Timothy Leadership Training

May 14-15, 2010

On Friday and Saturday, we had a well attended training seminar for pastors and church leaders. It was conducted through Timothy Leadership Institute (http://www.timothyleadershiptraining.org/) and I was a liaison to promote and recruit this event within the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico (NPCM). Overall, there were about 30 in attendance with about half from NPCM churches.

This particular training focused on congregational care and visitation; however it is part of a series of very practical training that is progressive. We have strategically planned to do the next seminar in February 2011. There are two things that excite me about the potential of this training. First, it is very practical and hands-on. During the intervening 8 months before the next training, each participant will conduct their own series of projects utilizing what was learned from the conference. Secondly, the training is leveraged by engaging others in the church to be similarly equipped. The conference is kind of a “training the trainer” event and the ensuing months are when the participants practice what they learned while they teach it to others in their congregations. As each key theme is taught, the church continues to grow and congregants are trained and future leaders are equipped. As we cover subsequent training topics such as stewardship, preaching, and teaching the Christian faith, the church grows in faith and the membership is trained and prepared for more effective ministry.

Photos - Earthquake in Valle de Mexicali - April 2010




Mud deposits from earthquake induced groundwater flows


Mud boiled up from 10Km deep in the earth - warm, salty and smelling of sulfur


Mud deposits from the groundwater boils like this were up to 3 feet thick in some area


Irrigation canals all over the area were badly cracked and ruined like this one. There are major infrastructure needs to repair the damage before agriculture, the areas main industry, can be restored.


We were surprised to see, 12 days after the quake, that spontaneous groundwater boils pop up in new places like this one in the middle of the road. We heard that this was a common post-quake occurrence.


Damaged building similar to many that we saw.


Displaced persons living in tent camps because their homes have collapsed or are unstable.


Tent camps form where there is open space and maybe some cover, or close to roads on higher ground to avoid flooding risk from groundwater flows and where aid and help can be more easily received.



Note the lack of steel structural reinforcement in the construction of this building damaged by the quake. Many of the damaged homes we saw were of similar construction.