Dynamic Churches International

These past few months have been intense ones. As you know from our previous letter, we have been busy buying and importing a car from Japan for the DCI team in Malawi. We had estimated the cost of such a venture, using our North American business knowledge. From the Malawi Government website the cost should have been approx.$ 14,000.00. (Canadian). But…first we discovered the year of a car is not computed the same way we do in North America, by using the VIN number. The Malawian government looks at the seat belt and takes the year on the seat belt. So they figured it was a 2007 instead of a 2008, which increased the taxes and duties significantly. The taxes are configured as follows (the cost of the car, plus shipping by sea) + 25% + 45% + 16.5 %. All these taxes are on top of each other. Then there are some administrative charges and the importers’ charges, and the pick up from Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania port). It was an adventure!! However, we are very thankful to have the vehicle. It now still needs new tires. In the photo you will see the 2008 Nissan X-Trail we bought.

We want to thank all who have contributed to this car and made it possible for the Team to have safe transportation as well as being able to take all they need for the training with them on their trips. Of course, having this vehicle will bring with it more monthly expenses in terms of fuel, maintenance and other costs, such as insurance, etc.

As I think back over the past months and the reports our DCI Team has been sending I am so thankful for the many souls saved and discipled. We have lost track of the explosive growth of the Life Groups as neighbouring villages ask Life Group leaders to come and train a leader to start a Life Group in their village. The testimony of changed lives causes this explosive growth to take place. This should be a challenge to us! Does our (individual and collective) light shine bright enough for the lost to ask themselves what is missing in their life? We thank God that this is what is happening in Malawi! As people begin to study God’s Word they discover how God wants them to live their lives. They change their ways immediately and this affects their family and their village in a major way. Living God’s way is not dysfunctional!

Andrew told us about the impact the Maize Mill is having on the surrounding people. In Malawi when a death happens in the area all business stops for the day – or sometimes for the week! The family of the deceased is visited by relatives and neighbours. The mourning family also has to feed all these people. Our Team has instructed the miller and his assistant to grind the maize for a neighbouring mourning family for free. This is much appreciated since it helps defray the cost of the funeral. It also is a testimony to the community. Recently the chief made a point of thanking the miller for this service.

In January 2014 we received the DCI discipling materials that were printed in Egypt. 10,000 Dynamic Basics and 10,000 Dynamic Discipling booklets. The 10,000 Basics are almost gone and we have had another 5,000 printed right in Malawi. These booklets are making an enormous difference in the lives of the new disciples/followers of Christ. In all likelihood, more than 10,00 have been discipled, since some leaders have been photocopying the Basics for their own outreach. But having these 10,000 copies in the hands of new disciples means that 1 in 140 Tumbuka speaking Malawians in the North have a Basics booklet and a New Testament in their own language. We have seen these New Testaments on our return visits and they are being well used. They are dog-eared, underlined and treasured beyond what we would have expected to see.

So how can you be involved in this exciting work of God? You can pray for the safety of the Team and the success of the Gospel and teaching ministry. You can also help us financially. As the work grows the expenses are also increasing. People are being saved and discipled. They are passing on the Good News to others, multiplying the number being reached. Lives are being changed and God is being praised and worshipped through all this.

Thank you for reading this and thanks too for your prayers and financial help!
You can contact us by return email, or connect with DCI for donations through the  http://www.dynamicchurches.org donate page.

In His Service,

Hans and Elly Timmermans
Dynamic Churches International

The Dynamic Churches web site features a variety of translations of our discipleship PowerPoints and discipleship materials. We just uploaded materials in these languages:

Chinese
Polish
Romanian
Russian
Tumbuka
Ukranian

Please use and share the multilanguage pages!

A report from Al and Mary Middleton

A PDF copy with photos is here: April 2016 Middleton Report

Global Update    April/May 2016

Dear Friends & Ministry Partners,

Psalm 66:16-20 Says; “Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld  his love from me!”

In our last few newsletters I have shared about our new strategy and ministry process. Praise God He has graciously answered and provided new insights that are already proving to be very effective! Let me share.

Spontaneous Disciple Making a new strategy based on reaching into our communities!

We need to focus on planting the Gospel into every existing segment of society that could spread to more and more people and could in time establish a new churches with, for, and by the people of that segment that would keep on reaching their own community and beyond!

Hans and Elly Timmermans Canadians serving in Malawi, East Africa.

They have equipped a team of 4 National leaders, who go out to the villages in Northern Malawi to share the gospel, begin One-to-One Discipleship and start Small Groups.

An example of groups reproducing:

As people begin to understand salvation and receive Jesus Christ, their lives begin to change and they also pass on what they are learning to other people with great enthusiasm and conviction. Now surrounding villages are eagerly asking them to come and start Small Groups in their village. They are seeing tremendous growth! One group has reproduced to 7 generations of new groups. For example; one group in one village has become 27 groups in several villages!

Simeon Oyugi our Rep. in Nairobi, Kenya. Simeon recently conducted a DCI Trainers Training with his team of 31 National trainers from all over Kenya. He reports; “I send you greetings in the most precious Name of Jesus and thank you for your support. The Training was very successful and the leaders left ready to take Kenya and East Africa head on and train as many leaders as possible to cause an explosion in Church growth and expansion.

We had time to review what we have done to this point and how to leaders exchanged ideas on how best we could improve and see many people come to Jesus and increase the number of leaders to be trained. The Team Leaders resolved that DCI East Africa will not  just be about Training, but also winning souls as commanded by Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20.

It was very inspiring to show them the materials on the website and for them to realize that even on a smart phone they can access these training materials.

‘We are going for action’, were the words of team leaders and it was very encouraging to see them talk in this manner.”

Jing Estrella Philippines, Continues to see amazing growth working through the DAWN Movement. They have planted over 75,000 new Churches and have a goal to have a total of 130,000 by 2020. It is an amazing vision to plant a church in every community of 1,000 people (these churches average 100 people)! I recently asked Jing, “how will you be able to reach the other 900 people in each community?” Jing sees the new Spontaneous Disciple Making strategy as being a way to equip these churches to reach the rest of the 900 people in each community. He has been training pastors and they are catching the vision and are very excited!

Ramananda in Imphal, Manipur, N. E. India reports; “I was invited to witness Christ to many drugs addicted families in an area in which most people including even most of the pastors and evangelists are afraid to enter.

Indeed, they were broken and badly drug addicted and hopeless families, and most of their anticipation was freedom from drugs, peace in their heart and joy in their families. Frankly, I did not even believe they would repent and come to the Lord. But it was a miracle, as I started sharing the Love of God and hope that we have in Christ Jesus, God prompted me that He loves them very much! Indeed, God touched many families and they were crying and repenting of their sins and transgressions and dedicated their lives to follow Jesus.

Recently, I happened to meet this old woman, her husband was the education director of our state of Manipur. She is also very educated, but was antichristian all her life. Her only son and daughter in- law became believers and joined in one of our fellowships a few years back. She rejected them even from the family. Even while she was very sick, and couldn’t walk by herself, she didn’t allow her daughter in-law to serve her or to enter her room. One day her son took an audio recording while I was witnessing Christ in a market place and let his mother listen to it. Soon after listening, she asked her son to call me to meet her. As I entered her room with my wife, she was happy and warmly welcomed us. I  sat down beside her and said, ‘Jesus loves you so much’. She gave me permission to share more of Jesus and I continued. She was crying, and I asked, ‘Would you like to open your heart and pray with me TODAY and receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?’ Praise God she immediately said, ‘YES’ and I prayed with her and she accepted Jesus as her Savior on that very day.

Please continue to pray for her health and rapid recovery and for her family too, especially for their spiritual growth. One of our evangelists is taking good care of them and leading them in a discipleship class.”

Ramananda says, “More good news! God has opened the door for me to start another church planter’s discipleship/ leadership training program with 10 people, for one year from July 2016 partnering with an organization called SEVA BHARAT INDIA. We are praying and planning for at least 40 new house fellowships/churches to be planted and through them 200 disciples and disciple-makers to be established and reaching 6000 families with the gospel during this year.” He requested that DCI provide $500.00 USD to help cover the cost of training materials etc. This we were able to do.

Peter and Moala Kashung who direct the Leadership Training Centre (LTC) in India and Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Their team of DCI Trainers have planted thousands of churches and continues to equip and send out many church planters/evangelists. Pray for Peter’s health. Here are reports from a couple of men on their team.

Yongkon – Arunachal/Myanmar He shares, “Dear Praying Friends, Sing with me the hymn, “Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go” as you read this short message from me. I often travel alone between India and Myanmar through the deep jungle, and the Lord goes with me. Using the wonderful material of Dynamic Churches International (DCI), I go around giving training to both young and old alike for discipleship, evangelism and church planting. My people have no education but they are eager to learn. Please do pray that the Lord will provide for me a staff who can travel with me to help.

John Mathuraja – South India and Sri Lanka He shares, “Dear Prayer Warriors, Thank you for your fervent prayers for me and my ministry. Last year through God’s help I conducted DCI training in 37 churches in South India.

This year I have given discipleship and evangelism training in 3 churches in Tamil Nadu. I am now giving DCI training  in 3 churches in Sri Lanka as well as Sunday school teachers training. I remain ever grateful to God, Al and Mary the founder Director of Dynamic Churches International and LTC for giving me opportunity to serve God. I covet your prayers!”

Thank you for your prayers and financial support! Through you God is expanding His Kingdom. We together with you are a team and we very much need each other to accomplish the great work God has given us to do!

Donations can be sent to the address below or through www.canadahelps.org or www.networkforgood.com in the U.S. (both online).

May God bless you all!

Your Brother and Sister in Christ,

Al and Mary Middleton

The DCI French Page now has the translated PowerPoint and notebook for the Explosive Growth Disciplemaking training. See the French page here and spread the news to French speakers!

We have now made DCI discipleship materials available in Swahili.

Let’s spread the word to those who speak this African language.

The materials are under the Multilanguage menu here.

Chris Jules (churchintheair.com) interviews Al Middleton, Director of Dynamic Churches International. The program is now on YouTube in two parts:

A Conversation About Dynamic Church Ministry – Part 1

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A Conversation About Dynamic Church Ministry – Part 2

Dear Praying Friends,

Precious greetings in Jesus Name, thank God we are alive and protected by His blood.

Thank you for having prayed for us! We almost faced death. The car we hired lost its breaks after we hit a pot hole and crashed into a huge rock that stopped it. If the rock had not stopped us it could have been a fatal accident and our crew of five DCI trainers could have died. A few books were torn, the camera screen was broken, the front lights, bumper and the wheels were twisted, but this did not spoil the Training Mission Spirit. We left the car at a garage and it is still being repaired. Thank you for praying for us! Please continue to pray for us every day.

That was bad news, but now this is good news. Oyani Maasai is the border between three Tribes in Kenya: the Maasai which spreads up to Maasai Mara, the Kuria Tribe which spreads up to Tanzania and the Luo Community. All these Tribes were present in the Training. There were Tribal clashes going on even as the Training was going on. But we had security on Patrol.

We trained 15 Pastors and 42 leaders. 3 ladies gave their lives to the Lord and this is where the amazing story begins. One of the ladies who received Christ was just visiting a friend and attended the training. After she got saved, she insisted we must know her people. So on Sunday, we got on a motor cycle and travelled one hour to reach her home. Just like the Samaritan Woman who called her people together, and as we gathered to prayer, she shouted “give us a Pastor, this is a church”. A new church was planted with her people. We asked Pastor Meshack, who was with us in the Training with his Bishop? What should we do? His Bishop appointed Pastor Meshack to take care of that church.

So this new Discovery Group became a church of five people with a Pastor in Charge.

Thank God for the Holy Spirit who enabled us to overlook the accident and move on and do the Training, The whole team said that the accident was the price we paid for this new church. In all the training I have done in Kenya, East Africa and even in Ghana, I have never seen such an Authentic and Automatic start, but indeed this gave meaning for our name, “Spontaneous” and “Dynamic”.

You would need a video to capture the joy and tears of these people. Thank you for praying and May God bless you.

Simeon

Rusinga Island Report:
Going to Rusinga Island had several exciting moments.One hour away from Rusinga, we meet with cows, donkeys, goats and sheep just laying on the middle of the road, but when they heard the sound of our car honking they walked off the road and let us pass and then return to the road.
At Rusinga, we went to the Guest house. Here we were a little scared, we had insects which resemble mosquitoes and their greatest friend is LIGHT, so they literally covered and darkened the ceiling by the thousands, and at some point I thought we were being received by witches, but we were informed that this was the season of these flies like mosquitoes.

When we began the training sessions I noticed that ladies were overwhelmingly more than men. On inquiry we were told that many men had died of HIV and Aids.
We had more than 1% of the total population of Rusinga Island with 7 different church organizations in attendance and several leaders and Pastors.

We trained 312 and 17 people gave their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The leaders and Pastors we trained, got to know DCI for the first time and they embraced the DCI strategy and to God be all the glory. The Pastors and leaders enthusiastically met with the 17 new believers and made plans to begin Discovery Groups with them and hopefully they would also invite their family and friends.

I owe this success to the constant prayers of you and the partners who have allowed the Lord to use them for the Training and Discipling of Africa for Jesus.

May God bless you.
Simeon.

Here is Praise Report we got from Simeon. Thank you to all who prayed.

Dear Al & Mary,

Greetings in Jesus Name. We had a tremendous training in Kenya of the year 2016.The Bishop had a huge influence over other Bishops, Pastors from Baptist Church, Assemblies of God and many other big names.

Besides this, we also had a number of Bishops from other regions which we have always asked God to get us into.

We concluded yesterday with several invitations to many regions. This church had a capacity of between 500-650 Saturday-Sunday it was just full to capacity. Something to note is that some of the Bishops came as far as 300 miles away – real interior places where we knew no one, but now DCI has a foothold and to God be the glory.

Keep us in prayers as we leave today for Rusinga Island. One thing I know and I do if I get an opportunity for DCI, I give it my ALL to the Glory of God.

Simeon