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Date: June 23, 2005
Contact: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
V: 847/742-5100 F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL: _CoBNews@AOL.Com_ (mailto:CoBNews@AOL.Com) 
 

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN NEWSLINE
June 23, 2005
 
Watching a new church plant do everything right
 
By Nancy Sollenberger Heishman
 
June 23, 2005 (Elgin, IL) -- A new Church of the Brethren preaching point  in

the Dominican Republic named Arco Iris, which means "rainbow," held its first

 regular Sunday evening worship service Easter night in the capital of Santo 

Domingo. From start to finish, it seemed as if they had carefully studied the

 finest church growth literature available in order to plan an event that 
would  be welcoming and open to the Spirit, and  that displayed the following
 
qualities essential to offering a new worship service:
 
Excellent leadership. The leadership team consists of many gifted people.  
Daniel and Oris De'Oleo's outstanding gifts in motivation, preaching,
teaching,  
and organization are filled with a dynamic enthusiasm that is contagious.  
Minerva Mateo's gifts of compassion, gentle love, a heart for neighborhood  
children, and fervent prayer are an encouragement to others. Clearly these
are  
empowering leaders who model the way.
 
Quality musicians. The mother church, Peniel, and its pastor, Eduardo  
Montero, sent its entire worship team accompanied by the church's sound
system,  
drum set, pulpit, plastic chairs, generator, fan, microphones, overhead  
projector, and song transparencies. 
 
Success at getting the word out. About an hour and a half before the  
service, members of the mother church canvassed the neighborhood passing out 
fliers 
and inviting everyone within sight to the service, and sharing the love  and 
blessing of Christ in their conversations.
 
Creative worship. A gifted and creative teenager shared a series of three  
dramas, accompanied by music and narrative, that illustrated the difference  
Jesus Christ makes in a person's life. During the singing that preceded them,
 
musicians displayed the words of songs using transparencies so that new
people	
could participate. The singing was invitational and focused on giving God 
glory,	honor, and praise.
 
Quality preaching. Brother Daniel shared an inspiring message focusing on  
Jesus' promise in John 3. An invitation followed for persons to accept life
in  
Christ and to leave behind a life of sin and brokenness. 
 
Effective follow through. As the service was beginning, Sister Minerva	moved

through the crowd warmly greeting visitors and collecting information to  
make follow-up personal visits.
 
Care for the whole person. Not only was an invitation given for people to  
commit their lives to Christ, but genuine love and concern were shown through
a  
willingness to pray for needs expressed. One visitor asked for prayer for her

 father who is ill. She was invited to come up front where prayer was 
promptly  offered. Worship leader Selvia Gonzalez expressed the church's
concern and  
commitment to pray for her father's physical and spiritual health, caring for

 both his body and soul.
 
A welcoming space. God has graciously provided a open and accessible space  
for this new preaching point, a community building strategically situated
right 
 in the middle of a community that only has two other churches. People are  
already familiar with the building and comfortable entering it. It is
available 
 free in exchange for cleaning up the trash around it, a blessing  the
community will quickly appreciate.
 
Modeling loving relationships. Greeters were positioned on the sidewalk in  
order to continually invite people in throughout the service. Others
positioned 
 themselves just inside the door to offer a warm welcome. Refreshments were  
offered after worship to give a thoughtful send off as people returned home. 
 
Participating in this new effort was a tremendously inspiring experience.  
Please keep this new church plant in your prayers. Pray that God will bring
much 
 spiritual fruit as the leaders eagerly reach out to their neighborhood with 
the  news that God's love is faithful, as the brilliant colors of the rainbow

remind	us. 
 
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to  
continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its
faith  in 
community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith  
traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates its
 300th 
anniversary in 2008. It counts about 130,000 members across the United	
States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Brazil, the  
Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nigeria.
 
--Nancy Sollenberger Heishman is a mission co-coordinator in the Dominican  
Republic for the Church of the Brethren General Board.
 
# # #
 
For more information contact:
 
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
Director of News Services
Church of the  Brethren General Board
1451 Dundee Ave.
Elgin, IL 60120
847-742-5100  ext. 260
_cbrumbaugh-cayford_gb@brethren.org_ 
(mailto:cbrumbaugh-cayford_gb@brethren.org) 
 
*****************************************************************
The  Church of the Brethren Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford,

 director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board. 
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