Luke 19:10: For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
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Ministry Contract 2015
Looking back at the past course
The past course, in my ministry contract, I reflected my objective of achieving an out-of-church ministry where young people could find a place where they could grow and get discipleship, or even an evangelism place out of church, as I think my charge and my ministry have to point, mainly, the youth.
However, I think that, despite of I have already made some steps, the reality is that the goals or the way I foresaw I was going to continue this course are not accomplished because of many circumstances, related to me and to many other external factors to me. For my part, because I did not really know how to develop my idea as I was ignorant about the reality of churches at Madrid; external to me, because of situations and problems that depend on the people and the place or atmosphere where the churches are..
The current situation at Madrid churches, and that I did not know, related both with youth and with all the other ages that are part of them, is that the churches do not relate between them. It is really rooted on people to belong literally to a church. And, in fact, that is what leaders first focus in about a person that arrives to any church: whether you will stay with them or look for another meeting place. And I say this about my own church in Madrid, the Evangelical Christian Church of Aluche (ICEA in Spanish), with great regret, because this is an already lived situation in Catalonia, and it is hurtful for me to see it again.
I realised that people of every different church, difficultly will be offered to forget about their church or denomination label to focus in common aspects by putting their differences aside.
It is hurtful to me seeing cities like Parla, with four churches, where three of them are in the same street and where, asking about it, I discovered that the believers do not know the other churches believers, and they have neither shared the gospel together or made common events or campaigns.
It is hurtful to me to see that when my church let Salem church use our conference hall and we have another meeting at the same time, we do not do it together even it may be the same kind of meeting (youth, prayer). Or that during the two years that this has been happening, members of one and the other church do not know each other, neither they exchange words when they meet at the exit. Just because they belong to their church.
I do not mean with this that it is not correct to belong to a church and focus on it. I mean that I think it is necessary to create a unity that lets us delete the differences to achieve a common purpose. A more visual example: evangelical Olympics are celebrated annually in Barcelona and Madrid. In Barcelona, there are thousands of people from hundreds of churches, fulfilling one of the biggest stadiums in the city. People quickly mix up to greet and talk to those who know and meet new people and start new relationships with other churches people. In Madrid, with more inhabitants, the attendance is more reduced. You can see every different church in the stadium and there is no relation between churches. That is what we need to work on, first in adults, so then we can work with the youth.
In my youth group, the past course we made two meetings with other churches, and we want to do it again this course. But it is really hard.
Looking at the current situation
ICEA will create within the next week a new evangelism group for the neighbourhood. There is a big need, and my idea is, logically, help them when they start doing it. I would like to suggest them to join with other churches at the neighbourhood directly to the pastors, but I do not know if this will be possible.
At the same time, I have got charge for the youth on the church. During this summer, some of them have decided to find another church, but I would like to talk to them and continue helping them in their Christian life, in their formation (together with the leaders), and involve them in the need of sharing the gospel together with the new evangelism ministry that is going to be created in the church.
While this ministry is not formed yet, I will continue sharing the gospel at Puerta del Sol, because it is at the same time a learning process of some evangelism tools that I consider important and that may be helpful for that future ministry in my church.
The objective seems to be far away, but I strongly believe that little by little and working within my church, from the youth group we can become example to the other members in the church. The importance and the goal are in to continue doing things and not to stop before the impotence of not being able to get the objective directly.