God Has Gifted All of Us

Crisis Response Staff at Beacon Celebration

God has a purpose and plan for your life.  He has given you the gifts you need to accomplish His plans for His glory.  Listen to this short sermon from Pastor Pete Nelson at Beacon Church in New Jersey from the Sandy celebration.  ReachGlobal Crisis Response has partnered with this church for the past 2 years to help people rebuild their lives and homes after Hurricane Sandy.  How has God gifted you?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96RFvN26Ank

We have all come to love the people at Beacon Church.

Wawa at Haiti Summit 2014

Despite the many groups who have come to help in Haiti, the conditions are largely unchanged.  What do we need to do differently?  Are we listening to the real needs of the Haitians and stopping to understand their worldview?  Many Haitians have become Christians since the earthquake, but many still have a Voodoo worldview.  The Haiti Summit addressed the issue of worldview and challenged the many different groups represented to help change the hearts and worldview of Haitians rather than just focusing on external projects.  STEP is concentrating on discipling students who will then disciple others to change them through multiplication.

Could You Help Me

While working in New Jersey with ReachGlobal Crisis Response, Lenny would often grab a quick meal at a local restaurant.  A waitress, Jennifer, couldn’t help but notice his ministry shirt.  She asked him about what he did.  Lenny explained that they help people recover from disasters.  “People provide the materials, and we provide the labor.”  This led to a conversation about God.  Jennifer said in her southern drawl, “I pray all the time.”  She was raised Catholic in North Carolina, but she was no longer involved with any church.

The next time Lenny came to eat, they talked again.  Jennifer asked, “Do you think you could help me?”  Lenny asked if she had damage from the storm.  She replied, “No.  That’s not the kind of help I need.  I need financial help.”  She went on to explain that her boyfriend was in jail for a D.U.I. charge for 9 months.  He had a good job, and now she was struggling to pay rent.  Lenny explained, “We don’t normally help people financially, but I will ask.  Give me copies of your bills.  I have a couple of places I can ask.” 

They met for coffee that week, and she brought her bills.  They talked more and Lenny learned more about where she stood in her faith.  Then Lenny started making calls to different churches and organizations.  They all had more requests for funds than they could help meet.  The youth pastor from Tom’s River gave him a list of organizations who might be able to help.  Lenny and his wife Sue split up the list of calls, but everyone said “no”. 

Lenny called Jennifer’s landlord.  She was behind $3,000 in her rent.  He was charging her $10 a day interest.  That meant an extra $300 above her $1300 monthly rent.  Lenny pleaded with the landlord to drop the interest to help her out.  He would not budge.  He had his own late fees to pay.  Sue and Lenny prayed about what to do next.  They e-mailed church friends and supporters and set up an account for bills.  The first week, $650 came in.

The landlord waited a couple of weeks instead of evicting Jennifer and her two teenage sons.  The next week $500 came.  The gas company needed $200 next or the gas would be cut off.  $300 came in, and the kids were home when Lenny came to deliver it.  They wondered who he was.  Lenny checked and found out there was no food in the cabinets or refrigerator.  She was putting all her money into rent.  Lenny went shopping for them.

George suggested that Lenny needed to reach out to her boyfriend Brian in jail.  Visits were strictly limited.  Lenny called the jail and explained he was a missionary and would like to visit and bring Brian a Bible.  The response was, “We don’t consider missionaries clergy, and if he wants a Bible, we will get him one.”  He was allowed to go with Jennifer.  Brian cried when Lenny explained how he was helping.  Lenny talked Brian into going to Rehab for his drinking. 

Brian told Lenny that he used to go to a local church.  Lenny contacted the church.  The pastor said he was happy to meet with Lenny, but their benevolent fund was almost empty.  When Lenny and Jennifer met with the pastor, the pastor said, “I only had $200 when you called, but I now have $1,500.  What do you owe the landlord?”  Lenny added up the amounts and interest on his calculator.  It came to $1,440.  Jennifer broke down in tears.  Lenny placed his hand on hers and asked, “You know where this came from, don’t you?”  It was a God moment.  The pastor asked if she needed food.  He took them in a room with a freezer full of meat and shelves of canned goods.  She took several bags of food home to her family.  Then, enough money came in to the account to pay her electric and half of her gas bill.

Lenny took Jennifer and her sons to dinner and called and let them all talk to Sue.  The boys asked about Lenny’s job.  The one boy responded, “Gee, I’d really like to do something like that.”  Later, Jennifer sent a thank you note to Sue, and Sue sent her a book.  Brian and Jennifer plan to attend church when Brian is done with Rehab.  Please keep this family in your prayers.

The Shadow of a Great Rock in a Thirsty Land

When I spoke on the phone with my daughter Jacqueline, she shared what she had been reading in her devotions.  In Isaiah 32, it talks about the king and rulers. Verse 2 says, “Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the dessert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.”   Jacqueline said she wants to be like that, and so do I. 

God certainly fits that description.  I want Him to be so in control in my life that His great love flows out of me.  I want to be a comfort, a refresher, and a person others can come to for peace and safety.  That is only possible to the extent that I allow God to be in control.

The One I Love

Jacqueline, my youngest daughter, shared her thoughts with me.  It is not fun going to school and working while still finding time for ministry.  It is not the easiest time in life.  She thought, “My sister does not want to be where she is, but she is with her husband, the one she loves, and so she is happy to be with him where he is.  I may not be doing what I want or be where I want to be in life, but I am with the one I love, and He will never leave me.”

She is content to be wherever doing whatever, because God is with her, and He is the one she loves.  As a mom, I could not be more pleased than to know the one my daughter loves is God, and He is enough in any situation.  When I feel like complaining, I need to remember that I am with the one I love, and He will never leave me.  I can truly do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

Changed Forever

Jamie with homeowner

 

Jamie’s life was thrown into turmoil with her mom’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis.  Her mom was her best friend, and they often hung out together.  They lived in Illinois, but her dad lived in Arizona. With newfound free time, Jamie started attending Campus Life at her high school in January 2009.  Her heart ached with questions.  “Why would God do this to her mom?  What did I do?  Why is this happening now?”  Campus Life welcomed her in as family.  They organized a trip to serve in New Orleans with ReachGlobal Crisis Response starting the end of March through the beginning of April. The group invited Jamie to help clear her head by getting away and spending time serving others in another community.  This trip changed her life forever, because on the last day, Jamie accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

Her heart had been captured by the community in New Orleans and how she had witnessed the love of Christ in action.  She knew she would return, but she had to wait.  She headed to Spokane, Washington to attend Moody and kept a fully loaded schedule of classes to accelerate her time in college.  Then, in June, she became Katie Manning’s surprise intern.  Katie and Jamie were not even sure whether they had ever met, but Jamie had longingly been following the intern opportunities online awaiting the day she could come.  At Moody, she had learned a lot about God and His love and had grown in her faith.  Now, she wanted to learn the practical side of doing ministry in a Christ-like way.  She wanted to come and do what she had done 5 years earlier.

Katie with interns

This time, Jamie had something to share to change lives.  She said, “It was a great blessing just to see how my knowledge of the Lord and His Word has really impacted New Orleans as well as myself.  I’m able to minister because His Word and love are in my heart.  At Moody, you learn, but you never really learn how to be in community with each other.  You don’t learn how to not judge others for who they are or where they come from.  Here, you learn that very quickly.  Just because this person is different or has a different past than I do doesn’t mean I have a right to judge them for who they are, where they are going with the Lord, or where they are at with the Lord.  Everyone is in different places here.”

Interns see French Quarter with Katie

 

Jamie is pursuing a degree in counseling and used her training to help homeowners and staff in New Orleans.  She starts graduate school in September.  In spring 2016, she will be back in New Orleans to intern with Crisis Response for graduate school.  Her special verses she committed to memory for the summer were I John 4:7-21.  Some of her benefits from her internship were learning to persevere and move forward in ministry, better time management skills, learning to be available to follow God’s leading, and taking a Sabbath day with God.  She feels better prepared as a counselor.

Interns at work site

 

Jamie says, “If you want a hands-on way of learning what God’s love is like, then come down with Crisis Response.  There’s no other way to learn the power of God’s love and the power of prayer than working with something like Crisis Response.”  She added that you need to come with flexibility and a servant’s heart.  Check out http://go.efca.org/opportunities/internship/crisis-response-internships for more information on internships with ReachGlobal Crisis Response.

 

Interns

 

A Burning Passion

Sarah and Matt Bruzzi

 

Driving home after leading a T.I.U. missions team to New Orleans with ReachGlobal Crisis Response, Sarah and Matt Bruzzi both individually felt a burning passion to return to New Orleans to live.  They attended an EFCA retreat the following week.  Here they met Dale Fritz, Executive Director of ReachNational, and they shared their call to New Orleans.  He suggested they contact Glen Schrieber, EFCA Southeast District Superintendent, who just happened to be at T.I.U. that week for EFCA Week.  Glen met them for breakfast and helped them make more important contacts.  God gave them a vision for church planting.  They called Pastor John Gerhardt at Castle Rock Community Church in New Orleans.  Matt went first to find housing and a job while Sarah finished up college.  A place vacated as he came for $200 a month, and Starbucks transferred him from his current work location to NOLA.  God then provided teaching positions for both Matt and Sarah at the same school in New Orleans.

Sarah's First Trip to NOLA

The EFCA’s church planting vision includes “no church planter would be left alone.”  This is true in the New Orleans area.  Matt and Sarah Bruzzi are part of the church planter internship program.  Pastor Gerhardt and Castle Rock Community Church provide support and training for the Bruzzis, and the Bruzzis are an active part of the church. “They are a part of our family, and we are a part of their family,” expressed Pastor Gerhardt. Pastor Gerhardt is pleased that they “jumped in and started making relationships.”  He said, “They folded into the neighborhood.”

As Glen Schrieber, pointed out, “We don’t just lay a mantle on them and tell them to go do it.”  Matt and Sarah will experience 2 years on the ground to get a feel for the city and find out what area fits their vision, personality, and makeup.  Matt said he is learning what it means to plant a church in NOLA.  They are researching the target area, immersing themselves in the community, and building relationships.  Matt emphasized the importance of being faithful and ministering in their current position and neighborhood.  As Christians, we are to be a witness and disciple others wherever God places us.  They are praying and listening to discover their next step and specific location.  Matt requested prayer so they serve in God’s power and not their own.

Pastor Gerhardt explained that urban church planting is more like an onion than a banana.  Onions peel in layers, and there are times you put it down and cry.  Onions add flavor.  Emphasis is on dependency on Christ.  Monthly and yearly planning with prayer helps them live intentionally.  Church plants are encouraged to emphasize radically loving Jesus and others while also keeping a balance of evangelism and leadership training.  They want to form missional churches that will reproduce and multiply.

To become a church planter, you need a calling, chemistry to fit the area and culture, competency, and character to fight spiritual battles and persevere through the challenges that will come.  It is not just for a certain personality.  God can use anybody.

Needs in NOLA church planting include financial support for planters, a healthy relationship with existing churches, a good plan, continuing to build and recruit other churches, and finding a church building catalyst for the SE district to recruit, train, and equip.  There is a huge interest and a huge need in New Orleans for spiritual renewal.  Bruce Redmond, Director of Church Planting for the Southeast District, pointed out the many ways Hurricane Katrina changed New Orleans.  There has been an influx of young people, more professionals, and many undocumented workers from Central America and Mexico.  We need lots of partnerships, courage, and people who are called and equipped with the capacity to plant churches. 

 

Use this link to request more information on church starts or planting a church:  http://sed-efca.org/church-starts/church-starts-contact-page/ .

Matt on NOLA Missions Trip

Where God Wants Me to Be

Dorinda

 

Dorinda Bogran and her family returned after Hurricane Katrina to their home in Abita Springs to find the yard littered with trees.  They needed help, but they could not afford to hire someone to remove the mass of debris.  They feared the trees would remain until they rotted away.  Dorinda, a member of Trinity Church, heard from others at church that people were coming to help.  She called the church and spoke to Ralph Erickson, a pastor managing construction projects for Crisis Response, who added her name to the long list of people in need.

Life went on.  School started October 1, the church activities reopened, Dorinda continued working as an office manager in downtown Covington, and the church learned how to make things work while housing hundreds of volunteers each week.  To Dorinda’s amazement and delight, a team from ReachGlobal Crisis Response came and cleared the entire yard in one day!

Dorinda liked her job, but she started experiencing “a holy disconnect”.   She felt strongly this was not where she was meant to be.  She prayed, “God, I only want to be where you want me to be.”  She knew what it was like to be out of step with His will, and she wanted clear direction.  She asked God to open and shut opportunity doors.  It was time for change, so she prepared her resume.

Dorinda drove to Trinity Church to pick up her son Vaughan from youth group.  Three hundred volunteers were in the sanctuary for orientation.  She listened as she waited and heard the need for long-term staff.  Dorinda asked Mary DeMarco what was involved with joining staff.  Mary said, “We are all missionaries.”  She went on to explain that this meant you had to raise your own support.  Immediately, objections popped into Dorinda’s mind.  She needed to earn money and help support her family.  She dismissed the idea.

On Wednesday nights, the church family was welcome to join teams for dinner before the church’s evening programs.  Mark Lewis came up beside Dorinda and said, “So, I hear you are interested in joining Crisis Response.”  Dorinda informed him that it was impossible.  Mark replied, “You know our God is all about doing the impossible.”  Dorinda conceded, “You’re right about that.” 

Dorinda agreed to meet Mark at the picnic tables outside Trinity Church to talk.  Knowing nothing about Dorinda’s training, Mark asked, “Tell me about yourself.”   Dorinda explained her training and experience as an office manager.  Mark shook his head and chuckled softly.  As they continued to talk, Mark laughed.  He explained that he had been praying with his wife Denise for 6 months for God to send an office manager to join Crisis Response staff.  That coincided with when Dorinda had started feeling her holy discontent.  He suggested they start the process and allow God to open and shut doors.

In December 2008, Dorinda began her job as Crisis Response office manager.  She loved “knowing for sure that this is where the Lord wants me to be.  That is a really good thing.”  She can deal with any problems she faces, because she knows she is in the center of God’s will for her life.  Watching God in action providing and answering specific prayer requests has been a privilege.  The continued presence of a Christian volunteer organization in the city raises good questions.  Residents recognize the green shirts and know these people are here to help.  Her biggest joy though has been seeing her husband find Jesus as his lord and savior.  Through her being on staff, “he saw real guys who loved Jesus and loved him as he was.”   Dorinda feels blessed serving with the staff and volunteers.

Maybe this is where God wants you to be too.  Pray for God’s leading.  Come on a vision trip and check out Crisis Response.  There are many positions available requiring a variety of skills.  Dorinda would love to see a finance team in place.  Go to http://go.efca.org/opportunities/ways-serve and filter for North America.  You will see many current opportunities to serve with Crisis response.

 

Staff at February meetings

Challenge 2014

 ReachGlobal Crisis Response partnered with Hershey Free Church and friends from Berlin, Germany to recreate a street and café from Berlin.  The Love Moves Café represented Jesus in action.  “When Jesus was moved by love, what He left was so gripping He couldn’t ignore it.  He was moved to action.”   The recreated street included an urban walk and the invisible wall.  The walk and wall enabled students to see how choices they make impact cities like Berlin as well as their own community.  These choices are as small as what shirt and products you buy to websites you visit.  As the students exited the walk, they could purchase coffee at the Love Moves Café to help support ministries in Berlin.

At Challenge:

  •Dozens of teens committed their lives to Christ.

•48 children were sponsored through Global Fingerprints

•1500-2000 teens went out to 45 service projects each day

•3000 tires were removed from Kessler Park in Kansas City

•The Love Moves Cafe raised over $7,500 for 5 ministries in Berlin

•5500 people went through the Love Moves Berlin exhibit, learning about human trafficking and the church in Berlin

Someone Invited Him

Steve visited church as a teen for a while after his brother committed suicide.  He stopped attending church and moved on with his life with a career and marriage.  He felt empty inside, and his life gradually fell apart.  He became addicted to heroine, his wife left, and he was jobless.  After his third time going through drug treatment, he moved into a sober house.  A guy there invited him to come to church with him at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church.  On his third visit to church, he noticed an announcement for a missions trip to Staten Island with ReachGlobal Crisis Response.  He checked into what a missions trip was, and he decided he would like the opportunity to help other people get back into their homes.

On the trip, he found true faith in Christ.  He came back to help for a couple of extra weeks.  Steve said, “This is amazing.  I would have never guessed any of this would happen.  I am very blessed.” 

The Best Gift

 Katrina and Enrique at Salem Church Baptism

At the baptism at Salem Church I met a homeowner named Enrique.  This sweet man is friendly and thankful for everything people do to help him.  He tried to work on his house damaged by Sandy nearly 20 months ago, but it was more than he could do by himself.  He did not want to ask for help, because he was afraid others needed it more than him.  He volunteers to help others “worse off than me”.

 

Aiman took me to Enrique’s home.  Enrique was washing his laundry in a bucket when we arrived.  The interior walls and most of the insulation were gone in his house.  A mattress, couch, table and chair reveal that he is still living here.  A grill in his shed provides a means of warming water for baths, laundry, and cooking.  His neighbor is generously allowing Enrique to connect to electricity at no charge.  Volunteer teams from Crisis Response have been working with Enrique on his home, praying with him, and sharing with him about God.

 

The following week, Enrique again attended Salem Church.  On Monday afternoon, Enrique called Katrina over to him and said, “Katrina, I do not know what happened yesterday at church, I just wanted to cry.  I didn’t because I was ashamed.  I felt so light I could fly.” He spoke of having goose bumps and a new feeling he had never had.  Enrique usually can only understand half of what he hears in English, yet at church he understood 97%. Enrique was smiling when he told Katrina he only misunderstood three words in the whole service.  

The following night, Enrique joined a volunteer team visiting the Brooklyn Tabernacle.  He had been asking many questions about God.  While walking with Billy, a volunteer from the Georgia team, back to the Staten Island Ferry station, Billy asked Enrique, “If you were to die right now, do you know where you would go?”  Enrique answered, “No.”  Billy asked, “Are you okay with that?”  Enrique was not and asked if he could say the prayer of salvation.  The rest of the group joined them for Enrique’s prayer.  Enrique knew what to say and how to say it without any direction. He was crying, and they were crying.  He came back with the team.  When Katrina heard he had accepted Jesus as his savior, she said, “I am so happy for you.”  He replied, “Not as happy as I am.”  

On sharing night, Enrique was given a Spanish/English Parallel Bible that many of the team members signed.  Enrique said that it was one of the best gifts he had ever received.  When Enrique cried, so did everyone in the room.  This is just the beginning of the story.  Enrique is already sharing the Gospel with his neighbors.

Enrique and Aiman



God Care About the Little Things Too

 

Jacqueline and Lily standing in back at Aiman's for lunch

 

Jacqueline, a volunteer with ReachGlobal Crisis Response, spent some time with Lily, a homeowner.  Lily does not drive, so Jacqueline drove her to the grocery store.  Lily had eaten kale recently and was impressed with how good it tasted.  She had hoped to buy some, but she did not because of the price.  She and Jacqueline joined the work teams at Aiman’s house for a lunch feast cooked by his mom.  

After lunch, Jacqueline waited outside while Lily checked out Aiman’s tent. Lily emerged with a big smile and proudly held up some kale.  Jacqueline was amazed and asked, “You found Kale in there?”  Lily exclaimed, “Yes!  He always knows just what I need.”

Jacqueline was impressed that Lily automatically credited this gift to God.  Lily has been discouraged recently.  God used kale to show her He cares about even the little things in her life.  God is so awesome!



Pray for Haiti Summit

Dr. Jean Dorlus wrote in Curriculum Development for Social Transformation , “Although there is a place for serious research to undergird practice in Christian service, the Christian worker relies primarily on the leading of the Spirit to receive a vision and to implement it.  In other words, we do not call the shots, God does.  It means that we wait to find out where God is working in order to follow him there and to work as he commands.  It is at this very juncture where a life of prayer and dependence upon God’s guidance reveals itself all the more important in Christian service.”

As the second Haiti Summit approaches in September, please be in prayer for God to lead and us to follow.  Pray for real lasting change in Haiti, and real lasting change in the United States because of work in Haiti.

Dr. Dorlus also wrote, “The implication is then clear: social transformation is not the work of clever Christians with fertile mind, sparing no expense.  It is God’s work.  If it were the work of man for man’s glory, it would not differ from the social gospel of a few generations ago.”

We want to be part of God’s work.  We want to glorify Him.  God has given a vision to the Haiti Consortium as a result of Haitians and Americans joining in prayer, conversation, and cooperation.  The results will be transformed lives.  This requires much ongoing prayer from many.  Will you take up the challenge to pray for the Haiti Consortium?

Helping Without Hurting

 Dr. Dorlus

 

“I think there are churches, missions committees, and people in leadership wresting with ‘How do we do things differently?  How do we go into a third world context and simply not foster some of the negative stuff we see going on?’” pointed out Senior Pastor George Davis of Hershey Free Church.  “We don’t know how to do that.  I think the Haiti Summit is a great opportunity for people to explore that and to see a working model without necessarily getting involved in Haiti.” The Haiti Summit will meet September 24-26, 2014 at Constance Free Church in Andover, Minnesota.

The book When Helping Hurts has garnered a lot of attention, and people see the problem of ministry that fosters dependence.  The question is how do we do it differently? 

“One of the keys to doing it differently is building relationships with the people you are working with and listening to them rather than simply doing it for them.  Those are the recurring themes in the consortium.”

Dave Hyatt, Pastor for Global and Local Outreach at Hershey Free Church highlighted why people should attend the Haiti Summit.  “If people are considering involvement in Haiti, or anywhere honestly, to hear from national partners is really, really critical.  Typically missions and ministry is from the West to the rest or things we can do to Haitians or for Haitians.  This is really considering a vibrant partnership where we hear from them.   We do things together.  We learn from some of the mistakes that have been made in Haiti and also celebrate some of the successes.”

Dave added, “The vision of the consortium ‘to see an indigenous, disciplemaking and multiplying church within walking distance of every Haitian, which demonstrates and engages in proclaiming the transforming power of the Gospel’ is going to take a lot of resources, a lot of people pulling together.”

2013 Haiti Summit Panel Discussion

 

The Haiti Consortium is involved with Global Fingerprints that helps keep families together, Haitian Perle coffee production to fund missionaries from Haiti to Senegal, Leadership Development, Community Health Evangelism, Community Agriculture Evangelism, Community Education Evangelism, and a study of the Haitian worldview.

Dave pointed out, “There are a myriad of needs.  One of the big things about getting involved is that it is not a defined ‘Here’s what we need and here’s how you can be involved.’  It is really asset based.  We say, ‘What does your church do well?  What are the particular needs of your congregation?  How could involvement in Haiti help you?’  It is a two way street.  It is a conversation.  Ministry there isn’t just what you can come in and offer, but we want to see those who come and the churches that are involved be part of the discipleship process in the lives of their congregation.”

To learn more about the Haiti Summit and how you can be involved, go to http://go.efca.org/opportunities/conferences/haiti-summit-2014 . 



 worship time

 

Meeting to form Haiti Consortium

The Rock Guy

Jackie Passer shared this story.  God is working in a huge way on Staten Island in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The hurricane was 20 months ago, but many are living as if it was just yesterday. George, a senior citizen, has become known by our volunteers as "the rock guy".   Each day for 7-8 hours, the teams carried rocks into his yard. Teams poured big rocks, little rocks and tiny rocks by the bucket loads into his yard day after day to improve drainage in his backyard so his house doesn't flood again. The team layered large rocks (from concrete slabs removed from other locations by another part of the team by sledgehammer and loaded by hand into a trailer), then small rocks George had purchased, and lastly, a layer of dirt over the top raising the yard about 2 feet all around the house.

 Now you'd think George would sit back and let the young people do all the work while he watched, but not George! He was right there filling bucket after bucket of rocks for the bucket brigade of 12-15 teens. The kids noticed how hard he worked and how much he built them up.  When work sites were assigned, these kids begged to go back to George's. The work was hard and the buckets were heavy, but the kids loved George and wanted to be with him.

 

The night before the teams leave we have a time of sharing.  Person after person shared about how they moved rocks each day and how those rocks, that were seemingly endless, affected them and how God was working on them through George and his perseverance. But it wasn't until George himself shared about how he saw God move through every kid that reality hit. We are affecting lives for eternity and for God's glory. George became one step closer to a relationship with the God that allowed this huge disaster to hit his neighborhood but then brought a bunch of teenagers who paid to come and help him. He was blown away by this! And God was glorified. The kids wept as they shared, some even saying that they finally could take on a faith of their own rather than their parent's faith.

One volunteer shared how she was learning from the daily Discovery Bible Studies how to serve others and not think so much about herself. This young woman cried Thursday night when learning their leaders had decided to not work on Friday morning. The job wasn't completed at George's and she wanted to make sure the team coming in next would be helping George. She hugged him and told him how much she loved him, and she plans to return to Staten Island to check on George.

George is on the left. They are having lunch cooked by Aiman's mom.

Letting God's Word Teach

“Roughly half of all US churches did not add one person through conversion last year,” shared Richard Williams, Regional Vice President with City Team DMM (Discipleship Making Movements).  Obviously, something is wrong.  DMM focuses on making disciples and planting churches through finding a person of peace with whom to work.   The emphasis was on the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to transform people, families, and communities.  It is not about religious conversions, but bringing people into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Discovery Bible studies (DBS) is at the core of the movement.

“We often expect people to accept our culture (or commit cultural suicide) before they can accept our Jesus.  … We must not transmit the gospel of the church but the gospel of Jesus Christ,” shared Williams through a power point.  DMM does not require degrees, credentials, or past leadership skills to lead a Bible study but uses willing people to reach into their sphere of influence.  It disciples to conversion and starts with creation, not Christ, to build a strong foundation.  The groups meet wherever it is convenient for those interested.

The group facilitator (the person of peace), not necessarily a Christian, looks at a passage of Scripture with the group.  Each person restates the passage in their own words.  Then they formulate “I will …” statements to obey what they learned in the passage.  These must be concrete and measureable so they can know if they applied what they learned. They share what they have learned with others.   Williams stressed “Teaching obedience produces mature disciples rather than knowledgeable converts.”  They are learning to be obedient to God’s Word and not just to a particular teacher.  Groups grow through multiplication, not addition, as each member grows to a point where they can start their own group.

Massive prayer support is needed behind the scenes, and spiritual warfare is common as we reach out to unreached people.  Williams also stressed the importance of reaching families rather than aiming at one family member.

Mallory, a summer intern, said she learned that you don’t have to know everything about the Bible to be a disciple, and bringing a person to church isn’t often as effective as going into their culture area.  It was a new idea to her to let the lost lead Bible studies.

 

Emily, another intern, found it freeing that she did not need to rely on time frames.  “It is about how the Spirit works in that person.  I’m impatient.  It is however the Spirit leads, which takes the load off my shoulders.”  Another point that stuck out to her was to not be religiously obnoxious.

It amazed Emily how much she is learning already. “This is real stuff.  God is real.  This is part of why I am here.”  Both young women feel the techniques they learned for studying God’s Word can be applied in their own devotional time.  Emily said, “I’ve been a fan of God, not a follower.”  She wants to start applying what she learns.

For more information on DMM, contact Richard Williams at 610.872.6865 or through e-mail at rwilliams@cityteam.org.

Made It!

At first glance, the words “Made it!” posted by Emily Cruz on Facebook could just mean her two day car ride to Covington, LA was over.  In Emily’s case, it means much more.  After attending meetings In Louisiana in September, Emily knew God wanted her there working with ReachGlobal Crisis Response. 

With the help of Connie and Drew at EFCA, Emily began the ENGAGE short-term application.  In the beginning, she kept up with deadlines as she plowed through paperwork.  Drew was impressed to see someone so young not procrastinating.  This encouraged her to press on.  Pastor Steve Frykholm, Pastor of Small Groups and Missions at Lebanon Area EFC, sat down with Emily and helped her complete her theological questionnaire in one day!  Emily said, “I got so much Jesus at one time. Through the application process, I learned so much about God and grew so much.  I got to see who I was, what traits God gave me, and flaws I needed to work on.  I discovered myself in a new way.”  It was hard sharing intimate details of her life with strangers as she answered questions.

Then came the waiting.  Drew called over Christmas break.  He reviewed the answer could be yes, not yet, or no.  Emily’s heart beat harder wondering if he was preparing her for refusal.  Then Drew added, “I want to be the first to congratulate you.  You have been accepted for summer internship.”  Emily breathed deeply.  She had made it.  It did not sink in immediately that it was not for a full year as she hoped.  With excitement she shared, “Drew, I was blessed to go through the application process.  I learned so much about God and myself and who I am in the eyes of God.”  It was one of the best experiences of her life.  She knew her internship would enable her to grow more in her relationship with God.

She was a little upset about all that work for only summer approval.  Then, she thought, “Get over yourself.”  They had not said “no”, and she knew God had a plan for her.  Spiritual warfare followed with many obstacles and changes in her life.  She focused on her job, her online class, moving, and church, but she did not know how to proceed to find health insurance or raise support. 

Since Drew had many applications to process, Jen took over hers.  In April, Jen called and asked, “How are you doing with support raising?  How are you doing with support letters?  How are you doing with health insurance?”  Emily answered each question, “I don’t know.”  Jen replied, “What do you know?  You realize you can’t go if you don’t get this done?”  Tears were running down Emily’s face as it all sunk in.  She had not been applying what she had learned.

Emily went to her church family, and they jumped in to help her.  They set up an opportunity for her to speak in church and helped her get support letters into church member’s mailboxes.  A Crisis Response staff member made sure she had a display board, prayer cards, and fresh baked cookies for her church display.  As Emily spoke to her church, she saw so many who she knew cared.  People were praying for her and sharing her prayer card.  Her support need was met in a month’s time.  Katie and Ariealle helped her find health insurance.

Emily with Pastor Steve

 

Emily is finally here.  Her first thought was, “I’m home.”  She reviewed all she had gone through to get here, how her faith had grown, and how she had seen God at work in her life.  She looks forward to what God will do in and through her this summer.

Mallory, Laura-Jean & Emily at Intern House