Nate Clark shares the gospel and teaches others to do the same.

Nate Clark grew up in rural Iowa and has lived in San Antonio for almost 10 years. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in pottery from Graceland University in Lamoni, IA, he served as a chef in fine dining restaurants for 13 years until God called him into full-time ministry three years ago.

Nate says, “There was a time in my life when I was very angry, hurt, and had no sense of self-worth, mostly because my dad didn’t love me. I hated everyone and everything and myself most of all. I contemplated or planned suicide or suicide bombing on several occasions. My life absolutely sucked.

“Then, when I was 16, I read the Bible. I learned that God loves me and that he showed his love for me in Christ. He put His money where His mouth was and proved His love for me. It wasn’t just a hollow claim. He loves me so much He died for me. And not just that- but His love for me was so wholesome and so complete that His death also gave me forgiveness for my sin. The death I very justly deserved for being the absolutely terrible person that I was, was paid for in Jesus’s sacrifice. And as if that wasn’t enough, I got the Father I always wanted. Because of what Jesus has done, and because I have received Him and believed in Him, I have the right to call myself a child of God because that is what I am!

“When I learned this, it absolutely blew my mind. It totally wrecked me. I chose to accept Jesus’s love for me and follow him. Now my life is completely different than I ever imagined it could be. I have a wife who God uses every day to test me and try me but also to remind me of His great love. And now I’m a father! I have a son who I get to love and be an example for.”

Nate credits Ben Hanna for mentoring his spiritual development and equipping him to do the work of the Great Commission. His life changed in a way he never would have imagined. He, then, began his ministry of sowing the seed of the gospel and teaching other believers how to obey Jesus, by committing themselves to the work of the gospel.

Nate works closely with a global network of disciple-makers, missionaries, and church planters called No Place Left (NPL), who focus on using simple, biblical, and easily reproducible tools to facilitate God’s movement into all the peoples of the world. His partners include a network of traditional and non-traditional churches, the Baptist General Convention of Texas and E-3 Partners.

Along with his wife Alison and son, Keith, Nate has moved into Baptist Temple’s Olaya Long House as Missionaries in Residence. They will practice hospitality evangelism in our neighborhood and help equip God’s people to be soul-winners.

 

Responding to Hurricane Harvey

Disasters can bring out the best in us; despite what you see in post apocalyptic dramas. Neighbors helping each other and the professional first responders displayed selfless heroism in the face of the storm. They were soon supported by growing numbers of people bringing relief. Among those was Baptist Temple member, Armando Acosta, who repeatedly drove his HEB truck loaded with much needed items into the disaster area.

Texas Baptist Men (TBM) quickly sent 175 disaster relief volunteers who set up mobile kitchens to feed first responders and evacuees in shelters. By the end of the first week, Baptist disaster relief workers from six different states brought laundry and shower for the relief effort,. As the flood waters receded, chainsaw crews, heavy equipment operators and recovery crews began the clearing process. TBM childcare workers, chaplains, crisis responders and comfort dog teams ministered to the evacuees and workers at the shelters.

Other Baptist groups are making plans for the ongoing recovery effort. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) and the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas are gearing up for ongoing recovery efforts with a focus on rural areas. Bounce (Texas Baptists’ student disaster recovery program) plans to send volunteer teams to the Gulf Coast during spring break and summer 2018. Buckner International is donating 12,000 pairs of shoes collected through its Shoes for Orphan Souls initiative to survivors of Hurricane Harvey.