Latin America & Caribbean News

FLNG: Forming the next generation

Gilbert Contreras traveled to Entre Rios to participate a youth retreat for Region 2. This invitation is an answer to prayer. The vision is to raise up a new generation of disciples and the retreat theme fit right into that. FLNG: forming the next generation, was the theme and they had over 400 young people from all over the North East section of Argentina.

Gilbert presented a workshop on Contacto Universitario (the ministry in the country) and gave a general presentation to the whole body just prior to the main speaker. A number of students and pastors were interested in having Contacto in their church which is great answer to our prayers for OPEN DOORS in the nation. This section of the country has many universities, will you pray with us that we would be able to start new groups in upcoming months to reach these college students.

U.S. Chi Alpha Team in Argentina

We recently had a team of 10 students from Chi Alpha Sacramento and Davis join us in evangelizing the university in La Plata. It was a great blessing to us and the US team. One of the team members said, "It's amazing how many had no idea who Jesus is or how many thought He was a 'fictional' character."

Our students quickly adopted this team and began building community and together they impacted the university.

Thanks Chi Alpha students for coming!

Preparandonos

This word, 'preparandonos' means preparing ourselves, and it is the title of a three seminar event that we will be offering our university students in Region 1. As 1 Peter 1:15 says, 'Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.' We hope to continue equipping students in Christian apologetics. Please pray for us as we are teaching this seminar once a month at our CU office in Buenos Aires.

We are also preparing our calendar of events for the coming year and with it are many open doors to teach. Please join us in praying that God will give us wisdom and grace as we respond to these open doors and that we would see the vision for University ministry expand throughout the country.

Contact Universitario Student Ministry Retreat

The theme of this year's retreat was: "Disciple Makers: moving beyond rhetoric into costly action" and it was an empowering time for those who attended.

The Cost of Non-Discipleship

One of the overarching goals for serving in the country with this university ministry is to see a chapter of Contacto Universitario (the national name of our ministry in Argentina) established in every AG church that is near a secular university.

Our world is quickly adopting a postmodern perspective and we need individuals inside and outside the church who are capable of preaching the real Gospel to today's hungry students.

What will the be the effect of not discipling them? Dallas Willard has this to say:

"For at least several decades the churches of the Western world have not made discipleship a condition of being a Christian... one may remain a Christian without any signs of progress toward or in discipleship... So far as the visible Christian institutions of our day are concerned, discipleship clearly is optional. . .Churches are filled with 'undiscipled disciples', as Jess Moody has called them."

The students in our churches need to be equipped with answers to common questions about faith and prepared on how to share their faith in Christ in today's culture. We hope we can help towards that end and will continue in our teaching, preaching, equipping and preparing of students.

Ezequiel Yedynak: student testimony

Three years ago due to the internal pressures I suffered because of my university studies I ended up hospitalized, I needed peace and to learn how to deal with the stress I felt.

During this time I was invited to a Contacto Universitario meeting. It was there that God through the discipleship offered strengthened my faith as a believer and not only that but He also surrounded me with friends who would encourage me.

Last year I graduated as an Electrical Engineer and I continue to be active in the ministry of Contacto. It is a privilege to now be able to disciple others who arrive to this city in the same condition that I was in.

The discipleship that CU gave me helped me understand that I am an instrument of God to bless others with my profession as an Engineer, both inside and outside the four walls of the church.

The seminars that Gilbert and Virginia gave at the last retreat about vocation and the priesthood of all believers was completely new to me and it revolutionized my life!

I am not alone in thinking that God is going to do great things through CU in our city and for that reason am grateful to each one of you that have made it possible for this to happen. May God bless you!

Celad 2006 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras

What happens when you gather a group of people passionate about reaching the youth of their country, expose them passionate teaching, biblical teaching, group building activities and times of worship and prayer??? You create an army of committed believers who have resolved to give their lives in the service of the Master and in making Him known among the nations.

That is what happened this week in Tegucigalpa. Leaders came from different countries but left united in heart as one people with one purpose. It was a great privilege to be a part of equipping and training these leaders to reach university age students.