We have welcomed the arrival of the newly elected Editor-in-Chief, Brother Nathan Luellen, who began on July 7. He came into the building like a whirlwind of new energy, quickly learning a lot and having fresh ideas. I appreciate Brother Clements for staying with us for an extra week to work alongside Brother Luellen for a few days. I am excited to have Brother Luellen with us and look forward to the future together.
The heat of summer is upon us and with it comes strain on our Air Conditioning systems. We have a couple of units which are old and will be reaching the end of their lives soon, and so we will need to replace them. One unit replacement in particular is planned for this Fall, the bookstore unit, at an approximate cost of $40,000. As they say, that’s part of doing business.
One of our employees was driving our newest ministry vehicle in Dallas, delivering cutter blades for sharpening and a truck rearended our vehicle. The passengers were not seriously injured, thankfully, but the vehicle has been classified as totaled. We will be dealing with the other driver’s vehicle insurance. Pray that all will go well in this matter.
As mentioned last month, our Plate Burner must be replaced this year. We have ordered a new unit, and it will be an upgraded and improved version of the old unit. We hope to get it in place before the end of the year. It will be coming from overseas.
The sale of the 2025 “Timeless” VBS will soon come to an end and the 2026 VBS, “Wonder,” will be for sale October 1st. I encourage churches to plan soon for the 2026 VBS. “Wonder” is going to be a great theme and program for your church. Bro. Luellen and the editorial group are making some really good plans for future publications. Pray for us as we labor to serve the churches. All is well in Texarkana as we enjoy the Lordship of our gracious God. Come visit anytime.
As the hot days of summer pass, we continue to labor in this great work of the Lord. Our employees are great folks who labor with both their hands and their hearts. We are blessed to have these folks. Although we have had many machine breakdowns this year, God and these good folks working together have kept us going so that the processes are on schedule.
As mentioned in last month’s report, another vehicle hit our newest vehicle, and the damage was so severe that the insurance company totaled our vehicle. I am so thankful that our personnel were not seriously injured. The insurance company has paid us for the vehicle so that we were able to get a new one exactly like the one we had except with 11,000 less miles, being new. God has His gracious ways of providing what we need and taking care of us.
The last couple of months has brought a flurry of repair problems. Our main large press has had many problems, and it continues to have problems. The support and repairmen on this press usually must come from Dallas and the cost begins at about $3,000 just to get them on site. We have possibly spent $75,000 since January on repairs. The large press is about 38 years old and experts tell us that it is getting hard to find parts and service technicians who can work on it. Please join us in praying for the future and our printing capabilities. Future possibilities are being investigated, but as you can imagine, nothing comes easy or cheap. God, however, can do anything, and we can do all things as we are strengthened by our Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:13).
The new VBS curriculum, “Wonder,” will soon be out and it is sure to be a blessing. It concerns God and His creation, revealing truths that all young people need to know, and of course, it will lead the children to the Creator’s Son, Jesus Christ. Sample kits will be available for purchase October 1, and information about “Wonder” is presently available on the web site. Start early planning for a great VBS in your community.
The Baptist Sunday School Committee will meet September 23, 24, in Texarkana. It is always good to visit with the brethren about the work of supplying literature for the churches. Pray for us and come visit anytime.