Prayer Calendar: November 30- December 6, 2014

Your missions prayer point inspired by The Call magazine for this week is:

PRAY that God will give you opportunities to encourage others in their journey towards becoming disciples of Jesus Christ. 

What are some ways you can encourage others in their faith? Share your ideas.

Teach and Disciple Others

An excerpt from...
Teach and Disciple Others

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By Scott Rambo, Missionary, Congo/Uganda
October-December 2014

I was minding my own business in my office, preparing a Bible story for an upcoming pastor’s training, when the watchman came to say that someone was at the gate to see me. Somewhat reluctantly, I left my desk to see who had come to visit. When I arrived at the gate, I saw a young man I knew I had met but couldn’t quite place. He introduced himself as Ishmael and reminded me how we had met at his uncle’s wedding four months ago.

Ishmael came looking for some Bible study books that he could use at his church where he led the choir and the youth group. I began telling him I didn’t have that kind of resource available and that we didn’t really use those kinds of materials in our ministry but that I would keep him in mind if I came across any. Then God smacked me in the head and reminded me that our ministry was Bible storytelling.

I invited Ishmael in and asked him if I could tell him a story from God’s Word. He said, “Yes,” and I told him the story from Mark 1:14-20 about Jesus calling His first disciples. After I finished telling the story, Ishmael told back as much of it as he remembered, and then we walked through the story together. As we discussed the story, asking and answering questions, I noticed he was struck by the way the disciples left their boats and followed Jesus immediately.

When we came to the point of applying this story to our lives, I asked Ishmael, “We saw how those fishermen left everything to follow Jesus; is there anything in our lives today that we need to leave behind to follow Jesus better?” He began to talk about several things he felt God was asking him to leave behind. After some more discussion, he said he needed to be going and we closed our Bible study in prayer.

When I finished praying, Ishmael said, “This story has touched me. Can I come again to hear another story?” He came back once every week or two to talk about another story, and it was a joy to watch him grow as he engaged God’s Word. But he didn’t stop there; he took what he was learning each week back to his church and used it there to teach and disciple others.

ACT: This month, use WGM’s speaker outline to share with others the ministry of Bible storytelling and invite others to get involved in this important discipleship cause.

The Jesus Place

An excerpt from...

The Jesus Place

By Nathan Waggoner, Missionary, Albania
October-December 2014

In 2013 our family began serving as World Gospel Mission missionaries in partnership with Planters Seed Foundation in the country of Albania. Our goal was to bolster the existing ministries of Planters and help plant an indigenous church in the village of Vlashaj.

Planters had already been working in Vlashaj when the door opened in 2001 for them to buy a house in the center of the village and renovate it into a ministry center for the community. Having a permanent presence in the village by way of the center announced that Planters was there to stay and was committed to being a part of this obscure village in central Albania. More than 600 Bible clubs later, our family is blessed to be reaping the years of investment as the Planters staff have sown the seeds of the gospel.

Recently, our colleague Genti was told, “Our son is always asking to go to the Jesus Place!”

When he later shared the conversation with me, I asked, “The Jesus Place?”

“Yes,” he said, “that is the name all the kids use for the ministry center!”

The Jesus Place. I can’t think of a better way for the ministry center to be known! That title didn’t come via a marketing campaign or even a sign on the building. It was given in response to the love of Jesus that has been demonstrated there throughout the years. As I thought about what it takes to create a Jesus Place, I was reminded of a quote by Dr. Steve Elliot from a recent WGM leadership retreat: “If you put love where there is none...then love is there.”

I believe that is how a ministry center becomes known as “The Jesus Place.” You put His love there!

Could that really be a way to begin the process of discipleship—making Jesus Places? As I have pondered this concept, I have had to ask myself, “Nathan, do others see you as a ‘Jesus Place,’ where they can come to find His love?”

The answer is simple: without the overflow of Christ’s love, No! I have absolutely nothing of value to give! I need personal Jesus Places in my own life so that I have His love to give to others. During our training to come to Albania, we were told, “When you go, they won’t just get the Message, they’ll get the missionary!” It is only the daily Jesus Places of time in His Word and prayer that give us the strength to live the message, not just speak it.

A weekly Jesus Place via a Sabbath rest has forced us to trust that God can accomplish through us in six days more than we could do ourselves in seven. Honestly, I don’t know what we would do without our Sabbath rest here in Albania. Sundays are the one day we don’t study a language or do office work (or even write articles for The Call). God uses the mental and physical rest of Sunday to propel us into the new week in His strength.

We have also sought to make a Jesus Place in our family. Family devotions help us re-focus on who we are in Christ and His call on our family. Cydil and I also realized that if we were to nurture and disciple our own kids, we needed to set aside intentional time with them, birthing what we affectionately call “Waggoner Wednesdays.” We spend Wednesday afternoons and evenings focusing on having fun as a family. It is less important what we do and more important that we do it together.

Jesus loves the people of Albania. He is at work here, and we are so blessed to be a part of what He is doing. As the church grows in the village of Vlashaj, we pray it won’t lose the nickname “The Jesus Place.” In Mark 6, Jesus’ own hometown rejected Him. The very place that had known Jesus the longest was the least open to His teachings and miracles. However, at the end of the chapter, Jesus returns to Gennesaret where He had recently been begged to leave, but this time they “immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region” bringing the sick to Him and “whoever touched him” was healed. That’s the kind of church we want Vlashaj to be—a place where Jesus is recognized instantly, the sick and hurting are always welcome and invited in, and healing is found for all who come to “touch Jesus.”

What about you? Where is your Jesus Place? Where do you experience the love of Christ? Could your family, work, community, or even you yourself use a Jesus Place? The good news is that anywhere can become a Jesus Place if you bring Christ’s love there!

ACT: Has your Jesus Place gotten a little dusty? Over the next month, be intentional about taking time to rest, study the Word, and pray. Create a pattern that can keep you growing in the love of Christ.

Prayer Calendar: November 23-29, 2014

Make note of this missions prayer point for the week of November 23-29:

ASK God to help you become a “Jesus Place,” always pointing people to Him. 

Learn more about he "Jesus Place" concept in the article The Jesus Place by Nathan Waggoner, serving in Albania with World Gospel Mission. 

Discipleship

An excerpt from...

Discipleship

Impacting Native American Communities

By Sandy Anderson, Missionary, American Indian Field
October-December 2014

A partnership on the American Indian Field with Disciple Nations Alliance is an example of discipleship that is now impacting Native American communities in Arizona. Through it, we as missionaries are learning and passing along the things that God is teaching us as we continue our journeys with Him.

DNA emphasizes following Christ’s example of ministry to the whole person, not separating the “spiritual” and “secular” parts of our lives. Another emphasis of DNA is to compare the biblical worldview with the prevailing worldview of our own cultures and the cultures around us. Native American communities (like many communities) usually have several churches that have been there for years, and yet, the family and community structures continue to be marked significantly by brokenness.

In October and November of last year, Scott Allen and Dwight Vogt of DNA helped present training sessions in Sells, Arizona, where missionaries and Tohono O’odham believers were encouraged and challenged by the teachings regarding the tendency so prevalent in our societies today to separate our lives into the “spiritual” and the “secular.” Two ladies in particular were encouraged and further challenged that what they do daily as they love and care for their grandchildren and other children and youth in their community mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally is a vital part of their ministry and most definitely does not take place only on Sundays or only within the four walls of their church.

Last fall, Dwight also joined my husband, LeRoy, and me on a trip to Kirtland, New Mexico, and met with missionaries and Native American believers from that community. Out of that time of learning and fellowship, Chris and Randy Amberman and a couple of the community pastors have started meeting together for prayer and fellowship and to plan ways the body of Christ can reach out to their community. One of the results was that several of the churches in the community worked together to organize the first-ever community Easter sunrise service in Kirtland. At that service, a couple of people began their journey as believers in Christ. These churches continue to look for ways to serve their community together.

Last spring, the staff at Southwest Indian Ministries Center spent several chapels on some of the DNA lessons, learning and being challenged to minister in wholistic ways and to look for the underlying worldview principles from which behaviors, problems, and issues in families and communities stem. This training is helping us focus on looking for the roots of beliefs and values that cause the visible fruits of behaviors and problems. Then, together with Native American brothers and sisters in Christ, we are searching for and finding the biblical answers to those issues.

ACT: As we on the American Indian Field learn and grow, I encourage you to join us on this journey that is impacting our ministries. Disciple Nations Alliance has recently launched an online opportunity to join with others around the globe through Coram Deo: A School for Discipling Nations.

Go Into the World and Make Disciples of All Nations

An excerpt from...

Go Into the World and Make Disciples of All Nations

By Kurt and Cynthia Zimmerman, Missionaries, Bolivia
October-December 2014

As teachers at Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center, we have the God-ordained opportunity to make disciples of many nations who in turn make disciples in many nations. Roughly half of our SCCLC families are Bolivian, but the rest are originally from other nations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. As students graduate, they often return to their parents’ home countries then disperse to other parts of the world. Today, SCCLC alumni are serving the Lord in Brazil, China, England, Korea, Nicaragua, and Papua New Guinea; not to mention Bolivia, Canada, and the United States.

Our prayer is that all of our SCCLC students will come to know Christ, grow as His disciples, and live faithfully for Him every day of their lives, wherever they may be. How can that happen? We have the privilege of sowing the seed of God’s Word every day in the lives of our students. From pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, each school day begins with prayer and devotions. Many more seeds are sown through daily Bible classes, weekly chapel services, and yearly retreats. Prayers and the godly influence of other believers serve to water the seeds, and God Himself makes them grow.

Even as we teach math, science, and social studies, we are entrusted with the awesome responsibility of living out the reality of Christ in us and reflecting the love of God in our words, actions, and attitudes. Undoubtedly, our students could easily answer for us the question posed by Oswald Chambers, “Is the Word of God tremendously penetrating and sharp in me as I hand it on to you, or does my life betray the things I profess to teach?”*

Making disciples involves not only teaching the Word, but also living the Word. We dare not teach about God without knowing Him ourselves and living in wholehearted surrender to Him. Thankfully, by His grace and power at work in us, His Word can penetrate both our lives and the lives of those we teach.

Year after year, SCCLC is blessed with tenderhearted students who hear the gospel, enthusiastically embrace the truth, and accept Jesus as their Savior. They grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, and many deeply desire to share their faith with others. There are those, like Fabricio, who have led their own parents to faith in Christ. Others pray faithfully for the salvation of their friends and family members, as Sofia does for her grandparents in China.

Of course, not everyone responds readily to the gospel message. Some seeds seem to lie dormant for years. Even so, we are convinced that God’s Word is never shared in vain. Time and again, former students have returned to us, exclaiming, “You’ll never believe what happened to me. I’m a Christian now! I knew there had to be more to life, and then I remembered. I remembered what I learned from the Bible at SCCLC. I have accepted Christ and now I am living for Him!”

Lord, thank You for Your patience with us. Thank You for redeeming us and for entrusting us with the Good News that is for all people. May we be forever faithful to You and truly be used by You to make disciples of all nations, who will, in turn, go and make disciples in all nations. To You be the glory. Amen.

*Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, (USA: Oswald Chambers Publications Association, 1992), January 28 entry.

MORE: Learn more about the ministries at Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center.

Prayer Calendar: November 16-22, 2014

Your missions prayer point inspired by The Call magazine for the week of November 16-22 is:

PRAY that the seeds of faith planted in the lives of students at Santa Cruz Christian Living Center will grow into mature trust. 

Kurt and Cynthia Zimmerman share more about their ministries as teachers at SCCLC in the article Go Into All the World and Make Disciples of all Nations that inspired this prayer point. 

Thinking Outside the Church Walls

An excerpt from...

Thinking Outside the Church Walls

Women’s Ministry in Peru

By Cathlene Strong, Missionary, Peru, and Tracy Dubois, Support Staff
October-December 2014

In the States, people bond over coffee, but for women in Peru, their relationships are formed over tea. In 2008, Cathlene Strong and Ann Seaney (Bolivia) held a Christmas tea for the women in the church. This was followed by a Mother’s Day tea in May 2009.

“We desired to get the women together to be encouraged from God’s Word,” Cathlene shared.

After the Strongs and Ann returned from homeland ministry assignment in the fall of 2010, the ministry began to take shape. Now, about 10 women meet the third Sunday of each month at Cathlene’s home. Whether they are learning to make cookies, sharing parenting advice, praying for each other, or encouraging unbelievers to accept Jesus, trust is being earned.

“I see this ministry as a vital means of encouragement,” Cathlene stressed. “We try to discourage them from bringing their children so it can be a time of just women talking, fellowshipping, and learning together. We endeavor to create a safe environment where they can share their struggles. I feel inadequate and yet blessed to be God’s channel of encouragement as I listen to, hug, and pray with them.”

An ongoing goal is to get the women to think outside the church walls and minister to others. Christmas has been an ideal time for such outreach as the women spearheaded projects that included the youth and entire church. They held a clothing drive, donated small gifts, bought bread, prepared hot chocolate, and donated school supplies in a small community outside Cusco. They have also made and delivered Christmas baskets to needy families and handed out goodie bags to patients at two local clinics. Playing Christmas carols with handbells during the events also brings smiles to many faces.

“In the end, young and old participated, but it was the women who organized the events,” Cathlene said. “What a blessing to see the church work together to reach out to others.”

GO: Cathlene is organizing a retreat for her women’s group. If you’re interested in helping, contact teams@wgm.org.

Go on Growing!

An excerpt from...

Go on Growing!

Colossians 2:6-7

By Lisa Fish, Missionary, Uganda
October-December 2014

Heritage International School in Kampala hosts over 25 nations in its student body, grades pre-kindergarten through high school. World Gospel Mission has asked us to share how discipleship, mentoring, and other types of growth happen “on the ground,” and I say our whole field, in fact all our supporters and ministry partners worldwide, have massively pitched in to see salvations, discipleship, mentoring, and many other types of growth happen at HIS.

When I first arrived in Uganda in 2004, Heritage was struggling to have enough teachers and enough students. We needed one to get the other, and we seemed to struggle for either one or the other, or both. The school held a lot of promise, however, and our missionary team across Uganda joined in praying for the school, its students and faculty, and the community the school reaches. Over the years, the school has grown in numbers, both in staff and students, and the evidence of the Lord’s working has never been more noticeable than now.

We’ve just come through the grueling process of accreditation, and we received recommendations from both the Association of Christian Schools International and Middle States accreditations. This is not only highly exciting but also a wonderful professional and academic step for all of us involved with ministries at HIS.

During this process, we have reviewed our methods and procedures, creating some, improving others, and always moving forward. Our missionaries, supporters, and ministry partners have jumped in with prayer and hands-on ministries. We rejoice with this achievement!

And yet just before Easter, we had spiritual proof of the academic, professional, spiritual, and prayer work we have done over these years as 16 students and two support staff members were baptized in a wonderful service, giving testimony of lives being changed and hearts moving closer to Christ.

Please don’t believe our testimony ends here. God will keep moving. Our job is to be on our knees, in the trenches, sending, giving, and going. 

PRAY: Heritage continues to grow, so providing quality facilities is an ongoing challenge. This month, pray for wisdom for Heritage’s board and administration as they guide the school and consider how big it should grow.

GO: Heritage International School is always looking for passionate, qualified teachers who are willing to make a long-term commitment to the Heritage community. For more information, contact recruiting@wgm.org or visit www.wgm.org/go.

Prayer Calendar: November 9-15, 2014

Your missions prayer point for this week inspired by The Call magazine is:

PRAISE God for the 16 students and two support staff from Heritage International School who were baptized in the spring. 

Heritage International School in Kampala hosts over 25 nations in its student body, grades pre-kindergarten through high school. Learn more about this educational cause: www.wgm.org/his. 

Invite. Transform. Send.

An excerpt from...

Invite. Transform. Send.

By Kennedy Kirui and Jonathan Mayo, Missionary, Uganda
October-December 2014

What started as a small prayer group and Bible study at one university in Uganda has now grown into a discipleship movement that is seeking to grow a passionate movement of disciples and campus churches on and beyond every university campus in Africa. We are currently working with nine universities in East Africa and sense God is opening more doors across Africa, especially since we have students from not only Uganda and Kenya, but also Burundi, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia. The University Discipleship Movement is growing into a reality that God is not only calling us to join Him in as He works in the lives of emerging leaders in Africa, but He’s also growing a discipleship movement that will spread across campuses and into every sphere of society. We believe this is the hope for transformation in Africa.

The DNA of UDM is discipleship. We achieve this through small groups, Bible studies, and one-on-one relationships between students and mentors. We disciple students who disciple others, who we hope will continue discipling still others (2 Timothy 2:2). God is blessing us with great opportunities to reach students from many different countries and backgrounds. This offers us a unique opportunity to impact deeply and influence widely.

We get new invitations every so often to new universities, and we are praying for more resources and more people who will respond to the call for help in engaging, equipping, and empowering emerging leaders in Africa. The demand for further education is huge, and, to us, this is a call to reach out wide and deep.

For us in UDM, we believe that the solution for Africa is not more money or political leadership. We believe at the very foundation that Africa needs discipleship—discipleship that will help people develop a godly worldview and have a biblical mindset. The church is growing the fastest in this part of the globe, but the greatest challenge is that most people remain just converts. Our call is to see more people become true learners and followers of Christ.

Join us as we continue to grow the discipleship movement in Africa.

GIVE: Provide Bibles, Bible study materials, books on leadership, and other needed materials for the University Discipleship Movement. Make checks payable to World Gospel Mission and write account # 21343 on the memo line. Send check donations to:

World Gospel Mission
P.O. Box 948
Marion, IN 46952-0948

Like Sisters

An excerpt from...

Like Sisters

By Esther Motts, Missionary, Japan
October-December 2014

Many young women in Japan do not have Christian friends outside of or even within their church to meet with or confide in. Oftentimes, they are left trying “to be a Christlike figure in the world” all alone. How do you live a Christ-centered life when the world around you (to which Christ is foreign) presses in and surrounds you? 

“There are so many questions I have about God and the Bible, but I don’t know who to talk to.”

One morning after a Sunday service, a young woman shared this with me. We talked for a while and then decided to meet outside of church every other Saturday. Our first meeting was at a nearby McDonald’s, where we talked and talked for hours.

“I always thought God was waiting to see if I would commit any sins today, and then punish me. He was always a frightening figure.”

She was like a dry sponge soaking up water when we talked together about the loving nature of God.

“I didn’t know He cared so much. I didn’t think God actually loved me to that extent.”

Eventually, some other young ladies joined us for our meetings. We cooked meals together, went on a day trip to Yokohama, and spent hours talking about life and everything. We discussed silly things like, “How did Lazarus come out of the grave when he was wrapped tight like a mummy?” We also discussed more serious topics like marriage with a non-Christian; hatred and forgiveness; the natural desires of a human being (such as sexual desires) and how we abuse them; our spiritual plateaus; and the power of God that heals, cleans, and creates, which far exceeds our abilities to mess up our lives.

It was so hard to say my temporary “goodbye” to these ladies when I returned to the United States for homeland ministry assignment, but it was more than rewarding when they said that we became like sisters who share everything and look out for each other. I am looking forward to returning to Japan and being able to share life with them again.

GIVE: Consider regularly supporting Zach and Esther Motts and their discipleship ministries.Ongoing financial support enables missionaries to minister effectively while helping you plan your giving on a regular basis.

Prayer Calendar: November 2-8, 2014

Your missions prayer point inspired by The Call magazine is:

PRAY that Japanese churches will know how to respond to young people looking for answers to hard questions. 

This prayer point reminds us to also pray for those involved in church ministries in Japan. To see the WGM missionaries serving in this capacity please visit www.wgm.org/japan.