Fri JUL 18, 08 Steve reports on completion of Jinja pastor conference

Dear beloved ministry partners,
We have now completed this seminar in Jinja and I want to use this Friday report to do some reflecting. This has been a very good, well organized, high class seminar. We were willing to spend a little more money in order to put on a top notch seminar. And that is what it was.
(see new pictures at ITEM Picasaweb Album by clicking HERE )

WHAT MADE THIS SEMINAR HIGH CLASS?
1. Room and board for pastors
We have never had a "sleep over" seminar for 100 pastors who stayed 5 days. We were only charged $5/man/day for room and 3 meals. But when you figure there were 100 men for 5 days you see how things add up. In an area like Jinja you can't rely on commuters to fill a conference.
2. Begin on time and stay on schedule
But having them sleep here has its advantages. You start every morning on time! That is a big plus. Things run on schedule all day.

3. A full compliment of lectures covering several crucial topics all at the same time
This is only the second time I have presented the ITEM church growth seminar, and the first time in more than three years. That was made possible because I had a team with me who could handle the basic and advanced lectures. And since the church growth seminar took up only one-half of the week, Pastor Wayne Wilson was able to plug in his inductive Bible study curriculum. So we had the basic, the advanced, church growth, and inductive Bible study all going this week. There were 38 lectures given in a five day period. 19 to the group taking the basic and advanced, and 19 to the returnees who attended the church growth/inductive Bible study lectures.

"In a perfect world" (as we say) this is what would take place every time ITEM conducted a seminar. Praying for this is a worthy request. It would take additional teachers at each stop and adequate funds to house the pastors for a full week.

THE ONGOING EFECT OF THE TRAINING
Is the training having an effect? I have good reason to believe it is! This is the third time we've worked with this group. We took about 40 of them through the basic seminar about 18 months ago. Then we came back and took about 60 through the basic and the 60 plus the previous 40 through the advanced. This time we had about 35 back for the third time for the church growth and 75 were here for the first time taking the basic and the advanced.

OBSERVATIONS:
1. As the word gets out and as we return for the second and then the third time, the numbers keep increasing.
2. They guys who are coming back for the third time are giving us evidences that they are doing things differently because of the training.
3. All of this verifies what we have thought for years. Coming back to the same place, continuing the training with the same group bears fruit. You can see the maturity. You can see the growing confidence.

COMMENTS:
*One pastor who has been with us 3 times said he no longer tries to rebuke and bind and cast out Satan every week at church. He commented how seeing the verses about "binding and loosing" in context moved him to stop that habit.
*Another pastor said that the training helped him to see how to exercise church discipline properly and now his church is not filled with sin.
*Another pastor said it helped to see the qualifications for leadership and now they use the qualifications to choose their leaders.
*Several said they no longer preach the way they used to preach. Now they are more conscious of the context and the importance of preaching and teaching the Word only.
*The leader of the women's ministries for the Church of God in Uganda is now requesting a seminar to help the women in their ministries.
*When I shared that with one of our coordinators he immediately said, "Our families are hurting. A marriage seminar would be helpful."
So I am pleased with the feedback and it verifies the importance of continuing the work the best you can with individual groups, and taking them through a sequence of seminars not just one.


QUESTIONS:
1. Pastors are to have one wife but the Bible doesn't say that a man who is not a pastor can't have many wives. What is your comment?
2. How can we know what part of the Bible is specifically for us and what part is not specifically for us?

FINISHING UP
The final lectures today included one on "sermon prep" where I spent a lot of time in Nehemiah 8 showing the principle so expository preaching as they are outlined there, how the people shouted "bring the book," then how it was read, and explained so there was understanding, how the people repented then rejoice, and celebrated because they went away with understanding.
Chris, reviewed the book of 1 Timothy, and I finished up with Titus and 2 Timothy. In the final lecture from 1 Timothy, it becomes a passionate appeal to "keep the faith, finish the course, and keep the faith."

SAYING GOOD-BYE
We concluded with many warm "thank you-s" and some warm embraces. I find myself getting attached to the men we have worked with for three seminars now. And from the words and hugs, I think the feelings are mutual.

ONWARD
Acton Faith Bible Church
The team from Acton moved on to the village they've had a relationship with for a few years. I got a little emotional when I thanked them for their part. Their small church in the high desert of So Cal sponsored about ¾ of this seminar and has helped in the previous two seminars with this same group. They don't have their own building but they are giving sacrificially to missions. "THANK YOU, ACTON FAITH BIBLE CHURCH!"

For me, tomorrow I fly on to Nairobi, Kenya. After a weekend of receiving ITEM coordinators from five countries, plus a man from Rwanda who might become our coordinator, we will spend two full days in sessions planning the work of ITEM in their countries, going over doctrine, philosophy of ministry, and methodology. In ten years I want to be able to turn the ministry over to men like the ones I will be meeting with Monday and Tuesday.
Then on Wednesday I will fly to Nigeria for a four day seminar beginning Monday, July 28. I will be home, Lord willing, August 3.
I am at the end of page two so that is enough for today. There are always more things to communicate than there is time or space. Thank you for enduring all of these pages. I appreciate each of you.

PRAYER
*Continued good health (my back is feeling normal as it always does after a week of standing on cement floors)
*Safe travel to Nairobi
*Good, productive meetings with the men coming to Nairobi
*The final preps for the training coming up in about 10 days in Nigeria.

Thank you for your prayers and everything so many of you do to make these trips and these seminars possible.

By His grace, Steve Van Horn [Intl. Training & Equipping Ministries]