we do not forget his goodness unto us.  Then could we, also, wholeheartedly exclaim:  “Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me; bless his holy name!”

Think about it: He forgives us, Heals us, redeems us from destruction, Crowns us with Loving kindness, Feeds us, Judges us righteously, Reveals his will to us. He is merciful and gentle towards us. He shows us compassion rather than consume us in his anger. God is faithful! “O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good for his mercy endureth forever” AMEN!

Happy Thanksgiving!

George A. Dapaah

Thanks so much for your prayers and support. August was a very busy month. We held one week of revival service at Solid Rock Baptist Church of Tema. We praise God for three hundred that attended. A few souls got saved with many re-dedications.

Vera and the children attended a youth camp for a week. Vera and Gideon served as counselors while Miriam and Martha went as campers. Prior to that we attended another Youth conference for three days. Both Vera and myself were speakers.

We reopened our Bible College on 21st of August. We received five new students this year including our first female student! Vera felt that since we live on campus, she would take advantage to study so she could teach and counsel better, so she enrolled and became our first female student. She is still working with the youth and Choir at the Tema Church. Please pray with her for this new challenge. Miriam and Martha have both gone back to school. Pray for Gideon as he is still working on his dissertation to complete his college work.

My work load at the Bible College has increased from six hours a week to fifteen per week. I am standing in for my associate, who is now on deputation. I teach Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I am also supervising several of the project works of the degree students. This is in addition to all my other ministerial duties. Last Sunday Vera and I were called to some Church members home to help deal with a problem after the evening service. We left their home close to midnight, and then drove an hour and half to our home. We were exhausted but happy that we had helped save one home from falling apart. I enjoy the challenge, but I need the Lord’s strength and wisdom to apportion my time well. I will appreciate your prayers.

Our Radio ministry entered its fourth month, and is touching homes and individuals. Pray with us to be able to get sponsorship for this new ministry so it could be sustained. Please continue to pray, also, for our need for a strong family vehicle. We need four thousand dollars, to be able to meet this need. Thanks so much for your prayers and for your support. May the Lord bless you in manifolds!

Gratefully, Yours in His Service,
George A. Dapaah