Today was the first Sunday when were able to implement the two services plan. 82 people attended in the morning, and 18 attended at night. There were 10 members who did not attend the morning services and were part of the 18 people who attended at night. So there were 8 of us repeating at night. This means that there was more room in the morning.
Overal attendance went down to 92 people (we were having well above 100 people attending every Sunday morning). This is due to a school break between semesters, and half of the absentees are gone out of town for vacation. We hope that by having more room in the morning services, this will encourage growth in the morning.
With 82 attending, the morning service still presented overcrowded conditions. It was still kind of hot, and some babies were crying.
Some people who came in the morning were concerned that we now have a divided church. They said they were going to miss the people who were coming only at night. So I asked them to write a note to those who would come at night. 5 members wrote beautiful notes to those coming at night. There were expressions like this: "We miss you, we hope that meeting at different times will not divide us, we thank you for leaving room in the morning services to accomodate more visitors, etc." The people at night were moved when I read the notes written to them.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
"Eldering our way to the eldership"
Roberto my brother and I got together for prayer on Wednesday morning from 6 am to 7:30 am. It was very meaningful to go over the whole list of 126 members and 12 people who are being contacted. 30 people didn't come. Some of these do not come regularly. 18 people had submitted requests for prayers on their behalf. We kept remembering Matthew 9:36-38:
Roberto and I handed the prayer request slips back to them who had submitted, along with a note of encouragement, a Scripture, and reassurance that their request had been presented to the Lord, and asking them to let us know of changes of their situation. For some of them this was very encouraging, and really lifted their spirits up. For us, it was a privilege, and we felt greatly encouraged by the fact that we are doing this pastoring work. When I was commenting to one of the US people visiting Barva about this, I told him that "we are eldering our way to the eldership."
Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."The workers are really few. The task is greater than us. We truly need to depend on the Lord.
Roberto and I handed the prayer request slips back to them who had submitted, along with a note of encouragement, a Scripture, and reassurance that their request had been presented to the Lord, and asking them to let us know of changes of their situation. For some of them this was very encouraging, and really lifted their spirits up. For us, it was a privilege, and we felt greatly encouraged by the fact that we are doing this pastoring work. When I was commenting to one of the US people visiting Barva about this, I told him that "we are eldering our way to the eldership."
Campaign in Barva (July 7th and 8th, 2009)
A few members from the Heredia church supported a campaign carried out by the Barva church. Barva is a town just North of Heredia. Joaquín Rojas is the preacher there. Supported by churches from Tennessee, Joaquín welcomes a group of North Americans once a year to do evangelistic work with the local church. Minor Perez, from Calle Blancos preached on the 7th to 135 people present, and Diego Rojas preached on the 8th to 157 people present.
On the second night Roberto Ulate brought 5 people we are studying with. Roberto picked them up and took them back home. This brother has been such a great support to me and the church in Heredia.
On the second night Roberto Ulate brought 5 people we are studying with. Roberto picked them up and took them back home. This brother has been such a great support to me and the church in Heredia.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Campaign in Grecia (July 6th, 2009)
My brother Roberto, a friend of us, and I went to Grecia last evening. Grecia is a town of the province of Alajuela. I had been invited to preach for a Gospel Meeting. There were close to 100 people present.
After I finished preaching, three came forward asking for prayers of deliverance and forgiveness. Our friend, the excongressman came forward among those three! My brother Roberto and I were so excited to see this response from him. God's Word is really powerful! He, of course, was not prepared for a decision yet, but it just confirmed that the Bible studies are helping him well.
It was a great opportunity to renew our friendship with Teodoro, the local preacher, Ivan his brother and song leader of the night. Ronald, Lalo, Nidia, Ana, Julio, Élida, Gerzom, Roberto, Ricardo and many others whose names I should have written. The ladies had supper prepared for us. It was very refreshing when the three of us sat at the table along with Ronald, a local brother, who led the prayer for the blessing.
We also had the opportunity to spend some time with brother Larry Watson, elder of the Paragould Church of Christ in Arkansas. Brother Watson and the congregation behind him have been supporting this work for more than ten years. They are the main force behind the Jenny Sue camping facility between Sarchí and Grecia. It is with great sacrifice from him and his family that brother Watson has been able to start this work and they are the ones keeping it. It was very encouraging to spend this time with brother Watson, as we discussed some issues related to the work in Paragould and the work in Heredia. He gave us some insight about what pastors do to take care of the sheep. He explained that they are a congregation of 600 members, that there are 6 elders, and each of them is responsible for praying for a share of 100 members. They also handle prayer requests from members.
The Gospel Meeting itself was very encouraging. The singing was led by brother Ivan. He came across very stately, and was able to lead us in inspiring singing. Then I was asked to present my lesson. The main text was Psalms 121:1, 2. I used the idea of help from the Lord coming in the form of righteousness, and stressed the need for us to develop an attitude of hungering and thirsting for righteousness (Matthew 5.6). This needed attitude is developed when we understand that we don't have righteousness, that we are not righteous, that there is no difference between sinner and sinner (Romans 3.22). I had to explain that "no difference" means that God judges not only the actions, He judges the thoughts in our hearts, and if we are honest, we must accept that we are just as guilty as the "chief of sinners," (1 Timothy 1.15, NASB). Then I went on to talk about Romans 3.9, 10, and 3.21-26. Our help from the Lord comes in the form of righteousness through Jesus carrying the burden of our sins on the cross (2 Corinthians 5.21). Finally, I explained how this help from the Lord is what Jesus calls the Gospel, which he commanded to be preached and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved (Mark 16.16).
After I finished preaching, three came forward asking for prayers of deliverance and forgiveness. Our friend, the excongressman came forward among those three! My brother Roberto and I were so excited to see this response from him. God's Word is really powerful! He, of course, was not prepared for a decision yet, but it just confirmed that the Bible studies are helping him well.
It was a great opportunity to renew our friendship with Teodoro, the local preacher, Ivan his brother and song leader of the night. Ronald, Lalo, Nidia, Ana, Julio, Élida, Gerzom, Roberto, Ricardo and many others whose names I should have written. The ladies had supper prepared for us. It was very refreshing when the three of us sat at the table along with Ronald, a local brother, who led the prayer for the blessing.
We also had the opportunity to spend some time with brother Larry Watson, elder of the Paragould Church of Christ in Arkansas. Brother Watson and the congregation behind him have been supporting this work for more than ten years. They are the main force behind the Jenny Sue camping facility between Sarchí and Grecia. It is with great sacrifice from him and his family that brother Watson has been able to start this work and they are the ones keeping it. It was very encouraging to spend this time with brother Watson, as we discussed some issues related to the work in Paragould and the work in Heredia. He gave us some insight about what pastors do to take care of the sheep. He explained that they are a congregation of 600 members, that there are 6 elders, and each of them is responsible for praying for a share of 100 members. They also handle prayer requests from members.
The Gospel Meeting itself was very encouraging. The singing was led by brother Ivan. He came across very stately, and was able to lead us in inspiring singing. Then I was asked to present my lesson. The main text was Psalms 121:1, 2. I used the idea of help from the Lord coming in the form of righteousness, and stressed the need for us to develop an attitude of hungering and thirsting for righteousness (Matthew 5.6). This needed attitude is developed when we understand that we don't have righteousness, that we are not righteous, that there is no difference between sinner and sinner (Romans 3.22). I had to explain that "no difference" means that God judges not only the actions, He judges the thoughts in our hearts, and if we are honest, we must accept that we are just as guilty as the "chief of sinners," (1 Timothy 1.15, NASB). Then I went on to talk about Romans 3.9, 10, and 3.21-26. Our help from the Lord comes in the form of righteousness through Jesus carrying the burden of our sins on the cross (2 Corinthians 5.21). Finally, I explained how this help from the Lord is what Jesus calls the Gospel, which he commanded to be preached and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved (Mark 16.16).
Friday, July 3, 2009
June 2009 Report
Assembly Measures
(Click on the table for a clearer image)
There was one baptism this month. This is a 23 year old girl, a baby sitter, who was reached out by the group from Guararí, the Nicaraguan ghetto, that meets on Sunday evening. The people around her were very supportive and kept giving her a great example of commitment and dedication, so this made it easy for her to make a decision. No pressure whatsoever was exerted, it was just the pure gospel being taught to her personally that convinced her. The good thing is that she continues to study with us every Thursday morning, because she starts working at 11 a. m. So, this is keeping her faithful.
My brother Roberto and I started the “elder training program.” With God’s help, this is what we are doing: We are asking the church members to submit petitions for prayer, with their names and their specific needs. Then Roberto and I meet on Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. During the meeting we go over the whole list of 120 members, discuss a little bit about them, and then make a separate list of those who missed services. Then we alternate praying for each member who missed services and each member who submitted a petition. After the prayer, we select at least one family to be visited during the week. During the visit we explain that we are there because we feel a responsibility to care for them spiritually, we are there to listen to them and hear about their needs, and then pray for them.
This is proving to be great encouragement for members who had slacked in their attendance, and a great opportunity for us to be trained to be elders. Once Roberto and I feel that we have enough training in doing this “shepherding work,” we may split and each one of us will take another potential elder to be trained the same way. We have done this during the last two weeks and are very excited about the results.
According to the plan originally submitted to Bammel, I had thought about installing elders by the year 2014. This is because I was thinking in terms of setting up a program by which some men would be trained with lessons on theological subjects, during a period of one or two years. After looking more closely to Jesus’ method of training, my vision has changed. I see Jesus doing the actual job along with the trainees. God is full of surprises; he may surprise us with elders long before that year. This doesn’t mean the formal classes will not be taught. We may set up Saturday mornings for such classes, but we don’t have enough would be elders yet. I am thinking in terms of ten men.
We are still meeting in the same place. A “Facilities Committee” of 5 members was elected and prayed for before the church in June. 3 ladies and 2 single adults make it up. This was a goal for the third quarter of this year. The need for better facilities obligated us to carry it out during the second quarter. So, we applied the principles of Acts 6. The church selected seven members of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we put in charge of the facilities task, so that we the leaders could devote themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word, because it is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to worry about the facilities (paraphrase of Acts 6:2-4). The members selected were Miriam Brenes de Hernández, Carmen Bonilla, Noris Milanés de Ulate, Michael Chacón, and Isaac Montero. They are working on the option of moving the eastern wall to make more room, and already have a proposal to be presented to us.
We finally acquired a video beam. Andrés Hernández, one of the single adults in charge of the Youth Group, had offered to use his credit card to buy it, and 33 working members committed themselves to pay for it in a period of 12 weeks, which is the maximum to pay for it free of interest. Andrés led the initiative by presenting a plan for each of those members paying close to 4 dollars each Sunday, on top of the regular contribution. So, I already presented the first two lessons with videos and slides support!
Study Measures
Cell Group Members/Visitors
Northeast 15-19/ 1-2
Southeast n.d./ n.d
Northwest 9-12 /1-2
Southwest 5-9/ 1-2
Heredia Church of Christ 14-19 / 1-2
My brother Roberto and I have had three Bible studies with a man who used to be a congressman. He was looking for Roberto to divorce him of his sixth wife. Apparently, this man’s life has gotten very complicated, and now he wants to settle down. He seems to be very sincere in his desire to study the Scriptures with us. He lives in a mansion, so we go to his mansion once a week, and have become friends of him. He loves us and we love him. This man may prove to be a key member because, being a politician and a businessman, he has connections to important strata of the Heredia population.
There are 10 people we are having Bible Study with, either in group or individually.
On Saturday, June 13, my brother Roberto and I drove to Guápiles as I was invited to preach that night for the gospel meeting they hold every year in that location. Guápiles is across the mountains, an hour and a half to the North of Heredia. I preached on Saturday evening and on Sunday evening. Also, I translated for the English speaking Sunday School teacher and the preacher. There were more than one hundred people on Sunday morning and close to one hundred in the evenings. I was able to spend time with my brother Roberto and his son Joshua. I also spent time with brother Tom Brandon an elder from a church in, Alabama. Roberto was very interested in getting to know from Tom about the work of elders in the States.
The ladies who meet on Thursday morning, have been using their meeting time to split in two groups to visit other ladies. This week they went and visited members who had been discouraged by family situations. Roxana, Mirna, Socorro, Noris, and Damaris are leading these efforts. They are reaching out to ladies in their homes, and creating a lot of good will. They organized one baby shower for a young lady who lost her husband after ten months of marriage. She was pregnant and has been working as a waitress in a small restaurant. Thankfully she lives with her grandma. The ladies were able to provide her with lots of gifts. One lady gave her a cash gift. 40 ladies came to the event at Roberto’s home. Noris, his wife, taught the lesson.
(Click on the table for a clearer image)There was one baptism this month. This is a 23 year old girl, a baby sitter, who was reached out by the group from Guararí, the Nicaraguan ghetto, that meets on Sunday evening. The people around her were very supportive and kept giving her a great example of commitment and dedication, so this made it easy for her to make a decision. No pressure whatsoever was exerted, it was just the pure gospel being taught to her personally that convinced her. The good thing is that she continues to study with us every Thursday morning, because she starts working at 11 a. m. So, this is keeping her faithful.
My brother Roberto and I started the “elder training program.” With God’s help, this is what we are doing: We are asking the church members to submit petitions for prayer, with their names and their specific needs. Then Roberto and I meet on Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. During the meeting we go over the whole list of 120 members, discuss a little bit about them, and then make a separate list of those who missed services. Then we alternate praying for each member who missed services and each member who submitted a petition. After the prayer, we select at least one family to be visited during the week. During the visit we explain that we are there because we feel a responsibility to care for them spiritually, we are there to listen to them and hear about their needs, and then pray for them.
This is proving to be great encouragement for members who had slacked in their attendance, and a great opportunity for us to be trained to be elders. Once Roberto and I feel that we have enough training in doing this “shepherding work,” we may split and each one of us will take another potential elder to be trained the same way. We have done this during the last two weeks and are very excited about the results.
According to the plan originally submitted to Bammel, I had thought about installing elders by the year 2014. This is because I was thinking in terms of setting up a program by which some men would be trained with lessons on theological subjects, during a period of one or two years. After looking more closely to Jesus’ method of training, my vision has changed. I see Jesus doing the actual job along with the trainees. God is full of surprises; he may surprise us with elders long before that year. This doesn’t mean the formal classes will not be taught. We may set up Saturday mornings for such classes, but we don’t have enough would be elders yet. I am thinking in terms of ten men.
We are still meeting in the same place. A “Facilities Committee” of 5 members was elected and prayed for before the church in June. 3 ladies and 2 single adults make it up. This was a goal for the third quarter of this year. The need for better facilities obligated us to carry it out during the second quarter. So, we applied the principles of Acts 6. The church selected seven members of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we put in charge of the facilities task, so that we the leaders could devote themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word, because it is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to worry about the facilities (paraphrase of Acts 6:2-4). The members selected were Miriam Brenes de Hernández, Carmen Bonilla, Noris Milanés de Ulate, Michael Chacón, and Isaac Montero. They are working on the option of moving the eastern wall to make more room, and already have a proposal to be presented to us.
We finally acquired a video beam. Andrés Hernández, one of the single adults in charge of the Youth Group, had offered to use his credit card to buy it, and 33 working members committed themselves to pay for it in a period of 12 weeks, which is the maximum to pay for it free of interest. Andrés led the initiative by presenting a plan for each of those members paying close to 4 dollars each Sunday, on top of the regular contribution. So, I already presented the first two lessons with videos and slides support!
Study Measures
Cell Group Members/Visitors
Northeast 15-19/ 1-2
Southeast n.d./ n.d
Northwest 9-12 /1-2
Southwest 5-9/ 1-2
Heredia Church of Christ 14-19 / 1-2
My brother Roberto and I have had three Bible studies with a man who used to be a congressman. He was looking for Roberto to divorce him of his sixth wife. Apparently, this man’s life has gotten very complicated, and now he wants to settle down. He seems to be very sincere in his desire to study the Scriptures with us. He lives in a mansion, so we go to his mansion once a week, and have become friends of him. He loves us and we love him. This man may prove to be a key member because, being a politician and a businessman, he has connections to important strata of the Heredia population.
There are 10 people we are having Bible Study with, either in group or individually.
On Saturday, June 13, my brother Roberto and I drove to Guápiles as I was invited to preach that night for the gospel meeting they hold every year in that location. Guápiles is across the mountains, an hour and a half to the North of Heredia. I preached on Saturday evening and on Sunday evening. Also, I translated for the English speaking Sunday School teacher and the preacher. There were more than one hundred people on Sunday morning and close to one hundred in the evenings. I was able to spend time with my brother Roberto and his son Joshua. I also spent time with brother Tom Brandon an elder from a church in, Alabama. Roberto was very interested in getting to know from Tom about the work of elders in the States.
The ladies who meet on Thursday morning, have been using their meeting time to split in two groups to visit other ladies. This week they went and visited members who had been discouraged by family situations. Roxana, Mirna, Socorro, Noris, and Damaris are leading these efforts. They are reaching out to ladies in their homes, and creating a lot of good will. They organized one baby shower for a young lady who lost her husband after ten months of marriage. She was pregnant and has been working as a waitress in a small restaurant. Thankfully she lives with her grandma. The ladies were able to provide her with lots of gifts. One lady gave her a cash gift. 40 ladies came to the event at Roberto’s home. Noris, his wife, taught the lesson.
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