The Next Village Crusade
The Next Village Crusade is a Redemptive, Rural Crusade Initiative of the International Congress on Rural Evangelism (iCORE). iCORE is a sustained approach at Sensitizing, Motivating, Educating and Mobilizing God's people for involvement in God's heartbeat in this end time. The dire necessity for urban ministry, its burden on time and personnel seem to have moved the Church into forgetting the rural dwellers and their need for real, intentional, strategic communication of the Gospel of Salvation in this hour of need. Negatively, it seems to also leave the rural dwellers in the hands of spiritualist and religious manipulators who both confuse and exploit them for selfish ends. In the light of these, International Congress on Rural Evangelism (iCORE over the years have been involved in organizing International Congress on Rural Evangelism Congresses that brainstorm on how to take the unreached rural communities for Christ.
The Next Village Project is a vision that was born during the 2011 edition of our International Congress on Rural Evangelism (iCORE). An interplay of two Scriptures made such a spiritual meaning that we could not ignore but prayed and brainstormed on how to achieve for the Lord in this direction. These Words “who will bring me into the strong city? (Psalm.60:9), and “Let us go somewhere else - into the nearby villages, - so I can preach there also, that is why I have come” (Mark 1:38 NIV); were to us a reflection of God's heart desire and this crusade envision to realize it. The Church today must not be overtaken by their concern for the cities, while thousands perish in the villages. With the Next Village Crusade, God is calling us back to the woods and for the basics.
The Next Village Crusade is going to be all-encompassing and balanced in its approach. It promises to be Redemptive – breaking strong holds and buying back the land to God, Evangelistic – winning souls through the messages of salvation, Educative – Serving the ministers and Church workers with ministerial training and information, and Impactful – Leaving seeds of kindness in the people and Churches in the land. We shall utilize all available contemporary tools for outreach, feature God's End time generals with the message of salvation as resource persons, offer diverse social services and provide education and impartation for ministers of the Gospel. By the end of the crusade, we would have depopulated hell, populate heaven, impact the Churches and bless the society to the end that God be glorified and His Ends fulfilled.
Our concept consists of bringing God's Generals that rural people only see on television or hear of on the radio, before them in their neighbourhood to preach to them. This in return will also avail the preachers with the dire spiritual needs of the rural areas, and also help them appreciate the men and women who bravely serve God within those difficult terrains. We intend also to bring books from Christian authors into the hands of these rural preachers and also create an opportunity where visiting preachers can go into the Churches for a ministry opportunity with the people. This is to ensure that those who miss it at the crusade can relate to the message of salvation brought to them from their pulpit. With social services, we hope to touch lives and effect the opening of their hearts with the help of the Holy Spirit to the Gospel. Conceptually, the Next Village Project is Total, Practical and Balanced,