Greetings Friends,
Thank you for your diligence and faithfulness in prayer and support for me in this ministry and apprenticeship! I am greatly privileged to participate in this capacity and acquire tangible experience in evangelism and disciple-making! Here are a few things I’d like to share with you from this past month of ministry. I hope that you find these edifying and insightful into this ministry, and God willing, they might be useful for you as well in the ministry you have been given! For other ministry updates, look aquí.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” John 1:14-18
What does it look like, as Christians, to love others? Well, I think there are a number of responses to this question that would certainly be true and weighty; however, there seems to be one central expression that most Christians veer from participating in. The expression of love I’m speaking of is directly connected to the Gospel and is actually commanded by Jesus explicitly to those who follow Him. While you might disagree, I do believe this to be of the truest expressions of love a Christian can show to someone – anyone. If we simply step back and view this message of Jesus, I believe that it will become abundantly clear what this act of love is; however, truly understanding this Gospel of Jesus necessitates a response and participation from us. Can the finder of a bottomless well possess genuine love while watching a world die of thirst? Can one who is reconciled to God imitate the incarnational love of Jesus without likewise extending living water to those who are thirsty?
I find that evangelism becomes exponentially more natural the more connected I become with the message Jesus came bearing. Has the American Church settled for a reductionistic view of Jesus’ message that leaves behind an uncompelling and uncompassionate community of people – malformed from Jesus’ image in our lack of love for those outside the four walls of the church? Do we love those outside the church? If so, why do we withhold the only thing that can bring life to their mortal bodies? If not, for what reason do we now lay down the cross of Christ which we ought to bear? Evangelism, that is sharing the Gospel of Jesus with the lost, is the beginning of the ministry that we have been given as Christ’s followers, reconciling the world to God.
My apologies for the long-winded open, but I find that this summarizes what I wish to share in the rest of this update and places an important emphasis on our participation in God’s reconciling work and our transformation into Christlikeness.
This month has been full of great interactions at CSUF as well as in other ministry settings! On multiple occasions, we’ve met students who are Christians and hungry to follow Jesus into reaching the nonbelievers around them. In this, our group of CSUF ministering students is increasing and becoming more involved in ministry on our campus, at the whiteboard and beyond. These have been blessed partnerships which we pray will continue to flourish the ministry we desire to partner with God in at CSUF.
We’ve had so many great conversations with those of various religious beliefs, and we’ve seen a number of those who previously opposed or rejected what we do grow in openness and understanding to us and our ministry. It is certainly wisdom that a good reputation is to be valued above riches as we’ve seen the impact of that firsthand. The cult engagement on campus has been lively this month as we’ve seen and participated in the release of members of the Fellowship Church cult. There is a significant group of members within the cult who recognize the corruption and evil present in the leadership and practice, and we’ve been blessed to see the openness of their hearts towards Jesus above their abusive leaders. Many of these members have moved from out of state to escape bad life situations and are made completely dependent on the cult for resources and housing. This is one of the large hindrances for members when considering disagreeing with or challenging the leadership – they know that they can easily be put out on the streets with nowhere to go. Please join us in praying for these young adults who are being taken advantage of and abused in the cults on our campus – that they would boldly proclaim the word of truth, taking up the cross of Christ for the sake of righteousness and the exposing of darkness.
Please join me in prayer as I so eagerly desire continued conversations with my neighborhood Jehovah’s Witnesses, but I find a reluctance in the members I am repeatedly pointed to for conversation. I need wisdom in how to reach this demographic as they are uniquely ungrounded and sensitive to correction theologically and historically. I’m praying that God might give me the opportunity to converse with a genuinely open and seeking member of this community who has not yet fully been brainwashed to unplug their critical thinking.
Thank you so much for your continued generosity and investment in my training and ministry! Without your support and prayer, I would be unable to participate in the capacity I currently can!
May God bless you in the ministry He has given you!
With love and peace,
Ivan Penrose
There Are Four Ways to Partner With Me:
- Online: Visit the NCP Apprentice donation page by clicking the button below. Once there, scroll to find my tile and select your gift amount. You’ll have the opportunity to indicate whether you are giving monthly or as a one-time gift.
- Credit Card: You may give online (as stated above) or by calling the EFM office at (303) 421-8100 to provide your information to a live representative.
- Automatic Bank Transfer: Download the form aquí and email it to Debby McElroy (EFM Bookkeeper) at debby@friendsmission.com. Please note that ACH payments are processed on the 10th or 25th of the month.
- Check: Mail a check to EFM, P.O. Box 771139, Wichita, KS 67277. Please mark your check with “Ivan Penrose NCP Apprentice Support” and indicate if your gift will be recurring (monthly, quarterly, etc.). Make the check payable to “EFM.”
EFM is blessed to journey with future missionaries to prepare for potential missionary service opportunities. EFM is also thankful for the partnership with North County Project in Southern California to provide this disciple-making apprenticeship for further training, experience, and discernment for missionary service.
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