Teaching Resources International

Spring 2002

?? Teaching Ministry – During the past year, I have been blessed with the opportunity to teach in a

number of places. I have taught in Ukraine (3x), and Belgium (2x), as well as teaching 3 classes at

John Brown University. The New Year includes a number of teaching opportunities in these same

countries, as well as in Sofia, Bulgaria in May. In addition to teaching these college and seminary

classes, I continue to teach weekly at the Bible Church of Cabot. Preaching weekly certainly is a

great joy! In the past year, I have been able to preach through much of Genesis, nearly all of James,

and do a short series on the Church. Additionally, I have been teaching through systematic theology

with the men of the church on Saturday mornings. We recently completed the doctrine of the Holy

Spirit and we are currently working on the doctrine of man and sin. The Church continues to be a

blessing to my family also, caring for us regularly and holding us up in prayer.

?? Praises – There have been many reasons for praise this past year. This summer, we reprinted

“Tried by Fire,” by A. W. Pink in a booklet form. This small booklet has been very well received

and has ministered to many who are going through suffering. It presents the best biblical approach

to facing suffering that I have seen. We receive many requests for multiple copies of this resource

through our website and through the mail.

?? Responses to our new Email “Reforming Reflections” has also been very positive. We have

received much positive feedback from them, especially from the article on “A Theological

Response to Terrorism.” Through this new resource, we are able to provide easy-to-reprint articles

to pastors every month. (If you have not signed-up for this resource, please visit our website for

details).

?? Other materials that we have published continue to be a blessing to readers and pastors. Through

the Reforming Issues Publications, printed and distributed by Christian Communicators Worldwide

(Jim Elliff), I have received a number of very positive responses to both “The Dangers of the

Invitation System” and “Asahel Nettleton: A Forgotten Evangelist.” When I am at conferences,

pastors I have never met introduce themselves to me and tell me how these little publications have

changed their lives and ministries.

?? Finally, we have just completed the first of what we hope will be a major part of our ministry—a

Russian translation of an article from Teaching Resources! We hope that we can provide access to

theological resources in many languages so that these articles might have impact on as many lives

as possible for the glory of God. May God be praised for the impact that Teaching Resources is

able to have on the lives of pastors and missionaries around the world!

?? Perhaps the greatest praise that we have personally is Debbie’s survival and recovery from the

Stevens-Johnsons syndrome that had her in intensive care for 3 weeks last summer. During that

time, she had so many complications that the doctors told us that she would not live through the first

weekend. We praise the Lord that He had mercy and not only provided healing for her body but has

increased her strength since the event. Her condition related to the cancer remains the same and so

we continue to ask for your prayers.

?? Plans for the Coming Year – Although much has been accomplished in the last four years through

Teaching Resources, we really have much more to do. Please pray for us as we attempt to

accomplish the goals and plans that are listed below:

1. Translations – One major goal remains getting the articles from Teaching Resources translated into a

variety of languages. At many of the schools I teach, professors and students often tell me that they

wish they could find these resources in their native languages. While many of them are educated and

can read English, most of the people in their churches cannot. They would like to have these articles

available in their own language. We continue to make progress and have completed a number of

Teaching Resources International ? 3 East Lake Drive, North Little Rock, AR 72116 ? 501-753-2955? http://www.teachingresources.org

Russian translations this year. In discussions with these professors and other ministries that do

translation work, I have been encouraged to consider using the Teaching Resources website as a

distribution center for these translations. Since most pastors have internet access, articles on-line in a

native language could be downloaded and printed in that country by the local church or school. We

have added a translation section to the Web Page and are working toward getting more materials on

the Internet. Please pray for us regarding finances to pay translators. It costs us between $300-500

per issue for good translation work.

2. Bible Studies for Small Groups –- Another request from the Russian pastors was for materials to lead

home Bible groups. They preferred studies that would lead people to study the Bible inductively.

When I showed them some copies of the Bible Studies we do at our church, they said that was

exactly what they wanted. In the coming year, I will be trying to work with our translator to translate

these studies into Russian so that they can be put on our Web Page and printed out from anywhere in

the world.

3. Reforming Reflections – Beginning last January, we began to publish a monthly “reflection” that

featured some aspect of reformation in the church. These reflections included short puritan reprints,

excerpts from current authors, and various articles and issues of interest (similar to the “Insights”

currently on our Web Site). They were placed in a format that can be easily copied and shared with

leaders and friends and distributed by email and posted on our Web Site. This past year, we sent out

over 11 articles to over 100 different subscribers each month.

4. Reforming Reprints – This past year, we were able to reprint A. W. Pink’s Tried by Fire, an

excellent resource to give to suffering Christians. It is our hope that we can publish one additional

reprint each year in additional to the regular issues of Teaching Resources.

5. Teaching Resources Quarterly — In addition to these plans, we will continue to produce and

distribute Teaching Resources free of charge on a quarterly basis (as the Lord allows). This summer,

due to Debbie’s illness, we were not able to publish a summer issue of Teaching Resources.

6. Additional Teachers – I have had a few teachers and pastors ask about becoming part of Teaching

Resources. This is certainly something that we need to consider. Without seeking to find places to

teach, I usually receive about twice as many requests for teaching as I can fill personally. This

would especially involve a lot more coordination work and we would probably need to find someone

to help coordinate the teaching trips and opportunities.

All of what we do depends on available finances. We work hard not to undertake any ministry that we

do have the funds for. This past fall was especially difficult as ministry funds from September and

October dropped to 1/3 of normal and we did not have sufficient funds to reimburse expenses until

November. I have also had to tell the man translating our articles into Russian that he needs to wait until

we have more funds so that I can pay him for additional work. He is ready and willing to translate an

article each week, but our current funds would not support this. We are also hoping to add additional

languages (Spanish & French) as funds become available. Please pray with us regarding these

translations—it is so important to get these materials into the language of the people.

Finally, we are nearing the time when we will have an associate pastor in Cabot so that I can devote more

time to this ministry. When we do, then my salary will be shifted to cover the full-time associate’s salary.

This will mean that we will need an additional $1500/month in salary. Pray for others who will become

part of this ministry by providing support for the work that we are doing.

Thank you for your support of this ministry. We pray that it will continue to be used by the Lord in His

Kingdom work. We remain amazed at His grace to us in so many areas of our lives. May you rest in His

grace always!

Update on Teaching
This fall and winter, I have been teaching a number of classes. In September, I traveled to Belgium (Evangelische
Theologische Faculteit) again to serve as part of a doctoral committee in the area of Church History (after spending
the summer reading, analyzing and reviewing the student’s dissertation). This spring, I will be returning to teach
another doctoral seminar. This is the only evangelical seminary recognized and accredited for Master’s and
Doctoral level degrees across Europe. It has been a real joy to teach at this school the past two years. Please pray
for me as I prepare for teaching there again this spring.
At the end of November, I returned to one of my favorite schools, Kiev Baptist Seminary, to teach “Contemporary
Issues in Theology” for the senior students there. This was an excellent time with these students who will be
graduating this spring. They will be the first class to graduate from this school which began just 4 years ago.
Many of the students have already been promised positions and should make a great impact on the churches they
serve and on the schools at which they will teach.
While there, the president requested that I sit in on the faculty planning meeting to discuss ideas for improving the
seminary for the coming years. If the school can accomplish some of these plans, it will become one of the best
schools in Eastern Europe. Please be praying for them as they work on changes for the coming year. The
President, Anatoly Procopchuk, has been very appreciative of my teaching there and expects me to teach 2-3 times
each year. I should be teaching some of the same courses that I have taught before so my preparation time should
be somewhat less. Please pray that I can continue to give schedule priority to this school and its students.
Also, Continue to pray for translation work to be done. Each time I go to Ukraine, the biggest request the students
have is not for money or even books, but for copies of Teaching Resources. They would especially like to have
copies in their own language so they can use it to teach men in their churches and schools. However, so far,
getting a translator has been difficult. I have tried to find Christian brothers to do the work but this has not worked
yet. Usually, they have agreed to do the translation, but their own time commitments (since they work other jobs)
have resulted in their not being able to do the translation. Pray that I can find someone who will really commit to
the time necessary for these materials.
Additionally, I have been teaching a few Saturday morning classes at John Brown University. In the Fall, I taught
Principles from the Life of Christ, New Testament Survey, and Orientation to the Bible. I am currently teaching the
Book of Romans. They have already scheduled me for a summer class also. Pray that these classes might provide
opportunities for sharing the gospel through these classes.
Finally, I encourage you to check our website (www.teachingresources.org)occasionally. I am trying to make more
regular updates that might be helpful to those in ministry. Also, you might check Jim Elliff’s website
(www.toto.net/ccw). This past year, he has published two resources written by Jim Ehrhard – The Dangers of the
Invitation System and Asahel Nettleton: A Forgotten Evangelist. These are available, free of charge, from either his
website (for multiple copies) or ours.
1999 Annual Report
On the back of this letter, you will find the Annual Financial Report for 1999. As you can see, our total donations
for 1999 were $38,155.92. This represents a significant increase from previous years and was sufficient to cover all
the needs of the ministry. Our ministry expenses were $20,391.96 and salary was $15,875.00 leaving a balance of
$1,888.96 for the new year. As we noted in previous letters, we have received no salary since September 1999,
except what is specifically designated as salary.
Thanks so much for your help and your prayers!
By His Grace,
Jim Ehrhard

Teaching in Kiev, Ukraine

I just returned last week after teaching again in the Ukraine (Nov. 3-13). I had the joy of

teaching the first section of Church History (“The Ancient Church”) at the Baptist

Seminary in Kiev. It was really interesting getting everything together, making overheads

of various pictures and maps, and preparing for nearly 30 hours of teaching time. This

was my third time teaching at this school and I really appreciate being part of the ministry

of this seminary. The students also seem to appreciate my teaching. One of the full-

time professors wrote me this encouraging note: I know the students really enjoyed your

last class and they are looking forward to your return. By the way, they don’t necessarily

enjoy all the part-time teachers, but they have specifically mentioned liking your class.

Good job! Their responses while I was there were equally encouraging.

In mid-January, I should return to the Ukraine to teach the second section of Church

History, “The Reformation.” Then in March, I have been asked to teach a doctoral level

class, “20th Century Apologetic Approaches to the Problem of Evil,” at Evangelische

Theologie Facultheit in Brussels, Belgium. Finally, in April, I will return to the Ukraine to

teach the final section of Church History, “The Modern Church.” In between, I will be

teaching a few classes at John Brown and Mid America again. Thanks for helping me be

involved in the training of men for ministry.

This fall was equally busy for me. I taught three classes at John Brown University and I

also taught three times at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis. One

class was a Doctoral seminar for four missionaries. It was really a great joy to teach

them and also to hear what God was doing in their lives. During the last week of

September, I taught a Bible Conference in Spring Creek, Tennessee. This is really a

great church. The people really love the Word and each other and it is always a delight to

be with them. In addition to my teaching overseas, I have also been serving as the

interim pastor for the Bible Church of Cabot. This church has a great love for the Word

of God and I have really enjoyed being able to preach again on a regular basis.

Here are some quick praises and prayer needs.

Praises

?? With limited income this year, we were praying about how we would be able to cover

the cost of the airfare to the Ukraine. Through the generosity of one church, the entire

ticket was covered.

?? During the time I was in the Ukraine, a number of friends really blessed our lives

through various acts of kindness for our family. Some provided Debbie and the kids

with some meals and others helped her out when she experienced some car

difficulties. What a blessing to have such friends who care!

?? Before I left, I needed to do some major front-end work on our van. A friend did all the

work for us without any charge. Praise the Lord!

?? The night before I left for the Ukraine, another friend brought over a very large check

for our ministry to help us cover back salary and other greatly needed ministry

expenses. What a tremendous surprise that met a very great need! I almost didn’t

need the airplane to get to Kiev!

Teaching Resources International 2

3 East Lake Drive, N. Little Rock, AR 72116 ? 501-753-2955 ? e-mail: jimehrhard@aol.com

?? I am also especially grateful for the opportunity to be serving as an interim pastor at

Cabot. It has been great to be preaching regularly and the church has provided a

part-time salary that has helped to bridge the gap between what Teaching Resources

can provide and what we need for our family.

Prayer Needs

?? Please pray for the students at Kiev Baptist Seminary. We hear a lot about the

Russian financial crisis, but Ukraine is far worse off. These men are training for

ministry but may be limited from full-time employment because of the economic

situation.

?? Pray for a number of new professors that began teaching in Kiev this fall. Three are

Americans who are just beginning language work but really have a heart to serve the

Lord here in Ukraine. Pray for rapid language acquisition and for them to adjust to the

culture and the poverty quickly.

?? Pray for Debbie also. A number of new spots appeared at her last check-up. We are

still in the process of deciding what treatment directions to take. Pray for healing and

for us to be able to rest in His peace.

?? Continue to pray for our cars to hold up. I have had a number of repairs on the Audi

(over 300,000 miles) and parts are very difficult to get. We have also had to make a

number of repairs on the van, but it seems to be holding up.

?? Pray for my time. I have a lot of work in preparing for these church history classes.

Unlike many other classes, church history requires a lot of notes. I have also spent

much time collecting visual resources on the Internet. I have a lot of preparations

also for my next classes—in Ukraine at the end of January and in Belgium at the end

of February.

Thank you again for your support of this ministry.

NOTE: Due to a printing mistake, there is a rather major error in the current issue of

Teaching Resources. If you are looking for page 43, “From our Hearts,” you will not find

it. Instead, page 39 appears again on page 43. We apologize for the inconvenience of

not having our personal note on page 43 as noted in the contents.

Note regarding Year-End gifts—all gifts received which are postmarked on or before December 31, 1998

will be receipted in 1998 for tax purposes. Those received after that date are recorded in 1999.

As we approach the end of this year, we felt that you would appreciate an update about the ministry of Teaching
Resources. 1996 has been a year of growth for the ministry. While attending a number of conferences, we have made
sample copies available to those attending. In each instance, all the copies were taken in a very short while and a
number have responded asking to receive our regular mailing. We are now printing 500 copies of Teaching
Resources, most of which are distributed through bulk mail. Additionally, we continue to send Teaching Resources
to nearly thirty missionaries overseas. All of this is completely free of any charge.
During the past year, Jim has continued to serve as interim pastor at Cornerstone Bible Fellowship while he
completes his Ph.D. at Mid America Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition to taking classes, Jim has been
involved at the seminary, teaching Baptist History and Theological German and French. By the time you receive this
letter, Jim should have completed his dissertation and is projected to graduate in May of 1997. At this point, we are
unsure where the Lord will direct us next –whether to pastoring, starting churches, teaching seminary or college, or
some combination of the above. Please keep us in your prayers as the time for such decisions draws nearer.
One thing we are convinced of is the importance of Teaching Resources. The letters, which we have received
regarding the help that this ministry has provided, have confirmed the need to continue this publication regardless of
whatever else we might be doing. For many, Teaching Resources has provided a “bite-sized” introduction to the
teachings of the Puritans and the Reformers. Our hope is that the writings of these men might be used to encourage
and instruct believers more thoroughly in the Word of God. Additionally, we hope that each issue might provide
some theological resources on various topics that might not be available to missionaries overseas and to pastors of
small churches.
Our goal from the beginning of this ministry has been to provide Teaching Resources free of charge. Since we began
publishing nearly ten years ago, we have always been able to do this. We have done this almost entirely out of our
own salaries as a ministry that the Lord allowed us to have. As we noted in our update last year, Jim’s return to
school reduced our salary to half of what he had previously made. Still, we felt the need, not only to continue the
publication, but to improve it. This we have done by having Teaching Resources professionally printed to provide a
higher quality copy. Normally Teaching Resources costs us almost $1500 per year. This year, we needed to upgrade
our software and purchase a laser printer to continue to improve the quality of publication. We anticipate that our
costs will exceed $2500 this year. Since we have upgraded our equipment, it is likely that we will be able to bring our
annual costs down to $1500 again in the coming year.
Some have asked about how they can help. Let me suggest three things. First, pray that God will open doors for Jim
so that we can find where God wants us in the coming year, so that we will have sufficient income again to cover
expenses through his salary. Second, if you move, please send us a change of address. It costs about $ .21 to send
out Teaching Resources; it costs between $ .50 and $ .75 whenever one is returned. Help us keep costs down by
updating your address. Finally, if you would like to help financially, you can do so through a check to Cornerstone
Bible Fellowship, designated for “Teaching Resources.” (All receipts postmarked by December 31, 1966 can receive a
tax-deduction for 1996. Any received after that date will be receipted for 1997).
Finally, keep us in your prayers. Debbie’s health seems extremely good for which we continue to give God praise.
Jim’s greatest need is for time. Pray that the Lord will grant wisdom as he selects and edits for this ministry. Thank
you again for your faithfulness in these matters.