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Illiteracy is a huge hindrance to the study of the Bible, but it’s one that we believe can be overcome. Hit the link here or click on the picture to find out how a new partnership is providing us with a tool to do just that. While you’re there, don’t miss the rest of our latest quarterly update from the field!
Our online newsletter is viewable as a PDF document. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader software installed, you may download it here.
Tags: Church planting, Discipleship, Evangelism, Faith Comes by Hearing, Jesus Film Project, Maya, Newsletter, Teen Cha
We believe in the power of the Word of God, that’s why a large part of our ministry is dedicated to preaching and teaching the Bible. Still preaching and teaching, at best, serve only as a gateway for personal exploration and application of the biblical text. It is a jumping off point for believers, encouraging them to dig deeper into what God would want to speak into their lives on any given subject. That is why personal study of the scripture is so important, and why access to the biblical text is such a fundamental necessity for any culture.
Here in the Yucatán, where almost 60% of the population speaks the Maya language, we’re glad to know that the New Testament has been in print for several years and is widely available. However, when the majority of those who speak Maya cannot read the language, the benefit of this printed biblical text is severely limited, and a large portion of the population remains cut off from access to the Word of God in their native language.
That is why we’re happy to be forming a partnership with Faith Comes by Hearing (FCBH), distributors of the Proclaimer Audio Bible. The Proclaimer is a device, approximately the size of a large radio, that is able to reproduce the biblical text for a group as large as 300 people. That means that even the illiterate will be able to hear and understand the message of the Bible in their native language. Furthermore, the fact that the device a single unit, and that it is solar or manually powered, opens up opportunities to transport the Word of God to places that lack even basic services.
But this partnership is about much more than just the distribution of devices. Just this week, I was able to speak with Gil Moreno, one of the FCBH ministry staff, who took me through their philosophy of setting up listening groups in order to facilitate Bible literacy and discipleship. Through a commitment of as little as 30 minutes a week, a group of believers can listen to the entire New Testament in less than a year. But they’re not only listening; in these groups, they’re interacting with the Word of God, recalling the stories, expressing their feelings, and applying the truths. That’s where the change occurs!
It’s our goal to implement these listening groups in conjunction with the churches that we are forming through our Jesus Film outreach. This way, even if a pastor is unable to visit a village for an extended period of time, discipleship is still taking place as new believers gather to hear and discuss the Bible. We hope to have our first batch of seven Proclaimers in use by the end of summer, with another two shipments to arrive soon after. It’s our prayer that this device and this new partnership will yield much fruit in our effort to disciple indigenous believers here in the Yucatán and beyond.
Tags: Church planting, Discipleship, Faith Comes by Hearing, Maya, Proclaimer
Not this group! (Proverbs 27:17)
If there was any doubt that we belonged to a vanguard mission organization, that was dispelled last week during our Association of Caribbean and Latin American Missionary Educators’ (ACLAME) Summit. As part of the ACLAME Leadership team, I was called upon to help organize this biennial event which brought together 52 individuals from 7 different countries.
During our time together, we received a word from our Executive Director, Greg Mundis, who cast vision for what he sees as a bright future for world evangelism, a task in which he sees educators playing a key role. Still, that was only one of several sessions that have left an indelible mark on those who attended. Paul Kazim, Mexico Area Director (photo left) spoke from Leviticus 19, reminding us that holiness is essentially taking on the characteristics of God. Assemblies of God Theological Seminary Professor, DeLonn Rance, challenged us to “live at the edge,” responding to God’s call to reach all nations.
These and several others blended their voices to encourage us and to strengthen the calling that each of us carries to pass on what we have received. (2 Timothy 2:2) What happened during those critical days is the essence of Proverbs 27:17–men and women, joining together so that each one might be improved or “perfected” into a more useful tool in the Master’s hands. This same blessing we desire to pass on to our Mexican colleagues.Â
In the month of August, we will be holding the first ever Mexican Education Summit (bottom graphic), an international effort that seeks to raise the bar in ministerial formation. Plans are coming into shape to host over 400 Bible School directors and professors from across the country. We’re praying that the event serves to motivate all who attend to dedicate themselves to the task of raising up leaders for this crucial time.
Also, this month, we are looking forward to graduation ceremonies at Instituto Biblico Bethel. In all, eleven students will be participating in the commencement activities, looking forward to launch out into the ministries for which they have been trained.
Can you pray with us for these events?
Tags: ACLAME, Discipleship, Instituto Biblico Bethel, Missions, team ministry
When it comes to accomplishing our goals on the mission field, we realize more and more that partnerships are crucial. Hit the link here or click on the picture to find out how those partnerships came into play during our Spring Impact construction and outreach project! While you’re there, don’t miss the rest of our latest quarterly update from the field, and be sure to follow the links for more content!
Our online newsletter is viewable as a PDF document. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader software installed, you may download it here.
Tags: Chi Alpha, Discipleship, Evangelism, Instituto Biblico Bethel, Maya, Missions, Spring Break
Spring Break is a well known concept here on the Yucatán Peninsula. Many residents have personal experience working in the Riviera Maya, where students descend to spend their week-long vacation. They speak of the droves of sunburned gringos on the beach or of the wild all-night parties in the clubs throughout that region. So imagine the surprise on their faces when we tell them that Spring Break can mean something radically different!
Starting this Saturday, March 9th, we will be hosting two Chi Alpha Campus Fellowship missions teams from the University of Virginia and American University. These students and their leaders have repurposed their Spring Break to make an impact here in the Yucatán!
This Spring Impact has a three-part mission:
1. Advance the construction of Instituto Bíblico Bethel.
Advancing Construction
Thanks to several key donations at the close of 2012 and the fundraising efforts of these students, we’ve been able to dedicate over $7,000 to this ongoing project. With these funds and the their hard work, the second floor of the school’s multi-purpose building will begin to take shape.
2. Stimulate ministerial formation among Bible School students.
Ministerial Formation
We’re teaming up these American students with their Mexican counter-parts. They’ll be working side by side thoughout the week, putting their education into practice both in ministry and in plain, honest, hard work.
3. Encourage evangelism efforts.
Encouraging Evangelism
More than 40 individuals will be divided between the villages of San Bernardo in the south and Sierra Papacal in the north in support of two, newly-planted churches. The groups will spend their afternoons in community service, door to door evangelism, and the invitation of residents to a special community day, where they will have the opportunity to respond to the message of salvation.
Would you pray especially for this time of construction and outreach? Pray for the health and safety of all involved. Pray for an ability to communicate both within the teams and among those who would hear the message of salvation. Pray that the churches would grow as a result of these efforts, and pray that both the Americans and the Mexicans would finish this trip with the sense that they have been used by God.
Thanks for standing with us!
Tags: Chi Alpha, Church planting, Discipleship, Evangelism, Prayer, Salvation, Sierra Papacal, Spring Break, SpringImpact, team ministry
Traditionally, missions has been the realm of those of White, Anglo-Saxon descent. The ranks of missionary heroes are full of names like Hudson Taylor or Jim Elliot. However, Latino, Chinese, or African names remain remarkably absent from such lists, even after decades of work within such nations.
We understand these tendencies. Those mentioned were ones who opened up new territories to the Gospel. But, now that those areas have been opened, what of those who have been reached? Do they have a responsibility to share in the burden of World Evangelism?
Jesus seemed to think so. His missions strategy was the original Pay it Forward plan. “Freely you have received, freely give” (Mat. 10:8). He expected his fledgling disciples to pass on what they had learned from Him, and he commissioned them to engage in that worldwide effort from the get-go (Acts1:8).
Still, while some have answered the call, actually reaching the country of their calling is a tremendous challenge. The reality here in Mexico is that, although missionaries are responding, the church as a whole remains largely non-committal in regards to missionary responsibility. This is dangerous, especially as unreached areas close to those fitting the traditional missionary profile.
This month, were working toward a solution. I had the chance to preach in our sectional pastor’s meeting, and I challenged our leaders to take steps to increase missions consciousness among their churches. Also, this week, we are in the middle of our District Missions Convention, “The Awakening of the Mayas to Missions.”
What is the goal of these efforts? It’s to encourage our churches to feel the responsibility of missions and to sense the empowerment that Christ has given to all his disciples regardless of nationality.
We believe that the Yucatán can be a force in missions. Pray with us to that end, and, maybe someday, we’ll read of a Norma Uitzil, or a Lidia Pompeyo among those lists of missions heroes.
Blessings on you as you stand with us in prayer!
Tags: Discipleship, Evangelism, Maya, Missions, Prayer, YucatanMissions
Practicing personal evangelism
Certainly that’s not right. The direction is supposed to be west, is it not? Well, if you live in Merida, and your goal is ministry among the Maya, then east is the direction you want to travel.
And go east we did, Joseph and I that is, to be a part of another Action Group training for the Jesus Film in Maya. We travelled three hours on a rather circuitous route to make it to the city of Tizimin, where one of my former students, Alex Canul, served as our host. Once there, churches from Tizimin, Espita, and Dzonot Carretero, five in all, were trained with the view to participate in a Jesus Film outreach in their area.
Of course, the goal of the Jesus Film is much more than simply the projection of the film itself. The goal is to leave a nucleus of believers, a functioning church, in each place it is shown. To do so, Action Groups are trained in everything from personal evangelism and testifying to teaching discipleship classes to new believers.
Pastor Alex Canul
Our time in Tizimin was a full day of teaching strategy, methods, and techniques, but we took time as well to emphasize our dependence on the work of the Holy Spirit to create opportunities, to open doors, and to work in the hearts of those reached by the film. We left satisfied with the ground that we were able to cover, but more desperate than ever for God to reach Maya speakers in the Yucatán with a clear presentation of the story of Jesus and a church home full of the sound of their native language.
Tags: Church planting, Discipleship, Evangelism, Jesus Film Project, Teaching
As we move into the second half of our term, we’ve seen God moving us to undertake a three-fold mission. In this prayer update, we present this vision to you so that you might agree with us for it’s completion.
Reach the lost
Since our missionary career began in 2004, our desire has been to reach others with the gospel. We’ve engaged that mission through social outreach, campaigns, and one-on-one evangelistic efforts. This term, we’ve had the opportunity to reach out to the indigenous Maya people in their own language. With your help, we can equip and send more teams to plant churches among them.
Remove obstacles to the gospel
I’ll never forget the sadness I felt as I watched one man walk away from the church. He was an addict, and that particular church had nothing to offer him to meet his needs. I prayed in that moment that I’d never have to witness an event like that again.
This term, we’ve seen God answering that prayer. We’ve been able to come alongside two drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers to introduce them to Teen Challenge resources. We are working to help them to shape and expand their programs. Our desire is to see these ministries become regional resources for people struggling with addictions.
Raise up others to do the same
At “Instituto Bíblico Bethel” we’re training up the next generation of pastors and missionaries. Regularly, we’re teaching such subjects as evangelism, apologetics, church planting, and missions, sharing our God-given vision. Right now, we’re halfway through a project to expand their facilities to better serve these ministers in formation. We believe that with your help we can reach our goal to finish this building in this term.
Tags: Church planting, Discipleship, Evangelism, Instituto Biblico Bethel, Jesus Film Project, Missions, Prayer
There are only a few things that I like better than baptisms. There is something about that step of obedience, that confirmation of the faith of new believers, and the determination to live a lifetime of discipleship. I’m always excited to take part. It’s even better when the baptisms represent the fruit of believers that are working to plant churches.
This time, I had the privilege of participating in the baptismal ceremony for the church in Holcá, Yucatán, which took place in Dzilam de Bravo. Pastor Angelino Ek, one of our Jesus Film Team members invited me to share during the service before taking part in the ceremony. What’s more, Kelly and the kids were there to participate and document it all! I’ve attached a YouTube video of the preaching and a gallery of the photos at the end of this post. Enjoy!
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Tags: Baptism, Discipleship
In the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about the power of the Spirit. It’s a power that God has promised to all who believe as Moisés found out. It’s a power to be His witnesses, a power that Guadalupe has experienced. Still, individual salvation is not the end of the process. Jesus announced His plan in Matthew 16:18 “…I will build my church…” Therefore, if we’re not about planting churches after the New Testament model, we’re failing to fulfill Christ’s stated mission.
Frankly, we’re not interested in failure. That’s why we’ve sought to stimulate church planting, first among the Maya though the Jesus Film, and now through a new opportunity that has opened to us at the Bible Institute. I was asked recently to teach the course on church planting to our second and third year students. Through a process of study, interaction, and contact with needy areas throughout the Yucatán, we’re seeking to create a plan of action so that each student finishes the course ready to plant a new church. Our prayer is that those who have yet to be reached by the gospel will never be out of the reach of a Bible-believing church, and that beginning disciples, like those studying with Guadalupe, will never have to search for a spiritual home. Pray with us as we step through this process!
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Tags: Church planting, Discipleship, Evangelism, Jesus Film Project, Maya
