eNews and prayer update April 2017
Expository Preaching in Latin America: vision, passion and action
Just how does one become a Bible expositor?
Edgar was so hungry to learn biblical preaching that he asked to listen anonymously, from behind walls, while waiting patiently to be invited into the escuelita. Young and passionate, he faithfully grew in expounding Scripture through the three levels of the Langham Preaching Training Seminar programme. During that time he caught the vision to coordinate an escuelita. And, after having received training he started one in his own church.
Next (because he was recognized to be gifted) he became part of the facilitators teaching group.
Then, more recently, he was included in the ‘Seed-bed’ Project for mentoring those who are ‘good and faithful servants’ to maximize their ‘talent’ of exposition.
Escuelitas (called Preaching clubs or societies in some countries)
The most important component of formation is participation in an escuelita. These groups are made up of 5 to 7 people who are leaders in local churches or pastors of a denomination. During each session, participants practice ‘praying Scripture’ and preaching, and they receive feedback from the group and implement what they were given in the 3-level training programme. There are now escuelitas in 10 countries in Latin America.
Coordinators
An escuelita simply does not work without a coordinator – someone with a passion for and some experience in Bible exposition. Coordinators receive training in how to prepare a session and lead it using principles of adult education. In March of 2017, Langham Preaching will start in Mexico with the training of 25 coordinators.
Facilitators
When someone has enjoyed coordinating an escuelita and is recognized as a gifted expositor, they may be invited to become a facilitator. Teaching first locally, then regionally and nationally, these men and women know the 3-level programme very well. During training they receive guidance in how to use the principles of adult education and learner-centred pedagogy, in order to facilitate others in their growth as Bible expositors. A recent facilitator training event took place in Salta in northern Argentina.
Actualization
These are annual refresher encounters, usually of a short duration, for everyone who has participated in the Preaching training programme. The intention is to update them, especially about preaching on the different literary genres used in the Bible. There have been refresher events in Bolivia, Ecuador and Argentina. The most significant one takes place in Medellin, Colombia, in association with the Colombian Bible Seminary. For example, in September 2016 close to 300 participants were deeply impacted there by a Peruvian Pentecostal preacher/Langham Scholar who taught from the Book of Acts on ‘Narrations that Changed History’.
Regional Team
These are mentors who, through years of preaching have gained insight in how to be a Bible expositor. The four members of the current team are pioneers and visionaries, each of them aware of their own pilgrimage in Bible exposition and all active participants in every level of the 3-level Preaching training programme: one Peruvian, two Colombians and, the leader of the group, a Bolivian.
Towards the future
Scripture and the Latin American reality are both pushing us to explore formation in narrative exposition and contextualized preaching – that is, to focus on the ´how´ as well as the ´what´ of preaching. An initiative called Seed-bed Pilot Project has been started, involving 10 preachers from 7 countries. As proven ‘good and faithful servants’, they are being mentored and challenged to become passionate Bible expositors, who also humbly accept the vision for their preaching to become sources of deep change in the church and throughout Latin America.
So, this is our story … the story of a preaching movement, starting with a Bible expositor…
By Jorge Atiencia, Langham Preaching
Join us in prayer
UPCOMING LANGHAM PREACHING EVENTS
Where countries are considered sensitive re: security, the region is mentioned rather than the country.
- April 16-22 Bolivia, Uganda, Liberia, Indonesia
- April 23- 29 Mongolia, Ethiopia, Indonesia (2), Sierra Leone, Fiji, Spain, Chile, Liberia
- April 30- May 6 Indonesia, East Asia, Spain, Benin, Liberia
- May 7- 13 Indonesia, Uganda, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Liberia
- May 14-20 Indonesia, Bolivia, Liberia
- April 16-22 Bolivia, Uganda, Liberia, Indonesia
- April 23- 29 Mongolia, Ethiopia, Indonesia (2), Sierra Leone, Fiji, Spain, Chile, Liberia
Thank you for your prayers!
PREACHING
Please pray for the line-up meeting in Fiji at the end of April which will involve Stephen Williams (SW Pacific Preaching Coordinator) and Paul Windsor (Director of Langham Preaching). Pray that all the key local people will attend and that it will be a time of effective planning so that as many Bible teachers as possible in Fiji will be able to experience the benefits of Langham Preaching training.
LITERATURE
This year sees the printing and distribution throughout India of the Hindi edition of the South Asia Bible Commentary. Pray that all will go smoothly, so that Bible teachers in that great country will have access to this important resource.
SCHOLARS
Please pray for Ethiopian Scholar Anwar Berhe as he is in Ethiopia for a few months (with his wife and daughter), doing research for his PhD.
Langham Australia CEO Gillean Smiley writes…
Who are the “heroes of the faith” in your life? Sometimes even more than those with powerful, public ministries, and recognition for their historic impact we can be blessed by the humble, dedicated service of a hero who goes about his or her work quietly and self-effacingly. In the last week, Langham Partnership mourned a hero of whom you have probably never heard, when Okta Rumpak died from a heart attack in Indonesia. The Langham Preaching ministry in Indonesia is a great success story, with many, many pastors and leaders being trained, including in remote and challenging areas. A core team of Indonesians have led and coordinated the work on a voluntary basis, with Pak Okta belonging to this group from the very beginning. When informing us of his passing, a colleague in Indonesia wrote that Pak Okta was “so convinced of the importance of Langham that he scaled down his job as a Vet and eventually was serving Langham in the office and doing training full-time. Last week he finished up in the office in order to dedicate his time to training and encouraging preaching groups – which he was passionate about”.
It is hard to calculate the impact of this kind of service. Pak Okta’s desire to see others equipped to teach and preach clearly, faithfully and with relevance was an encouragement and blessing to the whole Langham team, and especially to his colleagues in Indonesia. His generosity in forsaking a successful career to work full time with Langham is a mark of his commitment.
Paul Windsor, International Director of the Preaching Program shared with those gathered for Pak Okta’s funeral that “There is a grief that has spread quickly throughout the Langham world – but we grieve in the knowledge that we will see Okta again on that glorious day.” We thank God for blessing us through the humour, work and witness of this hero of the faith.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
