Pray for Nicaragua on Sunday, December 18, 2011

Pray for Nicaragua on Sunday, December 18, 2011

Prayers for Nicaragua: Luke 1:26–38

Our God of unexpected blessings and perplexing good news, we thank you for your servant Mary.  We thank you for her “yes” to your invitation to give birth to Jesus our Savior.  We pray that you would give us the courage to respond with a “yes” when you send us unexpected messengers and perplexing tasks.   

We praise you for your wondrous ways, for calling a young woman from Nazareth to be the mother of Your Son.  We praise you for calling forth leaders for your church from all parts of the world and all walks of life.  We pray for the leaders you have called and are calling to lead the Christian Mission Church of Nicaragua. 

You have called women and men, from the country and the cities, young and old.  All hunger to know more about you and your Word.  We pray for the church’s program of ministerial formation.  Guide the Department of Theology and the facilitators as they plan, travel, and teach.  Give the students patience, perseverance, and resources to continue.  Equip and empower these servants of yours to be a light to Nicaragua, and to the world.  Ever remind us that with you, nothing is impossible.  Amen.

Mission Stewardship Moment from Nicaragua:

Nicaragua is a country where formal educational opportunities rarely keep pace with people’s thirst for knowledge. Knowing this, La Misión Cristiana has long worked to provide first-rate theological training to their pastors and lay leadership.  So it was an exciting moment when in August of this year the church kicked off a two-year project in theological education.

The project began with nine churches in the capital of Managua.  Very quickly, the offering of a weekly two-hour theology class attracted more interested people than could be accommodated!  Relying on the expertise of several members who are current or former theology students at the Evangelical University of Nicaragua, the project organized five weekly classes, each one serving a pair of churches.  Before our daughter Maya was born, Laura Jean was teaching two of the five groups (with Tim’s assistance).  The first few topics included a history of Pentecostalism, the World of the Old Testament, and a seminar on the Church Confronting the Problem of Violence.

The project is now expanding into the other regions of Nicaragua.  In the rural regions, where churches are far-flung and transportation is difficult, the project has planned a series of meetings where the students and teachers gather together for 4-5 days of intensive study.  Last weekend, Laura Jean co-taught a four-day course for students from the seven churches in the Western region and the project will soon extend to the South, East and North as well.  Support from Global Ministries is critical in buying materials and paying for the transportation that bring people together to do this good work.

To access Laura Jean and Tim’s blog: http://laurajeanandtim.blogspot.com/ 

 (Prayer and Mission Moment written by Laura Jean Torgerson and Timothy Donaghy)

Video Resources for Nicaragua:

Interview with Laura Jean and Tim: http://globalministries.org/resources/multimedia-resources/videos/video-mission-moments/torgerson-donaghy.html

Global Ministries International Partners in Nicaragua:

  • Convencion de Iglesias Mision Cristiana de Nicaragua: The Christian Mission of Nicaragua, a grass roots national Pentecostal church, is committed to assisting the poor, not only with their spiritual needs, but also with development projects and leadership training.
  • Centro Inter-Eclesial de Estudios Teologicos y Sociales (Inter-Church Center for Theological and Social Studies):  seeks to live out its commitment to the Kingdom of God by providing education at varied levels (popular, undergraduate, masters’) in theology, ministry, and community development to promote the well-being of Nicaragua’s most vulnerable communities. http://www.cieets.org.ni/
  • Consejo de Iglesias Evangelicas Pro Alianza Denominacional (CEPAD): The Council of Protestant Churches of Nicaragua seeks to serve the poor through community development, work for peace and reconciliation, and by promoting the values of the Kingdom of God. http://www.cepad.org.ni/eng/index2.html
  • Acción Médica Cristiana: Medical Christian Action provides community based holistic healthcare. Global Ministries supports several community water projects. http://www.amc.org.ni/
  • Iglesia Morava: The Moravian Church works with Afro-Caribbean and indigenous populations on the country’s eastern coast.
  • Centro Ecumenico Antonio Valdivieso:
  • Convencion Bautista de Nicaragua:
  • Seminario Teologico Bautista de Nicaragua:
  • Nicaraguan Protestant University (Universidad Evangelica Nicaraguense Martin Luther King, (UENIC-MLK): http://www.uenicmlk.edu.ni/
  • For more info on Nicaragua: http://globalministries.org/lac/countries/nicaragua/

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Global Ministries Missionaries in Nicaragua:

Timothy Donaghy, a member of University Christian Church, Hyattsville, Maryland,
serves the Christian Mission Church in Nicaragua. He works on church projects
in environment, food security, and leadership development and teaches about environmental issues at CIEETS (the Inter-Church Center for Theological and Social Studies).

Laura Jean Torgerson, a member of University Christian Church, Hyattsville, Maryland, serves with the Christian Mission Church of Nicaragua. She works as a consultant to the church’s national Education and Theology Department and assists in the formation of pastors and lay leaders in the liberating theology of the church.  She also teaches New Testament to undergraduate theology students at CIEETS (the Inter-Church Center for Theological and Social Studies).

Pray for Partners without Global Ministries Mission Personnel: Belize

For more info on Belize:  http://globalministries.org/lac/countries/belize/