Believe God for Daughter Churches - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

    Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

In Village Church Planting, we put a great emphasis on the importance of

churches planting churches. In fact, if our ministry were not called, “Village

Church Planting,” it could easily be called “Daughter Church Planting.” But the

vast majority of the churches in the world today find it very hard to plant

daughter churches. Some churches would even say it is impossible for them to

start new churches in new places. But why? Why is it so hard to plant daughter

churches?

It’s hard because people are usually more concerned about their own family,

their own neighbors, and their own village than they are for people who live in

other villages. Daughter church planting is hard because people would rather

build up their own church than start new churches. Sometimes this good desire

to build up a church comes from very selfish motives. Leaders say to

themselves, “I want my congregation to be strong so I can be strong and

secure.” Have you ever said such a thing? Oh my brother, my sister, God will

take care of you. He will take care of you regardless of how strong your local

church is.

Daughter church planting is hard because it’s risky. Not everyone who goes to

plant churches succeeds every time they try. Sadly, some people are so afraid

of failure that they never take a risk and try to start a new church.

Daughter church planting is hard because its expensive. It costs money to

travel to a new place and start a new work. It takes valuable time to go to

another village to teach the people there to obey all that Jesus commanded;

time that could be used on the farm, in business, and with our own families.

The monetary cost and the cost in time for church planting are high.

And church planting exposes us to the criticism of others. Some people just

can’t stand to be criticized.

So, when a congregation thinks about all the difficulties and challenges

associated with planting daughter churches, they are often tempted to give up,

stay home, and hope for the best. How can these poisonous ideas be

overcome? What is the antidote to all this negative thinking? The only way to

neutralize this toxin is to exercise faith.

Is it costly to plant churches? Yes, it is. But God will provide. “Remember this:

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously

will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in

your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a

cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at

all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2

Corinthians 9:6-8).

Is it risky to plant churches? Yes, it is. There is no guarantee that you will

succeed. But God will be with you, he will redeem your every effort. So stir up

your faith. Stir up the faith of your disciples and of your whole church. Help

them to only glance at the challenges but to focus on the goodness of God our

heavenly Father. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us. Help them

gaze upon the Lord who has promised to do exceedingly, abundantly above all

you can ask or think. Build up the faith of your people; believe God for

daughter churches.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #FastAndPray #DaughterChurches

Take A Disciple With You - 90 Days of Prayer and Fasting

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Village Church Planting is a ministry that is characterized by rigorous training

over a long period of time. For four years, first generation church planters

participate in classes in a VCP training center. In the training center they read

and study the Bible, they consider and practice new ministry skills, and make

plans to share the Good News, makes disciples, and start new churches. But as

wonderful as training in the Village Church Planting training center may be, it

is not sufficient. Don’t get me wrong. I love VCP trainers and the learning that

takes place in the training center. But it’s just not sufficient. To learn how to

plant churches you need to observe church planters at work. Let me repeat

that, “To learn how to plant churches you need to observe church planters at

work.”

So, when you go out to do the work of church planting, take a disciple with

you. When you prayer walk, take a disciple with you. When you speak to the

chief, take a disciple with you. When you tell Bible stories, take a disciple with

you. When you pray for the sick, take a disciple with you. When you teach one

of the seven basic commands of Jesus, take a disciple with you.

Jesus taught his apostles to go out two by two (Mark 6:7). He told the 72 to go

out two by two (Luke 10:1). But why did Jesus insist on team ministry? Why did

he continually teach his followers to go out in pairs as they went to ministry

and spread the Good News? I think there are several reasons. 

It was a safety measure. Two people travelling together are safer than one. 

They are safer from attack and less vulnerable to accident or sickness.

Two people ministering together have stronger faith than a person ministering

 by himself. Together they agree in prayer, and this agreement brings blessing. 

Jesus said, “Truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything 

they ask for, it will be

done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:19).

So, by taking a disciple with you, your safety increases and your spiritual power

through faith in Christ increases. Those are reasons enough to always take a

disciple with you when you go to minister. But there’s more! When you take a

disciple with you as you minister, you are accomplishing two goals at the same

time.

 You are ministering to others and you are training your disciple. He or

she observes you as you prepare for ministry. Your disciple observes you,

listens to you, and sees how you do your work. He or she can then ask you

questions to find out why you do what you do in ministry. This observation and

conversation is hugely beneficial to the disciple and to you. This is where real

learning takes place. When your disciple observes you ministering in the power

of the Holy Spirit, the ideas and concepts and information discussed in the

training center become real in their heart and mind. So take a disciple with you

when you minister. Train your disciples to also take their disciples with them

when they minister. As you do so, your ministry will be strengthened and a new

generation of Christian workers will be developed.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #FastAndPray #2By2

Pray For Workers - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 Hello, this is Multiply, a podcast to encourage church planters, pastors, and Christian leaders. I am your host today, Daneille Snowden. 

The scripture admonishes us to pray for one another. As Christian leaders in the church of Jesus Christ, it’s so important to pray for those who are working for the Kingdom of God.

I love what Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.”

To pray has an amazing definition to apply to each of one of our lives. 

To pray, we have to be in a humble place in our hearts, asking God with complete earnestness. It implies a continuous act, thus ‘to pray’ and keep on  praying! We basically pray without ceasing.

As church planters and church leaders, when we pray for all our workers we are praying as Paul instructed in Colossians; “…that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ…”

Let’s continue on praying for our workers and for one another so that

“…this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come!” Matthew 24:14

This has been Multiply, will you please share this podcast with others? Thank you, and God bless!

Step Out In Faith - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

Hello this is Multiply a podcast to encourage village church planters and leaders too. I am Brad Snowden and today let’s look into John 6:44 where Jesus says No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him giving him the desire to come to me and I will raise him up from the dead on the last day. 

From the very beginning of spiritual life, that is salvation, our life has been about stepping out in faith. Our entire life ids dependent upon our conviction or assurance the God's word is true. We say I believe in Christ Jesus so I will get up and follow him. When we first started this journey did, we know everything that we would go through? No of course, not and in my life, I am thankful that the Lord did not give me that picture. I would have picked an easier path at times and surely would have messed up His plan; 2 Corinthians 5:7, For we walk by faith not by sight. You know planting a church is hard and there are many challenges. We need all the blessings we can obtain. When you step out in faith walking into a new village searching for the person of peace God will bless that step. He will go before you to help you, and you can know His promise to never leave you nor forsake you no matter how hard it may be. The hardest struggle I have had is when I try to figure it out or try to make the path myself.                      

When we walk by faith, we don't have to depend on what we can do because the Lord will help us to do what He calls us to do. He will bless your steps, and you walk in faith He will make a way even when you don't see it. We have many examples in God's word about ordinary people stepping out in faith and obedience. We can see that God blesses that and God will bless you as you step out in faith. It is that faith in Christ that says I don't see a way, but this is what God is asking me to do. God will honor that heart, and He will bless those steps. 

This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. Who will you share this with today? Lord Bless you.

Report to Intercessors What God is Doing - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

Hello, glory be to God Dear church planters, dear listeners of "Multiply", this is our podcast that always gives a word of encouragement. I greet you once again. I am your servant Pastor Douty Claude, VCP director. In these 90 days of fasting, prayer and church planting, I know that everyone is at work. God also is at work. I want to say a big thank you to you all. I want to encourage you in everything you do. May the peace of the Lord be with you all.

I want to talk to you today about: Reporting to your intercessors what God is doing.

When we pray, we ask God for things. Certainly, God answers our prayers. What we see, pictures, Photos, conversions,  churches that are already being planted, that is the answer to our prayers and our fasting. I'm going to read to you a passage in Psalm 65, verse 3. The Psalmist says, "Oh, you who hear prayer, all men will come to you." But before that, verse 2 says, "With confidence, O God, you will be praised in Zion, and vows will be fulfilled." You see, the Psalmist knows that God answers prayer. He says, "You will be praised, we will fulfill our vows, because you hear prayer, and all men will come to you." Here, I give you a story in Acts of the Apostles 13, verse 1 to 3 "Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod, the Tetrarch and Saul. While they were serving the Lord in their ministry and fasting, the Holy Spirit said "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them away." Here is a first Acts. The Holy Spirit reveals Himself to the Christians of the early church in the book of Acts, it was still the beginning of the church. By prophecy, the Holy Spirit says "Separate me Saul and Barnabas. » So they fasted, they prayed, they had confirmation and they prayed for them, to send them out on their mission. But look what's going to happen in Acts 14, verses 26 and 27.

In Acts 14, verses 26 and 27, it says, “And from thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had accomplished. And when they had arrived, they called the church together, and declared how great things God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.” Let me tell you that, the testimony must be told.

The hand of God, the results of our prayers, our fasting, must be told to our intercessors so that they will have joy, so that they will rejoice, they will honor God. There are vows that people make, "Oh God, if you would do this, I would do that for you, I would do this." There are vows in secret. And the Psalmist, in Psalm 65 there, he said what? "We will fulfill our vows because we know that 'Oh God, you hear prayer.' And that's going to do what? It's going to bring all men to you. This is what the apostles Saul and Barnabas did.

They went and recognized that the Church was fasting, the Church was praying for them. They went, God opened the doors to the nations, there were conversions. There were churches that were created. There were many testimonies of healing, of deliverance. And they were very happy to go back to Antioch and gather the whole Church to give them the result of their prayers and their fasting

It was a great joy. So, feedback is important to strengthen faith and encourage intercessors. Brothers and sisters, let us encourage each other by giving good testimonies, what the hand of God has had to do.

 

Let us report this to our intercessors. Report to your intercessors what God is doing. And it will be a source of joy, a great source of gratitude and everyone will recognize the hand of God and we will fulfill our vows to the eternal.

 

God bless you. This was “Multiply,” our daily podcast. Shalom, shalom.

Balance Prayer and Ministry - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 Hello, dear brothers and sisters church planters, this is our podcast "Multiply". This is your servant, Pastor Douti Claude, VCP director. I would like to encourage you, to thank you, for all these 90 days of prayer fasting and church planting since July, which we started together, in which we embedded together, and we are seeing photos, testimonies, people who come together, who are always in prayer for the glory of God. God bless you all.

I want to talk today to you about Balance your prayer and ministry. The Balance of prayer and ministry is very important.

As we pray, we must have specific topics, and as we pray for those topics, as you can see that Pastor Dean always sends out prayer topics every day. As we pray, we must see the results, and we must compare what God is doing through our prayers to our ministry. The balance of prayer and ministry increases our faith. The balance of prayer and ministry allows us to minister with confidence. If we look at the example of the apostles in Acts chapter 4 starting from verse 29, the apostles were in trouble and they prayed to God, and they ended up saying to God this: “And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant to your servants that with all boldness they may speak the word, by stretching forth your hand to do healings, signs and wonders in the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed the place where they were assembled together trembling, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. That is what God does. They prayed in their difficulty, and automatically, without a moment's delay, God sent down his power in their midst to prove his existence, to prove that he is with them. The Holy Ghost filled them all, and the fear that they had of the rulers, the fear that they had of the opposers of the gospel, they were cheered up, they were given even more strength and boldness in the preaching of the gospel.

 

What would I like to tell you? Since you have been praying, what are the testimonies that you have encountered, the answers to your prayers? What will encourage you in your ministry is the answers to your prayers. I want to tell you by passing, in my ministry I have experienced many things. There was at times when we woke up in the morning, there was nothing to eat, there was not even breakfast. After the morning devotion with my wife and children, as soon as I went out the door, someone was waiting with exactly what was missing in the house. And many times, we have experienced these things in our ministry, through prayer. To add to that, I listened to and read a book, the heroes of faith and Georges Müller who had fed thousands of orphans, had to say that he woke up several times, that there was not even a piece of bread to give to the orphans. But he was never worried. Afterwards, he gathered his orphans, they prayed and barely one day they finished praying, and there was nothing and he saw someone at the end of their morning prayer, a van that came filled with bread for the orphans. So, brothers and sisters, this encourages the ministry.

There must be this balance of prayer in our lives. What does prayer give you? What are the results that prayer produces? The apostle Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to pray without ceasing. He exhorts the church to pray without ceasing. Why? Prayers have effects. The effect of prayer, the answering of prayer gives us faith, allows us to move forward in our ministry with faith, with assurance, knowing that God always answers our prayers.

This is to tell you that in the 90 days of fasting, prayer and Church planting, in all our prayers, pray with faith and let us each day give our testimonies of answers that we receive from God. Brothers and Sisters, I thank you. I encourage you to continue in prayer and exercising your ministry and you will see great testimonies will occur and this will communicate to you more faith in your ministry.

Balance your prayer and ministry. Be blessed. This is multiply.

 

Shalom.

Strengthen Yourself In The Lord - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

      Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

My life was very busy before the 90 Days of Prayer, Fasting and Church Planting

got started. And I’m pretty sure your live was very busy as well. You are a

church planter. Church planters have all the responsibilities of home and farm

and community activities that other people have, but they also have the huge

responsibility of planting a church and leading it into healthy growth and

multiplication. Church planters are busy people.

And now, on top of all your other responsibilities, you are supposed to fast and

pray more. Not only that, but you are also supposed to lead your disciples as

they find persons of peace and start new churches. You probably feel

exhausted. I understand. Sometimes I feel exhausted too.

What should a servant of God do when he or she feels so very tired? What steps

should a follower of Christ take to find energy to keep walking in faith? We

need to strengthen ourselves in the Lord.

This is what King David did when he was exhausted and discouraged after the

Amalekites destroyed the town where his family was staying and took captive

his soldiers’ children. 1 Samuel 30:6 says, “And David was greatly distressed,

for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul,

each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his

God.”

I hope you are not distressed because people are turning against you. But even

if you are, you can strengthen yourself in the Lord. If you are tired because of

the challenges of life, you can strengthen yourself in the Lord. If you are not

sure you can continue to devote more time to prayer, you can strengthen

yourself in the Lord. Here’s how:

First of all, we take rest. God gave us a sabbath, one day out of seven, to rest.

During the 90 Days of Prayer, Fasting and Church Planting, be sure to take a

sabbath rest. You may be afraid to rest for one day each week. You may fear

economic ruin or that your church will collapse if you rest. Fear not, trust God

to meet your needs and protect your ministry. By faith take a sabbath rest.

Strengthen yourself in the Lord.

Secondly, draw near to God in prayer. Find a quiet place and talk to your

heavenly Father alone. He delights to meet with you. Cast your cares upon

him. He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Don’t worry about anything, instead, pray

about everything. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will

guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4;7).

Third, feed on God’s Word. When you are exhausted, it is hard to study the

Bible. So save Bible study for when you are rested. But even in your

exhaustion, read small passages of Scripture, repeat Bible verses that you have

memorized. Draw near to God by meditating on his word. Strengthen yourself

in the Lord.

We are in a battle. This battle will be won by prayer and fasting. We press on

together until October 29. Strengthen yourself in the Lord.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #FastAndPray

#StrengthenYourselfInTheLord