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Archives for 2018

Bolivia Graduation

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I am thankful for all the opportunities the Lord has given me through Shepherding The Nations (STN) to resource and train people to reach their world with the gospel. Pastor Eddie Bueno has been heading up our ministry in Latin America where we have six training centers. At each training center students are working through an intensive two-plus-year curriculum to equip them to better serve as church leaders and/or church planters in unreached areas.

Our First Latin America Graduation

Three of those training centers are located in Bolivia. All three will be having graduation ceremonies this month. A team of five of us will be going to Bolivia, while there, Pastor Eddie and I will preach at special evangelistic services, special youth and church worship services, and graduation ceremonies. We will also meet with key leaders to determine the next steps STN will take to train more future leaders and see how we can help some of the graduates plant new churches in unreached areas. Please pray for God’s wisdom and protection as we serve these precious saints in Bolivia.

Flory Ministers to Ladies

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Last month, Flory had the opportunity to speak to a group of ladies in the village of Palakonda. The Lord answered abundantly, as 250 ladies gathered in the small hall there to hear God’s Word. For these women, it was the first opportunity to attend a women’s Bible seminar. Flory taught the Word and then they gathered in groups for discussion, and then shared testimonies. What a blessing it is to visit remote villages like this for Christ’s sake. Our continuing goal is to see healthy local churches flourish in these areas.

A special guest

One of the ladies who attended is pictured here. She is a 26 years old young lady who is handicapped and can’t walk or stand. She was brought to the ladies seminar at Palkonda village. This lady was at the podium to listen to God’s Word. She knows Psalm 119 by memory.

Special service

Seventy-five men defied the Indian culture by serving the ladies. They took care of the children, allowing the ladies to attend. These ladies from Palakonda village said it was first time they experienced such a blessing.

A serious incident

There are times when we encounter unforeseen incidents. This situation was not only unpleasant but serious as Flory lost consciousness. It happened towards the end of the session while 250 ladies gathered in the small hall. There was no fresh air to breathe during the mid-dayheat.  People around started splashing water on Flory’s face. The Lord brought her out from her distress. God is able. VK, IK, and the local pastors gave so much love and practical help. After the incident Flory traveled back three hours by car and the next day, being Sunday, she didn’t stay home but attended the three-hour worship meeting where Ryder preached three messages.

Pastors Study in Remote Indian Villages

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An graduate, V.K., has been coordinating and teaching in Palakonda village to a group of 37 pastors and church leaders. V.K. graduated from the BTCP training with STN in 2015 and is pastoring a church in southern India.
I am so encouraged today to see the diligence both in equipping and training exhibited by the teachers, as well as the desire to learn by the participants. When the STN International Board prayed on its knees, this is exactly what it envisioned for pastors and leaders in remote villages.
My dream is to see healthy local churches. Our goal is 50,000 dedicated learners beginning the course in many villages across the country by 2020-21. God is able! I thoroughly enjoyed the ministry of the Word and addressed several questions.

This group started in 2017 and meets twice a month.

Revivus: this weekend!

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Shepherding the Nations is now being sponsored by Breaking Ground Worship Band who will be participating in the Revivus event this Saturday, August 4th in Simi Valley.
Come hear Breaking Ground Worship Band at 4 pm; we will be passing out free stickers at their booth from 3-9pm, so please stop by!

Our pastors need your help; our pastors need you!

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By Tammy Werth

Are you interested in supporting an STN pastor without money or even leaving home?

We all benefit from having someone pray for us. How much would a pastor in another country benefit from your prayerful support? We may never know how important it is to have others praying until we get to heaven. I’d like to share the joy and excitement God has given me praying for a couple STN training pastors and their classes in India.

A few months ago, Paul Brown sent a request for prayer partners for the pastors being trained in India. I noticed someone had signed up to pray for seven pastors, one for each day. I thought, I can pray for a couple pastors and his class. I requested pastors I had met when I visited India. I thought I could easily pray for a pastor familiar to me. I didn’t realize I would be given everyone’s name in the class. Overwhelmed by the number I wondered how I would faithfully pray for all these pastor students. I broke down the list by class and wrote all their names on index cards. This seemed a little more doable and would help me to keep track of the ones for whom I had prayed. I committed to specifically pray for three or four names each time I set aside times to pray for these pastor students.

prayer index cards

What happened next overwhelmed me.

I thought my familiarity with the pastor teachers would get me started but God in His omniscience has not allowed me to rely on my strength or wisdom. The first day I prayed for the two pastors I already knew and met in India. That seemed easy enough. The next day I had three cards with names on them before me and I pleaded with God to help me because I had no idea what or how to pray. In an instant “unity” popped into my mind. I thought, even if this was wrong or my own thoughts I could pray for so many things that had to do with unity. The next time I prayed and asked the Lord for help and “protection” popped into my mind so I prayed for protection. In the middle of praying for protection someone else on a mission trip popped into my mind so I prayed for them as well. Wow this was overwhelming and brought me so much joy to be a part of what God was doing in a place I could not see.

The Lord has faithfully directed and guided me to pray for what these men and their wives need. Each time I’ve asked the Lord what to pray I haven’t been without a thought or direction from the Holy Spirit for these pastors who are on the front lines in the darkest areas on our planet, where they face the greatest opposition to the gospel. As a bonus, when I got further down my list of names a few ladies, probably pastors’ wives or ministry leaders are taking the classes making praying more thrilling. The Lord has given me clarity and direction whenever I have asked and caused me to be excited about praying for the classes.

“Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” Ephesian 6:18

If you would like to join this prayer ministry, please email STN at info@shepherdingthenations.org and let us know how many names you would like. We will send you the name(s) and approximate location of where they live.

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Prayer Requests – August 2018

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Latin America:

  • Wisdom for Pastor Eddie Bueno as he plans a two-week trip to Bolivia in mid-to-late October with Paul Brown and possibly a few others. They will conduct outreach events, preach in churches, and hold graduation ceremonies for the BTCP students.
  • Wisdom for our BTCP instructors in Bolivia, Honduras, Guatemala, and Southern Mexico as they lead their students through the materials each week.

India:

  • In Odisha, they have finished the BTCP course and the students are willing to begin training others. Pray for multiplication of trained men to continue for years to come (2 Timothy 2:2).
  • Ryder is preparing a seminar for Odisha pastors in September on “Assurance of Salvation.”
  • Instructor Jose Simon hopes to launch a new BTCP group in Nepal in the near future.
  • Ryder needs about $1,400 more per month in financial support.
  • Wisdom as Ryder and his team work through and then select a number of applicants for BTCP training. They hope to be training 500 future church planters in India & Nepal by the end of 2018.
  • There are 7 churches in Nepal with anywhere from 20 to 60 people in each. None of the pastors are paid. Pray for sponsors.
  • Wisdom as they prepare for a National Expository Preaching Conference in early October 2019.

Women’s Luncheon Fundraiser – Save the Date!

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Update: This event, originally planned for October 13th, has been postponed. Please be watching for a change of date and be thinking of friends and family you can invite.

On Saturday, October 13th, 2018, the auxiliary board of Shepherding The Nations (along with a committee) will be hosting a fabulous Shepherding The Nations Fundraising Luncheon.

Please be watching for more details as the date approaches and be thinking of friends and family you can invite.

We’re striving to bring awareness to many more people about the work and mission of STN – to glorify God by training and resourcing indigenous pastors to plant healthy churches in unreached areas around the globe. Please plan on attending and inviting others – and being a part of this exciting ministry that is helping to reach the world for Christ.

Beautiful gormet salad bar from our 2016 Fundraising Luncheon

Training and Equipping in Manubolu

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by Ryder Kumar

Faithful to His promises, God has opened a door for teaching the Gospel and equipping for evangelization to the 10,000 people of Manubolu, a coastal region of Andhra Pradesh in Southern India.

Several months ago, a bank manager, a believer with a vision for growing a strong, healthy local church there, contacted us. This new relationship has grown stronger as, currently, several STN BTCP two-day classes, taught by Brother P are being conducted monthly at the church.

In God’s enabling, Books 1 and 2 have been completed and instruction on Book 3 started last month.

The class consists of about 25 men and women, eager to learn and humble to be trained. Along with his teaching assignment, Brother P mentors several BTCP students in evangelism by publicly witnessing and distributing Gospel tracts.
One of the BTCP students is SK, an electrical engineer and one who denied the very existence of God until a year ago when he accepted Christ as his personal Savior.

Prior to coming to a saving knowledge of the Lord, SK tried to find answers in science and the writings of Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, architect of the Indian Constitution. During his previous life, SK would conduct meetings in his home to discuss and distribute literature about Ambedkar’s humanist philosophy.

A changed man, SK now uses his home as a meeting place to teach the Gospel and proclaim his faith. He distributes Gospel tracts to as many as 500 houses in two neighboring villages, street preaches, and strengthens his faith by attending BTCP classes to more effectively share the Gospel with others.

During his last teaching visit, Brother P had the occasion to minister to an outreach ministry in Madanuru, located in Manubolu’s interior region.  During one of his recent teaching visits, six people accepted Christ as their personal Savior at a public meeting. He also had an opportunity to counsel and pray with two ladies who had serious questions about certain key Biblical teachings.

Rarely do interior villages have opportunities to have guest preachers, so the BTCP classes are held on weekends, enabling Brother P to preach at the Sunday service, as well as teach BTCP classes.

This month, Flory will have the opportunity to minister to about 60 ladies in Masanuru, while I will teach the BTCP class and preach at the Sunday service.

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Field updates from India

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from our PCI field directors

We praise God for the opportunities given to serve the Lord in His Vineyard. The year began with a visit to the district of Srikakulam in the month of January. In February we went to West Godavari district ministered in two gospel meetings two days each at Epulapadu and Kannayiguden villages belonging to Koya tribe. Many people from the surrounding villages attended these meetings where believers were encouraged with the Word of God and gospel is given to the unbelievers. These kind of open-air gospel meetings not only spread the gospel but also strengthen the local church believers. They sing songs in their language, share testimonies, hear the Word and cook food and eat together. During the day time local Pastors’ seminars were conducted.

In the month of March, we ministered in the Banjara tribal villages where Pastor Laxman Nayak minister.

Introducing Pastor I. K.

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Years ago, Pastor I.’s father sought to plant a church energized with a passion for evangelism and the building-up of believers. Moving away from the more traditional way of growing a congregation, he preached the Word in several areas—a ministry that Pastor I. K. became a part of in 2008 and now leads as pastor.

The church, located in Vijayawada, India, now has a congregation of 100 members, of whom 80 have been baptized. Every Tuesday, Pastor I. K. travels to local villages to evangelize and preach the Gospel. Just last month, a young girl named Eshwari accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord.

Student becomes teacher

Along with his elder brother V.K., a government employee, Pastor I. K.  enrolled in Shepherding the Nations’ very first training-and-equipping group in 2009 and graduated in 2015.

Along with teaching the 75 people who make up several monthly BTCP classes, Pastor I. K.’s busy ministry also includes leading the church’s fasting and prayer every Saturday, which is attended by as many as 20 people.

Pastor I.K. teaches one of his monthly BTCP Bible Training Classes

Pastor I.K. teaches one of his monthly BTCP Bible Training Classes

He also assists with weekly church-related meetings, both in Vijayawada and in nearby villages. One of the meetings in March was attended by 25 people who expressed an interest in learning more about the Gospel. He also regularly organizes special meetings and day-long, ministry-related seminars for the women of the church.

Pastor I. K.’s ministry of faith is supported by STN International. He and his wife U.K., a nurse, have two children. They are very grateful for your continued prayers and support.

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