But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
What is Metroamerica 020?
MetroAmerica 020 is a mission vision that God has given to the leadership of New Life Baptist Church in San Salvador and Good News In Action. Its vision is based on 3 principles that Paul used during his missionary efforts in the book of Acts:
1. Paul targeted receptive areas. When a city or people group was unreceptive, he shook the dust off his feet and moved on.
2. Paul targeted the major cities of his time, such as Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, etc. By starting church-planting churches in major cities, he could reach the surrounding areas faster.
3. Paul used teams to reach out. Churches were never started by one person, but by a team. The churches that he started were also led by teams with a senior pastor in charge of the team.
Level 1 - The Supply Line
The home church establishes two-way communication, vital care, and is the supply line to the missionaries. It is responsible for Prayer, utilizing a structure of small groups within the church who pray for the missionaries individually. The participants at this level must be church members who have completed the first level of discipleship, who have time to be the supply line and are able to meet periodically
Level 2 - Short Term Missions
These are teams of people who are willing use their time, spiritual gifts, and ministerial experience to go on short term trips to the mission field for a week or longer. The trips focuses on evangelism, discipleship and other ministerial support to the field missionaries. The participants must be church members who have completed the first two levels of discipleship and are actively ministering in one of the ministerial structures of the church.
Level 3 - Permanent Missions
Full Time Missionaries. They must confirm God’s call to the mission field, be studying in the seminary or have completed their studies and gain the necessary experience locally to participate in a church planting team. They must be experienced in short term missions.
Financial Resources
The financial key to MetroAmerica 020 is dependence on God. Although the missionaries receive financial support, they are encouraged to go by faith, depending on God for their support.
10% of the New Life Baptist Church budget, along with 10% of the budget from each of the churches started, is designated for MetroAmerica 020, for the purpose of financing the pastors and their churches.
Individual Church members are encouraged to designate offerings to MetroAmerica 020 above and beyond their tithes and offerings to the local church.
Other churches in the MetroAmerica 020 area and the United States also cooperate in the financial support.
Methodology
Exploration & Research - After seeking God’s direction through prayer and using personal contacts, a team goes to the city to research the culture and the people. During the exploration trip, a location for evangelism is chosen.
Follow-up & Baptism - Each person who makes a profession of faith is visited with the purpose of confirming his decision and offering him discipleship. After he receives the lesson on baptism he is encouraged to be baptized.
Evangelism - A team consisting of level 2 and level 3 members are sent to evangelize using methods of saturation and relational evangelism.
Discipleship - A team of disciplers is sent every week or two to take new believers through Discipleship I. This process takes about one year. After they conclude Discipleship I, they are offered Discipleship 2, and then courses in the Institute for Ministerial Development (IDEM)
Small Groups - As new believers are discipled individually, they are brought together in small groups all around the city. These groups meet every week or two depending on the frequency of the visits from the missionary teams. The goal is teaching and fellowship.
Commissioning the permanent missionaries - When God has confirmed His call on at least two men, they are ordained as full time missionaries and are sent to the new city. When there are not enough funds for two men, one man is sent with his family and the Level 2 teams aid in the teamwork until another man can be sent.
Constitution of the New Church - When God leads, the small groups are brought together and a mission is constituted. When that mission can sustain itself economically and has the leadership necessary to function as a church, it is constituted as an independent church. The word independent does not mean that it no longer cooperates with the mother church, but that it is able to survive on its own.