Ministry

Equipping leaders from around the world

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I still remember it was April 20th, 2015 in a small meeting room at Lake Hart (Cru’s global HQ in Orlando) where a few of us were in a planning meeting.

We were asking the question… ‘how can we guide our global movement towards digital maturity, so that we can adequately serve 10 million multiplying disciples by year 2020?’

The idea for ‘Digital School of Leadership‘ was hatched that day!

God was already orchestrating this move, and we had the privilege to play a part to shape what would become the curriculum to equip our leaders and volunteers to think, engage and maximize digital strategies to build His kingdom.

We launched this whole idea in January 2016, and in less than 18 months, we’ve seen 319 global leaders and volunteers complete Digital School of Leadership (DSL). Lillian and I have been part of 3 gatherings (all in Asia), while others in Latin America, the Middle East, Europe etc. have been going on this past year. Here are some snapshots.

Here are some snapshots….

DSL Asia in Pattaya (with participants from Mongolia, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia, Philippines)

Participants from Taiwan ‘multiplied’ themselves quickly! Right after they returned from DSL Asia, they conducted another training for their counterparts!

DSL South Asia, in Bangalore (with participants from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka)

While I was training our South Asian brothers and sisters last February, I remember sitting in the classroom being so thrilled… watching them learn and explore the possibilities of leveraging all sorts of digital tools and platforms to reach the multitudes in India. My heart welled up with gratefulness to the Lord for all that he’s done! And to think that I got to play a part in making all this happen is just so beyond me.

And to think that I got to play a part in making all this happen is just so beyond me. Thank you, Jesus, for counting me in this great adventure of Yours!  =)

DSL Eastern Europe – the most recent training that just concluded this week. To date, 319 leaders and volunteers around the world have been equipped as digital missionaries and ‘champions’

Digital strategies and tools that are impacting lives

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She was 5 weeks pregnant and desperate. Her partner kept pressurizing her to abort the baby. Depressed, she searched online for help and found ‘Boiling Waters’, a FaceBook page set up by a few brothers in our Philippines’ ministry. She was touched by the  inspirational posts and  started chatting with one of our staff. It led quickly to a spiritual conversation. She was then invited to watch ‘FallingPlates’ – a powerful 4-min gospel short-film by our team, that has been watched by millions on YouTube. In tears, touched by God’s unconditional love for her, she received Christ and said she will not abort the baby.  Praise God!  This is just one of many stories of lives being impacted and ministered to as a result of this unique FaceBook page strategy.

In tears, touched by God’s unconditional love for her, she received Christ and said she will not abort the baby.  Praise God!

One of the effective tools our team has worked on is GodTools. It now has 50+ language versions of the Four Spiritual Laws. Coupled with other useful tools, it helps any follower of Christ communicate the gospel simply but clearly. Recently updated, it has been used in 198 nations, daily usage has increased by 500%. In an unnamed country in the Middle-East (which has little to almost no missionary presence), it is used an average of 199 times a month. The Lord is moving in a powerful way, to help our Arab friends discover and use it to either learn or share the gospel (even in a ‘closed’ country!)  

We’re thankful for partners like you! Because of you, we are able to make headway into the digital world, impacting the lives of people who are desperate and lost, yearning and seeking to discover true hope in Jesus.

We want to invite you to be part of this great adventure with us! Learn more about our current needs, and the opportunities to be partners in the gospel!

 

Read our 2016 Year-End Newsletter

Multiplying Disciples in Digital Strategies

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Growing up in an African nation where Christians face persecution for their beliefs, Teresa felt isolated as a new follower of Jesus. She wanted to grow in her walk with Christ but didn’t have anyone to talk to about it; she felt a call to spread the gospel but didn’t know how. Where she lives, there are no printed Bibles and no churches, and any believers who meet together must do so discreetly and in small groups. Despite those challenges, Teresa felt called to share the love of Jesus with her community.

Because it’s unsafe to discuss such topichabeshastudent screenshots openly, Teresa turned to the internet in her quest for answers. While searching for material on spiritual growth, Teresa found HabeshaStudent.com, the Amharic version of EveryStudent.com. She began emailing the volunteers and staff who provide support to the website. Her primary concern was finding a way to share the gospel without having access to a printed Bible. Efrem, an Indigitous volunteer with HabeshaStudent, introduced her to an Amharic Bible app for feature phones that he developed during an Indigitous event in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She excitedly took this app and used it to share the gospel with her friends and family.

Teresa is especially concerned about helping her family members to know Jesus. “If I don’t share the gospel with them, who will?” she asked. Upon her urging, Teresa’s family has started reading one chapter of the Bible every time they meet. Her prayer is that her family will come to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Teresa has also started leading a Bible study group out of her home, though it is unsafe to meet in groups of larger than three or four. Teresa is passionate about evangelism, knowing what is at stake. “Whenever I think about eternity, I get shivers,” she says. “I believe that it is not good that our brothers and sisters go into eternal death as a result of not knowing the truth.”

Teresa’s biggest need is evangelistic materials that fit her context. She is grateful that due to digital strategies, she is able to get the help that she could not get locally. “Nobody around me was able to give me advice on how I could serve and do ministry, but even if you are 1,000 kilometers from me, God used you to equip me for this work.”

reblogged from Global Leadership site

 

Divine appointments in Korea and Manila

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You prayed, God heard and moved. I definitely felt very supported.
My time in Korea and Manila was really fruitful. God not only accomplished what He desired to accomplish, in the strategic stuff, but also opened up several doors for me to for personal ministry. All in all I believe I spent personal time with about 10 staff, including 2 couples. Half of them were really ‘divine appointments’ – something only the Lord could have orchestrated. One guy told me later that he really appreciated me taking time to listen and pray for him. (I only met this staff one other time, 2 years ago). He shared that it was totally unexpected, but desperately needed, and such a God-gift!  I feel completely undeserved, but so blessed that I can be part of God’s plan. =)
10 days in 2 cities, I engaged with various global leaders, and had opportunities to encourage, coach, mentor, train, teach, cast vision, and more. It was a really enjoyable!
God surely exceeded my expectations! (and to think at first I honestly hesitated about the trip because of various reasons) =)
Filipino bros Korean brothers Pakistan NTL KyungSoo DS Vincent & Christine Taiwanese brother

Coaching well…

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miheret & kennedy I desire to be a coach that leads a person to be:

– Dependent on God

– Attentive to His voice

– Obedient to follow

– Effective in his service

– Faithful to press on

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Kennedy Nsom is from Cameroon, he’s the VLM leader for Francophone Africa (16 countries). Miheret Tilahun is from Ethiopia, he’s the VLM leader for Southern and Eastern Africa (19 countries). They both give leadership to digital strategies for their area. It’s a privilege to be given the opportunity to coach these two passionate and godly leaders.



 

			

	
		
	


			
				


	

		
A ReNEWed Call…

		
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God is calling us to yet another adventure… back to Orlando, Florida.


This past year at Lake Hart Stint has been a tremendous time for Lil and me, and the kids. In so many different ways, it’s been a important milestone for us, in our personal growth, in the growth of our family, in the spiritual lives of our kids, in our own knowing ourselves better, and the journey of discovering His will for our lives, and the next chapter He’s writing in our story.


The attached newsletter gives an overview of what God is calling us to. It’s a compelling task & vision that I’m privileged to be part of. And I’m trusting God to grow me more as I serve Him in this context for the next 2-3 years. Would you pray for us?




 


Download our newsletter here


If you would live to give or pray for us, please contact us, and we can give you more details.

			

	
		
	


			
				


	

		
Equipping leaders in Latin America & Caribbean

		
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Hello from Brazil…


This past week I had the privilege to fellowship with several key leaders from the Latin American & Caribbean region of our ministry. My co-worker and I were invited to visit them to coach, encourage, and plan together their virtual strategy for their Student-Led Movements in 46 countries in their area. It is a daunting task, but on that we believe can be accomplished with His power through the use of various creative media &  online strategies.


Latin Americans top world rankings in the use of Social Media! Every month, over 114 million people in Latin America visit a social networking site, representing 96% of the entire online population. All to say that the opportunites for ministry are huge!


SOME EXAMPLES:


    

  • One recent internet campaign in Bolivia that our team helped put together was able to generate 5703 visits and connections through a single website.
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  • Staff are receiving training to help them be more familiar with using Social Media to connect with their students and those inquirng about faith in Jesus.
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  • The EUV (Equipo Universitario Virtual) team has produced good-quality videos that address the top-ten topics that students face, to get them interested to explore faith issues.
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  • Our Brazil ministry is literally overwhelmed with requests from students to start movements in their universities. We can’t always send staff, but plans are being made so we can equip & coach them through various digital means, so that the movements can multiply even faster.
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Your prayers and partnership are making an impact here in Latin American!




From L to R: Renner fr Brazil, me, Tabo fr Argetina, Chandell fr Curacao (Caribbean) and Selegna fr Panama. Rich, my co-worker is behind the camera =)

			

	
		
	


			
				


	

		
The Great Adventure update: My time in Hong Kong

		
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HK Summit – Greater Impact for Jesus through online & digital strategies


I am in San Francisco now, on my way to Hong Kong to meet with a small group of like-minded leaders, who have been enagaged in using various digital strategies to make Christ known in that part of the world. As you know I’ve been involved with the our organization’s global push/initiative to actively pursue various ways to engage with the lost through digital means.


You can read more about it here China has seen explosive growth in the Internet and continues to growth.


Our ministry has been blessed to see many efforts that have seen thousands turn to Christ, as hungry hearts have literally searched (or googled) for God online! While these ‘low-hanging fruit’ continues to come in, we don’t want to stop… We want to proactively see how online strategies can help us launch and build movements everywhere in China and Hong Kong. So the purpose of this meeting is really to explore and seek God’s heart and leading as to how we can intentionally use & engage with various kinds of digital strategies… so as see even greater impact for Jesus in China!


Pray:


    

  • That God would grant us unity of hearts that truly honors Him.
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  • That as we seek Him and his heart, he would inspire our hearts and minds with creative ideas and exploits for Him
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  • For God ideas, not just good ideas.
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  • That we get connected with the right folks, in the industry, in other ministries.
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  • A greater heart and compassion for the lost in China.
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  • For our eyes to see the massive potential to use social media to connect & impacts lives for Christ.
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  • Protection of Lillian and kids back home. (kids have been sick the past weeks. I’m still nursing a cough, after a bout of fever as well)
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This morning as I landed in San Francisco, God flooded my heart with a deep sense His love for me. He knew well I needed that reminder. The truth is, we cannot do what He calls us to do until we first anchor it upon what He has done for us! I pray this for you too. That God will remind you of this important truth, as you begin this brand new week!


I was also reminded to give thanks for many of you who have been part of our lives through your prayers and support.Please let me know if there’s any specific that I can be praying for you too.

			

	
		
	


			
				


	

		
Spiritual conversations with a deck of cards

		
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About 2 weeks ago, God used a simple deck of cards to help me start a spiritual conversation with Ameer, a student from Saudi Arabia. It was a conversation that re-ignited in me a desire to be used by God to talk more about Him. My friend Gary and I (as part of a Christian Worldview class) had gone down to UCF to seek opportunities to interact with students.


 


What is Perspectives Cards, and how to use it?


What was supposed to be a 20-30 min ‘survey’ turned into a 90 min conversation about God and how he relates to us. Ameer used the cards he picked to describe his beliefs, and shared passionately about what he felt about morality and the source of truth. He later even told me about his desire to see change in his country that according to him has been ravaged by corruption and poor leadership. He tells me coyly that he hopes to someday to be in the country’s top leadership, so that he can somehow effect change for the better. I can’t help thinking… how cool it’d be for God to raise up a generation of young Saudis who are committed to Him, who would eventually return to their countries to make a difference!


I was impressed by this young man and his aspirations. At the same time, his questions, and his openness tells me God is at work in him.


I know it was ultimately God who had prepared (in advance) for Ameer to engage in this spiritual conversation. But what surprised me was how a deck of cards can readily open up a frank open discussion without the usual ‘fears’ or ‘inhibitions’. I actually enjoyed listening to Ameer share about his worldview, which enabled me to better share more thoughtfully to where he is. The Perspectives Cards proved useful in outlining clearly what worldviews he has, perhaps something he’s not even thought about seriously (apart what he’s learned growing up in his country). It also helped surface some inconsistencies in his own beliefs. Finally it provided the opportunity for me to share briefly (without offense) from my biblical worldview, what that means, and why it matters. I thank God for this unique opportunity. And I would heartily recommend this tool for your consideration in your personal evangelism.


Perspectives Cards

			

	
		
	


			
				


	

		
So what’s this ‘digital strategies’ thingy??

		
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Some folks have wondered… what has Simon been up to lately ministry-wise?

I know he’s talked something about involved in ‘Digital Strategies’ and ‘Online Movements’ and all that jazz… but what’s that all about?


That’s a great question! To be frank, it’s not something that I can easily explain in 1 or 2 sentences. But if I’d to do it briefly, it’d be using this new document that we recently put together.


 




VLM Vision Map v1.2 December 2011


 


This provides an outline to some of the broad strokes stuff that I’ve been engaged with in one way or another.

The Global Coalition team that I’ve been part of help crafted this ‘Vision Map’, to express what VLM needs to be about.


These 4 priorities (Offer, Lead, Help, Collaborate) all drive towards the goals of ‘Connecting People‘, “Sharing Learning‘, ‘Increased Evangelism‘ and ‘Increased Discipleship‘.


Btw, ‘VLM’ = ‘Virtually-led Movements’.


It’s our ministry’s lingo to refer to various creative, digital (online/mobile) strategies to engage & connect with our changing generation, to essentially ‘win-build-send’ christ-centered multiplying followers of Christ to launch spiritual movements everywhere.