Czech Team Returns

The Czech Business Camp team is scheduled to return at 6:35 PM on American flight #4353 at the Eastern Iowa Airport.

Satuday Czech Business Camp Update

The picture at the left is of our partner church in Trinec. The team will be attending services there on Sunday. The picture below is of Prague at sunset.


Here is part of an update from Erin:

Close of camp went very very well. Today during debriefing we went
through each student and made comments about what we saw happen in their lives during the week. There were several that at the beginning of the week were declared atheists, but by the end they were really participating in the English Reading Time Studies, and some even coming to the Optional Bible Study. We definitely saw a lot of growth in people. Relationships among not only us and the campers were excellent (the many tearful good-byes revealed that), but among the campers themselves. It really was a wonderful camp. Now Bronek and Lora and Cindy get the fun of following up! :o)

I preach in the morning, so if you get this before 2:00 am your time [on Sunday], say a prayer for me. :o) Or maybe you should pray for Bronek since he has to translate me. There is a reason they put me with the highest level of English speakers, you know! :o)

We are catching the train at 6:00 am our time to head back to Prague on Monday. Pray that everything goes smoothly.

While this has been an awesome week, I am looking forward to seeing the staff again and especially seeing my family again. Give everyone my regards, as well as from the whole team.

On behalf of the 2007 English Camp team,
-E

Praying for bin Laden

Christianity Today has a very challenging interview with Brother Andrew posted on their website. I encourage you to take time to read "Have You Prayed for bin Laden Today?"

(Click on the title above or go to this link: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/juneweb-only/125-52.0.html)

Friday Czech Business Camp Update

Here is a short update from Paul:

THANK YOU for praying. I believe God has answered.

Today's Bible study on what it means to be a Christian was well done and well-attended with good participation.

We have seen some very good things the last couple of days. Students are open about where they are at spiritually, and are asking good questions provided heaven-sent opportunities to share the truth and love of Christ. My last two morning sessions have gone 30 to 45 minutes overtime (with everyone staying) and today a student wanted to continue the discussion at lunch (which we were late for). Others are reporting similar experiences either in class or in discussions outside of class.

Tonight is the banquet and end of camp. May the Christian students leave encouraged to grow in their faith, and may the others be encouraged to seek the Lord who gave them this week in His presence.

God bless!

Paul

These are pictures of last year's "banquet." The participants do not eat a meal. Instead it is a celebration time where the students eat a dessert and receive their certificate for attending the Business English Camp.

Thursday Czech Business Camp Update

Here is a short update from Erin:

The team is doing very well. We are all still getting along with each other and the campers. Lots of laughter has been heard, even in classes.

(Ron just walked in - I said "what update would you like me to send to James?" and he said "We are alive and well!")

I twisted my ankle on Tuesday, badly enough that I couldn't do Lysa Hora on Wednesday. It is still hurting a bit today but the swelling went down and it is quite a bit better.

We've had some great conversations with people, both encouraging to the believers and deep with the pre-Christians among us. The returning campers have asked about all of you who have been here before and wish more of you were here. I can tell after being here how important the relationships are - I didn't quite realize that before I came.

Many of those who are not followers of Christ yet have had great questions. My conversation/English Reading Time (Bible Study) group is a pretty low level English group, but today it could not have been any clearer who Christ is and who he claimed he was. The great part is that the students were giving the answers, not me.

So that is a bit of an update. Tomorrow is the last day with the banquet in the evening. It appears that quite a few are not sticking around for the banquet, so pray for good closure with the campers.

Then pray for rest for the team. While everyone is doing really really well, a good night's rest will be very welcomed!

Thanks for asking, James. We appreciate your prayers.

Tuesday Czech Business Camp Update

I received a short update from Paul:

"Camp is going very well. God has been evident as in the past and we see very good things happening."

He asked for prayer for the next optional Bible study on Wednesday at 3 PM (8 AM Cedar Rapids time). They spent time today looking at how the Bible contrasts the holiness of God with the sinfulness of man. The next study will explain how Christ is the answer to that conflict. Pray that the students will return (it is an optional study) and that the message would be clear. Pray too that the students would see the person of Christ demonstrated in the lives of the Czech and American believers who are attending the camp.

Monday Czech Business Camp Update

I received a short email from Erin. He said the camp is off to a good start. All of the missing luggage trickled in over the weekend. Erin's suitcase was the last one to arrive and he thinks everyone is glad to see him finally shave and wear a different shirt! Here is how he closed his email:

"And thank you for praying for us. We need it! While we are all doing well in our tasks and relationship building, several of us have already had very late nights (do to work, not playing games) so we need any rest we get to be deep and complete."

So keep praying!

Here is a link to info about the conference center and the organization who owns it: http://www.josiahventure.com/about/index.php?aboutID=15

Business English Camp Has Begun

The team has safely arrived in Malenovice and have already begun testing students to determine their placement in an English class.


Prayer requests:

• I have been told that a few pieces of luggage had not arrived yet as of Saturday. Pray for them to be found and delivered.
• Pray for the team as they form or renew relationships with the students.
• Pray for the team as they begin the first full day of camp on Monday. They will be teaching English, English Bible Reading class, Conversation Class, and leading two business seminars and an optional Bible study.
  

McCollum's Have Arrived

Here is a short email from Mike McCollum:

We are safe in Zagreb. We just slept through our first night in our new house. We are blessed by a nice house with good landlords. We look forward to sending more updates soon.

McCollum Departure

Thanks to the help of Jim & Sandy McCollum (Mike's parents) and Danette Brooks, with assistance from Dave & Ruth Stavlund and Tom Pietz and a very patient United Airlines agent, Mike and Brenda and the kids were able to make it to the Cedar Rapids Airport, check in their 27 pieces of luggage, and begin their journey to Croatia (by way of Denver and Chicago!).

Unloading the luggage

It is finally all checked in!

A final good-bye at the airport security checkpoint

Be sure to check their website for updates and for more pictures of the rental house God provided in Croatia by going to http://mccollum.sendcroatia.org/ .

Their new rental house which God provided just a few days ago!

Czech Team Departs

The Czech Business English Camp Team checking in at the Cedar Rapids airport

An extra package that didn't meet the TSA regulations! :-)

The team (except Tom who is already in Europe)

A short devotional

A listening audience

Czech Business English Camp 2007

Czech Business English Camp Team 2007 (from left to right):
Paul & Cathryn Rustebakke, Ron Rohrssen, Erin Bird, Tom Lloyd, Luke & Deborah Ryon

Here are details provided by Paul Rustebakke, a member of the team:

Camp Schedule

• June 13^th Fly out of the Eastern Iowa Airport at 1:30 PM
• June 14th Arrive in Prague before noon, tour city and prepare for travel to Třinec
• June 15th Travel to Třinec via train
• June 16th Prepare camp for students arrival on June 17
• June 17th Morning - Students arrive and assessments begin. Evening - Opening of camp.
• June 18^th to 22^nd Camp Schedule

7:00 Team Meeting/Prayer
8:00 Breakfast
9:00 English Class
11:30 English Reading Time (Bible Study)
12:30 Lunch
1:00 Free time/Bible Studies
4:30 Business Workshops
6:00 Dinner
6:45 Conversation Class
7:30 Evening Events
9:00 Game/Fellowship time

• June 23^rd Finish Camp, Team Debrief
• June 24^th Church service in Třinec, Prepare for Travel to Prague
• June 25^th Travel to Prague
• June 26^th Fly to Cedar Rapids (estimated arrival time is 6:30 PM)

Prayer Requests

Except the LORD build the house, They labor in vain that build it. (Psalm 127:1)

• That God would do in us (the team members) whatever He must to make us effective witnesses of His love and power to save
• That we would maintain focus on and trust in the Lord Jesus both for our needs and the fruit of the ministry
• That our visibility would decrease so that Jesus may receive all the glory for His presence and work
• That the spirit of team unity would be strong, and that the students would know we are Christians by our love and service
• For health, safety, and protection from the discouragement and derailment the enemy will try to bring
• That no weapon formed against us would prosper, but that all things would work together for good
• For camp logistics and that students would be placed in classes most beneficial to them
• That the students would be drawn to the person of Christ present in Spirit in the earthen vessels, Czech and American, representing the body of Christ at the camp
• For Bronek and Lora (Czech missionaries) as they recruit students and make arrangements for camp in Malenovice
• For the camp staff, our van driver, and the other service people we meet—that God would bless them for their service to us
• That the week we are there would never end but stay alive in the hearts of each student
• That God would be honored

June 2007 Project CR Update

In June 2005, New Covenant began Project CR, a three year partnership with the Brethren Church in Trinec–Terasa, Czech Republic. Soon after the partnership was established, we collected money to help their church purchase a building. Bronek, an elder in that church, recently shared the impact they are having with the new facility.

Every third Friday of the month we have English Bible Study in our church where we can minister to anyone who wants to practice English and is interested in spiritual things. It is going very well. There are two couples from our church who participate in this ministry. They want to practice their English but also want to develop relationships with non-believers. Through this activity we are focusing mainly on people from our business camps and on friends.

The Christian Language School in our church is also working very well. Lora and I teach a variety of students including kids, teenagers, adults, and business people. This way lots of people cross the threshold of our church and are exposed to various ministries and the environment of our church. The next step in our ministry to these people is to invite the m to our English camps.

Last week the church backyard was full of kids playing soccer. There are lots of kids wandering around the place looking for something to do. Sports events like a soccer tournament are a good ministry tool. There are also lots of Gypsy kids who cause problems (for example they constantly damage the fence around our church) but these kids also need to know the love of the Lord.

This month our church started a new ministry for retired people. There are many of them living in the surrounding blocks of flats. This is a new ministry so we are learning and we trust that the Lord is with us and will provide his guidance and blessings.

This summer will be very busy as we are going to reconstruct one wing of the church building and prepare it for the first Christian Kindergarten in Trinec. As part of this project we would like to start a counseling center for single mothers.

Famine Again?

I have heard it before, but it is still true: When dealing with long term problems, there are no easy answers.

Over the last few years, God has opened my eyes to the numerous times he commands us as Christians to care for the poor, widowed, and orphaned. I have come to understand that caring for others is intricately tied to Jesus' command to make disciples of all people groups. But caring for the poor, weak, and hungry can seem overwhelming. As Jesus himself said, we will always have the poor with us.

What we call "poor" here in America is a far cry from the poor around the world. The poor here may deserve our help, but only a small percentage are truly starving. That is not the case elsewhere. To be poor truly means to be living on the edge of one last meal before starvation.

So how do we help them? That is the question for which there is no easy answers. But Christianity Today has an excellent article that tries to tackle the deeper reasons for why famine and starvation seem to return often to Africa, in spite of all of our help and good intentions. I highly recommend you go to this link and read the article: "Famine Again?" http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/may/27.42.html

New Posts Coming Soon

With the birth of our first son, things have been a little busy for the last month. But new posts will be coming soon. Stay tuned and check back later.

He Is Risen!

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

We have the most exciting message that has ever been shared in human history: Jesus is risen from the dead! He did not just resuscitate for a time and then die again (like Lazarus and others). He is alive and he will never die.

Paul captured this thought beautifully in 1 Corinthians 15:54-55: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The resurrection is far more than one man who came back to life. It is about the God-Man who conquered sin and has provided eternal life—the ability to know and have a relationship with God (John 17:3).

The tragedy is that there are still people around the world who have not heard this Good News. The best estimate is that at least 1/3 of the world’s population—2 billion people—still are waiting to hear.

I am very excited about our prayer, care, and share emphasis here at New Covenant. But if it does not extend to those who have never heard, we have failed to obey Jesus’ command to make disciples of all people groups (the literal meaning of “nations” in Matthew 28:19).

We have exciting news. Let’s not keep it to ourselves. Consider using prayer, care, and share as a model for taking this news to the ends of the earth.

• Pray for those who have never heard. Pray that the Lord of the Harvest would raise up laborers to bring them the message of the Gospel.
• Care for those who have never heard by going to serve them or by giving to agencies and individuals who care for them.
• Share with those who have never heard by going as a missionary or by regularly financially supporting a missionary.

Let us make sure people in every tongue, tribe, and nation will one day say with us, “He is risen! He is risen indeed!”

Persecution at all time high in India

Here is part of a recent article from Mission Network News:

India (MNN) -- Hindu militants have threatened to set the homes of Christians on fire, while in another area of the country evangelists and missionaries were attacked. These are more examples of the increase in persecution against Christians in India.

Voice of the Martyrs' Todd Nettleton says nine years ago India was a peaceful place as it related to violence against Christians. "We thought of it as the world's largest functioning democracy -- a free country -- a place where Christians could worship freely. Last year, 2006, Voice of the Martyrs staff documented more than 200 significant incidents of persecution."

These were serious events where Christians were beaten or even killed because of their faith in Christ. Nettleton says this violence is significant. "That's four times a week, somewhere in India, a Christian is being persecuted for their faith. The persecution has just increased dramatically even in the last 18 months."

To read more, click here to go to the Mission Network News website.

Prisoner Alert

I have added two new links on the right.

The first is Prisoner Alert. Check it often to find out how you can pray and get involved on behalf of those persecuted for their faith in Christ.

The second is Christian Persecution Blog. As the name suggests, it is a blog about the persecuted church.

To Bless All Nations

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

"I will make you into a great nation

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you."
(Genesis 12:1-3 NIV)

Where do we first find the concept of “missions” in the Bible? I suspect that many would turn to the Great Commission in Matthew 28. They see missions as primarily (if not exclusively) a New Testament concept. The reality is God has had a plan for the nations from the very beginning.

Genesis 1 starts with God’s plan for mankind as a whole, but it is not long before sin enters the picture and attempts to destroy God’s plan. The next few chapters show the history of the human race, but then the focus narrows in on one person, Abram (later named Abraham).

Genesis 12 records God’s call and promise to Abram. It might appear to a casual reader that God played favorites and excluded the other nations when he chose Abram. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Look at the end of the promise in verse 3: God blesses Abram so that through him all of the nations can be blessed.

God’s plan for the nations was not put on hold during the Old Testament. On the contrary, it was actively at work in spite of the disobedience of the descendants of Abraham. The commission in Matthew 28 was not a sudden or new idea. Rather, it was the continuation and the expansion of a promise made 2,000 years before Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The question is not whether God has a plan for the nations throughout history. The question is whether you are willing to participate in his plan.

Transition

One of our missionary families recently announced that they will be making a significant transition. They will be moving from Japan to Kansas! If you want to learn more about the Hederstedt move back to the states, you can read their update at http://www.hederstedt.org/page7/page7.html.

The End of a Ministry

Some of you may have never heard of ACMC (Advancing Church Missions Commitment) and Caleb Project. But I have. ACMC in particular had some great materials and offered some outstanding conferences. I particularly enjoyed the conference I went to a few years ago. I returned to New Covenant full of fresh ideas and energy. I have had the opportunity to implement many of the things I learned.

A few months ago the two agencies merged and became known as Initiative 360 -- Take it Gloal. The hope was that together they would offer even more to the local church. Unfortunately, things didn't work out. As I write this, Initiative 360 is no more.

I am confident God has something new in store to help those of us who promote the idea of kingdom partnerships in local churches. There is hope that another agency will pick up some of what they have been doing. (Go to this link to read their press release: http://www.takeitglobal.org/) Whether that happens or not, I am grateful for the way ACMC helped me over the last 13 years of ministry.

A Goal, Not Just a Process

When Jesus gave us His mandate in Matthew 28:18-20 (commonly referred to as “The Great Commission”), He left us with a very specific task. This task was not just given to the “missions program” of the church or to a few who feel called to be a “missionary.” This task was given to all of us. Here is how one author has explained the mandate that Jesus gave to all of us who are followers of Jesus Christ:

“Disciple all the peoples.”

Jesus spoke as if they could see every single nation from the hill on which he stood. To disciple each one of the nations meant that there would be a once-for-all change among every one of the tribes, languages, and peoples.

In the syntax of His sentence, the Greek word translated “make disciples” required an object for the discipling action. The scope of that object (in this case “all the peoples”) would define the extent of the discipling action. The mandate should never be abbreviated as merely “make disciples,” as if Jesus simply wanted the process of disciple-making to happen. The expression must stand as a whole: “disciple all the peoples.” Jesus was setting out a super-goal. A discipling movement was in the destiny of every people on earth. He was given them the task of starting the movements.

Jesus did not emphasize the process of communicating the gospel. In fact, He said nothing about the gospel itself. They were not mandated merely to expose people to the gospel. They were commissioned to bring about a result, a response, a global following of Jesus from every people. It was a task to be accomplished. And it would be completed. No doubts crossed their minds about that. Jesus always finished everything He set out to do.

(Excerpt from Steven Hawthorne, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader, Third Edition, page 110.)

(Map image from www.mapability.com)

An Upside-Down World

You may have noticed over the last few months a growing emphasis here on the least-reached people groups of the world. That emphasis is deliberate. Jesus’ mandate was very clear: We are to make disciples of all people groups.

It is important, though, to also see the bigger context of what is happening around the world. Christianity Today recently had an article entitled “An Upside-Down World.” Here is how it begins:

The map of global Christianity that our grandparents knew has been turned upside down. At the start of the 20^th century, only ten percent of the world’s Christians lived in the continents of the south and east. Ninety percent lived in North America and Europe, along with Australia and New Zealand. But at the start of the 21^st century, at least 70 percent of the world’s Christians lived in the non-Western world—more appropriately called the majority world.

This fact has a crucial implication: Missions is becoming multidirectional—again! This was true in the book of Acts, and is true today. We are not alone in sending out missionaries. India is now the second largest contributor of Protestant cross-cultural missionaries. (The United States is the largest). There are now more Korean missionaries than British.

With this shift, our role needs to change. We must not see ourselves in terms of “senders” and other countries as the “receivers.” That is why I like the term “kingdom partners”—because that is what we are! Whether it is in the Czech Republic or Uganda, Asia or Nebraska, we have the privilege to come alongside churches and individuals and partner with them in making disciples of all who have not heard the Gospel message.

God is at work in and through churches around the world. The need for us to partner with them is not less—it is greater than ever! So prayerfully consider what role you can play as a Kingdom Partner today.

(You can read the Christianity Today article by going to www.christianitytoday.com/40514.)

(Globe image from www.mapability.com)

Prayer Resources

If you are a Kingdom Partner, then you know that prayer is one of the most important ways that you can be actively involved in global disciple making. One of the best resources out there for praying for people all over this planet is Operation World. They have information on both countries and people groups. Go to their website for a daily prayer guide.

Another resource is 24-7 Prayer. This website uses the information from Operation World to give you a quick list of facts about various countries and prayer needs.

I encourage you to explore both websites. The links will be permanently listed on the left under the "Perspectives Links."