A2 Blog Centre

If you want to grow the church, you must grow the leader!

jhandley

Pastor Meng Aun Hour (pictured here with me) was recently traveling with me in the U.S. and shared this kernel of wisdom. He originally thought that in order to see his church grow and multiply, that he should focus on the church ministry.

However, he joined Asian Access as a volunteer nearly 12 years ago because he was challenged from his participation in our program. What did he learn?

In order to "grow the church,"
it's best to "grow the leader."

This, he thought, was real wisdom.

Pastor Meng, National Director of A2/Cambodia, now spends much of his time investing in leaders both for his church and his nation. He has seen the fruit of this truth that through developing the leader, the Church grows and multiplies.

One of the pastors in the class was a commander during Pol Pot's reign of terror known as the "Killing Fields." This man was brutal before he met Christ, but God got ahold of his life—and he's never been the same. He came through the A2/Cambodia leader development process a few years ago and since graduating has planted more than 300 churches in the center of the area occupied by the former Khmer Rouge people. Most of these new churches have 30-90 people of whom the vast majority had never heard about Christ before. It's simply amazing!

The power of reproduction in the model Jesus created two centuries ago: invest in twelve select disciples and see them multiply! "If you want to grow the church, grow the leader."

Please pray that the current leaders in the A2 program will allow God to change them, develop them and transform them. This will, in turn, bring growth to His Church across Asia.

The Need for Fatherly Love

jhandley

"For [the Father] so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Merry Christmas from Asian Access! Here is a photo of our A2 staff in Japan.

At this time of year, we rightly focus on the incarnation, the coming of the Lord in human form. But Christmas also reminds me of fatherly love. First, I see our Heavenly Father, whose perfect love compelled Him to send His one and only Son to reveal Him to a broken world. I also recall Joseph, the adoptive human father of baby Jesus who chose love over any embarrassment he may have felt.

The love of these fathers highlights the great need everyone has for fathers—both physical and spiritual. Asian Access is committed to help train up a generation of leaders across Asia who can serve as spiritual fathers to an emerging generation of believers and leaders for the Church. And we are exceedingly grateful to you, because your prayers and gifts are essential to this ministry.

Yet as we look to 2013 and beyond, we know there is much work to be done. One A2 national director told me:

"The young church in my country is like a hospital now, full of young wounded soldiers with no older friends or spiritual fathers to care for them."

Please join me in praying for more spiritual fathers and friends for pastors in Asia.

Know that your partnership with Asian Access is a blessing to hundreds of pastors, who are becoming spiritual fathers to younger believers. I pray you will have a blessed Christmas season and a joyous New Year.

Joe Handley, President
Asian Access

Brief interview with A2/India's National Director

Hear about some distinctives of A2's ministry in India and Japan...

Pastor David Dayalan, National Director of A2/India talks to Ruth Kramer of Mission Network News about our leader development model training. He does a great job highlighting how we do what we do.

Download the file here:

12-15-12daviddayalan.mp3

Size: 9.86 Mb

Read the MNN article written from David's interview.

Training new leaders to offset the 1:600,000 odds

mnn

Pastoral Training in Japan is on the uprise

JAPAN (MNN) ― In Asia, for every 600,000 people, there is only one trained, competent Christian leader. David Dayalan from Asian Access says they are working on training more leaders, especially in Japan.

"Asian Access developed a strong emphasis on helping pastors to look at this new Biblical paradigm of developing leaders within their contexts effectively," Dayalan states. Leadership development is not just about teaching, he explains, but also about equipping."

Asian Access (A2) has started a very unique and creative leadership training. It has been developed entirely by Japanese, for Japanese, in Japanese. This will help Asian Access minister to the pastors more effectively.

"It's very relational, which allows the pastor to also have the freedom to express and question and to wrestle. At the same time, we have developed a very secure, safe community."

12 emerging leaders as carefully selected to take part in this program. "We bring in 15-20 key pastors, who are leaders of leaders, influential pastors. We go through this whole curriculum of eight modules," says Dayalan, who serves as National Director of A2/India.

A2 brings in practitioners who can sit with the new leaders and wrestle with them about issues that need to be covered. Dayalan says, "We are trying to help them to be intentional in taking time off and also in their own role as a pastor, to be enlisting in lives of people in the congregation and developing leaders within the congregation."

Pray for new leaders being trained in Japan. Pray that the pastors will use the skills they learned with Asian Access to develop even more new leaders. Ask God to open the hearts of the people who are searching for answers in Japan.

Listen to the MNN broadcast...

(4-minute clip; last story begins at 3:01)

If you don't see an audio player, click here...

This story was originally published by Mission Network News. Read online here.

See other A2 stories covered by MNN

Releasing Indigenous Leaders: Empowerment vs. Enlistment

jhandley

I was reading the latest issue of EMQ (Evangelical Missions Quarterly) on the plane the other day and noticed an article that piqued my interest. As I was reading through the piece noting the importance of indigenous leadership training, I was pleasantly surprised to see an assessment of Asian Access' unique model of leadership development. The article was written by Dr. Kelly Malone, a former missionary to Japan and current professor at Southwest Baptist University: www.sbuniv.edu/redford/faculty/KMalone.htm

For those interested in practical issues of church and mission, I heartily recommend reading the EMQ. If you are interested in subscribing to the journal, you can contact them here [ http://www.emqonline.com ]. EMQ is well worth subscribing to learn more about church and mission. The articles are focused, practical and of immense value!

Releasing Indigenous Leaders: Empowerment vs. Enlistment

by Kelly Malone, Ph.D.

When I was serving as a missionary in Japan, I saw a number of mission organizations that either came with a pre-designed church-planting strategy or designed a strategy they believed would be appropriate for the local context. Only after all the meaningful decisions had been made were nationals invited to participate.

When Japanese Christian leaders raised questions about the appropriateness of these plans for the local context, missionaries castigated them as spiritually immature, un-evangelistic, and close-minded. Perhaps the worst comment I heard was that these believers were “contaminated by their exposure to historic Japanese Christianity!” When I heard these comments, I wondered, “Aren’t these Japanese brothers and sisters spiritually mature believers in Christ? Don’t they know their own culture better than we do? Isn’t the same Holy Spirit working in them as well as us? I am certain they have weaknesses. We all do. But shouldn’t we at least listen to them?”

In his book, Searching for the Indigenous Church, Gene Daniels observes that we “usually don’t ask local leaders what their visions are because we are too busy thinking about our own. We find it easier to use them as a means to reach our dreams than to help them explore theirs” (2005, 98). My question is, “How do we develop more indigenous churches by cutting local indigenous leaders out of the planning process?” Rather than empower local leaders to develop a truly indigenous strategy to reach their nations for Christ, missionaries often enlist Christians to help them carry out a strategy that is not sufficiently rooted in the local context.

James F. Engel and William A. Dyrness write that Western mission agencies are often guilty of “managerial reductionism” which is preoccupied with “strategies and methods” rather than concern for people (2000, 67-70). Local churches and people become only the means through which agencies and missionaries fulfill “their own evangelistic aspirations” (2000, 76-77).

Another possible approach is to empower leaders to participate in mission on the basis of their own calling and giftedness. Bill Easum writes that leaders are most effective when they help individuals discover and use their spiritual gifts for the benefit of the Body of Christ. This results in the multiplication of leaders which, in turn, leads to the multiplication of disciples (2000, 99). By emphasizing the empowerment of national leaders, we become more effective in multiplying not only leaders, but also believers and churches, and ultimately church-planting movements.

Lessons from an Enlistment Strategy

When I was in Tokyo, I had the opportunity to partner in the development of a training center designed to equip nationals for ministry in local churches. Initially, I sat in a donut shop with a missionary from another agency and listened to his vision. After prayer and consultation, he and I began to refine this vision.

Within a few months we had a leadership team on board with the intent of bringing our training center to fruition. At this point, the issue came up of whether or not our leadership team should include Japanese leaders. After much discussion, we reached the consensus that in the beginning leadership should be limited to missionaries. We agreed to consult with key Japanese church and denominational leaders and to take their opinions in account, but those who actually made initial decisions regarding the vision, strategy, and direction of the training center were all missionaries. There were three reasons that we decided to exclude Japanese from leadership.

We were confident that our plan would be effective in providing contextualized leaders for the local churches.

We were afraid that the Japanese would not share our vision, so they would try to change our plans.

We desired to carry out our strategy without possible interference from those who might disagree.

Once our strategy was set and our plans were made, we encouraged many local leaders to send church members to receive training at our center. We also invited those with giftings in teaching, evangelism, and discipleship to become instructors. My question is, “How do we develop more indigenous churches by cutting local indigenous leaders out of the planning process?

In the beginning, the response was encouraging. A number of qualified pastors and church leaders taught courses that were highly contextualized to the current situation in Japanese churches and society. Young adults from churches throughout the Tokyo area participated in classes.

Over time, however, interest among pastors and their church members began to fizzle. It became more difficult to find both instructors and students. As we investigated the reasons behind this response, one primary factor was that the training center lacked local identity. The pastors and churches said, “This is not our training center. It is the missionary’s training center.”

If Only We Had Have Done Things Differently

In retrospect, we could have been more effective if we had included Japanese from the initial stages of planning. As Tom Steffen notes, “Effective action plans call for immediate involvement by nationals in planning and implementation.” Nationals should be involved in answering crucial questions “before they commit the action plans to writing” (1997, 87).

If we had done this, the Japanese would have enjoyed the donuts and the initial vision and approach to training. The resulting training center would have looked and acted more Japanese. Local pastors, churches, and future church leaders would have believed that the leadership training center belonged to them.

Westerners are “driven people.” We are driven by our desire to achieve success. We want to excel in every endeavor, whether business, education, athletics, or religion. We fear that our models and methods will be replaced by something “new and improved”—whether that be the car we drive, the computer we use, or the churches we develop. We are driven to be the best in every pursuit: not only to improve ourselves, but also to exceed others.

We measure everything against the dictum, “How much can I get for what I put in? How do I get the greatest gain on my investment?” (Luzbetak 1989, 260-62). When this drive to achieve and to excel is applied to mission, it leads to an enlistment strategy. Charles Van Engen writes,

We work hard to create our own structures, to define our own purposes, to protect our own interests, and to direct our own unique vision. Each of us is trained to emphasize our own special contribution to world mission. Each of us sees our mission endeavor, the church, and the world through the colored glasses of our own agenda. (2001, 12)

There is a mindset in which westerners think they are the ones in charge and that nationals must agree. But Larry Jones reminds us that in this situation, “yes” does not always mean, “I agree with you” or even “I will work with you.” In many cases, it only suggests that “I will let you have your way because I must, even though I’m certain you’re wrong” (2009, 406-407).

Nationals who come on board with our agenda may become so absorbed in Western organizational culture, patterns of ministry, and models that they suffer “extraction”. Other nationals begin to regard them as Western rather than as participants in the local culture and society (Daniels 2009, 426). The final result is that the enlisted worker’s capacity for truly contextualized evangelism, ministry, discipleship, leadership, and church development becomes limited.

Principles for an Empowerment Strategy

In order to develop a strategy for empowering indigenous leaders, we must be willing to lay aside our personal agendas and “work together with people around us, building mutual understanding and cooperating to make decisions and solve crises in a manner acceptable and beneficial to the entire community.” We must accept our own God-given limitations while at the same time realizing the God-given potential in others (Lingenfelter and Mayers 2003, 74, 82-83).

James Stamoolis writes that if we are going to develop spiritually mature leaders, we must adhere to five training principles (2001, 491-495):

Train in response to the heart questions and worldview of the people.
Train in a manner appropriate to the learning style of the people, based on scripture and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. (Stamoolis emphasizes that appropriate teaching will lead to contextualized application of biblical principles.)
Train to “change behavior, not merely impart knowledge.”
Train so the training can be replicated. Those who are trained will be able to train others.
Train so that those who are trained will claim the training program as their own.

One example is Asian Access’ approach to contextualized training for local leadership. Their training process and curriculum was first developed in Japan, “by Japanese, for Japanese,” and is taught by Japanese, to Japanese, in Japanese. Twelve emerging leaders are carefully selected to engage in a two-year process which combines classroom instruction with mentoring. Special emphasis is given to assisting emerging leaders in understanding both their unique gifts and the giftedness of their congregations. They are also given training in skills that will enable them to equip their congregations for more effective ministry in their communities. Finally, they are encouraged to develop a vision for church growth and multiplication.

As the training of indigenous leadership in Japan has escalated, the word has spread across Asia. This has led to the development of a training program in Mongolia and Asian Access has expanded to include leadership development initiatives in nine Asian nations (Asian Access n.d.).

Edgar J. Elliston makes four crucial points that we must keep in mind when considering the issue of empowering national leaders (1992, 124).

First, the source of empowerment is the Holy Spirit. Our equipping, training, and sending out of leaders are inadequate unless the Holy Spirit has already empowered them for the work. This is one of the pitfalls of the enlistment method: we enlist people to serve based on the needs of our strategy rather than the gifting of the individual. When we assign a person to a task for which God has not prepared him or her, we sentence that person to failure. On the other hand, when the Spirit’s empowerment determines a person’s place in mission and ministry, the ministry is in line with God’s clear purpose for the person’s life, and the chance of success is greatly enhanced.

Second, the means of empowerment is spiritual gifting. Some seem to suggest that empowerment for mission and spiritual gifting are two different (perhaps even mutually exclusive) issues, when in fact they are one in the same. The word charismaton, which we translate “spiritual gifts,” is derived from the Greek word charis, meaning “grace.” Thus, spiritual gifts are God’s “grace gifts” given to members of the Body of Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. These works of God’s grace empower each person in a particular way for participation in Christ’s mission carried out through his Church. Third, spiritual leaders exercise leadership through the use of their spiritual gifts. People with the gift of evangelism lead in the area of evangelism. Those gifted in the area of administration lead through administering. Those gifted in service lead by serving others.

Two cautionary notes should be made at this point. First, we must not think that a person can serve only in the area of his or her giftedness. For example, to say that a teacher could never carry out responsibilities in the area of prayer or evangelism is not practicable. But we must keep in mind that leaders are most effective when they lead from their giftedness and, as much as possible, leadership outside of giftedness should be considered secondary, perhaps working in partnership with someone else, rather than primary. Second, the exercise of spiritual gifts should take place within the context of the Body of Christ. This does not mean that the use of gifts will always be directed towards the Body. But it does mean that they will always benefit the Church in some way. Ministry and evangelism, for example, are essential to the Church’s mission in the world.

Finally, spiritual power is developed through the use of spiritual gifts. It is important to remember that this power is not human power; it is the Holy Spirit’s power. We release God’s Spirit to work when we allow indigenous leaders the opportunity to lead on the basis of their giftedness. It is the work of God’s Spirit that transforms the character of the leaders and works through them to transform the church, culture, and society.

In his multi-cultural study of home groups in urban contexts, Mikel Neumann notes that the key to the development of new groups is not the outstanding gifts of the few, but rather the recognition and use of the gifts of everyone within the group (1999, 82). One pastor of New Life Fellowship in Bombay comments, “The leader must give others freedom to develop and not try to dictate. The leader must get underneath and lift them up to prepare them for ministry” (Neumann 1999, 86). This statement by an indigenous leader is an excellent summary of a strategy of empowerment.

As I train students for cross-cultural ministry, I try to impart to them a sense of wonder of what the “Lord of the harvest” is doing among the nations. It seems that in our generation (as none that has gone before), he is responding to the prayer of his followers to “send out workers in to his harvest field” (Luke 10:2). This new generation of laborers includes millions of believers in the East and the Global South whom God has called, gifted, and envisioned for the task of bringing the people of the nations to him. We must encourage them to carry out God’s vision for their lives in the power of his Spirit.

The Impact of Empowered Leaders

Paul Gupta writes that church-planting movements occur when we enable gifted national leaders to develop churches in which the “forms and styles of worship, music, leadership, communication, community, and learning…are contextual to the culture of the people” (2006, 60). While those engaged in cross-cultural ministry know this by both intuition and training, the reality is that we have difficulty releasing nationals to develop churches that are truly indigenous. Yet when we are able to take this crucial step, big things can happen.

When I was in Tokyo, I had the opportunity to meet Nobuo Watanabe, the associate pastor and principal of the Bible College at Tokyo Horizon Chapel. Nobuo is a Japanese national who has MDiv and DMin degrees from Fuller Seminary. Following fifteen years of ministry in the United States, he returned to Japan to take his current position at Horizon Chapel, assisting long-time pastor Koichi Hirano. Missionary involvement in Horizon Chapel is limited. From time to time, they invite missionaries to assist in the training program at the Bible College. Currently, they have an American missionary who leads an English language ministry, working under the direction of the church’s Japanese leadership (Tokyo Horizon Chapel).

Following the leadership of these two Japanese leaders, Horizon Chapel has launched an innovative, multi-campus approach. There are two main campuses and a network of smaller congregations and ministries, centered in the greater Tokyo area, but spread throughout much of Japan. When I asked Nobuo what method they used in order to develop new work, he responded that no two of these ministries is exactly the same, and no single pattern is used to establish new work.

They encourage their Bible college graduates to move into areas that do not have churches in order to begin new work. But they also have lay people without any special training who have followed God’s call to begin work in new locations. Some groups have developed as independent churches with their own buildings and paid staff. But others are small house gatherings that remain closely tied to the parent church in Tokyo. Nobuo stressed that each “church” must be allowed to develop on the basis of local initiative in a way that fits the local situation. This is a good description of indigenous church planting.

_________________

Kelly Malone is associate professor of intercultural studies and holds the Jack Stanton Chair of Evangelism at Southwest Baptist University. Prior to this, he served as an educator and church leadership trainer in Japan for fifteen years.

EMQ, Vol. 48, No. 4, pp. 406-413. Copyright © 2012 Evangelism and Missions Information Service (EMIS). All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMIS.

A2 Blog Centre editor's note: This article originally appeared in the October 2012 issue of Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ) www.emqonline.com and has been reposted here with permission. The yellow highlight in Dr. Malone's article above was later inserted by Asian Access to make that section more noticeable for our readers, because it pertains to our model.

References

Asian Access. Accessed June 3, 2011, from www.asianaccess.org/ministry/leaderdevelopment.html.

Daniels, Gene. 2005. Searching for the Indigenous Church. Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library. 2009. “Decoupling Missionary Advance from Western Culture.” Evangelical Missions Quarterly 45(4): 420-427.

Easum, Bill. 2000. Leadership on the Other Side: No Rules, Just Clues. Nashville: Abingdon Press.

Elliston, Edgar J. 1992. Home Grown Leaders. Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library.

Engel, James F. and William A. Dyrness. 2000. Changing the Mind of Missions: Where Have We Gone Wrong? Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.

Gupta, Paul R., and Sherwood G. Lingenfelter. 2006. Breaking Tradition to Accomplish Vision:Training Leaders for a Church-Planting Movement. Winona Lake, Ind.: BMH Books.

Jones, Larry B. 2009. “The Problem of Power in Ministry Relationships.” Evangelical Missions Quarterly 45(4): 404-410.

Lingenfelter, Sherwood G., and Marvin K. Mayers. 2003. Ministering Cross-Culturally: An Incarnational Model for Personal Relationships. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic.

Luzbetak, Louis J. 1989. The Church and Cultures: New Perspectives in Missiological Anthropology. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books.

Neumann, Mikel. 1999. Home Groups for Urban Cultures. Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library.

Stamoolis, James. 2001. “How Are We Doing at Developing National Leaders?” Evangelical Missions Quarterly 37(4): 488-495.

Steffen, Tom A. 1997. Passing the Baton: Church Planting that Empowers. La Habra, Calif.: Center for Organizational and Ministry Development. Tokyo Horizon Chapel. Accessed June 3, 2011, from www.horizonchapel.jp/index.html.

Van Engen, Charles. 2001. “Toward a Theology of Mission Partnerships.” Missiology 29(1): 11-44.

Noel Becchetti becomes Asian Access' vice president for leader development

jhandley

It is with great delight that I welcome Noel Becchetti to the international leadership team of Asian Access. Noel joins our team on October 1, 2012 as the vice president for leader development, a role that works in partnership with our Leader Development leadership team.

Noel comes to Asian Access with a wealth of experience. He has served in a wide array of ministries including InterVarsity, Youth Specialties, sports outreach in Romania, The Center for Student Missions, and most recently Truthseekers International. Noel and I have known each other for many years and have led together on ministry teams for Azusa Pacific University's Mexico Outreach program and one of the first multi-national high school student missions conventions, Conquest '96, in Mexico City. (See us in the back in the photo below.)

Having known and watched Noel's leadership for 20 plus years, I am honored that he would join the Asian Access family and bring his incredible array of wisdom and talent to our work in leader development. Noel is a great team player, who has served in several cross-cultural ministry contexts, most recently with his work in India through Truthseekers. Noel is also a proven leader who is known to be a problem solver and someone who gets things done.

I'm looking forward to working with Noel and hope you'll join me in welcoming him to the Asian Access family!

To contact Noel, you can write him at noelpb@gmail.com.
You can read Noel and Kyle Becchetti's biographical profile here (PDF).
Here's the official press release announcing Noel's appointment.

Joe Handley

Asian Access taps Truthseekers� executive for new post

Noel Becchetti set to become A2’s VP for Leader Development

For Immediate Release

ARTESIA, CA (A2) Asian Access is pleased to announce the imminent appointment of Noel Becchetti as vice president for leader development. Through September 30, Becchetti is currently Executive Director for Truthseekers International, a ministry committed to spiritual and social freedom for the oppressed lower castes of India. He will assume his new role with Asian Access on October 1, 2012.

Asian Access is a non-profit ministry devoted to developing leaders who multiply churches across Asia, the most populous continent. Its vision is to see a vibrant community of servant leaders leading the Church there. Having launched ministry in Japan in 1967, Asian Access is now actively training church leaders in ten countries with plans to expand into an additional ten in the next few years.

With bold expansion plans on the horizon, president Joe Handley decided the organization needed to create the new position to build momentum. Since becoming president in June 2008, Handley has been functioning in dual roles. Now to identify a skilled director who can bolster the movement of leader development, he turns to someone he knows well.

“Having known and watched Noel's leadership for 20 plus years,” Handley says, “I am honored that he would join the Asian Access family and bring his incredible array of wisdom and talent to our work in leader development.”

Joe adds that he and Noel had “led together on ministry teams for Azusa Pacific University's Mexico Outreach program,” as well as “one of the first multi-national high school student missions conventions in Mexico City.”

Handley believes Noel’s intrinsic ability as a team player and experience in cross-cultural ministry contexts makes him nicely suited for spearheading the work team charged with pastoral training across Asia. Furthermore, working with Truthseekers provided experience in India, one country where A2 currently operates.

The new role seems to fit him philosophically as well. Noel possesses tremendous experience in church leadership, as well as an abiding love for the Church and Asia.

"The Kingdom of God on earth is expressed and advanced primarily through the Church,” Becchetti asserts, “and the Church is expressed and advanced through the ministries of Godly, gifted leaders. A2 is one of the most effective ministries I know in growing, mentoring and supporting effective leaders in the most dynamic mission field of our time, Asia.”

The upcoming vice president states, “I'm thrilled and humbled to join such an amazing team of men and women."

Becchetti lives in El Cajon, California with his wife Kyle, who currently serves as director for operations for Truthseekers. She maintains an active license to practice law in California. The couple has two grown children and this year became grandparents for the first time.

You can read Noel and Kyle Becchetti's biographical profile here (PDF).
If you’d like to reach Noel personally, feel free to contact him via email at noelpb@gmail.com.
To read Joe Handley’s blog post about Noel’s appointment, click here…
For more information about Asian Access, see www.asianaccess.org.

Lasting change in Burma starts with mindset

mnn

Burma's change? Proceed with caution.

MYANMAR (MNN) ― Christians in Myanmar are hopeful. For the first time in decades, real change seems to be coming. Not only that, but the reforms appear to be sticking. Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's most famous dissident, turned parliament member, doesn't negate that, but she does urge caution.

There are a great number of tasks that face the emerging nation, and it's exactly that challenge to which Asian Access rises. The ministry has been working behind the scenes in Myanmar, and, up until recently, was shaped by Bishop Zothan Mawia.

He explains why care would be prudent. "We have been isolated for many years, from 1962, the military took over and then all the education was from English medium to Burmese medium. We were isolated in the sense that going out of Myanmar is also quite difficult. Education was weakened."

The political infrastructure remains fragile and peace with the Maoists is equally frail. "Slowly, it's moving. We can't change in one day's time, so we need time", explains Mawia. A leap forward isn't realistic. "In that sense, we also realize that we have a part to play. We are trying our best to have this mindset change." Unless the mindset changes internally, lasting change for Myanmar is fleeting.

From the beginning, Mawia's heart has been bent toward reconciliation. In order to move forward, he's stressed the importance of understanding others' hurts as well as the willingness to forgive.

That's where Asian Access' programs are most effective. "For Christians, we believe that the transformation is by the power of the Holy Spirit. So, we hope the very basic mindset will be changed. That might be better for the community and then hopefully for the country. So far, that's what we have in mind."

The groundwork was already in place, since A2 has been in Myanmar since 2003. Though he is not actively directing A2's ministry there now, Mawia was integral in getting A2 launched. He has since passed the baton onto a new younger leader.

There were three things he noted as obstacles to effective church growth in Myanmar. One came about as a result of a weakened education system. "Many potential leaders like to go abroad for further study, but their English is weak, so many of them, they cannot." Going abroad may have been immaterial, since few could afford the study, problem number two. And the last problem, was cultural differences that created nearly as much frustration as the language barrier.

Asian Access' work of leadership training has been recognized as one of the most creative and fruitful leadership training programs in Asia. The key to its effectiveness is the careful selection of twelve emerging leaders.

First things, first, says Mawia. "Pastors work very hard, focusing on ministry. But the relationship with God, many times, we just ignore unconsciously. We try to make that series one to make the leaders come back to the love of God."

These leaders are then invited to be a part of a class that meets four times a year for a week at a time over a two-year period. When the twelve meet together, they are working through an established curriculum that accelerates their growth as spiritual leaders, as well as organizational leaders. At their training sessions, they are resourced by leaders in and outside their country.

Mawia proudly notes the success of a program that thrived despite the oppressive conditions of the country in which they were operating. The first class graduated with 11, then 12, and then last May, nine graduates from the 3-year courses were ready for their own ministry.

As part of their training, leaders are also given the skills to determine the needs of the communities and the context in which they live and minister. Upon that knowledge, they then develop skills to equip their congregation for effective service, Mawia explains. "Though we are a minority, we still have to show forth Jesus Christ, or the power of the Holy Spirit through our life that they may be able to come to God."

New church leaders don't always have a clear path. However, for the most part, the communities where the leaders work notice something immediately. "They are also aware that we Christians are someone different. They can accept Christians and say 'you are based on love'. We are not threatening them."

So, the question really is: is it change bringing hope, or is it hope bringing change?

Listen to the MNN broadcast...

(4-minute clip)

Photo courtesy the Methodist Church of Lower Myanmar; taken by Tasha Sargent of Bishop Zothan Mawia.
If you don't see an audio player, click here...

This story was originally published by Mission Network News. Read online here.

See other A2 stories covered by MNN

Going Deeper

jhandley

Go Deeper Together: Becoming our Vision, Living out our Mission

The last few years I have sensed the Lord calling us at Asian Access to go deeper in who we are as we feel called to grow broader across Asia. As we went into our 2015 strategic planning process, my sense is that God wasn't calling us to anything profoundly new, but rather calling us to go deeper into the Essence of Asian Access, embodying the incredible vision, mission and values God has called us to achieve as we seek to expand the ministry across Japan and across now all of Asia.

With this 4-year theme in mind, we sensed God calling us to Go Deeper Together: Becoming our Vision and Living out our Mission.

To launch this endeavor, we held an incredible Spring Retreat in Japan and Leaders' Summit in Thailand in March. During these times, Dr. David Bennett and L.T. Jeyachandran led our devotions in this very theme. We couldn't have asked for richer expressions of what God is calling us to move forward in as we follow His lead across the continent of Asia.

Both men, complimented each other, without even knowing what the other would be sharing. It created a rich environment for us to grow deeper in Christ and deeper with one another. They both challenged us in this deeper journey pointing us back to one of our theme passages for this season of ministry: Psalm 1:

"Blessed is the man [whose]… delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."
-- Psalm 1: 1, 3

We are striving "to see a vibrant community of servant leaders… unite the church, multiply leaders and congregations, and extend the transforming power of the Gospel" across Asia. But in order to achieve all that God has inspired for us, we realize it is crucial to grow deeper in Christ, in this vision and mission, and in our values.

Pray for us as we endeavor to grow deeper together to become all that Jesus wants us to be as He leads us to growth across Japan and across the entire continent of Asia.

Joe Handley, President

If you would like to learn more about what Dr. Bennett and Mr. Jeyachandran taught, please contact me. And, if you have suggestions for how we can grow deeper as a mission community let us know. You can reach me at: jhandley@asianaccess.org

Mr. L.T. Jeyachandran is Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific branch of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. See his RZIM staff profile here.
Dr. David Bennett serves as Chief Collaboration Officer and Teaching Pastor at The Lausanne Movement. See his LinkedIn profile here.

India bursts onto the global scene again... this time in ministry

mnn

'Globalization' the buzzword for ministry

INDIA (MNN) ― Globalization is the new buzzword that has come to dominate the world.

With that buzz comes the end of the Cold War, changes in what was the Soviet Union, closer connections with Europe and North America, and lots of influence through media.

Market economies dominated the world, and there were plenty of resources to be had by the savvy and creative. There was promise of greater access to developed country markets, productivity, and a higher living standard.

So, on the one hand, globalization has ushered in new ideas. David Dayalan, Asian Access National Director for India, explains: "15 to 20 years back, there was so little opportunity in terms of jobs. Today, you have plenty of opportunity. People have various options in terms of career, so that's good for us."

But globalization has also thrown up new challenges. Dayalan says, "We weren't ready for such a rapid change because of globalization. It has an impact in all spheres of life in terms of culture, roles, family values." The culture change created its own shock wave as the fabric of the family unraveled.

The disparity between the rich and poor became a chasm, and that also challenged what evangelists were telling people in the message of Christ. First, "They don't have time because of long working hours, and young people starting very early on the jobs at call centers. The church really wasn't prepared to act on all this." Then, Dayalan says, "We see pastors trying various things to cope with this. In the process, they're not really focused as to how to address the value of morality or the work ethics."

Asian Access saw that a little pastoral help could go a long way. "We came along to help them to be a little more strategic, to be a little more focused, help them to clarify their vision mission, and at the same time, to help them be more intentional in terms of how they want to approach this [ministry]."

The Asian Access leadership training has been recognized as one of the most creative and fruitful leadership training programs in Asia. The key to its effectiveness is the careful selection of a select group of emerging leaders. Dayalan describes the process: "We select 15 to 20 pastors and invite them for a two and a half year period of training. The whole process itself is transformational in its essence. Many who leave the program by the end of two and a half years have a lot more clarity and are empowered to do what God has called them to do."

The class meets four times a year for a week at a time over that two and a half year period. When they meet, they work through an established curriculum that accelerates their growth as spiritual leaders, as well as organizational leaders. At their training sessions, they are resourced by leaders in and outside their country.

Over time, the pastors become united and learn how to work with the strengths and weaknesses of one another. They then develop skills to equip their congregation for effective service. At that point, they are ready to cast vision and plan strategies for growth and multiplication.

Sometimes, Dayalan notes, Christians are their own worst enemies when they get in their own way. The beauty of the A2 training method offers an effective form of globalizing the Church body of India through evangelism and discipleship. In other words, it's a culturally relevant means to transformation from the inside out. And that means less opposition.

What can you do? You can pray, give, or go. Specifically, "Pray for God's wisdom." Also, pray for those in training for leadership that they would "be men of God with integrity, and that they would be focused on what God has called them to do."

Listen to the MNN broadcast...

(2-minute clip)

If you don't see an audio player, click here...

This story was originally published by Mission Network News. Read online here.

See other A2 stories covered by MNN

Wall Street Journal notes great need for leader development in Asia

jhandley

A recent Wall Street Journal article noted the great need for leaders in the church of Asia today. This prompted the team at Nations Be Glad, an affiliate of Dr. John Piper to tweet the following:

Wall Street Journal: The spread of Christianity across China has left churches with a shortage of trained leaders. http://ow.ly/9ckrf

More than 15 years ago, this huge need prompted Asian Access to invest in key leading pastors across the continent of Asia. At that time, estimates were that 150 million Asians would come to Christ over the next 20 years. Asia is home to nearly 65% of the world's population, 85% of those who have yet to follow Christ, and home to all of the world's major religions.

This is an unparalleled challenge as there is a crisis in leadership worldwide. Every sector of society needs capable leaders and the Church is not exempt from this challenge. The global Church must have godly, capable leaders and the task is unprecedented for the Church of Asia in particular.

To learn more about the great needs in China, see the Wall Street Journal article ("Leading China's Christian Awakening" by Jillian Kay Melchior). To learn about Asian Access unique model in response, see the overview video here.

Asian Access provides a strategic vision to develop transforming leaders all across Asia who will be used of God to multiply leaders and congregations. Here are just a few of the key leaders we are privileged to work alongside . . .

Rob Martin, former Executive Director of First Fruit Foundation has said:

"If you want to change a country through strengthening the church, look at Asian Access.
They do it right!"

We are humbled to be a small part of what God is doing in Asia. And we welcome you to join us in this key investment in the work of Christ's transforming presence!

Joe Handley, President

Pastors Share Their Profound Vision

jhandley

Ron McMahon, Chair of the Asian Access Board of Directors, recently visited one of the Asian Access countries, spending time with 14 alumni of the ministry. Here is his report with specific requests for you to join us in prayer for this strategic, yet closed, country:

In a meeting with 14 pastors (alumni of Asian Access), I asked how our board could be praying for them. Each one around the room shared their prayer requests for their church, country and families. I had initially spoken to them and expressed our appreciation for their partnership. In addition, I wanted them to be assured of their part in a growing community of Asian pastors that shared their passion for impacting their countries with the gospel and were with them in spirit and support. Their requests reflected their hearts in a special way as they asked for prayer in these areas:

Prayer Requests

For the raising up and training of younger generation leaders. I want to grow deeper in my walk with Christ.
For the unification of the churches. We need an administrative system to help unite us.
For the return of Asian Access to our country. My vision is for an In Country A2 Congress and then an All-Asia A2 Congress someday.
For greater influence of the Christian church on society here.
That God would help me fulfill my vision to reach different types of people in society with the gospel.
For many new church plants, additional missionaries and the financial needs of many pastors.
That the church can reach out to families. Over 50% of our marriages end in divorce.
I am of the 80's generation. Pray that my church will be instrumental in reaching the 90's generation and that I will be empowered to serve well. Please also pray for our wives and families.
For younger leader training.
We have a call to send missionaries to Muslim countries. Pray for God's direction.
For our church's ministry to the migrant communities. Also for the spreading of the gospel in country communities which are often forgotten and do not receive the efforts of Christian outreach.
For unification of the overall church in-country including the coming together of the various church movements.

Ron McMahon, Chair
A2 Board of Directors

As president, I am grateful for a Board of Directors that is so intricately involved in the ministry of Asian Access. Please join us in praying for the Church of Asia, that we might see "a vibrant community of servant leaders leading the Church of Asia… who will unite the Church, multiply leaders and congregations, and extend the transforming power of the Gospel."

For His Kingdom,

Joseph W. Handley, Jr., President
Asian Access

Generous Mind posts two of my articles

jhandley

I have written two articles for Generous Mind (www.generousmind.com), an organization committed to helping leaders and organizations release their ideas into the world.

Here are my two blog posts published in the last few days:

1.) Generosity breeds generosity (posted March 8, 2012)

2.) Collaboration: Generosity in Action! (posted March 12, 2012)

I appreciate Generous Mind's Jon and Mindy Hirst, who have a passion to help others be generous with their ideas. Thanks for sharing mine with your readers. We need more people and organizations like you folks!

Warmly in Christ,

Joe Handley, President
Asian Access

Generous Mind's Mission
Generous Mind partners with thought leaders and organizations to develop and release their ideas to the world.

Generous Mind's Vision
Our vision is to empower thought leaders and organizations with the understanding, the capacity and the tools to share their ideas with the world.

Generous Mind's Approach
Generous Mind is committed to a holistic approach to releasing ideas. This means that we work toward the end goal of getting an idea from a concept to something that truly impacts people.

Leading Like Jesus

jhandley

Phil Hodges serves as faculty in A2/India

Recently one of our reference council members and my good friend, Phil Hodges, co-founder of "Lead Like Jesus," led an alumni gathering for Asian Access/India. The pastors found the material to be particularly relevant to their situation and a great help as we seek to "develop as Christ-like leaders." Here is a brief note from Phil about his time with our team in India.

As you seek to Lead Like Jesus, I encourage you to connect with their team. They are an incredible group offering a tremendous resource in living your life well.

Dear Joe,

Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to share the Lead Like Jesus message at the Asian Access Pastor's Conference in Goa. It was a time of rich Christian fellowship and encouragement for all. We came away blessed by our time together and convinced that the message of God's unconditional love for them needs to be poured into the hearts of all who shepherd others in His name. I conducted an informal survey among the attending pastors regarding what impact Asian Access has had on their lives and ministries. You will be gratified that their response was that the impact has been profound and personal, especially in the reordering of their personal priorities regarding ministry and family.

The most enduring part of our memories beside the very impressive traffic in Goa was the people we met and the stories of faith we heard. I hope we have to opportunity to return again. Thank you again for providing us the opportunity to be a part of the Asian Access story.

Blessings
Phil Hodges

During this Christmas season, please remember to pray that the overwhelming love of Christ would envelop these Church shepherds, impacting them and their ministry across Asia.

Joseph W. Handley, Jr.
President, Asian Access

Reflections on China: Joe's thoughts following China Challenge 2011

jhandley

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of serving with China Challenge 2011. As you probably know China is at the center of global activity these days and the country faces a number of changes in the coming year: one of which is a significant change in their overall country leadership. These changes and activities have thrust them into the center of much thought and discussion including the 2012 U.S. political presidential campaigns.

As I sat through various presentations by some of the leading China watchers and professionals, I was reminded of the key role China will face in the future of the world. It reinforced my conviction that investing in key Chinese leaders is paramount for this era of Christian faith and practice.

I worked with a team to both facilitate the event and lead a special track on Leader Development and the learning was significant. Together, the implications for ministry and the development of leaders are profound. Of particular interest to me were several challenges for the next 30 years presented by an Asian Access/China alumnus. He mentioned the following and then personally encouraged the American Church to partner with them in engaging these most pressing issues:

China has the greatest potential both for and of World Mission: With many unreached people groups remaining in country as well as one of the fastest growing church movements worldwide, China is both a sending and receiving nation when it comes to global mission.

There will be a breakthrough in Church/State relations which will facilitate a new wave of revival and growth.

As society changes, the role of believers will be significant as Christians engage the most pressing social issues the country faces.

Pastoral ministry is facing a particularly unique challenge with the fast paced changes affecting the country. Investing in them is paramount for the future of the Church.

The development of leaders is of paramount importance.

These challenges highlight the work done over the course of the 3 days, especially in the area of leader development. Brent Fulton's comprehensive study on this topic in 2006 proved a terrific catalyst in this regard in addition to a few additional insights during our time together. Dr. Fulton's excellent study is available from ChinaSource for $90.00 and is well worth the price for those interested in learning more and engaging the major issues.

Where do we go from here?:

Throughout the event, the need for leader development was presented as critical in all sectors of Christian faith, church and society. Whether it be the emerging needs of younger generations, the development of Godly business leaders, or leaders within the society or church at large; all were of paramount importance as noted in one of the top six challenges above.

Core to the future are the following key issues:

Mentoring – Life on life relationship investment to help people grow in their roles as believers and engagers of society is of crucial importance. Training that does not include this type of investment is missing the primary need.

Women in Leadership and Ministry – There is a significant need to invest in women as they carry a significant mantle of leadership within society, church, and business.

The challenge to provide quality training (that takes time) and the fast paced growth of churches and leaders.

Learning in Groups – Chinese society and broader Asian culture often grows more through a group dynamic than an individual dynamic. Thus, the importance of cohort models of learning will be core to the future growth of leaders.

The need for servant leaders within a society that values hierarchical models of leadership.

Character and values are critical to the development of leaders. Too often, leadership training has focused on skills and abilities and not on the most pressing issues Christian leaders face today, as noted in the recent Lausanne Study: How to build a new generation of Christ-like leaders.

Leadership selection was seen time and time again as foundational to the development of capable leaders.

The process of leadership development needs more hands on training rather than just lecturing. Models that include the processes of situational leadership as leaders grow and develop will prove most helpful.

Two suggestions coming from our time together include the following:

An update to the 2006 study would be of great help in given the dynamic changes facing society.

An example of leadership selection process would be very beneficial to ministries as well.

If you'd like to learn more, join ChinaSource for their upcoming webinar: Building Godly Leaders in China: Looking at the Dynamics that Effect Mentoring Relationships, on November 30th/December 1st.

Thanks to Dr. Brent Fulton and the entire ChinaSource team for their leadership in helping those of us serving in China.

For His Kingdom,

Joseph Handley
President, Asian Access

Pressure

jhandley

The last few months I have visited with pastors in a few countries where pressure and persecution happen on a semi-regular basis. These pastors feel 'the heat' on a sometimes daily basis. Their plight reminds me of Jesus words from Matthew 5:10-12:

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Most recently on one trip, the leader of Asian Access, a pastor who has been closely monitored for several years (nearly 24/7 for six months last year), shared how many of the pastors we work with have been in prison and now are under house arrest. In other areas, some of the people we work with have even hit the press as noted in this Wall Street Journal article on "Theology of Repression".

The pastor mentioned above thanked me for the work of Asian Access in investing in them and encouraged me to continue investing and encouraging them through the pressure. Ultimately he said, "The skies may be cloudy but the sun is always shining." The inference was that despite this pressure, Christ is supreme and that He will prevail.

As Jesus tells us to rejoice and in the midst of their pain, I join them; their reward will be great in heaven. Thank you for coming alonsdie them with your prayers and support. They want you to know how much they appreciate you.

Secrecy, spies and suspicion: part of the history of the church in Asia

mnn

Though their history reads like a mystery, the church in Asia writes a happier chapter

ASIA (MNN) - Secrecy, spies and suspicion: they are all elements found in a novel or movie of intrigue. You'd expect to see such a storyline unfolding in connection with a mystery, but not the church.

However, Joe Handley with Asian Access says that's exactly what was happening amongst believers throughout Asia. "Because the church was underground--and you had some churches that were sanctioned by the government, and others that were not--there was a sense of ‘Will that person turn me in to the government authorities?'"

Worse yet, "It got to the point where they just didn't know if they could trust another. They were having family members turn family members in, and pastors they thought were pastors who were spies turning people in. That culture of mistrust was heavy."

Seeing a healthy evangelical body emerge from the devastation of this cultural destruction has been a direct answer to prayer. Handley explains, "They started coming together through Asian Access, and over the course of a few years, there started to build unification amongst the pastors and churches in the capital city." In fact, he adds, these pastors are now investing in the lives of others. "Over a ten year period, that now has bled over into many of the provinces where there is a remarkable unity that is building in the country amongst the pastors."

This new crop of pastors have cast off the suspicion, and they are eagerly embracing the training A2 offers. Even better, Handley says, the ministry didn't have to do all the work. "These pastors already have a passion for church planting. They work mainly in house churches, and they want to also finish the task of world evangelism."

A2 chose a man to put feet to the mission who had both business savvy and a loose grip on the ministry reigns. Since he didn't have an agenda, the church leaders he was training and discipling had the freedom to explore their own strengths. As a result, "They have a vision not only to plant churches in their own country, but across Asia, stretching from their country and moving all across the 10/40 Window."

The unity this team built was most obvious in its solidarity. Handley says this group made plans to travel to the Capetown Congress (Lausanne) for World Evangelization together. When their government prevented them from attending, their absence not only spoke of their unified stand, but it also unified the rest of the Christians there in prayer for this Asian country.

Building on that momentum has been exciting. Leadership training begins with the emerging leaders of the church body. A select group from the big metropolitan centers gets training from Asian Access. From there, it's taken on its own life. "We call ourselves ‘A2,' for short; they call the secondary level of training ‘B2,' and now the B2 level graduates have actually started ‘C2.'"

The goal: to be a vibrant community of servant leaders with vision, character and competence, leading the church across Asia. As their country director says, "The tide is moving toward more openness, and it's just a matter of time."

Vision and growth are not without challenges, especially in a country that is hostile to Christians. The region is known for the persecution and harassment of believers. Like those who stood with the missing delegation at the Capetown Congress, Handley urges a similar response. "They need us to pray that God would protect them, that God give them peace and sanity in the midst of what sometimes can feel like chaos, and that God would take care of them and open the path."

Listen to the MNN broadcast...

(4 min.)

If you don't see an audio player, click here...

This story was originally published by Mission Network News. Read online here.

See other A2 stories covered by MNN.
Read Joe Handley's staff profile.

New Horizons

jhandley

Bringing A2's Pastoral Training to Bangladesh

This week, Asian Access leadership met with many of the top Christian leaders in Bangladesh. Led by Adrian De Visser, Vice President for Partnership Development, this team that included faculty member Richard Brohier from Australia, the leader of A2 in another country and myself as well. We spent two full days connecting with key church, mission and denomination leaders.

Several expressed a deep longing for this type of in-depth training believing that a stronger commitment to discipleship was important for emerging church leaders. Peter Halder, CEO of a national ministry, expressed it this way, "Many of our pastors lack this type of in-depth discipleship and biblical background. They have done well at evangelism and church planting, but we need a broader and deeper commitment to discipleship for the church to flourish."

It was great for me to visit my friend Peter and his colleagues. Peter has invited me to his country for over 15 years and I now was finally able to join him. What a joy to spend time with him and his wife Nancy and see the work of their ministry.

Asian Access hopes to launch in Bangladesh sometime this year and this gathering of key leaders was a good step towards that future. Adrian De Visser has spent the last two years networking and laying the foundation for this and now it looks like we have a new horizon in front of us. Bangladesh will be the first predominantly Muslim country that A2 ventures into so we are thrilled to have this unique opportunity to strengthen the church and see what fruit the Lord brings.

Pray for us as we enter into this new horizon. The challenge may be immense, but the opportunities are well worth it.

For His kingdom,

$10,000 matching grant realized

jhandley

Christian Community Credit Union Matches $10,000 for Pastor Leadership Training in Asia

I am thrilled to share an announcement released by Christian Community Credit Union. . .

(San Dimas, CA, December 8, 2010) Christian Community Credit Union donated $10,000 in a matching grant campaign to provide pastor development programs in Asia. In partnership with Asian Access, the amount will provide leadership development programs to pastors in nine countries as well as help launch the Asian Access ministry in Bangladesh.

“I am grateful to Christian Community Credit Union for investing in this program that will make a difference. Their encouragement through this matching gift is a tribute to their commitment to Christ and expanding His Kingdom,” says Joseph W. Handley, Jr., President of Asian Access. “What a joy to see more pastors trained with vision, character and competence to lead the church of the future.”

The donation was made possible through Christian Community Credit Union’s “Cards that Give to Missions” credit card program. Every time cardholders make a purchase using their Credit Union credit or debit card, the Credit Union donates to missions like Asian Access and other ministry projects. The donation is based on a portion of the interchange income the Credit Union receives from retail merchants.

“It’s a blessing that we have the opportunity to help build God’s Kingdom while serving our members’ financial needs,” says John Walling, Christian Community Credit Union President/CEO. “Thanks to our members’ use of their missions-giving credit and debit card, everyday purchases can help change lives in an eternally significant and God-honoring way.”

With assets over $500 million, Christian Community Credit Union has over 29,000 members worldwide and has served as a financial partner to Christian churches, ministries and their members for over 50 years.

Asian Access is an interdenominational evangelical organization that works throughout Asia to identify, develop and release leaders who serve as pastors of growing and reproducing churches.

For more information about “The Cards that Give to Missions” credit card program, please call 800.347.CCCU or visit myCCCU/cards.

Asian Access President Joseph Handley, Jr. with two pastors from Bangladesh. Christian Community Credit Union’s $10,000 matching gift will help provide pastor development programs in Asia.

Every Pastor Needs a Pastor... Every Pastor Needs a Friend

jhandley

Pastor Solomon from A2 / S. India shared this quote from pastor Warren Wiersbe in sharing his testimony about the last two years with Asian Access. Solly, as we all now call him, was part of the first graduating class from S. India, an impressive group of church leaders spanning several denominations.

They have caught the vision to see a vibrant community of servant leaders leading the church across India and Asia. Now, they're working to replicate the ministry in the cities they are from: Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore. What a thrill to see a vibrant community of pastors form who are committed to identifying, developing and releasing emerging kingdom to unite the church, multiply leaders and congregations and extend the transforming power of the Gospel of Christ!Core to this movement is always the essential outcome from A2's Essence but more importantly from Scripture itself, Living in a love relationship with God, for "without him, we can do nothing" (John 15:5).

As Solly went on he praised and thanked Pastor Mike Hoisington for his investment in their lives. Mike serves as the S. India Resource Coordinator for Asian Access as well as a core faculty member and mentor. The beauty of this movement, this vibrant community, is that Mike and the vast majority of the greater A2 family of leaders are volunteers. So, while A2 has a small organizational support team, the movement is really a volunteer endeavor to see pastors developed who will lead the church across Asia in the coming decades.I often hear Solly's words expressed by others, "Joe, we are hungry, eager, desperate for spiritual fathers;" what Solly called in quoting Warren Wiersbe: 'Every Pastor Needs a Pastor... Every Pastor Needs a Friend!'

Mike, thank you, and for all the A2 volunteer network of pastors, thank you for building this vibrant community of servant leaders with vision, character and competence who are leading the church across Asia. God is pleased with what He sees... Well Done, Good Faithful Servants!

A tea break with Mike Hoisington and a pastor from South India's graduating class

The Middle Game

jhandley

Graduates Challenged to Finish Well

As 13 pastors graduated last week in Delhi with Asian Access/India, my colleague, Jeff Johnston gave them a great challenge on the final day of the session. He shared how the game of Chess is often won or lost during the Middle Game for the moves one makes during the middle part of the game can determine the outcome of the match.

Jeff challenged the group to see that the Middle Game in life proves to be a crucial season in ministry as well. Those who maintain a close walk with Christ during the middle years of ministry (attending well to the inner life and their character) are typically the ones who finish well.

This came at a great time for me on the tail end of attending Cape Town 2010. There the theme of integrity rang loud and clear as Chris Wright detailed the importance of this issue in the life of the global church today.

It also dovetails well with a significant research study of Christian leaders showing that "integrity" and "humility" were the two most important challenges facing Christian leaders worldwide.

As I reflect on this further I'm reminded through our devotionals during the session that this is really only possible as we lean on Jesus. On our own strength we are sure to fall but as we "abide in Christ" we will "bear much fruit" (John 15:5)!

So, for those of us in this middle season of life, let's get our game face on and do well during the Middle Game. That way, as we lean on Christ, we will finish well.

Strategic Matching Grant Project will help A2 expand into Bangladesh

jhandley

$10,000 Matching Opportunity

What is this matching gift campaign all about?

Christian Community Credit Union is offering Asian Access a $10,000 matching challenge to help develop leaders for church multiplication across Asia. This gift, when matched, will provide $20,000 to provide one of the strongest leader development programs to pastors in nine countries this year as well as help us launch the ministry in Bangladesh.

Why is this a strategic investment?

This challenge is a strategic opportunity to invest in the one of the most important, crying needs we hear consistently from churches in Asia: developing leaders of vision, character and competence to lead the fast growing churches across the continent. To have a feel for the influence of the ministry, see what Rob Martin, former Executive Director for First Fruit, Inc. has said:

"If you want to change a country

through strengthening the church,

look at Asian Access.

They do it right!"

The Credit Union is able to offer this challenge opportunity through funds generated from a unique program called: “The Cards that Give to Missions.” As their members use their credit cards, they generate funds to make contributions like this plus the funds also give a percentage back to the ministries themselves.


	Here I am with two brothers from Bangladesh, where we are now exploring to launch the A2 leadership development program.

The program has proven fruitful for several ministries and we wanted you to be aware of both the program and the opportunity to participate in the matching challenge. With this challenge, Asian Access would have $20,000 to strengthen the lives and ministries of pastors in nine countries, plus help launch the unique form of leadership development in Bangladesh in 2011.

Every time Christian Community Credit Union members use their credit or debit card for purchases, a portion of the interchange income (the amount merchants pay to card issuers) is set aside for missions and ministry projects worldwide. Since the program began, the Credit Union has donated over $2.8 million and contributes to various faith-based projects such as:

International and regional missions projects

Local church ministry projects

New church planting

College and seminary scholarships

Disaster relief

With over 29,000 members worldwide, Christian Community Credit Union has served the financial needs of the Christian community; affiliate organizations and their members for over 50 years.

Matching Grant will double your investment!

Every donation will be doubled by Christian Community Credit Union. Between now and January 30, 2011, every dollar pledged toward the Credit Union matching opportunity will go toward this $10,000 match. Thus, when the campaign is complete Asian Access will have $20,000 to help develop leaders and multiply churches across nine countries and assist in launching our tenth country, Bangladesh.

If you would like to learn more about “The Cards that Give to Missions” program, please visit Christian Community Credit Union's Web site. And, I ask that you prayerfully consider a gift to help us reach the $10,000 matching opportunity.

I am grateful to Christian Community Credit Union for investing in programs like this that make a difference. Their encouragement through this challenge as well as the other investments they make annually are a tribute to their commitment to Christ and expanding His Kingdom.

Today, there are churches that are stronger, healthier and reproducing across Asia because of partnerships like this. We are grateful for your prayers and support and are eager to see how the Lord leads with this unique opportunity.

For His Kingdom,

Joseph W. Handley, Jr.

You can make a difference now! Here's how:

Join Christian Community Credit Union and enjoy exclusive credit union membership benefits! [Go now]

Apply for "The Cards that Give to Missions."
• Low Rates, Gives to Missions and & Earns rewards!
• Get double reward points for donations to churches and most ministries!

Consider giving a gift to Asian Access to help us reach the $10,000 matching opportunity.
- Gifts should be marked "Pastor Training Matching Grant"

Find out more...

Here are links to related topics:

Project page

Essence of A2 Leadership Development Model

Financial Integrity (ECFA guidelines)

Christian Community Credit Union Web site

Impact in Sri Lanka

jhandley

Dear Friends,

On behalf of all of us at Asian Access: "Thank You"! We are so blessed by your prayers, your support and your commitment to develop leaders and launch church multiplication movements across Asia, the neediest region of the world for the Gospel's advance today!

I was in Sri Lanka a few weeks ago and witnessed first-hand the powerful ministry of the Kithu Sevana church planting movement founded by Adrian DeVisser, Asian Access Vice President for Partnership Development. Adrian has challenged us into fresh ways of church planting by establishing transformational holistic ministries that dovetail with evangelism.

In this video, he briefly shares how grateful we are for your support. The fruit of your partnership is helping establish and train pastors in developing holistic church multiplication movements in Sri Lanka and beyond.

At present, Adrian has launched several sustainable farms to take in kids off the streets, refugees from the decades long civil war that ended last year, kids stuck on the streets, abandoned by families, trapped by drugs and prostitution. Now, they are being raised in a stable environment with food, shelter and education. For those who can't go beyond basic education, they have trades schools (seamstress training, farming, carpentry, auto mechanics and a body shop). It's quite remarkable.

Above all this the farms are intended to be self-sustaining - They sell fruits, vegetables, make jams and jellies to sell, raise pigs and chickens - all designed to make some funds to keep the farm operating. It's quite unbelievable to see what the Lord is doing.

Thank you for your support and I hope you enjoy this brief word of thanks from my friend, Adrian.

If you cannot see this embedded video, click here...

Decades-long civil war leaves hopeless refugees

mnn

Refugees find restoration down on the farm

SRI LANKA (MNN) ― For 26 years, Sri Lanka was ravaged by civil war. Though the war is over and Sri Lanka is considered a post-war country, the affects can still be seen in the form of thousands of refugees, wandering the streets without hope.

Many children were orphaned and have no home or parents to care for them. Many people have been emotionally traumatized by almost three decades of violence and strife.

However, Asian Access' President Joe Handley said their partner Dr. Adrian DeVisser is seeing seeds of hope sprout through his church-planting and farm ministry.

Across this island nation south of India with a population of more than 20 million people, the movement has already planted some 600 churches.

Along with several dozen of these churches, DeVisser has started farms and taken in refugees: "He's able to take them in and raise kids in an orphanage that provides a safe home, provides an education. And the cool part of it is that they get to do this in a farming community that is creating a sustainable ministry environment," Handley said.

Each of these farms is focused on integrating social outreach and the Gospel, and as they reach out in both these aspects, the ministry is not just attracting refugees.

Handley said, "It's so powerful that even some of the government is now recommending kids off of the street to go to their homes, which is quite remarkable in a Buddhist nation to refer people to a church oriented world."

With all the good things taking place through this ministry, they do not want to slow down now. Their goal is to see 2000 churches planted throughout the country in the next 10 years.

In fact, Handley was just in Sri Lanka at a conference to train more church leaders and pastors. He said, "We had a one week development intensive, where I was one of the facility members. And we're training these pastors on leadership development, church multiplication and principles of holistic church planting, where it's not just about evangelism—which it IS about—and it's not just about church planting and it's not just about discipleship. But discipleship involves the whole of transformational ministries that impact society."

As they look towards the future, pray with Asian Access about the people their Sri Lanka ministry will be impacting. Pray for the leaders God is already raising up and for people to continually step up to lead in Christ's kingdom.

Though these farms are mostly self-sustaining, Asian Access can still use your help in getting new churches and farms started. Click here to contribute today.

This article originally published by Mission Network News. Click here to read online.
Listen to the radio broadcast:
- 1-minute -
- 2-minute -
- 4.5 minute -

The Best Leader Development Ministry in Our Country

jhandley

I just finished a few days with leaders from all over the world here in Asia for a consultation about the Church in this region. During the consultation, I was asked to serve on a panel for a “Dialogue on Partnership in Leadership Development.”

Joe with Abram and Alec (not their real names) at the Consultation.

Little did I know that an A2 graduate was in the audience and half way through the discussion, he stood up and said, “Asian Access is the best leadership development ministry I’ve seen in our country! This is because they work through the local churches and local pastors.”

He went on to share how Asian Access was instrumental in bonding the leading pastors from his city and how they formed a monthly prayer meeting which has truly built a solid community of pastors for the country. He then told the group how the Asian Access network was key for gathering the 250 delegates that will be attending the historic Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Cape Town this October www.lausanne.org.

Later, another key leader for the country (the closing speaker for the conference) re-affirmed the very same ideas. What a humbling experience... To know that Jesus is using Asian Access in such an instrumental manner.

Lord, may we be your servants, “To see a vibrant community of servant leaders with vision, character and competence leading the church across Asia."

For His Kingdom,