School of Church Planters at Sanctuary House – Pamunugama

The vision of the “School Of Church Planters” programme is to help and equip new church planters and their families. This programme is based on training and encouraging them in their ministries for the growth of the Kingdom of God. This programme was conducted at the Sanctuary House in Pamunugama from 6^th – 8^th March 2008. It was attended by 42 Church Planters.

Participants were from the following areas:

• Ingiriya
• Kandana
• Kandy
• Rajawela
• Dehiyathakandiya
• Mathugama
• Kattambulawa,
•  Matatra
• Polonnaruwa
• Dehiyowita
• Angunukolapalasa
• Badallagama
• Katunayake
• Valgama
• Galaha
• Deltota
•  Galle

The main speakers at this programme were Professor Somaratne, Rev. Upul Nishantha and the Missions Commission Co-coordinator for NCEASL. On the first day an introduction about the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka and its ministry was shared by the Missions Coordinator of NCEASL.  He then went on to conduct a bible study based on the “sensitivity to the culture”. 

A time of prayer and healing for the Nation was a significant event that took place at this programme. This “revival time” was also held to bring forth prayer for the needs and difficulties faced by the churches and its workers. Intercessions on behalf of the personal needs of each of the participants brought this time of prayer to a close.        

The first days sessions ended early as some of the participants / pastors had traveled from quite far to attend this programme.  

Rev. Upul Nishantha, a lecturer at the Lanka Bible College and assistant Pastor of the Ragama Assemblies of God conducted 3 sessions on the second day of the programme.  He spoke on the following topics.

• Teaching on the importance of devotions and practical hints for devotions.
• Lessons on how to prepare a bible study.
• Understanding the difficulties and coping with all the problems in life. 

Professor Somaratna, from the Colombo Theological Seminary was the speaker on the last day. The topic which was covered by him was titled “History of Christianity and the short coming of presenting the gospel”.   This session taught the participants about “Behavioral Awareness”, educating them on how to interact with the culture of any given village that they have been called to serve in. The participants were also made aware of how they should approach and conduct themselves when faced with each individual inhabitant and the religious leaders of the villages.  

This School of Church Planters programme provided each of the participants with a time of refreshing their minds before they returned to their area of ministry. The participants gained not only from the learning’s from the speakers but also from each other and their experiences. This programme was a great blessing to them as well as the organizers.