A Worshipful Heart

If You Love Me, Feed My Sheep

 My time in Rwanda was amazing. We helped plant 5 churches and had 956 people come to know Christ. Over 600 of those began to be discipled as well!

The main thing I wanted to share about tonight is the one day worship conference we did. I am so thankful to e3 Partners for allowing us to do this workshop and chase a dream! This is a picture of our "conference center" out in rural Rwanda! Actually it's a church and we had 100 pastors and church leaders attend our study of Biblical Worship. They walked many hours to attend this rare opportunity to learn and be equipped. 

We kept it simple and did six sessions of teaching. I co-taught with friends Harry Richardson and Wendy Bramhall. We were led in worship several times during the day by our Rwandan hosts and as the dancing got started, the red dirt started flying! We truly rejoiced in the Lord together! It was a great day of learning and growing for all of us. I was so pleased that the Give Worship Project was also able to provide lunch, notebooks, pens and outlines for all who attended.   

There was so much excitement over this conference. The country leaders were thrilled and I've been invited to do another conference in Rwanda this September! We're also discussing how to write curriculum and train other leaders to use it in many different countries. I also am praying about going back to India with e3 to teach discipleship through worship to groups of believers gathered in the villages. I believe the possibilities are boundless! 

 

We have so many opportunities before us now! It's incredibly exciting to see how God is at work among the nations. I'm thrilled to be a small part and to have a glimpse of the church worldwide.

As I prayed about whether or not I should say "yes" to the opportunities before me I heard a word from God so clearly. He simply said to me...

"Feed My Sheep."

And so that is what I am going to do! But I can't do it without partners to help make it possible. I need your help in a major way now. Instead of raising money for each trip as it comes along, I need MONTHLY PARTNERS willing to give regularly to the Give Worship Project. I need 25 people who are willing to donate at least $100 per month so that people can be discipled through worship.

You can set up a recurring donation on our website. Right now there are two buttons only. You can use them more than once. For instance, if you want to give $200 per month, just do two $100 donations. If you have another specific amount in mind let me know and we can set up a button for you. As a reminder, all of your gifts are completely tax-deductible as the Give Worship Project is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. 

If you'd like to learn more about my trip and what our plans are for the future, please be sure to attend our Night of Celebration on Saturday, May 1st at Shea's Express in Downtown Huntsville at 7:00 pm. We'll enjoy an evening of sharing and worship and you'll have the opportunity to partner with us as well. 

Thank you for your help and support!

Pray for These People

The people of Rwanda. Here are a few facts to help you pray with compassion and understanding in the next few days......

Praying tonight that God gives me a deep love for the people of Rwanda.

FACTS AND FIGURES 

information used from unicef

Rwanda is one of the poorest countries in the world. It ranks 158th out of 175 countries listed in the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Index:

• 60 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
• Rwanda’s population is young. Out of the 8 million people living in Rwanda, more than half are under 18years old.
• Rwanda has one of the world’s worst child mortality rates – one in five Rwandan children die before their fifth birthday. Malaria is the leading cause of infant and child mortality (29 per cent).
• 42 percent of Rwandan children under five years old are malnourished.
• More than 400,000 children are out of school.
• Rwanda has one of the world’s largest proportions of households that are headed by children (i.e. children raising children) with an estimated 101,000 children heading up some 42,000 households.
• 8.9 percent of the adult population is HIV-positive.
• 2000 women - many of whom were survivors of rape - were tested for HIV during the five years following the 1994 genocide. Out of these women, 80 per cent were found to be HIV-positive. Many were not sexually active before the genocide.
• Between 9 and 13.4 per cent of 15 to 24-year-old females, and between 3.9 and 5.9 per cent of 15 to 24-year-old boys are HIV-positive.
• By 2001, an estimated 264,000 children had lost one or both parents to AIDS – representing 43 per cent of all orphans.
• 613,000 Rwandan children between the ages of 0 to 14 years old areorphans.
• 88 per cent of women have to walk for more than one hour to reach a health facility.

The Rwandan Genocide of 1994 was a truly traumatic and horrifying event. It was one of the most brutal acts of murder ever committed.

• Over the course of 100 days from April 6 to July 16 2004, an estimated 800,000 to 1 million Tutsis and some moderate Hutus were slaughtered in the Rwandan genocide.¹ A recent report has estimated the number to be close to 2 million.²
• During this period of terrible slaughter, more than 6 men, women and children were murdered every minute of every hour of every day. This brutally efficient killing was maintained for more than 3 months.³
• There are between 300,000 to 400,000 survivors of the genocide.⁴
• Between 250,000 and 500,000 women were raped during the 100 days of genocide.⁵Up to 20,000 children were born to women as a result of rape.⁶
• More than 67% of women who were raped in 1994 during the genocide were infected with HIV and AIDS.⁷ In many cases, this resulted from a systematic and planned use of rape by HIV+ men as a weapon of genocide.⁸
• There are 10 times as many widows than widowers – almost 50,000 widows of the genocide.⁹
• Nearly 100,000 survivors are aged between 14 and 21, of which 60,000 are categorised as very vulnerable.¹⁰
• 75,000 of survivors were orphaned as a result of the genocide.¹¹
• Of those that survived the genocide over half the children stopped their schooling, because of poverty.¹²
• 40,000 survivors are still without shelter, many whose homes were destroyed in the genocide.¹³
• 7 in 10 survivors earn a monthly income of less than 5000 Rwandan Francs(Equivalent to 8 (eight) American Dollars)

Time to Pray

Well, it's almost here. The day I leave for the "Land of a Thousand Hills". I'm one day closer to walking where the 1994 Genocide happened. And one day closer to spending time with people who are all survivors, in every sense of the world.  

I wonder if I can handle it all. Sharing my testimony in a way I NEVER have. Talking to people and hearing their stories. Planting churches where there literally are none. And leading church leaders in day of learning about worship. 

You see I already feel emotionally overwhelmed. By my time in India. By the events in my own life. By the thought of actually leading many people to a saving relationship with Christ. By wondering what God may be calling Phil and I to do........

So I wonder if I can handle it all. And I know that the answer is that no, I can't. And I don't want to. I want to be filled with the Spirit and power of God to minister. I want the word of God to be alive in my heart and mouth. I know I cannot rely on my own strength, abilities and knowledge. All of them will fail me as I head to Rwanda. I need the power of God and nothing else will do.

So it's time to pray. And it's time for you to pray as well. If you are a friend, or even if we don't know each other, I ask that you pray for the power and love of God to be made known every place we go in Rwanda. Pray that I will open my mouth and God will speak. And pray most of all that God will move and many, many will come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Pray for the churches that are being planted in the villages of Koboronda to equip these new believers so that the church in Rwanda will be strong!

Don't wait til I leave to pray. Please begin praying now. If you'd like a detailed prayer and scripture calendar please leave a comment with your email and I'll send you one! 

Here is a general idea of what we'll be doing each day so you can have direction as you pray:

Wednesday‐Friday/March 17‐19th Team travels to Rwanda 

Friday/March 19th Kigali / Orientation  

Saturday/March 20th      Orientation for Conferences at e3 Office / travel to Kabarondo 

Sunday/March 21st Praise and worship with Mother Churches 

     Prayer/Train/Evangelize new Mission Point areas 

Monday‐Wednesday/March 22‐24th    Evangelize/Disciple/Gather Together 

Thursday/March 25th        Children’s Ministry Conference 

Friday/March 26th       Worship Conference – Team travels back to Kigali 

Saturday/March 27th       Day of Rest and Rejoicing! 

Sunday/March 28th       Worship in Rwanda.  Team leaves Rwanda for the USA 

Monday/March 29th       Arrive back in the USA 

You can read about more prayer requests and sign up for a particular day to pray here. 

Thank you so much for praying. You're the best......

Things You Always Wanted to Know

Recently, I was interviewed by Lori Wilhite for the blog "Leading and Loving It", which is a community for pastor's wives and other women in ministry. I really admire so many of the ladies that head up this blog. My interview was posted while I was in India (without internet connection!) so I didn't get a chance to share it with you, my regular blog readers. Here's the interview - in it's entirety - with a few side notes added in for fun!

Meet Jan Owen, the founder of the Give Worship Project. You can learn more from Jan on her blog. I know you’ll enjoy getting to read about her new adventures as she helps church leaders in developing countries.

1. What is your role in leadership/ministry?

I’ve spent the past 15 years serving as a Worship Pastor, but this past fall I resigned my position and founded a non-profit missions organization called the Give Worship Project, Inc. It’s purpose is to help equip and resource indigenous church and worship leaders around the world. So after many years of working in one local church, I now work in local churches worldwide, teaching, training and consulting, particularly in the area of worship and spiritual leadership. And I still lead worship sometimes too!

2. What is your favorite thing about your role?

Getting to worship with the Body of Christ around the world and see firsthand how God is work around the globe. (As I stood on the stage leading worship in a church in India and had that "front row view" that I love - seeing people worship God so wholeheartedly - I thought "It doesn't get any better than this! There's nothing like being in the presence of God with the people of God." That's true no matter where on the planet I find myself.)

3. What is the most challenging thing?

Raising money and all the legal stuff. I don’t enjoy that pressure although I do enjoy seeing someone get excited about partnering with us. I enjoy sharing the vision, sharing about how churches here can help under-resourced churches and leaders other places. And I love seeing someone’s eyes light up when I share how their gift was used. An additional challenge is never having any idea what to expect when I go to teach. Each experience is so different. I never feel really prepared. (I will add here that we are in need of financial partners. You can give a one time gift or an automatically recurring donation on our website.)

4. What do you wish someone had told you before you started in your area of leadership/ministry?

How lonely it would be. I’m a people person. I thrive in the company of others and I work best with a team. To do a huge amount of my work – at this current time – virtually alone, is very hard. To leave working on staff, with a team, in one local church and to begin working at home alone has been a difficult emotional transition for me that has been filled with grief even though I am pursuing a dream I know God has called me to. I can’t wait for the day when I can say once again: “let’s do this TOGETHER.” (When I worked in a church my "ministry group" was a known, and was fairly stable. Now I work with different people all the time. I do many things all alone, including traveling to countries I've never been to. And I have no idea who my "team" is! I'm always asking for help, which might be annoying, and that is hard for me. Some days the lonely feelings are discouraging.) 

5. What do you wish others in leadership knew about your specific area?

How needful it is. I wish they understood that there are many other leaders around the world just like them who don’t have the opportunities they do. I continue to pray that leaders here in the U.S. will see that they have an opportunity to share the wealth they have and partner with a leader and church, to help encourage and equip them. I wish that I could have more opportunities to share with leaders here in the U.S. I believe they may be able to learn much from what I’ve experienced and what I’ve observed. (Invite me to your church, staff meeting, retreat, or rehearsal. I think you'll be challenged and inspired!) 

6. How has God used your leadership to grow and change you?

Oh my. Let’s see. I wrote a book about that. Seriously. It’s not published, but I did write an entire book on this subject. To be honest, I encountered some tragic circumstances in vocational ministry that broke me. They broke my heart, my spirit, my will. I literally got to the point that one day I could not quit crying and I begged my husband to not make me go back to church. That was a pivotal point for me as a child of God who just happened to be a leader in the church. And that brokenness led me to pursue God like never before……I encountered God in that low, low place and came out a different woman. I hope I’m wiser, more compassionate, more loving, and more aware of who I am in Christ. Leadership has – like parenthood – taught me how little I know, and how much I desperately need Christ. It’s also stretched me beyond my wildest imaginings……..I never dreamed I’d do all I’ve done. (All I can add is that this seems like a pale description of the true reality! The more I do this, the less I know, except that Jesus loves me.) 

7. How do you make sure that integrity is being maintained in your leadership?

When I was on a church staff I had a leadership team that I ran all decisions through, that I talked every situation through with. That group gave me great checks and balances. We as a staff also had certain guidelines that we observed to protect ourselves, our marriages, etc. I still try to maintain those guidelines now out of love for God and respect for my husband and family. If I'm in a situation that is outside the norm - and since I travel with men, and don't have an office to meet in that does happen some - I just tell my husband and we talk about it. I’m hoping to grow that same kind of accountability with the board of directors of my non-profit in the coming months.

8. How do you develop other leaders?

How do I develop other leaders? In my present role, I’m currently investing in leaders around the world, but it’s not consistent. I can’t be with them every day. I teach them, I leave them materials, I follow up if possible but most of the time its not. When I was a worship pastor I had a good process I think – let them observe me, let us do it together, let me observe them, let them fly on their own with consistent training and feedback. I also look for leaders that can do things I cannot. This makes our team or my organization stronger. I’m a huge, huge proponent of shared leadership and so I’ve always practiced that in my leadership. I want that for the Give Worship Project as well.

Do you have any other questions for me about my life and ministry as President of the Give Worship Project? Maybe you have questions about transitioning from church staff to heading a mission organization? Now's your chance to ask them!

I Need Your Prayers as I Head to Rwanda!

What an exciting few months! I've only been back from India for two weeks and now I'm heading to Rwanda! I will be leaving on Wednesday, March 17th with friends from e3 Partners Ministry. We'll be sharing the gospel, discipling new believers, planting four churches and then we'll be holding two conferences - one for Children's Ministry and one for Worship. As you might guess, I'm helping to head up and teach at the Worship Conference. My prayer is that this will be the first of many worship conferences held in the countries where e3 ministers. 

And so I'm asking for your help again. I need a group of prayer warriors to gather around me and do warfare on my behalf, our ministry team and the precious people of Rwanda. 

Many of these people have endured great heartache and may be hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ for the first time in their life! It is estimated that for every North American that goes to Rwanda, approximately 100 people come to know Jesus. Now THAT is exciting!!

Here are some ways you can pray:

• God to be glorified

• Genuine professions of faith 

• Campaigners to be “filled with the Spirit”

• Unity and flexibility of all team members 

• God’s “hedge of protection” around our  

mission points against Satan and his minions 

• Boldness, clarity and graciousness in preaching Christ 

• Many open hearts and minds for the Gospel 

 • That we truly worship the Father in “Spirit and truth!” 

• New fellowships to be firmly established 

• Good attitudes, health, safety and protection 

• E3 Rwandan Leadership – Anna Kayisinga, Asnath Uwizeye and Alex Nteganira 

• Great Communication (especially across cultures) 

• Godly mission point and church leadership 

• Protection and care for our family at home. 

• For the worship and children’s conference leadership team. 

• That all the participants at the conferences will understand and retain the teachings!

Once again, I'd love to have you sign up to commit to a day to pray. You can do this for multiple days, you'll just have to send the form for each day. I consider your prayers to be an act of love and I appreciate them so much. 

***AND PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT TO LET ME KNOW YOU'RE PRAYING!!***

I Dare You

To read this book. If you're a man, I triple dog dare you. 

Go buy it today. Be horrified. Be convicted. Be saddened beyond words. Cry many tears. And then be inspired to use your voice and influence to make a difference in the entire world by the love you show women. In over half the world, women are the most poverty stricken, uneducated and marginalized and victimized people of all. Just for being a woman. 

How would Christ treat the women you will meet in this book? What should our response be? How can we make a difference? How should the church live out the love of Christ in response to these facts?

I dare you to read, pray and find out. 

Meet the Women of India

 Perhaps the most startling thing that happened to me - that I didn't expect - was that I fell in love with the women of India. In their colorful saris, with their golden brown skin, and their shy smiles, their eyes followed me everywhere I went, particularly when I was teaching or talking. They lined up for me to pray for them, even when I could not understand what the request was and they could not understand the prayer. They peered in the windows of the churches and waved and giggled. They sweetly adjusted my ever-errant scarf and complimented me on my choice of punjabi, although I never wore mine with the grace and beauty they themselves did. And they welcomed me eagerly.

I think my presence was an encouragement to them. And I know that their love and openness and faith touched my heart. Many of them have shown extreme courage. I'm honored to now count a few of them as my friends.

So I'd like you to meet a few of my friends, some of the women of India. All of these women are believers and I think you'll see the light of Christ in their eyes!

**The picture above is of the women that attended the Worship Conference in Kolkatta. We had all ages as you can see!**

This is Anita. She leads worship along with her husband and their two daughters. Her husband is a pastor. Everything they did, they did together. And when she led worship she simply glowed with her love of Christ. When I taught, she was one of my most rapt students, hungrily taking notes. And when I left she gave me a bracelet. So if you see me wearing a gold and blue bangle, you'll know I'm wearing it and praying for Anita and her family on that day.

 

Meet Bharati. She is from an Indian village and comes from a Hindu family. Her neighbors were Christians and led her to the Lord. In this picture she is sharing her testimony and she was just all lit up as she shared about coming to know the Lord. You'd never know from looking at her that her family shunned her when she believed in Christ and now she lives at OM Headquarters going to school there. She has no family to care for her, and no father to get her a husband, as is the custom there. As an unprotected women she has few options. She confessed that she often feels very alone but she's so happy she has Jesus. 

This young worship leader is named Sangrila. She is from northeast India and has such a clear, sweet, pure voice. She was led to Christ by her uncle several years ago and now her entire family are Christians. She leads worship with college aged students. She has an obvious tender heart for the Lord and gave me the sweetest note when we left. Please pray for the ministry God has given Sangrila. 

This woman, her mother, all her sisters, and her children attended one of the slum churches we were able to visit. I've rarely seen anyone worship so determinedly. She clapped, wept and sang with all of her heart. What a joy to see!

These are just a few of the lovely women that call India home. They are all so physically beautiful but their true beauty comes from their joy in Christ.

Pray for our sisters in Christ. India is a hard place for women. Many of them endure much as they choose to live out their faith. Pray that they will be able to share Christ with other women as well.