ENCOUNTER NEWSLETTER
2022 - Issue 16
When Jesus ignores your "No!"
Geovanny and Jenny, pastoral couple leading the new Pusuquí Church
"We will go out of respect. But we will say 'No' to any invitation to get involved." That's what Geovanny and his wife Jenny agreed to before their first visit to República Church.
Geovanny's father had invited him and his wife to visit his church. The respectful thing to do was to accept. The shrewd thing to do was to have a plan for getting in and out without saying yes to anything.
Following his parent's divorce, Geovanny watched his father get involved at Church…from a distance. That had always been Geovanny's relationship with God and church—distant, unfamiliar, and strange.
With their plan in place, Geovanny and Jenny respectfully went to the República Sunday gathering. Just as they were finishing their obligatory attendance, the announcement came for República's women's retreat.
Geovanny's father insisted Jenny sign up and he covered the fee. Only minutes from tiptoeing in and 'escaping' as planned, they got tossed into the deep end.
But Jenny wouldn't go down without a fight. Two weekends following the women's retreat was the men's retreat. "Fair is fair," Jenny insisted. If she had to go, Geovanny had to go.
This was it. "No more," they insisted. Once the retreats were over, so was their fleeting relationship with República Church. But the grace of Jesus invaded each of their lives at their respective retreats.
Despite the best plans and considerable effort, grace won.
"I felt the hug of a perfect Father at that retreat and I fell in love with God," Jenny says—abandoned by her own father as a child.
A week later, in desperation, Geovanny prayed "If you are real Lord, change my life."
Soon, Geovanny and Jenny were making the 1-hour trek north from their home to República Church each Sunday.
They began volunteering and taking discipleship classes. They met Jesus together, got baptized together, and grew together. Geovanny even started seminary.
Several years in, República Church announced plans to plant a daughter church called Norte. Geovanny & Jenny felt called to join, but this would push them even farther north from their home.
A 1-hour trek doubled. For months, they traveled 2 hours through the city to help plant Norte Church.
Like Jesus telling Peter to put the boat out 'into deep water,' they were called further into relationship and ministry.
At Norte Church, Geovanny felt the call to full-time ministry.
In the next chapter of a story only the Lord could write, Norte Church recently announced plans to plant their first daughter church in the northern-most tip of the city of Quito.
And who will be leading the charge as the planting pastor? Who said 'yes' to the call? Geovanny, Jenny, and a core group from Norte Church.
When Jesus invites you deeper, even the best-laid plans can fail beautifully. Thank you for saying 'yes' to partnering with CMI. You are changing lives, planting churches, and reaching cities for Christ.
Geovanny's father had invited him and his wife to visit his church. The respectful thing to do was to accept. The shrewd thing to do was to have a plan for getting in and out without saying yes to anything.
Following his parent's divorce, Geovanny watched his father get involved at Church…from a distance. That had always been Geovanny's relationship with God and church—distant, unfamiliar, and strange.
With their plan in place, Geovanny and Jenny respectfully went to the República Sunday gathering. Just as they were finishing their obligatory attendance, the announcement came for República's women's retreat.
Geovanny's father insisted Jenny sign up and he covered the fee. Only minutes from tiptoeing in and 'escaping' as planned, they got tossed into the deep end.
But Jenny wouldn't go down without a fight. Two weekends following the women's retreat was the men's retreat. "Fair is fair," Jenny insisted. If she had to go, Geovanny had to go.
This was it. "No more," they insisted. Once the retreats were over, so was their fleeting relationship with República Church. But the grace of Jesus invaded each of their lives at their respective retreats.
Despite the best plans and considerable effort, grace won.
"I felt the hug of a perfect Father at that retreat and I fell in love with God," Jenny says—abandoned by her own father as a child.
A week later, in desperation, Geovanny prayed "If you are real Lord, change my life."
Soon, Geovanny and Jenny were making the 1-hour trek north from their home to República Church each Sunday.
They began volunteering and taking discipleship classes. They met Jesus together, got baptized together, and grew together. Geovanny even started seminary.
Several years in, República Church announced plans to plant a daughter church called Norte. Geovanny & Jenny felt called to join, but this would push them even farther north from their home.
A 1-hour trek doubled. For months, they traveled 2 hours through the city to help plant Norte Church.
Like Jesus telling Peter to put the boat out 'into deep water,' they were called further into relationship and ministry.
At Norte Church, Geovanny felt the call to full-time ministry.
In the next chapter of a story only the Lord could write, Norte Church recently announced plans to plant their first daughter church in the northern-most tip of the city of Quito.
And who will be leading the charge as the planting pastor? Who said 'yes' to the call? Geovanny, Jenny, and a core group from Norte Church.
When Jesus invites you deeper, even the best-laid plans can fail beautifully. Thank you for saying 'yes' to partnering with CMI. You are changing lives, planting churches, and reaching cities for Christ.
BE PART OF VISION50
Gift's to CMI's VISION50 campaign will help fuel the next 50 years of planting churches and making disciples in Latin America's most influential cities. By partnering together, you've changed the forever future of over one million individuals who now belong to Christ.
Imagine the impact you can make in the next half century. Invest in VISION50 and make your impact.
Gift's to CMI's VISION50 campaign will help fuel the next 50 years of planting churches and making disciples in Latin America's most influential cities. By partnering together, you've changed the forever future of over one million individuals who now belong to Christ.
Imagine the impact you can make in the next half century. Invest in VISION50 and make your impact.
MEET THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE QUITO CHURCH FAMILY
The Quito Initiative started with the goal of planting 10 churches across Quito, Ecuador. With your support, the 7th church and 1st great-grandaughter congregation is set to launch.
- Pusuquí is a growing area in the northern sector of the city of Quito.
- It is expected that the population of Pusuquí will double in the next 2 years to almost 53,000.
- The Pusuquí Church will be the 7th church of the Quito Initiative.
- A core group of 160 members from Norte Church are committed to help plant the Pusuquí Church.
FROM THE DIRECTOR
Craig Murray
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of our ministry in Latin America. In preparation, we recently reached into the vaults and found some old video footage. For fun, our office staff held a viewing party over lunch the other day.
Most of the footage had not been seen in at least 30-40 years. The narration, production styles, and images all reflected the decades in which they were made. It felt like we were time traveling to a different era.
So much has changed. Fashions. Cars. Technology. Video quality! Over the decades political regimes and cultural waves rose to prominence and washed away.
But what most captured our attention was what had not changed. Mauren, the newest member of our team remarked, "It is amazing. Our message and mission remain the same after all these years."
In a day and age when many organizations suffer from mission drift, I thank the Lord that he has kept us faithful to the vision He called us to pursue. We may do some things in different ways, but the "Why" and "What" of who we are remain constant.
We were reminded just how big CMI's vision is.
Fifty years in, God has done amazing things. Life-giving churches have been established in ten Latin countries. Tens of thousands are discipled weekly. More than a million have placed their faith in Christ.
Despite the progress, the needs that birthed our movement fifty years ago are just as real today. Latin American cities continue to grow at a staggering rate. More life-giving churches are needed to keep pace.
This makes me all the more thankful for you. Together, by God's grace, we continue to pursue the vision the Lord gave us 50 years ago. Together we remain faithful to bringing the hope of Christ to every person in Latin America beginning with urban professionals strategically positioned to reach every corner of their cities and nations.
Craig Murray
Executive Director
Church Ministries International
Most of the footage had not been seen in at least 30-40 years. The narration, production styles, and images all reflected the decades in which they were made. It felt like we were time traveling to a different era.
So much has changed. Fashions. Cars. Technology. Video quality! Over the decades political regimes and cultural waves rose to prominence and washed away.
But what most captured our attention was what had not changed. Mauren, the newest member of our team remarked, "It is amazing. Our message and mission remain the same after all these years."
In a day and age when many organizations suffer from mission drift, I thank the Lord that he has kept us faithful to the vision He called us to pursue. We may do some things in different ways, but the "Why" and "What" of who we are remain constant.
We were reminded just how big CMI's vision is.
Fifty years in, God has done amazing things. Life-giving churches have been established in ten Latin countries. Tens of thousands are discipled weekly. More than a million have placed their faith in Christ.
Despite the progress, the needs that birthed our movement fifty years ago are just as real today. Latin American cities continue to grow at a staggering rate. More life-giving churches are needed to keep pace.
This makes me all the more thankful for you. Together, by God's grace, we continue to pursue the vision the Lord gave us 50 years ago. Together we remain faithful to bringing the hope of Christ to every person in Latin America beginning with urban professionals strategically positioned to reach every corner of their cities and nations.
Craig Murray
Executive Director
Church Ministries International
Coming Events
October 2002 - March 2023
October 12-13
CMI Encounter Seed Fund Summit
Quito, Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador
October 20-23
Resolving Church Conflict Course Ecuador Alliance Seminary
Quito, Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador
October 24-28
International Pastor's Circle
Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
November 16
Lima Encounter with God Leaders' Summit
Lima, Peru
Lima, Peru
November 20
Pusuquí Church Launch
Quito, Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador
Jan 28 - Feb 4
Fairhaven-Centerville Church (Ohio) Medical Mission Trip with Puembo Church (Quito)
Quito, Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador
March 4 - 11
Fairhaven-Springboro Church (Ohio) Medical Mission Trip with Los Chillos Church (Quito)
Quito, Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador
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Change lives, plant churches, and reach Latin America's largest cities with the hope of Christ.