Peru Trip Aug 2009 VI

So where do we go from here...that is a really great question!


Surely the beauty of Peru beckons us to return, but the spiritual need coupled with a command from our Lord and Master to go is far more compelling. Our goal is to plant a church in Julcan that will then in turn be able to plant churches in Molinos and Masma. We want to reach the whole Yacus Valley with the gospel. So how do we do it?

We realized two things while on this trip related to our future and strategy in Peru. 1) we are going to have to make more than one trip per year. The work will not gain momentum with us only being their one time a year. So, we are praying, and ask for your help praying, on when we should return. Maybe November with our partner pastor Scott, and maybe in the spring during spring break. And definitely next summer. Pray for a clear leading for us. Obviously many issues arise with the possibility of taking more trips.


2) Secondly we learned that planting churches in Peru long distance cannot be accomplished through more trips. Huh? We need to get there more, but that in and of itself will not get the job done. We must have a discipler. We must have someone who is willing to make regular trips there and make disciples in our new church plant. Or we need someone from the states who is willing to go there and stay for months as a volunteer to make disciples in between trips. So our goal while we are there is evangelism, but also leadership training. We must train this discipler how to make disciples and organize them into the church.


So that brings me to a huge thank you, and another plea for help. We are so grateful for many of you who gave to make it possible for us to go. God used you in a mighty way, and I know that you will receive many rewards when those people who heard the gospel meet you in heaven. But we still need your help. We need an army of prayer warriors to pray for clarity, provision, and direction for us, and a mighty move of God in Julcan. Of course, you can always give too, we have set up a Peru Savings Acct for money to go in all year. But we desperately need prayer!



Here are the main things that we want you to pray:

• God to build His church, and not we ourselves
  
• God to provide a discipler, there is a man there, but we are not sure he's the one
• 10 men to be saved in Julcan, including the mayor, vice-mayor, and the local priest
• Us to have wisdom and understanding of God's will for us in Julcan
• A baptistery to be built at the creek in Julcan (don't ask, just pray)
  
• Finances to come in or be allocated to make extra trips
• Laborers in the harvest, short-term and long-term, especially some college students to go there and live for a few months as volunteers, and other churches to partner with us
  
• Endurance in the work, this will not happen overnight

Peruvians in Julcan, Masma, and Molinos are dying everyday without Christ, and we have the responsibility to take Him there. He is at work there, let us labor there with Him.

Thanks for all your support. May the Lamb receive the reward of His suffering!

Plans Coming Together!

I love it when you can see the hand of God bringing many things into line to accomplish a vision that He has given you. I love it when a plan comes together. And that is what recent days have brought at New River Baptist Church and Tifton. I feel confident that God impressed upon my heart to begin looking to lead New River to start a new congregation in Tifton. Most of our 29 Baptist Churches here look about the same, and we are losing generation after generation of younger adults, students, and children because of our unwillingness to separate tradition from gospel, and contextualize our presentation of an eternal gospel. So after sharing that vision numerous times, and nearly giving up (O me of little faith), God has been working toward accomplishing His vision for us and a new plant here in Tifton. I want to take a minute and give God glory and share what things are coming together:

1. A church planter that we had spoken with about six months ago has reestablished communication with us. And he has come back with a passion and a sense of clarity about God's calling upon his life to begin a new church in Tifton. He is so excited and convinced that he is making preparations necessary to move his family here and begin this plant in Jan 2010. He will have much support from his home church, GBC, NAMB, and other local churches. God has truly provided a much needed piece of the puzzle
2. Several people at New River have really softened up to the idea of beginning a new congregation in Tifton to the end that we have established a Church Planting Fund here at New River. The initial donation was $4000. And people keep designating money to it each week. And many attitudes that once were hesitant are now becoming open, and even excited about church planting.
3. God is sending visitors to us who are interested in church planting. People who have experience in church plants previously; people who are adequately qualified for leadership; people who are very much like our target generations that we are losing in Tifton; people that are willing to sacrifice for God's cause; and people who are influential in their respective circles.
4. And just this week, we have had a key roadblock to funding from New River for a church plant removed! This one is a minor miracle coming at just the right time. One of our committees which was involved in paving the way for some funding made a decision to pursue the vision, sacrifice for the glory of Christ and for the thousands of Tifton who don't know Christ and won't come to our churches as is. It is not a done deal yet, but a major milestone was achieved.

Pray that God will continue to line everything up for this plant at our church and through other churches that are interested in helping. If you know of any church or individual that would like to have more information or possibly support this plant, please let me know, and I will get them the info that they need to begin seeking God's face on the issue.

May the Lamb receive the reward of His suffering and call out His church in Tifton!