CEE Story From The Mission Field
Training helping to reach 24 million with the Gospel
October 10, 2006
The Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Regional Office in Prague is hosting the fall 2006 Strategy Coordinator (SC) Training during the month of October. This intensive workshop is the culmination of a 6-month period of research, study, and assignments completed by the SC in order to develop the most effective strategy for their specific people group. The tangible result of this training is a comprehensive master plan that will direct the actions, ministries, prayers and personnel requests for his team.
“SC Training is the most strategically focused region-wide training event in CEE,” said Regional Training Coordinator Preston Pearce. “Through this fall’s training event alone 24 million people are being targeted with the gospel of Christ—I love that!”
This fall’s participants represent the diversity of CEE. From Latvia in the Baltics to Macedonia in the South—from Hungary in the western part of our region to the far reaches of Siberia, missionaries are planning, praying, and strategizing to bring the lost people of CEE to a saving knowledge of Christ. The collective strategies being developed this month envision 22,000 churches being planted in the next several years. Currently, the 11 participating SCs live in places that average only one church for every 621,000 people. Those are huge numbers and lofty goals that can only be accomplished through the movement of the Holy Spirit all over this vast land.
The role of the Strategy Coordinator is the most pivotal role filled by an International Mission Board missionary. The SC takes responsibility for developing the strategy for initiating and nurturing a church-planting movement (CPM) among an unreached people group or population segment. Within this strategic framework, the SC is responsible for building a prayer network, a church-planting team, advocacy partners from state-side churches, and partnerships with existing Great Commission Christians (GCC) that will help initiate a CPM.
With such a varied job description, SC training has to be comprehensive. Every training event has several experienced SCs come to encourage and give insight into the challenges that lay ahead for the new SC. At least one visiting SC couple shares about the unique challenges for the family that are inherent in the role. Every day is begun with worship and much time is given to testimonies of how God is at work all around the region. There are sessions on how to connect and utilize a prayer network, how to use media for advocacy and evangelism, and how to lead team members. These practical sessions are interspersed with directed group and independent work times dedicated to prayerfully formulating effective strategies.
“SC training is really helping us define areas we weren’t sure about,” said participant Julie Bannert who serves in Serbia. “It’s giving us focus.” Julie and her husband, Karl, have lived in their city in Serbia for 2 years, serving as SC for one year already. “One of the most helpful things so far has been the Situational Leadership II training,” she added. The Bannerts have 2 new families joining them this year after two years of working alone, so leading a team will be a new challenge for them.
Comments from past training sessions point to the benefits of different aspects touched on during the workshop.
“Hearing from each of the SC’s experience was great. I picked up good ideas as well as just a good perspective to have for our life—prayer, persistence, dealing with despair.”
“The session on prayer was the best. It was great to pray for one another.”
“My favorite part was the Q&A time with Regional Leader Rodney Hammer,”
“All of it—none of the sessions was without application!”
For Preston Pearce, who heads up the training, the highlight is the actual process of developing the master plan. “I love seeing that take shape,” he said. “It’s an awesome process!”
Please pray for these 11 SC individuals and families as they head back out to their fields of service. Pray for them to apply all that they’ve learned and to see God’s hand move mightily in their midst.