International Church Planting Update

TueTuesdayMarMarch22nd2011 Vamos a México | La Cosecha

Posted Tuesday, March 22 2011 @ 1 PM

For several years, Harvest Bible Fellowship has been prayerfully seeking an open door for ministry south of the U.S./Mexican border. With the increasing fruitfulness of Hispanic Ministries at Harvest Bible Chapels in the States, our strong desire has been to influence our neighboring country of Mexico.

The Lord is now answering that prayer. Serving the Lord faithfully in Mexico City for nearly six years with his family, God has now led Antonio Munoz, a qualified, gifted and proven pastor, to Harvest Bible Fellowship. On March 15, Antonio joined the Harvest Training Center to prepare for church planting. The Munoz family will be here with us for two months of intense training. In May, they will return to Mexico City to establish Iglesia Biblica la Cosecha (Harvest Bible Chapel) Mexico City Center-South.

Considered an "alpha" global city, Mexico City is one of the most important centers in North America. With over 22 million in the metropolitan area, Mexico City is also one of the largest urban centers in the world.

The center-south region of Mexico City is Xochimilco, a borough divided into eighteen neighborhoods and fourteen communities outside the traditional city, and a largely populated area. Like many parts of Mexico, the people are deeply rooted in indigenous practices and traditions, and over 90% identify themselves as Catholic.

The opportunity is great for the Gospel to advance in Xochimilco. The fields are white unto harvest and a core group of over 100 people have already joined arms with the Munoz family to establish this new church. We long for the day when hundreds of thousands of people of Xochimilco will embrace Christ Jesus by faith and receive the free gift of salvation from God. We have faith to believe that the Lord can use Pastor Antonio and Harvest Bible Chapel to be part of His plan to build His Church in this district.

Join us in welcoming this new international Harvest Senior Pastor. We are excited for what God will do in and through this partnership as we, together, establish a life-altering, Christ-exalting work in Mexico City!

Passionately building His church,
Kirk VanMaanen
DIRECTOR OF MISSIONS + INTERNATIONAL CHURCH PLANTING

ANTONIO MUNOZ
Planting in Mexico City, Mexico

Education:
B.A., Moody Bible Institute, 2001
M.Th., Dallas Theological Seminary, 2005

Background:
Raised in Mexico City in a Catholic family, Antonio decided to join the priesthood as a teen. But upon hearing the Word rightly divided at a Bible church, he came to faith in Christ alone. Called to ministry as a young adult, he co-pastored a Bible church in Mexico, then started a Spanish-speaking church at Armitage Baptist in Chicago. Antonio was invited back to Mexico to pastor the church he was saved in, and the congregation grew from 70 to 250. Familiar and resonating with the Harvest pillars and discipleship model, he connected to Harvest Bible Fellowship regarding church planting potential. He has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Mexico.

Family:
Married to Becky; father to Jessica

Ministry Experience:
2005—date | Senior Pastor, Iglesia Biblica de Tlalpan; Mexico City, Mexico

2003—2005 | Pastor, Iglesia Biblica El Buen Pastor; Dallas, TX

2001—2002 | Outreach Minister, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship; Dallas, TX

1998—2001 | Director of Spanish Ministries, Armitage Baptist Church; Chicago, IL

FriFridayFebFebruary18th2011 Eyes Open - 2011 STMissions

Posted Friday, February 18 2011 @ 1 PM

Why do a short-term mission? Because lives will be changed - both here and there. Most team leaders I talk with are pretty honest about such trips: they often bring about more change in the lives of the participants who go than in the lives of those who receive them. Yet when I talk with the host church in another country, they speak of the extraordinary change that has come to their people as a result of being encouraged, equipped and sharpened.

You could even say the result of short-term missions is nearly equal both here and there regarding changed lives. Our goal is much more than a trip for our people and much more than just a project to complete. We are going for 'building up the church and equipping the saints for the work of ministry - both here and there." Our aim is discipleship and joining God where He is already at work; across the board!

There's much to be gained in going ... and much to miss out on should you decide to wait.

18 Harvest GO-TEAMS are forming now from 10 different Harvest churches

God bless as we "go therefore and make disciples of all nations."

~Kirk VanMaanen | Director of International Church Planting

WedWednesdayJanJanuary12th2011 Look-out for the Left-out | Ploiesti, Romania

Posted Wednesday, January 12 2011 @ 10 AM

Harvest-Metanoia Ploiesti: a Romanian inner-city church

In December Harvest-Metanoia Ploiesti in Romania had as their aim to give bring Christ to the neediest and most isolated people in their city. Led by Senior Pastor Cristi Pana, children, youth and adults from the church made decisions to give rather than receive this Christmas season, and to lift their eyes to see the fields around them are truly white to harvest.

Here are just a few of the multi-faceted outreach initiatives this young church leaned into in the past month...

READ YOUR BIBLE FOR CHRISTMAS
It began on December 11, and a challenge for the city to get their hands on the Word of Life. They had a booth in the middle of the city advertising Bible reading and offering to read the Bible to any passerby. Six teams also went into nearby apartment buildings reading God's Word and distributing Bibles. It was cold day and they faced a lot of opposition, but the church was encouraged!

The procedure was to ask about reading the Bible through a survey, to offer Bibles to those who didn’t have one, and to give a Gospel tract. In three hours, 120 Bibles were distributed and 193 surveys were completed, of which 150 people gave their contact information and some even wanting to have the Bible read with them on the spot. The church is now committed to following up with everyone, bringing them to a weekend service at the church and inviting them to small groups.

STUDENT + YOUTH CHRISTMAS EVENTS
December 16, this Harvest held a Student Christmas Event at the University of Ploiesti to reach students for Christ. It resulted in the forming of a mixed group of unbelievers and believers who agreed to an evangelistic small group using the material named “Glad You Asked”, prepared in association with Campus Crusade.

December 18 brought a Harvest-Metanoia's Youth Christmas Event, designed to bring youth closer to one another and to God.

COUNTY HOSPITAL
Next was a medical tour on December 23, as they visited hospitals in Ploiesti and sang to the people suffering there. Those at the County Hospital enjoyed the singing and received customized calendars and a Gospel Tract. When the caroling was halted by a person experiencing a heart attack, they prayed for him to receive help. The medical personnel were so impressed they asked the church to come back next year and minister again.

PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL
The church also visited the pediatric hospital, caroled and gave gifts. The church bought some sweets with the money obtained from donating blood. In this way they saved some lives and brought a smile to others.

EVENTIDE CHRISTMAS EVENT
The church had an Eventide Christmas Celebration where children from the church had a Christmas presentation. Then the children went to homes of under-resourced families and visited other families with foster children. Sharing carols and shoe boxes filled with goodies. Taking the Samaritan’s Purse model, they made these shoe boxes from their own money, and named it The Magi‘s Gift.

HOMELESS SHELTER
There are 44 beds in this Ploiesti shelter and every night the capacity is full; men, hurting and alone on Christmas. No other visitors found their way into the shelter but the church, who sang carols and handed out cakes. The gospel was presented and the men were moved and filled with joy at having been visited for Christmas.

ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD
...And to bring the message of hope in Christ to those neglected or overlooked.

This Romanian Harvest-Metanoia church is truly on mission to "look-out for the left-out" and to make disciples of those who might otherwise never step into a church or hear the good news of Jesus Christ and His free gift of eternal life. As they do we are seeing the Gospel advance in this heavily Orthodox city.

Pray this body remains fixed on fulfilling the Great Commandment and that through their ministry many will embrace Jesus Christ by faith and be saved!

TueTuesdayDecDecember14th2010 "Gather the people to me..."

Posted Tuesday, December 14 2010 @ 9 AM

"Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so" (Deuteronomy 4:10).

As our mission to plant churches alive with the gospel of Jesus Christ continues around the world, we are seeing lives transformed, churches renewed and communities developed. This has been an exciting year for us in International Church Planting as God has determined our steps and opened new doors for effective ministry.

In 2010, eight new Harvest International churches have been planted or coached through a full transition.

I thought it might be helpful to give you a snapshot of what exists and what is to come, by God's grace, in Harvest International Church Planting.

Please continue to pray for us, the churches, pastors and our parternship in the gospel. We thank God for you and remember you always in our prayers.

FriFridayOctOctober29th2010 November Update >> Austria | Nepal

Posted Friday, October 29 2010 @ 2 PM

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised... this is the anthem we are sounding at Harvest!
In our international church planting, we are actively experiencing the result of years of waiting on the Lord for direction, clarity, and provision. Our energies are focused toward trying to keep pace with opportunities the Lord continues to present, while we enjoy the immense privilege of witnessing Jesus build His Church.

UPDATES

The launch of Harvest Gianda, Liberia on October 10 was preceded by the sudden news that Senior Pastor Andrew Kpah went home to be with the Lord. We thank God for Andrew’s life and for the season of ministry we shared together to establish the church in Gianda. Elders are now overseeing the ministry as we seek the Lord to raise up another man of God to lead this church. Your prayers have meant much to the family, the church and to us. Thank you.

Our first Harvest Metanoia Eastern European conference for small group leaders was held October 14-16 in Oroshaza, Hungary. Over 150 leaders from churches throughout Romania and Austria attended. These on the front line in disciple making leaned in to understand how to encourage the church to Worship, Walk with, and Work for Christ in the context of biblical, vibrant, and healthy small groups.

AUSTRIA

In a groundbreaking step forward in Europe, we're excited to announce the October 17 launch of Harvest Metanoia Vienna. Kirk Van Maanen was present on launch Sunday and witnessed the profound joy of the Lord in their assembly.

This church has vision and determination to lift high the name of Jesus in Vienna. They are moving in pursuit of the God who is mighty to save and asking Him to equip them to impact their city for Christ--no small feat in a region that long ago lost the light of the gospel. Their leadership is qualified and the church is already on mission to flourish into one that will plant many churches throughout Austria.

Praise God for these hearts “sold-out” for the Lord Jesus. As His Word is proclaimed, we prayerfully anticipate the Spirit's work in bringing forth new life and transforming the landscape in Vienna, and beyond.

NEPAL

The Lord is opening an amazing door for Harvest Bible Fellowship to plant churches in Nepal. In November, leaders from the Fellowship and Harvest London, Ontario travel to Nepal to meet with several Nepali pastors and leaders with whom we have cultivated relationships for nearly two years. Given that Nepal is the only Hindu state in the world with 90% Hindu, 5% Buddhist, 3% Muslim and 2% Christian demographics, we move forward in absolute dependence on God’s direction and wisdom.

While that dependency is always present, stepping into this new context requires us to become extreme learners of how to plant effective, life-giving churches that are appropriate and sustainable in Nepal. The Harvest ministry and church planting model is a biblical one, and we trust God will glorify Himself as we seek to remain humble and teachable while planting churches in other nations.

In this instance, we believe the Lord will teach us at least as much as we are able to instruct others. For that we are excited and looking forward to a great harvest of righteousness in Nepal. Join us in praying for spiritual and physical protection for our team, as well as for God’s wisdom in our planting decisions.

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins...but God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)... Ephesians 2:1,4-5

Thank you for your partnership in these last days as we proclaim the riches of Christ Jesus among the nations and remain in passionate pursuit of His promise to build His Church!

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