T3M&DEBBIEF0UST

jO Kidderminster Road B6I 7JU WORCS

Bromsgrove England

Tom, Debbie, Angela, Samuel, David, & Autumi MISSIONARIES TO GREAT BRITAIN

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOmm? PrayerNewsletter

May 1993

My Dear Friend Tom,

I am given to much thought over the last few weeks that you have been back in Bromsgrove with us, regarding the Bromsgrove Christian Church. I wish to ask you to pass my appreciation on to those in the U.S. to whom we owe so much by enabling you and Debbie to work here.
If I were able, I would write to every one involved or at least to every congregation; however, I do not know them. I only know of them and their work through Christ. If you would be so kind as to let those who are responsible to the congregation have a copy of this letter I would be grateful.
Dear Friends in Christ,

I am of no particular importance and hold no office in this new Church which you have seeded in Bromsgrove. My only distinction is that for some reason, best known to Christ, I attended the very first service held in Bromsgrove, when Orrell Battersby first started what was to be a 'new church.' I have seen this Church, from the beginning, rise from nothing and grow to quite a large Christian family. I have seen it without a building to call home; I have seen it wither on the vine; and I have seen it burst into life once again, as a new spring brings forth new growth. We now have a substantial building, but our home is, and always will be, in and with Christ. The building is of great importance to us, but, like all assets, there are liabilities to meet on the other
side of the balance sheet.

Having both a spiritual home and a home as a roof over our head is a move in the right direction, and we much appreciate it. This Church and congregation is now becoming known in this quite diverse community; people are more able to identify a Church with a building rather than a gathering in Christ's name, ever was it so. The physical is so much easier to understand than the spiritual.

God blessed Bromsgrove Christian Church with these lovely facilities.

The progress is substantial since that first service, but it is taking quite a period of time. I know things happen

more slowly in the U.K. (United Kingdom) than in your home towns. God dictates these things, and impatience
is merely a human weakness.

I see the family grow in numbers and conviction, people who are becoming the rock of something yet to be seen in its fullness, with each person finding his own ministry under the leadership of our friend, Tom Foust, and
his family. His ability in identifying people's talents and interests, encouraging them, and building a proper Christian family in the community is more important than speed.

The Word of God is preached from the Scriptures without deviation for convenience or for liberal popularity. Of this I wish you to know, and I am sure that you will be pleased. 1 am totally convinced that, together in Christ, we will succeed, AH the thought and prayers will be rewarded by God's grace upon your generosity. A new Church is planted. It must now be allowed to grow, to first bring the blossom and, then, the fruits of success which will follow as sure as night will follow day. That will be to God's Glory.
Distances of many thousands of miles separate us from you, our brothers and sisters in Christ in the United States; however, a peculiar nearness is here to you. A strange tenuous thread binds us close together and distance loses its meaning. I personally often look at the night sky and remember that it is the very same God-made sky that you also look at.

We know that your problems of today's difficult life are not so different from our own. Problems with family, jobs, certain economics theories gone wrong, and personal difficulties of health, and loved ones to care about are all just the same. For this reason, we know that the help and support that you give to us is not without sacrifice, and we also know that it would be far easier for you to just not bother. We know you do care, we also know that Christ bothers. We thank you and pray for you, and thank God for you and for His blessings upon
us.

I want to end this letter with a benediction, which we can all share if my letter reaches you in your churches. "Blessed Lord, Who has caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, Grant that we may be wise to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them. That by patience and the comfort of your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have
given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ."

' Tom and Debbie Foust, I do not want to continue reading and praying about your ministry and am returning this coupon so you will know to omit my name from your mailing list.
Name Address

i _

Yours ever in Christ,

Howard Banner and family, And, I am sure all your Christian friends in Bromsgrove.

City, State, ZIP

Return to: Services, Christian Missionary Fellowship, P.O. Box 501020, Indianapolis, IN 46250-6020.
I i

5/93

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TDM & DEBBEFOUST

50 Kidderminster Road Bromsgrove B61 7JU WORCS England

Tom, Debbie, Angela, Samuel, David, & Autumn MISSIONARIES TO GREAT BRITAIN

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP PrayerNewsletter

October 1993

Dear Friends,

Our family thanks God for you in our family's devotion time.

Thank you for supporting us through your prayers and your financial gifts.
We are often asked what life is

Bible study. They are also studying "Christian Disciplines" and enjoy a fellowship time afterwards with something to eat. My chocolate chip cookies have
become a favorite with this
group.

Fellowship. This is led by Joan

Leach, one of our CMF teammates. Each evening has a special feature, short lesson, and light refreshment time.
There were seventeen at our

last meeting. This is a good

like in England. So, I will attempt to give you an idea of what a "t3T)ical" (if there is such a thing!) month of
activities is like for us.

There are a

couple of young people whom I

would like for you to keep in your prayers. Mark

I I 1
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The month starts out with the

Ingram is a

WH^ 3I|

men meeting on the first Saturday morning of each

month at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast and a devotion time.

This has been a very good way of reaching the men. They enjoy the fellowship, a good meal, and are given a small piece of the gospel to take home and digest. Pray that the men's
breakfast will be the

as he goes to

February of this year. Pray for him to have strength "

was baptized in

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^^
Bromsgrove Christian Church.

school; there are very few other

Christians to gain strength

from. Richard Crane is also 17

opportunity for men who do not

know Jesus to receive Him.

years old and considering going to Springdaie College next year to prepare for the ministry. Pray for him as he makes these
decisions.

group for bringing

non-Christians into contact

Every Wednesday afternoon at 1:15 p.m., several women meet for a Bible study. I (Debbie)
lead this with lots of discussion from the ladies. We are

with ladies of the congregation and the gospel of our Lord

Jesus Christ. Women's

Some of the other young people who are near to making

decisions for Christ are: Joanne

Fellowship serves for the ladies

what the Men's Breakfast does for the men.

studying "Christian Disciplines" right now. Our time is followed by fellowship

and refreshments of tea and

and Katie Allardicey Rebecca Crane, and Joanne Godwin. On Sundays, Tom and I both teach Sunday School. Tom has been teaching (but concluded on September 5) the adults,
and I teach the birth to

biscuits (cookies).

The other days are filled with entertaining. We seem to have a steady flow of "extras" staying in our home. From

On Thursday nights, we have

about twelve 14- to

mid-June through mid-August, we had only two days when

there was not someone extra

18-year-olds in our home for a

five-year-olds. On Sunday
evenings, Tom and

staying overnight. We have

learned to be flexible. I never

iat6:0 p.m.andthe14Graham Richards lead

the two youth groups,

The 10- to 13-year-olds

know how many to cook for; there are many meals when I cook for 12 people.

to 18-year-olds at 7:00 p.m. Graham, a British

July 31 through August 7, Tom

served as Director of the 14- to

' ^
A
,
The young people come to our home on Thursday nights for Bible study.

student studying for the ministry through

Springdaie College, has been working with and
learning from Tom.

18-year-old week of camp for

the British Churches of Christ. This was the best-attended

On the third Tuesday of

each month, the women meet
for the Women's Christian

older youth camp in many years with 21 campers. During the week of camp, three of the youth committed their lives to
more faithful service to our

Lord. One of them, Joel

'fx,

!witha stage!)asitwas
in such disrepair. Now
i

I church's hall (complete

we have a massive hall

I that can be used in

reaching this community for Christ.

Undergird the children fervently with prayer. Pray for the whole CMF-England team as we are just beginning to build relationships. Before our
arrival in October, there were

L Our family is all well

I i
I
These are the children in Debbie's

and happy. We are keeping busy with piano

lessons, BoyScouts, and ' buying school uniforms.

only two CMF families on the England Team. We are now six families strong, three families in the Bromsgrove area and three families in Northampton.
For our teammates in

Sunday School class and the 6- to 8-year-olds.

Marshall, was from Bromsgrove Christian Church. Please pray for him as he faces the challenge of serving Christ more faithfully. We continue to grow in numbers at Bromsgrove Christian Church. On August 8, 1993, we had 98 in attendance for the worship service (compared to an average of 44 when we arrived).
We have new visitors each

(Yes, the kids are going to attend public school after five years of home schooling, and they are not sure that they like
the idea of uniforms.) With

Bromsgrove Donn and Joan Leach and Larry and Debbie Kineman as we grow and work together as a team. That Tom and Larry
Kineman can find and train

September here, things have gotten busier. We enjoyed the

summer break but not the

weather. It was still blue jeans

and sweatshirt weather in the

middle of August; I kept

waiting for it to get warm

leaders for a group of "church planters" in our area. That Tom and Larry will discern an appropriate strategy for the Bromsgrove Christian
Church as we visit and leam

enough to put my shorts on. We did have a couple of warm weeks in June when it got up to 72-74 degrees Fahrenheit... I
didn't realize this would be our whole summer. I had been warned that it could be our

from the growing congregations we will soon begin to visit all

across Great Britain. For our teammates in

week. Please keep us (especially Tom) in your prayers as we visit and teach

summer, I just didn't want to

believe it.
Praises

the new people in the

congregation. From July 30 through August 11, we had a Team Mission

Northampton - Stephen and Beth Ann Carpenter, David and Teresa Fittro, and Aaron and Diane Lincoln. They begin worship services at the end of

September.
Faithfully,
The significant increase in

group of 11 young people and

adults from the U.S. come to

attendance for worship

services.

Bromsgrove to redecorate the

church's hall and to conduct a

The three youth who

committed to live their lives more devoted to Christ.

Debbie Foust

three-day Holiday Bible Club

(VBS) for us. Richard Clark

from Central Christian Church,

Our family is adjusting

well so far. The Kinemans' safe arrival (our teammates
i

Carmel, Indiana, led the group. They worked very hard and
witnessed to several of the

youth from the community who

did not know the Lord.

at Bromsgrove).

"jB
rc^ W

Prayer Needs
The hall looks wonderful and it

seems to have sparked the interest of the people here to get busy and keep the building in good repair. Before Teen Mission's arrival, we were very
limited in our use of the

Angela, Autmnn, and ^ David are going to ^ attend one of the public I
schools here. This will be

A happy group: Our new family

member is Indiana.

a major adjustment as we have home schooled for five years.

Christian missionary Fellowship

P.O. BOX 501020

Nonprofit Organization tJ.S. Postage

INDIANAPOLIS. IN 46250-6020
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
Permit No. 397S

Indianapolis, Indiana

HORIZONS
30X 2427

MAGAZINE
IN
3790 1

KNOXVILLE

TOM & Debbie FousT

50 Kidderminster Road

Bromsgrove
Eneland

Worcestershire B61 7JU

Tom, Debbie, Angela, Samuel, David, & Autumn

MISSIONARIES

TO

GREAT

BRITAIN

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP Prayer Newsletter

December 1993

Dear Friends,

After a few months, Steve and Pauline began worshiping

with the Bromsgrove Christian Church and, over the last

Merry Christmas! I hope that this finds you enjoying the

celebration of Christ's birth.

few years, several folks within the congregation discipled

them. Larry and Carol Daily, Orrell and Christine Battersby, Gordon and Barbara Cline, Donn and Joan Leach, Larry and Debbie Kineman, and Jon and Sue

The celebration of Christmas in England is much the same as it is the USA. Father Christmas (Santa) appears in
the stores the end of November, stores and towns decorate mid-November, and commercialism is abundant. We

don't get many Christmas specials on television in

December, but the week of December 25 to January I is full of movies that have been on recently at the cinemas. So, whileyou are out bright and earlyon December 26 to catch all the good sales, we will be sitting at home, relaxing, and watching movies because December 26 is also a legal holiday (called Boxing Day); everything is closed. The sales in England start about January 2-3 and
last the whole month.

Marshall are some of those who helped Steve and Pauline move into further obedience with Jesus through immersion and in discoveringa relationship with the LordJesus Christ. We are honored to have been a part of Steve and Pauline's testimonies by baptizing them into Christ. Please pray for Steve and Pauline. Another family in whose lives you have participated through us is the John and GillAllardice hmiXy. Just two days after arriving in Bromsgrove, England, Tom was asked by a family to participate (with Gordon Cline) in conducting the funeral of a local man, Sid Byng ~ Gill
Allardice's father. .

The English schools remember the Christmas season as many First Schools will put on nativity plays, and the

Middleand High Schools study advent. But very few of the children are learning about Christ's birth at school, and few of their friends go to churchor believe that Jesus
is God's Son. Christmas is only a holiday without

understanding of the real reason for celebrating Christ's

birth.

Nevertheless, we enjoy the Christmas season because it

celebrates the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We have another reason to be celebrating this season. On

October 31, 1993, Bromsgrove Christian Church had a baptismal service for ten people with over one hundred people attending. Most of those immersed came to their decisions through studying in two home Bible studies. Let me tell you about some of those folks. and Pauline Colley are two of those immersed during the baptismal service. Pauline was reared in a Catholic home and attended Catholic schools. Steve grew up in a family who had affiliation with the Anglican Church (Church of England), and he attended state (public) schools. Even though Steve and Pauline were taught religion in their respective schools and congregations, they never developed a relationship with Jesus as their Lord and
Savior.

I
Thepeoplewhowerebaptized: Lucy Matthews, Rebecca Crane, KatieAllardice, Joann Allardice (jront), Joel Marshall, Richard Crane, Jerry Cline, Pauline& Steve Colley, andJohn Allardice
(back).

It is traditional in Bromsgrove for the entire family of the deceased person to attend together the congregation of
the minister who conducted the funeral service on the

About four years ago Pauline began attending WOW

(Women of the Word), a women's Bible study of the

Sundaymorning following the fiineral. After attending Bromsgrove Christian Church on that Sunday, June Byng, Sid's wife, and the Allardice family continued to worship there. The Allardice family had attended the Ebenezer Methodist Church in the past, the congregation who invited the Bromsgrove Christian Church to use their building if they could worship with us.
John's and Gill's two daughters ~ Joanne and Katie have attended the older youth Bible study in our home each week since last year. John has attended the Men's Breakfasts. Gill has participated in the monthly meetings of the Christian Women's Fellowship and the Biblestudy that I led during the spring and summer of this year.

Bromsgrove Church that met each week. Carol Daily and

I led the Bible studies. The Larry and Carol Daily family and the Steve and Pauline Colley became friends as the boys of the two families had become good friends at school. Eventually, at the request of Larry, Steve began

attending Bromsgrove Church's monthly Men's Breakfast

meetings.

John, Joanne, and Katie were three of those immersed at

the October 31 baptismal service. Gill, who had been immersed a few years before, has also placed her membership with the Bromsgrove congregation. Please pray for this family as well.

right now), mom, wife, and "taxi." Although, I cannot provide taxi service for a while since I have to pass the British driving license for one year in Great Britain. It is a difficult test, and most people have to take the test twoor three times beforepassing!
We want to thank you for your continued prayers, your cards and letters, and your financial support. Have a Happy Christmas!
Much love,

^ IT,
Debbie Foust Praises

Continued growth at BromsgroveChristian Church.

Our birthdayparty after the baptisms. These are someofthe peoplewho wereat the service.
New faces in church and Bible studies.

The people who were immersed October 31, 1993.

Needs

The others who immersedduring the baptismal service

were: Richard Crane, Rebecca Crane, Joel Marshall, Jerry

Howard Bannerwho is still recovering from two

massive heart attacks.

Cline, and Lucy Matthews. Please pray for each of these

folks.

Wisdom and discernment as Larry and Tom are still

A third celebration for us during the Christmas season is our participation in many activities of the season with the Bromsgrove Christian Church: a Christmas Eveservice, Christmas parties, and carolsinging. So, even though it is difficult beingaway from family and friends, we have the church family at Bromsgrove with whom we can celebrate
Christmas.

visiting other congregations, reading many books, and studying the British culture to determine a strategy for planting new congregations in the West Midlands as well as for Bromsgrove Christian Church.
P.S. Tom met with a young man last week and another couple last night whom all desire to be immersed. So we will be organizing another baptismal service in early to mid-January for these people. Please pray to the Lord of the harvest that still others will obey our Lord in immgrsion. Wc arc working with others who do not yet know the Lord
Jesus Christ and with some who know

We havebeen in Bromsgrove a litde over one year now

and"have setded into the

community. Angela,
Autumn, and David are adjusting to school, and they have gotten used to
uniforms and don't mind

K
K o.- A

5 m

baptism. Please keep praying! Praise

the Lord for yet more reasons to

obeyed Him in

-- counseling, planning, Our bam bam dance danceat and visiting for the Our at church... Tomis Tom the backendofthe cow! congregation and for church planting. And I keep busy playing Sunday School teacher, nursemaid (the flu is going around our family

Christian Missionary Fellowship

P.O. BOX 501020

NoDprofK OrguizaiioD
U.S. Poiiige

INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46250-6020
Permli No. 2^5

Address Correction Requested

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horizons M4GAZIN,

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