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Illiteracy is a huge hindrance to the study of the Bible, but it’s one that we believe can be overcome. Hit the link here or click on the picture to find out how a new partnership is providing us with a tool to do just that. While you’re there, don’t miss the rest of our latest quarterly update from the field!
Our online newsletter is viewable as a PDF document. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader software installed, you may download it here.
Tags: Church planting, Discipleship, Evangelism, Faith Comes by Hearing, Jesus Film Project, Maya, Newsletter, Teen Cha
We believe in the power of the Word of God, that’s why a large part of our ministry is dedicated to preaching and teaching the Bible. Still preaching and teaching, at best, serve only as a gateway for personal exploration and application of the biblical text. It is a jumping off point for believers, encouraging them to dig deeper into what God would want to speak into their lives on any given subject. That is why personal study of the scripture is so important, and why access to the biblical text is such a fundamental necessity for any culture.
Here in the Yucatán, where almost 60% of the population speaks the Maya language, we’re glad to know that the New Testament has been in print for several years and is widely available. However, when the majority of those who speak Maya cannot read the language, the benefit of this printed biblical text is severely limited, and a large portion of the population remains cut off from access to the Word of God in their native language.
That is why we’re happy to be forming a partnership with Faith Comes by Hearing (FCBH), distributors of the Proclaimer Audio Bible. The Proclaimer is a device, approximately the size of a large radio, that is able to reproduce the biblical text for a group as large as 300 people. That means that even the illiterate will be able to hear and understand the message of the Bible in their native language. Furthermore, the fact that the device a single unit, and that it is solar or manually powered, opens up opportunities to transport the Word of God to places that lack even basic services.
But this partnership is about much more than just the distribution of devices. Just this week, I was able to speak with Gil Moreno, one of the FCBH ministry staff, who took me through their philosophy of setting up listening groups in order to facilitate Bible literacy and discipleship. Through a commitment of as little as 30 minutes a week, a group of believers can listen to the entire New Testament in less than a year. But they’re not only listening; in these groups, they’re interacting with the Word of God, recalling the stories, expressing their feelings, and applying the truths. That’s where the change occurs!
It’s our goal to implement these listening groups in conjunction with the churches that we are forming through our Jesus Film outreach. This way, even if a pastor is unable to visit a village for an extended period of time, discipleship is still taking place as new believers gather to hear and discuss the Bible. We hope to have our first batch of seven Proclaimers in use by the end of summer, with another two shipments to arrive soon after. It’s our prayer that this device and this new partnership will yield much fruit in our effort to disciple indigenous believers here in the Yucatán and beyond.
Tags: Church planting, Discipleship, Faith Comes by Hearing, Maya, Proclaimer
Incoming 2013-2015 Yucatán District Leadership
We just wanted to take a moment to say thanks to all who prayed for the Yucatan District Council, which took place last week. Your intercession was appreciated! Not only was it felt during a particularly tense voting session, but we’re sure it was instrumental as well in generating more contracts as we continue with our Jesus Film Church planting efforts.
On a side note, I noticed a recurring theme of Pentecost throughout the District Council. There is a growing concern among our leaders about the lack of believers reporting to have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I was glad to see the call for a renewed emphasis on this essential experience for ministry in these Last Days.
Below, I’ve listed our incoming District Leadership Team. Please continue to lift them up in prayer. Pray for a renewed vision and commitment to accomplishing God’s will among them. Pray as well that the godly example of outreach and compassion that they set will be caught throughout the district.
New District Leadership Team:
Superintendent: Tomas Vera Moreno
Secretary: Raúl Sánchez y Molina
Treasurer: Samuel Vázquez Salazar
Regional Presbyters:
North Region: Manuel Díaz Sanchez
West Region: Juan Hau Pech
Central Region: Fernando Moctezuma Dorantes
South Region: Rosendo Cabrera
East Region: Cristino May Rejón
Department of Christian Education Leadership:
President: Alfonso Vera Moreno
Secretary/Treasurer: Fernando Díaz Cab
Local Church Studies: Manuel Pech
Theological Studies: Natanael Ku
Secular Studies: Juan Baeza
Missions Department Leadership:
Director: Felipe Sabido Escalante
Secretary/Treasurer: Abel Can
Coordinator of Ministry to Ethnic Groups: Miriam Pech
Evangelism Leadership:
Director: Moisés Charmin Díaz
Vice President: Julian Magaña
Secretary: Carlos Maas
Spiritual Retreat Leadership:
President: Magaly Balam
Secretary: Andrés Vera
Treasurer: Franscico Can
Sectional President, Mérida Northeast: Natanael Ku
Thanks again for your continued support!
Tags: Church planting, Prayer
Leadership elected in the 2011 District Council
I know that I’ve already asked for prayer this month, but at the risk of over-asking, I’m coming back to you with a special request for prayer for our District Council and especially for the elections that will take place during that council.
By the time that you read this we’ll be in full swing in this year’s Yucatán District Council. We’re thrilled to have our National Superintendent, Abel Flores, as our featured speaker. It will be a privilege to hear more of his vision for the future of the Assemblies of God in Mexico, but the main reason for this update is to ask prayer for the elections that will take place during this year’s council.
Up for election will be the entire leadership team, Superintendent, Secretary, and Treasurer, as well as well as the entire slate of Regional and Sectional Presbyters and Presidents. Also up for election are the various department heads, including the position of the Director of the Missions Department, a person with whom we’ve worked closely for the past two years.
Pray with us generally for the entire Council. We desperately long for a sovereign move of the Spirit that will stimulate evangelism, church planting, and missions here in the Yucatán and beyond.
Pray with us specifically for a desire to have God’s will accomplished the council elections. Pray that any thought of politicking would be laid aside in order to see the right people placed or retained in each office. Pray as well for a spirit of transparency throughout the election process, and pray for me as I participate as a part of the “Mesa de escrutadores,” the committee charged with counting the votes and reporting the election results.
Thanks!
Tags: Church planting, Prayer
Spring Break is a well known concept here on the Yucatán Peninsula. Many residents have personal experience working in the Riviera Maya, where students descend to spend their week-long vacation. They speak of the droves of sunburned gringos on the beach or of the wild all-night parties in the clubs throughout that region. So imagine the surprise on their faces when we tell them that Spring Break can mean something radically different!
Starting this Saturday, March 9th, we will be hosting two Chi Alpha Campus Fellowship missions teams from the University of Virginia and American University. These students and their leaders have repurposed their Spring Break to make an impact here in the Yucatán!
This Spring Impact has a three-part mission:
1. Advance the construction of Instituto Bíblico Bethel.
Advancing Construction
Thanks to several key donations at the close of 2012 and the fundraising efforts of these students, we’ve been able to dedicate over $7,000 to this ongoing project. With these funds and the their hard work, the second floor of the school’s multi-purpose building will begin to take shape.
2. Stimulate ministerial formation among Bible School students.
Ministerial Formation
We’re teaming up these American students with their Mexican counter-parts. They’ll be working side by side thoughout the week, putting their education into practice both in ministry and in plain, honest, hard work.
3. Encourage evangelism efforts.
Encouraging Evangelism
More than 40 individuals will be divided between the villages of San Bernardo in the south and Sierra Papacal in the north in support of two, newly-planted churches. The groups will spend their afternoons in community service, door to door evangelism, and the invitation of residents to a special community day, where they will have the opportunity to respond to the message of salvation.
Would you pray especially for this time of construction and outreach? Pray for the health and safety of all involved. Pray for an ability to communicate both within the teams and among those who would hear the message of salvation. Pray that the churches would grow as a result of these efforts, and pray that both the Americans and the Mexicans would finish this trip with the sense that they have been used by God.
Thanks for standing with us!
Tags: Chi Alpha, Church planting, Discipleship, Evangelism, Prayer, Salvation, Sierra Papacal, Spring Break, SpringImpact, team ministry
Practicing personal evangelism
Certainly that’s not right. The direction is supposed to be west, is it not? Well, if you live in Merida, and your goal is ministry among the Maya, then east is the direction you want to travel.
And go east we did, Joseph and I that is, to be a part of another Action Group training for the Jesus Film in Maya. We travelled three hours on a rather circuitous route to make it to the city of Tizimin, where one of my former students, Alex Canul, served as our host. Once there, churches from Tizimin, Espita, and Dzonot Carretero, five in all, were trained with the view to participate in a Jesus Film outreach in their area.
Of course, the goal of the Jesus Film is much more than simply the projection of the film itself. The goal is to leave a nucleus of believers, a functioning church, in each place it is shown. To do so, Action Groups are trained in everything from personal evangelism and testifying to teaching discipleship classes to new believers.
Pastor Alex Canul
Our time in Tizimin was a full day of teaching strategy, methods, and techniques, but we took time as well to emphasize our dependence on the work of the Holy Spirit to create opportunities, to open doors, and to work in the hearts of those reached by the film. We left satisfied with the ground that we were able to cover, but more desperate than ever for God to reach Maya speakers in the Yucatán with a clear presentation of the story of Jesus and a church home full of the sound of their native language.
Tags: Church planting, Discipleship, Evangelism, Jesus Film Project, Teaching
We were in San Isidro de Ochil on Monday night. We went there as as family in order to meet the new congregation planted by Jesus Film team member, Efren Sánchez. We made our way through a driving rain to meet Efren and his team, and then picked our way through the back roads that led from Efren’s village of Pixyah to the town of Ochil. Once there, we met the owner of the home where the church was meeting. Then, I got busy interviewing those who were there while Efren and his group went out to invite those who had not yet arrived.
The prayer service was quite standard in many respects, except of course for the Latinized Maya language that flowed through the house. We sang, prayed for the needs of those in the home, and received a message from Efren about the uniqueness of Christ. It wasn’t until all was over that the significance of the situation struck me.
With the service over, several members of the team from Pixyah headed to a corner store. They came back with bags of snacks and bottles of soda. The snacks were placed in a common bowl and passed for all to share. Plastic cups were then filled and distributed among those who had gathered in the house. It was as I reached my hand in the bowl that I couldn’t help but wonder if this was what Paul had in mind when he gave his rules for communion in 1 Corinthians 11.
Here were people of different levels of education, social circles, and economic status all gathered under the same roof. There were those who spoke Spanish, Maya, and English, conversing with each other, granted, some better than others. There were people from all walks of life sharing from a common bowl. We were disparate members, each with his or her own story, but in this one spontaneous, boisterous, yet holy moment, we were unified as the body of Christ.
There, in that little room, was a congregation. There, in that gathering, a new church had met. This is why we came. We remain so that others might live moments like these, moments that give opportunity for changed lives.
Tags: Church planting, Communion, Jesus Film Project, Maya
As we move into the second half of our term, we’ve seen God moving us to undertake a three-fold mission. In this prayer update, we present this vision to you so that you might agree with us for it’s completion.
Reach the lost
Since our missionary career began in 2004, our desire has been to reach others with the gospel. We’ve engaged that mission through social outreach, campaigns, and one-on-one evangelistic efforts. This term, we’ve had the opportunity to reach out to the indigenous Maya people in their own language. With your help, we can equip and send more teams to plant churches among them.
Remove obstacles to the gospel
I’ll never forget the sadness I felt as I watched one man walk away from the church. He was an addict, and that particular church had nothing to offer him to meet his needs. I prayed in that moment that I’d never have to witness an event like that again.
This term, we’ve seen God answering that prayer. We’ve been able to come alongside two drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers to introduce them to Teen Challenge resources. We are working to help them to shape and expand their programs. Our desire is to see these ministries become regional resources for people struggling with addictions.
Raise up others to do the same
At “Instituto Bíblico Bethel” we’re training up the next generation of pastors and missionaries. Regularly, we’re teaching such subjects as evangelism, apologetics, church planting, and missions, sharing our God-given vision. Right now, we’re halfway through a project to expand their facilities to better serve these ministers in formation. We believe that with your help we can reach our goal to finish this building in this term.
Tags: Church planting, Discipleship, Evangelism, Instituto Biblico Bethel, Jesus Film Project, Missions, Prayer
Want to learn about the Yucateco Rhythm and why it needs to pick up the pace? Hit the link here or click on the picture to find out! While you’re there, don’t miss the rest of our latest quarterly update from the field!
Our online newsletter is viewable as a PDF document. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader software installed, you may download it here.
Tags: Church Growth, Church planting, Newsletter, Prayer, Teen Challenge
In a previous post, I had spoken about how Abimael Borbolla, District Superintendent of the Mexican state of Oaxaca, woke up the pastors and executive committees of the District of Yucatan when he alerted us that the our rate of growth, what he called the “Yucatecan Rhythm”, has been limited to 2.7 churches per year.
Granted, any growth is progress, but we need to take several things into consideration when we analyze this growth. First of all, records show that there are 188 Assemblies of God churches in the Yucatan. It is generally believed that the average church hovers at a attendance of between 75 and 100, which means that there are 18,800 people entering our churches during any given week. Adding 2.7 churches to this figure yearly, we can see that the Assemblies is adding 270 people per year in a best-case scenario, a growth rate of roughly 1.5%.
When we compare this growth with population figures we see the stark reality. As of the the 2010 census the state of Yucatán boasted 1,955,577 inhabitants(1). At 18,800 congregants, that means that the Assemblies is currently reaching less than 1% of the people of this state. Furthermore, knowing that the population is growing at a rate of 1.6% annually(2), our growth rate of 1.5% means that we are actually losing ground.
So the logical conclusion is that, if we plan to see the Great Commission fulfilled in the state of the Yucatán, we need to get busy planting churches. Nevertheless, increased activity alone will not insure the success of this endeavor. Our vision must be to plant churches that do more than survive, they must thrive, starting a cycle of reproduction that will effectively disciple the population. The dissemination of that vision is the goal of the current series of Church Planting Training Seminars during the months of April through June.
Together with Abel Can, and Fernando Diaz, District Missions Director and Secretary-Treasurer of the Missions Committee respectively, along with missionaries Lidia Pompeyo, and Norma Uitzil, we’re attempting to introduce pastors to effective methods of church planting. The 5-hour conference covers such subjects as the role of intercession, the responsibilities of the mothering church, the necessity of understanding the community, strategies to use to gain entrance into that community, and the elaboration of a chronological plan which ties all of the elements together. Our desire is to stimulate the district on toward the goal of planting 100 new churches in the next two years.
We’ve held one conference in the series already, which was well attended and received. Pray for as we travel and teach the series this weekend and throughout the next two months. Pray also that it will result in being the shot in the arm that the “Yucatecan Rhythm” needs. Click here for more photos of the event.
(1)“Mexico en Cifras”. INEGI. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
(2)“Mexico en Cifras”. INEGI. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
Tags: Church Growth, Church planting
