Tuesday, March 12, 2013

The Next Season of Mission for CEC


Been a long time since I last posted anything on my blog. Guess FB and Twitter have surpassed it as a more useful communication tool. Skip to the end for info on this picture.

So I'm commenting on my last post 'The Best Mission Trip Ever'. I think I need to rename it the 'Best Mission Trip Yet!'

The lasting impact with the 4000 houses prayed over, 1000 doors opened and 450 prayed for has been hard to measure eight months later. When everyone got back into school in the fall, we discontinued the follow-up with all but a handful of people with whom we connected.

The Best Part of This Past Mission Smyrna? One mother we contacted in July, who came to the big party, started attending with her husband and five-year old daughter, joined a small group and finally received Christ about a month ago! That has made all of Mission Smyrna worth it!

So we've had a season of making disciples (Gospel DNA Groups) and now we are making plans to build on this mission trip by praying for our friends, neighbors and co-workers. In April we will kick-off the next phase of outreach. This will be more personal to people we know but we hope and pray even more fruitful.

Plus we are planning to equip more of our people to share their faith through creative means like sketch board messages and wordless dramas like the 'Redeemer' sketch, giving testimonies and other local short term mission trips where we actually share the gospel. And maybe even internationally in Ecuador with Open Air Campaigners! Especially now that Hèctor and Cecilia Guzmàn can travel, the international doors are opening wider...

Other Effects
Another intangible is that one or two families at CEC have increased their focus on their local area. One woman got a job in the county justice system and has started a Bible Study in her home for women. There is a hunger for more training among your youth. And we haven't lost focus on our community. We're still working, learning to be fully trained disciples who make fully trained disciples through both evangelism and discipleship.

I'll keep you up to date as we go. If you are interested in learning to share your faith and go on local and international mission trips, let me know!

P.S. The picture is of our staff with the David and Monica Proaño and their family from Ecuador. They work year round creatively presenting the gospel in schools, military bases, police academies, parks, churches and anywhere else they can think of. The whole family even performs the wordless drama with there three year old playing a key role.

My friend and former colleague from Fellowship Bible Church, Mike Baumgardner will be helping us with sketch board training and all sort of other stuff, including being a key intercessor for the work of God here in and through CEC. Thanks Mike!