The missions department at Vineyard Boise is experiencing an exciting transformation. They are developing into a global resource center that will impact the world through church planting.
In the past few years, the missions department has been centered on sending our people on short-term missions projects. This has included trips to Scotland, India, Thailand, Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador and the Philippines. Tim McFarlane, who has participated in several of these trips says,
"Missions provide an opportunity to see God move in your own life as well as others' lives. God really opens the door if you open your heart and let Him lead the way. It's has been a life changing experience for me."
Now, Vineyard Boise's senior pastor Tri Robinson wants to see missions take the next step.
"We know that the best way to impact an area for Christ is through church planting. Bottom line, the church is the best place to develop authentic Christian disciples," Tri explains.
"As we have sent out our teams, we have built relationships with local Christian leaders. Now, in a few of these countries we have the opportunity to help them plant Vineyard churches."
There are certain criteria that Tri is looking for in these church plants. This
includes:
But Tri's idea doesn't end with planting just one church. He is hoping that some of these church plants will develop into full-fledged mission bases. The mission bases would provide training for other leaders, plant churches in outlying areas, and even establish
"tent-making" industries to fund the ministry and provide job opportunities for the local community. Some other outreaches that could easily become a part of a mission base include medical ministries and
education.
On a trip to the Philippines in late December and early January, Tri met with Vineyard leaders in Cebu City about planting a Vineyard in Tabuk. Tabuk, a few hours north of Manila on the Island of Luzon, is a key location. It sits on the edge of the mountains and serves as a gateway to all of the hill tribes in the area
- a perfect location for a mission base. A key Christian leader in the area is now being trained at the Vineyard in Cebu City to be the new Vineyard pastor in
Tabuk. "Our part," Tri explains, "is to partner with him and help them establish the base."
Two other locations that look to be promising areas for a Vineyard church plant are on the Thailand border with the Karen people and in Cuanca, Ecuador, where Tri is heading with a team from Vineyard Boise later this
month.
This new emphasis in church planting will open up many ministry opportunities for Vineyard Boise. Currently more than 60 people are part of the Compassion and Action Team. Instead of working specifically on disaster relief, this team will now be using its skills in constructing the new base. This includes needs for builders, electricians, plumbers, etc. A series of short-term trips will allow these teams to construct the church building, housing, and the mission base. Other teams will be sent to the area for evangelism, ministry and
training.
To prepare for this new onslaught of ministry opportunities, Vineyard Boise will begin new training courses that will include leadership classes, biblical education, worship,
"In the Field" training and cross-cultural orientation.
"We also are establishing a new Missions Society," Tri explains. The Missions Society will be the meeting place for returning teams to report on their trips, for news reports from the church-planting field, and for communication about new opportunities.
"Everyone who is interested in missions is invited," Tri says. "We hope to see everyone who has been involved in the past as well as many people who haven't yet given missions a try."
The next Missions Society meeting is Thursday, April 12, at 6:30 p.m. We will have reports from teams who are returning from Ecuador and Thailand. Part of welcoming them home will be presenting them with their new
"wings" discipleship pin, which will be awarded at the Missions Society meetings to those who have just returned from a missions trip.
