On The Air!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to be interviewed on radio station WVGV out of West Virginia. This is a ministry operated by Evangelist Oliver Araiza. I met Brother Oliver several years ago and told him about our ministry to the nursing homes in Pennsylvania and Ohio. He recently contacted me and said they would like to have me share what God was doing among the elderly in nursing homes on their American Heartbeat program.  Although I have been interviewed quite a number of times before on radio, I was somewhat apprehensive for this one due to the fact that it would be a live, 30 minute segment. After preparing all my information, just to make sure I had all the up-dated facts, I was ready for the call to the station. But.....technology being what it is, there was a glitch in the system and the call wouldn't connect. I had the station playing on my laptop, and I could hear the program host saying, "Brother Aabye, are you there?" How embarassing. I was frantically redialing the station, Brother Araiza, and the special "Skype" number he had given me. Every line was busy or immediately went to voice-mail. Finally, I heard the announcers voice in my ear and we were connected. Whew! The rest actually went off without a hitch, as they say.
Technology really is great, though. As I write this, I'm using a laptop computer. I remember my first computer. It was like a boat anchor! A huge desktop unit. Now computers have been reduced to the size of smart phones. We can connect via the air waves without cables. When I post this article to this blog site, it will immediately be accessible to anyone around the world. Having a web-site, Facebook page, e-mail, etc., provides not only instant access to friends, family, and beyond, but allows for the promotion of ministries to those who otherwise would not know about what God is doing in a ministry like ours. Although it's sometimes frustrating, p
raise the Lord for modern communication technology.

What's Your Reaction?

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a local pastor's fellowship in western Pennsylvania. It was a wonderful day of listening to the preaching of the Word of God, singing the great hymns of the faith, and spending time with the pastors, missionaries, and evangelists who are on the 'front lines' of the battle for the souls of mankind.
During an afternoon break, I was involved in a conversation with a pastor from Ohio. I was telling him how the Lord had called my wife and I to develop C.A.R.E. Ministries, and how we were seeing God doing great things through the nursing home ministry. I wish you could have seen his face when I shared some statistics about the number of nursing homes in our immediate are (63 within just a 40 mile radius of our home!). He was amazed when I told him that Ohio and Pennsylvania were number 3 and 5 respectively in the number of nursing homes in America! His reaction is something we've come to expect. Unfortunately, most pastors are not aware of the mission field of "those nearest eternity", as we like to say, literally on their doorstep. While no one would dispute the need to plant new churches in America, or to reach the multitudes around the globe who have never heard the gospel, the nursing home presents a never-ending opportunity to reach dear souls with the gospel of Jesus Christ. While most Bible-preaching churches have some sort of nursing home outreach, statistics are such that it would require every church to have 14 nursing home ministries just to meet the current demand.
In 2010 the "baby boomer" generation began to turn 65. According to the Population Reference Bureau: "There were actually 76 million births in the United States from 1946 to 1964, inclusive, the 19 years usually called the "baby boom." (By contrast, there were only 66 million births, in a larger U.S. population, during the 19 years following the baby boom, which included the baby bust of the 1970s.)"
The "boomer" population has the potential of swelling nursing home capacities beyond belief. In our area, we are ministering in two facilities that are going to combine into a newly remodeled one that will have the ability to handle residents from both, as well as provide an increased quality of care. Nursing homes are getting ready to meet the need. Is your church?
Are you wondering why there is a picture of an empty nursing home bed? Every day we read the paper and notice that someone from one of the area nursing homes we minister in has slipped off into eternity. Sometimes it's someone who has been saved during one of our services, or someone who has followed the Lord throughout their life. Although they will be missed physically, we rejoice to know they are in Heaven. However, it is heartbreaking to see a name listed of one whom we were unsure about their relationship with the Lord. Thankfully, the Lord gives us fresh fruit for our labors. Recently a number of folks in several homes have responded to the gospel and placed their faith in Christ for salvation. The nursing home truly is a field that is "white unto harvest"......every day!
Our schedule is busy. In addition to preaching nearly every day in the nursing homes, I have accepted the responsibility of being the interim-pastor at the church out of which we operate our ministry. There is no financial compensation for this, but it is rewarding to see God working in the lives of this small congregation of committed believers who want to see God do something great among them. Our prayer would be that, as the church grows, God would eventually bring the right man along who can shepherd this flock and take it to higher ground. In the meantime, we would covet your prayers as we seek to fulfill our calling to reach the lost among the elderly in the nursing homes, and in the communities around the church.

Serving Him,

Missionary Pastor Norm Aabye

Winter Update

Well, Winter is in full swing. As I write this letter, we are in a "Lake Effect Snow Warning". The weathermen are forecasting 1 to 3 feet of snow, but right now the sun keeps peeking out while it's snowing and blowing! There is no doubt that the weather patterns in northwest Pennsylvania are unique. They used to say when we lived in New England, "If you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes because it will probably change", but it seems even more true where we now live.
Despite the national statistics concerning the flu this year, we have had only two cancellations of our services in the nursing homes due to sickness at the facility. Attendance numbers have been down a little but there are still so many who are hungry to hear the Word.
While our ministry is primarily directed toward the residents of the nursing homes, we constantly see the Lord working in the hearts of the staff members. Just this past Monday, I was talking with a staffer after our service and she confided in me how much the preaching message meant to her. She is already a Christian, and told me she had heard a similar message before, but that today it was just what she needed. Those who work in the nursing homes often carry a heaven burden as they work with and around those who are living, as we say, "on the brink of eternity". Whether saved or not, the Lord continually uses His Word to speak to those whose hearts are open.
At one of our larger facilities, where we have had to move to different locations in the home many times over the years to accommodate the increasing attendance, we had some complaints....good complaints....from some of the residents that they were not being taken to the location of the service. The administration settled on a solution: one week we would have our service in the ACU (Alzheimer Care Unit), which has a huge all-purpose/dining area, and the next week we would use the conference room in another section of the home. Now everyone is happy, and all who want to attend are able to come to the service. We are there every Wednesday and it is one of our most rewarding experiences to minister to the folks there. In fact, while taking one man back to his room, he asked me if I had ever heard of a newspaper called "The Sword". I said, "Oh, you mean The Sword of the Lord?" He had seen a copy somewhere and heard there were correspondence courses advertised. Well, our church receives a bulk subscription to the Sword every two weeks. I told him I could supply him with all he wanted. This week we will not only make good on our promise, but are taking a stack of back issues to distribute to those who will read them. If you receive the Sword at your church, this is a great way to use up any leftover copies. Because only 10% of all nursing home residents truly have been born again, and most are simply "religious", it is important for us to be able to place trustworthy, biblical material in their hands to supplement the preaching and teaching of our services.
This brings me to one special need we have. If your church would like to put the Word of God into the hands of those who need them and want them, we can distribute all the giant print (and they have to be "giant" print) bibles we can get. You can send them to us at: C.A.R.E. Ministries, 18984 Broadford Road, Saegertown, PA 16433.
It is our privilege to serve the Lord on the mission field of the nursing home. If your church would like to know more about what we do, or would like to schedule a video presentation of our work, please call me at (814) 547-1702. We are currently planning our schedule for 2013 and would love to be included in your missions conference this year.
Thanks again to all who make it possible for us to continue in this much needed work. Your prayers and support are bearing fruit for all eternity.

Missionary Pastor
Norm Aabye
"And of some have compassion, making a difference."  - Jude 22

25th Anniversary Celebration!

This past weekend we traveled to Connecticut to help the good folks at River Valley Baptist Church in Ansonia, Connecticut celebrate the 25th anniversary of their church. God used us to plant this new work in October of 1987, and after pastoring the work for 18 years, I turned over the reins to Pastor Chris Camp, my able associate of many years. Pastor Camp and the church people put on a wonderful anniversary dinner on Saturday evening, with delicious food made by the church's hospitality committee. The choir sang, and there was special music. Dr. Barry Brown, now the associate pastor at Central Baptist Church in Southington, CT and part of the staff of New England Baptist College, but in 1987 the pastor of White Oak Baptist Church in Stratford, was the special speaker for the evening. It was under Dr. Brown's ministry that I was called to preach, and through his leadership and direction, we were sent to Ansonia to begin the new work. He challenged the church from 1 Corinthians 15:58 to remain steadfast to the task God had called them. He and I received special gifts from the church as tokens of their appreciation, and after the dinner it was time for pictures that will be tokens of remembrance of a wonderful event in the life of the church.
On Sunday, I was privileged to teach the adult Sunday school class and preach both the morning and evening services. It felt good to once again stand in the pulpit before our friends of many years. It was also good to see new faces of those whose lives have been touched by the continued ministry of the church. River Valley will always hold a special place in our hearts as we recall the miracles God performed in the lives of so many over the years. It was difficult to finally go home after the Sunday evening service after emotional "good-byes" were said. Our prayer is that God will continue to bless Pastor Camp and the congregation of River Valley as they continue to remain faithful to God and their calling upon their lives.

Pastor Norm Aabye

A Special Time of Year

October is a special time of year that always brings fond remembrances of God's hand at work. After four weeks of "get acquainted" meetings in the Ansonia Red Cross building, we held the first service of the River Valley Baptist Church in Ansonia, Connecticut on October 25th, 1987, in the gymnasium of the Lincoln-Hayes School. This week marks the 25th Anniversary of that church plant, and we are looking forward to attending the special services, and seeing old friends again. Pastor Barry Brown, who is the assistant pastor at Central Baptist Church in Southington, Connecticut will bring the message Saturday evening at the anniversary banquet. Bro. Brown was the founder and pastor of White Oak Baptist Church in Stratford, Connecticut back in the early '80s, and it was under his preaching that God called me to preach. After many years at White Oak, Pastor Brown became affiliated with the New England Baptist College in Southington, as well as a staff position at Central Baptist. He has always been a good friend in the ministry, and I am looking forward to hearing him deliver the Word of God. I will have the privilege of preaching the Anniversary Sunday morning message at River Valley, am looking forward with great anticipation of standing behind the pulpit once again, of the work God used us to begin. Brother Chris Camp, who was my able associate for many years, is now the pastor at RVBC, and doing a great job of keeping a good testimony for the Lord in the Naugatuck Valley area. The Lord has been faithful to that work for all these years, and there are still some folks at River Valley who were in that first service 25 years ago!
RVBC is our sending church for our missionary work among the elderly in the nursing homes of America. They have stood by us and faithfully supported our work, as well as having a significant presence on the mission fields of the world through a solid church missions program. White Oak Baptist Church, from which we were sent to plant River Valley, also plays a very real part in supporting our present work. Without partners in the ministry like this, we could not be able to make  a difference for the Lord. We do not take it lightly that we represent not only the Lord, but also those faithful friends who share our burden for the lost and who financially help us to remain "full-time" on the field. Our prayer is that if the Lord tarries in His coming, He will raise up others to catch the vision of reaching those who are living literally "on the brink of eternity".

Missionary Pastor,
Norm Aabye

God's Hand At Work!

Autumn is almost on its way out. Cold nights, frost on the ground in the morning, and the colors of the leaves at their peak tells us that the season we dread most is on its way. Of course there's nothing we can do about winter (unless someone has a free plane ride to warmer climates, with free accommodations until the snow's gone!), and the work of the  ministry must go on. We have seen some amazing work by the Holy Spirit as He's worked in the hearts of nursing home residents. Recently we had five individuals (4 men and 1 woman) accept Christ during a service at a facility near our home. To make sure they understood the invitation, I reworked from another angle (!) and again asked them if they would like to receive the Lord as their Saviour. All responded affirmatively. Praise the Lord! We were back at that particular home today. It's sometimes a difficult place to minister because the people are not sick, but are either developmentally handicapped in some way, or have some slight diminished mental capacity. Today several were complaining that no one ever comes to visit them. It was sad, but then one of the men told everyone that I had been his friend for several years. It really choked me up a bit. I then told everyone present that we were aware that most of them seldom had visitors but that's why we were there....we were there friends. We thought the service was going to be disappointing because I had inadvertently left the suitcase of songbooks at home. The people were wondering what we were going to do (they don't do well with disappointment). I said, "Let's all just sing the first verse of the songs you know". What a great time we had, with many lifting their voices loudly to the songs they were familiar with. It was a great service.
Earlier this week, the Lord wrought a great victory. After our service at one of the larger nursing homes in the area, one of the workers approached me and said that the Jehovah's Witnesses had been given a place on the calendar twice a month. When they came for their first service they told the people they were going to teach "Christianity". As they began, the "teacher" told everyone that God had created the angels and then created a "very special angel" named Jesus! Workers and residents were in an uproar, to say the least. The activity director's office is right in the corner where the service was held. She had heard the whole thing. She approached the JW leader and told them they were being removed from the monthly calendar immediately. Praise the Lord for discerning staff members with backbone!
We constantly need your prayers. We are on the front line of the battle for the souls of those nearest eternity.
Thank you to all those who make our continuing ministry possible.

A Need That Does Not Change With The Seasons

September, 2012

Dear Praying Friends,

It seems like the days slip by so quickly, and now here we are at a change of seasons already. The leaves are beginning to change colors on the maple trees and the nights are getting cooler. It won't be long until.....well, you know what comes next!
But, although the seasons may change, the need to provide America's elderly with one more opportunity to hear the gospel continues.  Our services continue to go well in the nursing homes. I wish we had the space in a letter to share with you all the stories of the lives that are being touched daily because of your faithful support of our ministry. Many nursing home staff members consider me as a sort of “chaplain”, and frequently ask if I would stop in to see a particular resident with spiritual concerns after the service. And, occasionally, a staff member will open their heart to us and seek counsel concerning a lost family member or a personal struggle in their life.  We appreciate the level of trust that God has built into our ministry over the past six years.
After our service this past Sunday, one dear Christian lady, that we've become close to over the years, was in tears. She clutched my hand and poured out her heart how she had wronged another resident. She had just asked the lady's forgiveness but needed assurance that things were now right between her and God. I prayed with her and she went back to her room with a big smile on her face. One man that recently trusted Christ has been set upon by the Jehovah's Witnesses .  After a service, I stopped by his room and shared with him  what they don't believe and what the Bible teaches about salvation and about Christ, in particular. It seems that the JW's are in every home, preying upon the elderly. Satan holds out hope to deceive people right down to the last minutes of their lives! Please pray that the power of the Gospel would prevail as we preach and teach the truth of God's Word.

We continue to have a need for giant-print King James Bibles for those who request them. In the past, interested churches have made these available to us, for which we have been extremely grateful. Additionally, we are designing a brochure to enhance our recruiting efforts for those whom God may be calling to full-time missionary service in the nursing homes. We hope to be able to have these brochures printed and ready for our travels this Fall as we present our work in churches and missions conferences.If you would like to help either with the Bibles or the production costs of the brochure, please let us know.
As we seek to bring hope those in "America's fastest growing, yet most neglected mission field", we would appreciate your prayers that 1) more churches would schedule us to present our work, 2) for our car to keep running, now with over 240,000 miles on it(!), and 3) for more people to catch a vision and a burden to establish a C.A.R.E. Ministry in their area. 
As always, we thank God for each of you, and consider you as partners with us in the ministry of reaching the hearts & souls of those “nearest eternity”.

Missionary Pastor Norm Aabye