Evangelism and Prayer

April has been a busy month of networking with pastors.

Because of the gift of a car last year, we’ve been able to get around the city with greater ease and meet with pastors.

I had lunch with one pastor that I’ve been getting to know for a few months.  In January, I gave a workshop at his church (Read: You’ve Given me Liberty)

He invited me to do another one this past week.

Evangelism and Prayer

One aspect of the work of evangelism is prayer.  Since evangelism is ultimately a spiritual work, prayer prepares the way.

Vida Abundante church is launching a few different evangelism campaigns this year, and the training supported that work –

• Their bread of life visitation ministry,
• The ministry truck from which they do street outreaches,
• as well as ongoing relational evangelism work.

Using some material from PRMI’s Prayer Ignite, plus my own material on evangelism, we spent about 1 hour in teaching about effective prayer and particularly how to pray for friends to come to faith.

We sent some deliberate time in building a prayer list to use in our regular devotional times.

I hope to be able to join them in some of their street outreaches this year and see how they are applying the training that pastor is letting me do.

Couples Marriage Retreat

Fresh air outside the city.

Mountain views and pine trees.

14 familes.

In the middle of April 2010, we participated in a couples retreat as part of the launch process of Buenas Nuevas Panama, the church plant we are helping out.

Love Languages

The theme was love language, based on the popular book.  It’s been translated into Spanish, and Pastor Pedro and his wife did a great job introducing the material and leading the workshops.

By hosting this workshop, our church seeks to strengthen families through Christ’s help:  Parents that

• love each other,
• are loyal to each other,
• and for those who are able, raise honorable kids who will be future husbands or wives.

I’d love to share the stories that we heard that day.

All I can say is that your support helps us strengthen and or restore these families.

Though the retreat was just for the day, we know that it’s making a great investment in families and their future.

Thanks to our supporters for keeping us here!

Finding the person of peace opens new doors

I’ve started meeting regularly with one of the men who comes to our core group.

He too is a recent immigrant, and fleeing the political unrest from their home country.  Truly, they are starting over.

We’ve started meeting recently to discuss topics like

• How to study the Bible
• How to prepare a message.
• How to effectively evangelize

The Man of Peace

There is a church planting principle about finding the “person of peace.”

It is a phrase that comes from Luke 10, when Jesus sends out the 72.

In Luke 10:5-6 Jesus said, “When you enter a house, first say, `Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.”

This shows a level of spiritual receptivity. Gary Rohrmeyer write:

How does one discern if a Person of Peace is in his or her life?  Here are a few things to look for:

1. Did they receive you openly into their lives knowing that you are a follower of Jesus?
2. Are they open to spiritual conversations? Meaning, you can dialogue with them about spiritual issues without them shutting down emotionally.
3. Are they willing to look into the Scriptures with a curious spirit and not a critical one?
4. Do they have influence with others? Are they in a position of influence over their family, friends and within the community?
5. Is their home a hub of activity for the neighborhood and extended family?
6. Do they have the ability to introduce new people into their sphere of influence effectively?
7. Do they have a natural ability of including and bringing others to small groups, events or worship services?

The person of peace is essentially a “point person” through whom a church planter can make lots of new connections.  This person may be spiritually seeking, or already a believer who has lots of unchurched contacts.  Sometimes it’s a person who has many people seeking them out for spiritual conversations.

Next Steps

This man I’ve stared meeting with seems to be a “person of peace.”

He has several people approaching him with lots of spiritual questions that he can’t seem to answer. He’s very amicable and open to hosting events in his condo.

He wants to help his friends and has turned to me for help.  We’ve started meeting for that very reason.

I think in a few weeks, we’ll have  a gathering in his house with his friends to talk about their questions and search for answers together.

Planning a new service

In just a few weeks, the local church we are helping launch will hold a “taste of” service.

It’s a big event, where we are renting a hotel room, ramping up the personal invitations, and marketing and all the other regular elements of a church launch.

We’ve been talking for a few weeks about doing this in our regular Sunday night meetings, and it is fun watching the momentum build for that April 18 date.

Our theme will be on “Starting Over.”

As most of our core group are immigrants from another country, all recently arrived within the last 12 months, and they are starting over.  Some are finding faith in Christ along the way.

I hope to prepare a video with one member to help explain what we are doing, and how you can help us fund this project.

Pedregal Bible Camp for Kids

Brenda recently helped a children’s minister run a Children’s Bible camp out near Pedregal. I was stretched to give two short talks to children aged 5-13. That stretched me. . . .

This camp was part of the ongoing partnership that is growing with the Foursquare church in Camitillo, and that relationship continues to strengthen.

Raquel, the children’s pastor, has been volunteering for over 12 years.   She knows nearly every family in her town, and knows nearly all the parents and their stories.

It’s not an easy labor of love.  These are high risk kids, and Raquel is aiming to grow them in their faith in Christ.  The crafts that they made here can be used to show their parents, a majority of whom are unchurched.

You can see the video about her church here:

• Childrens Ministry Workshop In Caimitillo

Stephanie Jones, a visitor from Richmond, served us as an awesome assistant in this work.

“Brenda led workshops at a Bible Camp for Children, where kids were making crafts to show their parents what they were learning.”

From Children’s Bible Camp, posted by Chris Walker on 3/19/2010 (64 items)

Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher

The Blessings of Baptism

At the beginning of March 2010, our little house church performed adult baptism services in a mountain stream. I’m trying a new plug-in to see if I can display the Gallery of Images from Facebook. Praise God for these believers in Christ.

From Baptisms, posted by Chris Walker on 3/08/2010 (Showing 14 of 58 items)

Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher

Coming Along Side Young Life Panama

While in Nicaragua in January 2010 working with Vida Joven (Hear their stories), I got to meet the new leaders for Young Life Panama.

As I heard their stories of how God is opening the door for Vida Joven Panama, His miraculous provision, and the blessing of others to launch this group, I’m convinced that God is inviting us along side the pioneer leaders to encourage them, help them and pray for them.

Working in Panama Viejo

The three Leaders (center of the photo, with Brenda and our friend Stephanie) are working together in the neighborhoods surrounding Panama Viejo.

They’ve been involved in leadership training with Young Life to learn its methods and have started their contact work.

We listened to their dreams of organizing the first Young Life club, and how they are serving the community surrounding Panama Viejo.  It’s all in the launch phase at the moment.

Called to Work Along Side.

Part of our calling here is to come along side and encourage ministries.  These three leaders are pioneering a brand new work, and we get to participate by praying for them and as God opens the doors, providing evangelism training when needed.

Each one is a volunteer, and trying to do this on top of full time jobs or full time university studies.  They are offering their Saturday’s to spend time with kids at the soccer field, introducing themselves, organizing soccer matches, and inviting people to serve the community.  One project they hope to organize is the renovation (painting) of the walls that surround a school soccer field.

This is missional outreach.  Along the way, these leaders look for opportunities to hear people’s spiritual thirst and talk with them as the Lord leads.  It’s not agressive evangelism, but simple contact work and buildling relationships with the community within which they serve.

It was a joy to have them at our home for dinner and hear their stories of individuals they contact, and how that will hopefully lead to a club.   It’s a joy to come along side and encourage them.

Event Summary of 2009

In 2009 we set this following targets:

Our target is to plan for 15 events in Panama, 12 events in the United States, and up to 3 events in other countries in Latin Americas (30 events total).

In preparing our annual report for the Presbytery of the James, as well as for PRMI which provides our covering here are some interesting statistics:

Live Events (conferences, sermons, classes): 46

• IPET Classes in Panama/Costa Rica: 16
• Preachings: 13 sermons in 10 churches.
• Live Conference Events: 17

Countries Served: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, United States, Guatemala

Virtual Events (on-line or by telephone): 56

• Virtual Webinars: 11
• Evangelism Coaching: 39 individuals / churches.
• Virtual Sunday School class: 1
• Expert Interviews: 5

Not only did we meet our event goals for 2009, but we far exceeded them.

God has been gracious in opening doors for us, and then providing for us through His people.