Sharing the Gospel & Making Disciples. GOSPEL 2 MONTENEGRO Why Montenegro Although Montenegro has a rich Christian heritage, Montenegro is one of the least evangelized countries in Europe, with the lowest proportion of evangelical Christians. About 8% of the population is Muslim concentrated in certain regions, and in those regions they form the majority of the population. Roman Catholics are found in the Coastal cities. (Evangelism Times) About 60% of the population claim to be Orthodox, but very few practice their faith or attend church on Sundays and even fewer know what the Orthodox church teaches. Perhaps as a result of previous years of Communism, most people in Montenegro are functioning atheist. Our Calling We are called to share the love of Jesus Christ and the Good News of his redemptive work with the people of Montenegro. A concern for us is to teach people about both the redemptive and disciple making work of Christ in an effort to comply with the intent of Christ s sending His disciples into the world. We do not strive to make converts, but rather we want to evangelize the lost with the goal of teaching them to become not just disciples, but disciple makers. We will focus on spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible study, evangelism, fellowship, service, giving, worship, and benevolence. We are obediently submitting to the command of Jesus to make disciples and we are asking you to partner with us in this endeaveour. Engaging the Local Orthodox Church leaders. Taking the Gospel to the Muslim community in Montenegro Partnering with other Missionaries.
Equipping new and short-term missionaries. 1. Provide a place for visiting missionaries to serve and be served. 2. Encourage their faith and provide mission field experiences for them. Most immediate plans June 2018 1. Return to Montenegro for 3 weeks to re-establish relationships and meet with other Missionaries. 2. Evangelism. 3. Discipleship with previous contacts. 3. Encourage more missionaries to join us for 6 month intervals or longer within 3 years. Next Year June 2019-2020 1. Find a place to live. 1-2 bedroom apartment. 2. Begin establishing Bible study fellowship. 3. Find a location to meet for Bible study and hospitality ministry. (i.e., Coffee shop.) Hospitality Ministry Coffee & Souvenirs Shop Create a hospitality ministry. 1. Coffee shop. (possibly sell souvenirs) This is important as it provides a place for us to meet people initially and to meet for Bible study. 2. Bed and breakfast. - Later 3. 1 dinner meal per week with a guest family (Wednesday or maybe Sunday night) 4. Pastoral Counseling. 5. Christian Bookstore? 6. Bibles to those who accept Christ as Lord. 7. Bi-Weekly Bible Study / Prayer & Praise Time. 8. Free English lessons using the Bible as the text book (1 to 2 days per week).
Equip new missionaries and temporary missionaries. 1. Provide a place for visiting missionaries to serve and be served. Long term plans 2021-2025 1. Return every 2 years for 2-3 months to give presentations and reports to churches. Re-establish support. 2. After 1 st 2 years return for 6 months. Sell home to buy home in Montenegro. Goals 1. Contact believers and seekers through personal evangelism and hospitality ministry. 2. Create Bible study and prayer group. 3. I will take language classes to try to be somewhat conversational within 1 year. 4. Train and send out local believers to evangelize the more remote areas. 5. Invite short term missionaries to serve at various times during the year to facilitate VBS, CEF, and social programs. 6. Train and send out local Christians in planting a church that is self-sustaining and self-propagating within 5 years. 7. Work to achieve at least 50% self-support within 2 years. 8. Achieve church autonomy within 10 years. 9. Establish home Bible study in at least 2 other cities within 3-4 years. 10. Plant 2 nd church within 5 years in another city. (Repeat.) 11. Eventually start Christian camp for kids during the summer. 12. Yearly trips to Turkey to witness to Muslims there during April. 2. Encourage their faith and provide mission field experiences for them. 3. Encourage more missionaries to join us for 6 month intervals or longer within 3 years.
What you can do Pray Thank you for your willingness to hold us up before the Lord. My prayer is that God will help us to be truly humble servants. Much prayer has gone into preparing for this mission, and most certainly I need people like you seeking God s direction on our behalf. We would like you to join us in our calling to be his hands and feet in Montenegro. Whatever he asks, we want to be in line with His goals. As you pray, if you believe God is revealing or illuminating something about any of these ideas please let us know. Without your prayers seeking the power of the Holy Spirit our work is in vain. Give We depend upon God s financial provision through the faithful, ongoing support of churches and individuals in order to fund our missionary work. Before heading to the field, we must raise 100% of our one-time startup/outgoing expenses, and 100% of our ongoing monthly support for the first two years. Go In the coming years, 2020, we want those of you who can, to join us for week long, month long or even longer time periods. Contact information Shawn, Ivana, Andrea and David Cook 903-312-1932 Cell, Viber, WhatsApp shawn@shawncook.com Calvary Baptist Church Attn: Missions Montenegro #804300 6704 Old Jacksonville, Hwy Tyler, Texas 75703 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/missionariesinmontenegro/ Website: https://gtomn.com/ Romans 10:14-15 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!
3 Ways to Support Missionaries 1. Support your local church first. This may sound like an odd thing to say, but missionaries cannot serve as your pastor, nor fulfil your needs designed to be met by your local church. We believe that your local church deserves your tithe and time first, then your gifts above that to missionaries honors God and follows His design. 2. Pray for your missionaries on a daily basis. The work of missions is dependent upon the works of the Holy Spirit changing hearts. Your missionaries also need constant encouragement and guidance from the Holy Spirit. 3. Respond to missionary emails, newsletters and communications. Your missionaries want to know that you are involved in their efforts. Specific prayer needs for us. 1. Learning the local language will be difficult for me, but necessary. Most of the population under 35 speak some English, but I want to learn to communicate in their language. 2. Safety of family 3. Pray for us to be sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit and always ready with the gospel. 4. Pray for the people we speak and interact with that God will soften their hearts. 5. Pray for our kids as they learn to live and thrive in a foreign environment. 6. Pray for our kids education we will have to home school until they are proficient in Serbo- Croatian. Planned trips while in Montenegro 1. In April we plan to travel to Turkey to work with Baptist Missionaries there evangelizing visiting Muslims from Iran and other Muslim Countries. (Week-long trip) 2. In January we will be working with Samaritans purse in the Balkans reaching out to children and their families. (Month long trip) 3. In September we want to sponsor a field trip to Lovćen for kids at the zip line challenge course with a lunch and Bible study focusing on evangelism and introduction to gospel. This will most likely involve making the gospel bracelets. (1 day trip)