“Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore in that day I am the one who is speaking, ‘Here I am.’
“How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’
“Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, they shout joyfully together; for they will see with their own eyes when the LORD restores Zion.
“Break forth, shout joyfully together, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem.
“The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God.” (Isa 52:6-10)
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Journal,
I believe that every congregation of Christian believers is unique in their own right. But I can only speak for the ministry that my wife and I founded in 1976. Many people don’t realize just how special and unique Christian Challenge International really is.
This past Sunday we celebrated our 37th Christian Challenge Homecoming Jubilee. There are never enough words to express the wonderful time we had. It really was past wonderful!
The day was filled with awesome worship, with special singing, with the Biblical dance, and dramas, and dinner-on-the-grounds. We had old-timers and new-timers there. What a joyful time. Guess what I love most of all is seeing how Christian Challenged has developed into a strong spiritual family through these many years.
As part of the celebration, Nathan asked Betty and me to share our testimonies. Afterwards he spoke about the DNA of Christian Challenge. I thought perhaps my readers would like to see that part of the celebration.
We just graduated our 43rd School for Christian Workers. They now belong to that select group of believers who have entered the world of the Biblical disciple. And now we get to watch these new disciples branch out into their respective stewardships from the Lord.
Some will continue their training. All of them have responded to how Jesus directed us to pray. He said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to sent out laborers into His harvest.” (Luke 10:2)
The Christian Challenge logo has a story to tell concerning the disciple. The elements of the logo consists of the dove, representing the Holy Spirit, the Bible, representing the gospel of Jesus Christ, the mountains, representing the kingdoms of the world, and the rising and setting sun in the circled background, representing the gospel age. Yes, I firmly believe that we are at the closing moments of the gospel age as we know it.
The logo is based upon Isaiah, which reads,
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
(Isa 52:7-10)
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” (Isa 52:7-10 kjv)
This Isaiah passage is also the theme song of Christian Challenge International. You can listen to a non-professional rendering of it here:
Then we have this passage that speaks to the world of the disciple.
“From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised.” (Psa 113:3 nasb)
The Christian Challenge International School for Christian Workers is not a Bible college.
We have structured our courses for the work-a-day believer. This is why the classes are generally evening classes. Our courses have been extended to other areas and also in Mexico.
While we don’t propose to take the place of a Bible college, it needs to be pointed out that all our courses have a specific goal, which is to open up a believer’s spiritual life by way of introducing him or her to the walk of Biblical disciple.
We’ve had students tell us that they received much more of a spiritual value in our one course, ‘The Disciple’s Heart’, than they did in two years of Bible college. The primary reason for this again is our emphasis on the walk of a Biblical disciple. A second reason is because most Bible colleges are concerned primarily with a denominational setting. That is not the case with Christian Challenge. We are non-denominational and non-sectarian. We have one interest alone, and that is to take the gospel of Jesus Christ into all the world.
The 44th School for Christian Workers begins in February, 2010.
We normally offer two schools a year. Because of interest, sometimes we squeeze in an extra school. The dates and additional information for the next school will be forthcoming.
However, with this next school we will be offering a new course, the Disciple’s Heart Class #2. This class expands on the world of the disciple. It is for those who have taken the initial Disciple’s Heart course. The Disciple’s Heart #2 serves as a bridge between the Disciple’s Heart class #1 and the Shepherd’s Heart class. The theme of this class is ‘Learn to Walk with God.’
At present our line up of classes will consist of the following:
The Disciple’s Heart
The Disciple’s Heart #2
The Shepherd’s Heart
Old Testament Survey
New Testament Survey
Conversational Spanish
If you would like to know more about the School for Christian Workers, you can call our office at 318 640-4300. You can also email me at Buddy@ChristianChallenge.Org
Finally, for those within driving distance of Pineville, Louisiana, you may want to consider registering for the next school. (We’ve had students drive 100 miles each way to attend the school.) Those who are able to relocate, or are praying about a relocation, see if the Lord has Pineville on your scope.
In the meantime here is a short video to share a bit of history on Christian Challenge…
