Disciple-making is the mission and endeavor of every Christian. Through His Spirit, Jesus has called, enabled, and expected this aim of individuals and the corporate body of believers both locally and globally. Though many of us have been involved with religious communities for years, we're finally understanding how the gospel compels us to be disciple-makers. We're seeing the relationship between the gospel working within us and out of us; an object in motion stays in motion. Yet, we're realizing that religious activity often gets in the way of this aim. We're seeing how business in the church within a frenzy of activities paralyzes us to the main thing--glorify God to the ends of the earth by making disciples who make disciples. We're seeing how to strip away the hype to the true marks of one that has been changed by the gospel.
Many of you have been blessed by the discipling of Joe M. Joe has multiplied his efforts by having his disciples make disciples! Joe is someone else who is going to be spending time overseas this Summer. Joe will be teaching pastors how to disciple others by teaching through 2 Timothy! Here is an update from him, how to pray for him, and where you can go to give to this effort.
Why Missions? Why Greece?
"Through various circumstances, interactions with people, and continued prayer, I feel the Lord wants me involved in missions. How? I am still seeking to know how I can best serve. When? That is really up in the air, although I am realizing more and more that each of us only has one life, and I don’t want to waste it.
So, in seeking to know how I can best serve the Lord, I have accepted an invitation to go on a short-term trip this summer to Southeastern Europe with an organization based out of MN called Training Leaders International (TLI). TLI is a teaching-oriented ministry who seeks to equip ministry & Church leaders who do not have access to formal training or resources. Here are a few stats for you:
-There is one formally trained church leader for every 450,000 people outside the U.S.
-In the 10-40 window, there are over 5 million pastors, many of them leading small hidden congregations, who have had no access to any kind of Biblical training.
-If every Christian training institute in the world operated at 120% capacity, less than 10% of the unequipped leaders would be trained.
These stats have bothered me ever since I first read them. If I have truly been blessed for the purpose of being a blessing to others, I cannot continue to study without seeking to meet the needs of my brothers & sisters around me or the lost. While on the trip, our team will be teaching at a pastors’ conference each evening while also travelling to meet with various Church and ministry workers during the day. Would you covenant to pray for our work there? If the Lord leads you, would you commit to financially support my team and I?
At different times and in different ways, each of you has been a blessing to me. I cherish the love and support you have shown me, and acknowledge that it all is an expression of God’s grace and kindness towards me."
How to Pray:
- Pray against Trip feeling like a vacation! With Athens being such a great place, those who go have a tendency to see it is a luxury trip. Pray for intentionality and focus!!!
- We will be teaching workshops/seminars each evening for a pastors' conference with some special sessions during the trip for women. Pray our team can prepare well, be open to the Spirit's leading, and work well together as we possibly pair up to teach the material (2Timothy).
- Wisdom for counsel & exhortation in the moment; There have been trips in the past where radical change has been brought through these conferences/seminars. Pray that we would have wisdom of how to address issues as they arise that will glorify God and edify the Body that is there.
- Outside of one couple, no team member has their support fully raised. Pray that God would stir His people to send the laborers who are few but willing to go into the harvest!
- The more I think about the trip, the more anxious I become. I feel like I have nothing to offer these men & women who possibly have suffered directly for their faith. Pray that I can rest in Christ, and experience Biblical fellowship with these other brothers and sisters as we gather to hear from His word.
- I'm asking God to really solidify/confirm in my heart aspects of "calling" in regards to my involvement in Missions/the Nations. Although, it is a short trip, I'm expecting great things.
- All of the people on my team know each other and have gone on a trip before. Pray that I can find my place in the dynamics of the group and serve my team well in ways that will bless them/enable them to serve better.
Please consider financially support Joe in his endeavor to disciple disciple-makers in Athens, Greece. Visit this site for more information.
Joe Meyer is all-in when it comes to disciple-making within theGATHERING family. He serves the body by teaching a guys small group and training more disciple-makers as a community group coach. Joe is studying towards his Master's of Divinity at Southwestern Theological Seminary. He is praying about where the Lord is leading him with the call to make disciples upon finishing school. The brilliant part of it all, he doesn't just study about it. He is actively engaged in it within theGATHERING community!