Christmas ushers in a dramatic series of events that Jesus came to fulfill. One of these was thirty years later to preach the “Good News.” Think of the adjectives we could substitute here …hopeful news …valuable news …rich news …best news …wonderful news. Add yours.
There is such great power in what this baby, what this man, came to bring us.
And don’t we absolutely need hopeful news? Look at the horrific news we see every day from our world. Don’t we need this valuable news?
Christmas begins the story of Jesus restoring the world to what it once was. We celebrate and anticipate the fullness of his Good News in our troubled world.
In the meantime we join Him in publicizing this rich news. That’s one reason I love my job. It allows me to walk alongside pastors and churches as they strengthen disciplemaking in their people.
The past six years I have personally helped churches build a culture where spiritual maturity and multiplication occur. Now as the Regional Leader of the Great Lakes, I have the opportunity to also assist our Navstaff to do the same. Our Great Lakes Staff is working alongside 75 churches! They are a gifted group.
Amjad and Mollie surprised me in this picture when they were in town. We’ve worked together equipping his church to live out the Great Commission. We are in our third wave of folks from his church!
Here is one of the seventy-five, a story from Pastor Amjad Samuels, whom I first met in Akron, who serves in Connecticut.
Two-and-a-half years ago we started our discipleship process with Dane. The first wave “graduated” last spring, and two more waves of people are in process. We worked to equipped them to understand the significance of lay leadership; but more than that, their calling to work alongside people seeking Jesus. It was impressed upon us the need to engage with the Scriptures as a daily discipline and how to build and sustain relationships. Many of us have moved from fellowship to true Christian community wherein we commit ourselves to praying and caring for those around us.
How has his work impacted us? Today we have six small groups with 60 people meeting regularly to pray and study Scripture together. This is in addition to a 24+ people group that meets every Thursday, and a men’s group and a women’s group, each attracting 10-15 people. Now the Scriptures are being embedded in our staff meetings, our Vestry meetings, and so are the 24 people in our Discipleship program. All this at a church with an average Sunday attendance of 107—and an Episcopal church, too! We are truly grateful for the Lord’s work and transformation in our people.
Most months we do a webinar with his team through our training. Once a year I’ve headed out to lead it live.
Amjad and I are thrilled with what the Lord is doing in midst of his congregation. It is what Isaiah 58:12 says, “Your people will raise up the age old foundations.” It is an honor to do the work rebuilding what God wants for His Church.
I want to continue being available to serve the churches I’m assisting, and additionally, now as the Regional Leader of the Great Lakes to help our Navstaff do the same.
Will you invest in this important work financially? Thank you for your partnership in the past years. It is a big honor to have you on my team. I am trusting God to provide an additional $819a month or $9834, the projected amount needed for the next 12 months. Would you prayerfully consider a monthly gift of $75 or a special gift of 750 this year?
Your partnership will allow me to proceed unimpeded to build cultures of disciplemaking in the Church. I will be contacting you soon to chat about the good going on in my ministry, and to see how the Lord may be leading you to be part of the provision for this work.
Dane Allphin
Navigators Church Ministries
Great Lakes Regional Leader
P.S. Here’s a link to give online. https://www.navigators.org/staff/23817273. May I hear from you by December 31?