{"id":521,"date":"2007-07-01T16:48:15","date_gmt":"2007-07-02T00:48:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lbcbeacon.wordpress.com\/?p=521"},"modified":"2011-02-14T19:42:14","modified_gmt":"2011-02-15T03:42:14","slug":"missions-in-the-czech-republic-cz07","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/2007\/07\/01\/missions-in-the-czech-republic-cz07\/","title":{"rendered":"Missions in the Czech Republic (CZ07)"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Stephanie Shin<\/em><\/p>\n

Since 2000, God gave Lighthouse Bible Church the opportunity to serve at the Christian Church of Ostrava in Czech Republic, and we have been returning annualy since. He has been faithful in building the partnership there and strengthening relationships with Meinolf and Martina Mellwig, the missionaries from Germany, have spent much of their lives in ministry to the Czech people and also the church members.<\/p>\n

In past years, LBC\u2019s primary ministry in Ostrava was focused on the English camp\u2014a one week program devoted to teaching conversational English and to sharing the gospel with the unbelievers that attended. God has been sovereign in softening the hearts of many of the Czech people to the gospel message. And, in His constant and superabundant goodness, we have also been able to encourage and spur on the Church of Ostrava and genuinely see a spirit of likemindedness in Christ grow\u2014this is the heart of this year\u2019s Czech mission trip.<\/p>\n

Now in the year 2007, much has changed for both LBC and its ministry in Ostrava. For this year\u2019s team members, preparation and training finds an emphasis not only on the motivation for missions, which is wellexpressed by John Piper: \u201cMissions exist because worship doesn\u2019t,\u201d but also on the correct theology of missions found in the book For the Sake of His Name by David Doran.<\/p>\n

\u201cMissions should be an extension of the local church and people should see the importance of not only them going but who\u2019s sending,\u201d said Pastor John. \u201cWhat is the end goal of what we want to see happen? An ongoing work? A church being established? Or if someone is just going to share the gospel, while that\u2019s good, is that the complete mindset?\u201d<\/p>\n

Training is not the only thing that\u2019s changed this year. The Meinolf and Martina Mellwig won\u2019t be there this year due to home-service in Germany. Although they will be sorely missed, this gives the Church of Ostrava different opportunities for ministry. Seasoned simply by virtue of the many years spent going to Ostrava, LBC has been made aware of the needs of the Christian Church of Ostrava for leadership training and a proper view of ministry in both the family and the church. Working closely with Ales and Eva Novotny\u2014leaders at the Church of Ostrava\u2014the team will be helping out with the church\u2019s family camp. \u201cThe nationals are going to have to step up in terms of providing leadership and running the program,\u201d Pastor John remarks. There will be a direct focus on building up the church in terms of investing in them and going over the lessons of the camp\u2019s theme: Disciplines of Godly Man and Woman. Unbelievers are also invited to come out and efforts will be made to reach out to them as well during the course of the camp.<\/p>\n

There is a hope that the team will be able to invest more in the church people, not only to strengthen the relationship with the Church of Ostrava, but also to cultivate a mentality of ministry in the LBC team members that will extend beyond the trip itself. \u201cSince every person on our team is teaching at one point or another, we want to be well prepared and to be able to encourage them in the way they need to be encouraged and challenged,\u201d Courtney Chow, one of the team members, says. \u201cI expect to learn a lot and be humbled. I expect to grow a heart of compassion for the Czech people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Needs for Prayer:<\/p>\n