In December, the North American Mission Board, NAMB, had a mailing issue which failed to send out the monthly “gift receipt” reminders to many financial partners of ours as well as many other fellow missionary partners in the USA and Canada. If you usually MAIL your financial gift to us through NAMB and you did not receive a December reminder in the mail, we ask that you send your gift to NAMB without the monthly reminder with the name Whitesides# 8952 on the memo line to:
NAMB
PO Box 116543
Atlanta, GA   30368-6543
We once again thank you for your continued support as we are nearly 100% partner supported in our ministry here in Portland, Oregon.  We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your assistance.

If you are a NAMB donor and have found other issues with your receipts, please let us know and we are happy to correct the issue.

“Happy Holidays!  ‘Tis the Season.   Happy Kwanza.  Season’s Greetings!  Here comes Santa Claus!”  Wait a minute! These are not correct.  How about “Merry Christmas?”  Yes, that’s it, “Merry Christmas!”  It is truer to the season to say “Merry Christmas” than any of those other phrases, isn’t it?  We have seen and heard the saying, “Keep Christ in Christmas.”  How can we do that?  Do we keep Christ as the center of this wonderful holiday season just by saying “Merry Christmas?”  Does it make a difference to respond back to a ‘happy holiday’ greeting with a “Merry Christmas?”  We buy gifts, send out cards and family letters and buy even more gifts.  We drive around viewing the beautiful light shows in neighborhoods, special places decorated just for you (and for a price). We listen to old time favorite carols like “White Christmas” and “Chestnuts Roasting.”  But how do these actions express what Christmas is all about?  Back in 1965, Charlie Brown asked his friends at the Christmas play, “Does anyone know the true meaning of Christmas?”  His friend Linus stepped up and said, “Sure, Charlie Brown.”  Then Linus said:

 “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” 

Linus finished with, “And that’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown.”   Charles Shultz, author of the Peanuts comic strip used God’s Word to best explain the true meaning of Christmas; Luke 2: 8-14 KJV.  We are celebrating the birth of the savior of the world, Jesus Christ.  Keeping Christ in Christmas is a must for everyone. But this year, share the gift and the true meaning of Christmas with those that do not know what Christmas is all about.  Share the name and love of Jesus Christ.  Merry Christmas! 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 NIV.

God’s Servants to Portland,

Tim & Andrea

We have enjoyed serving in Calgary for the past four years.   Saying good-bye to our Canadian friends will not be easy, but we know this is God’s plan for our lives.  Thank you to everyone who has impacted our lives here.

September 2007, over four years ago, Andrea & I felt the call to move from our comfort zone of Kings Mountain, North Carolina to Calgary, Alberta, Canada and share the name of Jesus with those who have never heard the name. During this time, we have worked with a new church plant, Southwinds Church. We witnessed many adult visitors who came to church for the first time in their lives.  We have seen some come to accept Jesus and then be baptized either in the cold lake water or a portable pool. The long winter months were filled with many, many days of clearing snow from the drives and sidewalks as a “snow angel” as well as outdoor winter events when the temperatures were well below zero (F). The short summers saw us partner with many churches from the States that sent short term mission teams to help with our block parties, kids sports camps and other community events. During these events, hundreds of donated Bibles were given away – free to the children and adults that wanted a copy of God’s word. Because you sent us, many people in these communities now know about Southwinds Church and more importantly, have heard the Good News about Jesus Christ.

Now, we feel God calling to us to move again from our comfort zone, this time to Portland, Oregon. Why leave Calgary and move to Portland? Andrea & I woke up one day and we both felt that it was time to move. It’s really that simple. God placed Portland in front of us and then affirmed the call in several ways. The North American Mission Board has listed Portland in their top 25 target cities to reach. 69% of those in the Portland area claim no religious affiliation. 91% of the Portland people do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. Since feeling God’s call, we have connected with a new church plant, Trinity Church. This church has been meeting in an elementary school gym since September 2010. During our recent Portland visit, we met a few members of the Trinity Church plant that came to Calgary 10 years ago on a short mission to help a Filipino church. As God had planned it, this Filipino church is the same church that I had preached at for eight months this year. WOW!

Our Calgary home sold in only 3 days.  It is obvious that God had a fast track plan for our move.  We will be packing up the rented UHaul truck October 20th and will be saying good-bye to Calgary early Friday morning the 21st.  Once we have relocated, Andrea & I will become a part of this new church plant by assisting them with their administration needs as well as the Sunday morning “church in a box” set up at the school. Our intentional ministry is to lead a home Bible study group and coordinate outreach community events such as what was done in Calgary.

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?  As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News! ‘ ”   Romans 10:14-15 NIV

God’s Servants to Canada or Wherever He Calls,  

Tim & Andrea

Since our launch date in September 2007, Southwinds Church has been meeting in the Auburn Bay Community Centre, where we set up for our worship service.  The building is now undergoing major renovations, so we found a need for a new location.  Beginning September 4, 2011, we will begin holding our Sunday worship services in the community centre of Cranston.  We are excited for the provisions God has provided and can’t wait to see what He has in store for us next!

Map to New Location for Southwinds Church

Southwinds Church Kids shared their summer music and Bible verses on August 29, 2011, during Family Worship Day.  We hope you enjoy the singing, dancing, and praising Jesus!  ”Love You More” was one of our songs from Lifeway’s Big Apple Adventure VBS program.

Can you hear who is singing in the background of this video?  Could it be the videographer?

Why We Do Community Events

Our six weeks of summer block parties, kids fun days and sports camps took eight months of planning, 17 revisions of the weekly summer schedule, countless hours on the phone connecting with USA church partners and individuals, 18 vehicle reservations with Enterprise, preparations from 5 host homes, many requests for Children’s Bibles, emails and phone calls to the city park department to rent the parks and fields and of course, several thousand dollars in expenses spent on hot dogs, pop, chips, cotton candy, and other camp supplies.

As you can see, Southwinds Church goes through all this so hopefully at least ONE person will come to church and know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  The answer is that simple.

Through the efforts of the 88 short-term summer missionaries along with Southwinds members who helped with our events, at least 5 visiting families have already visited Southwinds Church.  Southwinds is a place, that before summer, they never knew existed.

Because of the financial donations and passion of so many, nearly 300 of the children’s Bibles were given away.  We have many pictures of children reading God’s Word for the very first time.  We have heard stories from kids and parents about how much they have enjoyed reading their first Bible.  WOW!   Thank you again to all of you for this blessing.

Southwinds is blessed not to have a permanent church building.  Why?  If we did, these types of outreach may not take place.  Is your church building keeping you from reaching the lost people of your communities?

” …The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God endures forever.” Isaiah 40:8, NIV

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our Children’s Bible Drive this summer.  Because of you, we have given out 204 New Beginners Children’s Bible at our Southwinds Church summer events!   (204 is the official count as of July 22, 2011)

July 9th.  Two teams arrive.  And today is Andrea’s birthday.  Fallston Baptist Church of Fallston, NC returns for a third summer, along with Mountain View Baptist Church of Hickory, NC, returning for a fifth summer.  These two teams will lead Pee-Wee Tee Ball Camp in Cranston and Chaparral.   We normally have about 50 children age 3-6 in each camps.  Bible stories are told each day, through our special puppet friends.

July 16th.  A second team from Mountain View Hickory arrives, and they will be partnered with a team from our home church, First Baptist Church of Kings Mountain, NC.  These teams will assist Southwinds Church with Upward Soccer Camp for children grade 1-4 in Cranston and Chaparral.  We are excited that this will be our first year implementing Upward programming with our Soccer Camp!

July 23.  A second team from our First Baptist Church, NC arrives.  They will be serving alongside Boyd Avenue Baptist Church of Casper Wyoming.  These teams will be facilitating two Upward Basketball Camps.  We will be in a new venue this year, Trinity Christian School Gym.  There will be a morning camp and an afternoon camp.  This week, we are also planning some evening kids fun days and possibly another Chaparral community event, if we can make our schedule fit.

July 25th.  Our son, Jeremy will arrive, after attending his final Teaching Fellows Conference in North Carolina.  Jeremy will be assisting our sister church, Trinity Baptist Church, with their VBS Summer Program.  Clearmont Baptist Church, SC will also be helping Trinity with their VBS & Bounty Land Baptist Church, SC will be helping Trinity with their own Upward Basketball Camp week.