Rob Wegner: Blog Archive

5000lbs Chicken Bomb!

This coming Second Saturday we’re going to bomb Monroe Circle with 5000lbs of chicken! 

Along with the usual distribution of the PCI (Personal Care Items) boxes, each family will receive 2 5lb bags of chicken.

The chicken is donated by Galen Miller who is the owner of Miller’s Amish Country Poultry in Goshen. What an amazing gift!  We would also like to thank Elton Keifer, the member of GCC who arranged this amazing donation. Martins have also donated 600 grocery plastic bags for us to distribute the chicken. I love it when the community works together like this. Whatever is left over will be given to our good friends at the Center for the Homeless.

The truck that is bringing the chicken is scheduled to arrive at MC3 between 8am and 8:30am.

So, all hands on deck!  Show up with your friends and family as we bring the goodness of God to some of the must vulnerable folks in our community.

I dare you to be there…or are you a chicken (bawk, bawk, bawk)?

A Mountain of Duffel Bags!

Have you seen my office lately? I’ve got duffle bags piled up almost to the ceiling! “Why?” you might ask.

Was there a sale at the army navy surplus store?

Left over supplies from my Y2K bunker?

Tomorrow at noon 30 folks from GCC will hand-carry 1500lbs of supplies into Tamil Nadu, India.  What’s in these bags?

* 798 pairs of Crocs. Every single person in Kalavai will be sporting a new pair of Crocs. This will have a dramatic impact on reducing injuries and sickness caused by cuts, scrapes, parasites and pathogens.

* 54 backpacks crammed with school supplies. This past Christmas the kids in All Stars collected school supply for the children of Kalavai.  For the kids in Kalavai, this will be their first ever backpack as they are the FIRST GENERATION of kids in the village to go to school.

* Clothing. The people of GCC have been collecting “gently used” clothing items. Many of the families we are serving in India literally have one pair of clothes. 

* Team Gear. We’ll have six teams functioning simultaneously over the next couples weeks.

Creative Arts: Our artists will be leading a cultural exchange with local artists, performing multiple concerts, and raising the profile of the local church

Mirco-Enterprise & Recon: The team will assess and help enhance the small business already started (goat-herding, tailor shop, etc).  In addition, ground work for two new business will be laid, Grocery Shop and Brick Production

Conversational English: The team will be working with the both the children of Kalavai and at a local school in the area. English is a key component to academic and vocational success in India.

Construction: The team will span a community latrine, 2 homes, 14 bath areas, and the next phase of the Kalavai Colony Community Center.

Health and Hygiene: The team will be providing basic training in community health, as well as family life training focused on strengthening parenting and marriages.

Be praying for the team. I’ve listed their names below.

In addition, follow the action blow by blow at the team blog.

Creative Arts Team

Shelley Arrendondo   Team Leader

Dan Vukmirovich      Team Leader

Jason Aquila

Stephanie Lancione

Tim Burkey

Dale Shafer

Brian Warrell

David Glass

Construction Team

Greg Schermier       Team Leader

Jeff Inman

David Leist

Nancy Leist

Conversational English

Jessica Stemm         Team Leader

Amanda Harris

Jeanna Miller

Nancy Tucker

Kelly VonGunten

Health & Wellness

Jim & Barb Blechl     Team Leaders

Judy Reynolds

Rachele Whitlow

Joel Wolfgang

Kevin Yoder

Mirco-Enterprise & Recon

Nate Stemm           Team Leader

Sarah Way              Team Leader

Denise Walsh

Erin Schwabauer

Media

Ben Sanders

Dustin Maust

Captain America: Jack Magruder

1 +166 + 39,000 = 4700 Miracles

1 year + 166 new churches + 39,000 on-going spiritual conversations = 4700 lives transformed by Amazing Grace. This is what a move of God looks like.

One Prayer India Update - ROCK FORT from Gene Ort on Vimeo.

EnterMission Coaching is On!

Today, the EnterMission Coaching churches convene for two days.  Whenever we get together, it feels like the “Fellowship of the Ring” has gathered.  For 12 months, we’ve been slugging it out together on the front lines, in crime-ridden inner city projects and impoverished third world villages.

We are churches on mission, His Mission, bringing “up there” down here. We are better together.  The number of Kingdom Breakthroughs forwarded because of this shared journey is inspiring. The amount of collaborative learning shared is transformational.

This module of training will focus on:

Theology: The New Exodus and the Shaliach

Field Strategy: The Four Phase Cycle of Holistic Community Development

Partnership: New Models of Church-Centered Partnership

Mobilizing/Organizational Structure: Funding the Mission from “Outside” the Church

Don Golden, co-author of Jesus Wants to Save Christians, former Lead Pastor at Mars Hill, and current Vice President of Church Engagement at World Relief is our guest facility today.  Follow my tweets or search for the hashtag #entermission for the larger conversation. He’s one of the sharpest minds working in the Kingdom right now.

Recently, we asked the current batch of EnterMission Coaching for another round of feedback . We’re 12 months into an 18 month coaching experience.

We were floored by the response.

Here’s what Bryan Mills, Lead Pastor at Meadow Heights Church had to say,

Combine real-world practitioners with a proven track record, a teaching church that sets the standard in laser-focused partnership missions, learning experiences marked by the appropriate mix of information and engagement, colleagues passionate about the mission of Jesus in the world, practical resources that have been developed and tested in the trenches, all topped off with remarkable hospitality, personal attention and generous surprises, and you'll begin to understand what EnterMission Coaching is all about. Or more simply, it's the single best experience available to guide us on the journey to church-centered mission. These guys really get it!

We just opened up registration for the next batch, which starts this coming September.  If you’re interested in learning more, check this out or drop me an email.

750 Drawings of Feet + Crocs + God’s People = Kingdom Breakthrough

2nd Saturday Crocks from Gene Ort on Vimeo.

Haiti Update – The Poor Are Not Helpless

Check out this email I received a few days ago from Dustin Holliday, one of the revolutionaries in the current batch of EnterMission Coaching. He is leading the charge in missional expression at Christian Fellowship Church.  They are a force to be reckoned with!  They’re seeding the ground for a holistic church planting movement in Nicaragua.  Enjoy this report from the frontline.

Get this one boys...

So we are down in Nicaragua hosting the Purpose Driven Church with Verbo as from the Bore Well model. I share with Pastor Earl about how Christian Fellowship Church had fund raising to fill a container through Stop Hunger Now with 142,000 meals to send to Haiti. Earl says that since we are in a church to church partnership then Verbo should help with our outreach too. With the 105 core members/leaders that were in the conference he cast the vision that since God had so blessed them with relief after Hurricane Felix in 2007 that they should all ask God what part they will play.

It essentially breaks down to 25cents a meal. That astonished the Nicaraguans.

Long story short, out of the 105 people in attendance they gave enough to purchase just over 1700 meals!!! One guy testified that he used three days worth of his own food money to buy meals for Nicaragua. He said he could be hungry for three days when Haitians were starving!

God is so huge. His church cannot be stopped.

--Dustin

Amazing.

Let this remind us that the poor ARE NOT helpless.

They are more than capable of working to improve their lives and the lives of others. They are powerful. They have gifts and talents and abilities we do not have.

The approach of most western church is to do things to the poor instead of with the poor. (Don’t misunderstand me. There are crisis situations where we must immediately do things to and for the poor. But, this is a very short window.)

In most cases, by taking this approach, we hurt the very people that we are trying to help.  This approach creates the feeling of inferiority, paralyzes indigenous leadership, and  marginalizes the poor.

This dynamic has been playing out all over the developing world. Which is why William Easterly in his book, White Man’s Burden says,

“The real tragedy isn’t that we aren’t giving more money. The real tragedy is that the West spent $2.3 trillion on foreign aid over the last five decades and still has not managed to get 12-cent medicines to children to prevent half of all malaria deaths. The West spent $2.3 trillion and still had not managed to get $4 bed nets to poor families. The West spent $2.3 trillion and still had not managed to get $3 to each new mother to prevent five million child deaths."

If we only do things “for” the poor, we are often exacerbating the problem and pouring resources into a bottomless pit.

Interventions that invite the poor into the design and implementation of the intervention can actually END poverty by getting at the root, not just the symptoms.

The government and the church have such a long history of colonialistic and paternal approaches that lead the poor to believe they cannot do anything without the help of money and resources from others.

Not so for Verbo and this new movement in Nicaragua!

What Does An Unstoppable Movement Look Like?

What does an unstoppable movement look like?  Watch this.  A Tale of Two Kingdoms Part 3

A Tale of Two Kingdoms Part 3 An Eternal Kingdom from Gene Ort on Vimeo.

Saved Souls and Saved Wholes

Two of our team members, Jack Magruder and Gene Ort, recently returned from field visits to the One Prayer Church Planting movement in Cambodia and India.   Our team was there to observe the One Prayer church planters in action and to assess the physical needs of the communities these new churches are planted within.

These baby churches are growing at an astounding pace. Reminiscent of the early church in the book of Acts, new people are coming to faith every day.

As we celebrate the new souls saved, simultaneously our hearts break over the poverty which oppresses these communities.

Jesus is not just for saved souls, but saved wholes: mind, body, and soul.

This year One Prayer is expanding beyond church planting into holistic community development initiatives in these villages, bringing “up there” down here.

Watch for more video updates about this grass roots revolution. This first intallment will introduce you to the sights and sounds of Cambodia and India.

One Prayer Update Episode 1 from Gene Ort on Vimeo.

Monroe Circle Community Center Making News Again

This past Sunday morning the Monroe Circle Community Center was featured on the Focus on Faith segment on Newscenter 16.  Dan and LeRoy were asked  great questions and provided brilliant questions.  Take a minute, check out the video here, and drop in a comment to encourage the news team that made this possible. 

I’m glad GCC is a church known for what is is for, not for what it is against.

“Quit criticizing and start creating.  Don’t just focus on what is wrong. Do something right.  Don’t just make noise. Make a difference.”                                         Mark Batterson

$448,576.32

We are extremely excited to announce for the first time publically to the One Prayer Network, that together, we have raised a total of $448,576.32 for the One Prayer movement! 

That is almost half of a million dollars used specifically to plant churches in limited access countries, to disciple new believers and to radically change the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.  We are truly honored by the sacrifice of the One Prayer churches during this difficult financial season for many. 

Already since the first run of One Prayer two years ago…over (wait for it)…1800 NEW CHURCHES HAVE BEEN PLANTED in China, Sudan, Cambodia, and India!

If you’ve been reading these One Prayer updates and thinking, “I wish I could meet some of these amazing men and woman of God firsthand. I wish I could experience what God is doing on the frontline of the Great Commission.”

I have great news. You can.  We have put together opportunities for you to travel to each of the One Prayer sites.  Please see the information below on how to participate on one of the trips:

India

• Dates: March 5-14, 2010
• Cost: $3000 *Includes travel to and from India (from Chicago, IL) as well as your Indian visa. Also includes meals, lodging, travel insurance and all other expenses while in India. We will be taking care of all arrangements as well as preparing you for what you will experience in India.
• What will I be doing? Visiting church planters and churches that have been formed through the One Prayer network, and also be able to take notes on training processes and success of the overall implementation.
• Why should I go? To experience first-hand what God is doing through the network of churches in India and to witness the impact that you and your church have had...as well as to communicate that impact to your church body, once you return.
• Immunizations/Vaccinations: The list below are recommendations made by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Although we are listing the recommendations, we encourage you to check with your physician prior to making any final decisions regarding immunizations, asthese are only "suggestions."
• Hepatitis A & B,  Typhoid, Anti-malaria meds,  Tetanus immunization within last 5 years, Japanese encephalitis, Rabies, and Adult Polio
• Passport/Visa Information: Passport Required: YES/* At the time of the trip your passport must be valid for at least 6 months prior to its expiration. Visa Required: YES/*More details will be provided once your application is submitted.
• To Apply (Go to the following link):http://app.formassembly.com/forms/view/121053
• Application Deadline: Tuesday, January 5, 2010
• For More Information: Contact Jeanna Tripp at [email protected] or 574.243.3500, ext. 318.

China

• Dates: April 15 - 23, 2010
• Cost: $3400 *Includes travel to and from China (from Chicago, IL) as well as your Chinese visa. Also includes meals, lodging, travel insurance and all other expenses while in China. We will be taking care of all arrangements as well as preparing you for what you will experience in China.
• What will I be doing? Visiting church planters and churches that have been formed through the One Prayer network, and also be able to take notes on training processes and success of the overall implementation.
• Why should I go? To experience first-hand what God is doing through the network of churches in China and to witness the impact that you and your church has had...as well as to communicate that impact to your church body, once you return.
• Immunizations/Vaccinations: The list below are recommendations made by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Although we are listing the recommendations, we encourage you to check with your physician prior to making any final decisions regarding immunizations, asthese are only "suggestions."
• Hepatitis A & B,  Typhoid, Anti-malaria meds,  Tetanus immunization within last 5 years, Japanese encephalitis, & Rabies            
• Passport/Visa Information: Passport Required: YES/* At the time of the trip your passport must be valid for at least 6 months prior to its expiration.  Visa Required: YES/*More details will be provided once your application is submitted.
• To Apply: http://app.formassembly.com/forms/view/121054
• Application Deadline: Tuesday, February 2, 2010
• For More Information: Contact Jeanna Tripp at [email protected] or 574.243.3500, ext. 318.

Sudan

• Dates: May 22 - 28, 2010
• Cost: $3400 *Includes travel to and from Sudan (from Chicago, IL) as well as your Sudanese visa. Also includes meals, lodging, travel insurance and all other expenses while in Sudan. We will be taking care of all arrangements as well as preparing you for what you will experience in Sudan.
• What will I be doing? Visiting church planters and churches that have been formed through the One Prayer network, and also be able to take notes on training processes and success of the overall implementation.
• Why should I go? To experience first-hand what God is doing through the network of churches in Cambodia and to witness the impact that you and your church have had...as well as to communicate that impact to your church body, once you return.
• Immunizations/Vaccinations: The list below are recommendations made by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Although we are listing the recommendations, we encourage you to check with your physician prior to making any final decisions regarding immunizations, asthese are only "suggestions."
• Hepatitis A & B, Typhoid, Anti-malaria meds, Tetanus immunization within last 5 years, Rabies, Yellow Fever, Meningococcal (meningitis), & Adult Polio   
• Passport/Visa Information:  Passport Required: YES/* At the time of the trip your passport must be valid for at least 6 months prior to its expiration. Visa Required: YES/*More details will be provided once your application is submitted.
• To Apply (Go to the following link):http://app.formassembly.com/forms/view/121055
• Application Deadline: Tuesday, March 2, 2010
• For More Information: Contact Jeanna Tripp at [email protected] or 574.243.3500, ext. 318.