Judi's New STL Vehicle

This past May we presented the keys to Judi Ballweber for her Speed the Light vehicle to enhance her ministry in Ukraine. Judi has been on the field for a number of years without a vehicle and is thrilled to be able to expand her ministry opportunities with her STL vehicle.


Through Speed the Light offerings, students from all over Alaska raised money for this car for Judi. Their sacrifice has not gone unnoticed. For every $100 a student gave to Speed the Light, their name was placed in a hat and the individual whose name was drawn was given the opportunity to fly to Ukraine and present the keys to Judi.

Hannah Lockwood, a longtime member of First Assembly in Anchorage, was the student whose name was drawn to present the keys to the car to Judi. She was accompanied by Bethany Veater, our DYD Admin, on this adventure to Ukraine. They spent the week with Judi and got to experience first-hand the different ministry opportunities that Judi encounters on a daily basis now that she has private transportation. While the girls were in Ukraine, Judi was presented with the opportunity to establish a connection with and speak into the lives of young women at a rehabilitation center about an hour outside of Kiev for the first time. This ministry opportunity had previously not be a possibility because the center is located outside of public transportation lines.

The youth of Alaska are a huge blessing to our missionaries through Speed the Light.

General Council Services

I would strongly encourage you to go to http://www.agtv.ag.org/gc11, where you can view all the services at General Council, along with the Influence Conference.  These are messages that will bless and challenge you in your ministry.  Here was one of my favorites, a great message from Dr. Bradford, our General Secretary.

Superintendent Wood in SE Alaska!

General Superintendent George Wood and his family were in Southeast Alaska this past week on a cruise.  They were able to connect with some Pastors in the area.  We have pictures of Dr. Wood with Pastor John and Becky Braten in Ketchikan and Pastor Mike Rose in Juneau.  Pastor Mike was able to introduce Dr. Wood to Governor Parnell.

Although they were planning on going to Sitka and connecting with Pastor Steve Trimble, that portion was cancelled due to weather.  However, they did stop in Wrangell and visited with Pastor Kem and Susan Haggard.  Here are some pictures.

Manai Fou AG Building Dedication

The building dedication for Manai Fou (Fresh Manna) AG occurred on Saturday.  They recently purchased a building and then renovated it.  We are excited about what God is doing in this ministry! 

After Superintendent Bill Welch prayed to open the ceremony, and Dori cut the ribbon, Pastor Frank Tanuvasa opened the door and let the congregation into their new house of worship.

The Manai Fou AG Worship Team

Pastor Ua, the Vice-President of the Alaska Samoan Fellowship, led the Celebration Service.

The Manai Fou congregation and invited guests.

Pastor Savini, Secretary of the Alaska Samoan Fellowship, led in offering worship.

Pastor Vanilau, President of the Alaska Samoan Fellowship, read Scripture and led in responsive readings.

Afterwards, as is customary for Samoan Celebrations, a Feast!

Norman and Judy Lindsay

Norman and Judy pull out of Alaska this week, beginning the next stage of their journey.  I (Brad) came to know Norman and Judy when they were my Pastors during my high school years in Sitka.  In fact, after I graduated from college, Pastor Norman took a chance on a young guy with no Bible School training or ministry experience, by hiring me to be his Youth Pastor.  After that, Norman moved to the Network Office (ok, it was the District Office back then) as the Secretary-Treasurer and Business Administrator.  As one who sits behind that desk now, I can tell you that his imprint is still in this office.  As you go through the files at the office, you see his name on so many documents.  He managed the affairs of the Network with diligence and excellence.  In fact, I still hear stories from people of how he helped them in ministry and went the extra mile.

Pastor Norman and Judy went on to serve as Pastors of South Anchorage AG and did a great job there.  Norman has also had a big part in the Alaska School of Ministry, being on the Executive Leadership Team and also teaching several classes.  The students have benefitted greatly from his teaching and mentorship.

Judy served in the Network Office for the past three years.  She has served with distinction and we appreciate all the contributions she has made.  We are going to miss her laugh and her heart to serve in ministry.  She truly viewed serving in the Network Office as ministry.

The theme for this year's General Council was "Make Your Mark on Our Movement."  Pastor Norman and Judy, thanks for leaving a mark on the Alaska Ministry Network, and also on me.  You are a blessing!  We look forward to keeping in touch.

We had a couple going away parties.  The staff had a lunch for Judy, and the Central Region and AKSOM sponsored a reception.  Here are some pictures.

AG Trust Scholarship Information from General Council

Deadline approaching for AG Next Generation Fund Scholarships
September 15 is the deadline for application filing. If you graduated from an Assemblies of God (AG) college, university or seminary no earlier than May 2007 and no later than June 2010 and need assistance with sizeable school debts in order to enter ministry more quickly, you can apply now for an AG Next Generation Fund grant.

The Assemblies of God Trust and the Alliance for AG Higher Education, located at Assemblies of God Headquarters in Springfield, Mo., are working together to provide this crucial financial assistance for as many qualifying AG college alumni as possible.

The application for AG Next Generation Fund grants is posted online at www.agtrust.org. All applicants must submit their completed application forms electronically or by mail no later than September 15, 2011.

Grants are awarded on a case-by-case basis, vary in amount, and are only available to graduates who agree to provide at least five years of full-time service in ministry.

This is the third year the AGTrust has offered the grants with 45 grants awarded over the past two years. Among the recipients were Steve and Rachel Campbell, now missionaries-in-training assigned to a sensitive country. Their grant enabled them to enter full-time missionary service much quicker than they thought possible.

“We are extremely grateful to AGTrust that the 45 AG Next Generation recipients have received grants and will continue to receive assistance with their college loans, while even more funding will be made available to help a new list of AG college graduates this year,” says Dr. Bob Cook, Alliance for AG Higher Education president. “This endeavor sends a strong message to our Fellowship regarding our commitment to invest in the next generation.”

AG Next Generation Fund grants are disbursed in the form of monthly payments to school debt loan holders on behalf of the grant recipient.

“We are making the choice to do everything we can to make sure our Fellowship is strong and healthy for future generations,” says Dr. George O. Wood, Assemblies of God general superintendent. “It is our choice. But it is their future.”

General Council Update

General Council is going great! The services have been very meaningful. The services will all be archived on AGTV, so you will be able to watch them. General Council is rolling out many new, helpful resources that you will be hearing about if you haven't already. I will feature them in the blog when I get back to the office.

As far as business, we have returned Alton Garrison as Asst. Superintendent and Dr. Jim Bradford as Secretary. John Bueno retired as AGWM director, and Greg Mundis was elected for this position. We also changed the name of "Headquarters" to be the "National Leadership and Resource Center."

Influence and General Council

Couldn't get to General Council? It will be streamed live at http://generalcouncil.ag.org/. The Influence Conference begins tonight and goes through tomorrow. The first General Council service will be Tuesday evening. We encourage you to participate by watching the services.