EFCA ReachGlobal News

Updates for mission pastors and church leaders

In this issue

• EFCA Statement of Faith revision approved
• Developing a missions strategy
• Exciting learning opportunities
• Reach Asia Summit
• Educational needs in Europe
• ReachGlobal Prayer Guide
• Global Concert of Prayer
• Earthquake relief
• International Expo
• ReachGlobal Africa
• GlobalFingerprints video wins Telly Awards
• Newly accepted ReachGlobal candidates
• GodSighting and Prayer

EFCA Statement of Faith revision approved

Developing a missions strategy

Exciting learning opportunities

EFCA EQUIP has several exciting learning opportunities coming up in the near future: 

• Intentional Living: This four-week course begins July 21. Learn how to follow the model Jesus gave us as He lived His life deliberately and with purpose. Intentional Living helps you along in the journey to being more intentional and fruitful in life and ministry. The following themes are covered in this study: "Guard Your Heart;" "Minister From Your Strengths;" "Figure Out The Big Rocks;" and "Connect The Compass to the Clock and Develop A Rhythm."
• Ministering in a Roman Catholic Context (beta test): This four-week course starting August 4 is designed for those who are or will be ministering in a setting where there is significant Roman Catholic presence or history. The course focuses on: the context of Catholicism in history; the complexity of Catholicism; conversing with Catholics; and crucial issues.
• Multiplying Light and Truth through Community Health Evangelism: This is a four-week book course starting August 6. This book was the pioneering document for the Community Health Evangelism movement, which is now widely used in more than 80 countries, helping villages and neighborhoods be empowered to solve problems while planting the church in the community. Stan Rowland, the author of the book, and Tom Cairns will be facilitating. This is a unique opportunity to learn in person from the author and pioneer of this very significant strategy, now being used in at least eight of our ReachGlobal fields. The book will be sent to you electronically for $9.95. 
• Kingdom Expansion 101: This five-week course provides a biblical and strategic framework that will assist churches and individuals in making informed decisions about their local and global outreach involvement. An ideal course for a missions committee or team to take together, the following topics are covered: biblical perspectives for kingdom expansion; a scriptural analysis for local church involvement; the status of world evangelism; major global issues the local church must consider; and applications to you and your church.

If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact us at equip@efca.org.

Reach Asia Summit

You are invited to attend the first Reach Asia Summit, an exciting event focused on mobilizing the church to bring God's glory among the nations of Asia. The ReachGlobal Asia Division International Leader will bring challenging and relevant messages on what is happening in Asia today. The entire ReachGlobal Asia leadership team will be at the summit to represent each area and answer questions. Participants will be able to choose workshops designed to equip them to actively engage in God's work among the people groups in Asia. Saturday lunch will be a "Taste of Asia" and an opportunity for networking.  

This event is geared especially for churches in the Southern California area. Others interested in Asia are also invited to attend, but will need to make their own housing arrangements.

Contact Sharon at heartkraft@gmail.com for more information.

Educational needs in Europe

We are praying for people to fill the following positions:

• 7^th-12^th grade science
• 7^th-12^th grade social studies
• Administrative assistant/receptionist
• Business manager
• Elementary teacher

If you know someone who might be interested, please direct them to www.bcaromania.org for an application. We're looking for recent college grads, retirees, or people who are looking for a new experience--the critical factors are that they love the Lord, love kids, and are qualified for the position in which they're interested!

ReachGlobal Prayer Guide

Global Concert of Prayer

Earthquake relief

The following are some recent statistics from Xinhua, China:

• Deaths: 69,181
• Missing people: 18,522
• Rescued and evacuated: 1.47 million
• Saved from the debris: 83,988
• Injured: 374,171
• Hospitalized: 96,096
• Remaining hospitalized: 11,306
• Number of aftershocks above 4.0: 118 (including a 6.0 on May 25)

You can continue to read updates from our field staff and from the EFCA TouchGlobal Crisis Response Team by going to the TouchGlobal Web site. Along with continuing to pray for those affected by this earthquake, you can also make a difference through your financial donations. Gifts can be made to:

EFCA TouchGlobal
Attn: Crisis Response Ministry (China Earthquake Relief Fund)
901 East 78th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55420-1300

You can also donate online.

International Expo

After one full week, our expectations have been surpassed. On the first full day, over 1,000 saw the seven-minute gospel film. After a week, there were 2,000+ viewers. We are running out of Christian literature with printers working hard to bring shipments every few days. People from many nations have come, including some from closed countries, to hear the gospel at the Expo. Please pray for the Lord of the Harvest to prepare "good soil," so that this seed sowing brings Him a glorifying summer harvest.

For more information on these events, please visit:

http://www.expozaragoza2008.es/Home/seccion=3&seccionRaiz=3&idioma=en_GB.do

http://www.aguaviva2008.org/siteaguaviva/englishvideo.php

ReachGlobal Africa

For over 85 years, the EFCA has been sending missionaries to Africa. God is now doing an exciting work in giving the African church a heart for missions in Africa.

In April 2007, ReachGlobal missionaries serving in Africa gathered with leaders from several of our African national partner church movements. During that time the Lord began to lay on the hearts of the African church leaders their responsibility to reach Africa with the gospel. One of them shared, "It is our job as African Christians to reach Africa's unreached people." They heard and courageously accepted the call of God to raise up a generation of African church planting missionaries. 

In August 2007, there was another meeting with these African leaders to map out a plan and formulate a missions strategy for what they are calling "ReachGlobal Africa." They chose leaders, set out a simple organizational structure and determined the first three countries where they want to send missionaries. This year they plan to send small "scout teams" to check out locations in these countries and to begin training the missionaries who will go.

African EFC leaders have the vision and the commitment to send African missionaries to the millions of unreached people in Africa. However, they are lacking the financial resources to carry out the task. $100,000 will be needed in the next year to launch this ministry and send out the first church planting teams. Will you help to make this possible?

If you would like to partner with us to this end, please send your gifts to:

EFCA ReachGlobal
Donor Services
901 East 78th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55420-1300

Make checks payable to EFCA ReachGlobal and include "ReachGlobal Africa Fund, Account No. 2200-5430" on the memo line of the check.

For more information on ReachGlobal Africa, please contact reachglobal@efca.org.

GlobalFingerprints video wins Telly Awards

The GlobalFingerprints DVD presentation on the new EFCA TouchGlobal orphan sponsorship program was recently awarded eight Telly Awards. It received Silver Tellys (the highest ranking) for Videography/Cinematography and Editing. The others were awards in:

• Social Issues
• Use of Music
• Art Direction
• Copywriting
• Lighting
• Sound/Sound Design

The Telly Awards honor outstanding video and film productions. This year's Annual Telly Awards received over 13,500 entries. The Telly is one of the most sought-after awards by industry leaders, from large international firms to local production companies and ad agencies.

To view and download the GlobalFingerprints DVD, please go to www.globalfingerprints.org. To read more about the Telly Awards, go to www.tellyawards.com.

Newly accepted ReachGlobal candidates

Praise God for the following people who have been accepted with ReachGlobal! Please pray for them as they begin raising prayer and financial support to serve for the purpose of glorifying God by multiplying healthy churches among all people:

• Ruth Ross will serve short-term in Asia.
• Jim Thune will serve short-term in South East Asia.
• Cheryl Gourley will serve short-term.
• Mark Manning will serve short-term with EFCA TouchGlobal in Louisiana.
• Isaiah and Nicole Skinner will serve short-term.
• Lincoln and Ann Brunner will serve long-term with EFCA CONNECT.
• Pam D'Andre will serve long-term in Ukraine.
• Brian and Susan Johnson will serve long-term in Latin America.
• Bethany Kerr will serve fixed-term in Latin America.
• Kevin and Babette Watterson will serve long-term with EFCA TouchGlobal in Louisiana.
• Nick and Becky Ramsing will serve short-term in Uganda.
• Joe Shenk will serve short-term with EFCA TouchGlobal in Louisiana.
• Kaarin Swanson will serve short-term with EFCA TouchGlobal in Louisiana.

To find out more about their ministries and how to support them, contact the ENGAGE team at (800) 745-2202 or engageteam@efca.org.

GodSighting and Prayer

GodSighting--Africa 

Mbewe had a big and growing problem-a swelling on his face he had had for as long as he could remember. It was distorting his vision and his appearance so badly that he didn't have binocular vision. Wherever he went, people would stare, children would run away and people would ridicule him for his appearance. More significant, he was unable to find a woman to marry him or get any kind of job. 

He had been to at least three other hospitals where he heard there might be help, but in each case the doctors told him that his case was much too complicated or risky, or that he might die in surgery. There was also no anesthesia to allow that kind of surgery. 

Finally he heard about Tandala Hospital, the facility run by the Evangelical Free Church of Congo, in partnership with ReachGlobal. It was a long trip from his village and he went anticipating the same response he had gotten elsewhere.

However, in God's perfect timing, a short-term team was at Tandala in January 2008. On it was Cyndi, a nurse anesthetist from the Mayo Clinic who was there to teach anesthesia skills to the Congolese staff. In addition there was a surgeon, Dr. Moningo, on the team from the University of Kinshasa. An Associate Professor of Surgery at the University, this doctor was actually a graduate of the Tandala Hospital nursing school  20 years earlier. He comes to Tandala for several weeks each year to help with difficult cases.

As Dr. Moningo and Cyndi decided they could do the case. The big smile on Mbewe's face was indescribable when he realized they were agreeing to help him. He was brought to the operating room and to have the four-hour procedure. Happily it was a massive benign cyst, not invading his brain at all. Once the cyst was removed, his left eye began moving back toward a more appropriate position, though it will take months and he will probably never have a normal face.

Mbewe expressed much thanks to Dr. Moningo, to Cyndi and to the whole team, as well as to God for the care he had received. He is a believer and was very affirmed in his faith through the compassionate care he received. The cost he had to pay for his care was about $20, which of course was only a tiny part of the true cost. This is why ReachGlobal partners with the work in Congo. As churches and friends give to the Tandala Medical Outreach fund, we are able to help subsidize care for thousands of people like Mbewe. Mbewe's story demonstrates too the role that short-term teams can have in helping at Tandala. While the teams certainly care for many sick people, they also spend many hours teaching the Congolese staff, multiplying themselves so that even after they are gone, the skills they teach will be used at Tandala.

Prayer

• Pray for the ministry of Tandala Hospital and its staff.
• Pray that God would continue to bring financial and personnel resources to the hospital so that it can provide even more care for the Congolese and others.
• Pray that many would come to know Christ through the care they receive in Tandala Hospital.

EFCA
901 East 78th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55420-1300
(800) 745-2202 toll-free - (952) 854-1300 main - (952) 853-8488 fax - http://www.efca.org

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