E3 Partners, Venezuela
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is very quickly taking the country of Venezuela down a path of socialism. In 2006, he expelled New Tribes Mission, a ministry who plants churches amongst tribal people. It is uncertain how long the doors for ministry will stay open for the followers of Christ to preach the gospel freely.
In the midst of all of this, the gospel is spreading rapidly. E3 Partners began working in Venezuela in 1987. Since that time more than 100,000 people have put their faith in Jesus and more of 500 new churches have been planted (and at the same time strengthening more than 600 local churches). For most Venezuelans, if they can’t walk to church, they can’t go to church. We believe that the heart of God is for an evangelical church to be established in every neighborhood and to make true disciples who will follow Jesus wherever He leads. 
More than 25 million Venezuelans have still not heard a clear presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but we live to reach every one. Our faith is based on the promises of God and we need to extend our hands to reach the Miracle. Believing that God will perform a miracle in our ministry we expect to accomplish these and other goals in two and a half years:
• The One Million Souls Project, 1,000,000 souls saved and congregated
• 50,000 effectively trained church planters who will each reach 20 new believers with the gospel
and in the process plant 50,000 new churches
• 60 church planting campaigns in different cities
• 30 training centers for church planters (TCCPs) in different cities
Praise God that He is a God of Miracles.
Next Worldwide, Mexico
What an awesome opportunity NEXT Worldwide offers to our students. This ministry is focused on sharing the gospel and planting churches around the world. And, they are utilizing students to do the leg-work. It seems that when people hear about a youth mission trip, the picture that probably comes to mind is a group of students heading off somewhere to paint a church or plant trees or do some kind of service oriented project. There is certainly nothing wrong with service projects, but NEXT believes that we can expect and should expect more from our young people.
NEXT currently is going to places like Mexico, Venezuela, and Romania. In these countries, NEXT partners with local churches that provide primarily student nationals to serve as translators for the American students. The local church has targeted a neighborhood in which to plant a church. The American students go door to door with the Nationals primarily to share the good news about Jesus Christ with that home. In addition to sharing the gospel, there is an opportunity to pray with that person or family regarding specific needs, and to get follow-up information so that the pastor and people of the church being planted in that neighborhood can contact that person/family again. In addition to sharing the gospel and planting churches, these trips also involve leadership training for the students. A typical day in the field with NEXT includes:
• Breakfast
• Leadership training
(tremendous curriculum for the students about living out their faith from a leadership perspective)
• Lunch
• Go to neighborhoods, knock on doors and share the gospel
• Dinner
• Share time
• Down time
• Bed time
It is amazing to see the transformation in young people over the course of the mission trip week. Kids who are so nervous to knock on that very first door, by the end of the week are eagerly debating with their team members about who gets to share the gospel next.
NEXT provides an opportunity that should not be missed by a single student at First Euless!