Vision Anabaino Issue 2

7/27/2019 Vision Anabaino Issue 2

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Mission Anabaino (I am ascending) is mission greater

things relative to the incredible expectations that Christ

promised for his ascension ministry today through church

planting (John 14:12). Such expectations inspired

Augustine in the 5th century to talk about Total Christ

Christianity. One important ramification of a Total

Christ Christianity is the way we seek to avoid the either-or

dichotomies that are so prevalent in modernist-facing

Christendom in order to experience the fullness of him

who fills all in all in/with/through the gospel-centered

church (Eph 1:22-23). Modernist-facing Christianity

tended to be fundamentalist such as to reduce

Christianity to nothing but this or that emphasis, often in

political reaction to another emphasis. We envision

greater things!

For instance:

ATotal Christeffort will avoid the EITHER old school

church focused Christianity OR new schoolgospel-

centered and missionalfocused Christianity (what for me

during my early Christian years translated to an either

institutional-church OR a spirit-filled para-church

dichotomy). However, we seekTotal Christin being a both

a gospel-centered and church movementor the church

that by her very nature, when built upon the carefully

designed foundation of the apostles, IS THE very

missional, gospel- centered presence of Christ as fleshed

out in every cultural context. This is what Christ

envisioned as the greater things when he explained that

it was better for him to ascend into heaven and to send

the Holy Spirit wherein his temple presence could be

mediated in every Christ-centered and apostolic founded

temple-church now in many places at the same time

around the globe!

And again, a Total Christeffort will want to avoid a

Christianity that is EITHER didactic/declarative

(prophetic) OR contemplative/sacramental (priestly) OR

life-on-life-/communal (kingly). Rather, we seekTotal

Christ wherein we participate in Christ as our Prophet,

Priest AND King, ALL, by participating in the life of

Christ vis--vis the Spirit-filled church. Rather than a

reactive philosophy of ministry we seek a balanced and

Total Christ experience of Christs presence in our lives.

And, to our focus in this volume of Vision Anabaino, a

Total Christeffort will avoid an either-or relation between

spiritual/evangelistic and inward focused ministry in

relation to gospel-centered transformation OR a social/

material outward focused ministry in relation to

economic, vocational and medical empowerment. That is to

say, we want to avoid any idea of humanity that is not

concerned for the whole person, both inward and

outward as related to a more holistic conception of

persons who are being fully restored in the image of God.

Such is the picture we get in the early church when in

Acts 2, after describing a holistic participation in Christs

mediated ministry of apostolic word, sacrament and

spiritual shepherding and government, we read: And all

who believed were together and had all things in common. And they

were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the

proceeds to all, as any had need. (Acts 2:44-45). And hereagain, we encounter the greater things envisioned by

Christ, the result being exactly as Jesus anticipated it

would be wherein day by day, attending the temple together and

breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and

generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.

And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being

saved (Acts 2:46-47).

Concerning then a holistic transformationalAND

empowermentfocused mission and ministry, did you know

that it is our commitment in Mission Anabaino that in

every church we plant, we include a church-based andgospel-centered empowerment initiative? And to be clear

the outer person that is being targeted can be economic

poverty, but it can also be mental and psychological

poverty in relation to mental health, it can be a poverty of

leadership confidence as related to taking responsibility

for church leadership, and on and on it goesits any

area of a persons life wherein they feel powerless to

become self-sustaining and God-reliant.

Total Christ Christianitythrough Gospel Centered EmpowermentBy Rev. Preston D. Graham, Jr.

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Now as it concerns empowerment ministry, we need to

begin with a good dose of honestly. Whereas the

"compassion industry" is almost universally accepted as a

virtuous and constructive enterprise, its outcomes are

often questionable, especially in so far as distinguishing

empowerment vs. entitlement which then leads to

enablement and powerlessness. This powerlessness is a

very dangerous thing in that it puts people into a

dependent relation with many of the potential idols of

our own destruction that prevent a sustained

dependence upon God. And so the question all this raises

is: what exactly does gospel-centered empowerment

entail? Very briefly, it consists of at least three very

important concepts:

Concept #1: Gospel-centered empowerment

distinguishes crisis- from chronic-related mercy and seeks totarget the later for the sake of true empowerment. That

is, true empowerment is not merely to rescue someone

from a crisis, but to set a person free from the spiritual,

mental and physical bondage to crisis. It is to target

human self-reliance in relation to the fear and oppression

concerning the things of this world, albeit in dependence

upon God. This, of course, involves a whole range of

transformative activity as related to spirit, mind, and

body. In a simple way Paul states the goal of

empowerment, however much it can be applied to all

sorts of vocations and callings, as being enabled to work

with [our] own hands so that [we] may be dependent onno one (1 Thess. 4:11-12). Pauls vision is not against

charity, just charity that would put another person into a

dependent relation with respect to his/her being

empowered to be all that they are called to be in Christ.

The key then to empowerment is to proactively target

whatever spiritual, mental, social, and physical issues that

inhibit self-sustaining and systemic changes. Our

commitment then is to an asset-based community

development (ABCD). Strategically that means:

Never doing for the needy what they can be

empowered to do for themselves Limiting one-way help to emergencies and seeking

for mutual two-way one-anothering instead With respect to financial empowerment, seeking to

empower the needy through employment, micro-

lending, micro-enterprise development, and

training, using grants sparingly to reinforce

achievements Focusing on leadership development with an

intentional strategy for training and steps of

transfer as needed Targeting long term and sustainable solutions over

quick fixes

Concept #2: Gospel-centered empowerment is church-

based empowerment. As per our Total Christ

understanding of Christs ascension ministry today, webelieve the church IS an essential element of the gospel.

It takes spiritual- cognitive/social/moral transformation

for a person to truly flourish even as being worked out

holistically in both the inward and outward person. As

an empowerment concept, a church-based strategy is a

glass-half-full strategy that focuses on a church

community's strengths more than its needs. Its to play

with a full deck, as it were, in human restoration and

empowerment. It takes seriously the gifts and talents that

exist within a given communal context so as to provide a

system of social reinforcement and accountability as

carefully designed in the apostolic church. It results in acommunity-oriented empowerment with one another

approach rather thanforone another approach, thus

protecting people's dignity leading to sustainable self-

reliance. Strategically, this means:

The target group of gospel-centered

empowerment are members in good standing of

a local, gospel believing and practicing church

The power of gospel-centered empowerment

should require participation in all the means of

Gods grace in Word, worship, and communalone-anothering and shepherding.

Each participant is helped not only to be served

but to serve, recognizing that while each of us

have gifts that differ, they are all important assets

in a holistic ministry of Christ through the local

church.

Concept #3: Gospel-centered empowerment recognizes

the close inter-dependent relation of the gospel as applied

Total Christ Christianity cont.


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to both the inward and outward person. For instance,

spiritual depression as spiritually treated (inward) is

often linked to psychological depression as medically

treated (outward). Therefore, in addition to gospel-

centered Christian counseling with communal

reinforcement (inward) one may need medical treatment

(outward). Economic poverty is often related to issues in

identity making it such as to require both micro-

enterprise (outward) and instruction in Christ-centered

identity reformation which is related to our adoption and

justification in Christ, as again lived out within a

communal context of reinforcement (inward). As thesetwo examples illustrate, the outward aspects of a holistic

empowerment-based ministry might involve a range of

micro-enterprises such as to include all sorts of

cooperatives like housing and mortgage cooperatives,

general store cooperatives, medical cooperatives, job

training, church leadership development and training,

etc. Such initiatives, in so far as they dont come

under the spiritual jurisdiction and instruction of the

church directly, might require the establishment of

church-based subsidiary organizations that are

specifically designed to serve the interest of holistic

church-based ministry, but that involve non-churchkinds of activities that are not directly related to word,

sacrament and spiritual shepherding, both as to

protect the church acting as church and the para-church

acting as mortgage lenders, vocational school, medical

clinics, etc. and all the related secular and civil

interactions that this will require.

In short, a gospel empowerment vision for Total

Christ Christianity is a vision wherein the church, just

being the church, is a transformational presence of

holistic restoration in the world, though not of the world,

but for the world. In all of this, Im reminded of a book

titled The Politics of Jesus (1972) by John Howard Yoder

that re-examined the slogan of the 1948 Amsterdam

Assembly let the church be the church. Yoder was

arguing for the centrality of the church as a socialstrategy. According to Yoder, to the degree that the

church becomes a restored society, it does sofor the sake

of an authentic witness in the greater society. He notes:

The church must be a sample of the kind of

humanity which, for example, economic and

racial differences are surmounted. Only then wil

it have anything to say to the society that

surrounds it about how those difference must be

dealt with. 1

I hope you will enjoy reading in this current edition of

Vision Anabaino about the empowerment initiatives that

are going on through Mission Anabaino already. They

involve such micro-enterprise ventures as chicken farming

in Haiti, a general store and housing cooperative in the

Hill community of New Haven, and the communal one-

anothering targeted home restorations and youth camps

during Loving New Haven Impact Week.

_____________________________________________

1 Yoder, John Howard, The Politics of Jesus, 2nd Edition(Eerdmans: Grand Rabids, Michigan, (1972), p. 150-152.

Total Christ Christianity cont.

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Leadership Training asthe Key to Life-GivingEmpowerment in MinistryBy Rev. Kevin Nelson

How a church empowers its leaders is something that can

either invigorate or drain those called to leadership positions.

What does it look like to have an empowered leader in

church? An empowered leader is one who values the

purpose and goals of that ministry and is less concerned

about meeting expectations or maintaining a program. An

empowered leader is ministering in freedom and confidence

while working in orchestration with the larger body. Because

of this, an empowered leader is one who brings passion and

energy to ministry.

Are you there? Do you feel freedom and energy when you

lead? Do you have that confidence to be creative within the

overall vision? What are the obstacles standing in the way?

One of the biggest obstacles to empowerment is a lack of

training. Training not only gives you the skills and

theological content to make you a competent leader, it also

helps you catch the DNA and vision of the church. In

attending a training event like the Intro to Spiritual

Leadership Conference, you begin to see the broader

ministry of the church; you see what the whole body has

valued and how it relates to the individual ministries.

When leaders are not trained they tend to feel like outsiders,

even in ministries they lead. The temptation here is to feel

like you are entering into someone elses ministry. This will

stifle creativity and cause you to constantly defer to those on

staff. Quickly you can become resentful and feel like an

unpaid intern. Nothing is more draining than the feeling

like you are trying to manage someone elses program.

If you feel this temptation, watch out. This is a real spiritual

battle that can blind us to the work of ministry. It robs us of

a sense of ownership and responsibility that comes with

being called. We are less likely to bring the type of concern

for detail and care for souls that you would bring if you were

working independently.

We need to remember that when Christ calls us to be leadershe is the one to whom we owe our service. He is calling us

to shepherd His flock, His sheep, and not someone elses.

Yet, he is not calling us to lead independent of his body, but

to work within the entire mission of the local congregation.

Leadership development at CPC is comprised of two

training events and an assessment by the session. The class

on confessional theology is a robust study of our theology

using the Westminster Confession of Faith. Taking

Theology I will not only help you to see the whole system of

theology that we are operating under, but it constantly brings

up relevant topics that have very practical ministry

applications.

Participating in the Introduction to Spiritual Leadership

Conference exposes members to important leadership

categories like lay counseling and small group leadership. It

also provides resources in interpreting the Bible, ministering

through mercy, and discipleship. Those taking this class will

better understand why our church does what it does.

In this way, CPC prides itself on being a training church.

When one goes through these two classes and the assessment

of our elders, he or she can feel well equipped to serve as a

biblical leader with confidence. This, of course, is not just a

ministry for CPC. Trained leaders have left our

congregation feeling equipped to serve as teachers and elders

many other places. It is our prayer that God continues to

use our congregation to train and develop empowered

leaders wherever He may lead them.

The Mercy Fund andMission AnabainoBy Shi Jen Cheng

The Mercy Fund Committee has been privileged to witness

firsthand the freedom that can come to our brothers and

sisters in Christ when they are released from even some of

their economic burdens. Praise God! Though the essence of

our role is simply to provide financial support for a single

emergency, we have often seen this relief lead to further

opportunities for the recipient to become more self-

sustaining. For example, the Fund was able to pay both the

back taxes owed and repairs needed for an individuals car.This has allowed the individual to drive to work and that

flexibility has now made them more employable, which

allows them to provide for the cars future payments.

Mission Anabaino then takes the Mercy Fund emergency

aid aspect and greatly expands and transforms it. Instead of

feeling merely like the receiver of financial help, Mission

Anabaino with its noble (and Nobel) ideas, will be able to

help the individual develop skills and fiscal responsibilities to

be more self-sustaining. Beyond that, the hope will be that

the individual will feel a sense of self-worth and a two way

connection to the body of Christ in the form of being

empowered in new life and able now to reach out to others

in need.

The Mercy Fund Committee will continue to provide for

those who do need a short term financial burden relief. We

hope that there will be Mercy Fund coordinators for each

site to review applications and provide budgeted funds from

both their own sites givings and also from other sites,

perhaps as a combined fund from all sites. Through Mission

Anabaino, that fullness of him who fills all in all in/with/

through the gospel-centered church will persevere.


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The Church is often spoken of as a body with many parts --

parts that need each other and should not despise being so (I

Cor 12, Rom 12). Loving New Haven Impact Week is about

coming together to experience that sense of wholeness as we

use our gifts. This is why we have many different projects;

they are many different ways of expressing our love. We

have a soccer camp for those who are athletic, art camp for

those who are artistic. We have Wild Ride and Theology

Camp for those in different stages of life. We have

opportunities to teach, to use technical skills, and to learn

new skills. And there is room for more -- if you see a need

we can meet or a gift we can use, speak up about it. We cant

execute every idea, but they will be considered because this is

yourweek. Loving New Haven Impact Week provides a

venue for the use of your skills among the church body and

the greater New Haven community. You have things to share

and you have things to learn and when we are together we

can do so. To be clear, this week is for you like the sabbath is

for you -- it is for your good, but it is not about you. You will

be blessed as you serve others, you will be blessed as you are

served, and you will grow in your love for one another in your service to one another. But heres the kicker, they [the world] will

know us [Gods representatives on earth] by our love for one another (Jn 13:34-35). Gods love is seen when we love and thats

what this is all about. This love is expressed in meeting a physical need - a place to sleep, a meal, a weeded garden, a paintedhouse, time your kids are taken care of -- or an educational need --

knowledge of financial planning, of our city, of nutrition, of soccer,

of art, of theology, of scripture -- or a spiritual need -- of prayer an

encouragement. We need each other to express this and we want to

do it in front of our whole city. We can each have a part knowing

that we are working for Christs kingdom. While some of us are

called to plant the seed of the gospel and others to water, He

produces the growth (1 Cor 3:6-8). None of us are called to do it all

to be it all, no one is a hand, eye, and foot in the body of Christ! W

are but stewards of the resources given to us and empowered to use

them for Gods glory. This week isnt so different from the rest of th

year, it is just concentrated -- a time for us to join together to

accomplish what we cant do alone and to encourage one another infaith and love. Being empowered doesnt mean standing alone, it

means standing -- and we do that best together.

There are pictures scattered throughout this publication of the good

work that God was doing among and through us that week in early

July. All three congregations were working together on quite a few

projects. We were joined by teams from two other churches as well,

who have taken the vision of a small church doing mighty things

back home with them.

In addition to the VBS soccer camp, mercy projects, and Theology

Camp for high school students, there were several new projects this

year. Simultaneous with Theology Camp, we had a camp for junior

high students called Wild Ride which focused on finding identity in

Christ. In order to reach more kids, we added an art side to the VB

so that kids had the option of soccer or art. We also added in

community workshops, which are evening classes taught by church

members. And we ended every day together with dinner brought by

a community group and devotions. The new projects brought fresh

energy to the week, more occasions for leadership, and a better

spread of opportunities to use our gifts. It was a week of hard work

and great joy, of new friendships made and old ones renewed, of

service and, most of all, a week of shared love.


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As described by Senior Pastor, Preston Graham, in

the beginning of this issue, CPC defines empowerment as

the creation of customized, income generating activitiesthat are visibly and operationally linked to each church

plant. These micro businesses and service providers are

established for the benefit of church members to

encourage individual economic

independence and self reliance. By

persistently and intentionally

fostering a church planting and

empowerment culture, Mission

Anabaino (MA) cultivates and

allocates financial and other

resources derived from its to-be

established non-profit status to

research and acquire prospective

church plant sites and identify

empowerment micro-enterprise and

micro-finance opportunities.

Empowerment Examples

Haiti

In June of 2012 CPC entered into an agreement with

two other entities for MA to help fund a 5,800 sq. ft.church, New Hope Presbyterian (NHP), and create a

micro-loan to establish a church owned and operated

chicken farm empowerment project near the town of

Mirebalais, 40 miles northeast of Haitis capital city, Port

Au Prince. By creating jobs, income and a valuable

source of much needed protein, this new Haitian poultry

venture visibly links NHP to the tangible encouragement

of individual economic independence and self-reliance of

church members. One of the many gratifying elements

in church planting and empowerment activities for those

of us involved is the privilege to witness first hand the

positive responsiveness and renewal of hope in the eyes o

the recipients as they begin to believe there is no limit to

what can happen through Gods grace when we work

together.

We will be eager to share other Haitian church

empowerment projects currently under consideration as

they take shape as well as give you progress reports on the

chicken farm project as it

evolves.

The Hill

Under Pastor Tolivar Wills

enthusiastic guidance and

encouragement, MA hasbeen introduced to an

exciting opportunity to help

establish self-reliance and

sustainable income for

members of CPC in the Hill

in New Haven. The concept calls for a micro

empowerment seed loan from MA to a group of selected

Hill church members to create and operate a self-

sustaining merchandise co-op servicing residents of the

Hill community.

Not only would the co-op provide jobs for church

members and affordable products and services for Hill

residents but the particular Hill site under evaluation

would carry the additional benefit of providing two low

income residences on the floor above the co-op. The

preliminary project discussions with church members

have already begun to kindle an energized spirit of

volunteerism and the desire to participate

within the congregation which can become

remarkably alluring for those seekerswatching from the sidelines.

Just two examples of CPCs holistic

approach to church planting; not just

establishing new centers of worship but

through CPCs empowerment vision,

helping to provide economic stability and

self-reliance within the church family in

particular, and the surrounding community

in general.

Mission AnabainoFall ReviewBy Charlie Olcott

VISION

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In several of His epistles, Paul uses

various metaphors or images to

describe the empowering and

interdependent nature of Christs

Church. Whether in I Corinthians

12-14, Ephesians 4, or in Romans

12, one cannot miss the recurring

theme of encouraging each member

of the Church of Jesus Christ to use

their gifts to maintain the unity,

health, and mediated glory of Jesus

through the Church. In summary,

Pauls description of the

empowerment of the members of thebody of Christ is not only inherent to

the Christian life, but crucial to the

manifestation of Jesus in the world

and to the further setting up of His

kingdom in the lives of His people.

Therefore, the Mission Anabaino

movement seeks to provide the

training and opportunities for the

members of Christs church to be

equipped to serve it.

Despite this seemingly simple

prescriptive picture, there are various

obstacles to empowering everyone in

the church. The more obvious

hindrance is individual selfishness;

simply not being willing to offer ones

gifts for the good of others. But more

often than not, the obstacles are more

subtle and debilitating, though still

governed by self. For instance, there

are various forms of power, such as

levels of education, wealth and

affluence, place of vocational

employment, and certain personality

types, which can serve as road blocks

to empowerment for many believers.

In fact, it is this reality that has

shaped Mission Anabainos

commitment to planting churches

that reflect the flesh of the specific

communities; that they sound, look,

feel, and taste like the communities

that they worship in. The reason for

such an approach is to remove as

many potential intimidations to

empowering participation.

For failing to take into consideration

the various fleshes of communities

runs the risk of communicating, both

unintentionally and indirectly, that

not everyones gifts are needed; or

worse yet, that a persons gifts or

input are not good enough or

wanted. I am reminded of theexperience of one of the Hill

parishioners, who originally was a

member at CPC Whitney, before

helping with the launch in the Hill.

Upon serving and participating in the

life of the Hill church, he stated to

me, you know Tolivar, I never could

have done any of this over at

Whitney. With all the highly

educated, wealthy, and strongpersonalities, they didnt need me and

what I had to offer. Now, of course,

no one at Whitney had ever

communicated or did anything that

would convey such a sad

interpretation of his place at CPC

Whitney; sadly, it was not so much

about what the Whitney folks did, but

more about his own poor self-image

of himself in comparison to some of

the folks at Whitney; a self-image that

was informed not by his identity in

Christ, but by the norms of our fallen

culture. It is these types of

misinterpretations that create

disempowering experiences for folks

all across this country, which the

Mission Anabaino movement seeks to

eliminate via the gospel and the

leadership development of all of

Gods people.

CPC in the Hill has been privileged

to begin to implement this

empowering philosophy of ministry

beyond CPC Whitney over these pastyears. What began as a simple Bible

study, has turned into an ever-

growing community of believers, who

are learning to embrace their self-

worth in Jesus and to participate in

every facet of its ministry. This

sanctifying process has created

leaders in every dimension of the

ministry: teachers, small group

leaders, outreach coordinators,transportation facilitators, deacon

and elder candidates, mercy

facilitators, prayer leaders, and

various other roles related to our Co-

Op store in the Hill. As a result of

this sanctifying work of the gospel,

less time is spent comparing ourselves

to others, and more time focused on

how we can glorify Christ by blessing

our brothers and sisters.

What began as a simple

Bible study, has turned into

an ever-growing

community of believers,

who are learning to

embrace their self-worth in

Jesus and to participate in

every facet of its ministry.

Empowermentin the Hill

By Rev. Tolivar Wills


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11/1211

One man had been encountering serious family issues,

and having grown up in a nominal Catholic setting,

always had a certain interest in "religion", but was forced

a few months ago to really pursue something more than

what the world can provide. As he started to come to

Goatville and meet with me, he discovered new passions

and interests that God was creating in his heart. Yes, the

intellectual message of the gospel - especially the unique

insights into our motivations that come from justification

- made him thirst for more of true faith that he had neverheard explained well; but God was also giving him an

internal sense that he has a mission on this earth, and it's

bigger than just getting a good job, becoming

"somebody" in the world, or even pursuing happiness.

One great example was a Sunday that he missed

Goatville to join a friend at the US Open in NYC. This

friend's girlfriend was actually playing in the finals, so he

got a unique look into one example of the world's success

or idols. However, he was left with a feeling of emptiness -

"why did I go to this event, when I knew I really wanted

to be at church? it felt very superficial even though it was

very admirable or sexy in the world's eyes." Now, of

course, we love tennis and believe in glorifying God in all

parts of the world, but this example showed me just how

much God was reaching him and transforming his desires

for the gospel and the community of fellowship that can

only come when it is centered on Jesus Christ. Although

still relatively new to the gospel, God was clearly opening

his heart to see the implications of grace throughout his

life. He is clearly jumping into the new life, wherein

Christ empowers us to live free from the oppression of

sin.The second example I want to share is of a man who had

a solid faith background, had primarily attended

Presbyterian churches, and had recently moved to New

Haven for work. He is the type of quiet, humble servant

that every church needs and every successful church has

in spades, working hard behind the scenes. He has been

consistent ever since he showed up, has often shared with

me how he loves the solid preaching and is glad that he

was able to find a community where he could worship in

a biblical way that is also his flesh. He is often the one

setting up and cleaning for worship, and although he may

not have a flashy personality, he makes me praise God for

using Goatville because it is one encouraging fruit of the

gospel that He blesses the meek and humble and patient.

It is always a temptation for pastors and churches tofollow trends, pursue "hip" and charismatic people, but

the gospel is for all people and this man's solid walk with

God gives me encouragement that we are building our

community on the solid rock of Christ.

As far as stories from our actual service, two come to

mind. One, I have heard repeatedly how many

congregants appreciate that we take the sermon text

seriously, unpack it in a mature way, and draw out its

implications. The importance of letting God speak

through His Word has historically been the benchmark by

which the Church stands or falls, so I am always

encouraged to hear feedback that listeners see that

happening and are engaged by it.

Moreover, as an essential part of our worship service is a

time of open confession of sin and absolution. One

college student who has bounced around different

churches her first two years at Yale, was struck upon

visiting Goatville that we do this - "when he was sharing

his sin of self-righteousness and wanting more of God, I

knew something real was going on." This is an amazing

testament to God's Spirit working in our hearts, to be ableto share our sins with one another because we know that

only mercy, forgiveness and new life await us in Christ! As

a pastor, I am always amazed to witness the visible relief

and joy on people's faces that accompany the

pronouncement of absolution every week, and this is a

great glimpse into that weekly privilege. Empowered to

be vulnerable and open about our sin - this is such a

countercultural and paradoxical way to show people the

true gospel!

Thank you for taking the time to read about our new

second service - Goatville - and the ways God is workingamong us. It is a privilege to embark on a new adventure

in Christ. Please pray that more and more examples of

God's grace like these would develop, and that we could

spread the good news of the gospel among people who so

desperately need it.

Yours in Christ,

Craig

Rev. Craig Luekens


12/1212

CPC Welcomes Charlie Olcott To The Position of

Executive Director of Mission AnabainoMission Anabaino (MA) is a central ministry of Christ Presbyterian Church New Haven

(CPC), a multi-site church and global church planting movement. MA functions as CPCs

primary body for defining and executing church planting strategy; encouraging, coaching and

supporting planters; recruiting, assessing and developing interns; fostering a church planting

culture; and cultivating and allocating financial and other resources toward church planting,

including the various not for profit subsidiary organizations deemed necessary in fulfilling the

kind of empowerment and micro-enterprise initiatives that serve the church committed to

holistic ministry.

The Executive Director of Mission Anabaino is accountable to the Sr. Pastor and CPC Session

in providing leadership and management of the day-to-day operations, working closely with

CPC Church Planters and affiliate networks to define the vision and accomplish the mission of

the MA to plan ten local and ten global churches in ten years. The position will involve

operational and administrative team-building, coaching, deal creation and negotiation, tactical & strategic planning, operation

and human resource assessments, fund raising and financial management

Charlie Olcott and his wife, Suzanne now live in Guilford, Connecticut, were married in 1970 and have three grown sons, Ch

who lives with his wife, Susan and twin 20-month old daughters in Brunswick, ME; Tommy who is single and lives and works of Milton, MA and Mike and his wife, Becca who live in Newburyport, MA. Charlie grew up in Michigan and Massachusett

Suzanne in Massachusetts and Florida.

Charlie started his career with Aetna Life and Casualty then moved on to The Pillsbury Company and Burger King Corporat

before becoming a small business planning and fundraising consultant over the past twenty-five years. Suzanne enjoys paintin

drawing, cooking, Bible studies and book clubs. Both love the salt water and long distance swimming.

CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

135 Whitney Avenue

New Haven, CT 06510

Documents

Vision Anabaino Issue 2