Being the Worship Leader God Wants You to Be

We had about 120 participants in our fourth annual Worship and Music Conference held at the Bellvue Salem Baptist Church

The worship team from Quisqueya Chapel lead several of the worship services during the Conference.

Most of the presenters in the Conference were Haitian, but a small team from RJB Ministries assisted in presenting several sessions and singing/playing during the worship services.

Have you ever taken a few moments to talk to the worship leaders at your church about the joys and challenges that they face?  While it is a great privilege to lead worship, it also can be very tiring to manage all the details that have to come together for a worship service.  This year we set aside funds and time to put on the fourth annual Music and Worship Conference in partnership with Perspectives Reformees in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  The Conference’s theme was “Being the Worship Leader God Wants You to Be.”  The first day we spent reflecting on the spiritual care and encouragement worship leaders need and often do not get.  We could tell by the faces of the participants that this was a timely subject.  During the second day, we discussed some practical issues of worship leadership like song selection, teaching a congregation to sing new songs, organization of the service, and other important topics.  We could tell that even in Haiti, there is a lot of conflict between worship leaders, church boards, and pastors with regard to worship service planning and execution.  Next time you have a chance, take a moment to thank and listen to your worship leaders.  It is a rewarding but very difficult task.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, 2016

Segaar-King December Update

Dear Friends and Family:

Greetings from Haiti.  God has been good to us in 2015, protecting and providing for our life and work in Haiti.  One of the biggest answers to prayer has been renewal after a painful conflict within the Christian Reformed Church of Haiti, a Haitian denomination with which we have worked since 2005.  It is great to be able to work with the churches and Haitian leaders of this denomination again.  A second answer to prayer is the recruitment of new missionaries to serve in Haiti.  Finally, we are thankful for your continued prayer and financial support of our ministry, two things which we will continue to need in 2016.

Please join us in giving thanks for:

1.   Our new missionaries, Cory and Lynn Grimm and family.  They will officially be starting with Christian Reformed World Missions in January, 2016.  It will take at least six months for support-raising before they can arrive on the field.

2.   A successful Worship and Music Conference in December.  Our theme was “Be the worship leader God has called you to be.”  We trained over 120 Haitian church leaders in practical and theological principles to help them become better worship leaders.

3.   A great visit from Larry and Faith Segaar, who spent about 10 days with us.

Please join us in prayer for:

1.   Visiting teams in January from Second CRC of Allendale and Lakeside CRC.  For the service component, the teams this winter will be helping us put an addition on our mission office to house Perspectives Reformees, the CRC media ministry.

2.   Stability in Haiti.  The Dec. 27 presidential election was cancelled.  The new date will most likely be in January.

3.   Zach’s final push to finish his Ph.d.  The final draft is due on February 15.

4.   That we would receive the metal trusses for a church we want to build.  The vendor is over three months late after receiving full payment and construction is delayed.

Please see the attached New Year’s greeting.

FOR MORE PICTURES, STORIES, AND INFORMATION ABOUT OUR MINISTRY AND FAMILY, PLEASE SEE OUR BLOG AT segaarking.blogspot.com

Thanks for your prayers and support,

Zachary, Sharon, Hannah, Vivian, Isaiah and Esther Segaar-King

Missionaries to Haiti through Christian Reformed World Missions 

Segaar-King November Ministry Report

Dear Friends and Family:

Greetings from Haiti.  Now that the Advent or Christmas season has begun, we can reflect on the meaning of Jesus’ birth from the Haitian perspective.  First, Advent reminds us that God loves poor, working people.  Jesus, the Son of God, was born not to royalty, but to a carpenter and his peasant fiancé.  Like Mary and Joseph, the vast majority of Haitians work hard with their hands to survive.  Second, Advent reminds us that God keeps his promises, especially his promise to provide for his people.  North Americans, for whom food, security, and medical care are but a phone call or credit card swipe away, struggle to understand what it means to trust God for “daily bread.”  But Haitians, many of whom wake up without a crumb in the cupboard, know about radical dependence on God’s promises.  

Please join us in giving thanks for:

1.   God’s provision for a new missionary family to come to Haiti.  We will be sharing the name of the new family with you in coming months.

2.   A safe trip for Zach to Guatemala.  He had a great time getting acquainted with several models of urban ministry.

3.   Progress made on a new material in November for Christian worldview training in the Timothy Leadership Training style.

Please join us in prayer for:

1.   Increased stability for Port-au-Prince in December and January.  Though the 25 October vote was a success, many candidates are accusing the ruling party of tampering with the vote counts.  As a result, there are nearly daily anti-government demonstrations in Port-au-Prince.

2.   The Worship and Music Conference on 11-12 December.  We will be reflecting on how to become a more God-honoring worship leader with nearly 100 participants in a local church.

3.   Our winter Service and Learning teams.  The first team, Second CRC of Allendale, arrives in Haiti in January.

4.   A safe trip to Haiti for Sharon’s parents in December.

Thanks for your prayers and support,

Zachary, Sharon, Hannah, Vivian, Isaiah and Esther Segaar-King

Missionaries to Haiti through Christian Reformed World Missions