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From Lima
Posted by
Bob Fetherlin
,
26 August 2006
·
870 views
Today I´m in Lima with C&MA partner church leaders from around Latin America. Sometimes I´m asked, "Why have US C&MA personnel left Peru?" (We continue with one couple here involved in outreach to the growing Chinese population of Peru.) Being here helps me know why all the others have left: due to strategic and faithful investment over many years, there´s a growing family of Alliance churches here who can continue with strength without a missionary presence. In this city of 8 million, there are now 60 Alliance churches with more in the planning stages.
A main topic here is how these churches can express their missionary nature. The Peruvian C&MA now has 64 of its own missionaries spread across the globe, many of them in difficult places. There are hundreds more in the preparation stages, filled with passion and vision for what can happen in and through a life lived with relentless abandonment to Christ. This thrills me!
What about the future? Three things are sure.
1) We will continue to seek out those places, those peoples where the church isn´t yet established with a passion to see communities of faith spring up, have local leaders, and reproduce themselves.
2) The US family of Alliance churches will have more and more "children and grandchildren." Churches planted by missionaries we´ve sent will plant more churches that will plant more churches that will plant more churches . . .
3) As the Latin American churches move forward in expressing their missionary nature, fulfillment of the Great Commission will be accelerated hastening the return of our King!
I get teary just thinking about all of this . . . all the giving, all the labor, all the difficult times and tensions experienced in this process are more than worth it! Jesus Christ is worthy of the investment that´s been made . . . that will continue to bear fruit for His glory!
A main topic here is how these churches can express their missionary nature. The Peruvian C&MA now has 64 of its own missionaries spread across the globe, many of them in difficult places. There are hundreds more in the preparation stages, filled with passion and vision for what can happen in and through a life lived with relentless abandonment to Christ. This thrills me!
What about the future? Three things are sure.
1) We will continue to seek out those places, those peoples where the church isn´t yet established with a passion to see communities of faith spring up, have local leaders, and reproduce themselves.
2) The US family of Alliance churches will have more and more "children and grandchildren." Churches planted by missionaries we´ve sent will plant more churches that will plant more churches that will plant more churches . . .
3) As the Latin American churches move forward in expressing their missionary nature, fulfillment of the Great Commission will be accelerated hastening the return of our King!
I get teary just thinking about all of this . . . all the giving, all the labor, all the difficult times and tensions experienced in this process are more than worth it! Jesus Christ is worthy of the investment that´s been made . . . that will continue to bear fruit for His glory!
