Author: a4cadmin1

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MF-The Weight of Ministry Success

-A small church, in a rural town with a huge loving heart for God and all people.-

Over our 42 years of full-time ministry my wife Mary Ann and I have ministered in many churches in several countries. They have been of various denominations or independent, have large, small or no building, congregations and budgets of all sizes and located in rural, suburban and urban areas. Manmade measurements of a “successful” church tend to be the size of the building, congregation, and budget. We frequently use these indicators to determine if our church or ministry is “successful” or not. It is our experienced observation, however, that these measurements are not how the Head of the church, Jesus Christ, measures a “faithful” local church or ministry. His measurements are having a joyful obedient love for God, loving our brothers and sisters in Christ, and our neighbors regardless of who they are and where they live.

Recently we ministered in a small church in a small rural town. They are joyful, gracious, and hospitable and have a huge love for God, one another and local and foreign missions. They are easy to be with and everyone is warmly welcomed. They are a delight to preach to because they are hungry for God’s Word. Simply put, they love God, each other, and their neighbors both across the street and around the world. When we left them, our hearts were full after we gave them everything we had to give.

When I think of this church these verses come to mind:

Matthew 22:37-40 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Romans 5:5b “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

John 13:34-35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this shall all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” 

There are other measurements for determining the “fruitfulness” of our church or ministry but these are on my mind as I reflect on being with these precious brethren. 

How are we doing personally in light of these verses of Scripture? Is our church or ministry faithful and fruitful according to God’s word? Let us prayerfully think about pleasing the Lord Jesus rather trying to measure ourselves according to manmade indicators of success.

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Classics (eLibrary)

eBooks

with permission from ANEKO PRESS

ABOUT ANEKO PRESS

Aneko Press is a Christian publication ministry that aims to encourage the people of God to live for him and pursue the ministry with faithfulness. The group publishes Christian literature with unique emphasis to the books’ revision (better reading) and updated designs. With permission, A4C Philippines is sharing copies of their ebooks (classics) to the pastors and Christian leaders in the Philippines.  

Learn more about Aneko Press and access a wide-variety of materials in their website.

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Mac Leod (eLibrary)

eBooks
With permission from F. Wayne Mac Leod

Visit  F. Mac Leod’s Amazon Author Page

F. Wayne Mac Leod was born in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, Canada and graduated from Ontario Bible College, University of Waterloo, and Ontario Theological Seminary. He was ordained at Hespeler Baptist Church in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. He and his wife Diane served with Africa Evangelical Fellowship in church development and leadership training on the islands of Reunion and Mauritius. Wayne is currently involved with Action International Ministries in a writing and distribution ministry. For the past number of years, he has been giving pastoral oversight to a small church in Blues Mills, Nova Scotia, Canada.

BIBLE COMMENTARIES

TOPICAL SERIES

ABOUT LIGHT TO MY PATH BOOK DISTRIBUTION

Light To My Path Book Distribution is the book writing, publishing and distribution ministry of F. Wayne Mac Leod. With his permission, A4C Philippines is sharing his digital materials to the pastors and Christian leaders in the Philippines. Pastor Mac Leod’s website can be accessed here. Visit the complete list of his commentaries and topical studies.

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storyoA4C

It all started with "Haiyan"...

In November 8, 2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan (“Yolanda” in the Philippines) made landfall in the Southern part of the country. Under the Category 5 storm, it became one of the worst typhoons that the Filipinos had with 235mph wind intensity. The aftermath was extremely devastating. Tacloban, an Island of Leyte in Eastern Visayas, suffered most at about 90% of the region was destroyed. Approximately 14 million people were affected and 6,000 lost their lives. Among those who sustained damages were the churches and Christian communities that existed to reach the people for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Innumerable organizations initiated efforts of relief and development of the area. As the international communities coordinated to aid, the Action International Ministries also commenced their projects through its local division, Street Impact Team. The team focused on the restoration of schools particularly, in Eastern Samar Leyte. During the drive, someone suggested an idea to plan and meet with the affected pastors and Christian leaders to help them and their communities as well.

A gathering was held in Tacloban through the Christian Growth Ministries’ Pastoral Care Conference. Kuya Ron Stensgard helped with the funding of the event while C.G.M. sponsored the free books and Bibles. Many of the Christian organizations from Manila were also involved. About a hundred participants attended. During the event, Pastor Leo Galanza spoke about the “Theology of Suffering” while Kuya Ron talked about Leadership. Kuya Jeff Anderson and Pastor Lito De Guzman were speakers as well. A conversation among the hosts occurred, and they all shared with Kuya Ron’s desire, “Can we do this again?” By God’s permission, a conference in Bohol transpired through the combined endeavors of C.G.M., Action, and same-hearted individuals, including Pastor Leo and Kuya Ron.

When Pastor Leo visited San Francisco, U.S.A. for a speaking engagement with First Love Ministries International in September 2016, he also had a meaningful conversation with Ron and his colleagues about the possible ministry in the Philippines, specifically for the Pastors and Church leaders.  By October 19 of the same year, another devastating typhoon hit the Philippines. Super Typhoon Lawin (International, “Haima”) affected the Northern part of Luzon. Again, Action International Ministries consolidated efforts for relief operations. The team went with Ron, Jeff, Pastor Luv, and Dave in December of that year. This time, a more organized vision was being nurtured in the group as seeded by the previous ventures. God led Ron with the desire to carry out meetings for the Pastors and Christian Workers similar to the conferences in Tacloban and Bohol but with regularity.

By God’s providence, three more conferences in just a week were hosted in February 2017 (Bacolod, Rizal, and Davao). There, the initial plans to form the A4C happened. Emerging from the Bacolod’s theme: “Leadership, Missions, Cross: Recalling the Basics,” the team conceived the main structure and direction of the ministry, including the name: All4Christ Ministries (A4C). Present to the meeting were Ron, Pastor Leo and Hannah Galanza, Pastor Luv and Eden Zacal, David Majam, Jeff Anderson, Mike and Tracy Burr, Pastor Lito De Guzman, Pastor Levi Posadas, and Adam Hussey. Kuya Brad Williams facilitated the discussions. 

The team agreed that A4C would operate in the context of the ministry that deals with human suffering, the need for godly and responsible leadership, and ministry to the family. The established pillars or values of the group are Education, Exaltation, Empowerment, and Evangelism. As the mission is to go alongside Pastors and Christian leaders, a motto emerged as the team’s commitment: The life of the minister is the life of the ministry.

As the following activities transpired, the team was able to hold strategic planning to determine other aspects necessary for A4C to continue its ministries. The board members and different leadership positions were chosen. Also, Pastor Levi created the website for the team. The Lord had confirmed these efforts when the group was approved and registered on October 15, 2018, by the Securities and Exchange Commission of the Philippine as a non-profit organization (All4Christ Philippines Inc.). Few individuals were added to the team in the following years: Pastor Rolex Cailing (Board Member) and Pastor Jhonn Mojica (Ministry Director). Recently, a counterpart group was organized based in the U.S.A. to help A4C in its ministries. The partners in the U.S. are led by Ron, Brad, Jeff, with Pastor Paul Cross and Pastor Corey Bjertness.

Because of God’s unfailing generosity, A4C was sustained to the ministry to carry out its mission to go alongside His laborers for the Kingdom of God. There were more than thirty conferences hosted in the Philippines for the last three years. These catered more than five thousand Pastors and leaders. About eight thousand books were distributed to these participants to help them build their resource library in the hope that these would help them remain faithful to their calling for the greater glory of God. May God lead the way for A4C to the people of His fold to go alongside with, to share and partner in the same heart and mind, and to surmount challenges until the One who forms A4C comes.

Rak Chazak Amats!

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MF-Oneness Not Sameness

My wife and I currently live in Minneapolis, Minnesota where on May 25 Mr. George Floyd was killed by a policeman, who has been fired and is now in jail facing a 2nd degree murder charge, while in police custody. His death ignited angry riots, looting and the destruction of public and private property and many businesses. It also sparked peaceful protests demanding policing and social change here, across the US and around the world. You have seen photos and videos of what I am referring to. 
 
In the midst of burnt-out buildings, graffiti scribbled everywhere and ongoing protests, local people and others from many places and of differing walks of life, are picking up the debris and sweeping the streets while distributing essentials like water, food, items for babies and the elderly among other supplies to those in need. It is great to see people helping people to rebuild communities and restore trust in each other. Additionally small and big churches, from rural, suburban and urban areas and of many faith traditions, are serving together as the hands, feet, voice and heart of Christ in badly damaged and destroyed communities. It is going to take a long time to heal, reconcile and rebuild but it is happening.
 
In the 1970s-‘80s, before we went to Manila in 1985, my family and I lived in the neighborhood where Mr. Floyd was killed and the initial rioting, looting and destruction took place and now the rebuilding of homes, businesses, community centers, government buildings, lives and a sense of community is slowly taking place. It is especially beautiful to see the body of Christ serving there side-by-side in unity.
 
In recent days I have spent a lot of time studying, reading and praying through various Scriptures about the unity or oneness of the church. Galatians 3:28 is one of the verses. Paul writes to the Galatians addressing the division between Jews and Greeks in their churches “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (ESV). Paul is teaching these young believers in Christ that in the new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) the distinctions between Jews and Gentiles are removed (Ephesians 2:11-22) and Gentiles do not need to become Jews in order to become followers of Jesus. Additionally Paul is not implying that there are no differences between social statuses and genders. He is teaching that the old divisions and wrongful attitudes of superiority and inferiority are abolished in Christ. In short, Paul is teaching this biblical truth to the Galatians and to us: *we have spiritual unity in the midst of our obvious diversity, and that we must not expect sameness of other believers in Jesus Christ.*
 
What are applications for us of Paul’s teaching to the Galatians:
 
1. Faith in Christ transcends our differences and makes all His followers one in Him. We need to be careful to not impose distinctions, which Christ has removed, on someone else. No one in the church is more privileged or superior than someone else.
 
2. It is our natural inclination to feel uncomfortable with people who are different from us and to gravitate toward others who are like us. When we allow our differences to separate us from fellow believers, we are not obeying clear biblical teaching. We need to seek out and appreciate believers in Christ who are not like us. We will discover that we may have several things in common in addition to our faith in Jesus. 
 
Christ’s multicultural, multicolored, multiethnic, multi-gifted and multilingual people are unified in Him. We need to cherish this and protect it because it is precious and a powerful witness of the Gospel  to our deeply divided, decaying and dying world.