Global Outreach Events in May 2006

April 28 - May 8 -- Global Adventure to Malawi
On April 28 a Global Adventure team led by Ruth Mitchell will be traveling to Lilongwe, Malawi in support of the ministry of Hands@Work. The team will be involved in feeding programs for orphans and widows, home-based care for HIV/AIDS patients, leadership training in local churches, and a number of other projects. Pray for safety in travel, health and effectiveness in ministry.

April 29 - May 10 -- Global Adventure to Kenya and Malawi On April 29 a Global Adventure team led by Karl Mueller of Word of Grace and Debi Clifton of Grace Community Church will be visiting pastors and Christian leaders in Nairobi, Kenya and Lilongwe, Malawi in order to build relationships that will lead to ministry partnerships surrounding HIV/AIDS and community transformation ministries. While in Nariobi, the team will meet with leaders of ICAN (InterChurch AIDS Network) Slum Outreach Ministries, and Medical Ambassadors International. In Malawi the team will meet with Dr. Perry Jansen of Partners in Malawi, Steve Bowler of VisionLedd, Theresa Malila of Hands@Work, and a number of pastors and leaders. Pray for wisdom, direction, safety in travel and good health.

May 3 -- East Valley Missions Consortium
7:00 - 8:30 am
Word of Grace -- Room 401

May 7 -- Thailand Report
1:00 pm
Join us for a Thai meal as our Global Adventure team shares stories about how God used them during their recent trip to Thailand. Contact Dawn at dawnf@wordofgrace.org to RSVP.

May 10-- Global Outreach Prayer Meeting
7:00 - 8:30 pm
Cry Room in the Word of Grace Worship Center
Join us as we pray for Word of Grace missionaries and projects around the world.

May 21 -- Grace Turkey Network
4:00 - 6:00 pm
Word of Grace -- Room 401
Join us for a time of food, fellowship and prayer focused on the nation of Turkey.

May 25 - June 5 -- Global Adventure to Malawi
On May 25 a Global Adventure team led by Katie Murphy will be traveling to Lilongwe, Malawi in support of the ministry of Hands@Work. The team will be involved in feeding programs for orphans, home-based care for HIV/AIDS patients, and working with youth. Pray for safety in travel, health and effectiveness in ministry.

Global Adventure to Thailand -- A Report from Dave and Janet Barr

From March 31-April 8 a team of 4 people traveled to Thailand to visit Word of Grace missionaries Sonny and Millicent Thweatt as well as experience life and ministry in this beautiful country.

Sonny and Millicent Thweatt

Our Team -- Dorothy, Lyn, David and Janet

During the week they were in Thailand the team spoke in church services, visited the Life and Social Development Foundation in Chiang Rai, engaged in prayer walks at various Buddhist temples and shrines, visited the Grace International School where Sonny and Millicent work and spent time in orphanages.

Perhaps the two highlights of the trip were the opportunity to spend time with Sonny and Millicent and see first-hand how God is using them not only at Grace International School, but also through their heart to serve those who are poor and have less access to the Gospel.

Grace International School in Chiang Mai

Grace International School is the largest international Christian school in Asia, serving over 550 students from 24 countries. The school is well-known for providing a quality education, with many of its graduates attending top universities in the USA. Sonny has worked hard at developing a first-class physical education program for the school.

The second highlight was spending time at the Life and Social Development Foundation in Chiang Rai. This organization, led by Dr. Suphot is home to about 120 young people. 100 of these young people are girls, many of whom are at risk for involvement in the sex trade. Most of them come from one of the seven hill tribes living in northern Thailand. The girls from these tribes are often sold into prostitution by their poverty stricken parents. The Foundation prevents girls from going into prostitution by providing a home, food, clothing and education. Through the generous donations of people from Word of Grace we were able to provide sponsorships for some of the girls who do not yet have a sponsor. In addition we ill be assisting with educational expenses, such as school uniforms, books and fees.

Kan is one of the girls who has lived at the Foundation for seven years. She is from an Akha village, and recently started working at the university in Chiang Rai. Kan was very excited about her first real job.

Kan

Our team came back from Thailand with a profound gratitude for the ministry of Sonny and Millicent Thweatt. We were also thrilled to be part of the ministry of the Life and Social Development Foundation, and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young girls in Thailand.

The only question that remains is -- when are we going back? If you are interested in a Global Adventure to Thailand, contact the Outreach office.

Sonny and our team ministering in a church.

A Short-term Mission Trip to Sudan -- Report by Ron Moyer

Ron Moyer is a Word of Grace supported missionary working with Youth With A Mission. While Ron and his family are based in Tyler, Texas, they are advocates for, and do ministry in, Sudan on a regular basis.

Ron sends this report from his April trip to Sudan.

I just returned from my eighth trip to Sudan. I love going to this country and seeing all that God is doing to heal this broken land. This time God gave me a 14-member outreach team. We were extremely blessed to have two doctors, two RN’s and a dentist on this team. We spent approximately half of our time ministering to the incredible medical needs. There are so few doctors available in this country and no dentist. It was so rewarding being able to bring this “two-handed gospel” to the Sudanese people. With one hand we met there physical needs and with the other hand we reached out and and met their spiritual needs with bible teaching, discipleship classes and prayer.

A peace accord has recently been signed between the Islamic forces of northern Sudan and the Christian “rebel” group of the south. This peace has been fragile and sometimes challenged, but for the most part it is holding. The people of north & south Sudan will tell you that everyone is tired of war. They even say that the trees and rocks are tired or war. This civil conflict has gone on for 23 years. It’s been the longest running civil war in history. Millions have died.

I am very glad to be a part of God’s redemption to this land. The churches are growing and many Muslims are also turning to Christ. Development is coming into southern Sudan and the infrastructure is being restored. I noticed on this trip that many children are finally being able to go to school. This is a first. Children have not attended school for so many years.

Thanks so much for those of you that prayed and for the team and I as we were away and also thanks for those that remembered to pray for Evie and the kids. A special thanks to those that gave a special financial gift to meet my traveling expenses.

Word of Grace, through the Global Opportunities Fund, was able to send $500 in support of Ron for this mission trip.

What is A Missional Church?

Over the last couple of years the term "Missional Church" has been debated, discussed and considered. We have said that Word of Grace wants to become more "missional". But what does that mean?

I recently read the blog of Eric Swanson who leads the Externally Focused Learning Community that Word of Grace participates in. He found the following ideas about what a missional church is from Larry Chouinard, who bases his observations on the writings of Robert Webber (Ancient-Future Evangelism) and the Austrailian authors of the book The Shaping of Things to Come.

First, here are two definitions of the "missional church".

The missional church rejects the association of Christianity with American values and the association of the church with entertainment, marketing, and corporate business models. The missional church is reading both Scripture and culture with new eyes. It sees that what is determined by the Christian faith is more than being a good, upright citizen. It sees the church as something different from the smooth corporate model of business. This emerging church calls for honest, authentic faith that seeks to be church in the way of a more radical discipleship. (Robert Webber)

A missional church is one whose primary commitment is to the missionary calling of the people of God. . . it is one that aligns itself with God’s missionary purposes in the world. . . The missional church is a sent church with one of its defining values being incarnating Jesus’ life and values in the culture within which it is embedded.

So what are some of the characteristics of a missional church? Eric listed the following:

(1) A missional church is externally focused.
(2) A missional church is culturally engaged without being absorbed.
(3) A missional church is incarnationally not institutionally driven.
(4) A missional church is about discipleship not church membership.
(5) A missional church is patterned after God's missionary purpose in the world.
(6) A missional church seeks to establish Kingdom outposts to retake territory under the control of the Evil One.
(7) A missional church seeks to plant, grow, and multiply missionary communities.
(8) A missional church trains and equips new leaders to enter territories under seige by Dark Forces. We learn in the context of mission not in the security of our comfort zone.
(9) A missional church highlights character, virtue, and compassionate deeds as the most effective witness to God's Kingdom.
(10) A missional church connects to Jesus through mission not doctrinal precision.
(11) A missional church adopts an organizational structure and internal forms based on mission not ecclesiastical traditions.
(12) A missional church sees itself as organic and not in static institutional forms.
(13) A missional church pursues relationships across generational, ethnic, economic and cultural lines of distinctions.
(14) A missional church seeks to partner with the community to "seek the shalom" of the community.
(15) A missional church assembles to seek God's presence and to be realigned with God's missionary purpose.
(16) A missional church seeks to reawaken a movement ethos as together we engage our cultural context.

Would you add some additional characteristics? Should Word of Grace seek to become "missional"? If so, what do you think are the consequences and implications of moving in that direction?

We would be interested in receiving your thoughts and comments.

Assist4Africa Celebrity Basketball Game

On March 19 Word of Grace helped sponsor the Assist4Africa Celebrity Basketball Game at Wells Fargo Arena on the campus of Arizona State University. The game featured Charles Barkley and Amare Stoudamire as coaches of two teams composed of former Phoenix Suns players, as well as current Arizona Cardinals players and a number of radio, TV and sports personalities from the Phoenix area. Attended by about 5,000 people, the game raised more than $50,000 for the Partners in Malawi HIV/AIDS Clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Charles Barkley leads Team Freedom into battle!

Word of Grace was not only a sponsor of the event, but more than 40 people from our church volunteered to make the game a huge success.

The Partners in Malawi HIV/AIDS Clinic, led by Dr. Perry Jansen, is a Word of Grace partner ministry. Once it is fully operational it will provide more than 3,000 HIV positive Malawians with medical care.

Dr Perry Jansen speaking to the media before the game.

The Partners in Malawi AIDS Clinic in the capital city of Lilongwe.

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. The annual per-capita income of the country is about $180 a year. More than 1 million people are HIV positive, and over 520,000 children are orphans as a result of AIDS. Currently only about 20,000 people in Malawi have access to ARV's (drugs needed to help AIDS patients live longer).