Hello church planters
I have just returned home from the Pacific Reach Movement Conference in Fiji. The vision is for each local church across the Pacific island nations to plant another church. Over 230 with this vision – leaders, pastors and members – spent a week at Fulton College to be equipped.
On her flight home to Vanuatu Sarai, ‘praise & worship’ leader for the conference, sat beside a ‘man of peace’: ‘I shared with him how to read Mark using the 5 bookmark questions and I read through the first few verses of Mark to demonstrate what to do … I shared many stories about my journey of reading the Word one hour each day … (he) gave me his name on FB to keep in contact … God is just too good …’ (NB: The bookmark is attached at the end of this NEWS.)
Imagine if every church in your country intentionally planted another church this year! In a church less than 10 years old it takes (on average) 10 members to lead one new person to Jesus each year – while for a church 50 years old, it takes 100 to lead a new person to Jesus!
Be courageous. Intentionally make disciples – and plant new churches.
Peter Roennfeldt
CHURCH PLANTING NEWS – 23 July 2014
Samoan churches multiply in Melbourne – with plans for 3 more church plants in early 2015: Grace Connections in the south-east, north and west.
Katerini ‘House’ Church goes ‘messy’: In Katerini (below Mount Olympus, northern Greece) the small group of Adventists have purchased a house with rooms large enough for fellowship and activities – their ‘home church’. Looking for fresh ways to engage with friends and community they have a monthly creative, ‘messy’ church – with 40+ community children and parents participating. The fun, games, videos, stories, crafts develop themes. ‘All has a purpose,’ says facilitator, Nikos. ‘Families are involved for family is a high value in Greece.’
More stories: go to www.facebook.com/newchurchlife.
Equipping Resources & Opportunities
Revelation Seminars – reading guides & PowerPoint Presentations: For verse-by-verse & topical reading guides for the Apocalypse – ‘the revelation of Jesus Christ’ (Rev 1:1) go to www.newchurchlife.com – click the tab Revelation Seminars (on the left) where you will find the guides, PPPs and facilitator’s guide.
UK Growing Churches Report: Some important insights http://www.churchgrowthresearch.org.uk/UserFiles/File/Reports/FromAnecdoteToEvidence1.0.pdf
Social issues & faith: If your church plant, friends, or teens discuss social issues as a basis for exploring faith – here is a moving story. Becky tells her story – and her Mum’s unending love: Go to http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2627360/From-sweet-schoolgirl-alcoholic-sleeping-rough.html.
Bible Lands Study Tour – 15-30 June 2015: following the disciple making path of Jesus – a great opportunity to walk where Jesus walked! For more information write to [email protected]
Church Planting Summits – Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi (March-April 2015): for more details contact [email protected].
Flocktoc.com for small group Bible study chat: Lead or be involved – developed by Ken Norton, pastor at Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church (USA). See www.flocktoc.com.
Bookmark: Here is the bookmark Sarai refers to – printed & folded as a concertina. She used the green section Discovery 1 with her seat mate flying from Suva to Vanuatu –
CHURCH PLANTING NEWS
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