New Covenant Global Outreach

New Small Groups at the Salt Company

2011-01-31T20:57:00.002-06:00

Sarah Taylor is the Women's Ministry Coordinator for The Salt Company, a college ministry of Cornerstone Church in Ames.

"We had a leaders retreat on Sunday evening and Monday morning for the 120 student leaders in Salt Company. We have 12 new small group leaders this semester. One wrote after his first group meeting, 'God sure pulled it off for connection group number one. We had eight in attendance with great discussion. We had a long talk with the one non-Christian attendee who had a ton of questions about God, prayer, and what it means to be a Christian. Not only did he get a lot out of the group, but the group was blessed by his presence.As far as myself, I've never felt so inadequate and unprepared in my life - I imagine that'll get better with prayer, scripture, and experience.'

If you could be praying for our student leaders and their small groups, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your prayers!"

Making Him Known

2011-01-20T11:47:00.004-06:00

Mark and Rachel Bemenderfer oversee TEL's work in Asia from Denton, Texas.

Mark was away from our family a total of three months this year. But as our son Daniel put it, "I don't want him to go, but I do. If we're not here, he can't do what He does there!"

This year Joshua (12) made great progress in piano, headed up a mowing business, babysat brothers, learned how to run the sound booth at church and sword fighting! Micah and Daniel (11) also play piano and enjoy a father/son program which teaches Christian disciplines. David (8), kept things joyful and Timmy (5) learned to read! George (2) eats a lot, says a lot, and brings a lot of smiles. We're elated that our older ones know Jesus and want to make Him known.

Thank you for your partnership in spreading the news that Christ came for undeserving us! In Daniel's word, "If you weren't here, we couldn't be there!" You make all this possible.

Learn more at their website.

Final Uganda Team Update

2011-01-18T11:50:00.002-06:00

These are the final two updates from the Uganda Team. They were lost in cyberspace so Ron resent them to us today.

The team awakened to a beautiful hazy sky over Jinja. The air was full of humidity and the promise of rain. We enjoyed a fine breakfast with theother American team visiting Hesed, and prayed with them as they departed this morning.

One of our morning sessions at the children’s ministry conference dealt with guidance on preparing for a children’s ministry as if you were starting from scratch and could build the ideal children’s ministry program. The attendees were asked to write a purpose statement for their
children’s ministry that aligned with the purpose of their whole church. This was part of a session designed to help them envision what their ideal children’s ministry might look like. With the target in mind, we walked through a series of items to keep in mind for building their ministry toward that future.

In the afternoon we shared many of the games used in Children’s Ministry at NCBC. They also shared some of their games with us.

God Bless and thanks all for the prayer support!

Ron Rohrssen

------------------------------------------------------------------

Yesterday the Children’s Ministry conference came to an end.

We have made some new friends here in Uganda. We have been blessed all week by our Ugandan brothers and sisters in Christ. Their desire to reach children for Christ is obvious.

We have seen how God used the conference as a tool for sharing information on children’s ministry. But, it wasn’t sharing just from the Americans to the Ugandan’s. There were 10 churches represented at the conference; 12 if you include the American churches represented. Everyone gained new ideas and encouragement.

The Ugandan’s honored us with a closing ceremony that included a visit by the local vicar and the headmaster of the school and one of his top teachers. The attendees also performed a skit for us on children’s ministry.

They acted out an unruly Sunday school setting where the teacher had lost control and was not able to teach the children. In the skit the teacher learned of the main points taught at the conference and applied them immediately. In the following week the teacher treated the students with love and was able to begin building a relationship with them. In return the students respected the teacher and were willing to listen to her message.

The closing ceremony allowed the vicar, the headmaster, the head teacher, members of Hesed, and a spokesperson from the attendees to honor everyone’s efforts for the week and to give thanks to God and everyone who helped make the conference possible.

Hesed was honored by the attendees for the quality of the conference including the information gained, the food provided, and the materials they were given. One of the attendees gave thanks for the quality of the food provided. It helped them have a better diet that included meat! It was a sincere thankfulness all around.

We will have a brief meeting with Hesed before we leave. We will share with them what we have learned and observed during the week.

Ron Rohrssen

Uganda Team - Day 5

2011-01-12T10:39:00.001-06:00

Tuesday was the second day of the children’s conference here in Uganda.

There are 10 churches represented at the conference. After having some experience with the conference attendees yesterday the team had a better understanding of the level of children’s ministry being done in their churches. We also had some insight into other children’s topics that would be helpful. So, we added a couple of topics to the morning agenda.

We added a session on preparing volunteers and another session on classroom management. Today’s sessions were well received; in particular the session on “Classroom Management”. We found that the Ugandan’s are dealing with many of the same issues that arise in our classrooms. We shared good information and tips with the students. But, they also shared many tips amongst themselves.

At the end of the day, Miriam stood and asked for a show of hands for those who had learned something new, and those that had received encouragement in their ministry. There was a strong show of hands for learning something new and a unanimous show of hands for those that had been encouraged.

God Bless and thanks all for the prayer support!

Ron Rohrssen

Uganda Team - Day 4

2011-01-10T21:28:00.003-06:00

We had the pleasure of enjoying breakfast with Florence and Michael Kyomya. It was a brief breakfast because of other commitments for them in Kampala. During our brief breakfast Mick and Ron reconnected with the Kyomya’s and shared stories of our Sunday service in Bufulubi.

Today was the first day of the children’s conference. The facility for the conference was at a nearby boarding school called Mwiri. An overhead view of the facility is shown below. The flag is the building that we are using for the conference and the red dot is an improvised soccer field. We watched some kids playing soccer over lunch and interacted with several of them.

The first day of the children’s conference was very good. Hesed picked a very good group of Christians to attend this conference. We were impressed with the English language skills. We did not need to use an interpreter and this reduced the amount of time needed to convey the main points of each of our sessions.

One of the most beneficial and important parts of the conference will be the peer to peer sharing. There were already numerous examples of this in the classroom. These leaders are willing to share new songs and tips about what has worked for them.

The Mwiri Head Master (Alex) did an excellent job of introducing the conference and the American team. He spoke of the importance of leaders, the importance of children's ministry and being leaders of leaders. We couldn't have asked for a better introduction and heartfelt welcome. His opening comments really helped set the tone for the conference.

The afternoon sessions on early childhood ministry and elementary school ministry were especially engaging for the attendees. They had the opportunity to see Craig and Abby giving a demonstration of an elementary school session with the use of puppets and small group time.

We spent part of the evening in Fellowship with another church group that is sharing the Hesed Guest House with us.

It’s time to prepare for tomorrow’s session. God Bless and thank you to everyone for your prayers.

Ron Rohrssen

Uganda Team - Day 3

2011-01-09T13:51:00.003-06:00

Sunday – A day of service!

This morning the team participated in a church service in one of the local Anglican churches called, Bufulubi. The church is a short drive from Jinja. Here’s an overhead of the tin roof church (near the flag). The boarding school is just up the road, in the lower left corner of the photo.

During the service at this church they took the children to a separate children’s service in one of the buildings at the boarding school. Craig and Abby helped with Children’s service and did a little puppetry. It was a huge hit with the children. Some of them literally thought the [monkey] puppet was alive.

I [Ron] shared my testimony and Mick led a message on the importance of teaching children about Christ and the truths in the Bible.

After Mick’s message a local politician was invited to speak from the pulpit on why he should receive the peoples vote.

After the politician was done speaking about his political race, he had the honor of auctioning the eggs from the offering basket in exchange for cash. The first 2 people didn’t have cash on hand to pay for the eggs. Finally a third woman won the bid and paid 300 shillings for the 6 eggs. (500 shillings is about a quarter) She offered the eggs to the politician to honor him. He accepted and gave her praise then later gave the eggs back to the village to eat.

There were maybe around 150 kids and 35 adults in all.

Ron Rohrssen

Uganda Team - Day 2

2011-01-08T12:10:00.000-06:00

We reconnected with Florence Kyomya in Entebbe as she blessed us with her presence to bring us back to Jinja. It was a wonderful day full of travel and fellowship with Florence, Dan (driver), and Sarah from Hesed. When we arrived later at the Hesed guest house in Jinja we reconnected with Timothy Kyomya and enjoyed a wonderful dinner together.

Everyone is preparing for Sunday service at a nearby Anglican church. Mick will give the message, Ron will share his testimony, and Craig and Abby will lead a Children’s Service.

Ron

Uganda Children's Ministry Team Has Safely Arrived

2011-01-07T16:19:00.003-06:00

Our team to Uganda safely arrived in Entebbe. Ron sent this message:

Hello from Entebbe!

It was a little over 24 hours of travel time, but the team has arrived safely, on time, and all luggage arrived successfully. Praise the Lord!

Everyone is a bit tired from travel and jet lag, but nothing that a good night’s sleep won’t help tremendously. Thanks for the continued prayers and thoughts.

Here is short explanation of what they will be doing:

Traditionally children in Uganda have been entertained during church services while the adults attend the worship service. Our team will be helping the Busoga people establish and strengthen a children’s ministry program. This is a key step in growing mature Christians in the next generation.

Led by Timothy Kyomya, son of Michael and Florence who founded Hesed International, they have identified a group of Christian leaders with a gifting for children’s ministry. This initial ministry trip will lay the groundwork for long-term children’s ministry. This initial group will become the trainers that in turn train others in their local area for children’s ministry. We will continue to support Hesed International in this effort and in other ministry areas in the future.

Pastor Mick, Ron Rohrssen, and Craig and Abby Schultz will be training Ugandan church leaders over the next week.

Seeing God Touch Lives

2010-11-20T21:22:00.002-06:00

The Mexico Orphanage team of 14 people flew today to Monterrey, Mexico to serve with Back2Back Ministries. A team member writes:

Back2Back Ministries serves abandoned and neglected children in 12 separate orphanages by connecting short term mission teams from the United States with children’s homes in the Monterrey area. We hope to meet some of the children’s physical and spiritual needs, as well as be available to work as needed on any building, painting or cementing projects.

Pray for safety, good health and that we would be available for every need presented. Pray also that we would be an encouragement to the children, as well as the Back2Back staff, in each orphanage we visit. The staff works tirelessly to provide a safe and loving environment for these children.

Pray that our team comes home with a deeper appreciation of God’s amazing love and His special care for all His children. Our hope is to see God’s hands touch lives as we are obedient to His direction.

Team Safely in Monterrey

2010-11-20T21:04:00.000-06:00

Dave Kvindlog wrote: "The team arrived safely and on time in Monterrey. No luggage was lost either! No issues with customs. The Back2Back bus picked us up and we arrived at their facilities around 5pm. We're now oriented and ready to begin ministry tomorrow! Thank you all for your prayers. Pics will be posted soon."

Join the NCBC Mexico Orphanage Missions Trip 2010 group on Facebook for pictures as well as updates.

Serving Up Love

2010-11-16T10:57:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving in Mexico! Instead of serving up a platter of turkey, our Mexico Orphanage team will be serving up love with Back2Back Mexico, a mission that serves ten orphanages in Monterrey. The team will depart this Saturday, November 20, from the Eastern Iowa Airport, and return the following Friday, November 26.

Theresa Appleby, and daughter Christine, first served with Back2Back last year. They returned with a desire to lead a team from New Covenant. This year's team members are: Theresa Appleby, Christine Appleby, Rachel Prochaska, Ashley Goos, Tim Holderman, Jim and Angie Nowak, Sam Nowak, Katie Nowak, Dave and Beth Kvindlog, Elise Kvindlog, and T.J. Kvindlog and Chris Loewen. The team will spend Thanksgiving week playing with children, rocking babies, painting, doing construction, and helping in various ways.

“It was wonderful to see how the children responded to our affection last year despite the language barrier,” said Theresa. "I loved sharing in the process of helping those who labor there.”

Pray for the team as they care in the name of Christ down in Mexico.

Church-to-Church Partnership

2010-11-04T14:58:00.003-05:00

Earlier this year, New Covenant began a "church-to-church" (C2C) partnership through Compassion International with a church in India. One of the key reasons we enthusiastically jumped at the chance to enter into this partnership is because we are partnering with a local church to empower them to do prayer care, and share in their community.

Here is a great blog article that explains more of how this works: How Does Our Partnership With Local Churches Really Work?

U of I Internationals

2010-11-04T14:54:00.003-05:00

Eric & Melissa McDonald serve with the Navigators. They work with international students, including many from China, at the University of Iowa.

Over the summer many of the international students took the break from classes as an opportunity to travel back to China. But for those who stayed around, fewer classes allowed for more in-depth discipleship. Eric had the opportunity to meet regularly with two men. Both are followers of Christ and were looking for ways to grow stronger in their faith.

Eric also began facilitating a group of men who met every two weeks to read and discuss more in-depth theological books.

This fall 350 new Chinese students arrived on campus. We are excited to meet them as we also welcome back students from last year! We're also co-leading a study for new believers going through the Alpha material. This meets on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. We're hoping to extend this study through the winter and are picking curriculum right now.

When I am Weak...

2010-11-04T14:49:00.002-05:00

“Greatness is what you do with your weakness.” Do you admit weakness? Do you deal with your weakness? Do you ask for help? Ironically, it takes greatness to do those things.

Read an inspiring story that our Global Kingdom Partner, Bob Mackey, posted on his blog by going here.

Learning the Best Ministry Tool

2010-10-27T16:12:00.003-05:00

Tracy and Karna Steel serve in the Czech Republic with Youth for Christ:

We are so excited about our new ministry plan. We will focus primarily on developing relationships with teens from in and around our town and connecting them to our church. The connecting will be done through teaching in the English classes and helping in the physical education program at the local high school.

The weekly open gym nights, together with game-nights, movie-nights, and Club nights, are all places where we connect Czech kids with youth and youth leaders of our church. I say we because my own kids, as native speakers, are as valuable for improving English conversation skills as I am. They join me in many activities and are a key part of this ministry.

We're learning that the best ministry tool is building relationships with people and allowing the Lord to do His work as He sees fit.

On Our Doorstep

2010-10-20T16:24:00.006-05:00

Our Global Kingdom Partners, Martin and Judy Kolczyk, work as student mobilizers with SEND International and live in Marengo, IA. Here is part of an update this week from Martin:

Looking back on our visits to other countries and some of the difficulties we faced with language, transportation, customs, etc., we are well aware of how hard it is for international students to be here, in Iowa, without family. So we are starting up a ministry that we did in the past with Friends of Internationals. We want to provide a “family” for each international student while they are here. We want reach out to the over 600 international students from over 80 different countries on the Kirkwood campus.

We also are looking for people willing to adopt a student. Over 80% of foreign students are never invited into an American home or to visit a church. The mission field has come to our doorstep.These students are hungry, both spiritually and physically and are looking for people that care.

Please pray for us as we venture into this new ministry area.

Read more about Martin & Judy's ministry on their blog, On the Road Again.

Agriculture, Africa Style

2010-10-13T15:34:00.004-05:00

Gary and Barb Bennett, serve with WorldVenture in Rwanda:

We are already into the swing of things here in Rwanda. Gary finished planting the agricultural gardens and has started on a Tilapia fish pond project. Barb teaches music at the girls’ school. The girls are making all kinds of new friends at their school.

Every day funny things happen to remind us we aren’t in the States anymore. You know you’re in Africa when you try to download something from the Internet and you read the message, “2,773 hours remaining!”

We are currently working on precision agriculture, Africa-style. We try to maximize every seed’s potential to produce as much food as possible from a given area. The specifics of this method, Farming God’s Way, were developed in southern Africa. Significant increases in crop yields have been reported. We are hoping it will make a difference for food producers here in Rwanda.

Mackey Van Totaled

2010-10-09T16:50:00.002-05:00

I was relieved to hear that even though the Mackey's van was totaled in an accident, Laura (who was driving) escaped without injury.

read more...

Poverty in Perspective

2010-10-07T20:50:00.004-05:00

I am amazed at how our church stepped up and sponsored over 155 children with Compassion. What a great demonstration of the global care.

I realize there are plenty in need here in our own backyard. But this article puts the difference into perspective:

Here at home, poverty is a single mom in Detroit trying to keep food on the table. In Africa, poverty is a 14-year-old orphaned head-of-household trying to find fresh water for himself and his siblings. The challenge isn't to choose one over the other. The task is to view two harsh realities through a common lens of compassion and assistance.

read more...

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

2010-09-23T10:59:00.002-05:00

Want to make a real difference in advancing God’s Kingdom to overcome poverty? Consider becoming involved with a global care opportunity by supporting a Compassion Leadership Development Program (LDP) Student. This program gives specially selected Compassion sponsored children the opportunity to attend a university and be participants rather than bystanders. Their education includes a full college curriculum, courses in Christian leadership training, and Compassion-taught seminars, workshops and retreats on the development of Christian character and leadership potential.

“LDP sponsors and donors are special instruments that the Lord uses to raise up godly leaders who will eventually break the cycle of poverty,” says Michelle, a LDP student. “You are unveiling the darkness that the enemy has placed over us by giving us dreams, hope and a future!”

Through the Leadership Development Program, hundreds of students like Michelle are energized, mentored and strengthened in their faith each year as they prepare for lives of leadership in their churches and communities. Drop by the Compassion table in the lobby this Sunday or go to their website to find out more.

Thank You!

2010-09-22T14:55:00.004-05:00

Over the last month, Pastor Bob has led us on a journey as we considered God's Kingdom disrupted, restored, and advanced. He reminded us that one of the signs that the Kingdom of God is near is that the poor are given good news. As the Kingdom of God intersects the physical world, lives are changed and people are set free.

This last Sunday we threw out a challenge: We asked all of you at New Covenant to consider sponsoring one of 76 Compassion children at our India C2C partner church. In case we were able to find sponsors for all 76, we also had 120 packets for children at two nearby church development centers.

Your response was incredible. After the first service, we already had over 20 packets gone. By the last service, you sponsored 95 kids, including 73 of our partner church children (and the other three are claimed -- just need the forms to be completed). Your generosity is overwhelming. As a church, in one Sunday alone, we have committed to giving $43,320 a year to release children from poverty in Jesus' name. And we are not done yet.

This coming Sunday, we have 100 more Compassion children available to be sponsored. We also will be sharing two other ways you can get involved. So come on Sunday and learn how you can be a part of the Kingdom Unleashed!

Why We Are Offering Compassion Children to Sponsor in India

2010-09-15T21:54:00.003-05:00

In the last few weeks, I have been asked a great question: Why sponsor a child from our Partner Church Compassion project in India? Why not suggest people go to the Compassion website and choose a child?

Of course, there are many needy children at Compassion projects in other parts of the world. And I would celebrate each and every one that is sponsored. I have been told by Compassion workers in India that our region is one of the poorest areas Compassion works anywhere in the world. But the most important reason is not the size of the need -- it is the relationship we are building with our partner church in India. They have added new children to their program, and we are being offered the first chance to sponsor as many as 76 of these children. What a wonderful and tangible way to show global care -- to reach out and link arms with our partner church to release a child from poverty in Jesus' name.

Regardless of whether you sponsor a child or not, please join me in praying that we can find a sponsor for each and every child at our partner site. In fact, if we do, we have another 100 packets of children who are equally needy in nearby Compassion projects. My prayer is that we sponsor at least 100 Compassion children in the coming weeks.

Here is a heart wrenching article about the female infanticide that still happens in India: http://blog.compassion.com/infanticide-in-india/.

A Message of Grace

2010-09-09T09:32:00.002-05:00

Bob and Laura Mackey family serve with World Team in PA:

Laura and I spent about 10 days in Ecuador at the end of August. I spoke at a field conference with SIM workers. The theme was Jonah: a messenger of grace who needed the message of grace. Jonah was a missionary failure who made his own agenda bigger than God’s. And yet God was very gracious with Jonah, just as He was gracious through Jonah to the Ninevites. It seems like any honest missionary can see some of Jonah in themselves. I emphasized Jesus as the true and better Jonah, our tendency toward idolatry, and our need to practice repentance.

It seemed like the talks went well. I know that people at least were thinking deeply about heart issues.

After the conference was over, Laura and I hung out in Quito celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary. Highlights were bicycling around the “Carolina Park” and visiting the equator. We had a great time!

Check out their blog at: mackeyministry.blogspot.com

Euroventure with Amy Mich

2010-09-02T22:19:00.001-05:00

An update from Amy Mich about a youth camp called Euroventure in Grindelwald, Switzerland. She serves with YoungLife in France.

Imagine being 60-70 feet in the air, crossing a series of rope obstacles. You are in a harness, but it’s up to you to move forward and make sure you are securely clipped onto the cable. Don’t look down! If you looked down, you would realize how vulnerable you are. At camp, the students had the opportunity to experience the adventure of a ropes course. Many were scared, but by the end of the course they were having fun and feeling quite proud of their accomplishment.

As a leader, nothing beats seeing kid’s smiling faces after overcoming such a big and challenging obstacle. Stepping out of their comfort zone in the form of a ropes course helped break down barriers and provided a platform for sharing and understanding the gospel. It was a risk the kids took, much like it’s a risk to trust in Christ and be a bold witness in His name.

Pray for Safety for the Van Zoest Family

2010-08-26T13:10:00.002-05:00

Please pray for protection us and our Nicaragua Christian Academy family. Our new 5th grade teacher, Jed, reported a couple of weeks ago that his family's guard was in a shoot-out with some men who were trying to steal his motorcycle. This resulted in the guard chasing them away. Jed has noticed several men watching their home which has been very unsettling for him and his family. Two nights ago, Jed was driving at night and came upon a group of men who were burning tires and shaking cars. The men were armed with guns and machetes. They shook Jed's car but Jed pulled forward and kept looking forward and eventually the men went on to another car. People were throwing money out their windows in effort to placate the men. Dan and Rebekah ran into the traffic jam on their way home. However, Dan turned around and found a different way home - not realizing what was really going on. We praise God for Jed and Dan and Rebekah's safety.

Global Care in Action

2010-08-17T11:01:00.005-05:00

Our vision for Global Outreach at New Covenant is for every person to be actively involved in global prayer, care, and share. With that in mind, we are excited to announce we will be offering an opportunity for global care through a Compassion Sunday on September 19.

Compassion International exists to release children from poverty in Jesus' name. All of their work and ministry is through a local church. Last March, Pastor Bob and I had the opportunity to travel to India to establish a partnership with a church that hosts and runs a Compassion child development center. We saw firsthand the work that is being done and the great need for even more to be done.

On Sunday, September 19, we will make available child sponsorship packets for children ministered to through our partner church. If all of those are taken, we will also have additional packets for children at other child development centers in the region. Our goal is to transform the lives of over 100 children in East India. I hope you will prayerfully consider joining us in this global care opportunity.

30-Days of Prayer

2010-08-10T15:44:00.002-05:00

This year Ramadan is August 11 to September 09. Will you join with Christians around the globe praying for the Muslim World?

Find out more at 30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim World. This site has articles, as well as daily prayer requests that you can download or subscribe to by email.

You can also go to 30DaysFire.net for a full multimedia experience or become a fan of 30-Days International on Facebook.

New Covenant will sponsor a special time of prayer late in August. More details coming soon.

Zimbabwe Team in Chicago - Aug 9

2010-08-09T15:03:00.002-05:00

Just received word that the Zimbabwe Team has made it to Chicago. Their United flight to Cedar Rapids is listed as arriving at 6:15 PM in Cedar Rapids. Will update this post if anything changes.

Zimbabwe Team Headed Home - Aug 8

2010-08-08T16:05:00.002-05:00

Good news! I have received word that the Zimbabwe team made the first leg of the trip to Kenya successfull, and are now headed to Europe. They will be coming through Chicago and are scheduled to arrive on a United flight at 6:15 PM Cedar rapids Time on Monday, August 9. Will post any other updates I receive between now and then.

Zimbabwe Team Ministry Week Update - Aug 7

2010-08-07T08:41:00.005-05:00

We are still on the road to Harare. Thought I would take a moment to provide some updates for the week.

On Tuesday, we participated in a community boys soccer and girls netball (cross between ultimate Frisbee and basketball) tourney for the 18 schools in the area. This is sponsored by the MCDT (think FCA-like activity). A the end of the final soccer game that ended in a penalty shootout, we presented the donated AYSO jerseys and balls as prizes. Afterwards, Lance and the local ministry team shared the gospel with the approximately 800 kids and adults.

Don for the Zim Team

P.S. Pray for the revival service tonight.

You can go to this post for their schedule.

New Kingdom Partner: Robin's Song

2010-08-04T12:01:00.005-05:00

Robin’s Song is a new Kingdom Partner of New Covenant. The purpose of this ministry is to equip and train local people to provide safe, clean drinking water for their communities in the name of Christ. Brian Perry wrote this in a recent update:

I am planning to depart August 11 for Africa. I will spend the first week in Blantyre, Malawi where we will make plans for building another group to drill more wells. Remember that every well we put in provides clean drinking water to a thousand people. We are dedicated to helping people support themselves with an income from drilling the deep wells. We want to show God’s love to the people we serve so that they may know Him as their Savior. I’m excited to have my youngest son, Blake, join me in Mozambique September 4-10.

In October, I will be traveling with my older son, Christopher. He belongs to the Christian Medical and Dental Association, who has been leading teams of doctors and surgery nurses into Mexico. Please pray for financial support for start up costs of working in new areas of Africa, as well as travel safety.

Go to www.robins-song.org to learn more.

Martin Kokczyk Blog

2010-08-04T09:13:00.004-05:00

Wondering what our Kingdom Partners, Martin & Judy Kolczyk, are up to? Check out their blog and find out!

Bennett's Headed back to Africa

2010-08-02T21:45:00.003-05:00

Our Kingdom Partners, Gary & Barb Bennett, leave soon for Rwanda.

Dear Friends,

Thanks to God’s faithfulness we are all set to leave for Rwanda on Wednesday morning, August 4th. We still need a little more support, but through your generosity, God has provided what we need to be able to return to the field. We are so thankful for all your gifts and help. We leave from Minneapolis, stop in New York and then fly to Brussels Belgium. After a short layover in Brussels we fly directly to Kigali Rwanda where we arrive Thursday evening.

This morning we experienced a wonderful worship service at our home church, First Baptist, Windom. At the close of the service people gathered around and had a prayer time for us, which was very moving. Fortunately someone found us a box of Kleenex. We explained to the girls afterwards, if we didn’t love people so much and if they didn’t love us so much, saying good bye wouldn’t nearly as hard.

We would appreciate your prayers for us as we say more goodbyes, especially to family members. It is so hard to say good bye to those we love so much and have had so many wonderful times with during this year here. Pray also that all of our luggage will make it with us to Rwanda. The girls start their new school year on Aug 17th, so pray for a quick adjustment and a special time of reuniting with friends back on the field. Finally pray that God would show us where He would have us put our main focus as we get back into ministry in Rwanda. There are so many things we could be involved in, so pray we would put our efforts into what will be most helpful to the Rwandan church.

As always thanks so much for all your prayers, love and support,

Gary, Barb, Melissa and Megan Bennett

Zimbabwe Team Sat & Sun Update - Aug 2

2010-08-02T19:57:00.002-05:00

Sat 31 July

After a long ride from the Harare to the Mushayamunda Village we had a short night's rest before the widows conference. We shared the blessing from New Covenant the name of Jesus Christ in the form of testimonies, teachings, prayer and gifts of clothing. There were approximately 250 widows some of who had walked 20 miles. We can't wait to share the pictures and video of the widows displaying the true joy of the Lord in the midst of their suffering. Saturday night we had a mini revival at the homestead. Brother Dave Estrem shared as well as Patti Ashbacher with a testimony. Thank you for sending us.

Don for the Zim team

Sunday 1 Aug

Sunday morning we enjoyed fellowship, singing, dancing, prayer and time in God's word together. Your bothers and sisters in Christ in Zimbabwe send you greetings at New Covenant. Don shared the message with testimony from sister Dixie. We also provided fluoride treatment and basic medical care for the widows on Saturday and continued into Sunday. Heavy program to start Monday...

Don for the Zim team

Zimbabwe Team Luggage Made It!

2010-07-30T15:24:00.003-05:00

Received this additional update from Dennis. He is from Zimbabwe and is the reason we are doing this trip. Here is his update:

I spoke to team this morning. They safely arrived in Zimbabwe. They were in Harare at my sister's house refreshing and repacking and getting ready for the 7 hour trip to the village. The bus needed some repairs so they were expecting it in about 2 hours. Everybody is in good spirits and excited about what lies ahead. WE GOT ALL THE BAGS THROUGH WITH NO LOSSES. This is the first team that went through without loss of bags en route, Praise God!

Dennis

Zimbabwe Team is in Zimbabwe - Jul 29

2010-07-30T08:30:00.003-05:00

Here are some text messages sent by a team member at 11 PM (Iowa time) Thursday night:

Safely in Nairobi, Kenya, waiting for the last flight let to Harare. Still lacking sleep but the full day walking around London during our layover has helped flip our "body clocks."

Our team is working very well together, and ready to be used by the Lord as He so chooses.

Thanks for praying for us!

Don for the Team Zim

And then this text came in this morning:

Just landed safely in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The team will only have limited internet access in Zimbabwe, so it may be a while until we hear from them again.

Zimbabwe Team -- in London! Jul 29

2010-07-29T09:19:00.004-05:00

Here is an update from the team. They have an 8 hour layover in London so are doing a little sight seeing while they wait.

Sleepy, but doing great. Working on storing our carry-on bags and then spend a few hours in the city before our flight to Nairobi, Kenya.

Don for team Zim

Zimbabwe Update from Chicago - Jul 28

2010-07-28T16:28:00.003-05:00

Praise God! All of the bags made it on the first leg to Chicago. For those who are in the aviation industry imagine an EMB-145 on a summer day with our literal ton of bags, heavy carry-ons, and a full flight. I (Don) would have never imagined it, but apparently they all made it. We were asked to bring more bags on the plane since the cargo hold was full. As we understand it only one bag was left behind (not ours). Pray that gentleman gets his bag very soon.

We are headed to the next gate for our London departure.
Blessings,

Don for team Zim

Zimbabwe Team Departure

2010-07-28T16:18:00.003-05:00

Here are a few pictures from the Zimbabwe team's departure today.

Zimbabwe Team Schedule - Jul 28 to Aug 9

2010-07-27T11:34:00.004-05:00

Here is a summary of what the Zimbabwe Team will be doing:

Wed - Jul 28 - Meet at Cedar Rapids Airport to depart for Zimbabwe (prayer with team just before Noon)

Fri - Jul 30 - Arrive in Zimbabwe around Noon local time

Sat - Jul 31 - Widows Conference

Sun - Aug 1 - Church - Widows Conference

Mon - Aug 2 - VBS - Revival

Tue - Aug 3 - VBS - Well Dedication - Revival

Wed - Aug 4 - VBS - Leadership Seminar - Revival

Thu - Aug 5 - VBS - Revival

Fri - Aug 6 - VBS - Revival

Sat - Aug 7 - Travel to Harrare - Evening Revival - Debrief

Sun - Aug 8 - Begin flights back to States at 1:15 PM local time

Mon - Aug 9 - Arrive back in Cedar Rapids - scheduled arrival 6:15 PM

They will also be painting blackboards, looking at power and water issues and possibly helping with gardening; and all 7 days have some sort of clinic available with limited hours.

Zimbabwe Ministry Team Update - July 26

2010-07-26T12:02:00.007-05:00

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Well this afternoon we had our team packing session. We packed 32 suitcases which will go in checked luggage during this session. The other 8 are already packed and had just a little room left in them. All in all we have 40 suitcases (approximately 50 lbs each) of soccer balls and uniforms, pens and pencils, medicine, food and clothing or 1 literal ton of stuff we are taking to Zimbabwe. It was amazing seeing all this stuff, which was donated in one form or another, fitting into the suitcases we have. My wife Amy said, it was sort of like the feeding of the 5000 in reverse. I have included some pictures of packing.
I was thinking about all that stuff as I went for a bike ride this evening and I happened to be riding by the new facility. I got a tour earlier this week. It’s a big place - over 100,000 sq. ft. I think I often limit God by how big my perception of Him is. Until I get something measurable I usually don’t even recognize how big it is and God is immeasurable - in others words - big.

The final song at church this morning was “We are the Body of Christ” which was a really cool send off for the team as our theme for the trip is, One Body, One Spirit and One God Eph. 4:4-6. Thanks for you prayers and support.

Doug Forret - Team Leader

Pray, Care, and Share to the Muslim World

2010-07-23T16:43:00.001-05:00

It is unfortunate that many live in fear of Muslims. God has not called us to fear, but to live a lifestyle of pray, care, and share. This story I just found is an example of the way we should live:

During a previous Ramadan God permitted a goat in a rural area to be involved in introducing a Muslim couple to the Gospel. The goat arrived at the home of a Christian woman and refused to leave despite repeated and determined efforts to chase it away. After several days the Christian lady decided to look for the family who had lost their goat. While visiting various neighbors she eventually found the goat's Muslim owner. The Muslim woman readily expressed her thanks that the goat had been returned and invited the Christian lady for a meal. A friendship sprang up between the two women and their families. It was in this way that this entire Muslim family received the Gospel (husband, wife and two children).

God often uses the weak things of this world to demonstrate His sovereign power! And, the Christian lady had been praying during Ramadan using the prayer guide called “30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim World.” We believe it is no coincidence that while in prayer for Muslims the Christian women was used so powerfully by God.

This year Ramadan is from August 11 to September 9. It is a time of year – a month – when Muslims fast for 30-days. Coinciding with Ramadan, Christians are also praying. Won’t you join? Who knows whether a goat might not just make it to your home?

To find out how you can pray, participate and proclaim the Good News of Christ Jesus, pick up a copy of 30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim World at the Kingdom Partners table in the church lobby, or go to the 30-Days website or the multimedia version at www.30daysfire.net.

Extension of God's Hand

2010-07-22T12:01:00.005-05:00

New Covenant is sending a team of 20 individuals July 28 to August 9 to Zimbabwe to provide some relief to widows and orphans and to find ways to come alongside the Mushayamunda Villages for long term development. The team will serve church plants in village schools in rural Zimbabwe through mercy missions, construction and food projects, and VBS/revival activities with hundreds of village children.

Dennis Matangira, who is from Zimbabwe, said, “The team will be an extension of God’s hand to the needy, both spiritually (VBS/preaching) and physically (a clean water well will be commissioned), and eyes will be opened to a clear vision of God's love and Glory."

Please pray for these team members as they serve in Africa: Patti Ashbacher, Dave & Dixie Estrem, Doug Forret, Lance Greco and Gabe Greco, Paul Langholz and Sarah Langholz, Girlie Matangira and Farai Matangira, Miles Maurice, Don Purdy and Jessica Purdy, Pam Skelton, Becky Watts and Holly Rohrssen, Nick & Kristie and Connor and Hannah Zuber.

Click here to find out more about the Mushayamunda Christian Development Foundation that was started by members of Dennis' family.

Czech English Camp Update - June 22

2010-06-22T20:41:00.008-05:00

After three days of camp all is going well. There are many returning students and a few new students. I feel this is an opportunity for God to pull together the strands that have been woven and bring to fruition seeds that have been sown in returning students' lives over the past few years. One student, a successful businessman who prior to his first camp had never held a Bible in his hand and had seen no need for God in the past has had some serious health problems which have helped him realize that he can take nothing with him. He told Bronek he is not here for the English; he is here seeking God. Even those who see no need at the time now know he is there when trouble makes their need apparent.

Our daily Bible studies are going well as are the workshops. We are as always inadequate for the task at hand which drives our dependence on the Lord deeper and from there greater confidence in what he will be doing. Additional prayer requests would be for the team to stay focused, for student hearts to be open, for the Spirit to reveal the love and Lordship of Jesus and for God to be glorified throughout. "May the Lamb who was slain receive the reward of His suffering."

Paul

Czech Team Update - June 21

2010-06-21T15:18:00.007-05:00

The team arrived in Malenovice, Czech Republic, Friday afternoon [June 18] and everyone is well. We are experiencing a little jet-lag of course but settled in and ready for final preparations Saturday and student arrival on Sunday.

The team is very upbeat and while aware of the challenge of the week ahead, is confident in the grace of our Lord to see us through and to give the time eternal significance in the lives of many students. We were blessed that Bronek Lipus [the International Messenger national missionary] could meet us at the airport and travel to Malenovice with us. Both he and Larissa are on the mend as the doctors seem now to understand what is going on and can prescribe appropriate treatments.

The team is stretched thin this year as you know, and we would appreciate prayer for strength, endurance, and effectiveness. God is able to do more than we can ask or think and we pray that he will. We simply want to glorify Him and be poured out as a living sacrifice.

God bless,

Paul Rustebakke

Uganda Vision Trip Report - June 21

2010-06-21T14:55:00.007-05:00

Our Uganda Vision Team, consisting of Randy McCright, Ron Rohrssen, Mick Schultz, and James Wartian, safely returned last Thursday afternoon. While tired, we had a very productive trip. Not only were we able to spend many hours with Mama Bishop (Florence Kyomya) asking questions and observing the need, we also had opportunities to do ministry. Here are a few highlights from our trip.

Hesed International

One of my (James) favorite things to do is to visit our Kingdom Partners on the field. It seems so selfish, I end up doing other types of trips! But there is nothing like being able to see our supported missionary at work and to spend time with them caring for them.

I am happy to report that our money supporting Hesed International is money well spent. The work they do is amazing and quite diverse. Their goal is to be a catalyst for renewal within the church in Uganda, especially the Anglican Church.

On Saturday we were privileged to see their HOT ministry team (Hesed Outreach Team) in action. We visited Valley Hill Day and Boarding School for a presentation to hundreds of primary and secondary school students. We were a little late getting there, but the program still went over two hours. It included introductions of the American team (us!), a testimony from Randy McCright, worship songs, performances by the school children, and special numbers by HOT. It also included a message by our own Pastor Mick. At the invitation, we had many children and even some teachers indicate a decision to put their trust in Christ. HOT took care of the follow-up with those who made a decision.

In addition to evangelism through HOT, Hesed offers ways for women to find work, pastors and lay leaders to be theologically trained, and a place for orphaned or abandoned children. They just opened a guest house where future teams can stay while ministering in Uganda, and are in the process of building apartments for short and long term workers. They also have a vision of building dormitories at the Hesed office to give African pastors and lay leaders who attend trainings an affordable place to stay.

Throughout our stay we worked side by side with Florence Kyomya or “Mama Bishop” as the Ugandans affectionately call her in their more formal way. She gave us much needed advice, explained what was happening, listened to our thoughts and suggestions, and loved on the children and adults at each of our visits. Mama Bishop’s grasp of the people and of the needs was inspiring. Yet she was always open to new ideas and suggestions from our team. She is a picture of quiet grace in action.

We also spent time with Timothy Kyomya, son of Michael and Florence, and his wife, Sallie May. Timothy is taking on the leadership of Hesed, taking over for his parents, and is doing a great job. Our visit ended with breakfast with Bishop Michael Kyomya. We enjoyed catching up with him and talking about our visit, old friends at New Covenant, and what he plans to do when he retires in five years as Bishop.

For more information about Hesed International, visit their website at www.hesedinternational.org .

Ministry Options

One crucial thing we learned through this Vision Trip was to distinguish between two different ways to help with ministry to children. One option is to focus on their schools. Unlike America, Uganda does not have a well-developed school system. The government relies on private and religious schools to provide an education to the children. This joint venture between the church and the government creates its own set of tensions and challenges.

Much of our visit was spent at four different Anglican day and boarding schools. There is a very high ratio of kids to teachers – in many cases apparently as high as 100 students for each teacher, even in the lower grades. Parents who can afford to do so send their kids to boarding school simply so that the child can have more time with a teacher and hopefully pass their classes.

The schools we visited are under the authority of the Anglican Church in Uganda. However, many of the teachers and administrators are not believers, so most are not really “Christian” schools. They are simply schools run by a church denomination. Ministry in this setting would be very different than anything we are used to here in the States.

The other option is to focus on what we would consider a Sunday School program on Sunday morning. With rare exception, the Anglican churches in Uganda do not offer much in terms of Sunday School. They might have a service for children shortly before the main worship service, but not something that really focuses on training them in biblical issues.

After talking with Hesed, we left with a joint decision to focus first on the Sunday morning needs. While there is overlap because many of the boarding school children also attend church at the parish on Sunday, the greater need right now is with the church. This decision also allows us to focus first on an area where we have more experience. Of course, we hold all of this with an open hand and trust God to direct our steps. But as of right now, that is the direction where we will put our initial efforts.

Next Steps & Prayer Requests

Our first step will be for the Uganda Vision Team to meet and come up with a recommended plan to present to the Missions Committee and other church leaders. As noted above, we intend to focus our efforts on helping with Sunday School, but we need to talk through what this will look like.

Once we come up with a plan in the next few weeks, we will then know what the next team and trip will look like. Now that we have seen the need and have a clearer idea of what we want to do, our original idea of a January team may change dramatically. It is too soon to say whether we need 3 or 15 individuals for the team, and what skills and experiences would be required to be on the team. Once we know, we will put information in the bulletin to keep you informed.

Here are a few requests to remember in the coming weeks:

Pray for wisdom to know how to provide training in Sunday School to the church in Uganda.
Pray for wisdom as to what a training team might look like and who should be on that team.
Pray for wisdom for Hesed as they determine the best leaders to attend a training opportunity.
Pray for follow-up of those who made decisions during our recent visit.
Pray for Bishop Michael, Mamma Bishop (Florence), and Timothy as they lead Hesed.

Uganda Vision Trip Update - June 13

2010-06-14T01:10:00.005-05:00

Thanks for reading this short update about our Uganda Vision Trip. I hope to post at least one more update later this week. But here is an update half way through our time here in Uganda.

What Is a Vision Trip?

A “vision trip” is one where our primary purpose is to investigate the need and how we can best send future teams. Around four years ago one of our Kingdom Partners, Florence Kyomya (Hesed International), visited New Covenant. When she saw our Children’s Ministry in action, she told Pastor Mick that they desperately needed someone to come and train the church in Uganda how to do effective ministry to children. At the time, we were not able to send a team. But as other opportunities came to an end, we decided to explore helping Hesed and the Ugandan church as requested.

So far this vision trip has been very successful. While Florence did her best to describe the need and what life was like in Uganda, we have learned many things while here. Because of this vision trip, we will be better prepared to hopefully bring a team sometime next year (probably in January 2011) to train and model children’s ministry. So even if we went home today, this trip has been profitable.

What Is Uganda Like?

That is an impossible question to really answer! You have to come and visit to really understand. But let me give you a few snapshots of what I have observed.

One thing that is immediately apparent is that English is a language most people here speak. A former part of the British Empire, virtually every sign here is in English. Most people we meet speak at least a little English. Of course, that doesn’t mean they understand us – we do, after all, have an accent! Oh, and some of us speak too fast!! Still, being surrounded by English makes it a very comfortable place to be.

The people of Uganda are also very hospitable. We have felt welcomed everywhere we have been. They are very helpful, quick to assist us in any need.

The country here is beautiful. We are staying in Jinja, which is right by Lake Victoria – no small body of water! It is as large as one of our Great Lakes. We are also by the source of the Nile River. Everything is green. And we have come at the cooler time of year – the temperature is in the low 80’s during the day, and pleasant at night.

What Have You Learned?

We have been able to spend some time with Florence Kyomya and with others on the Hesed staff. Saturday afternoon we experienced a program at a boarding school which is one of close to 500 schools (day and boarding) under Bishop Michael Kyomya’s oversight. And Sunday we participated in the worship service at the chapel for another boarding school. There are far more lessons we have learned than I can record here, but here are two highlights:

God is at work – While that may seem obvious, it is always good to see God’s fingerprints when you go to visit a ministry you support. And God’s fingerprints are all over things related to Hesed. Bishop Kyomya and his wife are doing an amazing work here, both within the Anglican Church and through Hesed International.

We have met one young man who was Muslim who through the ministry of Hesed has professed Christ and is now part of H.O.T. – The Hesed Outreach Team.
We spent time with the head teacher of a Christian boarding school who is willing to take a stand that the boarding school he leads is Christian. If parents of other religions wish to send their children to the school, they are welcome to do so, but they must be willing to have their children learn about Christ. Just as important, the school would not be assisting the children if they chose to worship in their own religion.
I sat in the back of the van and heard the story of an Archdeacon who at an early age expressed a desire to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps. Years later, he did just that and has visited many of the same churches his grandfather used to visit as Archdeacon many years ago.

This is a different setting than we are accustomed to – We are not used to an Anglican setting where the church and school are so intertwined. Before this trip, we were confused by some things Mama Bishop (as Florence is affectionately called here) described to us. This trip will help us to better consider who and how we can strategically train Ugandan leaders to do children’s ministry in this setting.

Let me give just one example: To graduate, students must pass an exam. This is not an easy thing to do, and the normal “day” school education is often not enough preparation. So if the parents are able, they try to put at least one of their children in a boarding school so that their child can pass the exams. What this means is a ministry focused on children needs to consider the literally thousands of children who live in boarding schools rather than with their parents. And while many of these schools are “Christian” in name, the teachers and administrators are not necessarily believers. So this presents a setting very unique from what we encounter in Cedar Rapids or even most of America.

What Is Next

On Monday we will spend time at two more boarding schools, participating in their program and sharing the Gospel.

On Tuesday we will join with Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in the morning. Their church has been very involved with Hesed over the years and they have come to also help train in children’s ministry. They are conducting a VBS this week at the church/school we visited today (Sunday). We will observe what they are doing and later talk to them concerning how we can work together on future trainings. We will spend the afternoon with Mama Bishop and see some local sites.

On Wednesday we will check out of our hotel and spend the morning with Hesed staff debriefing. We will then head back to Entebbe to begin our trip back to Cedar Rapids. If all goes well, we should be back at home in Iowa around Noon on Thursday.

How Can You Pray?

Here are some prayer requests:

So far we are all in good health. Pray that we would continue to avoid the many illnesses and problems that could hinder us.
Pray for Ron and Mick as they give a message to children at two different schools on Monday. Pray that the message of salvation would be clear and that students and teachers alike would understand and put their trust in Christ.
Pray for our time Tuesday as we observe and partner with Bent Tree as they train leaders and conduct a VBS.
Pray for out time debriefing with Hesed. Pray that we would ask the right questions to discern how we can best help them with a possible future team.
Pray for wisdom for us after we return to process things and determine our next steps in this process.

Thanks for your prayers!

For His Kingdom,

James Wartian for the entire Uganda Vision Team

Compassion in Action

2010-03-04T09:49:00.002-06:00

It is one thing to read about the work that Compassion International is doing. It is quite another to actually visit it.

I had the privilege of visiting one of the churches who host a Compassion child development center. It was impressive. They start with helping expectant mothers get the nourishment and medical help they need to have and raise a healthy baby. They then help as many children as they can through the child sponsorship program. This type of help is really making a difference. I am so glad we have begun this partnership through Compassion International.

First Day in India

2010-03-03T10:41:00.006-06:00

Our first day was quite full when you consider that we landed in Delhi at 1:30 AM. By the time we made it to the hotel and checked in, it was after 3 AM. So by the time we got settled into our room, it was after 4 AM (Delhi time).

We got up a little after 9 AM for breakfast, then Bob checked on his luggage. So far, they can't find it in the system.

We then had lunch with the Compassion staff and received an orientation on India. Let's just say there is plenty to do!

Bob went to the mall (2 blocks from our hotel) to get some more clothes since it doesn't look like his luggage is appearing anytime soon. (Fortunately he had much of his needed stuff in his carry on.) We then had dinner with some from our group.

We will visit a project site Thursday, then Bob and I leave by train early Friday morning to visit our partner church. We probably won't have internet access again until after we return late Sunday night.

Thanks for your prayers. Pray that we adjust to this new time zone, culture, etc., and for our ability to absorb all that we will see in the next few days.

James

We Are in Delhi

2010-03-02T17:06:00.002-06:00

We made it safely to Delhi. Will get a short nap and then start things at noon. Pray that Bob's suitcase will join us soon!

The Road to India

2010-03-01T18:12:00.005-06:00

Wow. It is hard to believe this day is finally here. It was just over six months ago that we learned about Compassion International’s pilot program. From then it has been a whirlwind journey, applying to the program, being selected, going through training, getting our partner church in India, and now the day has finally come. Bob and I are flying to India to get more training and to meet our partner church in Pratapura.

We know many of you would like to receive updates about our trip. We believe we will have occasional access to the internet over the next week. So we are planning on using three ways to send out updates.

First, Bob and I will be posting updates on the New Covenant Facebook page. If you are on Facebook, become a Friend with (or fan of) New Covenant to get frequent updates.

Second, I plan to post some updates on the missions blog. Here is the link -- oh, wait, you are already here!

Third, we plan to send out occasional updates to the church. If you don't receive it already, go to www.newcovenantbible.org and click on "eNews sign-up" at the bottom of the home page and check the box for "missions." (If you get the church e-news, you will receive a special email telling you how to manage your subscriptions and just add "missions").

Let me close by giving you a few prayer requests:

Pray for the obvious: Good health, safe travel, smooth flight and train connections, etc.
Pray for us to adjust quickly to another culture and timezone.
Pray for us to make a great first impression on St. Paul’s Church, our new partner church.
Pray for us to establish a healthy and mutual working relationship with St. Paul’s Church.
Pray that we would have wisdom in discerning how our two churches can best partner together.
Pray too for the 30 or so other churches in India with us as they also meet and begin a relationship with each of their partner churches.

So thanks, in advance, for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.

For His Kingdom,

James

Short Term Trips for 2010

2010-02-04T14:46:00.002-06:00

For those of you who attend New Covenant:

Are you interested in being a part of a short-term mission trip this year? Come to an informative lunch on Sunday, February 21 at 12:30 PM in room 135 and learn about the many teams being planned in the coming year. Pizza provided for all who attend.

Decious Retirement

2010-01-21T11:27:00.003-06:00

Wayne and Phyllis Decious were New Covenant's first missionary family. They moved to Arizona to serve at Sunshine Acres in Arizona as house parents to young boys. Over the years they have raised many troubled boys into godly young men.

After many years of faithful service, they are officially retiring. They already transitioned a few years ago out of being house parents, but continued serving in other ways at Sunshine Acres. But due to health and physical restrictions, Wayne is now officially retired. Phyllis will continue to work part time at their boutique, which raises money for Sunshine Acres.

If you know Wayne and Phyllis, consider dropping them a note, card, email, or making a phone call to encourage them and thank them for their many years of service. Pray for them as they enter into a new phase of life and ministry. Pray, too, for Wayne, who will have shoulder surgery this month.

Partners in the Gospel

2010-01-14T10:36:00.002-06:00

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:4-6 NIV)

If I had to only use one word to describe how we view "missions" at New Covenant, that word would be "partnership." We do not "hire" missionaries to go do our work. We do not send out full time employees of New Covenant. No, we partner with those doing the ministry.

This idea of partnership is not just for individuals and families who serve as missionaries. It is also something we can do as a church. Around five years ago we intentionally began a partnership with a church in Cesky Tesin, Czech Republic. (A report on that partnership is coming soon!) Today we are in the process of being partnered through Compassion International with a church in East India.

So what does a partnership mean? What does it look like? In one word, a partnership is a relationship. We find an individual or a church who shares our passion for local and global prayer, care, and share, and we come alongside them in a relationship to see how we can accomplish more together than we can on our own.

It is important to understand that this is significantly different than a business partnership. While there are boundaries and expectations in a relationship, a biblical missions oriented partnership is about the relationship, not accomplishing a list of goals or achieving a predetermined list of results. Obviously when you invest in a relationship you hope something comes out of it, but an organic relationship allows things to develop based on how each partner is designed by God, not based on how we can "use" each other.

We will be announcing soon the details about our partnership with a church in East India. As we do so, my hope is that when you hear the word "partnership," the first thing that comes to mind is "relationship." Exciting things are ahead. I am grateful for the opportunity God has provided us to learn and grow along brothers and sisters in Christ in East India.

Why Did Jesus Come?

2009-12-17T10:22:00.004-06:00

Why did Jesus come to earth 2,000 years ago? Some of you might give the "Sunday School" answer: He came to die for my sins. Others of you might suggest He came to show love to the world. Some may not really care. But for those who take the Bible seriously, this is an important question to get right. Why, exactly, did Jesus come?

We don't have to guess. We don't even have to read what someone else said about this question. Here is what Jesus himself gave as the reason he came:

Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and the regaining of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to tell them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read."
(Luke 4:16-21 NET Bible)

There are many other passages that can be added to this one to give the full picture of why Jesus came. But we make a mistake if we don't take this one seriously. Jesus came to do more than just provide us a way to go to Heaven when we die. He came to do more than give me a happy, fulfilled life. No, He came to bring good news to the poor, freedom to the prisoner, sight to the blind, and liberty to all who are oppressed. That is why the Gospel truly is "Good News."

So as you celebrate Christmas this year, keep in mind that Jesus' birth was about far more than you and me. It should especially be a time when we remember those less fortunate than ourselves. It should be a time when we care for the poor, bring comfort to those who are hurting, and, yes, proclaim the truth that a new relationship with God is possible because God is with us -- He took on human flesh and dwelt among us. That is why we can truly have a very Merry Christmas.

I will be taking a break for Christmas. See you again the first week of January.

Advent Offering at New Covenant

2009-12-10T11:43:00.008-06:00

The Advent Conspiracy series is an opportunity for us to conspire together for a radically different way to experience Christmas – a way that will release us from consumerism to celebration, from weariness to worship. As part of this series, we are raising funds for a special Advent Offering.

To participate, write “Advent Offering” on the check memo or envelope and mail to the church office or put in the offering by Sunday, December 20.

Q. Why are we doing an offering this year?

A. The idea comes directly from our Advent Conspiracy series as we seek to worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all. It is also deeply rooted in our prayer, care, and share culture. Our desire is to tangibly care for our neighbors, both locally and globally.

Q. How will the offering be used?

A. We will use 90% of the offering collected to help provide clean drinking water to children and their families in East India through Compassion International. We will distribute the remaining 10% among our New Covenant Ministry Partners.

Q. Why are we focusing on clean water for this offering?

A. Nearly 90% of all diseases in the world are caused by unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene. The weakest members of communities are the most vulnerable; every day water-related diseases claim the lives of 5,000 children under the age of five. Providing clean drinking water not only meets an essential need, it also then provides an opportunity to share about Christ, the Living Water.

Q. Why did we choose Compassion International?

A. There are many good organizations that provide clean water. We chose Compassion because they are a child discipleship organization who does all of their work through a local church. We recently volunteered to be part of a pilot project that will soon partner New Covenant with a Compassion church in East India. While this offering will not necessarily go to help our partner church, it will make a difference in the near vicinity. This means our offering is not only providing clean drinking water, it also enables a local church in India to do prayer, care, and share in their own community.

Q. How will the money be used?

A. Compassion has already begun a large scale water project to provide water to 13 needy communities. The cost will vary by site depending on what is needed. They will install a bore well at 13 child development centers. Additionally, seven of the sites will receive rain water harvesting and storage systems to ensure access to clean water during both the rainy and dry seasons.

Q. How much will this water project cost?

A. The total cost of the project is $46,457. The actual cost per site will vary depending on what is needed, but the average cost is roughly $3,575 for each child development center. A full executive summary is available at the Information Center and church website.

Q. What if we don’t raise $46,457?

A. Compassion will take whatever amount we can raise, and will find other donors to make up the remaining cost.

Q. Why East India?

A. In addition to being the location of our future partner church, India is one of the largest unreached nations in the world today.

Q. What if I would prefer to give my offering to another need?

A. Our goal with the Advent Offering is to encourage us to spend less and give more. If God leads you to give to a different Kingdom opportunity, then we encourage you to follow His leading.

Q. Who are the Ministry Partners receiving the 10% portion of the offering?

A. The Ministry Partners are Aid to Women, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, His Hands Free Medical Clinic, His Women, House of Hope, InterVarsity (at Coe College), Keys to Living, Serve the City, Youth for Christ, Proverbs Ministry, and YoungLife.

Clean Water

2009-12-03T11:10:00.006-06:00

A few minutes ago I went and filled my water bottle with ice and water from the tap. It is something I do regularly. I don't stop to wonder if the water is safe. I don't boil it before drinking. While I like putting it through a water filter, it is for taste, not to remove dangerous parasites amoebas. When I brush my teeth, I don't have to worry that just putting my toothbrush under the faucet could mean getting sick for days or even weeks.

I have visited many other countries where I could not drink the water. Some of the time it was just because I was not adjusted to the microorganisms in their water supply. But other times it was because the water was dangerous. Yet I never understood how deeply this impacted the lives of over a billion people around the world. Here are just a few facts you can find on the website of Living Water International:

At any given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease.

Nearly 90 percent of all diseases in the world are caused by unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene. Every year, there are 4 billion cases of diarrhea as a direct result of drinking contaminated water; this results in more than 2.2 million deaths each year—the equivalent of 20 jumbo jets crashing every day.

The weakest members of communities are the most vulnerable; every day water-related diseases claim the lives of 5000 children under the age of five. That’s roughly one every 15 seconds.

This year we at New Covenant are considering how to approach Christmas in a way that focuses less on ourselves and more on our Savior. As we enter into the story of Christmas, we are drawn to worship our Savior who left the comfort and splendor of Heaven to come and provide living water for all who are willing to accept it (see John 4:7-15). But the story does not stop there. His example was to not only meet the spiritual needs but the physical as well (one example: John 6:1-13).

As we follow His example, we should do the same -- meet both the physical and the spiritual needs of those in need. But in order to do that, it takes spending less on ourselves, giving more of our presence to others, and loving all -- especially those who are most in need (see Luke 10:25-37). One tangible way is to provide clean water, which is probably the most basic physical need in our world today.

That is the focus of our special Advent offering this year at New Covenant. On Sunday, December 20, we will take a special Advent offering to care for needs both locally and globally. We will send 90% of the offering to Compassion International to help up to nine projects in East India. We have chosen Compassion because they work through a local church, which means there is opportunity to help with both the spiritual and the physical needs in that community. Each church partner location will use $5,000 to supply clean water by drilling and/or rain water catchment and storage infrastructure. We will fund as many of these projects as God provides money. The remaining 10% of the offering will be divided among our local ministry partners such as Aid to Women, His Hands Free Medical Clinic, and House of Hope.

If you don't attend New Covenant, you can still make a difference. Go to the website for Living Water International for one option. And check out the website for the Advent Conspiracy and this article at Missions Network News to learn more about how we spend far, far more just on Christmas presents than it would cost to provide clean drinking water to those who need it around the world.

Remember the Poor

2009-11-18T22:51:00.006-06:00

When you hear about someone who is "poor," what comes to your mind? What images do you see? What judgments do you make? What emotions do you feel?

Now take time to read these four verses and compare what they say to the answers you just gave:

There will never cease to be some poor people in the land; therefore, I am commanding you to make sure you open your hand to your fellow Israelites who are needy and poor in your land.
(Deuteronomy 15:11 NET Bible)

The one who oppresses the poor insults his Creator,
but whoever shows favor to the needy honors him.
(Proverbs 14:31 NET Bible)

The one who gives to the poor will not lack,
but whoever shuts his eyes to them will receive many curses.
(Proverbs 28:27 NET Bible)

Open your mouth, judge in righteousness,
and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
(Proverbs 31:9 NET Bible)

The New English Translation (NET Bible) has 164 verses that contain the word "poor." Some of those verses contain warnings that imprudent choices can lead to poverty. Unfortunately, those are the verses some choose to emphasize, forgetting the many commands to care for those who are poor. In fact, I was one of those who forgot these commands. I was never purposefully demeaning of those less fortunate than myself, but I failed to recognize my responsibility to get actively involved in helping those in need.

I don't believe those of us who have been blessed should live in guilt over our prosperity. Instead, I think we should do what God intended -- use our blessing to bless others. In the coming months, we will explore some ways we can do this at New Covenant in a global context.

Our goal is not to end poverty. It is simply to be obedient to what God commanded us to do.

The Essence of Partnership

2009-11-10T20:06:00.003-06:00

For those who attend New Covenant and read this blog, you already know that our church recently decided to move forward with an ambitious plan to relocate to a new facility. Yet this relocation is not about having a new building. It is about us continuing and even expanding our ability to make disciples, both here in Cedar Rapids and around the world.

At this historic moment, we are in no way scaling back our missions emphasis. On the contrary, we feel God is leading us into some new and exciting Kingdom opportunities. To be specific, we are investigating launching a new partnership with a church in another part of the world. It is too soon to give specifics, but I am excited at the opportunities this partnership will provide to us in the midst of our relocation journey.

So what is a church partnership? That is a good question! Remove from your thinking any idea of a business partnership. Instead, think of it as a friendship. A partnership is a mutual relationship where both churches seek to work together to accomplish God's mission to see His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

This is what we entered into a few years ago when we started Project CR, a partnership with a church in Trinec, Czech Republic. Our goal was simply to come alongside and serve them as they had need. We had the opportunity to assist them in purchasing a new facility a few years ago, have sent a team to meet with their church leaders and a team to do a kids camp, and we continue to send teams to teach in the Business English Camps every June.

We have no idea right now what this new partnership will exactly look like. But what I do know is this: It is first and foremost about a relationship, not about accomplishing a task or meeting arbitrary goals. Our desire is to serve and allow them to serve us as God sees fit. I can't wait to see what God has in store!

Knowing the Heart of God

2009-11-04T11:15:00.005-06:00

Do you want to know the heart of God? Do you want to be actively involved in doing something that you know will bring Him great joy and glory? Do you want to get the perspective you need to evaluate how everything you do can make a difference for eternity? Then attend Perspectives on the World Christian Movement.

Perspectives is a 15-week course that will turn your world upside down (or more likely, turn it right side up!). Taking it will help you to catch the vision of God's glory, His heart for the nations and the advance of His Kingdom to the edges of the frontiers.

Perspectives will be offered at over 200 locations next year. The closest one to Cedar Rapids will be the class hosted at Mt. Vernon Community Bible Church in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, beginning January 18, 2010. For more information or to register, go to perspectives.org/mtvernon. Or go to the Perspectives website to find the course nearest to you.

(Click here to read another post I wrote about the Perspectives course.)

Reading with Understanding

2009-10-28T12:54:00.007-05:00

A few days ago I read an email from a friend who is a missionary. In it she mentioned that she avoids using the term "missionary" to describe herself because people think of "Moravians" when they hear the term. I was confused since Moravian missionaries have not been around for a few hundred years! After sending an email to her asking why she was concerned, my friend corrected me and pointed out that she had actually written "Mormon," not "Moravian."

While your first thought might be that I flunked my quiz in "reading comprehension 101" (and you would have a good point!), the reality is this illustrates her concern about the baggage that comes with the term "missionary." My love for missions and knowledge of missions history led me to fill in the blank with a word I was familiar with. I see "missions" and "missionaries" as good things, so read into it what I expected to see. Yet for many others, the term evokes images that are negative and to be avoided.

Despite my momentary lapse in reading skill, I do agree with her point. That is why this blog is entitled, "Kingdom Partners." The term missionary is not even found in the Bible. While a useful term in some contexts, it is not always the best one to use. So what is a Kingdom Partner? It is someone who cares for others and invites them to know the Creator of the universe. We don't care to make converts. We care because Jesus cares. We don't share to put anyone down or to deprive them of their dignity. We share the Gospel because it is living water to those who are thirsty. It is bread to those who are hungry. It is life to those who are dead.

When Jesus told us to go and make disciples of every people group he was asking us to find individuals and invite them to follow him and be like him, the most loving and holy and just and righteous person who has ever or ever will live. That is a job description of which we can be proud.

Why Do Global Care?

2009-10-21T16:52:00.003-05:00

At that time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, got up and predicted by the Spirit that a severe famine was about to come over the whole inhabited world. (This took place during the reign of Claudius.) So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability, decided to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. They did so, sending their financial aid to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. (Acts 11:27-30 NET)

For the last four years we have been challenged to live a lifestyle of reaching out to others through prayer, care, and share, both locally and globally. While this may not have been a new concept to you, I have found this approach very helpful as well as challenging. It has helped me to see outreach as more than just telling someone the Gospel and expecting them to cross the line of faith right then and there. Yet it reminds me that sharing the Gospel is always something I should look for God-given opportunities to do.

But the biggest challenge has been the “care” component. On the local level, it reminds me of the importance of having a relationship. On the global level, it reminds me of how ignorant I am at times of the real needs of others in the world.

I want to challenge you to become more aware of the global needs for care. This does not replace the need for us to share our faith. Rather, it is often an important and necessary step to demonstrate that our faith is real. We are not caring for people to get converts. No, we care because Jesus cares. We reach out because Jesus reached out to us.

This type of care was true in the early church. The Christ followers in Antioch sent financial aid to the church in Jerusalem during a famine. But keep in mind what the church in Jerusalem was doing. They were reaching out to their community. The financial aid helped care for more than just believers in Jerusalem.

Let us do the same today as we reach out to those in need, both here in Cedar Rapids and those in other nations.

To learn of one way we can reach out to churches and individuals in other countries to demonstrate the love of Christ, read this story about a way churches are meeting a need in India:

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/13394

Blogging Again

2009-10-21T14:28:00.003-05:00

After taking a few months off, I am resuming blogging. With the reformatting of the Sunday bulletin, this will also be the place where I usually post my weekly Kingdom (Missions) Update, as well as updates about our Kingdom Partners and our short term teams.

Definition of the Kingdom of God

2009-06-10T15:26:00.001-05:00

To the same apostles also, after his suffering, he presented himself alive with many convincing proofs. He was seen by them over a forty-day period and spoke about matters concerning the kingdom of God…. So when they had gathered together, they began to ask him, “Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He told them, “You are not permitted to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.”(Acts 1:3, 6-8 NET Bible)

At one point in His ministry, Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “May your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10 NET Bible). During the forty days after His resurrection, he continued to focus on the kingdom of God (as quoted above). So it is no surprise that the disciples would wonder when that prayer would become a reality. But the disciples made a crucial mistake. Their view of the coming kingdom was too small. Their focus was on the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. Jesus was focused on something far bigger: the coming of God’s kingdom to all of the nations. It is in that context that we find the familiar verse in Acts 1:8 telling us that we will be witnesses to the ends of the earth.

So what then is the kingdom of God? Good question! The Bible never lays out a simple, clear definition. Most of the time Jesus used analogies and stories to illustrate it. But living in a time when a Roman emperor (another word for king) reigned over them, they understood the concept. A kingdom was not just land or territory. It referred to the rule and authority an individual had over other people and even over nature. God’s kingdom therefore refers to His rule and authority being exhibited in every area of our lives.

To be continued…

Entering the Kingdom of God

2009-06-10T15:22:00.002-05:00

As you go, preach this message: “The kingdom of heaven is near!”
(Matthew 10:7 NET Bible)

What is the message we are to bring to the nations, including those in our own backyard here in Cedar Rapids? Every month we send support checks to our 23 Kingdom Partners (money that comes from your faithful giving) to enable them to do prayer, care, and share among various people groups all over the world. This coming weekend we will participate in Healing the Heartland, a culmination of three years of focusing on prayer, care, and share in our own community. As we pray for those who don’t know Christ and care for them in the name of Christ, what do we hope to share with them so that they can enter into a relationship with Christ?

If you had asked me this a few years ago, I would have replied the message we bring is the Gospel: Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead. And I think that answer is true, it is just incomplete. After taking Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (twice!), I find myself rereading the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles and coming to a different conclusion. The message they preached was based solidly on Jesus Christ and him crucified, but the focus was on something else: The Kingdom of God.

What is the Kingdom of God? It is not a concept that fits easily into our American world view. We are used to a very democratic and individualistic mindset. The very idea of a king who has full authority and under whose sovereignty we live is almost repulsive. I fear that carries over into our spiritual worldview. We would rather see Jesus as our companion and buddy rather than the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

I want to suggest that what we are truly inviting people to enter into is not just eternal life or a relationship with God (though both are true), but ultimately we are asking them to enter into the Kingdom of God. I will explore more of what this means in future weeks.

Updates

2009-04-24T16:25:00.004-05:00

As you may have noticed :-) there have not been any updates lately. I found that other than for specific events, like a short term mission trip, I don't have many readers of this blog. So I am exploring some other avenues to get the word out about the Kingdom Partner ministry at New Covenant.

This blog will stay active so that the links to our Kingdom Partners and my past posts are still available. But if you are interested in reading more posts here, let me know. If you don't have it already, you can get my email address on the New Covenant website. If I find out that there are more readers than I realized, I will be glad to start posting things again.

McCollum Update

2009-01-29T12:13:00.006-06:00

A few days ago Mike & Brenda McCollum sent out an update to their supporters. With the blessing and full support of the field staff and home office of SEND, the McCollum's will leave Croatia and return to the States at the end of February. They will spend time getting counsel and meeting with SEND to determine their next step. Their desire is to continue with SEND in some capacity at another location or in the home office.

Please pray for the family as they make this difficult transition.

You can read their update here.

Christianity Is NOT Just Another Religion

2009-01-06T10:14:00.007-06:00

Let me start with clearly stating that many other religions show love and compassion. Many other religions have and are currently feeding the hungry, healing the sick, providing homes to those in need, and doing things that make a difference. Christianity is not exclusive in that regard.

While that is true, I am convinced that Christianity is uniquely different. Where other religions put people in bondage, true Christians know freedom and are much more relaxed. Where aid can temporary help someones condition, true Christianity offers a heart transformation that offers wisdom and comfort in any and every situation. (A "true Christian" is one who is a follower of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is alive and real and personal. The individual believes in a person, not just a system, and experiences a relationship, not just a religion. You are not born into it, and it does not come from following a set of rules. I am talking about evangelical Christianity.)

Christianity is demonized by some here in America. They see it as holding people back, as intolerant and too exclusive. There have recently been books suggesting the world would be better off without Christianity. I suggest the opposite is true. Christianity is the one thing that has civilized us. A true belief in the God of the Bible is the most important factor that has allowed Western Civilization to make the moral, scientific, and political advances we hold dear.

For those who question that concept, consider a recent column on Times Online entitled "As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God: Missionaries, not aid money, are the solution to Africa's biggest problem-the crushing passivity of the people's mindset" by Matthew Parris. Here is how it begins:

Before Christmas I returned, after 45 years, to the country that as a boy I knew as Nyasaland. Today it's Malawi, and The Times Christmas Appeal includes a small British charity working there. Pump Aid helps rural communities to install a simple pump, letting people keep their village wells sealed and clean. I went to see this work.

It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities. But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I've been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I've been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.

Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.

Here is a link to the full article: "As an atheist..."

The Word Made Flesh

2008-12-18T15:45:00.001-06:00

How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them? (Romans 10:14 NET)

I do not know what I did before email. I love it. As an aspiring writer, it provides me a daily outlet to unleash my creativity. Even writing a simple note can give me a feeling of great satisfaction. But over the ten years or so that I have been able to email, I have made an important discovery. Email is not a good replacement for conversations. It has its place and is a very useful tool, but it can only go so far. Sometimes you absolutely positively must say it face-to-face.

The same truth applies to our relationship with God. I find it interesting that even though we have the Bible – God’s Word in written form – it alone is generally not enough. God chooses to still use human messengers. In fact, that is how He designed us. We were made for relationships.

So it should not surprise us that Jesus is referred to as the Word become flesh. And even though we cannot experience Him directly 2,000 or so years later, we do experience Him through His body, the church. The Gospel was never intended to only be handed out as a tract or broadcast over the TV. While God has at times used those methods, they almost always are just a tool that supplements what someone hears and sees in a flesh and blood believer that he or she knows.

Every Kingdom Partner we support is really an extension of that first Christmas. Jesus said, “Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you” (John 20:21 NET). Obeying His command to make disciples of every people group usually requires that someone personally go to the people group. So as you celebrate Christmas, I hope it is more than just a fun time opening gifts with your family. Take time to personally share with others your relationship with God, and support and encourage our Kingdom Partners who are doing the same thing around the world.

Kingdom Partner Holidays

2008-12-12T16:46:00.002-06:00

I remember spending Thanksgiving in Berlin, Germany back in 1998. I was returning from a mission trip in Russia and arranged to stay for a few days with Patrick. I had met him while he lived in Texas as an international student. He and some of his friends who had also lived in the States as international students wanted to continue the tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving. But even though they were native Germans, could speak the language and knew well the stores in this modern country, they still had a really rough time finding some of the elements that make up a traditional Turkey dinner. I can only imagine what it is like for foreigner living in Africa, Asia, or the Middle East.

Now think about Kingdom partners you know. Many of them live far from family in another country with a different culture. Imagine spending Thanksgiving or Christmas without relatives or the familiar traditions you have enjoyed since you were a child. While these missionaries gladly make this sacrifice, it still can be hard during the holidays.

You can make a difference by simply sending a Christmas card this year. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It doesn’t have to contain a letter (though a brief personal note would be greatly appreciated). Sending a card lets them know they have not been forgotten and it gives them a tangible piece of our Christmas tradition. You don’t have to send one to every Kingdom Partner you know (though you can if you want!). Choose one or two that you know – or want to know – and drop them a card in the mail today.

WWJD

2008-12-04T22:32:00.001-06:00

WWJD. Remember when the latest fad was wearing clothes or jewelry that had the initials for the phrase “What would Jesus do?” The intent was good, but it got old quickly. Worse yet, it often was answered with shallow thinking. (For example: A “loving” Jesus would never… [fill in the blank with whatever cause you want to defend].)

The reality is Jesus rarely did what we might predict or expect. When Jesus learned that Lazarus was dying, what did He do? Go heal him? Send a sympathy scroll? No, He stayed away from His close friend until he died. Yes, Jesus then raised Lazarus from the dead, but who would have responded to WWJD with that as an option?

Consider Christmas. WWJD? Sure, it is easy now to say Jesus would be born to a humble family in an obscure small town in an occupied country. But who would have guessed it? And to be born as a baby in the first place? Inconceivable.

Most important of all, consider Easter. The idea that Jesus would suffer and die for us? Simply ludicrous. We may shake our heads in wonder that the disciples didn’t get it when He predicted His death and resurrection, but I seriously doubt we would have done much better. In fact, many still don’t get it. It truly is something we would not have offered as an answer to WWJD.

While Jesus’ character was consistent (He always displayed love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc.), His actions were led not by a simplistic view of showing an act of kindness, but by a vision for what would be the greatest possible act of kindness. When he threw the money changers out of the Temple or took on the hypocritical religious leaders, it was an act of love and kindness done with gentleness and patience.

So as we “make disciples of every people group,” let’s make sure we are training them to be followers of the real Jesus, not the weak caricature so often portrayed.

The Stark Reality in Myanmar (Burma)

2008-11-23T22:40:00.003-06:00

I came across a chilling article that details the horrible conditions that exist in Myanmar (Burma). Take time to read this article and pray for the people in this oppressed country.

Here is the article: Throwing Away the Key in Burma.

New Feature -- Unreached People Group of the Day

2008-11-10T00:08:00.002-06:00

In case you did not notice, I have added a new feature to my blog. On the right, you will find information about an unreached people group. A new one will be highlighted each day. May this serve as a reminder that our mandate is to make disciples of every people group. Take time today to pray for the unreached people group listed at the right.

(Thanks, Deborah, for suggesting this addition to the blog!)

Van Zoest Family

2008-11-10T00:02:00.004-06:00

Amazing. In less than a year, God helped Dan and Lisa Van Zoest raise up their support and they are already down in Nicaragua working with the Nicaragua Christian Academy.

Dan & Lisa are our newest Kingdom Partners. To learn more about them, their family, and their ministry, you can check out their website. And for frequent updates, including details about their first few weeks in Nicaragua, check out their blog.

Pray for the Persecuted Church

2008-11-08T22:01:00.005-06:00

Sunday, November 9, is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Please take time to remember our brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer for their trust in Jesus Christ. For a list of agencies who can give you more information on the persecuted church, to go the International Day of Prayer website. For some ideas of how to pray, Campus Crusade has some good suggestions on their website.

Safe Arrivals

2008-09-12T17:04:00.002-05:00

For those who are wondering, Amy Mich made it safely to Paris and Beth Larsen has safely arrived in Brno.

Amy has already updated her blog. Beth will update her blog soon.

The Flood Is Coming

2008-09-10T13:36:00.010-05:00

I vividly remember June 10, 2008. It was the day before I left for the Czech Business Camp. At our staff meeting, Kim shared with us a private meeting he had attended where they were predicting the Cedar River would crest above flood level and flood our city. They talked about the urgent need to help those in the 100 year flood plain.

At that time, the prediction was a crest of maybe 24 feet, not the over 30 feet we actually experienced. We could not have imagined the devastation and loss of property that would occur. But we did believe a flood would happen. A number of Serve the City churches including New Covenant mobilized volunteers to help those in danger. They originally went to help people move belongings to a higher level, and later mobilized to get word out about the need to evacuate.

I know that we did not act alone, and I don’t write this to brag or give credit to ourselves. My point is simply this: We were told something would be true, we believed, and we took action on that information.

The Bible clearly teaches that those who do not put their trust in Christ will not have eternal life (John 3:18). It clearly says that people cannot believe unless someone goes and shares the good news with them (Romans 10:14-15). Jesus specifically told us to pray for workers who would go to those who need to hear (Matthew 9:37-38). So why is so little being done to reach and make disciples of every people group (Matthew 28:19-20)?

Perhaps you do not believe the flood is really coming. Yes, you might agree in theory, but you haven’t really driven down by the river and seen how high it has risen. It doesn’t seem real or urgent to you. I challenge you to take the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class here at New Covenant next January and learn more about the state of the world around us.

Perhaps you don’t know where to start. Consider praying regularly for Myanmar (formerly know as Burma), or join us Monday night, September 15, at 6:45 PM in Room 135 to pray for the Muslim world.

The flood is coming. What are you going to do about it?

(Picture courtesy of Austin Spooner.)

30 Days Muslim Prayer Focus

2008-09-05T13:53:00.002-05:00

From the intro to this year's prayer guide:

The 30 Days Muslim Prayer Focus coincides yearly with Ramadan (a holy month of fasting in Islam). This prayer movement calls upon Christians to make a concerted but respectful effort during this time to learn about, pray for and reach out to Muslim neighbors--across the street and around the world.

It is not our intention with this prayer focus to disparage Islam or Muslim sentiments in any way. We recognize that humans and the Muslim world are far too complex to simply or easily condense or explain with a mere booklet. At the same time, as Christians, we long for all the world's people to have an opportunity to understand the grace of God incarnated in Jesus Christ. To this end we inform ourselves, pray for, and support respectful opportunities to make that grace also know among Muslims.

To particpate in this prayer focus, go online to www.30daysfire.net. It will provide stories, information, and daily prayer requests during the month of Ramadan.

Franglais

2008-09-05T13:44:00.003-05:00

Amy Mich, another new Kingdom Partner, will be departing next week for France to serve with Young Life. You can read her blog to get updates.

Moravian Living

2008-09-04T15:55:00.003-05:00

One of our new Kingdom Partners, Beth Larsen, left Wednesday for the Czech Republic. Pray for her transition into her new ministry with Greater Europe Mission in Brno.

For updates on Beth, be sure to visit her blog.

Missionary Care Conference

2008-09-04T15:34:00.004-05:00

Imagine that it was your job to support, encourage, and nourish a missionary family who lived halfway around the world. What would you do? Where would you start? What is the best way to offer quality, meaningful care from a distance?

New Covenant currently supports 22 Kingdom Partners – missionaries serving in countries all over the world. One of our core values is to support and care for our missionary families. To accomplish this goal will take more than just the Missions Committee. We need your help to care for our missionaries.

On Saturday, September 20, we will host a Missionary Care Conference. It will go from 8:00 AM-12:00 PM and be led by Dave Shepherd of Ministry Essentials International. Founded in 1996, Ministry Essentials exists to spiritually nourish Christian leaders by drawing them into a deeper experience of Christ. Here is how Dave describes his seminar:

“What is missions really about? When we send someone to the ‘mission field’ what are we hoping to accomplish? And while we each may have differing opinions and conclusions from scripture to answer the previous questions, there are a few more things we’ve not considered. In this seminar we hope to raise an awareness of mission realities beyond what you may already know. We also hope to better understand what we are really after when sending missionaries overseas. And finally, we will discuss some practical ways to encourage, nourish and support those we send.”

Session topics will include:

Missionary Attrition Issues missionaries face (in what areas do they struggle?)
Lines of responsibility
What we are really after in missions
What is already available
Practical ways to help

Anyone with an interest in learning how to better care for a missionary is welcome to join us. To register, contact Jen Olsen at 319-395-0021 or send me an email.

Going Home

2008-06-22T12:59:00.003-05:00

We had a great day today with our partner church in Trinec (Church of the Brethren in Trinec - Lyzbice). All I can say is "Wow!" They have done an incredible job on the facility they purchased around 3 years ago. They have taken an old, run down former communist era preschool building and turned it into an amazing center for ministry. I will post pictures later when I get home.

The main worship area has been transformed. It can seat around 80 or 90. They have put in a small stage up front, a sound room in the back, and even put up a copy of the Botts print from our church.

Downstairs they are creating a youth area where they can have a Friday night celebration club meeting. On the main floor they have leased out one wing to a local doctor (general practioner) and the other is used for the Christian Kindergarden (ages 3-5). The Kindergarden is absolutely beautiful, a wonderful place for kids to come.

Upstairs they have an office for their new Pastor, Slavoj, and two small classrooms where Bronek and Lorisa can teach English. There is additional room where they hope to one day build a flat (apartment) for the pastor and more room for another small conference room.

The vision of the church is to reach out to their community. By offering a Christian school, a doctor's office, and English classes, they make the church facility a place where their neighbors will feel welcome and at home. The neighbors are very glad the church purchased the facility rather than it being turned into a pub or other general business.

This August the church will hold their first English Day Camp. It is aimed at the children in the many flats (apartments) that surround the church. International Messengers is sending four Americans and the church will also provide some staff.

The church is also involved with other area churches in holding a citywide festival in September. This outreach event will be particularly aimed at young people and will include music, drama, and other events.

It is so good to see what God is doing through our partner church. Please remember to pray for them as they seek to do "prayer, care, and share" in their own community.

We leave at 6:15 AM tomorrow to take the 7:28 train to Prague. And we will leave very early on Tuesday to fly back to the States. I am sure this is the last time I will get a chance to post until Wednesday, so until then, thanks so much for your prayers.

The Final Day

2008-06-20T15:39:00.002-05:00

The last two days have been a blur. But they have been very good.

Thursday we showed the short film Most (Czech for "Bridge"). It was a very powerful time. We had over half of the students attend, and the discussions about it were long and good. It is a powerful parable of the sacrifice God made to provide our salvation.

Today we concluded the camp with our Banquet, a time when we eat ice cream, watch skits by the English conversation classes, and give out their certificates and their presents from our team. Unfortunately, we experienced our fist real problem of the week: we were short 15 certificates. How embarassing! We will have to mail them as soon as we get back to the States.

We will spend time tomorrow cleaning up, debriefing, and visiting a local open air museum. We will also do a little shopping.

On Sunday we will attend services at our partner church in Trinec. I will preach, Paul will bring greetings, Pam will give the children's message, and Cathryn will give a testimony. After that, we will have coffee with the church and then have lunch. In the afternoon we will spend time with the elders of the church. If time allows, we may also stop by in nearby Cesky Tesin to see a Christian concert that is a part of a three day city celebration.

On Monday we will leave by train for Prague, and early on Tuesday morning we (except for Kent and Shannon) will begin our trip home by plane. We are scheduled to arrive at 2 PM in Cedar Rapids. Of course, with airplanes, everything is subject to change.

If I have time, I will post some pictures and stories about the week on Saturday. Otherwise, I will do so after I return to Cedar Rapids.

Thanks so much for your prayers. I have many stories to tell! This was a profitable year again and it was a real privilege to serve the students here at Malenovice.

Lysa Hora

2008-06-18T15:33:00.003-05:00

We had great weather today for the hike up to Lysa Hora. Many on the team participated in this five hour hike. It was a great time with the students.

This evening we did something new (at least for me). We put up lyrics to Christian songs (such as "In Christ Alone") , played the song, and explained the words. It was well attended for being an optional event after a very long day.

The next two days close out the official part of the camp. Continue to pray for strength and endurance. Pray for us to be servants to those who are here.

Thanks for the Prayers

2008-06-17T14:45:00.003-05:00

Paul said his presentation for a local company's board of directors went well. He had a lot of good questions. They will most likely get the book Good to Great now and read it. Thanks for your prayers. It was a very profitable experience.

My optional Bible study also went well overall. I think I stumped my translator a few times! But hopefully the message was clear.

Relationships are clearly beginning to form. So keep lifting us up and remembering our work here in the Czech Republic. We are continuing to pray for all of you and the recovery effort following the flooding.

Flexibility

2008-06-17T01:28:00.001-05:00

There has been a change in plans. It is overcast and raining, so our hike up to Lysa Hora is postponed till Wednesday or Thursday. Paul's presentation will still happen, so we are adjusting the business workshops to compensate. Pray, too, for me as I now will be offering the optional Bible study, "Who are we and why are we here?," today instead of tomorrow as originally planned.

Monday Update

2008-06-16T14:48:00.003-05:00

We are just finishing our first full day of camp. We have roughly 49 students (a few less than recent years) making the classes a little smaller -- which is not necessarily a bad thing!

Things have been going smoothly (though not too smoothly -- former teammates will understand what I mean!). As many as half of the students have been here before, which has allowed us to jump right back into some relationships we began in prior years. We already have had many great conversations with the students and the classes all seem to be going well.

Please pray for strength. Jet lag still is hindering a few of us, and spending time with the students hinders getting enough sleep! Pray too for boldness and the right words to say at just the right time.

Finally, pray for Paul. He has been offered a unique opportunity to give a workshop at a local company. One of the owners attended the camp twice before and has become a Christian. He wants Paul to do his "Good to Great" presentation to his board of directors to help them grasp the idea of servant leadership. While most of the students are climbing Lysa Hora tomorrow afternoon, he will be making his presentation.

That is all for now. I will try to post on Wednesday and perhaps even include some pictures.

The Week Ahead

2008-06-14T13:00:00.003-05:00

We just finished a great day planning for the week ahead. Here is what we have planned (subject to change, of course!):

Sunday -- Students arrive, are tested, and we have our first meeting with all of the students. Oh, and don't forget the mandatory watching of the Czech vs. Turkey football (that's soccer for you Americans) match.

Monday to Friday

7:00 AM -- Team Meeting
8:00 AM -- Breakfast
9:00 AM -- English Grammar Class
11:30 AM -- English Bible Reading Class
12:30 PM -- Lunch
3:00 PM -- Optional Bible Studies (except Tuesday)
4:30 PM -- Business Workshops -- two offered simultaneously (except Tuesday)
6:00 PM -- Dinner
7:00 PM -- Conversation Class
8:00 PM -- Evening Activites

On Tuesday afternoon, many will hike to Lysa Hora, the top of the highest mountain in this region.

Friday evening will be our closing award ceremony and skits by the Conversation Classes.

Saturday morning the students leave to go home. We will spend the afternoon visiting a local outdoor "open air" museum of Czech buildings from over 100 years ago (similar to Usher's Ferry in Cedar Rapids -- if it still exists after the flooding!).

Sunday we will attend church in Trinec. We will give a testimony, the children's message, and I will give the sermon. We will then spend time with the church members and in the afternoon with the new pastor and the elders.

Monday we leave by train for Prague.

Early Tuesday morning we begin our flights back to Cedar Rapids, with our arrival currently scheduled for 2 PM.

Thanks for your prayers! I will post again most likely on Monday.

Safe in Czech Republic

2008-06-13T12:44:00.002-05:00

Our Czech Business Camp Team made it safely to Malenovice. We are excited to be here and are looking forward to meeting the students on Sunday and getting things started.

However, our hearts and prayers are with those back in Cedar Rapids. We have seen online the extensive flooding and know that in various ways our families have been impacted. Please remember our families as they deal with things in our absence.

I will be posting updates throughout the week, so check back for more stories about this year's Business Camp.

Strategic Prayer Focus: Myanmar

2008-05-17T19:04:00.004-05:00

Late last year, one of our Kingdom Partners requested we consider joining a special prayer initiative. The suggested country? Myanmar. Little did I dream that it would be front page news when we were ready to launch this strategic prayer focus.

Myanmar, which used to be called Burma, is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Located on the Indian Ocean, it is surrounded by Bangladesh, India, China, Laos, and Thailand. It is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, and has been under a strict military rule since 1962. It has a population of 55 million.

One of our desires at New Covenant is to see the Bible become available in every major language. But with much of the remaining translation work being needed in areas of the world that are considered hard to reach, mission agencies have to be especially cautious in their communications and often cannot mention a specific language community (people group). Our prayer focus on Myanmar is a strategic response to this challenge and allows us to recruit committed prayer partners who will stand in the “sensitivity gap” for this nation.

Why did we choose Myanmar? In addition to being specifically asked, New Covenant has seven kingdom partners in Asia, so there is a great deal of overlap with our current efforts. Some labor in restricted countries and their work is sensitive so we often cannot post or publish requests like we can for our other Kingdom Partners. A focus on Myanmar will help us safely inform you about the type of work some of our Kingdom Partners are doing and give you specific requests that would not harm the particular work of our Kingdom Partners.

Please join us in praying for the country of Myanmar on a regular basis. Beginning in June, you will find prayer requests in the bulletin and Missions E-Newsletter, and I will write about the work in Myanmar in this blog.

Myanmar: What Can We Do?

2008-05-07T13:47:00.005-05:00

It is a spiritual battle. Make no mistake about it. Any progress – yes, any progress that happens for the sake of the Kingdom comes only because of prayer, not because of our strategies, plans, or activities. Yes, we can and must plan and act, but the success comes from God’s power, not our actions alone. (See Daniel 10:1-14 and Ephesians 6:10-20 for just two of many biblical examples of this truth.)

It is through this lens that we must look at the country of Myanmar (or Burma as it used to be called). They have suffered one of the worst tragedies in recent history. As of today, over 22,000 are known to have perished and many believe the death toll may easily reach 60,000 or even higher. Yet in the midst of such utter devastation, the military government continues to cling to power. They had a two day warning that the cyclone would hit, yet they did virtually nothing to warn or prepare the people. Today as many as 3 million are homeless, yet the government denies visa permits and hinders the swift assistance of international aid for those in need.

What would cause a government to be so willing to let their people suffer? The obvious reason is their desire to maintain power and control over the people. It is why they reacted so violently against the protests last August. But the issue is deeper than that. It is a spiritual darkness that keeps them from showing common human decency and allowing free access to foreign aid during this crisis.

What will change this? Political pressure and world opinion really don’t matter much. Threats don’t hold much weight. The only option that has any true chance for success is prayer.

The problem is we don’t really believe that to be true. If we did, we would spend more time personally and corporately wrestling for the soul of this nation. We would be moved to intercede on behalf of millions of people who are facing disease, starvation, and abject poverty and who have no hope for eternity.

The time to act is now. Pray for Myanmar. Pray for the light of Christ to shine brightly from the highest government official to the poorest person in the land. Pray for those impacted by this natural disaster. Pray for the love of Christ to bring life and hope to those in need. Start there, and in the weeks ahead, I will share more requests about this country that is covered in spiritual darkness.

(Go to this map to see where the cyclone hit and the impact it had on the country.)

Myanmar Disaster Update

2008-05-06T11:33:00.006-05:00

When I mention the country of Myanmar to people, I often get a puzzled look on their faces. Many have not heard of it and don't have a clue where it is located. Myanmar is the new name for the country of Burma. It is located in Southeast Asia, more or less between India on the west side and Thailand on the east. Go here for a great map and a short summary of info on the country.

Foreign aid workers fear that as many as 50,000 have or will perish as a direct result of the cyclone. Over a million are homeless.

There are various foreign workers in this country in the area where the cyclone hit. Pray for their safety. Pray for opportunities for them to care for others. Pray for wisdom in dealing with the long term effects of this catastrophe.

Here are two articles that give some more details: Times Online and Daily Mail.

Pray for Myanmar (Burma)

2008-05-05T15:17:00.006-05:00

The devastation is overwhelming. Myanmar (or Burma as it was formerly called) was hit by a cyclone last Friday and Saturday. Officially the death toll is around 4,000, but it is feared that as many as 10,000 have perished. (See this article and this one for more info.)

The country was in the news last August. Students and Buddhist monks protesting the military government were beaten and even killed. The country faces an important vote in a few weeks, and this disaster may further weaken the military rulers. Whether they finally step down or respond with even greater force remains to be seen.

Pray for this troubled country. Pray especially that they would hear the Gospel. Pray that Bible translations that have been started would be completed, and that new ones would begin. Pray that there would be freedom to distribute the Bibles when they are done.

Kazakh Law Still Moving Forward

2008-05-05T15:01:00.005-05:00

Mission Network News has another article about the state-backed religion law in Kazakhstan that would greatly restrict religious freedom. The Prime Minister of the country has endorsed the law. However, if approved, it will still need the signature of the President. Continue to pray for the law to be rejected and for boldness for the believers in the country.

English Business Camp

2008-05-03T11:50:00.004-05:00

In about 5 weeks, I will be headed over to the Czech Republic. This will be my fifth visit since June 2004! We will join with our Project CR partner church in Trinec to put on our eighth English Business Camp at Malenovice. We will have 50 to 60 students from businesses in the area come to practice their English with native speakers. As we build relationships we will have opportunities to share our lives and our faith with each other.

If you are interested in helping support this endeavor, please contact me or send your support to International Messengers (put "Czech Camp Malenovice" in the memo).

Uncertainty - Part 3: Kazakhstan

2008-04-29T15:28:00.003-05:00

A few years ago, I had a friend from Texas who left to live in Kazakhstan. It was a difficult place to be, but she enjoyed teaching English and the opportunities God gave her to encourage and disciple women she met. She recently returned to the States, but her stories made that country come alive for me.

I was sad to read today about a proposed law in Kazakhstan. It would greatly limit the ability my friend and others there would have to simply share the Gospel in the midst of their daily lives. (To learn more, you can read this article at Mission Network News.)

Pray for religious freedom in Kazakhstan. Pray that this law would not be approved. But most of all, pray for boldness and growth among the believers in Kazakhstan.

Uncertainty - Part 2

2008-04-24T11:40:00.005-05:00

In my last post, I wrote about the uncertain world in which we live. Opportunities that are here today may be gone tomorrow. In future posts I will be making the case that we need to take advantage of every opportunity to take the Gospel to people groups who have never heard, especially in places where there is an open door for us to go. Yes, we can and should continue to support missionaries all over the world. But based on the very fact that missionaries are there already, the opportunity is being addressed. We must never forget Jesus’ command to make disciples of all people groups (Matthew 28:19) and to go to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). As Paul said, how can they hear if someone doesn’t go and tell them? (See Romans 10:14-17).

The task is not done. It won't happen by accident. God is in control, but he has given us the assignment to reach every people group. My passion is that we make sure we are not like the man who buried his talent in the ground, failing to appropriately use the resources and abilities God has provided. If we fail to think and act strategically, we will fail to be fully obedient in this generation.

Uncertainty in Kenya, Jordan, and Russia

2008-04-11T11:59:00.003-05:00

It is easy to become complacent, to think that ministry opportunities that exist today will still be here tomorrow. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

We have had the privilege of sending five teams to Kenya. It seemed to be a stable country. Yet seemingly overnight things became horribly violent and still remain unstable. Christian workers are limited in what they can do or have had to leave the country.

For years Jordan has tolerated a variety of Christian activities. Yet in the last few months, they have denied residency permits and expelled Christian workers, seminary students, and professors. (Christianity Today has two articles about the situation: "Jordan's Eviction Notice," and "Hardship for Evangelicals in Jordan: Lessons for All Christians.")

I have personally been to Russia four times, yet that country is becoming closed to outsiders. And the list could go on.

Therefore be very careful how you live — not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16 NET)

Great Commission Weekend Challenge

2008-04-05T22:12:00.001-05:00

So what? How does this Great Commission Weekend apply to you? Are you going to make any changes in what you do tomorrow?

Our focus this weekend is on Jesus’ command to make disciples of every tongue, tribe, and nation. But how does that apply to us in Cedar Rapids? What difference should this make when we go to work on Monday? Did Jesus really include me and you when he said that we would be his witnesses?

I am convinced that Jesus did include every one of us in his command. That is probably obvious if you have regularly read this Missions Update or listened to me preach on missions. But what that looks like is very individual. I do not think all of us are supposed to sell our home, pack up our bags, and move overseas. But I am absolutely certain that Jesus wants us to be more involved than just thinking about his command once a year when there is a missions Sunday.

Here is my suggestion: Pray! Ask God what he would have you to do. Spend time wrestling with what it looks like in your own life. If you do nothing else as a result of this weekend but pray, I would consider us having hit a homerun. Let me be clear: I am not talking about a onetime token prayer. I am asking you to spend an extended time in prayer for a number of days or weeks where you wait and listen until God shows you what he would have you do.

If God has already spoken to your heart of how you can be actively involved in global disciple-making, then by all means get busy and do it! But if not, the first step is prayer. Feel free to email me or post a comment and I will join in prayer with you and for you!