Senegal Church Multiplication Training Trip

Galen Currah, May 2007

(See pictures on reverse side)

Location: Senegal, West Africa

National estimates: 12 million population, 94% Muslim, 5% Catholic, 0.1% evangelical, 200+ evangelical congregations.

Inviting agency: Institute de théologie évangélique du Sénégal (ITES)

Sending agency: Hinson Church, Portland, Oregon

Cooperating agency: Mission Baptiste du Sénégal (MBS)

Background: Galen & Jennifer Currah served as MBS CP missionaries in Senegal, 1972-80 and 94-96 when they helped launch the ITES.

Objective: Stimulate church reproduction through training in biblical principles and practices of evangelism and disciple-making.

Language medium: Mostly French and some Wolof with interpretation into Sereer.

Calendar, Dakar

1.  Saturday: translate materials and learn daily travel route.

2.  Sunday: worship and meet ITES leaders.

3.  Monday-Friday, mornings translating, 4:30-8:30, teaching eleven ITES men students from several denominations.

4.  Week-end: with Pastor Adama Diouf and family at Thiès.

At Jomxel near Diourbel, about 70 miles inland from Dakar.

5.  Monday-Thursday: 9:30-1:30, 4:00-8:00, training 30+ Sereer rural evangelists and a few others.

6.  Back to Dakar. Friday & Saturday: e-mail communications and exchanges with Latin American mission representatives.

7.  Sunday: worship, session with a delegation from Haiti and another with MBS personnel.

8.  Monday: Visit to MSB bookshop and to Dakar Academy, return to Portland.

Outcomes: All participants drew maps indicating where they believe God wants to start new congregations and cell groups, noting names of those whom they should train as new leaders.

Training

Materials: See www.Paul-Timothy.net/workshop/

Methods:

·  Form participants into temporary churches, name shepherds, celebrate communion, pray and worship. These churches also served as discussion groups.

·  Discover Jesus’ and his apostles’ CP methods through small group bible discovery.

·  Perform skits that illustrate bad and good practices.

·  Draw maps and lay plans to launch new congregations and cell in neglected areas and social groups.

·  Introduce affordable menu-driven coaching materials.

Social changes in 12 years

·  Five-fold increase in evangelical believers and congregations.

·  Mature national leaders with bold vision.

·  Many Christian, cultist and Islamic missions, organizations and cooperative efforts.

·  Doubled urban population and sprawl.

·  Maybe ten times more cars.

Next step: Should Hinson Church undertake in Senegal a five-year project to stimulate reproductive evangelism and church planting supported by sustainable compassion efforts?


Dakar: ITES class on Church Multiplication /
Dakar: Bible discovery group

Dakar: Praying over maps /
Jomxel: Discovering how Jesus did it

Jomxel: Acting out bible stories /
Jomxel: Practice planting simple churches

Jomxel: In the heat of mid-afternoon /
Jomxel: Lifting maps up to the Lord