Eleventh Hour Institute

Missions Reader

Lectures presented at the Eleventh Hour Institute

Malawi
July 26 - August 18, 1999

Edited and compiled by

Murriell McCulley, Rwanda

Africa Theological Training Service

2622 North National Avenue
Springfield, MO 65803
United States of America

(417) 862-7216
(417) 862-1867
atts@agmd.org
 RATIONALE

The first Eleventh Hour Institute was held in Malawi in 1999. This meeting
was planned for missionaries of all nationalities and for key church
leadership including Bible school teachers. EHI resulted from the combined
planning of East Africa Africa Assemblies of God Alliance (AAGA) and the
Africa Theological Training Service (ATTS). Dr. Lazarus Chakwera served
as the President, and the ATTS network facilitated the development of the
courses.

The materials presented here have been edited from notes and video to
serve as a reader for other Eleventh Hour Institutes to be held in the various
regions of Africa. Though teachers will develop their own presentations, we
have felt the written record of this pioneer event should continue to be read.
EHI teachers will want to read it as the basis of what they present.
Missionaries of all backgrounds will want to read it, for it will provide the
follow-up materials so necessary to gain the maximum benefit from the
Eleventh Hour Institute. Church leaders and Bible School teachers will
want to read it as the basis of their own administration and teaching.

We commend these notes to you for your prayerful consideration and

implementation. They represent the essence of the ministry of ATTS:
Training for the Harvest.

Special appreciation is in order to the late Rev. Robert Holmes and Dr.
Norman Anderson who developed and implemented the curricular design;
to Rev. Peter Njiri and Rev. Jerry Spain who coordinated the planning for
attendance on behalf of AAGA; to the many presenters who researched,
wrote, and taught under the anointing of the Holy Spirit; to the many
translators who put the teachers’ notes into Swahili, French, and Chichewa;
to all those at AGST who so graciously hosted the event; to Mrs. Murriell
McCulley (and her staff) who worked tirelessly to develop the materials into
book form; and to Mrs. Joy York and Ms. Amie Ligon who worked diligently
so that this edition might appear in both English and French.

-- Dr. John V. York, Director

Africa Theological Training Service
April 2001

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 FORWARD

These are momentous days. There is no doubt that the results of such
events represented by the Eleventh Hour Institute will greatly enhance the
spread of the gospel to all nations. This historic, pace-setting school of
missions for the Africa Assemblies of God has been captured in print.

What has not been transcribed on paper, however, are all the attendant
dynamics of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power throughout the month-long
school, the planting of a church in a Muslim village by a multi-national team,
as well as the interaction of the leaders, missionaries and facilitators both in
class and outside of class.

As you read these presentations, my prayer is that the Lord of the harvest
will quicken your spirit and impart to you something of what was imparted
unto all who attended the Institute. Let us be all that the Lord desires us to
be and do missions with Him in these last days in the power of His Spirit,
thereby participating in the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14 and Revelation 5:9!

To God be the Glory,

Lazarus Chakwera
President Eleventh Hour Institute
Lilongwe, Malawi
May 2000

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter Page

Introduction
Lazarus Chakwera ................................................................ 1
1 Missio Dei and the Church
John York.............................................................................. 9
2 Passing It On: Creating Indigenous Missionary Churches
Scott Hanson ...................................................................... 18
3 Don’t Leave Home Without It: The Role of the Holy Spirit
Denny Miller ........................................................................ 45
4 Spiritual Formation: How to Dig Your Own Well
John Ikoni ........................................................................... 58
5 How to Travel Without Jet Lag: Developing a Successful
Pilgrim Mentality
Robert Holmes .................................................................... 78
6 Cross-Cultural Issues
Del Tarr ............................................................................... 82
7 Surviving and Thriving in the Hardest of Places
Dick Brogden .................................................................... 104
8 The Healthy Christian Family: The basis for Christian Witness
Linda Holmes .................................................................... 121
9 International Team Relationship: Misfits Included!
Patrick Giraudel............................................................... 138
10 Mission Possible: A Team Approach to Church Planting
Terah Busari ..................................................................... 147
11 Crash Course on Missions for world Travelers
Dan L. Ligon ..................................................................... 156
12 Between Two Worlds: Merging Western Leadership Methods
with Traditional Societal Values
Bill Kirsch .......................................................................... 171
13 Bi-vocationalism: Working Only Twice as Hard for
a Hundred-fold Harvest
Don Jacques, Keith Pyles ................................................. 189
14 Ministering Christ in Muslim and Animistic Contexts
Ben Tipton ........................................................................ 207
15 Between the Cross and the Crescent: Understanding the
Muslim Worldview
Dale Fagerland ................................................................. 216

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 Introduction
ELEVENTH HOUR LABORERS
Lazarus Chakwera

Matthew 20:1-16
What are we here for and how can we achieve our goal?
I believe without a doubt this is Africa’s greatest hour. The Church of God in Africa
is now involved in God’s mission more than it has ever been involved before. I
believe it is Africa’s greatest hour because the church in Africa is growing rapidly,
and I believe the African church is destined to bless the entire planet. It is our
greatest hour because the Holy Spirit is being poured out more than ever before.

From this scripture we begin to see the heart and mind of God. It helps us find our
place in God’s economy, in God’s plan, because God means to fulfill His plans to
have His work done by the end of the day. He will do it. The Bible says, “This
gospel will be preached and then the end will come” (Mt. 24:14). In this parable
that Jesus gives, we do not have every detail. However, we can see this parable
from different angles. We can look at it from the viewpoint of the characters like the
owner or the workers, or we can look at the harvest and study to see what we can
learn from it.

The Eleventh Hour Institute (EHI) is here to train workers and particularly African
workers for the harvest. Why do we use this passage when there is no mention of
training here? One assumption is that when He goes out at different hours of the
day to call workers, the Master is instructing them as to where to get started so they
do not duplicate the work that others have done. He does so because His mind is
on finishing the work and bringing in all that needs to be brought in. He even goes
out at the eleventh hour or 5 p.m. and calls more workers. When He does that we
assume that He even says to them, “You go work but this is what I want you to do.”
Why? Because the Master has a schedule, the Master has a plan. The Master has
something He has already decided He wants done. So He gives them instructions.
We believe that for the work of the eleventh hour today, workers need to be trained.
We don’t want unskilled workers who do not know what they are supposed to be
doing. We do not want each one doing something someone else has already done
and then claiming we have great revival when all that has happened is that people
have just switched church allegiance.

Consider the Owner or Master. I believe it represents Jesus Himself. He has

control over what happens. Notice the passion this man has for His harvest. I
believe it is time for us in Africa to have such great passion that we will say, “Woe is
me if I preach not this gospel.” Woe to us if we do not get involved in missions. We
need such great passion that we have no alternative – we realize this is what the
church needs to be doing. We do not have an A-B-C choice from which we can
decide what is best. The church exists for harvest. Everything has to be looked at
from that viewpoint.

Let us look at the Owner and His harvest. The harvest represents people. He calls
workers to His field repeatedly. He is not content. He goes out and calls more. He

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does not look at how much money He has and what He can afford. He just
repeatedly goes out and calls more and more workers. This indicates that He is not
satisfied that there are hundreds already working; He wants more involved. He has
a definite plan and every hour He goes out to accomplish that plan. Even at the
eleventh hour he goes out. So we see, He has great passion; He wants all the
harvest in. In other words He says, “I want My house filled.” In another parable
Jesus said, “Go out in the highways and hedges and compel them to come in
because I want My house full”. God wants His house full. God wants all His harvest
brought in. We are not saying that everyone will be saved, but we are saying
everyone needs to hear what Jesus did for him or her so they can decide for
themselves. If they reject the message it isn’t because no one told them, or no one
cared about them, or the church of God did not do anything. The Master wants all
of them to hear and to know and understand.

The passion for harvest is also seen by the Master’s generosity. He is willing to
give the same pay to all the workers - some of whom only worked one hour. All they
did was work from five to six and then the Master says they are closing the books - it
is the end of the day. He didn’t do it just to be generous, but because He wanted
the harvest brought in. He had such a passion for the harvest that He was willing to
give and go beyond His own means to reach those that are not part of the harvest. I
believe that Africa ought to believe in the generosity of God and in the greatness of
God.

Much is written about Africa because of what takes place here. I remember one
Sunday Times reporter from England who wrote that Africa basically exported only
two things: bad news and those things like carvings that white folks like to buy and
take home when they come to visit. He said “bad news” because of civil wars and
famine and the terrible suffering, everything bad that happens on the continent. It
seems like this is all that the world has heard. But the time has come when the
world needs to hear more about Africa than just bad news. It is time that we shape
up because the gospel is what will give credit to this great continent. That which
used to be called the Dark Continent is now rising up because the lamp of the
glorious gospel of Christ has appeared unto us! For the glory of God, we are going
to take that gospel to the whole world!

It is time that we feel the same things that the Master feels, the same compassion
and the same generous spirit. That is why we have been teaching about how to
step on the spirit of poverty in order for the church to know it has been generously
given all of God’s provisions. What has disqualified Africa is actually now our
qualification! Too many people have written about us as being too poor and the
recipients of charity. I charge you brethren that missions should never be credited
with charity. We need to really respond to people’s needs but we should refrain
from thinking that if Africa is a receiver we cannot be involved in giving. People
have excused themselves with this thought. It is time we get away from that
mentality and take our position and feel the same compassion that the Master feels.
We have the same King, we have the same Lord, and we have the same mandate
with the same responsibility as those that have more, even if we do have less. We
can do it with less! God is going to ask of us just as much and maybe more
because we have received more - to whom much is given much is required.

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If you think that we need to have everything in place before we do missions, then we
may wait for the next decade or the next century. You may want to wait until the
African continent is more prosperous. In fact some have preached that the reason
Africa is behind is that Asia and South America are more prosperous than Africa;
but that is just a lie. When this thing got started it was not the rich going to the poor.
It was the less privileged going to the more privileged. It was from Jerusalem going
all the way to the capital in Rome. It was from people who didn’t have anything,
changing their world and turning it upside down - no they didn’t have anything, they
had “something.” They had the Holy Ghost and power!

What does the church in Africa lack? If the church does not feel what God feels,
what is the problem? The Spirit of God is here to empower, to enable the church to
feel what the Master feels, to see just like God sees, to do just like God does. The
Spirit is the great equalizer in missions. It is not how much you have or how much
you do not have. If we need to feel the passion of the Master to bring in the harvest,
then we need to be fashioned after the Master.

Notice the emphasis in this whole thing, which is indicated in verse one: early! The
Master goes out early in the morning. Some of us in Africa have believed the myth
that Africans are not time conscious, they are more event-oriented than they are
time-oriented. We believe it so much that we don’t want to do anything early. It
becomes an excuse. Sometimes we think of Africans as lazybones. We don’t
keep time. We believe time is not important. I tell you, time is important. In the
fullness of time, God keeps time. God is never too late and never too early. God is
always on time. If we pattern ourselves after God, we will attach significance
attached to time, not just to events and things. We need a balance to where the
scriptures shape our cultural orientation more than where we come from. We need
a balance where we understand there is an urgency and importance of certain
things, especially when it comes to the harvest. Even if we are poor, we cannot
afford to be uninvolved harvesting Africa on time. We can’t say we have twelve
months, we can do it at our leisure. When there are certain things to be done we
always make sure that they are done right on time. We can’t afford to have
preachers and pastors who don’t feel the sense of urgency that compels them as
much as the Master. Therefore some things must be done early.

The importance and urgency of the harvest is also indicated by the fact that there
was close supervision and examination. Note that many times the Master goes out
after more workers. Why is that? I suggest to you that it is because He has been
going out to the field and checking on things and He says, “Time is going too
quickly, if I want to get the job done I need more workers!”

Part of the problem in Africa today is the lack of close supervision and evaluation of
what is taking place. It is not easy to make plans. It is not easy to say how do we
get there from here? Experience that is not evaluated cannot be learned from. The
Master goes periodically to check and says, “I need more workers.” I believe it is
time for the Africa church to take inventory, to take stock, and sit down to say, “What
can we do?” One of the greatest things that has happened to us and to Assemblies
of God churches all over the world, is the Decade of Harvest initiative.

It is not that we didn’t preach the gospel, it is not that we didn’t plant churches, it is
not that we didn’t do anything, we were doing some things and things were

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happening but somehow we didn’t have the kind of focus that was provided to us by
the Decade of Harvest initiative. In the last 10 years we have seen more growth
than ever before because something has been targeted and something has given
us purpose and direction. We said, “This is something we want to see done; this is
what we want to see accomplished.” Then everything else and every resource was
pulled together to see those things accomplished until we can’t believe how many
churches the Nigerian Assemblies of God have founded in just one year - it is
astounding. It just tells us that it is possible when we have this sense of urgency
which is indicated by a close check on what is happening and are willing to ask,
“What more can we do and what can we change that hasn’t been done right?”

What used to work 20 years ago may not work today and so why stick with things
that may not be good for now in the accomplishment of our task? Sometimes we
castigate those other churches that are dead, traditional and holding on to some
sacred cows. However, sometimes I fear our churches are beginning to suffer the
same things. Things that need to be changed or more workers that need to be
added on are looked upon as, “What are you trying to do, are you trying to take over
my job?” We just need more workers in the field! No one is taking anyone’s job. In
fact I don’t believe for one moment in the expression of anyone working himself or
herself out of a job. Everybody ought to be working in one way or another. When
the Master sent more workers He didn’t say to those that started at 9 o’clock, “Now
you can go home and rest. I have brought in more workers.” We cannot say, “All
you missionaries can go home; we have workers now”. Some have even wanted a
moratorium on the American missionary - and there are some that still say the
missionaries should go home, that we can do it ourselves. But, nobody ought to be
out of the field unless the Lord says to leave. The work is too important. We cannot
begin to fight among ourselves.

The urgency is also indicated by the fact that the Master breaks from tradition and
routine. Notice He goes out early and then at 9 and then 12 and then 3 and then He
doesn’t keep that three-hour deal - He goes again at 5. Why did He change from
His routine? Why wasn’t He satisfied with the fact that He had periodically gone out
to check? Instead He changed His routine, He changed His tradition. Staying the
same is not what is important. What is important is the harvest that needs to be
brought in. So He is willing to change from His traditions, some of the things he has
gotten used to. Some of us are so much in love with the way we do things that we
don’t want to change. Because we have been doing it for 20 or 40 years and we
don’t want to change. We need to be willing to adapt, to change, and to make plans
because the harvest is so urgent.

In Mark chapter 2 there is the story of some men who brought their friend to Jesus.
He was a paralytic. When they got to the door of the house, they couldn’t get in
because there were so many people. There was not even standing room. People
were just packed in. They couldn’t get to Jesus. However, they didn’t give up.
They didn’t say they would go make an appointment, then come back tomorrow and
have Him all to themselves. No, they believed that when their friend met Jesus he
would be healed. So they did not give up - they took out the roof. The Bible does
not say who would pay for the repairs of that house. It doesn’t say anything about
that because it is not property that is more important - it is people. People worry
over property when all the time others are perishing. Procedures are also not more
important than people. We can change the time of day when we do things because

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we notice our time is running out. It is not a matter of sticking to certain traditions
that is important. We need principles to live by and not the crystallization of certain
traditions to where we think if we didn’t do it a certain way it wasn’t quite
Pentecostal. What is Pentecostal ought to be defined from the Bible and not by
what we see sometimes equated as Pentecost.

I was preaching at a District council recently, and we had someone there from a
church that was not Assemblies of God but there had been such a move of the
Spirit in their group that they wanted to learn what they could from us. Sometimes
we Assemblies of God people have gotten so tired of the Holy Spirit that we want to
build dams and we want to box Him in and control Him while others are so excited
and want to learn from us. Instead what they find is that we are doing the very
things they are trying to run away from. What has made this great movement a
truly missionary and evangelistic movement has been the reality of the Holy Spirit,
not some of those make-believe things that we associate with Pentecostal and
charismatic movements today; things which are nothing but selfish programs which
don’t look at the outside world to see the need and the urgency of bringing the
harvest in. The Master broke from tradition and routine.

Do you notice something else? At the beginning of the day, the Master and workers
sat down and agreed on some things. But at the eleventh hour the Master said,
“Go! Go! Go! Let’s go get the thing done!” There were no contracts.

Contractual Christianity is something that is killing the church in Africa. Everyone

wants to ask, just like Peter said, “What is in it for us”. When you have been poor
for so long, and you are promised, “If you do this, this is what is going to happen,”
then we say, “That’s it; that’s the message!” But even the message of prosperity is
misconstrued and misrepresented because it does not look at missions. It only
says, “Look at what a man of faith I am. Look at what I have for myself.” It does not
care about anyone else. I want to tell you, if that proved faith then the Roman
Catholic church would not be in error today but they would be the ones God
approves because they are the richest on earth. The Muslims would claim divine
prerogative because they have the richest oil wells and so forth – but only that
particular brand of Islam, because not all Muslims are rich, most are poor. Let us
understand that God’s prospering the African church is not for selfish purposes. It is
because today is the day that the Lord has made and it is the day of missions so
that we can take the gospel to all nations!

I have heard John York say, “Do not waste a crisis”. Even though we have wars
and displaced people, which we can see as bad omens and curses, we should
recognize that through the urgency of the hour people are learning to see these
disasters as enabling us to go places and start churches where we have never been
able to go before. When there was persecution in Jerusalem, they did not go out
and preach the fact that it was hard to be a Christian. They preached the Word.
They preached Christ. They started churches. One of the churches started
became a type of the present missionary endeavor - the church at Antioch. It was
the result of people running away from persecution. If Africa has problems let us
learn to channel our resources, our people. There are many displaced people and
although they don’t like to be displaced, they can become God’s emissaries
wherever they go.

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Was the Master’s generosity indicated by the fact that He was willing to negotiate in
the beginning? He is not a hard taskmaster. He wants to understand the problems.
He wants to understand so that He can pay fairly the wage of the day. He doesn’t
want to give them less. He does show a good heart when He is willing to talk to the
workers and negotiate a contract. Then he tells them to go on and work, so they go.
I have no problem with the method of doing missions where you are required to
raise all your support before going to work. But it is not the only method of doing
missions. I was teaching a missions class and the students had to write a paper.
My own son wrote one paper and he said, “ We want to go back to doing missions
that emphasize the signs of an apostle, that emphasize faith, not doing missions just
because someone else was doing it this way.” There is more than just one way.

If we restrict ourselves to doing the work of God to just one way and say everything
has to be in place and there has to be a contract, then we can wait forever because
our African brothers have not yet learned to do some of these things. Are we going
to wait until they learn to do it? Why not just go and do something?

A friend of mine told me that all over the world today if you look, you can find a
Nigerian. It doesn’t matter what country it is, you can find a Nigerian. That great
country is so powerful. You have people from there traveling all over. Can Africans
travel? You bet! Sometimes you travel to other countries and you even find
Malawians where you never thought you’d find another Malawian. Perhaps you
were like Elijah and wanted to pray, “I’m the only one here.” But somehow
somewhere there were others. What are they doing? You’d be surprised. And we
call ourselves poor. People are traveling all over the place doing business. Some
of them are from our churches. Let’s tell them that the God that blesses them wants
them to do business for the Master.

When the Master went out a second and third time He did not enter into a contract
with the workers. He only told them, “Just go - what ever is right, what ever is fair I
will pay you”. Could they trust Him? Sometimes we find ourselves doing the same
things as the foreign missionaries. Since our methods are not the same as theirs,
some could say that what we are doing is not really doing missions. There is no
home church supporting us. We are not being sent money, so we cannot be
regarded as missionaries. But we are doing a good job of building up churches and
starting new ones. When Paul was talking about partnership he was not talking
about doing partnership with the church in Jerusalem or even in Antioch, he was
talking about doing partnership with the church he had just gotten started. He
planted the church in Philippi and immediately got them involved helping the
missionary.

We ought to go back and read again to see how God can do missions in many ways
- not just one way. The African Church needs to be exposed to all these ways
because God is a generous God and we can trust Him to take care of us. I know
from studies that have been done that the rate missionaries give up and go back to
their home countries is greatest in the area where two-thirds world lies. We are
included in that and some of the reasons for missionaries giving up is that there
haven’t been much training, support and so forth. But sometimes there has not
been much faith on the part of those who went. I know of a man, the father of our
General Superintendent in Burkina Faso, who went to many difficult places and
started churches where many young people would not go until there was a work

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already started. Too many of our young people don’t have what it takes to survive
anywhere. That’s why we have included a course here on how you can survive in a
hard place. I think we need to learn to apply that which we have experienced in
order to advance the gospel.

Let’s look again at these later workers. The workers first of all told the owner, even
though they had been looking for work, that no one had hired them. I believe these
workers were workers even before they were hired. They wanted to work, they
were willing to work but no one had hired them. Nobody challenged them. Even
people who have been idle all day have the ability to work. They can work but they
are not. Much of the African Church lies idle while we have specialists doing the
work because we believed from our contact with the church in America, that it is the
stars who get the job done. I tell you, it is not the stars. I am glad in the Assemblies
of God that we do not look at the father and founder who got a work started as
someone who is given a central place and therefore we look to him for everything.
We do not look at the stars. We all need to be stars. It is not someone trying to
perform. It is not someone trying to do an act. It is the whole church doing the work
of missions as God intended. Nobody should be lying idle. Nobody should be
sitting.

I believe the Pentecostal movement has been a great help to the church by helping
it to realize the prophethood of all believers. “It shall come to past in the last days
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters will prophesy”
(Joel 2:28). We need to take the veil off missions. It is not just something
specialists do. It is something that all of God’s people ought to be involved in. If
some people have been idle all these years, they need to be challenged; they need
to be mobilized. The reason the EHI is here is to help the African church mobilize for
missions, to train for missions, and to send forth workers into the entire world
because we cannot afford to have idle workers.

Now some of the workers complained at the end of the day. It might be that at the
end of time when God gives out the rewards for the things we have done, there
might be complaints, but I don’t know. I do know that when the generous God
supplies the workers so that missions is being done, some people still complain,
some people grip and grumble, some point fingers at others, some don’t want to
accept their lot. They are always looking at the fact that they didn’t get as good a
deal as the other one. My God wants us to know that in the end, the final decision
is up to Him. He is going to hand out the rewards to those who have been working.
Africa has not been involved. But who knows, if we get involved now as a result of
having seen something that we will never be able to unsee; perhaps God will say to
us as well, “Yes you too have done well. Enter into the joys of your father; this is
what I have given you; this is what I have rewarded you”. Who knows? God is a
generous God. He rewards not only in this life but also in the life to come. We don’t
just look for confirmation and affirmation right now. Let us learn to be happy
workers in the field, singing just like those Africans when they are harvesting in the
field all day, working and singing. Serve the Lord with gladness.

Let me be clear: we are not in this because we are being forced to or because
someone is twisting our arm to say, “You do it or else.” We are so much in love with
the Lord, and have such a great understanding of His purpose, that we say, “What
ever God wants is what we want to do. It is not someone forcing us to do ministry, it

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is not someone forcing us to do missions, it is that we love it so much that we love it
so much we don’t see anything else to do. We are so in love with Jesus that we
want to do what He is doing!” Jesus was so in love with the Father that what He
saw the Father do, He did and what He heard His father say is what He said. Look
at the harvest.

Sometimes when harvest is ready all else should be stopped in order to reap it.
Just put other things on the side and say, “Let’s get the harvest in.” I was in
America and heard a story of a pastor in a country town where everyone was a
farmer. He learned fast that when it was harvest time he didn’t have very many in
church. For those couple of weeks everyone wanted to get their harvest in because
the weather changes so much. It isn’t like here. If they didn’t get it all in those
church members wouldn’t be able to pay their tithes. When the pastor complained
and asked why they were not in church they simply told him to be patient. They
would be there but first they need to get the crop harvested or else they would lose
everything.

Some people have taken the extreme position that church has to meet on Sunday
morning in a building with four walls and sing a few choruses. Who said this is what
defines church? Even some of these gowns that these ministers put on, do you
know where it came from? It came from the Roman toga that the people there used
to wear. Where did some of these evangelical traditions come from that we love so
much? Some of us don’t understand the history. We need to have a church that is
active seven days a week. Why? Because the harvest is in danger. It can spoil.
Here in Africa robbers can have a heyday. When someone’s maize is ripe in the
field and they are not willing to harvest it right away, it gets stolen. Robbers come at
night and load it off in trucks. In the morning there is nothing left.

There is a great adversary confronting our continent - it is the devil. In the continent
of Africa, it is not wars that are claiming more lives; it is AIDS. You cannot preach a
meeting and say that next year I’ll come back and have another crusade. Those
people may not be there the next year you come around. There is a great enemy
that is going out and destroying what would be a potential harvest if we had gotten
there in time.

In Matthew 24:14, James 5:7, and Revelation 5:19 Jesus’ coming is linked to the
fruit of the earth being ready and the people from every nation and tribe and
language worshipping the Lord, with the gospel having been preached to every
ethnic group. We can have a part in that which God has already seen as the end
result! Some people feel it is improper, unbiblical, or insulting to the sovereignty of
God to talk about the hastening of the coming of the Lord. I feel they are the ones
in error, because the sovereign God has chosen to work with people. He can do
anything He wants and He has chosen to work with us. Peter says that we can
hasten the day of the Lord if we do that which God intends us to do (2 Pet. 3:12).

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 Chapter 1
MISSIO DEI AND THE CHURCH
John V. York

Introduction
God has a plan for history, and that plan is called the Missio Dei, the Mission of
God. This plan is best seen by studying the Bible by the diachronic method of
Biblical Theology. This simply means that the Bible will be viewed in the
chronological order in which it was written (dia means across, chronos means time).

Take time to carefully read the following verses. Think about what God is trying to
show us. Can you see the plan? Jesus stated that the Old Testament revealed a
plan, and he was the center of it: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets,
he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Lk.
24:27). See also: Mic. 4:1,2,3,12. God has an eternal plan for all the nations, even
though they are unaware of it (Ps. 33:10-11; Isa. 46:9-11; Jer. 23:21-22, 28-29; 2
Pe. 1:20-21; 2 Pe. 3:2).

I. MISSIO DEI IN THE PENTATEUCH: MISSIONS IS BORN

A. Creation: Image of God

The first time period in the Bible is that of the first five books, the Pentateuch.
Genesis 1:27 states, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God
created he him; male and female created he them.” While mankind later fell into
sin, it remains true that humanity is made in the image of God. This has two major
implications: The first is that God uses men to accomplish his plan on earth. Man
is capable of knowing and fulfilling the will of God. The second is that all mankind,
all races, clans, languages, and dialects, male and female, are equally the objects
of God’s redemption.

Where is that place that is beyond God’s love? No place. Who are those people so
sinful that God cannot save them? No people. Who is the man or woman too
wicked to be saved? No one. Which place, if the people are saved, can they not
then organize their own churches, preach their own sermons, and manage their own
finances? There can be no such place. All are made in the image of God. All are
capable of being saved. All are capable of proclaiming the Gospel. Image implies
rule, which immediately suggests kingdom. To be in the image of God means to
conduct business on his behalf (Gen. 1:27-28).

B. The Fall Defines the Mission of God

The fall of mankind defined God’s mission as the redemption of humanity. The fall
did not destroy the image of God in men. With the fall, we now see the plan of God:
His objective will be to reach all men. Redemption will come from a male
descendent of the woman (Gen. 3:15). His messengers will be those made in his
image.

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C. The First Word of Promise
With the first word of promise (Gen. 3:15), God promised that the seed of the
woman would bruise Satan’s head. This is an announcement that history will focus
on God’s plan to defeat Satan through this seed. After the flood, a table of 70
nations is given (Gen. 10), having come from the division of languages that took
place at Babel (Gen. 11).

D. Abram Called to Bless the Nations

Once the nations are thus established, God calls Abraham with the specific mission
of bringing blessing to those nations (Gen. 12:3). In this verse, Abraham is given a
sevenfold promise. The progression of the entire promise moves toward the
seventh point. That is, the first six blessings are the enablement through which the
seventh blessing, the promise’s overall purpose, is to be accomplished. This
promise to bless the nations is repeated to Abraham in Genesis 18:18, and in
Genesis 22:18 the words “through your offspring (seed)” are added so that the
promise reads, “And through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.”
This blessing of all nations “through your offspring” is repeated by God to Isaac
(Gen. 26:4) and to Jacob (Gen. 28:14). We thus see the promise given to Abraham
and repeated to Isaac and Jacob as being the purpose statement of the whole
Bible. God will bless all nations through Jesus Christ the promised seed of
blessing. The whole Bible will center around this theme.

E. God’s Covenatnts: A Kingdom of Priests

God acts alone to confirm his intentions by unconditional covenant with Abraham
(Gen. 15). Then, at Sinai, he then enters into a sovereign/vassal covenant with
Israel in which Israel promised to serve him as their King. Israel is then called to be
a kingdom of priests (Ex. 19:5,6), and history is seen to have a plan. Man is made
in God’s image to be his tool in defeating Satan. This will be accomplished by the
seed first promised to Eve, and later promised to Abraham. Israel was to be a
kingdom of priests serving under God to bless all the nations.

F. Tripartite Formula
A tripartite formula, introduced in the Pentateuch, becomes central to the rest of
Scripture: I will be your God, you will be my people, and I will dwell in the midst of
you. (Read Gen. 17:7-8; 28:21; Ex. 4:22, 6:7; 19:5-6; 29:45-46, Lev. 26:11-13.)

G. Summary: God’s Mission from the Pentateuch

Israel was to represent God to the nations, intercede for the nations, and bring the
nations into covenant relationship. In summary, the purpose statement of Genesis
12:3 is the foundation to everything else in the Old Testament covenant.

Discussion
1. In what ways is creation the foundation of the mission of God?
2. What are the two great implications of the statement that humankind is
created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27,28)?
3. Explain why Genesis 12:3 is stated to function as the purpose statement for
the remainder of the Bible.

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 II. MISSIO DEI: THE KINGDOM IN MISSIONS

God revealed that his plan would take the form of a kingdom governed by the tribe
of Judah (Gen. 49:10; Deu. 17:18-20).

A. Joshua
In the book of Joshua, the people moving in covenant with the king are miraculously
given a promised land. The land is taken when the people dare to advance in
obedience to God their King who fights on their behalf. Territory is allocated to each
tribe and must be possessed. God then blessed the people with rest, meaning
secure borders and freedom from threat from without or within.

Three great principles are seen here:

• God’s presence accompanies those who advance according to His will. His will
is progress toward a kingdom: Jos. 1:5,9, 3:7; 10:14. This principle is seen in
the New Testament as Jesus promises his presence to those who make
disciples of the nations (Mt. 28:20). It should also be noted that those treating
God’s kingdom as a personal possession, by taking what belongs to God, come
under a curse (Jos. 7:11-12).
• All true victories in the kingdom of God are done with the benefit of the nations
in clear view (Jos. 3:11, 13; 4:24).
• God uses the allocation principle to accomplish his plan. This is consistent with
man being made in God’s image. God trusts man to be his representative (Jos.
13:6; 18:3-5). The extent of the mandate was non-negotiable, and the
responsibility of leadership was to divide the task into sub-tasks and allocate
these to the tribal units of Israel.

B. Judges
A period of decline is then shown in the book of Judges. The main question, Who is
King?” is shown by the repeating cycles of apostasy, punishment, repentance, and
restoration. These cycles bracket the central account in which Gideon, in many
ways the ideal judge, declares, “the Lord shall rule over you” (8:23). He is thus
contrasted with Abimelech who as an anti-judge attempts to usurp the Lord’s
kingdom. Judges shows the severity of judgment upon covenant breakers. The
cycles of judgment followed disobedience (Jud. 3:7-8). Judges focuses upon the
kingdom (rule of God) (Jud. 8:23, 17:6). Judges demonstrates the power of the
Holy Spirit to keep God’s rule central during the most difficult of times (Jud.6:34).

C. Ruth
Ruth then prepares the way for David to be introduced. He is from Judah (as
prophesied). The kinsman-redeemer motif prepares the way for Jesus the son of
David, the son of Abraham (Ruth 4:16-17, ref. Gen, 49:10; Deu. 17:14-20).

D. David
The stage is thus set for the calling of David. In II Samuel 7:16, David is promised
an everlasting kingdom. The kingdom, of course, is God’s kingdom over which
David’s line rules in fulfillment of the promise that the scepter would not depart from
Judah (Gen. 49:10). By this time, it has long been known that God’s eternal
kingdom is to encompass all nations. Israel, as a kingdom of priests, is God’s agent

11
to bring his blessing to all nations. The promised seed will come from David’s line.
(Read II Sa. 7: 12, 16, 19; Isa. 55:3-9; Ps. 89: 27-29, 35-40; Jer. 30:9-10; Amos
9:11-12.)

Discussion
1. Explain the three great missiological principles of the book of Joshua.
2. Explain how the eternal kingdom promised to David relates to both Abraham
and Christ.

III. MISSIO DEI: LIFE IN THE KINGDOM

God’s mission is seen in the wisdom literature both as Kingdom and as the fear of
the Lord.

A. The Royal Psalms

The Royal Psalms celebrate the rule of the Lord's anointed king (note chapters 2,
18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 89, 101, 110, 132, 144). The Messiah or Greater David is
portrayed in glorious splendor as he rules over all nations of the earth. The nations,
in turn, have been brought under God’s covenant as “the people of the God of
Abraham” (Ps. 47:9, 117). The conversion of the nations is accomplished in a
special “day” the Lord makes for this purpose (Ps. 118:22-26). This day begins with
the stone rejected by the builders becoming the capstone (v. 22). It ends with a
kingly coronation in the words, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Between rejection and coronation is a time of salvation (Heb. Hosanna) amidst a
prayer for success (v. 25). The Psalm thus anticipates each component of the New
Testament day of Christ: His rejection at the crucifixion, the time of success in
proclaiming salvation during the church age, and his coronation at the Second
Coming.

B. The Nations as Seen in the Psalms

Read these verses and think about what they are saying about the nations:

Ps. 2:8; 9:11, 17, 19; 10:16; 18:49; 22:27-28, 33:8-15, 45:6-7, 47:2, 7-9;
48:10; 49:1; 56:7; 57:9; 59:5,8; 65:8; 66:7; 67:1-7; 72:8-11; 72:11,17; 76:11,
77:14; 79:6,10; 82:8; 83:18; 86:6-10; 87: 1-6; 94:10; 95:3; 96:1-13; 97:1, 9;
98:3; 98:8-9; 99:1-3; 100:1-5; 102:15, 18, 20-22; 106:6,19; 105:1,7-9;
106:34-35, 47; 108:3; 110:3; 115:3; 117:1-2; 118:22-26; 138:1,4-5, 8; 139:9-
10; 144:2; 145:9-13; 146:6.

C. Life in the Kingdom

The wisdom literature also teaches the fear of the Lord as being a life of blessing,
wisdom, justice, and love (Heb. Hesed). God intends this quality of life to serve as
an invitation for the nations to enter his covenant.

Discussion
1. Explain the missiological significance of the nations passages within the
book of Psalms.

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 2. Explain how the fear of the Lord within the poetical books relates to the
mission of God.

IV. MISSIO DEI: JUDGMENT AND PROMISE

A. Covenant Lawsuit
Throughout the centuries of the Old Testament, God’s people rebelled against his
rule. The bless-the-nations Abrahamic covenant could never be fulfilled by a people
rebellious to the Mosaic covenant. It was in this context that God spoke through the
prophets to arraign the nation in a covenant lawsuit. The anointed kings and the
people were alike guilty of breach of covenant, and all would be judged. Nor were
the nations exempt from judgment. They too, were created by God. Though they
were strangers to the promise, they lived in rebellion against the Sovereign Lord of
the universe, and they would be judged.

Read and think about what these verses are saying:

Jer. 1:5; 31:31,33-34; Isa. 40:5; 41:8-10,21-23; 42:6-12; 53:3-11.

B. Messiah
Against this certainty of universal judgment, the prophets boldly foretold the coming
of a Messiah anointed as the Servant of Jehovah who would fully atone for the sins
of Israel and the world. Good days were coming, but only following national
judgment, national repentance, and the coming of the Servant who “will bring justice
to the nations” (Isa. 42:1-4).

C. Kingdom for All Nations

When the kingdom of Jehovah would be restored, the prophets insisted that it would
be too small a thing to redeem only Israel. Indeed, the light of the Gospel would go
to the Gentiles, even to the ends of the earth (Isa. 49:6). Isaiah further saw God’s
house as being a house of prayer for all nations (Isa. 56:7). Joel saw the universal
outpouring of the Spirit upon all flesh so that all who called on the name of the Lord
would be saved (Joel 2:28-32). Both Obadiah and Amos saw archenemy Edom as
serving the Lord in a revived kingdom (Oba. 1:21; Amos 9:11-12). Daniel saw the
saints of the Most High receiving God’s kingdom, which would crush all other
kingdoms and then rule forever (Dan. 2:44, 7:18). Zechariah declared that many
nations would be joined to Israel in that day to become God’s people among whom
God would dwell (Zec. 2:11).

Read and think about these verses:

Joel 2:28-29, 32; Isa. 49:6; Dan. 2:44; 7:18; Oba. 1:21; Zep. 2:11; Isa. 56:7;
Zec. 6:12-13; 2:3, 10-13; Isa. 45:6, 22; Isa. 49:26; 51:4-5; Isa. 53:10; 54:5;
11:9; 65:25.

Discussion
1. In what ways do the prophets recall Israel to its original mission?
2. In what ways do the prophets foresee a day when all nations will be blessed
as the redeemed people of God?

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 V. MISSIO DEI: THE KING DECLARES HIS MISSION

A. The Gospels and the King

The gospels’ primary function is that of a royal declaration that the King has now
come. Matthew declares Jesus is descended from both Abraham and David (Mt.
1:1). God’s plan is being fulfilled in the kingdom, which is present in the person of
the King. Since the promised kingdom was to embrace all nations, the wise men
came from the East to worship him. Simeon declared that the infant Jesus was “A
light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” (Lk. 2:32).

B. Through Proclamation and Miracles

Jesus advances the kingdom theme both in his preaching and in his miracles.
Though Jesus had great compassion for Israel, He loses no opportunity to advertise
the international dominion to which his kingdom will grow. He delivered the
daughter of a Canaanite woman from demonic oppression (Mk. 7:24-30). He
healed a Gentile centurion’s servant and declared the centurion’s faith greater than
what could be found among Israel (Mt. 8:5-13). Indeed, many (Gentiles) would
come from the East and the West, but the sons of the kingdom would remain
outside (Mt. 8:11-12). The unlikely hero to his most famous parable is, not
surprisingly, a Samaritan. While Jewish cities are condemned, Jesus boldly states
that their Gentile counterparts would have repented if given equal opportunity (Mt.
11:21-24).

C. Harvest
Harvest is central to Jesus’ parables in anticipation of a mission to all nations. The
Gospel of John is developed around a carefully selected list of key words and terms
that are used to imply a Gentile mission. These terms include: word (logos), world
(kosmos), believe, all men, every man, whoever, other sheep, Greeks, and so send
I you. It was to a Samaritan woman that Jesus first openly revealed his identity as
Messiah (Jn. 4). He announced his upcoming crucifixion with the promise that when
he is lifted up from the earth, he will draw all men unto himself. Though the twelve
are initially sent only to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” this limited
commission is by nature transitory and is soon subsumed into a greater commission
to all nations (Mt. 10, 28).

Discussion
1. Explain the missiological significance of Jesus’ parables.
2. Explain the significance of missiological terms in the gospels such as
“nations” and “Gentiles.”
3. Explain Jesus’ teaching relating the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom
and the end of the age.
4. Explain the Great Commission passages in the gospels.

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 VI. MISSIO DEI: MISSIONS IN ACTION

A. Pentecostal Power
The outline of Acts states the anticipated progression of Christ’s mission:
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth (Ac. 1:8). This
theme is energized by the events on the Day of Pentecost when the assembled
believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and burst out in a chorus of worship—in the
Gentile languages of the nations! (Ac. 2:3-4,11; 10:46; 19:6)

B. Growth of the Church

Peter opens the door first to the Jews, then to Gentiles. The Spirit then impresses
upon the first congregation that included Gentiles that they should send out
missionaries (Ac. 13). The success of the mission to the Gentiles forced the Acts
15 council to consider the place of Gentiles within the church. James interprets the
prophecy of Amos 9:11-12 to mean that once Jesus is revealed as King, the
Gentiles are to be freely admitted as the covenant children of God without adhering
to the requirements of Jewish legalism. From this decision, the church rapidly grew
until it reached Rome, the heart of the Gentile Empire.

Think on these verses: Ac. 2:17,34; 7:17; 13:23,32; 26:7; 10:35; 17:26; 15:16-18.

Discussion
1. Explain in what ways the Pentecostal account in the book of Acts serves as
a foundation for the mission of the church.
2. Explain the development within Acts of the outline given in Acts 1:8.
3. Explain Paul’ understanding of the mission of the church. How do you
suppose he gained this understanding?
4. What missiological significance is there in the settling of the Gentile problem
in Acts 15?

VII. MISSIO DEI: MISSIONARY CHURCHES AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD

A. Pauline Epistles
Paul’s epistles are written primarily to solve the problems of the new predominately
Gentile churches. Paul sees himself as a debtor to all men (Rom. 1:14) since all
have sinned and all alike stand guilty before God. He specifically refers to God as
being not only the God of the Jews but the God “of the Gentiles also” (Rom. 3:29).
The ancient promise from Exodus of a kingdom of priests is in focus when Paul
states that his priestly duty is to proclaim the “gospel of God, so that the Gentiles
might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Rom.
15:16). In this same vein, Paul goes on to state that his ambition is to preach where
the gospel is not yet known (Rom. 15:20).

15
B. Christ the Seed (Galatians)
The ancient promise that Abraham would bless all nations (Gen. 12:3, 22:18) is
explained in Galatians 3:8, 16: the gospel is that Jesus Christ is the seed (singular)
that will bless all nations.

C. Missiological References in other Pauline Epistles

In Ephesians, the doctrine of the church is given in missionary terms: The wall is
broken and Jews and Greeks stand on equal footing before God. In 2 Corinthians,
Paul longs to go to “the regions beyond” (2 Co. 10:16). To the Philippians, Paul
explains that Jesus humbled himself in the nature of a servant so that every tongue
will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God (Phil. 2:7-11).

D. Petrine Epistles
Peter refers to God’s people as “a royal priesthood,” a reference to the priestly
nature of God’s new people in language that brings Exodus to mind (I Pe. 2:9). He
also relates the delay in the return of Christ to God’s patience in waiting for more to
be saved, urging the church to “speed its coming” (2 Pe. 2:13). In the epistles of
John, John refers to Christ as “the Savior of the world” (I Jn. 4:14, ref. Jn. 4:42).

For further consideration read:

Rom. 3:29; 9:24; 10:15; 9:14; 15:8; 2 Cor. 1:20; 7:1; Gal. 3:16; Rom. 15:16,
20; 1 Cor. 4:9; 2 Cor. 10:16; Gal. 3:8, 16; Rom. 16:25-27; Eph. 1:9-13; Eph.
3:6,8; 2 Ti. 1:9; Eph 3:15; Phil. 2:7,11; Gal. 3:28-29; Col. 3:11-12; 1 Pet. 2:9;
1 Ti. 2:5; Rom. 11:13; Gal. 2:8; 1 Ti. 2:7; Col. 1:6-7, 12-20,23, 25-27,29; Col.
3:11-12; 1 Ti. 4:10; 1 Pet. 2:9; 2 Pet. 3:8-9, 12; Jn. 4:42; 1 Jn 4:14.

Discussion
1. What are the great missiological themes of Romans?
2. Give at least three examples of missiological themes from other Pauline
epistles.
3. Comment on references to the mission of God within the General Epistles.
Include the concept of closure (II Pet. 3).

VIII. MISSIO DEI: THE TRIUMPH OF THE KINGDOM

A. Revisiting the Themes

Finally, the themes of the entire Bible concerning God’s mission come together in
the book of Revelation. The “every tribe, tongue, and nation” theme is mentioned in
5:9 and 7:9. In fact, the term “nations” appears 19 times in Revelation. Christ, the
worthy one, takes up the key of David (Rev. 3:7), conquering as both the Lamb who
was slain and the Lion of the tribe of Judah (ch. 5). In a grand triumphal note,
victory is declared:
The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his
Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever (Rev. 11:15).

B. A Final Invitation
In anticipation of this great victory, a final invitation is issued to all who will heed:

16
 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!”
Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free
gift of the water of life (Rev. 22:17).

Discussion
1. In what ways does the book of Revelation serve as a fitting conclusion to the
theme of the mission of God?

Conclusion
God will indeed reign over redeemed mankind forever and ever. The
accomplishment of this plan is called Missio Dei, the mission of God. Throughout
each period of time, using a variety of metaphors and covenants, God has
consistently shown His intention to have a covenant people mad up from every tribe,
tongue, and nation. While the eventual success of this plan is guaranteed by God
Himself, it is our highest privilege to be found worthy to be active human agents in
fulfilling the plan of God. This desire should be the heart cry of every true Christian.
What, then, is missions all about? It is the church empowered by the Holy Spirit
moving out in obedience to fulfill Missio Dei. Amen! Maranatha.

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 Chapter 2
PASSING IT ON: CREATING INDIGENOUS MISSIONARY CHURCHES
Scott Hanson

In this lesson we will look at a biblical, historical and contemporary review of

missionary church planting presenting the five-self model: Self-supporting, self-
governing, self-propagating, self-theologizing, self-missionizing. This will help the
missionary to establish indigenous churches following the New Testament pattern.

Objectives
The purpose of this lesson is to help the student:
1. Define what an indigenous church is
2. List several character traits that are important in establishing an indigenous work
and explain why they are important
3. Demonstrate an understanding of how an indigenous church can practically be
planted
4. Demonstrate an understanding of some of the dangers and temptations which
will be faced in planting an indigenous work
5. Be able to develop these characteristics personally
6. Redefine and focus ministry to fit into the indigenous model
7. Become aware of difficulties and thus avoid making mistakes

I. DEFINING OUR GOAL – WHAT IS AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH?

Have you ever pondered what your ultimate goal is as a missionary? Without doubt
your overall objective is obvious: you want to reach your target people group with
the gospel. But what about the specifics? What sort of work do you want to plant
among the people you are targeting? These are very important questions. It is vital
that you have a clear picture of your role and goals as a missionary.

More than likely in your home area you were a pastor. Now you are entering into
something much different. Your goal is not merely to plant a church as a pastor.
Rather your goal is to start a dynamic work that will soon be pastored by local
believers. Your goal should be to establish an indigenous church. What is an
indigenous church? It is one that is: self-propagating, self-governing, self-
supporting, self-theologizing and self-missionizing. We will now define what each of
these are and then give a Biblical and contemporary example of each.

A. Self Propagating
Definition
A self-propagating church is one that is actively reaching out in evangelism to
incorporate people into the body of Christ and the local church. Each member in
the church should be encouraged to take part in the process of evangelism. It is not
solely the task of the church leaders or the missionary to focus on reaching non-
Christians with the gospel. This is a responsibility that is equally shared by all the
members of the church.

Biblical Example - Acts 8:4

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The church in Jerusalem is a wonderful example of a self-propagating church. In
the first chapters of the book of Acts we read that the church grew as a result of the
preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. Several times we read that “many were added
to their number.” The church was out witnessing and as a result was growing. In
part, the growth should be attributed to the work of the apostles. However, in Acts 8
we see that not just the apostles but all the believers were reaching out. The Bible
says that upon Stephen’s death the Jews began actively persecuting the Christians.
As a result of the persecution, Christians were scattered throughout Judea and
Samaria and everywhere they went they preached the gospel. The Jerusalem
church was a self-propagating church.

Your goal too is to plant a self-propagating church. Open-air meetings, seminars,

door-to-door witnessing, and starting branch churches are all activities indicating a
self-propagating church.

Historical Example - Mbulu

In northern Tanzania there is a small town called Mbulu. My wife and I worked there
for one year and a half. The church in Mbulu is in the center of town and has an
active evangelism program. Every year the church holds open-air meetings where
people are introduced to Jesus. On a regular basis Sunday night services are
canceled so that the believers can go out in groups to witness throughout the
neighborhood. The church is not only concerned with those who live in Mbulu town.
They are also concerned about the people who live a distance away in surrounding
villages. Therefore, they have planted several branch churches. Some of these
branch churches are now sovereign churches in their own right and they too have
started branching out.

Notice that, as missionaries, my wife and I were not the only people out
evangelizing. Neither was the responsibility solely placed on the shoulders of the
pastor. Rather the church as a whole accepted the responsibility of reaching out to
the lost.

Discussion
1. What is the difference between a missionary and a pastor?
2. How can you instill a heart of evangelism in the hearts of your new converts?

B. Self Governing
Definition
A self-governing church is one that is administratively led by the indigenous people.
This means that the church leadership, not the missionary, makes all major
decisions. The missionary’s role in a self-governed church is merely that of an
advisor. If the missionary controls the decision-making process or reverses
decisions made by the local leadership he is strongly jeopardizing his goal of
establishing a self-governing church.

Biblical Example - Acts 14:23

Paul the apostle recognized the importance of planting a church that governed itself.
On Paul’s first missionary journey the team traveled throughout the countryside
preaching Christ. The Bible states that they made disciples everywhere. When
they were finished with their outreach they returned home using the same road they

19
had traveled on. Along the way they stopped in at each church strengthening and
encouraging all of the recent disciples and appointing elders in each church.

When a missionary plants a church, it should never be his intention to stay and
pastor the church. A missionary’s task is to make disciples and then to raise up
indigenous leaders to govern the church. It would have been impossible for Paul to
have stayed in each city and pastor the different churches. He knew that was not
his calling. So he appointed elders to oversee the church. Most of these elders
were relatively young in the faith and therefore prone to mistakes but he still felt it
was the right thing to do. This too is how it should be for us. When the time comes
we must be willing to take our hands off the work and appoint indigenous people to
take over.

Hypothetical Example
Imagine it is the general council within a newly established field. All the business is
running well. The next agenda item relates to requirements for ordination. After
discussion the vote is taken. The pastors decide that only one year of experience
after Bible school is needed for a person to be eligible for ordination. The
missionary stands up, takes the microphone and begins to say that this is
impossible. There must be much more experience before ordination. After all, his
experience has shown him how important a longer time is. He cancels the vote.
Though you may feel the missionary is correct, is there not a problem? Should a
missionary act by himself to change a group decision? Would it not be better to
discuss the matter privately with the elders?

Both on the national and local level, the temptation is for a missionary to think that
as the father of the work he has the right to make decisions for the group or cancel
decisions that the group has made. But we always must remember that our desire is
for a church that governs itself. Very early in its life, local people should be
entrusted with the responsibility to make decisions.

Discussion
1. What is the role of a missionary in a self-governing church?
2. What role does “relationship” play in the planting of a self-governing church?

C. Self Supporting
Definition
The ultimate goal of being self-supporting is to raise up a church which supports its
own pastor and all the activities that are part of the ministry of a church. This is a
slow process especially when one considers some of the bigger projects that a
church will be involved with (i.e. buildings, Bible schools).

A church will not become self-supporting or indigenous in a short period of time.

Practically speaking it may be necessary for the missionary to partner with the
church in certain financial issues. It is important to carefully examine what your role
should be in this process so that you avoid building dependency in the church.

Biblical Example - II Thessalonians 3:8

The church in Thessalonica is a good example of a self-supporting church. In II
Thessalonians 3:8 Paul describes his own tactic of planting the church in

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Thessalonica. He tells the church that he and his church planting partners were
very careful that they provided for their own needs. Although he had the right to be
supported by the church, he chose to live a more difficult life. His goal was that the
people would learn to support themselves. This principle not only is applicable to an
individual’s life but also is equally applicable in a church setting. The church in
Thessalonica had to learn to provide for itself, just as Paul did for himself. The
process is not an easy one. Paul mentioned that he toiled night and day. The
principle is important. The churches that you are planting must move towards being
self-supporting even though it is not easy. They cannot be forever dependent on
the missionary to provide for their needs.

Historical Example - Arusha

In northern Tanzania is a church that is pastored by our missions director, Oral
Sossy. It is a large church running approximately one thousand people. In the early
eighties, the church was much smaller and meeting in a tent. They had a good
congregation that was totally supporting their pastor. When it came time for them to
build their first building, the mission was able to partner with the church. A team
came out from the States and together with people from the church, they built a
building. Since that time the church has grown and expanded until now they have
decided to build their own larger building and add people to the staff. Because of
the growth in the church Pastor Sossy has added six lay pastors on staff, each one
is being paid a salary by the church. Also the church has begun to build a new
building. This time the church is planning on totally finishing the building without
any outside help. This is a church that is self-supporting.

At one time in the church’s history the mission came in partnership with Pastor
Sossy to build the first building. The mission did not do everything but it was a big
help in the process. Now, however, the church has passed the place where they
need help and now they are building their own building. Through a process and
time the church has grown in maturation until it is now a fully self-supporting church.

Discussion
1. What does it mean to be self-supporting?
2. How do you feel about missionaries or pastors who work full time to support
their ministry?
3. What is the place of partnership in the process of developing a self-
supporting church?

D. Self Theologizing
Definition
The Bible is the basis for all theology. It is written in such a way that it is applicable
to cultures all over the world. In each and every culture there are different issues
that must be addressed in a Biblical way. Perhaps we could say that our theology
must be practical. It must be able to be applied to our everyday lives. Because
each culture is different there will always be issues of theology that are culturally
specific. These are issues that the church must come to grips with in a Biblical way.
As a missionary, who is an outsider to the host cultural, you may not have the
proper cultural understanding to properly address these issues. Therefore it is
important that you develop a church which is able to come up with it’s own culturally
applicable theology. This is a self-theologizing church.

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Biblical Example - Acts 15
The early church was not exempt from these culturally sensitive theological issues.
One of the great debates in the church was over circumcision. The Jews felt that
circumcision was a very important part of being a Christian. The Gentiles, on the
contrary, felt that circumcision was a Jewish issue rather than Biblical one.
Because of the conflict a church council was called and the problem was discussed.
Although the advocate for the Gentiles was Paul, he represented a Gentile church
that had reached a theological decision. The outcome of the meeting was the
decision that the Gentiles were right, circumcision was not a requirement for
salvation. This is a tremendous example of the Gentile church expressing it’s right
to be self-theologizing.

Historical Example - Polygamy & Circumcision

As a missionary myself there are several issues that I have encountered here in
Africa that have shown me the importance of developing a self-theologizing church.
These are problems that we do not have in America. Because they are issues that
are outside of my culture I recognize (with great relief) that it is not my responsibility
to solve them theologically.

For instance there is the issue of polygamy. Polygamy is a non-issue in America.

Before I came to Africa I had never met a man with more than one wife. Yet, here in
Africa, especially among certain tribes this is a very relevant issue.
Another example of the importance of a church being self-theologizing is the issue
of circumcision. In America circumcision is a medical procedure that males go
through before they are one month old. Here circumcision has implication for both
males and females. Also, in Africa, often circumcision is performed as a ritual,
which may or may not have religious implications. These are issues that are
beyond my grasp culturally. Therefore it is important that the church (not
necessarily the local church but rather the group of churches or denomination), not
the missionary, come to a decision on such matters.

Discussion
1. Is there such a thing as culturally applicable theology?
2. Is it possible that certain theological truths may hold true in one culture but
not in another?
3. List some examples from your home church that represent self-theologizing.

E. Self Missionizing
Definition
A self-missionizing church is one that is involved with God’s plan to bless the
nations of the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. This is a church that
recognizes the importance of reaching the lost that lives in the immediate area
surrounding the church and also it’s responsibility to be bearers of the good news
around the world. God’s plan is for each and every church to be involved in
missions. Missions is evangelism that is directed towards those who are culturally
distinct from you. Every church should be participating in God’s plan of missions.

Biblical Example - Philippians 1:5; 4:15

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Perhaps the best example of a self-missionizing church in the Bible is the Philippian
church. Repeatedly Paul praises the Philippian church because of their missions
vision. In Philippians 1:5 Paul tells the Philippians that he always prays for them
with joy because of their partnership with him. One of the ways that the Philippians
participated in missions was by partnering with Paul. They partnered with him by
sending Epaphroditus on a missions trip to help Paul and giving gifts so that he
could continue on in his work as a missionary.

Historical Example - The Unnamed Church

There is a church in Africa that is one of the strongest churches in its nation. This
church has a great outreach program. Every year this church attempts to plant new
churches in new areas. In fact when they plant a church they help build the pastor a
church building and parsonage. They are constantly involved reaching out through
evangelistic meetings and personal evangelism. This is, virtually, the full thrust of
their evangelistic outreach.

This type of church is not a self-missionizing church. It is involved heavily in self-

propagation but they are not participating in God’s plan to bless the nations.
Missions is being involved with a plan that reaches people who are culturally distinct
from the home church. It is reaching out and blessing people of a different race
without ever having the benefit of receiving something in return. (Unlike what we do
when we plant a branch church.) Being involved in self-propagation is vitally
important but it is only part of what God wants us to do in our outreach. God has a
heart for the nations of the earth. It is his desire for all churches to be involved in
his plan of missions. A self-missionizing church will always be involved in a
missions program to touch the nations of the world.

Discussion
1. What role does missions play in the defining of a church?
2. What ways did the church in Philippi participate in missions?
3. What is the difference between missions and self-propagation?

II. DEFINING THE MISSIONARY CHARACTERISTICS NECESSRY TO PLANT

AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH

Planting an indigenous church in a foreign culture is not an easy task. There are
numerous obstacles that must be overcome, many within your own personality. I
believe that there are several characteristics that you should try to incorporate into
your personality to better assist you in the task at hand. In other words, what type
of a person do you need to be to plant an indigenous church?

A. Be a Learner
I believe that one of the most important characteristics that a missionary must have
if he will be an effective indigenous church planter is teachability. Missionaries must
be learners. I have seen missionaries who have been successful pastors; people
who have pastored good churches for thirty years or more. And when they came
out to Africa they thought that their experience as a pastor had more than
adequately prepared them for planting an indigenous work. What they did not
realize was that there is no amount of experience or education that can take the
place of the learning which must be done when you enter into a new culture.

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Unfortunately many of these missionaries did not have the full impact that they
potentially could have because they thought they knew it all.

As a missionary you may be much more educated than the people you are working
with. Perhaps you have been a pastor for many years in your home country. This
does not excuse you from being a learner. All of your experience is a tremendous
asset only if it used within a cultural context. If you are unable to learn the
appropriate actions in a culture you will effectively close many doors of ministry and
will narrow the potential of planting an indigenous church.

Example of the missionary in Nigeria

I have heard that once a missionary went up to northern Nigeria to plant a church
among the Muslims. Everything seemed to be going well. The missionary was
beginning to make friends. Soon they had invited the missionary and his family over
for dinner. After the meal the missionary thanked the people very much for the good
food. Shortly there afterwards, the family would have nothing to do with the
missionary. Much later the missionary was to find out that in that particular culture it
was considered sacrilege to not give credit to God for the food. He effectively
burned any bridges of evangelism by not being a learner and by doing things as he
was accustomed to at home.

Discussion
1. What are some of the ways that you can practice being a learner as you go
into your host culture?
2. What is the importance of being a learner in the process of planting an
indigenous church?

B. Be Flexible
Blessed are the flexible . . .
A second characteristic that will help you develop an effective ministry is the ability
to be flexible. I have a friend who often hosts teams to Africa. One of the mottoes
that they tell their team in orientation is: “Blessed are the flexible for they will not be
broken.” A Swahili way of emphasizing this truth is: “If you want to bend a fish you
must do so while it is still fresh.”

As you enter into your host culture it is very easy to be “stiff” in your approach to
ministry. After all if a method has worked for you repeatedly back at home certainly
it will work in the place where you are going. In reality the people of your host
culture will not do all things in the same way that you do them at home. Sometimes
their way may be better than yours, even if it is different. How will you respond? It
is very easy to remain stiff because it is not something that you are accustomed to.
The tendency to remain stiff will cause you a tremendous amount of heartache in
your ministry.

A good example of the importance of flexibility is a radio antenna. In my car I have

a mobile radio unit. As with any radio it is important to have an antenna. The
antenna for my radio is about eight feet long and 1/2" thick. The antenna is very
flexible. When I am in the bush I am constantly driving under trees and around
bushes. Often the antenna catches on a branch. Slowly it bends back until it is
slides loose then it bounces back. If the antenna were stiff and hard when it hit the

24
branch, one would have to break, either the branch or the antenna. Inevitably my
antenna would break because it isn’t as strong as a big tree branch. This is how it
is in cross-cultural ministry. If you are not flexible when you confront a situation
then you will break.

Things here in Africa are much different than in America. Some of the things I find
very easy to adapt to and some are hard. But there are many situations that require
me to be flexible. For example when I lived in Mbulu I spent a lot of time waiting. I
remember once we were on our way to a meeting in a town quite a distance away.
We needed to stop and have a brief meeting en route. We didn’t have much
business to attend to. In fact in America that meeting would have taken ten
minutes. This one lasted several hours. First we had to wait for everyone to come.
Then we had our meeting and everyone had to have his or her say in what was
being discussed. Then even though by this time we were very late, the hosts
wanted to feed us something. This took time because they were cooking over a fire
and it is not a quick job to cook in the village. Finally we left and ended up getting
into the town quite a bit after dark. Had this happened in America I would have
been very upset. In America time is considered very important. We would have had
our meeting, in a short amount of time and then hurried off to our destination.
However, I had to be flexible. If I had gotten angry I would have hurt important
relationships. So I bent and everything worked out well.

Discussion
1. What are some of the ways that you have had to be flexible, as you have
ministered cross-culturally?
2. What are some of the areas in life that you have a difficult time being flexible
with?

C. Be a Servant
Serving as Christ did
It is also important that you as a missionary strive to be a servant. As a
pastor/missionary/leader in the church there is a lot of opportunity to be served.
Sometimes when I go to a church people will not even let me do anything. They are
quick to carry my Bible. They give me a place of honor in the church. I am always
invited to the front of the line to eat. Being a missionary is a position that is
honored. This is true here as well as in America. Sometimes this honor can cause
us to forget the servant spirit, which Christ operated in. As a missionary you must
first and foremost be a servant. Don’t allow the honor you may receive stop you
from having a servant’s heart.

Equally as possible is that the people you are serving may despise you. I know of a
place in the world right now where the missionaries feel like they are worthless in
the eyes of the people. You may be in a situation where you are sacrificing
tremendously for a people and they don’t have any respect for you. It will not
always be easy on the mission field. Sometimes you will be insulted, accused and
even persecuted. What will your response be? A servant’s heart allows you to let
go of the wrongs for the sake of the gospel. There may be times when you will be
hurt so bad that you will want to return home. In those times remember that you are
the servant of God with a purpose. Forgive and keep going.

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Discussion
1. In your ministry what tempts you not to have a servant’s heart?
2. What are some practical ways that you can be a servant?

D. Be a Facilitator
You don’t own the work
As a missionary you are sacrificing your life, your efforts and home for the sake of
starting a work in an unreached area. It is natural for you to begin to have feelings
of ownership over the project. Without you the work would not have been started.
You are the “spiritual father” of virtually all the believers. It is easy to feel that the
church is your church.

It is very important that as a missionary you avert this tendency of having feelings of
ownership. God has used you in a mighty way to start the work but the work is not
yours. If you have feelings of ownership it will be very difficult to plant an
indigenous church.

One of the things that were stressed to us as missionary candidates was that the
job of a missionary is to work your way out of a job. In other words you should
constantly be trying to make sure that you are raising up indigenous leadership to
take over all aspects of the work. If there is a national who is qualified to do a job it
is important to let them take over and do it.

John Karanja once defined a missionary as a catalyst. A catalyst is an agent that is

added to a chemical process to either speed it up or slow it down. It, in and of itself,
is not part of the actual reaction but rather a stimulus in it. A missionary is an agent
that goes into an area and starts a spiritual reaction. In a chemical process once
the catalyst has done it’s work it can be removed. And the same is true of the
missionary. You go into an area and get a work going or help develop an area that
needs help in a national church. Then as the process begins to run smoothly you
slowly pull out and allow it to run on it’s own.

Example of a Bible school

When the Arusha Bible School was first started many years ago it was staffed and
run by missionaries. But as the church matured some of our Tanzanian partners
became qualified and able to teach. As they were incorporated in the schools
missionary teachers began to move to different areas. A little later a Tanzanian was
found to take over as principal of the school. So the American missionary stepped
aside and allowed the Tanzanian to govern the school. The school was started by
missionaries but it was not their school. It was the TAG’s school. As the TAG
became more able to take over the school the mission relinquished their control until
now it is running virtually independent of the mission.

Discussion
1. How would a sense of ownership affect your goal of planting an indigenous
church?
2. What steps can you take to prevent feelings of ownership?

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E. Trainer
It is interesting to study Christ’s life and style of ministry. After all he was the first
and only perfect missionary the world has ever seen. He had a very unique style of
ministry. During almost all of his active years of ministry, Christ’s main focus was on
training. He trained his disciples how to minister. We read how he taught them to
pray. He showed them how to heal people. Almost everything Christ did he used
as a training exercise for his disciples. When he ascended to heaven, he did not
leave a great established church ready to conquer the world. Rather he left twelve
disciples who were trained and empowered to carry on the work. The effect of
those twelve trained disciples has been felt all over the world.

On the job training

When you go into a new area and start making converts begin to train them. There
are many ways to train people: classroom teaching, seminars, giving them books to
read and others. Christ focused mainly on “on the job training.” From the time
Christ started his ministry there are very few occasions where you read that he is by
himself. Everywhere Christ went he took the disciples and taught them. Let us look
at a few examples of what Christ did. After the ascension when Christ came down
off the mountain he found his disciples in a quandary. They had tried to cast out a
demon but they had failed. Christ immediately cast out the demon and then
proceeded to explain to them where they had gone wrong. Christ taught through
parables and yet we read when the disciples were alone with him he would discuss
the meanings. Even in tasks such as prayer we see Christ teaching them and
modeling for them how to pray.

We can learn much from Christ’s method of starting an indigenous church. When
you go out to minister take your disciples with you. Talk about ministry issues as
you travel with them. Teach them all that you have learned and know, so that they
will be more prepared to minister.

I feel like some of my most valuable time as a missionary has been spent with
people traveling and ministering. I have spent hours traveling with pastors into
unreached areas talking about missions. When we traveled through a specific
culture we would discuss what type of cultural issues a missionary might face in
those areas. Or if I were traveling with pastors we would spend hours talking about
missions and their role in God’s plan for the nations. This is the type of thing I am
talking about. And, of course, it will not be a one-way street. You too can learn
much from those that you are training. It is a wonderful process.

Let them participate

Not only do we see Jesus training them by modeling but we also see him sending
them out to practice. A vital part of the training process is practical implementation.
Just as Jesus sent out his disciples to minister, so also must we be ready to let
believers practice. Allow your disciples to take over in areas of ministry. The
practice is invaluable. As they are learning and growing in ministry the door will be
open to discuss and learn through their mistakes or victories.

Discussion
1. What is meant by on the job training?

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 2. What methods are you currently using to train your converts to take over
from you? Should you change any of those methods?

III. DEVELOPING AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH

A. Self Propagating
The goal of any church should be the winning of new converts and the discipline of
believers into mature Christians. The discipline process is a journey that never
ends because Christians can always become more like Christ. Likewise, as long as
there are people who don’t know Christ, the commission of the church remains to go
out and make disciples.

Self-propagation is the process of bringing unsaved people into the family of God.
As an indigenous church is planted it is vital that the missionary stresses the
responsibility of the believers to be witnesses. Our goal should be for a church that
is vibrant and growing. Vibrant because the believers are all actively involved in
reaching the lost. Growing as new converts come into the church.
Where does one begin in this process?

1. Goal in Self-propagation
The goal in self-propagation is growth. It is bringing people and discipling them in
Christ. There are two specific areas that are included in self-propagation and both
should be included in your plan to develop an indigenous church.

Internal growth refers to the numerical growth in a church. While a church can
never be judged by its size, a church should always be reaching out to grow. If
people are coming to know Christ, the church should be growing. Internal growth
can be accomplished in several ways: personal witnessing by believers, outdoor
meetings, special seminars in the church and other such methods. The goal in
these outreaches is for people to get saved and to come into your church.

Extension growth is just as important as internal growth in the local church. It is

unlikely that you will be planting a church in a very small, isolated area. Therefore,
you will not be able to reach the entire area by just planting one church. Instead of
focusing just on the building up of one church, you can aim at planting many
churches. Some people even recommend that when a missionary goes into a new
area he should not start out by planting one church but rather two or three. This will
ensure that indigenous leadership will be trained from the beginning because there
is no way that you yourself can effectively pastor three churches. Another method
of reaching an area is to incorporate a plan that teaches each church to start branch
churches. The emphasis of extension growth in your ministry will ensure that you
don’t become tunnel focused on the planting and growing of one church.

2. Model of implementation
Responsibility of all believers - From the very start of your ministry a missionary
should stress to his people they are responsible to be witnesses. The indigenous
people are your greatest resource to reaching your target people group. They
understand all of the cultural issues. They know the language and the history of
their people. The believers will understand the thought patterns, hidden fears and
dreams of the people because they are part of the tribe. For this reason, church

28
people are the greatest resource you have in reaching the community. It is,
therefore, vitally important that you train the people to be evangelists. From the time
they are converted, encourage them to go out and share their faith with others. For
instance, I once read that there was a church in Korea that wouldn’t consider
baptizing a believer until they had led another person to the Lord. While this may be
the extreme it does emphasize the point that we should be training our new
converts to go out and make other new converts. The longer you wait to encourage
them to go out, the more they will be comfortable and set in their ways of not
sharing their faith. Teaching them by on-the-job training is a wonderful method.
Take them with you as you go out and witness so that they can observe you and
grow accustomed to witnessing.

As the church grows you may want to begin implementing other methods to expand
the church. If you are not in a strongly Islamic area you may want to consider open-
air meetings. If you have a church meeting place you can have special seminars.
There are a number of different methods. The specific method used is not
important, but bringing people into the kingdom of God is important.

Branch out from the church - The next step in the process of self-propagation is
branching out. Obviously one church is not sufficient to reach the area or people
group you are working with. Therefore plans should be made to start up other
churches. One of the most effective means of doing this is through starting branch
churches.

Members of the church who live in outlying areas can start these branch churches.
Or, the mother church surveying the area and picking an area of strategic
importance can start them. Members of the church then go out and begin to
witness. As people are saved the church will appoint a qualified person to disciple
these new believers. It is entirely possible that this person may feel the call into full
time pastoring. The mother church may even decide to divide its congregation and
send a contingent over to the new church as charter members. After a time this
newly planted church will be ready to be incorporated as a sovereign church. Then
the process can begin all over again.

The role of a missionary in this process should be kept minimal. You may help them
get started. But overall your role is one of a facilitator rather than the one who
controls the outreach. Let the local people do the majority of the work.

Repeat the process to spread the base

This process can then be repeated over and over until you have an effective base to
reach your target area or people. Every church can become a starter of other
churches. This is something that you as a missionary should constantly be
encouraging and developing.

Example - Mbulu
In the Mbulu highlands in Tanzania live a tribe called the Iraqw people. They have a
tremendous heart to see their people reached. One friend of mine said that he felt
like his people were the last people on earth to be reached with the gospel. This
gave them zeal to make sure that all their people would hear the gospel as quickly
as possible. And truly they have done an incredible job at church planting. The
plan they use is simple. The first church is started. As it begins to grow, people

29
spread out and begin to witness in different areas. It isn’t long before in a certain
area or village some distance from the mother church a couple of people are
converted. The mother church then begins to send some of its more mature
members to go on a weekly basis to disciple these new believers. As the believers
are discipled, more people come to know the Lord. Eventually a person is either
appointed or volunteers to lead the new branch church. Often the mother church
will encourage members of its own congregation to transfer to the new church in
order to give it strength. The leader of the church will then be sent to Bible school
or training and the sovereign church will be established. Once this church is
established, it too will start branch churches. In this way the people in the Mbulu
area have planted churches in every village and sub-section of every village in their
area.

This is one of the most effective means of reaching an area for Christ. Our goal is
not just to plant one church but rather to reach an entire area. One of the
advantages of this method is that many more people can be trained for ministry and
sent out. It also allows the missionary not to be tied up to just one church and
thereby giving the church more room to become indigenous.

Discussion
1. How does discipleship fit into self-propagation?
2. What are the two branches of growth that your church should be involved
with?
3. What are some practical ways that you can help your church grow internally?
4. Explain the importance of extension growth?

B. Self Governing
George Upton once said, “To assume that any native church perpetually requires
constant supervision by a missionary is an unintended insult to their capacity to
manage their own affairs.” It is interesting to note that almost every people group in
the world has it’s own functional system of government. Yet, often missionaries are
hesitant to allow the people to govern their own churches. Perhaps this stems out
of a feeling of ownership in the outreach. After all, you as a missionary have
sacrificed and toiled greatly in order to bring this church to life. If you don’t guide it,
the whole thing could fall apart. Or perhaps there is a fear that the church is not
ready to be self-governing. Whatever the reasons, allowing a church to be self-
governing is one of the most difficult, yet important tasks that a missionary faces.
The best way to avoid establishing a missionary controlled church is by laying a
foundation for self-government from the very start. This way the temptation to
control will never rear it’s ugly head. The indigenous people should feel ownership
of the church from the start.
Where does one begin??

1. Set the fundamental beliefs

The foundation of any church is the doctrine that draws the Christians together.
Without having a set of fundamental beliefs the church will soon be beset by people
with all sort of crazy ideals. The Assemblies of God in America has sixteen
fundamental truths or doctrines. In order for any church to join the body of the
Assemblies of God they must first subscribe to these beliefs. These truths are the
pillars on which the church is built. If you go to America you will find that there are

30
all different types of A/G churches. There are different styles of worship, different
types of buildings, different understanding of culture, and many other differences but
the common bond that pulls them all together is the sixteen fundamental truths.
Likewise, the establishment of a doctrinal foundation will be the basis for the
constituency of the church.

These truths should be reached through the partnership between the missionary
and the maturing believers. The missionary’s input is vital here because he/she will
have the theological and experience base that is important in forming the
foundation. However the input of the locals is also necessary so that they feel the
ownership in the establishing of the church. This is their church. The fundamental
beliefs in your home church may not be those that they feel are important for their
own church. The missionary’s ideas must never be forced onto the individuals; we
are working in a partnership.

These fundamental beliefs of course must be based on scripture and should reflect
the mainline theology. Your goal here is to give people a common bond to draw
them together but not to create a law that binds the people in legalism.

2. Incorporate members
The next important step in the establishing of a church is the incorporation of
members. The members will be the backbone of your church and therefore are vital
in the process of developing a church. Of course this process will differ from place
to place. In some areas you may only see one convert over a long period of time.
The goal however is to have a mature church with many members.
Sit with some of the mature leaders in the church and have a committee to decide
how to incorporate members into the church. What is to be expected of the
members? What should be their doctrinal beliefs? These are the types of
questions you should be asking each other when you are ready to start
incorporating members. Once the standard is set then a committee of mature
believers can be created to screen the believers.

As the committee is screening people you should be sensitive to hesitancy on the

part of nationals. The nationals will have a much deeper understanding of their own
people and if they feel like something is amiss they are much more qualified to
recognize it than you.

Now you are approaching the place where your church is being formed. The next
step is to have officials appointed.

3. Train and Have Officials Appointed

One of the most important and key responsibilities in the developing of an
indigenous church is the training of leaders. Your goal is to wean yourself away
from your responsibility as the leader of the church. With this goal in mind from the
very beginning you should be looking for people to train as leaders. Allow them to
develop, give them responsibility and spend a lot of energy on them because they
are the people who will be taking over the ministry.

How the leader for the church is chosen will also be important. All leaders in the
church must be qualified according to scripture. This is a very critical time and it is

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important that the people understand what the Biblical qualifications are before they
choose a leader.

How much should the people themselves be allowed to choose? What if they
choose someone who is not qualified?

4. Withdraw of the missionary

After the leaders are chosen for the church it is time for the missionary to withdraw
his control in the church. Allow the newly chosen leaders some time to establish
themselves. Let them make decisions and begin to govern the church in their own
fashion. Your role now is totally advisory and you must be very careful not to
undermine the leadership of the pastor/deacon/elder.

Discussion
1. Where should you start as you begin incorporating your believers into a
church?
2. Why is membership an important step in establishing a church?
3. Are you training people to take over the work from you?
4. When is it time for the missionary to withdraw?

C. Self Supporting
The start of any project is always difficult. When one considers the mountain of
creating a self-supporting church, the task may seem impossible. There are so
many issues that need to be addressed and almost all of them require finances.
Very likely the people that you are working with are not the wealthiest people in
society. In fact it may very well be that you, as the missionary, are the wealthiest
person in the church. Not only do you receive regular support but you also have the
resource of the whole department of missions behind you. There will be a strong
temptation for you to use your resources in the starting of the work. However, it is
important to remember that your goal is to have a self-supporting, not a mission-
supported church. First of all let us look to why it is important for a church to be
self-supporting.

1. Why?
Because it is the Biblical plan. The principle of being self-supporting is not one that
was created in the halls of a missionary organization with the goal of saving the
sending church money. Rather the foundation of starting self-supporting churches
is found in the Bible. In the book of Acts we read how the early church, through the
ministry of Paul, was involved in the establishing of many indigenous churches. Of
all the churches they started there is no record that even one was supported by
funds from the Jerusalem church. The pattern in the New Testament was not for
the sending church to find an indigenous pastor to support, then to send money to
build them a church and to support their different ministries. In fact the exact
opposite was true. These indigenous churches were supporting the sending
church during its time of need!!

Paul obviously had his reasons for wanting the churches he started to be self-
supporting. We would be wise to heed his example. There will always be a
temptation to use our resources to accomplish a task more quickly, but we must
keep in mind the long-term goal.

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Because it is logical. How many people does it take to support a pastor full time? If
these are believers who have been taught to tithe then it only takes ten people to
support a pastor. Let us look at an example. Let us say that the average person in
a village earns $100 a month and lives comfortably. Each month this person pays
$10 as their tithes. If there are ten people paying ten dollars then the pastor will be
receiving $100 a month. That is the very amount that most of the people in the
village are living on! The key is to teach the people to tithe from the very beginning.
The pastor may be required to have a job to support himself until he gets ten tithing
members. This is not a problem. In fact Paul, himself, worked to support himself.
As the church grows, so will their general fund that will in turn allow them to focus
on other avenues of ministry. You, as the missionary, will not have the resources to
support enough pastors to reach your target people. The logical way to ensure that
the pastors will be provided for from the beginning is to teach tithing.

Because it teaches the people to value the work and the church. History has
proven that if you take away the motivation and opportunity for Christians to tithe
and give to the work of the Lord; the result will be weak Christians. Instead of
learning to trust the Lord and invest in his kingdom, the people will learn to depend
on the missionary to meet the needs of the church. As the people sacrifice and
work to build the kingdom of God through their church they will develop a sense of
ownership and responsibility for the work.

I remember a situation in Tanzania that illustrates this point. There was a church
meeting in a small temporary building. My father had talked to the pastor about the
possibility of helping them with a church building but soon thereafter he was
transferred out of the country. He encouraged the people living in this small poor
community to build their own building. Taking the challenge Pastor Wema started to
raise the funds and burn the brick. Today they have a completed building of which
they are immensely proud. They did not however stop with the church building.
They went on to build a room to use as a school to teach carpentry by day and a
ministry classroom at night. They also bought a grinder and have started a
business grinding maize into flour. And they still have even greater plans to help
the community. While the task did not seem possible at first, through sacrifice, the
church has succeeded beyond their imaginations.

Because it is a responsibility issue for the church. There are temptations in the
process of developing a self-supporting church. One of the temptations that you
may face is that your burden for the lostness of the people tempts you to sacrifice
your indigenous principles. For example, you may feel that since the church is too
young to support their pastor full time you will help subsidize him. This is very
dangerous because the pastor may begin to feel that he is an employee of the
mission rather than God. It is important that the pastor feels responsible to his/her
congregation rather than having to answer to the missionary. A pastor who is
supported by the church will have strong motivation to build up and expand his
church. Being a pastor is not a job it is a ministry.

Because it allows for unlimited growth. Being self-supporting also allows the
congregation an unlimited opportunity to grow. Churches can be started anywhere,
everywhere that there are people living (as long as the pastor is willing to live on the
level of the people). If the pastors are being paid with outside funds, eventually the

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money source will dry up. How then will the work continue? The people must be
trained that they are responsible for supporting their own work.

2. How?
The Biblical method for developing a self-supporting church is through tithing. From
the very start of your church plant, it is important to teach the new converts about
tithing. I have read that in one church, in America, before a person can become a
member of the church they must sign a commitment form. One of the items that
they agree to on this form is that they will pay their tithes. Tithing is one of the basic
responsibilities as a Christian. Just about everything that is good in life costs you
something. This is true in Christianity. While salvation is free, there are some
responsibilities that are expected of you. Even non-Christians believe in this
principle. They are willing to pay witch doctors for their benefits. We must teach
our people to be tithers. At times, this may be difficult, after all you personally aren’t
going to be using the tithes to live off of, the people may be very poor, perhaps they
are being persecuted or even run out of their homes. How can you, as a missionary
who receives help on a regular basis ask these suffering people to give up ten
percent of the little that they have. These concerns are very normal in human
terms, but God does not leave any room for debate. Tithing is part of our
responsibility as Christians. As you emphasize tithing, and the church grows and
matures, it will have the foundation to support it’s own indigenous pastor and to
begin to fund its own outreaches.

3. Use of Funds
As the church is being established and tithes are being given, it is important that the
missionary does not dictate how these resources should be used. Make sure that
you allow the people themselves to play a major role in the deciding of how the
money will be used. This is really an important part of helping them become
indigenous. If you dictate where the money should go all of the time, then they will
have no feelings of ownership of or direction for their church.

4. Balance
Briefly we should mention that balance is important in helping a church become self-
supporting. There may be times when you feel like it will be beneficial in the long
term to help them by giving them money. These types of situations are always
tricky and should only be decided with much prayer and thought.

Discussion
1. Do you think that it is possible for the church you are planting to be self-
supporting?
2. If necessary are you willing to live on the level of the people? Will the
person you are training to take over the church expect to live above the level
of the people? If so, how can you combat this?
3. Why is it important that the people feel ownership of their church?
4. How do you balance your desire to see your target people reached with the
importance of developing a self-supporting church?
5. Who should control the finances of the church?

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D. Self Theologizing
In developing a self-theologizing church there are two issues that are of vital
importance: the people must have a solid foundation in the Bible and they must
have an understanding of culture. Without these two foundations it will be very easy
for the people to deviate from scripture and develop a legalistic culturally bound
church.

1. Understanding the Bible

It is important for the people to understand the Bible as it is written. The Bible is a
book that is written to be culturally applicable to each and every people group on the
earth. When one approaches the Bible it is very easy to interpret what one is
reading through cultural glasses. In other words, it is easy for a person to impose a
cultural grid as they are interpreting the Bible.

For example, the Bible clearly deals with the issue of modesty. Paul in I Timothy 2:9
expresses the importance of women dressing modestly. But what is modesty? In
Californian culture a woman can wear shorts and a tee shirt and still be considered
modest in the culture and in the church. In Tanzania, if a woman wears jeans,
people would not consider her to be dressing modestly. In many Muslim cultures a
woman must cover her whole body and her head if she wants to be considered as
modest. Which one of these is Biblical? A Tanzanian, based on their cultural
principles may come to the conclusion that the Bible means that a modest woman
should only wear skirts or dresses. When in reality the Bible does not give a clear
non-negotiable law. This is where culture and theology meet.

In the Bible there are theological truths that are non-negotiable. This is theology
that is universal. For example, it is abundantly clear in the Bible that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God. In many different places in the Bible it is very clearly stated and
stressed. It doesn’t matter whether you are Chinese, Kenyan or Brazilian; Jesus
Christ is the Son of God. Another such theological truth is that Jesus died an
atoning death on the cross. This theological truth does not in any way relate to
culture and is non-negotiable.
Before dealing with cultural theology it is very important that the believers have a
clear understanding which theology is immutable.

2. Understanding Culture
Not only is it important for the people to understand the Bible without prejudice, it is
also important that they understand their own culture. If the people do not
understand their own culture, they are in danger of taking their culture and making it
Biblical. For example, in the Bible the Jews claimed that it was vital for a person to
be circumcised. However, as we have already seen, after the issue was studied in
light of scripture, the church recognized that they were taking their Jewish culture
and making it Biblical.

A basic understanding of one’s culture is important. If you are familiar with your
culture and the Bible you will have a strong foundation for coming up with culturally
applicable theology without changing our theological foundation.

3. Missionaries’ Responsibility

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Because you are an outsider to the host culture, it is your responsibility to make
sure that the church has the Biblical foundation necessary to do its own theology.
This means that you need to make sure that you have taught the fundamentals of
the faith before some of these complicated issues are confronted. As you are
teaching the faith make sure that you are aware of your own cultural biases that
may find their way in your teaching. Your goal should be to build a theological
foundation that is as pure as possible. This will be the foundation on which they will
then begin to tackle some of these cultural issues.

Discussion
1. How does your own culture affect your theology?
2. Have you allowed your cultural interpretation of the Bible to affect the type of
church you are planting?
3. What are some of the culturally sensitive issues that the church you are
planting is facing?

E. Self Missionizing
The fifth characteristic of the indigenous church is self-missionization. The
emphasis on this pillar of the indigenous church is a recent phenomenon. Yet,
missions is one of the most important roles which a church has. Imagine if when
Christ was giving his last words before ascending in heaven he shortened the
commission. Instead of saying to his disciples “You will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, in all of Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth,” he only told them
“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and if you have the opportunity also in
Judea.” The church without a doubt would have been established but only in a
small region of the world. God is not merely concerned with those who live in a
specific area of the earth; he is not only burdened for those of a certain people
group; rather his heart is set on the entire world and all the people groups therein. It
is amazing to me that we warp the task that Christ gave the church and choose to
only obey certain parts of it. A church by definition of task, as given by the Lord, is
responsible not only to those living in the immediate area but also those from the
nations of the world.

There are perhaps several reasons why the importance of missions has not been
emphasized. Some have felt that once Africa was reached, then the ends of the
world had heard the gospel. Therefore they felt that there was no reason for more
missionary effort. Others feel like a new church should get established first. Later
we will examine some of these excuses and the dangers that go along with them.
But first let us see how we can practically take the church which we are starting and
help it to become a self-missionizing church.

1. Develop a big picture mentality

Part of the problem that retards a church from entering into missions is a lack of
perspective. It is easy when you are in a situation where it is difficult or where there
is much persecution and hardship to become inward dwelling. If you are in a
Muslim situation the people may not be able to see past their persecution. If you
are in a primitive bush situation the people may be poor and life may be physically
challenging. It will be your responsibility to help them develop an understanding of
God’s heart for the nations. It doesn’t matter how poor or harried your people are,

36
God still wants them to be involved in reaching the world with the good news of
Jesus Christ. This heart will grow out of an understanding of the world.

To the best of your ability try to talk a lot about what is happening around the world.
This will help dissipate the notion that they are all alone. Tell them stories about
what God is doing in other nations. Talk about the persecution that is going on in
China or Mauritania. As you talk, their understanding of the world will broaden. If
possible you can even bring a foreign Christian (businessman, missionary or
traveler) to give a report what God is doing. Ignorance is a blinder that will keep the
church from participating in God’s plan. Knowledge, however, will be the seed from
which the outreach of missions will grow.

From the very beginning teach the new converts that the God they are now serving
is a missionary God. He has a missionary plan which encompasses the whole
world. Give them a Biblical basis for missions and their responsibility in it. As they
begin to understand their responsibility in a Biblical light their hearts will begin to
respond. Missions is not an option, it is our Lord’s will and plan.

Implant a Biblical understanding of a Christian’s responsibility in the missio dei

(mission of God). Then develop a worldview in the hearts of your new converts so
that they will have a context in which to understand.

2. Practical implementation
How can a small recently planted church in the middle of Satan’s kingdom have an
effect on the world? There are three practical ways that a church can practically be
involved in missions: Praying, giving and going.

Praying - While physically we are often restricted in our ability to travel, spiritually
this is not the case. God has called us to go into the entire world with the gospel.
While we may not always be able to travel to different countries or people groups in
the world, we can still affect the work of God in those areas by praying. Prayer is
like a door through which you can travel anywhere in the world. We pray and God
responds. As you pray for the work in Sudan, God begins to draw Muslim people to
him. As you pray for Mauritania, God begins to raise up workers to take the gospel
to them. As you pray for China, God begins to soften the hearts of people to accept
the gospel. GOD MOVES THROUGH OUR PRAYERS. While we may be bound
physically, we are definitely not bound spiritually.

You should teach your people to pray for the world and the work of God in it. I
would recommend from the very start of your church that you should plan prayer
meetings that focus on missions. If possible focus on missionaries or people groups
that you can get updates on. That way people can feel like their prayers are making
a difference. During your services, take a moment from the pulpit to pray for an
unreached people group or missionary. Even if you are just discipling a couple of
believers, in each discipling session you can pray for a different need. This will
stress in their hearts that missions is a priority. It is not something that mature rich
churches participate in; rather it is something that all people must participate in.

Giving - Secondly you can practically be involved by giving to missions. I like to

think of it not as giving but rather as investing in the kingdom of God. Even if the
people are poor, encourage them to pray that God will allow them to be a channel of

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his blessing to touch the nations. It is not the amount that is given rather it is that
which one is willing to give.

One issue that may bother you is what is done with the money. Perhaps you are
the first church in the country or at least area. Fortunately there is a channel into
which you can invest your money. AAGA, at least in East Africa, has a missions
board which supports and sends missionaries to different parts of the world. It is a
great place to invest your missions offerings. Or, perhaps, you could invest your
missions money into the missions program of the country where you are planting the
church. For instance our missionaries in Tanzania can participate in sending their
money to the National Department of missions. Let me stress, that it is not the
amount given which is important. Rather it is the spirit, which says, “I want to do
something”.

Going - Thirdly, as your church begins to grow and mature make sure to plant seeds
of missions in the heart of your believers. They themselves are candidates who
God can use as missionaries. Preach on the harvest and the need for harvesters,
highlight unreached people and talk about how God may be calling them. This will
open the door for God to begin to speak to the people’s hearts about going. Much
time may pass before your church is ready to send a missionary but make sure that
you don’t wait to let your people know that there is a need and they can be part of
the answer by going!!

You may be the missionary but it is vital that you do not think that your responsibility
lies only in reaching the people you have been called to reach. It is also your
responsibility to build in the hearts of the people a burden and understanding of
what God intends to accomplish in the world.

Discussion
1. Why do you think that there has been a gap in teaching missions in
indigenous churches? What will you do to avoid the same mistake?
2. How do you believe a “world” perspective makes a difference in your
church?
3. What are some of the resources you have available to broaden the “world”
perspective of the church members?
4. What are some practical ways that the churches can be involved in
missions?

IV. DANGERS TO AVOID

There are numerous pitfalls that precede a missionary with an indigenous goal. The
human tendency inside of people strives for control. There will be many temptations
in this area of control. Some of these temptations will be subtle. At times you will
want to do it all, lead outreach in the church, to conduct the running of the church, to
control the use of finances, to shape the theology of the church and to stifle
missionary outreach to further your local church. Your intervention in these areas
may bring about growth in the church short term. But we are not planting a short-
term church. We are planting a church that we want to last. In order to avoid these
temptations we will look at some of the dangers that you will face in planting an
indigenous church.

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A. Self Propagating
Desire to do the work yourself
In Zanzibar there is a recently planted church. One of the members of this church
lives approximately seventeen kilometers north of the church. The Lord opened the
door for this young believer to begin to witness to Muslims in the community. A
demon-possessed girl had been tormented for a long period of time. Almost
everyday she would run into the forest and hide from her family. The family had
spent a large sum of money sending her to witch doctors but without result. This
young believer told the family that if he prayed for her she would be delivered. They
wanted to know for how much money. Immediately on finding that there was no
charge they asked him to pray for her. She was instantly delivered. This started a
rush of people coming to this man to be prayed for. Over the course of a few short
weeks, approximately twenty-six people were saved. How will you as the
missionary respond? Remember this young man has not been trained. And there
has never been this sort of results among Muslims on the Island.

One of the great dangers for any missionary is the desire to do the work all by
yourself and/or the tendency to be jealous of those who succeed where you are
having difficulties. Many missionaries are the type of people who want to be at the
forefront doing the work. You may even begin to deceive yourself that your ministry
is only frontline evangelism. If someone is doing more than you then you have lost
your reason for being. This is not true! Constantly remind yourself that your goal is
to see the church of Christ planted. It doesn’t matter who does which tasks in
accomplishing the goal.

The belief that your people are not ready to spread the faith
It is very easy for someone who has been trained at Bible school to think that you
are the only one qualified to do the work of evangelism. The people you are
working with will all be new converts. Perhaps you think that they are not ready to
branch out in an evangelistic effort. It can be easy to extinguish their zeal for
reaching their own people. Or perhaps you think that due to your training you may
be better able to persuade a person to be saved. “If I let them go out and witness
they may not do an adequate job and we could lose the people forever.” “Wait till
you mature” could be another excuse. You may be able to think of dozens of
excuses of why your new converts should wait to do evangelism. Remember the
longer you keep them back the less likely you will be in succeeding to plant an
indigenous church.

It is very easy for someone who has been trained at Bible school to think that you
are the only one qualified to do the work of evangelism. The people you are
working with will all be new converts. Perhaps you think that they are not ready to
branch out in an evangelistic effort. It can be easy to extinguish their zeal for
reaching their own people. Or perhaps you think that due to your training you may
better be able to persuade a person to be saved. “If I let them go out and witness
they may not do an adequate job and we could lose the people forever.” You may
be able to think of dozens of excuses of why your new converts should wait to do
evangelism. Remember the longer you keep them back the less likely you will be in
succeeding to plant an indigenous church.

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Living in an area where the new converts are in danger of losing their lives
Another issue that you may be facing, especially if you are living in a strongly
Muslim country, is persecution. It is easy not to encourage your believers to
become active witnesses because every time they talk about Christ they may be
putting their own lives and families on the line.

Believers focusing just on their own type/class of people

In Zanzibar we have approximately six churches. While there has been a
tremendous response to the gospel message, only a small portion of the believers is
native Zanzibaris. Out of every hundred believers on the island only three or four
are Muslim converts. Why do you think this is? What do you think should be done
differently? There will be a tendency to focus on those who are most like you as
you are planting your church. You must be very careful not to neglect the very
people you are hoping to reach.

Discussion
1. What are some of the struggles you have faced in your attempt to plant a
self-propagating church?
2. What sort of feelings do you have when one of your converts or disciples has
great success in converting people?
3. How soon are new converts ready to be witnesses?
4. How can you foster a sense of responsibility in a situation where Christians
are being persecuted?

B. Self Governing - Challenge of influencing a church without ruling It

One of the great challenges of establishing a truly indigenous church is
allowing the people to run the church themselves.
Very likely you have pastored a church. Perhaps you have a diploma or degree in
the area of church leadership. And you know how a church is supposed to be run.
Right! Not necessarily! We must remember that we are planting a church that
should be self-governing. This of course does not mean that from the very first
convert the people will be ready to run their own church. Thus comes the
challenge: you must learn how to influence and guide a church without governing it.
Sometimes decisions will be made which you feel are not the most beneficial for the
church. Or perhaps you will even see areas where the people are making a
decision that you have seen fail in your own ministry. What will your response be?

They won’t necessarily run their church the way that you would run yours.
Every culture has it’s own expectations of how a group of people may be governed.
If you examine the world today you will see that there is a vast difference in the way
that churches are governed. For instance in America the ruling body in the church
is the board, not the pastor or denomination. If the people feel like their pastor is
not doing a good job then they can fire him and then start the process of looking for
another pastor. In Tanzania pastors are placed by the leadership. While the needs
and desires of the congregation may be taken into consideration, it is equally
possible that the leadership will expect them to be happy with whomever they put in.
Which way is right? Which way is Biblical? If an issue is not clearly delineated in
the Bible then we must be very careful that we are not merely forcing our cultural
values on our target people group. It would be much better to go into a culture and

40
examine how they normally view leadership and then allow them to adapt those
principles in light of Biblical truth.

Discussion
1. What are some of the greatest challenges you have faced as you have
attempted to plant a self-governing church?
2. Is there ever a time where you should interfere in the development of a self-
governing church?
3. What should your response be if the leadership of the church want to do
something that you feel will fail?

C. Self Supporting - Question of ownership & balance

Example - Hadzabe.
The Hadzabe people are a tribe that is very primitive. They are hunters and
gatherers who have never farmed or raised livestock. Their villages are made up of
small grass huts that are not much bigger than a small car. The nearest shop from
their village is thirty kilometers away and there is no public transport. The people
have no source or income. This is an unreached tribe and one that the TAG has
targeted for planting a church. The people have responded very well to the gospel
and are hungry to know God. One of the young men in the village is the head elder
of the church and hopes to one day pastor it. Recently he began to attend an
extension bible school approximately one hundred kilometers away. He is being
supported on a scholarship and all of his expenses at school are covered. However
there is a problem with his family. How will they live while he is gone? Where will
they get their food? What should the missionary do about this problem?

Very few issues are as sensitive as the issue of money.

If one were to study church history I think he would be amazed at the amount of
trouble that has resulted from money. Money is one of the most sensitive issues in
the eyes of many people. The people may know that the missionary has money but
will not help them on certain issues. Or the people may think that you are using
your money to control what you want the church to do. I once heard a missionary
say that he wished that he only had enough money to put gas in the car and take
people to preach. While this may seem simplistic, money is a very complicated
issue.

Example: Designated giving.

Americans are very careful with how money is spent. In America if you spend
money that has been designated for a specific cause on something else you can
potentially be sent to jail. However many times I have heard of Africans taking the
money that was given for one purpose and giving it instead to a more pressing
need. “That is stealing!” the American would say. “To not do so is hard hearted and
without compassion.” Replies the African, “Where does the line get drawn?”

Not meeting a need for the greater good and future of the church.
As a missionary you must constantly keep in mind that your goal is for the
establishing of an indigenous church. This means that there are times when you
will have the resources to give or support something but you choose not to because
you want the people and work to mature.

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Example:
The missionary being asked to support people to go out from the church and to start
branch churches. The need is there and if people will go then without doubt there
will be people who respond to the gospel. But the people have no money to take
the bus and what will they eat once they get there? Everyone may begin to look to
the missionary to send to his home church to raise funds for this need. What should
the missionary’s response be? We should constantly be asking the question - “How
will this affect the new church long term?”

Allowing the church to administer its funds.

It is very important that the church be allowed to administer its funds. The church
should be regarded as the steward of offerings given to the work of the Lord. The
Tanzanian Assemblies of God missions department emphasizes the importance of
this principle. They encourage the missionary not to touch the money from the
church for personal use. Tithes are still given but they are put into a general fund
and a board made up of local believers (and perhaps the missionary) decides how
the money should be used. Ideally, you as a missionary, are being supported
enough by your sending church that you will not need to be taking offerings from the
church. Let the church decide what the priorities are in spending and then delegate
the money accordingly.

Discussion
1. What are some of the challenges that you have faced as you have attempted
to plant a self-supporting church?
2. Why do you think money is such a sensitive issue?
3. Why is balance necessary in finances? Do you think that there are
situations which merit assistance from the missionary? What are some of
those situations?
4. What amount of control should a missionary exercise over church finances
while he is planting the work?

D. Self Theologizing
Allowing new believers to deal with ramifications of Christian theology in
matters of local concern
One very important step in the planting of the indigenous church is to allow the
people to begin to do their own theology. This is not a step that will come early on
in the process but it is an important one. Each culture has specific issues that must
be met by the Bible. With a good foundation these believers must have the liberty to
deal with sensitive issues in a biblical manner. They will not always come up with
the same answers that you will.

Example: Clan Marriages

Once there was a missionary who lived in a certain part of Africa who had a guard.
The guard was a younger man who was married and had a child. One day he
approached the missionary and told him that his pastor was forcing him to get a
divorce. The missionary was shocked but slowly the story came out. He and his
wife had fallen into sin before they were married and as a result she got pregnant.
Feeling the shame, they decided to get married in the courthouse without the usual
celebration and processing. After several years one of the members of his clan

42
found out that his wife was a very, very distant relative. I think that they were four or
five generations removed from each other. However in this tribe’s culture they were
still considered relatives and therefore were not eligible to marry. The pastor was
horrified that there were people in his church who were relatives and yet married to
each other. He immediately told them that they must divorce. When the guard told
the missionary the story he was very sad because he loved his wife and child but
did not want to disobey his pastor. A few weeks later he officially divorced her and
sent her home to her parents.

The missionary had many doubts over the issue and talked to the pastor at length
about it. However, he quickly realized that this was a cultural issue and that the
pastor felt that he had biblical justification for his action. The missionary decided
that he must back off and let him and the elders of the church apply the Bible in their
own way to this cultural issue.

The danger of cultural bias in interpreting the Bible

One of the biggest dangers to be faced is that of interpreting the Bible through your
own cultural lenses. It is vitally important that a missionary have a clear
understanding of what the Bible really says. Does the Bible say that smoking or
attending the cinema is sinful? What is sin? We often are shaped by our culture.
Sometimes it is easy to confuse our cultural application of the Bible with unshakable
theology. When a missionary moves into a foreign culture, he must be able to
remove his culture and approach the Bible as it truly is. Any issues that are not
directly spoken to in the Bible cannot be made into law. Each culture is different.

Cultural Elitism
There is a tendency when going into a culture that is different than yours to think
that your culture is the best. For example, I have seen people go into a tribe where
the people live in grass huts and have a very poor standard of living. One of the
first things that they tried to do was to convince the people that they were building
the wrong kind of house. They encouraged them to build big mud houses rather
than small grass huts. Obviously the type of houses people live in is not a Biblical
issue. The people who were guests in the culture felt that their way was better and
they tried to get the people to adapt to their way of doing things. This is cultural
elitism. If an issue is not a Biblical issue we should be very careful how we deal
with it.

Discussion
1. What are some of the struggles that you have had in attempting to establish
a self-theologizing church?
2. List some of the ways that your culture has affected your interpretation of the
Bible?
3. What is the correct attitude toward matters of questionable behavior when
these issues are not specifically addressed in scripture?
4. How can you avoid forcing your cultural theology on your target people?
5. Define what sin is. Is there such a thing as a cultural sin?

E. Self Missionizing
Wanting to wait to do missions

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One of the great dangers in beginning a new work is being inward focused. There
are so many hurdles to overcome just in the survival of the church that it seems
impossible to begin to focus outward on others’ needs.

We are too small/young/immature to be involved in reaching out to the world.

This is a very common excuse why a church/pastor does not want to become
involved in missions. There are so many things that need to be done and all of
them need finances. “Once we are bigger . . . Once we have a church building . . .
After the pastor’s salary is taken care of then . . . “ This mentality will kill your
church’s involvement in the great commission. Start while you are young. Make
missions giving a priority. If you do that, God will bless you and all the other things
will follow. But if you want to wait to start giving to missions then even when you
finally grow and have a building, there will always be things that will stop you from
giving.

The need is so great right where we are; first let us get started here. (Our own
people first mentality.)
If the early church had used this excuse, the church would still be in Jerusalem. I
don’t think any area or people group or country will come to the place where it has
no needs. If you are waiting to take care of your own first, you will never finish.
Evangelism is important. It is not an either/or choice. Keep reaching out to those in
your area but not at the expense of neglecting missions. One of Israel’s greatest
mistakes was that they wanted to keep the blessing “in house.” But God’s plan is
one that originates in your church and then spreads out across the world.

We don’t have the resources

Many of the people that you will be working with will not be the upper class of
society. Very likely they will be poor and won’t have much in the way of resources.
What is important is that they participate. One of the reasons I like faith promise
giving is because it allows a person by faith to be a channel for God to bless the
nations. God will provide if you have a willing heart. Everyone should do his best to
contribute something. The willing heart will not go unnoticed by Jehovah Jireh.

Confusing self-propagation with missions.

Remember that reaching out in evangelism, while important, is not missions. There
is no excuse not to be involved in touching the nations with Christ. If all of your
energy is directly benefiting only the church you are working with, you are not
involved in missions.

Discussion
1. What are some of the challenges you have had in creating a missions-
minded church?
2. How do you balance the overwhelming need of the indigenous people verse
the need worldwide?
3. When is a church financially ready to be involved in missions?
4. Differentiate between missions and self-propagation.

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 Chapter 3
DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT: THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN
MISSIONARY MINISTRY
Denny Miller

The famous American credit card company, American Express, often advertises its
credit card with the slogan, "Don't leave home without it!" They are trying to
convince their potential customers that their credit card is an indispensable part of
every traveler's gear. The smart traveler just cannot get along without it.

In this chapter we will discuss an indispensable part of every missionary's gear —

the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. We will look into the New Testament and
contemporary experience to explore the importance of the power and presence of
the Holy Spirit in the life and ministry of the cross-cultural missionary.

In writing this article we have five specific goals in mind:

1. That the missionary might come to a steadfast personal conviction that the
Pentecostal empowering with the Spirit is an indispensable element of his/her
missionary work
2. That the missionary may come to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in his
own life and ministry
3. That the missionary may know how to maintain the touch of the Holy Spirit on
his own life and ministry
4. That the missionary may know how to establish a truly Pentecostal church
5. That the missionary may know how he can serve to inspire an already
established yet dormant national church to Pentecostal renewal

I. THE NECESSITY OF THE PRESENCE AND POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN

MISSIONARY MINISTRY

Many models and strategies for doing missions have been suggested. These
strategies often vary with the mission agency, as well as with each individual
missionary. In the author’s opinion, however, there is no strategy so effective as the
missions strategy of Jesus and the primitive church. I call this New Testament
missions strategy a "strategy of the Spirit." Let's look at this strategy.

A. Identifying and Understanding the New Testament "Strategy of the Spirit"

As we look at the missions strategy of the New Testament church a threefold
pattern emerges. This threefold pattern includes: (1) empowering, (2)
proclamation/demonstration, and (3) training/sending. Each part of this pattern was
an essential part of the overall mission strategy of the New Testament church. It
could be compared to a three-legged table. When all three legs are present, the
table is very stable and useable; however, if one of the legs is taken away, the table
cannot stand. In the same way, if any part of this strategy is absent the whole of the
strategy fails. Let's look at this New Testament strategy of the Spirit.

The first leg is empowering. In the New Testament pattern the missionary must first
be empowered. Then, and only then, is he to go and do ministry. Jesus, in effect,
told those original missionaries, "As far as the infilling of the Holy Spirit is

45
concerned, you should not leave home without it" (Lk.24:49, Ac. 1:8). The next leg
is proclamation/demonstration. The gospel must be preached. Along this
preaching, there must be a demonstration of God's power and presence. The
gospel must be presented clearly and verified powerfully. The third leg is
training/sending. Those reached must now be discipled, trained, empowered, and
sent out. Let's now look at this threefold pattern as seen in the Great Commission
of Christ.

We can see a three-fold pattern in the Great Commission. The Great Commission
is found five times in Scripture, once in each of the four Gospels and in the Book of
Acts (Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-18, Lk. 24:49-50, Jn. 20:21-22, and Ac. 1:8). A close
examination of these scriptures reveals the fact that they contain the strategy of the
Spirit.

Empowering. Along with the command to go and preach the gospel to all nations,
Jesus also promised a divine empowering to accomplish the task. This promise
included a promise of His presence: "Lo, I am with you..." (Mt. 28:20), as well as a
promise of power: "You will receive power" (Ac. 1:8). He commanded them not to
begin their apostolic ministries until they were first "clothed with power from on high"
(Lk. 24:49). They were first to receive the "promise of the Father" which was the
baptism in the Holy Spirit (Lk.24:49 and Ac. 1:5).

Proclamation/demonstration. Once they had been empowered, the disciples

were then to become Christ's witnesses (Ac. 1:8). They were to go boldly into all
the world and preach the gospel to "every creature" (Mk. 16:15-16). As they went
and preached "signs will accompany" and confirm the message (Mk. 16:17-20).

Training/sending: It was not enough that they simply preached the gospel and
made converts. They were to "make disciples" and then they were "teach them to
observe all things" that Christ had commanded them to do (Mt. 28:19-20). The
circle was to be completed. Those who they reached and discipled, must
themselves be empowered and sent out.

B. Observing the Pattern in New Testament Missions

This threefold pattern of witness can be clearly observed in the missionary outreach
of the New Testament church. It can be seen in the Father's missionary strategy for
Jesus, in Jesus' missionary strategy for the Church, and in Paul's missionary
strategy in Ephesus and Asia Minor.

The Father's missionary strategy for Jesus - The Heavenly Father sent His Son
to earth with a definite, well-defined missionary strategy. He would first be
empowered, then, He would declare the gospel with signs following (Acts 10:38).
Jesus received this empowering of the Holy Spirit at the same time that He was
baptized in water (Lk.3:21-22). Thus He began to minister in the power and
anointing of the Holy Spirit (Lk. 4:1, 14, 16-19). As a result, He preached the gospel
with signs following (Lk.4:36; 5:17; 6:19). In the process, He called disciples and
empowered them and sent them out to do the same.

Jesus' missionary strategy for the Church - After His resurrection, Jesus told His
disciples, "As the Father has sent me, I also send you" (Jn. 20:21). Just as He had

46
been empowered before he began His missionary work, so was His Church to be
empowered before beginning its missionary work. He told them, "you shall receive
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses . . ."
(Ac. 1:8). He commanded them to wait for this empowering by the Holy Spirit. They
were not to attempt the task of world evangelization until they received this
"clothing" from "on high" (Lk. 24:49). The pattern is again clear. They were trained,
empowered by the Holy Spirit, and sent out to proclaim and demonstrate the power
of the kingdom of God just as He Himself had done.

Paul's missionary strategy in Ephesus - In Acts chapter 19 we again see this

strategy of the Spirit at work in Paul's missionary outreach to Ephesus and Asia
Minor. Note that he follows the same pattern of empowering, training,
demonstration, and sending out. When Paul came to Ephesus, his plan was not
simply to start a church, or even to reach a city; his intention was to reach all of Asia
Minor with the gospel. How did he plan to accomplish this great task? We can
observe his strategy at work in verses 11- 20. Upon finding a budding church in
Ephesus, Paul's first concern was their spiritual experience. This church was to be
Paul's base of ministry from which he would reach the entire province. It had to be
empowered by the Holy Spirit if the task was to be accomplished. He immediately
asked these twelve men, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" (v.2).
Then he "laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with
tongues and prophesied" (v.6). Now that the church had been empowered by the
Spirit, Paul concerned himself with training for the task at hand, the task of reaching
Asia Minor with the gospel. In verses 9 and 10 we read, “But when some were
hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, [Paul]
departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of
Tyrannus. And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the
word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

Paul started a Bible school to train workers. As a result of this strategy, all of Asia
was impacted by the gospel of Christ. All during this time, Paul was himself
proclaiming the gospel and demonstrating its power with signs following. Verse 8
tells of his boldly proclaiming the gospel. It says that he "went into the synagogue
and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things
of the kingdom of God." In verse 11 the text says that, "God worked unusual
miracles by the hands of Paul." Then, in the following verses we are given an
example of how these demonstrations of power affected the inhabitants of the city.
As a result "the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed" (v.20).

Observe that in all three New Testament examples of missionary work, empowering
had to take place before the work was attempted. Jesus first had to be empowered
before He began His ministry. He then commanded His disciples to be empowered
before they went out to do theirs. And Paul, following the pattern set down by
Jesus, first concerned himself with the empowering of the Ephesian church before
he attempted to reach Ephesus and Asia Minor with the gospel. The message for
us today is clear. We must never attempt the work of missions until we are first
powerfully filled and anointed by the Holy Spirit. Just as the workers on a large
construction project must first visit the tool shed to pick up their tools before going to
work, we must first visit the place of prayer and be empowered by the Holy Spirit
before attempting the work of missions.

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C. Vindicating the Strategy in Contemporary Experience
Not only does the New Testament demonstrate the absolute necessity of being filled
with the Holy Spirit as a prerequisite for missionary work, but contemporary
experience also demonstrates this fact. We do not deny the good work of non-
Pentecostal missionaries around the world. We applaud their efforts and their
successes. And yet, at the same time, a close look at contemporary missions
worldwide reveals an arresting fact. On the whole, those missions that are making
the greatest impact in the world are those who are the most open to the moving and
power of the Holy Spirit. In his book Power Evangelism, John Wimber observes,
"On a worldwide scale 70% of all church growth is among Pentecostal and
charismatic groups" (p. 31). In the same book he quotes Peter Wagner:

There is a remarkably close relationship between growth of the church today

and the healing ministry … when the gospel first penetrates a region, if we
don't go with the understanding of and use of the supernatural power of the
Holy Spirit, we just don't make much headway. ..." (p. 39)

D. J. Wilson, Professor of History, Bethany Bible College, Santa Cruz, California,

U.S.A. writes,

Across the board, the growth and multiplication of churches in which

healings, deliverances, prophecies, and other miraculous works of the Holy
Spirit are normative components of ministry is substantially greater than in
the churches in which they are not. (Article on "Church Growth," (Dictionary
of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, p. 184)

Wilson states further that the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement "is one of the
highest, if not the highest recorded rate of growth of a nonpolitical, nonmilitaristic
human movement across history." (Ibid., p. 183).

The following two charts dramatically demonstrate this tremendous growth both in
membership and in the number of churches:

20th Century Growth of the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement (including

Third Wave)

Year Affiliated membership New "members" per day New "members" per day in
during century 1988
early 3.7 million 17,000 per day 61,551 per day
1900's
2000 619 million

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20th Century Growth of the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement (Church
Planting)

Year Number of churches New churches per day New churches per day in
during century 1988
early 15,010 53 per day 145 per day
1900's
2000 1.9 million

What Makes the Difference? It is the power of the Holy Spirit that makes the
difference between great success and little or no success in missionary work. How
foolish any missionary would be to go to the work without this promised power. This
power is so vital for two important reasons.

Inspiration for world evangelization - First, it is the Holy Spirit that gives us the
inspiration for world evangelization. When Peter was questioned by the Jewish
Christians why he had gone into the home of the Gentile centurion Cornelius and
preached the gospel, he replied, The Spirit told me to go!" (Ac. 11:12). In the same
way, it was the Holy Spirit that prompted the church in Antioch to send out the
missionaries Barnabas and Saul (Paul) on their first missionary journey: "The Holy
Spirit said, ‘Now separate to me Barnabas and Saul to the work to which I have
called them’ . . .. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they began their missionary
work” (Ac.13:2,4). It is the same today. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our
churches and in our individual lives that prompts us to do the work of reaching the
lost with the gospel. To eliminate the power and presence from our churches and
our lives would be to eliminate the chief source of motivation for missionary
involvement from our midst. We would do it to our own harm and the harm of the
work of the kingdom of God.

Power for world evangelism - Not only does the Holy Spirit give us the inspiration
to do missions, He also gives us the power to accomplish the task. Jesus’ promise
is clear: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you
shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the
end of the earth" (Ac.1:8)

The issue of being filled with the Spirit is bigger than ensuring a denominational
distinctive for our Pentecostal churches. The issue is the evangelization of the
world. Will the world be reached for Jesus Christ or not? It can only be reached in
the power of the Spirit.

Discussion Questions:
1. Discuss: It has been demonstrated that those missions who require their
missionaries to be baptized in the Holy Spirit generally have more success than
those who don't. Why do you think this is so? How does being baptized in the
Holy Spirit aid a missionary in his work?
2. Comment on this statement: I once heard someone say, "I know a man who is a
missionary with another denomination that does not believe in the Pentecostal
baptism. Even though he has never spoken in tongues, he is still a very

49
 effective missionary. Therefore, it is not necessary to be baptized in the Holy
Spirit to be a good missionary."
3. Imagine and Discuss: You were a member of a national missions board. You
have been asked to write a report and bring it back to the board concerning the
spiritual requirements of missionaries. What spiritual requirements would you
look for in choosing new missionaries? Would you require them to be filled with
the Spirit? What other experience in the Spirit would you require?

II. THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE PERSONAL LIFE OF THE
MISSIONARY

We have discussed the absolute necessity of being empowered by the Holy Spirit if
we are to do missionary work. Now we will make some personal applications of this
truth. We will turn our attention to the role of the Holy Spirit in the personal life of
the missionary. First, we will discuss how the baptism of the Holy Spirit is part of
the missionary's essential equipment. Next, we will talk about some specific ways in
with the Holy Spirit helps the missionary in his work. And finally, we will consider
some ways in which the missionary can maintain the touch of the Holy Spirit in his
own life and ministry.

A. Essential Equipment for the Cross-Cultural Missionary

When a missionary leaves his home country to go to a people in a different place
and of a different culture, he must think carefully about what equipment he is to take
with him and what he is to leave at home. He must not forget anything that will be
essential to success of his work of reaching the lost and establishing the church.

Baptized in the Holy Spirit - One piece of essential equipment for the cross-
cultural missionary is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Jesus was very emphatic
concerning the need for this indispensable experience. Listen how He commanded
His disciples to not leave home without it:

And being assembled together with them, he commanded them not to depart
from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,' He said,
‘you have heard from Me: for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be
baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now' (Ac. 1:4,5).

Jesus was very clear and insistent on this point. No missionary should ever go to
the field without this necessary empowering by the Holy Spirit.

Walk in the Spirit - Not only must the missionary be baptized in the Spirit, he must
also know how to walk and live in the presence of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul
asked two important questions. (The first is explicit the other is implicit). His first
question is found in Acts 19:2, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"
He wanted to ensure that these believers had been baptized in the Holy Spirit. The
second question is implied in Galatians 3:3. He asks, in effect, "Are you walking in
the Spirit since you received?" Here him: "Having begun in the Spirit, are you now
being made perfect by the flesh?" Having been filled with the Spirit, it is now
essential that the missionary learn how to walk in the Spirit. He must know how to
listen to the Spirit's voice. He must know how to pray in the Spirit. He must know

50
how to operate in the anointing and gifts of the Holy Spirit. He must cultivate the
fruit of the Spirit in his life.

Practice Power Ministry - Another essential part of any missionary's ministry is the
ability to demonstrate the power of the kingdom of God through power ministry. An
inability to be used in this way will severely limit the effectiveness of the missionary's
ministry. Paul viewed signs and wonders as an integral part of his missionary work.
He wrote to the Corinthian church, "Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished
among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds" (2 Co.
12:12). He considered signs and wonders a verification of his missionary call. He
reminded the Christians in Thessalonica, "Our gospel did not come to you in word
only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit." (1Th. 1:5).

In Romans 15:17-21 Paul reveals his missionary heart. He tells how God used him
to "make the Gentiles obedient" to the gospel. He says that he did it by fully
preaching the gospel of Christ and through "mighty signs and wonders, by the
power of the Spirit of God" (v.19). How foolish we will be if we go out to reach the
nations "in word only" and not in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit. The
work of missions is front line spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:10-18). This warfare must be
fought, not in our own human strength, but "in the power of His might" (v.10). Such
effective power ministry will never happen until the missionary learns to walk in the
Spirit, and he can never learn to walk in the Spirit until he is first baptized in the Holy
Spirit.

B. Ways the Holy Spirit Will Help You in Your Work

The Spirit-filled missionary is never left alone to do his work. Christ is there with him
in the presence of the Holy Spirit (Mt. 28:20; Jn. 14:16-18). There are many ways
that the missionary can anticipate the Spirit's helping him in his ministry.

Empowering - First, the Holy Spirit will empower him to witness and do the works
of Christ (Ac.1:8, Jn.14:12). At Pentecost, a disillusioned, frightened church was
empowered and emboldened to proclaim Christ to the nations. One Malawian
pastor testified to me, "My church began to grow when my people were filled with
the Spirit. It is now a powerful church." A student pastor at the Assemblies of God
School of Theology in Lilongwe, Malawi, where I teach, wrote in his application for
admission, "When you came to my church and preached on the Holy Spirit, I was
filled with the Spirit. I immediately felt that God had called be to preach the gospel.
I was given a burning compassion for the lost. Now, I have been given a branch
church. I want to come to Bible school and train for the ministry." How important it
is that the cross-cultural missionary be powerfully baptized in the Holy Spirit as were
those first Pentecostal missionaries on the Day of Pentecost.

Guidance - Not only will the Spirit empower the missionary to do ministry, he will
also guide him in the performance of his ministry. In Acts chapter 16 we read of the
Spirit's guidance of Paul's missionary team:

Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, the
Holy Spirit forbade them to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to
Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So
passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul

51
 in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him saying,
"Come over to Macedonia and help us." Now after he had seen the vision,
immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had
called us to preach the gospel to them. (Ac. 16:6-10).

It is crucial that the missionary walk under the guidance and direction of the Holy
Spirit. How many years have been wasted, and how many opportunities missed,
because missionaries have not heard nor heeded the voice of the Spirit? The
Pentecostal missionary should expect and cherish the guiding hand of the Holy
Spirit in his life and ministry.

Preparation of the Soil - Just as Jesus went before His disciples into Galilee (Mt.
26:32), so will the Holy Spirit go before the missionary to prepare the way for
successful ministry. One of the Spirit's blessed works is preparation of the spiritual
soil, readying it for the sowing of the seed. Paul often requested that the churches
pray for him that he might find open doors for ministry (Co. 4:3; see also 1 Co. 16:9
and 2 Co. 2:12). This opening of doors for missionary ministry takes place primarily
in the spiritual realm where demonic strongholds are assaulted and weakened. This
weakening of opposing spiritual forces and opening of hearts to receive the gospel
is a work of the Holy Spirit, who responds to the earnest prayers of spiritual
warriors.

Anointing - Another work of the Holy Spirit is anointing the missionary to proclaim
the message of Christ. Jesus declared, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because
He has anointed me to preach the gospel." (Lk. 4:18). The Spirit-filled missionary
can also expect the Spirit of God to visibly manifest His presence in his own life
when he is preaching the word of God. This is what happened to Peter when he
gave his defense before the Jewish court. Peter was so "filled with Holy Spirit" (Ac.
4:8), and he and John demonstrated such boldness in the Spirit, that the religious
authorities visibly saw the touch of the Spirit on them, and "marveled" (v. 13). As
Stephen preached, the anointing of the Holy Spirit was evident. The people "were
not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke" (Ac. 6:10). As the
council looked at him, they "saw his face as the face of an angel" (v. 15). Such an
anointing of the Spirit on the missionary's preaching has powerful persuasive effect
on its hearers. Why would any missionary want to go to the field without such an
anointing?

Confirmation - Those who go as missionaries to preach the gospel to unreached

lands can rightly expect that the Lord will bear "witness to the word of His grace,
granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands" (Ac. 14:3). God has
promised to confirm His Word with signs following (Mk.16:16). This matter of
confirming the gospel with signs and wonders is another work of the Holy Spirit in
the missionary's ministry (Rom. 15:19).

Comfort and Encouragement - In addition to all of these wonderful blessings, the

Holy Spirit will also give comfort and encouragement to the cross-cultural
missionary. When a missionary finds himself far from home, living in a strange and
sometimes confusing culture, he will often need encouragement. This is another
work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as "another Comforter" who
would "abide with [us] forever" (Jn. 14:16). The Holy Spirit will be a comforter and
encourager to the missionary, just as Jesus was to His disciples. What's more, not

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only will the Holy Spirit be with the missionary, He will also dwell in him (v. 17). The
missionary cannot afford to be less than completely filled with the precious Spirit of
God.

C. How to Maintain the Touch of the Holy Spirit

If the presence of the Holy Spirit can assist the missionary in so many ways, does it
not make sense that the missionary should not "leave home without it"? The
question then arises, how can a missionary maintain the touch of the Holy Spirit on
his life? Here we suggest three specific things he can do to ensure that he has an
abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in his life.

Desire the Spirit's Touch

First, if the missionary would maintain the touch of God on his life, he must desire
that touch. Concerning the gifts of the Spirit, Paul wrote that we should "desire
spiritual gifts" (1 Co. 14:1). Further, we should "desire earnestly to prophesy, and
[and we should] not forbid to speak with tongues" (v.39). Jesus taught that before
we can have "rivers of living water" flowing out of our hearts to bless others, we
must first "thirst" after the Spirit of God, and then "come to [Him] and drink" (John
7:37-39). We must ask ourselves, "How important is it to me that I live with the
Spirit's touch on my life and on my ministry?" If the answer is, "It is very important,"
then we should let this desire be our starting point to begin seeking the Lord's
abiding presence on our lives and ministries.

Cultivate the Spirit's Presence

Paul wrote the younger missionary Timothy reminding him to "stir up the gift of God
which [was in him] through the laying on of [Paul's] hands" (2 Ti. 1:6). He further
encouraged him to keep that good thing that was committed to him "by the Holy
Spirit" who dwelt in him (v. 14). Not only must the missionary covet the Spirit's
touch on his life, he must also learn to cultivate the Spirit's presence in his life. This
can be done through prayer, worship, and prayerful meditation on the word of God.
By doing these things he will be able to keep the touch of God on his life.

Pray in the Spirit Often - Paul taught the Ephesians that one way the Christian
worker can "put on the whole armor of God," and thus "be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil," is by "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit"
(Eph. 6: 11, 18). This is why Paul boldly asserted, "I will pray in the Spirit . . . I will
sing in the Spirit" (1 Co.14:15). Then he said, "I thank my God I speak in tongues
more than you all" (v. 18). Why did he say this? Because he knew the great
spiritual strength that came to his life through praying in tongues. In fact, the gift of
tongues is the only spiritual gift which the Bible specifically states edifies the one
who is administering the gift. Jude speaks of two ways such praying will strengthen
the missionary: It will build him up in his faith, and it will keep him in the love of God
(Jude 20,21).

Praying in the Spirit is also a powerful means of intercessory prayer, which is

available to the missionary (Rom. 8:26,27). How important it is that he maintain the
Spirit's touch on his life and ministry.

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Class Interaction
1. Personal Testimonies: Ask several students to share three-minute personal
testimonies of how the Holy Spirit has been a help in their own personal lives
and ministries. (i.e. empowering, guidance, preparing the soil, confirming the
Word, and giving encouragement and comfort)
2. Discuss: What things can a missionary do to help maintain the touch of the Holy
Spirit in his life?

III. THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE MINISTRY OF THE MISSIONARY

Thus far we have discussed the necessity of being empowered by the Holy Spirit if
we are to do missionary work. We have applied that principle to the personal life of
the cross-cultural missionary. We will now speak of the role of the Holy Spirit in the
missionary’s work and ministry. Here we will discuss three things. First, we will talk
about how the missionary must work with the Holy Spirit in his ministry. Next, we
will discuss how it is the responsibility of the missionary to impart Pentecostal power
and practice to the emerging church. And finally, we will discuss the need for
missionary "revivalists" in the context of African missions.

A. How the Missionary Must Work With the Holy Spirit

We have already discussed how the missionary is not alone in his ministry. He has
the Holy Spirit to go with him and to help him. It is essential that the missionary
know how to work in concert with the Holy Spirit in founding the church in his
chosen field. If the work of missions is to proceed from the church that is being
founded by the missionary, it is essential that that church be truly Spirit-anointed.
How can the missionary ensure that he plants a truly Spirit-empowered and thus a
truly missionary church? He must do at least two things:

He Must Found a Truly Pentecostal Church.

The missionary must never forget that it is not enough that he himself be
Pentecostal, he must also ensure that the church that he founds is also Pentecostal.
In order to do this, he must have in his mind a clear picture of what that church
should look like once it is established. What will such a church look like? It will be a
church characterized by authoritative biblical preaching and teaching. The power of
the Lord will be present in the worship services. Gifts of the Spirit will be in
operation. The sick will be healed and demoniacs delivered. Prayer will have a
central place in the church's life. Christ will be proclaimed. Missions will be
emphasized. And tithing will be taught and practiced.

He Must Model a Truly Pentecostal Ministry.

One thing that the Pentecostal missionary must do if he is to found a truly
Pentecostal church is that he himself must model Pentecostal ministry before the
emerging church. Any missionary is naive to think that he can found a Pentecostal
church if he himself does not provide for it a true model of Pentecostal ministry. It is
inevitable that the church he founds will be a reflection of his own ministry. Jesus
said, "A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be
like his teacher" (Lk. 6:40 NIV). What, then, does it mean to have a ministry that is
truly Pentecostal? It means to be full of the Holy Spirit. It means to minister in the
power and anointing of the Holy Spirit, with signs following. It means that the gifts of
the Spirit are in operation in the missionary's ministry. To have a truly Pentecostal

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ministry means that the missionary is himself a Pentecostal minister, not in word
only, but in actual practice.

B. How the Missionary Must Impart Pentecost to the Emerging Church

The question arises, what specifically must the missionary do if he is to impart
Pentecostal power and practice to the emerging church? We suggest six things that
he can do.

He Must Value Pentecostal Experience.

First of all the missionary must himself place high value on Pentecostal experience.
There are two ways he must value Pentecostal experience: First, he must value
Pentecostal experience in his own life and ministry. Next, he must value
Pentecostal experience in the life and ministry of the church he is founding.
Imparting Pentecostal power and practice to a church begins with the missionary's
attitude. Someone has rightly said, "Pentecost is better caught than taught." If the
missionary doesn't see the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit on a church as a
high priority, he will never found a truly Pentecostal church.

He Must Proclaim the Pentecostal Message.

Next, if the missionary is to impart Pentecost to the emerging church, he must boldly
and consistently proclaim the message of Pentecost. Paul confidently reminded
Roman Christians, "I have fully preached the gospel of Christ" (Rom. 19:19). Paul
was a full gospel preacher both in the biblical and the contemporary sense. He was
quick to preach the message of the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Ac. 19:1-7). I was
once in conversation with a "Pentecostal" missionary. I was taken back when he
said to me, "I almost never preach on the Holy Spirit." How tragic. This should
never be the case in our missionary ministries. We must preach often and forcefully
on the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and we should then pray with the people to receive
the Holy Spirit.

He Must Teach Pentecostal Truth.

Another thing that the missionary must do if he is going to found a truly Pentecostal
church is he must faithfully teach and preach Pentecostal truth. As missionaries go
to the field they are often assigned different roles and tasks, which they are
expected to fulfill once they arrive at their place of ministry. While this is right and
good, the missionary must never forget that the heart of the Great Commission is
teaching and preaching the gospel (Mt.28:20, Mk.16:15). Whatever else we do, we
are first and foremost preachers and teachers. Are you a general (or area)
missionary? Then do your area missionary work, but first preach the Word! Are you
assigned to administer a national program or a Bible school? Then you should do
that, but first of all you must preach the Word! Are you a youth or children's
specialist, a Bible school teacher, or a director of some compassionate ministry?
Surely, you must fulfill that role, but never forget that we are called first of all to
preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As we teach and preach, our teaching and preaching should be filled with the
message of Pentecost. Our evangelistic messages should contain the message of
the baptism in the Holy Spirit in the same way that Peter’s messages did (Ac. 2:15-
18; 33; 38, 39). Our pastoral training and Bible school teaching should include
extended teaching on Pentecostal truth. Our Bible school curriculum and

55
methodology should be distinctly Pentecostal. The Holy Spirit should have His
rightful place in all that we do and teach. And, as stated above, all of the
missionary's teaching will be of little benefit if he himself does not model charismatic
ministry.

He Must Fan the Flames of Pentecost.

The missionary intent on founding a genuinely Spirit-filled church must also become
adept at "fanning the flames of Pentecost." That is, he must see it as his role to be
constantly encouraging the budding church in its spiritual life. As Timothy was
admonished to "stir up the gift of God" (2 Ti. 1:6) that was in him, the Pentecostal
missionary must seek to stir up the gift of God that he has carefully planted in the
church. He must be constantly measuring the spiritual temperature of the church to
see that it is truly living and moving in the Spirit, and when he sees any deficiency in
its spiritual life, he must be quick to spur the church on to truly Pentecostal practice.

He Must Contend for a Pentecostal Church.

Finally, the missionary intent on establishing a dynamic Spirit-filled church must
earnestly contend for a Pentecostal church. He must contend in three areas: First
he must contend in doctrinal purity. He must see that the doctrinal statements and
teachings of the new church reflect biblical truth about the Person and work of the
Holy Spirit in the church. Secondly, he must contend for Pentecostal practice. He
must see that time and place be given for the moving of the Holy Spirit in each
gathering of believers. Finally, the missionary should see that the church's
Pentecostal beliefs and practices find their way into the church's foundational
documents and policy statements. The missionary must contend for Pentecost in
every area of the church's life and practice.

C. The Need for Revivalists in the African Church

Some African missionaries will find themselves going into areas where there is
already an established Pentecostal work. The work may be large or small, mature
or just beginning. He may discover that the church to which he is assigned, or
which he chooses to work with, is in dire need of revival. He should see one of his
roles as being an instrument to bring Pentecostal revival to his chosen church. He
must understand that the only church qualified and able to reach a nation for Christ
is a church full of the Holy Spirit. Like Paul in Ephesus (Ac. 19), the missionary
must see a Pentecostal outpouring as the first step in evangelizing the lost in any
area or nation of the world.

The Need for a Holy Spirit Outpouring in Africa

We thrill at the great harvest of souls that is being reaped in Africa. Daily thousands
are being brought into the kingdom of Christ. At the same time, we have some
cause for concern. In several countries in Africa we now have second and third
generation Assemblies of God churches. Several of our churches have already
celebrated over half a century of existence. We rejoice in this, and yet we also see
a great need, the need for a fresh Pentecostal outpouring on these and other
Assemblies of God churches on the continent. In 1993 we were shocked when the
Africa Harvest Projects and Coordinating Office in Springfield, Missouri, U.S.A.,
reported the results of a survey that they had conducted in our Assemblies of God
churches across Africa.

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It was discovered that only about 20% of those attending Assemblies of God
churches in Africa are baptized in the Holy Spirit. Just think what that means. With
6 million members in Africa, this means that a staggering 4.8 million have not been
baptized in the Holy Spirit. If we in Africa are going to fulfill our destiny before God
of reaching the nations with the gospel, we must cry out to God for a powerful
Pentecostal revival to sweep our churches with hundreds of thousands being
baptized in the Holy Spirit. We cannot simply hope that this will take place. We
must move into action now. We must pray, preach, teach, and contend for a
continental Pentecostal outpouring on our African churches.

The Issues Involved

There are momentous issues involved here. The issue is not how many we can get
to speak in tongues and thus qualify as the largest Pentecostal church in Africa.
The issue is the eternal souls of untold millions of people across the continent and
beyond. Will North Africa be reached? It will be reached only if we are truly
empowered by the Holy Spirit. Will the Horn of Africa and the Middle East be won to
Christ? These resistant areas will not be won by an insipid, powerless church.
These and other areas, of the world can only be reached by a church that is
powerfully filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly proclaiming the message of Christ with
supernatural signs following.

The Call for African Revivalists

We have a great need in our African Assemblies of God churches today. We need
men and women that will heed the call to be anointed prophets who will call the
church to Pentecostal revival. I am not talking about self-appointed, self-serving,
arrogant proclaimers of their own power and righteousness. I'm talking about men
and women whose passion is to see the church fully anointed and empowered by
the Holy Spirit. These must be men and women who look beyond the temporal and
see the nations waiting to hear the gospel. They long for revival with a reason, a
revival that will impel the church of Africa to reach the unreached nations with the
message of Jesus. We need such revivalists, and we must see this prophetic
ministry as a legitimate missionary role in Africa today. I pray that God will raise up
an army of such anointed prophets.

Class Interaction:
1. Discuss: We have said that the missionary must strive to impart Pentecost to the
emerging church. Describe some of the characteristics that make a church
Pentecostal. What are some of the things he can do to ensure that he is
founding a truly Pentecostal church?
2. Discuss: In this lesson we have spoken about being "truly Pentecostal." What,
in your opinion, does it mean to have a ministry that is truly Pentecostal?
3. Discuss: On a scale from one to ten (with one being the lowest and ten the
highest), rate the spiritual temperature of your national church. What things can
be done to inspire and promote revival in your church?

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 Chapter 4
SPIRITUAL FORMATION: HOW TO DIG YOUR OWN WELL
John Ikoni

This is a study of the Biblical concept of spiritual formation. Special attention will be
placed on strategies for personal spiritual growth, with emphasis on traditional
Christian disciplines needed in the missionary’s life in order to maintain his spiritual
vitality and effectiveness. Basic related principles about personal relationship with
God will be discussed. This chapter will eventuate in a hypothetical self-
development plan.

This chapter will seek, among other things, to:

1. Create an awareness and inspire hunger and thirst for the need of the
missionary’s personal devotion that will lead to a deepening spiritual experience
with God.
2. Challenge the missionary into a conscious daily walk with God that will cause
him to rearrange his life around spiritual disciplines that Jesus engaged in to
remain constantly at home with God.

Objectives:
1. That the missionary understand the Biblical concepts of spiritual formation.
2. That the missionary integrate an understanding of spirituality into personal
formation and growth.
3. That the missionary be grounded in scriptures relative to personal spiritual
formation and growth.
4. That the missionary enlarge his/her understanding of basic traditional
spiritual disciplines.
5. That the missionary identify certain conditions that threaten the Christian’s
determination to daily walk with God and how to deal with them.
6. That the missionary make a commitment to continuing spiritual maturity and
personal development in his/her role as a cross-cultural minister by adopting
a simple plan for daily devotion and renewal.

Introduction
The subject of spirituality has received renewed interest even among the
Pentecostals in recent times. Pentecostals are familiar with such expressions as
“being spiritual,” a “spiritual person,” “walking in the Spirit,” and “Spirit-filled life.”
Too many demands of life force people to try to find meaning to the inner life.
People want to reach out for help to a being higher than they. The result is a quest
for “spiritual life.” People of all persuasions and religious traditions have a desire for
authentic spirituality.

The subject of spirituality and spiritual formation belong together. Many scholars
and theologians find it difficult to articulate the meanings of the terms “spirituality”
and “spiritual formation” with clarity. In this chapter I shall reflect on a few of the
viewpoints.

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Our concern for this course is “spiritual formation.” It is primarily about personal
spiritual growth. The aim is to give depth to our desire for God. The result will be a
substantial increase in the level of discipleship. The central truth here is that
whatever we are now in our stage of spiritual growth, we must continue to grow as
Christians. There are no limits to spiritual formation. I see Christians as pilgrims.
They are people on the move! The story of the exodus illustrates how we are about
this process. Just as the people of Israel were led out toward freedom, Christian
formation leads Christians out toward freedom in Christ. The leading out is not
directionless. The Holy Spirit leads, guides, and encourages believers toward the
ultimate goal—the glorification of Christ.

This chapter is divided into three sections. Section one develops a theology of
personal spiritual formation based on Scriptural definitions and illustrations. The
emphasis upon spiritual growth is the undertone, the tone, and the overtone of the
Bible. Section two looks at certain conditions that threaten Christian pilgrims in their
daily walk toward spiritual fulfillment and vibrancy, and how to deal with them. The
“Philistines” always lurk around to close our “wells.” The section on “How To Dig
Your Own Well” becomes more relevant when one thinks of a missionary’s work in
an entirely new setting. Have you experienced loneliness as a result of having to
move from your culture to a culture other than yours? It is no longer the exclusive
experience of the Western Missionaries who come to us in Africa. Our African
missionaries now wear the same shoes. If a missionary must provide spiritual
leadership, he himself must learn to “dig his own well,” learn to be his own
shepherd.

Section three describes a practical approach to Christian personal formation. It

describes the spiritual connotation of “How To Dig Your Own Well.” This concept
crowns the entire course. Just as well diggers use “rigs” to drill, not for surface
water, but for pure water underneath the rocks, so Christians employ what I
describe as “rigs” that are spiritual disciplines for deep refreshing in their pilgrim
journey. Spiritual formation must be intentional; it must be structured; and it
requires discipline. This is not just an introduction to neither mechanical nor
romantic notions of Christian formation. It is practical and offers principles to our
ever-increasing faith.

This chapter contains discussions, questions and answers, and interaction for focus
groups. Within this flexible format, members will hear from one another, share,
plan, and dream with each other, and pray for one another. As a result we remain
Pentecostal, spiritual and vibrant.

I. BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF PERSONAL SPIRITUAL FORMATION

A. Definition of Terms
1. Spirituality
The term “spirituality” is not easy to define. The term is a weasel word. Just when
one thinks he now has it in his hands it slithers out. This is because each person
uses the word to describe different realities. Realizing this difficulty, Bill J. Leonard
said, “Even among people with common religious images, the meaning of spirituality
is slippery and individualistic” (Leonard 1990, 19).

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Spirituality, in a generic sense means “a cluster of acts and sentiments that are
informed by the beliefs and values that characterize a specific religious community”
(Spittler 1988, 804). In this respect, liturgy describes what all members of a
community do together when assembled for worship. Theology defines
systematized, ordinarily written reflections on religious experience. Spirituality, by
contrast, focuses on the pietistic habits of ordinary individuals. Under this model of
spirituality, who is a spiritual person?

Discuss: Anybody could be spiritual. A witch doctor could claim to be as spiritual as

a humanist; a Muslim as spiritual as a Buddhist, etc.

Class Interaction: Ask the class to give their own definitions of different models of
spirituality and spiritual formation. The various definitions should be complied.
Divide the class into focus groups. Each group is given ten to fifteen minutes.

Christian Spirituality - Cecil M. Robeck Jr. defines Christian spirituality as that which
involves the giving of our very selves to the One we worship and adore [Rom. 12:1-
2] (Robeck 1992, 103). Christians give themselves to God through their beliefs and
emotional attitudes, which ultimately influence their actions and values (Hymes
1998, 3-1). Christ is the center of Christian spirituality. Through him all things came
to be (Jn. 1:3). He is the source of salvation and spiritual life to all who receive him
(Jn. 1:12).

Pentecostal Spirituality - The Pentecostals believe that God continues to work in the
Church through supernatural means. Central to this theology is the belief that Christ
baptizes believers with the Holy Spirit (Mt. 3:11, Ac. 1:5) resulting in the believers
speaking in other tongues as the initial physical evidence of that Holy Spirit baptism
(Ac. 2:4). The Spirit imparts power to witness and perform miraculous signs (Mk.
16: 17-18). The Holy Spirit enables the believers to live a holy life, gives liberty to
worship. The Spirit endows the believers with the gifts of the Spirit (1 Co. 12:4-10,
Rom. 12:6-8, Eph. 4:7,11).

2. Spiritual Formation
Spirituality and spiritual formation belong together. Frank Stanger distinguishes
between spirituality and spiritual formation when he writes, “Being spiritual” has to
do with one’s sense of the sacred, the identification and affirmation of what one
considers the supreme values in human existence. Spirituality is the personal
illustration of one’s total commitment and loyalty to such supreme values. The
quality of one’s sense of the sacred determines the nature of one’s spirituality.
When we talk about formation, we are speaking of the lived-out process of keeping
spirituality transcendent in one’s experience and life” (Stanger 1989, 14).

Many descriptive definitions of spiritual formation have been offered. Maxie

Dunnam describes it as “the dynamic process of receiving by faith and approaching
by commitment, discipline, and action, the living Christ into our lives to the end that
our lives will conform to and manifest the living Christ in the world.”

For Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), spiritual formation is “paying the Lord attention,”
and “keeping the Lord’s house in order.” Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) spoke of
spiritual formation as fulfilling the goal of spirituality, which is to enable a Christian to

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become a contemplative in action. The Spiritual Formation Committee of Central
Baptist Theological Seminary offered this definition: “Spiritual Formation for the
Christian is growth of the total person toward a maturity in loving relationship to
God, to self, to other persons in the community, and to the whole of God’s created
world. The goal of maximizing the use of God’s gifts to a person in the journey
toward wholeness . . . “ For Stanger, spiritual formation is “the journey of the total
person toward wholeness.

What do we gather from these definitions? (1) The spiritual life is not static; (2)
Spiritual formation is the journey of the total person. Jesus talked about this,
centuries ago: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart [affectional] and with all
your soul [spiritual] and with all you mind [rational] and with all your strength
[physical]…and your neighbor as yourself [relational]” (Mk. 12: 30-31); (3) Spiritual
formation is the journey of the total person toward wholeness. Wholeness means
health, harmonious functioning of healthy parts within a unified personality.

What do you think about this definition? “The intentional and systematic process of
growing into the image of Christ through obedience to the Scriptures by the power
of the Holy Spirit in our total personality.”

Let us summarize what we are saying so far in this way: Viewed spiritually, spiritual
formation is growth in grace and in knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Theologically, it is the process by which the image of Christ is formed in us. It is
the process of reproduction within a person and among persons of the mind, spirit,
character, and work of Jesus Christ. From a psychological perspective; spiritual
formation is the pursuit of maturity. To the one who understands professional
processes, it is development.

B. Process of Personal Spiritual Formation

1. Initial Encounter: A Break With the Past
Spiritual formation begins with an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. When a
sinner accepts Jesus as Savior his life is radically changed and transformed:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new
has come” (2 Co. 5:17 NIV). Paul stresses the importance of this experience in
Romans 12:2 and Galatians 4:19 where he uses the words formation and
transformation. The root word is morphe, and suggests that the inner being of the
person is radically altered so that he or she is no longer the same. Two things
happen in salvation, (1) we are reconciled to God; our estrangement is dissolved by
the justifying grace of God in the cross of Jesus; (2) there is the re-creation of the
image of God in the life of the believer. When Paul encountered Christ on the road
to Damascus, his whole life changed. His “I” was changed into a “C.” Read his
testimony of when he “put off” the worldly “mask” (the old self) and “put on” the “new
man” (Rom. 12:1-2, Gal. 2:20, Co. 3:9,10).

Regeneration is another term for “born again,” a phrase used by Jesus himself (Jn.
3:3). Upon conversion (a Right-About-Turn!), a sinner stands justified and
sanctified.

2. Subsequent Development: “From Glory to Glory”

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The Christian journey begins right after the crisis of the new birth. At this point the
believer is separated from sin and set apart unto God. This aspect of salvation is
called “sanctification” (Gk. Hagiasmos) which means to make whole, to consecrate,
to separate from the world, and be set apart to God. Sanctification is a lifelong
process by which we continue to put to death the misdeeds of the body (Rom. 8: 1-
17), are progressively transformed into the image of Christ (2 Co. 3:18), grow in
grace (2 Pe.3:18), and exercise a greater love for God and people (Mt. 22:37-39, I
Jn. 4: 7-8, 20-21). A Christian resolves that his whole life, through the help of the
Holy Spirit, will be centered around his determination to press on until the mortal will
put on immortality (I Co. 15:53-56, 2 Tim. 4:8, Rev. 2:10, 22:4).

The primary principle of Christian formation is that it is developmental. It moves

from simple or less complex forms to more complex forms; from “babies” to “adult,”
from “child” to “man,” from “carnal” to “spiritual” (1 Co. 13:11, He. 5:12-14; 1 Pe. 2:1-
3). Steele explains that Christian formation does not occur in discrete, invariant,
hierarchical, sequential stages. Rather than necessarily progressive, the movement
of Christian formation is processional. Regression and fixation are possible.
Christians may forget their first love (Steele 1990, 117).

Calling Christian formation developmental implies that it is in process and dynamic.

It is not static and unchanging. It is changing, and many times this frightens us.
Consider, for instance, the first time an adolescent questions faith. What is usually
the parent’s or pastor’s reaction? Understanding Christian formation as
developmental makes us both comfortable and uncomfortable. It also allows us to
relax when we realize that we are on a lifelong journey and have a long way to go.
It also creates increased self-responsibility as we realize that we are called to an
ever-growing faith. Christian formation must involve nurturing. The maturing that
we exhibit yesterday is not sufficient for today.

Discussion:
1. Describe your own experience of Christian formation in the light of
developmental theory.
2. How does your understanding of Christian formation as developmental make
you both comfortable and uncomfortable?
3. Interactive Awareness.
Spiritual formation is interactive. When we consider what affects Christian
formation, our answer must take into account the complex web of human life.
Les L. Steele says that it is an interactive process that includes the person
himself or herself, the family, the culture of origin, the historical movement in
which one is living, and the involvement of the Holy Spirit in the person’s life.
A mysterious interaction of all of these elements influences Christian growth
(Steele 1990, 122). How do you see yourself? Do you accept yourself?
How we look at ourselves affects how we think and feel about ourselves.
This self-concept in turn affects how we understand our relationship to God.
What type of family do you come from? Think about the faith tradition you
came out of. Does it have any impact on your theology and doctrine as well
as your convictions? Differences in worship and polity will influence biases
to how Christian faith is understood. Differences in culture can bring an
understanding of Christian formation. Society also affects the ways in which
we understand Christian formation. It is to be hoped that we appreciate what

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 these cultural differences teach us about Christian formation. What is the
place or role of the Holy Spirit in Christian formation? Believers are beings
who are connected with the Supernatural – God. When we come to
Christian faith, the Holy Spirit actively participates in the process of Christian
transformation. In the long run, we must take responsibility for the direction
of our Christian formation. Who we become is to a major extent our own
responsibility. We talked about the “complex web of human life,” how does
this “web” affect Christian formation? In which ways does the Holy Spirit
help the believers in their pilgrim journey? Who do we ultimately hold
responsible for the direction of our Christian formation?

C. Biblical Emphasis of Personal Spiritual Formation

The idea of spiritual formation is one of the striking emphases of the Bible. Stanger
observes that as one reads the Holy Scriptures with a sense of continuity, he
becomes impressed by the ideal of growth into the image that God intended through
the original creation and has made possible through the “new creation” in Jesus
Christ (Stanger 1989, 18). Let us look at what different portions of the Bible say
about Christian formation.

Life in the Scriptures is always spiritually dynamic – growing, developing, and

progressing toward a goal. Let us look at the following examples.
1. Isaiah 40:28-31. Those who wait on and hope in the Lord will have strength.
2. Jeremiah 18:1-7. Follow me to the Potter’s house. The vessel was first
shaped (formed); then it was marred (the beautiful design of the Potter was
thwarted when the vessel collapsed); next, the vessel was reshaped; and
lastly, the vessel was perfected by the fire of the kiln. As the temperature
rises the clay becomes purer, and the beautiful colors of the potter’s pattern
are burned in, while the unwanted elements in the clay are burned out.
Every touch of the Potter on our lives has that desirable beauty in view.

Discussion from Jeremiah 18:

1. What spiritual lessons can we glean from this story?
2. What does revolving wheel stand for?
3. What do you think was responsible for the collapse of the vessel being
formed?
4. In what ways can the Potter’s design be thwarted?
5. As a vessel of God, have you ever felt you were not fulfilling God’s
purpose? What steps did you take to remedy the situation?
6. What experiences or circumstances does God use to shape our
character?
7. The Scriptures are replete with illustrations of marred vessels whom God
has remade. List some that come to your mind.

3. Ezekiel 47:1-12. Notice that the River from the temple grows in depth and
width. I describe some Christians as ankle–deep, others knee-deep, loin-
deep, and others swimmers.
4. Hosea 6:2-3. “Let us press on to know the Lord…” As we know the Lord
better, he will come like rain, bringing further spiritual blessing.
5. Proverbs. The book of Proverbs is replete with insights about how life is to
be lived. Each proverb contains timeless truth, based on real-life

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 experience. Stanger remarks, “Just about every personal discipline is
mentioned by the wise writers of Proverbs. The secrets of disciplined living
are unfolded in clear and unforgettable ways” (Stanger 1989,19).
6. The Psalms. The Psalms present aids to spiritual growth repeatedly and in a
variety of ways. The importance of prayer, worship, Bible study, meditation,
solitude, simplicity, etc. are stressed and taught.
7. Luke 2:52. Jesus Christ was an example of symmetrical growth. He
increased in wisdom (intellectually) and stature (physically) and in favor with
God (spiritually) and men (socially). He practiced all the Christian spiritual
disciplines of prayer, worship, meditation, solitude, etc.
8. Apostle Paul. Paul writes about spiritual growth a lot: Philippians 3:12-14.
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect,
but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me . . .
but I press toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus.” He prays for the Philippian believers that
“your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight…”
(Ph. 1:9-11). For the Ephesian Christians, Paul prayed that in all things they
might grow up into him who is the Head; that they will no more be children,
tossed to and fro . . . but to grow unto a perfect man, unto the measure of
the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13-15).
9. The Apostle Peter began his second letter with a passionate plea for spiritual
growth: Peter lists virtues a Christian must develop in order to be spiritually
victorious and fruitful (2 Pe. 1:5-7). Peter always sounds like he is a
mathematician. In 1 Peter 2:1 he speaks of subtraction. There are things a
Christian must rid himself of in order to “grow in grace and knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pe. 3:18). In his second letter he
emphasizes addition. Here, Peter seemed to be speaking of spirituality and
spiritual formation in three-dimensional relationships: Vertical Relationship
to God expressed through faith, knowledge, godliness, etc. Horizontal
Relationship to People is expressed through the virtues of patience,
brotherly kindness, charity, etc., while Introvertical Relationship is to Self,
and shown through character, self-control, knowledge, etc. Christian
spirituality and spiritual formation affect all aspects of life – spiritual, social,
physically, material, political, and economical. Spiritual formation involves
the development of ethical person as well as ethical actions. Being spiritual
is to constantly live in the consciousness of the divine presence. Have you
ever felt the heaviness of God’s presence on your life?
10. Hebrews 6:1. “. . . let us . . . go on to maturity . . .” Bishop Westcott, in his
commentary on Hebrews, suggests that “Let us. . . go on to maturity” is
capable of three translations, each of which is a warning against a peril: (1)
We May Stop Too Soon. We may feel we have arrived. But the writer rules
out complacency as Paul did (Phil. 3:12). No! “Let us go on.” There are
further heights to scale. (2) We May Succumb to Discouragement and drop
our bundle as John Mark did. No! “Let us keep pressing on.” (3) We May
Feel We Have to Achieve It Alone. No! In our pursuit of spiritual maturity,
we have the cooperation of the Triune God. God encourages us to
continue down the paths, even when the going is arduous. God also
enables us to follow in the midst of problems. Jesus beckons us to “come,
follow me.” The Holy Spirit guides us. There is a direction in the spiritual
journey; the destination is none other than Christ, “the human face of God”

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 (Leonard 1990,23). God also cautions us. A common tendency is to run
ahead of God’s guidance.

D. Importance and Need for Personal Spiritual Formation

1. Lesson from Nature - Spiritual renewal is akin to spiritual formation. Spiritual
formation leads to renewed life, renewed strength, and re-charging. At every turn of
the year, many changes take place around us. Certain trees shed their leaves and
peel their barks, tigers and lions renew their claws; snakes peel their skins; many
horned animals renew their horns. Humankind renew themselves by food, rest, and
sleep. They also eliminate wastes through respiration. Without these changes life
cannot go on normally. This is applicable in the spiritual domain. We renew our
mind by prayer, meditation, and by reading God’s Word.

2. The Imperatives of Personal Spiritual Formation:

• Christians need to become more Christlike. In contrast to the world’s primary
emphasis upon doing, God’s emphasis is on being (Read Eph. 1:4; 5:26-27; Jn.
1:12; Mk. 3:14; 1:17; Ac. 1:8).
• Christians need to grow spiritually or they will perish. The law of life is grow or
perish. Life is dynamic. It either grows or dies. In the same way, spiritual life
either progresses or regresses. (Read Pro. 4:18; Gal. 4:19; Mt. 5:48; Co. 1:28.)
• Christians need to discover their true selves. Stanger says, “There is a
universal need for self-discovery; far too many people go through life wearing
masks. It is easier to put on a show than it is to sit and listen to one’s
conscience. People get excited – about the detached and impersonal – but not
about that which is personal and inward” (Stanger 1989, 39, 40). The
“uncollected” person is pressed for time, hates silence, is restless, is anxious
about circumstances, and is really too busy to live or love. The “collected”
person is just the opposite. So spiritual formation becomes a means of pursuing
successfully the struggle for self-affirmation, self-determination, and
autonomous self-donation.
• Christians need a proper balance between mind and emotion. (Read Deu. 6:5
and Mk. 12:30). What addition did Jesus make to the Great Command? Did you
notice that absence of the word mind in Deuteronomy? Do you know there has
been tension between emotion and mind? Rationalistic approach to religious
experience has stood in stark contrast to emotional approach – emotions
(sensationalism, feelings) versus mind (intellect), emphasis mine. “Intellectual
spirituality” apart from warm emotional response to God becomes sterile and
fruitless. No spiritual experience or activity, however valid, can be sustained
permanently without a wholesome theological undergirding” (Stanger 1989,42).
• Christians need a renewable inner strength so they can serve others.
Missionary work, like all other Christian ministries, requires energy, stamina, and
exertion. We cannot do more for the world than we really are. We cannot give
what we do not have. Know this, “Water cannot rise above its level.” As a spring
of water must have more than we dip from it, so our souls must have much more
than we give others. The need to Dig Your Own Well becomes obvious!
• Christians need a proper balance between material and the spiritual. The
material cannot be ignored or bypassed, but it must never become primary and
take precedence over the spiritual. (Mt. 6: 19-21)
• Christians need to take 2 Chronicles 7:14 as a priority for spiritual formation.
When God’s four conditions for revival and restoration are met, then God’s

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 threefold promise of revival will be fulfilled. The four conditions: If God’s people
will (a) Humble themselves, (b) Pray, (c) Seek my face, and (d) Turn from
their wicked ways. God’s threefold promise: God will (a) Hear from heaven
(He will turn away his anger from his people), (b) Forgive their sin (and restore
his favor, peace, presence, truth, righteousness and power), and (c) Heal their
land (pour rain – i.e., physical favor and spiritual blessing).

Summary
Spiritual life begins with the experience of new birth, but it does not end there.
Actually, if it does end there, it ends (Stanger 1989, 20). The process is the forming
of Christ in a human being. We have so far described the direction and process of
being on the way to Christian formation. Seven imperatives of spiritual formation
have been offered. No single definition of spirituality or spiritual formation is all-
sufficient. It is like a proverbial story of several blind men attempting to describe an
elephant. One, who grasped the tail said, “An elephant is like a snake!” Another
feeling the huge side, said, “An elephant is like a wall!” Another touching his ear,
said, “Oh, no, an elephant is like a tree trunk!”

What do you say this elephant called Spiritual Formation is like?

II. THREATS TO PERSONAL SPIRITUAL FORMATION

The Christian journey is not without struggle. The break with the past marked the
end of the new beginning. The journey that follows entails a struggle against all
forces urging a return to the former state of things – the attractions of the fleshpots
of Egypt. God asked Moses to tell the children of Israel to “go forward” (Ex. 14:15).

A. Becoming Aware – The Reality of Struggle

The pilgrimage of the spiritual is like a battleground on which the Christian confronts
the spiritual forces of the devil (Eph. 5:11-12). In this struggle the Christian needs
every ounce of divine support available (Eph. 5:10-11). Believers should be aware
that they are engaged in a spiritual conflict with evil. This conflict is described as a
warfare of faith (2 Co. 10:14; 1 Tim 1:18-19; 6:12) that continues until they enter the
life to come (2 Tim. 4: 7-8; Gal. 5:7).

B. External Threats – The Trouble Outside (The World)

A missionary’s work takes him sometimes into a hostile society where it is difficult to
live by Kingdom principles. He is surrounded by structures, powers, authorities,
influences, and systems that either compel him to lower his standards or seduce
him to compromise. The problem seems to be deeper than personal sin. This is
because you can deal with sin in your own life, but it proves difficult when imposed
by outside forces. Michael Green observes that the world seeks to control through
“unjust or unloving structures, systems of business and finance, principles of
conformity, and social patterns, customs and traditions that marginalize the life of
faith or positively oppose it, and ever-present influence of the media.” (Green 1994,
94).

What should be a missionary’s response to a situation like this? For sure,

conditions of this nature threaten the spiritual life of the missionary. What is the

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best approach to adopt? There are possible options: (1) “Obey the authorities for
they are ordained by God” (Rom. 13:1-7); (2) Confront the powers that be and show
them that “He who is in you is greater than he that is in the world” (1 Jn. 4:4);
(3) Give peace a chance, quietly withdraw from the field and go home (Ac. 17:13-
15); (4) Pray and ask God for wisdom, believing that prayer changes things. What
are the implications of these options?

The Bible provides indispensable framework for understanding our troubles and
dealing with them. What do the following passages say, and what implication do
they have for us? Rom. 8:38; 1 Co. 15:24; Eph. 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Co. 1:16; 2:10;
15:2; 2 Co. 10:4; Jn. 14:17; 15:18-19; 16:33. The Christian is not powerless in this
warfare because Jesus has already won the victory for us.

C. Internal Threats – The Battle Within (The Flesh)

The word flesh as used by Paul in Galatians 5:19-21, Romans 8:5-9 and 1
Corinthians 6:12-21 refers to the sinful nature which is hostile to God, always at war
against the Spirit. The sinful nature remains within Christians even after their
conversion, and is their deadly enemy. It therefore must be resisted and put to
death in a continual warfare. The victory can be won only through the power of the
Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:4-14; Gal. 5:17). The believer cooperates with the Holy Spirit by
saying “No” to temptations every moment of the day.
There are other temptations that pose a threat to a believer’s spiritual formation:
1. Men pleasing. This temptation shows up when a person is overly concerned
about making a good impression (Eph. 6:5-7). A new missionary practically
works himself to death in his desire to please his national or regional director or
his national officials. His first year is characterized by long hours, nervous
tension, inner struggles, and an abundance of hard work and striving in the
energies of human wisdom and strength. The motive behind all the hard labor
may be the desire to be like someone else. The bad thing here is not the hard
work, but the near or total neglect of his spiritual life, his communion with God.
2. Laziness (sloth). This is the opposite of hard work. Just as working too hard
and trying to please men can be deadly in the life of a missionary, laziness can
be equally dangerous (Ecc. 4:5). LeRoy Eims says sloth can manifest itself in a
person who admires those who are deep in the Word of God, but he will not
study. He enjoys the fellowship of those who have made their heart the library
of Christ, but he will not pay the price of Scripture memory. He thrills to hear of
an abundant answer to prayer, but he will not labor in prayer himself (Pro.
21:25). One of the sins of Sodom was an “abundance of idleness” (Eze. 16:49)
(Eims 1976, 118).
3. The Tongue (Jas. 3:5-6). The tongue can be used to stir up strife between
friends (Pro. 17:19). The missionary, like every Christian, will do well to make
his speech a matter of daily prayer, and to emulate Jesus who astounded
people “at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth” (Lk. 4:22).
4. Living With Bitterness. A bitter spirit produces bitter fruit in the person’s own
life and in the life of others. God cannot pour his grace into a life that is filled
with bitterness (He.12:14-15; Mt. 18:15; 1 Th. 5:16). Do not harbor the wrong
done to you in resentment. Learn to forgive, forget, and face the future with an
unfailing supply of the grace of God.
5. Living With Suffering (1 Pe. 4:12; Phil. 1:29; Jn. 16:33). A missionary in the
field is exposed to suffering. Suffering takes many forms. How does a

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 missionary handle suffering so that it does not stifle his spiritual growth?
Pressure is the bully that drives thousands off the street of their dreams and
aspirations and sends them down the blind alley of despair. The missionary
must have a determination to endure suffering courageously. There must be a
commitment to the will of God (Lk. 22:42). There must be a realistic view of the
trials and pressures. Suffering must be for the sake of righteousness (1 Pe.
4:12-16).
6. Living With Your Past. The Bible is full of stories of men whose lives could
have been ruined by a single act. John Mark who left Paul and Barnabas during
the first missionary journey could have spent the rest of his life in either self-
justification or self-condemnation. He later proved profitable in the ministry. Do
not allow past failures to deter your initiative, and do not allow past victories to
hinder or impede your progress. One of the devil’s masterstrokes is to
immobilize us with regret and remorse over something, which is over and done
with. Our memory becomes the devil’s playground. (Read 1 Jn. 1:9; Mic. 7:19;
Ps. 103:12.)

D. The Invisible Warfare – The Devil and his Host

Christians face spiritual conflict with Satan and a host of evil spirits (Eph. 6:12).
Satan mobilizes his forces to fight Christians in various ways: (1) Through derision,
he makes missionaries, Christians, and the Church look stupid; (2) Through
destruction by harassing believers and robbing them of joy (Rev. 12:10); (3)
Through diversion, by splitting God’s family, often starting with deceiving people to
depend on human leaders (Gal. 4:17); and (5) Through deception, causing
believers to accept a compromised lifestyle (1 Pe. 5:8).

The “Philistines” (Gen. 26:17-33; 2 Sam. 5:17) represent spiritual forces which
persist in closing our wells. But the way to wear the enemy out is to dig and dig and
dig again. One victory does not mean the battle is over. The enemy is not easily
foiled. One repulse is not enough. The victory is not secured until the enemy is
under foot – no truce, no compromise, no living by mutual concession. If you find a
well, the enemy will not leave you alone. If Isaac’s men had found nothing but dust,
the men of Gerar would never have spoken to them. It is what you find, what you
have inside that excites the surprise, the envy, the opposition of those who are not
in sympathy with you. Our weapons are not carnal (2 Co. 10:4-6). Look at the
Christian’s weaponry in Ephesians 6:10-18. Other spiritual weapons are the Name
of Jesus, the Blood of the Lamb, and the Word of God (Rev. 12:11).

Gordon McDonald lists seven conditions that threaten believers’ spiritual vibrancy.
Drained Condition – all spiritual energy has been zapped from our being.
Dried out Condition – running on empty.
Distorted Condition – wrong perceptions because of a lack of spiritual
energy.
Devastated Condition – weighted down so that we may despair even of life.
Disillusioned Condition – loss of dream or passion.
Defeated Condition – sense of failure.
Disheartened Condition – loss of sense of well-being and significance.

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Discussion
1. Discuss the spiritual conflict the missionary faces. In what subtle ways does
Satan fight Christians?
2. Name certain conditions that can drain a missionary’s passion for the Word
of God and work of God, leading to loss of spiritual vibrancy.
3. How do we guard our spiritual lives and the lives of those we shepherd?

Summary
In section two, we studied about things that threaten the spiritual foundation of
Christians. There are the problems we face in the societies and communities where
we minister. There is the palaver we face from the devil and a host of evil spirits.
And there is also a subtle, but dangerous conflict arising from our own mind. “But,
in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Christ who strengthens us”
(Rom 8:37).

III. STRATEGIES FOR PERSONAL SPIRITUAL FORMATION

A. Principles of Personal Spiritual Formation

To keep spiritually fit, there are things a Christian must do.

1. Digging Your Own Well – The Biblical Connotation

The image of a well is used here because spirituality is indeed like living water that
springs up in the very depths of the experience of faith (Jn. 7:38). A well also
signifies (a) the grace of Christ, i.e. his presence, mercy, and comfort; (b) the
fatherly love of God with all his blessings; and (c) a deepening fellowship with the
Holy Spirit.

What does it mean to “Dig Your Own Well?” “Digging Your Own Well” means
discovering God yourself, discovering all that the Holy Spirit gives. Below I outline
what “digging your own well means.”
1. Working Out Your Own Salvation
2. Panting After God
3. Watching Yourself and the Ministry
4. Evaluating Your State
5. Thirsting After Righteousness
6. Training Yourself to be Godly
7. Fighting the Good Fight of Faith
8. Dressing Your Own Vineyard

Let us look as each of these in a little more detail.

Working out your own salvation – Philippians 2:12: An important value of

Pentecostalism is the emphasis on individual experience (Spittler 1998, 804).
Pentecostals often say, “The person with an experience is never at the mercy of
another person with a doctrine.” You have to experience it for yourself. It is said,
“God has no grandchildren,” meaning you cannot hand on to another your own
experience of God. Seekers must always themselves find God in their own
experience.

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We cannot depend upon someone else’s experience. We cannot depend upon
wells our fathers have dug (Gen. 26:14-22). Salvation is received individually as all
other spiritual graces. Discoveries of spiritual experiences are made personally and
individually. Benjamin Sun has remarked, “Every minister should have a plan for
spiritual development. The simple piety that brings us to ministry is not enough to
keep us through the long dark night. We must work out our own spirituality ‘with
fear and trembling.’ We should not hesitate to experiment and pursue variation
according to our own unique needs and circumstances” (Sun 1998, 4-5).
We “work out” our own salvation “with fear and trembling.” God’s children should
possess a holy fear that trembles at God’s Word (Isa. 66:2) and causes them to turn
from all evil (Pro. 3:7; 8:13). The fear (Gk. phobos) of the Lord is not merely a
“reverential trust,” but includes an awe of God’s power, holiness and righteous
retribution, and a dread of sinning against him and facing the consequences (Ex.
3:6; Ps. 119:120; Lk. 12:4-5). This fear is not destructive, but a controlling and
redeeming fear that leads to God’s nearness and blessing, to moral purity, to life
and salvation.

Panting After God – Psalm 42:1: As water is essential for physical life, so the
presence of God is to spiritual life. We need to pant after God with burning desire
like Moses who prayed, “If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up
from here . . . now show me your glory” (Ex. 33:14-18). The only thing that
distinguishes God’s people from the worldly people is the abiding presence and the
glory of the Lord (Ex. 33:16). Such was the desire of David, “I long to dwell in your
tent forever . . . “(Ps. 61:16), of Paul, “That I may know him and the power of his
resurrection . . . ” (Phil 3:10), of Philip, “Show us the Father . . . ” (Jn 14:18), of Saint
Augustine, “You (God) awaken us to delight in Your praise, for You made us for
Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You” (The Confessions of
Saint Augustine, Book One, 1996, 11), and Isaiah, “My soul yearns for you in the
night; in the morning my spirit longs for you” (Isa. 26:9).

Our pursuit of God is successful just because he is forever seeking to manifest

himself to us. The revelation of God to man is not God coming from a distance once
upon a time to pay a brief and momentous visit to the man’s soul. Tozer puts this
very clearly when he writes, “The approach of God to the soul and of soul to God is
not to be thought of in spatial terms at all. There is no idea of physical distance
involved in the concept. It is not a matter of miles but experience” (Tozer 1983, 59).

Watching Yourself and the Ministry – 1 Timothy 4: 15-16: The minister should
watch himself before he can take care of the ministry. We can illustrate this lesson
by reference to safety instruction as one boards an airplane before it takes off into
the air. The stewardess will admonish the passengers, in the event of a sudden
loss of oxygen to place the oxygen mask that drops from overhead on oneself first –
before attending to children and infants. The reason is obvious. If the one who is
responsible for toddlers becomes incapacitated, not only will the individual perish,
but those for whom he or she is responsible will also die. The same is true of
ministers. If time and energy are not allocated for personal spiritual refreshment,
intellectual development, and physical recreation, he or she will eventually become
incapable of sustaining effective spiritual leadership. Because of this, William
Menzies emphasizes the need for every Christian leader to schedule time for prayer
and personal devotions (not just for constructing sermons), for reading to broaden

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one’s horizons and stimulate fresh thinking, and for sufficient physical exercise and
relaxation to strengthen the body, the temple of the Holy Spirit (Menzies 1998, 2-7)

Watch how you move, walk, talk, react to circumstances around. Watch your habits.
Watch your eating habits. Watch your rest time. Watch your travels. Watch your
social life. Be an example. The Greek word translated “example” is tupos, meaning
“model,” “image,” or “pattern.”

Evaluating Your State – 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves to see whether

you are in the faith, test yourselves . . .” Past experience of conversion does not
constitute assurance or guarantee of salvation. To assume we possess eternal life
based solely on past experience or faith that is no longer vital is a grave error. We
must constantly examine ourselves to determine that our salvation is a present
reality. We must constantly abide in the vine (Jn. 15:4). The Greek word here is
meno, meaning to abide, continue, or live. Believers remain fresh as the life of
Christ flows into them. A spiritual life check-up is necessary from time to time.
Periodic evaluation restores vitality, helps to overcome problems, and offers
opportunity for adjustments or readjustments.

Thirsting After Righteousness – Matthew 5:6: To cease from thirsting for God
and his kingdom is to die spiritually. We should pray that our longing for God’s
presence might be strengthened, our love for the full manifestation of the Holy Spirit
might be greater, and our passions to see the fullness of Christ’s kingdom and
righteousness might deepen. The spiritual condition of Christians all through their
lives will depend on their hunger and thirst for:
*The Presence of God - Deuteronomy 4:29
* The Word of God - Psalms 119
* The Communion of Christ - Philippians 3:8-10
* The Fellowship of the Spirit - John. 7: 37-39; 2 Corinthians 13:14
* Righteousness - Matthew 5:6
* The Kingdom Power - Matthew 6:33
* The Return of the Lord - 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 John. 3:3

Commenting on the yearning for God of the godly down through the ages, Tozer
says, “Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the
heat of their desire after God. They mourned for him, they prayed and wrestled and
sought for him day and night, in season and out, when they found him the finding
was all the sweeter for the long seeking” (Tozer, 1883, 15).

Train Yourself to be Godly – 1 Timothy 4:7: “Having nothing to do with godless

myths and old wives’ tales, rather, train yourselves to be godly.”

Fighting the Good Fight of Faith – 1 Timothy 1:18; 2 Timothy 4:7: Paul exhorts
Timothy to remain loyal to the true apostolic faith and fight against false doctrines
creeping into the church. Paul also considers the Christian life as a “good fight,” the
only fight worth fighting. We fight against Satan, false teachers, worldliness, sin,
self, and the distortion of the gospel. Jude describes it as “contending for the faith”
(Jude 3).

Dressing Your Own Vineyard – Song of Songs 1:6: “My mother’s sons were
angry with me and made me take care of the vineyards: my own vineyard I have

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neglected.” This is a pathetic picture of a minister who is so busy for God’s cause
and so concerned for the spiritual well being of his flock but woefully neglects his
own spiritual welfare. He preaches to his flock but does not minister to himself. He
supervises prayers of his people but does not pray. The missionary should learn
how to be his own pastor, his own song leader, his own evangelist, his own spiritual
leader, and shepherd of his own nuclear family. It is when he is “filled” that the
“living waters” will flow out to others with healing (Eze. 47:1-12; Jn. 7:37-38). Just
as Adam was expected to “work” and “take care” of the garden (Gen. 2:15), so we
have the obligation to take care of our heart and life.

Discussion
1. What does it mean to “dig your own well?”
2. Why is it important to watch ourselves as ministers of the gospel?”

2. Living A Spirit-filled Life

Baptism in the Holy Spirit: The outstanding distinctive feature of Pentecostal
spirituality is the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit” with initial evidence of speaking in other
tongues (Ac. 1:5,8; Lk. 24:49; Ac. 2:4; Joel 2:28). The term “baptize” (Gk baptizo)
means “to immerse,” “to dip,” or “to submerge.” Immersion comes from the tradition
of dyeing cloth. The cloth is dipped and kept in the dye until it retains the desired
color. In the same way the believer is dipped in the Spirit to receive the lifestyle of
the Spirit (Ac. 4:8, 31; 13:9; Eph. 5:18). The command, “Be filled” (present passive
imperative) carries the meaning in the believer’s life by prayer, witness, worship in
the Spirit, and a sanctified life so that it will not become a fading glory (1 Th. 5:19).

Discussion
1. Why is the baptism in the Spirit necessary for a believer?
2. What is the primary purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit?
3. How can the experience of the Spirit baptism be sustained?

The Gifts of the Spirit: Another distinguishing feature of Pentecostal tradition is the
belief in the gifts of the Spirit necessary for ministry to the body of Christ.
Pentecostals believe that all of the gifts are intended for the church today. The
term “gifts” (charismata) is derived from the Greek word charis means “grace,” the
unmerited favor of God. The gifts are listed in Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-
10, 28-30; Ephesians 4: 7,11; see also 1 Peter 4:10.

Discussion
1. Give reasons why these gifts are given to the Church. Why are they
important for Christian workers to possess?
2. Which is your own gift? Which is the most important gift?

Fruit of the Spirit: Contrasted to the works of the sinful nature is a single-minded
lifestyle evidenced by the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23). Fruit is a metaphor in
Scripture for ethical life, and of rich overflow of the Spirit of life. Every fruit
mentioned is related to the character of God. To bear the fruit of the Spirit is to be
like God. We will do well to note that one’s spirituality is not measured simply by the
exercise of spiritual gifts, but also by living out a single-minded lifestyle expressed
by the fruit of the Spirit. The emphasis of one without the other is detrimental to
individual and church life. Using a mathematical formula, my point looks like this:

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 Gifts without the Fruit leads to Fanaticism – people blow-up!
(sensationalism)
Fruits without the Gifts lead to Formalism - people cool off! (dead
orthodoxy)
Gifts plus Fruit equals Sound Biblical Spirituality – the Church grows
healthy!

The gifts themselves are not only tools of ministry. The fruit of the spirit is the
channel through which the gifts should operate. Which of these fruits do you bear?

B. Using the Right Rigs – Traditional Christian Disciplines

Notice that I use the term “rigs” because of the concept of well-digging. A rig is an
apparatus or machine for drilling a well or a borehole. To dig for spiritual blessings,
we must use the right rigs. Appropriate rigs are to be used if the pure, undiluted
water lies deep beneath the earth’s surface is to be reached. Rigs is used as a
metaphor for spiritual disciplines. Digging itself is a hard labor. It takes a lot of
energy, concentration, and concerted efforts. Christian formation takes a concerted
effort as well.

The word discipline comes from the same root as “disciple.” The word “disciple”
occurs in the New Testament 269 times, “Christian” 3 times and “believer” only 2
times. This indicates that the task of the church is not so much to make “Christians”
or “believers” but “disciples.” (Sanders 1990, 8). A disciple is a student, a learner,
one who accepts the teaching of Christ, not only in belief but also in lifestyle. It
involves acceptance of the views and practice of the Teacher.

To have more appreciation of the meaning of the word “disciple” we should look at
the sense Paul uses it in Acts 24:16. “. . . and herein do I exercise myself . . .” The
Greek word is asko from which the English word “asceticism” comes. The English
equivalent of the Greek adjective “askateos” from the verb “askein” means to
practice, to exercise, to toil, work, or labor, to provide, furnish, or to adorn. The
noun form refers to practice, exercise, study, custom, regiment, diet, or training
(Willard 1988, 148). A true disciple of Jesus must be willing not only to believe, but
also to “asko” himself – willing to learn Jesus. One must employ the “rigs” (spiritual
exercises of disciplines) for the deepening of his relationship with God. Richard
Foster has said, “The classical disciplines of the spiritual life call us to move beyond
surface living into depths. They invite us to explore the inner caverns of the spiritual
realm. They urge us to answer to a hollow world” (Foster 1978, 1).

Richard Foster, in his Celebration of Discipleship puts the disciples into three
categories: Inward Disciplines – mediation, prayer, fasting, and study; Outward
Disciplines – simplicity, solitude, submission, and service; and Corporate
Disciplines – confession, worship, guidance, and celebration.

Dallas Willard on the other hand, divided these spiritual exercises into two groups:
Disciplines of Abstinence – solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, chastity, secrecy,
and sacrifice; Disciplines of Engagement – study, worship, celebration, service,
prayer, fellowship, confession, and submission.

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In shaping a list of the disciplines, one should bear in mind that it is not how one
classifies the disciplines that is important, but how one practices them for one’s
spiritual maturity and transformation. We can summarize by saying the five most
important “rigs” are:
1. The Rig of Prayer
2. The Rig of Fasting
3. The Rig of Bible Study
4. The Rig of Worship
5. The Rig of Meditation

The Purpose of Disciplines

• To move beyond surface living
• To explore the inner caverns of spiritual realm
• To be the answer to a hollow world
• To experience the kind of freedom that makes spiritual growth possible
• To set us before God so that he can release into our hearts and lives his grace,
which is the secret of spiritual formation
• To provide for our present wholeness and our eternal well-being

Given to Misconceptions
For centuries, the acts of spiritual disciplines have been misunderstood in the
following ways:
1. Discipline as an act of body hatred. What does the Bible teach about the human
body? How should believers view their bodies? (1 Co. 6:19).
2. Discipline as an act of penance to obtain forgiveness or merit. Can one be
saved by works, good deeds of love or strenuous efforts to keep God’s
commandments? (Eph. 2:9; Gal. 3:2).
3. Discipline as a means of escaping from the world. Ascetics avoid physical
contact with the world and literally withdraw into deserts and monasteries. Their
desire is to be out of the world.

Discussion
1. How do you marry the command of Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:17 with the words
of Jesus in John 17:14-16?
2. What will be the attitude toward the world?

Avoiding Extremes
All the spiritual exercises are important. One without the other can naturally lead to
dangerous extremes. The Holy Spirit moves the believer to pray and meditate
(contemplative); live a virtuous life (holiness); show mercy (social justice); study and
witness (evangelism); and live a Spirit-filled life (charismatic). A Spirit-filled person
should avoid the extremes of:
The contemplative who forgets the needs of the world.
The moralist who focuses on sin and neglects compassion.
The charismatic who seeks the gifts and neglects the Giver.
The social activist who forgets to listen to God.
The Bible-study enthusiast who feels no need for the Holy Spirit (Smith
1993, 17).

Discussion:

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 1. Which of these extremes have you seen most in your life? Which of the five
areas would you consider to be your strength area? Which one(s) comes
the most naturally to you? Which is your weakest area? Which one is the
most difficult for you, and why?

C. Three Essential Characteristics of Personal Spiritual Formation

There are three essential characteristics of any plan of spiritual formation, whether it
be personal or corporate. Spiritual formation must be intentional, structured, and
disciplined.

Intentional
Spiritual life, like all life, is never static; it either progresses or regresses. Neither is
it automatic; it does not just happen. We have to make it happen. While it is true
that God takes the initiative in offering the possibility of spiritual growth, we must
respond by participating in the process to make it happen. Spiritual life engages our
emotions and our minds, but it also requires our wills. We must want to grow.
There are things God will not do for us. God will not read the Bible for us. God will
not pray or meditate for us. There should be divine-human cooperation. While God
is working in us, we must work out our own salvation. Frank Laubach has said,
“God is flowing water. We must keep the well open. God is electric current. We
must keep good connection. God is gasoline. We must keep the lines open from
the tank to the engine” (Stanger 1989, 57).

When we speak of intention we mean putting the full weight of one’s will on the side
of spiritual formation.

Structured
It is the testimony of personal experience that for spiritual formation to be effective,
it must be structured or planned. It cannot be pursued haphazardly. There needs
to be a working method, which will be unique to each person. Such a structured
plan must be Christ-centered. It must be personally congenial. By this I mean,
adjusted to one’s present spiritual state. The need for spiritual disciplines must be
listed according to priority, and the greatest needs must be dealt with first. The plan
will, of necessity, include Holy Communion, corporate fellowship, tithing, offerings,
witnessing, etc.

Disciplined
When I use the term discipline, I am not referring primarily to the practice of spiritual
disciplines, either personal or corporate. I am thinking of the spirit and manner with
which a person participates in the process of spiritual formation. Discipline means
total dedication. It implies constancy and continuity. Dedication includes the
determination to avoid the things that hinder spiritual growth. Continuity and
regularity are necessary in spite of one’s feelings and moods. Discipline means
persistence. Spiritual formation and growth is not achieved easily. One does not
“graduate” from this school until either death or rapture. Discipline also means
perseverance. John Bunyan (1628-1688) wrote: “I have resolved . . . to run when I
can, to go when I cannot run, and to creep where I cannot go. As to the man, I
thank Him who loves me, I am fixed; my way is before me, my mind is beyond the
River that has no bridge.” (Stanger 1989,66). Discipline involves occasions of
serious self-examination. Numerous evaluative instruments have been devised for

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such periodic self-evaluation. One can even design his own instrument of
evaluation.

Discussion
1. What is spiritual discipline?
2. Why do we refer to spiritual disciplines as “rigs” in our lesson context?
3. What is the purpose of the spiritual disciplines?
4. How can we structure a plan of personal discipline?
5. What is the difference between spiritual disciplines and the term “discipline”
as used in this lesson?
6. List the three essential characteristics of spiritual formation.

Summary
In this chapter, we set out to define three models of spirituality: generic, Christian,
and Pentecostal spirituality. Four concepts stood out for Christian formation. First,
we said that Christian formation is a process. It starts with conversion experience
and is followed by nurture. It is not something we achieve once and for all or
something to be ignored because we are justified by faith. The Bible calls us to
grow. Second, we do not strive for growth in isolation. Our working out our own
salvation is a cooperative effort between the Holy Spirit and ourselves. We do not
develop in isolation from other people. If we neglect relationships, our faith will
suffer. Third, Christian formation is concerned with belief, behavior, and attitude.
As Theodore Runyon has said, “Christian formation combines orthodoxy,
orthopraxy, and orthopathy” (Steele 1990, 53). By this he means that it is not
enough to believe in the right things (orthodoxy), or to do the right things
(orthopraxy), or to feel the right things (orthopathy). Our wholistic faith demands all
three. Fourth, we cannot depend on other people’s experience of faith. We must
“dig our own well,” employing, as it were, “the right rigs.”

In order for a missionary to maintain his spiritual vitality and effectiveness, he needs
to engage in the practice of spiritual disciplines or exercises. Carrying out his
formation exercise must be intentional (a determination to do it), structured
(planning vs. haphazardness), and disciplined (a will to carry it without somebody
supervising or forcing us).

REFERENCES

Augustinus, Aurelius. The Confessions of Saint Augustine. 580 Pittsburgh,

Springdale, PA: Whitaker House, 1996.

Dunnam, Maxie. Alive In Christ: The Dynamic Process of Spiritual Formation.

Nashville: Abington, 1982.

Foster, Richard J. Celebration of Discipline. New York, NY: Harper and Row, 1988.

Hymes, David. Being Spiritual: Forms of Pentecostal Spirituality.” In A Handbook

On Renewal For People In Ministry. Laguna Hills, California: Asia Pacific
Education Office Bible Schools Division, 1998.

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Kao, Charles C. L. Maturity and the Quest for Spiritual Meaning. Lanham. New
York. London: University Press of America, 1988.

Leonard, Bill J. Becoming Christian: Dimensions of Spiritual Formation. Louisville,

Kentucky:
Westminster/John Knox Press, 1990.

Menzies, William. “The Christian Worker at Risk: The Contemporary Scene in Asia
Pacific.” In A Handbook On Renewal For People In Ministry. Laguna Hills,
California: Asia Pacific Education Office Bible Schools Division, 1998.

Mildred Cable and Francesca French. Towards Spiritual Maturity: A Book For
Those Who Seek It. London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1939.

Sanders, Oswald J. Spiritual Discipleship. Chicago: Moody Press, 1990.

Smith, James Bryan. A Spiritual Formation Workbook. Harper: San Francisco,

1993.

Spittler, Russell F. “Pentecostal and Charismatic Spirituality.” In Dictionary of

Pentecostal and
Charismatic Movements, eds. Stanley M. Burgess and Gary B. McGee. Grand
Rapids, Michigan:
Zondervan Publishing Company, 1988.

Stanger, Frank Bateman. Spiritual Formation In the Local Church. Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Francis Asbury Press of Zondervan Publishing House, 1989.

Steele, Les L. On The Way: A Practical Theology of Christian Formation. Grand

Rapids, Michigan, 49516: Baker Book House, 1990.

Tozer, A.W. The Pursuit of God. Camp Hill, Pennsylvania: Christian Publications,
1983.

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 Chapter 5
HOW TO TRAVEL WITHOUT JET LAG:
DEVELOPING A SUCCESSFUL PILGRIM MENTALITY
Robert Holmes

Description
This chapter will take into consideration the Biblical example of Jesus’ and Paul’s
pilgrim mentality, such as, their ability to adapt to every situation and understanding
that this world was not their real home. Attention will also be given to the high
attrition rate among Two-Thirds World missionaries. The chapter will help the
missionary develop skills to adjust to new cultures while avoiding the cultural pitfalls.

Objectives
1. Develop an awareness of the attrition problem among missionaries
2. Know the major causes of missionary attrition in Africa
3. Demonstrate the Biblical way of dealing with missionary attrition through the
development of a life that is crucified with Christ.
4. Make a commitment to a pilgrim mentality and lifestyle

I. THE PROBLEM

A. Definition
“Problem attrition occurs when missionaries, because of mismanagement,
unrealistic expectations, systematic abuse, personal failure, or other personal
reasons, leave the field before the mission or the church feels that they should. In
so doing, missionaries may reflect negatively on themselves, but of greater concern
is the negative impact on the specific mission structure and the cause of world
missions” (Paul McKaughan).

B. Biblical examples of Missionary attrition

Missionary attrition is not a new thing. On the very first recorded mission trip, Paul
and Barnabas experienced missionary attrition. In Acts 13:5, John Mark is with
them as their helper. However, in verse 13, he leaves and returns to Jerusalem.
The Bible does not tell us why. It just says that he left. 2 Timothy 4:10 tells us that
Demes left because he loved the world. It would seem that he could not “crucify
himself” or give up a few things, but rather, he loved the world, thus telling us that
his love of the world was greater than his willingness to be a servant of Christ.

C. Causes of Missionary attrition

There are many reasons why missionaries give up and return to their homes. Some
of these reasons are understandable and unavoidable. However, others are
brought on by the missionary’s failure to adjust. If we were to write a list it might
look something like this:
1. Personal reasons, such as, sickness
2. Societal, such as, failure to relate to the people or learn their language
3. Unpreventable, such as, wars, evacuations, failure to get visas
4. Team-related, such as, personality clashes, failure to submit to authority

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5. Cultural, such as, failure to adjust to imposed cultural expectations (especially
strict Muslim areas)
6. Marriage/Family-related, such as, elderly parents becoming ill and requiring your
presence back home, children failing to adjust to schooling situations
7. Work-related, such as, unrealistic expectations

One of the biggest problems is health related issues either of the missionary or the
children or the family back home. Climate and living conditions sometimes
contribute to health problems. However, sometimes it is failure to adjust our living
styles to be compatible with the climate where we have gone to live. (see chapter
7). Children’s schooling also causes many missionaries to return home. This is a
big issue that should be prayed about and discussed before leaving for your
assignment. More about this is discussed in chapter 8.
Thinking about the list above, what are some situations that you can see in
your areas?

Discussion
1. What are the negative effects attrition could have on a missionary dropout?
2. What are the negative effects missionary attrition could have on a mission
field?
3. Is missionary attrition a problem in your country? What are the causes?
4. Would the major causes listed above be generally the same in any country in
Africa? Which ones would be most likely to happen?
5. Can you identify with any of the major causes of missionary attrition?

II. THE ANSWER

Jesus and Paul are examples of individuals who fulfilled their missionary ministries.
Let us look into their lives. They exhibit the incarnational model of missionary
identification. We read one example of Jesus in Philippians 2:4-8. As you read
these verses what attitudes do you see that you think would be good for the
missionary to have? Verse 4 says that he didn’t think about himself and what he
needed but rather he looked at the needs of others. Later in verses 7 and 8, it says
he was humble and obedient. He didn’t see himself as more important than others,
he was willing to be a servant. In verse 8 it would also appear that he was willing to
suffer.

Looking back at the list of causes of missionary attrition, which ones do you think
could be prevented if the missionary had this attitude? Think about what you know
about the life of Christ. How do you see these attitudes expressed in his actions?
In what ways did Jesus identify with the people?
Now lets look at the example of Paul. Paul tried to follow Christ. Read 1
Corinthians 9:19-22. What attitudes do you see? Which ones remind you of the
attitudes of Jesus? In what ways did Paul identify with the people?

Each place and situation is different. However, some attitudes are basic and
essential for living successfully in any culture. We need to understand the will of
God for our lives. Then we need to adjust our attitudes to those Christ as seen in
the lives of Jesus and Paul. We also need to study the culture and know what is
appropriate to the people where we are living. Jesus did not think about his own

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interest. As missionaries we have to put the Kingdom of God first, even if it means
sacrificing our own personal wants and desires. Chapter 7 will have more to say
about this.

III. THE IMPETUS

Some people would say that Jesus was able to do what he did because he was the
Son of God, and therefore divine. The Bible makes it clear, however, that Jesus
overcame by the power of the Holy Spirit just as we do. But, we will focus our
attention on Paul. What was the driving force that kept him from succumbing to
missionary attrition? How could he survive? Was his life easier than ours? There
are three things that Paul did and we to need to do them.

First, Paul always looked up. In Galatians 2:20, he says that he has been crucified
with Christ so that now he doesn’t even live anymore but rather it is Christ living in
him. What a testimony, to be so controlled by Christ that it is as if we were dead
and only Christ alive. But, this is not an automatic thing, Paul says that he lives this
way by faith. A life this may seem absolutely impossible because, after all, we are
human. Yet, in Philippians 3:13-14, Paul recognizes that it is a process. He admits
that he hasn’t arrived, but he is moving that direction. That is all that is expected of
us. No one expects us to never make mistakes, but we should always be striving
for the goal. A crucified life is necessary if we are to be witnesses according to Acts
1:8. It is necessary if we are to complete the harvest and reach the many
unreached people of this world.

Second, Paul did not look back. He did not look back at his many successes nor
did he dwell on his failures. Look at what he says in Philippians 3:1-13. His one
goal was to know Christ and to be faithful. Whatever happened along the way was
not to be dwelt on. It is easy to allow Satan to make us feel so guilty when we make
a mistake. We are human and we will make mistakes, but we need to learn from
them and keep going. Satan will also use your successes to make you feel
important and big. Remember, Jesus was humble. Paul says his successes don’t
mean anything. What is important is being faithful and obedient to Christ.

The third thing is, just as Paul did not look back, neither did he look forward. He
was faithful to the moment. He did what he needed to do. He was obedient without
measuring everything according to what might be or what he wanted in the future.
Notice what he says in Romans 15:20 and Philippians 3:1, and 14. This attitude
does not mean that we should plan. Planning is very important. What it means is
that we cannot allow the future to control what we do today. We must be obedient
to what God is telling us. Jesus knew he would face the cross but it did not stop him
from being obedient. Paul knew that he would be arrested but it did not stop him
from going to Jerusalem (Acts 21).

Discussion
1. In what areas of life did Paul have to be crucified in order to keep from
succumbing to missionary attrition?
2. What are some other areas to which Paul did not look back?
3. In your opinion, what was Paul’s focus in his missionary work?
4. What price did Paul have to pay to maintain that focus?

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5. Does Paul’s missionary life fit the mold of a crucified life and Christian witness?
In what ways?
6. Does your life fit the mold of a crucified life and Christian witness? Are there
any ways that you need to change?

(Editor’s note: This chapter was built from Robert’s outline since we were unable to
obtain a copy of his presentation and the video did not come out clear enough to
understand. We have tried to maintain his thoughts and flow and therefore most of
the content is his with only a little explanation included where we felt it was
necessary in order to make the meaning more clear. I know he gave more
discussion and explanations in class but I believe all the other necessary points are
covered in other chapters.)

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 Chapter 6
CROSS-CULTURAL ISSUES*
Del Tarr

This chapter, only a part of a vast subject, is designed to provoke a desire in the
learner that will, hopefully, result in further study and inquiry by the “sent one” to
prepare him/herself to present Christ and His Kingdom in a more effective manner.
Attempting to communicate Christ in a cross-cultural environment without factoring
in the biblical model for that activity, or the cultural anthropological component is like
driving a car without brakes. The highly selected topics of God’s Incarnational
Model, the element of Cultural Values, and the issue of Directness and Indirectness
in speech will be the limited components chosen from this extensive discipline of
study.

Objectives
1. Demonstrate how useful cross-cultural issues can be to the Christian witness so
he/she will continue to pursue this worthy topic for the sake of the Kingdom.
2. Illustrate for the student how culturally encapsulated is his/her thinking by an
exposure to the wide variety of cultural values as exists in the world’s cultures.
3. Describe some cross-cultural problems that hinder and some cross-cultural
conditions that help in the process of effective communications.
4. Outline variations within each of six basic value orientations of humanity and give
evidences of how individual human cultures maintain specific variations within
these orientations.
5. Show how God, in His great wisdom, has given us the ideal model of reaching to
anyone, regardless of their geographic location, by utilizing the Incarnation of
the “Anointed One” as the best method to touch hurting humanity.

Introduction
A major question must be asked by anyone who would evangelize cross-culturally.
We know that language and culture are intimately intertwined. How can we
effectively translate the Scriptures and communicate the message embedded in the
ancient cultures and languages of the distant biblical past into the language and
concepts of contemporary cultures? Bernard Ramm says that, “If Christians come
out of an African or Asian or Latin American Indian culture, we presume too much if
we think they can meaningfully express their Christian theology by simply translating
our theological terms and concepts from our language into theirs.”

Because of the vast improvement in transportation of the last few decades, the
world is indeed becoming a global village. However, man’s ability to communicate
well with his once distant neighbors has not kept pace. In this modern age of
technology the overseas witness for Christ has found it increasingly easy to go and
live in formerly hostile geographical areas of the world. Electronic communication is
a modern wonder that allows great segments of the earth’s population to witness a
single event simultaneously. The increasing contact between peoples who are

*
Del Tarr, “Cultural Anthropology; Incarnational Witness; Communication”

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culturally very different is our central problem. Human communication between
people of the same race, community, and even the same family is difficult enough!
The person who aspires to be an effective witness for Christ should know this about
the process of human dialogue: Any message ends up being more a product of the
receiver than the sender! To illustrate, let’s try a little American humor. (Humor is
the hardest form of communication to export)

An old man named Lucas is standing before the judge in a court of law.
Judge: “Lucas, how are you feeling?”
Lucas: “Judge, I don’t think I’m going to make it.” (His head is bandaged, he has an
arm in a sling and one leg in a cast)
Judge: “Well, I’m looking at patrolman Schultz’ report here. At the scene of the
accident he asked you how you were, and you said ‘fine.’”
Lucas: “You don’t understand judge. I was going home in my rig with Lucy my
mule. Just as I turned into my place, an 18-wheeler jackknifed in front of me and
knocked Lucy and me into the ditch. The next thing I knew, patrolman Schultz was
looking down at me, and the blue light on his car was going ‘round and round.’ He
went over to see my mule, shook his head, took out his revolver and shot her in the
head. Then he came over to me, his gun still smoking, and asked me ‘how are you
doing Lucas?’ And I said – ‘Oh, I’m fine!’”

If you didn’t understand the above story, don’t be disappointed. An accident victim
may not appear in court in your culture. You may not know that an “18 wheeler” is a
big lorry in most English speaking countries, except the USA. The “blue light” on
top of the patrolman’s car is not universal, in fact, most patrolmen don’t have cars in
over half the world’s countries. In very few countries would anyone shoot a
wounded animal – except where the horse and mule have special sentimental
status because of historical cultural values. (i.e. would a mule have a name in your
culture?)

The central issue before those who interpret scripture in these days of a shrinking
planet is certainly going to be the question of revelation and culture. Those who
argue that revelation is not enculturated but is “pure” and totally predictable are
simply myopic. Theology and those who teach it must take advantage of the social
and behavioral sciences that help teach us how to get in the auditorium of our target
audience (inside their heads) with the redemptive message of the Gospel which is
the “power of God unto salvation.”

I. THE INCARNATION-GOD’S CROSS CULTURAL MODEL*

When God decided to communicate to mankind through his own son, instead of
only through his prophets (like Moses, Samuel, Elijah etc), “in the fullness of time”
he sent the only begotten Son to be born. God “pitched his tent” in time and space
with the Hebrew people with whom he had a covenant of longstanding. The
INCARNATION means, “the putting on of flesh.” Philippians 2 states it so
powerfully. Note he didn’t send a two-headed creature with green skin and eating
old tires and speaking an unknown language. This gift of God looked like, acted
like, and smelled like a Hebrew baby! He grew to eat their food, dress like them,
speak their language and was recognized by them as the son of Joseph and Mary
from the town of Nazareth. God did this on purpose so He could better relate to
mankind, the target audience. God put himself in man’s frame of reference.

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A. Frame of reference
God might have insisted that:
• His Son be born in a palace, of a highly revered noble bloodline of imperial fame
• That he spoke only a heavenly language and all that wished to communicate
with him learn and speak that language
• He might have only associated with the rich and famous and be treated as the
king he rightfully was
• Instead he did none of that. “Taking on the form of man,” he was born in
obscurity, of unknown parents from a no-account town ridiculed by the big city
folk. Besides that, he was accused of being unlearned and a bastard. But he
got into our frame of reference!

Extractionist Communications
Charles Kraft has a word (EXTRACTIONIST) for the witness that stays in his/her
own frame of reference (A) and never gets into the frame of reference of the
audience (B). Effective communication is impossible because (B) never
understands (A) because the witness is immersed in (A) and refuses to learn (B).
Person (B) in turn is immersed in (B) and thus the two exist in different frames of
reference. Don’t tell me you don’t know any missionaries who are described as
“extractionist!” A primary concern of such witnesses, then, is to convert receptors to
their way of extractionist thinking. Communicators seek to teach receptors to
understand and look at reality in terms of their own models and perspectives. (Can
you imagine a Nigerian missionary going to Korea and saying: “Listen, if you want to
learn about Jesus, you must learn Hausa, enjoy eating pounded yam with red
pepper soup, and learn all about the Sahel so my illustrations will be understood.”)

Identificational Communications
If on the other hand, the communicator adopts the receptor’s frames of reference
as that in terms of which the communication takes place, we may label the
approach IDENTIFICATIONAL. Person (A) seeks to communicate with person (B)
by establishing a basis for understanding within frame of reference (B). Person (B)
understands because the communication is inside the hearer’s categories of
cognition. God, through Christ, IDENTIFIED with humankind by coming into our
frame of reference, even to the most common denominator of people. What a
Savior! (In this instance, the Nigerian missionary learns Korean, learns to eat garlic
and kimshi and learns the kinship systems of Korean culture, etc.).

Discussion:
1. Discuss the following example (from West Africa): A Christian witness broke
off the conversation with a potential convert with these words: “If you don’t
believe Jesus is the divine Son of God, I don’t have anything more to say to
you.”
2. How might an “Identificational” approach be used here? What might be used
from the potential convert’s background to make an “entry” into a true gospel
witness event?

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B. Expectations And Predictability - How To Attract Listening
As stated above, the incarnation of Christ was God’s method of getting in man’s
frame of reference (identificational). But the incarnation of Christ as a Jewish baby
and young man and later adult meant more than just getting in our frame of
reference. Jesus was a master communicator and that meant breaking the
stereotype of predictability. The message/credibility principle is the following: A
message has greatest impact if (1) it is not a stereotype message and (2) if it is
presented in very specific life-related fashion. Let me illustrate. A Jehovah’s
Witness message is so predictable that you simply turn it off. They have memorized
their arguments and answers. You’ve heard them a hundred times. When they
open their mouths you know what is coming out! Sad to say, the same is true for
some preachers. When they announce their text and start preaching, if you can
predict where they are going you have a hard time listening and focusing your
attention. The key to any good communication (including preaching) is first to get in
the frame of reference of your audience (such as language and other expectations)
BUT, for greatest impact your message should not be totally predictable. Jesus did
this to perfection. He first got in their frame of reference, as we discussed above,
and then he surprised them. Jesus didn’t speak like other rabbis who spoke from
age-old tradition of predictability. What does the scripture say about him? “They
were surprised that he spoke with authority and not like other teachers.” (Mt. 7:28-
29). People didn’t expect the Messiah to come from Bethlehem or Nazareth but
rather Jerusalem. They didn’t expect him to associate with taxpayers and harlots
but with the rich, famous and powerful. The words of Jesus had great impact
because he did not use stereotyped messages of predictability.

The second message-credibility principle that Jesus used (see above) was that he
presented his message in very specific life-related ways. Many of Jesus’ parables
are just such true-to-life stories. Credible messages deal with real life or true-to-life
experiences. Jesus talked about planting and harvesting; wind and rain and clouds;
money and debt and finances; marriage and children and families. Jesus was
constantly telling about the father and about the kingdom by using a variety of
proverbs, aphorisms, and stories that his listeners could relate to on a personal
level. This is where many missionaries from the West have done a great disservice
to Africans, Asians and some Latin Americans. How sad it is for me to hear a whole
sermon by an African pastor in Hausa, or Mori, or Kasem, or Ewe without a single
proverb or even an illustration! And this in languages and cultures that in ordinary
conversation a speaker uses at least one proverb to drive a point home so that the
audience can understand. Such a preacher has been taught to “preach from the
Bible,” (meaning preach like an American or British or French) not from life.

Discussion:
Most ministers/preachers are very defensive about the “usual predictable” message
the church uses in the community. Debate this fact: Ninety eight percent of
listeners to religious radio or TV are already Christians (in the US and Canada).
Yet, the church there consistently defends spending all those funds in the name of
“reaching the lost.” In fact, the “lost” don’t listen and know exactly where those
stations are on the dial, and avoid them purposely! What might the church do to
have a HIGHER IMPACT with radio and TV evangelism? What about radio/TV in
your country as a medium for evangelism?

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C. Discovery Through Parables - Why Did Jesus Speak In Parables?
Thirty-seven and one/half percent (37 ½ %) of all of the words of Jesus in the New
Testament are in parabolic form. One of the reasons for this is of course that it was
in the frame of reference of the culture. But I believe a more important reason was
that a parable encourages discovery. Remember that a parable always has a part
that is hidden. The listening audience upon hearing a parable is automatically
encouraged to “solve it” or discover the hidden part (this is part of the
unpredictability that keeps people awake). The effective communicator like Jesus
seeks to lead the listener to discover both the substance and the value of the
message. We live in an age of technological wonder besieged by predigested
messages often presented in “one way conversations” such as lectures, books and
sermons. The effect of much of this is to rob us of the opportunity of discovery.

The best illustration I can give you of how a parable leads to discovery is the
following: Your parents taught you not to look at the sun during its eclipse or you will
burn the retina of your eyes. You can watch an eclipse if you take a piece of glass,
light a candle and “smoke” the glass so it is darkened. Now you can hold it up to
the sun without danger. So you conceal in order to reveal! We will talk more about
this in part 3.

In summary, discovery then, is the process within the listeners’ minds whereby they
come to understand how a given communication is meaningful for them and begin
to apply the new insights to their own felt needs. The Son of God, incarnated into
our frame of reference, became unpredictable to keep peoples’ attention when he
spoke as well as led them to discovery. What one discovers one never forgets.

Discussion:
Few American or European missionaries have been taught by their culture to use
parables or legends/stories as a teaching tool. (If they do use them, it’s generally as
an illustration, not to carry the content of a message or communication)
1. Discuss in class why this may be true.
2. If your culture used parables and stories to educate the youth in traditional
culture, explain the effectiveness of this method.
3. You may disagree and say that parables and aphorisms are useless in
spreading the gospel. Defend your position.

Summary
God had a design in sending Jesus. By becoming a Jewish baby (and not some
unrecognizable space creature) God entered the human arena so people could
relate to Him. Any person who desires to penetrate another culture with the gospel
message, other than his or her own, must take the cue from God and do like Jesus
did. In order to redeem us he took on the identity of his target audience.

But once in that frame of reference (to be understood) he didn’t stay totally
predictable. To hold attention, and make a high impact, he did the unpredictable
and surprised folks. BUT AGAIN he didn’t become TOO different. He always used
commonly understood illustrations and objects. He didn’t go “over their heads” with
words or ideas. BUT AGAIN, he didn’t give them “pre-digested” messages. He
made the audience think and discover the important values he brought from the

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Father. What an amazing communicator who used the culture where he was sent to
maximum advantage. Hey, good news! You and I can do the same. But it is a little
costly (on our egos and habits).

II. VALUE ORIENTATIONS*

I have found that an understanding of how different values are held by a target
culture greatly increases a communicator’s effectiveness when he communicates
with that culture. One would say that the values held by any given people are both
the determiners of their worldview and the result of the particular worldview, which
they possess. By studying the value systems of a wide variety of cultures, you’ll
come to understand your own culture’s values better. The deeply held beliefs of
any society can seldom be articulated by the citizens of that society, because these
foundational beliefs are taken for granted. We learn our own culture’s values
“outside of awareness” – just like we learn most of the grammatical rules of our
mother tongue long before we go to school to study them formally.

Below, you will find the Value Orientation Chart. This chart presents six separate
values that are shared by all peoples. (There are many more than six, but we have
chosen these for the purposes of this lesson.) The cultural values are in the left
column of the chart: human condition, man-nature, time, activity, relational, and
progress. Please notice that the chart should only be read from left to right
(horizontally) for each category of value with its three variations. It is not intended to
be studied vertically (from top to bottom).

Strodtbech — Kluckholn — Tarr Value Orientation Chart

Orientation Range of Variation

Mixture of
Evil Neutral Good and Good
Evil

Human Mutable — Mutable — Immutable Mutable —

Condition Immutable Immutable

Man — Nature Subjection to Harmony with Nature Mastery over Nature

Nature

Time Past Present Future

Activity Being Being-in-Becoming Doing

Relational Lineality Collaterality Individualism

Progress Change is Bad Change is Good & Bad Change is Good

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Let us consider the commonly heard statement: “In the final analysis, people
everywhere are the same.” This statement is in a sense both true and false. Yes,
we all have many similar needs (food, shelter, esteem, love, etc.) and similar things
we hold important (family, work, government, protection, health, etc). In this sense
the statement is true. But to think that because elements of human values are
similar, they are also held with equal intensity or have similar priority in all cultures is
a serious mistake for a cross cultural witness to make. The statement is false if
thought of in the latter sense.

A. Human Condition
The first category on our chart is human condition. It relates to the nature of
humankind. The three variations given are: Evil – Mixture of Good and Evil – and
Good. One other element needs to be considered here in relation to mankind’s
view of human condition. Can human nature be changed?

Discussion
Consider why this topic might have enormous significance for the person who would
announce the gospel of Christ. Contrast resistance to the gospel by a society which
believes that the human condition is evil (or a mixture of good and evil) and cannot
be changed with a society that believes these same things about the human
condition BUT feels that human nature can be changed (is mutable).

Real life situations: It is important for the student to know at this point that the
situations we are describing are real ones. Consider for example the Hindu-
Buddhist world. Here is a group of people who hold that man is a mixture of good
and evil and that the nature of man is changeable. They do not, however, believe
that one can expect very much change in any one given lifetime. In fact, the Hindu-
Buddhist worldview is one of much despair because of the belief that only a small
amount of change is possible. They believe that a person must go through many
incarnations and lifetimes to arrive finally at the goal. Contrast that with our
Evangelical belief in the power of God to immediately transform the sinner by faith in
the redemption of Christ’s blood. QUESTION: Would this make a difference in an
evangelist’s altar call? The gospel witness must not assume that all audiences
accept the scriptural teaching about man’s fallen nature.

B. Man-Nature
The value Orientation Chart shows three distinct variations of belief about the
relationship of man to the forces of nature. They range from subjection-to-nature to
mastery-over-nature. Many third world countries would probably fall under the
category of subjection-to-nature. Many people from the developing Third World
make sacrifices to try to appease such forces as wind, rain, and lightning to ensure
protection and prosperity. Many societies feel helpless before natural forces. They
see themselves as a leaf caught in a raging stream. The leaf has no power of its
own to resist the force but is simply carried along by the power of the water.
Subject-to-nature people tend to be quite fatalistic and have a well-defined “sacred
world” in their everyday lives. They believe in supernatural powers and have not
generally entered the world of modern industrial advancement. They are often
termed “animistic.” They believe that a river has a spirit, which must be appeased

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(sacrifice a chicken or a goat) before people of the community can build a bridge
over the river.

There is a great contrast between the subject-to-nature folks and the more
technological harmony-with-nature category of people who have learned to use the
power of nature. They have learned to cooperate with some natural forces and use
them for their own good. An example of this would be a society whose people have
learned to use the power of running water to turn machinery to grind grain in a mill.
The citizens may still believe the water is a special force, but they are not afraid to
exploit its power for their own energy-saving devices.

People in some very modern and highly technological mastery-over-nature societies

are beginning to believe that all of nature can be mastered. Citizens of the Western
world, for instance, do not hesitate to build a dam across a river and create a huge
lake, which covers former villages, fields, and trees. In the process of doing this,
they destroy much natural habitat for the purpose of exploiting the power of
irrigation. These people might even attempt to manipulate the weather by sowing
the clouds with chemicals to try to make it rain at convenient times. They generally
don’t have a well-developed idea of the “sacred.” Most of their lives have become
secularized to exploit all means of nature for their ideas of betterment of humanity.

C. Time
Few, if any, elements on the Value Orientation Chart cause more frustration for the
cross-cultural communicator than this element of time. How is time valued? If a
given activity is highly valued be a certain people, they think nothing of spending a
lot of time for that activity. Here is an example. The French are noted for their great
appreciation of food. They spend much time in its preparation and like to spend a
long time in its consumption. The English and Americans are much less
sophisticated about food and consider too much emphasis on feeding the body to
be carnal. The French will take two or more hours to eat a leisurely meal and then
rest a few moments to allow the food to digest. My point is not to say that either the
American or French way of eating is right or wrong. The point is that the time is
takes to observe a given event may reveal the difference in emphasis two cultures
may place on that event.

In which direction does time flow? Looking back to the chart of values, do you
perceive time to flow from the past through the present to the future? This is known
as a linear concept of time. Some peoples do not perceive time like that. The
Chinese traditionally thought time to be circular. Those who so believe, are not
worried about losing time flowing past them and being lost forever. The Hindus are
another example. If time is circular, just wait, it will come back around again and
what you missed can be gained as it comes back around! Some people’s concept
of time is neither linear nor circular. Some believe time is stationary. For them time
does not move at all. People move through time, consequently there is no such
thing as being late. Whenever you get there you are on time! (This orientation
drives Westerners crazy!)

People of all societies of the world can be said to have a predominate concern
toward one of the three variations of time orientation: past, present, or future. The
Chinese with their long important history have contributed vast amounts of

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information and wisdom to the rest of the world. One would think that because of
this very long history (over 4000 years) that the Chinese would tend to be focused
on the past. Their heavy weight of “history consciousness” affects the present and
the future. The Western world is thought to be oriented to the future. Futuristic
people tend to value the youth in the community and put more confidence in them
and responsibilities on them than do past-oriented peoples. Generally speaking,
future oriented cultures are the first to move from an agricultural to an industrialized
economy. A large portion of the world is present oriented. Those on a poor or
subsistence economic level are too concerned about physical survival to have much
interest or strength to plan for the long future, nor do they have the means to
preserve the past with monuments of stone or steel. Most present oriented peoples
are preliterate and can orally trace their family lineage back only about three
generations, so the richness of the past is missing. Life that is lived on the edge of
survival is present oriented.

Begin to think now about the significance of such things relative to the gospel
message and these cultural variables for discussion at the end of this lesson.

D. Activity
Notice on the chart that being, being-in-becoming, and doing are the three value
variations related to the concept of activity. A good way to illustrate the contrasting
values represented by being and doing is to consider the case of a new baby born
into any family. A newborn baby is valued because of what he/she IS. If parents
value their baby on a scale of one to ten (one for poor and ten for excellent) they will
give the baby a 10, just for BEING. A tiny infant is not expected to have any skills.
As a baby grows older the basis upon which the child is evaluated changes.
Parents begin to expect performance (doing) from the child. By the time it is ten
years old an amazing transformation has taken place. Doing has now joined being
as a way to evaluate their offspring. If the child does not perform too well in school,
they certainly will not give him/her a ten for the child’s performance. If the child is
disobedient or not helpful around the home they may evaluate that behavior by a
five or six. While this evaluative method may vary from culture to culture, people of
all cultures tend to treat a newborn baby differently from a growing child or young
adult who is expected to be a contributing member of the family. (The whole idea of
evaluating a person with a number, like 6 or 7, may seem odd for some readers.
This is a very Western cultural trait to use numbers or quantitative measurement.)

People in folk cultures and in the developing world and in the Orient continue to
place a higher value on being than on doing, even after an individual reaches
maturity. This is true of all societies where kinship and family relationships have a
high value. Those from the technological world place a higher priority on doing.
The educational model from the West has a high doing-measurement bias. It would
seem obvious that societies where materialism is valued their priority would be on
doing over being.

If you know an American or a Western European, you have probably noticed that
this individual tends to judge you as a person by your performance, by the doing
section of the value orientation chart. This tendency first started in Europe after the
Industrial Revolution where people were rewarded for high productivity and manual
skills regardless of their social position or their family name. Those Europeans who

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came to America only accelerated that tendency. America became the land of
opportunity for the common man. The new Americans were no longer evaluated by
their title or family importance, but now a person was evaluated by what he or she
could do as the new measure. This “doing society” is in contrast to the societies in
the Orient and in Africa. Doing is important in Africa and Asia but often less
important than being. While teaching in the Philippines I often visited with people
from the village. In describing themselves they seldom told me what they did but
they would tell me about their fathers’ titles and to what city they belonged. All this
related to their “beingness.”

Let us look at the value variation called being-in-becoming. A society whose people
emphasize this variation are those who see development as an important factor.
Being-in becoming is not something fixed by birth. It is a combination of
“beingness” and then moving in process towards change. “Becoming” is something
you can earn. “Being” is not something that can be earned. It is what you are, the
way you were born.

The student can readily see the relationship of this topic to evangelization in a
cross-cultural medium. If one comes from a society where “being” is important, that
person will communicate quite differently from his set of assumptions than someone
who is a native of a “doing” society where production is the highest priority. If a
communicator’s cultural values concerning activity differ greatly from those people
of his target audience, he will need special sensitivity to be understood.

E. Relational
We now come to the value orientation on the chart called relational. Here the word
“relational” refers to a person’s perception of his or her relationship to other people.
The three categories of value variation are lineality, collaterality, and individualism.
All three exist in every society, of course. The important variable is, again, the rank-
order or priority of each of the three categories which is stressed in a given society.
Even a small difference in priority affects communication and the process of
Christian witness.

In the category of lineality the individual is very conscious of the lineage of blood
relatives. We sometimes call this a “kinship-oriented” society. People grow up in
such societies very conscious of their position to their blood elders and superiors.
This system is all calculated on who is kin and who is not kin. The next category
collaterality is a movement away from the strict sense of kinship of blood relatives to
a wider, more extended sense of relationship between parallel-running family
systems. Collateral-kinship societies are often those whose people make ties
through arranged marriage between communities. Ties are sought to create or
strengthen interdependence between separate lineages. Individualism, on the other
hand, is a concept where the idea of family and family line has little importance. In
individualistic cultures, families do not often intermarry to establish or to strengthen
social relationships. In fact, the family idea itself is disintegrating in excessively
individualistic societies where brothers and sisters hardly identify themselves as
being different from non-relatives.

Let us look at the way a baby is raised in these differing cultures to illustrate the vast
difference in cultural values pertaining to these three categories. In a lineal or

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collateral society a baby from the age of six to eight months old is assigned to an
older brother or sister who is perhaps six to eight years old. This older child,
whether male or female, assumes the role of a “nurse” and carries this infant around
during much of the day. This child is appointed to take care of the baby, and if the
baby fusses to take it to its mother. Soon, what is known as bonding, a
psychological attachment, takes place between the baby and the nurse, much like
what takes place between the baby and its own mother or father. It is not
uncommon to go to a village and see a group of these nurses with their babies in
tow, playing together. In kinship societies any adult from a community where this
nurse-baby relationship is taking place has the responsibility both to educate and
maintain the safety of the little world of the nurses and their charges. Thus the
whole community helps in raising and correcting not only the nurses but also their
baby charges. The babies are learning a model of interdependence. As they
get a little older they come to understand that they are being cared for and
disciplined by a community of nurses who, in turn, see that any adult from any family
passing by has responsibility towards both the nurses and the babies. This is a
model of cooperation not known in the West today. It develops communal thinking,
not individualistic thinking. These nurses and babies learn that people in their
society care about each other. Contrast this with an individualistic society where
most of the responsibility of raising children, outside the school, is placed on two
parents who because they are often alienated from their own parents (or live
thousands of miles away in a mobile society) are relatively inexperienced as
parents. And, sad to say, many families in the West where individualism is greatly
emphasized are now becoming one-parent families because of divorce.

Let us consider for a moment the word “brother” and how various understandings of
that term can illustrate the great value difference between these three types of
societies. “Brother” in a lineal or collateral society holds a much deeper value than
in the individualistic West. The oldest brother in a kinship society family is someone
who has the right or first priority over all material wealth. He will gain more than
other heirs will by inheritance, but with that advantage comes responsibility. If you
are a younger brother or sister and are ever in trouble, you have the right to go to
your oldest brother for help. As long as he lives he has a social obligation to you.
Your oldest brother will help you make all-important decisions in your life.
Individualistic societies do not like this. They believe in equality and generally do
not give advantage to one child over the others. Inheritance and wealth are divided
equally. In the West a brother is not necessarily someone you can count on when
you grow up. In fact, your brother might be your strongest competitor.
Individualistic societies teach you that you are in competition with everybody in the
world – including your brother! Can you see how a cross-cultural communicator
coming from either of these extremes to the other should expect to be
misunderstood when speaking about a “brother?”

We will look at one more element in this section: how are decisions made in this
context? Individualistic societies begin to instill in the consciousness of their young
children the idea that each person is autonomous and can do what he/she wants.
An individual learns very early in life that he/she will have great options in charting
the course in life. Contrast this with the kinship of the lineal and collateral societies.
Children in them are taught very early that they need to depend on everyone around
them. Choices are few because what one will be or do is not left in the hands of the

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individual. The family decides very early what you will be or do in life, and it has
great influence on deciding which person you will marry.

F. Progress
We have now come to the concept of progress. Progress is the last of the six value
orientations on the chart. The chart will show that the idea of progress has to do
with change. Why, you might ask, would some societies resist change? Preliterate
cultures resist change because they are generally economically poor and the people
in power see almost any change as threatening and very disruptive to the social
order. Other societies, regardless of their economic state, who are deeply rooted in
the past, would resist change for the sake of not interrupting the continuity and
sacredness of history.

There are cultures in the world, which see change as sometimes desirable, but at
other times undesirable. Change might be allowed if it happened very slowly, but
change must not destroy past values. The peoples of these societies tolerate
change because they see it as inevitable, but they resist it if it takes place too
quickly and attacks some of the old values that they hold essential. Many peoples
on earth look at the idea of progress through the eyes of this description. The
cultures of some Eastern European nations (and even pockets in certain Western
European countries) would tolerate change with some reluctance.

Change is generally seen as desirable in the areas of the industrialized world.

Some peoples think that an idea or a product is inferior unless change happens to it
on a predictable, periodic basis. A painted sign “Under New Management”
describing a business establishment would only be seen as desirable in a culture
that valued change. In many parts of the world that sign would never appear
because potential clients who think older ways are trusted ways would be very
suspicious of a new management. But in the highly technological West the word
“new” has become so desirable that many products from toothpaste to automobiles
seem to sell better if the word “new” is used someplace in the advertising. If a
society is made to believe that change is not only normal but highly desirable, its
people are subject to the erroneous philosophy that change, for the sake of change
itself, is good. When that happens people can be fooled into abandoning a superior
idea or product for something that is merely new and different. Get ready to talk
about how people’s attitude about change and “progress” may be significant for the
sake of the Gospel.

Discussion:
1. What does “on time” mean in Germany, Indonesia, Italy, or Latin America?
What difference does it make?
2. In our discussion about the value activity we discuss the merits of “doing” as
compared to “being.” You might consider dividing into small groups of three
or four and talk about how Christians coming from doing societies will
emphasize passages such as Christ’s statement, “As long as it is day, we
must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no man can
work” (John 9:4). On the other hand, being cultures find great value in the
words of Christ when he talked about bearing fruit. These Christians
emphasize that just as natural fruit is produced from the nature of a tree, so
spiritual fruit is what you are rather than what you do.

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 3. Discuss how people from the Orient and from Africa may need to help the
average Western person on the topic of being and doing. The East can help
the West to see a new perspective on the Scriptures regarding the
relationship between these two values. The third world can make a great
contribution to the Church of Christ on this issue.
4. Concerning the value relational. What significance for the Gospel can you
imagine between the collision of an individualistic mindset compared with a
kinship mindset. Specifically discuss a Westerners insistence that a person
“make up his mind by himself” and how frightening and insecure that may be
for a kinship oriented person who has been taught to think communally and
not individualistically.

Summary
This lesson has exposed a brief, but vital element for the Christian witness, that of
how values held by any given target audience affects potential success in
evangelism in that context. The reader must be careful to avoid referring to one set
of values on the Value Orientation Chart as being typical of all peoples within a
given geographical region. People are very complex beings. Scholarship and
research continually oversimplifies human behavior. For the purpose of description,
human values have been examined in these lessons one at a time. But life is not
compartmentalized like that. For example, the value of time must be seen as
related to activity, and man’s view of nature is also tied to his perception of
progress. In addition, the reader must not believe that by learning much about
another culture’s values, he/she will become such an expert communicator that the
resistance to the message of Christ as Lord will be eliminated. Not true! Christ has
promised us that the people of the world will basically reject His message. The
nature of the gospel is confrontational. When a “hearer” receives what for the
Christian is “good news”, the hearer will be confronted with a choice about lordship
in his/her life. The goal of the serious cross-cultural witness is that if the listener
does reject the message of Christ, that rejection will be based on a clear perception
of the good news that has been skillfully announced and not on poor
communication habits, ignorance, or incompetence of the communicator.

III. DIRECTION/INDIRECTION IN SPEECH

This section is perhaps the most practical of the three because it makes a pointed
suggestion about “what to do” with a cross-cultural issue for more effective
witnessing and preaching skills in a large part of the two/thirds world. This lesson
will focus on speech mannerisms as a matrix to incorporate cultural anthropological
research in West Africa. Our goal will be to illustrate incarnational principles leading
to the practices of contextualization in communication. We will build on the first two
lessons by employing the essence of cultural values and their power to influence
attitudes and cognition. The section will cite actual participant observation for its
impact on Scriptural interpretation.

A. Western Problem/Eastern Advantage

Westerners are unaware that they speak too directly for most of the world. They
think everyone’s speech should “hit the nail on the head” and “don’t beat around the
bush.” “Lay all the cards on the table” and “shoot straight from the shoulder” while

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“giving me the bottom line.” (All North American expressions that encourage open,
straightforward talk, while discouraging any ambiguity or innuendo).

Africans and Orientals, Oceanics and many Latin Americans that have been
influenced by western education have been discouraged to utilize their deep cultural
insight or “artful speech” which is more indirect and gracefully tactful than the
speech learned from western influenced teachers. Parables, analogies, and
aphorisms in most of the two-thirds world are useful tools to gain entrance indirectly
to the mind.

The writer has two basic goals for this third lesson. First, to encourage those who
already possess cultural tools of indirect artful speaking in their ethnic or national
heritage to employ these traditional methods of communication. And secondly, to
encourage those from Europe and North America to awaken to the potential of an
important option to be considered in cross-cultural communication so their speech
will have more power.

B. Cultural Reasons for these Variations

Let’s look at the cultural reasons for the “openness” of the West and the
“guardedness” of the East. The American ideal of openness in most public speech
reflects certain basic cultural values. These include the democratic right of an
individual person to perceive his/her own role in the community, the “ideal” of
equality of all individuals, and the social and economic structure of confrontation
and competition with an overlay of informality and openness in everyday
proceedings.

Authors Condon and Yousef give clear insights into Western egalitarian idealists
who like to think that people of less “open” cultures are influenced by images and
“masks” instead of “realistic” self-concepts. Western man sees these “masks” as
essentially harmful to good communication. These same cultural assumptions may
hinder the Westerner from either objectively perceiving the culture of a person from
a foreign milieu or correctly interpreting the mannerisms of the African or Asian’s
speech.

Most Americans and Europeans who have lived in West Africa agree that in relation
to the general practice in the West, Africans speak indirectly. This mannerism is
rooted in the African’s value system – some aspects of which will be illustrated later,
but are listed here to get started: 1) Strong kinship ties that discourage
individualistic expression. 2). Collective communal decision-making, and, 3).
Great psychical investment in an interdependent social environment that hesitates
to spell-out certain messages. (There are more than only these three) These
values may lead a Mossi, Ewe or Hausa, for example, to appreciate the linguistic
texture that indirection lends to the power of understatement. For these and other
indirect ways of speaking, the African is rewarded by his society. Westerns,
however, generally judge indirection as suspect, downgrading the person who fails
to communicate forthrightly. Let it be noted, however, that Africans don’t always
speak indirectly, nor do Americans always speak directly and to the point.
Human communications is more complex than to rest in easy absolutes.

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Western peoples do permit communications in an indirect, ambiguous mode when
their poets and dramatists speak or write. This is called poetic license.

Next, when you are describing

A shape, a sound, or tint.
Do not state the matter plainly,
But put it in a hint.
And learn to look at all things
With a sort of mental squint.
--Lewis Carroll

But when celebrated authors Kirkpatrick and Bresse write a manual of English
Composition they say: “Failure to make one’s meaning clear is the most
unpardonable of all writing offenses…it is unfair to put the reader to so much
trouble. Sentences should be prepared, like oysters, so that they are easy to deal
with; not like winkles, requiring a pin to extract the meat.” We are getting close to
the problem now. Listen to a Mossi proverb about speech and words.

“Gwom gwomda ne a pagado. Bi a yam soba yaolen wegese.” Words are

spoken with their shells/peelings, let the wise person learn to “shuck” them.

The problem presented in this chapter comes into focus when the norm for
interpersonal communication from one person’s side is to state the mater plainly,
and conversely from the other person’s side, interpersonal communications is rather
an art where one has learned to “look at all things with a sort of a mental squint.”

North Americans tend to dislike status differences, formality, and host-guest roles.
They tend to dislike anything that in their future-oriented world looks like and older,
more rigid system of social interchange: “North Americans want to get down to the
‘brass tracks’, to ‘reality’, ‘to business’, to ‘the nitty-gritty’…this value orientation
seems to have remained remarkably consistent over the years. Such values resist
the idea of performing…’Be frank,’ ‘make yourself at home,’ ‘help yourself’ – is
equally disturbing for non-Americans unaccustomed to directives which seem to
require performances without rules or standards.” Some writers claim that non-
westerners see these traits of straight-forwardness as being awkward,
embarrassingly friendly, perpetually impatient, and possessing an annoying sense
of superiority. They say: “If you tell an American he is ‘open,’ ‘straightforward,’
‘approachable,’ he will take these words as compliments. But right on the same
continent with us an Indian or a Mexican may regard these same attributes as signs
of weakness, hallmarks of the untrustworthy. American friendliness is often
interpreted by the Asian and African as a lack of guile or lack of manners.”

Discussion:
Let’s stop here and consider this topic in an informal manner. You might consider
as a class to individually write down on a piece of paper the following suggestion.
1. (For Westerners) Make a list of the topics in your culture about which one
does not talk directly in public. (Such as, seldom would you ask a
stranger how much he paid for a suit he’s/she’s wearing). List two or three
other things and share them with the class in general discussion. This
exercise will help you, a Westerner, to see that not all your speech is direct.

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 Finding some “indirection” in ways of speaking will help you to empathize
with another culture, which has a long list of topics for indirection.
2. (For Africans/Asians) Make a list of the topics (or circumstances) about
which one can speak frankly and directly in your culture, especially the
culture of the countryside. It’s probably unlike your capital city that’s been
influenced by Europeans. Finding topics in your culture about which one
can speak totally openly and frankly will help you empathize with your
European brother or sister in understanding their cultural speech habits,
which tend to shock you by its directness (or crudeness). Share your
thoughts with the class and the instructor.

C. Speech Of Kinsman Versus Citizen

Think back on the section of value variations. Individualism and collaterality
represent a continuum, which is a part of people’s worldview that directly influences
speech mannerisms. If you have been wondering what makes your European/North
American friend lack some of the social graces your parents taught you – listen up!
Here is an important cultural influence you may not have been aware of. E
Adamson Hoebel, one of the most famous anthropologists ever says: “When the
American looks away from the universe and inward toward himself and his
society, his focus of view is individual-centered, rather than kin-centered,
class-centered, or collectivistically oriented.”

In the West, most individuals do not fear to take personal responsibility and risks as
one person. An individual can be frank, open, direct, because he dares on his own
volition from a confidence in himself and the future. He bases these privileges on a
social system, which reinforces such behavior. He lives in a society that “ideally” is
based on a system of checks and balances that eliminates from public services
most of the elements of the kin-related preferment and deference that characterize
hierarchical societies. (I don’t mean the later as a criticism, but only as description)
The Western person lives in a social system that gives less value to his immediate
relationship to his relatives. (This has some regrettable consequences). In his
Western system, he or she is called a citizen of a larger political system such as a
state or federal government. He probably can vote on who will be his political
superior or leader. This is quite a departure from the traditional kinship
determined system. The leaders of most kin-related systems have been largely
determined by family relationship. When the citizen is freed from close family
superiors he is free to speak his mind—to express personal views without fear of a
chief’s legal executioner or a nobleman’s dungeon! Again the Mossi have a proverb
that is cogent here. “Nubila san tara guuda, nore yageda sen data.” (When the
back of the neck has a guardian, the mouth flaps as it likes.)

Western people may not be able to explain what you’ve just read as a reason or
explanation for their speech habits. But in the estimation of this writer, this may be
one of the most significant single reasons why Westerners are known the world over
as too frank and often insulting when they speak. (The back of the neck has a
guardian!)

All over West Africa, many parts of Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific, one can
witness, as people become industrialized, processes of social evolution inside
kinship lines that begin to resemble the Western concept of the family. It is only

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natural and inevitable that this new life-style will also change old speech habits.
(This writer finds this fact regrettable for many reasons.) Older ways of speaking
included praise, honor, and fear of communal shame. As the individual becomes
less dependent on the social security system of kin-interdependence, his speech
begins to change from formal structures needed to maintain the delicate balance of
unified communal living. This then is the mixture of old and new that one sees in
the burgeoning cities of the developing world. But back in the remote areas, the
more traditional indirect speech of the kinsman is still important. For me, the ideal
would be to if the two/thirds world peoples could accept modern change and still
retain many of the admirable and sensitive ways of speech that seem to be more
Biblical in many respects.

D. Technological Need For Precision In Speech

An open, straightforward manner of communication as a cultural variable can at
times relate to an industrialized society’s technological need for programmed
precision is speech. People living in a highly technical environment become, over a
period of time, conditioned to receive and give information at a faster rate. Speed-
reading, split-screen viewing, and even a trend in the writing of modern novels with
a minimum of descriptive dialogue are the norm. This is called “Pre-engineered
communication.” This precise speech is highly preprocessed to maximize content.
Societies whose industrial-technical economy has developed an intense focus on
precision in speech as a norm will find that when a citizen from that culture interacts
with someone from a preliterate society, he will overload the capacity of reception of
the latter. On the other hand, the less industrialized participant will frustrate the
“modern man” by his slow, imprecise and seemingly ambiguous way of talking.
Western languages (specifically verb tenses) give direct, clear indication about time.
In English there is a rigid correspondence between the tense and the meaning of a
verb in the temporal dimension. For example, the verb in the past tense refers to
past time. This idea is so self-evident to speakers of English that it must appear a
truism. This is not the case in Arabic or Ewe. The Ewe word etso means both
“yesterday” and “tomorrow.” Such imprecision leads to semantically vague and
indeterminate concern for time, including its quantification. The phrase “Allah
willing” (in sha Allah), heard repeatedly on the African Savannah, stamps any
advance commitment with a note of uncertainty.

Neither time nor space will permit other very important elements on the topic of why
some people speak more directly and others more indirectly. Much cross-cultural
misunderstanding, I feel stems from this mismatch of expectations. Your instructor
may wish to expose subjects such as the influence of shame and honor on
speech. Or the interesting subject of reluctance to expose or confront inner
feelings and how these things may impact the broader topic. I wish now to expose
one last element before the summary and most important group interaction.

E. Speech As Art (Intentional Allusion)

The African-American community in the USA will understand this section as they
have somehow conserved this speech style, even after over 300 years of first
slavery, then discrimination and suppression in North and South America and the
Caribbean. Centuries ago (and even now), the cultural roots of these peoples (in
primarily West but also East Africa) still persist. Their traditional non-technical
society allowed for a type of humor and deep meaning in implicit speech mannerism

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that the West’s long decades of influence by the “scientific method” and Aristotelian
logic disallows. In Africa, yet today, and primarily away from the capital cities, the
intentional use of everyday speech as an art form is practiced. It is a natural
selection device to sometimes exclude meaning and people and sometimes include
meaning and people. This speech function is a conscious effort by participants of
the society that recognizes the implications of constructing and deciphering
messages with multilevel meanings. More than that, the society gives positive
reinforcement to skillful uses of this art. The speech style in question could hardly
exist without such reinforcement. It takes some skill both to construct and to
unravel these multilevel meanings because they allude to and imply things, which
are never made explicit.

Artistic speech through metaphor and parable is very apparent in the New
Testament. Christ taught in figures of speech. In fact, over 37% of all recorded
words of Christ are in parabolic form. These figures and allusions were not open for
interpretation to all His listeners. Many of these figures of speech required
interpretation even for his disciples. Matthew 13:10 is an account of a direct
question by the disciples, challenging His method of keeping his words obscure.
Western theologians have long struggled with Christ’s answer:

“That is why I speak to them in parables; for they look without seeing, and
listen without hearing or understanding. There is a prophecy of Isaiah,
which is being fulfilled for them: ‘You may hear and hear, but you will never
understand; you may look and look, but you will never see. For this people’
s mind has become gross; their ears are dulled and their eyes are closed.
Otherwise, their eyes might see, their ears hear, and their mind understand,
and then they might turn again, and I would help them.’” Mt. 13:13-15 NEB

Jesus seems to be saying to His disciples that He is using intentional indirection to

exclude some listeners: “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God,
but for those outside everything is in parables; so that they may indeed see but not
perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand” (Mark 4:11-12, RSV). Greco-
Roman thought (from Aristotle to Thomas Aquinas) is a great blessing to the West –
but it is also its great curse. Analytical thinkers dissect and inspect in serious
search of meaning and miss the intent and meaning. Elton Trueblood speaks of
Christ’s artful speech as “epigrammatic pungency.” He says “even Jesus’ disciples
set about to torture literal significance from phrases first coined to blast utterly a
literal intent.” The West’s Anglo-Germanic “grid thinking” simply cannot tolerate the
ambiguity of Africa’s or Asia’s love for, and use of indirection in communication.
Kipling’s oft quoted phrase: “Oh East is East and West is West, and never the twain
shall meet” is a challenge to Christian endeavor. Westerners must help
Easterners understand how they think. And Easterners must help Westerners
come to understand and use a powerful communication device about which
the West is illiterate!

GROUP INTERACTION will now illustrate, step by step, just how powerful a tool
indirection can be to unlock a Scriptural passage that is hidden to the West’s
technological and precision driven mentality.

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Discussion one suggestion:
At the direction of the instructor, divide into smaller discussion groups for increased
participation. Read and discuss together in those groups the following explanation
of Matthew 13: 10-16. Then go to part B and subsequently report to the whole class
your group’s finding. - Now let’s focus on this first part. After reading the whole
passage in Matthew 13:10-16, pay special attention to verse 12. Is this easily
understood? “Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.
Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” – vs. 12

People who live in democratic political systems have great difficulty with verse 12
because it seems so “undemocratic.” Countries in the West like the U.S.A., Briton,
France, Switzerland etc. pride themselves on the fact that democracy means
equality for its citizens where each citizen has one vote in elections and social
issues. New emerging democracies in Africa that for centuries existed under a
different political system are themselves, also, coming to understand the word
“equality” in a new light. Colonialism brought this to them. Verse 12 seems to
ignore the ideal of equality by taking from the one lacking and given to the one
already advantaged. Listen to this West African story that I believe can illustrate the
hard to understand verses in Matthew 13.

There was a man who had two sons. The older son did not obey his father.
He sometimes even criticized his father. This made the father very sad. The
younger son however did obey his father. In fact, he would often go the
second mile. The father would ask him to do something and he would say,
“yes, Father”: and he wouldn’t do just what his father asked but he would do
extra.

Now in this tribal culture, it is very common for a father to make

arrangements with a family outside his own endogamous (or closed) family
for a “daughter” (a very young girl to be brought into his family.) He would
raise this girl as his own daughter, knowing full well that this “daughter”
would eventually become the wife of one of his sons. (Thus marriage in
much of the world is not a contract between two people, but a contract
between two families).

So this man made arrangements for a young girl, about eight years old, to be
brought to the family. She didn’t take the role of a wife. She began to learn
the ways of the family. The sons watched this girl as she grew up and
became a beautiful young lady – not just beautiful to look at, but beautifully
natured. Both of the young men (the obedient younger son and the
disobedient older son) wanted her.

As the years passed, the girl matured emotionally and physically and was
ready to be married according to African custom. Every time the father
thought about giving her to the older son he felt sad – “This boy does not
obey me. This boy sometimes calls me a fool.” And every time he thought
about giving her to the younger one, his heart was filled with joy. “This is the
one who deserves her,” he thought.

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 When he would mention these thoughts to his “family” about which son
would marry the daughter, he would say: “I don’t want to give her to the older
one. He’s not a good son. I want to give her to the younger one. He’s the
good one.” But his brothers and uncles would say: “Oh, it is not our custom.
You must never give a wife to the younger son without first giving a wife to
the older son.” So he let this decision wait for many months. Finally he
knew what he was going to do. He waited until one very dark night while it
was raining (no moon, no stars). In the middle of the night he got up and
went to the sleeping girl, awakened her, and took her out in the middle of
this hard rain to the sleeping quarters of his sons. (In African custom, adult
sons each have a separate hut or sleeping room.) So he went to the older
sons hut, clapped, and said: “Is my older son there?”

His older son woke up: “Father, what do you want?”

The father called in a loud voice to make certain his son would hear: “I have
a young thing here and I do not want water to get in its ears so that it should
die. Please come and take it to your hut.”

The older son called out: “Father, you old fool, what are you doing out in the
rain? Take that thing back to your own hut and leave me alone – I’m
sleeping.”

The father went to the younger son’s hut, clapped, and said: “Is my younger
son there?”

The younger son woke up: “Hey, father, what are you doing in this rain?
Why didn’t you just call me from your hut? What are you doing standing out
there?”

So the father said the same thing. “I have a young thing here and I do not
want water to get in its ears so that it should die. Please come and take it
into your hut.”

The young son quickly opened the door, came out in the middle of the night
and said: “Father, why didn’t you just call me from your hut? I would have
come over there and saved you the trouble.”

Now in the complete darkness the father put the hand of the beautiful young
girl into the hand of the younger son. He felt around and realized that it was
this girl, and he gave a whoop of joy because he knew what had happened!

When the older son heard the commotion, he called out, “What’s the racket
out there?”

“The young son called back, “Dad has just given me a wife!”

B. The disciples asked Jesus: “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
1. How does this story explain the “inequality” that seems to fly in the face of
democratic social institutions?

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2. What will the father in the story say to his elders when asked why he didn’t
follow traditional custom?
3. What spiritual lessons can we draw from the above relative to Jesus’ words in
this passage about seeing and hearing?
4. Who in the African story “had” it and who didn’t “have” it? (think v. 12) What did
the older son have that was taken away?
5. Can you now better talk about the power of indirection and the power of
discovery that indirection and parables encourage?

Discussion Two: Read John 8:1-11.

This story of Jesus forgiving the woman taken in adultery has also much troubled
part of the church that prefers the letter of the law to the spirit of the law. Look at
this second African story and then consider the questions about
direction/indirection.

An old man had outlived all his children and wives and was alone in the
world. He was hungry, as there was no family to prepare him food. As he
walked by a schoolyard the children were outside playing soccer (football for
95% of the world). He thought that the school children would not see him
catch a rooster by the side of the road near the school. The rooster didn’t
belong to him, but he snatched it and put it in his bag. However, some of the
children did see him and started shouting, “there’s a thief-there’s a thief.”
The headmaster of the school heard the noise and came outside to see what
was up.

Now the old man didn’t want to be disgraced in public and especially in front
of all those children. So he told the headmaster, “Please look in this bag
with the eye of an old man to see if there is a rooster or not.” So the
headmaster approached and with an elderly eye looked into the bag, and
then drove the children away and said that there was no rooster there. Then
the teacher called the old man inside of his room and settled with him. He
warned him severely about stealing and gave him a few coins to buy food in
the market. The old man thanked him, took out the rooster and gave it to the
headmaster, who turned it loose behind the school.
1. What would have happened to the old man before sundown had the
teacher pulled a squawking rooster out of the bag in front of the children?
Why?
2. Why did Jesus choose a wiser option in John 8 than listen to the
“children” holding stones?
3. Where is the indirection in both John 8 and the above story?

Summary
In summary then, we have looked at the subject of what is direct and indirect
speaking. We have described who uses which kind and why. We have traced the
industrialized nation’s need for precise time-conscious speech to directness. We
have also traced the kinship that people need to guard for good interdependence in
the family and community to careful indirectness. We saw many other reasons, on
both sides, suggesting possible cultural elements that form and determine
differences in public communication styles.

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The main purpose of this lesson, however, has been to encourage cross-cultural
witnesses for Christ to consider: How does the listener perceive the message on
the relative scale of directness-indirectness? Special intent has been given to show
the advantages of some communication to be couched in the style of indirection
which Christ used so skillfully and extensively. Many of the world’s peoples already
know about artful speech and simply need to be reassured about its effectiveness in
witnessing under proper circumstances. Others never use it because of ignorance
about its use or effectiveness. The vast majority of present and recent past
missionaries were sent to their tasks by societies relatively unaware of the need of
indirection in the majority of cultures targeted for gospel witness.

The following material is the basic source from which both concepts and some of
the actual copy originates.

Kraft, Charles; CHRISTIANITY IN CULTURE, Orbis Books, 1981.

Kluckholn, Florence & Strodtbech, Fred. VARIATIONS IN VALUE ORIENTATIONS,

Row & Peterson, 1961. (A classic book, out of print, but available in some libraries).

Tarr, Del; INDIRECTION AND AMBIGUITY AS A MODE OF COMMUNICATION IN

WEST AFRICA (Ph.D. dissertation) Universal Microfilms Publication #80-19577.

-----CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS (A Study Guide) ICI, Bruxelles, 1987.

-----DOUBLE IMAGE (Biblical Insights From African Parables) Paulist Press, 1994.

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 Chapter 7
SURVIVING AND THRIVING IN THE HARDEST OF PLACES
Dick Brogden

This chapter examines the major challenges that missionaries face when living in
spiritually and physically difficult places. Practical biblical solutions will be
presented that will help the missionary to survive and thrive in these situations.

Goals
This chapter aims to prepare the learner to face the challenge of surviving and
thriving in the hardest of places. All who live in a difficult place face the temptation
to congratulate themselves. “Just surviving here takes incredible effort,” we say to
ourselves. “ We cannot be expected to do much more than that!”

Jesus has so much more for us than surviving. This chapter will look candidly at
the real and present dangers, and will encourage the learner to seek to thrive
despite those difficulties. When the student has finished this chapter, he should
have a realistic expectation of the challenges that await him as well as the
confidence that he is spiritually, emotionally, and practically equipped to face those
challenges.

Introduction
The easy places are gone, swallowed up by the first wave of missions. Like water
finding the lowest level, mission agencies in the preceding years have concentrated
their resources and personnel on areas of easy access. To the Glory of God, most
of these places have had ample opportunity to hear and receive the gospel.

This leaves us with Caleb’s mountains. If you would plot on the world map where
current missionaries serve, you will primarily find them in temperate, non-Islamic
areas. The areas that are desert and populated by Muslim people groups have
been little impacted by the gospel at this point. There are hard places left,
however, that are neither desert nor Islamic. There are areas of political unrest,
tribal turmoil, or devastating war.

The future for most of us, if we want to win this continent and our world in the
eleventh hour will require us to learn how to survive in these places. Our first
section deals with the challenges that arise in difficult places as a result of culture
and context. Our second section deals with the challenges of soul and spirit. And
our third lesson addresses the challenges of heart and mind.

I. CHALLENGES OF CULTURE AND CONTEXT

A. Entry
The obvious first step is getting there. God has called you, you have raised your
support, said your good-byes, arranged your affairs, sold your belongings, gone
through your missions training . . . now what? Hard places are usually closed to
traditional missions efforts and traditional visas. Hard places might mean that you
are the first one from your team in the country. You might have no friends, no
contacts, no language knowledge, no nothing.

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When my wife and I arrived in our country of service that is how it was for us. I will
share what helped us, and what I recommend you do.

1. Adjust Your Expectations

As you traveled to friends and churches, you have received a lot of encouragement
and support. Friends have said “God Bless you . . . you are so brave . . . I could
never do that . . . ” It is easy to fall in the trap of feeling important or special.
People have given you offerings, paid for your travel perhaps, and provided food.
That all was wonderful and it is good to be thankful, but those days are over. Where
you are going, you may never be wanted. People will want your money; they will
not want to give you theirs. They will want to convert you; they will not want to be
converted. Life will be simple; you will not be honored as a guest. It is better to be
realistic and prepared for any difficulty, spiritual or physical. If you have this attitude
every little thing or convenience you will find is a blessing instead of every negative
thing being a discouragement.

Adjusting your expectations is difficult to do because those expectations sometimes

occur at the subconscious level without your realizing it. You might expect a certain
level of cleanliness, living standard, educational opportunity for your children,
fellowship with other missionaries, health care, friendliness of the people, or ministry
involvement. When any of the above does not materialize as you expected, it can
be a source of disappointment.

There are two ways to handle expectations. The unhealthy way is to set a certain
mental standard and tell yourself, “This is what I need in order to be happy.”
Missionaries with this attitude turn out to be grumblers and do not last long. The
better response is to say, “I am not sure exactly what I will face, but I am determined
that no matter what, if it is good or bad, easy or difficult, God has called me and I
will persevere.”

2. Obtain a Visa
Sometimes visas can be arranged for you from the outside, especially if you have
friends in the country, or you are going as a tentmaker and your institution will write
you a letter of invitation. If not, the simplest way is to go on a tourist or business
visa and trust the Lord to open up a more permanent residence permit. Tourist
visas are possible for almost any country. Once in the country, look for
opportunities to teach at a secondary school, or study at a university. These are
two of the simplest ways to get a long-term visa.

3. Find a Place to Sleep

We walked out of the airport and gazed at a sea of white turbans and covered
women. Faces were friendly but strange. We pushed our luggage to the side of the
crowd and looked for taxis. We eventually found a man who could understand us
and asked him to take us to a inexpensive hotel. Many taxi drivers who work at
airports will be able to understand a few words of English or French. It is also a
good idea to look up the word for hotel before you leave. The taxi took us to a hotel
and our immediate need for shelter was met.

4. Register at Your Embassy

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This will not only let people trace you in case of emergency, but it will also possibly
put you in contact with friends. You can meet others of your nationality and ask
them about housing, prices of food, and other details of the country. You will find
that in hard places your fellow countrymen are friendly and glad to meet someone
from back home. Your country of service may not have your national embassy.
Usually in cases like this, another country will handle your official needs, and it will
be a good precaution to register with them.

5. Start Looking for a Place to Live

Hotels can get expensive quickly. In every town there are real estate agents. Ask
for help at the hotel desk, they can put you in contact with someone who knows
empty apartments and houses. Even if you do not stay in that apartment full time,
one month in an apartment will be cheaper than one week at a hotel. Sometimes
you can find a good place right away, and sometimes not.

6. Seek Out the Christian Community

You will be surprised at how many of God’s people you will find. Whether you go to
Iraq, Libya, Yemen, or even Saudi Arabia, there are Christians and fellowships of
believers. There are also other missionaries and tentmakers from other groups.
These Christians; whether expatriates or nationals, can be a valuable source of
information, advice, and fellowship.

You have not come to hang out with Christians, but at the start do not be afraid to
consult them and take advantage of gleaning from their experience. This can also
be a valuable source for getting money into the country. Some of these friends will
have bank accounts set up. They can tell you how to do it, or perhaps let you use
their account number so friends can wire you money.

If you are concentrating on a specific people group, you will find it very helpful to
find an expatriate person (a couple or a family is best, especially if you are married)
who are good solid Christians that you can share you heart fellowship with. Find a
couple that is outside your normal work circles, you do not need to see them
regularly; but, know they are available to you if you need rest, someone to lean on,
or just to get away from it all.

7. Start Mixing with People

There will be culture shock; all of us experience it in different ways. When you are
freshly arrived in a place you will still have a sense of excitement. Start meeting
people, start picking up language words the first day. DON’T WAIT. Do not give
yourself an opportunity to retreat into a shell of worry or fear. Establish patterns of
daily living that bring you into regular contact with your target group. For example,
take public transportation, walk to the market, do your own shopping, walk to the
café or restaurant every Friday with your whole family, rent a house in the area
where your people live. If you do these things, it will greatly benefit your language
learning and relationship building. It will help you to deepen your knowledge of the
culture and widen your network of friends. It will also keep the lostness of their
souls continually on you heart.

8. Thank the Lord

We have not yet mentioned the most important thing: bathe everything in prayer.
Ask for divine helpers and appointments. At every step ask the Lord to provide the

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right people to meet the need. When you get into your place of lodging that first
night, thank the Lord for his provision. Remember, praise brings victory. If you
determine to thank the Lord in all situations, you will make it. Make a list of praise
reports and add to them regularly.

Conclusion
Some of you will go to a country that already has team members there. This can
be a tremendous advantage and help. They can arrange much of the above;
however, it can also be a disadvantage. Having to do many of these things yourself
leads you into a good contact with many people and will establish relationships of
your own. It will also build your trust and confidence. Do not allow your new team
to do everything for you. Struggle through some of these issues yourself and you
will be better for it.

B. Climate
I remember stepping off the plane onto the runway, it felt like the heat rose up and
struck us. Some parts of North Africa can get up to 50 degrees Celsius (125
degrees F). You may come from a hot country and be used to this, or you may be
in for a surprise. Heat can make you feel lazy and irritable. It affects your work
schedule. Some days I cannot do office work because I am sweating all over the
desk and ruining the paper I am writing on. The first few days will be the most
difficult, but you will adjust. Give yourself at least a year to adjust to the heat (or
cold). Here are a few helpful things to remember:

1. Learn from the People

The people who live in that place have been coping with the elements for
generations. Observe them carefully and learn from them. Work, when they work,
rest when they rest. Wear the type of clothes they wear, generally there is a reason
beyond the modesty of Islam. I have found that a turban is a wonderful thing for
keeping out dust and sun. You can also soak it in water and when you put it back
on your head, you will think you died and went to heaven! My wife covered her
head initially out of respect to the culture, but she soon found that it also helped her
remain cooler.

2. Pace Yourself
Especially at the beginning, give yourself time to adjust to the heat. You do not
have to prove you are superman. Your body will need time to adjust to the water
and different foods. Get used to taking a rest in the worst of heat. If you try and be
tough and outwork everyone…you will, including yourself. Keep long term goals
and health in mind. Do whatever it requires to thrive for the long term.

3. Drink A Lot of Water

You are going to sweat, and sweat a lot. To protect your kidneys you should drink
all through the day. Drink even when you do not feel like drinking. If you notice
your urine is getting darker, you are not drinking enough. Buy a little water jug that
you can carry with you everywhere.

4. Adjust Your Sleeping Habits

Sometimes nights are terrible. It is so hot that you toss and turn all night long. The
only relief comes in the morning. Again observe the people. If they sleep outside in

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the courtyard communally so they can enjoy a breeze, do the same. Give up a little
privacy for the sake of sleep. If you are a morning person and like to get up early,
consider sleeping a little longer to enjoy the cool morning air.

5. Go Natural
The best way to adjust to conditions is to assimilate, not create an artificial
environment. I do not recommend air-conditioning; it is expensive and fake. It may
be nice when you are inside, but your ministry will constantly take you out. The
contrast will make the heat worse, not better. Keep it simple: outside breezes,
perhaps a fan. If you have a car that is equipped with air conditioning, do not use it.
Open the window and use the breeze. Do not isolate yourselves from smells,
sounds, and atmosphere of people around you.

C. Language
Language acquisition is one of the hardest adjustments to make, especially if the
language is Arabic. This issue is covered in detail in another course so let me
confine my thoughts to Arabic language. The reasons that Arabic is so hard are:
1. The script – it is backwards and each letter can have four different shapes.
2. The sounds – There are guttural and aspirated sounds unusual to Bantu and
Nilotic languages.
3. The grammar – It is very complex and detailed (though systematic)
4. Vocabulary – Arabs love words and speeches. You can say the word “lion” 100
different ways. The vocabulary is deep in deed.

Another problem with Arabic is the difference between classical and the colloquial.
The classical (or Modern Standard Arabic) is what is used in the media and printed
page. It is the same in all he Arab world. Each country has its own form of Arabic
called colloquial Arabic. This differs from country to country and can be very
confusing. Anyone working in an Arabic speaking country will have to learn both.
Often uneducated people will only know the colloquial and yet nothing is written in
colloquial. It is better to start with colloquial so that you can communicate with
neighbors and do shopping, etc. If you spend years studying only classical you will
frustrate yourself because many people will not understand you. Arabic is not the
only difficult language to be found. No matter what language you find yourself
struggling with, you must be committed to being an eternal student. Never stop
learning language, the moment you do you stop being a cultural receiver. Never
stop doing the things that keep your relationships with the national people fresh.

Language goes beyond the academic. The use of proverbs and fables will be a
great key into the culture. There are also certain terms used for very specific
reasons, sometimes reasons that we as believers do not agree with. Language can
be a wonderful bridge but it is also dangerous and sometimes misleading. For
example you will often hear the Arabic term ma sha’a Allah. It literally means, “What
God has willed”. The dynamic meaning, however is to guard against the evil eye.
When you comment on a beautiful baby, or possession and do not immediately say
“ma sha’a Allah” it means you are coveting it and casting the evil eye of cursing
against the owner. Every Muslim will use this term, but is this something that we
want to do? To not say it is to offend the hearer, and yet we do not want to support
their superstition either. In your language study, seek to understand not only what

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people say, but WHY they say it. Another example is the common greeting “Salaam
alay kum” - Peace upon you. In Jordan believers do not use this expression
because it identifies them as Muslims, but say instead “Sabah al Kher” – Good
Morning. Behind much of what is said lies a reason. We must be careful to
thoroughly understand the use of its language.

D. Lifestyle
In many of the unreached places of our world, conveniences and modern goods are
not available. Certain food and vegetables that you are used to are nowhere to be
found. Things like beds and kitchen utensils or appliances can be very expensive.
Are you prepared to live without those things? Are you willing to live for years
without electricity and running water? In other areas, the majority of people will be
very poor. A certain level of living might be possible, but if you choose it you will
elevate yourself out of the level of the people you are trying to reach. This can
dilute the power and relevancy of your message. When you live as the people do,
with the same limitation (even if self imposed) you have the moral authority to give
your advice and counsel in times of need. In all your lifestyle decisions you should
seek the minimum comfort level. This means to acquire only the basic things that
can help you function and minister. Other niceties, helpful as they are, you choose
to go without so that you can relate to your people group.

You will also have to pay a contextual price in the way you dress, relate to people,
communicate, and spend your time. The hard and resistant groups cannot always
be reached by traditional methods. You do not necessarily have to adopt a radically
contextualized approach, but you must be prepared to compromise and meet the
people half way. Any step you take in their direction to communicate that the
biblical message is relevant to their culture will assist you in your ultimate goal.

Financially I have seen two approaches to living. I have seen families come and
buy whatever they wanted and then write home saying, “The support you send is
not enough, we need such and such an amount every month.” The second
approach is to say, “We have such and such promised every month, let us sacrifice
here and there to adjust our living style to our budget.” Hopefully your approach will
be like the latter.

E. Summary
The initial and most obvious challenges that missionaries face are those of culture
and context. There is a process of adjustment that all missionaries go through as
they grapple with issues of Entry, Climate, Language, and Lifestyle. Do not be
embarrassed or ashamed when you find yourself struggling with these issues. It
happens to everyone. Missionaries serving in hard places face these challenges in
magnified ways. Thanks be to God that His grace is always equal to our need.

Discussion
1. What are some of the positive, well-meaning things that people have told you as
you prepared to go? In what ways can you respond to these comments
positively and yet keep a humble attitude?
2. What are the 8 steps of entry? Which do you think is the most important? What
else do you think important to do in these first few days?

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3. Make a list of what documents, letters of introduction, moneys, and vital
personal effects you should take with you that are needed in your specific
country.
4. What are our expectations of the new country? Your new team members? If
you are already on the field, what were your expectations and how has the
reality been different?
5. Why is it important not to be too dependent on your new team members when
you first arrive?
6. What are some practical ways –not listed in the notes- that you can deal with
heat?
7. What is your minimum comfort level? What is the minimum you need physically
to remain healthy and active? Make a list of 5 material things that you do not
think you can do without. Then scratch off three of them. Then scratch off one
more, you are left with one, is it that important? Are you willing to go without
that also, if it means your ministry will have greater impact?
8. Is your attitude “what can I do without”, or is it “I must have so and so in order to
survive”. Explain the difference between these two attitudes.
9. To what level are you willing to contextualize in order to reach your people
group?
10. What are some of the reasons Arabic is so difficult to learn?
11. What are some examples of common expressions (like ma sha’a Allah) in your
own language that have hidden meaning behind them? If you are working
among Muslims, should you use all the Islamic expressions? Will this confuse
Muslims or encourage them?

The initial challenges a missionary working in hard places will face are those of
culture and context as detailed in section one. In section two we will look at the
more subtle and much more serious challenges to soul and spirit. Every missionary
serving in a difficult place will face these challenges.

II. CHALLENGES OF THE SOUL AND SPIRIT

A. Oppression
There are two basic types of oppression in difficult places. The type that comes
from security and people, and the type that comes directly from the powers of hell.
Let us begin with the first one.

1. Physical Oppression
I was at the market waiting for friends one day, not realizing I was standing just
outside a security office. It was 8:30 at night and the crowds were beginning to
disburse. All of a sudden I heard a terrible screaming behind me. I turned to
discover that a man had been chained to a tall light post. As security would torture
him he would scream and cry. The light pole would shake desperately as he
struggled in vain against his chains. I felt terrible for him and it made me wonder
how I would handle torture myself.

The fact is that in difficult places you are constantly watched. A few weeks after we
moved into our house, security moved in right next-door and constantly watched
who came and went at our house. They listened in on our telephone conversations;
they even arrested some of our visitors. Friends have been picked up right outside

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our door and have been searched and beaten. Others are carefully questioned
about us, about our work, and about everything that is in the house.

Sometimes the oppression comes from an organized force like security; sometimes
it comes from financial groups or individuals. It may just be an oppressive
presence, it may be angry words and shouts, it may be actual violence and harm to
you and your family. You must be prepared for any of these. It is also wise to get
into the habit of using code words for sensitive issues. In public and on the
telephone you must always watch what you say. Even in private you do not always
know whom you can trust and who is an informer. Many times Muslims have
pretended to convert in order to find out inside information. It is a good idea to get
into the habit of these alternative words, such as “monkey” instead of “missionary”
and “majority people” instead of “Muslim” etc. This way if you slip and say
something in public most will have no idea what you meant.

One of the sobering thoughts about living in a difficult place is that your message
has a price tag. In rare cases you personally will have to pay the price, suffering
and perhaps death, but more often it is those who will receive the message. Those
who come to Christ because of your witness may be tortured and killed. You must
be emotionally prepared for that possibility.

None of us can be really sure how we will handle pain, nor can we prepare
physically for torture or abuse, but we can prepare spiritually. We can daily say to
Jesus, “I am yours Lord; I am in your hands. Whatever you have for me, whether
joy or pain, I will accept it, for I know you will give me the grace.”

If you are arrested and being questioned there are several things that you should
remember. Initially you may be in shock and unable to pray. This time of shock will
pass and you will be able to commit yourself and your family to the Lord. As you are
being interrogated you should keep your answers as vague as possible. You can
tell the truth, but you do not have to reveal any information. Refusing to answer a
question will anger the interrogators, it is better to give a slow ambiguous answer
that reveals nothing or even answers a different question than was asked. Pretend
to not understand sometimes. Keep a humble attitude. If you are being held or
made to stand for a long time avoid direct eye contact. Direct eye contact is good if
you are being questioned, but if you are just being watched it can be interpreted as
hostile or belligerent. Smile a lot and do not assume a guilty posture. If you remain
friendly and confident it will take the wind out of their sails. If you act like you are
guilty or hiding something it will make them think they are on to something.

When I was last interrogated, they would take me to a place for questioning and
then return me to the courtyard where I had to sit silently in the hot sun. I was able
to be friendly with the junior guards. After awhile they would begin to do me small
favors when the senior officials were not looking. Look to establish friendships even
with your captors. Pray blessing and mercy upon them, pray that you will see them
as God sees them. Do not be afraid to witness to them as the Spirit prompts you;
some of the best evangelism in the book of Acts took place either in a courtroom or
in a prison. There is a direct comparison between witnessing and persecution.

2. Spiritual Oppression

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As difficult as these physical abuses can be, the spiritual oppression is much
stronger and much more dangerous. In some countries you can even feel a
darkness descend down on you even as you step off the airplane. Everyday the
forces of evil will swirl around you; it is possible that people will try to put curses on
you. You may be subject to demonic attack; three times in the last six years I have
been attacked by a demon. My only recourse was to plead the blood of Jesus.

We must be a people that live under the blood. Jesus died not only to atone for our
sins, but also to break the powers of evil. Everyday we should ask Jesus to cover
us with His precious blood. The devil will attack your marriage, your thought life,
you health, your emotions, and your relationship with others. He does not play fair.
Hiding in Jesus is our answer. Whenever you move into a new place, anoint all the
rooms with oil and pray over each one. There is no Biblical command to anoint your
possessions with oil, but the point here is to dedicate all that you have to the Lord
and place it under His protection. Our family anoints with oil to physically remind us
of this spiritual truth. Ask the Lord to cast out any evil presence or curse that has
been put on the dwelling. Pray continually over your children and family. Plead the
blood over even practical things like your house and vehicle. The more God moves,
the more resistance is raised against Him. Expect it, and counter it with the blood of
Jesus.

B. Trauma
We would be less than honest if we did not state that living in hard places will
sometimes result in sickness, theft, violence, rape, suffering, murder, or anything in
between. There will be violent break-ins that will make it difficult for you to sleep for
weeks on end. There will be thieves who steal your car at gunpoint. There will be
physical attacks on you and possibly your family. Though we hope and pray against
such tragedy, the reality is that we live in a sick world, and it is only getting sicker.
We will increasingly be exposed to the unfair and brutal schemes of the enemy.
There will be a price to pay, and often the innocent will have to help us pay it.

This must be our sobering realization, but not our deterrent. We must consider the
goal so important that the cost paid is well worth it. While we acknowledge that the
Jesus we preach will save lives, we together with those who will be redeemed will
have to count the cost.

We have two major truths that will take us through the painful and traumatic days:

1. The fact that God is good regardless of circumstance.

If we can hold on to this fact, it will take us through the night season. We cannot
doubt in the darkness what God has revealed to us in the light. One of the
distinguishing characteristics of the church in the days to come will be its willingness
to stand up and declare; “ The Lord is good, and His mercy endures forever!” The
power of this declaration will be most clearly seen when our health, lives and
possessions lie in tatters at our feet. We must believe this and proclaim it.

2. The fact that God is faithful to His promises.

We must hold on to our spiritual guarantees. “The Lord is faithful . . . He will not
give us more than we can bear . . . He is the rock higher than I . . . He prepares a
table for us in the presence of our enemies . . . He is with us . . . He is the

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resurrection and the life . . . ” In the dark and difficult days ahead, these precious
promises will be our lifeline.

C. Relationships
One aspect of living in hard places is the loneliness and frustration that develops
from the slow pace of the work. In open countries it is so much easier to be
involved in church planting, crusades, Bible schools, seminars, and other
measurable activities. In hard places it is much more difficult to write a glowing
newsletter to the friends back home. Many times you will not have the strong
friendships of national believers to lean on. One of the surprising frustrations you
will encounter is not the lack of relationship, but relationships that are draining and
one-sided.

When we arrive in our country full of excitement and charged up by the love from
family and friends we are ready to shatter the powers of darkness by the liberating
message of the Gospel. What a surprise it was to us when no one wanted our
message, but everyone wanted our money. We made lots of friends quickly, but
most of them had no desire for spiritual truth. It was initially discouraging to realize
that many wanted your friendship solely for their own financial gain. This will
happen to everyone, no matter your level of support. Accept it, acknowledge it, and
move on. Learn when to say no gracefully, and without guilt, and when to help as
you can. Always keep the long-term goal of self-respect and reliance in mind. If
your financial help will only encourage dependency it is better to make the tough
decision and say no. Remember also that the Lord will bring many to you who are
seeking living water. As we meet social needs it often opens up a door for witness.

It is not only the physically dependent that can be draining. We have found that
many of the Muslim converts have made an emotional decision, they were unstable
in Islam and they have merely transferred their problems to a more sympathetic ear.

There are spiritual causes also; when converts in a hostile environment do make a
stand for Christ, they face incredible social pressure. This can easily lead to a
mental or emotional strain. We have found that we spend a lot of energy and time
working with the unstable. This is important work and we trust the Lord to sustain
and mature them, but it is also one sided and draining.

This cost is balanced out by the tremendous joy of friendships with solid believers.
What a wondrous fellowship we have with some who have come through the valley
and stand in faith and love with us, and we with them. Remember that you will meet
and have relationships with converts at all levels; some relationships will drain you
while others will fill you up again.

The third strain in relationships comes from those with sinister motives. There are
some who will pretend to be very friendly. Some will even make an insincere
profession of faith in order to find out about you and your ministry. You will have to
depend on the anointing and wisdom of the Holy Spirit to guide you. All ministry and
investment involves risk. If you are continually suspicious your ministry will go
nowhere. You must be wise and brave.

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D. Privacy
Missionaries who live in the hard places often have to forfeit much of their personal
privacy. Whether you will live in a village or a city, your ministry will be largely
relational. At odd hours of the night, seven days a week, twelve months a year,
your home will be your primary ministry center. It will be the place to socialize with
others, and sometimes to shelter or to disciple them. Some of your possessions will
be treated as if commonly owned. You will live in a small house and not have any
idea where to hide. If you live in a village or a poorer area of town your life will be
an open book. How you treat your kids and respond to your wife will be common
knowledge. You will not be able to retreat to the sanctuary of a closed and private
home. That pleasure must be forfeited if you are to be effective in your ministry.
Obviously, you cannot sacrifice your family relationship in your willingness to win the
world. You will have to find places to retreat to. Search out a place that you can
relax in as a family, a place where you find relative privacy and calm. Adjust your
schedule and take daily family time in the middle of the day, evenings will be taken
up with meetings and visitors.

Hospitality is another key issue. Whenever a guest visits you, it is absolutely

necessary to treat them with honor. Whatever is expected culturally you must
provide. Typically this means you must provide some kind of drink, and often food.
This can be emotionally draining on the husband and physically draining on the
wife. The wife will often be home, working hard all day, visiting neighbors, cooking,
tending to children etc. Yet when the husband arrives home she must not only care
for him, but the endless stream of visitors which seems to accompany him. This
constant lack of privacy, and the pressure to host both friends and strangers can be
physically and emotionally exhausting. You can only maintain this lifestyle if you do
two practical things:

1. You have to make alternate time for your spouse, children and yourself.
Rearrange your schedule as necessary in order to accomplish this.
2. Adjust your internal clock. Do not try to fight the culture; you will only end up
an embittered and critical outsider. Through patience allow your home to
become a haven for others. The long-term rewards will far outweigh the
consistent irritations.

E. Summary
The challenges to soul and spirit are serious and heavy. The devil will do all he can
to discourage, distract, or destroy the missionary who is making an impact on the
nations of the world. We must daily place all of our being into the hands of our
loving Jesus and trust Him to fight our battles for us. We need to be wary but not
afraid. For truly, “Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world.”

Discussion
1. How should you respond when you are being interrogated?
2. Do you realize you might have to physically suffer for the gospel? Are you
prepared for this? How will you cope?
3. Do you trust God to take care of your family if something terrible happens to
you? Have you made a will, or other provisions for your death?

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 4. Do you realize that others might be tortured or killed because of you and
your message? How can you explain causing people to suffer?
5. What are some of the ways the devil will oppress you spiritually? How will
you respond to this?
6. What are 5 promises from scripture that you can adopt as your own and hold
onto as a reservoir against difficult days?
7. If you are a man and your wife is raped, will you leave the field? If you are a
woman and your child is molested, will you leave the field? What are your
limits? Is there anything that could happen that will make you leave the
field? If you are robbed, assaulted, or if one of your family members dies on
the field, how will this affect your understanding of the goodness of God?
8. What are some types of relationships that can be draining?
9. Are you emotionally prepared to be looked to as the financial answer? How
will you respond to the financial requests that come your way? How will you
respond to beggars? Why?
10. Do you realize that you are going to forfeit much of your privacy? How will
you compensate for this to protect you family relationships? What things will
you do to maintain a healthy family life?
11. What are the traditions of hospitality in the culture you will work among? Do
you see any challenges in adopting these customs?
12. Are there any areas in your personal life or your relationship to your spouse
and family that are less than God pleasing? Do you realize that in a small
community these will quickly become exposed? What can you do to begin to
correct those shortcomings?

The missionary initially faces the challenges of culture and context. He also battles
the forces that would destroy his heart and soul. He must also with the help of the
Holy Spirit rise against the challenges of heart and mind. Section three addresses
these challenges.

III. CHALLENGES OF HEART AND MIND

A. Discipline
One of the aspects of living in a hard place is the lack of structures or institutions to
provide a framework for your ministry. You alone will be master of your schedule.
You will have no class waiting for you that forces you to get up on time. You will
initially not have any meetings that give structure to your week. You will have to
force yourself to keep focused and disciplined. This relates not only to spiritual
things such as daily devotions, fasting, prayer, etc. but also to mental aspects such
as language study, and the physical aspects of health and exercise.

It is not appropriate in some countries for women to be involved in physical

exercise. One possibility is to look for a military training ground. This sounds
strange, but it is what several women do in the country where I serve. Even Islamic
countries accept women into the military. We have friends who go three times a
week for a vigorous exercise session with women soldiers. Whatever the method,
be disciplined in taking care of your soul and body. Men should have an easier
time. If all else fails take daily walks together. It is a great way to meet your
neighbors.

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In the area of food and water, you will have to walk the fine line between health and
respect. It is obviously advisable to eat everything offered to you, but some cultures
will allow you the freedom to refuse certain foods for health reasons. We drink any
water offered to us when we visit, but we carefully filter our water at home. You
must seek out a balance for yourself.

Time is another aspect of our struggle, not only what we do with it, but whom we
spend it with. No matter how closed the country of your destination, you will find
expatriates there: other missionaries, NGO workers, UN personnel, embassy staff,
international schoolteachers, etc. There will be a temptation to spend an inordinate
amount of time with them. You do not have to struggle with language or culture,
friendships develop more quickly, and you can relax in speech and dress. This
allure will call you constantly. You will have to develop the discipline of spending
quality time with the people whom you have gone to minister to. We have found
that the most balanced missionaries over the long term relate to both circles, but
spend the majority of their time with their target people group. When we turned
down social invitations from expatriates, it was not understood at first, but it was a
necessary step to provide ministry time.

Most Islamic cultures are very strong on visitation. Appointments are not made,
people just show up and linger, often in the evening. It is important for your ministry
that you receive these visitors warmly and serve them the cultural drinks and foods
that are customary. It is also important to your family that you have some type of
family time. As your house becomes more and more of a ministry center, you will
need to find a place to take your family where you can just relax together. It could
be a great garden, a club, or on a picnic outside the city.

Possibly the most important discipline is the most obvious, it is also the first to come
under attack from the enemy. It is the one we need most and let slip first. It is of
course our daily time with Jesus in His word and in prayer. A thousand reasons will
come to mind to delay you in your daily time. A thousand interruptions will arise just
when you settle down to linger in His presence. However, if I would say there is one
key to surviving and thriving in hard places, it would be this obvious fact taken from
an old children’s song: “READ YOUR BIBLE, PRAY EVERYDAY, AND YOU’LL
GROW, GROW, GROW!” We all know this, but we all let it slowly slip away from
us. So guard this time with your life. Do not allow it to be cut short. Do not mix it
with language learning by reading a chapter in your new language, do not mix it with
study time, do not mix it with family altar time, do not mix it with discipleship time, do
not mix it with evangelism talks. If you want to survive and thrive, you must
discipline yourself in this time at all costs.

Living in a hard place is like being an orange and having an elephant step on you.
In our comfort zones we can move along in ministry and keep our inner faults and
weaknesses hidden. Very quickly in difficult places, the enemy attacks, the
pressure mounts, the difficulties arise, in effect the elephant steps on us. Whatever
is truly on the inside will be spread abroad. If we are full of insecurity, bitterness,
criticism, anger, lust, pride, etc. it will all be magnified and become clear. If we on
the other hand are internally meek, repentant, forgiving, merciful, loving, and pure,
that too will become obvious. It is not a question as to whether the pressure will
come, there is no doubt about that. The question is: What will be squeezed out of
you when it happens?

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Living in difficult places will force you to deal not only with your own spiritual
disciplines, but those of others. For example, the Islamic month of fasting,
Ramadan, is sometimes imposed on non-Muslims. In Jordan, Muslims found
breaking the fast are arrested and their heads are shaved so everyone will know
their shame. You will need to decide if you are going to fast the Islamic way, your
own way, or not at all. Each variation has its benefits and pitfalls.

I have fasted the Islamic way and enjoyed the fellowship of breaking the fast nightly
with my neighbors. It gave me many chances to witness. The downside is that it
made some think that I was a Muslim just like them. I have fasted in one of the
Christian ways, no food for the whole month. I was able to pray more but missed
the social interaction of the fast breaking. I have also not fasted during Ramadan.
This kept me from a religious act for the wrong reason, but also caused some
people to think I was a pagan westerner just like so many others. You will have to
prayerfully decide how to approach and biblicize the disciplines of the country you
head to.

B. Integrity
Corruption is not a new problem to any of us. We have all faced it in our home
countries. How you respond to issues in your land of service will have an impact on
your witness. These issues range from little questions to signing of large contracts
and everything in between.

It was not very long before we were asked by Muslim friends, “What are you here
for?” The most direct answer to that question would be to say, “To introduce you to
Jesus and help you accept Him as Lord and Savior.” With a few friends we could
say that, with most it would have been disaster. In some cases we explain our visa
and say something like; “We are here studying the Rashaniyya tribe through the
University of Atlantis.” That of course is how we are here, not why. A few months
ago I was arrested and questioned by security. “Are you a missionary,” they asked
me. How could I answer that? To tell the truth would mean instant expulsion from
the country. This was a Yes or No question, how could I dodge it? I replied, “I am a
student at the University.” There are clever ways to answer and dodge questions,
but there is a danger in that. In a difficult country you will face the ongoing ethical
dilemma of presenting yourself in one way and working towards another. Each
individual will have to settle with his conscience and the Spirit to what extent you
feel you should dodge the questions.

When we signed the contract for the house we rent, the landlord demanded that we
sign two contracts, one to give to the taxation branch of the government (that was
drastically lowered to reduce taxes) and one that was real. If we sign the two
contracts we are just like everyone else for this standard of practice, if we do not
sign, we lose the house. What would Jesus have done?

We can also damage our integrity by the words we use. The common expression
“In sha’a Allah” (If God Wills) is often used as an excuse. People use it to give
themselves an out. If they say they will do something or visit someone and add that
expression, they feel no obligation to honor their word. They can shrug it off and
excuse themselves by saying, “God did not will it.” You will face the same

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temptation to misuse the language to your own benefit. I often find myself tempted
to say “In sha’a Allah” when I have absolutely no intention to fulfill that promise.

Islam itself is a religion of deceit. In ways large and small, the deceivers will work to
chisel away at your integrity. If you are truly to represent The Truth, you must
maintain your integrity in ways large and small.

C. Purity
Islam makes many noble claims. One of them is that Islam is a morally pure
religion. While the intention might be so, the reality is that Islamic cultures can be
very sensuous. People are still flesh and blood; no matter how many clothes you
put on, or how secluded a life you live. We have been bombarded with the
sensuous in our years in an Islamic country. Women have flirted with me, men have
flirted with my wife, and homosexuals have propositioned me. There is the constant
battle in the mind for purity of thought.

The devil will attack you in this area before long. Of course he will not only assault
your sexual purity, he will also try to corrupt your motives, your ambitions, and your
dreams. The sexual attack however seems to be the most consistent and forceful.
You will have to constantly be on your guard and take the following precautions:

• Daily ask the Lord to keep you pure in thought, mind and deed.
• Develop your sex life with your spouse.
• Determine to be totally honest with your spouse about any temptation. The
power of evil is darkness. Just bringing things into the open, into the light,
reduces their hold on you. You must be primarily accountable to your
spouse.
• Find the same sex friend that you can be accountable to. (Only as a
secondary accountability to that which you have with your spouse).
• Spend time with men if you are a man, and women if you are a woman.

D. Attitude
A great challenge for those working in difficult places is the struggle that takes place
in the mind. We arrive in our place of service full of excitement but it is not long
before we become weary and face severe obstacles. We can easily develop bad
attitudes about the weather, the living conditions, the people group we are trying to
reach, Islamic culture, and even the team members that we work with. If everything
were wonderful, it would not be a hard place would it? We must have the attitude of
an optimist, continually looking for the good in every situation. We must see the
glass as half full, not half empty.

There have been families who have arrived in a difficult place and left after two
weeks. There are families who continually complain and criticize everything. They
never last. If you want to be faithful in the long term, you must learn to acknowledge
the bad while concentrating on the good. There are plenty of things wrong and
difficult and if you are looking for them, you will find them. There is however
incredible potential for the kingdom also, and if you are seeking that you will not be
disappointed. There will of course be setbacks and opposition. Again you must
expect those. If your attitude is, “I am in control”, or, “This is MY vision or work”,
these setbacks will drive you crazy. If your attitude is, “God is in control, and He will

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build His church,” it gives you the freedom to endure setbacks and not become
discouraged over delay.

Our attitudes can also affect our relationships. None of us will work in a vacuum.
We will either have team members, or work with other expatriates, or with a national
group of brethren. Some of you will work with all three. There will be different
opinions and different time schedules and different philosophies of ministry. If you
allow an attitude of mistrust, superiority, or frustration to seep into your
relationships, the work of the Lord will quickly get complicated. Keep a lowly and
simple attitude. Continually give those you work with the benefit of the doubt. It is
better to trust and be taken advantage of than to always be suspicious and
friendless.

When all is said and done you will have made a lot of mistakes. Do not fear! You
are in good company. Everyone makes them. The issue is not whether or not you
will fail in some point of effort, but how you will respond. Will you get back up one
more time than you fall down? Many attitudes are important, but I would say that a
missionary working in a hard place must have an attitude (or mind set) of
repentance. The attitude of learning is also essential. Always seek to improve
yourself by gleaning from others and life experiences. You must be a Caleb. You
must have the positive attitude of taking the mountains. No matter what happens,
you will stick in there and get the job done.

Another common attitude problem you will find is an anti-Semitic spirit. Though
hardly any Arab outside of Palestine knows a Jew personally, there is great
animosity built up against them. Children who misbehave are called “Jew!” And
every negative thing is attributed to a Jewish conspiracy. I do not condone the
fanaticism of either side but I do pass on this advice given to me by a Messianic
Jew: “Those who work amongst the Jews should pray everyday for Muslims. Those
who work amongst Muslims, should pray everyday for the Jews.”

E. Summary
In this section we have looked at some of the challenges of heart and mind that
missionaries living in tough places face. In previous sections we also looked at
challenges of culture and context, soul and spirit. We also looked at the practical
steps that can be taken in order to face these challenges. If the student will apply
these guidelines to his life and ministry, the Lord of the harvest will enable him to
not only survive in difficult areas, but to thrive.

Let us remind ourselves that “hard places” is somewhat of a misnomer. There is no

place on earth untouched by the curse. In every land challenges abound. The
content of this chapter does not deny that missionaries in every place face
tremendous challenge. We all, at every juncture need to depend on Jesus. We do
recognize however that there are strongholds and areas with special challenges.
We rejoice together, no matter our location and the resistance we find there, that
“He comes to make His blessings known, far as the curse is found!”

Discussion
1. In what areas of personal discipline do you currently struggle? Do you
realize this struggle will only get worse when you arrive on the mission field?

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 When will you have your personal devotional time? How will you jealously
guard this time?
2. How do you plan to stay physically fit and healthy?
3. How do you plan to balance your time between Christian/expatriate circles
and that of those you have gone to reach? What percentage of your time do
you plan to spend in each social circle?
4. What are the inner failings and shortcomings that you have so far
successfully hidden? Do you realize they are soon to be exposed?
5. How will you approach the month of Ramadan fasting? Will you fast in the
Muslim way? Why or why not?
6. How would you respond if you were asked to sign two contracts for a house
you desperately needed?
7. How will you respond if you are asked: “Are you a missionary?” “What are
your missionary activities?” “Are you trying to convert people?” “What are
you here for?”
8. Are there actions, phrases, or figures of speech that you use that are not
totally honest? Is it wrong to give people the wrong impression if it means
you can stay longer in the country to minister? Why or why not?
9. How is your sex life? If you eat well at home, you will be less tempted to visit
a restaurant in the street. Are you totally honest with your spouse? Is there
something in your past history that you have been ashamed to tell her/him?
Are you accountable to your spouse before anyone else? Do you have a
same sex friend to whom you are accountable? What steps have you taken
to put a hedge around your marriage?
10. What kind of attitude do you have? Are you an optimist? Think about your
country of service and list 10 positive things or opportunities to be found
there.
11. When you start to become discouraged or negative, what will you do to
correct the situation?
12. Do you realize that most missionaries go home because of team problems of
personality conflicts? How committed are you to mutual submission?
13. Name 5 positive attitudes that you think necessary to thrive in a hard place.

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 Chapter 8
THE HEALTHY CHRISTIAN FAMILY:
THE BASIS FOR CHRISTIAN WITNESS
Linda Holmes

This chapter will provide insights from the Bible and contemporary literature on the
healthy Christian family being foundational to successful missionary work. The
student will learn that even children can be a missionary and will gain practical ways
in which children can partner in the mission endeavor.

Goals
This chapter will allow the learner to take a close look into the lives of missionaries
and their families and focus on how that the call of missions can be a calling for the
whole family, not just something that mom and dad have decided to do. The
missionary family must have a healthy Christian foundation based on a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ above all else. The chapter will strive to allow the
student to walk “into our home” and “come see our family,” as we describe our
calling and work on the mission field.

When the student has finished this chapter, he should have an awareness of the
upcoming challenges, hopes, fears, and dreams that will come into the lives of his
missionary family. Just knowing that others “have been there” can help him press
through any difficulty that he may come up against concerning his family. The
learner will also experience many of the author’s practical “how-to” ideas and should
be encouraged to build a wonderfully blessed missionary family that will be a
blessing to all.

Introduction
Once you have gotten past the “Wow, I’ve been called to be a missionary!”
excitement, your mind begins to come down to planet earth and you look over and
see your precious family. As you look at them you start to wonder if they feel the
same powerful feeling of being called that you have felt. This is your first step in
having “A Healthy Christian Family: The Basis for Christian Witness.” Now to face
the realities of everything the missionary call to your family involves is the next step.
Every mission field needs the blessing, guiding light, and stability of a healthy
Christian family.

We must be willing to face the challenges of raising a family on the mission field
with a determination to be all we can be and to have our eyes open and our minds
alert as we embark upon this journey together. The first section deals with the
Missionary Call. The second section will go into great detail about the Missionary
Family and Practical Training Ideas. The third section will talk about the Missionary
Family as a Missionary Team.

I. THE MISSIONARY AND HIS CALL

A. Personal
So you know you are really called to be a missionary and it is not just a passing
emotional stir from being in a missions rally or seeing a video about missions or

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hearing a missionary speak, because the missionary call is something that will not
go away after the emotional stirring. It becomes embedded into your heart and soul
and your every heartbeat senses the burden of God to reach the lost. “God is not
willing that any should perish!” (2 Pe. 3:9) This is such a powerful, moving, portion
of God’s Word, and it becomes the motivating force of your missionary call. God
speaks to you through the Holy Spirit and your life becomes one that is ever
conscious of a certainty that you will be a missionary. Deep inside you begin to feel
a humbling experience as you seek God about where you will serve Him. God
continues to speak to you and keeps you focused on the call through dreams,
visions, and confirmations as doors begin to open to you.

Here I am send me - In all honesty, saying those words is a fearful thing. The fear
of the unknown is something you will have to face as you think about where and
how you will serve God as a missionary. Sometimes God speaks to a person and
he knows exactly where he should go and how to go about getting there. Other
times you may just feel the call to missions and your motto is, “Here I am send me!”
You want to go where you are most needed. Many who feel that call want to work in
some place that is totally unreached, where missionaries have never gone. That is
good and noble, but in reality that almost never happens to those who are new
missionaries. The theme of the Eleventh Hour Institute is “Partnering” and that
means that you will be involved in the work and lives of other missionaries. Simply
put, when you answer the call, your life suddenly enlarges. Welcome to the
missionary team!

Education: After knowing that you are definitely called to be a missionary you will
experience a variety of feelings from, “I know I can win the whole tribe,” to “Oh my, I
don’t think I am quite prepared for this!” As you study the place where God has
called you and begin to pray for the people, the reality of the tremendous task
before you sets in and that is when you will know that you must have more
education. For example, maybe you are called to a place where only
schoolteachers are given visas. Therefore you must study to become a certified
schoolteacher. This is just the beginning of many changes that will come to you and
your family as you answer the call. Now come the school bills, the time studying
away from family, the deadlines on research papers, and all that come with
schooling. Don’t worry, these are just stepping stones that toughen you and your
family for the years ahead. The wife may need some more education, especially if
she will have to school the children after you get on the mission field. My husband
has always said as a joke, that he needs all the education that his wife can get! We
found this to be completely true as the call took us down the road of home
schooling, bookkeeping, and all the other missionary duties. Your children can
accept and adjust better to all that comes to you in this area knowing that you are
called to be missionaries and want to do your best for God.

Choice of Mission: Once you know where you are called and you are preparing
yourself, you will have an urgency to get to the field as fast as you can and will be
tempted to take short cuts to get there. This is where you must stay in tune with
the Spirit of God and His divine direction. After my husband and I made it known to
our Bible School president that we were called to Africa to be missionaries, some
time went by and then he called us and told us there was a place open for us to be
independent missionaries in Sierra Leone, West Africa. He would help us get our
support raised. We prayed about it and felt like God told us “NO”. We wanted to go

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and get there but we felt this wasn’t the right timing so we turned the opportunity
down. It was ten years before we arrived in Africa. Looking back, we know we were
not prepared and would have probably come home very quickly and terribly
disillusioned with mission work. We began to do short missionary evangelism trips
with the Assemblies of God to establish our desire with that mission work.

Another opportunity came while attending Wycliffe banquets. We realized this might
be a quick way to get over to the field and so we began to pursue the thought of
going that route. God seemed to lead us away from that and one night at a
convention, I began to talk to God and tell him that I felt it was time to go. As I
finished praying that prayer, someone came and began to pray with me and said
this: “The Lord is about to open a door for you and He wants you to know that when
it opens you are to walk through it!” That night when we got home the phone rang.
My husband answered it and it was Rev. Jim McCauley from Nigeria, West Africa.
His first question was, “Robert, are you going to be a missionary or not? Get off the
fence and come on over!” We called the Division of Foreign Missions in Springfield,
Missouri the very next day and the ball started rolling. Sometimes even after
knowing we have the call of God we need a little push don’t we? When God opens
the door you will know it . . . just go through it.

Privilege: When I think of the missionary call I never associate the word sacrifice
with it, although many church people and family members do. I have always felt
the missionary call is a rare privilege and I am very humbled to think that the God of
heaven would allow me this opportunity of service. From the very first experiences
of knowing your family is called to missions, always talk of it as a wonderful privilege
your family has been given. Do not let negative comments such as, “We are
missionaries so we have to give up and sacrifice so many things in life,” ever be a
part of your dinner table discussions. We have always emphasized the positive side
of missionary life in our family. “Look at all the places we get to go just because we
are missionaries! You get to meet more people than other children will ever meet!
God knew you could handle all these changes because you are a “people person.”
This is the way we always felt about missions. We felt humbled, yet important and
privileged to be a part of God’s team.

The call of God is a good thing. It is the will of God and we should pray for God to
call others, just as He has called us. "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest to
send forth laborers into the harvest” (Mt. 9:37,38). Let us take time right now to pray
and ask God to begin to call those close to us in to the harvest.

Discussion
1. Write a paragraph or two describing your call to the mission field. Be
prepared to share it with the class.
2. What is your greatest fear about your missionary call?
3. Do you feel your educational background is adequate for the task ahead?
What type of education would you pursue if you had the opportunity in light
of your call?
4. Thank God for the call he has placed upon your life and ask Him to lead you
and guide you and continue to open the doors completely. May the will of
God for your life be done. Pray for the people He is going to bring into
contact for you to minister to.

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B. Spouse
I will always give praise to the Lord for placing the call to Africa upon both our lives
at the same moment. We were in Bible School and I was expecting our first child.
My husband was down stairs around 1:00 in the morning after he had gotten off
work that night. I was in bed sick with toxemia. As he was praying, I began to pray
and as I prayed a great excitement began to flow through me. I prayed in the Spirit
and it was like light beaming from heaven saying, “You are called to Africa!” The
glory of the Lord was so strong in that room that I felt like I was healed. When my
husband came bounding up the stairs a few minutes later saying, “Linda, guess
what?” I said, “Don’t say anything. Let me tell you. God has called us to Africa
hasn’t He?” With joy he shouted, “How did you know?” I said, “Because He just
told me as I was praying.” Talk about a hallelujah prayer meeting. We had one!
Later my husband has told the audience that he was so glad the Lord told me
before he did. Everyone laughs, but really it is not a laughing matter. It would be a
serious thing for the husband to feel the call to the mission field and the wife not to
feel a thing. The old saying, “Whom God calls, He equips!” is very true. I believe
that if God calls the husband, he will call the wife too. Sometimes the wife may
have even heard the call first; she just doesn’t realize it at the time. God is not the
author of confusion. He does have to speak a little louder to some of us at times
though.

At the age of eight, I was in a missionary service and was so touched by the
message that I left the service and went and got into our car and poured my heart
out to God and told Him I wanted to help Him rescue all the lost people. It was such
a deep experience I couldn’t even leave the car to join into the usual after church
games with the other children. My mom found me there in the car sobbing and I
remember I had difficulty telling her what I was experiencing. She thought I had
been in a fight with another kid or something. I never went around telling about that
experience but it was always there. As a teen, I went through a rebellious stage
and even left home but I always felt a special touch of God on my life and a sense
of being called. After meeting my husband and marrying at the age of 17, we went
to Bible School and that is where it all began coming together. God does have a
plan for your life and He will do all He can to help you do His will!

Things: Women have more of a tendency to be materialistic and want security

more than men, so you who have answered the call will have to put a guard over
your heart so as to keep your calling in focus. I purposed in my heart not to ever let
“things” take the place of God’s call on my life. Sometimes you will have battles
over this but you can be victorious. Prayer always comes in handy as a tool to
counteract Satan’s materialistic net. “In everything give thanks for this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (I Th. 5:18). I made it a practice to always
thank God for what I did have, rather than to moan over what I didn’t have. Just
how well I won in this area came this year when I realized we had been married 22
years before I ever bought one piece of “new” furniture. And to tell you the truth not
a day goes but that I don’t tell the Lord how blessed I feel.

Sickness: The other thing a woman may have a tendency to worry about is all the
dreaded sicknesses that you may encounter as a result of answering the call of
God. My first encounter with Africa was a shock; all I could see was sickness and

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disease and I remember thinking that if I could ever get on a plane and get out of
there I would never ever go back. I tried to keep all this to myself and I would look
over at my husband and think. “Oh my, I have made a terrible mistake! I can’t do
this! I’m not called after all and I have messed up this man’s life because I can tell
he just loves it here. I thought I married in God’s will but evidently I didn’t.” When
my husband realized that I was in a severe case of culture shock he gently helped
me through it. Later as I encountered a very severe first case of malaria I remember
lying so sick and burning up with fever and just praying. I let go of every reservation
that I had ever had in being a missionary and let the peace of God that passes all
understanding flow through me. What joy in complete surrender! Hardship brings
us to Lordship. If you feel the call slipping through you fingers, don’t worry . . . God
has lots of ways of reminding us!

What am I supposed to do now? Each one must prayerfully consider what God
has for you and your family. You must pray together to find the role each will play.

Discussion
1. If God calls you to the mission field, will He call your wife also?
2. What are some “traps” that the women may have a little more difficulty
overcoming?
3. Activity – The teacher will name a mental pitfall and the students will think of
a verse to overcome that very thing:
Sickness
Fear
Disease
Materialism
Loneliness
Death
4. Write letters of the word mission in an acrostic. What is the mission of every
missionary wife? Add your own thoughts and experiences as you note each
one.

C. Children
I heard of a family that based their whole decisions to be missionaries on a dream of
Africa that their 4-year old child had after being in a missions service. Needless to
say the family went to Africa only to leave after four short months. So in dealing
with the subject of children being called, there needs to be a definite understanding
that we are talking about what results from your calling, not a notion that comes
from a child’s fancy. The good news is this: yes, not only does God call the man
and woman, he calls children too. As you submit to God’s will you’ll see a blooming
process of God’s call in the lives of your children. We took our children over to
Africa on a short visit and as we were leaving the country six weeks later, they cried
all the way through the airport then through customs because they had to leave
Africa. At first the immigration officials were troubled and annoyed to see them
crying and then when they learned the reason for it they would beam from ear to ear
when they realized how much our kids loved their country and people. Then, when
we were interviewed for our official appointment with the Assemblies of God DFM
our children were asked what they liked the most about Africa. I held my breath and
didn’t know what they would say, but to our thrill they both shouted, “The crusades!”
Of course I can never forget the time we were being introduced in a service as

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missionaries and our kids were called MKs that is, missionary kids. Our son Rob
was just fuming throughout the service and when I finally got a chance to ask him
what was wrong he said, “They think I am just a missionary kid, but I am a real
missionary!” Believe me kids really do get the call and they feel it!

As parents we must do all we can to keep that young missionary zeal burning in our
kids. Involving them in everything you do helps. They need to have their life but
they also need to sense the responsibility that comes with being a missionary.
Practical ideas will be discussed in the upcoming sections as to how to go about this
concept.

Jesus Cares: We all know the familiar passage of scripture in Matthew 19:14 that
says, “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me;
for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” I want to take a moment here to reemphasize
the fact that Jesus does know and care about what your children are experiencing.
Jesus was doing the will of the Father and so the disciples thought that in doing the
Father’s will, you don’t have time for children. Jesus immediately took time to
correct this error and I thank God for that. He said that even when you are called to
do the Fathers’ bidding you must not neglect the children for they are the future. We
as parents who have been called to do missionary work must never think that our
calling is the most important thing above our family. I am not dealing here with the
issue of full surrender to the call. I am dealing with how the call to missionary work
does give us a mentality of thinking that because God has called us, our children
are not important. No way! Not only did Jesus take time to correct this erroneous
thinking, He showed His concern by praying for all those children. We must take
action regarding the calling of our children into missionary work. Let us take some
time now to do just that. Call each of your children by name to God in prayer.

Discussion
1. Does God really place a call on your children when He calls you?
2. Prove from scripture that the philosophy, “Let the chips fall where they may”,
in regard to your calling and your children, is wrong.
3. Look up Lamentations 2:19. Put your children’s names there and cry out to
God for them.

D. Relatives
Do your relatives play any part in your call to the mission field? My answer is “Yes!”
and “No!” When I knew for sure that I would be leaving for Africa, I began to realize
that the call was not only affecting my immediate family, but many of my relatives
were having strong feelings about our leaving. Some, like my mom were so proud
that we were answering the call of God while others were scornful, making
comments like, “There are plenty of lost people over here to save rather than you
having to run off and let your family suffer!” Some would draw us aside and in a
hushed tone ask, “When are you going to forget about this Africa thing and settle
your family back down to normal?” They would try to make us feel guilty, reasoning
that as educated and business minded as my husband was, he could be making
good money and giving our family a “good” life. There is no better life than a life in
the center of God’s will. This is when we would set our face like flint and simply
reply that God had called us and we were going to answer that call. Some people

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accept it and others never do. Always be kind and gentle, but firm, when answering
those questions with family members.

Leaving - I came from a very close family of six girls. We are all married with
children of our own but we have always stayed in real close touch. When the
realization hit me that I would be leaving everyone for four years, I was in the car
coming back from a missionary service. I began to weep in the car and think
thoughts like, “How can I leave my family?” As I prayed these thoughts to God I
looked out the window into the sky and it seemed like God spoke this scripture to
me clearly: “And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, there is no man
that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children,
or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s. But he shall receive a hundredfold now in
this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands,
with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life” (Mk. 10:29,30). Talk about
powerful! When Jesus says something you better believe He means it. But there is
almost no getting around that first actual goodbye. My sister, mom, dad, nieces,
nephews, and all just stood around and tried to pray and ended up just having to
turn away from each other. We had to finally stop letting relatives go with us to the
airport. We started asking a friend to help us through that part of it. It never gets
easier to say good-bye, but it does lose some of the dramatic highs. It helps me to
look forward to the place where I am going, to begin to think of the country, and
people to where God is sending me. I can say with a true heart that my life on the
mission field has been enriched. My life has been enlarged far more than I could
have ever dreamed with hundreds of children converts, new sisters and brothers in
the Lord, missionary family, just a whole nation of people to reach out to, and even
my own father in the Lord down in the African village. Now I am just as sorrowful to
leave my African family as I am my family in America.

Holidays - Imagine with me my first Christmas on the field with no relatives of any
sort, and none of the food or rituals that I was used to at such a special time of the
year. That first Christmas was one of the most meaningful times for my family and
we still talk about it to this day. In fact you haven’t had Christmas until you’ve had
one in Africa! It is a very humbling experience with lots of thanksgiving to God in
church. As the holidays celebrated in your country come and go while you are on
the field you will find that it is good to remember them with your children and allow
special things on those days at times. Involving local friends in your activities will
bring holiday excitement in your new home.

Deputation - This is another area that can be difficult with your relatives, especially
for new missionaries. You’ve been gone for four years, so now you are “super
spiritual giants” in the eyes of all your relatives and supporters, and everyone needs
your help, prayers, and fellowship. Before you know it you are visiting everyone,
everywhere. You’ll start feeling guilty over comments like, “Uncle John may not be
living when you come home next time.” Or, “I just know Jane will get right with God
if you will go with me to her house and pray with her.” It can become very stressful.
My advice is to keep visits short. Don’t just go without any plan of leaving in mind
and don’t ever plan to spend your whole vacation with relatives. I remember telling
my mom on one visit, “Lets just visit and enjoy each other.” It can be a real
hardship on your family to try to do too much on short visits. Limit your activity!

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Discussion
1. Do your relatives play a part in your missionary call? Relate your cultural
opinions.
2. What is the hardest part of saying goodbye for you? What can you do to
help it to be easier?
3. Does the thought of holidays away from your culture make you sad or
afraid? Tell which holiday will be hardest for you to celebrate away from
your family.
4. Role-Play: Your mom and dad want you to visit with them for 2 weeks. You
have been gone so long. What will you do to insure that this visit will be the
best thing for you and your family? Think of some situations that can occur
and what will you do to avoid them.

E. Place
The place where you are going to live is important to your whole family. There are
many things to consider in this area. For instance, as missionary Dick Brogden has
so clearly pointed out in Chapter 7, the easy places have been reached. Now the
hardest places to live must be reached. It is true that God will not lead you
anywhere that He cannot carry you, but you must still take into consideration things
like: How many children you have. Do any sicknesses or diseases such as asthma
or diabetes exist in your family that would be worse in another climate? And where
do you feel God is calling you to live?

Decisions - Involve the whole family in the discussion and decision-making where
you will be going. As you get an idea of the place and people, begin to discuss it
with the family. Talk about the positive and negative side of moving to a different
place and allow input from all family members. Use encyclopedias and other
sources to better understand the place. Begin to talk of it in a natural way in much
of your conversations. Using this method along with prayer can help you not to miss
the will of God for your family. If you are praying and listening to God’s Spirit He will
direct your paths. God uses each of you in the family unit and others in the
missionary family as a balance for direction. For example, one time our whole
family loved living down in the village of Igede. We decided we were going to live
there for a four-year term. Our field chairman never told us, “No, you are not going
to live there!” He wisely asked us if we would consider going to another place in the
West of Nigeria. At first we reacted strongly that we felt called to Igede, then after
discussion and prayer God showed us His divine leading. We served four happy
years in the West, where we were accessible than in a remote place, for that time in
our lives. Years later, another incident happened that made us to know we should
always talk about our feelings and reservations when going to the different places of
ministry. We were called upon to teach in Ethiopia at the new Bible School. We
went and thoroughly enjoyed it and were well received by the people. We were
invited back again the following year and had it all planned, time, dates, and all. I
began to feel uneasy about the trip and when I opened up to my husband and son,
they were feeling the same reservations. We called the missionary and cancelled
the trip. That was the year that the plane leaving Ethiopia was high-jacked and it
crashed and many were killed. Upon figuring up the dates and times we realized
that our family would have been on that flight. Praise the Lord for divine guidance!

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Culture - What I want to say here is best described in the book, Ministering Cross-
Culturally, by Sherwood G. Lingenfelter/Marvin K. Mayers:

If we desire to be obedient to Jesus’ command to carry the good news of His

resurrection to the world, we must be willing to become 150% persons. We
must accept the value of priorities of others; we must learn the different
definitions and rules of the culture in which they live. We must adopt their
patterns and procedures for working, playing, and worshipping. We must
become incarnate in their culture and make them our family and friends.

That sums up what moving to a new place of ministry will involve for your whole
family. Don’t be afraid of this and do not fight it. You will be surprised at how much
faster your children adjust if you allow them to be involved in the culture. Time and
time again my children led the way in all of these cultural changes. God does have
a purpose and plan for all of you! Other family members are waiting to see how
you, as the spiritual head of the house, react to a certain situation to be able to
grasp it themselves. Be strong in the Lord. The song comes to mind that we have
heard sung so often, “The Lord knows the way through the wilderness . . . all we
have to do is follow!” Sing it!

Discussion
1. What are some of the things you may want to consider when thinking of
where you will go?
2. Role-play: You have been praying and feel God is calling you to a particular
place. Call the family together and discuss it with them and get their opinion.
Use it as a show-and- tell time. Ask them to pray with you about it.
3. Write: You have read what it will mean to your family to travel to a different
culture. List the names of everyone in your family on a sheet of paper and
note possible changes each of them might encounter upon moving into a
new culture.

F. Summary
The call of God involves more than just an emotional stir at a missions service.
Accepting the call to missions is God’s will and God will definitely guide you as He
calls you. If you are called to the mission field your family plays a very important
role in your calling. God will call them too! We need to commit our calling, our
family, and the people to whom we are called into God’s hands. Listen to the Holy
Spirit. He will guide you into all truth!

II. THE MISSIONARY AND HIS FAMILY

A. Training
I would like to take the time to insert a lecture I have given all over Nigeria to
parents. It is on the subject matter of training your children and is basic teaching
that will help whether you are a missionary family or not.

Mandate - “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not
depart from it” (Pro. 22:6). Notice with me that this scripture puts emphasis on the
word “child,” it does not say, teenager, or adult but it says child. Studies show that

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the first ten years of a child’s life is the most impressionable and important. The
Bible bears this out and has many teachings concerning child rearing. What is the
value of a child? A living soul that will live through eternity! God wants to use every
one of our children. He has given them to you to train for His service. Maybe you
do not feel like a teacher and that to train you must be able to teach, therefore God
can’t expect out of you what you cannot give. James 1:5 tells us that if we lack
wisdom we can ask of God to give us wisdom and He will, liberally. Ask God
everyday to help you train your children. He has promised to do so.
That brings us to the awesome responsibility of knowing what it is that God wants
us to teach our children. According to Deuteronomy 10:12 there are four
requirements:

1. To fear the Lord

2. Walk in all His ways
3. Love and appreciate Him
4. Serve God with all their heart and all their soul

The New Testament backs up this mandate from the Old Testament. Matthew
22:37 tells us to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. Ephesians 6:4 talks
about the nurturing process that is involved in child training. How must one go
about doing this? Let’s take a look at Deuteronomy 6:7-9. This text gives us the
idea that God holds the parents responsible for their children’s’ training. The
school, church, or compound is not given this direct responsibility. These are only
to assist us as we train.

Three Important Words - There are three words that appear in these verses that
will enlighten our understanding:

1. Deliberately
2. Diligently
3. Daily

Let us take each one of them individually.

Deliberately - You must have a plan. You can’t just hope that some way, some
how your children will just turn out right. In the verses we can see a very well
thought out plan is given to ensure that real training takes place. So you too must
have a plan. Discuss it together as husband and wife. What will you do to create a
home that will be a place of training for your children? The first step in the plan
should be to be an example to them. I heard a quote that has stuck with me all
these years, “YOUR WALK TALKS, AND YOUR TALK TALKS, BUT YOUR WALK
TALKS MORE!”

My husband has done a lot of baby dedications in Africa. I like the way he does the
ceremony before the prayer. He asks the parents if they promise to live the life
before their children from the time they are born. What will be your child’s first
things to hear after being brought home, quarrels and arguments or praises to the
living God? How will your children see you behaving down at the market away from
church? How will he see you treating one another in the home, with love and
respect or scorn and disdain? Oh, what an awesome opportunity! Plan to train your
children. You may want to take a moment now to think about these things and ask

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yourself if you are actually demonstrating Deuteronomy 10:12 in front of your
children. It is not an impossible task for Philippians 4:13 tells us that we can do all
things through Christ which strengthens us.

Diligently - Carry out that plan. A plan is a wonderful and sometimes brilliant thing,
but it is useless if it is never carried out or put into action. Verse 7 tells us to instruct
our children when we get up, when we lay down, when we go to bed, when we go
out, and when we come in, teach! We must be diligent in building a relationship
with our children while they are young that will carry us all the way through the
growing up process. Many parents wonder why their teenagers never talk or
discuss anything with them. Nine times out of ten those parents spent little quality
time talking with their children while they were younger. Talk to them! Love them!
Hug them! Play with them! (I spent a lot of time playing with my children. It is fun,
try it). Pray with them! Invest in them! Read to them! Let them read to you! Coach
them! Practice with them! And last but not least, listen to them! Decide to be
enthusiastic. If you love church, they will love church. If you love people, they will
love people. Let Christ spill out of you onto your family. Devotions in the home is a
must and can be one of the things that bind you together the most, and therefore is
most attacked by Satan to try and keep you from being diligent in this area. I will
spend more time dealing with this in the next section.

Daily - It is a daily commitment. Training is repetitive and continuous. If you mean

something one day you must also mean it the next day. There will be times of
discouragement and weariness (I remember when my children were small I
wondered if my whole life was to always be one of discipline and failure). Believe
me the more disciplined you are while they are young, the easier it gets when they
are older. You will find that one of the blessings of being a child is that they are able
to easily forgive. They will forgive you if you ask them to. If you slack up on your
daily commitment to train your children while they are young, you will pay for it later.
On the other hand, if you ask God for daily wisdom and grace to be what you need
to be for your kids, God will grant it. We often think of our reward in terms of heaven
when we see Jesus, but there can be results and rewards down here on earth.
Suddenly, right before your eyes you see the reward of all those years of training.
For now, your daughter, the only one around you as you are slipping into a malaria
coma, stands by your side and lays hands on you and begins to pray under the
power of the Holy Ghost that reaches heaven and touches God for you like no one
ever has before. You will see your son laying on the bed with his Bible spread
before him praying to his Maker, at his own will. Your children will ask if they can
make a personal pledge to missions in the missions rally, and answer the altar call
for God to use them for His service. The list could go on and on. Daily plow on.
You will make it and your children will make it. To God be the glory!

Discussion
1. What does the Bible have to say about child training? Who has the main
responsibility?
2. Write a critique on the above lecture freely expressing your feeling on the
matter. Be prepared to share it in class.
3. Suppose you have 5 minutes to talk to a group of parents who know nothing
about raising a healthy Christian family. Prepare a 2-5 minute speech of

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 your plan for training your children. Share your philosophy in child training
and be prepared to encourage others in this area.
4. Can you give an example from your life or the life of your child on how
rewarding the daily training of children can be?

B. Devotions
So where do we start? My husband and I made it a practice to read the Bible and
pray together every evening from the beginning of our marriage. You would be
surprised at how many couples I have talked with that don’t do this. They are even
embarrassed to pray in front of their spouse. If you are in this situation, don’t worry.
You can begin tonight. It is never too late to start. Then, when we knew we were
going to have our first child, I started having my devotions with my children before
they were even born. I would lay my hand on my stomach and sing, “Jesus loves
the little children.” I also prayed for them. Then as they were born, I would sing
songs of praise and worship and rock them in my arms. As they began to walk and
talk, I would show them the Bible and say, “BIBLE, BIBLE! I would point up and say
“Yeah, Jesus!” I began reading a verse or two of Scripture every night to them
before they would go to sleep. One night when our daughter was four years old we
had to travel to a church service and we were very late getting home so I just put
her to bed and didn’t read the Bible verse. About 4 in the morning we heard crying
in her room and when we rushed in to see what was the matter she was sobbing big
tears and saying, “You didn’t read the Bible to me tonight!” I read the Bible to her
and all was well. Devotions are even important to little ones.

How? What? When? Where?

How are you going to conduct devotions for your family? What will you include in
your devotions? When will you have them? Where will they take place? There are
no set rules for these questions but there are some practical guidelines one can
follow. Family devotions should be just that, a time for all family members to come
together in unity and to devote a portion of their lives to the instruction, worship, and
communion with God.

How? Decide who will lead, father, mother, older child? In the early years the
mother may have a quiet time with the children while putting them to bed, which will
include a story or verse or song. Soon the dad will want to read to the children from
the word of God adjusting the length by the children’s ages. In the absence of the
parents the eldest child might participate. The key is to be disciplined enough to
have a reliable, continuing, devotion throughout your children’s lives while they are
in your home, though not a rigid pattern that must be followed at all costs. We feel
this is where parents build lasting relationships with their children.

What? Every parent should study the characteristics of each age of a child. When
my children were very young I included a lot of play with devotions. As they grew,
the amount, length, and type of devotion changed. We determined to read the
whole Bible together as a family. That started off with just a few verses a night and
progressed. As the children learned to read they became Bible readers too. We
didn’t finish the entire Bible until our daughter was 17. What a triumphant day! We
always ended our devotions with prayer. They will go from listening to you pray, to
repeating prayers, and on to praying themselves. I don’t think I have been in any
more of a powerful prayer meeting than one of those in my own family devotions.

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Our son was filled with the Holy Spirit in our bedroom at the age of 9 during family
devotions. The Holy Spirit can lead your family during family devotions and minister
to their spiritual needs.

When? Morning? Noon? Night? Every family is different. In Nigeria, many

Christians have morning prayers with their families before they all go off to school.
My family always had devotions after dinner. The main thing is to try to maintain a
daily devotional time with your family. Situations and circumstances may change
the exact time of the devotion. Adjust your devotional times to the crisis. Be flexible
but consistent.

Where? Once again this is a decision that must be made by each family. We started
having ours as I put the children to bed. Soon we were having devotions in the
parlor before bedtime. Later in our children's lives we had devotions around the
dinner table. The place can change. We have had plenty of devotions going down
the road in our car. The challenge here is to make sure you have a way of drawing
yourselves together, in a relaxed manner, unto God.

Devotional ideas
1. Storytelling - drama
2. Bible memory - people, verses, chapters
3. Games-Tic Tac Toe, charades, erase a word, sword drill, prayer ball
of world
4. Reading - It's very important to children to take turns reading!
5. Cassettes of Bible
6. Christian Bible Videos
7. Music/Songs
8 Fun! Surprises!
9 Bible Quiz
10 Visitors

Student Activity:
1. Devise a plan for devotions for your family. Include the How? What? When?
and Where? questions. Include those things you are already doing and
include some new things you may want to add.
2. Make a 5-day planner on a sheet of paper. Decide what you will do in your
devotions for those 5 days
3. List the following age groups on a sheet of paper and then take the word
BIBLE and tell what you would do to teach about the Bible as God's Word to
each group. Pre-School, Beginners, Primary, Juniors, Jr. High, Senior High,
and Adults

C. Schooling
Educating your family on the mission field is no small task. There are several
options that have advantages and disadvantages. We will discuss three of those
here.

Home School – In America, there is an interesting phenomenon called “home

schooling.” This has developed in large measure because of disillusionment with
traditional government-run schools. Private schools are often too costly or

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unavailable. The government there has recognized the validity of home schooling,
so we were able to use this method to train our children.

My husband and I both trained as schoolteachers and had both taught in Christian
schools. We had access to several different home school curriculums and took
advantage of it. Our children were happy to have us as their teachers and they were
both excellent students. Therefore, our experience with home schooling was very
positive. I was the teacher while my husband acted as the principal. We were very
disciplined in our schoolwork and required everything that would have been required
in any other school. I had school hours, and while in school I was the teacher, not
the mom. I kept detailed records and always tested my children yearly. The other
side of the coin was that they were with us 24 hours a day! Every crusade, every
seminar, every church service, and even missionary fellowship meetings. What a
challenge to keep things fresh and exciting year after year after year. I had to juggle
schooling with traveling, seminars, and preaching meetings. The burden increased
as they became older and the subjects became more intense. We were able to use
video to teach some of the more difficult subjects. It got tough at times but never
too tough! We became such a close family and remain so to this day. My children
say they wouldn’t take anything for those years of home schooling.

Boarding School - I have heard both negative and positive comments about
boarding school. You must know your child and be able to discern what is best. The
disadvantages of boarding school would be the separation from one another and
the potential personal and emotional problems that may result. Also, the expenses
may be greater. The availability of a good school must be considered as well. The
advantages would be that your children would get a quality education, and hopefully
have positive social experiences and Christian formation. I never sent my children to
boarding school, therefore I am basing my knowledge on this subject on the
comments of other missionaries. This should be an option that you can turn to if the
need arises.

Local Schools - Some missionaries have placed their children in the local school.
In many cases, the language of instruction will already be known by the children. In
other cases, the child will usually learn the language quickly and adjust to the
culture. This could be helpful especially if you knew you were going to be in that
very place for some years. It has the advantage of being near to you and you being
able to monitor your child's educational and social needs. Missionaries have also
based near a good church or mission school and the child can live at home and
attend the school. The disadvantage is the temptation to neglect ministry by making
the school functions the center of all you do.

The decision must be made about your children's schooling and it is a choice that
must be made by your family. Leaders can guide you in these decisions. Different
things work for different families. Trust the Lord with your children's education. God
is concerned for all of your children’s needs and that includes their education.

Student Activity
1. Group Discussion. As appropriate, break into groups such as Home
Schooling, Boarding Schools, and Local Schools. After discussing the pros

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 and cons of your schooling choice select a representative to give a 3-minute
speech from your findings before the class.
2. Are there any other options in your culture or the culture where you are
going concerning the schooling of your children? Allow discussion and
interaction among the students.

D. Ministry
We must involve every family member into our ministry if we want to become a real
missionary team. Taking the time to train your children to help you may seem to be
just another added task to all of your endless tasks but if you start early you will
reap a great harvest of help later on in your missionary life. You will have developed
a family missionary team. Your ministry can be multiplied time after time through
your team efforts and through the lives of your family. Let us start with the basics.

Evangelism
The reason for being a missionary is to evangelize those who do not know Christ.
Therefore, one of the first things to do in training your children to help you is to
make sure they know how to lead a person to Christ. I did this in a very dramatic
way one night in devotions. I pretended to fall on the floor with terrible heart pain
and to pretend I was dying and suddenly I wasn't really sure I was a true Christian. I
begged my children to help me know that if l did indeed die I would go to heaven. I
didn't let them get by with statements such as, "Just believe on Christ!" or "Call on
Jesus!" I played dumb and made them quote scriptures until I was sure of my
salvation. I then got up off the floor and told them I was okay.

Talents and Gifts

God has blessed us all with talents and gilts. I love music and drama. My daughter
loves doing all kinds of secretarial jobs. My son loves to read and has a real knack
for juggling. My husband is very social and has great administrative abilities. As
your family grows together, these special gifts and talents will come to light in each
individual family member. Capitalize on them! Draw them out of each other.
Practice on one another. Encourage them to be all they can be. God has blessed
your family with these gifts to enrich your ministry. Below is a list of things our family
did together. As we read the list, let us observe how the family can be involved in
doing these things jointly.

Tract distribution Teaching Video/film media

Children’s ministry Hospitality Preaching
Crusades Evangelism Visitation
Office work Music/Singing

E. Summary
The subject of the missionary and his family deals with the training, devotions,
schooling, and ministry, in the everyday lives of the missionary family. Along with
the lectures, many practical ideas and experiences from the personal lives of the
writer's family have been given which should help enrich the new missionary family.

III. THE MISSIONARY FAMILY TEAM

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In building a missionary family team there are several things to consider. Prayer,
unity, friendship, fellowship, humor, and communication all have their place in the
missionary family team. I would like to take time now to show how the different
personalities in the family can enhance the missionary team. Understanding one
another's personal strengths can also be a helpful tool. Blending differences can be
the key to strong relationships. Psalm 133:1 sums it up like this, "Behold, how good
and how pleasant it is for the brethren to dwell together in unity”. A great family
missionary team can be the most pleasant gift and blessing you can give a
missionary field.

A. Relationships
Many of the problems that we face in our homes, marriages, churches, and schools
come as a result of personality clashes and lack of proper communication. Satan is
always ready to stick his foot in the door of our homes, and many times this is the
door we allow him to come into. Learn the value of communication, and your whole
family will benefit from it. As I look back into the lives of our own missionary family
while writing this course, I can see that communication was the key that saved each
of us at different times from the grip of Satan. This is why we need to study and
educate ourselves in this area.

Four Keys in Building Strong Relationships

1) Examine the life of Christ and pattern your responses after His.
2) Learn to blend differences and build oneness. Know that your strengths
will complement others’ weaknesses.
3) Communicate love and respect.
4) Accept differences; learn to give and take.

As you relate to those around you, it may help you to realize that God is a God of
variation. Your family can minister more effectively if you will strive for divine unity.
God’s grace, along with the pursuit of unity in both hearts and heads will enable you
to do it.

Student Activity
1. What is the value of working together as a team?
2. Describe some things that can hinder your teamwork.

B. Results
Servanthood
Is all the work really worth the effort? What is the outcome of all this teamwork and
partnering? The results are eternal! As you have worked together as a family,
overcoming all the obstacles hurled your way, you are actually fulfilling the law of
Christ, bearing one another's burdens. In 1 Corinthians 9:19, Paul talks about
becoming a servant in order to win more. This attitude starts right in your home. You
share the hardships and trials in order to share the blessings. As you learn to work
together as a family, that spills over into your public ministry. People will be touched
by it and sense the presence of God in your lives.

Vision

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I have spent a lot of time training my children and others’. Sometimes I have
wondered if I am getting through at all. Have I made any progress in transferring
the burning vision of reaching the lost to those I have been training for years?
Satan, the father of all lies would like to fill your mind with all kinds of negative
answers, but he is wrong. Let me give some personal testimonies of how I know for
sure that God is working. When our children were young we had a faculty dinner for
the Bible School staff only. Our children asked if they could host a party for all the
faculty children in the Bible School chapel with refreshments, and a film show. We
agreed and that night when we got home from the dinner, the children were all still
in the chapel. Upon investigation we found that the party turned into Pentecost.
Rebekah and Rob helped to pray 12 children through to the Baptism in the Holy
Spirit. One visiting parent told us she had never been in a meeting where the
presence of God was so strong.

One time I was troubled about what subject to speak on in a women's rally. My son
heard me thinking out loud and turned to me and said in all seriousness, "Just tell
them what you always tell us!" We are getting through! Those working with us are
catching the vision!

On Going
The call of God is wonderful. Working together as a team is great. What happens
when the children grow up and leave? Is it over? No way! Although we no longer
live together as a family we still work together as missionary team. We always stay
in touch with our children and encourage them in the ministry. Our daughter
Rebekah married an American pastor (she had an African wedding in Lagos,
Nigeria) and is currently serving with her husband as a youth pastor. They are
hoping to pursue missions and desire to work in Africa. Our son, Rob, just finished
his first year of Bible School and is open to the call of God. It is not over yet!

Student Activity
1. How do the words servanthood and vision relate to the missionary family
team?
2. What are some results of working together as a missionary team?
3. Write a paragraph describing the hope you have for your family missionary
team.

C. Summary
We have all been created by God as unique individuals. How we relate to each
other and how we deal with one another's different personality styles can make or
break the missionary family. The missionary team can be a great Christian witness
and can make a difference in many lives for eternity.

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 Chapter 9
INTERNATIONAL TEAM RELATIONSHIP: MISFITS INCLUDED!
Patrick Giraudel

Description
This course will examine biblical and contemporary experiences of teamwork. It will
present the proper attitudes such as tolerance of diverse religious practices that
typify international team relationship.

Objectives:
1. Understand the necessity for effective teamwork.
2. Know the conditions that promote good relationship.
3. Give practical suggestions on how to achieve efficient teamwork.

I. BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF THE WORK OF AN INTERNATIONAL TEAM

A. Antioch
1. A team led by God
The founding of the church at Antioch of Syria was done by an international team
which was comprised of:
• Jews of the assembly at Jerusalem who had been dispersed by the persecution
resulting from the situation with Steven and had gone to Phoenicia, on the Isle of
Cyprus, and then to Antioch.
• Some men from Cyprus, the island to the northwest of the Mediterranean, about
66 kilometers from the coast of Cilicia. These men also participated in
presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Greeks.
• Some men from Cyrene: An important city of Greek origin, a Roman colony in
North Africa.
• Example of Lucius (Ac. 13:1) who is mentioned as being a part of the prophets
and teachers of the Assembly at Antioch. These men also participated in
presenting the gospel of Christ to the Greeks.
• Barnabas (4:36) - real name "Joseph" - originated in Cyprus. He was known for
his prophetic ministry and was sent by the church of Jerusalem.
• Saul, born at Tarsus, the chief city of Cilicia; brought up in the obedience of the
Law and as a godly traditional Jew (Pharisee); of a Jewish family. Saul qualified
from birth, however, as a Roman citizen (Cf. Ac. 16:37, 22:28).
• Agabus, a Jewish prophet from Jerusalem who prophesied that there would be a
great famine throughout the whole world. He decided to send help to his brother
in Judea.

Barnabas was the senior member of this "international team of men of God." He
was an instrument of blessing for the foundation and expansion of this new
assembly at Antioch. He served to unite together the efforts of all that were sent by
God: the Jews, the Greeks, and the men from Cyprus and from Cyrene.

2. A team player prepared by God: Barnabas

Let us look at a few qualities of a missionary who has not only contributed to the
function of an international team, but has also edified a solid local church that
became the center of exemplary missionary activities.

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• A recognized consecration: Acts 4:36
• His real name was "Joseph", but he was called "Barnabas" by the apostles,
which means "son of consolation."
• Submission: The church at Jerusalem sent him to Antioch, and he obeyed. (He
did not need persecution to thrust him out!)
• Humility (11:23): For he rejoiced with the success of others and of the fruit of
their labor.
• Kindness: (11:24): He was a man of good deeds.
• Full of the Spirit: He was filled with the Holy Spirit.
• Faith.

Note: Before the persecution at Jerusalem, nothing is said about the work of a
missionary team. No one had envisioned it. However, to fulfill the Great
Commission, the Holy Spirit pressed them to look beyond themselves to the work of
missions.

B. The Testimony Of The Apostle Paul

A careful reading of the book of Acts and also those written by other apostles
indicates that the apostle Paul was not without "co-labourers" in his missionary
work. He loved to refer to his fellow team members such as Titus, Timothy, and
Epaphras as beloved and effective co-labourers.

1. Titus "my brother"

In Galatians 2:3, Paul revealed that Titus was Greek and must be circumcised
because of the criticism on the part of “false brothers” who sought to impose
circumcision upon the Christians.

2 Corinthians 2:13: Writing to the Corinthians in his second letter, Paul mentions
Titus as an indispensable brother. He looked for him, but didn't find him. "I still had
no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there." At this time Paul
showed that his "co-laborer" was more important than the door God had opened to
him.

2 Corinthians 8:23: Paul speaks of Titus as a "partner" and a "fellow worker." He

was sent by the churches. His sincerity for the work of God among the Corinthians
manifests a new and zealous commitment. God participates in the teamwork of
those to whom it is said "they are messengers of the churches, and the glory of
Christ." What a privilege to be a team member with those who are sent by their
national churches!

2 Corinthians 7:5,6: The arrival of Titus was a consolation for Paul. His mission in
Macedonia was full of testing and trials: through affliction, conflicts on the outside,
fears within, sometimes exhausted and downcast! The workers that God gives us
are a great consolation in the enterprise of missions endeavor. With their attitude of
workers "with us" and not "against us," as well as through their message, they bring
powerful, reciprocal consolation (verse 7). By collaborating with other missionaries,
we are encouraging them in the name of the Lord. The work of the Holy Spirit
produces this divine consolation.

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2 Corinthians 12:18: Paul believed in Titus. He believed that he was not a
profiteer, or a beggar of money behind his back. The missionary principle of Paul:
Do wrong to no one, do not corrupt anyone, and exploit no one (Cf. 7:2). Titus
followed this same principle. He knew how to believe in God for his needs and Paul
was aware of that. To form a team means also to "walk in the same spirit, in the
same steps" by adopting the same principles and/or complimentary attitudes that
can only strengthen the testimony of faith.

2 Timothy 4:10: Years later Paul indicates that Titus is in Dalmatia a country still
farther away. This lets us know that Titus continued his missionary ministry.

2. Timothy "my fellow worker"

Acts 16:1: The first mention of Timothy specifies that he was the son of a faithful
Jewish mother and of a Greek father. Paul circumcised him because the local Jews
were aware that his father was Greek.

Acts 17:14: At Berea in Macedonia we see Silas and Timothy as a missionary team
along with Paul. From Athens, Paul sends the commission to Silas and Timothy to
rejoin him as soon as possible. It was at Corinth (Ac.18:5) that the team would again
be complete. It was very important so that Paul could give himself entirely to the
Word from that moment.

Acts 19:22 At Ephesus, during his third missionary journey, Paul mentioned two of
his helpers: Timothy and Erastus.

In his epistles Paul mentions Timothy in a special way:

Romans 16:21: "Timothy my fellow worker."

I Thessalonians 3:2 "Timothy, who is our brother, and God's fellow worker in
spreading the gospel of Christ."

I Corinthians 4:17: A mission united in its ways, methods, and teaching, "For this
reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord.
He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach
everywhere in every church."

I Corinthians 16:10: Different ages but the same respect. Paul will tell the
Corinthians, "If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with
you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am."

2 Corinthians 1: 19: Many workers but one message.

"For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas
and Timothy . . . "

Philippians 1:1: (Cf. I Th. 1:1) An apostolic authority without hierarchy. "Paul and
Timothy, the servants of Christ Jesus . . . "

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Philippians 2:19: The sharing of the work with a mutual, sincere, and
complimentary trust, "I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I
also may be cheered when I receive news about you."
3. Epaphras "Our dear fellow servant"

Colossians 1:7: The ministry of Epaphras is aligned with Paul's for the same cause
and the same honor: to preach the good news to all creation. Considered as "a
faithful minister of Christ," he reports the news of the church at Colosse to Paul.
Paul does not hesitate to lift up this "fellow servant" with great concern and an
attitude of fighting a battle through prayer.

Philemon 23: When Paul was a prisoner in Rome he calls him "my fellow prisoner."

Acts 20:4 As they were setting out on their journey to Macedonia, the Holy Spirit
reveals the missionary team formed around Paul:

Sopater of Berea
Aristarchus
Secundus from Thessalonica
Gaius of Derbe
Timothy
Tychicus
Trophimus of Asia

Seven workers were labouring together under the spiritual and missionary direction
of Paul in order to accomplish the Great Commission. This team of ministers made
the first missionary enterprise so powerful that the people said: "These men who
have caused trouble all over the world have now come here" (Ac. 17:6).

To this international team we must add Luke who rejoins them (Ac. 20:6). "But we. ."
Up until this time the narrator used "he" or "they," the third person, now it is the "we"
in which Luke is included.

Conclusion
The man sent by God should concentrate on following the counsel of the Holy
Scriptures. In matters of missiology, the Bible is the source that enables a fruitful
missionary enterprise. When Joshua received the commission to conquer Canaan,
the Lord left him this word: "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth;
meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.
Then you will be prosperous and successful" (Jos. 1:8). To participate in teamwork
is a fundamental teaching of scripture leading to success as we hold the counsel of
God.

II. STRUCTURE AND CONDITIONS FOR A GOOD INTERNATIONAL TEAM

RELATIONSHIP

On the field, the missionary will need a functional structure, which will allow each
team member to fulfill their ministry and thus make the team a dynamic and joyful
one. As an architect places the doorways and windows as he wishes in a house he

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builds, the missionary, likewise, must make provision for his own "doorways" to the
other servants of God with whom he must work.

We will look at the example of Niger where the work is developing today with five
different missions of the Assemblies of God: France, Burkina Faso, the United
States, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, and later Togo. All personnel are sent by their
national churches, but have an entirely different identity. These sending churches
must be able to strengthen one another and be complimentary to each other
throughout their service. What can enhance this spiritual cohesion of working
together? There are several factors that contribute to a stable cohesion.

A. Collective factors
1. Authority of the sending agency (missionary committee)
When two missionaries, representing different sending churches, moved into this
field, the mission leaders met together to define a working strategy. Minutes were
established, committing the missionaries to work together. This wise counsel of the
elders and the submission of the missionaries contributed to the beginning of this
international team. A missionary from France and one from Burkina Faso started
meetings in the same place. As soon as government authorization was granted,
each one moved into a different section of the village, preached the gospel, then
worked to plant a local church.

2. Pastors' meetings
Quarterly pastors' meetings are the most important initiatives in our relationship with
each other. Through these meetings, the recognized pastors try to organize the
foundational base for a national church. It is the birth of the "missionary spirit."
When the chiefs come together, the troops come together as well!

According to Ephesians 4:1-16 whatever the missionary ministry (apostle, prophet,

evangelist, pastor or teacher), there is one common and overall goal commanded by
our Supreme Chief CHRIST: "For the edifying of the body of Christ." Establishing
churches cannot be done to the detriment of the written Scriptures.

The missionaries in Niger, sent by the Holy Spirit, have accepted this sovereign
foundation upon which to come together and work for the establishment and
strengthening of the National Church in Niger.

3. Group activities
It is wise to work in harmony with each other by deciding together on regular group
functions that will benefit all the churches (regardless of the affiliated mission group)
such as:

Easter meetings, Pentecost meetings, etc.

Pastoral training institute
Women's, men's, and youth organizations
Seminars
Training of teachers for Sunday school and the evangelization of children
Organization of children's, adolescents', and youth camps

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Note: Responsibilities given for these regular activities are respected by each
worker of God, even if it is not our "mission."

B. Individual factors
The will of the individual missionary to maintain fellowship is very important. Very
quickly after arrival, each missionary will face a heavy schedule, full and overflowing
with involvement with new churches, and the training of workers to whom he
devotes all his time. But it is essential to put aside a time for fellowship with other
team members. This is a question of making a personal choice. Jesus Christ is
respected in this matter. Paul in the pursuit of his ministry as a missionary, alas,
found himself alone; "I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in
your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ"
(Phil. 2:20,21).

C. The maturity of the missionary strengthens the team spirit.

Some definitions are to be established:
• Mature: "developed"; "level-headed, sensible"
• Maturity: 1) Fully formed, state of one who has reached full development; 2)
State of complete development (human organism). The ripe age, the one that
immediately follows the age of youth; 3) Safety of judgment that is acquired
ordinarily with age and experience.

The mature missionary adds much to the stability of the team. The missionary field
is not a "battle field" from which one must return conqueror with a trophy, or to make
a name for himself, or to identify himself to such and such an evangelist by using his
method.
• He/she avoids childishness and empty discourses by listening to the advice of
his elders.
• He/she knows how to accept consensus ideas even when they don't come from
him.
• He/she identifies with his companions in battle.
• He/she rejects competition.

The essence of maturity is born and developed in humility, like Jesus, the supreme
example of the real missionary: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ
Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something
to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being
made in human likeness" (Phil. 2:5-7).

Read also Philippians 2:1-3. How forcefully Paul asks us not to do anything with a
spirit of strife or vainglory.
John 3:30 "He must become greater: I must become less."
John 15:5 "Apart from me you can do nothing."
Ephesians 5:21 "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."

D. Character of a team member

It is wise to consider the personal character of the servant of God in relation to the
missionary team. Here are a few suggestions for reflection:

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The ineffective member:
Is competitive
• Expects to be recognized by the others for what he does
• Does not take on "unpleasant and humiliating tasks"
• Is disloyal
• Resists authority
• Hides his real feelings (duplicity)

Whereas the effective member:

• Is just, but merciful
• Is co-operative
• Accepts responsibility
• Does more than what is asked of him
• Exercises self-control
• Is concerned with the least things

Conclusion
One's moral and spiritual character plays a major role, for we function as
Ambassadors for Christ, "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God
were making his appeal through us" (2 Co. 5:20). They can be instrumental in
dividing a team and causing it to fail. To have a heart that is willing and a wise
tongue are conditions of real value that are certain for the success of the vocation
as an ambassador.

Proverbs 10:31 "The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom."

Proverbs 12:6 "The speech of the upright rescues them."
Proverbs 12:20 " . . . But joy for those who promote peace."

III. THE RESULTS OF A GOOD INTERNATIONAL MISSIONARY TEAM

RELATIONSHIP

After studying biblical examples of international teams and having proposed certain
conditions for a good relationship, it is time to anticipate the immediate results as
well as those to expect for the future of the work of God. "Be patient, then, brothers,
until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable
crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains" (Jas. 5:7).

The formation of a team will sooner or later produce the fruit of fellowship. We can
think first about the "results" then about the "fruits to come." Just as the labourer
expects "the precious fruit" of the soil, we also, cultivate through trials and joy the
fruit of fellowship within the international team, and can expect the following
blessings:

A. Testimony of the body

When missionaries bind themselves together in their respective ministries, they
demonstrate the reality of a spiritual body, the first bonds of the church. On the
mission field, this is one of the first results. "Love one another. As I have loved you,
so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if
you love one another" (Jn. 13:34,35). The Church that we are building by preaching

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the gospel, particularly in an Islamic zone, is founded really by putting into practice
the supreme command of Jesus. It is our first message, "We are disciples of Jesus."
It is the cornerstone on which the building rests, the National Church of tomorrow.
"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are
many, they form one body. So it is with Christ" (1 Co. 12:12).

B. Enrichment of wisdom and of culture

Proverbs 11:14 "Many advisers make victory sure."
The opportunities will be numerous for us to share our experiences, our faith, and
our talents. We all have received something from the Lord. Sharing together is
enriching as much in the cultural domain as in the spiritual domain.

In the cultural domain - We will know the dangers to shun, but also attitudes to
have in certain circumstances. The morés and customs are so varied that counsel
together will help us avoid negative and disappointing experiences.

In the spiritual domain - The exchange of ministries and ministry gifts will be very
profitable for the development of the autonomous Church. We may have received
much from the Lord, but that does not take away the Scripture (Eph. 4:10-13). All
ministries are complementary. During pastors' meetings, a spirit of openness
encourages useful interaction.

C. Sound doctrinal foundation for the Church

It is the message that is valuable and not the sending "mission." Thus believers
attach themselves to the Lord and to His Word (2 Co. 1:19). Through the exchange
of ministries the believer will learn to love the other churches born by "sister
missions." The vision is enlarged. Sound doctrine will be preserved by the pastoral
team. Doctrinal divergence will be noticed and corrected quickly.

D. Strength and stability

We do not need to prove any longer that "unity makes strength" and contributes to
its stability. The word "strength" is defined by the dictionary as "the physical action
of a being, of an organ"; notably in the strength of a group we find the idea of power:
the strength of the Church. Resistance of an object: sturdiness, soundness. Thus,
the unity of missionaries gives an incontestable authority. In matters of conflict
resolution, this group strength will prove effective. It is a spiritual guarantee in the
pursuit of discipline. Likewise, the assaults of the adversary will find real resistance
that will make him flee. (1 Co. 4:17; Jas. 4:7).

E. The effectiveness of evangelization and of the mission

The work of the missionary will be effective -- achieving his desired goal. The
Church sends him and the Lord sends him to accomplish a well-defined mission. He
must succeed and satisfy the Master of the Harvest. Missionary unity helps us to be
effective in our ministry (Ac. 20:4). "These men who have caused trouble all over
the world have now come here" (Ac.17:6).

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Conclusion
"The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect
on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this" (2 Ti. 2:6,7).

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 Chapter 10
MISSION POSSIBLE: A TEAM APPROACH TO CHURCH PLANTING
Terah Busari

Description
This chapter will provide examples and insight as to how a team can work together
to plant churches. It will focus on how each member of the team is unique and yet
important. The student will gain appreciation for appropriate leadership styles,
defined individual tasks, and complete accountability.

Introduction
In some African and Western languages, we have a common saying, “One head
cannot transport a roof,” or, “Two heads are better than one.” The truth in this
proverb is that you cannot do it all by yourself. Gone are those days when highly
gifted and super-talented members of the body of Christ penetrated certain areas
and single-handedly started churches. If the great task the Lord has given to the
church is to be accomplished in this eleventh hour, more hands than those of just
the clergy must be involved. Apart from the magnitude of the work and the time
factor, there is also the problem of entry. Some unreached areas are practically
inaccessible to conventional missionaries. Such areas are not to be penalized
because of entry problems. If the people of God can be organized into significant
teams, some enormous and effective work can be done in the area of church
planting anywhere. In the eleventh hour, we cannot afford to overlook the team
approach to church planting. The deployment of teams whose members are of
varying ages and backgrounds and whose gifts and ministries complement one
another will hasten the harvest and bring glory to God.

Objectives
This chapter will seek to inform, inspire, motivate, and give insights to the students
on how to work together as a team in establishing New Testament churches in new
areas. When the student has finished this chapter, he should be able to explain and
apply a biblical and contemporary methodology on how to be an effective team
member in establishing churches.

I. BIBLICAL AND CONTEMPORARY EXAMPLES OF A TEAM APPROACH

A. Biblical Examples of Team Approach

1. Old Testament Examples:
The first reason to do something is if the Lord demands it. As we look at the Bible,
there are many passages that make us understand the mind of God as regards to
teamwork. Most of the Biblical principles are set forth in the Old Testament and
later they are confirmed in the New Testament.

There are many Old Testament examples; we start by seeing God’s observation
after creation and after the fall God asked man to go over all the earth to fill it.
Instead, man in Genesis 11, wanted to make a name for himself. That was the
beginning of all the languages we have today. There had been only one language
and one people. In Genesis 11:1-7 we see that the people had a common speech,
and a common plan. They decided to build a tower to reach for heaven so that they

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could make a name for themselves. The Lord said that nothing could defeat what
this unified group of people speaking one language planned. This is a negative
example because the reason for their unity was for one purpose, to make a name
for themselves. But what we can understand from this is that the Lord noticed what
they were doing and commented on it. He said because of their unity, they can do
all things. This oneness of purpose led God to say that nothing would be impossible
for them to do. As we are here for one purpose, to take the gospel to the world, this
is an encouragement to us. If we unite with the same mind and same purpose all
those things that seem like mountains will be moved. For a united people it takes
God to stop them. As we team up for what God wants us to do, he will not resist it,
but only promote it, so that the impossible will become possible.

We are going to look at another example that is in both the Old and New Testament.
This example is talking about the nature of God and about teamwork. We believe in
the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They are one but
we know that God the Father is specifically the creator. However in the work of
creation we see the three teaming up to create. In Genesis 1:26 God said, “ Let us
make man in our image.” There are many more passages that talk about
cooperation of the Godhead in creative work. Examples of this are seen in Job 33:4
“Spirit of God in creation”, John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the word . . . ”
Colossians 1:17-18 “All things through Him” (talking about Jesus). So we see even
in creation there is cooperation in the Godhead. We know the Son of God has the
role of Redeemer, but we also see Him working in creation. The Holy Spirit is the
sanctifier, but we see the Father and Son in this work also. They all work together.
So in the nature of God we already see teamwork.

One very important thing in the life of the Israelites was their worship of God.
Worship of God is also crucial in our lives. With the patriarchs, worship was
expressed through sacrifice. When they were in Egypt, after the time of Joseph,
they were not free to worship as they wanted to because their sacrifices of sheep
and cattle were considered sacrifices of the Egyptian gods. The Israelites were
stoned for worshiping God through sacrifices. Not only that, but God wanted to
dwell among them in a special continuous way. Due to their slavery in Egypt, it was
not possible. During this time, the Lord called Moses to lead the people out of
Egypt. We see in Exodus that many times God tells Moses he wants to call his
people out so they can go and worship him and offer sacrifices and celebrate before
him. Finally the Israelites were lead out of Egypt and into the wilderness. Along the
way, the Lord gave Moses special instructions for the people to live by. One set of
instructions was for the tabernacle. Moses received the pattern for them to
construct the tabernacle so that after it was constructed the Lord could come and
dwell among them and they could worship him. Although Moses had the plans, he
could not construct the tabernacle alone. God said in Exodus 25:8, “Make a
sanctuary for me.” God wanted to dwell among his anointed people. God chose
Bezalel and Oholiab, anointed them and gave them the ability to construct the
tabernacle. God chose others for these two to train. All of the Israelites in one way
or another participated because God wanted them to bring gifts, so everybody gave.
They gave so willingly that there was plenty and the task was completed.

Early in their journey to the promised land, Moses was working morning to evening
trying to settle all the disputes of the people. His father-in-law, Jethro saw what was
happening and told Moses he was destroying himself, he couldn’t do all the work

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himself (Ex. 18:17-18). Then Jethro suggested they appoint seventy elders and
train them to work with Moses. A great team was formed and the work went forward
(Ex. 18:25-26).

Another great example of teamwork in the Old Testament is the conquest of the
promised land. Just before crossing the Jordan River, the tribes of Reuben and
Gad requested permission to stay on the opposite side of the Jordan and not cross
over with everyone else. They thought the land was better suited for their cattle.
Moses rebuked them for wanting to desert their brothers in time of war. The need
for teamwork took priority. In Exodus 32:16-19, they made a proposal to make
preparations for their livestock and families so they could be left behind and then all
the men of fighting age would continue on and stay with the Israelites until the battle
was complete. Moses agreed, “If you do this, it will go well with you.” The book of
Joshua shows us the great teamwork and how working together (all the Israelites
and God), the victory was won.

Nehemiah’s plan for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem is another great example of
teamwork in the Old Testament. Some men worked, some watched, and some
carried materials. They all worked together and the walls were built in spite of
hardships and opposition (Neh. 3 and 4).

2. New Testament Examples Of A Team Approach

Jesus calling the twelve
On three occasions we see Christ together with only those in the inner circle in
teamwork. I never see Jesus doing something alone. Whenever he did something,
his disciples did it with him. Are we greater than the Lord? We need to work in
teams. Anyone who feels they can do it all by themselves is only deceiving
themselves. Follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. He sent the 12 together
and then we see him sending out the seventy-two. The Lord set an example for us.
We must work as a team. In Acts 3 Peter and John went to the temple together and
healed the lame man together. They never worked alone. The reason we want to
work alone is to be recognized. When we work alone there is temptation to take the
glory. When we work as a team, we see that all the glory goes to the Lord. In Acts
4:2 we read about Peter and John before the Sanhedrin. The church grew and a
problem arose. The apostles went together to address the problem. In Acts chapter
6:5-7 we see how they solved the problem. They chose seven men including
Stephen. Acts 13 shows us again about the importance of teamwork. The Lord
Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit encouraged teamwork. They are talking about the
first missionaries to be chosen and sent out. The Holy Spirit could have chosen just
one person but the Holy Spirit chose two people to go and work as a team. The
church at Antioch worshipped the Lord, fasted, prayed, and the Lord said, “Set apart
for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” This is a clear
indication that the missionary enterprise of the church at Antioch was what God had
ordered. Barnabas and Saul went out as a missionary team sent forth by the Holy
Spirit. Through this we see that the Holy Spirit encourages teamwork as he leads
us to accomplish his will.

3. Biblical Principle
We can clearly see that teamwork is a biblical principle. If we look in the book of
Ecclesiastes 4:9,10, 12 we see that two are better than one because they have
better return for their work. If one falls down his friend can help him up. The Lord

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wants us to work as team members, as a team. His word says where two or three
are gathered in His name we know the Lord is there with us. When we come
together for the work of the Lord he is with us, even if two agree on something. This
refers to teamwork. We can come to the conclusion that it is the Lord’s mind and
the Lord’s will and it is biblical for all the people of God to work as a team. In this
11th hour, this late hour, unless we work as a team to bring others in, how will we
see the widespread advance of the gospel? When the Apostle Paul was working he
was always sending others. That is what God wants us to do today so the gospel
can spread over the whole world that all the people will hear.

B. Contemporary Examples of a Team Approach

We live in a world full of challenges and problems, which constantly demand man’s
attention. We have more people living on the surface of the earth than in any other
time in history. Because of this, there are challenges in all areas, such as medical,
physical, economical, ethical, and spiritual. But God wants us to all work in teams.
What we are seeing today is people, communities, and even countries coming
together in order to tackle world problems and difficulties. The team approach is
widely used even in the world today. There are many examples of this. For
instance the armed forces and NATO will often send in a group of soldiers to solve
the problem. We are the soldiers of the Lord. We need to stand up and go forward
together and the battle will be won.

Also we see the principles of teamwork in sports. Let us look at the relay team.
Each person has to work skillfully to pass the baton, and cheer his or her other team
members on. Then the race is won and everybody is happy. But the work has been
done as a team. Among many of us, football is common. Football is another
example of teamwork. One player cannot defeat the other team. They must play as
one team to beat the other team. We are training as a team to go out in victory.
Banks, companies, corporations are coming together in order to make headway.

I want to give you a personal example from Nigeria’s Bible schools. In the Decade
of Harvest they planted many, many churches. Some ask, how was this done? It is
because they truly believe in teamwork. They practically apply teamwork. We also
see with the Niger Assemblies of God that there was a team effort between three
different groups to plant a church in a Muslim city. Now there are 90 or more people
in that church and they are growing in the Lord. Now others are being sent out. Our
purpose is to reach Niger with many different people from many different countries
coming together working as a team. It is God’s will that we work as a team. We
appreciate and respect one another. It is working in Niger but it can work on other
fields as well.

Summary
From the word of God, experience and contemporary examples, we find that the
Team Approach is a binding principle that we cannot ignore if we are to bring in the
harvest in this late hour. If we don’t want to be guilty of a sin, which will surely find
us out one day (Num. 32:23), let us arise and be part of a ministry team. Let us not
be seekers of our own desires by separating ourselves and quarreling against all
sound wisdom (Pro. 18:1).

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 II. RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN A DIVERSE CHURCH PLANTING TEAM

A. Definition of a Church Planting Team

1. Team defined
The dictionary says a team is “a group of people working in a coordinated effort”.
We can expand that to say: It is a group of individuals sharing a common purpose,
called to use the given resources and accepting a set of roles and guidelines for
accomplishing the stated purpose. The important point here is that although they
are individuals, they have a common purpose and they agree to work within a set of
roles and guidelines, with everyone sharing their resources to fulfill their purpose.

2. Church Planting Team

Here we could use the same definition by adding that the shared common purpose
is that of planting a church. Each member would be assigned their role whether it is
preaching, witnessing, site preparations, praying, or whatever is needed to fulfill the
purpose of planting a church. They would all agree on the roles and guidelines to
follow. Then they would follow those guidelines, using their resources and everyone
cooperating together to plant a church.

3. Purpose of a Team
From what we have said already in this chapter, NO ONE can do it all! We need
each other. From the many examples shared we have been shown that teamwork
is important! We have also seen that it is a biblical principle set in place by God at
the creation of the world and continuing on throughout history. The purpose of the
team is to decrease the workload of each individual while at the same time
increasing the effectiveness of their labors.

B. Church Planting Team

1. Disadvantages
The major disadvantage of a church planting team is that the more people involved
the more difficult it is to maintain. More people increase the opportunity for
disharmony and conflict. It can also be more difficult to agree. If you are starting a
church in a remote location, a team can be difficult to transport and care for on site.
Teamwork requires a lot of initial preparation and planning.

2. Advantages
“Two are stronger than one”. There is an old proverb that says, “Many hands make
light work.” One person can become discouraged or miss what God is saying. If
there is a team, there are more to hear God and they can encourage one another.
Team members are like a body, each one brings their own gifts and talents to the
team. No one person has to have the skills for the entire task. The work can be
shared with each one doing what he or she can do best.

C. Relationships Within a Church Planting Team

1. Characteristics of an Effective Team and Team Member
What is an effective team? The first thing is accepted leadership. The one with the
characteristics and qualities is recognized as the leader. Team members must set
rules and guidelines that they will follow and abide by. Another thing is, a team
needs to have a proper division of labor. In this way, everyone knows that they

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have their own part to play. The team members put the interests of others before
their own interest. They promote communication. In a team, one can express his
views and opinions and the others will listen so that they can then make a decision
together. This is an example of an effective team.

2. Relationships between Team Members

Unity: Please look at Philippians 2:1. In this verse we see a united team that is
helping and working together. It is possible to have an effective team and the
foundation for this is given in the first verse. First of all, team members are united
with Christ. Since the team members are united with Christ, it is possible to have a
healthy team relationship because our union with Christ transforms and changes our
lives. In Christ we grow everyday. Christ will change our hearts, minds, and
attitudes as we grow with him. Therefore it is important to have the presence of
Christ in our lives everyday.

Love: Another point is the comfort of Christ’s love. If we have really experienced
the love of Christ in our lives, then it is possible to have an effective team because
Christ first loved us. I believe the closer we grow to the Lord, the more we feel his
love. If we are receiving his love on a daily basis, those on a team will then feel that
love.

Fellowship of the Spirit: We also need fellowship with the Holy Spirit. When we
allow the Spirit to work in our lives, he will change us from glory to glory. He will
change us to resemble the Lord more and more. This helps us become a group of
compassionate team members. That does not mean that we won’t have problems.

Christ like: Now look at Philippians 2:2. This verse talks about being like-minded.
This doesn’t mean that God erases our personalities but being like-minded means
we have a goal and are all working toward the same purpose to achieve that goal.

Puts others first: Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also
to the interests of others. When we are focusing on others, it facilitates our
relationship with the team. All good relationships have an acceptance of how God
made us. Moses had a big problem when God called him: he had a low self-
esteem. I believe that each of us should accept the way that God made us. God
made us as we are and loves us as we are. To have a healthy team relationship we
must accept ourselves and love ourselves as God made us. God loves us without
condition. We must remember that God loves us even with our differences. God
has given us a call, and he will give us what is necessary to facilitate the call.

Accepts others: We need to accept others as those whom God made, because we
can’t change them. There is a story about a husband who had a problem with his
wife; he felt that she needed to change. Every time he thought of this problem he
would pray in the spirit, and slowly the problem was no more, but it wasn’t because
the wife had changed. Instead, God had changed the husband. We need to accept
people as they are. God is the ultimate judge. We must respect other’s culture,
background, and everything. No matter how you are treated, press on with love.
God is the ultimate judge. So whether you are ridiculed, put down, ignored, or
people refuse to associate with you, we must realize that if the Lord has accepted
us as we are, so we must also accept others. This will make our team very strong.

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Work: I can talk about the team I know, that is the team working in Niger. When
we work as a team, we need to be willing to work. That means that each team
member must work. Secondly it is also good to respect and appreciate one another.
Thank people when they do something for you. With the help of the Lord we can
love one another. Please take a moment and read 1 Corinthians 13. Every time
that you see the word love replace it with your name. We value one another when
we see each person is purchased by God’s precious blood. We help one another
and often times we try to understand one another. Too many times we want to be
understood before understanding one another. Try to understand others, and you
will be understood.

Summary
A church planting team is a group of missionaries or tent makers having unique
ancestries, experiences, and personalities. They also have a variety of gifts, talents,
and callings. They work together in a concerted and organized manner and move
into new areas with the unique purpose of starting New Testament churches. The
members of such a team conform to a certain profile that makes the team effective.
Conscious of the advantages, benefits, and the biblical basis of such a team, they
relate in such a way as to enable the team to fulfill its purpose with the least
possible hindrance. The missionary will find that being a team member is costly,
challenging, but also exciting. In order to achieve the team’s purpose, acceptance,
love, forgiveness, and a willingness to serve are essential.

III. MAINTAINING AND PROMOTING THE TEAM’S LIFE

A. Necessity of the Continuance of the Team

It is very easy to start a team, but to maintain a team is usually a bigger problem.
One of the best examples of a team is the team in the book of Acts. It says that the
Spirit spoke and called the people to missionary work, but after some time there was
a problem. So in this section we will try and see things that threaten a team and
why a team should be maintained.

In the first place, because of the work before us and the task we are trying to
accomplish, team-planting strategy needs to continue. If all the lost were reached
with the gospel, then we would not need teamwork. But there are still many people
who have not yet heard the gospel. So the work is still very important. A team is
like a marriage; people enter into it knowing problems will come up. In a marriage
we stand before a minister and say “for better or worse.” Later, we have problems
in the family, but we don’t give up because we have promised to continue for better
or for worse. We will also have problems in the team setting, but we are not going
to say that because we have a problem we will stop. We should go into it knowing
that problems will be there and be ready to face them when they do occur. The
Lord is with us and will give us the grace to do it.

So many things happen that will hinder or demobilize a team. If we look in Acts
15:36 we see the problem that Barnabas and Paul had. We all know the story about
how Barnabas and Paul split up their team because they disagreed about whether
or not John Mark should join them again. Here we see two people who are called
by God who have a ministry that was full of signs and wonders, and they allowed a
disagreement to break up the team that God had put together. If there is anything in

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this to learn, it is that problems will come up and we will face problems. Now we will
look at the types of conflict that we will face and how to resolve them.

B. Conflicts that Threaten the Life of a Team

There are four types of conflicts that ministry teams will face at one time or another:
• Conflicts from past cultural expectations: You will come from one culture into
another and you will see things differently than the other members of your team.
• Conflicts from future expectations: These occur when unrealistic
expectations are placed on the group. This may be in the form of an outsider
who will try to infiltrate the team with a different idea.
• Conflicts from within the group: This kind of conflict can sometimes cause a
team to break up.
• Conflicts from without: This appears when you go into a place to plant a
church and you face opposition from an outside group. This happened to Paul
and Silas at Philippi and they were thrown in prison for it.
Later we will discuss what to do when these conflicts come.

C. Essentials to Team Life

1. Absence of Conflict
There are five things we can do in the absence of conflict to help the team before
conflict arrives:
• Participate in planning and thus take ownership in what you are doing.
• Make sure that responsibilities are shared, dividing ownership among the
team.
• Have respect for others.
• Maintain ministerial ethics.
• Respond to needs together.

2. In case of conflict
Now we will talk about what to do in case of conflict in relation to the four things
which threaten the team. The first will be how to handle conflict from past cultural
expectations. Following is a list of a few things that may cause the conflict:
language, team construction, food, communication, appointment of leaders, role
assignment, worship styles, and organizational structure. Ways to overcome these
conflicts include: Bible study within the team, discussion of the roles within the team,
learn the language of the group you are working with, agree on what language you
will use in the team, make sure that the group defines its purpose, be committed to
the team and its members, be flexible, have a team prayer life and joint team
instruction.

The second conflict that a team my face is conflict from future expectations. Some
examples of this type of conflict: failure to communicate, different expectations from
the sending churches, setting changes, different policies, regulation and standards,
and control from the mother church. Ways to overcome these conflicts include:
state the terms of cooperation from the start, establish a missionary board to aid in
communication, go through conflict management training, clearly state procedures
and goals in a written form so all will understand, have a stated policy from the
sending church as to what they are expecting of you, and seek God’s guidance
through group prayer.

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The third type of conflict that threatens the team is conflict from within. Examples
of this include: personal interests, misunderstandings between members, sin (such
as jealousy, pride, self centeredness, dominant personalities, not yielding to the
Holy Spirit), doctrinal differences, lack of leadership or mismanagement, and
differing visions. Solutions to this type of conflict include: discussion and
communication, tolerance of differences, yielding to the Spirit’s guidance, prayer,
focus on the task at hand and not insignificant goals or differences, open
mindedness within the team, humility and patience, being teachable, having the
spirit of forgiveness, and being able to admit when you are wrong.

The final type of conflict that threatens the team is conflict from without.
Examples of this type of conflict include: persecution from government or opposing
groups, social pressure to conform to worldly standards, religious pressure from
other Christian teams, and limited resources. Ways to overcome these problems
include: outline and clearly communicate your purpose for being in the team, know
that there is a possibility for conflict and be ready to face it, know that your help
comes from God in all circumstances, and finally, if your life is threatened, get out.

Conflicts will come; we don’t need to look for them. We will get into conflict
sometimes from our own mistakes. When we make mistakes, we must apologize,
sometimes publicly. Each of us should do all we can to find solutions to conflict.
But only prayer will bring complete restitution. When you pray together you stay
together. Study the word of God together. When conflicts come up, solve them
biblically, as the Bible should have final authority.

Summary
In view of the lateness of the hour and the enormous harvest to be reaped, it is
imperative to have effective and long-term church planting teams. The cross-
cultural problems that can undermine a ministry team’s effectiveness are many. If
the purpose of the team is to be achieved, team members will find it necessary to
respect each other, plan together, share responsibilities, maintain ministerial ethics,
and respond to needs together. When conflicts arise, they are to be resolved
following biblical steps while defining the core issues, avoiding blame, finding
possible solutions and choosing the best one, and doing all in the Lord’s strength as
you continue in ministry to the lost.

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 Chapter 11
CRASH COURSE ON MISSIONS FOR WORLD TRAVELERS
Dan L. Ligon

This chapter is designed to help mobilize the great number of Christian travelers
and encourage all Christians to become cross-cultural soul winners and helpers of
church planting.

Historical examples of the impact of Muslim and Christian travelers will be used to
show how all those who believe in Jesus can and should be obeying “The Great
Commission.”

Objectives
To accept the great challenge from Jesus Christ, who commanded all of his
followers, to “Go everywhere . . . telling every person what I have told you . . .
leading new believers to be baptized followers, like you are . . . and I will go with you
. . .” as our own challenge!

To challenge church leaders, mission directors, missionaries, pastors, local church

leaders, and individual Christians to begin equipping all Christians, world travelers
included, with training about how to win and establish new converts cross-culturally,
as they travel to areas / peoples who have not yet accepted Jesus as Savior.

I. THE GREAT COMMISION OF JESUS TO EVERY BELIEVER

A. What Is The Great Commission of Christ to All of His Believers?

Christ’s greatest commission to all of those who believe in him is commonly

regarded as a subject which church goers talk about during missions emphasis
services, and who believe that obeying “The Great Commission” is reserved for
missionaries, pastors, and evangelists of the church. These are misguided ideas
about Jesus’ final words that he spoke while ascending to the right hand of God the
Father (Mk. 16:19).

1. The Last Physical Command of Christ to His Followers.

Travelers often have to give last minute instructions to those they are leaving in
charge of their affairs. These instructions are often very important, and are
repeated for emphasis so their words will be remembered. Jesus was saving his
most important instructions for the last minute before his departure, for emphasis!
As the unseen means of transportation began lifting Jesus from their sight, he
clearly spoke his greatest commission to every believer.

The very existence of the Church depends upon its response to the Great
Commission. Any theology not formed by and focused on God’s redemptive
purposes for all nations must be incomplete and unfaithful to God’s character and
revealed biblical truth. “The Great Commission” of Christ to all of his believers can
be found in Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-18; Luke 24:45-49; and Acts 1:4-8. The
occasion was the day that Jesus ascended into heaven in full view of all present.
They physically saw the resurrected body of Jesus go up into the clouds, as he told
all of them to spread the good news of his teachings to all peoples of the earth.

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1 Corinthians 15:6 says that Jesus was seen by five hundred of his followers on one
occasion, which most likely refers to the last day of his physical presence on earth.
At this last farewell occasion, Jesus gave his greatest commission to all present, not
just to the apostles. The humblest Christian, as in the Early Church, is responsible
for bringing men to Christ! If you believe in Jesus, then his words are to you also,
world travelers included! Even vacationers can spread the light of the gospel in the
sin-darkened resorts of the world. Those who make regular trips to other places can
be consistent witnesses of Jesus, who commissioned you.

One hundred and twenty of those who obeyed Jesus’ greatest commission stayed
together in Jerusalem, waiting for the Holy Spirit baptism that Jesus promised would
come, in order to give them power to do what he was asking of them. All present in
that upper room were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other
languages. Peter said in Acts 10:44-47 and 11:15-17 that all of the Gentiles present
received this baptism in the Holy Spirit, the same as the Jews had received it,
because he heard them speaking in other languages as they did at the first. The
Great Commission power of the Holy Spirit was now empowering and
commissioning non-Jewish peoples to be witnesses for Jesus. The universal gospel
message ordained to be carried by universal ethnic groups was a reality.

If you are a believer in Jesus, you are commissioned to be his witness to the
peoples of this world. Paul maintained that those who experience reconciliation
through this grace must, in turn, become messengers of grace to the unreconciled
(2 Co .5:18-20). 1 Peter 4:10 tells all believers to be good stewards, by ministering
to others the gifts which they have received from God. All believers in Christ are his
greatest commission messengers!

2. Obeying The Great Commission Gives Dying Souls A Lifeline.

How good are you at telling the truth? It is sometimes hard for sinners to tell the
truth; but for born-again believers it is easy to tell (no more no less than) what you
actually know. When you know Jesus as your Savior, it is easy, and a joy, to tell
others what you actually know to be true about him. “I know that Jesus can save
you, because He saved me,” is a joyful and true witness of what every believer
knows that Jesus has done for them and can do for others.

Arguing about religion is pointless. Jesus refused to do it. Just tell people how they
can repent of their sins and have new life in Christ, no matter what they used to be
or where they used to worship (Jn. 4:20-24)! The truth we must know and proclaim
must be saving truth. Witnessing about Jesus is throwing out his lifeline. Whether
or not people take the lifeline is their own choice; but at least you have given them
the opportunity of accepting his salvation. Those who accept the lifeline become
your family in the Lord (Mt. 12:50). They are no longer strangers, but born again
into the same family, brothers and sisters with all believers in Jesus. The people
that we are helping to be saved are actually our own family members.

God has chosen witnessing / preaching / teaching, as seen in the Great

Commission verses as the only lifeline for all peoples of the earth to be born again,
saved from eternal hell fire (Jn. 3:15, 18, 36; Rev. 21:8). Offering the lifeline of the
gospel of Christ to all unbelievers is our greatest commission. Without someone
offering the lifeline of the gospel, there is no hope for sinners to receive eternal life
(Acts 4:12; Jn. 8:24, “ . . . if you believe not...you shall die in your sins”).

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B. Why Did Jesus Say That All of His Followers Should Be Filled with the Holy
Spirit?
Getting ready to go on a long journey takes preparation. And concerning the
baptism in the Holy Spirit, Jesus told his followers, “Don’t leave home (Jerusalem)
without it” (Lk. 24:49 paraphrased). Christ’s greatest commission is a life-long
journey, for which he will cover all costs, except our time and dedication to his task
of seeking for his kingdom, first, in our daily lives (Mt. 6:33). For this long journey,
we need the baptism in the Holy Spirit to be prepared!

1. To Be Filled With the Holy Spirit Is Part of Christ’s Greatest Commission.

When a salesman knows that his product is the absolute best thing on the market,
he has confidence in his voice and method of selling his product. The baptism in
the Holy Spirit is our “guarantee” that what we have is the absolute best way of
salvation for all people (Eph. 1:13, 14; 1 Jn. 3:24). Being filled with the Holy Spirit
will give confidence to your witnessing, a certainty in your voice and manner, that
only comes from knowing more about Jesus than simple history or religious
education can reveal. The Holy Spirit baptism gives you knowledge about Jesus that
convinces you who he is, so that you can convince unbelievers of who he is.

The very hour that you need to speak of your faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit will
miraculously give you the right words to say, guaranteed (Jn. 14:26; 16:12-14; Lk.
12:12)! For this, the only requirements are being filled with the Holy Spirit and
obeying the Great Commission. Jesus wants all of his followers to be baptized in
the Holy Spirit, as a part of fulfilling his command to witness the gospel to all people.
Look at Mark 16:17 and Acts 1:5, 8.

2. The Holy Spirit Baptism Gives Believers Knowledge of Christ’s Spirit and
Power.
Anyone who loves Jesus will love to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit
that came in the form of a dove at his water baptism is the Spirit in which Jesus
baptizes his followers (Jn. 1:32, 33). Knowing Christ’s compassion for the lost, for
the sick, for the bruised in spirit, are part of the Holy Spirit baptism that God
ordained for all believers to have (Jn. 7:37, 38; 16:14; Acts 2:38, 39).

Jesus said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit
and in truth” (Jn. 4:24). Knowledge about Jesus, obtained through spiritual means
from God’s Spirit to your spirit, is what the baptism in the Holy Spirit is intended to
give to you. The Spirit was given “without measure” to Jesus (Jn. 3:34), and he
wants to share the knowledge of who he really is with all who believe on him (Jn.
14:26; 15:26). This can only be done through the Holy Spirit to the spirit of the
believer, from Spirit to spirit (1 Co. 2:10-14).

Miracles are associated with those who will carry the gospel. If the Holy Spirit is
present with God’s people, then we should expect him to act in a way consistent
with God’s purposes and for Christ’s glory. Significantly, Mark associates the
miraculous with world evangelization. “As they went everywhere telling about
Jesus, He confirmed their witnessing with miracles” (Mk. 16:20 paraphrased).
Knowing the miracle-working power of Jesus is also a part of the work of the Holy
Spirit baptism in the believer’s life.

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C. How Can We Organize The Believers In Our Churches To Be Soul
Winners?
Have you noticed that young children enjoy helping to do small jobs around the
home, but when they get older and are required to do similar jobs, they do not enjoy
helping anymore? Watching small children carry a tiny metal bowl of water on their
heads as they follow their older family members home, seems almost laughable.
That tiny bowl of water is not going to amount to anything, if indeed any of the water
actually makes it to the house without being spilled. But the small children are being
trained to carry water, beginning with what they can carry; so that in a few years
they can carry large quantities of water without spilling it.

Newly born-again believers are like young children in the things of the Lord, and
should be trained while they are eager to help and learn, beginning with what they
can carry. It is true that young believers take more of your time to watch, just as
small children must be watched closely at home; but once they are trained, their
service to God will be very rewarding.

1. Place Every Believer into Immediate Service for Their Lord.

Starting a new church, the pastor is not just the preacher but often must do
everything: song leader, Sunday school teacher, visitation committee chairman (his
wife being the other committee member), janitor, building committee chairman (his
wife being the treasurer), marriage counselor, etc. As soon as new believers are
born into the church, they should be given small tasks, which they can be trained to
do by the pastor (who is the chairman of all activities in the church) and elder
brothers and sisters of the church.

You can be a great man of God and still be wrong about not training workers, as
Moses was wrong. His congregation was about two million people, and he was
trying to judge every problem himself. Maybe he thought that he was the only one
who could do the work correctly. None of his congregation had ever been allowed
to do any ministry work, except Aaron. So, he spent every day and night hearing all
of the problems and needs of his congregation, by himself. His father-in-law, Jethro,
had enough courage, compassion, and common sense to say to Moses, “What you
are doing is wrong. You cannot do all of this work by yourself. Give your work to
people who are not covetous, who are truthful and God-fearing, placing them over
others that can do the smaller jobs. Anything that is too hard for them they can bring
to you” (Ex. 18:17-23 paraphrased). It worked for Moses, and it will work for you!

The apostles refused to do things in the church, which they could appoint others to
do (Ac. 6:1-3). They appointed people filled with the Holy Spirit, as they were, to
take care of all other business, while they focused on praying and preaching,
fulfilling Jesus’ greatest commission. It worked for the apostles, and it will work for
you!

I cannot stress enough the importance of seeing your members as an extension of

your own ministry. They are the keys to increasing your hours of potential service.
The world’s needs are going to be met by a revived clergy and laity all working
together for the evangelization of the world. It is working for the pastor of the
world’s largest church, and it will work for you! Placing every believer into

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immediate service for their Lord sets in place a broad foundation on which each
local church can organize its born-again / Spirit-filled people to be soul winners,
fulfilling the Great Commission.

2. Train Every Believer To Be Soul Winners By Using Positive Reinforcement.

In Niger, W. Africa the Muslim teachers sit under shade trees teaching the Koran
with a whip of some kind in their hands. Their young students are slapped with the
whip if they make any mistakes or if they do something that the teacher does not
like. This is negative reinforcement.

My wife and family began having Christian services for Muslim children, and they
reward the children with praise for doing what is right, in front of all the other
children. Wrong doers are not praised. This is positive reinforcement. Sometimes
the Muslim parents beat their children for coming to our church services, but the
children still come back until their parents grow tired of beating them! Why would
children be willing to be beaten in order to go to church? The answer can be found
in the positive reinforcement that the children are given for things well done.

It has been my experience over these many years that with proper training, lay
people become our most effective resource in evangelism. How do I train my lay
people?
Step 1. Teach them how important they are to the church.
Step 2. Motivate them.
Step 3. Recognize them.
Step 4. Praise them. Positive reinforcement will work.
Do we believe the statement in 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 that says, “All scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
furnished unto all good works?”

Why did some of the apostles make such a detailed effort to praise each believer
who had done things large or small for them, using positive reinforcement? The
answer is that these examples are a part of our “instruction in righteousness,”
teaching us how to do what is right in order to help us fulfill the Great Commission.
Some New Testament examples of positive reinforcement statements are found in
Romans 16:1-15, 21-23.

II. INSIGHTS IN WINNING CONVERTS CROSS-CULTURALLY BY TRAVELERS

A. How Did Islam Gain Converts Cross-culturally in Africa Through Muslim

Businessmen?
A teacher of history once told me, “Before you can understand the present, you
must study the past.” Using a personal example, this simply means that the way
you are now can only be understood by what has happened to you in your past.
There is also a reason why each nation / ethnic group of the world is the way it is
(religiously, economically, politically, morally, etc.), and the reason can be
understood by studying that nation/ethnic group’s history.
1. Muslim Traders Carried Their Religion with Them, Teaching about Islam in
Their Spare Time.
Traders have to travel to the place they want to do business, and then return with

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the exchanged items to sell to their own people. Ships have sailed on the oceans
for centuries, carrying traders to and from the coastal areas of Africa. “Towards the
end of the Roman period occurs an event which completely transformed the life of
North Africa and the Sahara. This was the arrival of the camel . . . only becoming
numerous in the fourth century A. D.”1 Caravans of these camels, called “ships of
the desert,” pioneered new routes for traders to enter the heart of sub-Saharan
Africa.

“Accounts given by Arabic writers make it clear that Islam made its first appearance
through the operations of traders who formed settlements in the commercial centers
where they exchanged manufactured goods. The primary Islamization of the (West
Africans) is almost entirely the work of Berber merchants.”2 As they worked, they
practiced their religion, seeking and succeeding in making converts to Islam.

In order to work with the people, cross-cultural communication had to take place.
The Hausa language of West Africa and the Swahili language of East Africa are
languages mixed with Arabic. They were used for cross-cultural communication for
the purpose of business or trade.3 Now, these languages are the primary
languages of some African ethnic groups; and are spoken by millions of people as
their second languages.

Business was their first objective, but in their spare time Muslim traders practiced
their religion and made converts to Islam wherever they worked. Cross-cultural
communication was not a casual consideration; if they wanted to succeed in their
business, they had to communicate cross-culturally.

2. As Their Business Demanded, Muslim Traders Lived Among the People.

Every church experiences a loss when some of their people have to move, for
business reasons, to another area or country. Moving for the sake of making a
living is a common experience for people all over the world today, and throughout
history (Gen. 13:5-12; 46:5-7).

“The East Africa coast, forested and with numerous trading cities, is culturally
heterogeneous. Arabs, Persians, and many ethnic groups from South Asia settled
here. Most people in the small towns and trading centers throughout the region
claim to be Muslim.”4
As Muslim traders moved to new areas, some did double work, by being religious
teachers as well as merchants. 5 They lived among the people, doing their trading
and teaching their beliefs. This method of living, working, and teaching among the
people brought thousands of Africans to become converts to Islam.

1A History Of Islam In West Africa by J. Spencer Trimingham. Oxford University

Press, Oxford-New York. 1962, pg. 15.
2Ibid. pg. 25, 20.
3Muslim Peoples A World Ethnographic Survey by Richard V. Weekes. Greenwood
Press, Westport, CN-London. 1978. pgs. 472-473.
4Ibid. pg. xix, 70.
5Ibid. pg. 491.

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B. How Are African Christian Businessmen / Travelers Winning Converts in
Many Nations Today?
When traveling through many different international airports of the world, it is very
likely that an African businessman or student will be there. Despite all of the African
continent’s economic problems, Africans are international travelers.

In general, African cultures teach respect for others (especially to elders or persons
of authority), friendliness (ex. daily greetings mean more than conserving time by
not greeting people), and belief in supernatural power (animist, Muslim, or
Christian). These cultural qualities can be used by the Holy Spirit to make African
believers some of God’s most choice cross-cultural servants on earth!

1. African Christian Businessmen and Students are Witnessing about Christ

as They Travel.
African Christians are quick to believe that God is guiding them in their business,
travels, university studies, and other major events of their lives. They believe that
what they are doing, whether it be going on a business trip or furthering their
education at a university in Russia, has a divine purpose. As born-again, Spirit-filled
believers, they are ready to obey the Great Commission wherever they go. Trained
and encouraged, they are Jesus’ chosen witnesses.

Every businessman or student who travels often will have to learn how to
communicate cross-culturally, in order to succeed in his or her business or studies.
Communicating cross-culturally should not be a casual consideration. The believer
must succeed in winning souls to Christ cross-culturally, even more so than the
businessman or student in his work.

“No country is closed to a loving God. Years ago, when Western missionaries were
denied access to the Soviet Union, African believers traveled to the USSR and the
Eastern bloc. How? They went for college. While studying, they spread news of
the gospel. Gradually they came as teachers, as engineers, as students, as
business people. These believers naturally had opportunities to speak about their
faith.”6 African Christians have been and are witnessing about Christ as they travel.
If the African Church will encourage training for their world travelers, which includes
reporting about the people to whom they witness, the Church can reach out to other
nations now to help establish new believers. (Some specific reporting methods will
be given in section III.)

2. As Their Business Demands, African Christians Live among the People,

Starting Churches.
As the gospel spread rapidly in southern Nigeria, the Assemblies of God Church of
Nigeria began to look to the unevangelized northern Muslim states. Going to the
most populated cities first, after finding some of their Christian businessmen from
the south, they would begin church services in their homes. Often, pastors were not
available and the believers would have to hold Bible studies and prayer services by
themselves until a pastor could be sent to them.

6Penetrating
Missions’ Final Frontier by Tetsunao Yamamori. Intervarsity Press,
Downers Grove, IL. 1993. pg.12.

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Most of these Christian business people had already learned how to communicate
cross-culturally due to the demands of their daily business. This assisted the
spreading of the gospel. As the congregation grew, they would either rent or buy
property with a house on it, so they could use it to have church services
immediately. This church would become the central church, from which other
churches would be started in the city, often in the house of another Christian
businessman who lived in the new area. “In countries where the founding of
churches is initially both a dangerous and an unrealistic goal, (Christian
businessmen) will have to think in terms of far more humble worship forms, such as
regular meetings in homes.”7

This system of beginning services in the homes of Christian business people was
recorded and encouraged by positive reinforcement in many New Testament
churches from Jerusalem to Rome (Ac. 20:20; Ro. 16:23; 1 Co. 16:19; Co. 4:15;
Phl. 2). Starting churches in new areas has been done in the homes of Christian
business people from the beginning of the Church, and is being done by Christian
African business people who live among the people today. If local church leaders
will encourage and help their believers who travel and do business in other areas to
start worship services in their homes, there will be many new churches started
through this New Testament method of pioneer church planting.

C. Why Should African Christians Remain Focused on Fulfilling the Great

Commission?
Those who do not want the gospel to be preached to Africans have often called
Christianity the white man’s religion. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Philip
led the first African, an Ethiopian government treasurer, to Christ in Acts 8:26-39.
This newly baptized believer returned to Ethiopia with his copy of the scroll of Isaiah,
rejoicing in the knowledge that (in chapter 53) Jesus was the one who died for our
sins!

“About 185 A.D. a catechetical school to instruct converts from paganism to

Christianity was opened in Alexandria. De Principiis 230 AD is the first Christian
treatise of systematic theology.”8 This Egyptian city was the center of Christian
teaching for North Africa for more than fifty years; and also was home of one of the
Roman government’s largest public libraries.

Another Christian school in Carthage in 215 AD, was “the first to state the
theological doctrine of the Trinity and to make use of that term to describe that
doctrine.”9 This Tunisian school operated in North Africa for more than 100 years.

1. Focusing on Lesser Goals Silenced the Gospel in Africa for Centuries.

Since the first teaching on systematic theology and doctrine of the Trinity came from
North African Christians, why was most of Africa unreached by the gospel until very
recent times? “The North African Church died rather than was eliminated by Islam,

7Ibid. pg. 101.

8ChristianityThrough The Centuries by Earle E. Cairns. Zondervan Pub. House,
Grand Rapids. 1996. pgs. 108, 110.
9Ibid. pg. 110.

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since it had never rooted itself in the life of the country . . . special taxation imposed
on Christians encouraged change. The primary reasons for their rapid conversion
were the less obvious ones deriving from weaknesses within the Christian
communities. Among these were Christianity’s failure to claim the Berber soul and
its bitter sectarian divisions. The organized life of the church disintegrated and
could not hold its adherents against the stimulating effect of the new and vigorous
Islam.”10

Because of the wrong focus of the church, by looking inward to improve itself, it
failed to reach the lost souls of the peoples of Africa, ignoring the greatest
commission of Christ, and thus causing its own untimely death! To be serious about
your religious belief does not mean those beliefs are correct. In Romans 10:2-3,
Paul acknowledged the zeal of the Jews for God, but said their zeal was focused on
ignorance and self-righteousness.

Instead of placing their zeal in the Great Commission of Christ, the North African
Christians chose to FOCUS on perfecting their doctrines and improving their
relations with the government and general public!

For more than a thousand years, the gospel was silenced on the African continent
because of the failure of the Christian church to go to ALL of Africa, when it had the
opportunity, five hundred years before Islam began! The Church failed Christ who
commissioned her, the souls of their own generation, and the millions of souls who
would be left in their sins for a millennium!

If the church expects to give all peoples of the earth the opportunity to accept Jesus
as their Savior, it must accept winning lost souls as its primary goal and reason for
existence. May we never lose our focus on the Great Commission of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ, who is now at the right hand of God to make intercession for
us. We must obey his greatest commission to minister his good news of salvation to
all the people of the world.

2. Doing What Jesus Commissioned Us to Do Brings Salvation, Healing, and

Truth to All.
Recently, a Christian missionary who had worked seventeen years in Africa using
agriculture and famine relief as his ministry, told me that without preaching the
gospel to people, he was only helping them to increase their wickedness by helping
them to have more money to gamble, or to buy another wife!

Should the church focus its attention on the social needs of our people, to show
them the love of God, or should it focus its attention on preaching the gospel? The
New Testament church expected and did BOTH at the same time! They understood
obeying the greatest commission as including the whole person (body, soul, and
spirit). Actually, the Church was the foundation of social help to its BELIEVERS:
widows, famine relief, clothing for the poor, healing the sick, etc., and expected its
followers to do good social works (Ac. 2:44-46; 6:1-7; 9:36; 1 Co. 16:1-3; 1 Ti. 5:10;
Tit. 3:8; Jas. 2:13-17).

10A History Of Islam In West Africa by J. Spencer Trimingham. Oxford University

Press, Oxford-New York. 1962. pg. 17.

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Why did God kill Ananias and his wife Sapphira for lying to the Holy Spirit about the
amount of money they were giving to help needy believers (Ac. 5:1-11)? Ananias
and Sapphira were trying to change the gospel of Christ into a self-serving gospel!
GOD clearly CONDEMNED any SELF-SERVING MOTIVES, as we should.

Our reason for giving to the needy believers should be for the sake of the gospel,
which they have accepted. They are ONE with us in the family of God. “How can
we claim that the love of God lives in us when we refuse to be compassionate
towards our own brothers and sisters in Christ? ” (1 Jn. 3:17 paraphrased) Jesus fed
thousands of people because they had followed him into the wilderness. They did
not want to miss any of his teaching (they had houses, food, and money), but he did
not want them to faint from hunger while returning to their homes (Mt.14:15; Mk.
8:2,3). Feeding all of the physically hungry people of the earth is NOT the
commission of Christ. Feeding people that are so hungry and thirsty for
righteousness, that they will leave their homes and food, fasting three days and
nights to hear the gospel, is part of the commission of Christ (Mt. 5:6; Jas. 2:15)!

All of those whom Jesus physically healed were brought to him. Family or friends
brought the person or request; they personally sought for Jesus, after which Jesus
would heal them (Mt. 4:24; Lk. 7:2-7). After we give people the opportunity to
believe in Christ, and as long as they refuse to do so, we have no obligation to them
in the greatest commission. The Great Commission of each believer is to lead all
peoples of the earth to Jesus. Once we have led them to him it is their decision (not
ours) to either go closer to him or walk away. Even Jesus would not stop the young
rich man from walking away (Mt. 19:22). But for “...those who seek him, there is no
way he will push them away” (Jn. 6:37 paraphrased).

Doing what Jesus commissioned us to do brings spiritual and social change, healing
to the body and spirit, and truth about right and wrong to ALL of those to whom the
church witnesses, who accept the gospel of Christ. “As believers have the
opportunity, please do good unto all people, but especially do good to those of your
own household of faith in Christ” (Gal. 6:10 paraphrased). Our good works should
be focused around doing the Great Commission, using every opportunity to show
the love of God through Christ to unbelievers in order to draw them to Him, and
(especially after they have been born again) to show the love of God to our brothers
and sisters in the Lord.

Summary
Looking back at why we are the way we are is wrong when we use it as an excuse
not to serve Christ (Lk. 9:61, 62). Looking back at why we are the way we are is
right when we use it as a reminder to repent and serve Christ today (Ac. 7:1-53).

God has blessed African believers with cross-cultural insights that make them able
to quickly adapt to a new culture for the purpose of winning souls to Christ. Trained
and encouraged by their local churches, these believers are capable of helping to
start and grow new churches cross-culturally. Losing our focus on the greatest
commission of Christ leads to the death of the Church and all those around them.
Keeping our focus on Jesus’ greatest commission leads the Church to be the center
of salvation, healing, and truth to all those that accept Jesus’ message and to the

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society around them.

III. FORMING WORSHIP GROUPS AND CHURCHES FOR NEW BELIEVERS

A. How Can You Extend Your Ministry to Other Peoples of the World on a
Limited Budget?
Lack of money is always one of the reasons why Christians say they cannot win the
world to Christ. “If we only had the money, we could do this or even this!” “But
seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall
be added unto you” (Mt. 6:33). The things Jesus promised would be given to us
were ALL of the physical, material necessities of life, those things that all
unbelieving people of the earth seek after first.

Jesus asked us to reverse our priorities, and seek for his kingdom first. Then, as a
gift, he will give us all we need! Not, “Do we have enough money to begin
witnessing for Jesus”? Instead, “How many believers do we have so that we can
begin witnessing for Jesus, trusting him to supply all of our needs, showing God that
his kingdom is first in our lives?”

1. Use the Believers in Your Church Who Travel to New Areas, As Your
Volunteers for Worship Group/Church Planting.
How can you extend your ministry, as Jesus commissioned you to do, to other
peoples of the world (across town or the world) on your limited budget? Use
volunteers! The names listed at the end of Section One of this course as examples
of positive reinforcement, were all names of New Testament volunteers. The New
Testament churches were built mostly with volunteers.

Before approving of any volunteers, you need to teach them biblical principles of
seeking God’s kingdom first in their lives. They should know that you believe in
these principles, and will be trusting God with them, as they extend the ministry of
your local church. Here are some basic principles to encourage your volunteers:
• Jesus gave this principle: “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure,
pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your
bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to
you again.” (Lk. 6:38)
• Paul gave a similar principle: “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also
sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” (2 Co.
9:6)
• It is “impossible for God to lie” (Heb. 6:18). The Lord said, “God is not a man,
that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said,
and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Nu.
23:19) God will not lie, he will keep his promises when we do as he said by
giving to, sowing for, seeking his kingdom FIRST. God will provide for all of our
needs! “God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ
Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19)
• As we begin seeking for his kingdom first, God will give us the finances and all
physical material needs in order to continue working for him. Work for him first,
then get paid by him. Working is the correct way to have our needs met by the
Lord. The mathematical reward for seeking his kingdom first in our lives is: 100
X (whatever you give NOW) + eternal life afterwards = Jesus’ gift to those

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 believers who seek for God’s kingdom first in their lives!
(This list is far from exhaustive and may be added to with your own study of biblical
principles.)

Following these principles will eliminate the Demas(es) who attend church, but who
still love the things of this world more than they love God or God’s kingdom (2 Ti.
4:10).

Use positive reinforcement to encourage your volunteers in front of the whole

church. Look again at the many biblical examples of how New Testament
volunteers were praised (for all in the churches to see) for their good deeds, big or
small, mentioned in Romans 1 to 3 John. Thanking your volunteers in front of all in
the church will encourage others in the church to become volunteers for the sake of
the gospel. As others see the blessing of God on the lives of your first volunteers,
they will want to be your new appointed volunteers also. The Great Commission
work force will grow.

2. Set Up Volunteer Ministry Extension Leaders in the Parent Church to Be

Co-laborers with Your Travelers.
Creating an elite group of volunteer witnesses for Jesus in the local church can
cause problems of jealousy. Give the “coat of many colors” to all believers who
want to work for God, whether they stay home or travel abroad to do their work
(Gen. 37:3). Without intending any harm, we can discourage good brothers and
sisters in the Lord who cannot travel if we do not allow them the equal opportunity to
serve their Lord at home.

Set up volunteer ministry extension leaders in the parent church to be co-laborers

with your traveling believers. These leaders are those who cannot travel, for various
reasons, but want to serve as home volunteers. Home volunteers should be trained
and appointed equally with those who travel. Their work will be to help in praying,
counseling, and assisting in any way possible those who travel; and they can also
help with local outreach witnessing in the town. Equally encourage the home
volunteers with positive reinforcement for their service to the Lord. This will help
build a strong home support base for your extension ministry.

B. How Can You Practically Minister to Different Peoples, Who Live Far From
Your Local Church?
The very fact of the letters to the New Testament churches shows that ministry to
different peoples who live far from us can be done. These were all hand written
letters: no typewriters, computers, E-mail, fax machines, airmail letter service,
cameras, or telephones.

1. Using Believers Who Travel, Bring Information About the Peoples in the
New Worship Groups/Churches Back to the Parent Church for the Whole
Local Church Family to Adopt as Their Children.
Parents with children have the responsibility to help their children until the children
grow up and can support themselves and their own children. Adopting new
believers will help them mature so that they can train their own Christian family of
believers. What a wonderful privilege for the Christian traveler to say, “In Christ
Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel” (1 Co. 4:15). A born-again child now

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has a Christian family who will adopt him and help him to grow in the Lord.
In order to minister to peoples far away, the parent church needs information about
the new peoples to whom they are ministering. Their traveling believers must
collect this information. Here is an example of an information list that you can add
to:
• the full name of the new person to whom the traveling believer is witnessing
• the complete street address, with detailed instructions on how to get to the
house (this is in case a different traveling believer has the opportunity to visit the
person in the future)
• postal box number (if none, a friend’s, stating the spiritual condition of the friend
clearly, so that any remarks can be stated carefully if the friend is against
Christians)
• telephone, fax, E-mail numbers (if none, same as postal box of a friend above)
• record of spiritual growth (ex. no decision for Christ yet/born-again/filled with the
Spirit)
• record of prayer requests (ex. healing/deliverance from drugs/seeking a
Christian spouse)
• record of prayers answered (ex. healed of.../delivered from drugs/engaged to a
believer)
• list of personal goals (ex. desires to be a preacher/loves farming/wants to play
football)
• special notes (anything about the new person that will be helpful for the parent
church to know)

This information helps the parent church to adopt these new peoples, to pray for
them regularly, and to accept them as their children in the Lord. They are an
extension of the parent congregation, and getting acquainted with them is vital. The
home volunteer ministry extension leaders of the local church should be in charge of
encouraging the adoption of the new peoples to the parent church congregation.
The believers in the parent church will be contacting them, encouraging them, and
praying for them in every way possible. Home volunteer extension leaders should
review all contacts being made to new peoples to make sure it is done in love and
wisdom.

Accepting new believers and loving them as members of our family is a new
commandment given to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: “A new
commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that
ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye
have love one to another” (Jn. 13:34, 35). Giving help to our brothers in Christ is
honoring the One who died for them. “Ye have done it unto one of the least of these
my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Mt. 25:31-40). Getting our local believers to
personally adopt, pray for, and communicate with new converts who are an
extension of their church is helping someone for whom Christ died.

2. Using Appropriate Counseling, Christian Literature and Personalized

Training, Prepare New Believers (Via Extension) to Assume Ministry in Their
New Worship Groups and Churches.
Helping new peoples to believe in Jesus by counseling them, giving them Christian
literature, and providing personalized training in order to prepare them to assume
ministry in their worship groups and churches, is part of the gospel Jesus

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commissioned us to do. We should not expect any new believer to be able to lead a
worship group or new church until they have been trained: “Not a novice . . . ” (1 Ti.
3:6). Everyone’s academic education begins at a beginner’s level. This is where
each new believer must begin also with the help of his or her spiritual parents.

From the information brought back to the parent church by the traveling believers,
careful consideration should be given (by the home volunteer extension leaders,
and those adopting this person) on how to help this new believer to be trained for
Christian service. To begin with, the adopting parents of the new believer should
provide simple literature, cassettes, etc., for the newborn. The International
Correspondence Institute has many good pamphlets and books for new Christians
in several languages such as, “The Great Questions Of Life” or “Your New Life”.
Some of these booklets are free, others are not very expensive; but all of them are
helpful for the spiritual growth of new believers. Volunteers should have copies of
these books, and be ready to make them available to the new contacts of their
traveling believers.

The International Correspondence Institute has Bible courses from beginner’s level
to university degree. If the new believers are planning on marriage, “Marriage and
the Home”, will help them to establish a Christian home. If they would like to lead
the new worship group, “Prayer and Worship” will help them. If they want to become
a minister of the gospel, there are full degree programs in which they could enroll
directly and complete by correspondence from their homes.

Personal contact of the traveling volunteer or letters and cassettes from the
adopting parents is very important. As parents give a living example to their
children, so the new believer needs a living example of how to walk with Christ.
Questions about life need to be answered by someone they respect for their
Christian faith, their spiritual parents.

As a special need for personalized training presents itself, the adopting parents with
their adopted believer can work out the details of what is needed. With Christian
love binding them together, they will see their spiritual children mature into adult
Christian believers.

Paul made three missionary journeys, visiting the churches he helped to start. It
would be good for the parent church pastor, or home extension leaders, or someone
appointed to represent them, to make a visit to the new believers they have adopted
in Christ as their own children. This visit will last in their memories, as Paul’s visits
did to the believers of the churches that he helped to start.

Summary
Working for Jesus is not like any job on earth. It is a lifelong commitment, for which
we will be given physical and eternal rewards! “Ye have not chosen me, but I have
chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your
fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may
give it you” (Jn. 15:16). As we go, winning souls to Jesus, those souls will be
established, and whatever we ask of God in the name of Jesus, God will give to us!

Why will God give us whatever we ask of him? The answer is because we have first

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gone and won souls to Jesus. As a reward for service rendered, he will give us
whatever we ask. “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep
his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (1 Jn. 3:22).

Using church approved volunteers (travelers and home volunteers), new worship
groups and churches can be established wherever traveling believers regularly go,
as an extension of our local church, even on a limited budget.

By adopting new believers, the members of the parent church can use information
brought back to them by their appointed travelers. With this assistance the new
believers can be trained, established, and matured as leaders of their own worship
groups and churches.

New Testament style missions endeavors worked for the apostles. With the
same power of the Holy Spirit, similar missions endeavors will work for all believers
today. With a holy determination to go and make disciples of all nations and our
Lord working in us with miracles following our faith, God will plant his church among
all the peoples of the earth!

We know the end of the story; there will be born again believers “Out of every
kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Rev. 5:9). Let’s be a part of this last
day harvest!

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 Chapter 12
BETWEEN TWO WORLDS: MERGING WESTERN LEADERSHIP
METHODS WITH TRADITIONAL SOCIETAL VALUES
Bill Kirsch

Description
This chapter will teach the missionary how to blend Western leadership methods
with traditional approaches. The Bible will be used as a guide for the validity of
each method.

Objectives
This chapter aims to facilitate the blending of current leadership models with
traditional methods. Gleaning the best from both worlds, the learner will be
encouraged to maximize the potential for his/her area of ministry through the
adaptation and integration of the methods discussed. The overall goal is to respect
both African and Western approaches, taking what is scriptural from each and
combining them to facilitate advances for missions in Africa in the 21st century.
At the completion of the chapter, the student should have an understanding of how
to integrate Western and traditional approaches of leadership. The student will gain
an understanding of how to better lead God’s people for maximum benefit to the
kingdom of God.

Let’s pray that God will guide us in this course

• We are your servants
• You have called us to lead your Church
• We want to do our very best for you
• Help us as we look at how we lead your Church. We want to be good stewards
of what is entrusted to us.
• We open ourselves to the searchlight of your Spirit
• Convict us of any areas in which we have been negligent
• Show us from your Word, your principles of how to lead your people
• Help us to be obedient to your Word and the prompting of the Holy Spirit

Introduction
Believing that we are living in the last days, time is short to complete the Great
Commission Christ gave to the Church. It is imperative that every worker in the
Kingdom of God makes the most of the time available to bring in the harvest. This
course is designed to challenge students to evaluate the leadership methods they
are using to achieve their goals in ministry. Without a plan of action, one might
wander aimlessly, only haphazardly achieving the goal of reaping souls for the
Kingdom. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” (Illustrations: Building in downtown
Lilongwe – 8 years – auctioned off – still sitting unfinished. Lk. 14:28-30: Man who
built a tower – not able to complete it.)

By looking at the biblical methods of leadership others have employed, both in

Africa and in the West, we can benefit from their effective leadership by applying
principles they have used to our own life and ministry. By employing proven
scriptural principles, the leader can identify potential and guide ordinary people to
achieve the extraordinary.

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The Bible is truth. Any other truth will fit with God’s Word. I say this because we will
look at secular models of leadership to see if there is any truth there for us.
Everything that has ever been achieved of value has happened because there has
been a person who has taken the role as leader and visionary to bring it into being.
Some people are natural born leaders. Others have trained themselves to be
leaders. Anyone can learn to be a better leader. Someone has aptly said, “If you
think you are a leader and you turn around and no one is following, you are really
just taking a walk.” To be a leader you have to be in front and you have to have a
following. (Illustration: Get a string and have someone try to push it.) Some people
try to lead from behind the lines, but that is about as effective as trying to push a
string.

In this chapter we will talk about traditional and Western leadership styles. We want
to take a deep look at our leadership style and method and determine if we are
leading effectively.

Why do we want to talk about merging Western leadership methods with traditional
values? Global village: The world is getting smaller, with the result that cultural
norms are mixing and becoming less distinct. We will see that there are many
valuable similarities between African and Western approaches as well as areas of
dissimilarity. We can learn from both.

I. ONE WORLD…TWO VIEWS

A. Comparison of African/Eastern with Western Leadership Dynamics.

1. Eastern/African (People/event centered) Task/goal secondary
a. Autocratic – traditional, or group centered
“In a chicken pen, no two roosters rule”
Eastern/African approach will listen to all, then lay down the law. Consensus
will be sought, and then rule based on what the group was saying. Listening
to consensus is the key. Once a decision is made, “we don’t listen to the
opposite view.”
b. Aristocratic: Leadership determined by family line.
Similar to the leadership style above, but family determines leadership rather
than popularity or consensus.
c. Examples:
Revered in African culture are those who led their countries out from under
European domination. Characteristics of these are traits such as:
• Charismatic: They could excite a crowd and naturally draw people to
respond.
• Authoritarian: They were in control and commanded respect. They did
not tolerate opposition.
• Empathetic: They endeared the public by listening to them and
understanding the times and seasons.
Names:
• Zik: Nigeria’s first president or governor general
• Abubaker Tafawa Balewa: Golden voice of Africa – 1st prime minister of
Nigeria
• Mandella – Influence
• Nkwame Nkrumah – Ghana

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 • Seghor – Senegal
These men sought to keep African traditions. They commanded respect because
they were people of integrity, selfless – no graft or hoarding of money. They simply
wanted the best for their country. They had boldness to approach their colonial
masters to gain independence.

Generally: The event is important, the task is secondary. People-centered rather

than task-centered.

2. Western (Task/goal centered): People are secondary

“Time is Money” – the west is impatient
“Task is Primary” – Task or goal centered
Climb to the top on the backs of those in front of you.

B. Differences in National Values

“International Resources” did research on the collective values of Western (USA)
and eastern countries.1 The major differences are listed below:
USA Indirect/implicate communication style
Time is to be controlled Planning and preparing emphasis
Emphasis on change
Individualism
Personal privacy
Informality
Individual Competition
Equality/ egalitarianism
Short-term emphasis
Work emphasis (live to
work)
Task emphasis
Direct/explicit
communication style
Action bias or emphasis

Other Eastern Countries

Time is fluid, malleable
Emphasis on tradition
and continuity
Group orientation
Openness, accessibility
Formality
Cooperation
Hierarchy/authority
Long-term emphasis
Leisure plus work
emphasis (work to live)
People emphasis

1
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Leadership: Andrew J. DeBrin, Alpha Books, Pg. 114-115.

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Not all these will apply to every person or culture. They are neither right nor wrong;
they just express our cultural differences. You may ask, “But why do these cultures
see things so differently?” Different cultures, through the years develop different
ways of looking at life. They look at the same thing but from a different perspective

In the past 30 to 50 years (and especially the past 20) leadership has become an
area of intense study in the West and especially North America. Much study has
been done to evaluate “what makes a great leader.” What qualities and
characteristics contribute to an individual that will cause that person to achieve
something great?

Over time, the focus has shifted in the West. The concept of a good leader used to
be one of a person who is the “boss,” and is able to take the proverbial “bull by the
horns” and make the tough decisions. Today secular writers (and Christian authors
who have also recently begun to write about leadership) tell us that an effective
leader is one who carries a strong vision for a worthy goal and has people skills to
motivate others to work for the cause. If you were to put it into one word, it would be
“influence.” The leader uses influence to draw followers into the vision and to put
them to the task of achieving it.

You can see a bit of this shift in thinking on leadership right here among us. A few
years back, each Missionary Fellowship in Africa had a field chairman who was the
leader of the missionary team on that particular field. Today we call them the field
moderator. Why? This is a shift from one person who “calls the shots” to a leader
of a team who are all working together to carry out a vision.

A few years ago, Steven Covey wrote a book that shot to the top of the New York
Times best seller list. It was called “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” In it
he outlines the characteristics he believes people need to have in order to be
effective in whatever they plan to do. This is a secular book (even though Covey is
a Mormon). Mormons do read the Bible; they just get it all mixed up because they
also read the book of Mormon.

I want to look at these 7 habits from a secular leadership angle. Later, as we look at
the leadership style and methods of the greatest leader who ever lived, we will see
how much of what we discover to be truth here will be backed up with the ultimate
truth of God’s Word.

The first three habits Covey lists under the category of Private Victory. We must
first get ourselves right before we can lead others aright.

Habit 1: Be Proactive
This can be said another way: “Don’t just let things happen the way they will
happen, but cause things to happen the way you want them to happen.” (Note:
These 7 habits are written from a Western cultural perspective, but we will see how
great leaders here in Africa were already doing much of this long before Covey ever
wrote his book.)

Think for a minute of the great leaders you have known or heard about from your
country. Some leaders lead for good, others for evil. I think you will find they were
proactive. They did not “fall” into a position of leadership, power, and influence.

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They made it happen. They had a vision, a dream of how they wanted things to be,
and they went for it. (My culture: Martin Luther King – “I have a dream,” and
Abraham Lincoln: “Four Score and seven years ago.”)
Pause – Ask: Can you think of some names?

We need to understand that we can have a God-given vision of what we desire for
God to accomplish through us, but we must be proactive about it. We need to move
forward to see it accomplished. It will not happen by itself.

Dare to go forward: “Courage is the mark of greatness in leadership”

Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind

This step separates the leaders from the managers. A manager does things right, a
leader does the right things. This does not mean that managing is wrong. We
should all do things right. But the leader will first determine what the right thing is.

We need to begin with the right end in mind. Do all the effort, time and energy we
will put into this project give us what we really want in the end?

Again, we can look at great African leaders and see how they did this. They saw a
future that they wanted to bring into being and they strove for that end from the
beginning.

It is sometimes human nature to leap before you look. We sometimes act first and
ask questions later. I am sure the leaders could share about projects that have
been begun by missionaries at the cost of much time, energy, and expense, with
little to show for it in the end. Good leaders are strategic thinkers. They can see the
“big picture” and direct things to the desired end.

Beginning with the end in mind means you decide on your major definite purpose in
life and then organize all your activities around it. There is a law of “excluded
alternatives” that says, “doing one thing means not doing something else.” We must
always ask: does doing this fit with the purpose and vision I have set for myself?
Setting priorities means setting posteriorities as well. What should you be doing
less of?

Someone has aptly said, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get
you there.” Beginning with the end in mind means placing no limits on what you can
do. Try some “back from the future thinking.” Project yourself forward 5 years to
where you want to be then look back to see how you got there. The best way to
predict the future is to create it.

Habit 3: Put first things first

This is the management part of leadership. It does little good to have a vision – an
end that you desire to accomplish – if you do not have a plan of implementation.
How will you achieve your vision? This is the tyranny of the urgent versus the
important.

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We deal with this every day of our lives. (Illustration: Preparing for this class. – I
had set aside several days to further prepare for this class – the important – but the
urgent kept calling for my attention. -- Flat tire at the airport caused me to get stuck
in traffic, toilets at house were clogged, computer motherboard went out, friend
phoned to ask if I could help move some furniture, child to doctor – some urgent
matters can be left, others cannot.)

Covey offers a time management matrix to help.

URGENT AND IMPORTANT NOT URGENT, BUT IMPORTANT

1. Activities: 2. Activities:
Crises; pressing problems; deadline Prevention; relationship building; prayer;
driven projects recognizing new opportunities; Bible
study planning; recreation, exercise,
reading

URGENT, BUT NOT NOT URGENT AND NOT

IMPORTANT IMPORTANT

3. Activities: 4. Activities:
Interruptions; some phone calls; Trivia; busy work; some mail; some
some mail; some reports; some phone calls; time wasters (TV, spectator
meetings; pressing matters; popular sports events); pleasant activities
activities

Again we can see great leaders in our cultures are those who know how to say no to
area 4, plan better to reduce the amount of area 1 and 3 so time can be given to
area 2. Box 2 is the area that produces the greatest gain in achieving your God
given vision. The idea is to shrink boxes 1, 3 & 4 so more time can be given to box
2.

Great leaders are those who are able to concentrate single-mindedly on one thing –
the most important thing, and stay at it until completed. Everything you do involves
a choice between what is more important and what is less important. Choose well.

There have been many people who have been great visionaries who have never
become great leaders. In the USA, they are called “idea men.” They have all kinds
of great ideas and vision for the future, but they have no follow through. They
become those who are known for always chasing a dream, but never accomplishing
anything of value.

A leader must have a vision, but he also must be able to implement the vision
through good management.

Habit 4: Think win/win -- all parties are satisfied

Habit 5: Seek first to understand – then to be understood

Habit 6: Synergize -- creative cooperation

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These 3 habits I will put together and call the team approach.

Much of what is currently being written about leadership in the West involves what is
called “teamwork” or the “team approach.” This is a significant change in Western
thinking about leadership and management. It used to be, “look out for #1” (self), or
“claw your way to the top of the corporate ladder.”

Today, however, we are seeing the emergence of what would be considered a more
Eastern/African approach. In Africa, you have a chief with his elders working
together in dealing with issues. Together they have varied experience and
personalities that result in a decision that combines the wisdom of the group. When
more are involved in the decision process, you have a solution that will be
acceptable to everyone (win/win).

The teamwork approach will value the input of all. Even those who disagree will be
heard. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. The result of this approach
is synergy – you have a better product or result because of the varied input.

I have been reading a book called “Team Players and Teamwork,” by Parker. He
talks about some research done by Likert of the University of Michigan. Let me
quote it:
“Likert studied managers and supervisors with the best performance records
to find out what worked and why. He found that the least effective managers
were “job centered’ while the most effective were “employee centered.”
Likert summarized his findings into four systems of management. System 4,
the most effective approach, produced high productivity and greater
employee involvement. Today, we would characterize system 4 as
participative or team management. Likert’s list of the twenty-four
characteristics of an effective team is similar to McGregor’s formulation in
that the focus is on the process or internal dynamics of the team.2

Since McGregor’s list is a bit shorter and concise, let’s look at what he says are the
characteristics of an effective team. Watch for similarities to African leadership
style. (Read pages 19-21.)

1. The ‘atmosphere’ which can be sensed in a few minutes of observation, tends to

be informal, comfortable, relaxed. There are no obvious tensions. It is a
working atmosphere in which people are involved and interested. There are not
signs of boredom.
2. There is a lot of discussion in which virtually everyone participates, but it
remains pertinent to the task of the group. If the discussion gets off the subject,
someone will bring it back in short order.
3. The task or the objective of the group is well understood and accepted by the
members. There will have been free discussion of the objective at some point
until it was formulated in such a way that the members of the group could
commit themselves to it.

2
Team Players and Teamwork, Glenn M. Parker; Jossey-Bass Publishers, Pg. 24.

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4. The members listen to each other. Every idea is given a hearing. People do not
appear to be afraid of being foolish by putting forth a creative thought even if it
seems fairly extreme.
5. There is disagreement. The group is comfortable with this and shows no signs
of having to avoid conflict or to keep everything on a plane of sweetness and
light . . . the group seeks to resolve them rather than to dominate the dissenter.
Individuals who disagree do not appear to be trying to dominate the group or to
express hostility. Their disagreement is an expression of a genuine difference of
opinion, and they expect a hearing in order that a solution may be found.
6. Most decisions are reached by a kind of consensus in which it is clear that
everybody is in general agreement and willing to go along. Formal voting is at a
minimum; the group does not accept a simply majority as a proper basis for
action.
7. Criticism is frequent, frank, and relatively comfortable. There is little evidence of
personal attack. The criticism has a constructive flavor in that it is oriented
toward removing an obstacle that faces the group and prevents it from getting
the job done.
8. People are free in expressing their feelings as well as their ideas both on the
problem and on the group’s operation.
9. When action is taken, clear assignments are made and accepted.
10. The chairman of the group does not dominate it, nor on contrary, does the group
defer unduly to him. In fact, the leadership shifts from time to time, depending
on the circumstances. Different members, because of their knowledge or
experience, are in a position at various times to act as “resources” for the group.
The members utilize them in this fashion and they occupy leadership roles while
they are thus being used. The issue is not who controls but how to get the job
done.
11. The group is self-conscious about its own operations. Frequently, it will stop to
examine how well it is doing or what may be interfering with its operation.3

Do you see the similarities on this list to the traditional approach to leadership and
the decision process? It seems there is a cycle happening here. The West is
moving toward the group consensus, or person centered approach, while Africa
seems to be moving toward the individual centered approach.

By now you may be much more confused about this than ever before. Which way is
right? In a few minutes we will be looking at the example of Jesus – that should
bring some light.

I want to talk a bit about leadership style. This is a whole separate area of study in
leadership. A large number of testing devices have been developed to help people
understand their leadership style.

There are four basic leadership styles:

1. Directing – The leader provides specific instructions and closely supervises

task accomplishment.

3
IBID Pg. 19-21.

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2. Coaching – The leader continues to direct and closely supervise task
accomplishment, but also explains decisions, solicits suggestions, and supports
progress. (Style of most people.)
3. Supporting – The leader facilitates and supports subordinates’ efforts toward
task accomplishment and shares responsibility for decision making with them.
4. Delegating – The leader turns over responsibility for decision-making and
problem solving to subordinates. (Style of few people.)

The idea behind understanding these leadership styles is that we need to use all
four styles. Most people use primarily one style and sometimes a second style. But
the good leader will consciously decide what leadership style he will use based
upon the person he is leading. Look at the following table:

Developmental Appropriate Leadership

Level Style
D1 S1
Low Competence DIRECTING
Structure, control and
High Commitment supervise
D2 S2
Some Competence COACHING
Direct and support
Low Commitment
D3 S3
High Competence SUPPORTING
Praise, listen and facilitate
Variable
Commitment
D4 S4
High Competence DELEGATING
Turn over responsibility
High Commitment for day-to-day decision
making

As the person you are leading grows in their ability and becomes more competent,
the skilled leader will move from S1, directing and supervising the person very
carefully to S2, becoming less directive and more supportive. As the same person
becomes highly competent, the leader will change to S3 and become more of a
facilitator to the person being led. Finally as the competence and commitment of
the person becomes high, the leader will turn over responsibility to the person
entirely and focus their leadership on more needed areas. This is the way people
are raised up to become leaders. You can image the frustration a person feels
when they have learned and grown under a leader to the D4 level and the leader is
still directing them at the S1 or S2 level. They will soon become so frustrated that
they will leave to launch out on their own. These leadership styles can be applied to
any area of leadership, whether it is a businessman and his employees, a school
administrator and his faculty, staff and students or a pastor and the members of his
church. The way to grow a healthy strong church is to give people more
responsibility as they grow in their ability.

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Habit 7: Sharpen the saw:
This is what we are doing here at this Institute. A good leader will take time to refine
and hone his leadership skills. He will take time to read and study, to pray and
dream. Retreats and seminars can be times of sharpening the saw. The idea is to
constantly work on self-improvement.

Discussion - Discuss leadership in your culture.

1) What trends do you see, especially in the young people?
2) What leadership do you feel more comfortable with – would you like the
person who leads you to be:
a) Autocratic – the boss who calls the shots
b) Aristocratic – appointed king
c) Task/goal centered
d) People event centered
e) Team approach
3) Do you see a conflict between Western and African approaches to
leadership? If yes, what is the conflict? If no, what do you see?

II. BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES

A. What does the Bible teach us about leadership?

The Bible is the ultimate source of truth. God’s Word is full of examples of
leadership, both good and bad. It shows us the good for our example, but also
shows us the bad as a caution and warning.

1. The example of Jesus

Jesus can always be trusted as a perfect example of how to lead; therefore we will
begin by looking at his leadership to see what insights we can gain. I have Jesus’
leadership style and methods listed as A & B but will combine them. (Read
definitions)
a) Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or
performed.
b) Method: A means or manner of procedure, especially a regular and
systematic way of accomplishing something.

What Jesus said and performed is mixed with the manner in which he expressed
them so we will look at these together. Jesus was the ultimate leader. There is
much we can learn about leadership from his example. First and foremost, Jesus
was a servant. We will talk more about this under point two below, but it bears
repeating. Some have tried to interpret Jesus’ teaching about coming to set the
captives free (Liberation Theology) as one where we should take up sword in hand
and fight. But Jesus’ teaching is better represented by a pitcher, a bowl, and a
towel than it is a sword. Jesus not only taught servanthood, but he led in
servanthood by example. (Read: Jn. 13:3-17, Phil. 2:5-11.)

I don’t think I need to say a lot about servanthood. Probably most everyone here
has preached sermons on it. I am sure we have all heard sermons on it. The
important thing, as leaders, is that we do it! It is unfathomable to me when I see
ministers or missionaries seek or expect recognition or honor for their service to

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God! In fact, the most uncomfortable thing for me as a missionary is to go to a
church in the states and they make a big deal out of “the missionary.” I feel like
saying, “I am only a man myself,” as Peter did at the house of Cornelius (Ac.10:26).
We are servants of Christ; our attitude should always be humility, placing others
before ourselves.

Now lets look at Covey’s seven habits from lesson one and see how Jesus
practiced these habits long before Covey came up with them.

Habit 1 & 2
Jesus was proactive – He began with an end in mind.

It is amazing how many Christians, even Christian leaders, do not have a plan for
their lives – they do not have a clear vision of what they will accomplish under God’s
will for their life. This is a mistake.

I have in my wallet my personal vision statement. It is what I believe is the essence

of what God wants me to do with my life. “Equipping Africans to reach Africa for
Christ through missions and pastoral training.” Ask me, and I will show it to you.

Jesus had a plan and he adhered to it unfailingly. I believe it was a great

contributing factor for his success. Nothing could stop him from achieving his plan.
Knowing well that the plan included his death on the cross to redeem man, he did
not falter. He determined to go to Jerusalem (Lk. 18:31-33). We too must have a
plan from God to which we are deeply committed. Having this plan we too must set
out with determination to accomplish it. Without a plan, you have nowhere to go
and nothing toward which to direct your energies. Without a plan, all you can do is
react to various circumstances that fall into your path or that Satan may hurl at you.
A plan puts you in charge of your energies and activities. You become proactive
rather than re-active.

Habit #3
Put first things first, set priorities. In many ways, the entire life of Jesus was about
setting priorities and then sticking with them. When Jesus said, “Let the dead bury
their own dead” (Mt. 8:22), he spoke of the need not to be distracted from the real
and most important goal, even in what might seem to be urgent matters that often
try to claim our attention.

Matthew 6:33 brilliantly sums up the entire message of Jesus: “Seek first his
kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” In
other words, get your priorities right and everything else will fall into place. This is
one of the most difficult things you will do as a leader. It takes constant vigilance
because one can quickly and easily drift from the primary focus. Daily keep watch
because the enemy’s main tactic is to sidetrack us from what is primary to some
secondary less effective issue.

Setting priorities, getting first things first is relatively easy compared to staying with
them. It is so easy to go off on a tangent – to do something good rather than what is
best.

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Good leaders will often review their priorities to be sure they and those they are
leading are putting their energies to the primary task. If what you are doing does not
relate to your vision, either your vision is wrong or you need to stop doing it. If you
have a good, well thought out vision, then everything should fit into it.

Habits 4, 5, and 6
What about the team approach we talked about this morning? Did Jesus do that?
After all he was God. If anyone could do it alone, certainly he could.

Secular leadership literature tells us that to have a good team, you need a variety of
people. Each different personality will contribute an added dimension that would
otherwise be missed. (As I go through these, think of which of the 12 disciples
might fit each category.) The people types suggested by the literature to complete a
team are:
1. A Contributor: This is a person who is task-oriented. This person enjoys
providing the team with good technical information. He does his homework and
pushes the team to set high performance standards. Most people see the
contributor as dependable.
2. A Collaborator: He is goal-directed, keeping the vision, mission or goal of the
team as paramount. Yet this person is flexible and open to new ideas. He is
willing to pitch in and help with work that may be outside of his area of
responsibility. He is willing to share the “lime-light” with others. Most people
see the collaborator as a “big-picture” person.
3. A Communicator: This is a process-oriented person who is an effective listener
and facilitator of involvement, conflict, resolution, consensus building, feedback,
and the building of an informal, relaxed climate. Most people see the
communicator as a positive people person.
4. A Challenger: This is a member who questions the goals, methods, and even
the ethics of the team. He is willing to disagree with the leader or higher
authority and encourage the team to take well-conceived risks. Most people
appreciate the value of the challenger’s candor and openness.

Did you see some of the 12 disciples in any of these? Paul would also fit some of
these. It is difficult to say exactly where each of the 12 would fit, as we do not have
a great deal of information about their personalities. Some may fit more than one
area. Generally, you will find that people will fit more than one of these categories.
The point is, Jesus did not surround himself with “yes men” who all had the same
personality. Neither should we. We need people on our team who are willing and
able to show us our blind spots.

In fact, the more responsibility we have, the greater the need for solid, thoughtful,
and critical advice and information. A leader is only as good as the information
those in key spots around him are giving him. You need to be the kind of leader
who appreciates and rewards those who will tell you the truth, no matter how
distasteful the truth might be.

If you serve on a board (say of a Bible college or some other ministry) you are a
member of a team. What is your role there? Bob Briner, who serves on the boards
of many civic and charitable organizations, says that non-profit boards are
particularly susceptible to the “good news only” syndrome. He says, “Board
members are brought in and given only the brightest of pictures.” If you serve on a

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board, you are a team leader there. You have a significant responsibility to that
institution or ministry. Insist on the whole truth—good or bad.

Briner continues, “A good rule of thumb is that if you are only getting good news,
you are not getting the whole picture. No enterprise that is complex enough to
require an outside board operates without problems and failures. As a board
member, be sure you know about them. Don’t let the staff “yes” you to death.”

Jesus did not sit on any boards (as far as we know) but he did dismiss insincere
flattery. The rich young ruler came to Jesus calling him “good.” Jesus brought him
up short because he knew the man was an insincere worshipper. Jesus stopped
the hypocritical Pharisees (Mt.15:8) by quoting Isaiah the prophet, “These men
honor me with their lips but their heart is far from me.”

Habit 7. Sharpen the Saws.

Every leader needs times of refreshment and renewal. This is something many in
the West do very poorly and haphazardly. Some equate business with
effectiveness. But the truth is, you will become more effective if you set aside time
for refreshment, renewal, and getting a new fresh outlook for your vision. This is,
hopefully, one of the main reasons you have come to this 11th hour institute.
Amen?

Jesus had a lot to accomplish and only 3 short years in which to do it. If it were me,
I would feel the need to spend every spare minute working. However, we see that
Jesus often took time to withdraw and renew himself. We need to follow Jesus’
example. If Jesus needed to do this, how much more do we? A well-rested and
refreshed leader always will accomplish more than a tired, stressed-out one.

Make time to get away from the stress of responsibilities. Spend time with your
family just enjoying their company and relaxing. If you do not, you are only cheating
yourself. Someone has said, “He is most cheated who cheats himself.” As a leader
you need to encourage those you lead to do the same. It is difficult to rally the army
when the troops are burned out.

Self-renewal can come in many ways. You need to schedule an extended period at
least once a year. But, you can also schedule mini-renewals. Five minutes in
prayer after a stressful meeting or phone call can do wonders, or reading a favorite
psalm. I think it was John Wesley who said, “I have an extra busy day today. I’d
better spend an extra hour in prayer.”

There is much more we could say about Jesus’ leadership but let’s go from the
examples of Jesus to point number two.

Principles from God’s Word—scriptural leadership principles.

Again, there are many, many outstanding leadership principles we can glean from
God’s Word. And, God’s Word applies whether you are Western, African, Asian, or
whatever. What is a Biblical Leadership Style?

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George B. Davis says, “The most fundamental responsibility of spiritual leaders,
regardless of the level of leadership, is to model Godly character.”

To be effective, every local church or ministry organization must develop competent

and capable leaders – leaders who function with a biblical leadership style. If that is
true, what are the components of a biblical leadership style? At least seven
principles are basic.

Personal Integrity/Character
A biblical leadership style is always built on a foundation of character and integrity.
Biblical qualifications for spiritual leadership focus more on what people are than on
what people know or what they can do. (1Ti. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:5-9). Ted W. Engstrom
has well said, “The primary qualification for successful leadership is personal
integrity.” Integrity builds into a relationship the indispensable ingredient of trust.
Without a doubt, personal integrity constitutes the single most important quality of a
spiritual leader. The management of people always begins with the management of
self.
Unfortunately there are those today who place charisma over character. Peter
Scotese says, “Integrity is not a 90% thing, not a 95% thing, either you have it or
you don’t.” Andrew Carnegie, a successful American businessman said, “A great
business is seldom if ever built up, except on the lines of strictest integrity.”

Integrity Quotes:
• “The line of least resistance makes crooked rivers and crooked men.” Bob
Murphy
• “Character is power.” Booker T. Washington
• “To be persuasive, we must be believable.”
• “To be believable, we must be credible.”
• “To be credible, we must be truthful.” Edward R. Murrow (News commentator!)
• “The leader acts as if everyone is watching even when no one is watching.”
• “Leadership is more what you are than what you do.”
• “Character is the ability to follow through on a resolution long after the emotion
with which it was made has passed.”
• “Truthfulness is the true mark of integrity.”
• “Any addition to the truth subtracts from it.” Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, Russian,
Nobel Prize winning author. Wrote: “The Gulag Archipelago”

Jesus talked about personal integrity in the Sermon on the Mount. (Mt. 5:33-37)
What Jesus is saying here is that you should not have to say, “I swear I am telling
the truth.” When we were kids growing up in the States, we would say, “Cross my
heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.” No! Jesus says, “Let your yes be
yes, and your no be no.” Your word is your bond. (Explain ’bond,’ as in posting
bond. Also a very tight knot!) When you speak, people should know that what you
speak is true because you have never given them reason to doubt you. Your
character is above question. If this is true for the believer, as Jesus indicated, how
much more so for the leader?

Servanthood
Biblical leadership style is based on a servant model. According to the ultimate
leader, Jesus, leadership in the church is to be distinctively different from that in the

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world (Mt. 20:25-28; Mk. 10:25-45). True servanthood begins with unreserved
submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ. William D. Lawrence is on target when
he states, “Paradoxically, the Christian leader must be the ultimate follower, a
follower of the Leader Himself.”

“The Order of the Towel” (Jn. 13:1-17) does not receive many applications for
membership in our present society. However, every prospective leader must
remember, “The spiritual leader of today is in all probability one who yesterday
expressed his humility by working gladly and faithfully in the second place.”
Remember the leader sets the tone for the entire organization. Morale always flows
from the top. If you model servant leadership you will teach those you lead the
value of servanthood also.

Relationships
A biblical leadership style is also characterized by a shepherding or nurturing
ministry. The main idea expressed in the shepherd analogy is that of relationship.
A shepherding ministry is one that focuses primarily on people rather than
programs. Jesus spent more time touching people and talking to them than in any
other action. A leader must always remember that fellowship depends upon
relationships. The Good Shepherd himself said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I
know them, and they follow me” (Jn. 10:27, NIV).

A good leader understands that building relationships is a long-term process, not a

quick fix. A people-oriented ministry reflects that intangible ingredient of
authenticity. Perhaps Rosabeth Moss Kanter, professor at the Harvard Business
School, has articulated the relational dimension of leadership as succinctly as
anyone has. She said, “Leadership does not exist within a person; it resides in the
relationship between persons.”

Equipping
A biblical leadership style embraces an equipping ministry. Before mentoring was
an “in” word, Paul told Timothy, “The things you have heard me say in the presence
of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others”
(2 Ti. 2:2, NIV). Equipping involves both precept and example. Spiritual leaders are
to incarnate what they teach; that is, they are to become flesh and blood models.
Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Prize winner said, “Men must be taught at the school of
example, for they will learn at no other.”

Effective leaders empower and equip others. They unleash the potential of men
and women to achieve extraordinary goals. Such equipping includes both
motivation and delegation. Leaders must constantly avoid non-scriptural
motivational techniques, such as guilt, manipulation, intimidation, and superficial
hype. Also, like Moses (Ex. 18:21-26) and the apostles (Ac. 6:1-7), they must learn
to delegate effectively, because delegation may very well be the most important
administrative skill of a leader.

Equipping also includes encouragement. Great leaders intentionally and

deliberately encourage both their peers and subordinates. You can empower others
to perform at their best by continually reminding them how good they are doing and
how much you believe in them and are behind them.

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This means another person’s gifts or ministry must not threaten us. If they surpass
you in the work they are doing for God, to God be the glory. It only becomes a
problem if we are more concerned about our kingdom than the kingdom of God. We
see in the life of Barnabas this kind of leadership exemplified. Barnabas was an
encourager and was willing to see another surpass him in ministry.

In Acts 9:27 it was Barnabas who brought Paul to the apostles. He “stuck his neck
out” (risked himself) because he believed Paul had potential. Later Barnabas
sought out Paul (Ac. 11:25-26) and brought him to Antioch to share in the ministry
there. In Acts 13:1-3 the Holy Spirit called for the first missionary journey to take
place (read passage). Note Barnabas is listed first both times. (Note vs. 7 –
Barnabas and Saul.) Then in 13:13 it becomes “Paul and his companions.”
Barnabas helped to equip Paul and launch him into missionary service and then
took a secondary place. From this point on in Acts, Paul is primary and Barnabas
becomes a member of the team.

Balance
A biblical leadership style also reflects balance. Perhaps balance is one of the most
difficult leadership traits to learn, as leaders have a tendency to gravitate to one
extreme or the other. Take, for example, the balance between courage and
gentleness. Jesus exhibited strong courage in cleansing the temple (Mt. 21:12-16),
yet demonstrated compassionate gentleness in dealing with the woman taken in
adultery (Jn. 8:1-11).

Jesus also knew how to balance availability and non-availability. Jesus was very
available when He fed the five thousand (Mt. 14:15-21), but immediately afterward
went up into the mountain to be alone for prayer (Mt. 14:22-23).

Team Approach
Furthermore, a biblical leadership style demonstrates a team approach. The team
approach was reflected in Jesus’ personal philosophy of ministry. Jesus poured
himself into a team of 12 men, devoting a large portion of his time and energy to
their training.

Paul utilized the team approach in his missionary strategy. Barnabas and John
Mark co-labored with Paul on his first missionary journey, while Silas, Luke, and
Timothy accompanied him on his second. Most leaders will develop their potential
better as team players rather than solo performers. We have already talked about
the team approach to ministry. But we need to understand this is a biblical concept.
God wants us to work in a community.

A pastor friend of mine uses three criteria when looking for team members and
those he wanted to promote to leadership in his church:
1. A servant’s heart
2. A teachable spirit
3. A desire to daily draw closer to Jesus through prayer, Bible study etc.

The size of a team can be a big factor in having a successful team. You need a
team that is large enough to do the work needed. If the group becomes too large,
confusion, wasted effort, and poor coordination may result. Also, the larger the

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group, the more difficult it is to become cohesive (or to feel real comfortable with
each other). As a group gets larger, individual members may begin to feel that their
contribution is less important. Generally, it is thought that the group should be
staffed with the smallest number necessary to accomplish the work, but not too
small to carry the load.

Teams and committees tend to be most productive with 5 to 7 people. The greatest
care should be given to selecting the team members. The leader must assess the
competence, expertise, and talents needed to accomplish the task at hand, and
then select individuals that will be able to contribute significantly to the task. A team
should not be a group who meets and shares mutual ignorance. Each member will
have an important role to play in the overall success of the team. Typically a
constitution will determine the number and content of these workgroups. At the
outset, these are not real teams, but they can become a team as they cooperate
together toward a common goal. It becomes difficult for a team to become a close-
knit group (which needs to happen) with more than 7 or 8 members.

Flexibility
Webster defines flexibility as the “capacity to adapt to new, different or changing
requirements.” An old proverb says, “He who does not bend will break.” Flexibility
must be a component of any New Testament leadership paradigm. One mistake
often made by those in leadership positions is the automatic equating of flexibility
with compromise. In some cases, flexibility may represent compromise, but that
does not necessarily have to be the case. Spiritual leaders must exercise keen
discernment in knowing when flexibility reflects wisdom rather than compromise.
Flexibility does not mean you are a weak leader. In fact, if done without
compromise, it shows you are a wise and strong leader.

Perhaps the best scriptural statement of non-compromising flexibility is found in

Paul’s lengthy discussion of Christian liberty addressed to the Corinthian church: “I
have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some”
(1 Co. 9:2, NIV).

As a believer seeks to develop a biblical leadership style, regardless of the sphere

of influence, it must be remembered that most of the great leaders of the Bible –
Abraham, Moses, David, Paul, and others – exhibited these qualities in their own
actions and personalities.

Before I go on to vision and visionary leadership, I want to interject some thoughts

on organizational structure. Our organizational structure can be designed to either
make or break people. Organizational structure must be constantly monitored,
because over time it will become more and more enmeshed with bureaucratic red
tape. Build into its structure ways to make people successful in the work God has
called them to do. You must constantly ask of everything you do these three
questions:
Why?
Purpose?
Design or happenstance?

Organizational structure can be designed to deal with problems OR designed to

facilitate progress. The second is better.

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B. Vision and Visionary leadership in the New Testament
From the following passages of the New Testament, what can be learned from
these people about how the vision God gave them affected their lives?
1. Jesus’ vision for ministry to the early church in Acts 1:4-8. What specific vision
had God given His people that began to be fulfilled and implemented on
Pentecost in Acts 2:14-22? How was this event related to the vision Jesus gave
the Church in Acts 1:4-8?
2. Paul’s vision for ministry in Acts 9:15; 26:15-23. How did the vision God gave
Paul affect the way he lived and ministered (2 Co. 11:23-28)?
3. Peter’s vision for ministry in Acts 10:9-16; 11:4-18. How did God’s vision for
Peter to evangelize the Gentiles restate and underscore Jesus’ vision for the
ministry and outreach of the early church in Acts 1:8? How did it change Peter’s
plans for evangelism?
4. How was Paul’s ministry affected by continuing to receive strategic direction
from God in Acts 16:9,10 and 18:9? What does this suggest about continuing to
consult God while you implement the vision for ministry He has given you and
your church (see Pro. 3:6)?
5. What conclusions can be drawn from these New Testament passages about the
way God uses vision?
6. Does God give men who are visionary leaders or prophets to the Church today?
Read Ephesians 4:11. Has God left us without vision today?
7. What vision for ministry do you feel God may be giving you and your church?
8. What vision for ministry did God give His Church in Matthew 28:18-20; Luke
24:46-49; Acts 1:8? (Compare Mt. 10:1-8 with 28:18-20; also see Lk. 9:1-6;
10:1-16; Mk.16:15-20.) How much strategic detail is included in these
passages?

PRAYER: Lord, help me to be like you in my leadership of others.

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 Chapter 13
BI-VOCATIONALISM: WORKING ONLY TWICE AS HARD
FOR A HUNDRED-FOLD HARVEST
Don Jacques, Keith Pyles

This chapter will examine approaches to residential missions where traditional

ministry is impossible or impractical. There will be an emphasis on balancing full
time work and missionary service. Attention will also be given to how laymen can
be involved in church planting and other missions endeavors.

Objectives
This chapter aims to first challenge the student to expand their view of missions to
include the concept of "tent makers" as a viable and necessary part of a mission’s
strategy. Second, to include laymen and "short term" missions as a vital part of
missions planning. And third, address with the learner, the lifeblood of any missions
endeavor - lay people who are faithful "senders". Lay people faithful in prayer
support, financial support and emotional support.

When students have finished this chapter, a greater awareness of who

"missionaries" are should settle in their mind. The great commission was not written
to any select group of believers, but is a command given to every believer.

Introduction
Harvest time is the most important and special time of all for the owner of a field of
crops. All of the early work must be done properly and in order but life can maintain
a normalcy. In the early work of plowing and planting, business is as usual in the
day-to-day routine. Some long hours of work may occur but a good meal and rest
bring the day to a close. The early work can be difficult and challenging, but there's
nothing like harvest time.

When harvest time comes, there can be no "business as usual". There can be no
time for large meals, restful naps or full nights of rest. At harvest time only one thing
matters. Bringing in the harvest is the only thought on the mind of everyone
attached to the farm. Father, mother, children, relatives and hired hands all change
the focus of day-to-day living. Meals are eaten on the go. Rest and sleep is taken
in small time periods if at all. No social functions are attended and no recreation
time is desired. Get the harvest in before it is lost is the driving desire of all
participants. They know the importance of getting it done. They know the result if
they fail. Everyone becomes involved in the harvest regardless of their normal job
during the rest of the year.

Harvest time comes in the eleventh hour. We are in the eleventh hour of the
church. It is harvest time for the church. It is time to put everyone in the field to
bring in the harvest before it is lost. Business as usual will not get the job done.

Bi-vocational missionaries become necessary to accomplish the task. Involving the

laity like never before is demanded. "Night comes when no man can work". All
means of involving everyone in missions is required in this eleventh hour.

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 I. BIVOCATIONAL MISSIONS

A. Defined
The idea of using a secular job or skill to provide financial means while carrying on
ministry unto the Lord is what is meant by bi-vocational. In other words, having two
vocations at the same time. One vocation is using labor or skill to provide income
necessary to sustain yourself and possibly a family. The needs of life, food, clothing
and shelter must be provided for with local currency. One must earn the funds
necessary to carry on a normal life for their locale. In the conventional missionary
concept, these funds are provided by those supporters who have committed to keep
them funded as necessary.

The second vocation would be to carry on the work of the ministry. The motivating
factor behind going to a new culture must be to involve yourself in the harvest of that
culture, not just making money in the secular vocation. To involve oneself deep in
the ministry is where the challenge presents itself. Working twice as hard becomes
a reality, not just a saying. Being full time at both vocations demands working
double. Remember that extraordinary times require extraordinary methods. It is the
eleventh hour. The harvest is ripe. Whatever it takes to mobilize workers is called
for. Is working two vocations such a big thing compared to what Christ did for us?

This lifestyle requires being true and loyal to both vocations. A secular employer
deserves to get a full day’s work for a day’s pay. The Bible teaches us that this is
proper and just. In fact, the Bible instructs us to give an honest days work for the
wages agreed on. Therefore, we cannot expect to maintain two vocations by
cheating on one. Our testimony would be damaged if we stole time from an
employer.

The second vocation deserves just as much loyalty. To hold back on the ministry
while it is harvest time would certainly leave many of the lost in their lostness. All of
our planning and wise time management must help us keep both vocations in focus,
but keep the urgency of harvest time foremost in our minds.

The idea of bi-vocational ministry is certainly not new. Throughout the Bible we see
examples of men involved in a secular vocation and ministry. One of the early
examples is Moses. Many generations (400+ years) of Israelites lived in cities in
Egypt, placed there by Joseph. Genesis 47:20 and 21 read, "And Joseph bought all
the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because
the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's. And as for the
people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the
other end thereof." City dwellers are not taught the skills necessary to live in the
desert, how to find water and food and build tents to live in. How to care for their
children and livestock is not the same in the city as the desert. God sent one
Israelite to the backside of the desert for forty years to learn these skills. When God
brought Moses back to Egypt and asked him to lead over two million people out of
Egypt, Moses had to be bi-vocational. He had to do and teach the practical day-to-
day living things and he had to lead spiritually. God provided all he needed to get
the job accomplished.

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Samuel was a judge and a priest. Being the judge wasn't any different then as now.
He must have had to deal with common day-to-day problems. But while being a
wise judge, he was a priest and prophet. He kept the spiritual side of his life in
focus.

The New Testament example is best known. Paul worked as a tentmaker to

support himself while serving full time in the ministry. Acts 18:3 reads " and
because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them." The
term "tentmaker" has become synonymous with bi-vocational ministry. Paul's early
missionary endeavors could only have happened if he were willing to be bi-
vocational. 1 Thessalonians 2:9 reads, "Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and
hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we
preached the gospel of God to you." Paul's awareness of the lostness of the lost
and the grace of Christ compelled him to go. Regardless of the method used, he
had to go. Paul was an eleventh hour Christian. Bringing in the harvest drove him
daily, not the methods or lack of support. Every generation has an eleventh hour,
the short time just before it is too late and that harvest is lost.

Bi-vocational missionaries will not replace the traditional funded and sent
missionary. But the harvest is so large that the traditional missionary method will
not get the job done.

Discussion
1. Are there secular jobs that are more flexible in their nature making it easier
for one to be bi-vocational? Name some.
2. While being bi-vocational, would an offered promotion with raise and
increased responsibilities at your secular job be a God-send or a Satanic
ambush? Explain why.
3. Is there merit in seeking out a Christian employer who might be more
sympathetic toward scheduling around your ministry time? If so, how should
you limit yourself so as to not take advantage of his generosity and preserve
your own Christian witness on the job with him and your fellow workers?
4. Is a bi-vocational minister any less a minister than one who is in full-time
ministry?

B. Who Can Be A Bi-Vocational Missionary?

There is one answer to this question that comes quick and easy and is a very
accurate response. Every believer who is not already being sent in the traditional
method can be a bi-vocational missionary. That is not to say that each one will go
to a foreign country and serve, but the lost are always around us. We should be
always motivated by their condition to bring them light. However, for purposes of
this study, let's limit our consideration to those who could leave their home and
immerse themselves in a foreign culture to serve as a missionary.

First, let's address the question of clergy vs. laity. To be a bi-vocational missionary,
do you have to already be a pastor or should you be a layman? The answer
becomes either after some thought. In most cases of tentmakers, it is applied to
laymen. The idea seems to be that a layman with a good skill or means of earning a
living could also go as a missionary and lead the lost to Christ as he resides in a
new country and maintains his employment. It is certainly true that many lay people

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could find themselves in this opportunity, especially if they looked for it. However, it
is just as easy to consider a full time minister as a candidate for God to use in bi-
vocational service. Let's consider this potential first.

There are many scenarios that we could discuss. We will discuss a couple and
state now that we in no way could exhaust all the possibilities with God. He can and
will call who He wants, when He wants and how He wants. This discussion is not
meant to limit God, rather just highlight some of the more obvious situations He
could work through.

Let's consider a newer convert who feels the call to full time ministry. This young
man begins his study in Bible school to prepare himself for ministry. As studies
progress, he finds a heavier gripping of his heart by the awareness of the lostness
of the lost. As God adds this burden to his heart, he also becomes aware of a
particular people group who live in a country only three days journey from his own.
It seems that every day as he seeks God in prayer, this particular people end up
dominating his attention and prayer time. As he begins to explore this developing
supernatural love for this people, he comes to understand that he will never be
allowed to enter the country where they live as a missionary. The traditional "sent
out" missionary method seems closed at least at this time under the present
government. But the burden and new found love do not go away. As he continues
to research the people, he discovers that there is a real shortage of auto mechanics
in that nation. There is an effort to find experienced men to work in that field.
Suddenly, his friendship over the last four years with a man that he led to Jesus not
far from his home leaps into his mind. This man is a mechanic and always
complains of not finding good helpers. On his next break from Bible school, he
excitedly goes to visit this friend. He explores the possibility of working under this
friend and learning the mechanic trade. He explains that after three years of
apprenticeship, he will be going to this nearby nation to live and work. His friend is
most agreeable to teach him and pay him a reasonable helpers wage.

He graduates from Bible school in three months and returns to his hometown and
new job. It is difficult to explain to his classmates and neighbors that after Bible
school he is going to be an auto mechanic. He begins to work in the church where
he was saved as he learns the mechanic trade. He soon finds himself serving as an
assistant pastor in the church. His pastor becomes excited about the plans he has
for his future ministry in another country and wants to help. Now this young man is
learning bi-vocational ministry. He has graduated from Bible school, is learning to
pastor, with no pay required and is learning a trade that provides income.

After three years of learning, he realizes the time has come to go with the burden
that has never left him. He excitedly goes about the process of visiting the country
he has prayed so much for. God has gone before him. He finds employment easily
due to his new skill. He moves his family to their new home and begins work as an
auto mechanic. He begins to learn the local dialect and from the first finds how
exciting it is to share Jesus with those around him. He has arrived where God has
called him and he can support himself with his job while harvesting souls daily.
Soon a church is born and he knows tent making was his only option in fulfilling this
special call from God.
Now let's consider a middle aged veteran pastor. He has pioneered three churches
through his twenty-three years of being a pastor. All have become well established

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and grown. About a year ago he met a missionary from a nation on the other side of
the continent. They were attending a prayer conference and one night following an
altar time, they shared their ministry frustrations with each other. The pastor shared
how he seemed to be losing the burden for the people and the town where he lived.
It seemed that the more he prayed, the more he felt something was going to
change, but he didn't know what. He was having an increased awareness of the
lostness of the lost, but a decreased burden for his town. He couldn't understand it
and asked the missionary to pray with him.

The missionary shared that he was frustrated by the fact that he was in a country
that was a new work. He was seeing many come to Christ, but didn't have the time
to properly teach them and keep up with all the other work. He really had a burden
to begin Bible training classes for new converts and for those who felt called to the
ministry. His frustration was that he could not get more than 24 hours out of one
day. He shared that very near his home, a large international company was
expanding a factory and had hired the laborers they needed, but had not been able
to find trained people to work as bookkeepers. He asked the veteran pastor to pray
with him. As the pastor prayed, something began to stir in his heart. He exchanged
addresses and telephone numbers with the missionary and they parted ways.

Upon the pastor's arrival home, God began to deal with him about answers to his
situation. While he seemed less burdened for his town, he seemed excited thinking
about teaching new converts and Bible classes. After all, he shared the same
language as the country the missionary was from and he had worked five years as a
bookkeeper prior to full time pastoral ministry.

He contacted the missionary, submitted a resume' for the job opening as

bookkeeper and was summoned for an interview. As he returned to his home from
his visit to the missionary, he marveled at the mighty way God worked. How clear
God's will seemed now. He worked a bookkeeping job to support his wife and
himself. His excitement about ministry felt just like it did in the first church he
pioneered. He realized that he had a lot of practical experience to offer as a teacher
and discipler. The missionary couldn't have been happier to have a veteran servant
on site to take up teaching. Yes, the teaching would have to be at night, but that
didn't matter at all, in fact it might be more practical. A veteran pastor became a bi-
vocational missionary within three months of meeting the missionary with whom he
now served.

Is either of these examples true stories? The answer is no, to my knowledge.

Could either of these examples really happen? Yes, all things are possible through
Christ. We serve an awesome God. He does not call you if he does not equip and
help you carry out the call.

Now, let’s discuss the laymen for a moment, men who are fully trained in a
business or skilled profession and make themselves fully available to God. Men
fully committed to Christ may be called to go to a people in a foreign country in
many ways. Here are some examples:

A man may work for a large company and be transferred to a foreign country by his
company. The man may accept it and follow happily as God's plan or be very
disgruntled and unhappy about the move. A Malaysian Chinese friend of mine

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found himself transferred as an engineer to Bahrain by the oil company he worked
for. At first it seemed it would be very difficult but then God showed him many
ministry opportunities in that Islamic land. Today, after several years, he serves his
company and his God in that land far away from his home country. He attached
himself to a small body of believers and witnesses and is helping build the body of
Christ as a bi-vocational missionary.

A missionary may need help with his work and know of specific employment
possibilities in his city. God can call a layman for the help needed and provide the
funding through the job available. Laymen with training in various professions such
as medical technicians, engineers and computer sciences as well as many others
could be used. I made a new friend recently, from Kenya. Brother Harris Gichui
worked in the harvest in several different nations as he served his government in the
diplomatic corps. I could not possibly list enough examples but God's ways will
usually astound us.

There are keys for the layman to consider with regard to serving as a bi-vocational
missionary.
A. They should have comfortable knowledge of the Bible.
B. Their main reason for going is to share the gospel of Christ.
C. They know God called them to bi-vocational ministry.
D. They actively share their witness and faith with others now.

Once again, it bears repeating: If God calls you He will equip you to do the task.

At this point it seems appropriate to discuss the balance of family with the call and
work of a bi-vocational ministry. The first point to make is that the family is the
oldest institution established by God. He created the family long before he
established the church. We cannot ignore the family while carrying out the call. The
clergy have already had to balance this in their ministry. They must recognize the
impact of two vocations and work extra hard at taking care of family responsibilities
while providing and ministering. The layman may find this a new challenge. The
requirement for both to accomplish this task is clear. Involving the whole family in
ministry is one approach that seems to help the family accept the time devoted to
ministry by a bi-vocational missionary. One must not lose their own family while
winning others to Christ.

Discussion
1. What advantage would a professional clergyman have in bi-vocational
ministry?
2. What advantage would a layman have?
3. If a person is not currently witnessing for Christ "actively", would having a
ministry title in a bi-vocational setting bring about "active" witnessing that is
necessary, especially on the mission field?
4. How would you know if God were calling you to bi-vocational ministry on the
mission field?
5. What kind of sacrifice would this demand from your family?
6. What vital relationships with your spouse would have to be nurtured and
strengthened for your family to successfully survive this type of ministry?
7. What about your relationship to your children?

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C. Where Can They Serve?
Again, a quick, easy and true answer is anywhere and everywhere. Any Christian
not engaged in traditional missionary service should be a bi-vocational missionary
right where they are. However, again for our consideration in this study, let's
explore where the need and use of bi-vocational missionaries are the greatest in the
context of a foreign nation.

It is estimated that by the year 2000, 3.5 billion unreached people will live in closed
countries. These are countries that are totally closed or are extremely restricted
when it comes to Christian activities. Islamic nations seem to lead the list as the
most restricted or closed. Bi-vocational missionaries are the only missionaries that
will be admitted to these nations. We have oil company employees in the Middle
East sharing one on one with Islamic friends and co-workers. Actually, the need for
more workers is great anywhere in the world. In 1985 the list of closed countries
included Albania, Mongolia, North Korea, Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Cuba, Ethiopia,
Iran, Kuwait, Laos, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Soviet Union, Equatorial Guinea,
Madagascar and others. Just look what God has done in these nations since 1985.
Most are now open or are opening. Many workers are needed in all these nations
and tentmakers have many job opportunities in most of these lands. " The harvest
truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the
harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest" (Matthew 9:37 and 38).
These words of Jesus never lose their sense of urgency.

Discussion
1. Is there anywhere a bi-vocational missionary could not serve? If so, why?
2. Would Matthew 10:16, "behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of
wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." have
special meaning to the bi-vocational missionary in specific countries?
Explain.
3. Compare bi-vocational missionaries today with Daniel and the three Hebrew
children during Israel's Babylonian captivity.
4. How important will prayer be in determining where one can serve and how
one can serve while they are there?

II. THE LAYMAN AND SHORT TERM MISSIONS

A. One Or Two Year Commitments

In this lesson, we are going to look at the involvement of laymen in missions work
directly. For many, the desire to serve without reservation is there, but the call to
full-time ministry or even bi-vocational ministry, as we have defined it, is not there.
However, the desire and commitment is so great that just passive support and
prayer do not satisfy the longing to serve. For those laymen, the ministry of short-
term missions can easily come into focus.

It is a wise layman who will follow his heart and seek out ministry beyond those of
his local church when God tugs at his heart. Missions is the heartbeat of God.. As
laymen hear first class Holy Ghost anointed preaching in their church, the natural
desire is to draw closer to God. When anyone draws close to God, they cannot

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help, but know His heartbeat. The necessity is to then involve yourself in God's
plan. World evangelism is God's plan. If a layman does not seek out ways of
involving himself in missions as these feelings develop, then slowly the feelings
lessen and the desire to serve weakens to the point of contentment in mediocre
day-to-day Christian living. Once you have tasted serving God with passion and
abandonment, any thing less just doesn't satisfy.

It is a wise pastor who recognizes that the strongest and best church he can build
will have the strongest and best people he can attract to it. It is a wise pastor who
does not fear building strong laymen and pushing them into the ministry so they are
fulfilled.

Ephesians 4: 11 & 12 reads, "It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be
prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors, some teachers, to
prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built
up."

About a year ago, a pastor friend of mine came to me and asked this question. "Do
we have any ministry in the District that I can plug one of my laymen into to get him
busy? If I don't find a way to get him busy beyond the local church I am going to
lose him." Immediately I knew this was a wise pastor that was not threatened by lay
involvement. We did have a ministry that we proposed to him. The layman fit it
perfectly and today is a strong supporter of that pastor while he satisfies his desire
to serve God in a greater way than the local church offered.

First, let's discuss the option of committing to a one or two year length of stay in a
foreign country working directly under a missionary. Many such workers are needed
with many different skills. Our missionaries from the United States always need
secretaries, bookkeepers, computer specialists, Bible teachers, children ministry
workers, construction workers, and others. The need is to have someone come to
the country where the missionary resides and live for one or two years. The
participant needs to provide their own support through family, friends and their local
church. Men and women who do this are an invaluable asset to the missionary
force around the world.

Let me give you one example of how God calls such workers. In the fall of 1998, I
organized four construction teams to come separately to Malawi to hold crusades
and erect a metal tabernacle. I sought out any young man who could stay longer
than the ten days that each team was scheduled to be there. A young man felt God
wanted him to stay six weeks. He came to Malawi with the first team and returned
home with the third team. He helped with the building of three tabernacles and was
involved in three crusades. The missionary said, "I don't know how we could have
done three teams in a row without him." On the way home with the third team, my
team, he said to me, "I have to come back and stay longer." We talked about the
possibilities and prayed about it. I have only seen this young man twice since then.
He called recently. He was very excited. He had just been approved to return to
Malawi for two years!

Here is a young man with a wife and young children. He works as a construction
worker doing all types of construction work. He gets deeply involved in his local
church. As his church experiences a great revival, he draws close to God. His

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pastor decides to sponsor one of the teams when I contacted him. He feels like
doing more than just enjoying revival. His heart wants to do something for God. He
immediately responds to the invitation from his pastor to the congregation to form
team members. He then hears about my search for someone to stay longer than
ten days. He feels God leading him to take that opportunity. You know the rest of
the story. He will now leave his job, bring his family and live and work in Malawi for
two years. He will work on many construction projects helping the missionaries and
the Malawi Assemblies of God. He will be a short term, called and anointed laborer
in God's kingdom working in construction in Malawi.

Does God really call and anoint construction workers to do construction work? Let's
read Exodus 31:1-6. "Then the Lord said to Moses, "See, I have chosen Bezalel
son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit
of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts-to make artistic designs
for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to
engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of
Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the
craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you.” Here is a great example of a
man. Moses, called by God and given a task that he can't do by himself. But God is
faithful to call and equip workers to do the construction jobs needed. God called
skilled workers to help Moses. God called skilled workers to help Solomon build the
temple. God still calls skilled workers to help His servants do the tasks that He lays
on their heart.

God can and does call a lot of lay people besides construction workers. He calls
artists, bookkeepers, computer specialists, secretaries and any other profession or
skill that he needs to carry out the work He lays on the hearts of men.

This is a good opportunity to discuss a problem that limits a lot of people from
realizing their dreams of ministry. Debt is a burden that the enemy uses to kill a lot
of zeal. Whether clergy or layman, debt can be a real ministry stopper. Whether
the ministry desired is full time or short term, debt can interfere with completing the
call of God. In the example I used of Shawn, if he were loaded up with debt, he
would not be able to follow through on the desire to return to Malawi. The
encouragement is to not become a slave to debt.

Discussion
1. Often times God wants to work with your natural, or trained, talents and gifts.
David drove off many a predator with his sling before he ever killed Goliath
with it. How can God and missionaries use the talents and gifts you already
have?
2. How important is staying relatively debt-free to being able to give time to
short term missions?
3. Explain this statement: Those whom God calls, He qualifies.

B. Prayer Task Force

Prayer is a missions strategy that never changes or goes out of style. Again, Jesus
said, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into
the harvest." Matthew 9:38. One can never explain the power of prayer or why it
works. The necessity of prayer is not fully understandable. After much study about

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prayer there is a definite conclusion that can be made. Not a conclusion that you
have to understand why, just a conclusion that is true. Jesus said do it and it works.

The idea of a group of people joining together as a team and going to another city or
another country for prayer, I am sure is not a new idea. I am sure that for years
people have responded to a burden for another city or another people and have
gone to that city to pray. However, I am only aware of what is happening today in
the Assemblies of God. In 1983, the leader of a laymen's organization called Light
for the Lost, felt a burden for Mexico City, the largest city in the world. There was
not much happening in church planting there. This leader put out a call for laymen
to join him in Mexico City for a week of prayer. Twenty-one men came together in
Mexico City and the first Prayer Task Force was held. The team stayed in one
hotel. Each morning we would begin prayer at 7:00 AM and pray until 10:30 AM or
11:00 AM. Then we would board a bus and travel to a neighborhood of large
apartment buildings in the city. We would walk the streets and pray until late
afternoon. We would return to our hotel for the only meal we ate all day and then
went to a local church service at night. This was the routine everyday for one week.

Many such teams have gone out from the U.S. every year since that time. I am
aware of many teams having gone out from our Malaysian Assemblies of God
brothers. Laymen lead over 90% of the teams from the U.S.. Over 80% of the team
members involved are laymen. This is a tremendous opportunity for many lay
people to do something above and beyond the normal day-to-day Christian living.

I have taken teams to cities in my own country. A team of 12 men had a

great week of prayer in New York City. We have used a much smaller version of
the Prayer Task Force in our District. We have called teams together in a nearby
target town. We spend Friday night fasting and praying. We sleep on the floor of
the church. We spend Saturday morning praying and then going door to door
witnessing and passing out literature. We eat our first and only meal together
Saturday afternoon.

Now, let's discuss the prayer and power of such endeavors. I am well aware that
God can answer prayer about a city whether we are in that city praying or whether
we are praying at home. I don't believe that God's power is changed by us being in
the city we are burdened for. However, I do know that our faith, intensity and
concentration are greater by being in the target city. When I can experience the
sites of the city, markets, smells and sounds, my mind stays very focused on that
city and those people.

The week of prayer is a very real spiritual war. The prince of darkness has a strong
hold on the lives in the city. Our mission is to fight back the darkness with the name
of Jesus. The power and authority of that name are greater than any force or evil
we can encounter. New spiritual freedom usually follows such a week of prayer.
New doors of opportunity are opened. The spiritual battle must be fought. The
victory is already ours through Christ, but the fight must be fought. Many times the
participants of a Prayer Task Force team do not see the immediate results but they
leave knowing the spiritual hand-to-hand combat was won. Sometimes immediate
results are seen.

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Many of the strongest prayer warriors I know have gotten their start by joining a
Prayer Task Force out of desire to do more for God. A layman who experiences the
power of prayer in such a concentrated effort will be changed for life. A layman who
experiences God's power first hand will be one of the greatest assets a church or
pastor could have. A layman who participates in a short term Prayer Task Force will
live a life of prayer.

Discussion
1. Did Jesus pray? Did He instruct His disciples to pray? Should we pray?
Why don't we? (Rhetorical) Sometimes we are prayerless because of a
lack of focus. Explain how a Prayer Task Force helps us focus our prayers.
2. Compare a Prayer Task Force Team to Aaron and Hur lifting the hands of
Moses in Exodus 17.
3. "One can put a thousand to flight, two ten thousand," "the effectual fervent
prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Is there a place, a city that we
could join together in prayer for right now as a down payment of what we're
going to do in prayer later?
4. If you were to plan a Prayer Task Force today, where would it be? Let God
birth a vision in you and then share.

C. Crusade Teams
For a very rewarding short-term ministry one can join a crusade team to a foreign
city or village. A crusade team can be a great asset to a missionary who is planting
churches. The work is hard and physically demanding. Erecting a tent and setting
up sound equipment each night and putting it away after service are tiring jobs.
Setting up lights and a generator each night is hard work. And then, after the
physical work comes the spiritual work, praying, distributing literature, preaching and
altar work. All these require a lot of energy. When a crusade team joins in the
effort, many workers, not just one or two carries the burden. The whole team helps
put up the tent, if one is used. Then three or four members string lights while two
members set up the generator. Four other members are setting up the sound
system, while others work on the puppet equipment. Each night before and after
the service, every one knows what to do and the physical labor is minimal for
everyone. What a blessing this is to the missionary who would otherwise have to do
it himself. He now is concentrating more energy on the spiritual aspects of the
crusade. Each day he can direct team members in prayer time. He can organize
and direct literature distribution teams. He can be ready for the service each
evening without all the physical drain of energy. His preaching can be fresh and
powerful.

What a great opportunity for a layman to join such a team. What an impact on his
life to take two weeks and go to a foreign country and be involved in a church
planting crusade. He will forever be changed seeing hundreds of souls saved and a
church alive where there was not one before he came. When a layman has
experienced such an event, he is not content with business as usual in his home
church and home community. He has a deeper passion for the lost. He will be
willing to work harder as his pastor directs.

What a great opportunity for a pastor. A local pastor can take a crusade team from
his church and assist in an effort in or out of his country. The church can provide

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funds to help in the crusade costs. He can motivate his congregation to make the
sacrifices to go. His reward is from two aspects of the crusade. He and his church
will share in the reward of bringing the gospel to many lost people in a city other
than their own. However, he will also reap rewards for months and years to come.
These rewards will be when church members participating are so changed. He will
find much more eager workers and helpers when he is burdened to evangelize his
city.

When Christians involve themselves in the harvest, as commanded by Christ, they

want to continue to harvest. When a Christian, clergy or layman, is gripped by the
lostness of the lost and overwhelmed by the love of the Father for the lost, he
cannot help but want to deliver the Light to the lost. There is not a more excited
group of people in the world than a church full of soul winners. Short-term crusade
mission teams can ignite the fire of evangelism in a layman or in a church.

Discussion
1. How important is it to free the hands of a missionary to take care of spiritual
needs by doing the busy work of a crusade?
2. Taking care of such details was the original reason for the calling of deacons
in the New Testament church. Where are a missionary’s deacons and can
short termers help to fit this role?
3. In war, supplies are important to the men on the front. Short-term
missionaries can help firm up that supply line. Explain what a missionary
must feel when short termers come along side and help with the crusade.

D. Church Building Teams

Earlier in this lesson we have discussed the concept that God calls laymen to do
skilled work. We now want to discuss the idea of short-term building teams. This
idea is widely used by U.S. Assembly of God churches. Men take up to two weeks
to join together as a construction crew. It is not necessary that all are skilled, but
some need to be. Usually, the project they build is a church building or a Bible
school building. Most of the time, the team is sponsored by one or two local
Assemblies of God churches. The church provides the funds for the building
materials. The team member pays his own way for travel, food and lodging. Most
of the projects are in a foreign country. Sometimes they are in the U.S. and even in
our local district.

Many of the men who participate in these teams are suited to physical work. They
will never preach a sermon or sing a special song. They will never teach a class in
a Sunday School or lead a prayer meeting but they love God with all their heart and
want to do something special for Him. They are good workers and can be a vital
member of a building team. It doesn't mean that they are necessarily skilled. Every
team needs a leader who knows how to build. Every team needs many members
who don't care to do what they are told regardless of how small the task. To carry
brick for Jesus all day is a joy. To mix mortar for Jesus all day is delightful. It may
be tiring. It may make muscles ache. But it sure feels good inside to serve Jesus
all day with a song in your heart.

A missionary working with the national church will identify the projects most needed.
These are submitted through an approval process and ultimately made known to

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pastors in the U.S. God leads pastors to choose a project and he in turn presents it
to his congregation. He raises the money needed for materials and motivates a
team to commit the time and money to go.

For a pastor it is a double blessing opportunity. First he and his church are always
blessed by God for their giving. They bless the Lord when they bless another
church with a new building. God always multiplies to us what we invest in His work,
Secondly; the pastor is blessed at home to have a revival atmosphere in his church
for many weeks following a trip. Those who went with the team share their
experiences with those who stayed home. God blesses the entire congregation for
their going and giving. They share their experience at work and with their
neighbors.

Short term missions trips of any kind help build world Christians. World Christians
are vital to the growth of the Kingdom of God around the world.

Discussion
1. How would participating on a church building team affect a layman's attitude
about giving to mission’s projects in the future? Explain.
2. How does this give fulfillment to the man whose calling has nothing to do
with the general ideas that we have about ministry such as preaching,
teaching, or singing?
3. How does this affect the relationship with the people of the national church
especially if they have helped during the construction project?
4. Can short-term volunteers coming from abroad encourage a missions vision
among local people? How?

III. THE SENDERS-WORLD CHRISTIANS

A. Who/What Is A World Christian?

A look at the picture of lay involvement in world missions would not be complete
without including every Christian. Some laymen and pastors will become bi-
vocational missionaries. Some will be involved, at least once, in a form of short
term missions endeavor, but the number of participants in both of these ministries
will be a very small percentage of the total Assemblies of God church population.
Our goal in this lesson is to view the whole church body and move them toward
becoming world Christians. The idea that because a layman doesn't go on a trip
that he isn't important or involved needs to be negated in this lesson. Likewise, just
because one doesn't go isn't an excuse for sitting idly by and not having vital input
and having no interest in world evangelism.

Let's review the command directly from Christ. In Mark 16:15 Jesus said, "Go ye
into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." How exciting that for
many the "go" will be a literal packing up and moving to a new land. For others it
will be going for short-term projects, but for most, the "go" will not have much
distance involved in it. Every Christian can "go" even if it is to family, co-workers,
neighbors or our own home town.

There is one thing that all Christians can have in common with respect to Christ’s
command. All Christians can have a "go attitude." It takes a "go attitude" to move

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your family to a foreign land to share Christ. It takes a "go attitude" to use time off
from work and pay your own way for a two week trip to a foreign nation for a special
project. And it takes a "go attitude" to be a world Christian and never travel away
from home.

So, who is a world Christian? What is a world Christian? Let me quote David
Bryant. "A world Christian isn't better than other Christians. But by God's grace,
they have made a discovery so important that life can never be the same again.
World Christians are day-to-day disciples for whom Christ's global cause has
become the integrating, overriding priority for all that He has for them. Like disciples
should, they actively investigate all that their Master's great commission means.
Then they act on what they learn."

When you begin to define a world Christian you soon encounter the word
commitment. World Christians are:
1. Committed to God's purpose for His world.
2. Committed to God's people who carry out His purpose.
3. Committed to working out God's purpose in daily life.
Let me quote yet another writer, Paul Borthwick. "A world-class Christian is
one whose lifestyle and obedience are compatible, in cooperation, and in accord
with what God is doing and wants to do in our world."

As you grasp the definition of a world Christian, recognize that you do not have to
pack your bags and leave home to be one. A world Christian is a Christian with a
world attitude. You may never ride in an airplane, but you can live with a world
attitude every day.

A wise pastor is one who desires to pastor a church full of world Christians. To
pastor a church of world Christians first starts with being one. Usually a church
takes on the personality of the pastor. World Christian pastors teach Christians how
to have a world attitude.

Let us discuss one last analogy of world Christians. Let's apply one more defining
term to Christians with a world attitude. These are the senders. As my good friend
Benny Ferguson says, "some of us are goers, but most of us are senders." It is a
wise Christian who loves the Lord of the harvest so much that he says, "I don't have
to be a goer to demonstrate my love for you." Being a faithful sender is being the
backbone of missions. Romans 10:14 and 15 says, "How then shall they call on
him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe on him in whom
they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall
they preach, except they be sent?" It is clear here that senders are the base. The
whole missions enterprise starts with the sender.

Are laymen senders? As you view the vast body of believers, one quickly sees that
over 95% of the senders are laymen. Not all believers have become senders yet,
just those who have become fully aware of the lostness of the lost and the love of
the Father for the lost and have let the command of Christ to "go" penetrate their
hearts and thinking.

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Discussion
1. Share 3 ways of being a World Christian.
2. How does the Biblical narrative of I Samuel 30 with regard toward "those
who stayed by the stuff" v. 24 relate to senders and their eternal reward,
value to missions?
3. Near-sightedness toward missions is the equivalence of self-centeredness
and selfishness. For correct vision see Acts 20:20. Explain. Can we
continue to go to the house of our own community repeatedly when around
the world others have not had one opportunity?
4. If you're not going to go personally, then how can you be a sender?

B. Prayer Support
One of the greatest, if not the greatest role of a world Christian is prayer. We
discussed earlier, intense concentrated on-site prayer by teams. These are great
ministry opportunities as they become available. However, as we have noted,
percentage wise, very few will be involved in such a prayer team. Being a world
Christian and a prayer warrior is a combination that can literally move the hand of
God around the world. The most spiritually powerful force in God's economy is
intercessory prayer. Not just a few minutes of prayer, but prayer warriors who
spend as long as it takes in prayer to touch God for a need. Being able to enter into
prayer consistently like this is a gift from God. We are not talking about praying for
your personal needs, family needs or even local church needs. We are talking
about world evangelism needs. Praying for the sent ones, the ones privileged to
literally go. Praying for national church leaders around the world. Praying for lost
souls around the world to hear the message of Christ.

Prayer warriors do not wear labels of clergy or layman. A prayer warrior could be
either. A prayer warrior just knows he must spend time with God in prayer every
day, regardless of what he does for a vocation. Prayer warriors are always bi-
vocational. One vocation is what they do to earn a living and the other is a vocation
of prayer. Prayer becomes the number one priority.

A world attitude prayer warrior knows that he has a place in world evangelism. Full
time missionaries ask God desperately for many people to remember them as
prayer supporters. They will hand out hundreds if not thousands of prayer cards to
help remind prayer warriors to pray.

Prayer is the only currency used in God's economy. Invest it and great returns
happen.

Discussion
1. Define "intercessory prayer".
2. Define "prayer warrior".
3. While this hypothetical question should never take place, one's answer to it
is important. If you as a missionary had to choose between adequate
financial support and adequate prayer support, which would you choose and
why?
4. Are you called to prayer according to I Thessalonians 5:16-18?

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C. Emotional Support
Goers need a great deal of support from senders in another area of their lives and
ministries. We will call this emotional support. The rigors of leaving all but your
immediate family and all you friends behind in your home culture and moving to a
foreign land and culture can take it's toll on a family. Senders can be made aware
of some of the emotions and feelings at work in a missionary family when they are
on the field for a full four-year term. World Christians will do something about the
emotional needs of goers.

Keeping in touch via mail, fax or email about just regular things in life can be a great
blessing. Just visiting about every day events will help them feel the connection
with home. Sending them newspaper articles about a particular interest of theirs
would be a blessing. Remembering their birthdays, especially of any children in the
family, can be a big boost. If you know they have a favorite candy that they cannot
get and you send them some regularly it will be a big blessing.

I remember when my son went to a foreign country for the first time for missions
work. He could get a lot of the things he was used to at home. But there was one
thing that he could not get in the country he was in. It was his favorite soft drink,
Mountain Dew. He loves Mountain Dew. After some time, we heard of someone
going to visit that country. We were able to send a case of 24 cans of Mountain
Dew to him. What a surprise and thrill it was to him. He brought pictures home
when he returned showing the room where he lived. On one wall was a stack of all
24 Mountain Dew cans empty. He had rationed out the cans so they lasted almost
the balance of his time there and saved every can. This gave him emotional
support while he lived and ministered in that foreign culture.

I have learned over the years of being a sender that a very critical time of need for
emotional support is when a missionary family returns home after four years. Most
tell me that the culture shock is much greater coming back to America than when
leaving it and entering a new culture. So much changes in four years. People and
attitudes change in four years. Things in everyday conversation that people talk
about and refer back to happened while they were gone. Many conversations they
cannot even relate to or understand. Products for sale change. Advertising
changes. Television programs change. Styles of clothes change. Automobiles
change. Those of us who live here don't notice the changes as they happen a little
bit all the time. But when you miss four years of small changes it adds up to some
very large changes when you are suddenly thrown back into it.

Senders can be especially helpful as a missionary family returns home: spending

time with them, taking them on a couple of shopping trips just to answer questions,
assisting them with housing and an automobile, helping with a school for children if
necessary, introducing them around your church. All of these and lots more could
be on a list for senders to be involved with as emotional support.

World attitude senders are a vital part of mission’s ministry. Sharing Christ with the
lost takes all goers and senders following Christ closely and carrying their part of the
responsibility. Missions strategies work when both ends are covered. Missions will
not work with an all goers and no senders or vice versa.

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Discussion
1. No army can advance and retain territory for very long, beyond the reach of
its own supply lines. How is this true for missionaries?
2. How important can a word of encouragement in a card or letter be when one
is far from home and facing demonic strongholds?
3. Can you relate the Epistles of Paul to this very need?

D. Financial Support
A discussion about financial support and missions was left last for a reason. Too
many people think that missions and money have to be used always in the same
breath. Many people are never shown the lostness of the lost, they are told the
need for the dollar. And in all honesty, many lay people grow weary of only being
asked for money and no other input. Let's proceed with a discussion of money and
missions.

When we face a money crisis in missions, we usually realize that it really is a

spiritual crisis. Too little money in missions is a heart problem, not a money
shortage problem. God's people control enough money to solve all missions’
money problems. The challenge is getting God's people to release it.

Worldview Christians seem to get a good handle on financial matters as it relates to

missions. They see God's global plan. They see their role in His plan. They are
committed to His plan and financing it is easy for them to participate in. This money
discussion was left until last to make a point. If everything else discussed before
now is truly lined up in a life, money is no problem. Sacrificial giving is a joy for
world Christians. People always find ways to support financially where their interest
is. How important will any interest other than global evangelism sound when we
stand before Christ and make excuses for not giving to His work.

If we could only learn to live our lives now in the light of eternity. We don't see that
light today. We can try to imagine what it is going to be like. Many aspects of our
lives might change when the light we see them with changes.

World Christians find ways to go beyond their personal means and get involved in
many valid ways of generating money for Kingdom use. This thinking is taught early
in the U.S. Assemblies of God through BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade).
Young boys and girls are taught missions. They solicit funds from other people they
know. These funds are used by missionaries around the world. Then the youth
carry on by raising funds for equipment and transportation needs of our
missionaries. As teenagers, many young people learn to be world Christians. They
learn the priority of missions in God's eyes. As they grow older, WMs becomes a
place for world Christian women to generate funds beyond their personal finances.
Light for the Lost is a place for men to do the same. Men work extra time above
jobs and normal church functions to raise money for mission’s literature. Some of
them become bi-vocational as fund-raisers. They maintain a normal job to produce
an income, but then work a second vocation called Light for the Lost.

World Christians learn to focus on their lives and on God's plan to reach the world's
lost at the same time. There seem to be no secrets for success in doing this. Just
hard work and commitment to a Savior.

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 WORLD CHRISTIANS ARE ELEVENTH HOUR CHRISTIANS.
ARE YOU?

Discussion
1. "To whom much is given, much is required," Luke 12:48. Does this apply to
finances?
2. Luke 6:38 guarantees fruitfulness from your giving. Can you out give God?
3. Tithing is the minimum requirement of a born-again, New Testament
believer. Explain this statement.
4. Is God's giving strategy for believers’ bondage or blessing? Explain your
answer.
5. Are we ever too young or too old or too poor to give to God's mission plan?
See John 6:9 and Luke 21:2-4 for examples and discuss. Maybe even give
testimonies of obedient giving and God's faithful provision.
6. God the Father gave His greatest treasure to this mission on earth. Do we
have the right to hold anything back?
7. Jesus was a World Christian and never physically ministered outside His
country, but as a bi-vocational, giving, sender He reached and is reaching
the entire world. Ask Him to help you do the same!

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 Chapter 14
MINISTERING CHRIST IN MUSLIM AND ANIMISTIC CONTEXTS
Ben Tipton

Description
This chapter deals with developing a strategy that is both practical and spiritual that
disarms the enemy and liberates those in bondage.

Objective
Christians face a spiritual conflict with Satan and a host of evil spirits. These
powers of darkness are the spiritual forces of evil that oppose God’s will, often
through cults and religions, holding people captive under their influence. They
frequently oppose all believers openly, especially those who are a threat to their
kingdom. They constitute a great multitude (Rev. 12:4,7) and are a highly and
systematically organized empire of evil, with rank and order. Many cults and
religions fit within their framework. The objective of this chapter is to help the
student to understand the strategy of a power encounter that is needed to deal with
these cults and religions.

I. THE SPIRIT WORLD AND THE DOMINION OF DARKNESS

A. The God of this Age

Look in your Bibles at Matthew 24:3, 14. The disciples came to Jesus privately and
said to Him, when are these things going to happen. Notice how they asked what
would be the sign of His coming, but when Jesus answered them He talked about
the “signs”. When Jesus told them about these signs, He spoke in parables once
again. In Matthew 13:10 the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do you speak in
parables?” It is exciting to speak about abundance. Abundance is how much? It is
enough and more than what is needed. So for those of us who have a relationship
with the Lord we have an absolute abundance. The Lord goes on and talks about
those who come and deceive many, famine, earthquakes, then in verse 14 Jesus
says, “and here is the sign…When the gospel is preached into all the world for a
witness unto every nation, then shall the end come.”

You can’t help but read Revelation 5:9 in conjunction with this verse. This is more
than an implication that there is going to be a representation from every tribe and
every nation when we stand before the Lord. Now that should be encouraging to all
of us to realize there will be a representation from every tribe. When we think of all
those remote places we can all be assured that all tribes, ethnic groups, nations, all
of them will hear the gospel.

Even recently new tribes are being discovered. There are still people discovering
unreached tribes. We have a responsibility to reach those people. Only a year ago
in Benin a new people group was discovered. They are called the Lagoon People
because they live isolated, out by a lake. These people have their own language.
They had never heard the gospel and had never been to church, but praise the
Lord, the chief has come to know Jesus and now a church is being built there. The
question is this, “How do you reach these multitudes of people in such remote
areas?”

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That brings us to Matthew 20:9, and the parable of the workers and the harvest. All
of the workers, both those who started in the eleventh hour and those who started
before, were paid the same wage. While praying one day I asked the Lord, “Why
were those who came last paid the same as the others? God spoke to me and told
me a few things. We are living in an hour ordained by God. This Eleventh Hour
Institute is a chance to reveal things to His people. God will reach out through this
time to bring people unto Himself. He has called some to live for Him and some to
die for Him.

He is calling some to live and some to die, but there is also another area in which
Jesus will touch our lives, a way that is often more difficult than death. Sometimes
in our preparation for ministry, an area in our lives that is near and dear to us will be
touched. Perhaps the most precious thing in our life will be touched or taken from
us. A few years ago I was standing by a grave of a nine-year-old child of a
missionary, and as I stood there with the sun going down, the Lord spoke to me and
said, “I am going to take your son Jonathan to be with me.” Just like that the Lord
spoke to me. I said, “Lord if there is any other way, don’t take me through this
valley.” The Lord was dealing with me in a deep way and I said, “Nevertheless, not
my will but yours be done.” Sure enough, the time came and we received a phone
call and I knew when the phone rang what it was. At that same time a dear brother
in Togo was going through the same thing, he also lost his son. One day we met
and embraced and he said, “ Dear brother, the high cost of evangelism is almost too
much.” I don’t say this so that you will be afraid, don’t be afraid; God will not take
your children, because the word says that the Lord will not give you more than you
can bear. However, if the Lord touches your life in this manner, He will prepare
you. The Lord is touching people today to be more conscious and open to His will.
This brings us into a closer relationship with the Lord and also allows for more
evangelism. God is preparing the eleventh hour harvesters, and no doubt there will
be those who are reading this that will be called to lay down their life. That is why I
believe that in the parable of the workers and the harvest, that the eleventh hour
harvesters were paid the same. The hour that the church faces today is one of the
darkest, and God is touching the lives of people to face that hour.

1. Animism
Look in Acts 26. It says, “I am sending you to open their eyes… so that many may
receive forgiveness of sin,” There is an existence of a dark spiritual world that is
behind many of the religions of today. Christians face a spiritual conflict. Everyone
has had conflicts with the forces that will oppose God’s will. When we go into an
area, our conflict depends on how much of a threat we are to the spirit of darkness.
If we are not really a threat, perhaps the enemy will not confront us in a drastic way.
We should examine our lives and ask ourselves, “Am I being a threat to the kingdom
of darkness?” There have been days in my life like in the Bible, when Satan will say
to me, “Jesus I know and Paul I know, but who are you?” We will move into areas
of a deeper walk and relationship. Most cults draw people in deeper and hold them
captive, and frequently oppose believers, especially those who are a threat to their
kingdom. These demonic powers constitute a great multitude. Revelation 12:4
sheds light on this. Many cults and religions fit within this framework, so many false
doctrines are infiltrated by evil spirits and are there to overthrow.
Christians of all people should give animist credit for acknowledging and carrying
around a reality that most westerners largely ignore. The animist is not wrong

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because he fears something that doesn’t exist, he fears because he knows that
those forces are real and powerful. Many of you nationals have had to be patient
with missionaries because of our culture, background and teaching. Many of us
came to Africa never encountering the powers of darkness in the way you have. I
have been privileged to speak at many Bible Colleges in the United Sates and am
appalled that many do not know how to deal with Satan. How do we learn to deal
with the enemy when we don’t even know how to encounter him? Many of our
missionaries have not had the experiences that you nationals have had, so you
need to be very forceful in sharing your experiences with them. Be persistent to
make the missionaries listen to the things that you saw as a child and experienced
in your life and ministry. Because demonism is not addressed, there are those who
go to the witch doctors to receive answers to the questions and problems that the
missionaries or church should able to help them face. Sometimes leaders learn little
about the supreme authority and dominion of Christ. All too often missionaries
approach people and expect them to understand from our perspective and not from
their experiences and perspective and confrontations that take place. People also
expect the pastor and leaders to understand the problems on the same level they
do. If they did, they might be able to find the Lord as the solution to all their
problems.

Now in dealing with this, let’s turn to some scriptures. First, let us look at 2
Corinthians 4:18. It is necessary that we know the spirit world is an invisible world,
and that as it says in this verse, we fix our eyes on what is unseen, not what is seen.
How do you fix your eyes on the unseen? You see God is a spirit and those who
worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. The Apostle Paul here is
saying that he has spiritual eyesight. We must not fix our eyes on what is seen,
because what is seen is not really important. Yet this is the world we spend a
lifetime in, the “seeing” world. This lovely edifice will one day be no more.
Everything the eye sees is dying. You see, a baby is born and immediately starts
on his way to death. It may be 70-80 years from now, but it is in the process, it is on
the way. That which you see is passing away. That which you do not see is
eternal. It is the unseen to the natural eye and this world that we are to be
concerned with. This world and the carnal mind can’t relate.

Read 1 Corinthians 2:14. If we have a scientist who heard this he would say how
foolish because he could not relate to what is being said. Romans 1:22 makes it
clear that it is not the natural mind. It is through the Spirit that we relate to the
unseen world. Professing themselves to become wise, the scripture says they
became fools because they could not relate. In 1 Corinthians 7:29 Paul says, “What
I mean brethren is that time is short from now on those who have wives should live
as those who have none.” What he is saying is don’t become so enamored with
your companion that you lose sight of your goals. “Those who mourn as if they did
not and those who are happy…” In other words, that new pair of shoes that you
have been wanting and needing, they look so good when you get them, that you
want to put your foot out so others will see it, Paul is saying be careful about this, it
is not important. Those seen things are not what are vital and important. We need
to be those who use the things of this world, but are not engrossed in them. I
believe this scripture is tailored to the eleventh hour harvesters. We begin to train
our understanding that it is not those things that are seen, but what is unseen. Paul
concluded that this world is passing away. Now, so we can get a better view of
what we are talking about in the area of animism, this invisible world has two

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masters. Isn’t it interesting that the weakest by far has the greatest following,
because he leads through deception? In 2 Corinthians 4:4 “The god of this world
has blinded the minds of unbelievers.”

Also remember Acts 26:18. The Lord is speaking to Paul that he was sent to open
their eyes to receive forgiveness of sins. The rulers of darkness have infiltrated
much of the society of the entire world. This unseen world under the force and
power of the darkness is a dimension for which the Holy Spirit has prepared his
gifts. This is our CID division that lets us know what is taking place behind the
scenes. For this reason, we are not ignorant to the devices of Satan. It is the realm
of the unseen under which we labor. It is the most powerful entity of the invisible
world. This is in an area where the Holy Spirit is touching lives of believers and
bringing them into a greater relationship and commitment.

2. Folk Islam
Folk Islam has its grass roots in the intellect of African Society. In Africa, Islam is
tinged with occult superstitions of the spirit world. There are people living right here
with the strong motivation to continue their realistic practices. Again and again we
have had confrontations and I want to share in order to encourage you, that many of
the areas where we have reached out to Islamic areas there is one way to penetrate
these areas, that is through relationship with the Holy Spirit.

However, there is a powerful influence to embrace the rituals of Islam and adhere to
the pillars of faith set forth in the Koran. Making the pilgrimage to Mecca becomes a
challenge and exciting adventure to every new convert. We Christians must see all
their ceremonies not as the root of the problem, but as symbols. There is a power
of darkness behind the scenes. This is the area we are dealing with. You can know
all about the ceremonies, but still not be able to reach in to the areas of seeing
people come to the Lord.

In 2 Kings 6 we see Samaria being attacked by Syria. Samaria represents those

who believe in God and Syria represents those who are in darkness. On one
occasion Syria came against Samaria and the Captain of Syria knows where the
Samarian army is, so the captain says, “How is it that Samaria always knows where
we are, who is giving us away?” You will remember that the captain said, “There is
a man over there in Samaria who knows everything you do, he even knows what
you speak in your bedroom.” “Then we must take care of that man.”

So he sends men to get him. He is in the city of Dothan. They come against the
city and it is interesting how the Lord reveals to His people what is happening in the
spiritual world. The servant of Elisha comes and says, “They have surrounded us”.
Then Elisha prays to the Lord, “Open the eyes of my servant,” and the eyes of the
servant are opened to see the host of angels there as well as the enemy. Then in
answer to Elisha’s prayer, God smote them with blindness. Now it is time in this
eleventh hour that God touches the church so powerfully that the church does such
great exploits that an entire nation would come to see Jesus as a result of the
exploits done for God. God touching the lives of our people needs to happen over
the whole of Africa moving us into a closer relationship with Him.

In dealing with folk Islam you will see that it is much more forgiving than the Islam of
the Middle East and other places in the world because in the Middle East you would

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die for some of the things that you are only hotly reprimanded for in Africa. But, we
must be wise as to the beliefs, rituals, and prayers of Islam. You must be careful
and cautious not to do things to bring reproach or anger. We must be in tune with
what the Holy Spirit is saying so that we may be led day by day by the Holy Spirit.

In reaching the Islamic world, the great army of laity will be used. I believe that in
order to reach this vast community, many Christians who have been converted from
Islam are being used and will continue to be used to reach multitudes of Muslims
and win them for Christ. To have a power encounter ministry we need to
understand the Biblical perspective of three realms of reality, God, angels, and men,
and allow this to transform our thinking, we will then begin to see our ministry in a
different way. In Revelation 12:7-9 there was a war in heaven between the angels
and the dragon. There is a scene that takes place and it is good to look at those
who are involved in this battle. Michael and his angels fought the dragon and the
dragon and his angels fought back. BUT, the dragon was not strong enough!!

B. Know Your Enemy

We are moving into a deeper dimension, many people will look at you and be critical
of you and what you are doing in your ministry. Even Jesus’ own family was critical
of him; they thought He had lost his mind because He sent the disciples out to cast
out demons. They couldn’t relate to this.

Spiritual conflict with Satan involves three aspects:

1. Declaring war against Satan according to God’s purpose in order to fulfill and
expand God’s kingdom. Luke 4:14-19.
2. Entering Satan’s stronghold by prayer and proclamation. No man can enter
a strongman’s house until he first binds the strongman. Binding can be done
through prayer and continuous prayer chains. Many miracles and
deliverances have taken place because of prayer chains. 1 Corinthians 4:20
says that the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power. Do we
have that power in our lives? And if people are desperate they are looking
for someone to meet the need in their life. God specializes in taking the
foolish things of this world and using them for His glory. A great multitude
followed Jesus because of the miracles that He did. The animist, Muslim,
etc, will follow you when they see needs being met. Pray that the Lord will
open up 1 Corinthians 4:20 to you so that you will understand what healing
is.
3. Carrying off the enemy’s possessions. In other words, carrying off souls in
his possession (Luke 11:22, Acts 26:18). If we can move into the place of
seeing the power of God take place, multitudes will be saved and set free.
One of the main purposes of the death and resurrection of Jesus was to bind
Satan and free those bound by him (Mt 12:29, Mk 1:27, Acts 26:18).

C. Territorial Spirits:
Look at Deuteronomy 32:8. God sets boundaries. You can know that when God
sets boundaries the enemy will also, such as the 10-40 window. There are scores
of people being held by powers and darkness due to the boundaries set. With this
in mind, look at Ephesians 6:12. This verse says that we do not wrestle against
flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities of darkness. Now this third
category is the dimension that affects most of us. I believe the 10-40 window is part

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of this. The spirit of darkness has infiltrated and demons have entered the social,
political, educational, and above all, the religious systems of this world. He is
working to destroy.

II. PREREQUISITE FOR PULLING DOWN STRONGHOLDS

Remember the story of Jesse sending David out to the battle to bring back a report.
When David arrives at the place of battle, he doesn’t hear anything, but he sees
Goliath across the field. He asked, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine?” David’s
brothers tell him to go home and tend the sheep, but David says that he has come
to get a report of how the battle is going. They had been there for forty days and
there had been no battle. You see, I believe this is the condition of many churches
today. We are clothed and seemingly ready to go, but failing to go into the battle.
God is touching and raising people up who are making a commitment to Him and
moving into a place of real warfare.

We are dealing with people when we deal with Islam, a people who are completely
committed to a cause. I will never forget the day I read a prayer of an Islamic man
that said, “If I serve thee in fear of hell, burn me in hell, if I serve thee in hope of
paradise exclude me from paradise, but if I serve thee for thy own sake, withhold not
thou everlasting being from me.” Now when you are dealing with people who have
this kind of a commitment you must have this type of commitment. We, as a people
of God, must realize it is time for us to move into a deeper commitment in searching
out the things of God.

A. Intercession
Please turn to Isaiah 64:4. This verse says that God acts on behalf of those people
who wait on/in his presence. Intercession is absolutely essential for the church
today. It is the platform for reaching those held in captivity and in religious bondage.
Prayer is not a minor support activity, but an intense confrontation. God has
ordained prayer to be a motivating force that allows a believer to pull down the
strongholds of the enemy. It is important to receive the Scriptures that deal with
prayer and intercession. Just as breath is essential to the physical body, so prayer
is to the spiritual man. If you don’t breath, you will die physically. If you don’t pray
you are going to die spiritually. Se must recognize the absolute necessity of prayer.
Paul writes to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 6:18 and says to pray in the
Spirit. In 1 Samuel 7, Samuel built an altar of prayer. I would hope that all of us
have a place, either in our homes, church, or someplace where you pray. When I
built my home, I built a prayer room. I have invited those in my neighborhood to
come and join me in prayer and everyday there is someone there during the time
that we have set aside for prayer. Everybody needs a prayer partner; someone to
share prayer requests and needs with. Someone to join in prayer with. But don’t
allow this time to come between your personal private times with the Lord. Find a
prayer partner, it may be someone you don’t even know yet. Move into this
dimension of prayer.

God places himself under the law or force of prayer. Jesus said, “If you ask any
thing in my name, I will do it.” This is a promise of the Lord; He puts himself under
the force of prayer. Every foundation is built on prayer. God has ordained that
prayer be a motivating force in enabling us to pull down strongholds. I would like to

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share a few areas where we can see the hand of the Lord moving through prayer. If
you have a major problem in an area, start at the top. Turn to the impossibilities
because God is a God of impossibilities. When you mean business, the devil will try
to put fear in your heart. So any person without a systematic prayer program or
prayer life is on a religious treadmill. There is a great difference when we pray to a
sovereign God who is in control of the universe. It is not hard to pray like this, but it
is more difficult to believe that He will give you victory immediately over the powers
of darkness and pull down the strongholds of the powers of the enemy.

This is where the Lord wants to move the church today. The enemy is real, and is
aware. He is a person, and we must recognize that the Lord has defeated him.
Prayer is the ultimate weapon in our struggle against the rulers, authorities, and
powers of this dark world and powers in the heavenly realm. We need to know how
powerful some of these principalities and strongholds are. If you want to know
answers to difficult questions and difficult things, get alone with God like the
disciples did in Mark 4:34. There will be those of us who become involved in prayer
and fasting and it will take us into confrontation with these powers and principalities.
We need to be wise in these areas.

God has placed himself under the law of prayer. Prayer moves God, but
prayerlessness prevents God from acting. Prayer puts initiative for acting into the
hands of the believer. The greatest rebuke from the mouth of the Lord was because
of the disciples’ powerlessness. It was exposed when they were unable to heal the
son. Are we exposed today because we fail to have the power and authority of
Jesus at work in our lives? Ask yourself, am I moving in these areas? If I am not,
why? God is waiting for you to do something. Rev. David Cho strongly emphasizes
prayer. They have over 50,000 prayer group leaders, and 700 associate pastors
who are also great prayer warriors. Every night in their church, there is an all night
prayer meeting. On Fridays, there are over 20,000 people in attendance. On
weekends, many go to a prayer mountain. Many of the people in the church are in
constant prayer.

B. Fasting
In the Old Testament many people fasted, Moses the lawgiver, Elijah the prophet,
Daniel, David, Hannah, and others. In the New Testament we see Anna, Jesus,
and the disciples fasting. The question I would like to ask is why did Jesus fast.
Why did He as the Son of God need to fast? The Lord answers this in Matthew
9:14. He said the wedding guest would not fast until the bridegroom was taken
away. In America there is very little discussion or encouragement to fast. When a
person fasts it should be between them and the Lord, and their priorities are
essential. If you fast for the wrong reason, you defeat the purpose of fasting. All of
us love to eat, and fasting is something people are finally beginning to move into. It
is a way to draw us even deeper into the things of God.

One of the reasons God doesn’t speak to us is because we don’t take time to work
Him into our schedules. In the New Testament fasting was a channel. Today is a
new day, and the Lord is moving. Let me ask you what makes your Assemblies of
God churches any different than the Baptists? It had better be more than just
speaking in tongues. The Lord wants to take his church into a dimension where his
Spirit can infiltrate the entire area out from the church. During the Eleventh Hour

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Institute, can we rediscover the power and purpose of fasting? Listen to Mark 8:35.
“Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for
the gospel will save it.” Fasting is all about dying. If you fast long enough you will
die.

Let’s go back to the garden and God coming down to see Adam. God interacted
with man. How did this happen? I believe it was because in the beginning man’s
flesh was under subjection of the spirit. When the flesh was in total submission to
the spirit Adam could be in the presence of God. But through the fall of man, which
was through his appetite, the flesh rose up and took control. Now between God and
man there is the flesh. I believe God wants to get glory out of Satan’s aggressive
acts. Fasting in Hebrew means the closing of the mouth. In Greek, it simply means
not to eat. God said, “I will take that which Satan meant for evil and turn it around
and those who fast will have authority over you.” Fasting is a Christ ordained
concept. In Matthew 28, with the great commission, Jesus said to teach all nations.
Teach them to do what I have told you. We are to teach people to be like Jesus and
do what Jesus did. If we look at the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, 6, 7, it talks
about giving, praying, and fasting. Why do we emphasize giving and praying, but
not fasting? Jesus says. “He who hears these words and puts them into practice…”
Jesus is speaking also about fasting. We often overlook that aspect. How many of
you believe that Jesus meant what He said and said what He meant? If so, then,
why don’t we obey Him in this area?

Why did Jesus fast? Look at Luke 4:1. Jesus is full of the Holy Spirit and was led
into the desert where He was tempted. He did not go into the desert to get full of
the Holy Spirit, but instead being full of the Holy Spirit He was led by the Spirit into
the desert to be tempted. During this time Jesus fasted. Jesus had been in the
world. He was tempted in every way. Jesus fasted and during this time his flesh
was coming under full subjection of the Spirit. This is an example to you and me.
What would the church be like today if from the beginning we were taught to fast as
well as to give and to prayer? The purpose in a longer fast is to conquer all flesh.
Jesus fasted for 40 days and when Satan came to tempt the flesh he found that it
had already been completely conquered. When the enemy comes against you and
you have been fasting and the flesh is conquered, can Satan affect you when you
are moving in the Spirit? In verse 14 there is a secret that I have read many times,
but until I began to fast I did not even catch the significance of it.

Take note, how did Jesus returned to Galilee? Jesus moved in the power of the
spirit. As Jesus began to move within the power, while staying within the framework
of the gifts of the Spirit, He was allowing for us to someday also walk/work in this
power. When you hear of churches around the world where mighty things are
happening you will see it is a church that fasts and prays. Notice Jesus’ life after He
fasts. Jesus announces his purposes for coming, which were the verses He spoke
from Isaiah 4:32. The people who heard this were astonished because his words
were with power. It makes a different when the flesh is out of the way. Do you
want to see God move and impact lives like never before? Then let us move into
fasting and prayer. In verse 40, it said they brought the sick and He healed all of
them, because his Spirit was in control. If the church will rise up in this area, God
will bring healing, salvation, forgiveness. When you fast for one day that is fine,
three days is better, then a week, ten days, etc… And the Lord will open the door to
mighty things. Let the Lord lead you into a long fast.

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C. Pentecostal Power
Christ gives to the church the power of Pentecostal gifts. We see this in Matthew
10:1. It was first given to the disciples when Jesus called them and gave them
authority to cast out demons and heal every disease. This was a transfer of power
to his disciples. When we walk in the power of the Lord we can expect great things
to happen. You ask me if I have ever raised anyone from the dead, and I say not
yet. But I asked the Lord, before I die to let me have the opportunity. You ask why?
I say, because Jesus did it. When I am spending eternity in heaven I don’t want to
just ask Elijah and Peter what it was like. I want to say to Peter, this is what it was
like when I walked on water.

When we go into these areas of danger and high-risk situations, we must not be
fearful. We need to have the flesh conquered. Jesus healed the sick, raised the
dead, and healed the leper. Leprosy was incurable. We have incurable diseases
today that we will also see healed if we can overcome the flesh and walk in the
power and authority of Jesus. Your flesh needs to come into subjection to the Spirit.

Not only did the disciples have power to cast out demons and heal, but they had joy.
The disciples had joy because they focused on Jesus. When you are dealing with
evil and supernatural encounters don’t dwell on the evil that you just overcame, but
stay focused on Jesus.

D. Gifts of the Spirit

Jesus confined his ministry to gifts of the Spirit. The first gift we will talk about is the
gift of inspiration. Gifts of inspiration are those vocal gifts that are inspirational and
edifying. These also come through fasting and prayer. The second kind of gifts is
the gifts of revelation and words of wisdom. A word of wisdom is normally a
supernatural message about what has not yet taken place. A word of knowledge is
a message about something that already exists. The third kind of gifts are the gifts
of power which is faith, working of miracles, and healing. More is said about the
gifts and work of the Holy Spirit in chapter 3.

Summary
Essential things must take place in our lives. First of all we must know who Jesus
is. Secondly, the church must prevail. And thirdly you must know how to bind the
strong man. I tell you right now, that before you are able to bind the strongman, you
must first be free yourself. When you go out into ministry make sure that you are
free. Secondly make sure you have joy, and thirdly, you must know the power of
Jesus’ name and in a dimension that we know we are more than conquers through
Christ Jesus. This is seen in Philippians 2:9-11. God is calling the church into a
deeper relationship with him.

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 Chapter 15
BETWEEN THE CROSS AND THE CRESCENT: UNDERSTANDING THE MUSLIM
WORLDVIEW
Dale Fagerland

Description
This chapter will give the missionary a greater understanding of the way Muslims
view vital issues of life and eternity. We will examine briefly some of the main
beliefs and practices of Muslims—noting similarities and crucial differences with
Christianity. We will explore why Islam has such worldwide appeal, and will identify
the formidable barriers that hinder Muslims from becoming Christians; seeking to
find culturally appropriate ways to present the gospel to Muslims.

Objectives
1. Describe the Muslim view of God and His relationship to man, noting crucial
differences with Christianity.
2. Understand Islam’s power, and why it has such strong appeal to the masses.
3. See more clearly the major stumbling blocks in the path of Muslims
becoming Christians.
4. Grasp the powerful system within which the Muslim is bound, and ascertain
how this context affects the conversion, discipleship and church planting
process.
5. Learn from Scripture and from the professor’s personal experiences
appropriate practical guidelines for Christian approach and witness to
Muslims.

Introduction
Islam is the “Mt. Kilimanjaro of missions”—it draws a lot of attention, but few
climbers! Like this huge African mountain, Islam, the Church’s greatest challenge,
will not simply go away. Before we can seriously equip ourselves to positively
respond to this monumental task, we must understand why this challenge is so
formidable—what are the major stumbling blocks in the path of Muslims coming to
Jesus?

The 1.2 billion Muslims of the world represent the largest unevangelized people in
the world, presenting the Church its greatest challenge in missions. The vast
diversities among Muslims make the task of evangelism complex.

In the Worldview of Muslims worldwide, they sense they are a part of the ummah,
the community, or the “house of Islam.” Major decisions are never made before
consulting appropriate family members and religious leaders, making it difficult for
individual Muslims to make a decision to follow Christ. This widespread cultural trait
adds to the challenge of reaching Muslims for Christ.
With much effort and at great risk to committed climbers, “Mt. Kilimanjaro” can be
conquered. Muslims can be brought to Jesus by dedicated followers of Jesus. In
spite of formidable challenges and great personal risk, more Muslims are accepting
Christ as Savior today than ever before in history! More Muslims have come to
Jesus in the past 20 years than in the past 1400 years combined! God will not allow

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the death of His Son to be rendered ineffectual by any people. Let’s work and pray
together to surmount this formidable “Mt. Kilimanjaro of missions.”

I. MUSLIM WORLDVIEW (THROUGH MUSLIM EYES)

A. What is Worldview?
A person’s worldview is revealed in these answers to 5 basic questions:
1. What is ultimate reality?
2. Who is man?
3. What is the meaning of human history?
4. What is the basis of morality?
5. What happens to man at death?

B. Muslim View Of God (Through Muslim Eyes)

The view of God through Muslim eyes is obscure. God has not revealed Himself,
therefore He cannot be perceived, and the nature or essence of God is far beyond
human comprehension.

The Muslim’s view of God is also double-edged. He is perceived to be utterly

distant, yet the Qur’an states the God Most High is closer than one’s jugular vein.
God knows all things, but is Himself totally unknowable. Only God can know God.
Whatever man can imagine about God, He is altogether different than that.
Everyone and everything depends on Him, but He needs no one or nothing. Man is
not created in the image of God, and He is not like us. The Eternal, Supreme Ruler
of the Universe created all things, but is Himself uncreated.

Our Muslim friends accept that God is Almighty, having spoken the worlds into
existence by His infinite power, but He is not Heavenly Father. Every surah
(chapter) of the Qur’an except one opens with the phrase, “In the name of God, the
merciful, the compassionate.” Yet He is perceived to be unpredictable and not
obligated to make or keep promises. No one can know what God will do; for if they
knew, then God wouldn’t be God. Muslims say that only God knows what He will
do. Paradise is the destiny for those whom God selects, but Muslims have
absolutely no knowledge of where God will send them on Judgment Day, to heaven
or to hell. They can only hope. God is the One Who guides as well as the One
Who leads astray. God is omnipotent, capable of doing absolutely anything He
wills—both good and evil!

Belief in one God is the cornerstone of the religion of Islam. Multiplied millions of
Muslims around the world several times daily state the Islamic creed, “La ilaha illa
Allah, wa Muhammad rasul Allah.” Followers of Islam bear witness that, “There is
no god (or deity) but God, and Muhammad is His Apostle.” It is the shortest creed in
the world and repeated far more often than any other. The bottom line of Muslim
faith is the absolute oneness of God. This rigid and inflexible monotheism allows no
place for a partner, for a Son.

Important similarities exist between the Islamic and Christian beliefs about God.
Muslims believe that He alone is the Creator, Master, Ruler and Sovereign Lord of
all that exists. All the attributes of Sovereignty exist in God alone, the Master of the
destiny of the human race. He alone possesses all the attributes of Divinity. He

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alone is Eternal, and all else is transient. Man should turn to Him alone in prayer.
However, the crucial differences between the biblical and Qur’anic concepts of God
cause Muslims and Christians to embrace contrasting views concerning the
relationship between God and man. Perhaps we can gain an insightful glimpse into
the Islamic concept of God and His relationship to people as we examine a simple
phrase which expresses the essence of biblical truth. Let’s observe carefully the
following sentence through Muslim eyes:

“Jesus, God’s Son, loves you and died for your sins.”

UNTHINKABLE! To give God a partner is to commit the unpardonable sin of “shirk”

in Islam. It is blasphemous and condemned throughout the Qur’an to join other
gods with God. It is unthinkable for Muslims that Jesus should be considered the
Son of God.

The uncompromising emphasis on the absolute and indivisible unity of God stems
from Muhammad’s rejection of the erroneous concept of the Trinity he no doubt
learned from heretical Christians in Arabia and the Middle East in the sixth century.
Having come from a pagan, polytheistic background, Muhammad maintained much
contact as a young adult with Jews and Christians. It is believed he spent
considerable time with Christian monks where he learned many biblical concepts,
including the belief in one God. He eventually rejected completely the numerous
gods and goddesses of his own tribal Arabs, but received confusing and conflicting
information concerning the God of Moses, Abraham and Jesus.

Unfortunately, the Prophet of Islam came to understand that the Holy Trinity
consisted of God the Father, Mary the Mother and Jesus the Son! Young
Muhammad, searching for answers to difficult theological questions, considered it
inconceivable the implication of God being involved in some kind of sexual union to
produce a son! This human reasoning of what it means for Christ to be the Son of
God is reflected in surah 112 with these words: “Say: He is God, The One and
Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, Nor is He begotten; And there is
none like unto Him.” Missing the truth of the Trinity, our Muslim friends today
stumble with human logic over the idea that there exists in the Divine Godhead a
mystery that defies human reason. Through Muslim eyes, a father must always be
older than the son. The Qur’an clearly declares that Jesus was the virgin-born son
of Mary; but the concept of Jesus, the Son of God, is unthinkable.

“Jesus, God’s Son, loves you and died for your sins.”

UNRELATED ! Through Muslim eyes the concept of God and the concept of love
are unrelated. The significant focus of the relationship between God and man is
submission and obedience. What is the controlling component in the relationship
between a master and his servants? The determinant is not love, but is rather
submission and obedience. A master may praise his servants’ performance and
show approval by rewarding them for their obedience and faithfulness, but the
servants do not expect to have a loving, personal relationship with their master. If
asked, no doubt a master would state he loves his servants, but love by no means
represents the predominate aspect of their relationship. The master is always
above the servant. He may give gifts to his servants but will never give himself. He
is the master, not the father.

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What is the dominant factor in the relationship between a military general and the
soldiers? Again the answer is submission and obedience. In the heat of battle a
commanding officer is not concerned whether the new recruits love him or not!
What the general demands is their obedience to his orders. An officer may show
approval and give rewards for his soldiers’ achievements, but he doesn’t give
himself. He is the general, not the father. The master-servant relationship and the
military general-soldier relationship reveal perhaps the most significant difference
between the Christian and Muslim concepts of God. In the Qur’an, God is
presented as a Master Who demands one be his slave, whereas the Bible presents
God as a loving Heavenly Father Who invites one to be His child.

In the Qur’an, the word approval and the word love may be substituted without
changing the meaning. God loves, or approves of, those who submit to His will and
keep His commandments. From the Muslim perspective, God is not self-revealing.
The God Most High has revealed His laws and commands through the teachings of
the Qur’an, but He has not revealed His nature, which is totally incomprehensible.

The word Islam means submission, and conveys the sense of peace that results
from submission to God. The word Muslim refers to the one who submits to God’s
will. It is not the Muslim’s objective in life to reflect the nature of God, but rather
surrender to His laws. Our Muslim friends perceive it absurd to strive to be like God.
This behavior is equivalent to comparing one’s self with God, which approaches
committing the unpardonable sin of shirk. The focus of the Muslim’s life, then, is not
to know God but to submit to Him. Conformity to His character is not the goal, but to
obey His command. Through Muslim eyes, the concept of God and the concept of
love are unrelated.

“Jesus, God’s Son, loves you and died for your sins.”

UNTRUE! Through Muslim eyes, the story of the Crucifixion is a hoax to deceive
the Christian community. It represents one of the main reasons why God sent down
to Muhammad one last and final revelation, the Holy Qur’an, to correct this false
doctrine. Muslims say that God would never allow His great Prophet Jesus to suffer
such a shameful death as a public crucifixion.

Muslims accept that Jesus, by God’s permission, experienced a miraculous birth

and was also supernaturally raised into heaven. However, they cite the following
surah of the Qur’an as the basis of their denial of this crucial aspect of the gospel
message:

“That they (the Jews) said (in boast) ‘We killed Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, the
Apostle of God’—But they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to
appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain)
knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for a surety they killed him not. Nay God
raised him up unto Himself; and God is exalted in Power, Wise” (Surah 4:157).

There are many theories, none of which are found in the Qur’an, as to how Jesus
was rescued from the cross. One of the most common is that God, Who is merciful
and compassionate, observed the Jews were plotting to kill Jesus. He quickly
dispatched angels who snatched Prophet Jesus away before the evil-doers could

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carry out their plan. Then God performed another marvelous miracle by causing the
face of Judas to look like Jesus. When the soldiers came to apprehend their victim,
they unknowingly seized Judas! It was this evil-doer, or someone else who
deserved the punishment of death, who was placed on the cross, not Jesus.

Another common conjecture is that it was, if fact, Jesus who was on the cross, but
He didn’t actually die. It only appeared so. God, in His mercy, revealed a special
ointment to one of the disciples who anointed the body of Jesus in the tomb. The
Prophet Jesus was revived, escaped Palestine and fled to the area of Kashmir near
the border of India and Pakistan. He married, had children and lived to be an old
man. In whatever manner the above surah is interpreted, the death of Jesus is
denied. Through Muslim eyes, the crucifixion is simply untrue.

“Jesus, God’s Son, loves you and died for your sins.”

UNNECESSARY! Through Muslim eyes, it is foolish to think God would require an

innocent person to die for the guilty. No one can take another person’s place before
God. Each person must stand helpless and alone to answer to God on Judgment
Day. Every deed, whether good or bad done in private or in public, will be exposed
on that dreadful day. Muslims say that there can be no mediator between God and
man.

The Cross is perceived to be needless because humanity is not lost. Therefore

individuals are not in need of a Savior or a Redeemer, but rather they need a guide.
The Qur’an is that guide. Individuals are not by nature sinners. Adam and Eve
sinned, but God would never thrust the consequences of one individual’s sins onto
another. Weakness and forgetfulness characterize the human condition, and
individuals do commit sins; but they are not depraved. God has provided in the Holy
Qur’an everything one needs to conduct one’s self in submission to God and in
conformity to His laws.

Our Muslim friends are convinced the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins
totally unnecessary. An atonement is needless because God has the power and
authority to simply forgive someone their evil deeds if they just ask Him in humble
repentance. Muslims say it would reveal a fundamental weakness in the character
of God if He didn’t offer forgiveness of sins without it costing someone’s life in
exchange.

In this lesson, we have made an attempt to understand the Muslim view of God. We
have observed that Islam affirms belief in One Supreme God of the universe, but
this rigid and inflexible monotheism prevents the consideration of the essential
message of the gospel—Jesus, God’s Son, loves you and died for your sins. Our
message to our Muslim friends is that the New Testament plainly shows that the
final victory over sin, death and all the powers of Satan was gained at the cross. In
Jesus, you can be forgiven by God, you can become children of God, you can
receive the Spirit of God, you can come to personally know God, and you can spend
eternity in His presence.

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C. Muslim View Of Sin
A Muslim may have the fatalistic sense that God has already determined his eternal
destiny, so when tempted to sin, he/she may give in to the temptation. However,
remember that God has put in the human heart a conscience, a sense of sin, guilt,
defilement. Following are some of the elements to the quranic concept of sin and
the contrasting biblical teaching:

1. Quranic: Sin is primarily against one’s self. It will hurt you—the negative affects
will return on your own head, damaging your own life and status. Sin does not hurt
God, for God cannot be hurt—He is too great to be affected by the sins of man.
Surah 2:54 “…you have wronged yourselves…” Surah 4:11 “…earns sin against
his own soul…”

Biblical: Sin is primarily against God. Joseph said to Potiphar’s wife, “How can I do
this thing and sin against God?” After David’s adulterous affair he repented, “Against
you (God), and you only have I sinned.”

2. Quranic: Sin is referred to as “stumbling,” or “getting off the right path,” or being
“forgetful,” or not using your intelligence. Sin is shame, embarrassment, defilement.
Surah 23:74 “…deviating from the way…” Surah 2:286 “…condemn us not if we
forget or fall into error…”

Biblical: Sin is willful disobedience—it is rebellion against God (primarily) and man.
(see Hosea 8:1)

3. Quranic: Prophets of God are elevated on a pedestal, and it is scandalous to

accuse them of being just like the rest of us. Though not expressly stated in the
Qur’an, it is understood among Muslims that prophets lived above sin.

Biblical: The sins of Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, and all the prophets
indicate that all humans are frail and born with a sinful nature.

4. Quranic: The unpardonable sin, called “shirk” (or “shirq,”), is to associate

anything or anyone with God. Surahs: 4:48, 4:31, and 53:31

Biblical: The sin which condemns man is the sin of unbelief. John 16:8-9 “…He
will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment…of sin because
they do not believe in me…” The rebellious attitude of resisting God, of denying His
revelation in Jesus Christ, of refusing His salvation plan—this is what condemns
man.

5. Quranic: God loves (synonymous with “approves of”) the believers, those who
submit to, and obey Him. (Surah 3:31) It is conditional love—based on obedience.
If you obey God, then He will love you.

Biblical: God’s love is unconditional—He loves sinners. (Matt 9:13, Rom. 5:8
“While we were yet sinners…”, I. John 4:10) We must demonstrate the
unconditional love of Jesus to our Muslim friends.

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Discussion
1. What are some similarities between the Quranic and biblical concepts of
God? List 10.
2. What are the 2 most important similarities as it relates to witnessing to
Muslims?
3. What are some differences between the Quranic and biblical concepts of
God? List 8
4. What are the two most crucial differences?

II. THE APPEAL OF ISLAM

A. Ideals And Realities

It is unfair and dishonest to compare the best of what we know and experience in
Christianity with the worst of what we see in Islam. If we concentrate on the worst
features of Islam and the worst behaviors of Muslims, we cannot protest when the
Muslim speaks about the worst features of Christianity and un-Christlike behavior
they see among Christians.
One way of appreciating the best in Islam is to ask, “What is the secret of the strong
appeal of Islam in the world today?” Following are some of the answers:

1. Islam is a simple, monotheistic

creed without complicated 5. Islam presents itself as an
dogmas. alternative to the decadence
2. Islam is an international and to the materialism of the
brotherhood with a strong “Christian” West.
sense of community (ummah) 6. Islam claims to meet the
which cuts across differences immediate personal needs in
of race, color, and caste. This Muslims’ lives—the need for
sense of community finds its direction, power, healing,
highest expression in the Hajj. protection, etc.
3. Islam appeals to the 7. Islam is a religion of works—
oppressed—especially in the appealing to the natural man.
Two-Thirds World, it claims to 8. There is much truth in Islam
establish a just society. (belief in One God, prayer,
4. Islam requires discipline and fasting, giving, heaven, hell,
offers clear guidance about angels, prophets, Judgment
how to live, claiming to be Day, etc.) Note: There is a
relevant to all the problems of fine line between truth and
the 20th century—social, heresy. The most deceptive
economic, political, etc. lies begin in truth.
Discussion
1. What are additional reasons do you see for the vast appeal of Islam?

B. Categories Of Muslims
Muslims pride themselves for their unity of beliefs, and they would not admit to
“denominational” divisions as in Christianity. However within the two major
categories of Shi’ites and Sunnis, we can observe vast differences in the way
various Muslims practice their religion while giving lip service to theological unity.

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Orthodox: Take Quran literally; follow the Traditions (Hadith)
closely.

Conservative: Try to conserve as much as possible from

Orthodox Islam while adjusting to life as it is.

Mystic: - Sufi Theologically can be almost anything; in practice

is seeking some kind of union with God.

Liberal: Hold to a few Muslim ideas, but make varied

interpretations of how to apply them.

Syncretist: Blend Islamic beliefs and practices with many

(“Folk,” or common, ordinary) local superstitions; includes palm-reading,
astrology, charms, curses, etc.

Secularist: Nominally Muslim for social and political

purposes, but have abandoned most practices.

Communist / Socialist Usually Marxist or Maoist in economic philosophy;

would still identify as Muslim for the sake of
expediency.

“Folk Islam” is a broad catch-all phrase that describes a syncretistic form of Islam.
In this phenomenon, Islam mixes with the more primitive, animistic practices.
“Animism” is the belief that all of creation is pervaded or inhabited by spirits or souls;
that all of creation is in some sense animate. People try to influence these spirits by
the use of magic or rituals intended to harness their supernatural power for human
ends. Usually this takes the form of efforts to either appease these spirits, or
neutralize them, as well as use them to bring blessings to themselves or even
curses on their enemies.

Folk Islam is about SOLUTIONS—not so much concerned about the “there and
then” but the everyday problems of the “here and now.” Folk Islam is generated by
a need for power from a powerless people.

If the well of Islam satisfied their thirst, Muslims would not be involved in Folk
practices.

Note: Muslims will inevitably pull the Christian worker to “official,” or “ideal” Islam,
the ideal beliefs and how it should be practiced. They are reluctant to talk about
“folk Islam,” the way it is actually practiced. We must resist their attempts to argue
doctrine, and look always for the deep, underlying needs of Muslims. AFRICAN
PROVERB: “The lion wants to fight with the crocodile, but not in the middle of the
river.”

C. Mullah the Mediator

Muslims adamantly argue that there is no mediator between God and man. Each
individual must stand alone before God on Judgment Day to give account of their
works. Muslims believe Muhammad will in some way intercede for them on that

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dreadful day, but while on earth no one can take another’s place. There is no bridge
between the Creator and the created. However, because Islam fails to meet the felt
needs of its followers, many Muslims do seek guidance and deliverance from a
mediator (known in various parts of the world as Mallam, Mullah, Mulana, Mulvi,
Marabout, Phalbe, Dukun, Pir, etc.) Sometimes the Sheikh will perform the more
orthodox duties of teacher, etc., but will also be very involved in non-orthodox folk
practices.

Following is a list of some of the real or perceived needs that push Muslims to seek
help from this mediator for “alternative medicine”:
1. infertility 16. fear of death
2. contraception 17. football victory
3. illness (self, spouse, child) 18. school grades / pass exams
4. to get money (in crisis) 19. prosperity in business
5. to be persuasive 20. to be popular / included
6. power / authority to dominate 21. divination (fortune telling)
7. political power / authority 22. to solve dreams / nightmares
8. to get employment 23. why someone died
9. to receive a promotion 24. to kill
10. protection (security) 25. to put / neutralize a curse
11. protection in journey 26. “evil eye” (hand of Fatima)
12. fear of unknown 27. cause trouble / bring confusion
13. fear of evil spirits (jinn) 28. to change someone’s mind
14. fear of future 29. jealousy
15. fear of failure 30. jealousy between wives
Muslims are seeking a mediator. Will you be God’s instrument possessing true,
biblical baraka—the anointing of the Holy Spirit?

Discussion
1. What are some aspects of Islam that we can appreciate?
2. What percentage of Muslims do you think are involved in folk Islam?
3. Are Folk Muslims easier to reach with the gospel?
4. If so, in what ways?
5. What are the most critical issues in the lives of Muslims that cause them to
seek help from a mediator? List 5 of them.

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 Some Possible Questions to Ask Muslims
• Do you ever think about God? • Will you go to hell for your sins?

• In your thinking, what is God like? • What is hell like?

• Do you know God personally? • Is hell forever?

• Is it possible to know God? • Do you have peace with God?

• How do you practice your religion? • Do you know if your sins are forgiven?

• What do you say in your prayers? • What do you do about your sins?

• Do you ever talk to God personally • Do you feel shame when you have done
from your heart? something displeasing to God?

• Does God hear you when you pray? • Do you have any hope of seeing God?

• Does He care about you personally? • Will you ever be in God's presence?

• Is God concerned about your • What is heaven (paradise) like?

problems?
• Who will be accepted by God?
• Has God answered any of your
prayers? • What do you think about Christians?

• (If yes, can you give an example?) • What do you think about Jesus?

• Have you ever had any dreams in • What does the Qur'an say about Jesus?
which you believe God was
communicating? • Did Jesus live a sinless life?

• Have any of your friends had these • Did Jesus work miracles?
dreams?
• Have you ever read the Injil?
• Are you ever troubled by jinn?
• Do you have a copy of the Injil?
• (If yes, what do you do when this
happens?) • Would you like a copy of the Injil?

• Does the Mullah (Marabout) have • Do you desire the blessings of God in
control over jinn? your life?

• Who has the power over jinn? • What would you like most of all that God
should do for you?
• What is sin?
• Could I pray for you, right now?
• Does all sin need to be paid for?

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