CIC Missions

It's Official...We're Headed Back to Malawi

2009-03-01T15:27:00.002-08:00

The 2009 Mission to Malawi Team is happy to announce that the tickets have been puchased and we are on our way. As of right now, we have four team members: Melanie Brison, Jill Erwin, Lana Mardis, and Karen Wesely. Our flight will take off on Monday, June 8. Lana will return on June 21 and the rest of the team will return on July 20. It will be an adventure. Please pray for our travel safety and the continual financial support we are raising. We have been blessed to receive so many prayers and financial gifts. Thanks to everyone!

Mark your calendars:

Applebee's Pancake Breakfast for Malawi
Saturday, April 18
8:00a.m.-10:00a.m.

Worship Concert Featuring FORGIVEN
Admission is free, but a love offering and proceeds from concessions will be donated to the mission fund as well.
Saturday, May 9
Details TBA...

The Witness Project - Operation Go….David Wood Ministries

2009-03-01T15:27:00.001-08:00

The WITNESS Project has been a bold adventure. It equips local church leaders with all the tools they need to take God’s Word across every ethnic, lingual, and political boundary. Our goal when we started the WITNESS Project was to train 100,000 men and women-indigenous believers such as pastors, evangelists, missionaries and church planters who have taken up the call of the Great Commission to share Christ with millions of hard-to-reach people around the world. Moreover, because soul winning lays the foundation for lasting church growth, these National Christians will leave behind a culturally relevant church in every community they touch.

The WITNESS Project Nine Year Report:
National pastors trained and equipped: 30,781
Countries/Languages working in: 47
International Field Offices: 8

Reported Results:Number of Soul Winners they have trained: 1,665,507
Number of souls that have been won: 19,986,106
Number of churches planted: 2,763From India (PastorThomas Maher, India Director):
….”We had 1,113 national pastors and leaders trained and equipped. They committed to train 52,321 soul winners in the next two years and to plant 4,542 churches. We have great expectations in the next 18 to 24 months. With the planting of churches and this tremendous number of soul winners in place all over several cities in India, there is potential for over 1 million to come to Christ during this time. Praise the Lord!”

From Myanmar (Paul Syn, Myanmar Director):
“Our recent campaign in Myanmar was a great success! Over 1,200 delegates were in attendance with many traveling for days by bicycle. Our meeting hall was packed out; preachers happily sat on benches shoulder-to-shoulder with no complaints. When the complete Operation Go program was distributed to each pastor, many were overcome with emotion and gratitude. They could hardly wait to get back to their towns and villages to implement this new strategy. They will use Operation Go to grow their existing churches and plant new ones for the glory of God.”

From Cuba (Rick Montes, South America Director):
“This was our second time to Cuba in the last two years. First we returned to strengthen and encourage the pastors we had trained last time and to hear the wonderful reports of how God is using Operation Go in this impoverished country, to give many a new life in Christ. Then we went to conduct a Soul Winning Directors Institute, with 82 delegates in attendance. After the third day of the Institute the delegates were sent out to knock on doors; they later returned rejoicing and praising God for seeing 86 souls won to Christ! This is what it’s all about! Praise Him!”
_____________________________________________________________________
NOTE: CIC monthly supports one National Pastor in India. Thanks, CIC members!

Missions………...…...Open Doors Ministry…………….Missions

2009-03-01T15:26:00.002-08:00

VOM (Voice of the Martyrs)
Joseph’s father kicked him out of his house as a teenager when Joseph became a Christian. But that didn’t stop him from wanting to tell other people about his faith. He shares Jesus everywhere he goes. “I always start with a verse from the Bible. At first, I never mention it is a Bible verse, but when somebody is interested, then I tell him that the verses are from the Bible.”

Though Pakistan is an Islamic republic, its law says that everyone is free to worship as they please. But in this Muslim country, Christians are persecuted by family members and neighbors. Under Shariah law, or laws based on principals of Islam, Christians are guilty of rejecting Mohammad, Islam’s prophet, and are thus punishable by imprisonment of death.

One day Joseph was going from shop to shop distributing Bibles in the main bazaar of the city. A beggar approached him, asking for money. Joseph gave him a Bible instead. “I told him about Christ, how he sacrificed Himself for our sins.” Then he prayed with him. As Joseph looked up from prayer, suddenly he saw six men standing around him. “They started beating me until I was unconscious. When I came back to my senses, I saw them still surrounding me,” Joseph said. “I was bleeding and in severe pain. Again the beat me. I was crying. They were using bad language against me and yelling, ‘You are an infidel; you are misleading Muslim people, we will kill you.’”

These men tied Joseph’s hands and feet and locked him in a room. He stayed there all night, in pain. Sometime during the night, he felt a touch on his shoulder. “All of a sudden my fear was gone. Immediately a verse came in my mind: ‘Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.’” (Rev. 2:10)

At 5:00 AM the next day, the men came in the room and beat him again, shouting and cursing him. They offered him money to leave Christianity. They threatened to shoot him. But Joseph was firm, unafraid. “I was thinking it was a perfect time to preach Christ,” he said.

“I said, ‘Do whatever you want to do,’ then started preaching to them. I told them Jesus says I am the way, I am the truth and I am salvation…I told them about the birth and the resurrection of Christ. When I finished preaching, I said, ‘OK now it is your turn, do what you want with me.’ I was very bold and this is all because of Christ.”

As Joseph spoke, he noticed the leader of the group was listening intently. When Joseph finished, the leader told the others to let him go. In the early morning darkness, the leader took Joseph on his motorcycle to a bus stop. Before he left, Joseph told the man that Jesus teaches us to love others, and He shed His blood for all human beings and Jesus loved him. Moved, the man asked Joseph to forgive him for beating him.

“Because of the beating I couldn’t even stand properly, but saw tears in his eyes. I know he was touched,” he said. Joseph gave him a Bible.Despite his run-ins with Muslim attackers, Joseph continues to distribute Christian literature and talk about Jesus’ love.
_____________________________________________________________________CIC supports Open Doors Ministry on a monthly basis. Open Doors distributes Bibles and Christian literature and provides other help to persecuted Christians around the world

Mission Letter: Kenya, East Africa Pastor Thomas Aboki Ogari

2009-03-01T15:26:00.001-08:00

In Oct. 2006, Pastor Thomas first asked for help in constructing a church building . We were unable to help at that time. Here’s his request below:__________________
Re: new building
From: Thomas Ogari
To: paulloy@aol.com
Cc:
Bcc:
Date: Mon, 9 Oct 2006 4:42 am

I am requesting you to help us church building. My vision is to build enough church so that we can start another project may be a nursary school next year.
our church is very small please help us. We have receved 45 children we are very happy in the word of God they memolize verses they represented as a concernt exprassing a good samaritan Luke 10:25-37. We wish if you will build the church the whole room will be enough for them to use.
I have talk with the engineers the have told me the estimate for the building is KSH.750 000 ($9,591.00US ) that is the information i have. my church members have saluted to your family.
Yours thomas._______________________________________________________________
Re: new building,
Thomas Ogari to you - yesterdayMore Details
From: Thomas Ogari
To: paulloy@aol.com
Cc:
Bcc:
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 2:46 am

Dear bro, Paul,
Greetings, thanks for the great work, we have the bricks now and we pray for our brothers and sisters who were sick, we are like mud which the potter uses to make pots.
our father can make us the way he wishes. we still love them and wish them nice time.
I have asked the sellers of sand they agreed one lorry is 15000 ksh we need to start with three which is 45000 ksh in this process we can start the build with 15 cements one costs 900ksh = 13500ksh .
this will bring total amount 58 500 ksh. (This is $750.08USD)
we pray for this many have seen God is great .
thanks yours thomas.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear bro, Paul,
Greetings,thanks always to GOD for the love to us in every day life, the problem of the building will be done by our LORD and in this I have planned this way that the monthly surpport half of the money I will open a bank account and save the money, this will take about two years for the building.after this we will be collecting monthly tenths and add them to the account.this will help us.we pray God will help us to reach the need.
I have tried to reach the ministries in usa who are church constructors but they give false idear and others can give some ministries in kenya which can help but after writing to them they say they have alot of work so am praying that this plan will help us I will end up saying be blessed and let GOD BE OUR LIGHT AMEN.
Yours thomas.__________________________________________________________________

In 2008, CIC has been able to purchase bricks and send the $750 needed for sand and cement. However, the building has yet to be started due to the major cost of construction. As per the last communication, Pastor Thomas has determined to set up an account and save for two years for this project. There is much more to say about this project, but space is limited.

If anyone desires to help build an inexpensive church building in Kenya, please see me.
Paul Loy

Mission Letter from The Suttons - Papua New Guinea

2009-03-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

Dear Family & Friends,

This past week has been a sad week for the people of Yembiyembi and for our team. On Friday, Kevin passed away.

He was one of Tara’s tribal fathers and was one of our main helpers in translating the Scripture. But from the start, he has rejected the Truth even though we as a team shared the Gospel with him so many times.

Please be in prayer for his wife, Erika, and their kids. She is not a believer and so we hope that this will only make her ask more questions and want to know more about the Bible.

Then on Monday in the afternoon, Hosea passed away. As far as we know he was not a believer. He has been sick off and on for a while now with a heart condition.

Please be in prayer for his parents, Donald & Anna, who also are rejecting the Truth.

This is a very difficult time for Brooks & Nina to be in the tribe by themselves. [Note: Brooks and Nina are the other missionary couple at Yembiyembi and are with the tribe presently while the Suttons are on furlough]

We know that God is still in control and He has a plan for the believers in Yembiyembi!

Thank you for praying!
Tony, Tara, Scarlett & Logan

Our contact information:

Tony Sutton Email: tony_sutton
32369 Alvwood RD. NE. Phone: 218-835-8887
Blackduck, MN. 56630

An Update from a Kenyan Missionary Supported by CIC

2009-03-01T15:22:00.000-08:00

Mission Letter: Kenya, East Africa Pastor Jeremiah Nyagaka Bosire

Today’s mission letter is of a more personal nature and not just a general mission report. It is published as written by Pastor Jeremiah.

This letter, which I received on Feb. 5, includes a request for 8000 Kenyan shillings ($104.40 US dollars) to help offset expenses of food and shelter to go survey a new area to evangelize with the “Gospel of Salvation.”

In anyone desires to help, please contact me.
Paul Loy
______________________________________________________________

Dear Brother Paul,

Greetings and praise be unto the name of our Lord Jesus. How is your family and the church members? I hope fine. I and our church are fine and protected by God.

Brother Paul I like reading your wonderful and touching emails. I have missed to hear from you and I wonder why. Can I please hear from you what our Lord has done to you and the good work you are doing?

Our Kerema Church has grown in number. Last week I received two old men who have never gone to church since they were born. This comes as a result of the good work that God works through me.

I have worked in my area I was born for 13 years and have planted some churches and have trained some men. God has talented me with gifts like church planting, singing, pasturing and to be a missing. I have never written to you that our church is now built why? Because first the good church has been built in the hearts of the saved ones. You have already done great things on my side and the church as a whole. Pray that this year we may have a building.

I have been praying to start an independent church at Mombassa city. Mombassa city is a big city and the second after Nairobi. Many tribes of people live there. There are many tourists from America and some parts of the world. I stayed there about two years in 1993 – 1994. I have been praying that God to help me to plant some churches there. Homosexual is a type of sin religion. Pray therefore for me to conquer that place with the Gospel of Salvation.

With the help of your prayer, on April mid I will survey areas like Mombasa, Kilifi, Malindi and lamu. I have requested Brother Peter to help me with a transport kshs 8,000/=. I kindly ask you to help me with food and shelter. I will do some research there about the normal current life because after two years I will stay there with my wife indeed I have prayed for that city for 10years ago. After one month. I will return back to my home and we will have a church service in a house where God knows. Please sent my Godly request to our church. God bless you.

Yours,
Brother Jeremiah.

Pancake Breakfast is a Success

2008-10-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who came to eat and/or volunteer at our first Applebee's Pancake Breakfast! We were able to raise over $800 for the team's general fund. It was a great kickoff to our fundraising efforts.

Mission Spotlight: David Wood Ministries

2008-10-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

CIC financially supports David A. Wood and his ministry. We recently received an update from him. Note that the letter is written to our pastor, but it is intended to reach our entire congregation with it's words:

Dear Brother Tibbs,

Thanks so much for allowing Charlestown Independent Church to support our ministry. You have now become an integral part of THE WITNESS PROJECT. After our review, we wanted to let you know that you have now met the level of commitment of $250.00; becoming a "WITNESS." Your investment has proved the complete sponsorship of one National pastor. Thank you, once again. Should you decide to stay with us, your next level of commitment will be that of "PARTNER." We look forward to our relationship with you in this great endeavor.

Brother Brian, your friendship has been a personal source of encouragement to us in so many ways. We trust that as our partnership in the ministry continues to grow, our combined efforts will be used of the Lord to see thousands come to Christ-and many churches planted here in America and worldwide.

I am enclosing a special certificate for you to frame. Your becoming a "WITNESS" in our ministry here in Trenton is a special blessing to us. Thank you for enabling us to train and equip National pastors. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to serve you.

May God continue to bless you and your family in the forthcoming days!

Yours for Souls,
David A. Wood

You can learn more about David Wood Ministries by clicking here.

The Missions Ministry at CIC

2008-09-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

Charlestown Independent Church financially and prayerfully supports many missionaries all over the world. This blog has been set up to display some of the mission efforts within our church and throughout the ministries supported by our church.

Our missions team meets weekly on Sunday nights to pray for our missionaries, write letters and cards of encouragement, and organize other efforts of support.

Currently we are planning a mission trip to Malawi, Africa in the summer of 2009. Over the next few months we will raise financial and prayer support, solidify our traveling team, and prepare ourselves for the trip.

Check back from time to time to read updates from our team and the many missionaries we support.