The first day of April began the annual extension staff meeting in Denver. This is an important time for those of us in the program to get together for a couple of days and discuss the work, work through some of the challenges, and plan for the future. This year’s meeting was a complete success! I am blessed to work with some outstanding people.

I also preached a gospel meeting for the Point Pleasant congregation (near Cincinnati) and was able to take our youngest son (Blake) with me and really enjoyed that. After a little time at home, I went to Visalia, CA. to speak 4 times on the West Visalia Spiritual Growth Expo. As you would imagine, I was able to share the extension work with several people while I was in these places. I am constantly encouraged by how many brethren are excited about us training preachers around the world, in the mission field.

We constantly receive partnership requests and currently I am working on a couple of those. When, and if, things materialize, I will certainly tell you more. Until then, please keep the current and future opportunities in your prayers.

Thank you for partnering with me in this great ministry. Your support, trust, and prayers are greatly appreciated! 

In Him,

Keith

I was privileged to be able to attend the Freed-Hardeman lectureship this year and to renew many friendships. In addition, I spent a lot of time at the Bear Valley display, talking to people who want to know more about what we’re doing. I was also able to speak at the Missions Forum one of the days. From there I traveled to Lexington, KY to meet with the good elders of the North Lexington congregation, who are one of my partners.

Two days after returning from there I went to Chandigarh, India. Every year theNorth India Preacher’s Lectureship is combined with the graduation exercises of the North India Bible College. Both events were well-attended and I was privileged to be able to speak twice on the lectureship, at the graduation, present the certificates on behalf of Bear Valley, and to preach twice on Sunday. It was an incredibly successful trip!

Much like the US, the church in India is stronger in the south and weaker in the north. This is one of the reasons we believe the North India Bible College is providing a much-needed service to the church. Additionally, it is the only preacher training school in the brotherhood (that I am aware of) that trains preachers in the Hindi language.

Even though trips like these are necessary and beneficial, the majority of my work is from this side of the pond and is administrative in nature. It isn’t near as flashy, but it helps make everything else happen. I’m blessed to be involved in such an exciting ministry and I’m thankful for supportive partners! Until next time, take care and God bless.

For Him,

Keith Kasarjian

I’m happy to say that I have just returned from a very successful trip to visit both of the schools in India and the one in Nepal. (I will soon visit the school in Cambodia, but just could not possibly include it in this trip) I needed to meet the staff, faculty, and students; as well as see the facilities, and access what we can do to make things even better in each location. What I found in each school was a dedicated Director, capable teachers, and students who are serious about preparing themselves to preach the gospel.

As we enter the new year we are excited about what is happening in the extension program! Is it completely where we want it to be? No, and it probably never will be. We know that too much is at stake to ever be fully satisfied, but we are also incredibly encouraged by the success that God is granting our efforts. This has been to date, the best year ever in the Extension program. Please take a moment to read the year-end review click here. 

I continue to be thankful for all those who make it possible for these things to happen. So many pray for this work, as well as provide the necessary funding. Thank you so much and may God continue to bless you the remainder of this year and throughout 2013!

Because of Him,

Keith

Labor Day weekend is always the time for our Bear Valley staff retreat in the mountains outside of Denver. This is always enjoyable, but it is also very important as it is one of only 2 times a year that everyone gets together to discuss the work and plan for the future. Reports were shared and plans were made and I can tell you things are progressing very nicely! 

Also, (and this is BIG news!) on October 1^st, the new school in Kenya began classes! As many of you know, this has been in the works for quite a while, so it’s is extremely gratifying to reach this milestone. Having put so much blood, sweat, and tears in this, I was overwhelmed with joy when I saw the pictures from the first day! This is a joint effort between Bear Valley and several outstanding partners, all for the purpose of training sound, capable preachers for all of Kenya. Please pray for these 20 men, their families, and their future. Also, there are new extensions in Liberia and Nigeria!

There is another change that has taken place that is also exciting. In addition to my role as Assistant Director of the Extension Program, I have been asked to be the Regional Coordinator for Asia. “Regional Coordinator” is a new job title that has been necessitated by the growth of the overall work. This will have me working with the extension Coordinators and Directors of the schools in Cambodia, India (2 schools), and Nepal, as well as travelling periodically to those schools.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers. The total enrollment in Bear Valley extensions is now over 300 (think of all that potential!), but we could not do it without partners like you!

Take care and God bless,

Keith

The Bear Valley extension work has not seen a slow-down this summer. In fact, things are rolling rightalong. As you probably know, my big project has been getting things together for the beginning of the Kenya School of Preaching and I am thrilled to tell you that that is about to happen with a maxed-out class of 20!! School coordinator Mike Reese is there now and called to tell me that the orientation went great and everything is ready to begin October 1. The potential in these men and this school is beyond exciting.

In addition to Kenya, I have been working behind the scenes to put together information for each extension, which will be helpful to the teachers who travel there to teach. This has been a much bigger project than I had anticipated.

Our family has also had a super summer too. Being gone as much as I am during the year, I made sure that this summer I wouldn’t go anywhere without them. We took a short camping trip, a full vacation, and the kids went to church camp while Kim and I had a week together. It’s been nice, but this week we take Molly to Freed-Hardeman to begin her freshmen year. Prayers (and Kleenex) are appreciated. From there we will attend Polishing the Pulpit and hope to see some of you there.

Thanks for being a partner in the eternity-affecting work of training preachers! I couldn’t do it without you. 

In Him,

Keith

In May, I made another trip to Kenya in an effort to finalize a few of the plans for the new school in that country. While there I met with a number of interested people and was joined by Dow Hix and Mark Reynolds of the Charlotte Ave. congregation in Rock Hill, SC. Together, we discussed many pertinent things and from there believe that we have a firm game plan going forward. We anticipate that this school will train many preachers for all of Kenya!

In other Bear Valley extension news, there is a strong likelihood that we will be partnering with works in the countries of Liberia and Nigeria in the very near future. We anticipate that those schools will have 20 and 25 students respectively. Just think of all the potential good from those men! I am constantly amazed at the number of folks who want to partner with us in the training of preachers around the world.

In family news, we celebrated the high school graduation of our daughter, Molly. It’s hard to comprehend where the time has gone. She is an incredible young woman who constantly makes her parents proud. The house just won’t be the same in the fall when she heads off to Freed-Hardeman University. 

As always, than you for your partnership and your prayers. I (we) literally could not do this without you.

Keith

In mid-March we had our annual extension staff meeting in Denver. This is a time where all of us come together to discuss the work that we are already doing, how to do it better, and to plan for future growth. It is always a tiring, exciting, and fulfilling time and this year was no exception. I’m fortunate to be involved in the most exciting work I know of and to work with some outstanding people!

The following week I headed to Arusha, Tanzania to teach Comprehensive Leadership in the Andrew Connally School of Preaching (students pictured above). I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve taught at ACSOP, but I always enjoy being there. This time was extra special for me as my daughter, Molly, accompanied me for her first trip out of North America. We had a very enjoyable and profitable time together!

The plans for the new school in Kenya are coming along. I will be there next month, along with an elder and preacher from the Charlotte Ave. congregation to facilitate some of the final plans for moving things forward. The current projected start date is Sept. 1, 2012.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support and for being a partner in training men to preach in their own culture to reach their own people!

The New Kenya extension

The new extension in Kenya is the project that has kept me the busiest, but all the pieces of the puzzle are coming together nicely for that school. The elders at the local congregation of Ahono will oversee the school, the good eldership of the Charlotte Ave. church in Rock Hill, SC will be the sponsoring congregation, and, as is always the case, the doctrinal and academic standards will fall under the oversight of the Bear Valley elders. Charles Ogutu will serve as the Director of the school and Mike Reese (Mannington, WV) will be its US coordinator. Brandon Kerns has been instrumental in a number of ways, including helping to raise support for the building of a dorm and school facility. Currently half the money needed has been raised. A tentative start date of September 3 has been set. 

Plenty of opportunities

Since the first of the year I have had the opportunity to talk to 5 churches, or elderships, in 4 states about the exciting things going on at Bear Valley. Next week will bring our annual extension staff meeting in Denver and on Mar. 23^rd I leave to teach at the extension in Arusha, Tanzania.

Thank you for the prayers and support that make this possible!

Keith Kasarjian

I hope the New Year finds you and yours doing well! Our family sends its warmest greetings to your family. It’s hard to believe that 2012 is already here, but it is, and full of opportunities. The work at Bear Valley continues to grow and become more exciting every year. Truly, only God could have seen what it would become from the beginning and where it will go from here into the future.

I am currently engaged in two big projects. First, I have been working for months on the possibility of a new extension in the country of Kenya. Several Bear Valley graduates from the school in Arusha, Tanzania have been asking for a school in western Kenya where they live and preach. A series of events, perhaps providential, have provided what appears to be an incredible opportunity to train many men to preach in a country where there are many Christians, but few preachers.

Weeks of due diligence were followed by a survey trip in November (see last month’s report) and are now being followed up by making sure everything is in place that would allow for the day-to-day operation of a school. As of now, no date has been set to start the school, but late this year seems reasonable.

The second big project that I have been working on is the development of a new course on Stewardship that will be incorporated into our curriculum. In an ongoing effort to help our graduates be self-supporting, we have seen the need to help them know the biblical principles of managing the resources they have been entrusted and to give as they should. In turn, they will know how to teach the congregations the same things, which will in turn increase the giving in congregations. We are excited about the long-term benefits of this approach!

Thank you to all who support the great work that God is doing through us - we couldn’t do it without you. Please continue to pray for us and we train men in their own culture to reach their own people. 

In him,

Keith

            I was accompanied by Mike Reese who, in addition to having experience teaching in Bear Valley extensions, is familiar with the work in the Kisumu area. Mike and I have travelled together in the past and I knew that I would want his input. He was also extremely helpful in the planning and organizing of this trip.

            What we found was basically what we had expected: an area with many congregations, a large number of Bear Valley graduates, and a deep desire to have a preacher training school in Kenya. We were able to visit several potential sites and to visit with many potential students. We also had a meeting with 12 potential teachers, most of whom are Bear Valley graduates.

            There are still many decisions to be made, but the future looks promising in this area. Please pray for God’s will to be done in this. For more information, feel free to contact me @ 334.730.0091 or Mike Reese @ 304.986.2924.

Keith Kasarjian