Tag Archives: World Venture

May 25, 2012

Holy Insatisfaction

By Rob Karch

Change or die.

Be judged or be ignored.

Things cannot (and will not) stay the way they are.

World Venture (my missions organization) has to stick its neck out. Business as usual is not an option if mission is still a goal. If radical change is not sought, mission will cease.

Radical is not only an option, it is the only option.

Church planting in Québec is difficult. Thousands of neighborhoods across the Province without a “matys evangelion” (Gospel witness). Only a radical movement can change this.

So I’m calling out World Venture.

And I’m calling out myself.

…

What could this look like?

It looks like something we have never seen. That’s the hard part. We have to invent it ourselves. We can’t rely on existing models.

We are the early church. We are the printing press, the reformation, and the haystack prayer meeting. We are the next unimaginable.

Is the next step safe? No way.

We don’t know how this is going to end up. There is no guarantee of success. It may fall to pieces.

But wouldn’t you rather die part of a movement that matters?

Wouldn’t you rather be part of a spectacular failure rather than a slow insignificant death always asking what could have been?

This is dangerous.

I’m excited.

Let’s go.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Reflection, Rant, Church Planting, World Venture, Missions, Obstacles to North American Church Multiplication, Calling, Church, Mission

September 15, 2011

Video: September Buzz

By Rob Karch

We’re back at it in St Jérôme, here are a few things going on:

After a full summer, including 2 weeks at World Venture Headquarters and vacation time as a family, we’re back in the swing of things here in St Jérôme. We’re looking forward to speaking at the Momentum Conference in two weeks in Gatineau, Missions-Fest Montréal in November, continued involvement in church-planting Province-Wide, as well as preaching through the Gospel according to John this year.

Building update: no clear response yet from the owners… they are taking their time (God has it all under control)
Support update: we’re still several hundred dollars behind each month, but God is providing… month to month.

Thanks for praying!

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Church Planting, Family, General, Missions, Video, World Venture

April 9, 2011

How to participate in the Relief, Rebuilding, and Restoration of Japan

By Rob Karch

WORLD VENTURE IS ONE OF THE TOP 4 AGENCIES IN THE U.S. POSITIONED TO RESPOND TO THE JAPAN CRISIS.

WorldVenture began sending men and women to reach out for Christ to the Sendai area 60 years before a 9.0 earthquake and a giant tsunami brought the name Sendai to world news on March 11.

World Venture has trustworthy, talented people on the ground right now who can take your gift and turn it directly into aid and support for tsunami victims. Now, at this great time of need, this established network of pastors, churches and missionaries that God has raised over these years is more positioned to help on the ground with earthquake and tsunami victims than many agencies in the world.

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?

Send financial support. We have the infrastructure and the people in place, but we need resources to empower them to make a difference.

Spread the word. Connect others to us on Facebook and Twitter. Or download and use this pdf to inform your friends, church and community: WorldVenture-Japan-Crisis-Flyer

Go on a short-term team. When it’s time to rebuild, come and help.

Connect your church to a crippled Japanese church. Contact one of our Regional Mission Directors to start your journey of joining your community with theirs.

WorldVenture-Japan-Crisis-Flyer page 1

WE’RE PLANNING DEEP IMPACT

Phase 1 : Relief
At first we are responding like everyone with basic necessities for victims of the disaster. Our network of pastors and missionaries already have deep roots and connections in the communities hit by the tsunami and earthquake, which allows us to find and meet needs more efficiently.

Phase 2 : Rebuilding
After basic needs are met, we will begin moving into the communities to rebuild. During this time we will be facilitating short term teams and church to church partnerships on from the U.S. church. In Japan, we will be working with local pastors to begin putting things back together in the name of Christ.

Phase 3 : Restoration
In the long term (and this may rank as the most import stage of the relief plan), we will begin rebuilding individuals within the community. We’ll work with churches to extend grief counseling and pastoral care as the wounds and sorrows of lost family and friends cause the Sendai people to seek after hope … a hope we know is found in Jesus Christ.

WorldVenture-Japan-Crisis-Flyers page 2

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Compassion, Missions, Prayer, Travel, World, World Venture

March 17, 2011

Links and Videos: Pray for the beautiful Japanese people… rather than faceless victims

By Rob Karch

Andrew's Japanese friend Mika

As we hear more and more about the earthquake(s), watch video of the Tsunami, and pray against a nuclear catastrophe similar to Chernobyl, it’s easy to forget the people who are the Japanese. Here are a few links that may help to give a name and a face to these people created in God’s image:

#1: Japanese house churches and the earthquake:

From Andrew Jones (Tall Skinny Kiwi):

One of my Japanese friends is Mika who asked for prayer on this blog when the earthquake happened. I have an update from her.

#2: Video interview as missionaries gather supplies to bring back to Japan

John and Eriko Houlette’s homepage can be found here

#3: Prayer video:

This video was (obviously) made prior to the earthquake. But it gives some direction as to how to pray for this nation so often misunderstood by the west:

#4: Prayer info for the Japanese as a people (from operation World prior to the current crisis):

Answer to prayer: Uncertainty about the future has prompted spiritual searching…

Challenge for prayer: Japan is a nation facing many crises… moral, political, economic, sociological…

#5: Japanese Churches near the Epicenter

(from Missions on the Frontline):

Please pray for the Conservative Baptist Association of Japan (CBAJ) church families in…

1. Kurihara City.  There are  two CBAJ churches there and this is nearest to the epicenter.

2. Kessenuma City.  This is the city that is in flames.  There are two CBAJ churches there.

3. Natori City.  This is where the tsunami inundated farm land.  There is a church there as well.

4. There are 30+ churches within a 60 mile radius of the epicenter.

Ken Taylor, WorldVenture Japan Field Leader, reports that local church and mission groups in Japan are organizing for coordinated responses to the overwhelming needs. In the days to come, we anticipate releasing specific details in which individuals and churches can participate in those efforts.

Update: Click here To give to the relief effort coordinated by missionaries and churches

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Compassion, Missions, Prayer, Video, World, World Venture

September 11, 2010

Against Koran Burning

By Rob Karch

Here’s an official statement put out by World Venture, the missions organization we partner with. I couldn’t agree more:

LITTLETON, Colorado, September 8, 2010 — In today’s world contexts of ideological, political, and religious tensions, news accounts often tell of hate-motivated acts that stand in opposition to how God intended all peoples to live. In contrast, WorldVenture embraces the teachings and commands of Jesus to love God and to love others, without exception. In obedience to God and out of compassion for others, we are compelled to call others to walk in the way of Jesus and to reject the thinking and acts that lead to evil and violence.

As such, WorldVenture invites Christians around the world to reject the recent call to burn Korans on September 11th and instead to pray for God’s Kingdom ‘to come on earth even as it is in heaven.’

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Missions, Prayer, Theology, World Venture

July 3, 2010

Quebec Countryside (Les Laurentides) From The Air (Photos)

By Rob Karch

A couple of weeks ago, when Jim & Corinne Thorp paid us a visit, Jean Heppel was gracious enough to take us up in his pontoon plane about a 20 minute drive north of St Jérôme in the middle of some beautiful Québecker country.

With commuter trains south to downtown Montreal and 10 minute drive from the Laurentide wilderness, St Jérôme is incredibly situated.

It was a rainy day, but “Les Laurentides” were still as beautiful as ever. Here are some photos:

Jim Thorp is the director of the Americas for World Venture. He and his wife Corinne spend their time travelling and encouraging missionaries from Argentina to the Arctic Circle.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Photos, Québec

March 9, 2010

What we’ve been up to: World Venture for a week

By Rob Karch
12 and 1/2mph

This is not a joke. It is an actual street sign in a shopping center in Littleton, CO. Talk about precise!

In January I had the privilege of sitting in with the big cahuna’s at World Venture. It wasn’t a conference, but a gathering of the various International and National directors (Africa, Asia, Americas, Europe, NW, NE, etc.).

We spent quite a bit of time in prayer, discussing present and upcoming challenges, and World Venture’s role in the dramatically shifting global landscape. A few subjects we addressed:

  • Humility
  • What are underlying causes of missionary burnout?
  • Missions and sexual temptation
  • A theology of partnerships
  • How innovation-friendly is World Venture?
  • Core DNA
  • The greatest weakness of the N. American church concerning cross-cultural missions.

Here are a few photos:

Group photo

As a pro took a photo of the entire leadership team, I snapped a quick pic of nose hairs

Andy and Nancy Spohrer had a retirement ceremony while I was there. To continue loving Martine and Jesus until I'm 65+... that would be enough.

Jeff Denlinger is a great leader who walked us through incredible times of reflection and humility

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in General, Missions, Travel, World Venture

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