Then this year we became grand-parents and love it! Annabelle Sophia was born to Jarrett and Michelle on Nov. 18 in Louisville, KY. They had the joy of spending 3 weeks with them. It's hard being a part now.
GOOD TRANSITIONS are good for everyone. We want to pass the baton well and raise up a new global church planting team. This meant finding replacements as church planting coaches in Latin America and raising up church planting coaches for each of our five divisions: Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and MENA (Middle East-North Africa).
GOOD NEWS - On January 19th at our Latin America Conference in Costa Rica they literally passed a baton in front of all the missionaries to Mike and Linda Gunderson who have been church planters and leaders of the Brazil missionaries. This year Gene will be taking Mike to meet leaders in some of the countries where church planting is taking place and together they will be organizing a Latin American Church Planting Summit. We were encouraged by the fact that they want to follow our pattern of working as a couple in their visits and coaching. Mike and Linda are great!
BUILDING TEAM – David was "accompanied by valiant men whose hearts the Lord had touched. (1 Sam 10:26)" We asked God for leaders with a coaching profile and a passion for multiplying kingdom communities. Our international leaders recommended people and God has been putting the team together in incredible ways! First he spoke clearly to Mike and Linda from Brazil. In March Dave Kiamu, a Liberian who is already training church planters agreed to join the team. Two wonderfully gifted men serving in Europe and Asia who are considering this role.
LEARNING – Gene's mom asked: "What do you know about church planting in China?" He responded: "Very little. But hopefully I'll someone who does." We are keenly aware of our limitations and of the immensity of this challenge. We have begun going to each major region of the world to interview church planters, learn about their victories and struggles, and come alongside key leaders (both missionary and national). We started at the Church Planting Training Institute in Sopron Hungary in November. Right after Christmas we were in Bangkok, Thailand for the Asia Conference. Then we went on to the Latin America Conference Jan 14-21. From Feb 14 to 22 we will be at the Africa Conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Our desire is to serve and encourage as we learn. Gene gave workshops in Bangkok on Church Multiplication and Mentoring Leaders and will be doing the same in Tanzania. Linda uses her great relational abilities to build bridges and understand people.
NEXT STEPS – We have been invited to follow-up with church planters by sending a quarterly church planting newsletter to church planters globally, interact with them over strategy issues and help them coach others using skype (free phone over the internet). Gene was invited to return to Bangkok and make side trips to India, Mongolia and Japan in March. In April our new team will be gathering before and after a church planting convention that will take place in Orlando, FL. God is opening the way before us.
Change is never easy. Please pray for faith, wisdom and humility as we engage with new leaders, new cultures and new ministries.
