Imagine getting in on a class to learn the related parts of the human anatomy in respect of heart surgery five weeks into the course. Think what you would have missed. Wait, you can’t even think about what you missed because you don’t know what you missed. How would you understand what is being described in the class today when you don’t know and don’t understand the basics of function previously discussed in class? You would be lost in the dust to make sense of what the instructor is talking about. …And that also would be the case in our teaching if we were to jump to the gospel message and leave out the story of God when reaching out to people with no understanding of the God of the Bible and the story that lays the foundation to declare the truths related to and necessary to understand the message of eternal life.
Ethnos360 missionaries all around the globe are provided the tools to teach the story of God, to lay the foundations necessary to bring lost people to an understanding of truth, truth that will open their understanding of His story and the gospel.
Getting to the place of teaching the Bible isn’t something that happens overnight. Yes, our colleagues go out trained and equipped with the know-how to teach God’s Word. But long before teaching begins, the enduring investment of time to learn the language, culture, and worldview of those they will teach must begin.
Jesus said “The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.” It is our desire to impart Jesus’ words in a way that will accomplish the task He set forth to do among those He ministered to. …And in order to engage those we are reaching, our missionaries spend years of eliciting, listening to, and mimicking the sounds of the language; analyzing and learning the structure of the language with its nuances, and getting to the point where they can speak and understand the language in context of the culture, and the manner in which the people think. These all are crucial aspects that need to be in place long before missionaries begin declaring Christ to lost people.
It is from this realm of understanding that Ethnos360 trains and equips its people with a deep biblical understanding of the story of God. We offer tuition-free Bible training at two USA-based Bible Institutes and several others around the world. Our focus is to teach and instruct from all sixty-six books of the Bible. The next step in equipping is our Missionary Training Center where we focus on the New Testament principles for ‘making disciples among the nations,’ giving our candidates a broad and focused spectrum of establishing thriving churches among unreached peoples, and providing the practical skills & tools needed in pioneering work. Finally, we provide training in language and linguistics and the ability to move in among an unengaged people and reduce the language to writing, which relates back to the foundations of establishing an outreach to such peoples.
Now let me go back to where I began talking about a student jumping in mid-stream on a class related to become a heart surgeon. What if that student enrolled only in the first five weeks of class, then hung out a shingle saying they are open for business to do heart surgery? If you were in need of a heart transplant you probably would go elsewhere. …Or what if you found a surgeon with just eight months, the equivalent of two semesters training… would you go to them? Of course not. You want to find the surgeon who has the full gamut of training, having served several internships under the watchful eye of a senior surgeon, and then as one who has become skilled in their trade. That is just how we feel with those we train and equip to do the work of church planting among indigenous peoples. It takes adequate equipping.
This is where we come in to focus. –Having trained and experienced these very things in practice among unreached people in remote settings, we are able to nurture and guide those God is motivating to serve in missions. Sometimes God brings us alongside people who have the potential to do such work but have inhibitions because they do not understand the job is doable. The potential within is often set aside because of fear of the unknown or pre-conceived ideas that the task is too hard.
Maybe you know someone like this or maybe you are thinking, “I wish God could use me but I don’t know; I just don’t know.” Well, we would like to spend some time to encourage such ones in the journey of seeking to serve. Give us a call to set up a consultation… we’d love to talk to you. We’re here to answer any questions you may have. …And please know that we never will push you in your decision making.
We’re also available to assist local churches in recognizing those who have the potential to serve, as well as establishing a mentoring approach in nurturing and preparing such ones you can send to be part of the team declaring Christ to the nations. Consider inviting us to speak to your church or small to your groups and teens. We believe missions must be birthed in the hearts of our young when they are young. If that young. If that takes place within the church and is carried thru with biblical teaching in the home, then we will see an increase in workers to finish the work Jesus gave us to do.
In closing, we want to express our thanks to the team of prayer partners and financial donors willing to invest your time and resources in our mobilization efforts. We are thrilled to serve and want you to know that we value all you do. Let’s pray that God will rise up many more workers in 2019 that will go to the many people groups still waiting to hear the gospel.
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