An update from Perry Wang…

I was born in China. Growing up, I was completely atheist. The first time I heard the gospel I refused to listen and laughed at the brother who told me, but by God’s mercy and grace, in a moment He opened my eyes and made me alive. He showed me that I had lived in lies all the days of my life and He led me to the truth. He showed me my sins and led me to the cross. I knew in that moment that Jesus was alive and from that moment, I was His. That was March 11, 2006. Since then, God has given me a passion for the truth and love of Jesus Christ.

After graduating in 2007, I trained for one year and was sent to Nanning City, China to plant an underground church. After 7 years in ministry, I found I knew very little about church and ministry and so I resigned and pursued further study in seminary. By His grace, God opened a door for us and in January 2017, we arrived at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

While I was in Louisville, our friends Huadong (Brian) Yang and Fengyu (Jeff) Ji were members of Sovereign Grace Church Louisville, both of whom had studied at Pastor’s College. At that time, my wife and I had known these brothers for two years and we witnessed change in their lives. Some negative aspects of Chinese culture were fading away and the aroma of Christ was growing. We were attracted by the fragrance of their lives, so my wife and I decided to visit SGC Louisville.

We loved the vibrant worship and powerful message. There were many times we were moved to tears by CJ's preaching and by the songs we sang. My wife was shepherded well and her spirit was renewed. It was faithfulness to the Word and the grace, love and humbleness flowing from the pastors that drew us to Sovereign Grace. After Gary Ricucci gave us the membership interview, I had an impulse to give him a hug, and I did! By the way, hugging is not part of Chinese culture!

For the first three years in seminary, I was determined to go back to China to plant churches. However, God changed my stubborn mind and showed me a new vision - to plant healthy churches here in the States and use them as a base to reach unreached people groups. When I was nearing the end of my seminary studies, Pastor Gary Ricucci and I were discussing the possibility of Pastors College and other ministry opportunities. When he heard of my heart for church planting, he told me about the church planting class that was running the following week at the Pastors College and invited me to join. There I met Mike Seaver, pastor of Risen Hope Church, Charleston. That’s how I ended up in Charleston after graduating from Southern Baptist in Louisville.

I’m now a church planting resident at Risen Hope Church and I’m grateful for the last year. I am learning from the pastoral team, their humility in teamwork, the way they hold each other accountable, how they deal with different opinions and conflicts, their love and care for each member through prayer, their laughter and their tears, how they exercise church discipline and so on. This has been so helpful in preparing me to build and lead a team as a church planter. We started a bible study at the Medical University of Southern Carolina where more than a hundred Chinese students work and study. We are planning to launch a new Chinese-speaking church next summer. The plan for the following year is to build a core team, with the help of the Church Planting Cohort.

If you’d like to get involved, or have Chinese speaking members in your church that would like to get involved, then please let me know.

An update from Jared Mellinger, lead pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, Glen Mills, USA…

On July 27-30, 650 people from 38 US states and 5 countries gathered in Louisville, Kentucky for WorshipGod 2022. I attended with a group of members from my church, including several other pastors I serve with. It was incredible!

The conference is designed to serve anyone who leads or participates in the Sunday gathering, as well as anyone who wants to better understand congregational worship and grow in loving God, who is worthy of all praise.

The theme of this year’s Worship God conference was Unchanging. We celebrated God’s unchanging character: his independence, trustworthiness, eternality, blessedness, and love. The theme was drawn from the newest Sovereign Grace album.

Sovereign Grace Music published a devotional on the songs/Psalms from the new album, which was released and available at the conference. The devotionals are written by various Sovereign Grace pastors and have helped me meditate more deeply on the songs on this album. We’ve also started singing some of these songs in our church, and our congregation has been richly blessed by them.

Bob Kauflin did an outstanding job leading the conference as Director of Sovereign Grace Music. He has unique leadership gifts and relational gifts that made these days together especially edifying. Bob's goal is not to run a polished and impressive production, but to serve those present. He does this by leading with joy, humility, generosity, encouragement, and thankfulness.

Musical instruments and books were given away. The give-aways often honored those who have faithfully served in their church for many years, or are serving with young children, and others appropriate to honor. Song writers were also thanked and encouraged. Abundant grace was on bright display.

The entire team at Sovereign Grace Music models gospel culture in a way that shapes the experience of each person in attendance. The grace of God was also evident in the hospitality shown by Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville. Although we met at a different church building, there were dozens of people in the church in Louisville who cheerfully served and greeted me and others all week long.

After the conference, I shared with Bob that one of the specific things I appreciate about his leadership is the way he helps us in Sovereign Grace learn from, express appreciation for, and serve the broader body of Christ. Attendees were a combination of people in Sovereign Grace Churches and beyond. Speakers were a mix of pastors in Sovereign Grace and others: Mike Bullmore, Jeff Purswell, Mark Jones, Josh Blount, and myself. Special guests included Adam Wright from Corner Room Music, City Alight, Jonathan and Sarah Jerez, and others. It was so encouraging to hear Adam Wright sing with his daughter, and to hear the vision City Alight has to serve the church of Christ through modern hymns.

I have regularly attended this conference over the years, not because I am a musician or worship leader, but because I am a pastor and Christian. I have found this particular conference to be especially edifying, equipping, and refreshing for pastors. Lord willing, I hope to attend again in the future.

After all, worship does not exist for the few, or for the musically talented, but for us all. God created us to glorify and enjoy him forever.

Worship is always related to missions, as John Piper has explained, because worship is the goal and fuel of missions: Missions exists because worship doesn’t. And, worship is always related to our future, because when we gather and join our voices in song with people from many different churches, we experience a foretaste of the day when we gather in the new heavens and the new earth, to sing “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!” 

An update from Brendan Willis, Pastor in Sovereign Grace Church, Sydney…

In July, Sovereign Grace Churches Australia celebrated a milestone in our very first combined churches conference, Together 2022 – Side by side for the Gospel! Sovereign Grace Churches has a rich history of local churches coming together to strengthen their gospel partnership, and to build rich relationships between churches. Since the very first Sunday service of Sovereign Grace Church Wahroonga in 2010 we had longed for the day when we might be able to enjoy a similar level of regional partnership here in the southern hemisphere!

Sovereign Grace Church Parramatta was planted in September 2019, and though we had a small two-year COVID delay, we were thrilled to be able to come together as two churches for the very first time this year!

We decided to name the conference “Together” to reflect our heart that going forward this annual celebration would be all about our unity in the Gospel. As our inaugural year, we also planned our teaching sessions around the “Together” theme.

Dave Taylor opened the conference with a great message unpacking the way in which the Apostle Paul used the example of the Lord Jesus to inform not merely individual generosity in giving but corporate generosity between churches (2 Corinthians 8:1–24).

Brendan Willis continued our series with a message that showed us how the power and wisdom of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:10–31) enables us to remain deeply united despite the way in which our hearts might tempt us towards division.

Finally, Riley Spring closed out the weekend by reminding us of the only hope we have for genuine fruitfulness and growth… and that is to abide together in dependence upon the Lord Jesus (John 15:1–27)!

It was so wonderful at many points across the weekend to simply pause and give thanks to God for what he has done! For starters, we were so thankful for the opportunity to simply have fun together as churches. A classic example of this was the kids entertainer we hired for a bubble show who thought she was doing a small kids party but was welcomed into an amphitheatre with >100 kids! It was an absolute riot!

Even more than this, to watch and see the many late-night chats, deep discussions over dinner, times of prayer for those in need, passionate singing and the many people who gave hours and hours of their time to plan for and serve on the weekend was an absolute joy!

Here’s to praying God would enable many more “Together” conferences and multiply these for many more years to come!

Welcome, Pastors College Class of 2023!

Please be praying for our new 2022-2023 Pastors College students and their families who have just moved to Louisville, KY, as classes commence. Please ask God to provide for them and to give them grace to grow over the next year while at the PC.

In John Piper’s book ‘Let the Nations Be Glad!’, he writes, “Not only has God made the accomplishment of his purposes hang on the preaching of the Word; He has also made the success of that preaching hang on prayer”… And oh my, how true that is. This is why the Apostle Paul said in Col 4.3, “And pray for us too, that God may open a door for the Gospel”.

We so need those “open doors” too my friends, as we seek to do what we can to take the Gospel to the Nations, both those that are easy to arrive in, and those that are not. And so, here's how you can be praying for us in the month ahead...

1. Please pray the SG Australia Planters & Pastors Academy students, as we begin their assessments over these next two weeks to consider ‘what’s next’ for each of them as we head into 2023. Please pray for much grace, wisdom and insight for everyone involved in this process, and that each one of these men may be deployed well for the glorious name of Jesus.

2. Please pray for Carlos Contreras and all those involved in this year’s Fieles Conference in Juarez, Mexico, August 10-12th. Please pray that all 400 of those coming along will be encouraged, equipped and empowered in their ministry. There are pastors coming from 23 different Mexican states, representing around 110 churches and, of those, there are 16 new churches who have just in the last year requested formal relationship with SGC. In addition, there are around 20 folks coming from Costa Rica, Bolivia and Colombia. Please pray that God will be glorified, His purposes advanced and His Church edified by everything that takes place at this conference.

3. Please pray for me (Dave Taylor) and Riley Spring (Lead Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church, Parramatta, Australia) as we head to Ethiopia, August 19-26th, to teach at our SG Pastors College there. We’ll be teaching on ‘Planting & Building Sovereign Grace Churches & Nations’... Please pray that we have a great time with the students and equip them well for what lies ahead.

4. Please continue to pray for the dear folk of Ukraine as the Russian invasion enters its sixth month. Please pray in particular for Michael Ostanin and the brothers and sisters in Ark Church, Dnipro. In the last month their town has been bombed, yet they continue to seek to be the hands of feet of Jesus to the needy in their town. Please pray that the light and hope of the gospel would shine even more brightly in the midst of darkness and suffering, and that the manifold wisdom of God be revealed through His church.

5. Please pray for the pastors and wives in Belarus that we are good friends with, in Sovereign Grace. The government in Belarus has stepped up intensity of action against any form of dissent and to that end officials have been combing through social media posts of photos of anyone who attended the massive 2020 demonstrations. This led to soldiers breaking into one pastor’s home during the night and arresting him and his wife as “traitors to the motherland and enemies of the people”. The pastor sought to explain that they were only at the demonstration to pray with people, give out Bibles and invite them to Church. He was released, but his wife remains in prison and is being threatened with a 2-5 year imprisonment charge. We praise God for the ongoing testimony of abiding faith this couple has shown even in these frightening circumstances, they are an amazing couple. Yet we ask you to please pray with us for her release, for gospel comfort for her husband, and for their gospel witness to bear much fruit in and through it all.

... It’s so good to know that God is on His throne! And so please pray to Him, that His grace, mercy and hope may abound to us all.

An update from Jeff Purswell, Dean of the US Pastors College, Director of Theology for SG Churches, and Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville…

Last month, the Pastors College held its 23rd annual graduation exercises. It was an honor to celebrate with these students and their families, all of whom sacrificed in significant ways to give themselves to a rigorous course of study, training, and personal growth—all in order to glorify Christ and serve his church. This year’s class comprised eight students, ranging in age from 25-42, hailing from seven different churches in six states. Two students were sent by Emmaus Road Church in Sioux Falls, a testament to the intentionality of Greg Dirnberger and his team in raising up young leaders. For the second year in a row, we had a second-generation PC student in Philip VanderWeide from Covenant Fellowship Church, whose father Brian graduated in 1999. Most of the students were strangers when they arrived, but they all now depart as dear friends and trusted co-laborers in the gospel.

Although it was painful to bid farewell to these dear friends, we are eager to observe the fruit these men and women will bear for the cause of the gospel. Four of the students are returning to their sending churches, eager to take on new ministry responsibilities. Two of the students are actually returning to churches they had been part of in previous years; in their case, the PC served as a sort of “means of re-entry” into Sovereign Grace. The Pastors College can also serve to connect graduates with churches in need of a pastor, and this summer Caleb Collins, who came to the PC from Louisville, relocated to Richmond to join Matthew Williams and the team at KingsWay Community Church.  

I hope you’ll join us in giving thanks to God for the provision to Sovereign Grace these graduates represent. And please do pray for them as they relocate and prepare to serve in local Sovereign Grace churches.

• Mark Christenson: serving at Emmaus Road Church in Sioux Falls, SD

• Caleb & Kristi Collins: serving at KingsWay Community Church in Midlothian, VA

• Matt & Jami Groen: serving at Emmaus Road Church in Sioux Falls, SD

• Gabriel & Melissa Magill: church-planting in Warren, PA

• Tim & Becca Owens: serving at Sovereign Grace Church of Pasadena, CA

• Merrick & Abbey Potter: serving at Covenant of Grace Church in Copley, OH

• Eddie & Raven Spuler: serving at CrossPointe Church in Arnold, MD

• Philip & Shannon VanderWeide: serving at Covenant Fellowship Church, Glen Mills, PA

An update from Jeffrey Jo, Lead Pastor of CCSGM in Kawit, Manila, and key leader for us in SG Philippines…

Few things are more encouraging for a pastor than the moments he feels that he is not alone in the challenges of both marriage and ministry.

I know the ‘feeling’ of not having that. For I was once in that boat until, in God’s providence, God brought me to Sovereign Grace Churches. It is such a blessing when we have fellow strugglers beside us, encouraging and praying for us, but above all, gathering with you in the fellowship of the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

The realization of the significance of gathering and serving the Lord together moved us six months ago to make it our theme for this year’s mid-year pastors and leadership conference of our churches in Surigao del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines. With the financial support of SGC and the members of our local churches in Manila, we were able to raise enough funds to make the said conference possible.

We organized an eight-member team to minister to our growing local churches in that region. June 25 from 8AM to 4PM, we held our pastors and leaders mid-year conference. Around 103 came and they were instructed and inspired by the scriptures on the significance of raising church elders along with other church leaders for the growth, health and protection of His church. We focused on 2 Timothy 2 and understood the beauty of God’s design on the plurality of leadership founded on the gospel of Christ.

The following day, Sunday June 26, we divided our team to visit our local congregations. Half of us visited the town churches while the other half visited our churches on the mountains, among the tribes. The church where I was assigned to minister presented a twelve member choir from the Manobo tribe and they gave a heartfelt worship song in their own tongue and I could not help but have tears of joy remembering Revelation 7:9, “… from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands…” It was indeed such a privilege to minister the scriptures to them and show them the glory of Christ in the dearest place on earth.

Monday came and we all traveled to a hotel where we decided to give our pastors and their wives a big treat of an overnight stay. We had a lovely couple’s fellowship reflecting on the power of a gospel-centered forgiveness both in marriage and parenting. The following morning after our breakfast, our wives gathered together for reflection, encouragement and bonding while I encouraged the men to be faithful to their calling and even to joyfully do the requirements of their ordination process. After which, we separated ways and almost everyone with teary eyes, embraced and bid farewell to each other being grateful for having friends and a family in the works of the ministry.

While in the plane heading back home, I was communing with God and pondering on the reality that all such love that we share and experience with one another, is made possible only by the unifying grace and mercy of God expressed in Christ Jesus.

My hope in the future is to make Surigao del Sur a “launching pad” for the preaching of the gospel of Christ and to establish elder-led churches in the other cities and provinces in Mindanao so that His Name may be known in that region, resting my confidence in our faithful God!

An update from one of our SG Missionaries in Thailand…

Our team works in a remote area among an unreached people group in north eastern Thailand.  At our core, we desire to see God lead them in “a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known” (Is. 42:16a).  We long for God to “turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground” (Is. 42:16b).  Currently, the ground is fallow, the darkness thick, and the people blind to the light of Christ. 

The journey to Thailand has been a long one: close to a decade since hearing the call to go, and six years since landing here.  Over the years, our team has labored in prayer, preparation, language learning, service and sharing.  We are waiting for the Lord to move and birth new life in the hearts of our Thai friends.

Cross-cultural work such as this requires a long view and much endurance.  The path has been wrought with setbacks and sufferings that come with the territory: language & cultural barriers, isolation, frequent & unexpected changes, various losses, stressful situations and life threatening medical emergencies.  It’s hard to describe the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual pressures experienced on the field, but they are palpable and never far away, faithfully revealing our weakness and His resurrection power.  The work has caused us in a small way to identify with Paul’s words about “always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” (2 Cor 4:10).  And every single day, He has been our rock, salvation and fortress (Ps 62:2,6-7) holding our hands and granting strength to take the next step of faith even in the darkest of nights.

Through the support and prayers of many in our churches, God has sustained the team and answered prayer.  The many churches, pastors and members who have walked with us over the years have been the grace of God to hold the team up through difficult valleys, and we are grateful for you and your sacrifice.  The encouragement we’ve received from you has kept us going at times when we thought we couldn’t go any further.  We do give thanks to God for you and “the blessing granted us through the prayers of many” (2 Cor 1:11b). 

And because of your prayers, God regularly opens doors to talk about Jesus and has even given opportunities to study the Bible with those who are curious.  Many have never met a Christian before or had an opportunity to hear the gospel.   And though there are only 1-2 believers per 1000 and just a handful of tiny churches in our province, the team has been able to expositionally preach God’s Word at two of the local bodies.

One of the highlights of the year was a Christmas outreach our teammates hosted in a remote village.  After months of our teammates weekly building relationships by spending time weaving with grandmas in this village, God opened doors for this special event. The Christmas party drew 50 people who heard the gospel powerfully proclaimed, probably for the first time ever in this town. 

It’s a walk of faith to be here, Jesus is worth it, and we’re glad we get to journey together with you.  Because He lovingly laid down His life for His elect in this land, we can follow in his footsteps, trusting He will redeem those who are His.

An update from Mark Prater, Executive Director of Sovereign Grace Churches, and Pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, Glenn Mills, USA…

I am excited to let you know that the fourth edition of the Sovereign Grace Journal is here, devoted to our Seven Shared Values. These seven values shape who we are, helping to define how we do do life together in our local churches regardless of what nation our church is in. I am excited for you to read Jeff Purswell's article about the importance of our shared values and Mickey Connolly’s article about their purpose. And then the bulk of the journal are articles touching on our specific values. After working through each value, we asked some of our friends outside of the United States to talk about how the values work in their cultures. Abelardo Munoz talks about the seven shared values in Mexico, Christian Wegert from Germany, and Jeff Jo in the Philippines. Gary Ricucci then wrote an article about praying through the seven shared values. It's excellent. And per usual, Jeff did an excellent job with an article on resources to go with each of our shared values. Enjoy!

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1 John 5:14 says “This is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” What a promise we have in God our Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, let us run to him, humble and dependent, knowing he hears our prayers as we all play our part to see the gospel advance through the work of church planting, emerging nations and missions. Join us as we cry out to our Lord, with full assurance He answers our prayers in accordance with His good and perfect will.

1. Please pray for Bob Kauflin as he leads the Worship God conference this month - which is back after a 3 year break! Please pray that God would use the conference to encourage and equip attendees to serve in their local churches more effectively, joyfully and fruitfully. Please pray that there would be a spirit of unity, joy, and faith pervading at the conference, and that the songs to be introduced from Unchanging God, Vol 1 & 2 would be an encouragement, and make their way into local churches for the strengthening of His body. Pray that the participation of Jonathan & Sarah Jerez (Spanish Christian music artists) would encourage those seeking to make an impact in the Spanish speaking world.

2. Pray for the inaugural Together 2022 conference that will be happening in Australia. It will bring the two churches in Australia together for a few days to explore what biblical and gospel centered partnership looks like as they seek to pioneer a new denomination in Australia and extend our family of churches across this great land. Please pray for God’s presence in all aspects of the conference as both churches enjoy a weekend of fellowship, worship, and making memories together!

3. Please pray for the O’Mara Family (Ed, Robin and their 3 children Teagan, Liadan, and Kilian) as they move to Italy, with a view to planting a gospel-centered church. Please pray they would experience God’s protection as they travel, and that the family would settle well, and quickly, into a new culture.

4. Please pray for the people of Ukraine as the Russian invasion enters its fifth month. Please pray that the pastors and churches in Ukraine continue to be the hands and feet for Jesus, and that our Sovereign Lord continues to sustain them, and use these opportunities to grow their trust in Him. Pray that the light and hope of the gospel would shine even more brightly in the midst of darkness and suffering, and that the manifold wisdom of God be revealed through His church.

Thank you for praying with us. May His grace abound!

An update from Carlos Contreras, Senior Pastor of Gracia Soberana de Ciudad Juarez and Regional Leader for Mexico…..

This past month of May we were able to hold our second Mexico Region Equipping Retreat in Guadalajara, Mexico. This is a special 3 full days of spending time together to worship, talk and learn as pastors and leaders. As a developing Nation of churches, we see the need for extensive times of training and envisioning. On this occasion we were joined by almost all the pastors of the Mexico Region as well as some of their main leaders, pastors from churches in the process of being adopted (13 churches), and 2 pastors being equipped for our 2 upcoming church plants. We were also blessed to be joined by 14 men from other Latin American countries (Bolivia, Costa Rica & Colombia) from churches also seeking adoption into Sovereign Grace (6 churches). It was wonderful for all of us to meet and get to know what was going on in other places. In all we were 67 men together for 3 days on location at Sovereign Grace Guadalajara that served us (and fed us) so well as hosts.

This year we were blessed to have Bob Kauflin and Fabrizio Rodulfo join us to go through his "Why We Gather” material. Also, joining us and teaching were Rich Richardson and Joselo Mercado. In all we had 6 main sessions with worship and prayer times, Bob K. teaching in 3, one session by Joselo, on by Rich Richardson and one by myself. We also enjoyed 5 sessions of extended panel discussions on specific applications and for questions from the men. All sessions were video recorded for future use as part of  our equipping materials library.

This time together turned out to be such a memorable and effective highlight in our history. We enjoyed great fellowship, wonderful outstanding and loud worship times and exceptional teaching. Our faithful God truly encountered us to encourage, envision and equip us to build and serve as Sovereign Grace churches. And being able to sit under Bob’s graceful and passion teaching and sharing of decades of experience serving the Lord was a gift that we will treasure always. We are grateful for all who contribute and join us as partners to make events like this possible.

An update from Walt Alexander (Pastor, Trinity Grace Church, Athens, Tennessee USA) …..

“It’s been four long years since you last came to Korea.”

Those were the words one family said to me when I arrived.

Immediately, I thought to myself, “It’s not just been four long years. It’s been four hard years.” Four years ago, there was no pandemic, vaccines, masks, or travel restrictions.

After four long, hard years, it was so good to be back in Korea several weeks ago.

PURPOSE OF THE TRIP

I have visited Lord’s Grace Church in Seoul, Korea five times, but my relationship with the church is built on the faithful investment of Larry Malament (Grace Church) and Bill Kittrell (Cornerstone Church). For years, their churches have come each year to help Lord’s Grace Church host a Conference for its members and guests and an English Camp for school-aged children.

This year, we had a team of 12 folks—8 from Cornerstone Church (Knoxville, TN) and 4 from Trinity Grace Church (Athens, TN).

This year, given the difficult of the last couple of years, the conference theme was “Above All Earthly Fears.” We took three days to study the gospels and to consider the power of Jesus over everything we fear.

It seemed to be an especially helpful topic, not just because of the prevalence of fear surrounding the pandemic but also the prevalence of fear now in our daily lives. It was striking to hear one man testify about the call to fear God and trust God after losing both of his parents to Coronavius. Another woman testified of the fear of facing an unknown future with a severely disabled son.

During the conference, the rest of the team was leading an English Camp. While we did seek to teach English, the focus of the English Camp was to instruct them and help them face fear through skits, Bible lessons, crafts, and many different games.

Like any opportunity to invest in the next generation, the English Camp was a highlight! After learning that the English Camp’s theme verse of Isaiah 41:10, one child stayed up late into the first night memorizing the verse in English. Needless to say, no one on our team attempted to memorize the verse in Korean!

EFFECT OF THE TRIP

Like any mission trip, it is hard to capture the effect of the trip in a few words.

But, perhaps more than anything else, it is so exciting to help strengthen a local church like Lord’s Grace Church. Several folks on the trip mentioned that they had been on many mission trips but never one so focused on a local church. While they were able to serve in different ways on those trips, they were unsure of the effect. Those trips were disconnected from a local church and from discipleship and care.

While it was a bit sad to fly home, it was exciting to leave Songwhan and Miran behind!

God has positioned Songwhan and the growing team there to lead Lord’s Grace Church. God is building his church there. Lord willing, the years to come will include more church plants throughout Korea and into North Korea. To God be the glory!

An update from Riley Spring (Lead Pastor, Sovereign Grace Church Parramatta, Australia)….

One of the great comforts I have as a Pastor is that I am not doing this alone. Not only do I have the blessing of pastoring an incredible and supportive church here at Parra, but I get to work with, plan with, and be supported by Sovereign Grace Churches, especially, with Dave Taylor and Brendan Willis at Sovereign Grace Church Sydney.

I truly believe that we are better together when we operate as a tight knit family of churches here in Australia. We collaborate, support, aid, protect, and assist each other in so many ways relationally, institutionally, and practically. And this not only blesses me, but our partnership strengthens and blesses my local church also!

Recently, our partnership was on full display as Dave, Brendan and I went on our first Regional Assembly of Elders trip…a fancy term for a Planning Retreat!

We also invited all the ‘Pastors and Planters Academy Students’ along for one of the nights and it was such a great time. We spent time in worship, study, prayer, planning, and hanging out. We took time to re-watch some of the key messages from the recent Pastor’s Conference and were refreshed and renewed in our love for Jesus and our need for spiritual protection. Through our time away we got better clarity and vision for the future of both of our churches and for SG Australia as a whole.

There’s lots of exciting things coming up as we look ahead for SG Australia. We’ve got our first Sovereign Grace Churches Australia ‘Together’ Retreat in July 2022, which is a chance for both of our churches to go away together for a weekend of worship, teaching, and fellowship. We are going to be having an ‘Unchanging God’ concert in November 2022, playing through both volumes of the new album. We’re aiming to promote and start another year of the Academy in 2023. And we have bold gospel ambitions to see new churches planted and our region strengthened. 

All in all, our partnership in the Gospel makes gospel ministry all the sweeter and more enjoyable. 

An update from Andy Farmer, Pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills Pennsylvania USA.……

This month we are finishing up the 2021-22 Church Planting Cohort. The church planting cohort is a program the North American Church Planting Committee has been running for a number years to help church planters take the final, crucial steps in planting Sovereign Grace churches. To date fifteen men have participated in the cohort over the past five years.

Church planting is both a glorious and a challenging endeavor. In Sovereign Grace we have always desired to plant and build well; not just starting but establishing new churches that play an immediate part in our mission together. The idea behind the cohort is to give planters a focused preparation for the pastoral and personal and family implications for starting a new work. We do that through a combination of monthly video calls interspersed with three retreats over ten months preceding the launch of a church. One of the retreats involves wives, and is focused on helping planters lead and care for their families in the stressful experience of beginning a new work. The cohort aspect - connecting men on similar paths for support and fellowship has proven to be tremendously valuable. Guys are learning from each other, supporting each other, praying for each other over the time. As we’ve done this over the years we’ve seen these cohort relationships grow into friendships across regional lines. We also utilize gifted men throughout our family of churches to lead discussions and advise planters in our monthly video chats and on our retreats.

The main ‘project’ for the cohort is the development of a Church Planting Prospectus. The prospectus is a tool to help church planters do what they have to do to plant well - understand their target area, structure a vision and strategy, and create a plan that can be communicated to the region and to potential team members so that the plant can be fully vetted and supported by a sending church and a region. We use the cohort to walk through that prospectus development and help the planter prepare his plan for approval by his region.

This year we have had four guys in the cohort. Where there is space we are experimenting with what we are calling ‘re-missioning’ plants in the cohort. The term re-missioning applies to an existing healthy church that is transitioning to a next generation lead pastor who is being asked by the church to help it focus and implement a new mission strategy for the future. Our cohort this year includes one ‘traditional’ planter, Nick Kidwell, who is planting Valley Creek Church outside of Philadelphia in Malvern, Pennsylvania. In addition we have three re-missioning pastors: Bart Lipscomb at Christ Church in Conroe Texas (outside Houston), Adam Campbell at Living Hope Church in Gambrills Maryland and Jesse Phillips at Redeemer Church in Orlando, Florida.

We are scheduled to begin the next cohort in September. It looks like we will have up to five planters in this year’s cohort including possibly two who will be planting churches that will be reaching folks whose primary language is not English. Please pray for this upcoming year for the churches I mentioned above and for the men we are gathering for the 2022-23 Cohort.

An update from Joselo Mercado, Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana in Gaithersburg, and Emerging Nations Representative to Latin America…..

By the grace of God, we recently had the opportunity to serve as a family for two weeks on two different occasions: one in Colombia serving in a more private context meeting with key pastors and their families, and the other in Dominican Republic serving in a more public context at a conference. My hope is that God would continue to build His church through these two occasions.

Santa Marta, Colombia

As a family we arrived in Santa Marta Colombia on Wednesday, June 8, after spending a night in Bogotá. We quickly met with the family of Pastor Jacobis Aldana and spent several days with them. The purpose was to communicate our love to them and to be able to create relationships of deeper biblical communion with them. Kathy enjoyed getting to know Keila, Jacobis's wife. And our children were able to meet the two children.

In addition to sharing with the Aldanas, we were able to have a dinner with the leaders of the church. This was a time to get to know them and also talk about the adoption process that Sovereign Grace Church is going through. They left very edified and it is evident the excellent job that Jacobis is doing in developing leaders.

On Sunday I was able to teach a class on Bible fellowship and preach Romans 7. It was inspiring to worship alongside the saints of this beloved church. There is no doubt that this church embraces the same values that our denomination embraces. Let us pray that God gives wisdom and guides us in being able to complete the adoption process.

On Monday we were able to share with Pastor Alejandro Cueto and his family. They came from Barranquilla to share and get to know each other better. The Biblical Church of the City wishes to evaluate the possibility of adoption to SGC. In December I will be sharing with the church, but this was a good time to have important conversations with the pastor and the family to meet my wife Kathy and children.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

On Wednesday the 15th we left for Santo Domingo after spending a day in Bogotá and spending time with a pastor friend and his family. In Santo Domingo I was able to participate in the Por Su Causa Conference sponsored by the Integrity and Wisdom Ministries. My friend Miguel Núñez invited me to participate in this conference that has been a prophetic voice for Latin America of sound doctrine. This conference is attended by hundreds of people, but is viewed by hundreds of thousands of people online. On this occasion Carlos Contreras was also able to serve at mass. This opportunity is a more public, but not more important.

By His grace, we were able to serve the church of Christ and represent SGC both in Dominican Republic and in Colombia.

An update from David Del Castillo, Pastor of Gracia Soberana, Santa Cruz, Bolivia……

Personal

I want to firstly thank God for sustaining my family in recent times: Dad with his eye troubles, and Mum recovering well from her recent hip operation. Thank you for praying! Please continue to pray for full healing and recovery.

Workshops in Santa Cruz and La Paz

I would also like to update you on two Simeon Trust workshops, one held in Santa Cruz and the other in La Paz. They both went well, and see the hand of God in everything. Many people were affected.

Abelardo Muñoz from our sister church in Ciudad Juarez Mexico came for the workshop. It was an incredible blessing, as he preached at our church , and the people were very happy, as it reminded us we belong to a very large family called Sovereign Grace. Nicolas Osorio, who is in charge of South America for Simeon Trust also came and we had a good time of fellowship.

Both Abelardo and Nicolas served as instructors at both workshops, with me as the apprentice instructor. It was two weeks of a lot of learning that I thank God for it. About 40 people attended the workshop, half of them pastors, and half of them young people with the desire to be trained to preach the Gospel. This allowed us to work with and meet other churches in our midst that have similar visions.

Retreat in Guadalajara

Later, together with Cristian Monje (a brother who supports us in worship at church), we went to Guadalajara, Mexico. We joined up with Rich Richardson, Joselo Mercado and Carlos Contreras with their entire pastoral team at the Mexican retreat. I am also very grateful to be under the teaching and encouragement of Bob Kauflin. It was an incredible time, where Pastors and Leaders of Sovereign Grace Latin America participated. There were people from the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Colombia and us from Bolivia. It is very nice to see what God is doing in Latin America.

Church update

We continue to thank God for his mercy and for him sustaining the church here in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. We are looking forward to starting the Bridge material in two weeks. This material has been developed by Jim Donahue with his team at Covenant Fellowship and have been translated into Spanish. We look forward to learning it and please pray that God will use it to bring new believers.

Please pray God continues to sustain our church here in Santa Cruz, for wisdom to lead his church, and for his provision as the economy suffer from high level of unemployment. We know His grace is sufficient!

For us in Sovereign Grace, we see global missions as “the great commission work of making and maturing disciples around the world.” This is something that Jesus himself calls us to in Matt 28.18-20, when he says,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We’re therefore passionate about this. Knowing that Jesus is always with us, we’re eager to embrace this call and run into this mission, with both purpose and faith. And this new newsletter and blog, taking over from the EN newsletter and blog, is the joyful reporting of the fruit of those endeavours.

Make no mistake, it is all the Lord’s doing. In our global endeavours to establish new congregations (Church Planting), partner in new places (Emerging Nations) and reach new cultures (Missionaries), it is Jesus who is leading and strengthening the charge. Wherever we are, it is always His doing, and so what a joy it is to tell you about what He’s doing!!

Please feel free to help us spread the word about this newsletter and blog. You can access it directly here (www.sgcmissions.org/blog) and can have folk sign up for the monthly newsletter at the bottom of the page here (www.sgcmissions.org).

May the glory always go to Him and may this always be marvellous in our eyes!!

John Piper says that "prayer equals dependence on God” and when it comes then to all that we have planned globally, oh how we need Him! Here’s some headlines for you on how you can be praying for the work of Sovereign Grace Churches around the world in June...

1. Please pray for Joselo Mercado (Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana in Gaithersburg), as he heads to Colombia (7-15th June) to spend time with two churches that are seeking adoption into SGC: Iglesia Soberana Gracia, Santa Marta and Iglesia Biblica de la ciudad en Barranquilla. He then heads to the Dominican Republic (15-20th June) to give a main session at the Por Su Causa, a conference run by our friend Miguel Nuñez. This is a big platform to share the gospel of Grace and the centrality of Jesus in everything. Please pray for much grace and favour for Joselo as he serves in this way.

2. Please pray for Andy Farmer (Pastor in Covenant Fellowship, Glen Mills, USA) as he leads the final US Church Planting Cohort retreat (3rd-5th June) for the 2021-2022 intake. Each of the men involved in this cohort face distinct opportunities and obstacles, as relating to mission, and so please pray that this time will bring Holy Spirit illumination and faith as they spend time together as a group.

3. Please pray for Songhwan Kang (Lead Pastor of Lord’s Grace Church, Seoul, South Korea) as he leads the Gospel & Family conference, supported by a whole team coming over from Cornerstone Church of Knoxville, US (6-14th June). Please pray that they have a great time of favour with the parents and kids alike, and that the Gospel goes forward in mighty ways.

4. Please pray for Jeffrey Jo (Lead Pastor of CCSGM, Manila, Philippines), as he leads a team to Surigao del Sur, Philippines (23-29th June) to lead a mid-year leadership conference. In addition to the 13 churches that we have in that region, that are presently ‘SG Candidate Churches’, we are expecting around 130 church leaders at that conference, with so many showing a keen interest in Sovereign Grace. Please pray for protection, provision and Gospel-passion in their hearts. Please also pray for the two elders that will be staying behind for three weeks to minister and strengthen the thirteen churches that are already involved with us.

5. Please pray for Dyonah Thomas (Lead Pastor of Gracelife Church, in Monrovia, Liberia) as he prepares for the launch of the ‘Sovereign Grace West Africa Pastors & Planters Academy’, at the end of this month. There will be 10 students attending with their families, on a full-time basis, coming from four different countries - Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast. We’re so excited to see this coming together, as we plan for a number of SG West Africa Church Plants in 2023-25.

6. Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, and in particular those that are connected to us through Jeff Purswell and the Arche Church in Hamburg, Germany. In their own words, “Please pray that the Lord will give His peace in the hearts of believers and remove all fear. For the Gospel of Jesus to be a stronghold and a strong foundation in rebellious circumstances. For believers to support one another and keep their eyes on Christ. And for Christians to witness the Gospel to unbelievers and help them find peace in Jesus.” May they know His nearness and peace at this time, even in their darkest hour.

... Thank you so much for your prayers, may His grace abound to us all!

An update from Jeff Purswell, Dean of the US Pastors College, Director of Theology for SG Churches, and Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville, US…

When most Christians think of Germany, they think of Martin Luther and the birth of the Reformation in Wittenburg. As precious as that history is, my own thoughts of Germany run first to the city of Hamburg and the Arche Church, led by my dear friend Christian Wegert and his remarkable pastoral team. In early May, after 3 long years of Covid-delayed fellowship, I had the great joy of returning to Hamburg to teach a course in their Pastoren Kolleg (Pastors College) and to participate in the college’s second graduation ceremony.  Of the many trips I have taken there, I don’t recall a sweeter one.

The existence of this college grew out of the Arche’s passion to plant churches and, as they like to say, “to bring the gospel to the land of the Reformation.”  Having sent two students to the US Pastors College in 2007 and 2011, the pastors of the Arche were keenly aware of the lack in Germany of training that is theologically sound, gospel centered, pastorally oriented, and local church centered. As a result, they launched the Pastoren Kolleg as a lengthy, part-time program in 2014, led by Markus Kniesel, a 2012 graduate of the US Pastors College.

The college graduated its first class of 12 students in 2018, with seven students from Germany, three from Russia, and two from the Ukraine. One can only marvel at that composition in light of the world events that have transpired in 2022—and it was the effects of these events that made this trip particularly poignant for me.

Of the 23 students who attended my course on Biblical Theology, 21 were from Germany and two were from Ukraine—both now living in Germany as refugees. Four more students joined us via livestream: two from Ukraine and two from Russia. The Arche has affiliated churches in both of these countries, although the Russian churches have had to break off all formal relationships due to government restrictions and surveillance. Despite this, the undaunted, unifying, and hope-giving power of the gospel was palpably present over my days in Hamburg.

I wish I could recount the harrowing stories I heard from the two Ukrainian students, along with our Russian translator, Marina, who has translated every course I’ve taught there. I wish I could introduce you to Michael Ostanin, a 2018 graduate of the Pastoren Kolleg and the pastor of Ark Church Dnipro, who remains in Ukraine, working around the clock to serve wave after wave of refugees with food, shelter, and the hope of the gospel. (SGC’s European fund has been a vital means of support for the work Michael and his church are doing).

More striking than the tragic details of these stories, however, were the heart-felt expressions of unwavering trust in Christ and hope in the promises of the gospel. As Marina told me, “We stand firm on the rock of the one thing they cannot take away.” I emerged from every conversation deeply humbled, but also inspired by the fortifying effects of God’s Word in the lives of these dear saints. It’s difficult to imagine a more rich context in which to explore the glories of Scripture together.

Sunday brought me the great privilege of participating in the college’s second graduation ceremony. Fifteen students graduated, hailing from nine different cities and 10 different churches in Germany. Two of these churches, in the cities of Stade and Hannover, are church plants from the Arche. Some of these men are pastors; others are exploring church plants with the Arche; all of them are delightful, devoted servants of Christ who are sacrificing to be equipped to serve the cause of the gospel.

As I stood on the stage with these graduates, along with Christian and Markus who were leading the proceedings, it struck me that all three of the Arche churches in Germany, along with the two affiliated churches in Ukraine, are led by PC graduates. Four of these churches have students enrolled in the current class of the Pastoren Kolleg. The wisdom of Paul’s instructions in 2 Timothy 2:2—entrusting the gospel and sound doctrine to faithful men who will be able to teach others—landed upon me with intensified force.

Please pray for our dear brothers in Hamburg: Christian Wegert, Markus Kniesel, and the rest of the Arche team, as they train men and plant churches in Germany and beyond, and support pastors and gospel labors in over 10 other nations. Pray for their associated churches in Stade, Hannover, and Görlitz, Germany. Pray, too, for our brothers in Ukraine—among them Michael Ostanin and Oleksandr Heiko—as they care not only for their churches but for devasted refugees with the hope of the gospel.

As I write these words, my mind goes beyond Germany to Dyonah Thomas in Liberia, Josh Pannell in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Jeffrey Jo in the Philippines, Brendan Willis and Riley Spring in Sydney, all of whom are training faithful men in Pastors Colleges and similar contexts. Let us pray for these men as well, whose strategic labors in pastoral training carry church--, city--, even nation-transforming potential.

An update from Ed O’Mara, SG Church Planter relocating Italy…

In July my family is relocating to Italy to start the process of church planting and establishing Sovereign Grace Churches in Italy! (You can learn more and stay connected with us at www.omaras.org). We are in the midst of much planning. Proverbs 19:21 helps me: ‘though our plans are many, it is the purposes of the Lord that stand’. We are experiencing this in important ways and wanted to share highlights of God’s activity in our family of churches with respect to reaching Italy.

Our desire is that the Lord will establish Italian men to lead gospel-centered churches and we value teams in Sovereign Grace. So our prayer has been that the Lord would bring us gospel-partners to establish the first SGC church in Italy. In His kindness, the Lord has been answering this prayer through a friendship with Rocco Dalia and his wife, Madalina.

I met Madalina through a project to translate Sovereign Grace songs into Italian to serve the local church there. She heard we were relocating to Italy to plant churches and got me in touch with her husband, Rocco, who is finishing up seminary in the UK. His desire is to return to the north of Italy, where he grew up, to plant churches. Rocco and I built our friendship and discussed theology for a couple years. In this time he was instrumental in completing the Italian version of the Sovereign Grace website and is now working on the Statement of Faith. The Lord used these projects to convince Rocco that he belongs in SGC (and I agree!).

In the kind providence of God, after the European Development Fund was established, a decision was made to send Rocco and Madalina to Pastors College for this upcoming academic year. So while we are in Italy learning language and culture, Rocco and Madalina will be in the US learning SGC culture and values! Our hope is that they will return after Pastors College and we will plant the first SGC church in Italy in 2023/24 together! We are so thankful for the plans and purposes of God and for those who have given to the European Development Fund! It is already being used to lay important groundwork for the spread of the gospel through our family of churches in Italy!

A second important highlight is that my wife, Robin, and I just returned from Catania, Sicily, which will be our family’s landing place. The first goal of the trip was to find housing, enroll our children in schools, and explore the area where we will live.

It was a great success, on all fronts! We spent loads of time with Chiesa Grazia e Verità (Grace and Truth Church), our new church home after relocating. The church is led by, Giuseppe Fortuna, who has been an incredible help in our family’s relocation planning. Giuseppe and his elders are exploring partnership with Sovereign Grace. So in our first year in Italy we will have the opportunity to serve them as they navigate this decision. May the Lord’s will be done!

The second purpose of this trip was to serve the broader church in Sicily with a marriage conference. Larry and Gladine McCall of Christ’s Covenant Church (the SGC Church in Winona Lake, IN) joined me and Robin to lead this conference. There were over 50 couples who heard of the power of the gospel for strong marriages. It was also a terrific opportunity to connect with around 6-8 pastors from diverse backgrounds, which is not normal in Italy. Sadly, even with a sparsity of gospel-preaching churches there is much division and parochialism in the Italian Evangelical church.

These pastors relayed their sadness over this reality and an earnest desire to be united in the gospel. While not all of these pastors will have a long term interest in joining with Sovereign Grace, we could see that we left them with a palpable sense of encouragement. So this aspect of the trip was also a great success!

There is so much still ahead of us and we are just beginning to get started. But we can see the hand of God and we are deeply grateful for how that is coming through our family of churches. Your prayers, your giving to the European Development Fund, and your commitment to seeing the gospel go forward in your own community is all having a strengthening effect on us and we thank God for the privilege of partnership! May God be glorified all over the earth!