Introduction:
Recent visits with global workers (GWs) in the Middle East, combined with the incredible events that have taken place in these countries in the last few months, reminds us of the exposure and vulnerability that our personnel face daily as they seek to serve God in difficult and unwelcoming nations. It calls for a reflection on the prayer of Jesus for his disciples in John 17.
“I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me … Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one…
“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” (John 17: 9, 11, 15, NIV).
Our global workers and our international partners are wonderful gifts from God and they need us to pray for their protection daily. We must pray for wisdom and strength for them in the midst of temptation, and that they would have courage to stand in the face of danger.
May we as a sending church continuously pray for those we have released and sent into the world in Jesus’ name!
Personnel Report
We have seen an increase in global workers from 255 to 275 in 2010. Our goal for 2011 is to see nearly 50 new workers released to the field. This reflects our Give Every Day goal of doubling our work force in the next five years. The Lord encourages us to pray for workers for the harvest field (Luke 10:2, Matthew 9: 38).
In order to accomplish this goal, the nature of the work skills of our global force must change. We need global professionals and business people who can enter parts of the world with skills that will open doors to missional living, so that “As They Go,” they make disciples.
There remain areas of the world today where people have to shake the hands of 100,000 people before they ever meet a Christian. They simply have no access to the good news. The deployment of global workers over the next 10 years must address this incredible imbalance. We don’t want to just send GWs to places where the church exists—we want to send them to places where there is no witness for Jesus. A new creativity and flexibility in structure and definition will be required.
Financial Report
Despite that fact that charitable giving dropped by over 10% in Canada in 2010 (reported in the Globe and Mail in December 2010), we thank the Lord for a slight increase in giving to International Missions, ERDO, Villages of Hope and RAN (AsiaSpan). Giving to Shared Funding increased by 3.7 %.
Once again, we thank the Lord that we have managed the department with a slight surplus. In addition we received significant estate designations that we have used to help GWs in need or to increase their project funds.
In keeping with our view to release global workers with new skills, it is our prayer that many new workers will have support systems for their budgets that do not result in complete dependence on church giving. Instead, business and professional skills can be leveraged to open doors of access while providing financial support for the work.
Give Every Day
While we appreciate all the support that we receive from churches, we believe that we have not reached the full giving potential of our Fellowship and that we can increase our global impact through increased human and financial resources.
Give Every Day (GED) is a simple tool for the local church to inspire our church members to move their core value of generosity into action, to identify opportunities for strategic stewardship, and to realize the potential that our family of Jesus followers has as we work together.
Progress to date includes:
We prayerfully anticipate increased giving at the local church level with a positive impact on the ministries of PAOC International Missions, Mission Canada and ERDO.
Global Summit 2011:
We look forward to having 30 international guests in a “Conversation with the Nations.” We live in the generation that very likely will witness the fulfilment of this important scripture:
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come”
(Matthew 24:14, NIV).
Make plans to join us to hear what God is doing around the world through some incredible leaders and partners that the Lord has given to us.
Fri. Oct 28, 2011 Global Summit for Eastern Canada in Newmarket
Sat.-Sun. Oct 29 – 30, 2011 International Guest in Eastern Canada Churches
Wed. Nov 2, 2011 Global Summit for Central Canada in Edmonton
Fri. Nov 4, 2011 Global Summit for BC in Langley
Sat.-Sun. Nov 5 – 6, 2011 International Guests in Western Canada Churches
Tuesday Nov 8, 2011 International Guests with General Executive
ERDO Update Highlights – David Adcock
ERDO is extremely grateful for the support from churches across Canada in response to the 2010 Haiti crisis. The outpouring of care resulted in over $2 million raised for ERDO programs. Emergency relief and long-term development activities are underway, including agricultural development programs and the construction of two schools to serve up to 1,200 children. Pentecostal churches were instrumental in raising awareness of the plight of unsponsored children worldwide. Through special in-church campaigns, churches inspired their members to become ChildCARE Plus sponsors and support global workers in reaching over 6,300 children with practical aid and Christian love. For more information on the results you’ve enabled, visit our website at www.erdo.ca.
Significant Highlights from 2010
New academic building completed at Pan Africa Christian University
New global workers deployed in Japan and Poland
Impacted 100 leading families in Rwanda through STRONG MARRIAGES, STRONG NATION
Hundreds of house churches planted in India
New Bible college dedicated in Sri Lanka
Gatherings of Jesus followers initiated in Middle East and North African countries
Hundreds of national missionaries trained in Indonesia, Africa and Brazil
Over 1,000 pastors graduated worldwide with diplomas or degrees, ready for service in the ministry
Increased care and training initiatives developed for our global workers
New centre for homeless children opened in Calcutta, India
Final Remarks:
“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls” (Hebrews 10:39, ESV).
We are grateful for all that has been accomplished and give God glory as His kingdom advances. But in a world where at least 1.5 billion have never heard the gospel, we must do more. Help us get the gospel to the world. Perhaps you can help translate the Scripture into a new language, build a church in a village where there is no church, help train thousands of new national workers or support a new global worker who will be a catalyst for church multiplication.
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Romans 1:16, NIV).
Murray Cornelius