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Hi Friends:
Here is the latest "Partnering Minute" communication from REACT Services. As you might remember, the PM is our attempt by to communicate to you on a more regular basis about the world of ministry partnering. Please feel free to pass this along *carefully* to anyone you think might be interested.
This
is just a
short note
from here in
Malta.
As many of
you have
hopefully
read or
heard, I was
here
participating
in a large
gathering of
ministries
trying to be
even more
effective in
their
collaborative
outreach
to North
Africa with
the Good
News of
Christ.
Since
partnering
and
collaboration
is at the
center of
REACT's
focus, it is
a joy to
among these
colleagues
and friends.
Below is a
picture of
one of my
short
outings here
to the
shipwrecked
church of
St. Paul in
the
background.
One of the
main reasons
I am here,
however, was
because
REACT
had been
invited to
assist in
the exploration
of a
possible
partnering
effort for
reaching
Muslims in
the
Middle East.
Many of the
groups who
work in
North Africa
also work in
the Middle
East. As
difficult as
it is to do
ministry in
North Africa,
the
Middle East
is even more
complex
because of
the
political,
economic and
social
unrest. In
addition,
there is an
established church
in the
Middle East
which often
times
focuses only
their own
community.
We knew that
prayer
covering
would have
to be at the
core for
this to
happen. All
of us
began asking our
networks and
contacts to
prayer for
the time
together.
Over 125
people
representing
nearly every
country in
the
Middle East,
along with a
large
contingent
of the
international
community,
met together
yesterday.
We discussed
what such a
partnering
effort for
outreach to
Muslims in
the
Middle East
would look
like and how
it might
work. The
usual (and
historic)
challenges
and
obstacles of
fear of
reprisal,
relational
dysfunctionality,
egos, etc.,
were looked
at and
lovingly
dismissed.
The
consensus to
move forward
with
this idea of
was
overwhelming!
Instead of
being bogged
down with
the
challenges,
we were able
to
spend time
looking at
what the
strategic
issues
are that
need to be
initially
addressed,
how those
believers
with a
Muslim
background
need to be
among the
main drivers
of this
effort, and
how to
mobilize
prayer to
cover it
all.
We
believe that
God's
presence,
which was so
evident
among
us, allowed
us to
achieve in
one day what
some had
feared would
take months
and even
years!!
Of course,
that is one
of the core
principles
of effective
partnering
-- having
prayer
undergirding
the work.
I am deeply
grateful to
those on our
prayer and
intercessor
network who
took the
time to pray
with us for
this
initiative.
As we now
begin
this journey
in the
Middle East,
we will need
prayer even
more. Stay
tuned for
that
opportunity.
For more
information
on
REACT Services
and
the ministry projects
with which
we are
involved,
you
can contact
us at: Info@REACTServices.com
or check out
our website
at:
www.REACTServices.com.
As always,
we could use
your
financial
help as we
seek to do
what God has
called us to
(see below).
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