With apologies to President Sukarno, a “One-Fourth” world exists—and is actually found in every part of the world. The term is also not derogatory except maybe to the Church who has allowed this tragedy to exist.

All mission research experts agree between 25 and 28% of the world has almost no access to hear or experience a culturally relevant witness about Jesus from within their own cultural sphere. While progress has been made, this percentage is tragically high considering attempts for at least the last 25 years to serve this “one-fourth.”

A positive sign that this emphasis has gained global traction is found in the continuing discussion about terminology and definition. Various terms describe these peoples: “Unreached” or “Least Evangelized” (more technical) or “Least Reached” or “Least Served” (less technical). The Indonesian Peoples Network uses a term which can be translated as “Ignored Peoples” (which is a challenge to the Church).

One of the struggles with terminology is due to the frequent caricature of “Unreached People Groups” (UPGs) as only geographically remote and tribal. Yet, while some are in distant jungles or mountains, many of this One Fourth are found in world class cities. While a few are financially well off, most have few worldly resources.

What will it take for the Body of Christ to change the world so that there is no longer a First, Second, Third or Fourth world but just a glorious, reunited One Family around the throne?

Collaboration—The Current “Dynamic”

In his book The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman concludes globalization has entered an incredibly dynamic third era. His definitions offer an analogy to the emerging era of missions. He defines the following eras:

Globalization 1.0 (1492 – 1800) shrank the world from large to medium. Countries projected “muscle” or “power” (horse, steam, wind) to control and collaborate and compete with other nations. While the motivations that drove global integration may have included religion, imperialism, or other reasons, the key question was, where does each country fit into global competition, collaboration and opportunities?

Globalization 2.0 (1800 to 2000) shrank the world from medium to small and saw the birth and maturation of a global economy. Multinational companies drove global integration as they sought markets and labor. This global integration was powered by hardware—first by falling transportation costs (steam, railroad, airplanes) and then by falling telecommunications costs (telegraph, telephones, computers, satellites, fiber-optic cable, the early version of the World Wide Web). The key question was, how does this company compete, collaborate and seize opportunities?

Globalization 3.0 (2000-) has shrunk the world from small to tiny, and flattened the global playing field. The dynamic force of G3.0 is the new found power of the individuals to collaborate and compete globally. This global power of the individual and small group in conjunction with the creation of a global fiber optic network has made everyone next door neighbors. The key question is, how do “I” collaborate and compete with others globally?

G 1.0, driven by countries, was dominated by Europe. G 2.0, powered by large companies, was dominated by Europe and USA. G 3.0 is powered by “software” and “bioware” (biological technologies) and being driven by a very diverse group—not just the West, not just the East, not just the North, not just the South. All, (including young people) can be equal players. Friedman concludes “G3.0 makes it much easier for many more people to plug and play, and you are going to see every color of the human rainbow take part.”

Clearly, the global trends are evident in the mission movement. Dr. Winter’s clearly defined mission eras overlap significantly as he defines key traits of these three eras:

• The Coastlands Era (1792 -1910), European/colonial dominated, with a key dynamic being a youth movement.
• The Inlands Era (1865 – 1980), American dominated, with a key dynamic again being a student volunteer movement, and strong leadership by mission agencies.
• The Hidden (Unreached) Peoples Era (1980-) also characterized by a strong student movement, and through collaboration of global networks, and agencies. While there is certainly broad involvement across the world, with workers being sent cross-culturally from many nations, it might not be accurate to define this era as Third World dominated.

Is it possible that, with the emergence of a large number of collaborative mission and UPG-focused networks, we have moved into a second part of the UPG era? The era listed above might be called UPG 1.0 and the era which may now have begun could be called UPG 2.0. This era seems to be characterized by the power of collaboration of individuals, large and small churches, and all kinds of networks.

Perhaps we could say UPG1.0 helped liberate the Body of Christ to understand the necessity and possibility of reaching the Unreached (called out of Egypt if you will), and UPG2.0 is the “wilderness” process of really uniting the global “Body of Christ” into an effective family and body in order that one day all peoples will have a chance to join not only in the Body of Christ but in finally fulfilling together the Great Commission.

The following are some of the aspects of a “Body of Christ” missiology which are necessary to this full obedience.

Becoming Family on the way to Finishing the task

An Asian pilgrim, recently returned from Mecca, was asked what was the most exciting thing for him. He said it was seeing thousands of people from “every country on earth” join together as one family.

Success among the UPGs of the world requires absolute proof that following Christ not only produces a better community but a truly global community. This proof can only be seen in intentional and visible collaboration by all parts of the Body—true “incarnation” or “embodiment.”

A South African mission mobilizer illustrated this idea during a “Perspectives” course in Malaysia. He told the training group God did not just give his followers a job to finish. He gave the “Body of Christ” the job of finishing a task together. The mobilizer continued that if God just wanted that group to get to Kuala Lumpur (the Malaysian capital), it would be easy to buy a group of airplane tickets and arrive within a little over an hour. Yet, if God wanted the group to get to Kuala Lumpur but to become family along the way, the group would rent a bus, pack some lunches, stop to sightsee in the mountains, have a nice picnic together, and finally arrive in Kuala Lumpur by the end of the day with a sense of closeness and of completion. God is in process of reuniting all of humanity not only with Himself but with all the rest of humanity.

In Genesis 1:28, God commanded “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”

In Genesis 11: 4, the People said: “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

One of the greatest sins of the Christian community today is we want to “make our own name.” Thus, we refuse to be scattered over the whole earth. Yet, God’s clear plan is to reunite humanity not only with Himself but with the rest of humanity.

The ultimate fulfillment of the Great Commission will only happen when:

1. Christians intentionally work and play and worship together and become family. Unless this happens, God’s full power cannot be given.

2. Christians refuse to be guided by affinities either in which people groups are served (i.e. not serving those people who hate one’s ethnic group) or in selection of working partners (i.e. avoiding working with Christian workers from other nationalities).  A Singaporean Chinese young professional woman once asked if it was not dangerous or difficult due to prevalent prejudices for her to go to Indonesia to serve. The session leader responded that it might be dangerous—but what greater way for those peoples to see God’s love than to see humility and love from a person they might naturally dislike? Jesus told a group of prejudiced Jewish disciples that they were to go to all the world—including to the Samaritans whom they hated and who hated them.

3. Christians refuse to accept a dualism of missiology. The view that it is time for Europeans and Americans to take a lesser role, except when it comes to sending money or mentoring/training others, must be rejected lest mission becomes defined as Christians with money hiring “menial labor” to do the job. Another aspect which must be rejected is that the time for Asians and Africans to “dominate” world mission is at hand. No one must be allowed to divide the Body of Christ again:

Neo-colonial missiology must be rejected—where the “local” must “submit” to the “outsider” whether Asian or Western or African.

Neo-nationalism missiology must be rejected where the “outsider” must “submit” to the “local” whether Asian or Western or African.

A “Body of Christ Missiology” must be developed where all “mutually submit” one to another out of love for Christ, who continues to command all believers to carry out the Great Commission “as we go.”

The Motivation of a Loving Bride/Community, not a Hierarchy

Great emphasis is currently given to “church-led” missions as a return to “biblical” patterns. This development is positive, yet often ignores the full biblical implications (including the strong biblical basis for Dr. Winter’s emphasis on sodalities and modalities). The following implications must be included in any expression of this emphasis.

1. Avoiding a naïve claim of just wanting to follow the style of a “New Testament church:” Which church would that be? The Corinthian church which had incest and adultery? The Ephesian church who were still “babyish” at times? The Thessalonian church where some people quit working to go wait on a mountain for Jesus to come (with the resulting command that those who did not work could not eat)? Or the Laodicea church which made God nauseous?

2. Finding the ultimate motivation for mission: A passionate love for Jesus and a desire for people to know Him. Like a bride is eager to introduce her True Love to all her friends and family, so must be the members of the Body of Christ.

3. “Un-building” the church organization in order to really be Church. A growing group of believers in a large UPG were warned a mob would come the following week to destroy their small “village-style” building they used for worship. They asked permission to have one more worship service after which they would dismantle their own church building. Not only did the whole village gather to “watch” this worship time; a number came to faith after this event. As the congregation was forced to worship in several private homes, many more came to Christ—all after they were dispersed into the community through persecution.

4. Reclaiming the full “biblical” pattern of church leadership which results in mission: Scripture does not teach the church is to be led mainly by one central leader. One of the reasons why many churches are not fully on mission may be this “hierachical” model which centers around the gifting of the “pastor/teacher” rather than the full five-fold gifting of Ephesians 4.11-12 which says, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”

In order to be fully equipped for service, the church needs the balance of the “innovative” giftings and the “nurturing” giftings. Without innovation, the church will remain self-centered. Without nurturing, the Body will lack full community.

The “Apostle” gifting involves “crossing boundaries” and innovation aspects which would include cross-cultural witness. The “Prophet” helps the body discern trends by knowing the times (through God-given insight and God’s word) and helps the church know what to do. The “Evangelist” equips the church for effective sharing of God’s truth in word, deed and relevance. The “Pastor” involves nurturing and growing people. The “Teacher” provides careful understanding of God’s way and Word for applying in life and in mission.

The need for a church led by a team, rather than mainly the “Pastor-Teacher” is a need for balance. Since the main innovative, pioneering gifts do not reside with this gifting, many churches thus led are unable to be on mission effectively.

Churches who want to follow the biblical pattern to its fullest extent are urged to consider literally applying the model of the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1ff). The five leaders and the church were fasting and praying and God had them send out 40% of their best leaders—not just their young leaders. What a different day in missions would happen if every church fasted, prayed and released some of its best leaders to go long term among the unreached of the world!

If churches say they want to be on mission, they must realize that the greatest theologians and the greatest strategists were the “missionaries” or “apostles” who constantly re-examined how to present Jesus to the world.

Filling Up the Suffering of Christ On Mission

Finally, a key aspect of what is required for the “reaching” of all peoples, which is not stressed enough, is that the fulfillment of the Gospel being proclaimed (in word and deed) among all peoples will come only in the middle of great suffering and sacrifice. This fact should prevent any Christian from a reductionistic or simplistic understanding of missions.

Many mission challenges focus on Matthew 24:14 with the great promise that “all ethnê” will have a chance to hear the Good News. Yet, this verse must be taken in full context of the whole chapter. Jesus clearly describes great turmoil and catastrophes as a final factor which provides all peoples a chance to hear the Gospel. He does not describe these disasters and then say “but” all peoples will hear. He links the hearing of the peoples with these disaster when he says “and” all peoples will hear. Possibly even more disturbing, He stresses many believers will betray each other, and the love of most believers will grow cold. The implication: those who remain in love with him and remain faithful in the middle of great suffering will have the privilege of being part of the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14.

One more passage (of several such as Isaiah 66:19 which speaks of those who “escape” being sent to the “nations” or “peoples”) which supports this interpretation is found in Habakkuk 1 and 2. Mission speakers often quote Habakkuk 1:5 as God’s promise of incredible things which will happen (the implication being in missions). While ultimately this interpretation is borne out in chapter 2, most ignore the immediate context which describes great disaster and suffering brought about by a “ruthless” people who will cause great devastation. Only after a significant, lingering period of this suffering does God clarify to the watchful that God’s ultimate revelation and victory will come and will be seen by those who patiently wait for God’s appointed fulfillment.

Conclusion

God’s promise to bring a witness to all peoples will happen only as the Body of Christ intentionally unites as a family in love with Christ, resulting in removing church “structures” and patterns which slow down innovation, and with a absolute willingness to go through all kinds of suffering so that all the peoples can hear.

1. The need for resources

2. Desire for creative ideas for newer sending agencies

3. Interact with the Facilitators

4. Responsibility for member care for Indonesians

5. Desire to include discipleship for young church members

6. Support of Filipino MKs

7. Internationalizing MK education resources

A thorough discussion of Member Care:

The group discussed the definition of Member Care:

1. Supporting each other in the body of Christ

2. Caring for missionaries emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually

3. Providing resources missionaries need to be where God has called them

4. Reaching out and caring for one another

5. Need to consider additional definitions/approaches in light of current realities

One of the main definitions being used: “Member care is the ongoing investment of resources by mission agencies, churches, and other missionary organizations for nurture and development of missionary personnel.” This includes connecting with the host culture, may include caring for family and orphans, pastoral care, and intensive care. An example was given of warfare in which nine people are said to be needed in order to back up new soldier on the battlefront. Member care also starts with pre-calling discipleship, but based on the above definition, is understood to begin with one’s “call”.

“Member care” is a term coined in the 80’s and 90’s in the secular world, and is especially useful when more secure language is needed in potentially volatile/hostile situations. The term “member” implies belonging to a group along with mutual accountability. It’s not just something done by organizations, but each other, and it includes special needs. The term has developed as one that is not overly professional but emphasizes supportive care between missionaries so that they hopefully will not need “intensive care”.

Views of member care at their worst are that member care involves coddling and placating, pampering, or even condemnation and punishment. The best practitioner is the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ, who comfort, give peace, challenge, and even at times provoke. This can be done in the context of interpersonal relationships and team dynamics.

A “Trans-cultural Model of Member Care” was presented with relationship with Christ at its core. It included self and mutual care, sender care, specialist care, and network care. There are mutual expectations of missionary and supporters, and how “love” and “care” are demonstrated differs. Specialist care includes counseling, crisis care, family needs, and conflict resolution and much more related issues of member care..

One significant change in member care practice is the use of the Internet, especially using Internet telephony (such as Skype). Protocols are needed for such counseling consultations. However, the Internet is not always available in areas where missionaries are reaching unreached people groups.

Special care needs to be done by recognized, qualified people. Professional care may be needed for many areas, such as sexuality, health issues, and major trauma. There are so many issues, and the question becomes, “how do we help?”

Networking for Member Care

Networking can be used to catalyze, consult, connect, and share. Specialists could be listed on the network by specialty.

Matthew 13:51-52 gives the metaphor of a scribe being like a rich person who brings out of his treasure both old and new things. Networking for member care allows for the best of what has already been done combined with new methods of delivering care.

An Arabian proverb states, “No amount of caution can deter fate.” If you replace the word “fate” with “God”, this is a reminder that good member care does not prevent every problem. Sometimes God allows or ordains problems. The theology of suffering is a necessary understanding of missions in some areas. In the book Back to Jerusalem, Brother Yun asserts that the past 50 years of persecution, suffering, torture for the underground church in China has been God’s training ground. The Chinese believers ask prayer for a stronger back, not a lighter load. There is an observed correlation between persecution and revival.

The paradox of that is seen in seeing being Christ’s servant as being his slave, as in the child versus slave mentality. The load for a son may be lightened as opposed to that of a slave. And lightening the load can prevent burnout. At the same time, “lighter load” can be misunderstood as time off without dealing with interpersonal issues. This paradox was also seen as a cultural difference, as shared from several participants who observed that East Asians adjust to environment, while western missionaries try to change things.  One conferee observed that Latin Americans tend to be resigned and sometimes they don’t change things they should and could change, while North Americans tend to believe there are no “acts of God”.

Some of this perspective depends on the nature of the load and the concept of having a balanced load, and this involves bearing one another’s burdens in community.

Lessons from the India Mission Association (IMA)

IMA introduced member care gradually by first getting mission leaders to share issues with each other. As they discovered the encouragement from caring for each other, they recognized the need for this for their missionaries. IMA then launched each track of its program one by one over the course of 2-3 years at every meeting:

Missionary track – training, counseling

Missionary families – conflicts, crossing culture

MK care and education – including boarding, parenting, relationships with parents and  generation gap, moral issies etc

Missionary children – caring for them when parents are work-oriented

Missionary welfare – covering expenses for medical care, retirement, medical casualties on the field

Some ways to network for member care:

1. Small missions can plug into large missions who have member care in place

2. Training in interpersonal skills, moral issues – “Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills” workshop

3. The need for grief counseling and psychological counseling

4. Training wheels process by looking into areas where missionaries can be upgraded in caring issues plus building teams.

5. There is a concern for workers leaving a smaller mission to join another agency that has the member care in place.

As Latin American and Korean missionaries are now all over the world, the IMA model is a good model for introducing member care. It is not just a “Western model” or one that is based on multiple finances/resources.

The Sending Church And Sending Team

Neal Pirolo shared with us on how church-based support is very important in caring for their missionaries. Member care is not meant to be the sole responsibility of the agency. Rather the sending church has major responsibility. Member care is very effective when done by a team from the local supporting church. See Neal’s paper on “Member Care” and his book Serving as Senders.  According to Neal, in Romans, the 4th question “How can he preach unless he is sent?” is often neglected. Each missionary should form a team that “sends”. This includes several supporters focusing on different types of support, including the primary liaison/coordinator, moral support, finances, secure communication, prayer, reentry, etc. Neal related stories of how effective this care for the missionary was in giving support, encouragement, and accountability. He also reminded us of Paul in prison in Phil. 1:5 and his joy and rejoicing as he commended the Philippians for their prayer support. Neal also shared the types of support that a missionary needs on reentry: Debriefing, Logistics, Communication, Prayer, Finances.

If there is church-based member care, it would not be as difficult to develop agency member care. Church-based member care is an extension of body life to the frontline. One application of the various models of member care is that senders and sent ones need to identify the important areas of care, and draw from many resources. All segments of care are needed at every stage.

There was input from various participants and good discussion. We understood our need to help bring the awareness of member care everywhere that we send personnel and where we work.

The Member Care Workshop was one of about a dozen different workshops held over 4 hours at Ethne ‘06. It was moderated by Beram Kumar, Kelly O’Donnell, Pramila Rajendran and Neal Pirolo.

2. We will setup an e-group for Ethne member care, to keep in touch and share resources.

3. We will make a list of currently available member care resources.

4. We will organize area and regional member care retreats for workers on the field.

5. We will recruit people to speak at churches on member care, teaching church members how to care forworkers.

Global Changes—
Globalization
Communications
Impact of Western Media
Population growth
Life expectancy
Urbanization
Rise in natural disasters
Environmental issues
Growing ecological crisis
Energy crisis
Increase in education
Rise of global south
Growth of middle class
Economic shift to East
Banking and finance
Multilevel marketing
HIV/AIDS
International youth culture
Intercultural marriages
Children without childhood
Breakup of USSR
Nuclear proliferation
Incr. independence of South
Incr. fundamentalism
Lifestyle changes/fashion
Breakdown of family values
Women in leadership
Religious global conflicts
Mobility/migration
Refugees and Displaced
Tourism
Changes in social culture
Strategic alliances
Mergers & Acquisitions

Changes in Mission—
No theology of suffering
Rise in persecution
Cultural insensitivity
Rise of global prayer
Strategic alliances
Interagency partnerships
New sending countries
Holistic missions
Increase in short-term mission
UPG Focus
Spread of the Gospel
Attrition of career workers
Multiregional coordination
Disassociation from identity as missionary
Move from lifetime career to mini-career
Rise in tentmaking
Rise in Business as Mission
Incr. variety of missionary expressions/platforms
Change from mainline to house churches
Mission research
Member care
Growth of parachurch mission
Tech-based proclamation
Empowering of indigenous leadership
Incr perception of Muslims as reachable
Third-world workers
Ease of communication
Church planting movements
Mission-aware local churches
Majority of non-western missionaries
Incr. missiological awareness
Growth in female leadership
Incr. Bible translation
Move from Church-based welfare to state-based
Second-career “finisher” missionaries
Mission opportunities out of crisis and disasters

Recruitment challenges—
Short-term vision
Recruiting where interested
Lack of understanding of UPG
Lack of mission education
Unwillingness to release best workers due to fear of loss
Apathy–too comfortable
Anticipated loneliness
NGOs often recruit heavily.
Security makes promotion hard
Expectations of home culture
Short-term teams ROI is not proportionate.
Academic requirements marginalize Third World workers
Many women willing, many churches unwilling to send
Finding the right people.
Perceived as less prestigious
Mobilizers lack field knowledge

Equipping challenges—
Lack of trainers with field exp.
Helping get at home in culture
Lack of focus on preparing long-term workers
Teaching on spiritual warfare
Too much training, people lose fire
Models on tentmakers
Organic models of relationships
Good training in local language
Character development
Lack of on-the-job training
Equipping the regular member
Need for mentors
Equipping through orality
Teaching indigenous writers to capture struggles & insights
Losing non-Western workers to the West for education
Equipping families

Deployment Challenges—
Visas/long-term deployment
Cost of staying in the field
Lack of data on UPGs
Lack of specific research
Lack of communication
Tendency toward duplication
Working in multicultural teams
Matching ethnicity of worker with suitable ethnic group
Getting worker to be significant trusted person among his adopted peoople
Too small teams, not enough gifts to pool together
Lack of good receiving partnerships to help with logistics, adaptation
Lack of viable platforms
Demand for quick results
Connecting with nationals

Member Care Challenges—
Perception workers are super-spiritual, don’t succumb
Uncaring evaluation teams
MK education for non-English-speaking children
Emotional, physical protection for singles
Younger Western generation wants too much care
Care-givers as second-class people
Churches with poor sending structures
Lack of member care
Cost of member care
Member care workers with no long-term field experience
Readjusting to home
Same-culture member care workers

We asked, “What are some failures and mistakes we can learn from?” Leaders of the most dynamic movements were very open in sharing mistakes and setbacks, as well as lessons learned from these failures.

We spent time discussing the factors needed before a holistic gospel movement can happen. The foundational factors, or critical elements, which we listed included prayer, Scripture, holistic ministry that meets needs, evangelism that results in church planting of churches that plant more churches, and discipleship and leadership development.

Then we asked, “what can we do together?” We identified three key areas.

1. Information sharing. We will create forums where we can securely access resources and models.

2. Joint research. We will identify untouched areas in need of movements, help evaluate each other’s approaches, document holistic gospel movements in process, and help form HGM think-tanks for the different religious segments of the world. 3. Training. We will be developing training manuals, radio programs, HGM workshops for churches, a church-planting coaches network, and methods to help people understand cross-cultural tensions and worldviews.

Our five purposes can be summarized as: inform, connect, pray, learn and train.

The launch of this unprecedented year-long prayer initiative for one-fourth of the world is June 2006 which is strategically aligned with this year’s Global Day of Prayer on Pentecost Sunday, June 4. The GDOP is preceded by 10 days of prayer and fasting and followed by 90 days of local outreach. (More information & resources available at www.globaldayofprayer.com… )

The following are some suggestions for getting your church, cell, network or group involved in the world’s largest harvest-prayer effort in history:

1. Provide Ethnê brochure that gives an overview of the emphasis to each member. (A master brochure is available under Resources section at www.ethne.net… and permission is given to publish and distribute.)

2. Video clips, audio clips, bulletin inserts, and prayer bookmarks on a monthly basis for each region’s least-reached peoples are available to download from the www.ethne.net… website, as well as on the 2-disk Ethnê DVD set (available by request). These are in multiple languages with video subtitles (11 languages currently).

3. Network with your church’s mission outreach and those you know who are working among UPGs throughout the world. Let them know that a major prayer concentration is coming to their part of the world! Get them to spread the word and also make requests for them to send stories about preparations and results from work that is coordinated with the prayer emphasis to prayer@ethne.net….

4. Place a high profile announcement or banner on your church’s home page, linking it further to a page just for recruiting involvement for this year’s GDOP and Ethnê’s Year of Prayer. Register your own commitment at prayer@ethne.net… in order to receive notices of new or updated resources.

5. Provide links on your web page to the Global Prayer Digest so they can pray each day… or have them sign up for a daily email version at: www.global-prayer-digest.org….

6. Send out prominently placed news with your regular church e-mailings, linking them back to your web page for more information.

7. Make announcements whenever possible.

8. PRAY in church services, small groups, families, youth groups, Sunday Schools, and individually. (Special versions of GPD available for youth and children online.)

Let Ethnê know how you are going to be a part of this emphasis so we can help gain momentum as more and more people realize this is a truly global thing. You can also communicate and ask questions via email at prayer@ethne.net….

As the current worldwide stresses and strains of human and natural disasters may remind one of Habakkuk’s complaint in Hab. 1:2-4, might we pray for and reach out to the least-reached peoples of the world in expectation of the Lord’s answer: “Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told” (Habbakuk 1:5).

A number of steps are being planned, as we move forward:

(i) a core team of facilitators will provide leadership to this network;

(ii) a mailing list will be built, to include those who should be included but were not there in Ethnê06. This mailing list is slowly taking shape, with close to 50 leaders already connected to FCRN;

(iii) resources, updates, etc. will be put out on a website. This is now being developed;

(iv) contact will be made with various UPG networks and national Missions Bodies to prepare a core team of crisis-responders in different parts of the world who will be part of the FCRN first-responders;

(v) over the next 2 years, training these groups (core team of crisis-responders) will be one of FCRN primary tasks.

One of the key things that came out of Ethnê06 was the “response & communication mechanism”. Whilst this will vary depending on the circumstances, a general response time frame of 72 hours was agreed upon, i.e. time in which FCRN will have someone on the ground to coordinate the core team. This core team will make arrangements as to logistics (receiving, warehousing and distribution of supplies), volunteers (medical, counsellors, etc.), communication system (FM transmission covering a radius of 30 miles), and most crucially, have a base set up for networking the various Christian NGOs coming to assist.

Two important points should be made. First, whilst CPM is our goal, FCRN is not about launching CPMs—we are focused on providing crisis/disaster relief with excellence and handing over the CPM part for local/near-local believers. Second, whilst we work with various NGOs, and churches, our central strategy involves empowering local Believers. They are the ones who are going to be there for the long term.

The Crisis Response Strategy Group was facilitated by Beram Kumar, Betsy Brown, and Kay Hiramine.

Regional Network Presentation No. 1

This national partnership was established in the early 1990s. It represents churches, national mission agencies, seminaries, foundations, and research networks as well as several foreign mission boards. Its goal for 2020 is to see a church planting movement in 128 people groups and 70% of the local churches involved in cross-cultural mission. It facilitated a key research project that resulted in a prayer guide for the local UPGs (and served as a model for similar guides in other countries). Over 400 pastors participated in the first national missions conference, and it has grown with every conference since. They have established local networks to mobilize churches, prayer and students. By 2010, the network will consist of 1,000 local churches, 10,000 Christians who have attended the Perspective course, more than 50,000 students and youth involved in student mission conferences, 1,000 overseas missionaries and 5,000 local church planters.

Regional Network Presentation No. 2

After a century of missions, this area of the world still has only scattered groups of believers. This regional network was established several years ago, deeply underground. It primarily features small gatherings for fellowship and prayer, as well as an annual consultation. The partnership facilitated shared projects and an international prayer campaign (which, since we’re masking where the partnership is, we can’t specifically mention here—but we’ll profile it elsewhere, so you’ll hear about it). The partnership primarily works through interagency teams, business-as-mission, and church planting teams. It encourages sharing of resources and funding as well as annual donor meetings. It also cooperates with other regional partnerships to bring workers to the area.

Regional Network Presentation No. 3

This network was formed nearly 2 decades ago in a densely populated country with a strong Christian presence. It now has over 130 member organizations. It seeks primarily to form new partnerships, to build capacity to provide quality mentoring of individuals, groups and churches for effective cross-cultural ministry, and to consistently serve as an advocate for unreached groups. It recently launched a plan to train tens of thousands of workers to serve in some of the most restrictive unreached areas in the world. It works with churches, missionary-equipping organizations, field agencies, recruiters, and research groups. It has developed a base curriculum for missionary training including video-based training modules in order to rapidly multiply its ability to equip workers. It partners with regional and global networks all over the world to help equip and place workers and provide for member care.

Regional Network Presentation No. 4

The national church is growing numerically and in maturity in unprecedented manner in this region. It is seeing different models of church, varying from cell churches to buildings, as well as a growing interest in the unreached, and small steps toward outreach in other countries. They are using an increasing amount of media for outreach. This partnership was formed to promote partnership, raise awareness, and help foster resources, training and mentoring. It builds identity amongst believers by building relationships across the region, sharing experiences, stimulating mutual learning and identifying ministry priorities, monitoring trends, and discussing conflicting issues and facilitating projects between national, internationals and agencies.

Regional Network Presentation No. 5

This region sits on a strategic trade position. The number of believers has risen from a few hundred in the early 1990s to over tens of thousands today. They are being trained and sent out as cross-cultural workers to surrounding areas. Church growth has now leveled off, but there is a sense that God is about to do something new. A greater unity amongst pastors and leaders is being seen, and new prayer movements are being raised up across the region. The network has a vision for a church planting movement in every country and people group within the region, a focused and effective prayer movement, and the transformation of society through the supernatural power of God.

Regional Network Presentation No. 6

This region is open and mobilizing many new missionaries to send to the unreached world. The regional network features national mission movements, a mobilization and sending network, a network for pastors and churches, and a training and equipping network. It is based on five “pillars”: strengthening of national missionary movements, focus on the unreached, cooperation and communication, development, and missiological reflection. It has so far held five regional congresses and is preparing for its sixth. There are many thousands of missionaries deployed from this region, with hundreds focused on some of the most unreached areas of the world, and many more are in training.

Regional Network Presentation No. 7

This network is based in a semi-open country with both a substantial Christian and Muslim population. Tens of millions of believers are forming the base of an emerging global mission force sending thousands of missionaries to over two dozen countries. The network was established two decades ago, and today is a coalition of nearly 100 churches and mission organizations working amongst 250 unreached groups. It recently launched a project to mobilizer 50,000 workers in 15 years to take the Gospel through several nations “back to Jerusalem.”

Regional Network Presentation No. 8

This partnership was founded three decades ago in one of the most populous countries in the world, and has become a national federation of over 200 churches and mission agencies representing over 30,000 missionaries. It has 11 networks, including networks for youth, Bible translation, member care, urban ministries, training, research, prayer and more. It helps its members to train, mobilize and send missionaries to the many cultures within their own country as well as to hundreds of mission stations around the world.

The Bhojpuri of India

In northeastern India in the state of Bihar, more than 39 million Bhojpuri can be found. The land of the Bhojpuri is the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and the hyper-nationalistic movements of India. In the 100 year history of missionary work among the Bhojpuri, there have been very few results. Bihar has been commonly known as the “graveyard of missions and missionaries.”

Yet, something new is happening! In the past 15 years of ministry, a church planting movement has resulted in 30,000 churches led and planted by indigenous peoples. Over 1 million believers have been baptized. Some of these churches are 10th generation church plants—surely a measure of rapid reproduction. Over a dozen Muslim imams are now baptized church planters and prayer groups are meeting in mosques!

How did we get there? Several things have contributed:
•    Research
•    Mobilizing prayer
•    Training leaders in obedience-based discipleship and leadership
•    Focusing evangelism on the family
•    Being culturally relevant: Christians are no longer foreigners in their villages, but an important part of the community
•    Having grassroots leadership: not top-down but bottom-up.

Yet a significant portion of the task still remains. There are 150,000 villages without any Gospel influence. Work on the translation of the Old Testament is unfinished. Beyond the Bhojpuri, there are 120 million Muslims in India. We need people to join us in this great task!

Global Trends & Transformational Mission Movements

Global Trends: Discerning the Way Forward

As we strive to discern a way forward, we must examine the global context in which we come together.

Civilization has changed and is changing: from Agriculture (land, 1 context, cp Palestine) to Industrial (machine, factory, organization, systematic theologies) to Information (media, transportation, networking) to Biological (Body of Christ, Holistic, Synergies).

Religion is changing: Jay Gary (a futurist and recipient of the Earl Award at the World Future Society) has identified 10 global trends in religion: (1) the persistence of religious persecution; (2) the attraction of militant fundamentalism; (3) the rising growth rate of Islam; (4) the shift to non-white Christianity; (5) the growth of Pentecostal and non-denominational Christianity; (6) the decline of tribal religions; (7) the level growth of non-religious persons; (8) the increase of pluralism in society; (9) the increase of women in pastoral roles; and, (10) the anticipation of a new millennium.

Church planting movements have likewise moved through several phases. The church has gone from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria (Roman Empire, Western & Northern Nations, Eastern & Southern Nations). We have gone from the coastlands to the inlands to the unreached peoples. Are we headed toward the last Frontier?

Technological advances are causing changes. The world is moving from isolated existence to interconnectedness and on to interdependence. It is empowering individuals who do not want just to be onlookers and spectators, but interdependent participants. This has implications for mobilization and interconnected mission networks.

Holistic & Inclusive Transformational Trends

There is also a holistic trend toward restoration and the fulfillment of Ezekiel 37:1-10 & John 17:21-23.

Those who lived in Biblical times had a holistic paradigm. They believed every part of life was affected by the fall (Genesis 3:14-24: man/woman, animal, nature, work). Redemption, too, had to be holistic (the Old Testament concept of shalom). In the New Testament, Jesus’ message was of the Kingdom of God: a Kingdom that touched every aspect of life.

Greek concepts brought a concept of ‘fragmentation.’ By the 18th Century, the material and spiritual world were considered two disconnected entities. In the 20th century, we have seen a battle between liberalism (social actions) & fundamentalism (evangelism and saving souls).

Today, there is a trend toward restoring this connection. The facts in the field (particularly in the two-thirds world) show that social needs are rampant. In the 1974 Lausanne Covenant: both responsibilities were brought together again. The LCWE (Grand Rapids 1982) and WEF (Wheaton 1983) both affirmed evangelism cannot be divorced from meaningful involvement with people in all their needs. The LCWE Forum 2004 Mission Statement was ’The whole Church taking the whole Gospel to the whole world.”

We see this trend toward reconnecting the in literature on transformational development (World Vision), transformation videos (George Otis Jr), and the Global Day of Prayer (May 15, 2005 with more than 200 million participants).

These trends are leading to grass-roots transformation longings & initiatives. The 21st Century is being lived out in the context of rapid changes toward wholeness and depth. This is increasingly surfacing in various cities, nations, states, regions through such events as TransformWorld, prayer and unity movements such as the International Prayer Council, and synergies for whole-city programs (such as prayer summits, etc).

Challenges:

The more churches are planted, the more persecutions can be expected (Acts 4:2,3,21; 5:14,17,18 etc). Already increasing trends of persecution can be detected in recent years. Persecution could dampen evangelism, dividing and/or uniting Christians, dwindling and/or strengthening Christian churches.

The wise use of language is important: Crusades (negative connotations to Muslims), Church Planting Movements in hostile contexts could be regarded as threatening. Reactions can even come from fellow threatened Christian groups.

Transformation seen as building a shalom community (not merely changing one’s religion) could be more readily accepted in various contexts. To the evangelists, transformation could also be a reminder to work together with other members of the body of Christ.

Opportunities:

Increasing available data & possibilities for research can be used to open eyes of the Church to the needs of the unreached of the world. Many do not presently have data about specific people groups, particularly their location, lifestyle, needs for prayer and ministries.

Increasing numbers of Christian ministries in various stages of Kingdom Vision & Kingdom Building provide various avenues for networking, partnerships & synergies. In a number of hard soils, this togetherness has resulted in significant breakthroughs.

In a globalizing world, opportunities as well as challenges for various creative church planting movements are abundant. The question is now: can we work together with the Spirit to achieve His purposes (Revelation 7:9)?

In Closing:

John Steward observes, “The best missionary teams are groups of diversely gifted people representing the three dimensions of mission.” Interestingly, the three dimensions of the whole gospel are: words proclaim the truth of God (the traditional focus of evangelicals); signs proclaim the power of God (most loved by Pentecostals & Charismatics); and deeds proclaim the love of God ( a strength of liberals & social activists). We should remember the prayer Jesus taught us to pray: “Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, CEV).