Update – MTW Madrid Church Planting Team
Team Leader: Charles DeWitt
charlesdewitt@mtwspain.org
June 2014
Spain is a tough place for the gospel. Prayers letters from missionaries
to Spain abound with words like “resistant,” “difficult,” “slow” and “hard.”
Spain has seen way too much religion, and way too little gospel. It can
be very discouraging. In order to keep our spirits up, Team Madrid tries
to makes a practice of celebrating small victories. Here are some small
but significant events that we celebrated over the past few months:
1. Our baby church plant, called “Trinity,” completed a 6 week
discussion of Tim Keller’s book, The Prodigal God. We averaged
12-15 at each gathering, always with a few Spaniards. Each week
we had the opportunity to clarify and apply the gospel.
2. Our team women invited seven Spanish women to learn secrets of
American baking and deepen friendships. One of the Spanish
women enjoyed it so much she offered her home for the next
meeting! (Spaniards don’t often entertain in their homes.)
3. Bishop Carlos of the Spanish Reformed Anglican Church keeps
requesting our help with new church plants all over the country.
What a privilege to have this opportunity to partner with nationals!
4. Robert Tanzie recruited several new students into his theological
education program. There are now about 25 enrolled from all over
Spain. Some are reading the Bible for the first time; others are
training to become pastors.
5. Joanne Tanzie is leading our team to help eight churches this
summer with their outreach to children (VBSs). We’re learning to
do crafts and sing children’s songs, even though most of us don’t
like children’s ministry!
6. On Monday evenings Daniel Brink leads 12-15 people in a “Beer
and English” conversation group. Similarly, David Barnes has
organized a picnic and an apologetic talk, to provide a “bridge”
between pub life and our church plant. Fantastic opportunities to
make new friends and share Christ!
7. Andrew and Olivia Terrell are partnering with Inter-Varsity to reach
college students. They hold campus Bible studies and meet 1:1.
They have learned to be thankful even if just a few show.
“Do small things as if they were great, because of the majesty of Christ,
who does them in us and lives our life, and great things as if they were
small and easy, because of His almighty power.” Blaise Pascal