Luso, Portugal - About 50 pastors and leaders from Portugal gathered in Luso for a leadership retreat, to reflect on the “Power of One: Eurasia Region Missional Church Initiative,” on 20-23 April.

Dr. Jesse Middendorf, a general superintendent with jurisdiction over the Eurasia Region, Dr. Gustavo Crocker, the Eurasia Region director, and Kyle Himmelwright, the field strategy coordinator of the West Mediterranean, attended the retreat, challenging pastors and leadership with practical ways to fulfill Church’s commission.

“The Power of One was not just a one time event, but continues to encourage the people of West Med through a renewed passion and vision and through the Easter to Pentecost devotional material,” said Himmelwright. “Our pastors and leaders are more prepared today because of the Power of One to love, win, disciple and send their world."

Crocker presented “Power of One” resource materials as a solution to the need for resources to help each church’s leadership disciple new believers of different ages. This need has existed for a long time, not only in Portugal, but also in the rest of Europe.

With the theme of the retreat in mind, Crocker said the resource package demonstrates how to develop a missional church in the Jesus way.

During the last decade, pastors and leaders said that there was a lack of resources to help each church’s leader in discipling new believers of different ages. And now, the Power of One pack has some devotionals to personal development, plant new churches and some resources for compassion ministries.

The resource pack was offered to pastors, learning center students and leaders, and all of them were challenged to take the pack only if they would use it in their own congregations. The participants were excited about all the work that had been done to make sure Portugal and Europe would have their own resources, and even those who did not receive the pack were interested in having it.

Crocker invited all the participants, and especially each pastor, to challenge their churches to join the region-wide Easter to Pentecost emphasis using the “Resurrection Power” devotional book, which is part of the pack.

As a practical consequence of what happened in the retreat, some churches started the Easter to Pentecost emphasis, to rediscover the, resurrection power being united in one body and accountable to each one, said Portugal District Superintendent João Pedro Pereira.

The Church of the Nazarene in Lisbon responded to Crocker’s invitation by starting a meeting with 27 people who are participating in Easter to Pentecost together. They gather weekly for accountability.

Crocker used a metaphor to challenge the participants to live in the Easter Sunday celebration, and not be living in the past Saturday’s sadness. Many participants said that they had a very blessed time at the retreat, not just because of the community time, but because it was especially challenging.

According to Pereira, the Power of One event had a great impact in Portuguese churches. Some pastors and leaders are being challenged to use those resources in national evangelism and discipleship, with the goal of making new disciples and enabling them to be transformed in Christ’s likeness.

“Dr. Middendorf’s challenge to the participants to be ‘honest, open, and obedient’ set the agenda for the entire event,” said Crocker. “This recurring theme permeated in every session to prepare participants for the power of God working in their lives.”

Considered by many participants as the best Portugal leadership retreat ever, there is excitement to see what God is going to do through His disciples in this nation.