amsterdam & church planting

beautiful amsterdam

patricia, leo, naomi, sammy, nikki & siena

Windmills, wooden shoes, endless miles of canals & an indian who God has used greatly to plant over 5 million churches.  Traveling to Amsterdam early tuesday morning, I expected to see all of the above except the last one.  When I first heard about Victor John, the main speaker of this conference on church planting, I thought he was british.  I figured he went to India to start a few churches and God used him to raise up church planters who then planted a few mega churches.  It's what you expect to hear at conferences of this nature.  However, when Victor first opened his mouth Wednesday morning, leo and I knew that God had something unique for us as we sat at the feet of a humble, indian servant of Jesus.

victor john

He spoke about multiplying disciples by making them disciple-makers as soon as possible and through that process, they become leaders and church planters.  Something that most church planters would agree to, right?  However, as we studied Luke 10 (the sending out of the 72 leaders), this key principle emerged. God uses simple, uneducated, unresourced & unafraid men to prepare the way for God to plant churches among new people groups. God can do this with anyone who is available and willing to loose his life and renounce his ambitions.  

Through this simple teaching, I felt like an earthquake rattled my core practice of ministry in Torino.  I have gotten away from many of Victor's principles.  Principles that I would agree with, but, at times, I have abandoned because of the cost & discomfort involved.  Leo, a student leaders at il rifugio, and I attended this conference at Zolder50, a GCM church in Amsterdam.  Nikki and the kids were able to join us as well.  Two of the missionary families in Amsterdam are good friends of ours and have little kids about the ages of Siena & Sammy.  In fact, Siena was particularly excited to spend time with Amelie, one of her good friends whose family will leave Europe in May and return to the US.

anthony and leo

todd & lindey watkins with leo & drew in their home

amalie, siena & nikki at the watkins home

samurai playing nearby his friend gabrian 

Returning to the conference, the following principles are critical to beginning a church planting movement in Europe.  They are... 

• Passionate Prayer
• A Culture of empowerment
• Reaching friends and relatives
• Instantaneous personal witnessing
• The Word is the foundation
• Intentional Planting
• Obedience based disciples accountable to the word

Would you please pray for Leo, myself and the point leaders at il rifugio?  Pray that we would own these principles and reproduce Jesus' imprint on at least one other life in the next four months.  Pray specifically that we would be people that instanteneously witness to others what Jesus has done and is doing in our lives.  Pray especially for our Thanksgiving outreach on Friday, that God would use us all to touch the hearts of the 110 guests who will attend.  THANKS!

october english club outreach

After signing up 135 students during during the week of October 6-9 at the engineering quad and humanities school, God brought out many students the following week to English Clubs who, for the first time, heard about God's love and justice through Jesus.  It was a very full week as we took an excursion on Saturday to Lago d'Orta and on Sunday two of our staff were also married.  We were able to begin friendships with many chinese, turkish, iranian, polish, moraccan & italian students, some of them atheists!  God was so faithful to bring to us many who want to know who He is. Some even came to the Sunday worship service and then traveled with us into the countryside for the wedding, which was an powerful testimony of what God can do in the life of a couple.

The last two weeks of November are critical for us.  We are trying to touch base with many students to continue the relationships from last week.  Please pray for this, that God would show us where He is causing His seed to grow.  We desire the members of il Rifugio to reach out during this period in order to continue these eternal relationships.  

Also, please also pray that God would continue to form 2 Timothy 2 servants who want to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.  We continue to meet with young men and women who are in the intentional mentoring community at il rifugio.  Last Monday night we discussed how God calls servants and puts a burden in their hearts to use their influence for the sake of the kingdom.  

I challenged each student to take the material we are discussing from John Maxwell and share it with at least one other student.  Our passion is multiplication and we know that only the Spirit can move young peoples hearts to reproduce Jesus' DNA into those around them.

Reflecting on EWLT

This reflection is long over due, but here it is.

But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.                                                            Isaiah 64.8

When God was forming me He said, “This one will not be content indoors.”  He designed me with a profound affection for creation.  I long to be outside and experience my most intimate communion with God in the wild. 

I remember one of my friends asking me if I wanted to apply to Noah’s Ark Whitewater Rafting & Adventure Company while in college.  My response was, “they pay you to take people on the river, on the rocks and in the backcountry?  Where do I sign up?”  The trials I faced in the Colorado backcountry that summer forged my relationship with Jesus and I have since desired to start an outdoor ministry.

During the summer of 2006, I joined Daryl Phillips on the Wilderness Leadership Training (WLT) and the dream for a European WLT was birthed in my heart.  In retrospect, the solitude was more of a joy than a trial and I knew that God was calling me to bring the same type of experience to Europe.

In 2007, we launched our first Euro Wilderness Leadership Training (EWLT).  Like everything else in Europe, I knew it would have its unique challenges and need to be adapted to the culture.  However, seven students participated and each one met Jesus in a personal and intimate way. 

This year, two students returned from the 2007 expedition and three others joined us including one high school student. From the 4^th to the 10^th of August we sought solitude in a lush drainage above the famous “Valley of the Martyrs”, silhouetted by the glorious Mon Viso (12,600’).  We extended the trip from three days of solitude to five, with three days of fasting and one entire day of silence.  Fasting for so long was, by far, the greatest trial for the Italians because of their love for food. 

One of the highlights of the trip was co-leading with Andrea Testa, one of our pastors in training, who returned from last years trip.  I had been on furlough in the US until just three weeks before we left for the EWLT.  Andrea’s oversight and preparations for the trip while I was away were critical to its success. 

The longer period of fasting and solitude proved to be significant to the students.  Many had a significant breakthrough towards intimacy with God on the fourth day of the expedition.   For one student, intimacy came as God was able to strip him of his fears and preoccupations (Psalm 34:6) so that He could speak deeply into his heart (Romans 8:16).  For another young lady, God exposed her sin and pride leaving her wonderfully vulnerable before Him.  Not only has it changed how she enters God’s presence but it has also helped her to be more sincere in her relationship with others. 

Personally, I met Jesus in an intimate way after I woke up from a nightmare on the third night.  Then, as an act of His grace, He MIRACULOUSLY healed my camera after I had made a costly error. He gave me the following promise: “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, … the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called (Isaiah 54.4,5b). God showed me that He wants me to be an agent of grace in Italy, where shame in relationships is thick and forgiveness is rare.

Andrea and I are praying about offering two EWLT trips next year so that Europeans from other churches can meet God through this unique experience.  Since our trips are co-ed, we would like to invite a female to help us plan the next trip. A final thought is to that we would like to offer more guidance on spiritual training as a part of the preparation for each participant in EWLT. 

Rooted & Founded in Love

I am very hopeful regarding this ministry season but also deeply stretched.  The greatest challenge before me is how to continue to entrust the ministry to faithful men & women leaving them with reproducible concepts and the ever deepening reality of just how much God is "head over heals in love with them."  

Isaiah 43:1 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, 

O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. 4 Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, 

I counseled with three students yesterday, all of whom lead at some capacity at il rifugio and I was a little shocked just how rare it is for them to pass time with Jesus and just receive His love.  Could you please pray for our community as I prepare to speak on spiritual warfare this Sunday?  Pray that the students would be awakened to the battle for hearts and that they would embrace God's love for them and take it to their friends and family.

Refocusing Our Serving Core

UPDATE on “il rifugio”

Please pray for il rifugio to continue mature in “delighting itself in the Lord.”

As for current ministry at il rifugio, this past week eleven of the key ministry leaders at il rifugio, myself and three other missionaries met to prepare for this new year of ministry.  This was a chance to restate our mission and clearly lay out the vision for the upcoming season.  God's vision for our community this season is to be "an active body where everyone is necessary" (see Romans 12.4-6 & Col 1.18).  We are trying to involve everyone in what God is doing in, through and to “il rifugio”.  Therefore we re-amped our community groups (there are now four at il rifugio) and personally invited each person to be a part of the eight to ten ministries that comprise “il rifugio”. 

After the summer fade, it was obvious that we needed to regroup.  We spent time focusing on Matthew 22:37-40 and 28:19-20.  We talked about the need to reach up to God (loving God), reach in to the family of God (loving others) and reach out to the world (making disciples), and how this must permeate each ministry at il rifugio.  We talked about how practical this is and how we can accomplish this through the next 4 months of activities.

We adopted a threefold strategy of how to reach out that Doug Cecil suggests in 7 Prinicples of Evangelistic Lifestyle.  We will spend about a five weeks in the following areas: cultivating relationships, seeding hearts with Word and harvesting by inviting people to trust Jesus.  Some of the students got it. Our leaders excitedly shared their ideas about how we could reach out practically.  One Chinese believer was very excited with renewed focus and some practical steps to accomplish God's vision during this season of ministry.  Another believer, who drove two hours after work just to be with us, was encouraged and wants to implement this in the community group he oversees.  Would you please pray for each of these key leaders: Andrea, Angelo, Tony, Dadie, Leo, Checco, Ben, Amelia, Erin, Kristen and Carmen.  Pray that God would inspire them to accomplish His vision and they would be faithful and passionate in responding to His lead.

Euro Wilderness Leadership Training 2008

The Euro Wilderness Leadership Training (EWLT) of 2008 was an unforgettable experience for each of the six participants.  Here are some of the photos for you to enjoy.  Anthony will be writing the details in the next couple of days....

Family blog

If you are interested in viewing updated information on our family you can go to for the latest pics and stories.  The kids always keep the stories interesting.

http://torinoartesta.blogspot.com

2nd Annual Euro Wilderness Leadership Training (EWLT)

And they're off!  

This year a group of five young believers from il rifugio, along with their fearless and somewhat crazy leader Anthony, have left for a seven day adventure they will never forget.  

The adventure will take place in the Italian Alps near Val Pelice and the beautiful Mt. Viso.

This seven day trip is a true call to the wilderness.  For most of the adventurers it will be their first time going into the wilderness for solitude, fasting and prayer.  The trip consists of setting up camp and spending the first evening together discussing the days ahead and enjoying a wonderful last meal together for the next few days.  Then each participant will go to their own tents which are secluded but within sound distance of two other campers.  Each participant will then wake up to begin three days of fasting and five days of solitude and prayer.  This is prime opportunity for God to speak.  Then, on the final evening after the fifth day of solitude, they will all come back together for a debriefing time around a hot meal and a huge bonfire.  

Finally, they will pack up and come home together on Sunday morning.

Please pray for Anthony as he leads this trip that God would give him great wisdom and discernment.  Pray for everyone's safety!  But, most of all, please pray that each participant (Anthony, Andrea, Paul, Kristen, Julia and Amelia) would all return from their time in the wilderness with a clear word from the Lord and a deeper understanding of and desire for communion with our Heavenly Father.