• Our hope-filled future is bound up in sharing the story of Jesus, in discipling others, in bringing those disciples together into communities of believers, and in developing and releasing those believers to create other communities... till Jesus the King comes again!

Ministry practice 5.0

Posted on November 3, 2011 by wtdavid

What is that we actually do as cross cultural workers?  The CPM Roadmap (like the WT Continuum) makes an attempt at ‘painting a picture’ to describe the ministry in which we are engaged.  It is a good model, a good framework from which to work.

As we continue to look at cross cultural ministry from another perspective, we said that the first step is to engage others in spiritual conversations.  The second step is to encourage others to read God’s story contained in the Bible. The third step is to journey with people in their discovery of God.  Another step then might be to invite people into community.

We work, most of the time, from the following model  when we invite people ‘into’ community (described by Stuart Murray in his book, Church Planting: Laying Foundations):

Belief   [which leads to]        Behavior  [which leads to]        Belong

 

Right belief is seen as a prerequisite for participating in the community.  That belief should then give way to right behavior which demonstrates the authenticity of one’s commitment to Christ.  There is certainly much truth in that statement.  As the Bible says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  (Matthew 5:16)

However, what would happen to our thinking about community if we flipped this model/process in this way:

 
Belong   [which leads to]        Behavior  [which leads to]         Belief

 

What if we invited people, people on the journey to discovering God, to first experience the community of believers?  Would they experience Christianity in a different way?  Would Christianity become life rather than just adherence to certain propositional truths?

It’s an interesting discussion.

So what should we do?   We pray boldly asking for God’s wisdom to know how to invite people into community, the community of God’s people. We depend on the Spirit to lead people in seeing real Christianity (right belief issuing in right behavior) as they journey towards Him.  We trust God’s Spirit to lead many to come to a living and vibrant faith in Jesus.

Filed under: Church planting, Community, Mission, Sharing the Gospel story | 4 Comments »

Ministry practice 2.4

Posted on October 25, 2011 by wtdavid

What is that we actually do as cross cultural workers? The CPM Roadmap (like the WT Continuum) makes an attempt at ‘painting a picture’ to describe the ministry in which we are engaged. It is a good model, a good framework from which to work. Could we look at cross cultural ministry from another perspective or outlook in order to help better grasp the task or the journey that we are on?

The first step is to engage others in spiritual conversations. The second step is to encourage others to read God’s story contained in the Bible. The third step is to journey with people in their discovery of God. We live in a world that is hurtling forward at light speed. Every day, businesses as well as we as people are confronted with a multitude of decisions that must be made seemingly within microseconds. However, the shifting of the spiritual framework that directs our lives will not happen in a nanosecond, a microsecond or even a few minutes. That is why we must journey with people.

People are not ‘projects’ for our cross cultural work. People are relational beings, created in the image of God, but ostracized from Him by the disruption of sin. Our work is to call people back to relationship with the Creator God. Relationships are a building process; they are a journey that has its highs and lows.

This is why prayer is so critical to the journey. In prayer, we recognize that people are set on this journey, and ultimately only discover God because He works to open their hearts.

So what do we do? We pray boldly asking God to open people’s eyes to discover Him. We depend on the Spirit for the patience to journey with others well, not dragging them to God, but allowing them to discover God for themselves. We trust God’s Spirit to lead many to see the outcome of that journey to be the discovery of the God of grace and of His unfailing love.

Filed under: Gospel, Mission, Sharing the Gospel story | 2 Comments »

Ministry practice 1.8

Posted on October 13, 2011 by wtdavid

What is that we actually do as cross cultural workers?  The CPM Roadmap (like the WT Continuum) makes an attempt at ‘painting a picture’ to describe the ministry in which we are engaged.  It is a good model, a good framework from which to work.

Could we look at cross cultural ministry from another perspective or outlook in order to help better grasp the task or the journey that we are on?

The first step is to engage others in spiritual conversations.  The second step we take in cross cultural life and ministry is to encourage others to read God’s story contained in the Bible. In order to point people to God, we need to bring them in contact with this living God.  So we need to invite people to hear or to read His story.

There are many ways this can be done.  This can be done individually by giving a person a copy of God’s story.  Or, we can ask if they would like us to read the story with them (see the example of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in this regard).  Or we can give them a media version of God’s story which would allow them to listen multiple times to the same stories. The key is to invite people to interact with and discover for themselves the God of the biblical story.

We recently had dinner with a couple who have moved here from another part of the world.  They were sharing their spiritual journeys and their ongoing concern for other family members who did not have a relationship with God.  Their daughter recently moved to where some extended family members live.  Each week, after her university studies, she would swing by to visit.  At one point, the conversation was drawn to the Bible.  She asked if her grandmother had read the Bible, to which the response was: “no”.  She immediately offered to read the Bible with her.  The invitation was accepted, and a number of weeks later, her grandmother walked into the arms of her new found Savior.

We engage people in spiritual conversation.  We invite them to discover for themselves God’s story.

What else do we do?   We pray because we need God to open the conversation.  We depend on the Spirit for the courage to offer, to invite others to read His story.  We trust that God’s Spirit will open blind eyes to see and to hear the words of redemption in that great, great story.

 

Filed under: Church planting, Communication, Listening, Sharing the Gospel story | 2 Comments »

Ministry practice 1.2

Posted on October 11, 2011 by wtdavid

What is that we actually do as cross cultural workers?  The CPM Roadmap (like the WT Continuum) makes an attempt at ‘painting a picture’ to describe the ministry in which we are engaged.  It is a good model, a good
framework from which to work.

Could we look at cross cultural ministry from another perspective or outlook in order to help better grasp the task or the journey that we are on?

The first step we take in cross cultural life and ministry is to engage others in spiritual conversations. Spiritual conversations are not an attempt to contort everything that we are talking about around to some Scripture verse or biblical principle.  Spiritual conversations are engaging others in talking about what forms the framework for the way they see the world and live.  It is a dialogue between people where we seek, as the opportunities arise, to share the gospel framework in such a way that it arouses interest and reflection.

The Bible describes our role in one way as that of being an “ambassador”.

It is not an easy task.  John Wesley describes his struggles in a journal entry in 1738: “went several times the following days, with a design to speak to the sailors, but could not. I mean, I was quite averse [willing, wanting to] to speaking; I could not see how to make an occasion, and it seemed quite absurd to speak without. Is not this what men commonly mean by, “I could not speak”? And is this a sufficient cause of silence, or no? Is it a prohibition from the Good Spirit? or a temptation from nature, or the evil one?”

So, what do we do?  Pray.  We need to ask Him to open up opportunities for spiritual conversations.  Depend on the Spirit.  The Spirit must prepare and open a person’s heart for them to be responsive to any conversation. We must ask Him to move in people’s lives.  Timing.  We cannot force a conversation.  Divine opportunities are just that, divine opportunities.  We seek for open doors, and wait for God to open those doors up to us.

 

 

Filed under: Communication, Crossing cultures, Listening, Prayer, Sharing the Gospel story | 6 Comments »

Mission 11: Vision Forward – Africa Area [Day 2]

Posted on September 24, 2011 by wtdavid

Here are some thoughts from Lisa about the Mission11 Africa conference:

“Pictures. Today was a day of pictures. I’d like to share some of those pictures with you. Walking past the rooms, with participant pictures and names on their doors, we gathered in the hall for worship, devotions and prayer.  A picture of a small, hopeful African child looked out at us from the banner on the wall.

From 1 John, we drew out principles, painting a picture of what Christian community should be like.

Next, we were asked to close our eyes and picture the time we were called into missions. What drew us into missions? What was distinctive about World Team that made us want to join up? Are those things still true? How have our ideas and ideals changed?

The next picture came in the form of a skit. Nine people on stage represented the various populations of the world: 3 representing the “Christian” (active and nominal) portion of the world, 3 representing NonChristians Within Reach of the Christians, and 3 representing the Unengaged, Unreached. Ten “missionaries” were selected from the audience to go to the 9 groups. What a sad discovery to find out that in current reality only 1 of 10 has gone to the Unengaged, Unreached group. Next, $1 in coins was distributed to the 9 populations according to current worldwide mission spending. The Unreached received only 1 penny while the other 99 cents went to the Christians and those Within Reach.

To bring this worldwide situation closer to home, we next looked at another picture. A map of Africa – our area! Red marked the countries where 50-100% of the population is unreached. Large dots showed major Unreached People Groups. Sadly, WT Africa is not yet working in any of the red countries, although we are working with some of the large dots. What a challenge! What’s our Mission Forward? How do we mobilize the Africans where we do work in order to reach out to the red countries?

More pictures. Did you know you can build community with pictures? During the women’s time, we cut out magazine pictures representing things in our lives and shared them.  (I don’t know what the men did!) After lunch, we pasted pictures of our teams and ministries on posterboards and decorated the hall, hoping to learn about each
others’ lives and ministries.

The day is almost over, but I hear that we’ll be seeing a video from one of WT’s other Areas and praying for them, spending some time in worship and ending the day with fun and games.

I hope this has given you a small picture of our day. Keep us in your prayers!”

Filed under: Community, Mission11 | 2 Comments »

Mission11 Africa Update[2]

Posted on September 23, 2011 by wtdavid

Each Mission11 conference is unique.  I am once again amazed by the people that God has brought into the WT community and their passion to “multiply disciples and communities of believers.”  Gathered together in Cameroon for the next few days, here are some highlights from today:

  • Prayer and worship … prayer and worship … prayer and worship.  Mission11 Africa has been full of times of praise to our missional God, and prayers for the spiritual needs of the unreached here as well as in other Areas.  Tonight, WT workers here prayed for WT workers in the Americas.
  • “On community” is a three session workshop looking at what it means to live in community and to experience that kind of community in a small way here.
  • The WT Africa leadership team presented ideas about future project plans in light of our global vision and global currents.
  • Christoph shared from Exodus 17:8ff about how community was demonstrated when Aaron and Hur “held up his [Moses] hands, one on one side and the one on the other side,” as Joshua led the people of Israel into battle; when Moses held up his hand, the people prevailed, but whenever he lowered his hand, the Amalekites prevailed.  Each member of the ‘community’ had their part to play, but together in the power of God they saw God work for His glory.  He applied this truth to us today, by pointing us to Hebrews 12:1-2, and our need as a community to help one another as we face sin in our lives and seek to be transformed by His forgiveness and grace.

More to come ….

Filed under: Community, Mission11 | 2 Comments »

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