Areopago Cristiano

Last year we started an apprenticeship program with four young men in Cristo Restaurador. This has been a very good experience for our church as well as for these young men. This program was one of the steps that confirmed my calling since returning to Peru. I suppose most of you have already recognized since I was ordained and installed as a pastor, I have gradually become less and less involved with the carpenters and the Parish Woodshop ministry. I have had a hard time letting go of trying to do both ministries. I still visit with the carpenters, Javier and Norvil, once a week and they continue to push forward with their business. Actually, they need much prayer and are going through a bit of transition now. However, it is time to let them struggle and learn from their decisions as they move forward.  I also continue a bible study with a mechanic friend, Felix, who is growing more and more hungry for the word and is now bringing me to evangelize his 'atheist' friend, Daniel, who is a dentist. It has become clearer that my main calling and work with Peru Mission is clearly as a pastor and mentor. The apprenticeship leads to a new role that our team leader asked me to take on, which is the administration of our seminary study program called Areópago Cristiano. I consider a major part of the apprenticeship work is very similar to what my aim was with the carpenters, which is to disciple them to love Jesus and glorify God in their work and all their lives. This is still my main goal and calling in everything I do, but now, it is more focused on the apprenticeship training and helping facilitate the seminary training for all people in Trujillo, Peru.

We had started the apprentices with some of our own courses and in September we started using seminary courses through a partnership with Birmingham Theological Seminary (http://es.btsfreeccm.org/) and Third Millennium Ministries (http://thirdmill.org/). These are courses produced by Third Millennium and offered through Birmingham Seminary's platform to give them a free Certificate in Christian Education. There are also several other members of our churches that are taking advantage of these courses and studying with us. We pray this will be a major contribution to the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry in the church and in all the the community and marketplace.

The Areopago Cristiano, has partnered with a friend, fellow pastor (reformed baptist), and missionary Sergio La Rosa, who has a study center around the corner from where we rent our house. Ps. Sergio is hosting several open to the public classes that Wes Baker is teaching on the gospels. Many pastors and lay leaders from different denominations are excitedly taking advantage of Wes's teaching (https://www.facebook.com/areopagocristiano/) We have had an average of 35 people attending this class these last four weeks. We are currently planning together a 500 year celebration of Reformation Day and inviting some nationally recognized speakers such as Donald Smith from Scotland. Last weekend we had a precursor with Tómas Gutierrez who spoke on the historical significance of the work of Martin Luther.
Please consider donating to the Areopago ministry to help us teach and train future leaders for the Kingdom in Peru.