TOM & DEBBIE FOUST

22 Melbourne Road Sidemoor, Bromsgrove Worcestershire B6} 8PE England

Phone/Fax: 011-44-152-783-2272

GREAT

BRITAIN

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP Prayer Newsletter

March 1996

Hello to all! We are pleased to communicate with you through another prayer newsletter! Let me start off by saying, "Thankyou. "Thank you for your support for us over the last several years. We are grateful for your faithful prayers, letters, cards, financial gifts, and encouragement. And, of course, we are thankful for your friendships. This is another update of our ministry and of what we hope to finish over the next few months before we leave on furlough. Please share this information with all you are in contact with, who might be interested in our ministry. Also, please feel free to put any of this
information in a church newsletter or to make this

able to narrow our attention and to focus on the

following areas. We have: Selected and trained three British elders to begin taking over the leadership of the congregation. Please pray for John Allardice, Peter Billingham, and Steve CoUey. Established small group Bible studies to minister to and disciple the people. ~ Been in conversation with several people who could potentially become the preaching minister with the
church.

information public in any other appropriate manner (such as an announcement in a service, a Sunday school class, or a committee meeting, etc.). Thank
When we arrived in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire (England) in October 1992, Bromsgrove Christian Church (BCC) was only five years old. Their minister

~ Developed a strategy and looked at possible locations for the next church plants. This includes long-range planning and establishing goals (what we call LRPV) with our CMF teammates to carry us into
the next millennium.

To accomplish the threefold goal, we set before our

arrival we knew it would require working with and training British people to do the work of ministry. It

had gone to the USA for further training, then moved

to Australia. We (along with our ministry partners, Larry and Debbie Kineman) came to fill that void and to complete the church plant. Our threefold goal to accomplish this taskwas: 1) to put British people in place to lead the congrega tion (elders and a preaching minister); 2) to enable them to be a self-supporting congregation (financially responsible for themselves); and 3) to encourage them to assist with starting more new church plants (to be a missionary congregation).

would mean encouraging them to use the gifts they had been given by God. Let me illustrate this by telling you about one of the families in the Broms grove Christian Church with whom we have been working: the John and GillAllardice family. We first
introduced them to you in our December 1993 newsletter. John and Gill have two daughters, Joanne and Katie. Just two days after our family arrived in England, I helped with the funeral of a local man

named Sid Byng, GillAllardice s father. It is tradition al in England for the entire family of the deceased person to attend the congregation of the minister who
conducted the funeral service on the Sunday morning following the funeral. Aft:er attending BCC on that

Sinceour arrival, we have been working toward these goals. We have been striving to bring the church to maturity. In the last eighteen months we have been

Sunday, June Byng (Sid's wife, Gill's mother) and the

Allardice family continued to worship with the congregation.

Since that time, this family has been faithful and obedient. John,Joanne, and Katie have been baptized (Gill had already been immersed); they have all become members of BCC; they are all faithful each week in the worship services; Joanne and Katie play (at different times) the piano, organ, clavinova, and violin for the worship services; John is one of the three new British elders and has been in charge of the church's buildings and grounds; Gill has led the monthly meeting of the Women's Christian Fellowship; all of them have participated in small group Bible studies; they all helpwith the many jobs and activities of the congregation, offering all they do as a living sacrifice.
You folks ~ our friends and supporters ~ have made a difference in the lives of the Allardice family members through your faithful support to us. You may have met the Allardice family as they traveled to America last summer and visited with many of our supporters.

about the Billingham, Colley, Marshall, Bishton,

Drabble, Crane families and several others.

Since October 1992when we began to work with Bromsgrove Christian Church, there have been 29 additions to the membership of the congregation. Twenty-four of those people were immersed, and the others, who had been baptized, came by statement of
faith. In this time, the attendance has about doubled.

We anticipate several more decisions for the Lord

during 1996. Please pray for those who are seriously

considering steps of obedience to our Lord Jesus

Christ: Malcolm andJan Byng; Melanie Villarreal;

David and Rose Ingram; Jon Little; Jeremy and Angela Lydiatt; Becky Louch; Joanna Marshall;
Graham, Diane, and Andrew Roberts; and David and
Pauline O'Connell.

The Bromsgrove Christian Church is now one of the largest congregations in the UK affiliated with
Christian churches/churches of Christ. We are still

confident that before long all three goals will be met to complete the church plant with the BCC. May God continue to give us the grace to this end. As we near the time for furlough, we are diminishing our involvement with Bromsgrove Christian Church.
This is another reason why Debbie and I have been training British people to carry on with the tasks that need to be done after we have gone. It is imperative that we enable British people to do the work of

Tom baptizingJames Banner at localBaptistchurch (top). James andJoanne Banner (right).

ministry before we leave. For instance, I am taking each of the three elders on several types of calls with me (pastoral, evangelistic, hospital, etc.) teaching, explaining, and demonstrating as we go. Larry and I meet regularly with the elders for
prayer and reflection on the Word of God for Bromsgrove. It is critical that these elders learn-that their primary ministry is that of prayer and discerning the Word for that congregation in that community. Oh, yes, we also have many times of fiin, laughter, and eating with the elders
and their wives. Those times are often the most

Oh, and we mustn't forget: last year Joanne Allardice married one of the young men in the congregation, James Banner. James began 1 worshiping regularly with the congregation just after we arrived. I baptized him about two years ago. James and Joanne met through activities at BCC ~ with a little help from their friends! So, we have even had weddings of Christian couples as a result of our ministries! It was a beautiful Christian wedding service! I was honored to perform the ceremony. This is just one story about one of the families who have responded to the gospel as a result of your generous giving to us. Similar stories could be told

productive training and teaching times as they are born out of the relationship we share in
Christ.

When we leave for furlough in mid-June 1996, Larry and Debbie Kineman will have about one more year of ministry at BCC. Following that time, they will take a furlough. God willing, all of our aforemen tioned goals will have been accomplished by then. In order for that to take place, British people must be enabled, encouraged, and trained to do the work of ministry. Larry and Debbie will concentrate on

finishing the training of the elders and completing the

goals outlined earlier.

were excited to have him observe firsthand the Lord's

work through the Fousts and Kinemans in England. I am grateful for all the encouragement received from so many of you as I have been finishing the writing of my PhD thesis. After completing the residency and
research requirements from 1989 to 1991,1 took time
to edit a book with Dr. William Richardson that was

There are many other exciting things taking place. At the end of February, we welcomed Graham Richards
to work alongside of us (the CMF team). Graham

worked with Larry and me before going to America in

an internship with Central Christian Church, Mesa, Arizona. At Central, Graham worked with Larry Daily and others. Larry and Carol Daily ministered in England for several years at Birkenhead (near Liverpool) and at Bromsgrove. They have known Graham for several years and were instrumental in teaching him the Way during their ministryyears at Birkenhead, Graham's home. Please pray for Graham.
We are honored to have him as our first British

partner to help begin a church-planting movement

among the Christian churches/churches of Christ in
the UK.

eventually published by Emmanuel School of Religion. Since then, I have worked toward finishing the PhD degree I had begun. Toward the end of last year, I used up all my holiday time in one big effort to try to finish the thesis, but did not quite do so. With all the work at Bromsgrove Christian Church most of my writing is now in the late evenings or early mornings. God willing, I will be able to complete this work before we leave on furlough. Please continue to pray on our behalf for this project. My work is centered on missiological approaches to modern Western culture (for example, the UK and the USA). Dr. BobWetzel and Dr. Dennis Lindsay have given me considerable assistance with this project. We now have an e-mail address and are sending out information to family, friends, and supporters periodically through e-mailgrammes' from us. Please conracr iis ar rhp followinp^ Internet: r

101324.1057@CompuSerTC!ra^p
Again, thank you for your faithful and generous support. We could not minister in England without you. We look forward to seeingyou when we are in America later this year and early next year. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Much love,

Cyndi Vest (I) and Michelie Kakac (r), interns at Bromsgrove

Christian Church.

Cyndi Vest and Michelle Kakac have worked with us

(Kinemans and Fousts) for about six months as

interns. They have been studying at Lincoln Christian College but took one year out for an internship. It has been a great opportunity to have these two young ladies share in the ministries with us at BCC. They have contributed in the areas of youth, music and worship, Sunday School, and wherever else they have been called upon. It has been a joy to have them work alongside of us. Just recently, Richard Dunseth, one of the elders of
First Christian Church, Jacksonville, Illinois ~ a

Tom Foust

major supporting congregation of ours and the Kinemans ~ came for a visit. He was in England with us during the last of February and the beginning of March. First Christian has been undergirding our ministries for the last several years through Faith Promise giving. Praise the Lord for Richard's visit! We

Women's Christian Fellowship at Bromsgrove Christian Church.

Tom & Debbie Foust

2230 HighLind Road Anderson, IN 46012 317-640-4158 e-mail; INTERNET: 101324.1057@compuserve.com

Debbie, David, Tom, Samuel, Angela, &Autumn

MISSIONARIES TO GREAT BRITAIN

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP Prayer Newsletter

September 1996
Furlough

phone: 317-640-4158 (leave a message if we are not in) e-mail: INTERNET:101324.1057@compuserve.com

During the last two months we have traveled long distances to visit with supporting congregations and individuals. We hope to meet and talk with most or all of our supporting congregations and individuals before we return to Great Britain, God willing, in
March 1997.
Looking Back

We arrived in Anderson, Indiana on Wednesday, June 19, 1996. Our family of six was able to come back with only thirteen suitcases total, which was one suitcase over the limit set by the airlines of two
suitcases each! So, we will literally live out of suitcases
the next nine months! We stored all of our "stuff in

England in a friend's storage barn and will need to

find another rental house when we return.

However, upon our arrival in the US, we were able to go to a home that had been prepared for us by the folks at Bethany Christian Church. It was so nice to

We are excited about the nearly four years we were in

Great Britain and all that the Lord was able to do

have a home that was all ready and waiting for us. Several couples in the congregation headed the project of preparing the house for us: Jim and Sandy Garrison (missions chairpersons); Johnny and Betty Barger
(who own the house);
Dave and Bonnie

through our family and the Kineman family (with whom we partnered) at Bromsgrove Christian Church. Let me give you a very brief summary of our years with the Bromsgrove Church.
1992

Fousts arrived the last

Carpenter; and Monty and Patti

Foust. We owe many
thanks to them and

Sunday of October to
work with the Broms

grove Christian

all thosewho gave or loaned things to go

into the house. What a wonderful welcome we have received!

Church, which, during the months of Septem

ber and October, had

an average worship
attendance of 44. 1993 Kinemans arrived to work with

Here's how we may be contacted (please

call or write):
The Fousts

Bromsgrove Christian Church in June, eight

The Red Knight at Warwick Castle.
Great Britain needs Christ.

2230 Highland Rd.

Anderson, IN 46012

months after the Fousts' arrival.

18 people were added to the membership of the congregation, 13 by immersion and 5 by transfer.
~ 8 members were added to Bromsgrove Christian Church, all by immersion. " 10 people moved from the congregation. One couple went to plant a newcongregation in Cornwall, and one young man, with whom Tom and Larry had been working, went to Mesa,Arizona to work as an
intern with Central Christian Church.

Huss and themselves. Donna, a CMF summer intern,

gave a lot of attention to the HBC. In all, 28 people

helped with the HBC. Incredibly, there were 160 different children who participated in the HBC with an average of 105 for each day. The highest single day
attendance was 115.

~ As a result of the HBC, several new families have

begun to attend Bromsgrove Christian Church so that, even though our family of six returned to America, the worship service attendance averaged 80 during the month of July.
Projection

~ During the month of December, the average worship attendance was 69.

~ 3 British elders were selected from within the

congregation: John Allardice, Peter Billingham, and Steve Colley. 5 people were added to the membership of Bromsgrove Christian Church, 3 by immersion and 2 by transfer.

It looks as if there may be 6-10 additional people added to the membership of Bromsgrove Christian Church by the end of the year. Please pray for
Matthew Prescoctr-Joaftna-Marshall-,-Matthew

Marshall, Becky Louch, Tom and Linda Talbert, Amy

Talbert, Tammy Talbert, Barbara Banner, Mick and Dorothy Marriott, Jon Little, Graham and Diane

~ 2 families went out from the congregation to accept

new ministries, one to Zimbabwe and one to
America.

Roberts, and Andrew Roberts. And pray for the new families who have begun to attend.
BromsgroveChristian now has three British elders leading the congregation who are in the midst of some important decision making. Please pray for these elders, and for Larry, as together they determine God's will for the congregation.
Two of these decisions are:

~ The average attendance throughout the yearwas 69.

So far, there have been 12 additions to the

membership of Bromsgrove Christian Church, 9 by

immersion and 3 by transfer.

~ The average attendance for the congregation during

the month of March was 73.

(1) Bromsgrove Christian Church's change in the

relationship with the Ebenezer Methodist Church as

The Fousts returned to America for furlough in June while the Kinemans remained in England. They will stay at Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, until mid-1997 to complete the training of the elders and to assist in bringing the congregation to maturity.
Larry baptized five

the five-year lease of the Methodist's building ended in mid-1996. The Methodist members worship with the Bromsgrove saints. Although Bromsgrove Christian may still worship in the building, there
most certainlywill be a change in the way this is

structured. At this time, there is a consensus among all the believers to bring the two congregations into
one.

(2) Selection of a British person to lead the congregation as preaching minister by the end of
1996.

from'withnthe'

Family

The British educational system is very different than the American system. Consequently, Angela returned to Great Britain at the end of August. At her level of education, it was not possible for her to be away for long periods of time. We miss her already as this is the

congregation with the "

j||-^
Atthe Tower ofLondon.

first time our family has been separated for a long

period of time. We hope to be able to fly her home to visit for the Christmas holiday. Also, Autumn's and

exception of Donna

Fundamental to our return to Great Britain are those

who commit to pray for us. Already there are several who are praying daily or weekly for us, but we need others who will commit to pray for our family while
we serve in Great Britain.
Please Pray For

Us during the next several months as we raise additional monthly financial support and the
one-time funds to re-outfit our return to the UK.

Additional prayer supporters to commit to praying for us as we serve internationally. Our safety and health as we will be doing a lot of traveling.

Angela and us during this time of separation.

Our partners, Larry and Debbie Kineman, who remain at Bromsgrove Christian, that they will be able

to complete the church plant during the next twelve

months or so.

Bromsgrove Christian Church, Worcestershire,

Thefamily enjoys being tourists (Tower ofLondon) orjust being
together.

England, and the elders in the decisions they must

make in the months ahead.

David's teachers gathered the schoolwork that they would need to complete during the nine months we
are in America. So, we are back to homeschooling, except this time it is in the British educational system!
Future

The new believers at Bromsgrove, those who are near to making a decision for Christ, and the new

families who began attending because of the HBC.

The other members of the CMF-Great Britain Field

Team: Tim and Tammy Aho; Will and Ruth Walls;

David and Teresa Fittro; and Aaron and Diane

Lincoln (also on furlough).

God willing, we plan to return to Great Britain in

March 1997 to continue assisting the "Fellowship of

Churches of Christ of Great Britain and Ireland" in

developing a church-planting movement. We hope to

be directly involved in a newchurch plant somewhere
in the West Midlands. And, we will continue to assist

Tom and Debbie Foust

and encourage those British folks who are involved in various ministries in Great Britain, including church planting.
In order to return to Great Britain, we have financial

needs in two areas. We need to raise approximately $800 in additional monthly support, and, secondly, we must raise about $30,000 in one-time gifts to
purchase such items as return airline tickets and a

vehicle to use on the field, and to pay for shipping

costs of other items purchased.

December 1996

Dear Friends,

We first met Peter and Noreen Billingham at a Valentine's banquet in February 1989, one month after we airived in England. We developed a deep friendship over the months and years following. For most of those years, Pete worked for Sun Alliance Insurance Company and, eventually, became the Senior Branch Manager in Birmingham City Centre. In August 1994, Pete left the business world to obtain a degree at the University
of Birmingham.

On Sunday morning, November 24,1996, Peter and Noreen were brought before the Bromsgrove Christian Church to be considered and voted upon by the congregation to lead the believers with Pete as their new preaching minister. Pete and Noreen were recommended imanimously to the congregation by the elders, Larry Kineman, and myself Their introduction to the congregation was followed by a lengthy, thunderous

applause. What a great joy it has been to be part of Pete and Noreen's lives as they made the pilgrimage into the leadership of the BromsgroveChristian Church.
It was also in 1989 that we met Graham Richards. Graham became a Christian while

Larry and Carol Daily were living and ministering in Birkenhead, England, where
Graham lived. In 1993, Graham accepted the invitation to serve with Larry and myself at

Bromsgrove Christian Church while he completed his studies at Springdale College and the University of Birmingham. After an intemship with Central Christian Church in
Mesa, Arizona, Graham now works alongside Kevin and Marie Yates to lead the Wigston

Magna Church of Christ in Leicester. What an honor it has been to be part of Graham's life as he diligently sought the Lord's direction, and is now one of the leaders of the
Christian churches/churches of Christ in Great Britain.

There are other British Christians with whom we have worked, prayed, laughed, and cried

as they sought the direction of the Lord on their lives in Christian service: Derek and Angie Stancombe, Bairy and Lynne Eaton, Ralph and Evelyn Mallin, and many others. And the time for training and assisting British church leaders is not yet over. We need your help so we can return to Great Britain in March 1997.
We will also be involved directly in a new church plant in the Worcestershire area. These are the next steps of our strategy to help the British Christian churches/churches of Christ begin church planting in the UK.

Tom and Debbie Foust

2230 Highland Road Anderson, IN 46012 317-640-4158
Indianapolis, IN 46250-6020 USA 317-578-2700 Christian Missionary Fellowship P.O. Box 501020

Page Two

Spiritual Undergirding

Obviously, we are engaged in a primarily spiritual battle. First and foremost, we need newandrenewed commitments fix)m congregations andindividuals whowill pray monthly, weekly, anddaily forthe members ofour family. Please complete and letum thecommitment card, even if youcompleted onesome time in thepast,sowe will know
who our prayer warriors will be for the next term ofservice.
One-Time Gifts

software; we need to eradicate the indebtedness we incuiired as aresult ofreduced support

lastterm; andweneed to purchase another vehicle. Weneed to raise approximately
$30,000 in one-time gifts to equip us to return to the field to minister. We need some

In orderto return as missionaries to Great Britain, we have needs that canbe metthrough one-time gifts. For instance, we needto purchase a computer, a printer,andsome

large gifts andmany smaller gifts in order to reoutfit usproperly. Please help us retum to Great Britainby committing to prayfor us andby giving a one-time gift to reoutfit us.
You can send in a gift along with the commitment card.
Faithfully,

Tom Foust

P.S. Letme leave you with what theBritish people call "The Grace." Typically, it is spoken together at the conclusion of a worship service: "May the love ofGod, the fellowship oftheHoly Spirit, and thegraceofourLordJesusChrist be with youall,
forevermore. Amen."
2 Corinthians 13:14