House Church Planting Team Invitation 10-21-07

I am writing to encourage you to ask the Lord of the harvest to use you and your network in putting together a church planting team for Venezuela. Travel together to Caracas, Venezuela in January for a minimum of ten days to start a new network of house churches as part of the follow up of a stadium crusade. Venezuela crusade leaders will place in your hands 100 to 300 decision cards over a five day period of new Christians located in a specific part of the city. Contact each of them by phone in the first 24 hours of their new walk in Christ. Make appointments for meeting together and introduce the rest of their family to Christ. Help them form new churches. Extensive HC training has been conducted this year with established Christians in traditional churches who are excited about simple church life. Feel free to start free churches or you can partner up with a trained simple church advocate native to Caracas. Venezuela leaders have committed to help furnish bilingual interpreters to help in the process. As you are there you will discover and build relationships with persons of peace. When you return to the states you can keep in touch thru inexpensive modern communications to help nurture the new networks over time. God will show you how to proceed. Please reply to initiate the process of discernment and receive update information. Feel free to forward this invitation. All simple church advocates are welcome to inquire.

Venezuela evangelicals are planning an evangelistic stadium crusade in the capitol city of Caracas January 24-27, 2008.

North American house church advocates have been asked to help start 1000 house churches in Venezuela.

Team Schedules:
1. Register ASAP to insure most economic travel arrangements approx $1500 to $2000 including airfare.

2. January 23: Travel to Caracas check in to the hotel near stadium.

3. January 24: Team orientation and counselor training all day. Meet with interpreters and local house church advocates. Interpreter for each two team members. Serve as counselors in the crusade in the evenings 24-27.

4. January 25-28: Receive commitment cards early sorted to a specific area of Caracas. Begin immediate follow up with phone calls to make appointments then pursue appointments as lead.

5. January 29- February 3: Continue follow up and church start activities as lead.

6. February 4: Check out of hotel. Return travel to USA or pursue plans to continue as you determine at your own discretion.

Caracas is the most unevangelized large city in South America with only two percent evangelical Christians. They are expecting 10,000 to 30,000 professions of faith. To follow up this many decisions for Christ is an overwhelming task for Caracas believers.

Evangelical leader and DAWN Ministries International associate Jocobo Garcia says, “These are perilous times in Venezuela. Now is the hour for Spiritual awaking in our country.”

Team Invitation 10-20-07

Venezuelan Evangelicals are crying out to God for their nation. Ps 2:8, 'Ask of Me and I will give you the nations.' North American simple church advocates have been asked to help. In connection with the evangelistic crusade January 24-27 they have set a goal of starting 1000 house churches. Many of us have done everything possible to train Venezuelan evangelical house church advocates. Virtually all these are from established traditional and cell based churches. In addition to this it is my belief that as many of us as possible need to plant free house churches that are not attached to traditional churches or denominations or even traditional evangelicals. These types of starts will be less likely to be integrated into established circles of influence and thus have an extraordinary possibility of multiplication to the uttermost part. Here is where you come in. Venezuelan Evangelicals are asking us to come and plant churches with new Christians who make commitments at the stadium crusade in Caracas. We can then stay in touch with key people through economical modern communications to nurture the new HC networks over time. Here is an open door like I have never seen. Only God could open a door such as this. Please ask God how you can join Him in what He is doing in Venezuela. Do not hesitate to forward this invitation. All seekers are welcome. Your brother, gail.

Gideon’s Army in Caracas 10-12-07

In answer to prayer God gave us the opportunity to speak to hundreds of evangelical Christians concerning little churches that multiply. Tony and Felicity Dale lead six hour training sessions in six different areas of Caracas for all who wanted to start house churches. Team members and Venezuelan leaders were incorporated into the training process. 300 were trained and commissioned into the harvest. There were reports of several churches being started since our brief visionary visit in June. In Porte Ayacucho on the edge of the rain forest of the Amazons 85 were trained and commissioned. Virtually all of them have family in the indigenous tribes of the Amazons. The meetings were so Spirit filled that it was said the mosquitoes were humming, ‘There is Power in the Blood.’ Please continue to pray as training opportunities continue to develop and we move toward the stadium crusade in Caracas January 24-27, 2008.

Prayer Alert 9-26-07

Co-laborers in Christ: Greetings in Jesus’ name. Please pray into the training of several hundred simple church advocates in Venezuela. Our Lord is calling out laborers for the harvest in Venezuela. Hundreds are availing themselves to training in simple church core values. The training dates are September 29, 2007 thru Tuesday October 9. We leave for Venezuela tomorrow. See the team members below. Our hope is that our Lord will begin a church multiplication movement that will reach the entire nation in Christ and beyond. Please join our Lord in what He is doing there in prayer.

Venezuela: An Invitation to Harvest.

Venezuela: An Invitation to Harvest.
by Gail Graves

Our Lord is very much at work in Venezuela. Evangelical leader and DAWN Ministries International associate Jocobo Garcia says, “These are perilous times in Venezuela. Now is the hour for Spiritual awaking in our country.” North American house church advocates have been asked to help start 1000 house churches in Venezuela. Venezuela evangelicals are planning an evangelistic stadium crusade in the capitol city of Caracas January 2008. Caracas is the most unevangelized large city in South America with only two percent evangelical Christians. They are expecting 10,000 to 30,000 professions of faith. All Christians need help especially the new ones. To follow up this many decisions for Christ is an overwhelming task for Caracas believers. Please consider ways that you can join the harvest that our Lord is multiplying in Venezuela.
1. Commit to pray. The one way and the most important way that everyone can join our Lord in this endeavor is thru prayer. This is a spiritual battle. It will be won in prayer. Each of us can join our Lord and Venezuela believers in a concerted effort of prayer. Your investment of prayer may seem like a small thing. Remember in God’s economy little becomes much. When we pray in faith mountains are moved and walls come tumbling down. Ps 2:8 says, “Ask of me and I will give you the nations.” The precious people of Venezuela rightfully belong to God. Let us ask for the nation.
2. Ask the Lord to use you and your network in putting together a church planting
team. Travel together to Venezuela in January for a minimum of ten days to start a new network of house churches. Venezuela crusade leaders will place in your hands 100 to 300 decision cards over a five day period of new Christians located in a specific part of the city. Contact each of them by phone in the first 24 hours of their new walk in Christ. Make appointments for meeting together and introduce the rest of their family to Christ. Help them form new churches. Extensive HC training is being conducted thru the remainder of this year with established Christians in traditional churches who are excited about simple church life. Feel free to start free churches or you can partner up with a trained simple church advocate native to Caracas. Venezuela leaders have committed to help furnish bilingual interpreters to help in the process. As you are there you will discover and build relationships with persons of peace. When you return to the states you can keep in touch thru inexpensive modern communications to help nurture the new networks over time. God will show you how to proceed.
3. You can help make it possible for someone else to go. There are hundreds
of capable network facilitators in North America who are stretched to the limit with their time and resources. ‘Many hands make light a heavy load.’ God possibly could use you with the help of others to make it possible for a capable simple church advocate to be able to afford the time off work and travel expenses to participate.
Our Lord has led Venezuela evangelicals to stretch their faith and attempt what only God can do. Please consider joining Him and them as He extends Himself to the precious people of Venezuela in the building His church. For more information see this link http://venezuelahousechurchvision.blogspot.com/ or contact Gail Graves gailgraves@msn.com.

Venezuela HC Training Team

Venezuela House Church Training Team
September 27-October 11:

Deitra McCleery; San Angelo, TX (EMULADY7@A4ISP.COM)

Sherryl McCleery; San Angelo, TX (EMULADY7@A4ISP.COM)

Mike Birrer; Tucson, AZ (mbir@juno.com)

Felicity Dale; Austin, TX (fdale@house2house.com)

Tony Dale; Austin, TX (tdale@house2house.com)

Gail L Graves; Boise, Idaho (gailgraves@msn.com)

Bill Rowland; IMB Missionary, Venezuela (browland@samregion.com)

Introduction to House Church

Regional Rally Caracas Saturday 6/30/07
Notes for message presented by Gail Graves

Thank you for giving to the Lord. Thank you for serving the Lord. Thank you and you and you and you. Many of you have served the Lord for many years a great sacrifice. You have listened, obeyed, worked and prayed with tears. Consider Ps 126:5 ‘Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.’ I am here today to deliver a message from God. He has heard your prayers and is ready to multiply the Harvest. You have been faithful and you will reap with songs of joy.
Following the crusade there is the need for follow up….
New believers need help
Many will not know an evangelical…
Church life not automatic

Your church will grow if you are diligent in follow up.

The Harvest is overwhelming..20,000-30,000 professions of faith…help required

Need follow up teams that can contact 200 – 300 new believers in first 10 days

Need 100 follow up teams

Partnership teams will come to help you….big church…cel groups…HCs

3. Simple church planting teams will come to help start simple churches

House Church Phenomena sweeping around the world…don’t miss it.
China over 30k pof per day mostly HC
Burundi, Africa 14 HCs to 100 HCs in seven months
One middle east country…..3000 HCs in one year thru stadium crusades
Cuba……..HC on every block over the whole country
Intro to Simple church…how I discovered it…they multiply (see attached)
http://www.dawnministries.org/idahosimplechurchnetwork

HC networks…a family tree of churches……...how they function…….they multiply……many come to Christ

Gifted leaders…Ephesians 4:11… every gift is vital

If you want to help with HC see me today…..contact info

How do HCs help a conventional church:

1. Equip and send your best out…be a servant leader…..can not out give God.

2. These churches will reach many, many as they multiply. Suppose God would give us one half of the population here for Christ. What would your ministry look like? Would it be smaller?

3. Many new believers will be drawn to large congregations with great teachers and good programs.

4. Examples:

A. Saddleback Community Church equip members…..start many HCs…..largest SBC church in USA. Pastor Warren was not afraid to equip the saints and encourage them to start free house churches. They have more people meeting in house churches than in big church.
B. North Phoenix Baptist Church along with their association of churches started many small traditional congregations. Sent their best people and resources in same city and area. Many were reached ….many were attracted to great teaching and great programs…..went from 400 to 22,000 in 25? years.
C. One Middle East country many equipped to plant house churches and sent out by conventional churches. Over 3000 HCs started in 9 months. All churches that sent people out received many more than they sent out.

Conclusion: It is not enough to fill our church buildings. Our mandate is to change the world. You can never go wrong listening and obeying God. Embrace everything of God. Trust Him to prosper you and your church family as you give sacrificially to the Lord of the Harvest. Do not be afraid. He will provide. We must walk not by sight but by faith.

Invitation: Commit to: pray and listen…….obey….work……HC

Simple Church Vision Trip

Simple Church Vision Trip
Message written 7/7/07: Greetings all from Boise, Idaho USA. Thank you so much for praying with me on the Venezuela adventure. The reception to simple church core values continued through the entire trip. As the adventure continued to Porte Ayacucho (over 100k pop, gate way to the Amazon rain forests, roads end just south of here and it is foot and river for hundreds of miles inhabited by the tribes of the Amazon, some of them yet unnamed) we met with Christian leaders. Every one with whom we met embraced simple church values. There were two large group meetings of about 100 and 60 respectively. These are people who relate to the tribes of the Amazon. Many have come out of the forrest. Virtually all have family ties to tribes in the jungle. It is obvious how difficult it is to fit western traditional church into the jungle. When simple church vision was presented it was like they were waiting for someone to tell them that little churches are real churches and near to the heart of God. They have asked for some one to return and teach more fully. The meeting with the Bible Institute of Porte Ayacucho faculty was overwhelming and they want to set up further instruction. Upon returning to Caracas we met with a group of respected evangelical leaders of the city. Thomas Moreno the DAWN coordinator for South America joined us. Again the reception to simple church core values was received as a revelation from God. These are people of tremendous influence in evangelical circles. We met late at night with the Sr. pastor of the largest church in Venezuela. We would call it a mega church. He is president of the Evangelical Alliance of Venezuela. He has more respect from evangelical Christians in Venz than any other. The meeting was terrific. He and I sat and talked for 45 minutes. His English is better than mine. They have a strong cell group ministry. He is very interested in learning more about encouraging cell groups to become free churches and what that will mean to Caracas. We will set up phone conference meetings with experienced and capable HC advocates in the USA to help him grasp the vision more fully. Thanks again for your prayer and please continue to pray for the precious people of Venezuela. Your brother, gail.

Message written July 1, 2007 FYI: Greeting all from Caracas. As most of you know Venezuelan evangelicals have asked simple church advocates in North America to help start 1000 house churches as follow up for a stadium crusade next January. I am in Caracas sharing simple church core values accompanied by a small team now. The response is overwhelmingly positive. Virtually all the pastors and leaders attending the addresses over 160 total have caught the vision for simple church life. The Spirit descended on each meeting. There was a Holy hush on each address as simple church life was revealed. My hope was to help traditional church leaders tolerate simple church and some of them encourage it. The reception seems unanimous with strong enthusiasm for those attending. They are asking for intense training to understand in the fullest way possible. The rector of the Baptist seminary in Caracas wants to schedule some extensive time with himself and his faculty for training. We are working on this for September. This is way beyond my expectations. This is something only God could do. We met with the second pastor of the largest pentecostal church in Venezuela today with a very encouraging reception. We will meet with the Sr pastor on Wed. We meet with an influential non-denominational pastor later today who has indicated strong interest. Their involvement is a significant factor. We will travel to the Amazon river some 500 miles south of Caracas tomorrow to share simple church life with leaders in and near Porte Ayacucho. This city is a major gateway to the rain forests of Venezuela. Thanks for your contribution of prayer and please continue to pray. Your humbled brother, gail.

Message written June 26, 2007: Good brothers and sweet sisters, I am writing to ask for your investment of prayer in the Venezuela church planting movement. Some of you know that Venezuelan believers have asked for North American simple church advocates to help lead the nation to faith in Christ. There is an extraordinary evangelistic thrust coming in January 2008. We have be asked to facilitate the beginning of many house churches in Caracas with new Christians. Please pray as I travel to Venezuela this week to introduce the shepherds of Caracas to simple church life at their invitation. This is something that only God can do. Meetings Friday and Saturday are crucial to the process. As I have prayed over this daunting task, our Lord reminded me that it is a simple request from Him to 'walk with me.' We know that it is only the Spirit that can break thru the demonic forces behind religion or tradition to reveal the sweet intimacy of simple church life and God's glorious plan to multiply the bride of Christ to the ends of the earth. You will be hearing much more of what our Lord is doing in Venezuela in days to come. Ask God to allow you the joyful privilege of walking with Him as He claims the precious people of Venezuela for His own. Please invite others to share in this tremendous opportunity. Your brother, gail.