International
Suneel is CVM’s International Co-ordinator, keeping in touch with groups overseas that want to develop their men’s ministry, if you wish to conect with CVM please contact us.
We are encouraging men’s ministry around the world by partnering with folk in different countries like Tanzania, Togo, Cambodia, France, Italy, Latvia, Serbia, Mexico and Brazil.
TANZANIA
Tanzania in East Africa is known for large areas of wilderness which include the plains of the Serengeti National Park and also Kilimanjaro National Park. It has a population of about 50 million, of which about 35% are Muslim, 35% have Indigenous African beliefs, and 30% are Christian. About 70% of the country live below the poverty level of US$1.25/day.
Philip Buluba lives in a village in Mara in the north of Tanzania. He is one of the pastors in his church, Word of Grace ministry, and has also started planting churches. He is married to Mary and has 4 children.
Philip’s mum was possessed by many demons, but his family were not able to help her even though they tried many witch doctors. One day he heard a street preacher explain that Jesus can deliver people from demons, so he gave his life to the Lord and started attending church. In time he was able to pray for his mother, and all the demons left her.
About 80 adults attend his church with well under 50% being men. In 2015 Sports Friends provided Philip with some footballs, and so he started football teams in his church, with about half the Men’s team being church members – the rest are friends. They play against a village team. Since then 6 boys have come to Christ, and he is now encouraging teams in 10 different churches in the region.
TOGO
CVM Togo was launched in 2014 with Gad Numadi.
“We have been working in Togo since 2010 with children in different settings and to some extent with their families. From these relationships we realise that within families and especially for dads and their boys there is a great need for specific men’s ministry.
We will be envisioning churches and children’s workers across Togo this year, 2014, alongside our children’s ministry work to consider dads and lads both in their congregations, but also in their communities.
Our existing ministry for boys and youth in our football club and for those detained in the youth prison will be enhanced as we hope to translate and use the Manmade course by the end of this year. Many of our workers and volunteers are men and we are looking forward to rethinking how we engage with them and seek their spiritual growth as we minister together through the support of CVM.
We hope by sharing the vision of CVM to increase collaboration with various church mission leaders to ignite, when needed, and facilitate their growth and interest in men being men who walk with God, whether young or older.”
CAMBODIA
CVM Cambodia grew out of the conviction that Cambodia needs its own version of CVM UK. The Cambodian church faces the same issues as the UK – how can we: Connect men to Jesus Christ, encourage men to commit to Him 100%, and then challenge and mobilise men to take the transforming power of the gospel to their fellow Cambodian men
The need may be the same but the culture is different so we are growing a Cambodian CVM with a Cambodian name – Good Real Men. We are translating and adapting existing CVM resources, as well as creating new material to speak into the Cambodian culture. We remain true to the CVM way of working – men talking to men, men’s groups sharing men’s experiences (dreams, nightmares, problems and solutions) while having a good time together.
Our vision is to see a movement of men bringing transformation to men in Cambodia – and we’re seeing God do it!CVM Cambodia is headed up by Nou Vandeth and Zoran Sulc
They started our work in the capital, Phnom Penh, offering help to churches to start men’s groups. There was a slow response to this but they then received invitations from other organisations including NGOs and Student Dormitories to work with their men. More recently they have been speaking to Christian leaders outside Phnom Penh and have now begun to work in the provinces.
They are equipping them to create effective self-sustaining groups that do not require outside injections of money to keep going. Alongside this they are creating resources for the men’s group leaders to use as they encourage men to grow in faith and reach out to their friends.
Although they usually begin by leading new groups themselves, they are identifying and developing leaders who share our passion for men’s ministry, and who hear God’s call to step up and take responsibility for this work in their area.
In the future they will have men’s ministry facilitators in all major cities in Cambodia who can reach out to the provincial towns and villages around them.
They have held major events that bring leaders and men together to challenge and inspire them to be Good Real Men and they are also using media opportunities on radio and the internet to spread the word.
FRANCE
We are liaising with Ben Harding who used to be a part of the CVM UK team in the North of England. Ben is the Chaplain in Lyon and is looking to encourage men’s ministry in France.
In France under 5% attend church each week, including Catholics as well as Protestants, and women are between 1.5 – twice as likely as men to be involved in regular religious activities. Alongside the French churches, there are over a hundred anglican churches as well as many other English speaking churches from other denomination
Currently in Lyon, Ben is helping establish a Men’s Bible Study using the Longbow material he developed.
Italy
God is working in Italy!
The work in Italy which began with a small group in the North West mountain region about 18 months ago has been a gradual work and we are praying that now, as Rose and I move south due to some changes in our personal circumstances, it will continue. Please pray that the small group here will continue to meet and reach out to share the good news of Jesus with other men.
From April the work will be based around Bari as we relocate there. At present I am aware of a few churches who have some work among men and my intention is to meet and share with them the model of CVM and to ‘Italianize’ it and begin to develop connections between diverse denominations, which is a big obstacle in Italy, and to seek connections for them to meet together and reach out.
Pray that the Lord leads us in settling in to Bari and the surrounding area and He also opens doors as I seek to meet with various pastors and leaders to share with them in this work. Pray also for the wider work around Italy which will depend on support funding and my availability as I carry out my main responsibility in working in Sports ministry in Italy.
LATVIA
We partner primarily with Latvian Bible Centre, through whom we partner with local churches in the capital, Riga.
Latvia is one of the three Baltic states on the Eastern side of Europe with a population of about 2 million of which the adult male population (25+) is about 725,000 representing roughly 45% of the country’s adult population.
Riga has over 700,000 people and the country is a member of the EU and NATO with a Christian history of over 1,000 years, represented by Protestant and Orthodox Christian denominations.
LBC is one of the largest evangelical educational institutions in the country with over 20 years of experience, providing for both church leadership and lay people. Unlike other Bible schools, LBC has students and staff from different denominations with courses in Latvian and Russian.
A number of churches in Latvia have a thriving Men’s ministry. For example, Gertrude’s church has an established men’s ministry which holds biweekly men’s breakfasts, a quarterly gathering in the form of treks or other group activities. Recently men have organised joint activities with a Children’s centre, to encourage fathers. Men of Saint Joseph meet on a weekly basis to pray, and organise annual gatherings in the summer.
St. Matthew Baptist Church runs a monthly men’s breakfast.
CVM’s involvement in Latvia started in 2014 and since then we have helped with two seminars on different aspects of men’s ministry.
SERBIA
CVM Serbia was launched in 2014 and headed up by Beredi Dusan and Zoltan Vegel.
Zoli went to a Brethren church as a child with his family. He was taught about God and introduced to the Bible. In his teenage years he rejected the idea that God is found through Christianity as he’d seen power struggles between Christians, and God seemed harsh, and boring in Christianity.
However he was still interested in God, so he began to search Eastern philosophies. In his search he came across Calvary Chapel, and was fascinated by what they taught about Jesus and fulfilled prophecies. Over time he realised that God can be found through Christianity, although some Christians do misrepresent him.
Zoli started attending a Bible Study, and one evening a particular speaker was teaching about Jesus. The man had been married for 40 years, and explained that this was because of God’s faithfulness to him and his wife. Zoli realised that this man had something that he wanted. So he spoke to the man, and a few weeks later asked Jesus to forgive him, and to be his Lord and Saviour.
MEXICO
CVM Mexico was launched in 2013 with David Ross.
David grew up in the UK but has lived in Mexico for many years. He is one of the founding members of the Presbyterian church in Monterrey, Iglesia San Pedro (www.sanpedromty.org) which has a cross-cultural service in Spanish and English with an attendance of about 80 people, and appeals to the expatriate community. It has a weekly men’s Bible Study with about 16 men
David works in the Golf industry, representing Danish and other companies.
Mexico has a population of about 120 million people and has one of the largest economies in the world. It is predominantly a Catholic country (about 83%) with an Evangelical Christian community of about 7%.
Monterrey is the capital of the north eastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It’s the third largest metropolitan area of the country, the second wealthiest in Mexico, and a sprawling business and industrial centre at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountains. It has a population of just over 1 million people.
BRAZIL
CVM Brazil is a group of men who have experienced the worst that life can throw at them, but they have all found freedom and transformation primarily because of their faith in Jesus and also their ongoing commitment to one another as a band of brothers.
Based in and around the North East of Brazil in Recife, this group of men are passionate about sharing Jesus as much as they can and as creatively as they can.
CVM Brazil are working in the following areas:
- They host evangelistic football nights.
- Established, built, fund and run a drug rehab house for men.
- Take regular trips into the mountainous interior of Brazil to offer essential food and supplies and of course the good news of Jesus.
- They also pioneered, staff and run a free after school educational programme for over 40 children helping the children and their poor families.
- Annually they host, organise and fund a weekend for these families to get away, have fun, swim and eat in a safe environment where the good news is shared, and life stories of Jesus’ love are explored.
- CVM Brazil also produces leaflets, information and is continually seeking ways to reach out to men, their families and children with the lifesaving good news of Jesus Christ.
“Everton and the guys out there have never ceased to amaze me. They live utterly selfless lives and share their money, cars and homes to reach men with the gospel. Each time I visit these men I can’t help but be so inspired by their passion and commitment to the lost men of Brazil. With an amazing ethic of hard work and resourcefulness they do so much, and God’s favour is all over it! Incredible.”
