Ministry of the Word

MINISTRY OF THE WORD:

The Church Planter needs to have a strong Ministry of the Word. He must develop this “feeding” job as major-major priority. When to give milk and when to serve meat is both a science and an art. The new church is very dependent on this.

ACT 6:4 Early on, the leaders of the Church set this as more important than other ministries.
2CO 3:6 Paul mentioned about the ministry of life and the ministry of death. If we are not careful, our ministry can produce death. And with the Spirit in us, we produce life.

I noticed lately by listening to preachers (newbies and oldies) that there is an urgent need to improve our “Ministry of the Word”.

I am praying that our preachers will give prime value in improving their Ministry of the Word.

PREACH THE WORD: Ministry of the Word.
How do I sense that “the preaching” is God’s Word? (Besides the fact that it’s from the Holy Bible!)
1. It discloses God’s thoughts and God’s ways – and NOT MAN’S. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” ISA 55:8
2. It distances God’s thoughts and God’s ways FROM MAN’S. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” ISA 55:9
3. It desires the flourishing and fruitfulness of LIFE. “..as.. watering the earth, making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater..ISA 55:10
4. It does God’s desire and purpose. “so is my word.. It ..will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. ISA 55:11

By Rev. Rey Calusay, posted in Saturation Challenge Facebook Group

The thesis of Saturation Challenge

The thesis of Saturation Challenge is simple:

1 God has a Plan. Like the prayer, “Let your kingdom come, let your will be done on earth as it is in heave.” To take back the kingdom from the Enemy, and to build His Church on earth. The Redeemer has come, and the King of Kings is coming back. In between that space is the work of global missions, “occupy till I come.”

2 The job is not yet done. There is the problem of Delay. Destraction. Disobedience. Division. And of course the Devil. The urgency of this is plain but ignored by many. But the Holy Spirit is here, and the Lord of the Harvest is taking charge. The march is restarted, the faithfuls are regrouping, the adventurers are running to the frontline, the missions enterprise is rebooting… Church Planting everywhere will take place.

3 The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. The expansion of the Church from Jerusalem will extend to the ends of the whole earth. The gospel shall be preached into all the world before the end comes. And the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth as the waters cover the sea. Let it be. AMEN.

(From Saturation Challenge Facebook Group, posted by Rev. Rey Calusay)

WHY JOIN SOS

Presentation on SOS made by Rev. Zeny Calusay during the U4YAH National Youth Convergence

Click to get ppt   SOS S4U

 

A TOTAL OF 805 VOLUNTEERS ON FIELD

 A total of 805 SOS volunteers are now on field planting churches nationwide. Below is the breakdown of these by district. It is noteworthy that the WVDC under DS Jose Estrebilla and the NWVDC under DS Jessie Villagracia, the two districts taht each pledged to raise 200 volunteers even exceeded their targtes.  Togethewr, thay raised 415 volunteers, and the host districts collectively raised 390 volunteers. Let us please continue to uphold these 805 summer heroes.

NWVDC   212
WVDC   203
STDC, Marinduque 17
STDC, Cavite  39
NIDC   41
CLDC   18
BRDC   40
NELDC   33
CVLL, IBC-Cebu  22
CVLL, PICM-Bohol 32
EVDC   65
LDC   21
NEMDC, Surigao 62

TOTAL : 805

SOS 2011 SUMMARY DATA (Partial)

Responding to the PGCAG Saturation Challenge, SOS 2011 is  history in the making. The NWVDC  and WVDC are two districts that  grew  because of church planting using SOS. The culture of church planting through mobilization of ordinary believers has taken root  among the district  leaders , pastors and local church members  of these two district.  During the promotional period of SOS 2011, the two districts pledged to raise 400 volunteers to send to the different  host  districts and help them plant churches in their target places this summer. The volunteers are to be formed into groups to join local volunteers of host district.  This would mean 400 church pastors and members, each to raise Php 4000.00 for their individual month long church planting trip.    At the close  of registration period in Roxas City  last April 11, 2011, the final count was 415 volunteers.  We are still collecting data as to the total number of volunteers raised by host districts. Some districts will have their training a week later so we can’t yet report  the final count.*

Below is the summary data   about the 415 volunteers:
Total number of volunteers  415  
 Volunteers raised by  by  NWVDC     212
 Volunteers  raised by WVDC  203
Number sending churches    128
Female volunteers   235
Male volunteers           180
Age bracket of volunteers  13-64

There are a handful of children in the teams because there are several families who enlisted. Noteworthy is the family of the NWVDC District Superintended  Rev. Jose Estrebilla.
 
Summary data about SOS 2011 Nationwide:

Total number volunteers    415 + local volunteers of host districts*
Host Districts   10
Training Centers  13
Target Places   32

 The training in Roxas City concluded last night, April 15, 2011 and  a big percentage of volunteers are now traveling to different directions all over the Philippines. Fieldwork will start Monday in some target places. Some are still going on and others will commence next week.

For regular reports from training venues and fieldwork, check out the SOS National Face book group:
 SATURATION CHALLENGE.
Please pray for a great harvest of souls. Pass this info to others as well. Thank You! HMD

Below are pictures during training in Roxas City, Vigan and Bulacan respectively.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Presentation made by Mrs. Belinda Garrido during Paghanas 2011

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

SOS 2011 CHURCH PLANTING LABORATORIES

Rising up to  the Saturation Challenge   to plant churches where there are no Assemblies of God churches yet  are eleven districts (11) with approximately 800 leaders and volunteers  to plant  churches in thirty-two (32) target places this coming summer of 2011.

The  two  distsrict situated in the Island of Panay committed to raise up 400 volunteers to help the church planting in the other host districts. Currently, the volunteers are raising their missions budget amounting to Php 4000.00 each.

Click on image to see details of list. 

URBAN REALITIES IN CHURCH PLANTING

By Rev. Rey Calusay during Paghanas (For Trainers, 2011 SOS Church Planting Laboratory) 

URBAN SITUATIONS: PROBLEMS OR OPPORTUNITIES?
1. People Congestion – transporting and traffic problem, housing problem, commodity problem; environmental services, garbage and sewer, education and health systems; power and water systems, employment problems,
2. Social Evils – night life, drug-sex trafficking, crimes, break-down of traditional family structure, child-women abuse, organized crimes (gambling, prostitution, kidnap for ransom, robberies, etc), Sodom and Gomorrah
3. Newness: technology, cyberspace world, anti-social neighborhood, secularism, media, communication,

THE CASE OF THE POOR
Proverbs 13:23. Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor, but it is swept away by injustice.

The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice.
 1. Abundance – It is a given.. potential is there. to “mine” or to “crop”. But the provision is there. Abundance of food is in the fallow ground of the poor; there is much wealth in uncultivated fields of the poor.
2. Fallow Ground – Fallow ground is a farming term describing fields unplowed and uncultivated. Why is it uncultivated? Simplest answer is: hopelessness. No access to good education, no job opportunities, no startups,
3. Injustice – Injustice.  Absence of Justice. Lack of fairness. Inequalities. The lack of justice is what keeps the poor from realizing the abundance that God has given them. The lack of fairness keeps the poor from experiencing the opportunities that you and I take for granted. Gods Word says, that there is abundance there for them, but something is keeping them from it. God has exhorted his people to take up the cause of the widow, orphan and stranger because these are the ones who get taken advantage of by the powerful.

Deuteronomy 10:17-19
ISA 1:17
JER 7:6-7
ZEC 7:10
PSA 72:13
PSA 113:7
PSA 140:12
ISA 10:2
LUK 4:18

OUR ACTIONS
1. Holistic Approach of meeting the need to the Total Man by serving in  Christ’s Name towards Total Transformation of the man. Prosper the soul, prosper the man. Holistic Message.

2. Strategy of applying the Inclusive Policy of reaching the rich and the poor, the learned and the unlearned.. and in the “principle of equality”, let the “Haves” help the “Have-Nots”. To whom much is given, much is required. “from the least of them to the greatest of them will know the Lord.”

3. Social Action – (New amendment in AOG-US Constitution, on the Purpose of the Movement). MIC 6:8 Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly. Church Involvement on the Community Service.

4. Pentecostalistic Empowerment: Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Walking in the Spirit. On the functions of anointing: Preach the Good News to the Poor, Heal the Sick and Broken, Set Captives Free, Comfort those who mourn, Build God’s People, Proclaim God’s Time.

How did the Church grow from 70+ at the day of Pentecost to the point that 300 years latter Constantine makes Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire? The historians that have studied this say it was accomplished by a 3% annual growth. It was not a result of a massive revival rather by Christian engaging their world as salt and light. For example, one of the activities discovered by historians was the practice of Christians rescuing the abandon babies and raising them. Another practice was Christians going to the garbage heaps and taking the dead bodies and burying them. Jesus touched the untouchable of his society and this screamed to the world that there is something different about the gospel. How could we likewise take on some of the crisis in our country and bring about change impact the gospel? There are opportunities like these in the urban neighborhoods of our country.

DEMAND FOR THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE POWER OF GOD

 Rev. Zeny Calusay during Paghanas (For Trainers, 2011 SOS Church Planting Laboratory)

INTRODUCTION:
Our evangelism efforts in church planting should   involve not only  proclamation of the gospel, but also demonstration of the power of God.
Demonstration of sign, wonders and miracles accelerates the work of evangelism.
We ought to do the way the New Testament did it! We can’t ignore the need to demonstrate the power of God.
 
JESUS HIMSELF HAD TO DEMONSTRATE THE POWER OF GOD
1. People must believe who Jesus is in order to be saved 
    Joh 20:30-31  And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:  But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Sign (miracles)  – A deed which indicates or points to  a  truth or power    to which it  is secondary in importance. The miracles of Jesus are signs that  point to the truth about  person of Jesus Christ: He is the Son of God

2. People did not readily believe that Jesus was the Son of God
     There were  many opinions as who He was. But Jesus said His works  bear witness of Him.
Joh 10:24-25   Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.  Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.

3. Will people today readily accept us and our message? We have our own barriers in evangelism
      to overcome and questions of people to answer:
What is the Assemblies of God?
Who are you to preach to us? Are you a priest?
Many religions, false teachers around
But the demonstration of the power of god will get them to listen our message that they may believe and be saved!

LAST DAY EVANGELISM IS CONFRONTATIONAL WITH THE POWER OF DARKNESS 
1. The enemy will use signs and wonders to deceive many
      Read:  Mat 24:3,4,11,24       2Th 2:7   
2. God is ready to work with us with signs and miracles
      Read:   Mat 24:14     Mat 28:18-20     Mar 16:20    
3. Evangelism is a spiritual war.
      Satan will not hesitate demonstrate his expiring rule through false miracles.
      How about us, God’s people who know the true God, endowed with the power of the Omnipotent 

GREATER WORKS ARE EXPECTED OF BELIEVERS 
1. Jesus said it!    Joh 14:12      Mat 10:8  
2. The early church showed it can be done!
     The apostles: Act 2:43   Act 5:15,16  
      Lay people: Act 6:8  
      Ordinary Believers: Act 8:4   Act 8:5,6    
      Paul: Act 19:11,12  
3. We can do it! Because we belong to those who believe!
     Joh 14:12  Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes on Me, the works that I do he shall do also, and
      greater works than these he shall do, because I go to My Father.
4. What we should do: just go and preach the gospel and demonstrate the power of God saying as Peter said to the lame man from birth: Silver and gold have I none, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk! Acts 3:6

CHALLENGE: Let us not waste the highly potent power that is in us!  Let us stop our hesitation.

THE SYNOPTIC VIEW OF THE GREAT COMMISSION

By Rev. Rey Calusay during Paghanas ( For Trainors, 2011 SOS Church PLanting Laboratory)

INTRODUCTION:
      A mission is a task we have been given to accomplish. A co-mission is a task we have been given to accomplish in partnership with someone else as a partner.
      When Jesus gave the Great Commission, He spoke it to His eleven disciples … and by extension, to us today. That commission is recorded at least five different times in the New Testament  each with a slightly different emphasis. Its obvious that Jesus didnt simply give this command once.   He gave it over and over so that the disciples would know how important it was to Him.
      The church is Gods vehicle to present the gospel of God. As we plant churches throughout a region, we can saturate that region with the proclamation of the gospel.
Ephesians 3:10-11 (NIV) His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, [11] according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Lets take a look at each of those statements about the Great Commission …
     
1. THE SENDING COMMISSION. JESUS SENDS THE WHOLE CHURCH.
John 20:21-23 (NIV) Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” [22] And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. [23] If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

* God’s Great Question.. Has been: Isaiah 6:8 (NIV)
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? ” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

* Our God is a sending God.
He is missional. He sent His Son.. As I was sent, so send I you.
For The Same Mission, In The Same Manner
o John 17:18 (NIV) As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
John 3:17 (NIV) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

* He is the God who sends His people to all cultures.
No Close Doors: because it is Gods will for us to go into all the world, there are no permanently locked doors. God can open any door. Who would have imagined the collapse of the former Soviet Union? Or church planting exploding in China? I
Its important to note that there is no single culture that God prefers. He sends us everywhere. We must take the gospel message and adapt it to the needs and nuances of each particular culture.

* Church planting is the key to accomplishing this. New churches must relevantly proclaim the gospel in words and ways that their culture can understand and respond to.
* Finally, this commission is always accompanied by the presence of the Holy Spirit or the promise of His presence with us. Jesus communicated peace to His disciples  peace that comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit. (Youll see the presence of the Holy Spirit or the presence of Jesus in each of these commands.)

2. THE DISCIPLING COMMISSION. JESUS SENDS US TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL PEOPLES.
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

* All authority.. In heaven and on earth. The driving force behind this commission.
* All functions – of Going, Baptizing, teaching … Make disciples. Omission: teach them to obey. Unbroken cycle
* All nations – pante ta ethne.. Ethnic groups, peoples of all places and cultures.
* All inclusive community of the Godhead.. Entrance into His Church or community.
* All mandatory teachings of Jesus must be passed on to the next level of disciples.
* All time Presence of Jesus, was promised to all who would obey.

3. THE PROCLAIMING COMMISSION. THE CHRIST- CENTERED MESSAGE
 Luke 24:44-49 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Jesus commands us to go with a message. That message was repentance and forgiveness of sins. It is to be proclaimed everywhere.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

* Questions to answer:  What is repentance?
How do we explain repentance and forgiveness in the 21  century?
* Paul calls us ambassadors. What does an ambassador do? Who dictates the message the ambassador proclaims?

 
4. EMPOWERING COMMISSION. BY THE SPIRIT
   Finally, the fourth command of Jesus tells us that we are empowered for the task. God desires us to be equipped for the mission  and the necessary tool for accomplishing His commands is the empowering of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

   Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.

This passage in Acts (read the context in verses 5-8) tells us  two things:
1. Be focused on the right things 
   We are not to be focused and caught up in Biblical prophecy. So many people get caught up in that. But Jesus says, stay focused on the mission.Another aspect of this is that we must trust the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of new believers, new pastors, new churches. Give them freedom. Dont try to control too much. You should seek to influence them, but not control them. Theres a big difference!
   2. Be focused on the right places
   Jesus says, start in Jerusalem  but dont stay there. Go to Judea (the surrounding areas), and to Samaria (I take that to mean those living close to us but with a different culture), and finally to the ends of the earth.

5. PROOF-PRODUCING COMMISSION.
Mark 16:15-20 (NIV) He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. [16] Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. [17] And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; [18] they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” [19] After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. [20] Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

Conclusion and Challenge:
        Do you know that everybody thinks it is somebody else’s job to go to the ends of the earth? Jesus tells us that it is our responsibility. There were two primary churches in the book of Acts: Jerusalem (which was an inward-focused church) and Antioch (which was focused outwardly). Which type of church are you?