So what are we talking about here? Well, without going into a lengthy description of what ministry is and what the church truly is you could sum up my ministry with the title phrase "Tribal Church Planting." But still what are we talking about? What does that look like? What does it mean?
Well, before I launch into an explanation let me capture a few of Paul’s words that have been echoing in this heart of mine, "It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, " and again, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" This then is my ministry. This is my passion. This is my vision – to see the name of Christ proclaimed to every people group no matter how small, isolated, barbaric, or savage they might be.
So when we talk about Tribal Church Planting we simply mean taking the gospel to a "tribal" group of people who would not have the opportunity or privilege to hear the name of Christ otherwise. The goal is not simply to achieve a representative or impressive number of converts (for salvation was never the end but the means)Rather we want to see a group of mature believers established which in essence are disciples like us!
But what does it look like? Well, if a picture is worth a thousand words then let me just say that a picture of tribal church planting would be worth ten thousand!!! It’s shocking, different, and at times majestically refreshing as it differs so greatly from what we call "Church!" It involves learning a language that has never even been written, disecting a grammer so complex that at times the intonation of your voice is what gives the sentence meaning. It means learning a culture that smells, looks, and sounds absolutely bizarre to our Western culture. It means loving people by getting up in the middle of the night to stich a gabing machete wound, or simply working with the women in a yuca field in the heat of the day. It means weeping with those who are weeping and rejoicing with those who are rejoicing. It means living life with people who are often classified along with animals as "endagered." That is what it looks like.
And finally what does it mean? It means everything!!! It means that the vision in Revelation of having a person from every tribe, tongue, and nation is being fullfilled. It means that a people who were once hoplessly lost in fear and darkness now bask in the hope of eternal life radiating from the eternal light himself. That my friend is what this is all about!!!