We exist to encourage and equip the National Pastors in team building so they can extend their reach of the gospel in their communities through evangelism and discipleship. 

How Can You Be A Part of This Growing Ministry?

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word."

Psalm 119:9

Equipping National Pastors Encouraging Leader Development Expanding the Reach of the Gospel

OUR STORY

Protege, (pro-tay-hay), which means to protect or guard in Spanish, began in January 2021 in the hearts of Chad & Rachel Strong as a desire to offer support to National Pastors by assisting them in engaging with the youth in their churches and communities. What started as a small supportive ministry with 2 pastors, has expanded to include 40 pastors and over 700 students. This ministry serves national pastors, their adult leaders and the members of their communities from ages 12 to 22. Protege offers discipleship material for all students and quarterly leadership training for the leaders and youth leaders in training in the church. The heart of this ministry is evangelism, discipleship and leadership development. From the start, the influence of the gospel has been evident, and the Lord has continued to bless the work of our national partners. Encouragement has been abundant through the witness of salvations, baptisms and beautiful stories of hearts and lives that have been changed by the power of the gospel.

NATIONAL PASTORS AT WORK IN THEIR COMMUNITIES

MATERIAL

We equip National Pastors in their ministries by offering, free of charge, discipleship materials for them to use with youth (ages 12 to 22) in their communities.

This is the CORE of the ministry. Weekly discipleship in the local church with a focus on evangelism and leadership development.

CURRENT MATERIAL:

New Life In Christ
7 Booklets
Approximately 2 years to complete (Check out the material here.)

MATERIAL IN DEVELOPMENT:

Protege Topical Studies
9 Booklets
Approximately 3 years to complete

COST:

This resource is free online. We pay to have the booklets printed here in country. They cost about $1 each and students go through roughly 3 books a year. There are over 700 students, with more wanting to study. The only thing restricting them, is the funds to print the booklets! Total for the year is about $2,100 for books.

CERTIFICATES

We support National Pastors by supplying them with certificates of completion for each book that the students finish.

CERTIFICATE CEREMONIES:

Pastors invite the family members and friends of the students to join them as an evanglistic outreach opportunity.

Our Protege Team tries to attend at least 1 certificate ceremony a year. We offer encouragement and assistance with games, songs, a message, or whatever the pastor may need.

EVANGELISM

We encourage Pastors to walk along side their youth in evangelism. Teens recieve leadership training that involves hosting outreach events for the youth in their communities.

OUTREACH EVENTS:

Outreach events are planned and hosted by the youth in the church. These events give the leaders in training the opportunity to put to use what they have learned at the training events. They develop and execute the plans for the event. This gives the students the platform in which to invite their unsaved friends to a youth event and immediately be plugged into a discipleship group when they want to know more.

PROTEGE SUPPORT MINISTRIES

LEADERSHIP TRAINING

Three times a year we host a 2 day Leadership Training Event.

Pastors are invited to bring 2 of their adult leaders and 3 youth in training. These core leaders become the focus of our ministry.

Churches can travel from over 3 hours away to attend a Training Event. The Pastors are so commited to growth, and their desire to learn is exciting and encouraging.

If you have the desire to teach core competencies in leadership, this could be your opportunity to bring a short term team down and be a part of what the Lord is doing. Contact us for more details.

COST:

Leadership Training Events are hosted in Feb., May, and August. Around 130 students come from all over Nicaragua, some from over 3 hours away. These trainings are a valuable part of building an evangelistic team within the church. These events cost about $3,500 each. Transportation is an issue for many of the churches, so some of that cost includes some assistance with transportation. All food, lodging and teaching resources are provided. The total for the year for the 3 training events is about $11,500.

TRAINING COORDINATOR

Alvaro Ramirez

Alvaro is the Protege Training Coordinator and desires to see the people of his homeland come to know the saving grace of Christ. He is a diligent servant and uses his gifts to plan and manage the training events and resources that are used to equip national churches.

TRAVEL TEAM MINISTRY

Once the church has Youth in Training established, the Travel Team Coordinator works directly with the youth to develop and host an outreach event in their church. This looks like a typical youth group event with games, music and a message. This gives the youth the oppportunity to evangelize their friends and youth in the community. Youth who attend are then invited to church services and the weekly Protege meeting where they will begin the New Life In Christ Series with, "Who is Christ?".

COST:

Travel Teams are one of the most powerful ministry highlights. It's where we see the students reaching out to their peers in their community through evangelism. We are grateful to have a national partner that brings such skill and heart to this part of the ministry. $250 a month makes this possible, about $3,000 a year. If you come down on a Hope & Advocacy Trip, you will most likely participate in one of these events.

TRAVEL TEAM COORDINATOR

John Michael Garcia

As a humble servant, John Michael brings a wealth of ministry experience along with his heart for people and his desire to serve the local church. As Travel Team Coordinator he works directly with church pastors and teens who are in leadership training to assist them in hosting outreach, evangelistic events in their churches.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

We host an Annual Conference in 2 regions of NIcaragua once a year. Same program, two different areas. Where the Leadership Training focuses on 3 youth in the church, this event is for ALL STUDENTS that are participating in Protege.

Scipture memorization is a key component to this ministry. At this event students have the opportunity to recite all the verses they have memorized throughout the year. Last year, a young lady recited 37 verses!

Palabra De Vida is a core piece of this event. Their ability to manage large groups of students will amaze the most verteran of youth workers. We are blessed and always encouraged to work alongside the team of national missionaries from Palabra De Vida.

COST:

This is the year end conference and it is HUGE! There are 300 to 400 guests in each regional event. They participate in three teaching sessions, games, swimming, have lunch, and recite the verses they have memorized. It's just an amazing day! Each of these events costs about $4,000. You can't imagine how much these students look forward to these events. Some of them had never left their neighborhoods and now they are a part of a community where they get to grow in their knowledge of God and meet people they may never have met. This is made possible because the Body of Christ around the world is reaching out and coming alongside brother's in Christ serving here in Nicaragua. $8,000 helps to support these 2 year end events

Palabra De Vida Nicaragua: (Word of LIfe)

Xavier Hernandez

Xavier and his wife are both full time missionaries serving with Word of Life Nicaragua. Xavier is a gifted leader and his passion is to see young people come to know the Lord as their Savior and to use their gifts to serve and to reach others with the gospel.

Partners like YOU make all this possible. Without your support this ministry would not happen!

Do you want to be a part of what God is doing here? Partner with National Pastors through Protege!

YEARLY NEEDS:

Material $2,100

Leadership Training $11,500

Travel Team $3,000

Year End Conferences $8,000

As a part of the Body of Christ, how can YOU help with what God is doing in this part of the world, in His church?

  • Pray for the Pastors & Students
  • Pray for the Protege Leadership Team
  • Pray for Training Events
  • Give to Buy Booklets
  • Give to Buy Bibles
  • Sponsor an Event
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