Faith in Action - Indonesia

PENDEKATAN: IMI partners with local churches to encourage proper growth, partnership and self-sustainment within their respective communities.  Finding ways to foster economically stronger members of the church brings renewed opportunities for these Believers to work together in “Pendekatan,” or, practically, micro business in action. 

This is accomplished through various programs, including lending funds for goats, wood-working tools, small food production projects and handicraft projects. 

If you would like to help with funding one of these projects, please email Resty Enguerra, IMI’s Indonesia Project Manager at renguerra@imiglobal.org.

Church Planters in the Middle East

Pray specifically for four new church planters with IMI in the Middle East regions.  These men minister under difficult circumstances in their communities, yet have a tremendous burden to share Christ and to shepherd those God gives them in their respective churches.  To support one of these men, please consider partnering with IMI for $400 per month per pastor.  You can donate online or send a check in to IMI.

The Church’s Challenge

Strong and Balanced?

What makes a strong church?  What takes a church from its struggling beginnings to a fruitful and mature Body of Believers?  Spiritual training, wise mentoring and carefully directed resources are some of the key elements to take a church from vision to an engaged group of Believers.

Can resources, however, cause more problems then the burdens they alleviate?  Many come from the West with good intentions into third world countries bringing massive amounts of money and end up overwhelming those who serve with a small salary and a large heart of faith. This can cause a vast scope of issues from destroying faith in the Lord to securing faith in the West, to greed and encouraging issues of power and control.

Only a few indigenous nationals are able to handle this, and the vast majority lose ambition and purpose. Unless there is a system of knowing how to inject resources wisely and at proper economic levels, we can destroy what and how the Lord intended to build.

To help with this, imagine the mental image of a butterfly struggling so hard to get free of its cocoon.  It seems the merciful thing to do to free it from its bonds, yet this is a death-sentence to the butterfly.

No matter where the church is planted she must go through struggles and trials to be able to earn the right to stand upon her own. Knowing this, IMI has had the vision to carefully and prayerfully assist to manage resources to gain the maximum advantage within a culture and community, with being sensitive to this core issue.

New Church Plant Opportunity

Truly, the LORD works in mysterious ways. The key contact person of Grace Church in this village is a schoolteacher that fully supports the CSP objectives. There is a piece of land on a hill next to the school that is deeded to her (see    picture, left) and she is making it available for Grace to build a church (the first Christian church, ever, in this area!). We will keep you updated on this.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support for this important ministry here.

In April, the Evangelism Explosion Team of Grace Church was able to share the Gospel with five families in this village: the five CSP students together with their parents professed to trust Christ as their SAVIOR and LORD!! Praise God!  Please pray for hearts that the LORD will touch:  

a. Prayer intercessors for this village, CSP and micro business ministry workers

b. Micro business (1 time $35)

c. For growth and boldness in their faith for the new believers, a church plant in this village

This article was emailed from Indonesia by one of the elders of Grace Church.  Resty & Mel        Enguerra, of Morgan Hill, CA are IMI’s Indonesia ministry coordinators—RestyIMI@gmail.com.