Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Project CR


Trinec is on the eastern border of Czech Republic

We are excited about our upcoming trip to Trinec, Czech Republic as part of a short-term missions team from our church. We will be gone from October 18-26 and will be travel with Ed and Christine Luebe.

The purpose of our trip is to meet with the Elder Board and leadership of the Brethern Church in Trinec. New Covenant has been sending teams for the past five years to assist this church with English/Business Camps. Through the past several years we have explored ways that our two churches could work more closely together. In February 2005 Kim, Ed and two others traveled to Trinec to discuss a formal partnership with them. The result is that our two churches have now entered into a partnership called Project CR. As part of this partnership, New Covenant is committed to send several teams a year to assist the Brethren Church with English Business Camps, Children’s Camps, and leadership development.

This trip will focus on Leadership Development and Strategic Planning. Kim and Ed will be leading training sessions on Friday and Saturday with church leaders from the area. Over the years, the training that the leadership of New Covenant has received has helped us to identify our mission, vision and values. The church in Trinec is very interested in this kind of training in order to learn how to more strategically reach their city for Christ. This type of training is completely foreign to them. Under communism there was no reason for strategic planning. People were told what to do and when to do it.

As an added bonus, we will get to spend time with Cindy Howard who is a missionary from New Covenant and a long-time friend of ours. Sharon is especially looking forward to being with Cindy in various ministry settings, praying with her, and experiencing the Czech culture first-hand.

The Church of Trinec has a bountiful harvest field in front of them. Many of the Czech people have lived through years of forced atheism. What they know of Christianity is inaccurate and irrelevant. A recent global survey published in the Evangelical Missions Quarterly named the Czech Republic as holding the “dubious distinction of being one of the most secular nations on the planet. Most Czechs are either atheists or agnostics. The Jesus Christ of Scripture is almost unheard of, or at best considered a foolish fable of the past. Evangelical Christians would barely account for half of one percent of the population.” Much prayer is needed and God’s power is required in preparing their hearts to receive the Good News and respond in faith.

Please pray for our trip and all the details surrounding it. We are excited about being part of what God is doing in Trinec. You can learn more about the city of Trinec at this link. I hope to post during our trip so check back for trip updates.

And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2

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