First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte
P.O. Box 170, Eagle Butte, SD 57625
(605) 964-3617 (Office) / (605) 891-1704 (Pastor’s Cell)
December 12, 2019
Dear Friends,
Since last I wrote to you, Eagle Butte has experienced three blizzards. Three of them! Two days ago, I had to walk to the store and I actually got an ice cream headache ON MY FACE. It’s so cold that even the snowmen have frostbite. But we are safe, and we are thankful. Thankful that the good Lord invented “indoors”, and gave us propane!
I have recently begun another piece of work, in addition to my ministerial responsibilities. I have started teaching Lakota language studies at the local Christian school. I am not fluent in the Lakota language, but with the help of my teacher, Matthew Uses the Knife, I know enough to teach some of the basics to beginners. I hope that God uses this for a good purpose.
Since the time of the last newsletter, there has been a great deal happening at the church. It is such a blessing that I get to share this good news with all of you. Let’s jump right into it!
We Celebrate Our 50th Anniversary!!!
In 1969, a missionary named Ballard White led a group of local believers in officially founding First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte. Since that time, the church has weathered many hardships and thrilled to many joys. But this September, we had the great pleasure of celebrating our 50th anniversary, and we kicked off the festivities with a great big honking party!
We ate a delicious meal together, complete with a cake made in the shape of the church building. Then we all contributed different items to a time capsule, which we will be digging up 25 years from now. My contribution was a letter, written to whoever is pastor in 25 years (I hope it’s me). Others put in church bulletins, pictures, keepsakes, and even a share of Spam and Twinkies (we’ll see how fresh those are in 25 years). Afterward, we lay the time capsule in the ground and capped off the day by releasing 50 balloons into the air-one for each year! It was a fun and exciting day, but it was just the beginning of the festivities we had planned!
There is no better way for a church to celebrate than through worship, and through a renewal of our commitment to the Lord God. A revival was in order, so we met for five consecutive nights in September, to celebrate what God has done and to align ourselves with His perfect will.
The revival featured a different speaker each night. Each speaker was somehow significant to the history of this church. They included Delmar and Curtis White (sons of our church’s founder), Fred Igert (who built part of the church), Chug Garreau (a close ally of ours from a nearby town), and Phil Lawrence (who was pastor before me). Each night, a different church member gave their personal testimony in front of the entire congregation, and their testimonies greatly built up their fellow believers.
By week’s end, we were exhausted, but happy, and renewed in our resolve to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in obedience and faith. It would not be long before this revival bore fruit…
Baptisms! Baptisms! Baptisms!
What can I say? We baptized five people in a single day this October. There were two little girls, and three adults. We rolled our portable baptistery into the sanctuary, filled it with water, and had a special service signaling the beginning of these believers’ walks with the Lord. One by one, they stood in front of the congregation, confessed their faith in Christ, and were baptized for everyone to see. It was truly beautiful, but it was only a beginning. What I most look forward to is seeing what God will do with these new believers next!
The Feast of Thanksgiving
For many years, we have enjoyed a relationship with Hamilton Baptist Church of Virginia. They come here every year and collaborate with us to put together a Thanksgiving meal for the entire community. This year was no exception, as November found a group of eager hands arriving, ready to cook and make Thanksgiving special!
Students from the local Christian school were recruited to help serve food. Fliers were posted all over town, and a sign was posted in front of the church. On the day of the big event, approximately 300 people were fed-nearly one tenth of our entire population! Much good was done for our community. We are grateful to our Lord for providing us with this bountiful food, and we are grateful to our friends at Hamilton Baptist Church, without whom none of this would have been possible.
Clothing for the Needy
Once again, I find myself in the admirable position of being able to host a large giveaway at our church. Churches and individuals from all over America have sent boxes of clothing to the church, in the hopes that we could get them to people who need them. And whenever we have collected a good quantity, I invite anyone who needs clothes to come to the church and take what they need. It is because of the kind and thoughtful donations of believers like you that this wonderful service is possible. Thank you for being God’s instruments to do good in the world!
So perhaps you are wondering how you can become a partner with us in our ministry here in Eagle Butte? If so, then we are happy to tell you, since we welcome assistance from the body of Christ. Here is what we need the most:
Prayer. It may be true that our church is getting along very well at the moment, and that God is doing great things here. But it is precisely when a church is being used by God that Satan does all in his power to destroy it. So please pray, my brothers and sisters. Pray that our leadership will keep their hearts pure and humble, and that we will live at peace with each other. Pray that we will be protected from the power of the enemy, and that God’s Holy Spirit will shine through in our lives. Pray that the Lakotas in the community will come to know the Lord, and that the commitment they make will not be a superficial group of words, but a real change in their Spirits that will alter the course of their lives for eternity.
E-mail addresses. For those of you who have e-mail addresses, please send them to me. That way, these monthly newsletters can be forwarded to everyone in your church who wants one-and you can get it in color! Just send your name and e-mail address to me at benfarrar777@hotmail.com, and I’ll make sure you receive this newsletter as often as it comes out.
Financial Assistance. Our church is fortunate to have members who are generous in their giving. But some of our most generous members are, nevertheless, very poor. We have long been blessed with assistance from outside churches and individuals, and we try to use those gifts wisely and well. If any one of you wishes to bless the church with a financial gift, you may send it to:
First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte
P.O. Box 170
Eagle Butte, SD 57625
May God bless you all, and draw you closer to Himself each and every day.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Ben Farrar
Pastor
First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte
