SOS IS A STANDARD SIGNAL OF DISTRESS AND APPEAL FOR HELP, just like the cry of the Macedonians "Come over to Macedonia and help us” ( Acts16:9). Jesus came to seek and to save what was lost (Luke 19:10). Before He ascended back to heaven, he said to His disciples: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21) and He gave the Great Commission.” Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matt 28:18-20
S.O.S. AS A CHURCH PLANTING PROGRAM WAS BORN in response to the Great Commission. The Great Commission is a GOING commission, so the best way to do missions is to GO to the Harvest Field. Starting 1986, we have challenged Christians to dedicate their summer vacation to participate in winning the lost and planting a church in a target town or city. We called the campaign S.O.S - SUMMER OF SERVICE. “ He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.” (Prov.10:5)
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE S.O.S. work is a beautiful picture of Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Rev. Reynaldo Calusay, the Senior Pastor of First Assembly of God challenged his church to reach their Jerusalem – Roxas City, in the province of Capiz. His vision was to fill the city with the doctrine of Christ. Ordinary members were trained and mobilized to preach the gospel and conduct evangelistic Bible studies throughout the city. This principle of mobilization of members continues to be the life force of S.O.S.
The burden to fill the city of Roxas with the doctrine of Christ, grew to reaching the neighboring towns, then the neighboring provinces and Islands. The SOS concept continued to spread as churches and district officials from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao requested for SOS in their areas. Will S.O.S. work reach the other nations? It already did. Several of our missionaries to Cambodia, namely, Warren Aragona, Fred Capapas and Jose Estrebilla were pioneer Field Directors of S.O.S. They have adopted the SOS strategy and mobilized Cambodian believers.
Now, with the help of technology, many countries in the world are adopting the S.O.S. church planting strategy, which we have made available on the web:
www.plantanotherchurch.com
S.O.S. WILL CONTINUE because God continues to provide the motivation. God’s yearly
`Marching Orders’ is expressed in a prayerfully selected theme. Each theme is a prophetic Word with which an army of the Lord is called to arise to conquer new grounds for the Kingdom of God. Habakkuk 2:2 - “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.
1988 Send Me To the Frontline
1989 For You Will Spread Out…
1990 Freely Give!
1991 On the Go!
1992 Light Shines in the Darkness
1993 Possess the Land
1994 Behold an Open Door
1995 Souls Beyond our Walls
1996 Break the Silence
1997 No Turning Back
1998 Let His Word Resound
1999 Is There Not a Cause?
2000 Nevertheless I Will
2001 Crossing Rovers, Taking Cities
2002 Blessed to Bless
2003 Do Something
2004 Give Me This Mountain
2005 2005 Accelerate
SOS 2006 theme is `MOBILITY’ --- to hasten the reaching of the PGCAG goal of 5000 churches in 2010. God designed the church to move out to seek the lost. Jesus said, “ As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21
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