I remember my first mission trip. Our church went to Mexico. I was reluctant to go but was invited so I went. The trip impacted my life! That mission trip did something in me. My eyes were opened to a need beyond my own city and country! I remember the Sunday night service after we returned home. People gave testimonies to how the trip impacted their lives. It was very exciting to the church. It burned in the hearts of those who went and the others who were not able to go saw it in them!

I firmly believe that a mission trip will do something amazing in a church. I believe a youth group will be challenged by it. God will use a mission trip to open eyes and hearts to the need of the Gospel around the world. But mission trips are not easy to organize. Where do we go? Who do we contact? When do we go? How much will it cost? All of these are great questions? But it doesn’t have to be that hard. I have included information in this post about upcoming “Vision Tours” for 2017 (Vision Tours are mission trips). There are options for a mission trip for your church to different places around the world (Argentina is not included as an option and it is something we will be working to provide in the years to come. The dates are notated on the pamphlet as well as cost and contact information. Any of these options would be an incredible opportunity for you and the church! Click here for a PDF version of this pamphlet. 2017 can be the year God uses a mission trip that makes an impact you will never forget!

  

Chapter 7 of The Master Plan of Evangelism is about reproduction. Jesus’ training of the 12 would not stay with the 12. Jesus would send out the 12 with others as the church to go out and do exactly what He had done in them. In other words, they were to reproduce what Jesus had done in them. This commission continues to propel us to reproduce in others what Jesus did in the disciples, and what Jesus has done in us by mentors in the church. Here is a small snippet from the Master Plan of Evangelism.

Jesus intended for the disciples to produce his likeness in and through the church being gathered out of the world. Thus his ministry in the Spirit would be duplicated manyfold by his ministry in the lives of his disciples. Through them and others like them it would continue to expand in an ever-enlarging circumference until the multitudes might know in a similar way the opportunity that they had known with the Master. By this strategy, the conquest of the world was only a matter of time and their faithfulness to his plan.

Jesus had built into his disciples the structure of a church that would challenge and triumph over all the powers of death and hell. It had started small like a grain of mustard seed, but it would grow in size and strength until it became a tree “greater than all the herbs” (Matt. 13:32; see Mark 4:32; Luke 13:18–19). Jesus did not expect that everyone would be saved (he recognized realistically the rebellion of men in spite of grace), but he did foresee the day when the gospel of salvation in his name would be proclaimed convincingly to every creature. Through that testimony his church militant would someday be the church universal even as it would become the church triumphant.

It was not going to be an easy conquest. Many would suffer persecution and martyrdom in the battle. Yet no matter how great the trials through which his people would pass, and how many temporal skirmishes were lost in the struggle, the ultimate victory was certain. His church would win in the end. Nothing could permanently prevail against it or be strong to its detriment, or hold out against it. (Matt. 16:18).

Coleman, R. E. (2006). The master plan of evangelism (pp. 89–90). Grand Rapids, MI: Revell.

Time with a Veteran Missionary 

We hosted veteran missionary Jeff Bush for almost two weeks in May. Jeff was a missionary here in La Plata for 10 years. He started the church we attend now. He also trained men here who have started other churches. Jeff knows the language, the culture, and the people here. He told me what worked and what didn’t. He also advised me on what to focus on as I learn the language and the culture. The churches were also very encouraged by having the founding missionary in to challenge them to continue on! One of the highlights of this time was getting away with Jeff Bush and the pastors he trained that are leading the churches that were started. We went to the coast for a time away. It is autumn here and cold, so the town we were in was almost empty. Jeff spent time with each of the men helping them in their specific church. He also challenged them (and me) together.

Learning the Language

Language school has started. We have been learning and practicing the language since the first day we arrived here but the formal classes are now underway. This is one of the most important things right now in the ministry God has given us because these next months really set the pace for how the ministry continues. The truth is we can only reach people, train men, and plant churches if we know the language. Thank you for praying for us as we press forward.

Serving Together,

Patrick, Leslie, Lily, Piper, and Ivy Henry

In the last blog we emphasized the importance of delegation. This gives opportunity for men to step up and do something for Jesus. As a missionary, I believe that this is very important. It is a tragic thing if a church on the mission field is led only by Americans. God uses His people, and if churches are going to grow and continue, nationals must be trained to continue the work. That means that they must be given opportunities to serve (delegate responsibility) in order to grow. However, delegation is only one half of giving opportunities to serve. It is important that as men are given the opportunity to serve, that they are also given time of assessment to change what needs to be changed, adjust things that are not working, and to continue in things that are. Jesus did this very thing with His disciples. He sent them out with an assignment alongside of instruction and when they returned Jesus took them apart for a time of assessment. Here is a small portion of chapter seven of The Master Plan of Evangelism.

Jesus made it a point to meet with his disciples following their tours of service to hear their reports and to share with them the blessedness of his ministry in doing the same thing. In this sense, one might say that his teaching rotated between instruction and assignment. What time he was with them, he was helping them to understand the reason for some previous action or getting them ready for some new experience. His questions, illustrations, warnings, and admonitions were calculated to bring out those things that they needed to know in order to fulfill his work, which was the evangelization of the world.

Accordingly, not long after the Twelve were sent out, they gathered themselves “together with Jesus” to tell “what things they had done” (Mark 6:30; Luke 9:10). It would appear from the Bible that this reunion was prearranged, and hence, the initial solo excursion of the disciples was merely a field assignment as they continued their training with the Master.

The regrouping of the disciples following their evangelistic tour, of course, provided them some needed rest in body and soul. As to how long the disciples had been out, the Scripture does not say. Perhaps a few days, even a week. The time element here is not the important thing. What does matter though, as the record shows, is that after the disciples were sent out to work, they were expected to share their experiences later with the group.

 Coleman, R. E. (2006). The master plan of evangelism (pp. 81–82). Grand Rapids, MI: Revell.