BEFORE YOU INVITE US

In order for us to be alongside each other in ministry, it may help for you to understand how we come. The following is how the Lord has been leading us to join folks on the ground.

HOW WE DO MINISTRY

Capturing Courage International Ministries holds to the following commitments:

*These are the basis by which we filter all invitations and potential future ministry trips.

1. LED BY THE SPIRIT – not according to the programs of men

CCIM moves according to the direction of the Spirit of God. We wait on the timing of God and make plans in accord with the Holy Spirit. We are nimble, able to move slowly yet ready to ‘go’ at any given moment as the Lord leads.

*We make plans only AFTER God has impressed on us where to go and when.

 2. SIMPLICITY – leaving no physical evidence

CCIM leaves little physical evidence of our ministry except the changed hearts and lives of those we have touched. We simply bring ourselves, a ministry of presence, and the touch of Jesus Christ as He chooses to flow from us.

*Our priority is your heart before God. We do not participate in any project planning or fundraising.

 3. SUSTAINABILITY – across communities and years

CCIM comes alongside work that is already either on the ground, or that an infrastructure of prayer and integrity has already made possible. We do not bring or create anything that cannot be sustained without our presence.

*We spend money very carefully as there are many places to which we are called to minister.

 4. FELLOWSHIP – alongside the people

At CCIM we are intent on being with people. Not holding ourselves apart, we simply enter towns and communities, staying with whomever will keep us, ministering & in fellowship alongside leaders and in visions already in place.

*We bring no agenda. Please have no agenda for us. We simply wait on the Lord’s touch together.

5. RESTING IN THE MANNA – not much money

We do not need, nor do we spend, large amounts of money for this work. The overhead is relatively low ensuring nimbleness in the Spirit, a simplicity of obedience, with sustainability over many years to many places as we are hosted in the fellowship of the body of Christ.

* Join us in trusting the Lord for ministry together.

THREE-STRAND MINISTRY

At CCIM we bring a three-strand braid of ministry. These following three dynamics strengthen and create a work that is not easily undone. These three focuses create a strong bond in the Lord and with each other.

These three priorities mirror God’s position toward us:

    • God the Father continually initiates RELATIONSHIP with us
    • Jesus Christ his Son, through salvation, makes RENEWAL possible
    • Our Holy Spirit DISCIPLES us, helps us, guides us

1. STRAND ONE: Authentic Relationships (Coming on the Inside)

This is marked by three simple processes:

    • let’s get to know each other
    • let’s wait on the Lord together
    • let’s enter into the Lord’s work together

This begins through email, Facebook, and phone calls. First we get to know one another. What are your callings and visions from the Lord? How is the Lord leading you? Together we begin to pray about what the Lord might have us do in person alongside each other. And God-willing, and as the Lord leads, we come to where you are. Even on the ground we enter into fellowship first and foremost. We then minister as you invite. On the ground alongside the work God has given you we bring:

    • inner healing and deliverance, heart healing for you and your people
    • intimacy with God through prayer, humility, and leading
    • heart conversations, preaching and teaching, about life, love, and ministry

“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of my salvation.” Psalm 51:10-12 NLT

2. STRAND TWO: Spiritual Transformation (Authentic Conversations)

With dialogue, preaching, teaching, and healing prayer we tackle heart issues such as:

    • how much does God love us?
    • what do we do with sin and failure?
    • how might our churches reflect the heart of God?

Once we are on the ground, living alongside you for a time, eating what you offer us, traveling as you travel, we have opportunity to discuss the many difficult and tangible questions facing leaders and churches today.

There is a fresh movement of the Lord throughout the global church and as we pay attention to this, learning from it, we are positioned to bring perspective outside your own area. At CCI we are continually learning and becoming bigger thinkers ourselves and this we offer to you towards your own success. We therefore dialogue and seek the Lord together for wisdom’s and clarity for you and the ministry you are uniquely called to.

We might discuss issues such as:

    • law, legalism and rules, versus freedom in Christ
    • men and women in marriage, the church, and leadership
    • leadership basics, integrity, holiness, humility and more

“Make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous portion of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.”  2 Peter 1:5-7 NLT

3. STRAND THREE: Ongoing Discipleship (Spiritual Teaching)

Through CCIM Materials we are challenged:

    • to align our lives with the heart of God
    • to become personally intimate with our God
    • to be bold in our love for each other

A big part of the work of CCIM is the continuing development of relevant materials to encourage and equip both leaders and their congregations. We bring the heart of God to our lives. We bring forth issues of compassion, mercy, gratefulness, faithfulness and more.

While Bible Schools around the world are doing a great job of bringing the hard skills of expository training, Biblical studies, historical Christianity and more, we at CCIM are bringing the soft skills of hearts made right with Christ. Out of this flows wise and compassionate ministry that changes lives.

We do this through:

    • Capturing God’s Heart – a monthly topical Bible Study sent direct to your email
    • College of Capturing Courage International Ministries – intensive discipleship journey with a diploma in Transformation Leadership
    • Other Specific resources and answers to dilemma’s and questions found on the field as we travel from place to place.

“Preserve the teaching of God; entrust his instructions to those who follow me.” Isaiah 8:16 NLT

ABOUT MONEY, FUNDING, & PROJECTS

NB: We are not like most missions organizations.CCIM at the roots - Version 2

While other missions organizations are intent on helping people with tangible projects like schools and church building projects, with water projects and orphanages, etc, we do not minister like this. Rather, and this is very important, our focus of development is the human heart, mind and life in Christ. This means that we do not bring funding or fundraising efforts to any projects of any kind.

◆ Please do not ask us for funding or fundraising help for your projects. Our answer will be ‘No’.

We have spent well over a year’s time in prayer seeking the Lord on this and it has become very clear that our scope of ministry is ONLY the hearts, minds, and church life of the body of Christ, not projects. If you expect to invite us and thereby have your projects funded, know that this will not happen.

◆ Please only invite us if you truly want what we are offering.

In this we will have rich fellowship together without disappointment or misunderstanding. It is important to us that we are clear in our understanding and expectations of each other. We do not want to keep disappointing you if you continue to ask us for money for various needs and projects. We do however stand alongside all plans and projects in prayer.

◆ Please do ask us to pray in collaboration with your goals and visions. This we are glad to do.

And we ask for your prayers over us in this same way. The international ministry work at CCIM takes large sums of money and we appreciate your prayers for full funding over the work we are called to do. Let’s stand in prayer for each other.

“It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.”  Psalm 18:32-36

 SUMMARY

When Jesus Christ came to earth the Jews were under Roman rule. This rule over their lives was heavy-handed and in many cases without justice. The people were suffering. Not unlike many of our own lives today. The Jews therefore believed that when the Messiah came he would do away with the oppression from their land and lives. They thought he would fix all that was wrong in their worlds. But of course, Jesus did not do that. Instead, Jesus came with a different plan.

Instead of focussing on the external difficulties and problems Christ directed our attention to our internal heart difficulties. He addressed the problems within our own souls. But because of this difference in priorities from what the people wanted to what Christ brought, many of the people at that time missed out on Jesus. They couldn’t see what Jesus was offering due to their preoccupation with their own idea of a Savior; they simply wanted their lives fixed.

While we at CCIM are certainly not the Christ, we find ourselves running into a similar thinking as we travel and minister in various areas. Often it is assumed that we are bringing money to help with various projects and tangible needs within communities. We understand this assumption for it has been the way of many missions organizations over the years to, for instance, build buildings and feed orphans and clothe widows. And while there is nothing wrong with this kind of work it is not the work we are called to.

Rather, Capturing Courage International Ministries is called to spiritual transformations, heart healing, church renewal, and leadership development. CCIM is focussed on the internal state of our hearts before God. We therefore sometimes feel like Christ might have felt when the people kept expecting him to fix their lives when in actuality he had something much bigger in mind. We at CCIM believe that God’s priority is not about fixing our lives, rather God’s priority is about entering into our lives with us, growing us stronger in the face of difficulty, and developing us into people of integrity, character, and holiness.

This is the particular work of Capturing Courage International Ministries. We come alongside encouraging and equipping, growing and developing your inner core as a person, a leadership team, and a congregation. If this is something that would be of value to you then let’s continue in relationship and communication and the Lord will indeed meet us mightily as we wait on him together.

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11