January 2024 Update
It’s hard to believe that 2023 is now history and the first month of the new year is also gone! The Burgers are so thankful that God has brought us to New Hampshire! We really have only been here about four month and feel that God has truly blessed us these few months. The last Sunday in 2023 God blessed us with two baptisms. Then the first Sunday in January, the two new converts brought two of their friends to services and John, the new Christian, lead the closing prayer. We averaged 10 in each Sunday worship service in Littleton with three or more non-Christians at each service. The contributions that we collect each Sunday go a long way in paying for the church’s outreach into the community. We want to do as much as we can toward evangelizing our area rather than just depending on the individuals and congregations who support this work.
Website
Our son Kevin designed a website for the church. We have had over 500 visits during the last month. Please check it out and share it far and wide. I have several articles posted on it and will post others in the future. (littletonnhchurchofchrist.org)
Evangelism
We continue to send out House to House – Heart to Heart every other month. This puts some gospel information in 1,600 homes in Littleton. We have had positive feedback from people in the community who receive it.
We started our Thursday Night Bible Study in our home during January, but thus far, have not been successful in getting people from the community to attend. We still believe that it is a good evangelistic tool. We just need to work harder to let people in the community know about it.
Each month we get addresses of people who have moved to Littleton. I made numerous deliveries of little gift boxes to these people. Everyone is very appreciative of the box of goodies. Thanks to the help of several Christians in the Lancaster church, we addressed and mailed invitations to the Thursday night Bible study to about 65 of those new-move-ins (this is the number of move-in since July 2023).
Needs in the State
The population of New Hampshire is about 1.4 million people (90,000 in the county where we live – Grafton County). Google lists 13 churches of Christ meeting. Unfortunately, several of them are moving in the liberal direction by using women in leadership capacities and/or using instrumental music in worship. According to conservative sources in the church, there are only six or eight congregations in the state who continue to be sound in the faith. Several of those congregations do not have preachers to work with them. Workers are needed all over the state. It would be great if Christian families would move to this beautiful state to be part of the church and to have a Christian influence in theircommunities. Please think about doing this or think about people you might suggest that they do this. We need Christians, not just preachers to move to this area. Please contact me if you can help meet this need.
Preachers’ Meeting
Once a month three or four preachers in the state get together just for a time of fellowship and to discuss a particular topic. In January, Weezie and I hosted those preachers. The two others who are married brought their wives. The wives visited upstairs in our house while the men met downstairs and then all enjoyed a delicious meal Weezie had prepared.
Preaching and Teaching Activities
We are blessed that Mac Graham, a 2023 BV graduate, came with us to NH. He has been a great help! Scott Johnson, also a BV graduate, has lived in the area for the past 8+ years, and is also very active in all aspects of the work, both in Lancaster and Littleton. In fact, it was Scott who invited a co-worker at the Post Office to attend our first worship service in Littleton. She came with her boyfriend, and they were baptized, December 31.
Mac, Scott and I do all the preaching and teaching for both congregations. The Littleton church meets only for worship on Sundays and that is Sunday morning from 8:00 to 9:00. The church in Lancaster changed their meeting time from 10:00 to 10:30 for worship with Bible class from 11:30 to 12:30 so that we could leave the Littleton service, after visiting with to=hose who came, and still get to Lancaster in time to worship with them. I preach every other Sunday in Littleton with Mac and Scott preaching the other Sundays. I also preach every third Sunday in Lancaster and teach the book of Acts in the Lancaster church each Sunday. Mac teaches the Wednesday night Bible class in Lancaster.
Each Friday night Mac and I teach a Personal Evangelism class to a couple who are members at Lancaster. They want to become more involved in leading people to Christ.
I traveled back to Denver to teach a short course at Bear Valley Bible Institute from January 8-12. A short course is where the student studies one subject that week. The students are in class six hours a day for the five days. This year I taught Denominational Doctrines. I covered 50 terms denominational people use that we need to understand. Then I gave a brief review of how various denominations came into existence. After that I explained the following doctrines and how to refute them: (1) Calvinism, (2) Premillennialism, (3) Pentecostalism. As a research project each student was assigned a particular denomination to study and refute where they are in error. After these papers are graded, the student is to make corrections and send his or her paper to all other students. Therefore, each student will have detailed information about twelve different denominations.
Sponsoring Church Leaders
Pictured above are the two elders and the preacher for the Lakes Region church in Tilton, New Hampshire. From left to right: (1) Dan King, elder, (2) David Rollert, preacher, (3) Bob Blouin, elder. These are good strong leaders who are very knowledgeable in God’s word, and very involved in evangelistic activities. The congregation has a Sunday morning attendance in the 50s. This church collects our funds, both personal support, and work-fund and deposits those funds into the correct accounts each month.
Personal Notes
As you know, the house we bought needed extensive upgrading. The workers have finished the inside, except for a few little touch-ups. The siding is to be put on the house when the weather gets warmer. Also, a deck is to be built and the front steps replaced. We are pleased with what has been accomplished but look forward to the completion of all the work!
We live very far north, about three hours north of Boston; about 170 miles from Montreal, Canada. People down south believe all we have is winter. Actually, we have had very little winter. We got one snow of eight inches and several smaller snows with the total snowfall this year of only about 18 inches. We do have snow on the ground, but not very deep. The temperatures are staying in the 30s. Interestingly, the morning I left Denver it was six below zero and snowing. When I landed in Boston it was 60 degrees.
Weezie and I sincerely appreciate all that you do for us by praying for us and the financial support which enables us to live here. Whatever we do goes to your account. We are thankful that our health is good; we have energy and enjoy being active in the Lord’s work. We do ask that you continue to pray for us.
Your missionaries in Littleton, NH
Wayne and “Weezie” Burger
