Seeding CPM into Latin America
One of my friends in the CPM movement (for lack of a better way of describing it) shared his excitement about what is going on in Honduras. His way of putting it is that this project may be breaking new ground. When questioned about how that was so (in light of the fact that there are massive CPMs taking place in China, India, and in various places in Africa) he responded in basically 4 ways.
1. Location: Latin America has seen some CPM type results (as per David Garrison's books called "Church Planting Movements" (1999, 2004). However, these manifestations of CPM have been very different from the ones in Asia and Africa, and have not exemplified the seemingly unlimited multiplication that other contexts have exhibited. WME's Honduras project is seeking nothing less than full blown CPM throughout Honduras and then all of Latin America. We are looking to exhibit all 21 Critical elements and to see multiplication into literally every village, region, or population zone.
2. Existing Religious Matrix: This is my term to describe the fact that Latin America (unlike the contexts in Asia and Africa) already has Christian religion present and in some ways pervasive. Without in any way denying that genuine believers are a part of the existing Religious configuration of Latin America, it is clearly true that 2 situations face the Kingdom of God in Latin America. Number 1, in spite of the Christian presence, thousands of communities remain unreached with the gospel. Number 2, it is a pervasive reality that much of the Christianity that is already there is either religious formalism (at best) or Christo-paganism (at worst).
3. Intentional Strategy: At least in the Honduran context and to some degree in the overall Latin American context, WME's project represents one of the very few attempts to see CPM occur via an intentional strategy. For this reason, the HCPM project is keeping good records of what is occurring, both statistically and anecdotally.
4. Specific CPM Model: Finally, WME's HCPM project is working with a specific model of CPM, that has primarily borne fruit in Asia and Africa and that is a very non-traditional approach to church planting. WME is working with a Biblical/Obedience Based/Missional DNA to seed into the Latin American culture.
All of that is to describe what WME is trying to do with the HCPM project. And we believe that the early results are very promising. Here is our status at this moment.
The HCPM project in Western Honduras has started over 300 Discovery Bible studies in communities needing church planting. These studies are moving forward toward becoming churches or foundations for churches. Our number 1 priority in 2010 is to see these continue to multiply and to develop into full fledged replicating churches, and for this to represent thousands of people who have become new, obedient disciples of Jesus Christ.
In Eastern Honduras, WME is working with at least 3 denominations/networks. WME has provided training in CPM principles for these groups and is continuing in contact for mentoring availability as these groups move forward. We believe that these groups may have already started at least 100 DSBs.
In Chiapas state, in southern Mexico, WME has now provided training to approximately 100 persons in CPM principles. This represents WME's first real impact in terms of Latin American CPM beyond Honduras. This training was given in January and February of this year in 2 separate training events, and we believe that 30 or more 2 person teams have been formed to begin working in the region of San Cristobal and Chiapas by the first part of March.
I want to ask all of our intercessors to cover these 3 regions in special prayer in the next months as 2010 moves forward. Pray specifically for the 3 regions of West Honduras, East Honduras, and Southern Mexico. Pray that the existing discovery Bible studies will continue to multiply. Pray that the existing studies will be anointed by the Holy Spirit and through the application of the Word and the Spirit, the persons involved will make full commitment to Christ and become fully obedient disciples of Christ. Pray for the new efforts by teams of 2 in Southern Mexico and by partnering networks in East Honduras, that they will find person's of peace which open doors into families for the beginning of new discovery Bible studies. Pray for our WME team, both American, Honduran, and Mexican that is working in this process.
Thanks for your faithful prayer and support.
1. Location: Latin America has seen some CPM type results (as per David Garrison's books called "Church Planting Movements" (1999, 2004). However, these manifestations of CPM have been very different from the ones in Asia and Africa, and have not exemplified the seemingly unlimited multiplication that other contexts have exhibited. WME's Honduras project is seeking nothing less than full blown CPM throughout Honduras and then all of Latin America. We are looking to exhibit all 21 Critical elements and to see multiplication into literally every village, region, or population zone.
2. Existing Religious Matrix: This is my term to describe the fact that Latin America (unlike the contexts in Asia and Africa) already has Christian religion present and in some ways pervasive. Without in any way denying that genuine believers are a part of the existing Religious configuration of Latin America, it is clearly true that 2 situations face the Kingdom of God in Latin America. Number 1, in spite of the Christian presence, thousands of communities remain unreached with the gospel. Number 2, it is a pervasive reality that much of the Christianity that is already there is either religious formalism (at best) or Christo-paganism (at worst).
3. Intentional Strategy: At least in the Honduran context and to some degree in the overall Latin American context, WME's project represents one of the very few attempts to see CPM occur via an intentional strategy. For this reason, the HCPM project is keeping good records of what is occurring, both statistically and anecdotally.
4. Specific CPM Model: Finally, WME's HCPM project is working with a specific model of CPM, that has primarily borne fruit in Asia and Africa and that is a very non-traditional approach to church planting. WME is working with a Biblical/Obedience Based/Missional DNA to seed into the Latin American culture.
All of that is to describe what WME is trying to do with the HCPM project. And we believe that the early results are very promising. Here is our status at this moment.
The HCPM project in Western Honduras has started over 300 Discovery Bible studies in communities needing church planting. These studies are moving forward toward becoming churches or foundations for churches. Our number 1 priority in 2010 is to see these continue to multiply and to develop into full fledged replicating churches, and for this to represent thousands of people who have become new, obedient disciples of Jesus Christ.
In Eastern Honduras, WME is working with at least 3 denominations/networks. WME has provided training in CPM principles for these groups and is continuing in contact for mentoring availability as these groups move forward. We believe that these groups may have already started at least 100 DSBs.
In Chiapas state, in southern Mexico, WME has now provided training to approximately 100 persons in CPM principles. This represents WME's first real impact in terms of Latin American CPM beyond Honduras. This training was given in January and February of this year in 2 separate training events, and we believe that 30 or more 2 person teams have been formed to begin working in the region of San Cristobal and Chiapas by the first part of March.
I want to ask all of our intercessors to cover these 3 regions in special prayer in the next months as 2010 moves forward. Pray specifically for the 3 regions of West Honduras, East Honduras, and Southern Mexico. Pray that the existing discovery Bible studies will continue to multiply. Pray that the existing studies will be anointed by the Holy Spirit and through the application of the Word and the Spirit, the persons involved will make full commitment to Christ and become fully obedient disciples of Christ. Pray for the new efforts by teams of 2 in Southern Mexico and by partnering networks in East Honduras, that they will find person's of peace which open doors into families for the beginning of new discovery Bible studies. Pray for our WME team, both American, Honduran, and Mexican that is working in this process.
Thanks for your faithful prayer and support.
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