Houston’s Stunning Diversity

LINKE

D IN

KEN CHITWOOD’SNEWSLETTER

TO PARTNERSIN MINISTRY

What Country Did You Visit Last Week?Greeting people as they left

church one Sunday in May, a parishioner came up to me and asked what country I visited the previous week. Knowing I was definitely state-side I asked what they meant. They replied, “I looked at your Facebook photos and thought you’d gone to another country to do mission work.” The photos they referred to include the one on the front page of this newsletter (a photo of David Kim [LINC Mission Director], a Hindu Priest and me at a local Hindu temple). I was not in another country, I was actually just in downtown Houston.

Yet, I can see where people might think I am doing mission work in a foreign locale. As I shared in my last newsletter, one can go around the world in a day here in Houston. My joy is that not only do I get to meet all types of people here in Houston, but I am called to join in with what the

LORD is doing in this place, and among the nations, by engaging in evangelistic mission to the diverse people groups of Houston.

It’s what we here at LINC Houston call “GLOCAL” mission.

T h e w o r d “ g l o c a l ” i s a combination of global and local. Here in Houston I have the opportunity to witness every day to people from every tribe, nation, race and creed and thus fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). Just in the last two weeks I’ve shared Christ with Hindus from India, Muslims from Pakistan, an atheist from Canada, a non-believer from Mexico, a drug-addict from Nigeria and a Buddhist from Vietnam.

If I were to attempt to engage in that type of mission work in each of the countries these people were from I would be looking at spending tens of thousands of dollars. The real blessing is that I get to proclaim Christ in

r e d e m p t i v e r e l a t i o n s h i p s , transformational mission exchanges and direct witness in preaching and teaching in my own backyard, and I only have to fundraise a fraction of the amount it would take for me to travel to India, Pakistan, Canada, Mexico, Nigeria and Vietnam.

In this issue I will share more about how I am engaging in mission and how you are supporting mission work in several countries and with scores of people groups through your prayer and financial contributions. I also will cast the vision for the next few months of ministry here and describe the support I need to make it happen. Please enjoy the stories of diversity, missions training, missions in action and powerful witness that we get to participate in here in Houston through the grace of Christ.

-Ken Chitwood

There are nearly 6 million people living in the greater Houston area, making it the fourth largest city in the USA. There are over 90 different countries represented and over 200 diverse people groups. No one culture or race constitutes a majority in Houston. There are some 120 languages spoken in Houston with English and Spanish being the predominant two. There are also 900,000 people living in Houston that are not Christian and instead are Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Atheist, New Age etc. With all this diversity, there aren’t only a lot of food options (that I enjoy), but also plenty of mission opportunities!

Highlights & News:1. Connecting with Other Missionaries One of the joys of ministry with LINC is the opportunity to do missions training and encouraging present and future missionaries. Over the last couple months I’ve had conversations with, trained and encouraged missionaries in Peru, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Texas and Austin, TX. While I am rooted in Houston, the Lord’s blessing allows the missions training I a m r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t o h a v e international reach.

2. Missional Leadership ClassIn early-May a group of eight youth ministry students from Concordia University Texas came down for a three-day intensive class on Missional Leadership. They endured painting a fence in the Fifth Ward of Houston, touring Buddhist Temples and Muslim mosques, hours of instruction and difficult questions. In the end, they were blessed with lessons and experiences, in their words, they will be processing for a lifetime. It was my distinct joy to lead them through that process.

3. World Religions ClassRight now I am teaching a course on world religions. Want to learn more? Go to www.youtube.com/lincbible

Our Summer Funding ScenarioOver the last 8 months Elizabeth and I were blessed to receive some awesome

and humbling gifts of support from donors like yourself. We also appreciate the continual e-mails, messages and letters of prayer support we receive from you as well. Through ministry here with LINC Houston, I’ve been able to directly train 83 different individuals for mission work in Houston, Austin, Kazakhstan, Peru and South Africa because of your support. Furthermore, I’ve had the opportunity to share Christ directly and through relationships with individuals in Katy and in Houston. I’ve seen people get excited for missions, get reconnected with Christ and His Word and seen individuals come to faith through the preaching of the Word.

All of this is humbling to a mighty degree. It is often in times of great personal weakness and questioning that I see Christ at work in the ministries I am part of (2 Corinthians 12:9).

In March I challenged my support network (that’s you) to help me get 50% funded ($6,000) by the end of April. We are still far off from that goal. As of right now I am ONLY 35% FUNDED for this year of ministry (October 2010-September 2011). With continued school expenses, rent going up in August and some recent medical fees for a surgery I underwent, Elizabeth and I are starting to feel the pinch. As I am sure most of you understand, this economy limits the availability of extra cash, but I am asking you, out of a generous and thankful heart, to consider becoming a monthly supporter of mission and missions training at LINC Houston through my ministry.

The present need is for me to fundraise $1,600 a month over the next five months. It is a BIG ask, I know. However, Elizabeth and I trust that the LORD is faithful and that He will raise up individuals and churches to help us here in Houston. If you are interested in helping the best way you can support us is by giving $10-$50 a month. These small gifts add up. If we had just 50 individuals or churches giving $10 a month we would be 50% funded easily. If we had 50 individuals or churches giving $20 a month that would mean our funding would be at 100%. I humbly ask you to consider giving $10-50 a month and becoming part of our core donor team. This month I am looking for 20 of you to make this commitment. That way by the end of May we could be at anywhere from 37% to 43% funded by June 1.

Thanks for your time, your prayers, your gifts and your consideration. Whatever the Spirit puts on your hearts, please pray for the following for us:

+Peace and presence as we head into the summer, we will be traveling away from each other for a month and will be apart on our anniversary this year due to other commitments.

+Thanksgiving for recent witness opportunities with some friends. +Thanksgiving for a new job for Ken to help supplement our income!+That financial support would come as we serve Christ in this place

PLEASE SEND YOUR SUPPORT TO LINC HOUSTON, MEMO: Ken Chitwood (161 West Rd., Houston, TX 77037) or

Visit http://www.razoo.com/story/Ken-Chitwood-Missional-Training

Coming to a Church Near You!

Saying a blessing over my brother Rev. Dimas Jimenez, one of LINC’s

Hispanic Outreach Pastors, at his

installation in March

Over the next few months I will be traveling to California for classes and some time with family. I will be worshipping with Prince of Peace Lutheran in Fremont, CA on Sunday May 29; preaching at St. Luke’s in Westminster, CA on June 5; and preaching at Trinity Lutheran Church in Simi Valley, CA on July 17. I invite you to join me in worship at any of these locations. I will also be preaching at Memorial in Katy, TX May 22 and July 3 and at a Houston Lutheran Nepali church on June 26.

If you would like me to come to your church just let me know and I would love to come share God’s Word and its action in LINC’s ministry and my mission here in Houston.

A group of students from Concordia Texas at the Vietnamese Buddhist Temple in Houston. In their

own words, these students learned lessons through our missional training they will be

processing the rest of their lives and putting to use in their ministries throughout the world.

A Baptism at a local Telugu Indian church that I support. Pictures is Pastor Vijay Gurrala, a

partner in ministry, who I help by leading Bible studies as part of his outreach to Hindu students

at the University of Houston.

Students at a recent mission training event put on by LINC Bible Institute where I taught about missional children’s ministry. There were 16

students in attendance from six different churches speaking five different languages

(Spanish, English, Korean, Tegrinya & Amharic).

A lot of my ministry involves sharing meals with other people. Thankfully God blessed me with an open mind and a hungry stomach! This is a photo

from a Korean spring celebration at a LINC mission congregation reaching out to Koreans in

the Spring Branch area of Houston.

Elizabeth with some Chinese dancers in Houston. Chinese immigrants are one of

the fastest growing demographics in Houston.

Me hanging out with Emirhan,

from Turkey, at the Houston

International Fest. The event, held annually, is a celebration of

Houston’s stunning diversity. We had a great time eating food, listening to music

and having wonderful

conversations!