Outreach Ministries RSS Feed - Grace Community Church

Grace to Europe - Part 5

Today we find Pastor John in Ukraine, the last stop on his preaching tour through Europe. He has traveled to Spain, Switzerland, Italy and Germany and preached dozens of times to thousands of people. It has been a joy to "follow" him on his trip and see a small part of the impact it had in the lives of many believers in Europe and the encouragement it was to our missionaries.

While in Ukraine, Pastor John participated in the 20th anniversary celebration of Irpin Biblical Seminary. Iprin is led by Greg White, Bruce Alvord and Brian Kinzel. Brian wrote the following to his supporters as he looked forward to this joyous event:

Irpin Seminary is hosting a pastor’s conference to celebrate our 20th year. We are expecting 1200 people. Our own beloved John MacArthur is the featured speaker. We have Russian-speaking leaders coming from all over Ukraine, as well as Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Austria. Pray for that this will encourage church leaders to give their attention to the Word of God, and that the Lord will send revival to Ukraine.

After the conference, the Ukraine team published some photos from this landmark event.

On the morning of October 17, 2011 Irpin Biblical Seminary Irpin welcomed John MacArthur, a pastor-teacher of world renown who came to Ukraine to share a joyous event - the 20th anniversary of IBS alon with alumni from various years, teachers and students. The anniversary celebration was held on 17-18 October 2011, and was attended by more than one thousand graduates of IBS and other guests from around the world. Pastor John MacArthur addressed the audience with four edifying sermons, answered numerous questions.

Pastor John preaching during a session at the anniversary conference.

Pastor John with (from left to right) Bruce Alvord, Brian Kinzel, Greg White and Dr. Yaremchuk (president of IBS).

Those who attended the conference were so thankful for Pastor John's clear teaching.

We hope you've enjoyed this look into the ministry of both Pastor John and our missionaries during the month of October. If you would like more information about our missionaries or the ministries they work with, please email us or call 818-909-5700.

Grace to Europe - Part 4

So far we've followed Pastor John on his trip through Europe to Spain, Switzerland and Italy. Today we'll learn more about his visit to Germany and the European Bible Training Center (EBTC). EBTC is led by our missionaries, Christian Andresen, Dieter Borchmann and our missionary partner Martin Manten. Below they write in anticipation of the conference commemorating the 10th anniversary of EBTC.

"2011 Anniversary Conference"

Pastor John preaches at one of the conference sessions.

One of the key ministries at EBTC is the translation of solid biblical materials for pastors and lay people.

Pastor John poses for a photo with the Roberts family, Grace Church missionaries in the Czech Republic who traveled to Germany for the conference.

In addition to preaching, Pastor MacArthur was able to encourage the students studying at EBTC though Q & A sessions; below is a recording of one of the sessions. Christian Andresen gives an introduction and Pastor John is then translated by Martin Manten.

By all accounts, the conference was a great success and encouragment to the believers who attended. We're so thankful for how He has worked in and through the EBTC and we're looking forward to what He will do in the coming months and years.

As we draw this series to a close, we'll continue with Pastor John next time at his last stop in Ukraine.

Grace to Europe - Part 3

Today we continue following the path of Pastor John on his trip through Europe as he visits our missionaries in Italy (his previous stop was in Switzerland). Below is a letter from Grace Church missionary Massimo Mollica looking forward to Pastor John's visit.

Dear Family and Friends,

This month we are privileged to welcome Pastor John MacArthur to both our church here in Perugia and to the Focus Conference. This Sunday evening, October 9, we will hold a special evening service to celebrate the Lord providing an Italian pastor for our church (Lucio Stanisci, our GMI ministry partner), in which John MacArthur will preach a charge to Lucio and the church.

Then, from October 10-14, John MacArthur will be joined by Lucio, Dr. Steve Lawson, astronaut Jeff Williams, and fellow TMS graduate Johnny Gravino for the 11th Focus Conference. The first Focus Conference was held in 2000. This conference, organized by Aurora Mission, is designed to reach churches in Italy through expository preaching and sound doctrine. As many churches in Italy struggle to survive, the goal is to bring encouragement to church leaders and church members serving in the spiritual desert here. As you know, Italy is not a country where Biblical doctrine has been cherished, but rather a country where the false teaching of Roman Catholicism has dominated for centuries. Please pray that the Lord will do great things through the ministry of His Word to Italian church leaders and members, including those who will attend from our church. Please pray for the speakers as they prepare to preach on the great theme of "Soli Deo Gloria" (The Glory be to God Alone). Please pray for God's special grace for those involved in the translation side of the preaching.

Throughout the history of the Focus Conference, the members of our church, Centro Evangelico Battista (CEB) have greatly benefited from the teaching as more than 20 of them have been able to attend. For the first time, the conference will be held in Perugia, five minutes from our house. This means more people from our church can attend. Our church not only has the privelege of attending, but also in leading the music for the conference. Please pray for Jonathan Whitman, our music pastor, and his team as they both prepare and lead music at this conference. In addition, the Focus Conference also serves to recruit students for Aurora Mission’s Italian Theological Academy (ITA), a center where church leaders and members go for further training in Biblical Studies, Theology, Preaching, and Biblical Counseling. Holding the conference in Perugia paves the way to open up an extension of the ITA in the years to come. Our church in Perugia will greatly benefit from this type of training as we are in the initial phases of developing men to be future leaders in the church. As we have shared in the past, we have also identified seven cities in the area that have no evangelical church. We ask that you continue to pray with us that the Lord will raise up faithful men in our midst for the ministry and that CEB can be used to establish churches in other cities that are perishing without the knowledge of the gospel.

By His Grace,
Massimo, Susanna, Alessandro, Eliana, Gianluca, Giuliano

Lucio Stanisci, one of our missionary partners in Perugia writes in anticipation of the conference as well.

Dear Praying Friends,

Tomorrow evening, October 9, we will hold a special evening service to celebrate the Lord providing an Italian Pastor (which is me :) for the Church “Centro Evangelico Battista”. We will be privileged to have Pastor John MacArthur preaching a charge to me and the Church. Please pray that the Lord would continue to bless my ministry, my family, and the church. Today I feel an even greater responsibility for the Lord calling me to the ministry.

This month we have the privilege to host for the first time in Perugia the national pastors’ conference called “FOCUS”. From October 10-14, Pastor John MacArthur along with Dr. Steve Lawson, astronaut Jeff Williams, fellow TMS graduate Johnny Gravino, and me, will be teaching at the conference on the subject “Soli Deo Gloria” (The Glory be to God alone). The conference, organized since 2000 by Aurora Mission, is designed to reach churches in Italy through expository preaching and sound doctrine. Please pray for the over two hundred people who are coming from all over Italy and for me, as I still have work to do in order to be ready.

Pray also for Jonathan Whitman, our music pastor, and his team as they prepare and lead the music at the conference.

Thank you SO MUCH for your partnership with us in the Gospel!

Yours in Christ,
Lucio & Cristina

Both Lucio's installation and the conference were a great success. Afterwards, Massimo sent us some photos from both events.

Pastor John addressing the Focus Conference

Lucio and Massimo with Pastor John at Lucio's installation service.

Fellowship at Centro Evangelico Battista after Lucio's installation.

At this point we've visited Spain, Switzerland and Italy with Pastor John. His next destination is Germany.

Grace to Europe - Part 2

Pastor John's second stop on his preaching tour of Europe was in Switzerland (read about his time in Spain here). Here he preached at a one-night event organized by John Glass, a Grace Church missionary serving in Geneva. Here is a letter from John Glass describing the event.

John MacArthur in Geneva

On Monday evening, October 3, 2011, John MacArthur and his wife Patricia will be in Geneva. They are on a European speaking tour, and we have the privilege of hosting them for a small slice of their time. John will be speaking just once, on the subject of his new book called Slave, followed by a time of Q&A and a book-signing. The book has just been translated into French. We have advertised widely in French and in English, and hope that many will come. The meeting will take place in the Event Center of the Hotel Ramada which is the actual room we rent for our church, which overlooks the Geneva soccer stadium! It can seat up to 1,000 people, but being in Europe, we are expecting a significantly smaller crowd. We would appreciate you interceding for this time, that John’s message would be powerful and that many people would be challenged, and that some would even embrace Christ as Savior and Lord!

Thank you for your interest, intercession, and support,

In His Service, John & Meg Glass

Another Grace Church missionary, Rob Anthony (serving in France), took the opportunity to attend the event in Geneva and spend some quality time with a man he has been discipling. The following are two excerpts from Rob's prayer letters.

(10/1/2011) This Monday Serge (of Serge & Michèle, the couple Vicki and I have been training over the years) and I are traveling up to Geneva to hear John MacArthur and spend some time with him and some other like-minded men. It will be a guy's trip, leave early Monday morning, spend the night and then return Tuesday morning. But we will have a great time together. We will be meeting some like-minded pastor's and their 'protegés'. Pray that God would create good contacts and links for future church planting. Pray that Serge would be inspired by this time with other men. He is really excited about it.

Next March, another faithful man, Maged and I will travel to the States for the Shepherds Conference at Grace Community Church. He's Egyptian and an evangelist to the Arab speaking world. We'll have to see just how we can tie our ministries together! Pray that Maged would gain further insight into expository preaching to the Arab speaking world.

(10/5/2011)
Dear Praying friends,

Just wanted to update you on my trip to Geneva with Serge and thank you for praying. Serge was deeply encouraged by our time together.

4 1/2 hours up, then the same for the return trip and some great conversations. We listened to a couple of sermons by one of the best French expository preachers, Florent Varak, who we then met with before the Conference to discuss our plans for our church planting project.

The mini-conference was organized by a fellow missionary from Grace, John Glass and his church. Such a spirit of joy. We also saw Nabil, who has come down for the last two years of the basketball outreach.

Then a time with a number of other church leaders with John MacArthur, followed by John's message on his book 'Slave'. Excellent message with huge personal application. We are slaves of Christ, who have also been adopted as sons, made co-heirs and brothers, we will reign alongside our Master. Such a great image of Christ, our response and His grace. Now I need to read the book.

Serge especially enjoyed the question and answer time and seeing how John answered questions from the Bible with solid and irrefutable responses. Much different from the typical French response of "Well, I think...".

It was a bit foolish on our part. Drive 200 miles, spend one night, next morning drive 200 miles back, all for a conference that lasted about 3 hours, but Serge said he would not have missed it and was so glad that he had been able to attend. He really appreciates the exposure to likeminded godly men.

Here we are with John MacArthur.

Rob

Afterwards John Glass sent a glowing report of the mini-conference.

John MacArthur in Geneva: AWESOME!

Last Monday October 3, 2011, John MacArthur gave a “wow!” conference in Geneva on the subject of his book SLAVE. It was nothing less than an earthquake sermon to the record crowd of 450 people who attended. The message was clear: We are slaves of Jesus-Christ; He bought with a price: He saved us; He owns us; He is our Lord; we owe Him joyful obedience in return! The message was simple yet profound and given with amazing clarity. It was followed by an open Q&A, and ended with a book signing where John took the time to sign every book request! It was really neat.

Thanks to all of you who prayed for this unique moment. Only time will tell how God will use this single and powerful conference to His end and glory. You can view the video-taped message here. It is in English, of course, but translated live by Florent Varak.

Yours in His service,

John and Meg Glass

So far we've covered Pastor John's ministry in Switzerland and France. At the next location, Italy, he not only preached at a conference but he also participated in the installation of one of our missionaries at a local church in Perugia. Stay tuned for more.

Grace to Europe - Part 1

During the month of October, Pastor John was able to visit many of our missionaries serving in Europe. At almost every location, he either preached in churches or at conferences organized by our missionaries. While he was there, four Grace Church missionaries wrote about the impact of his trip in Grace Today. You can read those articles here: 10/9, 10/16, 10/23.

However those articles only provide a glimpse of the ministry that took place during Pastor John’s trip. In the next few days we’ll be posting additional photos and news from the fields he visited in order to give you a broader perspective of how the Lord is working in the ministries of our European missionaries and how Pastor John’s visit augmented that work. Today we’ll begin with his first stop, Spain, and a report from our missionary partner, David Robles.

Another encouraging report from Pastor John's time in Spain comes from a local news service.

On His First Visit to Spain, John MacArthur Delivered
by Actualidad Evangélica

“It has been a historic event for us,” declared Manuel Corral, Pastor of Evangelical Church of León.

(León, 10/06/2011) The visit of preacher and author John MacArthur from the USA caused a great impact in the evangelical community of León, according to the information provided to ACTUALIDAD EVANGELICA by Manuel Corral, the event coordinator.

The activities began Friday, September 30, in Toral de los Guzmanes, where MacArthur defended “The Sufficiency of the Scriptures and “The Advantages of Expository Preaching” before a group of leaders and pastors.

There were two more conferences, open to all the believers and guests, held on Oct. 1 and 2 in the modern Auditorium of the city of León, where about 600 people listened to the distinguished speaker of United States.

In the same auditorium on Saturday, Oct. 1, about 400 people came to enjoy a concert by the special guest baritone, Jubilant Sykes as well as other national singers. The proceeds of this concert will go toward the fund to build the new building for the Evangelical Church of Leon at a new location.

Worship Service at Hotel El Parador de San Marcos

On Sunday, there was a worship service in the magnificent and traditional auditorium of Hotel El Parador de San Marcos. Almost 400 people were in attendance; some of whom were not believers. After the preaching was over, the people commented about how impressed they were by the teaching of MacArthur: it was simple, clear and straight to the heart.

Pastor Manuel Corral shares with us some of those comments:

“…Many friends were impacted by the power of the message of the Word of God. A female guest expressed at the conclusion of the service: ‘I have never heard a message about God so coherent.’ Another one, not part of our circle said: ‘This is the first time in my life I have felt so small before the great God revealed in the Bible.’”

John MacArthur during a conference session.

The Most Influential Contemporary Preacher

John MacArthur is a well known preacher and speaker with more than 40 years in the ministry. Just this month, at his congregation in Los Angeles (Grace Community Church of Sun Valley), he completed the exposition of the New Testament verse by verse. One of the fruits of the expository teaching ministry is the MacArthur Study Bible, which has sold more than a million copies, and for which he received the Gold Medallion Book Award. He has written more than 150 books and Bible commentaries, some of which have been translated into more than 12 languages. He is president of The Master’s Seminary and The Master’s College in Santa Clarita, California.

Grace Community Church is a well know church in California and is home to more than 7,000 attendees every Sunday. John MacArthur is heard by millions of people around the world through the radio program “Grace to You” and “Gracia a Vosotros.”

The magazine Christianity Today considers him as the most influential Bible preacher and teacher of our times. Often he has been the special guest in the popular TV program “Larry King Live,” as the representative of the current evangelical world.

Finally, here are some highlights from Gus and Melissa Pidal, Grace Church missionaries who are serving with David Robles in Spain.

We had the privilege of hosting John and Patricia MacArthur here in Spain. They had never been to Spain and it was such a joy to have them! The purpose of their visit was so that John could preach at a conference Berea hosted. Berea is a ministry started by David, a Grace Church missionary partner and pastor at our church, to introduce men to expository preaching, among other things. There are several Berean conferences throughout the year and this time John came to speak at the October session!

Here is John preaching at one of the sessions. Here you can get another great view of the auditorium and how many people were there! And an amazing thing happened when John was done speaking...he received a resounding applause. One of the Spanish pastors who attended the conference told us that in the 30 years that he's been a pastor, he's never heard any speaker or preacher receive a applause when he's done speaking. We were so encouraged by this act because it showed how well everyone received John and his expository preaching!!

Saturday, day 2, was a big and very busy day for everyone! We are so thankful for our time with the conference and how the Lord impacted so many people in so many ways! There were more times of worship and preaching.

The 3rd and final day of the MacArthur's visit was a Sunday. We held a special service in a nearby hotel, so we could all fit. It was a very special Sunday!

Reflecting upon the time, it was such a sweet time for Gus and me. We were so thankful to open our home and host the men. The times of fellowship with the people from Grace was so sweet. Getting to know the MacArthurs more personally was a huge blessing. Hearing Pastor John speak in Spain and have the impact that he did was amazing. We've had several emails from pastors and elders who attended the conference...they have all been so thankful for John's messages. We pray now for fruit and lasting impact.

by grace,

Melissa for the Pidals

We hope you enjoy this more detailed look at Pastor John's trip and the ministries of our missionaries in Europe. Next stop, Switzerland!

A Radio and a Bible

Lance and Sandy Roberts are currently serving as Grace Church missionaries in the Czech Republic. Lance recently sent the following encouraging news from their ministry.

A few weeks ago Lance had the privilege to go on live national radio in Czech to speak on the topic of “How to Maintain a Healthy Church.” Here is what the Lord did as a result of your prayers:
During the broadcast some questions came in and one turned out to be controversial because of Lance’s response. The question was about what our church does ecumenically. Lance responded that we do not try to be ecumenical, because we don’t want to give a false picture that we are in unity with those who believe a different gospel such as Roman Catholics. The questioner disagreed with his position, and Lance responded with Gal. 1:9 ("As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!"). Lance was later informed that his comments were broadcast live on Catholic radio!

The radio moderator told Lance during a break that he finally knows a Baptist who isn’t politically correct. However, several people feared a backlash was coming. Ladies in our church were praying the next day for the protection of both Lance the church. The radio station was unsure if they would be allowed to further broadcast over Catholic radio. They even edited out his comments before putting the recording online. But they ended up meeting with Catholic radio and things ended well. They even want Lance to come back again!

Despite the fear of hate mail and backlash several people called, sent text messages and letters praising how the Word of God was used, how the gospel was defended, and sent questions about what the gospel actually is. One lady gave testimony of how the Lord had rescued her from the errant teachings of Roman Catholicism, another lady said she had listened to the program for a long time and never heard anyone use the Bible before. Of the letters sent to our church we wanted to share one with you from a man named George.

"Dear Baptists, I listened to your missionary on the radio and it was just what I needed to hear. Missionary Lance. For years I have been searching and it seems that I found the biblical truth that you preach. You hold only to the Bible and it is right and what I try to do too. For years I have searched from various churches for a church that does the same, and I found it in you. I would be very happy if your missionary could visit me, with God’s Spirit and love I will receive him." —George

By God’s design Lance had some meetings arranged later in the week not too far from where George lives. So Lance went to visit him with some friends from Kladno which is about 35 miles away. George was a Jehovah’s Witness that God saved through his reading of the Bible. It was clear to Lance that he loves God’s Word. In fact, when Lance called to arrange a meeting George’s first sentence was, “I love the Bible.” He mentioned that he, his wife and another couple had become believers by reading the Bible, but there is no church anywhere close for them to attend. He asked Lance if he would baptize them and said they needed a church. Thankfully our friends in Kladno will now try to minister to them and hopefully start a study in their village. We praise God for how He used His Word through radio to make an impact for His glory.

Faith (Promise) in Action

In chapter 4 of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, the apostle describes the financial gift he received from his readers as “a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God” (4:18). This letter from a missionary to one of his supporting churches not only displays the proper attitude for a missionary under persecution (“to live is Christ and to die is gain”), but it also shows us how God views the sacrificial giving of His church.

Here at Grace Church we have been privileged for many years to participate in a great deal of gospel ministry throughout the world. The Lord has used faithful servants sent from this church to bring the gospel to foreign lands, to translate His word into different languages, and to help raise up church leaders and pastors in distant countries. The Lord does not need our help to do these things, but by His grace He has used our church to proclaim His truth far and wide.

One of the most exciting ways we have seen the Lord move in our church recently is through the Faith Promise campaign. As we begin a new year of Faith Promise, so far you have pledged more than $900,000, asking the Lord to provide this extra money to support His servants around the world. It is remarkable to see such a commitment, especially in light of the current economy. I invite everyone to pray in the coming months that the Lord would allow us to offer this acceptable sacrifice to Him.

But our prayers should also be filled with thanks for what the Lord has already done. I’d like to take just a few minutes and tell you how your past gifts have been used, as well as what the future looks like.

One of the most important ways that Faith Promise helps our missionaries is by temporarily supplementing their monthly income when unexpected needs arise. When the current downturn in the economy was first being felt, many families here in the U.S. had to make difficult financial choices. Pay cuts and lost jobs were a danger then and continue to challenge us. For a foreign missionary, however, the danger was even worse because of the decline in value of the U.S. dollar. Not only were missionary families losing donors who could no longer afford to support them, but they were also facing the devaluation of the money they were receiving. At one point it appeared that about half of our missionaries on the field would need to return to raise additional support. The Lord changed all that through Faith Promise. Because of your sacrificial giving we were able to supplement each missionary’s income temporarily so that none of them needed to leave the field unexpectedly. And since then the Lord has continued to provide for the ongoing needs of our missionaries. Praise God for His faithfulness!

Another area where the Faith Promise monies are used is in our training centers around the world. These centers are a primary focus of our ministry overseas. Here our missionaries provide theological and pastoral training for laypeople, church leaders, and pastors. Many of these students have no other access to theological training of any kind.

One graduate of the training center in Germany writes, “…through my studies at the EBTC [European Bible Training Center] I was strengthened in the Word. I don’t have to share my opinion on a text, doubting myself all the while anymore. Instead, after studying the text thoroughly, I can preach God’s Word with conviction. Furthermore, my approach to problems has changed dramatically. When someone comes to me with questions or problems I don’t share my opinion on the matter; instead, I show him the right response based on Scripture. My training was an immeasurable blessing to me personally, to my family, and to the church—every effort was worthwhile.”

I hope you are as encouraged as I am by stories like that. It’s even more encouraging when you consider this man’s testimony is multiplied many, many times in our training centers all around the world. Faith Promise gifts further these ministries by allowing us to improve the facilities of the centers and add to their resources.

The list of ministries Faith Promise has touched goes on and on, but I’d like to mention just one more—the sending of new missionaries to the field. Currently we have six families preparing for the mission field, including a new team going to a very strategic ministry in Lebanon. While the monthly support of each of these families must come from individual donors who have committed to give specifically and regularly, there is a significant one-time cost to get them on the field. Instead of keeping these families here any longer, your Faith Promise giving allows us to cover their one-time setup costs and move them to their ministries as soon as their monthly support has been raised. This allows our new missionaries to get started doing what they’ve been called to do.

There is so much that the Lord is doing, not only through our missionaries, but also through the prayers and financial gifts of our church. Thank you on behalf of all our missionaries for your faithfulness. Please continue to pray that the Lord’s work will be done here in our church and around the world.

~Kevin Edwards

What Makes a Missionary

This excerpt, adapted from The Qualities of a Great Missionary (Study Notes), describes the faithful character of our beloved missionary families.

What is the difference between the Christian who makes things happen, and the Christian who doesn’t know what’s happening? What is the different between the dynamic success of some Christians and the anonymity of others? I think the answer lies in Acts 14, where we find several qualifications for a successful missionary as illustrated in the ministry of Paul and Barnabas.

The first quality that stands out in Acts 14 is boldness. Paul and Barnabas are coming to Iconium having been thrown out of Antioch because they split the city wide open. They didn’t go home, quit, or lick their wounds, and say, “we’ve got to get a new strategy to reach the Gentiles.” They stayed right where they were and continued in pursuit of the path that the Spirit of God had led them on. In verse 3 we find them “speaking boldly for the Lord.” They knew that resentment was brewing, and they were well aware of the treacherous nature of the events to come. They knew it was inevitable, and yet they were bold and they continued preaching. The quality that really makes a difference in the Christian’s life is the quality of fearlessness—the declaration of the truth in the face of opposition. Having a tremendous commitment to boldness, Paul didn’t know how to live any other way. In 1 Thessalonians 2:2 he says, “But after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel.” Even after they had been beaten up and were treated shamefully, they were still bold. Paul could never be daunted; there just was not any way to stop him.

Another important quality gleaned from Acts 14 is humility. After the power of God had been exhibited through Paul in the healing of a crippled man, the temptation of pride followed. The people of Lystra thought that the gods had come down as Paul and Barnabas, and they were going to worship them. Paul and Barnabas heard about it, tore their clothes, and screamed that the people were blaspheming. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace, which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” God was everything to Paul. Paul didn’t want any glory, and neither does any successful servant of God.

A third qualification for a successful missionary is persistence. Paul was absolutely perseverant. The people of Lystra tried to stop him with about as strong an effort as is imaginable. Acts 14:19–20 says, “And there came there certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city…and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.” How could he possibly rise up after being stoned, walk back in town, and go to Derbe the next day? And when he reached Derbe, he preached through the city. He didn’t seem to know the meaning of the word “rest.” He was persistent. The key to persistence is maximizing every opportunity. You may be moving from opportunity to opportunity, and are faced with an obstacle. Behind every obstacle is an opportunity, and you need to determine if you want the opportunity badly enough. If you do, you will push through the obstacle. Persistence means using every opportunity. In Colossians 4:5, Paul said we’re to be faithfully “redeeming the time.”

A final characteristic of a successful missionary is commitment. “And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. And when they had preached the Word in Perga, they went down into Attalia” (Acts 14:24–25); they must have been tired, bruised, and weary. What they had gone through in a year and a half was unbelievable. As they arrived in Pamphylia, and before they went the last eighteen miles to the little port of Attalia, they preached again. The reason they didn’t stop in spite of their weariness was because they were committed to preaching the Word. That’s the test of your commitment—not what you do when you’re healthy, relaxed, and fresh, but what you do when you’re wiped out. There are some people looking for the littlest excuse to get off the hook of doing what they know they ought to be doing. This was not true of Paul and Barnabas. They had every reason not to preach in Perga, but their commitment said, “I don’t care what state I’m in; I’m going to do what God has called me to do.”

Acts 14:26 says, “they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.” God said to do His work and they fulfilled it. Christians who are obedient to fulfill God’s Word make successful missionaries, whether they travel far from their homes or not. They all display boldness, humility, persistence, and commitment like Paul, the great missionary, who had as his goal to emulate Christ. So when Paul came to the end of his life he could say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). This is the hope of every successful missionary: to finish the course, the keep the faith, to one day hear “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

John MacArthur

Ministering in Ukraine

Bruce and Aimee Alvord relate some encouraging news from the field

We just heard a visiting preacher talk about a lady who has no legs. As a Christian, she wanted to do something more for the Lord than just pray. Unable to leave her apartment, she decided to write “If you need help, call me” on a bunch of little pieces of paper and throw them out the window. Within two hours, she got a call from a mother who was contemplating suicide because her daughter had become a prostitute. Other calls followed, and she invited the people over, telling them about Jesus and the answers in His Word. Twenty-eight people have now been saved or baptized through her ministry.

Here at Irpin Seminary last month we had our fifteen-year reunion and many graduates traveled back to celebrate. One man I well remember started his studies when he was fifty-four years old. He had been afraid they wouldn't let him in because of his age. Now he's seventy, and still faithfully serving God as a pastor. Another came to study when he was only twenty-one, and was fearful they wouldn’t accept him because he was too young. Today he is one of the three highest leaders in the Baptist Union of Ukraine. Two others who came to the reunion have started seminaries, two preach the Gospel on the radio and internet across Ukraine, and all of them are loving God's people and faithfully proclaiming His Word. I (Bruce) am so grateful to have had a part in their training. Thank YOU for enabling us to live in Kiev so I can carry on this work.

The Purpose and Goal of Outreach

The purpose of the Church is to glorify God by being God-like in the world, to live in the world as Christ lived, to allow His life to be lived out through His body, the Church. As Christ was given one mission by the Father, He in turn gives only one mission to His Church. The Church exists in the world for the same ultimate purpose for which Christ came-to reveal the glory of God to all men. This is the Great Commission, the mission of the Church, to see God's glory declared among the nations and to see His glory deposited into more and more disciples who congregate in local assemblies among all nations; continuing to radiate His glory to a dark world--until He comes again to extend His Kingdom and His glory throughout the whole earth.

Missions and Outreach Understood

Missions is defined as any ministry for which the purpose is to fulfill the Great Commission by proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ either indirectly through media like radio, MP3s or literature or directly through evangelism, discipline, and church planting, and aiding in their growth and development locally, in various subcultures in the United States, and overseas, recognizing the importance of meeting other human needs while carrying on these priority ministries.
The definition of outreach is synonymous with the above definition of missions. However, since outreach connotes simply a general "reaching out," at Grace Church this word gives a broader scope of the ministry, including any possible form of disciple-making in this culture or in any other. Because in the minds of many people "missions" denotes only ministries of reconciliation in foreign or other cultures, outreach then is any missions endeavor which reaches out to person in the name of Jesus Christ beyond the congregation, the church facility, or the local sphere of influence of the church.

The Scriptural Purposes of Outreach

A "purpose" is defined as that toward which men ultimately hope and strive, a cause to which men give their hearts, a final objective that is intentionally "fuzzy". In considering the purposes of the Church in outreach, several levels of purposes exit, and the following three purposes are included here.

Short-Range Purpose: Pursuing Love

The mark of the Christian is love, loving God and ones neighbor (Matt.22:37-39). Jesus calls His Church to give of herself in self-sacrificing obedience to God and service to others (John 15:12,13,14, and 13:14, 34-35).

Intermediate-Range Purpose: Building Biblical Relationships

The intent of the Bible is the revealing of God to man and how man might know Him (John 15:15, 17:3, Phil.3:10). The Bible is also concerned about man's relationships with other men, both inside and outside the Church. It is the desire of the Elders' Council Handling Outreach (ECHO) that the philosophy of the sending process should at the same time reflect all three commitments in ministry at Grace Church: (1) A commitment to the person of Christ, focusing on the worship, (2) A commitment to the people of Christ, focusing on the Word, (3) A commitment to the plan of Christ, focusing on the world.

Long-Range Purposes: Furthering Jesus' Lordship and Kingship

The Holy Spirit's stated objective is to glorify the son (John 16:14). He does so by furthering Jesus's Lordship and kingship throughout the earth. This two-pronged purpose defines the role of the Holy Spirit in this Church Age, which is more technically the Age of the Spirit. He furthers the Lordship of Jesus by mediating the New Covenant, and He furthers the Kingship of Jesus by extending the rule of Christ in the hearts of men around the world through the missionary enterprise. This was Peter's theme in the first sermon of the Early Church (Acts 2:36). If Christians confess to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15, Rev.17:14, 19:16), then His very name requires that the Church's motivations and actions be consistent with the God-man who is both Lord and King. Grace Church is committed to outreach because the name and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ are at stake.

Ultimate Purpose

The Glory of God. The mission of the Church culminates in the glory of God. There is no greater purpose than seeing God acknowledged by all creation throughout the universe for all eternity as the ever-ruling King of Kings and as the covenant-keeping Lord of Lords. His glory then will fill all in all. (Isa. 66:18,23, Zech. 14:9, Phil.2:9-11).

The Scriptural Goals of Outreach

"Goals" are defined as the steps one takes in accomplishing one's purpose. Goals are realistic and accomplishable, and they can be measured by time and by performance. Unlike "fuzzy" purposes, goals are specific, concrete, tangible. In considering the goals of the Church in outreach, several levels of goals exist, and the following three levels of goals are included here.

Short-Range Goal: Walking in the Spirit

The point of Pentecost in Acts 2 is that the Church eschatologically is a harbinger of the end, signaling to the world that a new age had dawned. The Spirit began thrusting out the infant Church to the ends of the earth, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdoms, so that the end of the age would come (Matt. 24:14, Acts 2:1-11). Once Jesus had ascended, the Holy Spirit was free to work as He had never worked before in the Old Testament (John 7:39, 14:176), bearing life to many new creations and bearing witness through the lives of all the New Testament saints. The glory of God no longer resided in one Temple building but in thousands and thousands of temple bodies spread throughout the Roman Empire. And as the Church individually and corporately obeys Jesus as Lord and King and allows the Word of Christ to richly dwell within her, the Holy Spirit is free to produce His fruit, His life and His witness through her to the glory of God.

Long-Range Goals: Declaring His Glory and Making Disciples Among the Nations

The Old Testament states that believers are to declare God's glory, who God is and all that He has done, among the nations (1 Chron. 16:24, Psalm 96:3). Its New Testament reality is the companion statement of Mark's Great Commission: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation" (Mark 16:15). God not only desires the Church to declare His glory, but also to bring His glory into the lives of others by making disciples (Matt. 28:18-20), which further intensifies the glorifying of Christ. The long-range goal of declaring God's glory among the nations highlights the whole Bible's universalistic backdrop and thrust and finds its original biblical basis in the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen.12:1-3). The long-range goal of making disciples among the nations has as its major biblical basis in the Great Commission itself and is the unique mission of the Church in this Age of the Spirit.

Ultimate Goal: Being Conformed to the Image of the Son

That final goal of the Church, which is accomplishable, measurable, and will ultimately allow her to fulfill her ultimate purpose of glorifying God, is conformity to the image of Jesus Christ (Rom.8:29, Phil.3:20, 1 John 3:2). The overall goal or mission of the Church in this age is to be like Jesus was and act like Jesus did toward the world when He was here on earth. The Church will never perfectly reach this goal until the redeemed of all ages dwell with Him forever, but it is nonetheless the goal that she ever pursues in anticipation of Christ's return and eternal reign.