In Matthew 28.19-20, Jesus himself tells us to,

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

There’s no doubt that Jesus is with us in this mission, without Him we have no hope in it at all! Yet there’s also no doubt, that we’re called to “go”. The job of global mission is not done, there are still so many unreached people groups across the world. So many people groups that have never heard of the name of Jesus and that are still therefore dead in their trespasses and sins, and so far from the Lord.

It’s therefore been so encouraging to me to have had some much contact in the last few weeks through the ‘Missionaries’ tab on our new ’SGC Missions’ website. We’re eager to play our part in this great commission as Sovereign Grace Churches, not just to the reached of the world, but also the unreached, nations that house some 3.23 billion people, some 41% of the world’s population.

I share this video with you below, a six minute video that starts and ends with John Piper talking about the unreached and missions, and has recently stirred and challenged me afresh in this. Maybe you’re reading this and this specific call of God is for you?

May our Saviour and King truly give us courage in this great endeavour, and establish the work of our hands. All for His glorious Name!

On January 21-22, the National Church Planting Group offered a Church Planter Assessment Weekender in Irvine, CA.  The purpose of the “weekender” was to come alongside potential church planting couples, to serve them and care for them, by offering discernment regarding their next steps in ministry.  

 The Church Planter Assessment Weekender rose from the burden of the National Church Planting Group to serve local elderships and regional church planting committees that might not have the same "in house" resources for evaluating potential church planting couples that some other Sovereign Grace churches have.  

 To this end, the National Church Planting Group assembled an “assessment team” of experienced church planting couples, each of whom also serve in extra-local capacities for Sovereign Grace Churches.

 To be sure, the “assessment team” does not possess the ability to determine, infallibly, whether or a not a potential church planting couple can or will effectively plant a church.  The ultimate determining factor in that regard is God.  Nor does the “assessment team” possess the authority to decide if a potential church planting couple should, or should not, be deployed to plant a church.  That authority resides in their local elderships, together with their regional church planting committees.  However, the “assessment team” is able, with God’s help, to pay careful attention for the presence of leading indicators that consistently contribute to fruitful church planters.   Our aim is to offer discernment.  

 The five couples who participated in the weekender, did preparatory homework ahead of time.  Over the course of two days, they each told their “story” – an exercise designed to evaluate self-awareness, self-preservation, resilience, critical shaping influences, as well as their comfort level with who and how God has made them to be.  Each couple completed a marriage “check-up” inventory.  Each of the individuals had the opportunity to communicate the essentials of the Gospel.  Each of the men preached a mini sermon.  Each couple took turns “envisioning” us (as if we were potential launch team members) with the distinctives, location, target demographic, and burden for their respective and potential church plants.   Our matrix was essentially “The Planter, The Place, and Sovereign Grace.”  We looked for alignment between the man, the couple, the location they were considering, their relationship to their local Sovereign Grace Church, as well as their commitment to Sovereign Grace values and embodiment of Sovereign Grace culture.

 We ended by sharing with them our observations and one of three possible recommendations.  1) "Move ahead in taking next steps with local eldership and regional church planting committee."  2) "Move ahead with taking next steps, but with conditions to address certain “risk factors” before entering the church planting "pipeline." 3) "We do not recommend moving forward at this time, and for the following reasons . . . " These observations and recommendations were then forwarded in a summary report to the pastor’s and elderships who had sent the couples to the assessment weekender.  

 It is with eager and joyful anticipation that we anticipate hearing about specific plans for new Sovereign Grace church plants emerging in the coming months.  It is the prayerful desire of the National Church Planting Group that the “assessment weekender” might serve Sovereign Grace Churches in the coming years for planting healthy, fruitful, enduring churches to the praise of God’s glorious grace.

Greg serves on the National Church Planting Group, leading Assessment events . Our next event is scheduled for January 20 -21 in Irvine, CA. He is the church planter and senior pastor of Emmaus Road Church in Sioux Falls, SD.

The new year is so often a time for resolutions, some spiritual, and some personal. They can have a good place in our lives and can be such a blessing. But nothing compares to God’s incredible resolutions to us, and in Isaiah 41.10 we have one such resolution: 

            ‘Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’

What a faith building, comforting and inspiring reality this is! This is the One who watches over our lives and endeavours. A King who is always with us, who is our God, and who promises to strengthen us and help us and uphold us with His righteous right hand. It’s a promise!

And so as we trust in Him, and pray to Him, here’s some ways you can be lifting up our global endeavours up to Him this month…

1. Please pray for the many churches that are in the process of adoption into Sovereign Grace in Latin America. These would include: Durango, Mexico – Torreon, Mexico – Arrandas, Mexico – Moroleon, Mexico – Orizababa, Mexico – Cordoba, Mexico – Playa Azul, Costa Rica – Cartago, Costa Rica – San Jose, Costa Rica – Cali, Colombia – Sao Paulo, Brazil – Rio Grande, Brazil – Palabra de Vida, Venezuela.

2. Please pray for McDonald Chanda and Cheila Chisulo, as they continue their Ordination process in Zambia, and as they prepare, God-willing, to lead Christ Community Church in Ndola, Zambia, and the Copperbelt Pastors College, founded by our dear friend Wilbroad Chanda. 

3. Please pray for our SG family on the ground in Turkey as they continue to learn the language, acclimatise to the culture, and reach the lost in this country. They have been there for over a year now and are making some encouraging in-roads. 

4. Please pray for Sovereign Grace Churches, Australia, as we launch the Planters & Pastors Academy this month, with a view to further church plants and adoptions in our country. With five men signed up for the year, may the Lord give much to wisdom, favour and grace to everyone involved.

5. Please pray for the 4 Church Plants that we have planned for Asia-Pacific over the next 24 months: Cavite – Philippines (2022/23), Bonbon – Philippines (2022/23), Negros Occidental – Philippines (2022/23), Kathmandu – Nepal (2022/23).

… May He strengthen us, help us and uphold us in all that we do!

For many years now, the US Northwest, Midwest Region has been relating to and working with some Churches in Pakistan, with one of the expressions of that partnership being supporting them in their Christmas outreach. Here’s a report from our key leader in Pakistan, on the fruits of that outreach and partnership...  

Before providing you with the detail of our Christmas outreach I would like to thank you on behalf of our people from different villages, brick factories, widows, and orphans. Please accept warm greetings and gratitude from all our people. If we are able to reach these families on this special occasion with the gifts, it is only because of your generosity, kindness, and love. It was impossible for us to help our people by ourselves, but you made it possible. We know life is not easy around the world especially during this COVID situation. Everyone is struggling with their own needs. But still, you provided the funds for the families just like a person cares for their own loved ones. Christmas is a special time, we not only share the good news but also provide people with their basic needs. Thank you so much. 

Like in the past, before distributing, our team members found out the neediest families in the villages, then we finalized the lists for the distribution. Always our first preference is widows and orphans. When we organized the lists one widow visited with her young kids, she said that she knows orphan children who are working in the brick factories. They don’t have anything to celebrate our King’s birthday. The main purpose of her visit was to inform us about the orphan children. You can see her heart, she is a widow and is surviving hand to mouth, but she was worried for other children. I asked her, “don’t you need anything for yourself this Christmas?”, she said that I am praying, and I know that God will provide. Her conversation impressed me very much and gave me more faith and conviction that we need to care for others. 

We chose 5 different central points this year, for the distributions, where we invited the families who are living nearby. We distributed food items, goats, sewing machines, blankets, and warm jackets. One of the girls, when she received the sewing machine, she was crying with joy. She said I cannot believe that now I have my own machine to stitch clothes. It was my dream to buy one, but I couldn’t afford it. Now I will stitch clothes and earn money for my family. 

When we distributed warm jackets, the mothers were so thankful to God for this blessing, and they were very thankful to all of our brothers and sisters who provided the funds for this blessing. One of the mothers said that we have seen this kind of nice jacket only in shops, but the people don’t even allow them to touch them. We are so thankful that God has blessed us with these warm jackets. One of the widows said the food items are really a blessing, and when we cook and eat, we will pray for our brothers and sisters who made this possible. 

One of the old women was particularly thankful for the blanket. She said, “it is so warm and nice, this blanket will save me in the winter and now I will not be sick anymore in the winter season”.  When we gave the goats to the families, one of the family's children said with joy that now we will be able to drink fresh milk and become healthier. They were so very happy and when they were sharing this, they had a big smile on their face.  

Overall, we distributed 130 goats, 450 food packages, 210 coats, and 70 sewing machines. Once again on behalf of our team, I am very thankful for your generosity and kindness. I wish you a very happy and prosperous new year. May this year bring many blessings to you and your families. Through your kind support, you have helped us so much. May God bless you and your families abundantly. 

An update from Jeffrey Jo, Lead Pastor of CCSGM in Cavite, Manila, and Key Leader for Sovereign Grace Churches in the Philippines...

It was the third week of November last year, when the Philippine government decided to ease back and place the whole country into level 2 restrictions when it comes to the pandemic situation. This meant that they eased up travel requirements, and so that was when we grabbed the opportunity to visit our nine churches In Surigao del Sur. It is a place that is part of Mindanao, south of the Philippines. The Mindanao island group is home to the majority of the Filipino Muslims. Of Mindanao's 24,135,775 population, Muslims make up about 23.39% of the island's entire population, and so some 93% of the entire Islamic population of our country resides in these islands. 

In spite of the insurgencies in the area, God has made it possible for us to plant 9 churches in that region in the past 15 years. These churches birthed other churches in their localities and are still doing church planting activities even as I write today. In the midst of these two years of pandemic, God, in His providence, causes His churches to grow with new converts publicly declaring their faith expressed through water baptism. And this was the reason why we visited them last November 23, that we may encourage them in their young faith in Christ and teach them the great significance of being part of a local church.

Along with my fellow elders, we divided ourselves so that we can visit all nine churches, proclaiming the gospel of Christ and taking the time to talk to our fellow elders on their biblical leadership both in their family and in the local church. On the last day of our stay with them, we gathered all the elders and key church leaders for a conference designed to help them see how God values discipleship in His church. We were only expecting about 90 to attend, but there were over 160 people on the day that arrived hungry to hear His word. It was such a wonderful time of learning, serving and praying for our co-laborers in God’s vineyard in that area. 

My fellow elders Rey, Francis and I were humbled to minister to these brothers, and also to learn from them. Moreover, a pastor from a nearby province attended the said conference and he spoke to me. Amazed by the gospel-centered preaching, he asked me if we may meet again in their region, Agusan del Sur, and minister to his pastor friends and churches as well, even just for a day. And I assured him that as God permits, we will!

We are planning to go back next by the third week of March so that we may do a follow through on what we have taught them. This time we will be bringing our wives with us with a hope to have a small conference on the importance of biblical marriage in the ministry. Moreover, since a lot of young people and adults wanted to seriously study the bible and be equipped for service so as to reach the whole of Mindanao with the gospel of Christ, we are looking forward to establishing a gospel-centered, church-planting Bible school in that region. 

Please pray for us as we continue to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send more workers on this field ripe for harvest, for the gospel’s sake and for His glory. May His wonderful will be done. 

Please click below for a short video on the trip…

An update from Dyonah Thomas, Lead Pastor of Grace Life Church, Monrovia and Key Leader for Sovereign Grace Churches, in West Africa...

It is always a great Joy in Christ and in the life of our local church when the Lord calls, trains and the allows the sending of a team to plant a new Church here in West Africa. In the last six years, we have had the joy of directly planting four other churches as a local church, and so December 2021 marked our fifth. 

#7 as the community is called, has been a unique plant for us in preparation and sending. Emmanuel, our Church Planter, enrolled a few years back in our Grace Life College two-year pastoral training course. Upon graduation he was clear and passionate about planting with Grace Life, and his decision came at a time when we had made a decision to enroll men into a ‘trial’ live-in internship, where we could train and invest in them and their families’ lives, and more intentionally develop their convictions and competency, before sending them out. Emmanuel and Mariam were assessed and invited to relocate to Gracelife Jlazon and give one and half years of their life learning, watching ministry happen, participating in ministry, getting clarity on the gospel and how it shapes every facet of life, as well as time to prayerfully think through where God was calling them to go and plant

Emmanuel watched, learned, and participated in ministry alongside other elders, and his wife and children integrated well into church family life. With the guidance of the Elder team, Emmanuel then built a team from within the local church, a team that was then trained alongside him in so many ways. Together then, the team started engaging and building relationships in #7 for the new church plant.  

We called the process a ‘trial’ because we’d never done it quite like this before, but having now walked this through with Emmanuel, we plan to launch a full-time church planting residency in June of this year, with several other men, as a catalyst of discovering, developing and deploying men to gospel planting within the West Africa region. 

Finding godly men to lead and putting together a team of gifted individuals to support the plant is crucial, but funding likewise could not be more critical. We are therefore so grateful for the support we have received from the Sovereign Grace African Development Fund. Through this funding, we were able to launch this plant, as well as relocate three families in the process, and secure a long-term lease on a property to develop as a place of worship. 

We were so humbled and thankful to send out the Gracelife #7 church planting team on December 19 2021. It was a wonderful day!

An update from David Del Castillo, Pastor of Gracia Soberana, Santa Cruz, Bolivia...

Dear Friends, it is a pleasure to be able to address to you again, although I have a lot to tell you I will try to be punctual so that it is not a very long report! 

A few months ago, I was asking for prayer the upcoming conference here in Bolivia, and the truth is only by God’s grace it was a success. Places were filled very quickly and we had to close registrations earlier than expected. The theme "the centrality of the Gospel" was very appropriate, it allowed us to remind many of the importance of this need and introduce the topic to others. We were also able to give away a couple of books. One of the things that most impacted me was a young man thanking our church a few weeks later; helping us to understand the great impact that the conference had on him, but also the book of "The Cross Centered Life" by C.J. Mahaney. It led me to reflect on the importance of continuing to share these truths and not taking for granted some of the things that God has allowed us to see, but instead preaching on them again and again. 

In truth, the participation of Joselo Mercado, Matthew Williams, Chris Deloglos, Jacobis Aldana, Johnny Dueri and Oscar Vargas was of the utmost importance. And it allowed many of us to grow and understand many truths. But also, our church did an extraordinary job hosting the conference with very limited hands. I really believe this was so good for our church and they did so well!

After our conference, we were then able to go to the SG Pastors Conference, and on the way Jadwy and me visited some of the many churches that have supported us in different ways. It really is amazing to see the commitment and support we receive from so many churches and people who are with us and part of building the church here in Bolivia.The Pastors Conference was very excellent once again. We very much missed not being able to be together last year, so the fact that we could be together this year was a joy. The theme was very good, and really appropriate. But above all the communion was excellent.

Something important that happened at the conference, and that I wanted to share with you, is that because last year there was no trips for us because of the pandemic, the whole ordination process was postponed to this year. And thanks to the Lord, at the Pastors Conference I was able to conclude my process with the oral examination, and then be evaluated by my region. And thank God in both cases they approved me!

Now Chris Deloglos is working on the ordination service. I want to thank God for the theological committee. Because this process is so good, I can see that my theological perception in so many aspects has grown remarkably thanks to this step. I want to thank all the people who were involved in evaluating me in any part of the process - Matthew Williams, Abelardo Muñoz, Chris Deloglos, Manolo Quintanal, Hellman Avila and Alejandro Anchondo. Thank you for leading me in this process.

With regard to the church here in Bolivia, we can see that God has already consolidated a base group, and that it continues to grow. We can really see a small church now. We just finished a series based on the book of Ephesians and are now in the middle of a series on the book of Ruth. In addition, we are praying and planning for a topical series next year on the church, that will lead us to church membership. Even though in Sovereign Grace membership is so common, here in Bolivia people don´t know much about it, so we pray for wisdom as we prepare the ground for that series and topic.  

God bless you very much. 

At the end of 2021, Mark Prater, Joselo Mercado and two members of Covenant Fellowship Church travelled to Barranquilla and Santa Marta in Colombia, where they had the best of times!

Listen in as Mark talks about it in this recent video… Soli Deo Gloria!

As we continue to walk through the doors that the Lord has opened to us around the world, we do so full of faith. For the Lord is good and merciful and gracious and wise. His Gospel is powerful, and Jesus is always the answer!

And yet as we continue to step forward, we so need the Lord! We are totally reliant on Him for wisdom and insight and favour and discernment and clarity and sustenance and protection, and that’s why we so need your prayers. 

Here then is how you can be praying for us in the month ahead…

1. Please pray for the three internships that we are presently running in Mexico; Karl Sauter, who will be relocating in the near future to serve alongside Manolo in Siloa. Jorge Luis Guiterrez, who will be moving to Juarez, and Andres Contreras, who has relocated to Guadalajara to serve alongside Choby and Luis. 

2. Please pray for Dyonah Thomas, our key leader in Monrovia, Liberia, as he finishes up his Ordination process and looks to fold Gracelife Church, Monrovia, into full partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches in early 2022.

3. Please pray for our work in Belarus, through Kyle Huber, Lead Pastor of Greentree Church, New Jersey. Belarus is a very difficult country to be a Christian in right now, yet incredibly, there are two Churches that are in the early stages of pursuing adoption into our family of churches. Please pray that we’ll be a help to them in this great endeavour of making and maturing disciples in their dear country.

4. Please pray for Allen Dicharry, Aaron Mayfield and Billy Raise as they continue to work into Nepal, with our main contact there (who I won’t name here). Nepal has been heavily affected by the covid pandemic, as has our main church there. Please pray for much grace, wisdom and insight as we continue to move forward together in this wonderful country, and as we look to fold them into Sovereign Grace Churches. 

5. Please pray for our ongoing work in Pakistan, India & South Korea, three countries that have done it very tough in covid, but have high hopes for the road ahead. We’re eager to help them and serve them well!

… May He who opens the doors, guide and strengthen our every step!

Rather than give you several different updates this month, as this year draws to a close, I wanted to share with you this one 12 minute video to watch.

During out recent Pastors & Wives Conference, I had the privilege of giving an update on what God is doing in and through our family of churches around the world. This video is that update.

As you watch this video, I hope it encourages you, excites you and reminds you just how supreme Jesus is. All that you hear is His doing, and so may it always be marvelous in our eyes!

Corrie Ten Boom once said,

            “What wings are to a bird and sails are to a ship, so is prayer to the soul.”

What a wonderful word picture, so vivid and descriptive, and what a wonderful truth. We so need the Lord in all that we do, both personally and missionally, and so here’s how you can be praying for us in the month ahead...

1. Please pray for Joselo Mercado, Mark Prater, Victor Ko & Bob Wright as they head to Colombia from Dec 2 to 6 to spend time with churches in Barranquilla and Santa Marta, and seek to encourage them. Please pray for Joselo and Mark as they preach at a workshop on masculinity on the Saturday in Santa Marta. Please also pray for them as they teach on our seven shared values and share in the 10-year anniversary service celebrations on the Sunday.

2. Please pray for wisdom for Bert Turner (Pastor at Covenant of Grace Church in Copley, Ohio) as he travels to Brazil from December 2 to 14 to spend time in São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul. Pray that his time with Pastor Fabiano Medieros and wife, Marcia, and family in São Paulo will be a time to "encourage one another and build one another up" (I Thessalonians 5:11). Please pray for his time with Igreja Graça Soberana in Rio Grande and Pastor Emerson and his wife, Tati, that it may strengthen and encourage the brothers (Acts 15:32). Please pray, as well, for his meetings with four other pastors who are developing friendships with Sovereign Grace Churches.

3. Please pray for Michael Granger as he continues to lead Trinity Fellowship Church, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, even in the midst of the civil war that is taking place in Ethiopia. Likewise, please pray for Josh Pannell, as he continues to lead Trinity Fellowship Pastors College, our Sovereign Grace Pastors College in Ethiopia, as well as the 11 students currently enrolled in the college. Everyone is safe and accounted for, but they are in need of much grace and wisdom as they look to the weeks ahead.

4. Please pray for the new ‘SGC Australia - Pastors & Planters Academy’. We currently have six men interested in signing up for next year and we only announced it a few weeks ago! Please pray for wisdom for everyone involved with the application process, we’re eager to plant and adopt more Churches here in Australia.

5. Please pray that God would draw many unbelievers to Sovereign Grace Churches around the world, as we hold our various Christmas related services and events. Pray also that God would give the members of our Churches opportunities to share the gospel with unbelieving family members, friend, neighbours, and co-workers over this holiday season.

               ... Just like a great wind in the sails, may His grace abound to us all.  

This year’s Pastors Conference was such a blessing from God! We had over 600 people from 12 different nations in attendance. Heard the word of God read in 6 different languages. Enjoyed excellent preaching from Jared Mellinger, Jon Payne, Jeff Purswell, C.J.Mahaney, as well as in all the breakout sessions, and we sang, fellowshipped, prayed and ate together for three delightful days. 

For those travelling in for the conference, it was worth every mile of the trip. And for those that were unable to travel in because of the pandemic, but who got to experience it all online, that too was a great blessing!!

Here is a sampling of how it impacted some of our internationals...

Patrick Chavez, Sydney, Australia,

“The Pastor's Conference 2021 was a gift of grace, even when viewing sermons online at 2:30AM in Sydney Australia, how it served my soul. The songs, the interviews, the updates, the testimonies, the prophecies, the preaching all served and encouraged greatly. I thank God for our family of churches and love our commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  Can't wait to be there for the next one, God willing.”

Maddie Spring, Sydney, Australia,

“The livestream of the conference was absolutely fantastic. For the sessions I was able to watch, I was abundantly blessed by the Lord. The rich gospel centrality, the warmth of affection between pastors and the overwhelming sense of joy in the Lord, really served to refresh my soul! Thank you!”

David Del Castillo, Santa Cruz, Bolivia,

“The Pastors Conference was a long-awaited family reunion. The fact of participating in the conference helped us to experience in greater depth our belonging to the great family that is Sovereign Grace. We can’t wait to see you guys next year.”

If you missed the conference but would like to hear the talks then good news, all of the audio and video of the main sessions is now available on the events page. In addition, all of the audio from each of the breakout sessions is now available on the same page. 

God accomplished so much through our short time together in Orlando. Our partnership was strengthened, vision for our shared mission was expanded, and our relationships were deepened. Additionally, He equipped us for what He has called us to do in serving our churches by using the preaching we benefitted from in the main sessions and in the breakout sessions.

It was such a good time together. God truly smiled on us and so blessed our time together, to Him be all the glory. 

One of the ways we experienced God’s goodness at our recent 2021 Sovereign Grace Pastors Conference, was through hearing stories from Sovereign Grace pastors during our time together. These stories highlighted the partnership we share among our churches, and the joy we have of fulfilling our gospel mission together.

I wanted you to hear and benefit from two of these stories in this update, and so I share them with you below...

The first is from Ed O’Mara, Senior Pastor of Crosspoint Church in Arnold, MD. Ed and his family are looking to relocate to Italy in the summer of 2022, to launch Sovereign Grace Churches, Italia. It’s such a wonderful story of faith, partnership and grace. 

The second is from Josh Pannell, Dean of Trinity Fellowship Pastors College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Josh relocated from Louisville, KY to Ethiopia in 2020 to launch this Sovereign Grace Pastors College, and to see what the Lord has done with this college, is simply marvelous in our eyes. 

As you listen to these stories I trust they encourage you. How good the Lord has been to us!

When we think of Global Missions in Sovereign Grace Churches, we think about the great commission work of making and maturing disciples all around the world. (Matt 28)

It’s the privilege we have to represent Jesus as His ambassadors, and to take the glorious message of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. And for us as a family of churches, in an overarching way, that means three things:

• Church Planting: The work of establishing new congregations

• Emerging Nations: The work of partnering in new places

• Missionaries: The work of reaching new cultures

To help us in this great endeavor, I’m pleased to announce that our new ‘SGC Missions’ website has now been launched. There are still some additions coming to certain parts of the website, but there’s still plenty here for you to engage with and enjoy. 

I hope this website envisions you for our shared mission and encourages you to play your part... I’m so pleased that we get to do this together. We are so much better together!

What a privilege. What a message. What a Savior!

As we seek to advance the gospel and make disciples of all nations, short term mission trips allow individuals and churches to participate in our global mission in some wonderful and unique ways.

Firstly, they enable to us to strengthen our shared partnership with other Sovereign Grace Church’s around the world, something that becomes so much more tangible when we’re actually present in this way. Secondly, they enable our members to taste what it’s like to serve cross-culturally, overcoming barriers like language, geography and customs, and see firsthand the broader work of God in different cultures. And thirdly, for some, we may be exposing them to a cross-cultural work that God wants to call them to for the rest of their lives, and that we may have a part to play in preparing them for.

With all that in mind, I asked Todd Peterson (Pastor in Cross of Grace Church, El Paso, TX) and Pat Tedeschi (Pastor in Greentree Church, NJ) if they could come up with a way of enabling us to work together in this, as a family of churches. A way that could involve different Sovereign Grace Churches working together on short-term missions trips, a way for members of smaller SG Churches to tag in with another SG Church and potentially go on their missions trip, and a way for any SG Churches that would like to run a trip, to be helped in how to do it. 

Well, after many months of work, I am so pleased with what they have come up with! I think it’s outstanding and I think you will too... 

• Phase One involves ‘Submit a Trip’ and is now open to all SG Churches that have a Short-Term Missions Trip planned for 2022 and who would be open to members of other SG Churches applying to join. When all submissions are in, all the trips will then be posted on our SGC Missions website, so that folk can apply to come on them and so that we can be praying for everyone involved.

• Phase Two then involves ‘Find a Trip’, which is a feature that we’ll be looking to activate in February/March 2022. As soon as we get several trips signed up and submitted, we’ll be eager to spread the news on this.

• Phase Three is then for those that are keen to ‘Plan a Trip’ and who may need some help with that. This is presently being built and put together, greatly helped by two seasoned Short-Term Missions Trip guys in Allen Dicharry and Pete Schefferstein. Once launched, this will include a Missions Trip ‘Planning Resources’, as well as ‘Training’ to help you either start a trip from scratch or improve a trip that you are already doing. From everything I’ve seen so far, this is going to be a wonderful help!

What I want to encourage you in then right now, is to please ‘Submit a Trip’ if you have something planned for 2022 that you’d be open to other SG Church members applying to join you on. If we could get this done over the next 1-2 months, I’ll then look to help spread the word about ‘Phase Two’ around February/March time. 

I’m so pleased we get to do this together!

As a Sovereign Grace Pastor one of the highlights of any year, is the annual Sovereign Grace Pastors & Wives Conference. And this year’s is just one week away, as all our Pastors look to gather in Orlando, November 9-11, for this annual “family reunion”. 

Though the pandemic has prevented many global pastors from attending this year, current registration for the conference is still well over 560, with folk still travelling in from places such as Costa Rica, Germany, Ethiopia, Italy, Mexico, Zambia & United Kingdom. We are so encouraged by this!!

For this month therefore, I’d love to enlist your prayers for this special and strategic time for our family of churches. Here are some ways you can pray for everyone involved:

• Pray that all that happens at the conference would celebrate the preeminence of Jesus Christ (this years theme) in a way that He alone would receive all the glory.

• Pray that God would use the preaching to equip our pastors to live our lives, and pastor our churches, in a way that we make much of Christ as we faithfully serve His people.

• Pray for our main session speakers: Jeff Purswell, Jon Payne, C.J. Mahaney, and Jared Mellinger. Pray also for Mark Prater, Eric Turbedsky, and myself as we lead a “Sovereign Grace Missions” main session.

• Pray for the work of the Holy Spirit as we spend time together.

• Pray that God would give us opportunities to care for one another and strengthen our relationships.

• Pray that God would use our time to strengthen and unite us in the gospel mission we share.

... What a wonderful time of year. May the Saviour be truly preeminent in all that we do!

An update from Joselo Mercado, Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana in Gaithersburg, and Emerging Nations Representative to Latin America…

ReformaDos is a ministry founded ten years ago with the purpose of rescuing the purity of the gospel in the pulpits of this beautiful island. In 2017, I was offered the opportunity to lead this ministry and since then, we have been able to serve the island in the midst of hurricanes, earthquakes and pandemics with resources that help the church to be centered on the biblical gospel.

SGC has been a constant support for ReformaDos by sending resources and helping to organize different trainings for the churches. This year we were able to bring Bob Kauflin so he could train worship leaders and musicians in a version of his intensive, Worship Matters. This is Bob's second visit to the island, and on both occasions it has been an encouraging experience to see the hunger of the Puerto Ricans for sound doctrine. This time around, about 100 leaders and musicians participated in this workshop!

In addition, Miguel Núñez, a friend of SGC, and I, had the opportunity to share pastoral wisdom with a group of about 40 local pastors. We talked about calling, time management, and cultivating convictions. These two workshops took place on Friday October 15th and then on Saturday 16th we were able to launch a conference open to the public.

Due to space limitations due to the pandemic, the quota was only 410 people. Every chair was filled and people were blessed by the Gospel for Life conference. Josue Caceres, the new president of ReformaDos and friend of SGC, planned this event so that the church would be empowered to be propelled by the gospel throughout life. Bob and Miguel preached messages that pointed to the glory of Jesus in work, life, and church. Bob especially did an excellent job preaching a message on Isaiah 6, on the need to be affected on Sundays by the glory of God. And in addition, so importantly, relationships were able to be cultivated and much encouragement was able to be imparted to pastors in such a difficult time.

Thank you SGC, for advancing the Kingdom in places hungry to see Christ in everything in life.

An update from Sergei Lukyanov, our friend and main contact in Belarus…

First of all, we are very grateful to you for the fact that you constantly support us in prayer.

The situation in Belarus continues to remain unstable, therefore the existence and life of the church in these conditions is difficult. We continue to adjust to the new reality that has changed due to the COVID virus and the political crisis. 

The Protestant Evangelical Church has again fallen out of favor in the eyes of the current regime. Thousands of people continue to go to jail, including many Christians just because they once took to the streets or wrote a comment on social media against the brutal actions of our police. Our church members constantly write letters to them, in which they try to comfort and encourage them with hope in Christ. In addition, church members regularly collect financial aid to support the relatives and friends of those who are in prison. 

There seems to be no possibility of getting our church registration approved by the government. Therefore, we still have little idea of how we can continue our ministry legally. However, God gives mercy and we meet every Sunday. We praise God that new people are regularly coming to us. 

Several families left our church because they decided to live and work in another country. But still, many of our people are committed to staying in the country and continuing to serve the people of Belarus. Thus, God makes sure that there are many people in our meeting every Sunday.

Please pray for the leadership of the Evangelical Union of Belarus, so they will have wisdom from God to continue ministry in Belarus at this difficult time. Join us in praying that God will raise up more leaders in the church so that more churches can be planted.

Although there are discouraging circumstances around us, we continue to rejoice that God does not leave us. We rejoice that He has commissioned us to spread the most joyous message in the history of mankind - the Gospel.

Looking back on 2020, we thank God with special joy that New Covenant Church was able to plant another church!  Thus, instead of one church, which was once founded in 2015, today two churches are thriving. Baptisms are taking place in both churches, new people are coming who are looking for God's mercy and forgiveness in order to find a new life.

Dear brothers and sisters, please continue to pray for us as pastors: Sergei, Philip, Valery and Vitaly. We are especially glad that you regularly pray for us. Especially in the last two years, it has been very important to realize that we are not alone. God is with us, and our brothers and sisters are with us! 

An update from Josh Pannell, Pastors College graduate, and Dean of Trinity Fellowship Pastors College…

Hello again from Addis Ababa, it’s such a joy to write to you again, and I write with great news!

The Trinity Fellowship Pastors College officially launched on September 15th, and the students have already completed 8 of their 41 courses for the year. Each new class starts on Tuesday morning and lasts through Friday for a total for 25 classroom hours. On top of that, they are completing 200 pages of reading as well as submitting projects and papers for each of their classes. They are also studying Biblical Greek in the mornings. It’s a lot, but they are all doing great!

We have both lifelong pastors and top-notch scholars coming to teach these classes, including over 20 pastors from Sovereign Grace churches. Most recently we welcomed Dr. Bryan Blazosky from Bethlehem Seminary in Minneapolis. He spent the week working through Paul’s letter to the Romans with the students, a class he’s taught for the past 14 years.

Because most of these men grew up under prosperity gospel preaching, we have two course on gospel centrality in our curriculum. Michael Granger taught on The Gospel-Centered Life where the students spent the week exploring the gospel from different angles and learning how it functions in the Christian life. Joel Carlson (Emmaus Road Church) taught on Gospel-Centered Ministry where students explored how the gospel shapes both the pastor and his church. We know that the only true and lasting remedy for the prosperity gospel is the true gospel, and we want these men to have the gospel sink down deep into their hearts. To my joy, I can see that happening, and the fruit of those two weeks is obvious. These men are becoming gospel-men!

As I think about all that God is doing, I find myself so grateful. And I’m especially grateful for our partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches. God is on the move, and he’s using prayers and your gifts to do unthinkable things. Thank you for your continued investment in me, these men, and Trinity Fellowship.

Something that we have enjoyed in Sovereign Grace over many years, is the gift of leadership, a gift that we have embraced and cultivated as a family of churches. Over many years a couple of ways that Mark Prater, our Executive Director, and other guys on the leadership team have invested in this, is by having a US Emerging Leaders Fellowship.

This has been wonderful! But as we increasingly become a global family of churches, we wanted this investment to begin to go much wider than just the US, and so Mark and I began a Global Leaders Fellowship, and just recently had our first gathering.

You can all about it here. God was so good to us!!