“The graveyard of missions has become the vineyard of the Lord.”
-Victor John
Victor John was referring to north India, where the growth of the church has reached millions in the last twenty years. Before that, very few new believers had come to Christ in spite of ongoing missionary presence.
Luke 10 was the passage God impressed upon Victor as he prayed for two years about reaching the multitudes. “Look for persons of peace,” but that signboard will not be outside their house. These persons of peace you discover as you go. They bring access to the community, either through their own belief in Christ or through their connections to those who are ready to hear.
The Great Commission in Matthew 28 says to Go. Victor enlarged our meaning of this passage. He encouraged us to disciple people from the first time we meet, even before they believe. Once they believe, baptize them and immediately empower (encourage) them to share what little they know.
THE KEY PRINCIPLE FOR US?
Look for those who are ready to engage in conversation, to receive your help. Those are the persons of peace, and the access is not just them – it’s their entire network of relationships. The persons of peace reach their networks; it’s not up to you. The training and growth in faith happens as they go. Leaders emerge in this process, and in turn they start finding their own persons of peace in new places.
Thank you Victor!
We also heard this weekend of the generosity of our church off campus. $1 million via regular church giving, plus $400,000 through child sponsorship, global trips, and local generosity. We are richer, not poorer, because of this level of giving. Scripture bears this out:
“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:25)
Our child sponsorship numbers grew from 623 to 680. Well done, Connection Pointe! So many more children now have increased hope. If you would like to register for our child sponsorship community night on Nov 3, do so [here]. Our community nights are family-friendly events filled to the brim with stories, crafts, fun and food! You do not have to be a member of CP to attend and you do not have to be a child sponsor. Come learn about our work.
Global Notes now has 206 subscribers. Upcoming posts will include information on global partners visiting us October 20-21, and reports from our teams going to Navajo Nation, Mountain Mission School and Guatemala. October has become one of our most active months of the year for global involvement and awareness.
I have a few conversations lined up with those interested in missions. God is stirring a few more of our Connection Pointe members to come forward and explore overseas ministry. These are some of my favorite conversations.
ICOM registrations by Connection Pointe people are coming in. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about God’s work in the world. Dates are Nov 15-17 in Cincinnati. Connection Pointe members attend for free. More info on the ICOM in a future post, or you can visit www.theicom.org.
When you are ready to register for ICOM, use the code: cincy2018 and your registration will be FREE!
Til next week,
Dan
