Discovery Trip Experiences: Pastor Jared Zacharias

Jared Zacharias is the associate pastor at High Level Evangelical Church which is located in Calgary, Alberta. In April, Jared and several members of the High Level church were able to visit Brazil where our ministry partner, CONPLEI, is working to reach tribal groups in the Amazon basin. The tribal people of the Amazon Basin have been exploited by the majority population for hundreds of years. Most indigenous people live in absolute poverty, without the the hope of a better life for their children. Drug trafficking, unscrupulous business practices and rampant diseases are now threatening the very survival of some of these tribal groups. In the months since the trip, Pastor Jared has shared his reflections on his Discovery Trip experience.

It has been a couple of months since I was able to see firsthand some of the things that God is doing in the Amazon jungle, through CONPLEI and Partners International Canada. We had the opportunity to meet different missionaries supported by Partners International Canada and saw a few of the different villages where they are working and serving God. Here are a few reflections of my time in the jungle.

1. The indigenous church is growing and getting stronger. The indigenous leaders that we met have a heart to serve God. Eli who is the vice president of CONPLEI has a desire to see the pastors and missionaries grow in their knowledge of God’s word and in their abilities as church planters. CONPLEI with their conferences and different avenues is leading the way with empowering and equipping the indigenous leaders to lead their people and to make an eternal impact amongst their own people group.

2. CONPLEI desires the International church, the local church and the indigenous church to all work together. There is a partnership of the church as a whole, and Partners International has the same mentality, working together, equipping and empowering the indigenous workers. There is a need for foreign missionaries in the world still, there always will be, but it was an affirmation that even for the foreign missionaries the goal is always to empower the local people to lead as they can. Partnership through Partners International Canada is how we can make a difference as a church in Canada that we otherwise would not be able to, and it is this partnership that we have with the indigenous church, with a mutual love and respect for each other that will carry the gospel further down the river where the gospel has yet to arrive

3. People are people. Many times throughout our time there I saw some of the issues that they were dealing with and some of the insecurities that they struggled with and thought back to Canada. We are all on a journey as people and our destination if we are believers is to our home. But on this journey there will be trials and trouble and that is true for all of us. It was an encouragement for me to see the body of Christ from different parts of the world and very different in many ways; that we have the same God, we share in the struggle of this life holding on to the hope that is found in the person of Jesus Christ.

I encourage you to get involved in a Partnership ministry with Partners International. The finances go to very practical things such as gas for their boat, things they need for their ministry and to be equipped.

Pray how you or your church can be involved; go on a discovery trip.

God is at work

Jared Zacharias

Associate Pastor High Level Evangelical Church

Interested in going on a Discovery Trip? Visit our Discovery Trip page located on this website!