The Vineyard and World Missions

It is often said that last words are lasting words. The very last words that Jesus said to his disciples before he ascended were these:

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28.18-20).

Jesus gave the church its marching orders to make disciples (apprentices of Jesus) who are taught to obey everything that Jesus commanded the original disciples. We are not merely to make disciples of our local community. Rather, Jesus wants the whole world to become his disciples.

Vineyard Columbus takes both its local and global responsibilities very seriously. In the spring and summer of this year over 250 Vineyard members will participate in a dozen short-term mission trips. We have sent or will send teams to Denmark, Mexico, Morocco, Brazil, Costa Rica, Zambia, China, Benin, and Indonesia. We are especially grateful that nearly 100 middle-schoolers and high schoolers have been introduced to world missions through their trips to Mexico.

We are also working together with long-term missionaries in fulfilling Jesus' command to us to disciple the planet. Let me share with you some of the wonderful people we have the privilege to work with. Each of them desperately needs your prayers and your support.

Vineyard in the Sudan

We are working with Yasir in the Sudan. Yasir grew up in a religious Muslim family in a small town in the Sudan. As a child he was taught that he had an angel on each shoulder. The one on the right copied everything good and the one on the left shoulder copied everything bad. Yasir was taught that salvation would only happen if his good works outweighed his bad works. In Islam, he found no peace because no one could know for sure whether or not they would be saved.

It was in college, through an American professor, that he got to observe a real Christian whose family modeled for him the love and teachings of Jesus Christ. Through this Christian professor and another man, Yasir came to trust in Christ. He found the assurance he could never find in Islam. In the Sudan, a Muslim cannot change his religion. If he does, he is subject to the death penalty. Thus, Yasir was in considerable danger by turning to Christ for salvation. Yasir came to America to study and became a member of Vineyard Columbus. He has returned to the Sudan and is now pastoring a church of about 50 people (all Muslim background believers in Christ).

Yasir travels in and out of the Darfur region, which is a very dangerous place, in order to bring hope and relief to the many who are suffering there. Yasir's life has been threatened repeatedly. Vineyard Columbus financially supports Yasir's work and we also attempt to encourage him through our prayers and counsel.

Vineyard in Brazil

1. Steve and Elba Dolan are pastoring a church in Altarmira, Brazil. Steve is a member of Vineyard Columbus and met his wife, Elba, when he went on a short-term mission trip to Brazil some years back. They fell in love and were married a couple of years ago. Steve moved to Altamira to work alongside Elba, who is the senior pastor of the Vineyard Church there. Their church, which they planted just two years ago, has grown to almost 400 people. Steve works in IT for the Xingu Missions Team

2. Janette Ryan works as a Medical Director on a medical missions boat which travels up and down the Amazon River bringing medical care to remote Brazilian villages. Janette is a long-time member of Vineyard Columbus and has served in the Amazon for over a decade. She has ministered to thousands of people, bringing both Christ and medical help to many along the Amazon.

3. Keith and Marsha Wilson and their family recently moved to Altamira, Brazil to be part of the Xingu Missions Team. The Wilson's are ministering in Santa Ana. They recently started a Women's Bible Study and a Men's Bible Study, both of which are growing in numbers. The Wilson's, along with the Mirante church in Santa Ana, are praying about starting a Sunday School program at the Mirante church. Keith will be traveling with the Brazilian leadership team this year to learn more about working and ministering to the people of Santa Ana.

Vineyard in Central Asia

The greatest transition that has occurred for Vineyard Columbus in world missions concerns Andy and Kathy, Vineyard Columbus members, who for many years participated as team leaders of a church planting team in Central Asia. Several months ago, Andy was approached by a close friend, who is the Director of a Global Reconciliation program between Christians and Muslims centered at Yale University. Andy's friend is an evangelical believer and former church planter among Muslims in North Africa. He speaks Arabic fluently and has had extraordinary opportunities to share the gospel message with Muslim scholars and government leaders throughout the Arabic-speaking world.

Andy is a linguist and is fluent in Turkic languages. He also has extensive experience in reaching out to Muslims having lived for many years in Pakistan and Central Asia. After much prayer and consultation with us here in Columbus, Andy decided to apply for the Assistant's position with this Reconciliation program. Andy was one of twenty candidates for this Yale University position and, by God's grace, Andy was chosen.

We believe that God will continue to use Andy and Kathy in a whole new way to continue to reach Muslims for Christ and to assist in bringing peace between Christians and Muslims across the globe.

Special Note: Two weeks after Andy accepted his new position at Yale University, the organization that Andy worked for in Central Asia was shut down by that country's government. All of its personnel were kicked out of the country. The Central Asian country went through the charade of a show-trial in order to give its crack-down against all foreign charitable organizations an appearance of legality. In fact, the closing of educational, medical, vocational, and other foreign charitable organizations was simply a retaliatory act against the American government for our government's criticism of this Central Asian country's human rights record.

I ask you to join me in praying for the many new Muslim background believers in Central Asia, who are now without more mature foreign Christian leaders to encourage and disciple them. Pray that God might multiply these new believers as he has so wonderfully done in the past in similar situations. Pray also for the members of Andy's former team, who are searching for God's leading regarding their futures. Pray that God would continue to use these dear team members in making disciples of all nations. And thank God for his provision for Andy and Kathy. Only God knew that Andy and Kathy's time was short in Central Asia, and in that knowledge God provided an extraordinary new position of influence for Andy and Kathy.

Vineyard in Tanzania
During our Capital Campaign in 2005 we announced plans to attempt to send at least three large, long-term teams from the Columbus Vineyard to participate in world missions in different points on the globe. Our Tanzania Team, consisting of nine adults and many children, has now been formed and is in the process of preparing to move to Tanzania sometime in 2007. The Team is led by Edmond and Dorothy Lyatuu, who are native Tanzanians. Pray for the unity of this team and pray that God might clearly lead the Team to the specific location and task that he has set before them in the nation of Tanzania.

Aren't you grateful to be part of a church that takes Jesus' words concerning world missions seriously and is investing itself in the discipling of the nations?