Virtual Discipleship Small Groups Vision

written by Dr. Terry Goodwin, executive director of Sun Ministries.

America is in a crisis of biblical proportions. People are alone, isolated, scared and losing hope. The places they once turned to in times like these are closed. Some turned to bars, entertainment venues, sports, and others to churches. Many of life’s distractions are gone but so are the spiritual support structures that many Americans relied on for the functioning of their faith. Churches, ministries, support groups and other programs are not functioning or are at very reduced capacities. Many Christians are finding it difficult to minister under these conditions.

Our vision has not changed but the world has changed around us. We are still dedicated to launching apostolic movements of disciple multiplication that reach the whole world. As a result of the pandemic we have launched a new way to train and connect Christians to the mission of God. The goal of Virtual Discipleship Small Groups is to continue to equip people and multiply disciples during this pandemic.

Our groups meet virtually and are organized virtually. Our tools are made available digitally, free of charge. Sun Ministries is organizing and launching this movement. It is what we see God doing at this time. Our role in it fulfills our vision. We come alongside others to empower and release ministry.

Each group is designed to meet for 12 weeks and cover the very basic disciple multiplication tools that have been developed by Sun Ministries on the mission field over the last 14 years. These are proven basic tools of disciple multiplication. Our hope is that many will start more groups and repeat the 12 week training with others. We have a window of opportunity to raise up and train a large number of people during this time. If we focus and succeed we may change the course of Christianity in America for years to come. We are laying a foundation for revival to come after the virus has left us.

Watch this short video to hear the vision explained.

You can participate by joining a group or hosting a group. Group Hosts can be trained to become Group Teachers that will offer teaching support for other groups.  There are many groups and times available to choose from. More are being added all the time. If you don’t find one that works for your schedule or if you want to host a group just email us and we will work out the details.

Download our APP on your smartphone or tablet. It is the best place to access all the tools in one location. Once downloaded you can go to settings and turn on Push Notifications to stay up to date on what is happening.

Click Here to Download the App!

Go to our Facebook page to Like and Follow us. Groups will appear as an event on our Facebook page. You may register for any event that is still available or email us to request a group at a different time or day.

Sun Ministries Facebook

I am hoping you will join this movement of God. I look forward to working with you. If you have any questions please contact me. We are here to help.
Dr. Terry M. Goodwin
Founder and Executive Director
Sun Ministries, Inc.
636-544-2151
terry@sunministries.org
http://www.sunministries.org

Passover - A Celebration for this Time

The coronavirus pandemic has stopped life as usual for millions of people across the globe. Stay-at-home orders are in place, schools and businesses are closed, and everyone has to stay at least 6 ft. apart. As of today (4/4/2020) there have been more than 60,000 casualties. Seems like the "new normal" changes every two days, and no one knows what the next few weeks, months, or even years will look like. The economy has been rocked, and everyone has to find new solutions to things we took for granted just 4 weeks ago.

It feels a bit like living in an occupied country. Maybe there aren't soldiers posted on the street corners (at least not in America right now), but there's a risk to every daily activity. Sure, you're free to go to the store, but not REALLY free. Our entertainment destinations are all closed. Even our cultural and religious institutions have been taken away.

Church buildings have been closed. The main form of faith expression for many American Christians has been removed from them. We can no longer legally gather. Obviously, this is still a far cry from "closed countries" that have persecuted Christians, but it gives us Americans a small taste of what our brothers and sisters have experienced through the centuries.

Jesus was born into an occupied country. It's where He lived and died. The Romans scrutinized their every move, and there was a presence of threat in the air. Sure, they were free to live their lives, but not really free. Even the most devoted to the religious system proclaimed their ultimate devotion to Caesar when confronted (John 19:15).

Easter is arriving very soon, and for almost every American Christian, they cannot rely on their traditional ways of celebration. No big family meals, no easter egg hunts, no passion plays or Easter musicals, no packed pews. We may even have trouble finding the kinds of food we like. Families will be locked in their homes, maybe sharing a meal and some Scripture with whomever is there, and likely with a weight of uncertainty hanging while they try to celebrate the Resurrection.

The meaning of Easter is certainly the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Our hope is in the power and promise of Jesus' death and resurrection, forgiving our sins and granting us the Holy Spirit, regaining our communion with God. It's the ultimate expression of God's victory over sin and death. However, this season is resembling a much more ancient festival that God gave to His people, when they were locked inside surrounded by death. The festival of Passover.

For many Christians, Passover is something maybe mentioned around Easter, but few of the symbols or even story make it to our celebrations. But this seems like a good year to start. Passover is a very symbolic, yet simple, meal. It is somber and meditative, but celebratory by nature, praising God for his power and faithfulness to save His people. It is a reminder that we have been saved from death and slavery by a mighty God, not for our own sakes, but for His purpose - to go out and be His priests in the midst of a broken world, proclaiming the Good News that the Kingdom is here, that love of neighbor and enemy is the new law, and death is no longer in charge.

The Keener family, from outside Tulsa, OK, has been celebrating Passover for years, and agreed to make some helpful videos to guide your family (or quarantine partners) in observing this festival and remember our Lord and why He saved us.

You can click this link to download a PDF of instructions, and watch the videos below.

Passover Instructions

Part 1 - Travis Keener describes Passover

Part 2 - Travis and his wife Jennifer explain how to prepare for Passover

Part 3 - The Keener family show you how to celebrate a simple Passover at home.

Born for such a time …

A message from our executive director, Dr. Terry Goodwin

Did you ever get that feeling? It is as if fear, anxiety, calm, and a sense of destiny all roll into one. The feelings are so intertwined that you can’t separate one from the other. As I watch a surreal scene unfold around me I can’t shake the feeling that I was made for such a time as this.

I have been preaching about the decline of Christianity and the institutional church for many years. Sometimes to opposition. Many times to deaf ears. Occasionally someone connected to the message. Now here we are sitting in the new normal. A world of “social distancing”. Churches around the country scramble to get live feeds online and add electronic giving options.

The survival of the institution appears to be at stake. Limitations and restrictions on gathering divide churches and leaders. What are we to do? We are the church and Jesus said the gates of hell will not prevail against us. He was not speaking of the building or the institution. In fact , not many years later He destroyed the very symbol of that institution – the Temple.

We are in fact living in one of the greatest opportunities for the church in my lifetime. We have the hope of the world – Jesus! The very things that many people have placed their hope in are crumbling around them: stocks are plunging; government structures, the healthcare system and public schools are all struggling to adapt. Things are changing rapidly around. The fear of the unknown future grips more people each day. God is not shaken.

People are scared. Many are shut in their homes. They are lonely, afraid, concerned about getting food, medicine, help if an emergency arises. It is time for God’s church to rise up and meet the challenge like David met Goliath on the field of battle. We have the technology to organize and mobilize. We can still make disciples even if we can’t assemble and that is the greater command of Christ.

My destiny is to help Christians see the opportunity, get equipped to take hold of it and unite us all to serve the poor, widows and those most at risk from this pandemic. Please don’t do nothing and wait this out. There are millions of vulnerable people around this country that need us now more than ever. They need our Lord and Savior more than ever. If we rise up together the church will come out of this stronger and more united than ever before. It might not be wrapped in the institutional form you have grown so used to but God never promised to sustain the form. He promised to sustain His church, which is you and me.

Please connect with us. Fill out the virtual volunteer form. We can help those most at risk from this virus and we can do it from the safety and comfort of our homes. We can still fulfill the commands of Jesus to love our neighbors as ourselves. We can be the bearers of the hope of the world. We can still fulfill the Great Commission and build God’s kingdom through this pandemic. Go to this link and fill out the form.