An update from Leo Parris, Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, USA…

Mountain top experiences are precious in the Christian experience. They’re not our daily experience, but when we encounter God in remarkable ways it fills our sails with energy to continue our journey in times of storms and doldrums. Our church just returned from a short-term missions trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and it’s safe to say our sails are bursting at the seams!

We took 9 youth and 10 adults to this city to run a Youth Camp for high schoolers that are a part of Covenant Mercies (CM) there. CM (as you’ve likely heard) is a ministry that is run by Doug Hayes, one of the pastors at our church, that exists to serve orphans in collaboration with indigenous local churches in the developing world. Many of the students that we spent time with had been sponsored for several years. But prior to this past year, Ethiopian laws had hand-cuffed the program and prevented open preaching of the gospel to those in the program. By God’s grace, last year that law changed and allowed CM to form this camp as the first public exposure to gospel preaching for the kids in this program. This was an incredible opportunity but was not without difficulty.

We had planned to camp outside of Addis Ababa, but leading up to the trip stories of rural kidnappings forced us to change locations only days before our flight departed. The CM team worked around the clock and found us a wonderful location within the city. Still, as the camp kicked off, the kids were clearly afraid of us and reluctant to talk. A massive language barrier and the newness of having the whole program together didn’t help these initial moments. But as we played games, ate together (actually feeding each other as a cultural act of affection - “gusha”), and heard message after message of 100-proof gospel, affection and openness began to grow.

There was a decisive turning point in the trip as Abenezer Djene (AB) began to preach to the camp. AB is a graduate of Trinity Fellowship Pastors College, which Josh Pannell heads as dean. AB led worship skillfully throughout the camp in the local language. As he began to share he pressed home the question, “Do you know what will happen when you die?” Then he spoke from Romans 5:8 directly into the world of the youth. AB grew up in an orthodox family and knows the world that the kids inhabit. He spoke to their fears and offered them the gospel of grace instead of works.

Conversations were radically different from this moment on. Several placed their trust in Christ. Songs and chants boomed from the dining hall. Worship was expressive. The Spirit was moving.

As the youth began to head towards their buses, the moment of departure couldn’t have been more different than their arrival. Many were crying. None wanted to leave. It was a holy moment for us. A few days later Doug shared a list of people that had been engaging with CM staff on spiritual questions. It was so encouraging to see that God had worked mightily in these student’s hearts during camp, but even more so to know that they were going to continue to be discipled in the days ahead. 

We ended our trip by worshipping and enjoying fellowship with our sister church, Trinity Fellowship Church, led by Michael Granger. This was such a delight. Michael is doing a phenomenal job leading his church. They are thriving as they keep Jesus central and seek to reach their city with the gospel of Jesus.

Missions trips like these always come with challenges and a high cost, but may I gently encourage you to do them anyway? When carefully planned, they can be massively beneficial to our partnership in the gospel. These trips also make a radical impact in forming our people into the image of Christ. Our team returned excited about what God was doing among the nations and in our lives, and with our own struggles more fully entrusted to our savior. These trips can also be key in inspiring future long-term missionaries. I hope you’ll think strategically and plan sacrificially to take steps to deepen your global partnership through short-term missions trips.

An update from Kyle Huber, Lead Pastor of Greentree Church, Egg Harbor, New Jersey, USA, and Emerging Nations Representative to Belarus…

The pastors who have been our key contacts in Belarus had to flee their country, but they remain fully engaged in the work of the local church! Due to the threat of imprisonment, Sergei and Philip are now refugees in Poland. The pain of leaving their homes, families and church is an emotional trauma that is not easily overcome. Yet, they immediately began setting the foundation for a new church among the hundreds of thousands of Belarusian refugees in Poland.

Philip, Sergei and their wives.

They currently have a discipleship group of 15-20 people who have agreed to move toward becoming a church plant. Recently, they were able to rent space in a Polish Church to meet each week. This will bring some needed stability as they were having to meet in various public locations. Sergei and Philip recognize they will have to proceed slowly and patiently since every team member is also a refugee trying to work through the pain of loss and separation. A significant part of this pain is the regular news about friends who are being imprisoned simply for expressing opinions the government doesn’t like.

Sergei and Philip have been developing friendships with pastors in Poland allowing them to better understand the spiritual climate in Poland and the condition of the evangelical church there. While the dominant religion in Belarus is Russian Orthodox, Poland is a strongly Catholic nation. The evangelical Christian community in both nations is less than half of one percent of the total population.

Both pastors continue to disciple the leaders they left behind in the church they planted nine years ago in Minsk, Belarus. The evidence of their faithfulness to shepherd their previous congregation is revealed in the way it continues to flourish despite losing its pastors and having to navigate life in an oppressive environment.

In June, the Sovereign Grace European Fellowship held a retreat in Warsaw, Poland, enabling us to serve our Belarusian brothers. Along with several pastors from various areas in Europe, eight Belarusian leaders were in attendance. Half of these men now reside in Poland and half made the trip from Belarus to attend. This was a time of care and prayer for hurting brothers, while still looking toward the future of how Sovereign Grace Churches can strengthen the gospel work these faithful pastors are eager to continue.

Some of the ways we can support these men with our prayers:

• The Belarusian government is requiring all churches to re-register. No one knows the implications of this, but the purpose undoubtedly will be to restrict and control. 

• One Belarusian pastor shared that the government has said it will confiscate the building they are renovating as a church because the project hasn’t been completed within two years.

• Financial conditions in Belarus are very difficult as many western companies have left the country and have required their employees to leave as well.

• The war in neighboring Ukraine is a source of upheaval and heartbreak. All young men have to register with the military and face the potential of being drawn into the conflict.

• Following the recent Wagner Group insurrection in Russia, the Belarusian President has invited these mercenary troops to Belarus. No one knows the implications of having these forces stationed there.

• Freedom for the thousands of innocent citizens languishing in Belarusian prisons and labor camps.

• Pray for more young men to be raised up and trained as pastors.

• Above all, pray for gospel fruit as God’s people share their abiding hope to people surrounded by hopelessness.

Although conditions in Belarus are difficult, it is easier to engage in gospel conversations with people because uncertainty and despair are such a common experience. Many young people in particular, are interested in learning what the Bible has to say to them.

Praise to God for allowing us to stand with His people in these difficult places!

Please join us in praying for our incoming Pastors College students and their families as they'll start arriving in Louisville in a few weeks.  Thank you!

John Piper famously writes,

‘Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, millions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.’

I believe Mr Piper is right. Missions exist because so many people in our neighborhoods and nations have yet to receive their invites to the incredible marriage supper of the Lamb. And in His incredible kindness, He’s entrusted us with the privilege of giving out those invites, to every tribe, language and nation.

I was recently at the Arche Church in Hamburg, our partner Church in Germany, enjoying their annual International Sunday. One of the ways they celebrate that Sunday is with a choir made up of members of the congregation from over 56 different countries…. It was a real taste of heaven! What a marriage supper of the Lamb it will surely be!

We’re eager then to keep giving out the invites, and so here’s how you can be praying for us in the month ahead…

1. Please pray for the 10 men and their families that are finishing up this week at the SG West Africa Planters & Pastors Academy in Monrovia, Liberia. They will be engaging in six months of Pastoral Internship now, in Churches in Liberia, Guinea & Sierra Leonne, with a view to 3-4 SG Church Plants in 2024-25. Please pray for them as they relocate their families to their new places of service, early this month.

2. Please pray for Ed & Robyn O’Mara and Rocco & Mary Dalia as they relocate to Torino, Italy to launch our first SG Church Plant there. After many months of planning and training, it’s finally time. Please pray for these two dear families, that the Lord would quickly establish the work of their hands and bring much peace and joy to the settle into their new homes.

3. Please pray for Riley Spring as he leads the SGC Australian ‘celebration’ event - ‘Together 2023’, on the weekend of 21st-23rd July. Please also pray for Mark & Jill Prater as they head over to serve us during that time. Likewise, please pray for Austin & Emma Momber. Austin is a graduate of the US Pastors College and is seriously considering relocating to Australia to serve here. Please pray for much grace and wisdom for him & Emma as they consider this move.

4. Please pray for the various SG Development Committees (LATAM, Europe, Africa & Asia-Pacific) that meet at this time of year to discuss financial plans for the year ahead (Sept 23-Aug 24). Please pray for much wisdom, faith and insight for all the SG Pastors involved in these.

5. Please continue to pray for the ARK Church in Dnipro, Ukraine, led by our friend Michael Ostanin. They continue to feed over 400 people a week, care for refugees on a daily basis, and share the good news of Jesus Christ with any and all that will listen. They are doing amazing work in Ukraine, may we never tire of upholding them in our prayers.

… For the Audience of One, may we never stop giving out these invites!

An update from Ed O'Mara, SG Church Planter in Italy and SG Area Leader for Europe…

Partnership is biblical, and it is a gift! Until 1 year ago, my regular experience was being meaningfully partnered with other Sovereign Grace local churches. Having moved to Europe in July 2023 we came to a continent where interdependency is lacking. In my country, Italy, churches battle for turf rather than serve one another. The gospel witness is so lacking in some countries that the nearest like-minded, theologically-grounded church could be in a country where a different language is spoken. The result is that pastors in Europe often feel alone and are tempted to think their work is futile. Europe needs rich gospel partnership.

That is one reason I am so grateful for Sovereign Grace: the leaders and members of Sovereign Grace across the globe are making an investment in Europe for the glory of God, the good of pastors, and for local churches. A recent expression of this was our first Sovereign Grace Europe retreat. Pastors from Belarus, Poland, Italy, the UK, Turkey, and Czech Republic gathered in Warsaw from 21-23 June to receive refreshment from God’s Word, build relational connections, and begin dreaming about what SGC-Europe could be. We were joined by Mark Prater and Dave Taylor, who invested care and teaching as well as Kyle Huber who has significantly invested in the Belarussian pastors and connected them to SGC.

The Lord’s presence bound us together as we ministered grace to one another. Rather than my words, listen to those who have been serving for a significant time in Europe and yet missing the joys and fruits of gospel partnership:

Italian pastor, Giuseppe Fortuna, commented that he has been searching for a church family that is “home” for so many years and believes he finally found it in Sovereign Grace. An Eastern European pastor said that in over 25 years of ministry combined he had not experienced the love and care he felt in just 3 days together in this retreat. His peer from Belarus recounted the sad reality that pastors in his country feel like orphan pastors without help or mentorship. He looked me in the eye and said “Today, I feel the grace of Jesus” and continued to say that our partnership in Sovereign Grace is by far the healthiest church group he has ever seen.

A younger pastor from Belarus noted how he isn’t used to being loved and cared for but rather being treated like a second-class citizen. He was astounded by the love and grace of Jesus in a new way through our retreat. Peter Bowley, from the SG church in the UK, said “I have experienced many highlights in my life, and being with you men last week ranks as one of the most significant… I pray that this is just the start of a God-glorifying partnership in the spread of the gospel in Europe,” while our Pastor in Turkey noted that the retreat “was an invaluable and precious time… like water to my weary soul and spurs my prayers on for what the Lord might and can do in Turkey.”

Friends, partnership matters! The impact on pastors and local churches cannot be measured! I hope you hear in these comments, not how great Sovereign Grace is; what do we have that we haven’t been given? Rather, hear how great God is and how kind He has been to our family of churches to solidify us in partnership!

This is just the beginning for SGC-Europe! Interest is growing in Sweden, Russia, and Ukraine. We have partners in Germany and Italy (including my co-planter Rocco Dalia) who, though they couldn’t be with us for this retreat, have a big part to play. We are eagerly planning how to connect regularly as pastors and looking forward to our next gathering to sharpen our theological understanding and deepen our partnership.

God is at work in our family of churches! This is not for our glory or renown or to grow the name of Sovereign Grace, but to grow the reputation of the Lord as churches are planted, the lost are converted, and every corner of the earth is filled with the knowledge of our King! Thank you for your contribution to this amazing partnership we have been gifted. It is making a difference in pastors’ lives in Europe and across the globe and it is bringing glory to Jesus. So please keep praying and giving and playing the part God is granted to you to play – all for His renown!

We’ve just wrapped up a multi-year training with some dear brothers and pastors from Pakistan. Dave Quilla, Pastor of Covenant Life Fellowship in Roseburg, Oregon, USA gives us this update…

For the last six years, Sovereign Grace Pastors have been partnering with TLI (Training Leaders International) to provide theological training to pastors from Pakistan. Several Sovereign Grace Pastors (Nate Treguboff, Dave Quilla & Josh Montague) have recently returned from the middle east and the final course in the TLI series. It was a “Doozie” of a book – Revelation. The completion of this course concludes this chapter in our partnership with these dear pastors.

The courses have covered all of the major literary types in scripture including narrative, gospel, historical, wisdom, poetry, prophecy, letter, and concluded with apocalyptic. It has been a wonderful experience for the SGC pastors as we have watched our Pakistani brothers grow in their understanding of the Word of God and their confidence in teaching/preaching the Bible to their people. We were also excited to learn on this trip that they have been conducting seminars not only for their leaders, but for pastors outside of their group of churches so that other churches in Pakistan may benefit from what they have learned.

Being with these men always produces a mixture of emotions. Our Pakistani brothers are incredibly joyful and happy, they love to pray and worship together. They encourage and support each other and truly love to be pastors. Evening conversations though are humbling. These men face real persecution and challenges that many pastors in the west have no experience with.  

Their church buildings have been destroyed at times, precious funds are stolen, several pastors have had their homes shot up by angry mobs. Many of their church members are enslaved by harsh and wicked factory owners with little to no hope of getting out from that oppression. False teachers abound and many are pressured to convert to Islam. Yet in the midst of these difficulties, they express incredible joy and hope in Christ.

And in the midst of this persecution, trials and struggles, the gospel marches on and is producing much fruit in Pakistan. Pastor “S” has seen over 4,000 people come to faith and be baptized in his 30 years of ministry. Pastor “A” has had the privilege of baptizing nearly 2,000 over a 15 year ministry. This year they have baptized nearly 100 people so far.  

These men care for nearly 400 churches in the cities and villages in their area. They go out in groups most evenings to conduct prayer meetings and Bible studies in several villages each night. Their day often ends well past midnight. One pastor does 10-12 services each Sunday! His day begins at 5am and it is well into the night before he returns home.

As we close one chapter, the TLI Training, we eagerly look forward to the next. These brothers desire to continue their partnership with SGC and we are eager to continue as well. Next up is to get boots on the ground in Pakistan to see and observe firsthand the ministry of these brothers and they are eager to have us visit. We hope to send 2-3 SG pastors into Pakistan in the winter of 2024. The current political and economic climate in Pakistan will make this a bit challenging. It may also draw unwanted attention to these brothers and their churches so we need to proceed cautiously and with wisdom.

We will also begin the process of preparing a number of these men for the SGC ordination process. The language barrier is a bit of a challenge, but we hope to learn from the process Jeffrey Jo developed in the Philippines and apply it to Pakistan. We have translated the SG Statement of Faith into their language and will soon have the Sovereign Grace Journals on our “7 Shared Values” and “Our Shaping Virtues” ready for them as well. As further funding becomes available, we will continue to translate more materials for them.

Please continue to pray for these men as they faithfully serve their churches and for our continued partnership with the church in Pakistan.

An update from Billy Raies, Senior Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church Midland, Texas, USA…

In March of this year, we were thankful to be able to resume what had become for us annual ministry/mission trips to Nepal after being unable to do so for a couple of years due to covid. During those early years, our efforts mainly involved coming alongside our key leader in Nepal, in his pursuit of seeking to strengthen, equip and encourage as many pastors as possible through small pastors conferences (20-30 in attendance) throughout Nepal for those who were planting churches or pastoring churches among the unreached people groups of that country. He has strong convictions that the Seven Shared Values of Sovereign Grace Churches provides a substantial foundation for equipping pastors for gospel centered ministry and mission and he joyfully wants to tell anyone who will listen how these biblical values can bless pastors and churches.

During our trip in March, we focused the majority of our time in meeting with our key leader and his elders because he has increasingly become interested in pursuing a partnership with Sovereign Grace. These meetings were to help them take the first steps in The Partnership Pathway. God gave us grace to begin building deeper relationships with his elder team and to begin to unpack our value of elder governed and elder led churches. On our last day of the trip, the pastor asked if we could come back to teach a pastors conference on our Seven Shared Values for the network of churches he has been a part of for many years. He thought that this would be a way to minister to many pastors, pastors' wives and missionaries at one time rather than merely traveling around the country during our trips there. In total, he said there were 167 churches affiliated with this network in Nepal and India and they estimated an attendance of approximately 400. We asked when the conference would be… assuming he meant some time in 2024. He asked, “Could you come back in May…just a few months from now?”

After spending time in prayer and discussion with our local eldership and with Dave Taylor (Director of Global Missions) and Jeffrey Jo (SGC Philippines - National Leader), we believed we should accept our key leader's invitation, but to not merely minister at the Pastors Conference, but to also seek to help him and his team continue to make progress on The Partnership Pathway. Our team was made up of Pastors Jeffrey Jo and Rey Lacbayo from the Philippines and Steve Avampato and myself from Sovereign Grace Church of Midland, Texas, USA. 

The conference began with 114 churches represented and an attendance that was around the 400 people that were initially anticipated. The first two days of the conference, we taught on three of The Seven Shared Values each day and on the third day, taught the seventh shared value. Each teaching session was about 90 minutes due to the time it took to teach and translate the teaching. Our key leader said that he knew God was at work and that the people were being blessed by the teaching because at the end of the third session on the first day of the conference, after the people had already listened to 4 ½ hours of preaching and translation, no one got up from their seats to leave. They actually said they wanted to hear more teaching! One of the members of their leadership team said that another evidence of God being at work was that the attendance grew on the second day of the conference and grew again on the third day, even though there was only one teaching session! They said that the people were calling other pastors and leaders they knew in the area to come and hear and see what God was doing in the conference!

We felt very much at home with these precious brothers and sisters as their conference had many of the same elements that we value so much at our Pastor’s Conferences. There was passionate worship, devotion to prayer, dependence upon God’s grace, desire for God’s Word to be the central element of the conference, testimonies of God’s work through church planting locally and globally, training future pastors, humility and love displayed in their fellowship and encouragement with one another and gratitude for their leadership. We were also in awe of their commitment to help ensure that a lack of finances would not prevent a pastor from attending. They sought to raise funds to help offset travel costs to the conference. Some pastors were so committed to getting to the conference that they walked for one or two days just to get to a bus that could take them into Kathmandu on the third day! And, because there is so much poverty in Nepal, the members of the Kathmandu churches in their church network prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner for each of the approximately 450 people in attendance over the two and a half days of the conference. In addition, they provided cots and mattresses to house as many of the attendees as possible on the church property.

Following the conference we were able to spend some extended time with our key leader and a few of his elders. It seemed that God used the teaching of The Seven Shared Values during the conference to only strengthen their interest in learning more about partnership with Sovereign Grace and desiring for other churches to experience gospel centered teaching, preaching and ministry from Sovereign Grace Churches. We were so blessed to have Jeff and Rey bring encouragement and testimonies for how pastors and churches in the Philippines have come to partner with Sovereign Grace Churches. They skillfully and graciously cast vision and provided strategic thinking as to how they too could continue to make progress down The Partnership Path. Steve, from our church could not participate in these meetings due to illness but I sought to represent the wisdom and planning ideas that he had imparted to me and our team prior to leaving Midland.

Our key leader in Nepal is in a unique situation in that not only has his church planted many churches, but he is also a much respected and dearly loved leader in this network of 167 churches. He said that the conference was very important to him in that he hoped it communicated that his desire is not to pull away from fellowship with these beloved leaders but instead hopes to bless and serve them by bringing the ministry of Sovereign Grace closer to them. In addition, he wants to proceed very carefully and cautiously because historically, Nepali churches who have affiliated with denominations based outside of Nepal are accused of doing so only because of the money they receive.

Our key leader's elders said that they had already started to hear feedback from those who attended the conference that they hoped that we might return to minister at their 2024 conference. The elders added that if this were to happen, they would need to find a larger meeting space because they believed that those who attended this conference would desire to bring many more of their leaders as well as to invite pastors and leaders from other churches! Jeff proposed that if we did return next year, that perhaps the conference could revolve around The Seven Shaping Virtues of Sovereign Grace, which only made our key leader and his elders more excited about the possibilities!

We cannot thank the pastors and churches of Sovereign Grace enough for their sacrificial giving to the Emerging Nations funds that makes trips and ministry like this possible! In addition, we are so very grateful to all those who prayed for us during this time! The Lord answered your prayers in countless ways including sustaining Steve and I during a fairly serious illness during the last few days of our time in Nepal. I am humbled and joyful to say that your prayers were used by God to manifest His power to minister in my weakness in ways I have never before experienced! Please continue to pray for our key leader, his elders and their church! It is such a privilege and honor to partner with such a precious family of churches for the glory of God and the advancement of the gospel! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

An update from Andy Farmer, Pastor at Covenant Fellowship, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, USA…

We just finished our final retreat for the 2022-23 Church Planters Cohort and I’m thrilled to be up close and personal to what God is doing in stateside church planting in Sovereign Grace. The Church Planting Cohort is a structured equipping and advisory program run by the National Church Planting Group. For the past six years, I’ve had the privilege of walking with a small group of church planters each year who are drawn together through retreats and virtual conversations to turn church-planting hopes into church-planting realities.  

This year we had three planters complete the cohort program. The notable thing about this group is how diverse their plans and mission strategies are. Jeremy Hetrick will be launching Redeeming Grace Church in Mechanicsburg, PA. This is a bold initiative by Living Hope Church in Middletown, PA to send a number of its best people to start a new work across the Susquehanna River in central Pennsylvania. Redeeming Grace will be launching this fall. Gabe Magill is a Sovereign Grace elder from Philadelphia who has moved to the opposite end of the state and joined a new region to lay the groundwork for planting a church in Warren, PA. Perry Wang is doing a church planting internship at Risen Hope Church in Summerville, SC with the intent of starting a Mandarin-speaking Chinese church in the Charleston area.

You would think that such different kinds of plants would make it difficult to find common ground to work together in a cohort. But these brothers and their wives carry with them much deeper commonality than missional strategy. They carry above all the message of the Gospel, to be built into the fabric of a church and lived out in the locations where God sends them. And they carry our Sovereign Grace shared values and shaping virtues in the mission as well.

So what happened in the cohort? Each month we met together to talk about a key aspect of church planting - like building planting teams and leadership, planting with a clear mission and strategy, foundations for strong organization and administration, and enduring care for the planter’s soul and his family’s well-being. We involve other Sovereign Grace pastors and leaders who specialize in areas church planters need to learn and grow. The cohort includes three retreats where we spend concentrated time in discussion on key issues in planting. One of the retreats is a couple’s retreat, where the focus is on the care of marriage and family in and beyond the church planting experience.

Jeremy observes, “This cohort year has flown by, but not without an amazing deposit being given to us church planters. As I reflect upon the past year, I am amazed at how, at each step of the journey I was given the next step or next category of wisdom for the journey. From how to do interest meetings, to how to relate to your sending church, to how to build a team, to how to put together your prospectus and leadership team, and many other practical things, I really have felt the care and investment of Sovereign Grace Churches into my leadership and our church plant. Each cohort retreat Andy provided a time of refreshment and perspective on church planting, including historical tours (including a Great Awakening tour at our most recent retreat). On these tours he so aptly applied history lessons to give us broader perspective in our gospel endeavors. I so appreciated our time when we did our marriage retreat as well. Kate and I came away encouraged to continue to grow in gracious speech in our marriage and parenting so that our family is built up in the gospel of grace and is sustained through this difficult and labor-intensive work."

Perry also shared some of his experiences, “I was cared for and trained well in the cohort, through the seasoned pastors and fellow church planters, in the areas of leadership, marriage, church administration, website, interest meeting, planting core team, and so many practical things. For me, relatively new to Sovereign Grace churches, and an international, one of the most important things is that I experienced Sovereign Grace culture and the shaping virtues in this group. During the marriage retreat in Philly, my wife, Ruth, got sick. There was medicine that would help her but it was in the city in Chinatown. I could take an Uber to get it. But when Andy knew this, the whole team decided to go to Chinatown to get the Chinese herb. Then we cooked them at Andy's house. This made us feel like family."

Gabe may sum up the cohort experience best for all of us. “Thank you all for your courage in stepping out into new places with the Gospel! It is far easier pursuing this work knowing we are not alone in it.” 

If you are anticipating a church plant, as a planter, as a sending church, or as a region, please feel free to contact me at afarmer@covfel.org to talk about how the cohort program might serve your purposes.

Each week Mark Prater & Ben Kreps put out a podcast, where their aim is to connect our global family of Sovereign Grace churches with our executive director, and over the last few months, they’ve been putting out some excellent episodes relating to SGC Missions!

Please find them all below… Enjoy!

1. The Value of Gospel Mission in the States

2. SG Europe Pastors Retreat

3. Churches Serving in our Shared Mission

4. Giving to Gospel Mission

Psalm 139.7-10 declares, ‘Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there you hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.'

There is nowhere we can go where we are outside of God’s presence, nowhere, and that’s one of the many things that makes prayer such an incredible and daily opportunity. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is always present, always with us, and always eager to hear us.

And so here’s some specific things that you can be praying for, and talking with the King about, in the month ahead…

1. Please pray for the National US Church Planting Group as they meet for a final retreat with the 2022-23 Church Planting Cohort, June 15th-18th. With 3-4 US Church Plants planned for the next 12 months, this is such an important time together.

2. Please pray for Nate Treguboff (Cross of Grace, Minnesota), Josh Montague (Cross of Grace, TLI), Dave Quilla (Covenant Life Fellowship, Oregon) and Joshua Chambers (formerly of TLI) as they travel to Amman, Jordan, June 8-16th, to train ten Pastors from Pakistan. These Pakistani Pastors have a long relationship with our family of Churches, represent some 400 Churches, and are keen to pursue full partnership with Sovereign Grace. This is the final instalment of a five year endeavour and so please pray for safety, for fruitful classes and for wisdom and understanding on wise next steps in this great opportunity.

3. Please pray Justin Crews and Spencer Vaughn (Sovereign Grace Community Church, Roanoke, US) as they head to teach at the Gracelife Pastors & Planters Academy in Liberia, with our friend Dyonah Thomas, June 19th-26th. Please also pray for their strategic trip to Sierra Leone to put boots on the ground as we look to a possible SG Church Plant in 2024. Exciting times!! In addition, please pray for Andy Farmer (Covenant Fellowship, Glenn Mills, USA) as he heads to teach at the Trinity Fellowship Pastors College in Ethiopia, June 16th-19th. Would this be a rich and blessed time for everyone involved,

4. Please pray for the Pastors who will be coming in from Germany, Prague, Italy, Belarus, Turkey, Sweden, and the UK, for this month’s SGC Europe Pastors Retreat, June 20-23rd. They will be joined by Mark Prater (SG Executive Director) and Dave Taylor (SG Director of Global Missions), as they dream together and plan together for the future of Sovereign Grace Churches in Europe.

5. Please pray that God would continue to provide financially for Sovereign Grace Churches so that we can fund the gospel opportunities He is giving us throughout the world. We really do have more opportunities than we can fund and so we are so in need of His grace in this.

6. Please continue to pray for the ARK Church in Dnipro, Ukraine, led by our friend Michael Ostanin. This dear church continues to feed over 400 people a week, care for refugees on a daily basis, and share the good news of Jesus Christ with any and all that will listen. They are doing an amazing work in Ukraine, may we never tire of praying for these dears saints.

… May His grace abound to us all.

An update from Bob Kauflin, Director of Sovereign Grace Music…

David Zimmer and I recently had the joy of visiting Sovereign Grace Church Sydney and Paramatta, led by Dave Taylor and Riley Spring.

We arrived Friday morning, 28 April, and spent the day in Sydney. On Saturday, we led a workshop for musicians from both churches in the morning, rehearsed in the afternoon, and led a 'Gathering Around the Gospel' event that night for about 300 people. On Sunday we were with Sovereign Grace Church Sydney. 

We spent most of Monday with Colin Buchanan, a humble songwriter/artist who is known in Australia for his kids' music. He also recently co-authored the song “Jesus, Strong and Kind” with CityAlight. On Tuesday we met with pastors from both churches to talk about priorities in our Sunday gatherings, and that night we met with the leaders and wives to talk about marriage, parenting, and ministry.

On Wednesday through to late Saturday we led a Worship Matters Intensive for musicians from our churches as well as churches in Sydney, Perth, Tokyo, and Manila. It was a feast of fellowship and encouragement.

On Sunday, we served at Sovereign Grace Church Paramatta, and after lunch with the church, spent the evening debriefing with Dave and Riley. We left the next day, but not before squeezing in a trip to a wildlife park where we could pet a koala and feed some kangaroos.

Of the many takeaways from our time in Sydney, here are four that deeply impacted us.

Gospel-rooted community marked by servanthood and generosity.

From the moment we arrived until boarding the plane for home we were surrounded by people who made sure we had everything we needed. It began with Dave and Riley, who spent what I’m sure was an excessive amount of time with us. Rebecca Song and other admins were also stellar. But the heart to serve extended beyond those whose job it was to care for us. Dave’s three older children joyfully served the groups that descended upon their home. Church members provided rides, meeting places, and meals. We never felt unattended to or uncared for. And that thoughtful generosity extended to others as well.

A commitment to train leaders.

David and I spent a good bit of time investing in leaders, whether it was the pastoral teams, leadership couples, or leaders from other churches at the Worship Matters Intensive. Dave and Riley aren’t simply interested in meetings that draw crowds but churches that invest in the future. Their example of friendship and mutual support both models what ministry can look like and inspires others to pursue the same kind of Christ-exalting leadership. We observed a number of present and potential leaders like Andrew Leung, Henry Burnett, and others who are joyfully laying down their lives to serve.

Sovereign Grace Music partnering with Sovereign Grace Churches.

I never tire of saying Sovereign Grace Music wouldn’t exist apart from our churches. We saw the fruit of that connection as numerous people mentioned they learned about our churches through singing our songs. It was also exciting to spend an evening planning two 'Worship God' conferences in the Philippines in 2024 that would capitalize on people’s awareness of Sovereign Grace Music as well as strengthen our already established churches.

A passion to proclaim the gospel locally and globally.

We encountered a mission mindset everywhere we went. One Sunday morning a mom with young kids told me how she had met with a new believer that morning for Bible study. Riley reached out to a gentleman passing by the church building during the intensive who showed up that Sunday. Church members surrounded guests, wanting to know more about them. Beyond the local church level, we saw a joyful expectation of planting and partnering with healthy churches in other parts of Sydney, Australia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and more. Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8, “You will be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth,” clearly resounded in people’s hearts.

Looking back, I think we received much more than we gave in Australia. We came home strengthened, inspired, and changed by the real fruit of gospel partnership. And we’re more grateful than ever that Christ is building his church and “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

An update from Ed O'Mara, our SG Church Planter in Italy...

What do you love about Sovereign Grace: our rich theology walked out in vibrant community, the commitment to build and strengthen interdependent local churches, expository preaching, that we preserve vital biblical doctrines often jettisoned, how the Pastors College and Sovereign Grace Music exalts Christ and equips gospel-ministers? If you are like me you’d say “Yes! All of these things.” In Sovereign Grace, we enjoy a rare jewel that is sadly unavailable in many corners of the earth. One such place is Torino, Italy.

Italy is celebrated for its rich history, friendly people, and unparalleled cuisine. It is also well-known for its deeply entrenched Roman Catholicism. Every city and village in Italy is influenced by the Catholic Church. Though Italy is religious it is also incredibly dark. Less than 1% of its 60 million people understand the gospel. Oppressive traditions strangle out the testimony of Jesus’ sole-sufficiency and replace it with a works-based lie. The young generation rejects faith making Italy a post-Christian, spiritually-dead country. It may surprise you to know that someone is 4 to 10 times more likely to hear the gospel in China, Egypt, or Indonesia than in Italy! Missional efforts to change this tide have been scarce, so few evangelical churches exist and those that do are often theologically askew, territorial, or legalistic. We are not content to see this continue. We intend to fight this decline and spread the hope of Christ’s finished work by planting the first of, Lord willing, many Sovereign Grace churches in Italy.

Torino is Italy’s 4th biggest city and, unlike much of Italy, it has a thriving economy and growing population base. It is attractive to young people due to the large university presence and work opportunities across various business sectors. Given its relative prosperity and demographic advantages, Torino has drawn transplants from other parts of Italy and the rest of Europe, making it a dynamic city with a strong need for local gospel-preaching churches and a strategic position for building a network of churches. Sadly there are very few solid churches in this large city of such significance. We intend to plant in or near the Lingotto neighborhood, a largely residential area with a good cross-section of the population of Torino. Our goal is to reach the students who come from all over Italy and Europe for university, families located in the city, and immigrants who have come to Northern Italy for work. Furthermore, we believe our plant will be a strategic outpost from which to evangelize, equip, and send believers to build an interconnected SGC network in Italy.

This plan has been unfolding for some time. In July 2022, my family (www.omaras.org) relocated from CrossPointe Church in Arnold, Maryland, USA to Italy for a year of learning the language in preparation for church planting. Around the same time Rocco Dalia and his wife Mady (https://roccoandmady.webnode.page/) moved to America to be trained at the SG Pastors College. As we both near the end of our respective training year, the next step is for both the O’Maras and Dalias to move to Torino, which happens this summer. We plan to begin the church planting process in the autumn with a small core team that is currently forming. It is an exciting time as we seek, not only to build the church in Torino, but also to establish a broader SGC-Italia network! It is a tall task, but we believe God will accomplish his purposes through our partnership. We are not building an empire or expressing personal burdens. This is a group project and you too are involved, and we are so grateful for that reality. We labor in partnership for the Lord’s glory and the good of those who respond to the gospel.

Isn’t that another thing we love about Sovereign Grace: we are stronger and more faithful together! So on behalf of Rocco and Mady and my family, thank you! We are grateful for our partnership. Thank you for the ways you are supporting and investing in this work. We would not want to take this step without our SGC family! Please pray for us and consider giving to the European Development Fund and know that your partnership is bearing fruit across the globe!

An update from Michael Granger, Senior Pastor of Trinity Fellowship Church, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia…

When the Granger family moved to Ethiopia in January 2018, we knew we’d encounter trials, tribulations, sicknesses, and difficulty after difficulty. In short, when we signed up for Ethiopia, we were signing up for bad WiFi and lots of problems. But today I write about problems of a different sort. Very aware of fresh grace, I write about the good problems that accompany that grace. The Holy Spirit generated Trinity Fellowship in the midst of the Corona virus, and a civil war. In spite of our weakness in the face of challenges, God has been growing our precious little flock faster than we can keep up.

Our current membership stands right at approximately 100 members. But at the end of this month 35 additional brothers and sisters will be joining our church. Each one of these candidates has been through our membership class and undergone a pastor/member interview in order to hear their testimony, listen to their understanding of the gospel, and evaluate their understanding of repentance and discipleship. What is more, in 2-weeks time, we’ll be baptizing 10 new members into the church.

Why share about the numbers? Because God cares about numbers... In Acts, we’re given numbers. What is more, each number represents a precious soul that God the Father purchased with the heavenly currency that is the blood of his precious Son. These numbers represent grace. But problems accompany this grace - good problems. Addis Ababa is a concrete jungle with over 10 million inhabitants. The city has run out of space so it builds up rather than out.  Trinity Fellowship currently rents out the 2nd floor of a business building. And our space maxes out right around 200. Well, we’ve been averaging 200 plus in attendance for the last few months and the good problem is we’re out of space. Last Sunday there were around 20 individuals standing in the back. We no longer have room to grow. But the real problem is, we can’t find another space to rent. Last week we were looking at a theater that can seat 600, but the Muslim owner rejected us because we're Christian. Please pray that God would give us a place to meet.

Abigail’s Story

I’d like to tell you a story; the story of one woman’s life and how God is using her to impact the lives of others. It’s easy to read about the numbers I referenced above and see them as merely that - numbers. But it’s something else to see and hear their stories.  Abigail returned to Ethiopia in 2022 after studying abroad in Russia. While away from her homeland, she became an atheist and her life was eclipsed by darkness. She returned to Ethiopia an alcoholic and suicidal, having made several attempts on her own life. After joining a Cross Fit gym just down the street from Trinity Fellowship, she encountered James Lewis - a TF member and missionary from Knoxville Tennessee. He invited her to our Sunday morning service. I remember first meeting Abigail as I walked into the sanctuary. In gloom she was hunched over in her chair. As Christ and him crucified for sinners was preached in the sermon, she thought her friend sitting next to her said, “It’s enough Abigail.” Turning to him she asked, “What did you say?” He laughed and replied, “I didn’t say anything, it was the Holy Spirit.” It was enough, indeed. That Sunday Abigail stopped running for Jesus. Abigail believes she trusted in Jesus for the first time in her life during that sermon. That was November of last year. But his work was just beginning. When I first met Abigail, I think nearly everyone would have said she was insane. Today, Abigail is sane. She’s no longer suicidal. She no longer drinks. And she is obsessed with Jesus!

About two months ago, Abigail threw a party at her home and asked several church members and family members to attend. The theme of the party? "Praise the Lord for Saving Me!" Walking into her house, I saw two of her cousins sitting in the corner by themselves aloof and alone. I sat down next to them and asked what they're into? The elder brother said, “Hip-hop.” “Old-school or New?” was my inquisitive reply. He said he liked the old stuff. Having grown up on gangster rap, I didn’t skip a beat. Instantly changing my voice I rapped the entirety of Notorious B.I.G.’s first verse of “Juicy” … “It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up! magazine, Salt-n-Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine … call the crib, same number same hood, and if you don’t know, now you know”  His mouth was gaping open. His sister was glowing. A week later they were at church in the front-row having told their cousin Abigail, they’d never met a pastor that cares about teenagers. After a month in attendance, on Sunday April 2nd, I saw them come up for communion. Abigail ran up to me immediately after the service and said, “They’ve never taken communion before, go talk to them."

Approaching them I acknowledged, “You took communion today, have you done that before?”
“No” the elder brother replied as the sibling representative

“Why haven’t you taken it before?"
“Because we haven’t been baptized.” he answered.
“Why haven’t you been baptized?”
“Because we weren’t Christians” he answered.
“You heard my warning, what made you take it today?” was my final question.
“Because I think I’m a Christian now.”

The Next Generation

In Ephesians 4:8-11 Paul writes, “When [Christ] ascended on high he led captivity captive, and he gave gifts to men… and he gave … shepherds.” Pastors are a gift from the Lord, and in his generous kindness, not only has he given Trinity Fellowship growth in numbers, but the Lord is giving us the gift of more pastors to shepherd those numbers. We're currently in the process of ordaining three men for pastoral ministry: Abenezer and Amanuel will become co-pastors with me of Trinity Fellowship, and we intend to send Brian back to Nairobi, Kenya next year to plant a church. Our intention is to see all three ordained by the end of the year.

This coming September, the dean of our pastors college, Josh Pannel, intends to establish our school's second academic year. We already have over 30 international professors signed up to come teach and we're praying for God to give us 12 students. We currently have 9 prospects.

We are in awe of all that the Lord is doing here in Ethiopia and so grateful for your partnership!

An update from Abelardo Munoz, pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana, Chihuahua, Mexico..

In the month of May of 2014 our church, “Iglesia Gracia Soberana” de Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, in partnership with the Charles Simeon Trust Foundation, hosted an expository preaching workshop which was the first ever conducted in Latin America by this foundation. Our goal was to equip as many preachers and Bible teachers as possible to correctly handle the word of truth, and also to get an idea of how the pastors and teachers of Mexico would respond to the rigorous, hands-on training these workshops entailed.

The workshop was a resounding success, as all participating pastors and teachers responded very enthusiastically to the instruction, preaching and practice they received for two and a half days. About 40 pastors and teachers, mostly from our city and nearby cities in Northern Mexico attended that first workshop. From that year on, our church has hosted a workshop every single year (with the exception of 2021 due to the pandemic), and as the number of churches in our nation began to grow, in addition to the fact that the level of interest in expository preaching was also growing in pastors all over Mexico, in 2015 we decided to host an additional workshop in central Mexico, which was also very successful and was attended by pastors of several denominations coming from different states of our nation.

As the years have gone on, the number of participants attending our workshop in central Mexico has continued to grow steadily. Since 2017 this workshop has been hosted by our sister church “Iglesia Gracia Soberana” de Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The workshops usually take place in the month of March both in Juárez and Guadalajara, and the same Bible genre and book is taught in both workshops each year. The Simeon Trust workshops provide training in six different Bible genres, which are: old testament narrative, prophets, wisdom literature, gospels, epistles and apocalyptic literature. One particular genre and Bible book within that genre are chosen for study in each workshop. When all genres have been studied in a given location, a new cycle begins, with a new study on the same genre, but using a different Bible book within that genre. This is what is currently happening both in Juárez and Guadalajara.

To give you an idea of how much the level of interest in this kind of training has grown in our nation, let me share some significant facts connected to the last workshop we hosted in Guadalajara this past month of March:

• The number of participants was the largest number we have ever had for a single workshop done in Mexico; a total of 72 pastors/teachers.

• Those participants represented 30 different churches, and they came from 16 different states (which is half of the 32 states our country has).

• Of the total number of participants, 24 (or 33%) came from churches which are already a part of Sovereign Grace Mexico, or which are in the process of being adopted into our family of churches.

Besides giving us opportunities to meet and befriend pastors from all kinds of backgrounds, and explore the possibility of potential future adoptions, an additional blessing of our partnership with the Charles Simeon Trust Foundation, is that for several years they have invited several of us who are full time pastors in Sovereign Grace, to be trained as instructors and small group leaders for their workshops. During this last workshop in Guadalajara, one of the two instructors was a Sovereign Grace pastor and 6 of the 8 small group leaders were also Sovereign Grace pastors. Currently, seven Sovereign Grace pastors are serving as instructors in the workshops being held each year in several Mexican cities, and about twelve other Sovereign Grace pastors are serving as small group leaders in those same workshops.

Another training event will take place in Guadalajara from May 9th to 11th. For the last three years the elders and leaders of Latin America have gathered in Guadalajara for a training retreat. This year, about 50 pastors and leaders from all the churches in our nation and from several churches pursuing adoption into Sovereign Grace will be attending, and the main instructor will be Jeff Purswell, who will teach us on pneumatology. Rich Richardson and Carlos Contreras will also teach during the retreat.

We are truly amazed at what our Lord is doing in our nation and we want to, once again, express our deepest gratitude to our family of churches and to the Sovereign Grace Leadership team for their partnership in our work in Mexico. “This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes”. To Him be all the glory.

An update from Fengyu Ji, pastoral intern at Grace Church, Clarksburg, Maryland, USA…

It has been four months since we joined Grace Church of Clarksburg. It may not seem very long, but we have been greatly blessed! As a pastoral intern, I attend weekly pastoral meetings and staff meetings, as well as monthly deacon meetings and regional pastor meetings. These meetings help me learn the ministry philosophies behind Grace Church and Sovereign Grace Churches. With much reflection, my conviction to plant a healthy, gospel-centered, Chinese-speaking church within Sovereign Grace has been strengthened every day.

My wife Fangzhou and I have had the privilege of receiving one-on-one mentorship from pastor John Loftness and his wife Nancy every week. The discussions on core doctrines within the book of John, week in and week out has really deepened my understanding and transformed my life. Their loving care and spiritual counsel has not only nourished our souls but has also guided us to biblical wisdom. Our gratefulness is beyond words!

Meanwhile, Fangzhou and I have also visited all six community groups within our church to both get to know members and be known. As we shared our stories and plans for church planting, they all rejoiced with us and were eager to support us in any way they could. In mid-January, I got to preach in English for the first time at Grace Church. Afterwards, I received many kind and generous words of encouragement from these lovely friends. They were determined to build us up!

Since we moved to Clarksburg a few months ago, God has opened doors for us to know the Chinese neighbors around us. We began to build relationships with them and share the gospel with them. From the end of January, we started a small group at our home to show hospitality and deepen relationships with our neighbors. In March, to those who showed interest, we seized the opportunity and started a strategic evangelism course at our home to further the conversation with them. After comparing several courses, we chose Christianity Explored because all their videos have been translated into Chinese and we could use them immediately. Plus, we got to read the gospel of Mark with these non-believers together. We hoped to build their faith upon God’s Word from the very beginning. Now five non-believing neighbors are coming weekly. We usually have a meal together before we open the Bible and watch the video. We also give them the freedom to ask any questions they want to. May the Holy Spirit mightily work in their hearts during this process!

To communicate our various events, we have set up a Facebook page for the public to receive information. On this platform, we also invite people to church or listen to the Sunday sermon by summarizing a brief gospel message. We also printed out business cards in Chinese with our ministry introduction and my personal contact info to give to people. These cards are also available on the welcome desk for church members to grab or use in various business settings, if any.

As it gets warmer, we plan to order some gospel booklets in Chinese and do open-air evangelism by the grocery store at the center of our community. When the outdoor pools in the neighborhood are open, we also plan to go and meet people there. Recently, I got to connect with a local Chinese barber in Clarksburg, a shop which I regularly visit. Hopefully that will lead to another opportunity! We are currently doing prayer walks whenever we take a walk in our neighborhood.

We know that behind this seemingly peaceful and quiet community, a relentless spiritual war is going on. So, we really need your prayers for the following things:

• Please pray for the gospel class we are running at our home. Please pray that the Lord will open the eyes of these five non-believers who are coming, so that they are able to see the truth and put their trust in Christ.

• Please pray for our Chinese neighbors, that their hearts may be softened and ready to hear the gospel. Please pray that the Lord opens more doors for us to connect with them.

• Please pray for a core team, and that God calls more workers to labor with us for this church plant.

• Please pray for my preparation towards ordination.

• Please pray for our translation work (Sovereign Grace songs and Sovereign Grace books) and publication in China.

Thank you for all your support and prayers!

Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) 

For our family of churches to bear much gospel fruit, as Mark Prater reminded us in his second quarter prayer requests, we must continue to abide in Christ, because apart from him we can do nothing. Jesus’ words capture our utter dependence upon him. Without him, we’ve got no hope. But with him, great things can happen!!

One of the ways that we abide dependently on Christ is through prayer. For Jesus says a couple of verses later in John 15:7, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Asking is a practical expression of abiding dependently on Christ, and so here’s how we can be doing that, together as a family of churches, over the next month…

1. Please continue to pray for the Ark Church in Dnipro, Ukraine asking God to protect them, and to use them to meet practical needs, and to offer gospel hope to people impacted by the way.

2. Please pray for Bob Kauflin & David Zimmer (Sovereign Grace Music), as they lead a SG Worship Matters Intensive in Sydney, Australia, with 19 guys, men from Japan, Philippines and all over Australia (May 3rd-6th).

3. Please pray for our two planned Chinese Church Plants for the US (Charleston & Maryland), for grace, provision, and the raising up of two strong church planting teams. If you are Mandarin speaker yourself, maybe the Lord is calling you to be a part of one of these endeavors?

4. Please pray for Jeff Purswell as he heads to Guadalajara (May 9-11th) to serve at the Mexican Pastors Equipping Retreat. 

5. Please pray for Billy Raies, Steven Avampato, Jeffrey Jo & Pastor Ray as they head to Nepal (May 23-27th) to serve at the NIM Network Conference with our dear friend Barnabas (SG Key Leader in Nepal). Over 400 pastors, wives and missionaries will be present, from 163 different churches. Please pray for grace and wisdom as they speak at this conference, as well as grace and wisdom as they get extended time with Barnabas to think through the next five years of SG Nepal, as we plan together for the future. 

6. Please pray for Ed O’Mara and Rocca Dalia as they look to plant a Sovereign Grace Church in Torino, Italy, later this year. Asking God to provide housing, financial resources, and a Sunday meeting place.

7. Please pray for Dave Taylor & Riley Spring (SG Australia) as they head to Liberia to serve at the Gracelife Pastors & Planters Academy (May 16-23rd), teaching on SG Church Planting. Please pray for safe travels, and receptive and faith-filled hearts. That the Lord's will may be done in these West African Nations, all for His glorious Name.  

An update from Joselo Mercado, Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, and Key Leader into Sovereign Grace LATAM…

The beginning of 2023 has been an intense one, but very productive for the work of the gospel in Latin America. Here are 5 different ways Sovereign Grace of Gaithersburg (IGSG) was able to serve extra-locally. I will share a few words with you about each opportunity that the Lord allowed us to serve in, to demonstrate the great work of revival that God is doing in the Hispanic world.

Ante Su Palabra Conference, Denton, Texas, USA (January 19-21)

This is an annual leadership development conference that takes place in Denton, Texas. I am part of the team that organizes it and the purpose is to equip pastors with biblical models for the faithful proclamation of the word. ASP has conferences in Argentina and Texas. In addition, they run expository preaching training and monthly calls to encourage pastors. This conference was attended by about 850 people and Carolina Gonzales, who is a member of IGSG, was part of the logistics team. I preached a sermon from Romans 13 about the hope we have in the second coming that leads us to love the community we live in and the body of Christ.

Equipping Pastors in San Jose, Costa Rica (January 25-27)

I was able to go on this short trip to train pastors and leaders of churches interested in being adopted by Sovereign Grace. We taught on how to practice biblical fellowship. This is an area of ​​weakness in the Hispanic world where in the Hispanic culture people are very friendly with many, but develop deep relationships with few. They were presented with the biblical model of living in the light because of the reality that in the gospel we have the forgiveness of sin and the power to be transformed.

Por Su Gracia Conference, Costa Rica (March 2-6)

Rich Richardson, Bob Donohue and I went to Jaco, Costa Rica and participated in the Por Su Gracia conference with the purpose of promoting sound doctrine in this Central American country. At this moment there are 6 churches interested in being adopted into Sovereign Grace, so we were able to share with the pastors and churches of this beautiful country. On Sunday, Rich preached at Casa 2:42 in San Jose, Bob at Iglesia Bíblica de Playa Azul and I at Iglesia La Gracia in San Jose. We were very encouraged by what God is doing in Costa Rica. As the Ticos say, Pura Vida!

Pastoral Couples Retreat, Santa Marta, Colombia (March 20-24)

On March 20th, we were able to travel to Santa Marta to be with 14 couples from 7 churches, several of them in the SG adoption process. Most pastors were from Colombia, but we had two coming from Bolivia. The purpose of this retreat was to equip them with Biblical truths to strengthen their marriages, but more than that, we wanted to encourage them in their ministry and also create relationships among them so that they can serve together in the broad work that the Lord is doing in Colombia. We spent three days sharing, eating and talking. Once again Carolina Gonzales was able to coordinate all the logistics for this retreat and we were able to bless these pastors and their wives with dinners and special times in this beautiful city.

True Woman '23 – Revive our Heart Spanish (March 31 – April 2)

Lastly we went as a family to the Mujer Verdadera (True Woman) '23 conference in Guadalajara, Mexico. 8,100 women from 35 countries gathered in this city to be instructed on how to grow in their biblical femininity. This is the conference for the Hispanic wing of Nancy DeMoss' Revive Our Hearts ministry. God is using this ministry to impact Latin America and women in their families, churches and communities. I was invited to preach a sermon on freedom in Christ based on the entire book of Romans as well as participate in a panel on the freedom that the gospel offers from the false ideologies of this world. It was impressive to see what God is doing in the Hispanic world by observing so many women hungry for the word.

Something that was very special was having my whole family at the conference, and they being used as a model of doing ministry together. In addition, several IGSG members participated in the conference both face-to-face and behind the scenes. This was very edifying. On Sunday we were able to preach at the Gracia Soberana Church in Guadalajara and see the great work that Roberto Estupinian is doing leading this congregation. From there we went on vacation as a family, but we left very excited to see what God is doing.

Finally, in the midst of this, I was able to go to Santo Domingo for a week in February to start a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) with the Southern Baptist Seminary. Please pray that this opportunity will be used to better serve the local church of IGSG and wider Sovereign Grace Churches so that Christ can be made known in the Hispanic world.

An update from Ricky Alcantar, Lead Pastor of Cross of Grace Church, El Paso, Texas, USA...

Our Antioch retreat was born out of a desire to see more and more churches in Sovereign Grace follow the pattern of the church in Antioch in Acts 11-13, particularly here in the US.

In many ways the legacy of Antioch is extraordinary: It had such a strong local witness that it was there the believers were first called "Christians." It was the first place to intentionally set apart and send out Paul and Barnabas for missionary church planting work. It was a strong church that became a hub for mission and care in the early church. 

But look closer and you'll see much more "ordinary" ministry than any local church can pursue: ordinary Christians fleeing persecution planted the church when they couldn't help but tell others about Jesus, leaders were raised up, a heart for other churches became part of the church's DNA, and generosity in finances and leaders allowed the gospel work to continue forward.  

Our Antioch program aims to help churches faithfully pursue the marks of mission we see in Antioch and the New Testament, while we ask God to do more than we ask or think. This year 6 elderships came to Louisville and met with members of our Church Planting Group as we looked at the building blocks of a church fully engaged in the mission. 

• Mike Seaver inspired us to consider church planting as an extension of Christ's purposes in the world today.

• Andy Farmer helped us examine the church planting legacy of Covenant Fellowship and explored how interdependence shapes the way we plant churches and do mission together.

• Greg Dirnberger drew on his years of pastoral experience to help us see the crucial role that developing leaders has in our mission together.

• Jeremy Oddy talked about the importance of caring about our local areas and how one another ministry supports the mission of the church.

• I talked through how the many elements fit together, how the gospel propels us forward in mission, and pointed to the great hope we have that Christ is alive and working through the church in the world today.

• All 12 elders part of the retreat shared encouragement with one another, prayed for one another, and contributed to our discussions as well. 

And I'm happy to report that the Lord met us as we gathered together. 

One pastor on the retreat later admitted, "I came tired, hardly wanting to leave home to learn more about what I’m not doing well and yet I return home having been rejuvenated, envisioned, filled with contented joy, and looking forward to steps forward - one of which we will do this Sunday as we call the church family to pray together for God’s guidance in mission to our community, our desire to be a church planting church, and a church that raises up and sends out missionaries to the nations."

It was such a joy to spend long meals laughing and encouraging one another as pastors from SG regions across the country. Another Sovereign Grace pastor mentioned that the retreat was also "a very helpful time to help individual churches feel connected to the mission of Sovereign Grace as a church planting family of churches."

After the retreat each of the six churches participating will be matched up with a member of the church planting group or trained church planting coach to help them think through how to apply Antioch principles in their own local context. So please be praying for continued fruit from those conversations. Ask God that more leaders be raised up for the work, more lost people come to know the Savior in our local contexts, and that more churches are planted around the country as a result. 

At the retreat I found myself profoundly encouraged that I'm part of a family of churches that desires the same thing. It's a big mission, but one that we're privileged to play a part in, and one that we take up together.   

While my church no longer has giant "reaching the nations" words written across our walls, I pray that the ambition to be part of Christ's mission in the world today never fades from our hearts. 

PS. Interested in being part of next year's Antioch retreat? We'd love to have you. Email me at ricky@crossofgrace.net

An update from Perry Wang, church planting resident at Risen Hope Church, Summerville, South Carolina, USA…

“I knew it! I knew it!”

When Mike Seaver and Craig Tuck started talking about my 2-year church planting residency at Risen Hope Church, partnering with Centerpoint Church at Remount (a Southern Baptist church) in the Greater Charleston area, I told my wife, “I knew God would not withhold anything good from us!” When we felt God leading us to stay in the States to plant a Chinese church, we prayed that we could be trained by and involved in Sovereign Grace Churches so that we could bless the Chinese community and Chinese churches in North America, and beyond. And God opened a door for us.

It's now been a year and eight months since I started the residency and God’s grace is abundant. My R1 visa was approved in time, we have financial support, God's provided a gathering place for us, and if it all goes well, we will move into our own house in the middle of May. Above all, I am grateful for my pastoral team because their lives clearly display our “shaping virtues”: humility, joy, gratitude, encouragement, generosity, servanthood, and godliness. By living among them, they have had a great impact on my life, and I think this is just what Chinese churches need. Good leaders and sound doctrine.

There are about five thousand Mandarin-speaking Chinese people in the Greater Charleston area and among them there is only one Mandarin-speaking church, which is declining. There are about fifty people who show up for a Sunday service. I have made efforts to connect with them and at times we have been able to form good relationships. We were invited to lead a Bible study in a small group and to preach once on a Sunday. My wife Ruth was invited to teach Chinese which allowed me to build relationships with the students’ parents and share the gospel with them.

On March 4, we held our first church planting interest meeting. Nineteen people showed up, which resulted in two couples expressing their interest in being involved with the church plant and wanting to know more about it. Of the two couples, one sister is Chinese and speaks Mandarin, while her husband and the other couple are American. Another brother, Michael, who has been helping me with translating the meeting, is hoping to help in the beginning of the church plant.

After the interest meeting however, the leader of the local Mandarin-speaking church told me not to come to the church anymore, fearing that I could lead the church, or at least half of the church away, which is not our heart. So while most of the church were welcoming, we made a decision not to attend that church anymore. At first, this was very discouraging as we had made efforts with them to evangelize, lead bible studies at the nearby university and had formed connections with the church. We felt we had made some traction and been able to help. But in God's kindness, one day as I was sharing my discouragement with a brother, he said "maybe that's why God led you here to plant a church"… His words woke me up again.

So now, the next step for us is to gather and study sound doctrine together and grow the Sovereign Grace culture in our team. Our plan is to launch on September 24, 2023. Our biggest need is maturity and like-minded co-workers, especially those who have a Sovereign Grace background. Please pray that God will raise up shepherds with different gifts to build up his church.

An update from Jeffrey Jo, Senior Pastor of Cross of Christ Salvation Gospel Ministries (CCSGM) in Manila, Philippines, and National Leader for our work in the Philippines ...

It was a hot summer's day, Tuesday March 28, 2023 in Manila, Philippines where, for the first time, Sovereign Grace Churches hosted our Sovereign Grace Asia-Pacific Pastors Conference entitled “The Beauty of Pastoral Ministry”. Over 120 Filipino pastors with their wives from different parts of the Philippines, along with pastors from Pakistan, South Korea, India, Australia and the United States gathered joyously in Microtel Wyndham Hotel.

The conference started with the reading of Ephesians 4:4-6 in 7 different languages, followed by a time of heartfelt singing. We dwelled on the greatness and wisdom of God in salvation, led by Emmanuel Iluzada and CCSGM Kawit's worship team. Our Director of Global Missions, Dave Taylor, welcomed all the delegates and kicked off the preaching on ‘The Pastor and The Cross’. It was a powerful reminder indeed to all of us of our foundation, reason, inspiration and passion in pastoral ministry; namely the cross of Christ.

The following day, we faced the morning with love and laughter as all the delegates enjoyed breakfast in the hotel restaurant. The joy experienced through the fellowship of people called by God to care for His church was a lovely sight to witness. Mark Prater, our Executive Director, graced the day with his preaching on ‘The Pastor and The Flock’, teaching us that shepherds should live among their flock so that they can lovingly care and guard them. In the afternoon, the preaching centered on ‘The Pastor and His Soul’, which I had the preach. The lesson was drawn from David’s intimacy with God even in his prime years.

The last day was a blast! Mark gave a very clear instructional sermon on heathy plurality in leadership entitled ‘The Pastor and His Team’. He concluded by encouraging us with this: “When you cultivate a healthy plurality, team ministry is a joy.” Then in the afternoon, Dave gave his last sermon by challenging us to take risks for the cause of Christ, because Jesus is worth it! It was an awakening yet inspiring sermon fit to adjourn the conference.

There were church testimonies and updates as well both in the second and the third day. It was inspiring to see a genuine love of the gospel and of God's people, especially in men like Jaya Prakash, our first ordained Sovereign Grace pastor in India. It was encouraging to see a gratitude for God and for Sovereign Grace Churches, especially in men like Songhwan Kang of South Korea. It was enlivening to hear of the humility and joy of being part of a local Sovereign Grace Church, especially in men like Andrew Leung of Sydney, Australia. It was energizing yet humbling indeed to see courage and passion for the gospel, especially in men like our key leader in Pakistan!

The conference was also attended by four Filipino pastors and their wives who are interested in being adopted by Sovereign Grace Churches. One of the pastors said he had never attended a conference where the schedule was so well organized that it didn’t feel tight, where sermons were grounded from the scriptures and where preachers exemplified humility. One of the pastor’s wives also commented that this was the first pastors conference she had ever attended where the wives were appreciated, and emphasis was placed on the beautiful role she played in fulfilling her husband's pastoral calling.

Though we all know that these are the works of our gracious Chief Shepherd, I'm thankful to the people who prayed and supported us in any and every way to make this conference happen, who provided generously to the conference, and who served with loving hospitality. I hope that in God’s providence a gathering of Sovereign Grace Asia-Pacific pastors and wives can become a biennial event so that shepherds who care for the sheep will be encouraged and our region will be strengthened and unified to make His Name known!

Thank you, Sovereign Grace family of churches!