November 2008 - February 2009 Praise Report
Dear Prayer Partners,
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I’m so sorry that I am behind schedule in getting out my praise report. As normal, we are kept quite busy, but actually, for this, I just lost track of time.
I’m so sorry that I am behind schedule in getting out my praise report. As normal, we are kept quite busy, but actually, for this, I just lost track of time.
Foundation of Sand
In our many years of the mission field, we have planted around twenty new churches. But this has been a different experience for us. First of all, normally, there are no other churches in the areas we select to plant a new work. Cáceres, though largely under evangelized, does have other churches near by. The second, and more directly influential distinctive factor, is the fact that this church is built on the ruins of a failed ministry prior to our coming.
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We took the church because pastors from all over the country requested for us to come and help repair the breach that had been made by a ghastly scandal (that cause bad waves almost nationwide in the media).
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Even though the church we have planted here is an entire new and unaffiliated work, seven or eight survivors from the old church are part of our church. They brought with them a great need for healing and almost thirty thousand dollars (ouch!) worth of debt incurred by the former pastor (who is now serving an eight year prison sentence – double ouch!). That ministry was built on a foundation of sand.
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We took responsibility of said debt in order to clear the testimony of the Gospel in this area. Because the debt wasn’t ours, we were able to negotiate it down to about twenty three thousand dollars (€17,000). Last August, we were able to completely liquidate that 17,000 euro debt and we were able to do it in just three years. This we did while keeping solvent on all of our own church’s financial obligations. This has really helped to restore the credibility of the testimony of the Gospel in our region of the country.
We took the church because pastors from all over the country requested for us to come and help repair the breach that had been made by a ghastly scandal (that cause bad waves almost nationwide in the media).
.
Even though the church we have planted here is an entire new and unaffiliated work, seven or eight survivors from the old church are part of our church. They brought with them a great need for healing and almost thirty thousand dollars (ouch!) worth of debt incurred by the former pastor (who is now serving an eight year prison sentence – double ouch!). That ministry was built on a foundation of sand.
.
We took responsibility of said debt in order to clear the testimony of the Gospel in this area. Because the debt wasn’t ours, we were able to negotiate it down to about twenty three thousand dollars (€17,000). Last August, we were able to completely liquidate that 17,000 euro debt and we were able to do it in just three years. This we did while keeping solvent on all of our own church’s financial obligations. This has really helped to restore the credibility of the testimony of the Gospel in our region of the country.
The Contrasting Maturity of the Congregation
I know of a surety that money is not the measure of all things, but just so that you can see what God has done, I share this: In January (2009), some friends of ours in Madrid, pastors of a church there, suffered a terrible tragedy. A fire in their flat took the life of their four year old daughter and destroyed every thing the owned.
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I gathered the elders, the secretary and treasurer of the church and asked them how we could help this family financially. I really had no idea of how we were doing financially (I figure that if we have problems, they’ll let me know). They told me that the very next day we could send them €1,000 and have absolutely no problems in fulfilling our monthly financial obligations (which total to about €2,500)! Praise God!
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Last November, I approached the elders of the church and requested that the congregation begin to take the first step in our financial support as their pastors. They gladly agreed and since then have begun to pay my Social Security taxes – a big help to us. Eventually, as the church grows and matures, they will begin to take a larger role in contribution to our financial support. This will be the first time ever that a church that we have planted on the mission field has taken aggressive steps to support us financially.
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With the church, we’ve come a long way and we’ve yet quite a way to go. But, none the less, this is the beginning of just one way that Christ is building His church on a foundation of rock.
.
I gathered the elders, the secretary and treasurer of the church and asked them how we could help this family financially. I really had no idea of how we were doing financially (I figure that if we have problems, they’ll let me know). They told me that the very next day we could send them €1,000 and have absolutely no problems in fulfilling our monthly financial obligations (which total to about €2,500)! Praise God!
.
Last November, I approached the elders of the church and requested that the congregation begin to take the first step in our financial support as their pastors. They gladly agreed and since then have begun to pay my Social Security taxes – a big help to us. Eventually, as the church grows and matures, they will begin to take a larger role in contribution to our financial support. This will be the first time ever that a church that we have planted on the mission field has taken aggressive steps to support us financially.
.
With the church, we’ve come a long way and we’ve yet quite a way to go. But, none the less, this is the beginning of just one way that Christ is building His church on a foundation of rock.
Buying Church Property
I believe that even though the World’s in Crisis – We Are in Christ! So we have taken another step: In another recent reunion with my elders I talked to them about stewardship and the ultimate vanity of renting property for the church.
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As a result I talked to our landlord about selling the property we have been renting to us via a “rent with option to buy” contract. He has agreed to this and, after negotiation, offered to sale it to us for an excellent price.
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Our deal is that we will sign a contract to continue to pay an agreed amount of rent that will actually go towards a 30% down payment on the building. When we have the 30% paid (in about four years), then we go to the bank about a loan to buy the property. Today, the banks here won’t give you the time of day. But, by that time, whatever trauma the world banking systems are going through now should be resolved… if not; we’ve simply paid rent that we would be paying anyway. Not a bad deal.
.
Our goal is to have the property bought 100% by money directly from the congregation with little or no foreign donations. Your support is to go completely just to keep us on the field.
As a result I talked to our landlord about selling the property we have been renting to us via a “rent with option to buy” contract. He has agreed to this and, after negotiation, offered to sale it to us for an excellent price.
.
Our deal is that we will sign a contract to continue to pay an agreed amount of rent that will actually go towards a 30% down payment on the building. When we have the 30% paid (in about four years), then we go to the bank about a loan to buy the property. Today, the banks here won’t give you the time of day. But, by that time, whatever trauma the world banking systems are going through now should be resolved… if not; we’ve simply paid rent that we would be paying anyway. Not a bad deal.
.
Our goal is to have the property bought 100% by money directly from the congregation with little or no foreign donations. Your support is to go completely just to keep us on the field.
Cell Meetings
The cell church format of our church continues to develop, howbeit slowly. But we are seeing growth in the people that we have been discipling. Some people that have been on the nebulous fringe are beginning to get more involved and serious with their faith. We are yet a long way off from being called a cell church, but we are growing.
Tent Making
The little business that we were miraculously able to start in December has slowly but surely making headway. Even though now it is only paying its own way and we’re not “making a living” off of it, it has been extremely profitable in giving us far greater exposure to and recognition by the general public.
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All of the Believers and the other pastors in the region are very happy that we have opened the business. With the exception of a few missionaries, every single one of them also has to hold a job to make ends meet. In all, it’s a blessing, and with all of the new people that are becoming our friends, it is proving to be well worth it. As of this date, we have close to 650 new card holding video club members. We now have the film “Bella” and will soon have “Fireproof”. It’s another way to get the Gospel out to the unreached!
.
All of the Believers and the other pastors in the region are very happy that we have opened the business. With the exception of a few missionaries, every single one of them also has to hold a job to make ends meet. In all, it’s a blessing, and with all of the new people that are becoming our friends, it is proving to be well worth it. As of this date, we have close to 650 new card holding video club members. We now have the film “Bella” and will soon have “Fireproof”. It’s another way to get the Gospel out to the unreached!
Thank You
Please know that we do thank you so much for all of your prayers and your loving support of our ministry and may God continue to bless you for your much needed generosity! As always, you are a matchless BLESSING to our lives and the lives of countless others that you help us to reach for Christ! We love and deeply value you all!
H.M.S.,
Dr. & Mrs. Prince M. Parker
