Volume 1, Issue 2 June / July 2016 RIO Revolution Discipleship Team Making Disciples Our Mission: To make Disciples of Christ and equip the saints to carry out the Great Commission, as instructed in Matthew 28:19-20. S N E A K P R E V I E W F R O M PA S T O R PA C E R S N E W D I S C I P L E S H I P B O O K How do you generally respond to a negative situation in your life? It s easy to fall into the tapestry of negativity and complaining instead of turning the condition around through being optimistic. The best way for me to live a positive life is by starting my day with prayer. I ve noticed as a result of incorporating specific prayers in my daily prayer time, positive situational outcomes have become the norm. There are many practical ways you can apply important prayers of the Bible into your personal devotion. Below are two examples that I use at the beginning of each day. The Lord s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. The Prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:10) Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain. And God granted his request.
INTERNATIONAL DISCIPLESHIP CONFERENCE AUGUST 19-20. 2016 Discover tools that will help your church understand the impact of discipleship and apply Jesus model of investing in a few. FRIDAY AUG. 19 5:00 pm Registration 7:00 pm Evening session with Bishop Ronnie Hepperly, RIO International Outreach Church SATURDAY AUG. 20 8:00 am Doors Open 9:00 am Morning sessions 12:00 pm Lunch served 1:00 pm Afternoon sessions 4:30 pm Break for dinner (on your own) 6:30 pm Doors Open 7:00 pm Evening Session with Pastor Pacer Hepperly COST AND REGISTRATION The cost for the conference is $20 per person and includes all materials, plus lunch on Saturday. Please register online at www.riorevolution.net ACCOMMODATIONS For help with overnight accommodations please contact us at 865.984.9200 RIO Discipleship Mission Teams are going places In April a mission team went to Mexico. June 26 th July 2 nd RIO youth will be going to Mexico October 24 th November 2 nd Columbia mission trip November 4 th November 11 th Argentina mission trip If you would like more information about joining our team on a mission trip, sponsoring a missionary, or making a donation toward a mission trip please see Isaac Cupil, or Devin Lipsey.
Ministry Highlights from Puebla Mexico Conference March 28 th 30 th 2 were healed of cancer 2 were healed of prostate issues Several needed and received forgiveness 3 were healed of feet / knee problems 1 shoulder was healed 1 headache was healed 1 was healed of Epilepsy 1 ankle problem was healed 3 were healed of Diabetes Several received family restoration Several received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues We prayed for several Pastors, churches, musicians, dancers, and singers Several of the pastors stated they were going to start the Discipleship Program. One pastor wants to be discipled by Pastor Pacer via Skype. Dr. Leticia Flores wants to join our group and go to other countries and helping out using her expertise Last, but not least, we prayed for Kevin and now he can speak Espanola. Ministry Highlights from Mexico City Conference March 31 st April 2 nd Many family restorations The last night we prayed for all the people (50-75) and prayed for all the musicians, singers and pastors. The pastors are going to start the discipleship program. Two of these pastors want to be disciple by Pastor Pacer with the Puebla pastor. Several received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues.
I was used by God in Ways He has never used me before ~ Don Stephenson It was a great privilege and honor for me to go on the International Discipleship mission trip to Mexico with a fantastic group of people. Isaac, Oliver, Mona, Kevin and Jeff are true disciples of Jesus Christ, and God used us in a mighty way in Puebla and Mexico City Mexico. When we first got to Puebla Mexico there seemed to be discord among the believers, but by the closing night of our conference, the people were hugging, dancing and sharing God s love for one another. There were many miracles performed by God in both locations in Mexico, and I give God all the praise and glory. On this trip God used me in ways He has never used me before. The gifts of the Spirit were being mightily manifested and poured out upon us. When a need arose, not matter how great, God would come down and confirm His Word, and we would see that need met. We saw things happen just like it did on the day of Pentecost and in the book of Acts. As each team member ministered the Word of God about discipleship, ministers, leaders, and lay members were touched; and made new commitments toward discipling. As the result, many ministers are wanting to Skype with our IDC Pastor, and create new relationships by going through RIO Revolution Discipleship Program. God also let the discipleship team bond with each other, and we grew very close as we ministered and poured out of ourselves from 9:00 a.m. in the morning until 10:00 p.m. in the evenings. We were very exhausted, but never did I hear one complaint about how tired they were, until the mission trip was over. Thank You Jesus for letting me be part of this mission trip and for your power that worked through your messengers.
They Walked Right into our Hearts ~ Disciples of Christ, Kevin and Mona Lambert In reflecting back on our International Discipleship Conference in Mexico, we feel that this was the most amazing adventure yet that God has allowed us to be a part of! From the very beginning as we planned our lessons and prepared for the journey, we knew in our hearts this was going to be a very special event, and we were anticipating a mighty move of God s presence and power. Our first day in Puebla, Mexico was on Easter Sunday, and it was exciting to be there worshiping with Pastor Manuel, Pastor Jose Camargo, and his church. They received us with open arms and made us feel welcome, and we sensed a hunger for a move of God in their spirits. We knew God was up to something, but He went far above our expectations! As the teaching sessions began on Monday, God began ministering to hearts and outpouring His presence in our midst and soon the altars were filled with people seeking forgiveness, salvations, restorations, and healings. This came in waves throughout the conference and grew from day to day. Many people repeatedly came to the altar and received everything they could get during this outpouring of the Holy Spirit. One pastor walked for 12 hours to make it to the conference and we believe he blessed us more than we blessed him! Every day a new group of dancers from different churches joined the praise and worship band and worshipped with flags and tambourines. We are still in awe of the passion for Jesus they had as they flashed their smiles and radiated pure joy as they expressed worship through song and dance. The move of God continued with a powerful momentum, and on the last night of teaching our conference ended with rejoicing in the altars with singing and dancing. They had all received a special word from the Lord and had received their breakthroughs. Throughout the course of the conference as the team was planting the seed of discipleship, we believe that God was preparing these hearts and lives to go forth in power and authority to declare His word to the city of Puebla and beyond. God continued His work as we began teaching in Mexico City, and by the end of the conference many lives were touched there as well. On the last night and last session of the conference during the altar call, just when we thought we had prayed for everyone, they made a new line and wanted us to pray for them again! Talk about double dippin! It was a glorious time as the Holy Spirit was moving, and many people were being healed and delivered from oppression. It spilled over to the worship team and they began rejoicing and receiving from the Holy Spirit as well. Many lives were blessed and encouraged that night. This entire trip was such an amazing experience to witness and be a part of. We were humbled by the love shown to our team in both cities, and by the incredible way our new friends served us with our accommodations, amazing food, water or whatever we were in need of. Their passion for Jesus was demonstrated in the way they served, and we appreciate how they took great care of us. Kevin was able to sharpen his interpreting skills (ha!) and we made some heavenly connections with some very special amigos that will soon be spreading the message of discipleship. They walked right into our hearts and made residence there, and we know we made many friendships that will last through eternity!
God s Confirmation of a Word He Spoke to me Years ago ~ Oliver Sierra For me the Discipleship Conference in Mexico was a confirmation from God to me and my family. When I heard the hurt and struggles the pastors and leaders where under, and had faced, God reminded me of a word He gave me and Luz, 23 years ago. He said that he will take us to the nations because the people, His people, were hurt. I didn't understand that word back then, but when I heard the cry, God made the word fresh again. Everyone on the team was a key element for all the things God did. He restored families, healed people just by having them forgive the people what had hurt them in the past. For me this trip was to remove old religious beliefs, and to establish God's foundation. I felt like God was teaching and steering hearts while we taught the Discipleship Foundations. Being able to be there with my "Disciplers, Kevin and Mona Lambert, was a great feeling in the spirit, and having their backup and support before teaching the Word was awesome! The church was hungry for the Holy Spirit and they wanted all... and God gave them all, that was amazing! To God be all the glory. Can wait to see what He will do in Puebla, Mexico and Mexico City. Keep praying for these places and don't forget Chile also. Be blessed! God s Healing Touch and Salvation ~ Isaac Cupil In Puebla I got the chance to pray for a lady whose husband was sick. He had been sick for a few weeks. I laid hands on her and prayed and told her to go and pray for her husband, to speak to him and say, Get up in the name of Jesus. She did, and the next night he was there, healed of his sickness. I also prayed for a lady who had issues with her son. We prayed for his salvation, and I told her to bring him to church that night. She said that it was difficult to get him to come because he was rebellious. So we prayed that God would soften his he art that he would come, and get saved. That was on Monday, and on Wednesday night he was there and he got saved!
Set Free from Anger, Unforgiveness and Resentment ~ Jeff Jones Each day was a different day. We didn t know what to expect. It was fast paced. We flew in one day, and immediately left by bus the next morning for a city that was a couple hours away. As we rode, we were still working on our lessons that we would teach. Isaac s aunt, Elvira, was our coordinator in Mexico. We had a lot of fun with that name.singing to her! The conference was amazing, but worship was the best part for me. Great worship started each session by opening the door for the Holy Spirit to move, and that allowed everybody to open up. We had different worship groups while we were there, as well as dancers and other performers. The RIO Revolution team did an awesome job. Isaac and Oliver wore themselves out, translating for all of us. Those poor guys got very little rest. Going forward, we know that we need to recruit more translators, and we need to pray over them for energy. We witnessed many miracles. I ve never seen so many people possessed. Anger and unforgiveness were big ones. A lot of people had been hurt in their pasts and held resentment, especially toward their spouses. You could see the pain on their faces. These hurting people were the church leaders. You have leaders that are supposed to be praying for their people, but they weren t dealing with their own issues. The sessions that they liked the most were Multiplication and the Holy Spirit. In both cities, you could see that everybody had their eyes opened from prayer to worship to being set free from unforgiveness. The people in Mexico just expected everybody to know how to make disciples, but Don s session on multiplication opened their eyes that you have to go deeper and teach the people how to disciple. One lady had a tumor, and she was healed from that! A lot of people were healed of anxiety issues. We met a deaconess in one of the cities that had a ton of unforgiveness. She should be loving on people and serving them, but she was eat up with unforgiveness. She was set free from that unforgiveness. But again, I would have to say that Praise and Worship was the most special part for me. Sometimes, I don t think that we understand in America how powerful and free worship is. It doesn t matter what you wear, what you look like, or how good or bad you sing, it s about praising God freely to open your heart for what He s going to do. We get so worried about what others think I wish we could break loose from that. I would recommend that everyone try to go on one of these trips. If you want to experience God s presence, truly encounter God, then come on one of these trips, expecting it. You are making an appointment with God! Blessing will be overflowing b/c you ll be in the presence of God. It s the same with each trip, whether it s Mexico or Chile or Africa. In the presence of God, we get to the root of the issues and break down the barriers.
Discipleship S B O L D N E S S T Y J O L I M A N N Q M M U P R T O B I O S I N O A O X S I A I U E F W I D P C I I S E R N R E D E G L E E I T S T J I S U N I L Y E G S V H I S S T F T E E O F G N H O O S F A I O A Y N N I N A A R P T N I P R M H C G R A H R Y S R I O C N G Z E R O V C E V O L U O I A D E V O L E W O R S H I P N T T O T W G R E T C A R A H C I A I G T S M S I T P A B B J O M L O H F N C O M M I T M E N T C E N D N O I T A C I F I T S U J R E BAPTISM BOLDNESS CHANGE CHARACTER LOVE COMMITMENT DEVOTION EVANGELISM GLORIFY GOD GROWTH JESUS JOURNEY JUSTIFICATION LIFELONG CHANGED MATURITY OBEDIENCE SHARE PURPOSE RELATIONSHIP SANCTIFICATION SHARE SPIRIT TRANSFORMATION WORSHIP What does discipleship mean to you? Can you find these words in the puzzle above? To request answer sheet send email to makingdisciples@riorevolution.net
Because of Discipleship ~ L J & Gunman Cowden Gunman & I began discipling our daughter and son in law, Niki & Scott Love. We began meeting at their house, after church. We would cook or go out and eat, then do the weekly lesson. This became a routine - a nice routine. The kids would even sit in for a while on some lessons. With all family relationships, there are some bumps in the road. We had a few. But...God! Through this discipleship program we now have a closer relationship, and on Sundays we are still eating together after church!!! We all learned and grew through this process. We are all thankful for the Pastor's vision, the guidance from the Holy Spirit, and Jesus who never leaves us, and the love between our family members. RIO Revolution Discipleship Team Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will send you out to fish for people. (Matthew 4:19). When the disciples followed Jesus, He trained them to be disciple makers. He taught them everything they would need to walk in their destiny, making disciples and continuing what He had started during His time on the earth. When He ascended, Jesus commanded His disciples to go into the whole world, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey Him. (Matthew 28:19-20) At RIO Revolution, it is our desire to see all men, women, boys, and girls who are part of this ministry develop to their full potential and serve with excellence in the area of their giftedness creating an atmosphere of unity where lost people are drawn to Christ. We feel that discipleship is a key factor in accomplishing this. Members of our Discipleship Team commit to disciple at least one person a year, spending time with that person, teaching him or her, and helping that person grow in maturity in Christ. What is Discipleship? Discipleship is living every day to the glory of God, in front of other people, and inviting them to join you on the journey. It is a lifestyle filled with relationships, a life of pouring out yourself for others. Discipleship is not a solitary endeavor; it is relational. To fully respond to the Great Commission, we need to be disciples of Jesus. We, too, must make disciples. This means we need to spend consistent time with other believers, letting them challenge us and encourage us in our walk with God. We need each other in this journey of becoming wholehearted disciples of Jesus. Together, we grow in Christian maturity. To become a part of RIO s Discipleship Team, register for the next class, or for more information, check out our website www.riorevolution.net or send an email inquiry to makingdisciples@riorevolution.net.