Dili, Timor Leste: The Timor Leste District pastors and lay leaders gathered for strategic vision planning from 17 to 19 July 2024 in the local church in Dili. Sealand Field Strategy Coordinator Rev. Stephen Gualberto facilitated the vision planning. The field also invited the field education, church planting, and youth coordinators, as well as the Asia-Pacific regional coordinators for NMI, NCM, and communications.
This activity was a huge encouragement for the district leadership because this was the first time that the district leaders devoted time to identifying the current state of the ministry in this country, the church’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and goals that the district would like to achieve. They also established their vision for the direction of the Church of the Nazarene in Timor Leste.
The district leadership identified five areas that they would like to focus on in the next five years. These areas of focus are:
1. Leadership Development
2. Church Multiplication
3. Disciple Multiplication
4. Child and Family Development
5. Compassion
On the second day of the planning, the local leaders, as well as the field and regional coordinators, had the opportunity to visit a local church in Liquica, located about one hour from Dili. Pastor Florian, the local church pastor, invited some of his church members for a time of fellowship. He also shared about how the church is ministering to their community and the needs that they have, particularly the need for basic education among the children. Timor Leste has a poor education system, so children lack access to early childhood education.
On the third day, the team held a Prayer Walk around the different foreign embassies in Dili. They prayed for the nations represented in the country and had a special prayer for Timor Leste.
On the last day, Rev. Stephen Gualberto encouraged the District Superintendent, pastors, and leaders to take on the vision and take small steps towards realizing it, not with their own strength only but with the power of the Holy Spirit. He assured them of the field and region’s support. Rev. Gualberto is excited about what the Lord will do in this country in the years to come because Timor Leste is a young country with so many potentials and opportunities for expanding God’s work.
“I am very happy with the Strategic Vision Planning. It has blessed me, the leadership team, and the Church of the Nazarene in Timor Leste. I am very blessed by every meeting we had because we discussed the vision and plan and set the focus of what we see five years from now. This meeting confirmed that the leadership team and I should be more focused and have a clear target in the five-year period. Timor Leste’s leadership team and I were also very blessed when Field Strategy Coordinator Rev. Stephen Gualberto spoke about how the church can participate in the World Evangelism Fund and Alabaster Fund. I thank God for this meeting. I also thank Rev. Stephen, the Sealands Field ministry coordinators, and the Asia-Pacific Regional ministry coordinators. They have blessed us, strengthened us, and given us good motivation.” Rev. Samuel Soares – East Timor District Superintendent
Please continue to pray for the church in East Timor. May they continue to ignite the fire that was started in this vision planning and, by the grace of God, accomplish the mission of making Christlike disciples in Timor Leste and beyond.
