Dinangat Update – outreach to begin Jan 17 Sunday evening!
Keep reading to see how they are fulfilling the purpose of the church by exalting His Name, equipping the saints, and evangelizing the lost!
The words sometimes associated with church are unfortunately words like hypocrisy, self-righteous, egotistical, or imposing. I read a book a while ago that summarized the purpose of the church with several words all beginning with the letter “E.” As we have had the privilege of serving in Papua New Guinea we have seen God make this a reality as He has changed lives. He is building His church all over the world. Yes, there are skeptics but the truth remains: His church, His kingdom, advances, and it’s purposes are clearly evident in Dinangat. They are exalting the Lord, equipping the saints and evangelizing the lost.
Our coworkers recently wrote us saying how wonderful Christmas was in the tribe because of the freedom of worship that swept through the village. They said that hours went by as one by one villagers stood up to express praise to the Father for His goodness and thankfulness for sending the deliverer. As our coworker Elli Schlegel wrote to us, “it is so neat how purely they can focus on the real Christmas because they didn’t grow up with all the traditions we grew up with… we need so much more to feel Christmassy, they only need the truth about Christ and that’s their Christmas!” They exalted His name in that place!
The believers are being taught the book of Romans, learning key spiritual truths about their immovable position in Christ and the struggle they have in the flesh. Our coworkers have also been holding classes teaching those interested (and some key men) principles of evangelism. So they are being equipped.
And finally, they are evangelizing the lost. On Jan 17th Sunday evening our time here in the States, they will begin the same teaching that we did in our village beginning with God and His awesome character, continuing on to creation and following all 73 lessons through the ascension of Christ. This teaching will be done in the neighboring village and will be primarily done by the missionaries aided by the key men from our village. The entire church from our village will be involved somehow: from praying, to tending gardens of people who travel, to actually going. Some will teach, others will help with dramas; some will sit in houses explaining points to the listeners. It is going to be an awesome time… one that I’m sad to miss actually but we can still be involved. In fact we need to be involved. We need your prayers! This is going to be a very trying time for the missionaries. They will stay in that village for three days and then hike back to our home village. This hike is extremely difficult taking 3 hours one way. So please pray for them. And most importantly pray for the souls of that village to be transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light!
Many years ago most of you reading this had some part in sending us out to do church planting in a tribal context. Today many of you continue to support us financially and/or prayerfully. I trust you are as encouraged as we are witnessing God fulfilling His promise as He builds his church in this small tribe. His name is being exalted! His saints are being equipped! And His servants are evangelizing the lost! It’s not just about making converts. It’s about changing lives to become the God glorifying people they were created to be!
To His glory,
Gary & Esther Smith
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