SPRING NEWSLETTER 2007
FROM THE
MAILBAG: “I am a Japanese pastor
and church planter in Oklahoma state. I was very impressed by your seminar on
February 16-17 in Oklahoma City. So I want Japanese version of your books to
use in Japanese groups. If you permit, I would like to translate your book (Good
News) into Japanese.” Gloria’s thoughts:
YES! GO FOR IT! Gloria’s answer: “Yes, Dr. Brock said you
may go ahead and translate Good News For You into Japanese.”
FROM E-MAIL: “I
am an IMB missionary in West Africa. I have been learning the local language
with a tutor that is an English student at the university. I wrote out my
testimony in the local language. It impacted my tutor very deeply and she said
she wanted to learn more about it. I looked through the books I had and found a
copy of Good News For You. We just completed the third lesson. I know
that the Lord is drawing her to Himself through this study. Thank you for
developing it. Please join me in praying for her and her family and friends as
she shares what she is learning through the study, that they would understand
and be able to respond to the truths therein.”
FROM THE TELEPHONE:
“Charles Brock is responsible for turning my world upside down.”
Really? Tell me more. “I read this sentence in one of his books, ‘What is a
church?’ I’m teaching my church what Charles Brock says a real church is.”
Great! May I help you with church planting/discipleship books? (He ordered 150
books.) Charles Brock says: “A church is a group of people, born of God, filled
by the Holy Spirit, who come together because it is natural for a family to
come together to take care of the Father’s business. Remember that we start
with the baby – not the 20-year-old church with all the things and
organizations found in the older church. We start with people, people of God,
people of the Way, people who are unique because they have Christ living
within. It is here that church planting begins.”
FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH:
A testimony, paraphrased:
I’ve been in church all my life. I taught a Sunday School class.
Recently I sat in on a Bible study class and we studied Good News For You.
The first lesson talked about God-rule or self-rule. The words “self-rule”
caused me to look inward. Was God ruling me? Was I ruling myself?
God showed me I was ruling myself and did not have a
personal relationship with Him.
I wrote in my Bible study book, God, I’m sorry. Before studying Good News, the Bible was as
hard for me to understand as an algebra book. Now, Bible verses seem to jump
off the pages as I read and I can understand them.
FIRST TIME EVER:
Our Good News For You Bible study booklet now has a
companion Leader’s Guide. Check it out
for the same low price as Good News ($1.00 each or 20 or more for .80
each).
Good News For You is also available in a new 8x11
format. All scriptures are printed in the book ($1.25 each or 20 or more for
$1.00 each).
NEW EMAIL ADDRESS
We have changed our email address because of spam related
problems. New address:
RESCUE MISSION
A rescue mission in Merced, California is using Good News
For You and I Have Been Born Again, What Next? They recently
ordered more books.
LITERACY BOOKS I & II
Literacy books I & II were recently shipped into
Montana.
CHECK THIS OUT
Check out our website for a brief synopsis of each of our
books. Our newest books have been added to the book profiles and to the order
forms.
JOHNA’S DESK
Hardly a week passes without receiving brief notes from
individuals telling us how they are using CGI discipleship books at home and abroad.
Especially meaningful was a note from the Hilliard family of Alice, Texas. They
took books into Armenia, printed the books and then reimbursed us for the
number printed. “So you can carry on your ministry,” they said. To the
Hilliards and many others like you, “Thank you.”
GLORIA’S PRISON MINISTRY
UPDATE
An Arkansas prison is taking Christianity seriously. Here’s
the story. An inmate with a life sentence got saved. He began sharing his
faith. Soon, the Warden noticed drastic changes in many inmates. The prison
built a separate barracks able to house 45 inmates.
Christian leaders are invited to teach in the barracks for
eight week sessions. Every eight weeks a new group of 45 inmates arrive. The
inmate who started all this is not allowed to go to the barracks. He teaches up
to 200 inmates at a time in the regular prison complex.
Also, he is allowed to go to the isolation unit since they
can’t come to him. I Have Been Born Again, What Next? is being taught in
the barracks by an Arkansas pastor.
CGI BOOKS IN A LOCAL BOOKSTORE
Church Growth International books are now available in
For-All Bookstore in Neosho, MO.
From
Charles Brock
Retired? Getting too old? Don’t tell James and Martha Faye
Williams about this age thing. Brother James reminds me of Moses – just moving
into high gear at age 80. Brother Williams has just received his Doctors degree
from Golden Gate Seminary. He and his wife live in El Paso, Texas and do most
of their ministry in Jaurez, a neighboring city in Mexico. Brother and Mrs.
Williams are blessed with five children, fifteen grandchildren and nine great
grandchildren. “Now to the rest of the story…”
Dr. Williams has trained 30 pastors/churches in indigenous,
healthy, biblical church planting. As part of the training he has introduced
simple reproducible tools. One of these internationally used tools is Good
News for You. Through these pastors and churches he expects to see at least
10 new churches started this year. He has given out 300 copies of the Good
News for You. To one church he gave 100 copies – the church is committed to
starting 10 Bible studies using 10 books in each. To another church he gave 50
copies. The churches goal is 5 new Bible studies. On the phone I said, “Now you
need at least 300 copies of I Have Been Born Again, What Next?” He said,
“I sure do.” One of the amazing things
about all this is that Brother Williams is working on his own with his own
money paying for these materials. If you want to make a contribution to help
provide these materials please contact us at CGI and we will see that the books
get there. I am excited about a trip to Jaurez on May 19th when I
will be privileged to meet this remarkable servant of the Lord.
“Now you know the rest of the story.”
The Lord has opened the door for me to share in the Mexican
World Congress with the emphasis on Church planting November 2 of this year.
The expected attendance is around four hundred.
Pray with me about a vision of spending 5-6 weeks along the
boarder leading church planting/growth conferences from town to town. This
would be an effort to go to the people who cannot afford to fly me in
for a conference. This would likely be in November and December of 07. Dottie
and I have thought about the logistics of this. One option would be the
purchasing of a small camper that could easily be pulled by our Tundra pickup.
We have actually looked at some – the problem with this is to get a good,
dependable camper the price tag will be near $10,000. The other option would be
staying in motels. This could cost about $2000. The only expense for those
attending the conferences would be the cost of books. Setting up the schedule
would be a sizable task and we would need the help of DOMs, pastors, and
friends in helping with this. I believe my MS problem is stable enough to allow
this to happen. It’s a dream, a vision. Your prayers are appreciated. (This could become an annual trip. If so, it
would justify purchasing a camper.)
We are excited about the two new books added to the GGI
inventory – Good News For You, the new 8x11 format with all Scriptures
included and the new Leader’s Guide for Good News for You. Both are
expected to be in Spanish soon, thanks to the help of the Oklahoma Baptist Convention.
May God bless you,
Charles Brock
BROCK AND THE CHURCH PLANTING
MOVEMENTS
Indigenous Church Planting, a Practical Journey is our main
church planting book. It has often been described as “The textbook that is timeless.”
Currently, we are reprinting this book in Spanish. A noted
Hispanic leader recently said:
“In this millennium God is redeeming humanity in a world
that dwells in great spiritual hunger. A church planting movement is beginning
in the Hispanic world, with the participation of lay people. New and healthy
churches are being born in unexpected places such as restaurants, hotels,
homes, schools, etc. The simplicity of this manual makes it the best written
guide for the intentional planting of biblical, indigenous churches and for the
growth and reproduction of leaders for our churches.
Juan Francisco López
First Vice-President of the National Baptist Convention of
Mexico
Coordinator of Mission Volunteer Groups for the Mexican
Border,
Baptist General Convention of Texas
This book is used by church planters, missionaries, state
conventions, churches, seminaries and others. You can get a copy from Church
Growth International, 13174 Owens Lane, Neosho, MO 64850. (417) 451-1648 email: brockcgi1@joplin.com
We started the year off with great interest in Good
News for You in several languages…then the Ice Storm arrived. We were unable
to receive orders or ship books until the utility lines were repaired (about
ten days). Once we were up and running again, the quarter turned out to be a
very good one. Books were sent to 27 states from the East Coast to the West
Coast.
