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Grounded in God’s Word (Guest Post)

December 9, 2019 by Bryan Conard

This is a guest post by Bryan Conard

Bryan and his wife, Martha presently live in Senegal, West Africa, with their three children where they serve as missionaries with Ethnos360.

My name is Bryan Conard. My wife Martha and I presently live in Senegal, West Africa, with our three children where we serve as missionaries with Ethnos360.” My life today is incomparably different than I ever imagined it would be growing up in the ghettos of South Carolina. My parents were not believers, and my home was not a place where God’s Word was taught or valued. It wasn’t until I was 19 years of age, incarcerated for my 5th time, that God, His Word and work on the Cross became significant to me. In jail, at the age of 19, I finally became a Christian. 

After literally escaping a long prison sentence, I was released from jail and sentenced to a Christian Discipleship Program called the Haven of Rest. It was in this program that I became acutely aware of how particularly important it is to understand God’s Word! It was in the Haven of Rest – where my life was still raw with limited understanding of truth and a worldview still heavily shaped by my previous life’s way of thinking – that God was convincing me that I needed a deeper understanding of the Word. It was here also that I first heard from a missionary with Ethnos360 that around this staggeringly large globe there were, and are, still millions of people without access to the gospel!

Given my limited understanding of the Word, my desire to understand more and my newly founded interest in being a part in seeing those without the gospel reached, I enrolled at Ethnos360 Bible Institute (EBI) where I embarked on an incredible journey in God’s Word and in another very new community. Now, it’s important to mention here that before moving to Michigan as a student at EBI, I had never traveled outside of my little,troubled community in South Carolina. Moving to Michigan was an incredibly exciting and intimidating leap of faith. 

However, I was – and still am – convinced of two key realities: I deeply and desperately need to know God more and, as His ambassador, it is indeed my responsibility (along with all of His Church) to take the Good News of Jesus to those [who have] yet to hear. Even with this conviction, I still had no idea how to accomplish this seemingly insurmountable task. There also were still massive misconceptions of the Scriptures and immaturities that needed to be shaped and cemented in truth; and just as important, I still had almost no understanding of the nuts and bolts of seeing the task [completed] of reaching the unreached! 

In conclusion, while at the EBI monumental shifts happened in my thinking. There were things I thought I was convinced of from the Word that, after receiving some basic tools of hermeneutics, I realized weren’t just underdeveloped; they were entirely wrong and needed reshaped. But after two years at EBI and continued education at Grace School of Theology, I still had essential missing links – I still needed the “nuts and bolts” of day-to-day living in a cross-cultural setting! It was at the Missionary Training Center in Missouri that God met this need as well. All this to say, I can’t imagine living where I am today in Senegal, West Africa, learning French and living in a totally different world, without a solid foundation in God’s Word and some simple tools for learning language and doing ministry. The training was necessary for the ultimate goal of one day seeing a maturing Church among those still yet to hear the simple, life–changing message of the Cross that I once heard in a little jail cell many years ago. 

If you’re curious about Ethnos360 Bible Institute and it’s unique blend of missions and Bible, check it out first hand for FREE. Signup for one of our discover days at our Wisconsin campus.

Filed Under: Guest Post Tagged With: Bible Education, Ethnos360 Bible Institute, missions, The Big Picture

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The Potters…

are missionaries helping every people group around the world have the chance to understand the gospel and have access to a thriving church. We are serving with the International Ministries Office as it assists Ethnos360 and its Global Partners.

joeldpotter

This weekend, we celebrated some milestones. Both This weekend, we celebrated some milestones. Both my Dad and Lynn, Bethany’s Mom recently reached 75 years. 

That’s a big deal, right?!

I didn’t know this at the time, but in the picture with “Mom” looking at the camera over the cupcakes, that was a long moment in which she and I held eye contact. I genuinely thought it was something special. 

It turns out that this morning, we found what we think will be a safe, comfortable, home-like and loving assisted living facility where she is able to move in very soon. This is one of the biggest answers to prayer in recent years for our family. Caring for her for the last 11 years, even though it hadn’t always been as hard as the last few, has cost us. The Lord enabled us to pay that cost but it has cost none the less. 

That moment locking eyes with her means a lot though. 

I have to also recognize the tender gift that my Dad has exercised as he and my Mom have cared so often for Lynn. His ability to gently draw her out on a walk in the neighborhood or to sit and sing a hymn with her, has blessed more than her. 
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#tendingalovedoneindecline #everymomentholy
We just posted a big Year in Review post on our bl We just posted a big Year in Review post on our blog and to the email list. As you know, a whole lot of life happened in 2022 and it's likely that 2023 will be no different. We'd love to fill you in. 

Take a look at it on the blog OR you can listen to it. Listening is a super-simple way to keep up with us when you can't read. Like while you're taking the kids to school or walking your pup. 

You can find links to LISTEN or READ at my profile site.
______
#thepottermission 
#yearinreview
A couple of weeks of running and riding. Grateful A couple of weeks of running and riding. Grateful for the ability and opportunity. 
—
#getourandrun
#getoutandride 
#stravacycling 
#ridewithstrava 
#runwithstrava
#sanfordflorida 
#floridarunner 
@strava
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