Monthly Focus
Welcome to our “digital extra goodies” page!
Each month in our missions discipleship curriculum, we focus on Southern Baptist missions efforts in various locations in the US and around the world.
And, well, some things like videos and downloadables don’t quite fit in our print publications.
So here is where you can find your extra supplemental digital goodies every month.
Below you’ll see the extras listed by month. We’ll keep a few month’s worth up on the page at a time.
But to keep the page light and speedy for you, we’ll delete the oldest month as we add the newest month. So if you think you might want to refer back to something in the distant future, go ahead and download or copy the info now.
David and Sara Gaskins, Send Network missionaries with the North American Mission Board, live in Provo, Utah, the most unchurched city in the most unchurched state in North America. Around 82 percent of people in the city are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), a group that considers itself the only true church on earth.
5 Fun Facts about the Missionaries
- David and his wife, Sara, began their work as collegiate missionaries until they relocated to Provo for David to plant a church.
- The church that David planted, Mosaic Church, opened in October of 2020 in downtown Provo, Utah.
- David and Sara have three young children: two boys and a girl.
- David likes to find the best breakfast food in every city he visits.
- David, Sara, and their three children really enjoy reading books!
Prayer Requests
- Pray that David and Sara will be intentional about taking care of one another as they also work hard at Mosaic Church.
- Pray that the leaders at Mosaic Church will lead the people with wisdom from the Lord.
- Pray that the number of people in Provo who love Jesus will increase and that those believers will share their faith with the many in the area who do not love Jesus.
- Pray that other missionaries, church planters, and people who love Jesus will move to Utah to help share about Jesus.
- Pray for the Gaskins family, that their needs will be met and that they will be able to live in Provo for a long time.
FOR USE WITH JANUARY MISSION FRIENDS LEADER CURRICULUM
Children’s Scripture Video: vimeo.com/1040572839
Children’s Missions Video: vimeo.com/1029281683
Family Missions Focus (PDF): Download and use this resource to reinforce what your children’s missions discipleship groups are learning every month in Missions Journey: Kids. Family Missions Focus includes a feature for you to type notes to parents on the right-hand side of the page! Print the page for parents or email them as a monthly way to encourage their support.
Spotlight Update: David and Sara Gaskins in Utah
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For Women on Mission
January 2025 Missions Mosaic Discussion Guide (PDF)
Invite women to next month’s meeting with this downloadable color invitation: February 2025 Women on Mission Save the Date Flyer (PDF)
Zack and Jennifer Dove serve the people of Norway. They work hand-in-hand with local believers and they share the gospel with people seeking to know God. They disciple believers to grow in their faith. Everything they do in Oslo is to build relationships through hospitality. This includes opening their home to new friends, biking with a coffee cart into a neighborhood, and making people feel welcome.
5 Fun Facts about the Missionaries
- Zack Dove once met a quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons who signed his autograph with a Bible verse. Mr. Dove went home and read that verse!
- Mr. and Mrs. Dove moved to Norway when their sons were in first and fourth grades.
- Mr. Dove was in Mission Friends and Royal Ambassadors when he was a child.
- Mrs. Dove likes to cook and bake.
- Both of their sons were adopted from Ukraine.
Prayer Requests
- Pray that university students who meet together for meals and conversation will grow closer to God.
- Pray that Home Church Oslo’s Norwegian language cafe lessons will lead to people talking about Jesus.
- Pray for good training for young men who love Jesus, that they would be bold and build strong relationships for sharing Jesus and starting healthy churches.
- Pray for the new church start, Crosspoint Church, to grow and for many people to know, love, and serve Jesus.
- Pray for the people in Norway who love Jesus to be bold and tell others about Jesus.
FOR USE WITH DECEMBER MISSION FRIENDS LEADER CURRICULUM
Children’s Scripture Video: vimeo.com/1028910808/47c64bb2ea
Children’s Missions Video: vimeo.com/1028958817
Family Missions Focus (PDF): Download and use this resource to reinforce what your children’s missions discipleship groups are learning every month in Missions Journey: Kids. Family Missions Focus includes a feature for you to type notes to parents on the right-hand side of the page! Print the page for parents or email them as a monthly way to encourage their support.
Spotlight Update for Missions for Life 2024–25 December Unit: Zack and Jennifer Dove in Scandinavia
Spotlight Update for December Missions Mosaic: John Pratt in South Asia
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For Women on Mission
December 2024 Missions Mosaic Discussion Guide (PDF)
Invite women to next month’s meeting with this downloadable color invitation: January 2025 Women on Mission Save the Date Flyer (PDF)
Don and Maria Friesen are International Mission Board missionaries to the “M people” in the eastern Amazon region of South America, where they lived more than a decade on a floating house in order to reach an Indigenous tribe along the rivers.
Through the Friesens’ outreach efforts to meet spiritual as well as physical needs, God has opened doors for Don and Maria and multiple teams of churches and individuals to gain access to the M. people. The Friesens, with the help of volunteer teams, have been able to drill wells for clean drinking water. Providing clean water as well as medical and dental care has opened doors to build relationships with the local chiefs.
5 Fun Facts about the Missionaries
- Don and Maria Friesen have a boat nicknamed “Lottie” because the boat was purchased with funds from the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
- The M people speak Portuguese, so the Friesens learned Portuguese to communicate with them.
- The Friesens knew they were accepted by the M people when a woman sniffed their necks. M people know their family by smell.
- When invited to eat with the M people, the Friesens may be served fried ants or firefly larvae. They report they prefer the larvae.
- The Friesens miss being near their two grown daughters and grandchildren who live in the United States.
Prayer Requests
- Pray that church members of the church the Friesens lead would grow into leadership roles within the church.
- Pray that God’s Word would overcome the strong cultural ties that keep the M people from following Jesus.
- Pray for the Friesens as they miss their grandchildren and that they would have strong long-distance relationships with them.
- Pray for safe travel on the Amazon River.
- Pray that a nearby group designated the J people would be open to hearing about Jesus and for church members who travel to their villages to tell Bible stories.
Play and Learn: A Floating House in Brazil
Click here for more Free Downloads.
Additional information and activities and “Mission Friends at Home” are in SON 2024 Mission Friends Leader, pages 45–62. Missions Leader: WMU Planning Guide 2024–25 has planning helps.
Children’s Scripture Video: vimeo.com/1019907845
Children’s Missions Video: vimeo.com/1019910531
Family Missions Focus (PDF): Download and use this resource to reinforce what your children’s missions discipleship groups are learning every month in Missions Journey: Kids. Family Missions Focus includes a feature for you to type notes to parents on the right-hand side of the page! Print the page for parents or email them as a monthly way to encourage their support.
Spotlight Update: Don and Maria Friesen in Brazil
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For Women on Mission
November 2024 Missions Mosaic Discussion Guide (PDF)
November 2024 Missions Mosaic Recipe Card (PDF)
Invite women to next month’s meeting with this downloadable color invitation: December 2024 Women on Mission Save the Date Flyer (PDF)
New to missions discipleship?
Ready to get started? Check out sample curriculum units and learn how to get started with missions discipleship by downloading a starter pack.
Just want a little general info first? Scroll on down to the footer on this page and click on the link to the Missions Discipleship Age-Level you want to explore!