Spreading the gospel to “the ends of the earth” is the responsibility of each and every believer … but how do you do that? How do you make an impact, for instance, on Africa?
Africa is huge. Much of the missionary effort over the years in rural areas has been ineffective, resulting in few disciples and fewer lasting churches. Even today, how can any of us across the sea know what’s being effective?
I’m going to help you answer those questions. Literally – I’m going to Africa in March. West Africa, to be more precise, and that’s about as precise as I can safely be.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time
That’s often said to be an African proverb. Though the true origin of the saying is unknown, the meaning is simple. You approach a huge task one step at a time. I’m going to Africa so I can tell the stories of how missionaries sent by churches through NTM are doing that. My aim is for those stories to encourage more people in North America to get involved in making disciples at the ends of the earth.
I’m going to spend time with African church leaders who are telling new missionaries how to effectively bring God’s Truth to Africans. I’ll talk with those missionaries – trained in the West, equipped and sent out by their churches, raring to go … yet now, again, and always, in the humble role of a learner.
I’m hoping to talk with a man who went to Africa to do maintenance, who’s now teaching Bible lessons – and even that was only made possible because a woman was willing to do something that we Westerners take for granted: teach people to read and write.
I’d like to share the story of a team made up of people from the USA, Europe and Africa, working together to ensure that a people group can, for the first time, hear a clear presentation of the gospel in their own language.
And I’m eager to talk with a man and woman who have labored for years to translate the New Testament into an African language – and some of the men and women reading that translation today, understanding it because it is clear to them, and applying it to their lives.
By sharing stories like these, and telling people how they can be involved, I’ll do more than take a bite of the elephant. I’ll help thousands of others take bites too. I’ll show them how they can be part of the work God is doing.
Not there yet
This week we bought tickets for our team to go to Africa, and we’re still working out all the details.
Yet your opportunity to help take a bite out of the problem starts right now.
Pray for:
- The safety of our three-person team. I doubt there’s any corner of the globe that we can really call “safe” these days.
- Arrangements to work out for us to get powerful stories and dramatic photos.
- God to use these to encourage and inspire people to be involved in His work.
I’d also like to give you an opportunity to be a financial partner in our strategic ministry. Your gifts to our ministry are multiplied as Julie and I work to give thousands of people opportunities to:
- Pray for the work God is doing every day.
- Give to thousands of missionaries and dozens of projects.
- Take advantage of scores of opportunities to go out as volunteers, short-term workers, or career missionaries.
To do that, we rely on the partnership of God’s people for our personal needs and ministry expenses. Each month, we receive just over half what New Tribes Mission conservatively estimates we need to be effective in ministry.
Will you consider a gift to our ministry? If you’re already giving, will you please encourage a friend to join us as a financial partner?
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