The Seabourns

Prayer Letters

The Task

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Your task is to develop a social media strategy to identify persons of peace among young professionals living in an urban African environment who want to launch churches and spiritual movements.

 

This was our assignment during Indigitous Addis. 130 people from 17 countries spent 3 days learning from each other and from technology leaders.

keith-kyamaKyama Mugambi was my frequent partner last week. He is in the photo at the top of this page. Kyama was part of the social media strategy group and we also enjoyed meals together.

Kyama is the Executive Pastor and gives leadership to international outreach for Mavuno Church. Mavuno means harvest in Swahili. Mavuno’s mission is to the young professionals in the capital cities of Africa.

Kyama also shares my passion to see young leaders grow into responsible roles. In the future, he plans to step out of his current leadership role before the age gap with his church target audience gets too large.

Indigitous created 13 projects ranging from evangelistic videos to mobile apps to strategic marketing plans. One team was excited to lead a number of people to the Lord as part of testing their online project.

We are connecting people to Jesus and engaging them in churches through digital strategies.

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Keith-Cosmos-Purity  KyaO  keith-at-table

A new chapter in our journey…

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In a few days, Kay and I will shake hands, hug Stefan and Marie, and pray with them. Then our 12-year journey of pioneering the role of Chief Technology Officer and founding the Global Technology Office will be over and their journey of leading into the next phase will begin. And we could not be more pleased or more excited about what God is doing.

As we began this global leadership journey 12 years ago, I wrote down 4 things I sensed God leading me to focus on. One of these was:

Identify emerging leaders with a pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit who are willing to claim a part of the technology world for Christ

For 12 years, Kay and I have identified and trained emerging leaders who are stepping into significant leadership roles. About 18 months ago, I felt God saying it was time to turn over my role to an emerging leader. Kay and I talked and prayed.  I informed my boss, the Vice President of Operations. We launched a transition process that selected a new leader from many highly qualified people.  Stefan is that new leader.

The Dell FamilyStefan and Marie are from South Africa, so there have been many things that had to happen for them to exit their ministries and lives in Pretoria and move their family to Orlando. They have two children, Kenneth (grade 5) and Monica (grade 3). We have seen God’s hand of provision in their arrival this summer.

Stefan is not a replacement for me. Marie is not a replacement for Kay. Stefan is a new leader with new ideas and a new calling from God.

So, here we are. Saying goodbye to our team that has journeyed with us. Reflecting on dreams fulfilled. Reminiscing with friends. Moving out of our office cube. Processing emotions that come with change. Anticipating the future.

What will we do next? Kay and I are asking this same question. We are in conversations with a number of Cru ministries who are offering us amazing opportunities. We are taking September to pray and evaluate where God is leading us.

Kay and I value your prayers. Please pray with us as we seek God’s wisdom and leading about our future. Like a two-part episode, this story is To Be Continued…

You are connected

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Did you know? 
You are connected to the Mountain of Fire Celebration Centre, a recently planted church in the small village of 
Sensi, Kenya?

This is David
David Rogers who was completing his PhD and thought that his research could be used to advance missions in remote areas by training and discipling via a mobile phone. It was David
who shared an idea with Keith
Keith Seabourn who realized this was an important strategic direction and committed the Global Technology Office to lead Campus Crusade in this area. It was Keith
who asked Jerry
Jerry Hertzler to give leadership to helping get prototype mobile learning courses developed and implemented. It was Jerry
who worked with George
George Mamboleo the African leader of the Go North church planting program, who recognized that mLearning could deliver needed training for this project to plant 20,000 churches in Africa.
At the same time Mike
Mike Waid had joined Jerry’s mLearning team. Mike leads a Bible study group in Orlando in which there is a Kenyan banker
who is named Robinson
Robinson Mokua who is also helping plant churches in Kenya. He had helped Nahason Mayaka plant the Mountain of Fire Celebration Centre church. But Nahason lacked basic pastoral training. From Mike, Robinson learned about the Pastors Training in Leadership in a mobile phone which became possible in Kenya when coordinators were identified
who Kay
KaySeabourn and Mark and Karin trained to use mobile phones to train church planters in their country. Kay and I are able to participate in this chain
because of You
You and your prayers and gifts in response to God at work in and through you.

Kay and I thank you for the critical part you contribute to helping ministry happen around the world!

MinistryNet 2011: From Decisions to Disciples

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Renner travelled 56 hours. Selegna was refused a visa to enter Thailand. International travel can be uncertain and frustrating. But Renner and Selegna and 170 others from 32 countries felt God had called them to join us. So they persevered.

Renner wrote: I’m now at the São Paulo International Airport. I spent 5 hours on a flight to be here. I’ll wait 11 hours before flying to Amsterdam. Another 14 hours later, I land in Amsterdam. I wait 9 hours for my next flight. Then 17 hours later, I arrive in Bangkok. Yep, I really need to be with you, guys!

See Selegna’s story.

As I watched the next step in a dream that began in 2005 with the first MinistryNet, my mind filled with David’s question from Psalm 8: 4 “What is man that you are mindful of him?” Overwhelmed by God who is allowing me to see a dream coming true — engaging the power and reach of the internet to help people know him and to grow to be like him.

Our theme “Decisions to Disciples,” focused on new ways to move people forward in their journey to follow Jesus.

One of the unique additions to this MinistryNet was spending two hours each morning in small innovative workgroups. We were seeking to solve a problem or develop an innovative approach to moving people from making a decision, to being a disciple of Jesus. Each group developed a short video to present their proposed solution. The best solutions will receive seed funding to develop a prototype. With MinistryNet less than a week old, three groups are already developing their prototypes.

Imagine the power of 170 people returning home to 32 countries with new strategies, new passions, new relationships with like-minded digital ministry entrepreneurs! This is our dream becoming reality.

You can watch many of the MinistryNet 2011 sessions here. [Note: You will need to create a sign-in using TheKey. It’s free.]

Would you like to know more about the diverse projects in internet ministry happening in Campus Crusade for Christ? Visit the MinistryNet Conference Virtual Ministry Fair.

What is your plan to use the opportunities of the internet to deliver the timeless, unchanging message of Christ in fresh, changing ways?

A great reputation, but looking forward

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Over 19,000 years of helping those far from God connect to him and find a life of meaning and purpose and forgiveness and restoration.

Kay and I were in a reception to honor those serving with Campus Crusade for Christ for extended years. It was a Hebrews 11 moment. I felt privileged to be in the room with modern giants of the faith.

19,000 years of combined experience pioneering new ways to reach people, pioneering new places to reach people. Some of these pioneers walked onto radical campuses in the 1960s to engage free speech platforms to share Christ. Some worked behind the Iron Curtain in the 70s and 80s, then rushing people and strategies into spiritually impoverished countries when the curtain fell. Some moved into eastern Asia in the 90s speaking in code to avoid detection which could result in expulsion from the country. Some lived in places with no electricity or no running water because they wanted to incarnate Jesus. These pioneers found creative ways to live and minister in dangerous, closed, and hard places.

All for the love of Christ. All for the call of being God’s ambassadors. All for the privilege of helping others know Jesus and experience a purposeful life.

This was a summer to re-evaluate, to renew, to reconnect with God’s call on our lives. We choose to not live out of our past reputation. Rather, we choose to be alive to God’s ongoing call on our lives. We’re looking forward, not backward.

Francis Chan speaksFrancis Chan challenged us with Jesus’ warning to the church at Sardis. Jesus warned to not live on past reputation. (Click here then click on the highlighted video.)

Kay and I celebrated 35 years in full-time ministry. I took a theology course to stay sharp. Kay spent time with new staff women doing creative things. We had time outdoors enjoying God’s creation. We had amazing times of worship with 5,000 colleagues.

We are ready to go forward.

What part of your past good reputation are you resting on that might be limiting your ability to look forward?