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Empowering Multipliers Across Continents

Dear David,

Greetings in Christ! This year, we’ve been sharing our ministry multiplication strategy, inspired by Acts 6:7. Our focus is on equipping and empowering indigenous pastors and church leaders to effectively evangelize those who have yet to hear the gospel. I am rejoicing in all that God is doing, but at the same time, I am saddened by where we stand in relation to our coordinators, which I’ll address later.

Equipping Church Leaders through the Discipleship Relationship

At the heart of our ministry is a commitment to the discipleship relationship modeled by Paul with Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:1-2 (“my child”). We equip leaders through sound biblical training (“what you heard from me” in 2 Tim. 2:2) through a discipleship relationship (2 Tim 2:1). CCI training is transforming lives and communities in 41 nations across six continents, reaching 162 people groups. This is something to celebrate and to rejoice in the Lord for – God has expanded our reach in such a way that is only miraculous! One of the pastors we are training is Pastor Alfredo Maarat of Baybay City, Leyte, in the Philippines. Our Central Visayas Coordinator, Melvin Caindoy, is equipping him and new leaders of the church.

Pastor Maarat’s testimony:

"I am Pastor Alfredo Maarat, 67 years old, and I pastor Tipay Christian Church in Baybay City, Philippines. I've been pastoring for 13 years without formal Bible training, which is why I am grateful for the CCI ministry. The new knowledge I have gained in the training helps me lead the church more effectively. Additionally, what thrills me is that I am studying with my leaders at the same time. Now, two of my students who enrolled in the training are leading and have opened two new ministries in the church. These ministries are the youth Bible study ministry and the children's Sunday school. So, I am grateful to the Lord and committed to finishing the training together with my leaders for the glory of God."

Empowering Leaders through Local Churches

Effective ministry thrives in an empowering environment. By translating our curriculum into local languages and partnering with local churches, we make biblical training accessible and culturally relevant. This model fosters strong, empowered leaders who can effectively share the gospel in their contexts and make more disciples for Christ.

In Thailand, Pastor Somkit, the Akha Tribe Coordinator, travels extensively to promote the importance of training leaders in local churches. He encourages and challenges these churches to develop their leaders, enabling them to minister effectively and strengthen their churches. His efforts have directly contributed to establishing five new churches across the region.

In April, 27 Akha pastors and leaders from Thailand, Burma, and Laos graduated from CCI training. This diverse group includes experienced pastors, missionaries, and evangelists serving in northern Thailand, a region known as the Golden Triangle, which borders both Burma and Laos. This area is characterized by its mountainous terrain and the presence of various highland tribes. Some of these leaders have been serving God for more than ten years but have never received effective training until CCI.

Graduation of 27 Akha Pastors from Thailand, Burma, and Laos

Evangelizing the Unreached

Our mission extends beyond church walls. We are dedicated to reaching those who have yet to hear the gospel. From bustling cities in Asia to remote villages in Central America, our coordinators and trainers work to contextualize biblical teachings, ensuring they resonate deeply with diverse communities. Furthermore, our team focuses on practical ways to meet people where they are, adapting their approaches to effectively connect with their community.

Pastor Raju (holding the mic) is a CCI trainer who leads a team of young men to spread the gospel in remote villages of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Over the last two years, they have evangelized over 300 villages. They

have connected those who respond to the gospel with pastors of local churches for follow-up and discipleship.

Otto Echeveria, the Guatemalan Coordinator, and Ray McKenzie, the Regional Director, coordinated and conducted medical clinics in August. They led a medical team to set up clinics in two villages, where they had four days of productive ministry. Many people in Guatemala lack access to good healthcare, making these clinics vital for meeting local needs. These clinics provided our CCI national staff and students with opportunities to connect with and evangelize unreached people from remote areas.

Otto testified, “Many churches are only known for being gathered together in the church building. But this is a social service we give to the people so they know that with the love of Christ, we are serving them and helping with their needs.”

Looking Ahead to 2025

As we look ahead, I am deeply saddened to inform you that the funding for 72 coordinators and 40 trainers will end at the end of this year. Coordinators play a vital role in training and supporting our trainers, launching new classes, and fostering the growth of our ministry in their nations. Would you pray about supporting one of these men who diligently and sacrificially serve with us? They also serve as pastors of a local church who struggle to provide for them. They love the CCI ministry and we love them. We don’t want to have to let them go at the end of the year.

Meet Brother Nehemiah and his family. As an Area Coordinator for Telangana State, India, he devotes himself to equipping and empowering leaders for the Kingdom. Alongside 71 coordinators, he faces funding challenges that limit their ability to make disciples and evangelize to the lost.

Click here to watch a 2-minute video from Brother Nehemiah on the impactful work he is doing through CCI.

By God’s empowering grace and your partnership, we have trained over 25,000 leaders, with over 10,000 currently in training. This is something great to rejoice over and praise God for. But we know there are many who still need this training. We are focusing on the 10-40 window, where the opportunity for ministry training is scarce. We envision expanding in Africa, where “Christianity is a mile wide and an inch deep” and where the prosperity gospel has tainted true, biblical Christianity.

To ensure our ministry continues through 2025, we need funding to support our coordinators who oversee the ministry in their nations. We are excited to announce that generous friends of the ministry are offering a matching gift of $52,000 to help us reach this goal. Every donation made toward this matching gift will be matched to $52,000, until we reach our goal or by December 31, 2024. Additionally, new donations made toward Where Most Needed will also contribute to this matching gift. To donate toward the matching gift, please visit http://weblink.donorperfect.com/NC24.

We are grateful for your continued support and encouragement. Together, we are making a lasting impact by equipping believers around the world to share the love of Christ and make more disciples.

Grace and Peace in Jesus,

Dr. David Nelson

Chief Steward and Servant

Crossing Cultures International

**Save the Date!**  

Giving Tuesday is a day of global impact! On December 3, 2024, join us in advancing the gospel worldwide. Giving Tuesday gifts will also count toward the matching gift. Click here to learn more.

EXCITING NEWS!!! My new book has been published. I've included a description below. To buy a signed copy of the book, click on the button below.

God has not only created us with the ability to multiply through having children, he has also given us the power to multiply disciples who multiply disciples through the preaching of the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. In Genesis and Acts, we read how God enabled man to multiply biologically and spiritually. We read how the number of disciples greatly increased and multiplied during the era of the early church. In his book, Dr. David Nelson, explains eight principles for building a ministry of multiplication. These biblically based principles will empower you to see a solid ministry that will grow into a ministry that multiplies disciple makers.

November Edition CCI Equipping and Multiplying News

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