God calls ministers to equip the Church for the work of the ministry. After many years of working in one local church, I experienced what I’ll call an ‘enlargement’ of my view of God’s calling. In preparing mission volunteers for work overseas, we equip the domestic church to do a better job of reaching its own community ed-italia.com. The mission volunteer teams then equip the foreign church to better reach its community for Christ. In both cases, the church is equipped. And, God is glorified through changed lives on the mission field, in volunteer mission teams, and in the domestic church!
The ‘centerpiece’ of my work through EquipUs is the Pastor Training Schools. This began in the city of Barahona, Dominican Republic. We teach 70-85 pastors and our approach is to “Entrust the Gospel to faithful men who will, in turn, entrust it to others.” God has blessed this work and the pastors have been faithful in implementing what they have been taught. Evidence of this is the increase in baptisms among these 50+ churches after one year of work with the pastors: an average of 44%! Currently, the churches are showing an average annual growth rate of 18.5% via baptisms. I believe our Prayer Teams are the first ones responsible for these results. God has answered through American pastors who volunteer to teach, and mission volunteer members who do construction work, medical clinics, sports camps, or any of several mission/evangelism outreach projects concurrent with our Pastor Training Schools. As Henry Blackaby said in Experiencing God, “See what God is doing and join Him in it.” YOU can make an eternal difference in someone’s life.
Recent Posts
Hezekiah – A Study In Character
Hezekiah means: God Strengthens. It’s noteworthy that the kind of life Hezekiah lived seems to be how the name got its meaning. That's not alwyas the case. That's what makes Hezekiah a study in character! A story is told about Alexander the Great meeting a man who was...
Mission Milestones
Mission Milestones are worth noting and celebrating. And that certainly applies to our recent graduation! But that wasn't all. You had a part in several other noteworthy accomplishments. Mission Milestones - Graduation Stan – teaching class The cover photo was taken...
Blessings: How To Get Them
Why is this Life Lessons title intriguing? Aren't people always concerned with bigger, better, and more? Or, do some have an honest lack of understanding about God and His blessings? Is there a way to know we can receive His blessings? The answers to my questions, in...
God – Unexpected Plans
There is joy in discovering God's unexpected plans. Awesome God - Amazing Week was a look at how He directed our steps (Proverbs 16:7) for the water purification system. This post is about the unmistakeable fact that God has appointed good works for us to accomplish....
Awesome God – Amazing Week
We do indeed serve an awesome God. Proverbs 16:9 tells us He directs our steps. And that is exactly what He did in our recent mission to La Romana. The best way to share that story is a short series of posts. So please check back to get the big picture. Awesome God -...
Fresher is Better
Our look at Fresher Is Better begins in the kitchen. My wife is a great cook and her favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. She goes all out for Thanksgiving Dinner. The cooking starts on Wednesday. She is the first one up on Thursday and aromas from the kitchen fill our...
The Power of HIS Might
Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! (Ephesains 6:10) We wrote that verse on the rafter of the church last March. We saw it again today. Last week, I asked you to pray for us as we are in Belize. You need to know how your prayers were answered TODAY...
Borrowed Beauty – Powerful Lesson Of The Acacia
Is there a powerful lesson of the acacia? And if there is, what does that have to do with borrowed beauty? Maybe the second question is the easy one. The acacia tree probably wouldn't make the top 10 list of the world's most beautiful trees! But hang with me. There...
Prayer For This Year
What is your prayer for this year? I hope you already have an answer to that question. But let me expand your thinking just a bit. Do you remember God's offer to Solomon in I Kings 3? If God gave you the same opportunity to ask for anything that came to your mind,...
Mighty God Or puny god?
Mighty God or puny god? People of genuine faith would never choose puny god. But before we got to the obvious answer... Just for transparency, my title comes from the funniest scene in any of Marvel Comic's Avenger movies. The Hulk just smashes things. He never talks....
Advisor Needed: Must Be Foolproof
What if you had an advisor who never made a wrong decision? That's what we see in Isaiah 9:6-7. The previous post on that passage addressed the word Wonderful. And we saw that it really is mind blowing when we examine the incredible nature of our Wonderful Counselor....
Wonderful: What That Means For You!
His name shall be called Wonderful... What does that mean for you in 2023? Actually, it's tremendous. Isaiah 9:6-7 shouldn't be relegated to 'Christmas only' study and preaching. But, let me remind you of those well-known verses: For unto us a Child is born, unto us a...