God's Vision Statement
“Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, ‘In the LORD alone are deliverance and strength.’” ~ Isaiah 45
Right Where the Action Is
An interview with Paul Selby, Missions Team Leader at LifeChange / Weymouth Church in Medina, Ohio.
When did you first hear the idea of supporting native missionaries as they carry the gospel to their own people groups?
I read K.P. Yohannan’s Revolution in World Missions book, which changed my thinking on missions quite a bit. The whole concept made more sense than missions I had been familiar with, where we’d send Westerners to unreached peoples to learn new languages and cultures.
When did you first hear the idea of supporting native missionaries as they carry the gospel to their own people groups?
I read K.P. Yohannan’s Revolution in World Missions book, which changed my thinking on missions quite a bit. The whole concept made more sense than missions I had been familiar with, where we’d send Westerners to unreached peoples to learn new languages and cultures.
Every Kindred, Tongue, People, Nation
To complete the Commission, we need to focus our prayers and efforts on a single task: insuring that everyone, everywhere encounters the gospel. There are four specific ways this is being accomplished, all of which we can commit daily to the Lord in prayer, and all of which we must support financially and personally:
The Great Commission, Done?
The Great Commission, done? It can and will happen, by God's grace. The math is compelling - we have a massive job to do, but it is a job that can be done. What holds you back from becoming part of the greatest spiritual initiative in history - launched in Acts 1:8 and today, nearly complete? Download this PDF to learn how.
The Christian church has access to resources unparalleled in the history of humanity. Through prayer, creativity, and sacrifice, we could live to see the day when every person on earth has access to the good news of Jesus. We could live to see the day when everyone, everywhere is blessed by the gospel.Will you choose to join in the challenge, to complete the Commission?
Our strategy is explained, along with the "numbers" in this PDF document. Consider printing this out to share with your church, small group, or pastor. It is time to finish the job Jesus gave us to do!
Spiritual Awakening in India
This interview was recently published in Revive Magazine:
Recently, the Lord allowed me (Dan Jarvis) to visit India to help India Gospel League train village pastors. It was one of the most defining moments of my spiritual life, and I now agree with the adage, "The American church needs India more than India needs the American church"! Revive was able to ask Pastor Samuel Stephens some questions about how God is working in India.
Samuel: India is definitely experiencing a great spiritual awakening. We saw the first wave in the late 1970s when the gospel was reaching areas that had never heard of Christ before. Large numbers of people began responding to evangelism efforts. This continued through the 80s and 90s. During this period, the Jesus film was used extensively. Miracles were almost the norm in these new areas, heightening people's receptivity level. The church grew rapidly during these years.
In 1992 the India Gospel League initiated a church planting movement called Vision 2000. The goal was to plant 1,000 churches by the year 2000, through the ministry of 200 church planters. Over the next eight years, the number of church planters involved in this initiative as well as the goal kept growing, until over 20,000 churches were planted. Now, ten years later, more than 60,000 such churches have been established in previously unreached villages, and other ministries are also experiencing dramatic results.
Recently, the Lord allowed me (Dan Jarvis) to visit India to help India Gospel League train village pastors. It was one of the most defining moments of my spiritual life, and I now agree with the adage, "The American church needs India more than India needs the American church"! Revive was able to ask Pastor Samuel Stephens some questions about how God is working in India.
Spiritually, what is happening in India today?
Samuel: India is definitely experiencing a great spiritual awakening. We saw the first wave in the late 1970s when the gospel was reaching areas that had never heard of Christ before. Large numbers of people began responding to evangelism efforts. This continued through the 80s and 90s. During this period, the Jesus film was used extensively. Miracles were almost the norm in these new areas, heightening people's receptivity level. The church grew rapidly during these years.
In 1992 the India Gospel League initiated a church planting movement called Vision 2000. The goal was to plant 1,000 churches by the year 2000, through the ministry of 200 church planters. Over the next eight years, the number of church planters involved in this initiative as well as the goal kept growing, until over 20,000 churches were planted. Now, ten years later, more than 60,000 such churches have been established in previously unreached villages, and other ministries are also experiencing dramatic results.
Host Your Own Missions Prayer Meeting
Prayer is essential to the completion of our mission! Would you like to get a few friends together to pray, seek God, and ask Him to transform India (and beyond) with the gospel? Here's a suggested meeting outline - complete with prayer requests, Bible passages, and suggested meeting plans. Also, if desired, someone involved with Complete the Commission could join your meeting via Skype video, or in person (if you are in NE Ohio). This could add a fun dynamic and also allow participants to ask questions, etc. Here's a suggested meeting outline:
Here I Am, Use Me!
A guest submission from Jeff Brianas, missions enthusaist involved with CTC:
Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world. Matthew 28:19
You may ask yourself; how can I reach every nation? How do I fit into the Great Commission? How could God possibly use me?
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