Join me in 24/7 prayer movement

This coming Monday I'm joining students, staff and Christian in a 40 day 24/7 prayer movement. My prayer time is at 5am here in Mexico City for the next 5 weeks.

If you're up to getting up a bit earlier every Monday morning and joining me in prayer, please do so.

• Pray that God will reveal Himself to us.
• Pray that God will show us how He is already working around us and how we can join Him.
• Pray that God will give us hearts of faith, boldness and passion for Him and His mission.
• Pray that God's Kingdom would be expanded through students launching spiritual movements/churches in Mexico City and around the world.
• Pray that thousands come to know Jesus this coming months and year.
  
• Pray that God will raise up 4,000-5,000 new student leaders to lead the spiritual movements in Mexico City.
  
• Pray that we will train our new student leaders to launch more and more spiritual movements.
  
• Pray that our new movements will not be gathered Christians but convert growth.
• Pray for our Enfoque Mexico staff team. Pray that we will believe in Him, walk intimately with Him and listen to Him.
  

Categories: MexicoCity, Leadership, Prayer

Great Insights from Friends a far

This past Sunday, Don Wilcox, with Leadership Network, and good friend stopped in town. He was on his way to facilitate some meetings in Puebla with Campus Crusade and many other ministries, some of the same guys I met on Tues at Hotel Via Veneto. I first met Don about 13 years ago when Christine and I came on staff with CCC in Boulder. He was one of my regional directors in charge of our World-wide student network (WSN). Don was super instrumental in my growth and development those first years of staff. He had trust and faith in Christine and I in leading international trips to Chile and Spain. I worked along side of him for a couple of years helping with some administrative deals within WSN. I love his heart, ability to listen, coach and give great insights.

About 3-4 years ago Don came up with many of the dreams and visions of reaching Mexico City. He took first took students down to Mexico City in the early 90's and learned a bunch. Since then he led our ministry to deal with some of the major cities of the world. He was the creator and dreamer behind the early days of Enfoque Mexico (used to be called City Focus). So I can blame him for all my life change and move to Mexico City. What I should say is, I can thank him. About a year ago he left staff and now works with Leadership Network - Encore Generation. He gives leadership in helping churches maximize their influence with the Senior Adult generation. This is an untapped resource to build God's kingdom.

He came with a friend of his Peter, who works with Level 3, located in my backyard of my Colorado home. Monday morning we met Craig and Ryan, a good friend of Craig's from his Nebraska days, at Starbucks to share our ministry and potential problems. Don sees clearly and gave some good advice to help us move ahead with more effectiveness. After Starbucks Craig and I brought Peter, Don and Ryan to our favorite taco stand. These are $1 steak tacos that will knock your socks off in a good way. Ryan stopped at 3 but said he could have gone to 6.

Ryan also shared some excellent insights into teams, systems and just helped us make some good outside observations of our ministry and teams. Ryan works in Newport Beach, CA and is also part of the leadership of CBMC. Yesterday Ryan contacted the local Mexico City director of CBMC and Craig and Ryan are meeting with them as I write. Our prayer and desire is that businessmen will see the need to adopt a local university, pray for it, help raise up student leaders and use their place of business for a spiritual movement led by students.

We know that so much is going on in our new venture of Enfoque Mexico and it is going on quickly. This is why we cherish the insights and wisdom of outside observations of pastors, businessmen, leaders, and friends. So if you're needing a stamp in our passport, come on down and spend a day with us.
Categories: MexicoCity, Leadership, Coaching

I think I can be a dad

This past Thursday Christine headed off to Texas to visit her mom who is doing pretty bad with cancer, tumors, and energy. Initially Christine was going to travel with Isa but being 11 weeks pregnant, Isa, air flights, and taking care of her mom was a recipe for exhaustion. So, I being the father of the year, brought my "A" game. We actually did pretty good. I took the kids to swimming lessons, to my gym, out to dinner, cooked food kids liked, watched Amazing Race shows, was a teacher for home school, changed enough diapers and loved being a dad. Times like these when one of the parents is gone is never a choice but I do cherish the slow down and focus on the kids. It was fun and even Isa was happy with me as a full time parent.

About 2 of the 3 nights Christine was gone Craig and Joe came over for steaks, chicken, junk food, guac and chips. The weather was nice enough that we sat outside on my patio for hours talking, laughing and complaining about things that don't go our way. One night a small little visitor crawled up the wall behind Craig. We have seen possums in our backyard and we suspect they eat our cool limes from our lime tree. We have also suspected they live in a small hole near our patio. Well the baby possum climbing our vines confirmed it. Not sure how I feel about having a possum as an unofficial guest at our house. I think this possum felt threatened and left us a smelly gift on our front door step 2 days later (no picture of that.)

On Sunday we were at our gym and Benjamin comes running into the weight room to say that his tooth was falling out because he had bumped it. I rejoiced with him and told him that was natural part of becoming a man. He was losing his first tooth. It was a pretty big drama the first day as everything he chewed caused pain. Tues afternoon, he comes running to Christine and I and is smiling with joy, holding his tooth and explaining he it just fell out and that he almost swallowed it. We made sure he got prepared to put it under his pillow for the tooth fairy. Here in Mexico they have the tooth rat come by and take it and replace it with money. But since we are experiencing too many rat like looking creatures we stuck with the tooth fairy version. That night he told Christine he didn't believe in the tooth fairy and Santa Claus. Oh well, there goes my fun. I still went into his room about 11pm and replaced his tooth with about 25 pesos.

It us super fun seeing them grow and enjoy life. Isa now screams "HI" to me when I walk in the door. She can do no wrong. Her expressions, learning about life and new words is so fun. The boys are great swimmers (2 lessons a week) and are learning the game of tennis. This week they learned serves. A week ago our gym hosted a tennis tournament and on the first day there was a kids clinic. Benjamin won wrist bands and a hat. Then, much to his fathers delight, Jonathan brought home the bacon. He won a $70 Nokia cell phone. Very cool. He already made a deal to sell it to our ministry for $25. Just like his dad.


Categories: Family, MexicoCity

Connecting Some More

I've got to get a regular time to post some thoughts other than once a week but in light of my infrequency I post here about my last week.

Last Wednesday, Nov 8, we, Craig, Joe and I met with Eliud Gomez and his wife. They are pastors of Comunion de Cristo up bit north of where I live in Colonia Lindavista. There church was started with the Calvary Chapel connection and they are seeing some great things happening. Right away we connected at a deep level and agreed upon so many things about God, the power of God and the Gospel. Very early in our conversation Eliud and his wife said, "We have confidence and trust in you and your ministry." That was super encouraging. They have two children, one who is in college now. They hope to attend our leaders training this Saturday, bring their son and other pastors. It was just one of those times with a leader of a church that was Spirit filled. We look forward to many more conversations, serving together and being part of their church network (they are connected to 9 other churches.)

Yesterday Joe Cross and I headed, this time via metro (I'm scared of the police), down to the Tlalplan area to a hotel called Via Veneto. A few weeks ago a connection called us and wanted us to come to a breakfast that the General Baptist Conference was holding. I had no idea what to expect. We first met Gary Reynolds and Stephen Doggett. They are the executive directors of International ministries of the GBC. Stephen was on staff with CCC years ago. It was great to hear their heart for planting simple churches and being comfortable with chaos and ambiguity but not being comfortable with doing the work of church the way it always has been. Pretty cool vision and openess to partner to reach the lost and build the Kingdom.

After a great buffett we got to hear from Pastor Gilberto Gutierrez Lucero, president of the Mexican GBC and pastor of Horeb church here in Mexico city and author of Atrevete a sequirlo. His vision was compelling and inspiring. The GBC here in Mexico and in the states in changing to make it happen. Gilberto shared that they are going to plant 10,000 churches in the next 10 years but they won't look like churches of the past. They spoke of simple church. Their 3 part simple plan is to plant churches, Education and administration. Before he mentioned there were like 64 parts of the GBC. They want to train and equip lay people for rapid multiplication. Some other pastors and businessmen from the states shared and it spirit of partnership and building God's kingdom was present. We got to share our vision of launching 4,000 spiritual movements all through students and the room was responsive. I'm looking forward to where they partnerships will lead us in raising up student leaders and blessing this city.

That afternoon, Nate Hoover, a team member, and I drove up north. We had an appointment with Gerardo Ascevedo, a pastor of a local church. We knew we had to go north but didn't really know where to go exactly. After 3 phone calls on the freeway (safety was present thanks to my $20 bluetooth headset) we finally met him and we're only 10 minutes late. Gerardo was super encouraging, loved our vision but the only problem was that he didn't have any college students in his church. They are a largely industrial area with poor, poor, working class members where most of their kids don't go to college. But he agreed the need to adopt local universities and pray that God will raise up couples, professionals to reach out the campus and raise up a student leader. He is part of a Luis Palau network of churches and plans on sharing with them our vision and mission with the hopes of letting us speak at their monthly meeting.

It is all about trust, relationships and offering something that will bless them, their churches and reach the lost. Over time we are praying that appointments and relationships like these will raise up 4,000 student leaders.
Categories: MexicoCity, Church, Leadership, SimpleChurch

How to Launch Your Own Movement

Today I was reminded of a article I read a while back that Andy Swanson refered to. This is what we're doing here in Mexico City. This is what we eat, breath and live for. A massive movement that changes the planet. This is what we're seeing fruit in.

How to Launch Your Own Movement - By Thomas Frey Executive Director of the DaVinci Institute

Too often the old notions about starting a business fail because the end goal of what we're trying to accomplish is too big. It's too big for what you can accomplish yourself. It's too big for the traditional revenue paradigms of business modeling. And it's too big to fit within the legal structures that we as business people have to operate within.

Lately the trend has been to "Launch Your Own Movement".

Much of the work done in the open source community has given us clues as to how a movement can be developed and launched, but large pieces of this emerging science still remains a mystery.

But that said, there are several necessary components to "movement launching" that, if done well, set you on your way to lead the charge.

1. Establish the Need. Make a convincing argument as to why the world needs the changes you're trying to make. Crafting the message is extremely important. Always focus and "stay on message".

2. Naming. Create a name that people can rally behind. Something that conveys the noble purpose or your endeavor. Names like "Our Unshredable History" have a nice flare but may not survive well over time.

3. Credibility Building. Launching anything new becomes an exercise in credibility building. You will need to get many other people and businesses to buy into your thinking. Start with the thought leaders. There are many techniques for adding people and reputations to your membership - advisory boards, surveys, staffing, letters-of-interest, testimonials, etc. The more reputations you can add to your own reputation, the better you are equipped to create a cumulative reputation that extends far out into the market place.

4. Revenue Streams. Not all movements need to operate like a business, but if this is your sole source of income, you need to identify your sources of funding early.

5. Participation. Movements demand participation. You will need to devise strategies for people to become involved in what you're doing. Linux became an enabling technology with a platform on which others could build. Building new products, on their technology, was the form of participation that everyone could buy into.

6. PHP Nuke. Build a PHP Nuke website around the movement. It's free. Post articles on a daily basis about anything to do with file-sharing technology, permanence of data storage, P2P limitations, etc. Let people participate and build the movement organically. (www.phpnuke.org)

7. Finding Partners. No movement can accomplish anything without growing it. The first partners you will need are the people most affected by what you're trying to accomplish. Start with a focused niche and other groups will follow.

8. Branding. Package your descriptions, phrases and discussions about what you're doing into crisp clean sound bites. Good graphics and logos coupled with an easily repeatable message can be amazingly far reaching.

9. Creating Disciples. Train the trainers. Start by creating an association - some non-profit entity dedicated to the purpose of evangelizing your movement. Organize a conference or forum.to bring people together. Once they are thoroughly indoctrinated, they then will be empowered to go out into the rest of the world and proclaim the good news of your movement.

10. Establish Yourself as the Expert. Write a book on this topic. You need to be the person with the deepest depth of understanding and comprehension on this topic. You need to become the singular most influential voice on this topic. Your personality will become the driving force behind this movement.

11. Be Relentless. The movement needs to become the single most important thing in your life. You need to eat, sleep and breath it. You must become focused, relentless, tenacious, and dedicated to making it happen. Let nothing distract you. Neither rain nor sleet nor dark of night can keep you from your appointed rounds.

12. Make it Fun. No one will want to join your movement if it doesn't look like fun. Make it fun. Throw a pie in the face of all new members. Devise a corporate initiation strategy where the head of the company has to ride a horse around the town square dressed in nothing but feathers. Something like that. Being unconventional will get you tons of press.

There are thousands of details involved in each of these points and it's easy to get bogged down with the details. But the most important thing is to just do it. Be brave, be reckless, be creative, but just do it. Some of the best plans in the world never got off the ground because people talked themselves out of it.

The world has no respect for people who don't take risks. So come on in. The water is fine.

About The Author: Thomas Frey is the Executive Director and Founding Futurist of the DaVinci Institute, a futurist think tank dedicated to reinventing the world. His papers and articles about his work have been published in such notable publications as Forbes Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Futurist Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Rocky Mountain News, Oakland Tribune, Denver Business Journal, and many more.As a former IBM engineer, Tom received more awards than any other engineer. He is an internationally recognized futurist, designer, author, entrepreneur, and public speaker. His specialty is the future of technology and its impact on business and society.

Contact:The DaVinci Institute Thomas J. Frey, Executive Director PO Box 270315 Louisville, CO 80027 (303) 666-4133 dr2tom@davinciinstitute.com

Categories: movements, leadership, coaching, mexicocity

Insightful thoughts on Church culture

Here are some very tasteful but touchy thoughts on what church culture is like. You can view others at The Church You Know

Categories: Church

Pray for Christine's Mom

Today Christine's mom was checked into the hospital. She is fighting cancer and one of her lungs is collapsed. Christine is flying there on Thursday and we're so thankful.


Categories: family, Prayer

Bombs in the city

Today a few bombs in Mexico City. Pray for our and our team's safety as we move about the city.

Bombs rattle Mexico in new political worry


Categories: MexicoCity

The next 6 weeks here we go

This past Friday we were blessed to have the Brinks here and David Bedolla (the national director of Vida Estudiantil- Campus Crusade's campus ministry in Mexico) visit for our 6 week planning meeting. David bussed out from Puebla just for the day to meet, talk, and share for the day. Craig and I met him during the morning hours and I am impressed by his simple vision, strategy, willingness to recreate new systems to make reaching each and every student in Mexico happen. He is the real deal and will lead a CCC to a new future of reaching students in Mexico. I am very glad to work with him.

After some street tacos and no police David joined the rest of our team and the STInt (Short Term Int'l) team leaders for our 6 week planning meeting.

We looked over our last 6 week goals:
1. Start a U.S. recruiting plan - web and brochures
2. Surface 4-10 pastor/church networks to partner with
3. Identify many of the 400 campuses
4. Start a model movement.

All in all we're moving along and I'm encouraged. We're having to tweak the how to's to starting the model movement but we're moving along.

The next 6 weeks we have identified these 4 goals:
1. Clearly define a movement and it's "how to" resources
2. Recruiting for our Nov 18 Capacitacion de lideres (leader training)
3. U.S. Recruiting for spring breaks, summer projects and long term teams using our winter conferences as a platform
4. Surface 4-10 key movement leaders.

I'm excite to see what God does in the next 6 weeks and the miracles and supernatural appointments that will happen before Dec 15.

Categories: MexicoCity, Leadership, Coaching, Movements

The Brinks, Andersons and some Police

This past week Curtis and Emily Brink, our new team members (showing up in January) came out to Mexico City with their good friends, Mark and Abby Anderson. We're so excited to have the Brinks as we worked with them in Boulder for 2 years. They came out to see the city, look for housing and cars. They had a full 4 days. The first day I took them around some used car dealerships, different parts of our neck of the woods and then to a local spot for some street tacos carnitas style. We were enjoying our lunch and our adult beverage (Tecate) sitting on a plastic chair and table arrangement this place has set up in the street outside their local. Soon there after, basking in the warm sun, enjoying my taco afterglow a local municipality police officer taps me on the shoulder and says he needs to talk to me. ugh oh!!

After some nervous heart beating phrases of fear spewing out of my mouth he informed us that we had broken the no drinking in public places law. Hmm, of all places to experience this broken law, Mexico. I didn't know of this law and I informed him we were sitting in this restaurant's table and chairs about 3 feet from the curb. It didn't matter. He and his shady partner weren't budging. They informed us that we all had to go to the local jail and pay a 900 peso charge ($90 US). Ouch!!!

I had two approaches;
1. Be a dumb arrogant American and yell, kick and complain. The guns and paddy wagon scared me out of that one.
2. Go the Biblical humble approach and say I'm sorry. I did break the law theoretically. I did follow this one but it didn't seem to work.

We have a friend here, Illiana, who is a lawyer and we keep her on our cell phones for moments just like this. I called her and she, on the phone, went back and forth with the police officer. She talked to me and told me I had two options. Go to the jail and find out what the real fine is or make a street agreement. At the same time I was talking to her the owner of the restaurant, Andres called me deep into his local. He told me not to worry about it, wait, he was calling his friends on the State Police. They were the good guys. Then two more cop cars pulled up (the good guys), tons of more guns and shotguns and some arguing between the two types of so called police.

Then the good cop bad cop technique was pulled on me. The bad cop open up the paddy wagon and said in a strong voice, "Get In!" The good cop routine guy called me over behind a pick up truck and asked me what I wanted to do. I decided to go with the street agreement option. I told him I could offer him 500 pesos ($45 US) to allow the law breaking American to take his American Tourist friends back home. He went over to his bad cop partner and they agreed.

Then in a flash of an eye Andres bolted out of his restaurant mad and insistent that he pay for the fine. He gave the officer 500 pesos and the whole situation was made good. We were good to go said the police officer. All 3 cop cars and the paddy wagon took off.

All the while some local Mexicans mad and angry were shouting at the police officers for giving us a hard time. The apologized for us and took tons of pictures of the whole ordeal on their cell phones. We tried to tip the owner 500 pesos but he refused to take our money. He apologized as well for the situation and told me that not all Mexicans are corrupt.

What a lesson learned. No drinking in public places.

Other than that scary moment, we had a great time with the Brinks and the Andersons. We went downtown to the Zocolo to visit some Day of the Dead festivities with about 150,000 other people and headed off to Cafe Tacuba for some good food and mariachi.

We can't wait to have the Brinks down here as they add so much vision, passion for God and the lost and their skills and talents are a steal.

Categories: MexicoCity

Puebla, the Basiles and a great Party

Last week after I arrived home from Colorado the next morning we headed off for a short day adventure to Puebla, a 3 million person town east of Mexico City. The reason is that Tom Basile (Sandy and four boys too) invited us to come and stay with them. We have never met the Basiles but Tom Shirk our pastor in Boulder, CO went to school with them and many others we know know them too. Tom works for New Church Initiatives which helps them plant many churches in a few short years. I heard of Tom's work along with Glenn Smith (director of NCI) at the University of Texas the past few years. They saw some great things happen in planting spiritual movements all by students and saw great convert growth as well. In summary, I was looking forward to meeting Tom and his family.

The super added bonus was that one of Tom's friends, Klaus, an Austrian living in Mexico and not a believer yet, was having a huge birthday party (his daughter) and a Halloween party on his ranch/compound. I was almost ready to say we weren't going to go because I was so tired from my CO trip. Boy, would I have missed something special. Food, music, climbing walls, blow up toys, bungee cord jumping, games, horses and more food. You can see from the picture that this was a huge, massive place. Not only would I have missed it but my boys would have missed making new friends and enjoying all the activities.

We just loved meeting the Basile's and hearing about their ministry and experience. They're doing the deed. More to come from the Basiles as I hope to travel to Houston with Tom to be part of a one day training on how to franchise ministries and businesses.

Categories: Coaching, Movements, Church, Family

Can't Keep Her Clothes On

Lately, we're about 3 weeks running, we can't seem to keep our daughters, Isa's pajamas on at night. We put her down, regardless of how tired she is or not, and she takes off her pajamas and throws them in the middle of the room. I go in a few hours later when I'm heading off to sleep and there is Isa curled up in a ball in her diaper. We have had numerous conversations with her and all I get when I ask her to keep her clothes on is a big smile and an "ah huh."

You can pray that this habit stops before she goes to college. It could turn sour.

Categories: Family

October photo treat

Check out some awesome family shots from this past month. Click Here.
Categories: family, photos

Please Pray

• That God will guide us supernaturally to surface new movement leaders.
• That we will be able to meet with more pastor networks.
• That God will bring at least 50 potential movement leaders to our Nov 18 training.
• For our team as they hit new campuses every week. Pray God will give our team fruit and encouragement.
• That over 1,000 US college students will come down to Mexico this year to launch spiritual movements.
• For Christine's mom who is dealing with cancer. Christine is visiting her in TX on Nov. 9-12.
• For Christine's pregnancy; health, energy and stamina.
• For our kids' ability to learn, speak and understand Spanish.
• For Christine as she teaches the boys in homeschool.

Categories: God, Family, MexicoCity, Prayer, Newsletters

Increasing our Influence

How do you reach the world? Well, you need more leaders. That's what God is providing us personally. We're expecting our 4th child early June. Just as many think we're crazy in launching 4,000 spiritual movements so they think having 4 kids is crazy. All in the power of the Spirit.

Monday we went for our 8 1/2 week ultra sound. We were a bit nervous as we have miscarried about 4 years ago. As the doctor said our baby was normal we burst into tears of joy and thankfulness.

Our kids are giddy with excitement and want more!.

We want to ask you to pray for the health of our baby and for Christine's health and energy (lately she is laid low with exhaustion ).

Many have asked; can you deliver a baby in Mexico? Yep! Is it safe? Totally! Will you get dual citizenship? Not sure.

All of this is so exciting and overwhelming at the same time. Thank you for laboring with all 5 to 6 of us. We appreciate your heartfelt encouragement, prayers and generous financial gifts in order to give all of Mexico an opportunity to be part of a Christ centered community.

Categories: Family, God, Newsletters

Trusting God for a Model Movement

4,000 spiritual movements on over 300 campuses. Many people ask us if we are crazy or if we have caught one too many parasites that have made us delusional. If the massive network we've called Enfoque Mexico (Mexico Focus) is built around us leading students in these spiritual movements, discipling every student and preaching weekly then "yes" we are crazy. But we're here to do the opposite. We will provide freely in the power of the Spirit training, encouragement and resources to all churches, leaders, businessmen and students so they can create, lead and guide these movements to reach other parts of their campus and city.

We're meeting with pastors, church alliances and students all over this mega city. About a month ago we met with Capital City Baptist church's interested professionals and students. At that meeting we shared our vision and mission of reaching each and every department on every university. One of the gals, Lourdes, a secretary at CIDE University, mentioned that she might not be able to partner and lead with us. In spite of her hesitation the next couple of weeks she talked with a freshmen guy who has a Christian background. She immediately shared the vision of launching a spiritual movement with the goal of reaching his university. Our prayer is that he is our first movement leader at that university with Enfoque Mexico, our ministry.

Two months ago 30 regional directors joined us for a day of launching spiritual movements. That day, Chip (a Nat'l director) and Skye (our team member) went to Tec de Monterey to look for a spiritual leader. After asking numerous students who is interested and excited about God they were directed to David. Since then Skye and another team member, Jason, have been meeting with David, coaching and encouraging him to reach his university.

We're trusting God for a model movement. We believe that is how reaching the whole city starts. One secretary. One Student. One movement turns into 2 and then 4 and then soon we're at 4,000. As long as we keep providing training and leadership Mexicans will reach this city.

In this same manner we believe you, your friends, your church, small group can launch a spiritual movement in a day. If you're interested in coming down to Mexico City to bring the good news and good deeds of Christ visit www.MexicoFocus.com for an easy plug and play website that will provide all you'll need.

Categories: God, MexicoCity, Newsletters, Movements, Leadership, Coaching