B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #234
B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #234
I Cor.. 16:9 ‘For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
February 15, 2013
News Among the Brethren
Pastor Patrick Udo, President of the Nigerian CLC, went to be with the Lord recently. We pray that God comforts the family with the sure and certain knowledge of a glorious resurrection.
John Bobek and Pastor Paul Krause, CLC-USA, are right now among the BELC and the CLCI working for His kingdom.
A Report on the Joint Asia English Pastoral Conference in Guntur, India in October 2012.
CLCI Annual Activities Report
1. Progress and Statistics: God is helping the CLCI mission church to grow rapidly. We find many hundreds of believers coming into the church every year. Through the consolidated effort, 288 CLCI pastors so far 13,689 souls were added to Christ with 288 worshiping congregations and nearly 230 preaching stations. The results of the mission program until now are satisfactory. Praise God for the Churches planted in tribal areas and among unreached people groups.
We were also glad to report that our CLCI pastors in Chatthisghad State have also been successfully doing their work there under Pastor Komarabathina Ruben. The number of pastors working at Chattisghad is 11 and the number of souls are 700.
2. Outreach and Evangelism: – The Lord has been good to us in this year 2011-2012. I gratefully acknowledge our CLCI pastors, evangelists, youth seminary students for their good work in doing this great work of CLCI evangelism. We are glad to inform you that this year we also have many Hindu and Muslim conversions. We have been using weekends for house to house evangelism and track distribution. Our evanglists go to villages and distribute hundreds of tracts in Schools, Colleges, Hospitals, Railway Stations and Bus-stations. We are happy to report that through tracts and CLCI film ministry we have been receiving good numbers of inquirers to join in the CLCI. Recently our evangelists have started Cell phone ministry–collecting the new cell numbers and attracting them by praying for them.
3. CLCI Public Gospel Meetings: – This year we have conducted several Public Gospel meetings in different districts of Andhra Pradesh. This year CLCI public gospel meetings attracted thousands of villagers. The participants received great blessings through these public gospel meetings. Many people were moved by the Word and received Jesus through these meetings, got baptized and have started to attend the church.
4. Pastors Seminars: – We have conducted 8 pastoral conferences at Nidubrolu and studied several doctrinal essays from our CLC website. We are happy to inform you that our pastors have benefited a lot with these essays from our CLC website.
5. Baptism: – There are many conversions and baptisms have been progressing throughout our CLCI congregations. Mainly more baptisms have been progressing in tribal areas. Jesus Christ was the ultimate winner in the hearts of many people including Hindu and Muslims. When we give baptism in the public gospel meetings it is getting a little difficult to know how many were actually taken to be baptized. If we give baptisms in churches we have definite records of them. This year in all districts we have performed 176 baptisms in different CLCI churches including child baptisms.
6. Constructing Churches and Prayer sheds: – This year God has helped to construct four prayer-sheds each costing Rs. 75,000. We have constructed two in Guntur districts,1 in east Godavari district and 1 in Krishna district. Still we have 21 urgent prayer sheds of each costing Rs. 75,000. We request you to join with us in your prayer support in this progress. Our vision is to have solid prayer sheds in our CLCI. We request you to pray for more financial assistance to construct new prayer sheds since many of our pastors in the CLCI have been conducting their services in rented houses and on verandas.
7. Annual 2012 VBS: – The CLCI VBS celebrated another successful year. Our annual VBS-12 was held from June 25th to 29th, 2012. As usual at every point we reinforced the Gospel with songs, crafts, scripture memory and stories from the Bible. The children present various programs and participate in all the major events of the VBS. Our efforts have been well received by 1615 children who participated in this five day VBS. As usual our VBS has activities like Bible education program, Bible quiz programs, Bible written tests, Bible story telling competitions, Coloring of biblical pictures, coloring of plaques made by plaster of paris, Songs competitions, Sports and Games. The kids also had a chance to win certificates, prizes and New Testaments for participating in various VBS activities. Children learned many other lessons, enjoyed being together, and finished up with a great cookout, a big meal on the last day. Finally everybody received a wonderful book of John’s gospel with colored pictures on it. On the last day children enjoyed playing different sports and some great and fun games. Please pray that the Lord will use this CLCI VBS ministry to bring many into His kingdom and to call some into full-time Christian service.
Conclusion: – The Lord has chosen the CLCI to make a blessing to many. We remain faithful to His call till the end—By His Grace, for His Glory! Pray that God will help us reach our goals for His glory.
Presented by the CLCI Ministries. India
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The Public Ministry
While all Christians, men, women and children, have direct access to God through the one mediator, our Lord Jesus, and are proclaimers of the Word, there is also a public ministry of the Word in these New Testament times. The word ‘ministry’ means ‘service.’ How appropriate, for the ministry is service to God and His people. In Gospel freedom God allows us different forms of this ministry. What follows is a brief review of the forms the ministry has taken under this freedom.
While all Christians, men, women and children, have direct access to God through the one mediator, our Lord Jesus, and are proclaimers of the Word, there is also a public ministry of the Word in these New Testament times. The word ‘ministry’ means ‘service.’ How appropriate, for the ministry is service to God and His people. In Gospel freedom God allows us different forms of this ministry. What follows is a brief review of the forms the ministry has taken under this freedom.
- Bishop means overseer. The idea is that one looks after the souls of others. I Tim. 3:2, Titus 1:7
- Deacon means one who serves. What a great name for the worker in the ministry. I Tim. 3:10,13 When Paul wrote to Philippi he addressed the bishops and deacons who seved there. Phil. 1:1
- Elder is one who is older and we assume can offer wise and experienced words to serve people spiritually. Titus 1:5, James 5:14, I Pet. 5:1, Acts 14:23,20:17 We see that the elders ruled in the congregation and in also preaching and teaching. I Tim. 5:17
- Apostles were those sent forth by the Lord, as the word itself indicates in its meaning. We know of the twelve. There were some others who were also called ‘apostles’. Paul – I Cor. 1:1, Barnabas – I Cor. 9:5, men not named and translated often ‘messengers’ – Phil. 2:25, II Cor. 8:23 In the Jerusalem congregation it was the apostles and elders who governed the church likely reflecting back to the practice and organization of the Jewish council. Acts 15:2
- Evangelist is one who proclaims the Gospel and we can think of one who goes about reaching out with the Word. II Tim. 4:5
- Pastor is one who shepherds a congregation. Eph. 4:11
- Prophet is one who preached the Word and while the Word was being given could also foretell things. Today since we have the completed Bible this second aspect of the office has passed. Act. 13:1
- Teacher is simple enough, one who trains in the Word. Acts 13:1, I Cor. 12:28 Paul calls himself a preacher, apostle and teacher. II Tim. 1:11
It is God who appoints to the ministry and gives various gifts to allow one to carry out His work. I Cor. 12:4-11,28-29 While the miraculous gifts have passed with the apostles and the completion of the Bible, other gifts are still given by Him that the ministry of the Word continues. In our New Testament freedom under God we can also set up different forms of the ministry as we have for instance with ‘missionary’. By the power of the Holy Spirit through the Word the ministry refreshes the church of any age.
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Pastor David Koenig