2013: Through Open Doors and Bearing Fruit
2013 has been a year of new open doors and a surge forward in the Church Planting Movement Projects of World Missions and Evangelism. We are getting reports of real advances in the regions where missionaries and leaders are implementing the CPM principles and where there has been much training this year. Here are some of the things happening.
Botswana, Africa: Missionaries Michael and Heather Walker received training in the CPM strategy in mid and late 2012. After returning to Botswana and working on translation of the DBS studies into the tribal language they are using, and after WME was able to provide Megavoice players for use in the studies, Michael began to share the strategy with key people. There are now at least 35 Discovery Bible Studies happening.....one elderly illiterate believer is discipling at least 100 persons using the Megavoices and DBS studies!
Honduras and Latin America: This year WME has sponsored more training events than in any time in this project which began in 2008. Nearly 250 new potential leaders have been trained in 6 events since December, 2012. 2 of the trainings were beyond the borders of Honduras, in El Salvador and Guatemala. In the Tegucigalpa training, 3 leaders from Colombia in South America were flown up to take the training! At least 25 Denominations and groups have participated in the trainings.
Here are the results as of the end of June: 391 Groups and Churches total. This is comprised of 276 new churches or equivalent groups, and 125 Discovery Bible Studies (remember that the difference between church and DBS is that the DBS groups are all or primarily unbelievers!)
Before the training events of the last 6-7 months there were 266 groups total, 184 as churches and 82 DBS groups. So during this training season there has been a sustained increase of 92 churches or equivalent groups and 43 DBS groups. The bottom line is that there is an increase of 125 groups of all categories during this training season. 2 of the groups are in Colombia in South America.
The first half of the year has been extremely busy in training and sowing the seed! Now the 2nd half of the year will be much devoted to cultivating the seed....establishing mentoring and helping relationships with those trainees who are implementing the CPM strategy! Please pray for the whole team in Latin America as they continue to find people of peace, establish Discovery Bible Studies, transition groups to churches, conduct training events, mentor new CPM leaders, and train leadership for church development in areas where the churches have already been established, along with casting vision for CPM to the Christian leaders of Honduras and Latin America.
On Easter Sunday this year, approximately 2,000 people gathered at a river in Olancho Department for an outdoor celebration and baptism. About 50 were baptized that day (many of the others had previously been baptized). But of the 2,000 people present, it is estimated that 1,900 of them have come to Christ as a result of this project and the DBS groups! That is what it is all about.
Your giving and Your prayers are vital parts of this great harvest!
The Apostle Paul said, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"
Through your partnership you are "Sending" the Seed of the Gospel to the Unreached!
Botswana, Africa: Missionaries Michael and Heather Walker received training in the CPM strategy in mid and late 2012. After returning to Botswana and working on translation of the DBS studies into the tribal language they are using, and after WME was able to provide Megavoice players for use in the studies, Michael began to share the strategy with key people. There are now at least 35 Discovery Bible Studies happening.....one elderly illiterate believer is discipling at least 100 persons using the Megavoices and DBS studies!
Honduras and Latin America: This year WME has sponsored more training events than in any time in this project which began in 2008. Nearly 250 new potential leaders have been trained in 6 events since December, 2012. 2 of the trainings were beyond the borders of Honduras, in El Salvador and Guatemala. In the Tegucigalpa training, 3 leaders from Colombia in South America were flown up to take the training! At least 25 Denominations and groups have participated in the trainings.
Here are the results as of the end of June: 391 Groups and Churches total. This is comprised of 276 new churches or equivalent groups, and 125 Discovery Bible Studies (remember that the difference between church and DBS is that the DBS groups are all or primarily unbelievers!)
Before the training events of the last 6-7 months there were 266 groups total, 184 as churches and 82 DBS groups. So during this training season there has been a sustained increase of 92 churches or equivalent groups and 43 DBS groups. The bottom line is that there is an increase of 125 groups of all categories during this training season. 2 of the groups are in Colombia in South America.
The first half of the year has been extremely busy in training and sowing the seed! Now the 2nd half of the year will be much devoted to cultivating the seed....establishing mentoring and helping relationships with those trainees who are implementing the CPM strategy! Please pray for the whole team in Latin America as they continue to find people of peace, establish Discovery Bible Studies, transition groups to churches, conduct training events, mentor new CPM leaders, and train leadership for church development in areas where the churches have already been established, along with casting vision for CPM to the Christian leaders of Honduras and Latin America.
On Easter Sunday this year, approximately 2,000 people gathered at a river in Olancho Department for an outdoor celebration and baptism. About 50 were baptized that day (many of the others had previously been baptized). But of the 2,000 people present, it is estimated that 1,900 of them have come to Christ as a result of this project and the DBS groups! That is what it is all about.
Your giving and Your prayers are vital parts of this great harvest!
The Apostle Paul said, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"
Through your partnership you are "Sending" the Seed of the Gospel to the Unreached!
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