Summer 2017 – Ministry Update

Cup of Nations

Organized by ILT team in St Louis

Pictured: Brad Wos, Dan Davis, John Ritland and others

USA

St. Louis is now the fastest growing foreign born city in America and soccer is the international language that speaks to the heart and lives of our foreign born neighbors. The 2017 Cup of Nations team of 31 City and County Churches partnering together to serve 51 soccer teams with players and families from 71 nations. The 5 Core values of Cup of Nations St Louis are: Faith, Family, Fair Play, Friendship and Fun. The tournament is simply a catalyst for building friendships for weekly soccer leagues and coaching training that start many Discovery Bible Studies all over the city throughout the entire year.

The purpose of Cup of Nations is to Make, Mature, and Multiply Disciples in the world of Sport and Play. You may not realize this but St Louis Cup of Nations is part of a Global sport network in 20 United States cities and in 20 Countries around the world and is growing fast. Visit our websites at www.readysetgo.ec and www.cupofnations.com for more information of this global sport movement. One of the Pastors of a City Church said, “Cup of Nations is one of the most strategic ministries for building community in our City. We look forward to this opportunity every year to grow our Cup of Nations family of New Americans.”

In the above picture: Coach Raed (pic Left) is a member at the Mosque on Weidman road with his u10 Championship team that attend Al Salaam Academy. Raed registered for Cup of Nations 2 years ago and when he heard it was run by Christians he pulled his team out of Cup of Nations. Later he rejoined the Cup of Nations bringing 2 M-slim youth teams. We were encouraged to see moms dressed in Burkas. Coach Raed thanked the Tournament leaders for faithfully building community in our city, and asked that we participate with them in their Bosnian tournament in September. Through Cup of Nations over the last 3 years we have built excellent trust with the families at the Weidman mosque.

Uzb*tan

With regret this year I did not reach Uzb-tan. Right at the boarder I was arrested, deported and extradited to T-kish authorities. The local leaders from Uzb-tan covered for me, leading the leadership conference in T..shk…t with people from 5 countries.

Kaz*tan

After the arrest and deportation from Uzb-stan I changed my tickets and flu to Almaty (Kaz-tan) from Istanbul.
In Almaty I was joined by Vitalii J. (fro Kaz-tan) and Brad Wos (ILT board member from St Louis). Together we conducted several trainings in Almaty . After Almaty Vitalli and I, continued our trip to Astana (the capital of Kaz-tan which is situated in the Northen part of country. A former place of exile during the soviet time) were we got 6 teams of key leaders from that region.

All our trainings are including concrete home work assignments and time frames with the accountability commitments. We try to focus 20% of our energy on training and 80% on the coaching after the training. The second part is still a challenge for us.
I have received reports that 5 our 6 teams in Astana actually got involved in doing their assignments. The assignments for the beginning teams are very doable (to have at list three accountability meetings, to keep the prayer strategy and to get 50 new contacts ). In August, Vitalli will have a Level II follow up training with those who completed their assignments.
We had at training the bishop of New Life denomination from Kaz-tan who got very exited about the idea of redirecting their small group strategy towards disciple making movement.

Ch*na

In B-jing (6-11 June) I had several valuable meetings and trainings (with youth leaders, with the mission team that works with mslms and few other).

The most significant were the short training with the B-jing pastors and with the mission team that works in North West part of the country. They all recognized that discipleship became just a program in the church and that the church of Ch-na has to be reformed.

As a follow up plan we invited a team of people to attend our level two training in Tkey and also we agreed to help training their people who will go to the mission field in the North West part of the country.

I was moved by the humbleness of those pastors and their willingness to partner in the common work of the Kingdom.

Sri-Lanka and Thailand

I joined Cassie Castern and his wife Jenny to these two countries teaching on the subject of the importance of the role of the Father in family and society.

Cassie is the founder of “The World Needs a Father” movement that is directing the attention of the world towards Malachi prophesy:

He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse. (Mal 4:6)

Cassie asked me to teach on certain topics, but for me teaching after Cassie was like teaching on the subject of flood after Noah.

In one week more then 600 leaders from all the denominations were trained on one of the most urgent need of our world.

EuroAsia Sport Leadership School

Greece (June 24-July 1st):

In the end of June beginning of July, our EuroAsia team, responsible for the Discipleship training curriculum, got together in Greece to work on the Level Four Disciple Multiplication manual. We have been working on writing Level Four for the last year. Level Four training is focused on teaching disciples on how to grow their bible study groups into churches that will multiply into more churches. The blessing is that the materials are written in the field and not the office. During one week we where able to finalize the first draft.

Moldova

July 2-10: I spent time with some of my Moldova disciples. Many of those who trained in the beginning of 1990s, are now involved in teaching the Word of God around the World. I was able to meet just some who are now involved in the discipleship process in the central part of Moldova.

July 10-13: 44 movement mentors and countries’ conveners from EuroAsia got together for a Facilitation Training in Moldova. Relationship, ownership, trust, and collaboration are significant for the sustainability of the movement. Facilitation it is a new and very needed skill especially for Eastern European countries.

July 13-15: Teaching at Eurasia Sport Leadership School. During one month, 18 selected leaders from 5 countries formed 10 teams to go for 3 days to 10 locations to find “people of peace” without pre-arranged accommodation and money for food. Using this experience and a brave step of faith, leaders are initiating new discovery groups in unreached areas.

July 17-18: Our Strategic Team met together to work on organizing the next ReadSetGo conference that will take place in December.

Atlanta (19-24 July)

Several hundred top Martial Artists met together in Atlanta to be trained by the living legend and founder of CKD ( a combat Taekwondo style) Grand Master Choi. Mr. Choi Kwang is a committed follower of Christ who was looking for years to use his martial art for God’s Glory. He invited me to take the role of the spiritual mentor of the CKD Global Federation. That opens new opportunities for discipleship among martial artists.

Meeting with Grand Master Choi Kwang

Chris with the winning team

France – Cup of Nations

The follow up

• 40 families impacted
• 13 teams participated; 80 percents of teams were Mslm (North Africa)
• Several People of Peace were discovered in the process
• Chris (our coordinator for Europe) became the football (soccer) team chaplain  of a Mslm football club
• Through the partnership with the Cup of Nations, a new church planted In the city of Grenoble
• 7 refugees came to faith
• Weekly Bible study and prayers via Skype with several athletes in France with a chaplain and partner in the sports ministry
• 12 French leaders trained in sports ministry level 1
• On going project of establishing  a national sports chaplaincy in France with Clubs
• 6 camel trainings given to churches
• 6 temples of different religion reached on camel trainings in south of France
• 1 regular bible study group among Mslms in South of France
• 3 regular Bible study groups led by a church partner in Marseille with a focus on Mslms
• 1 regular Bible study group led by a church partner along with ex Mslms and Mslms in one of the most radical mslm cities: Lyon

Training in Iz…r

Group meetings during the training in Iz…r

Turk*y

In the end of August, beginning of September, in partnership with John Y., we conducted a training with 40 people in Izr, Trky.
It was encouraging to see some of the disciples bringing their first generation of new disciples with them to the training.
The team from the East of the country baptized 12 people this year, which is a huge success they haven’t seen for years.

We had several converted Mslms scholars at our training. Two of them, came from a Imam’s school if the city of K..ry. They witnessed about their commitment to go to the East of Trky as missionaries, to a town with radical Mslms.

As a part of our training yesterday, we went to the beach, for them to see how sports and games provide a natural and easy access to the local communities.
As a result of that, new follow up meetings with Mslims were set up.

Please continue to support me in your prayers as I am traveling these days in Eastern Europe.