Most of our team held a very successful DM seminar a couple hours away on Tuesday. Scott flies to Nepal on Thursday, so the whole team will spend Wednesday, their last day all together, debriefing the past couple weeks of ministry and having fun at a local amusement park.
Tuesday’s Prayer Requests:
1. God to continue to guide the new DM groups now beginning to meet; group coaches to lead, communicate, and administrate effectively, and group members to be fully committed to and powerfully impacted by the discipleship process.
2. Grace for our Filipino and U.S. team members to stay strong, healthy, wise, and refreshed as they serve God by raising disciples who make disciples.
3. Safety and wisdom for Scott as he – and his luggage! – travel to Nepal on Thursday.
Tuesday’s Details:
Wilson and Angelica, Daniel and Elsie, and Mark, Whitney, Liam, and Korbin had a full day Tuesday, traveling a couple hours out and back to Nueva Ecija, where they held a “vision casting” DM seminar. As the saying goes, “You’re no success without a successor,” and since these folks have proven themselves more than capable of planning, coordinating, and leading such a seminar, Scott sent them forth and stayed home. = ) They had a great opportunity to introduce Jesus’ discipleship process to a new group of people. Our Filipino team is definitely passionate about expanding outward and influencing more people.
Different team members taught different sessions.
Daniel, right, encouraging and challenging the peopleMark (with Liam and others) acting out the impact making one true disciple
Mark said, “Today the PDMM team did a vision casting in [Nueva Ecija]. Only 12 showed up but all 12 decided to join in the disciple making process.” We all want to do things that really matter and make a difference, and today’s seminar means that the investment of our six people (three ministry couples) yielded 12 new disciples-to-be, which is a 200% return on investment!
Mark said, “Also a pastor came who is excited to be a part and has many connections in a neighboring town. He also had me autograph Scott’s Raising Disciple-Makers book lol even though he knew I wasn’t Scott. It was quite funny. All in all it was exactly what everybody needed, both our team and the local pastors.”
Our team will have a final debriefing meeting on Wednesday and then enjoy some fun time together at nearby Pugo Adventure Park.
Here’s a friendly reminder: Your prayers throughout this trip are going ahead of our team and paving the way for God to use them in influencing others to raise more disciple-makers, and this is not the time to relax spiritually! Mark’s family will still be ministering in the Philippines for another week and-a-half, and Scott is headed to Nepal for a week and then to India for another week, so please don’t stop praying now.
Before returning “home” to our base in Villasis on Saturday afternoon, our team and their families, who have been going pretty much non-stop for many days, were all thankful for a bit of relaxing time at the beach. Scott and Mark each preached Sunday morning in two different churches in Villasis and then in the afternoon met with the leaders of those two churches about their current DM groups and expansion going forward.
Sunday’s Prayer Requests:
1. Those who have already been impacted by the discipleship message during this trip to dive in and stay committed to the process; new DM groups to be led well and change lives.
2. Refreshing for the Flores family (Wilson and Angelica and their three children), the Phillips family (Mark and Whitney and their two sons), Pastor Daniel and his wife Elsie, and Scott; for the Lord to renew their strength for this current week of seminars and meetings and keep them all healthy.
3. Over the next few days, God to prepare the hearts of those who will be at Scott’s seminars in Nepal this weekend; favor for logistical details to work out well.
Sunday’s Details:
On Monday Scott will do a DM seminar in a city three-and-a-half hours to the northeast, and on Tuesday Mark will lead a DM seminar in another city three hours to the southeast. Raising disciple-makers is all about making and deepening relationships with believers who are eager to grow, and it often involves a lot of travel!
But back to Saturday, any idea what THIS is?!?
Is it… a bunch of Golden Globes?
And how many globes are there? Inquiring minds want to know!
Here’s another picture of it, but what IS this thing anyway?!? (uh… the structure, not the Hero on its steps!)
Scott said it’s something like a jungle gym on the beach; looks fun!
He also had fun in the water with Wilson and Angelica’s youngest…
Outrunning the waves!
… while her mom got some much-needed downtime to breathe.
Angelica not moving = )
(Shhh… I’ve also heard rumors that Wilson and Mark took surfing lessons on Saturday, but I have no proof that that is true.)
For a number of reasons related to scheduling and availability, the first week of this mission trip ended up being front-loaded with some of the most intense ministry, the part largely focused on expansion of the disciple-making process into new regions of the Philippines.
While our team does have two more DM seminars on Monday and Tuesday, this week’s focus is more on strengthening our core by providing the stability, clarity, and relational and logistical infrastructure that will facilitate long-term growth, and rest is an important piece of that puzzle: “… ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength… ‘” (Isaiah 30:15).
Scott’s time in the Philippines during this trip will total two weeks, Mark and Whitney’s four weeks, but Wilson and Angelica, Daniel and Elsie, and the many coaches they are discipling – and their disciples are discipling – will be there on the ground on the daily, and we want them to have all the resources possible to stand firm no matter what.
That’s where you, our prayer partners come in! Thank you for praying for our TTC team again today. They really appreciate it, and so do I.
The response at the DM seminar in La Union (2.5 hours from our TTC base in Villasis) was great, and then our team was blessed to get to enjoy an evening and night at the beach there!
Friday’s Prayer Requests:
1. God to continue to build on the good relationships begun in La Union so that we can establish a new outpost and expand the DM process in that region.
2. Good health for everyone; vigorous immune systems and no more germs shared. Also, Pastor Gil’s throat surgery to be scheduled soon and go very well.
3. Effective follow-up from last week’s Tandem Conference, this week’s DM Summit and Coaches Summit, and today’s DM seminar; all planned new DM groups to be organized promptly and start this week or next!
Friday’s Details:
Our team departed Villasis at 5:30 AM to drive to La Union, where an unusual series of events have drawn together some 40 (?) people who had heard about the disciple making movement and wanted to get involved. Some of them made significant sacrifices to be there today and bless our team. As a result of today’s seminar, all the people in this photo have signed up to be in a DM group.
About to become disciple-makers!
Specific coaches in the Philippines Disciple-Makers Movement (PDMM) are passionate about expanding into specific regions, and for one or more of those coaches, La Union is one of those specific regions. In expanding into a “new” area, our pattern is to connect with a handful of like-minded pastors there and train them in a DM group for several months. That group is what we call a DM “outpost.” Those group members will then share the concept with other pastors and ministry leaders, and a few months later one of our team will go there and hold a DM seminar with all those pastors, leaders, and others. We expect the people in the picture above to be the seed of an outpost in the La Union area, and we are excited!
For the rest of today’s news, I’m going to let Scott tell you about the day and evening in his own words. Please listen to his 3:30 audio [here]. I decided I couldn’t explain it as well as he does, but one caveat: He sent this audio to me personally and didn’t expect it to be made public, so it’s not quite as smooth as his presentations at DM seminars. = )
And here are a few pictures related to our gang’s time at the beach.
With two lovely young ladies
Scott is crazy about kids and they tend to have a lot of fun with him. And how about that stunning background?
As you can see, they were right ON the beach!
As darkness fell, it looks like the girls conquered the guys in a game of Sequence, but who knows? Maybe there was a rematch. = ) In the very far top left you can just barely see the waves breaking at the shore.
Happy times at the beach
Now that you’re feeling relaxed and beachy, would you please take a moment to pray for the requests above? God hears and answers, and our team is so grateful for your faithfulness in prayer!
At Wednesday’s Coaches Summit, the national directors for the Philippines Disciple-Makers Movement were officially recognized and commissioned, the baton was passed, and the coaches are now running with the vision! Our team then had a much-needed off day on Thursday in preparation Scott’s DM seminar several hours away on Friday and Mark’s DM seminar on Saturday.
Thursday’s Prayer Requests:
1. The coaches to use grace and wisdom as they apply in their groups the principles and policies that were presented at the summit.
2. The Holy Sprit to create God-connections with potential new disciple-makers during Scott’s and Mark’s DM seminars over the next two days; the attendees at those seminars to understand and grasp Jesus’ method of making disciples.
3. No dilution of the vision and methods for raising disciple-makers as the “generations” of disciples increase throughout the Philippines.
Thursday’s Details:
The primary goals for the Coaches Summit were 1) to transfer leadership of the Philippines Disciple-Makers Movement (PDMM) to Wilson and Angelica, and 2) for the coaches to take “ownership” by purposefully investing in the spiritual growth of their group members. Both goals were met!
They gathered in a (slightly lopsided!) circle, and although they look pretty serious in this picture, Scott said the coaches were really enthusiastic and motivated.
Scott speaking on the theme of running the race set before us
Scott then led our team in publicly setting apart Wilson and Angelica to lead this ministry, confirming what God has already been doing through them. It was a powerful event.
Laying hands on our Philippines national directors
Afterwards, Wilson spoke with strength and conviction about the plan for PDMM’s ministry going forward. Wilson is generally the calm, quiet type, so Scott was very impressed with how passionate and professional he was as he addressed the coaches in his new, official role.
Wilson telling it like it is and setting clear expectations about passing the baton
And here are all the excited Filipino DM coaches standing behind the leadership team!
Even if you never travel to the Philippines or personally meet these members of our worldwide Christian family, your prayers for them as they disciple others are making an eternal impact. Thank you!
The Tuesday DM Summit for more than 100 current disciple-makers group members has concluded successfully!!! On Wednesday our team will lead a Coaches Summit for all the leaders of those groups.
Tuesday’s Prayer Requests:
1. The Holy Spirit to speak through Wilson and Angelica, Scott, and Mark and Whitney during Wednesday’s Coaches Summit to give the coaches the tools they need to press forward in discipling their group members well.
2. Good health, strength, and clear direction for our team during – and beyond – this mission trip.
3. All the necessary preparation to be completed for the pastoral couples at last week’s Tandem Conference to begin attending their new online DM groups later this week!
Tuesday’s Details:
Today our team had the high honor of encouraging and challenging a great many Filipino believers who are currently in DM groups, along with their coaches (group leaders). Everybody had matching blue Philippines Disicple-Makers Movement shirts, except for the several new people who came to learn about raising disciple-makers and hopefully join a group. = )
The day began with worship…
… followed by a series of teaching sessions by various leaders, including, but not limited to:
My Hero, Scott,Whitney’s Hero, Mark,and Wilson’s Princess, Angelica.
In between sessions, the coaches met with their groups to discuss the topics being presented. The groups scattered over the property, both inside and out, and discussed not only what they were learning, but how to implement it in their own lives.
A group insideMany groups outsideTelling it like it isKeeping it real
Like the speakers throughout the day, the coaches emphasized to their disciples the idea that, having received and grown so much by being in their own DM group, they were now responsible to provide those same opportunities to others. That is, they were being challenged to raise more disciple-makers.
And 24 of those disciples took the challenge! They made a public commitment to step up and coach a group of their own!
Scott encouraging the 24 new DM coaches!
The two main goals of today’s DM Summit were to encourage the attendees and challenge them to carry the baton forward by coaching their own groups, and thanks to God, our leadership team, and your prayers, those goals were met!
Here’s everybody: the 24 new coaches standing with their coaches and their coaches’ coaches!
The attendees at today’s DM Summit who are DM group members (disciples) have now returned home, but the coaches are staying for the all-day Coaches Summit on Wednesday (Tuesday night MO time). This will be a more intimate time of ministry and training, and we are expecting God to empower these coaches for whatever they will face in this next season!
Two ofmy personal goals in these updates are to communicate how much we appreciate you and encourage you to pray faithfully for this ministry, especially during this missions trip. So, THANK YOU, and PLEASE PRAY for the above requests today.
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