america: March 07, 2013

CE spreads in the USA

The CE Mid-Atlantic board met for an overnight retreat January 11-12. Key initiatives include continuing the Rebirth CE Campaign. Currently five churches have committed to starting CE in their local settings. Many more churches are considering CE. The ministry is praying God would provide fifteen new churches each year for the next three years. It was also determined at these meetings that the ministry will primarily go by the name "Christian Endeavor" in its public relations efforts in the United States. The ministry will also assume the role of CE-USA in relationship to the WCEU. The primary focus will still be building CE in the Mid-Atlantic States, but will also be a support for existing and emerging groups through phone/skype communication, online resources, the beginning of online youth ministry trainings during 2013, the website, and other ways as time permits. God has certainly been working as the CE Quick Start Manual, available at www.cemidatlantic.org, continues to be downloaded by several interested people. The Manual was updated at the beginning of 2013 representing adjustments suggested to improve the initial Manual released in July. We have also developed a CE Starter Kit that will be sent to churches committing to start CE. This "thank you" gift provides small items that assist an adult youth leader in understanding CE with hands on items. Finally, a retired pastor named Richard "Woody" Woodcock has begun a ministry of encouragement with CE church pastors. Woody has begun visiting and praying with pastors from churches starting CE. Pastor Woody's passion to build up pastors is helping us being the ministry of encouragement we feel God is directing us to be.

March 07, 2013, 13:26 h by by Dave Coryell, Executive Director, CE Mid-Atlant.

america: March 07, 2013

LIDEC '13 - Seminar in Peru

The first edition of LIDEC '13 - CE Leadership that transforms training ended in a warm climate of brotherhood, creativity and engagement. The convention is designed for youth leaders of the Peruvian Evangelical Church, Coastal Region and aims to promote the integration, evolution and planning of the youth work, and creates a space for planning the future of CE.

The event took place on 8-9 February in a retreat house in the South of Lima, district of Cieneguilla and was organized by the Synodical Commission of CE. We implemented our working plan through dialogue and participation. We had training workshops with the themes: Youth serving in emergency cases and Synodical Convention on 26-29 July - one of the most relevant activities of the annual program. As part of the tasks of the church we felt the need of a profound renewal, where we embrace service in the diversity and complementarity of the gifts, in the atmosphere of the community as Christ's body, being persistent in prayer like transforming agents of CE.

March 07, 2013, 13:05 h by By Yessy Guadalupe, CE member, Peru.

america: March 01, 2013

A Treasure in Your Heart - Convention in México

December 26-29, 2012, the 10th Christian Endeavor Youth Convention was carried out in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. More than 450 young people from all over the country and even from the neighborhood country, Guatemala, gathered to celebrate this annual convention.

Andrés Jacobo, US native musician preached on the theme “Un tesoro en tu corazón” (A treasure in your heart). Many participants lives’ were touched through the sermons and also through funny challenges where their biblical know-how and dexterity were tested. From beginning to end, Jesus Christ was calling the heart of some attendees who finally received Him as their only Savior. Others had such experiences which impacted their personal lives that they decided to stay on the path of purity by living according to the Word of God: Loving the Lord our God with all the heart and with all the soul and with all the strength. It means we have to use all what we are to seek Him, to make a firm decision to not stray from His commands but to hide them in our heart in order to not to sin against Him (Psalm 119:9-11, Deuteronomy 6:5).

God demands an increasingly holy life, to be witnesses to the nations and to preach the Good News, so we must be consistent and congruent with the faith we have. What actually make these reunions unforgettable are the whole experiences that each young person keeps in heart at the end of it, just as making new friends from different places, learning bible content, growing up spiritually, and sharing all this with other youth of same age and belief.

We already look forward to the activities of this year and we hope to keep on growing spiritually in the name of The Lord.

…Till the next national activity!

March 01, 2013, 09:28 h by Ibzán Campirán, International Relations, CE México.