“Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:1
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| The Guatemala International Christian Church had over 80 in attendance at their inaugural service! |
In the first century, Paul pleaded to the brothers to pray that the Christian movement would “spread rapidly and [the message of salvation] be honored” by countless others. This same prayer by disciples in the twenty-first century has been answered by our God. In the first seven weeks of 2008, the Spirit has planted five new churches! In January in New York City, George and Sharman Grima initiated a remnant group in downtown Manhattan! On the first Sunday of February, after resigning their full-time position in our former fellowship because of their deep convictions against hypocrisy and lukewarmness, Raja and Debby Rajan started our new sister church in Chennai, India. With this addition, the Lord has blessed us with three remnant churches in India ” Mumbai, led by the courageous Anthony and Mary Siluvai; Bangalore, led by the inspirational Johnny and Annie Selvaraj; and now Chennai led zealously by the Rajans! Excitingly, last week Anthony and Elizabeth Eckels arrived in their beloved Orlando, Florida to start a new congregation of sold-out disciples. Then this past weekend in Guatemala City, Elena and I met up with Raul Moreno of Santiago, Chile and Dorian and Rosa Bonilla of Honduras, as well as 25 other disciples from San Pedro Sula, Honduras. On Sunday, February 17, we celebrated at a church service of over 80 people the establishment of two more congregations in two more Central American countries ” the Guatemala City International Christian Church (in Guatemala) led by former full-time leaders, Jose Antonio and Laura Morales and the San Salvador International Christian Church (in El Salvador) led by the former administrator, Roberto Jovel and his awesome wife Marlene. Truly, the “message of the Lord” is being “honored” around the world!
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| Roberto & Marlene Jovel pictured with Laura & Jose Antonio Morales! |
In August 2005 at the Portland World Missions Jubilee, was the beginning of a calling out of a remnant of sold-out disciples who believe in a movement to evangelize the world in a generation. By October 2006, the Spirit had clearly begun a new discipling movement, which has been “rapidly spreading” in unprecedented ways. Yet to gain a perspective on how rapidly, let us remember that the “Boston Movement” (which in 1994 became known as the International Churches of Christ) began on June 1, 1979 with “30 would-be disciples in the Gempel’s living room.” As we gathered that fateful eve, we were but one church in one nation where every member ” whether married, single, campus or teen ” in the terminology of the day, was “totally committed” to Christ. By the end of 1985, we were five churches in three nations that shared this conviction ” Boston, which planted Chicago (1982), London (1982), New York (1983), and Toronto (1985). By 1994, when the Lord put on my heart to pen the Evangelization Proclamation, there were about 150 congregations in 53 nations. Then in 2000, God had blessed us with approximately 400 churches in 171 countries! The multiplication of disciples, though quite slow at first, evolves with exponential growth in disciples, congregations of only sold-out disciples, and nations being evangelized. However, for exponential growth to occur, there must be a pure foundation of only sold-out disciples. Any lukewarmness, sin or hypocrisy allowed to perpetually exist becomes a leaven that eventually ruins the whole church.
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| Elena McKean pictured with Rosa and Dorian Bonilla! |
In 2 Thessalonians 3 after Paul implored the brothers to pray that “the message of the Lord spread rapidly,” he then adds, “And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith.” As with the preaching of Jesus, whose words often left the Jews divided, “Many…said, [Jesus] is demon-possessed and raving mad!’” Others even preached, “It is only by Beelzebub, that [Jesus] drives out demons.” (Matthew 12:24) Be sure, opposition from the “wicked” and “brothers” who have no faith awaits all who desire to challenge and change the status quo. In Los Angeles, one local “minister” has accused God’s new discipling movement of being “a movement of Satan.” How history repeats itself!Some have criticized and tried to discredit what is clearly the work of God’s Spirit as evidenced in all the miracles ” the baptisms and the restorations of fallen away brothers and sisters. Therefore, let us share a very interesting dynamic in God’s new movement. In the new discipling movement, churches are formed in two very different ways: church planting congregations and remnant gathering congregations. Each church planting congregation has a full-time, trained ministry couple accompanied by a team of sold-out disciples. This church rapidly increases in number. The remnant gathering congregations are usually quite small. They are led by heroic, but often untrained leaders, that realize they must “start” something new or die. Essentially, they understand that “new wine poured into old wineskins ruins both the wine and the wineskin. New wine must be poured into new wineskins.” (Luke 5:37-38)
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| Our new brother Brandon is baptized this past Sunday in Orange County! |
Often, these congregations do not grow very quickly until we send a trained evangelist and mission team. The Phoenix International Christian Church is a great example. In September 2005, Chris and Sonja Chloupek ” after repeated pleas and admonitions to the leadership of their local church ” moved by the Spirit, decided to step out and start a new congregation, just the two of them! It grew slowly to ten disciples in a year. Then in the summer of 2006, we sent a mission team of 14 from Portland, led by Matt and Helen Sullivan. Today, the Phoenix congregation numbers over 50 disciples and last week had an attendance of 120! Growing from two to fifty - now that’s incredible! Also encouraging is the remnant gathering church in San Pedro Sula. A year ago, Dorian and Rosa Bonilla, who both worked secular jobs, were joined by 48 disciples with the dream of world evangelism. Today they number 83 disciples!
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| Ashley rejoices at her baptism along side best friend Mikaela Foley, Paula Foley and Kacie Comisford of the Hollywood Ministry! |
In contrast to remnant gathering churches is our sister church in Chicago, which was a church planting led by Chris and Theresa Broom. They were accompanied by 16 disciples from Syracuse, four from Portland and joined by nine remnant disciples from Illinois and Wisconsin. In a year-and-a-half, God has increased their number to over 80 disciples with about 150 every Sunday! Another planting, the City of Angels Church, has likewise grown rapidly since 42 sold-out disciples from Portland planted the church in May 2007. Now, nine months later and after over 120 baptisms and restorations, there are 188 disciples! Praise God, last Sunday three were baptized: Brandon, Melissa and Ashley ” as well as one restoration, Jake! Though Elena and I were away in Guatemala, the Lord blessed us with 363 in attendance!
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| The UCLA Ministry continues to grow with the baptism of Melissa! |
Since the beginning of the Sold-Out Discipling Movement 16 months ago, the Spirit has forged 30 congregations into a tight-knit family of churches. Incredibly, 15 congregations are in the United States and 15 congregations are spread across the continents in 13 other nations: Australia, Canada, Chile, Curacao, El Salvador, England, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Republic of Congo, Russia and Ukraine! In 2002, many leaders in our former fellowship renounced the dream to evangelize the world in a generation as “impossible” and labeled me a “false prophet” for
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| Jake Tuason shares powerfully for his restoration! |
Let those who doubt consider that the Bible records “the gospel has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven” in just thirty-some years ” a generation (Colossians 3:23)! Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Nike and even Britney Spears have evangelized the world in our lifetime. That’s not to say everyone drinks Coca-Cola, eats Big Macs, wears Nike high-tops or listens (or should listen) to Britney Spears. Yet everyone has heard. Certainly, God’s new discipling movement will continue to expand even more rapidly with the exponential growth produced through Jesus’ plan of making disciples. I believe by faith with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength that the “world will be evangelized in our day! And to God be the glory!
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Kip McKean
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