Firstly thank you for your increasing interest, encouragement and prayer. I am not unaware of how good God has been to our little operation (over the last few months especially). Please therefore forgive this update being in 3 parts.
Part 1 - (This blog). Why ? The Priority of Gospel growth.
Part 2- How - Encourageing news of gospel growth.
Part 3 - Our small part in encourageing those who God is using in His plans. Our exciting next project and short term mission trip.
With each monthly update there is fresh ministry opportunity, plans for the future, gospel growth, missional advance, and lives changed as precious people come to find salvation in Jesus Christ. This is what ultimately matters. When all said an done, the quality of our buildings and the minutiae of life will not be in focus. What will matter is how we heard, followed and acted on the words of our saviour, Lord and commander in chief.
I believe in the bible he commands us with 5 imperatives which are to be the primary focus of the global church ...
(Matt 28:19, 2 Tim 2:2, Eph 4, John 15:8)
1) Go ! - Inertia, inactivity, and settling for comfort are never a credible option for any follower ofJesus Christ, who left the glory of heaven for the humblest of births in a messed up world.
2) Make disciples who make disciples - We build his kingdom not ours, through extended and sacrificial investment into people's lives.
3) "Teach everything I have commanded"- The Bible is our foundation for life and source wisdom on EVERYTHING. You cannot make fruiful disciples without preaching and teaching, but it requires more than a monologue download."Life on life", mutual sumbimssion, humility to be challanged and the transparent modelling of best practice is imperative for prolonged fruitfulness and growing disciples to maturity.
4) Pass on the gospel baton to the next generation - Each new generation needs to reform under Him, get a gospel heart from Him for His world, and be convinced that they (we) are here for his eternal purpese by design not coincidence.
5) Be fruitful locally, regionally and globally. It is not the role of the local church to fight against these priorities, to make a "safe" church ghetto or hiding place, but to "equip" the church "for works of service" in these priorities. Advancing churches are always outward looking churches, propelled by the mission of God out of comfort into the regional and global plan of God.
Matt 28
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
This strategy (His strategy) ,has been the same since the birth of the Church 20 centuries ago (and actually, even way before that). Times and tactics change as to how this strategy is best implemented and outworked in each culture, but the ultimate plan never changes - it is like the author and perfector of our faith, always consistent, successful and fruitful. Interestingly, as we get on board with His agenda, we find many "like minded" people all over the world -with exactly the same convictions, living for the greater Glory and Joy of the one who brings us together at such great cost. So we give him all the thanks, honour and accolades for anything that goes right. It is a privilege to fit anywhere in the jigsaw of his plans.
"GEARED FOR GROWTH"
RESIDENTIAL PASTORS CONFERENCE - TERNOPIL REGION.
Our focus this trip was to encourage around 50 gospel workers, with a renewed prayer, passion and sense of privilege as they seek to reach 1.1 million people with the gospel.
There are so many things to thank God for. Thank you for your prayers. The residential conference in this region was a follow-up to our day conference back in October. Despite being hastilly convened, it was oversubscribed, with Pastors, church planters and gospel workers. I Praise God for every individual that we met. I praise him for this supernatural unity and common union among brothers as they try to reach their region together for Christ. I believe it was the first time Pastors had met in this way and location, yet it was marked by a spirit of camaradarie, openness, humility, teachability, love, and energy. As we waited on God....he renewed our strength, conviction and equipping for the task. We talked over both character and tactics...
- How God grows the pastor before he grows the church.
- How missional and training momentum works in practice within the local church.
Dennis for his model of humility, helpfulness in listening and encourageing to many gospel workers - prayerfullness (esp. praying with pastors). Experiencial knowledge of God is such a gift to God's people.
Ivan, you are such a gifted brother, not only in apologetics and theology but in the way you faithfully serve in humility. I thank God for the extraordinary gift he has given you to translate tone (as well as grammer), jokes and joy, and most importantly imperative truth with conviction.
Viktor, Your care of the churches in this region speaks louder and more elloquently than any formal training session or the best sermon. Thank you for all the details that made this conference possible and profitable, for your selfless drive and missional heart.
Igor, Thank you that despite all the pressures, responsibilities, business, travel and detail, you continue to keep the main things the main things.
What is clear from what God is doing ?
1) We were blown away by the calibre of men, who have been orchestrated together for this vital task in such an unreached region. Some have been moved by God's hand into the region through the tragedy of war, dislacement of whole families following the loss of buisiness, home and just about everything but Christ. We don't believe any of this is by accident, but his design in "the saving of many lives." Gen 50:20
2) Where the Spirit is present there is true joy and true freedom. (2 Cor 3:17) There is great liberty when people forget themselves and focus on him and the missional task ahead. It was so enjoyable to be with folks who don't take themselves too seriously but do take the gospel very seriously.
3) THIS IS NOT A MAN THING BUT A GOD THING. God's missional heart and strategy remains the focus here...As disciples are made, and churches born (relatively recently in this region), he ensures that the direction remians consistent and , I can only see that the best is yet to be for Ternopil region. We continue to put our trust in him alone to give the increase, but green shoots are already clearly obvious, and give us many evidences that He is with us. This is the only confidence we need to move forward.
Do pray for these men in their indiviudal ministries and collective calling.
- Pray that the great city of Ternopil (pop:217,000) wll be reached for Christ as the church goes on it's missional agenda in sacrificial faithfulness. Pray for existing churches to be re-energised, the next generation of leadership to emerge, and for fledgling churches to grow, that in turn both may be churches that plant churches.
- Pray especially for the Ternopil city Easter Outreach planned amongst the churches as they come together in the main plaza / city sqaure.
- Pray for the Rural churches in their different challenges, Thank God for the full buildings, increasing congregations and higher percentage of the popiulation that are reached by the gospel. Pray for the raising up of the next generation of leaders, for a spirit of "pioneering" to reach unreached areas (and to resist the temptation to build for our own locality alone)
- Pray for the growing network of gospel churches. Thank God that strategically there are churches already well placed to reach unreached areas. Pray for cooperation between believers (not teratorialism) for the complentary use of gifts and resources between churches.Pray for continued advance in training and encouragement, so that as new workers come they are best equipped and encouraged to good practice... to make the most of these days of opportunity.
- Thank you again for your faithful prayers. He is answering many prayers in awesome ways of eternal significance. Therefore don't lose heart as you pray... you are not praying to the ceiling, but the RISEN CHRIST who has ALL AUTHORITY in heaven and on earth.
- Big love and appreciation,
- BLOGSKI
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