Venezuela House Church Vision

Update 5/11/08

2008-05-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

Valued Colaborers, thanks for your prayers. Joyce and I are still in Venezuela. We return home the seventeenth.

We travel tomorrow to Merida one of the major cities of Vz. We will meet Tuesday with Ladimiro Urindeta and Baptist pastors of his association concerning simple church multiplication strategies.

Wendesday we will join Omar Pina in Bilaores to meet with his state coordinators for church planting.

Thursday we will be in Vigia with Omar and his leaders there.

Friday we will be in Vargas with Carlos Fuentes who now is working with 13 HCs and is encouaging each of them to become two or more churches.

We have had tremendous meetings with leaders in Velencia. I will share more later. As we arrived at the Hoseah Church today a group was just arriving at the same time. The were a house church walking together. They started this February after we share in the Hoseah Church. Their faces were full of life and excitement.

We had a tremendous multiplication training time in Porte Ayacucho with a mission project of Carlos Fueintes. We were training missionary Paublo Ceinto and about thirty others from the Yekuana indigenous tribe of the Amazonas. They are the third largest tribe of the region. One family there receintly walked to Porte Ayacucho from their home. It took them 15 days.

More later. God is very much at work here. Thanks for your prayer. Your grateful brother, gail.

Prayer Request 4/25/08

2008-05-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

Co-laborers in Christ: Greetings in Jesus’ name. Please join our Lord in what He is doing in Venezuela through concerted prayer.

Joyce and I will be joining Isrrael Rodriquez and Carlos Fuentes in church multiplication training in Porte Ayacucho on the edge of the Venezuelan rain forest May 1 – 4. One of our simple church advocates there has reached many of the tribesmen of the indigenous people of the Amazons. He is bringing them together for three days of training.

May 7-8 we will be meeting with leaders of a nation wide evangelical church-planting group. I spent some time with some of them earlier this year. They are excited to learn more of the simple ways of church multiplication. Omar Pina is the national coordinator.

May 13-15 we will be meeting with evangelical pastors and workers in and near Merida, which is one of the major cities of VZ. Ladimiro Urdaneta is our key servant leader. He is a national leader in Baptist circles and he is head of the language department of the University of the Andes at Merida.

There will be many other meetings between these. Our hope is to continue the encouragement of simple church multiplication through out the nation. Great strides have been made but the battle continues. Thanks for your support of prayer. Satan laughs at many of our attempts to minister but when we pray he trembles.

Your brother, gail.

Venezuela Update 2-19-08

2008-02-22T09:14:00.001-08:00

2/19/08

I met with Omar Pina and three of his key leaders in Valencia Tuesday 2-12-08 for most of the day. He is the National Coordinator for E3 Ministries. It stands for Evangelize, Equip and Establish. He is a very influential international leader. They have 50 state and regional coordinators around Vz. I spent two plus hours listening to what they are doing to fulfill the great commission. Then he stated we need help to really see the church multiplication that we desire. I was asked what methods would I use to teach church multiplication. I asked, ‘What methods did Jesus use?’ This led to a three hour discussion and Heaven came down. These guys have a whole fresh vision for how our Lord will complete the great commission. They committed to schedule a three day retreat for the four of them with IRod and I in May to continue the journey.

IRod, Nellia and I traveled to Porte Ordaz one of the largest cities in Vz Friday 2-15-08. We scheduled the trip and purchase the airfare with out having a definite meeting set up. We came to unity in prayer that our Lord was sending us to Porte Ordaz so we acted on our decision. The day after we purchased airfare we received two definite invitations. One was for a Saturday meeting with evangelical leaders from the area arranged by a long time friend of IRod. The second came together as a presentation to the Sunday morning gathering of the second largest evangelical church in Vz. We were asked to take the full service with about 1000 in attendance. The church building is a beautiful roof structure with no walls on a hill over looking the city and region. Nellia sang with her Heavenly voice. IRod and I shared what the Spirit gave us in the moment. The leaders asked us to change our travel plans and stay for the evening service. Sunday evening we addressed about 2900 people who were lifting the Savior above the city. It was a powerful service. They asked us to come back and spend some time with leaders. This is a cell based church with a far reaching radio station and ministry. They had a receiver/transmitter for IRod to take home with him. The idea is to receive the Christian programming from the Porte Ordaz based station and broadcast it in the region of the 3.5 million city of Valencia. We will try to schedule time with them in May on a return trip.

I returned Tuesday 2/19/08 to Boise. One of the great things of this trip is to have been able to spend almost every day of the four weeks with IRod who is the most gifted and dedicated apostolic church multiplier that I know.

Thanks for your powerful contribution of prayer. Your brother, gail.

Venezuela Update 2-13-08

2008-02-22T09:14:00.000-08:00

2/13/08

We have had awesome meetings with Vz simple church advocates. Issrael Rodriquez has emerged as a powerful apostolically gifted simple church multiplier. He and I spent the day with Carlos Fuentes last Friday of the coastal area near CCS of Vargas. He is working with 12 new house churches. God is raising him up as an example for people to see in Vz.

We had a great lengthy meeting with Franklin Diaz of Valencia. He has come a long way to the good since September 2007. History was made at the annual convention of Vz Baptist last week. One of the house churches that Franklin works with was officially accepted into the convention. Never before have they accepted a church with no sponsoring church. The group has no building or designated pastor and is committed to multiplication. It was controversial but it passed. This is a huge indication of acceptance and validation of a new breed of churches. Vz Baptist also adopted a challenge statement for the year, “Back to Our Roots.” This indicates a strong desire to follow the pure patterns of the first century church. It reminds me of the great and popular statement of Robert Fitts, 'Return to Simplicity.' Friends, the walls are coming down in answer to your prayer.

IRod, Carlos Fuentes and I spent the day Monday with Edgar Pinto of the Guarenus area east of Caracas proper. He works with ten new house churches reaching to the coast east of the city of Caracas. Our Lord is raising him up as a Vz example as well. We went deeply into Kingdom vision together. Holy Spirit engulfed us. These guys are far more advanced in the Kingdom dynamics than I could have hoped for by this time. Their willingness to empower and release the little strongholds of Heaven is beyond belief.

Please pray for these key harvest workers…..Issrael Rodriquez of Valencia…….Carlos Fuentes of Vargas…….. Edgar Pinto of Guarenus……. Franklin Diaz of Valencia

You are a strategic part of God’s plan for the history of Venezuela. Your prayers carry the power of Heaven to earth. Thank you for giving to the Lord. Your brother, gail.

Life Saving Prayer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-01-31T14:16:00.000-08:00

.............Israel and Nelia Rodrequez.................

Please get on your knees for these two. Israel Rodrequez (IRod) has emerged as the number one most promising apostolicly gifted simple church multiplication advocate that I know in Venz. It is unbelievable what all he has going......BELIEVE ME!!!!!....... Pray for him and Nelia. A few weeks ago they attempted to take an elevator from the sixth floor at her office. IRod joins her for lunch almost every day. In two years they have never taken the stairs. The elevator was crowded so they took the stars. As they descended the stares the elevator fell and killed seven people........... SPIRITUAL WARFARE............ Today IRod ran back to Velencia from CCS to fulfill a commitment. He was delayed by 30 minuets by call to help a friend. He arrived at his primary destination late to find that the place had just been robed at gun point and shots were fired. The police were arriving just ahead of him. Were it not for the call for help he would have been a victim. satan recougnises the potential and is highly motivated to destroy him. Thanks for engaging in the battle thru prayer. You are a strategic part of Gods plan tor the history of Venezuela.

God is teaching us to complete the great commission. It is one thing to see a harvest. It is another to get every last one. To complete the great commission we must focus on the voice of God and respond to Him quickly and accurately. Any thing less is second best and will not do. The great commission will only be completed when we as His people learn to filter thru all the good suggestions an respond only to the voice of God. The Church must be agile and liquid to find the periolus pathway thru horrible pitfalls to reach every last one on earth. We are not willing that any should perish. May every one bow before Him. May His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven......... Dive in...the water is hot..............gg

VZ Update 1-28-08

2008-01-28T15:01:00.002-08:00

Report thru Sunday 1-27-07

Campaign leaders estimate 5800 Professions of faith in Christ so far.

The evangelism is being done in streets, parks, youth baseball camps, schools, homes, etc. God is blessing in extraordinary ways.

House church planting teams began work on the Central University of Venezuela campus Friday. This is the premere university in Venezuela. God guided us to a location on campus where there was much foot traffic. We set up under a tree and began singing praise to our Savior. Some began walking and praying other past out gospel tracts. The Spirit guided us to many Divine appointments. There was a refreshing openness by most. I am not sure how many came to Christ but many. The simple church planters with us are not focused on counting but walking with Christ as He builds His church. We met most of the campus evangelical leaders by his design thru the day. They were very excited with the vision of simple multiplying campus churches. We took an big group of them to diner in the evening and guided them further into the vision. We worshipped with a large established group on Sunday. We have many meetings set up to help evangelise friends of new believers on campus and form churches. We intend to leave many new churches on campus when we leave next week.

De McCleery led a hotel employee to Christ this morning while waiting for the group members. She asked to set up a meeting with him and some of his friends at the hotel. He committed to meet and asked if he could bring a bus load. We will meet today at 6:00 pm.

The opportunity to meet with Hugo Chavez went thru the highest level cabinet officials. There was no time on his schedule this week. Officials have committed to a meeting with the president in a few weeks. Those being invited will make a way to do the meeting when it comes together.

We met saturday with the most driven apostle I know, Carlos Fuentes. He serves on the coast of Vz near Caracas. He has committed to spend time with me to understand more fully the way of multiplication. God is establishing a beach head on the coast of Vz to claim the nation as a Christian nation. I meet with one of the emerging pastors moving into the simple church patterns Wednesday.

Israel Rodriquez of Velencia some two hours from Caracas is serving as my interpreter. He is becoming an extraordinary church planting movement facilitator. God is drawing people to him who are apostolicly gifted.

Thanks for praying. You are making a difference. gg

2008-01-28T15:01:00.001-08:00

Venezuela Victory 1-24-08

2008-01-24T15:38:00.000-08:00

Report thru Tuesday 1-22-07 from Venezuela leader Alex Montero:

¨74 volanteers from USA in Caracas

370 volanteer workers from other areas in Venezuela traveling to Caracas to help.

2858 Professions of faith in Christ.¨

As you know the stadium reservations were cancelled. The evangelism is being done in streets, parks, youth baseball camps, schools, homes, etc. God is blessing in extraordinary ways.

House church planting teams will commence work tomorrow on the Central University of Venezuela campus. This is the premeire university in Venezuela. The future leaders of the nation are there. God has given us clear direction. There are twelve of us now plus interpreters.

The opportunity to meet with Hugo Chavez is before the highest level cabinet officials. The request will be presented to him Friday for a meeting Sunday. This will be personally requested by a top official who is very close to him. I hope to share the entire process with you soon. It is miracules to go this far.

We prayed at length today with the most respected Christian leader from the Venezuelan rain forest. He is the grand son of the first convert of the Venezuelan jungle. He is a powerful veteran Kingdom builder. He is in Caracas helping with the campaign.

We bumped into Sister Belsie fro Porte Ayacuho who is here helping from the gate way to the rain forest. She was in our house church training in October. She has started five house churches since then not previously reported. She wanted to know what to do about all the people who want to be baptized. We prayed with her and encouraged her to seek the Lord with each group together ask ask Him to direct each group individually.

Thanks for praying. You are making a difference. gg

Venezuela Harvest 1-22-08

2008-01-22T08:28:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Caracas, Venezuela. Please continue to pray. 100´s coming to Christ through youth baseball camps, traditional church evangelistic meetings, street evangelism, parks and schools. Our house church planters arrive tomorrow.

We are working with top government officials to establish a one on one meeting with Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela.

Pray for our African travelers coming from Burundi. God provided a way for six Africans to come who are involved in a church planting movement with 100´s of churches. They led someone to Christ a few weeks ago and he is paying for all of them to come. These colaborers can barely put food on the table.

I received word from a house church in Brazil that said God had given them a great burden to pray for Venezuela. They new nothing of our plans. I had never heard of them or communicated with them. After they prayed they searched the internet and miraculously discovered our plans. They wrote to me and shared that their beliefs matched perfectly with what they read in my websites. They committed to pray day and night through the campaign.

I am finding more simple church advocates in Caracas who want to join the effort.

Our Lord provided 20,000 New Testaments to place in the hands of new believers.

This opportunity is a marvelous example of various forms of church life working together to build the Kingdom in His power. Your prayers are vital at this moment in time.

Thanks for believing with us and praying. Your brother, gail.

Africans Join the Team 1-18-08

2008-01-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

Greetings Co-Laborers in Christ. Thanks for your interest and prayer for the harvest in Venezuela. Please be aware that our reservations for the baseball stadium in Caracas were canceled. The Venezuelan leaders decided to have evangelistic meetings in many places through out the city of Caracas including the baseball camps for youth, church buildings, parks and street evangelism. Our house church planters will be working in concert with these activities to evangelise and plant churches 24 January through 3 February. Our church planters from outside Vz have increased to 18. Miraculously, several are joining us from Africa who are involved in church planting movements in their countries. I will be traveling this Sunday 20 January and plan to stay through 17 February. Please continue to pray for the precious people of Venezuela. Our hope is that churches will multiply through the nation and continent and take evangelism, discipleship and Godliness to the uttermost part of our world. Your contribution of prayer is of the utmost importance. Thanks for all you do in Christ. Your brother, gail.

Victory in Venezuela 12-3-07

2008-01-20T10:33:00.000-08:00

Harvest Laborers, I am writing to thank you for your prayers for Venezueula. You may have heard the the referendum to increase governmental power and remove term limits for the president failed. Venezuelan simple church advocate Isrrael Rodrequez writes, "Chavez lost the referendum, to God be the Glory." Friends this is a great victory for democracy and for the Kingdom. Hundreds of thousands of great commission Christians have been praying to this end. Thank you for enjoining the battle. The struggles are not over. Demon possessed power mongers have a plethora of ways to manipulate. Please continue to pray. Progression toward the Caracas stadium crusade in January continues. There remains much vulnerability to the government and circumstances. Please continue to pray into the harvest in Venezuela. As you know as we answer the gentle urges from the Spirit to pray, Heavens power reigns on earth. You are a strategic part of God's plan for history. Thanks for all you do in Christ. Merry Christmas to you and those you love. Your grateful brother. gail.

House Church Planting Team Invitation 10-21-07

2007-09-26T09:17:00.003-07:00

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

2007-09-26T09:17:00.002-07:00

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

2007-09-26T09:17:00.001-07:00

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

2007-09-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-08-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-05T04:35:00.000-07:00

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.