I Need and Estimate

By John O’Malley

“For the LORD is good…” (Psalm 100:5).

How many times have you needed a service performed in your life and sought an estimate? First, you have to find a provider of that service. Then you must find out the price. You may read reviews online, ask some trusted friends, and ask how long the vendor has been in business. You may gain confidence in a service provider with each mention of a friend, review you read, and advertisement you see. These all help you gain confidence in the service provider for your needs.

As in the illustration above, when we want a service performed we seek an estimation of both a vendor and his service reliability. The psalmist gives us his estimation of both the person and perception of the Lord: “the LORD is good.” The psalmist speaks from his experience with God. His opinion is not just subjective. He writes with authority as God inspired him to write these words.

“The LORD is good.” What confirmation! What consolation! What comfort!

The psalmist, in our focus phrase, invokes the name of God, which makes us think of God’s self-existing eternal state of being. Notice the spelling of the word “LORD.” Do you see the capital letters? The word’s meaning has to do with Him being self-existing. The God who has always been and will always be is the Lord that is good. This is the same word God used to introduce Himself to Moses in Exodus 6:2-3.

We considered the psalmist’s estimation of the person of God. Now, we should consider the psalmist’s estimation of God’s quality. The psalmist estimates the value of God as good. Good does not seem high enough to describe God.

Advertisers use superlatives in their estimations of their services and products. Advertisers say “good” is just okay. Advertisers tell us we need spectacular. We need awesome. We need amazing. However, God told The psalmist to use the word “good.”

When compared to modern adjectives, “good” seems inadequate. When David used this word, he used it in the sense that he estimated God as the best. He valued Him as beautiful and better. He knew Him to be both fair and the finest. He is God. Using the word “good” is the highest estimation He could give to He who is altogether lovely. David’s estimation of God is He is perfect.

When we seek an estimate, we want to know the length the vendor has been in business. We want to know the quality of their work. We use these elements to determine whether we enlist them to help us. The psalmist’s words speak to these two elements of an estimation. The Lord has been in business since before time. The Lord is good!

What is your estimation of God? Have you found Him good? He is always good. Try your estimation of God right now. Write down three ways you know God has been good to you and the world at large.

John O’Malley

If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley to let him know.

From the Memo Board: May 2025

Important Dates to Know

May 1 – March Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.
May 1 – April Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.
May 26 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Memorial Day.
June 1 – April Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.
June 1 – May Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.
April 13-16, 2026 – Family Fellowship Week in Sophia, NC.

 

For easy access to all of these dates, click here to download our WWNTBM Dates and Deadlines Calendar into your calendar app.

Missionary of the Day

Our website at wwntbm.com promotes a missionary of the day. This is a great way to get to know about the ministries of others in our missions family. Some have chosen to set this as their home page so they can be reminded to pray for a different missionary each day.

The Edge Christian Camp and Edge2Go International

For the last several years, we have been blessed to have Scott Carsley, Carey Charles, and the team from The Edge Christian Camp attend Family Week and provide an exceptional program for our young people during the week.

Edge2Go is a ministry of The Edge Christian Camp that brings camp to Independent Baptist church locations. The Edge staff offers many aspects of summer camp in a one-day, day camp format, including activities, chapel service, evening service, God & I time booklets, games, activities, and competitions. They have recently been burdened to take this ministry internationally by partnering with missionaries. Their desire is to work with WWNTBM missionaries to bring camp to your mission field. If you are interested, or if you know local churches in the US who could utilize their services, please contact them through their website at theedge.camp.

Family Fellowship Week 2026

Now is the time to begin planning to attend Family Fellowship Week 2026! The conference will be held at the Caraway Conference Center near Asheboro, NC, from April 13-16, 2026. The week begins on Monday afternoon and ends with breakfast on Friday morning. When interviewed, missionaries agree to attend Family Week for two years while on deputation and once every four years thereafter. Please plan to attend the entire week. This is an important time to gather for fellowship, encouragement, and reminders of our heritage.

2025 US MFR Template – Meal Allowance Rate

It has come to our attention that the old standard meal allowance rate of $59 is listed in the yellow comment box that pops up when hovering over the Meal Allowance column on the 2025 US MFR Template.

Please use the rates listed in the drop-down menu. The drop-down menu includes the current rates, including the “new” standard rate of $68.

Seasons of Ministry by Pastor Wingard

At Family Fellowship Week, we were asked about the Seasons of Ministry sermon series by Pastor Wingard. Pastor Wingard’s life principle was to “serve faithfully in his present season of life.” He exemplified this principle in his life and ministry, and we know you will be encouraged by this series.  Click here to listen to the sermon series.

Principles and Practices

Each year at Family Fellowship Week, Bro. Danny Whetstone teaches our Principles and Practices. These values have guided World Wide New Testament Baptist Missions since 1971, and they will continue to do so.

Below is the outline of our Principles and Practices. Click here to listen to Pastor Wingard teach our Principles and Practices. This audio is from the Family Fellowship Week of 2014.

I. The Purpose of this Mission Agency is to Honor Our Lord Jesus Christ in Carrying Out the Great Commission.
A. We Assist Churches in Getting Their Missionaries to the Field.
B. We Assist Missionaries in . . .
1. Getting to the Field.
2. Staying on the Field.
3. Returning to the Field.
II. We Are Servants of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Local Churches.
A. We Do Not Maintain Authority to Ordain.
B. We Do Not Maintain Authority to Commission.
C. We Do Not Maintain Authority to Discipline.
D. We Must Maintain Biblical Standards.
E. We Must Maintain Working Relationships.
1. Mission Agency with Missionaries
2. Missionaries with Missionaries
III. All of Us Who Are Supported Through the Agency Are . . .
A. Accountable for the Funds.
B. Fellow-Helpers in Financing the Mission Office.
IV. Concerning Relationships
A. Agency to Missionaries
B. To Our Families
C. Missionaries to Agency
V. Concerning Policy
A. Return Passage
B. Insurance
C. Bible Translations
VI. Concerning Our Attitude
A. Towards Other Missionaries
B. Towards the Mission Agency
C. Towards Preparation
D. Towards Separation
E. Towards the King James Version

Prayer Requests and Special Days

Click here to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises, as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for this month.

Note: You will need to login to SecureCloud in order to view this document. Once you have logged in, click on Files, Shared, then Headquarter Happenings, then scroll to the month you would like to view. This step protects people with WWNTBM in restricted access fields.

See the Harvest Grenada 2025

By Cody Carden

In March, I was privileged to lead a See The Harvest Team of six to St. George’s, Grenada. Our team worked alongside Pastor Anderson Gibson and the First Baptist Church of Berrotte to have an open-air street meeting, youth/discipleship conference, discipleship movie night, and fun youth activities! Pastor Mike Barnette of McLeansville Baptist Church in McLeansville, NC, was the keynote speaker from our team.

Though we only had eight days on the island, God used us greatly! Most of our morning hours were spent with other missionaries and pastors on the island, learning from their experiences on the field and the history of ministry in Grenada. It was such a blessing for our team to be an encouragement to them and their families! Simple encouragement for missionaries and saints on the field can go a long way, and it’s often an overlooked part of short-term missions ministry.

Our main ministry efforts were the events that took place in the evening at First Baptist Church. Pastor Anderson Gibson is bi-vocational, which is why our mornings were spent with others. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday’s services focused on youth and discipleship. Pastor Mike preached on how a deeper life with God is possible, practiced, and worth every sacrifice! To end the conference, we showed a film at the church on Wednesday night. The film “The Forge” gave everyone a visual of what practical discipleship looks like and helped them understand how preaching and teaching apply to their lives personally.

Finally, to end our week, we had a Youth Night on Friday with all kinds of games for the children and teens. Of course, we also had hot dogs, roasted corn, and Grenadian S’mores! It was such a refreshing week of ministry for First Baptist Church, The Gibson Family, and our team. We hope to visit Grenada again, possibly working with other pastors on the island to accomplish outreach efforts. Praise God for a wonderful trip!

Yours for the Harvest,
Cody Carden
See The Harvest Director

If you have any questions about this trip or the See the Harvest program, you can email Bro. Carden.
Our team with Pastor Gibson and his wife.
Our team visiting our missionaries, Pat Mathena and Carrie Mathena