Summer Missions Update

Dear Friend and prayer partner,

For many persons, summer is the time for vacations, growing a garden, enjoying the sun, the beach, the water. For me, it's a time to travel to various places to help equip and empower God's people in discipleship, mentoring, men's ministry and anything else that the Lord opens doors for me to do.

I'm in the island of Antigua in the northern part of the Eastern Caribbean islands. I  just came from it's sister island of Barbuda and what a time I have had there!! It's been marvellous to meet Bishop Nigel Henry of  the Pentecostal Assembly of the West Indies (PAWI) - Barbuda Pentecostal Church. What a man! It's like we have known each other for years!!! His heart pulsates with missions and a vision to reach men. It was such a joy meeting a pastor who has a vision similar to that of mine and RENEWED Ministries. And his people were so responsive to the teachings!! Oh! To God be the glory!

My son, Peter Cuffy, arranged this and I really didn't know what I was getting into. I was introduced to Clifton Francois at the radio station. This was really the idea of Gavin Otto in Antigua. Have u ever met someone who is bubbling over with passion for God that is blows you away? Have you ever met a young man who eats, sleeps, talks and walks Jesus and how we Christians should really be  the living embodiment of Christ in the world and how we should be out there making disciples for Christ? Francois is such a man and more! He runs radio and TV stations in Barbuda and elsewhere in the Caribbean and he said to me, "Rev. Courtney, you have been sent by God to affirm what I have been saying for years and taking much criticism for! You have been sent by God to hold up my  hand!!" This was MUSIC to my ears! He had me on his radio program three days in a row and the phones were ringing off the hook as we invited callers to call and discuss what is wrong with the church and why we are not making disciples. We also looked at why men are not in church as well as the problems facing family life. It was overwhelming!! People are longing for a revival in discipleship and disciple-making. People are tired of church as it is!!! We, leaders of churches and Christian ministries in the Caribbean, will have to give an account to God as to how we led His Church into a mostly social club with very little impact on the world around us and how we refused, largely, to try to reach the people that Jesus died for but many of us find uncomfortable to be around in our comfortable churches!!

As you know, RENEWED Ministries has a vision to reach males as we are deeply concerned about the absence of males in our churches as well as the fatherlessness and hopelessness facing many of our young males in the Caribbean. Peter Cuffy has caught the vision in Barbuda. For sometime now, he's begun a ministry to boys ages 7-15. They meet on Saturday mornings from 9am to 12 noon. The ministry is called RUSH:"Rising to Ultimate Successful Heights". I spoke to the boys yesterday. Over 20 of them. It was a wonderful interactive time. I asked them questions; gave them some jokes and told them of Joseph in the Bible and how he had success because he made up his mind to please God, regardless of the cost! They listened keenly. At the end, I challenged them to think of their own young lives and whether they, too, wanted to be like Joseph and give their lives to God. I had them think it through and  then decide. EVERY ONE of them did! EVERY ONE!!! Now, doesn't that tell us something? The 4/14 window says, "80 percent of all persons who come to Christ do so between ages 4 and 14! Should we not, like Peter Cuffy and those who help him, be focusing on this age group? Should we MEN in the church not take these boys and young men and mentor and disciple them to be followers of Christ? Should the WOMEN not be doing the same with our girls and young women? Is this not the surest way of keeping them in church and not losing them to the world? Is this not what Jesus would have us do?

I will leave you to answer those questions. As for me, I will continue to raise awareness of this palpable need and the vision to disciple our children, youth (males and females) and our men and boys for the glory of God!  I'm off, God willing, to my next stop, St. Kitts, to help train pastors and leaders in discipleship and disciple-making from Monday to Saturday of this week, July 9-14!

Please keep praying for me that God's hand will continue to be upon me; that He will fill me with all His fullness and use me to challenge His people to fulfill His Great Commission. Pray that our pastors and leaders and ordinary Christians that I meet will catch the vision God has for us to disciple the nations and RUN WITH IT - COMMIT TO PASSIONATELY AND CONSISTENTLY DISCIPLE THOSE THAT JESUS GIVES US WHEREVER THEY ARE! Please also pray that I will have good  health and that God will continue to  meet all my financial needs and keep  and protect me from all evil. And pray for Bishop Nigel Henry and his church, Peter Cuffy and Clifton Francois and their ministries in Barbuda and beyond as mentioned above. These are wonderful Christian brothers and sisters in Barbuda. May God's mighty hand do GREAT things in and through them in the months and years ahead!! 

Thanks and God bless you richly for your partnership with me in making disciples of the nations. May God's gracious hand ever be upon you and your loved ones. Love and best wishes for His favor upon your life.

In His grip,

Courtney