"But how can they call to him for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? As the scripture says, 'How wonderful is the coming of messengers who bring good news!'"
Following the mega-event where over 100 people committed their lives to Christ, our leader, Pastor Brian, shared the vision of why and how Extreme operates.
There was a stage divided into four boxes. On the first box stood the local leaders in the Cercado church, which has been planted in the last two years by 40/40 missionaries. Two years ago, these individuals did not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. They were not a part of any church, and the Cercado church did not exist. Now, they are leaders of small group Bible studies, making disciples. But how did they get to where they are now?
In the second box stand the 40/40 church planters--North Americans and Peruvians sent out in pairs, just like in Luke 10. Their job is to proclaim the gospel, and make disciples. They led the leaders in the first box to know Jesus, and taught them in Discipleship and Leadership School. But how did they step into this role?
They were sent, by the mobilizers who take their place in the third box. This is where I stand. The church leaders cannot believe unless they hear the message. And the 40/40s can't preach the message unless they are sent. The Mobilization team in North and South America alike send the workers.
But there is a fourth box. In in, the church must rise up to send and support financially. Without financial partners, there are no missionaries on the field and there are no disciples making disciples.
So this update from me comes to you from my home continent, and it is not a typical update. Instead, it is a call to action. Will you step into this fourth box?
If you are one of the people God is calling to send this worker into the harvest field, donations can be made by visiting extremenazarene.org/stevens. If you have questions about other ways to give, please contact me at cstevens@extremenazarene.org.
Note about fundraising: The funds that are donated to me go directly into my Extreme account. I then request the funds I need on a monthly basis. Therefore, the money given to support me goes to my rent, utilities, food, transportation, airfare, etc. If I do not have 100% of the required funds pledged, I am prohibited from returning to the field until I meet my minimum funds goal.
