This Saturday, August 1, our teens will be competing in the Couch Potato Derby held at Bethany Baptist Church in Grand Rapids, OH.

The Couch Potato Derby is an annual one-day teenage junkyard war! Each team is assigned a team engineer and team mom who assist in the construction, decoration, and safety. After a successful build and time trials, the couches race head to head in a thrilling single-elimination bracket for the Couch Potato Gold Cup! Three times throughout the day, the teens and spectators participate in a Bible rally!

The youth also have an opportunity to receive one of many door-prizes throughout the day. Overall it is skill-building, creativity challenging, heart-pumping, and spiritually uplifting! Sign your teen or group up today and have your chance at winning the
Couch Potato Gold Cup!

Sunday a.m., August 16th

Guest Speaker, Dr. Bob Patton

Missionary to Suriname, South America

Here is a brief summary of the life and ministry of Dr. and Mrs. Robert Patton:

My parents were missionaries to China during World War II, and we were captured and interned in a prisoner of war camp in the Philippine Islands from 1941-1945. At age 11, I felt called to be a medical doctor to Africa.  After graduating from high school, by means of academic scholarships and work, I was able to complete a BA at Hamilton College, an MD with honor from the University of Rochester, and took 8 additional years of training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology.  My wife and I and our 4 children went then to Monrovia, Liberia from 1971-1976, where I was professor of medicine in charge of setting up a program in Internal Medicine in a new medical school.  I was saved in 1974 in Liberia at age 36.

Incidentally, my wife was born in China, and her family (father an MD, mother RN) was evacuated from China in World War II.  She completed her nursing training with RN, B.S. and later an M.S in nursing education.

When we returned to the USA from 1976-1986 in private practice in Internal Medicine, for the first time my wife and I were involved in an independent Baptist Church where I was bus captain, sang in the choir, was the church counselor, and eventually deacon chairman.  Our 4 children graduated from a Christian school and attended and graduated from Hyles-Anderson college.  My son Marc received a masters from Maranatha.  All are active in church, and two are missionaries – my daughter Kim in Suriname, and my son Marc in Hungary.

Since we left for Suriname in 1986 under Independent Faith Mission, an independent Baptist mission board, we have been involved in church planting, and I originally taught Internal Medicine in the teaching hospital for 5 years (officially I was in charge of the teaching program).  The Lord led me to retire entirely from medicine in 1991, and we have expanded the work to include at present:

1.         4 churches with 10 national pastors

2.         Bible Institute in Sranantongo 18 years with about 65 graduates.  We have begun an advanced second Bible Institute at about college level in 2009

3.         22 radio broadcasts per week over a total of 4 stations – we have 2100 fifteen minute programs covering the entire Bible, and one 30 minute and one 45 minute program per week

4.         Two 15 minute TV broadcasts per week

5.         Translation of the entire Bible into Sranantongo,

6.         Commentaries on the entire Bible, as well as discipleship materials.

We have recently joined Baptist World Mission.  We are nine months on the field in Suriname, and three months for a “mini-furlough” each year, concentrating on presenting the challenge to missions and translation.  Our desire is to be a blessing and a challenge to the students.

In Him and Content:

Dr. Bob Patton

Missionary to Suriname since 1986

Dr. Patton will be speaking at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sunday, August 16.