His Glory...

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Missions Support

February 18, 2011

Dear Friends:
I hope and trust that this letter finds you well. I wanted to share two exciting opportunities I have been afforded by my local church, Calvary Revival Church, to serve on the mission field.
This summer, I will be embarking on a missions’ trip to The Dominican Republic from June 20th-June 27th 2011. I will work very closely with Pastor Ruben M. Dominguez Sr., and his wife Vickie. Pastor Dominguez is the president of H.O.P.E Dominican Republic, a ministry geared to Help Others Pursue Eternity through evangelism, training and benevolence. He is also the Pastor of Iglesia Evangelica Vida en Cristo and the overseer of a village church and an inner city church in the Dominican Republic. While in the Dominican Republic, we will have the opportunity to conduct leadership training with the staff of Iglesia Evangelica vida en Cristo as well as helping out with their Vocational Bible School (VBS) camps throughout the week. We will also be involved in their main worship services during the week and looking forward to see how God will use the team as we labor with the DR church family.
I also will be embarking on a trip to Bosnia, a country that still remains a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, war torn, impoverished and broken land. I will be working alongside Minister Vanja Bule, Director of the National Camps, called EMEK BERAKA. For two months each summer, this camp ministers to all age and social groups (children, teens, youth, adults, leaders, and poor people). Emek Beraka normally hosts about 400 campers, an average of about 50-80 participants per camp. It is worth noting that Bosnia and Herzegovina have fewer than 400 evangelical believers in the whole country. Most of the people that come through the camps are unchurched and have not heard the Gospel of Christ. While in Bosnia, we will have the opportunity to help Minister Bule, along with the Emek Beraka staff in whatever capacity they need for us to serve. Our end goal is to share the Gospel with the teens and youth that will attend these camps.

Here is my request:
•Your prayerful consideration of giving financially to help meet these needs:
A. The estimated budget for the Dominican Republic trip, which includes airfare, transportation while in the DR, accommodation, and meals, is $1500.00. Checks can be mailed to me but made payable to Calvary Revival Church and in the memo section, if you could write my name and the mission, e.g., Jane Doe-DR Contribution. Our deadline to have money turned in is April 15th.
B. The estimated budget for the Bosnia trip, which includes airfare, transportation, and meals, is $2000.00. Any support from you will be greatly appreciated. Checks can be mailed to me or CRC, but made payable to Calvary Revival Church and in the memo section, please write my name and the mission, e.g., Jane Doe-Bosnia Contribution. Our deadline to have money turned in is April 15th.

• Should you desire to mail the check directly to the church, please see details below:
Calvary Revival Church
Strategic Outreach Ministries
5833 Poplar Hall Drive
Norfolk, VA 23502
Attention: Dr. Towera Nyirenda

• Your prayer for traveling mercies, ministry opportunities, and good health as we get ready for the trip and while in each country.

In the event that I raise money above the estimated budget, I will make a contribution to any needs the VBS camps or Iglesia Evangelica Vida en Cristo may have to help offset some of their expenses.
If you have any questions or would like more information about the trip, please feel free to contact the Director of Outreach, Dr. Towera Nyirenda at tnyirenda@crcglobal.org or (757) 321-9711.
Thank you for affording me this opportunity to share this letter with you.


Grateful,

Leadership lessons from Joshua

Joshua 6:24-27

^24(N)They burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only the silver and gold, and articles of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the ^[a]house of the LORD.

²⁵However, ^(O)Rahab the harlot and her father's household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for ^(P)she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

²⁶Then Joshua made them take an oath at that time, saying, "^(Q)Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho; with the loss of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates."

²⁷So ^(R)the LORD was with Joshua, and his ^(S)fame was in all the land.

The ability to keep one’s word is of utmost importance for the Kingdom leader; without it the leader very quickly becomes impotent. For an individual in whom people are following because of their relationship with God, keeping one’s word is synonymous with honor. It could be alleged that the quality of one’s leadership is determined by the excellence of their character. From the perspective of the follower, it is nearly impossible to trust a leader who does not keep their word. Once trust is breached it is difficult to reestablish. The leader can not show partiality he or she must keep their word to everyone. It is just as important to keep your word to the lowly as it is to keep your word to the exalted. If this is done consistently, the leader has the creditability to hold others to their word, and more importantly God will support the prophetic utterance when it is given. Look at vs. 25 …Rahab the harlot and her father's household and all she had, Joshua spared.” Joshua honored the spies’ oath and because of it Rahab the harlot – who is a biological decedent of Jesus Christ—was spared. Thus, Joshua honored the spies’ word given to the harlot; this simple act is indicative of the value Joshua placed on honoring one’s word. Furthermore in vs. 26 we see Joshua establishing a curse with an oath… Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho. The interesting thing is just as Joshua honored the word of the spies we see God honoring the oath of Joshua’s prophetic pronounced over Jericho, which illustrates the value God places on honoring one’s word. So we see, the capability to keep one’s word is paramount for the Kingdom leader; without it the leader quickly looses his or her ability to lead God’s people.

Leadership lessons from Joshua

Joshua 6:1-2

¹ Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

² Then the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.”

One of the most crucial skills a Kingdom leader must have is the ability to see through God’s eyes. This means many times the Kingdom leader cannot depend on graphs, stats, analysis, or even his or her own sight. But, the leader must by faith see what God sees and respond accordingly. This is a precarious situation at best. How many times did we see under Moses’ leadership the Hebrews relying on what their five senses conveyed instead of what God said? Imagine the difficulty of leading three million people and half of them are grumbling because the leader is making decisions based upon data they cannot sense. Do you think doubt ever crept into the Joshua’s mind? Do you think Joshua ever second guessed himself? Do you think the people ever thought, “Here we go again”? Look at Joshua 6 vs. 1-2: Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. Then the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. It’s time for a little background speculation here—it is argued that Jericho is where civilization originated. Moreover, there are many other scholars who believe the Nephilim (giants) lived in Jericho as well. Regardless of the facts, Jericho was a walled and fortified city and in vs. 1 it states that the gates were securely barred and no one went out or in. Thus the possibility of discouragement was prevalent because (1) the nomadic Israelites did not have the resources for a prolonged siege and (2) sieges have a high casualty rate. Nevertheless, look at what God says, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands…” Here in lies the crux of the matter, the people see the problem, but God sees the conclusion, thus it’s the responsibility of the Kingdom leader to get the people to look through God’s eyes and not his or her own. A vital ability a Kingdom leader must have is the knack of perceiving through God’s eyes. Often the Kingdom leader cannot depend on his or her own vision. But, the leader must by faith see what God sees and respond in view of that.