Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Greetings from the Mission Field 12-30-2014

From The Field
It is hard to believe that 2014 is almost in the history books. God has been so faithful to our ministry and I am so thankful for what He is accomplishing in the lives of firefighters. This past year has been a difficult year, but God is good. I am thankful for the new office and place to minister to first responders. My new department is very receptive to FCFInternational and we will begin to hold monthly prayer breakfasts starting in January. We are hoping to start a CISM team as well which is definitely needed in the area. Currently I am discipling two firefighters one on one and hope that others would be interested. Our ministry has worked hard at setting up a discipleship ministry and I want to be able tell others that I am discipling firefighters and they should be as well. I am thankful for all of the effort that went into setting up the DM and look forward to seeing how God will use that in 2015. In the office we are currently developing another devotional for firefighters to use. This one is called 90 days of encouragement and we are praying that God would use it in a mighty way. We are also preparing for a mens retreat in March, family camp in June, and Lord willing a couples conference in September or October. I am praying that these events will be used by Christian firefighters to invite their unsaved friends. Our ministry is not to replace the local church but to help them better minister to firefighters. Please pray for our ministry in 2015 that God would continue to use us in a mighty way in the fire service. With a 1.4 million mission field we are barely scratching the surface. I have been praying that churches would come to our aid and we would be able to help them minister to first responders in their local area.

If you would like to have me come to you local church to explain our ministry I would love to schedule a time. Feel free to email me at firequacker621@aol.com

Family
The family continues to be blessed by God. Seth is finally settled in at Fort Bragg and we are thankful that a good friend of mine Chaplain Worrell is down there to help him along. Andrew is coming up on his one year anniversary at his new job in Newport News, Virginia. Justin is working a local auto mechanic shop that is run by the fire chief in Boydton and Christopher is searching for a job. Please pray that Christopher would find a job in this area. Good jobs are hard to come by, but we are confident that God will provide. Holly is doing well and continues to be thankful for those who pray for her.

Prayer Requests

  • Solid Christian believers to come alongside us and help with the work.
  • The retreats and conferences would be well attended by firefighters.
  • The discipleship ministry would continue to grow in 2015.
  • Firefighters would draw closer to God and see their need for a Savior.
  • Financial support for the ministry so we can put Bibles and resources in the hands of firefighters.
  • Revival in the Fire Service.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Greeting from the Mission Field - 11/26/2014

From the Field
What a roller coaster of a ride the last month has been for Holly and I. We have seen some highs and some lows as we seek to serve firefighters around the world. I have had two opportunities to meet with firefighters and share the Gospel message as well as encourage them to disciple others. The first came in Western New York. I was asked to go and present a training class on Unified Command. Approximately 30 first responders attended and we spent several hours developing a strategy to handle a riot in their little town. Since we had representatives from local government, police, fire, and EMS it was easy to work through the scenario. I hope that this community has been able to use what they have learned in the recent snow storm. Afterwards a dinner was hosted and I was able to clearly give the Gospel message to over 100 folks. Pray that God would use that message to save those who do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Next Holly and I attended a marriage seminar in Canada. What a blessing to be able to teach firefighters and their wives the importance of treating our spouses like a CHIEF. This little acronym reminds us of the importance God places on communication, honesty, intimacy, encouragement and foreverness within our marriages. A Bible study will soon be placed on the web so others can study for themselves the truths contained in the Bible and how God views marriage. Canada has just as bad a marriage problem as does the States. The fellowship was so encouraging that both Holly and I remarked how we would love to once again have a marriage conference in several places in the USA. Please pray that God would help to see that happen.

The lows came with the losing of more support. The major contributor felt like we were not doing enough to help raise support for the ATC's that we helped to distribute. The letter that was sent made it sound like giving out the Bible was not important to us and so he pulled his support in order to give it to another ministry. We do continue to desire to get Bibles into the hands of firefighters. Biblica decided not to reprint the Answering the Calls and not us. The funds necessary for us to print them as well as the storage space made our decision to look for other Bibles necessary. Please pray with us as we seek to follow God's will for our ministry in everything we do.

Holly and I receive no personal support for our ministry to firefighters. God has allowed us to receive a pension from my retirement in order to support our needs. Those that give to the ministry can rest assured that every penny goes into ministering to firefighters. Our prayer is to be able to provide resources to firefighters at no charge and to encourage them to draw closer to God in a personal relationship. Please pray that God would provide support for our ministry so that we will be able to travel around the world in order to share the gospel with firefighters and encourage them to disciple others.

At this Thanksgiving time we have so much to be thankful for. Our ministry is moving forward and God continues to bless us in many ways. Faithful firefighters throughout this world continue to share God's love with those they meet. Our ministry continues to be debt free and is supported by faithful people. Lives are being changed as a result of our ministry, praise God Please continue to pray that we would be effective in the fire service this next year.








Vision
To glorify God in the fire service by building relationships that turn first responders hearts and minds toward Christ (Philippians 2:11), equipping them to serve Him (Ephesians 4:12).

Mission
To encourage one another to share the vision with the fire service community through Witnessing, Praying, Teaching the Word, and Walking worthy.

Prayer Requests

  • Support for the ministry and support for Holly and I to travel around the world
  • Men's retreat in March
  • Couples retreat - to find a location and that firefighters would attend
  • A local chapter in Mecklenburg County Virginia to begin in January
  • A local chapter that just started in Massachusetts. The fire service in that area is difficult to begin anything with a religious title. Pray that the new leader will stand strong for Christ.
  • For more local groups to begin, one for each state.
  • That I would not get discouraged but press on toward that high calling in Christ.
Ministry Input
We are looking for your opinion. Please post a response to the following question;

How should the Fellowship of Christian Firefighters International best minister to local firefighters?

We are praying about coming up with a plan for 2015 that will help us to stay focused to our ministry and our calling. Your opinion matters so please be sure to leave your answers on this blog.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Greetings From the Mission Field - 10/28/2014

From the Field
Holly and I have just returned from the annual Federation of Fire Chaplains conference. This year the conference was held in Annapolis, Maryland. What a blessing to be able to spend a week with chaplains from around North America. The week brought about good training and networking. Mt prayer is to reach first responders with the Gospel of Christ and to encourage them in their daily walk with God. We were able to talk with several chaplains about setting up local groups to help them in their ministry to firefighters. Local groups are a great way to meet together for Bible study and fellowship within their department. Starting a local group will also help them to identify those in the department that can help them in times of crisis. Our table was able to give out a lot of material and Lord willing the chaplains will read through it and be encouraged in their walk. The other blessing of the conference was the opportunity to take a course that will keep up my certification in CISM. In my small town of Boydton Virginia I have already had to conduct two debriefings and 1 defusing for an incident that affected the personnel in the department. Our goal is to start a local group in January and have members trained in CISM who will be able to help out in Mecklenburg County.

A new Bible study, Back to Basics, was placed on our web site. The goal of the ministry is to have a whole library of Bible studies and videos to help first responders walk worthy of the high calling of Christ. We have found that when you put a couple of fire pictures and give them some fire stories they tend to listen better. I am currently working on another study, What We Believe. This study will be available on line and we will be conducting an online Bible study for first responders to go along with it. Please pray with us that this will be used by God to minister to first responders.

The month of November will see two opportunities for our ministry. Next week I will be going to Western, New York to teach the Incident Command System and then to give my testimony at a banquet. Pray that God would save firefighters at this training event. The week after that I will be attending a marriage retreat in Canada. I will be the speaker at this event and am praying that firefighters would be challenged to love their spouses.

The Family
Thank you for your prayers for our family. Seth has graduated top of his class at Fort Meade and is awaiting orders. Seth has continued ear problems and is working with doctors to get the problem resolved. If the doctors can fix it he will get his orders, if not he will be medically discharged. Our families prayer is that he will get it fixed and be able to continue his service to the country. Andrew is doing well in his new job and is looking forward to finding a new place to live after he completes his first year. He would like to move closer to the church he has been attending. Christopher is looking for work here in this small town and Justin has started his own business, small engine repair, at the local fire chiefs auto repair shop. Holly continues to have hip problems and will be going to the doctors in December to chart a course.

Prayer Requests

  • That firefighters world wide would use our Bible studies to grow in their relationship with God.
  • God would continue to finance our ministry at FCFInternational in order that we might continue to glorify God in the Fire Service.
  • The marriage conference and the training class coming up.
  • God would provide our ministry with dedicated men and women who are committed to sharing Christ in the fire service and encouraging folks in their walk with God.
  • Revival in the fire service.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Greetings from the Missions Field 9-19-2014

From the Field
Wow, where did the summer go? This was a challenging summer for the team here at FCFInternational. We had so much going on here at the Barnabas House that I was questioning why I retired and moved. Praise God we are beginning to get everything set up in order to better minister to firefighters and first responders. Here are a few things we have been working on.

- Office
The office is almost 100% complete. What a blessing to have a dedicated place to organize and plan for the ministry. When completed we will be able to have meetings and Bible studies, as well as work on videos and internet projects. Lord willing the office will be complete within the month. If you are in the area of Boydton, Virginia and would love to visit the new office please give us a call, we would love the fellowship.

- Barnabas House
Plans are still on track for opening the Barnabas House in January of 2015. The plan is to offer this facility to LODD families, fire chaplains or firefighters who are looking for spiritual care after a traumatic event. We have been working with chaplains to develop a five day curriculum that will help work through areas they are struggling with. We will have several chaplains coming in October to finalize that area of ministry. In November we will have a LODD family to help work through how we can assist families. As we strive to make this possible we still need financial support to make this ministry happen. God has provided enough funds to handle 2015 if the families can get here. Lord willing we will be able to provide transportation expenses as well. God is able and we will trust in His perfect will.

- Discipleship Ministry
What a blessing to be already discipling two members of the BVFD. We are working on the "9 appointments with the chief" curriculum and the "what we believe" curriculum. These studies are specifically designed for firefighters and first responders. I hope to be discipling at least 5 firefighters by the end of the year and encouraging them to find others to disciple.

- New Local Group
We have started a new FCFInternational local group here in Mecklenburg County. Our plan is to meet the second Saturday of every month and to begin by working through the Ephesians Project. This 16 lesson inductive Bible study was written specifically for firefighters. Our new group will begin a CISM team for the county and will receive training starting next year.

- Firefighter Sunday
FCFInternational still desires to have the second Sunday in September set aside as a day of prayer and remembrance for first responders. Boydton Baptist Church held a service this year and asked me to speak. What a blessing to be able to say thank you to those who serve and share with the congregation how they can assist firefighters with their walk with Christ.

- Pod Cast
Yesterday I was able to be apart of a podcast that goes out to firefighters all over the world. We were able to set aside 45 minutes and talk about how faith plays an important part of my life in the fire service and how faith can help other firefighters as they serve in their departments. This program goes out to many firefighters who typically do not regularly attend a local church. Please pray that God would use that in a mighty way.

- Bible Studies
Our team continues to work on Bible studies specifically designed to reach firefighters and first responders. We are finishing up on a "back to basics" study, a leadership study and a marriage study. If you would like to help with these projects please give the International Office a call. Check out the web site to view the Bible studies we continue to add to our library. www.fellowshipofchristianfirefighters.org

Prayer
- Please continue to pray that God would use this ministry to change lives in the fire service.
- The recent LODD that have occurred.
- The Barnabas House support.
- Leadership of FCFInternational
- New Local groups to start with a prayer for 1 in each state.
- Local churches to partner with our ministry.

Craig W. Duck
President/Missionary
FCFInternational

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Greetings from the Mission Field 5-21-2014

From the Field
Thanks for everyones prayers for our move to Boydton, Virginia. What a blessing to be able to move the International Office to this location. We have been settling in to the new office and since my retirement I am beginning to get into a routine in the ministry. Not that ministry is a routine. The daily devotions that I write are such a blessing to me. God uses that time to grow my personal faith and be able to share life with other firefighters. Yesterday at a funeral I was reminded that many firefighters read the daily devotion and have drawn closer to God because of them, praise God. Our team has also been working on creating Bible studies for first responders. One of the challenges I see is that the fire service does not have a lot of firefighters who profess to be Christians. Of those who do, a vast majority are not grounded in their faith. My prayer is that these Bible studies will make it easier for first responders to study the Bible and desire to follow the truths contained within its pages. I am praying that these Bible studies will also help firefighters to meet together for study as well as give them a desire to regularly worship in a local church.

Besides the daily devotions and Bible studies we have been working hard at the discipleship ministry. This project is in its second year and is progressing slowly, but I believe will have great eternal rewards. What a blessing to see firefighters who desire to be obedient to Matthew 28 and find other first responders to disciple. Out team has created the "Train the Trainer" class which teaches first responders how to Biblically disciple others. We are finding that a lot of churches do not teach their people how to disciple. The International Office is working on equipping our members to "Go Therfore" or like we say in our training class "as you are going". Please continue to pray that God would use this ministry in a mighty way as we reach firefighters for Christ and disciple them within their departments. Currently, I am discipling one young firefighter through the internet, but I would like to find several in my area and my new department.

I have almost completed my application process with ABWE and Holly and I are scheduled for two weeks of training in July. On June 4th we will be returning to our old church in Laurel, Maryland for an oral exam. Please pray that we would do well and that God would use this time to strengthen our faith. I have enjoyed preparing for the test and look forward to the training. My prayer is that this new ministry will help to strengthen the bonds between firefighters and local churches. I am always reminded of our mission field of over 1.4 million firefighters in the USA alone. Please continue to pray that God would open doors for us to preach the Gospel to firefighters worldwide.

The Family
We continue to receive blessing from God with our family. Recently we had an opportunity to visit Seth who is stationed in Maryland on an Army base. Andrew was also able to attend and it was a rare opportunity to have all six of us sit down for dinner. What a blessing to see all of our children walking with the Lord and being used by Him. Continue to pray that all of our children would draw closer to God each and everyday.

Prayer Requests

  • Revival within the fire service
  • Opportunities to witness to firefighters
  • Opportunities for me to disciple young local firefighters
  • The Barnabas House preparations
  • Local chapters in every state
  • The missions trip to Mexico in January

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Greetings from the Missions Field 5-06-2014

From the Field
What a blessing to slowly become part of the community. Our family has been blessed beyond comprehension by moving down south. Once again I have been reminded by God the importance of faith, family, and being part of the community. I have put my application into the Boydton Volunteer Fire Department and I look forward to serving the community in this small rural fire department. We have been attending the Boydton Baptist Church and many of the firefighters attend there as well. During the last meeting at the fire department I was asked to give a report of our ministry at the next meeting. What a blessing to have interest already. I am praying about starting a local group in the area and reaching the first responders here in Boydton, Virginia. Please pray for our ministry as we seek to glorify God in the fire service. We are in the process of deciding the best way to reach first responders and grow the ministry for God. We are not trying to replace the local church, but seek to present the Gospel to first responders, disciple them as is commanded in Matthew 28, and get them serving in a local church. Our discipleship ministry is slowly building momentum. Each Tuesday we are training first responders in a Train the Trainer class that teach folks how to disciple others in their department. Not that discipling is difficult, we are finding that most churches do not teach their members how to disciple. Lord willing, our folks will begin to seek someone in their department to share the gospel with and begin to disciple. I am receiving such a blessing by discipling a couple of young firefighters. I am trying to find a few others in this area in the near future.

My wife and I are continuing our efforts to apply to ABWE. This mission board will be a real blessing to the ministry as we will be able to reach more first responders for Christ. Currently we are all set to attend the July training session at their headquarters in Harrisburg, PA. Please pray for us as we have an oral exam on June 4th. What a blessing to be able to expand the ministry and reach more first responders with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and train them to serve Him.

Construction of our new office will begin in several weeks. We will be turning our two car garage into an International Office. This office will serve as a place to hold group meetings as well as conduct our day to day operations. Please pray as we assemble our team here in Boydton that we would be able to honor the Lord in everything that is accomplished in His name.

The Family
Thank you for your prayers for our family. God has been blessing each one in special ways. Christopher has recently joined our team with FCFInternational and we look forward to him serving along side of us. Please pray that he would be able to get supported so that he can serve as another missionary to first responders. Christopher will be taking over the roles of the Director of Operations for the ministry.

Prayer Requests

  • The June 4th Oral Exam at Grace Baptist in Laurel, Maryland
  • ABWE training scheduled for July
  • The discipleship ministry to be effective in the fire service
  • More Christian first responders to step up and help lead the ministry
  • Support from churches for our ministry
  • Revival in the fire service

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Greetings from the Missions Field 4-22-2014

From the Field
What an adventure!! We are finally moved into our new house, and what a blessing from the Lord. As we settle into the new International office, we are truly blessed. I am so thankful that God has provided a place here in the country for us to minister to first responders. As we talk with first responders and chaplains we are convinced that a small quiet setting in Southern Virginia is the perfect place for a small retreat for chaplains to get away after large traumatic events and for line of duty death families. We have invited two chaplains who went through two seperate traumatic incidents to spend some time with us and help develop a 5 day ministry to help chaplains with their spiritual care. We will also be inviting a LODD family to came and stay in order to develop a similar ministry to them. Please pray that God would provide the necessary funds, the knowledge to know how to minister best to their needs, and families to come. We have decided that this property will be known as "249, the Barnabas House."

Our team has recently returned from Indianapolis, Indiana. The FDIC annual conference was held and we were once again blessed to have a free booth. As many first responders walked the floors in search of free material, we were able to give them the message of the God's free eternal life through Jesus Christ. Our members were able to talk to many of our discipleship ministry and how they can get involved. The Lord is blessing our "Train the Trainer" class on discipleship and we are having a wonderful time teaching. Our prayer is that we will be able to truly change the fire service through this ministry as many first responders begin to disciple others in their local departments.

We have newly developed tracts, praise the Lord. Over the years I have noticed that fewer and fewer tracts were being given out at the conferences. I decided to change the size of the tracts, add a few fire pictures, and have a free gift associated with it. When the booth was busy and our members were actively talking with first responders, I noticed that those walking by would still pick them up. Pray that God would use these tracts to save first responders and we would be blessed by those who email the International Office for their free gift.

Currently we are working on a leadership Bible study and a marriage Bible study. Pray that God would give us wisdom to write studies that would cause first responders to study their Bibles more. I find as I travel from place to place that many first responders are not very good students of the Word. My prayer is that this will change as God works on the hearts and minds of first responders. Please pray for our team as we develop more and more studies in order to put them in the hands of first responders.

The Family
Thanks for all of your prayers for our family. Seth is doing better and as we talk with him we are finding he is beginning to enjoy the military more. The field he is in is very technical and please continue to pray that he is able to learn and pass all of his tests. He is a little concerned at the lack of depth and teaching at his chapel services on Sunday. Currently he is not allowed off base and would like some Godly soldiers to meet with and study the Bible. Andrew is doing well in his new job at the ship yards in Newport News. He has found a church that he attends and is considering joining. Please pray for wisdom as he seeks Gods will in finding a church. Christopher and Justin are having way too much fun at the new place. I thank God for their willingness to help out in the ministry by making the small repairs around the house and starting projects that will help bring glory to God as we minister to first responders. Holly is doing well and is finally settling into the new house. She proclaimed yesterday that it is becoming home since we have begun to hang up pictures. Please pray for her as her hip is hurting her do to arthritis.

Prayer Requests
- More Godly first responders to help out in leadership rolls of FCFInternational.
- The completion of the office.
- A vehicle to be able to drive to local chapters in order to encourage and build them up.
- Revival in the fire service.
- Finances to be able to start the Barnabas House ministry to fire chaplains, first responders, and LODD families.

Thanks for all of your prayers and concerns for the ministry.

Craig Duck
President/Missionary
FCFInternational

Friday, March 28, 2014

Greetings From the Mission Field 3-28-2014

From the Field
I would like to thank everyone for their prayers as we moved to Virginia. I would like to say that we are all unpacked and back to normal, but I fear that is going to take awhile. I am thankful to God for providing a wonderful place, and I look forward to see how He is going to use this place for His honor and glory. Once I find the camera, I am going to show you pictures. I have been praying that God would use this place to encourage line of duty death families (LODD), chaplains, and first responders who are going through a rough time. So far we have been referring to the new home as 249 or the Barnabas house. As I write this blog two more heroes have fallen in the Boston Fire Department and my heart goes out to the families and firefighters who ave to deal with the tragedy. I am praying for financial support so we can turn our home into a place that will provide hope during these difficult days.

The biggest show of the year will be coming up in a couple of weeks, FDIC. We are able to talk with more firefighters about their relationship with Christ at this show. We have designed new tracts that clearly present the Gospel and we are hoping to give out a lot and talk with a lot of firefighters. I am also excited about the new discipleship ministry we are starting and hope to find firefighters who would like to be discipled. Please pray for this show and the people we will meet. With the move I don't feel like we are ready, but I pray that God would still use this show in a mighty way.

The Family
Thank you for your prayers on behalf of Seth and Andrew. We just retuned from Seth's graduation from the Army, and were blessed by the time we have spent with him the last few days. He reports to Fort Meade tomorrow and begins his AIT training. Andrew is settling in to his new apartment in Norfolk, and seams to be enjoying his new job. Christopher and Justin are having way too much fun at the new house. Holly is going crazy with the unpacking, but we are all thankful to God for His provisions in our lives.

Prayer Requests

  • Setting up a new office in our 2 car garage.
  • The FDIC show.
  • The upcoming missions trip to Mexico.
  • The opportunity to speak in Canada in November.
  • Faithful men and women to help in the ministry.
  • First responders to get saved.
  • Revival in the fire service.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Greetings from the Missions Field 3-18-2014

From the Field
The fire service is an interesting place to serve. As we try and minister to first responders, we often times meet resistance. Sometimes the resistance comes from firefighters who want nothing to do with talking religion in the fire service. Other times it comes from Christian first responders who chose to do very little in the way of reaching out to the unsaved world. Often times it can even come from my worldly desires and laziness. My hearts desire is for first responders world wide to hear the good news of the Gospel, and to disciple those who come to Christ by faith. I constantly have to remind myself that I am not promoting a religion, but rather fostering a relationship with the God who created everything. When only a few people join in on our webcasts, or the same old people respond to requests for help in making Bible studies, I have to remind myself that its all about relationships and not about numbers. I am thankful for those who help in the ministry. As the ministry to first responders continues to grow I look forward to the new relationships that I will be a part of. Jesus came to serve, and He is our example for how we are to serve other first responders. Please join with us in prayer as we seek to minister to first responders. The discipleship ministry is moving forward and now we are seeking first responders to actively disciple. Our prayer is that this ministry will truly change the fire service for the glory of God. Pray that this ministry will catch on like wildfire. As I look back, I am excited about how the Lord is using all of our daily devotions to encourage firefighters. There have been as many as 5 contributors in one day. For me personally, I continue to grow in my walk with Christ as I write these devotions everyday. I am also excited as we continue to build Bible lessons for first responders. I pray that these studies will get into the hands of first responders who will grow in their relationship with the Lord.

I am also excited about the conversations I have had with international firefighters. I have been talking with first responders from Honduras, Israel, Mexico, and Australia. What a blessing to be able to encourage fellow believers from around the world who share our vision to reach other firefighters for Christ. Pray that God would continue to use our ministry to encourage firefighters from around the world.




I thank God for each and everyone who faithfully prays for our ministry. I look forward to the day when God begins to change the fire service and many first responders by faith walk with Him. Continue to pray for our ministry as much work needs to be accomplished. We need faithful people willing to help us preach the Gospel to those who have never heard and disciple them in the faith.


Prayer Requests

  • Faithful members to assist in the ministry
  • Leadership that will pour their hearts and souls into reaching others
  • Financial support - We are praying for 100 churches to support us at $100.00 a month
  • The Widows and Orphans Ministry that we are starting
  • The Disaster Outreach Team

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Greetings from the Mission Field 3-6-2014

From the Field
God is on the move in the fire service!! What a blessing to be a small part of that movement and see how God is working in the hearts and minds of first responders. As we prepare for the upcoming move to Boydton, Virginia we are seeking God's will for our ministry. What will it look like? How can we better minister to first responders? How can we get the word out about God's saving grace to first responders better? Please pray with us as we seek God's will for the ministry. God has provided a wonderful place on seven acres in an area where we can minister to first responders. We have been doing a lot of talking with leader in the fire service and we are hoping to start right away on ministering to families of Line of Duty Deaths (LODD) and chaplains or first responders who need some help after a traumatic event. In America we average 100 LODD each year. We always tell the families that we will never forget. Typically after several months we do forget. We would like to be able to minister to those families by bring them down to a quiet setting and work through any needs they might have. We are praying that we would be the hope they are looking for by sharing with them the hope in Christ. Chaplains and first responders often struggle after traumatic events and we are praying to be able to minister to them. Boydton, Virginia is a quiet place with several lakes in the area and plenty of nature. Just as Jesus got away from time to time to recharge His batteries and pray, we are hoping to offer that to these heroes. We know that it will take time, commitment, and finances to make this happen but we are confident in God supplying all of our needs. Please join us in prayer with the possibility of this new area of service. We continue to put out daily devotionals on our web site and Facebook. What a blessing to share what God is doing in my life with other first responders. Several of us are working on turning these devotions into Bible studies. As I travel throughout the fire service world I have become aware that most first responders are not grounded in the Word of God. My prayer is that these Bible studies will challenge first responders to walk worthy of the high calling of Christ that Paul encouraged us to do. If you would like to see some of these Bible studies you can go to our web site www.fellowshipofchristianfirefighters.org  We will keep you updated on our move to Virginia. Please continue to pray for the 1.4 million firefighters in America and first responders worldwide. The next time you hear a siren, take a moment and pray for first responders.

Family
Andrew is finally moved into his new apartment in Newport New, Virginia. He started his new job yesterday and has mentioned that he wants to find a good local church as soon as possible. Pray that he will locate one. Seth is about two weeks away from graduation day from the US Army. We look forward to seeing him and hearing of all of his adventures. Christopher has been doing a study on Angels and is fascinated with McArthur's way of studying the Bible. Justin is having way too much fun chopping wood at our temporary house in Laurel and Holly is longing to be in her new home.

Prayer Requests

  • The Leadership Conference April 7-8 in Indianapolis
  • Missions trip to Mexico in May
  • Chapters to get serious about studying the Bible
  • Revival in the Fire Service
  • The move to the new house on March 21

Friday, February 28, 2014

Greetings from the Mission Field 2-28-2014

From the Field
     I recently returned back from a trip to San Diego for the Firehouse World Expo. What a blessing to be able to talk with folks about our ministry. The show is smaller in size, but I felt like it was better this year for conversations. Since we have developed and implemented our Discipleship Ministry we have a lot to talk about. It has been a year since we started developing this ministry based on Matthew 28. I have been praying that God would use this ministry to change the hearts and minds of first responders and truly make a change in the fire service. Also this year we redeveloped a tract to be distributed to firefighters. It is amazing when you change the size, add a few pictures, and offer a free gift to first responders how many pick it up on their own. I pray that God would be able to get a hold of firefighters through the three testimonies contained in them.
     The International Office is in the process of moving to Boydton, Virginia. The other day we were able to settle on our house and we received exactly what is needed for the new house in Virginia. I thank God for His wonderful provisions. The new office will be on 7 acres and we are hoping to start a mini retreat to encourage Line of Duty Death families, chaplains, and first responders who need encouragement. Pray that this ministry would lead to a permanante retreat in our area. The plans as of now are to settle on the new house March 21, and to move down either that day or the day after. Once we are able to receive visitors I will let everyone know.
     The International portion of FCFInternational has been very active lately. We have been talking with several folks in Canada, Australia, Honduras, and Mexico. Please join us in prayer that we would be able to reach firefighters for Christ in these areas and then have an opportunity to disciple them. Our Mexico missions trip is fast approaching and we need your prayers for this ministry. Please pray that we would have enough workers and finances to make it work. The missionaries told me that they have 280 Bomberos signed up already. Pray that God would save many and begin to have a revival in the Mexican fire service. Pray also for the other countries as they seek to glorify God and perhaps start a local group.

The Family
Things are progressing on the home front. Seth is half way through basic training and so far is doing well. Andrew has located an apartment only two miles from his new job and will be heading down there Monday. Christopher feels led to help out in FCFInternational and we will begin the application process for him. I thank God for all of my boys and I pray that they continue to walk with the Lord all of their days. Holly is doing well and is beginning to take more of a role as the secretary for FCFInternational. I thank God for her faithfullness and willingness to help the ministry out.

Prayer Requests

  • The move and setting up the new International Office
  • The Discipleship Ministry
  • The Mexico missions trip
  • The upcoming training at FDIC for the Disaster Response Team
  • Unity in the ministry
  • Faithful workers to help in the ministry
  • Financial support




Sunday, January 26, 2014

Greetings from the Mission Field 1-26-2014

From the Field
A lot is happening around the International Office. I have just walked in from traveling to the Fire Rescue East show in Daytona Beach, Florida. Now before you all become jealous, the had a cold spell as well as they only had highs of 50. A big thanks to Randy Lillian and his lovely bride for letting me stay at their house and for everyone who helped at our booth. What a blessing to be able to meet folks and share what God is doing in the fire service. This year the show seemed a little down in numbers, and I pray that this is not a trend for the rest of the shows.

The discipleship ministry is up and running. We have had a lot of difficulties which only leads me to conclude that God is getting ready to do some great things with it. Currently we are conducting Discipleship Tuesday classes on line as we go through the Train the Trainer course that Keith Helms developed. I look forward to the day when we have first responders in every state discipling someone. I feel like we are on the cutting edge, even though Jesus commanded us over two thousand years ago to disciple people as we are going through life. Please pray that FCFInternational would continue to be faithful in doing this ministry and that everyone would ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE to find someone to disciple.

It happened so fast that we are not sure exactly what to do next. We put our house on the market to see if we should move to Virginia. The house sold in seven days and now we will begin to look for a permanent headquarters for FCFInternational. My dream is to have an International Office where we can bring first responders and their families to in order to minister to their needs, especially after a disaster. Please join with us in this prayer. We chose southern Virginia because of their real-estate prices, easy access to highways, and close to our biggest membership. Holly and I hope to be inviting everyone soon. Holly is looking forward to getting back to hospitality, and where better than southern Virginia. We will keep the rocking chairs ready and the tea sweet.

Plans are underway for our missions trip to Mexico in May. Please pray that we would have sufficient funds, plenty of help, and that the hearts of the Mexican firefighters would be prepared to hear the Gospel. Also pray as we organize the event, that God would receive all of the glory and not us.

Family
Seth is now in basic training and Andrew is getting ready to go to Norfolk on a new job. How exciting to see these four boys of ours turn into Godly young men. Christopher and Justin are waiting to see what opens up in Virginia, however Christopher has been praying about starting a hunting and fishing camp. Let's see what the Lord has in store for these two, I am sure it will be awesome. Holly is understandably stressed over the move, and will be happy when we once again settle down. Please pray that we would find just the right church to serve in down there.

Prayer Requests

  • Discipleship Ministry, that it would continue to grow changing first responders hearts and minds.
  • The location of an International Office.
  • Seth and Andrew as they start their new jobs.
  • A Chapter in every state and 10,000 members who glorify God.
  • Support, we are praying for 100 churches to help us both financially and prayerfully.

Craig Duck
President/Missionary
FCFInternational

www.fellowshipofchristianfirefighters.org 

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Greetings from the Mission Field 1-4-2014

From the Field
     There has been so much happening in FCFInternational that it has been awhile since I last updated you. God is on the move in the fire service, and I am so thankful to Him for His many blessings. As we look at 2013 from our rearview mirror, God has once again provided for all of our needs. FCFInternational ended the year owing nobody any money. What a blessing not having to get stressed out over finances. The founders of this ministry always trusted God with the finances and I am so thankful He provided. I am also thankful for the individuals, churches, and businesses that support the ministry. I pray that they will receive as much blessing knowing that first responders are being reached for Christ as I do.
     The history book was finally finished for our ministry. Wayne Detzler did a wonderful job at compiling our history based on the Encourager. God has used the Encourager over the years to change lives and I am thankful that the previous Presidents kept most of them for us to enjoy. Currently we are working on developing several new books for the Fellowship that will help us encourage first responders. Our prayer is that God will use many of our members to assist in writing Bible studies, devotions, and tracts to be used at local departments. We just finished a new design for tracts, hoping to get firefighters to read them. Each tract will contain 3 stories from our members, each telling of how God lead them to salvation.
     This year Holly and I will be applying to ABWE to be missionaries to first responders. Lord willing, this will make the President/Missionary title have an endorsement from a missions board. ABWE has agreed to allow us to continue to serve with FCFInternational as we train North American churches how to minister to first responders. Our prayer is that churches will get connected with local departments and begin to minister to them. We are praying that God would use this to let departments know we exist and that would allow to grow.
    There is so much happening, but I do not want to overload you. I understand that first responders have small attention spans. I am hoping to once again use this format as a tool to better inform our prayer warriors of what's happening in the Fellowship. You can always check the website for the up to date happenings around the Fellowship. www.fellowshipofchristianfirefighters.org

From the Family
     Thank you for all of your prayers for my family. We live in a day and age that is marked with great attacks on the family. Please continue to pray that God would use us and that we would not disqualify ourselves in anyway. The other day we put our house up on the market. Our prayer is that it will sell quickly and we will be able to find a piece of property that could be used as an International Headquarters. I feel led to start a retreat facility for the Fellowship that will minister to first responders after a disaster. This has been very stressful for Holly, but I am thankful to God for her faithfulness to not only me but the ministry as well.
     Seth will be leaving for the army on the 13th of January. I have been praying that his "battle buddy" will be a Christian and that Seth will be a good testimony as he completes basic training. Andrew will be moving out, headed to Norfolk to make parts for ships. Pray that he will get the job he is looking for and a place to live. Christopher and Justin are on hold as we wait to see if our family moves. I am looking forward to retiring in April and begin full time work on the mission field.

Prayer Requests

  • Sale of our home and a good location for the International Office
  • The Discipleship Ministry which will begin this year
  • The sweetheart Dinner in Washington, DC for first responders
  • The tract that was developed, that many first responders may be saved.