Persecution and Passion
In 2020, there were 85 cases of persecution reported to an African indigenous ministry that is involved in reaching unreached people groups and multiplying disciple-making movements. Almost all of those cases of persecution involved new disciples who have recently come to faith in Jesus through one of the ministry’s disciple-making movements. The persecution came from those who practice the faith from which the recent believers turned. There were deaths and beatings, and a large number of the new disciples had to flee their village. They travelled a long distance with what they could carry and finally found a village that welcomed them. The ministry coordinated relief through grassroots leaders and sent resources to help the refugees resettle. Already, the new residents are having an impact in the village! They continue to pray for persons of peace, share their faith, and invite neighbors to join in a Discovery Bible Group.
Another case of persecution involved a disciple who had left the “faith of his birth.” Because of this, he was being shamed by his community, he lost his job, and he was forced to leave his community. The ministry team in the area is providing spiritual and emotional care and facilitated an income-generating activity for this brother, who has a readiness and a passion to go make disciples among his own community that threw him out. God has redeemed this terrible situation and used fellow-disciples to help him turn what was a display of shame into an opportunity of praise of the Lord Jesus.
Please pray that hostile relatives and communities would open their hearts to Christ. And pray for the disciples to be strengthened in faith to endure persecution and that they will remain obedient to Jesus.
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it has hated you.” John 15:18 (ESV)
COVID-19 Relief Funds and Gospel Breakthroughs
COVID-19 relief funds received and distributed through GCPN continue to have an impact around the world. In one region of Africa, at least 300 families in seven rural villages have been reached through a “food evangelism outreach.” The total number of persons within these 300 households were 2,626 people which includes husbands, wives, widows, and children. Through the outreach, there were also gospel breakthroughs among two unreached tribes!
Access to one of these unreached tribes through the food evangelism outreach led to the salvation of the imam of the largest mosque in that area. Not only did he and his family benefit, but now he is the “man of peace” among his tribe and is being exposed to Discovery Bible Studies. Another beneficiary of the food outreach was a man and his wife. The wife had a history of six miscarriages, usually happening when her pregnancy was between the fifth and sixth month. Believers prayed with this man and wife, and now they have a “bouncing baby boy!” In addition, they are now followers of Jesus!
From the second unreached tribe, which is 99% Muslim, 50 families benefitted through the food outreach. There is an ongoing Discovery Bible Study movement among 100 women from this tribe. The women were also empowered to make soap and cream which is sold at their local markets. Please pray with us that these women will discover the true person of Jesus the Messiah and commit their lives to following Him as their Lord and Savior.
One man from this tribe was unable to walk for 9 years, but during the course of the food outreach and engagement with him, he was healed and gave his life to Jesus. His brother also surrendered to Jesus! We trust God to do much more as the Discovery Bible Study groups evolve into obedient disciples and lead to indigenous church planting movements. This tribe has the potential for a movement to Christ, and we invite you to stand in the gap that this would happen, to the glory of our King.
Nations by Region:
Please click on the region of your interest for strategic information, to learn more:
| Africa | Arab World/Central Asia | Asia | Europe & Russia | Latin America | Western World |
| Eastern Africa | N. Africa & Middle East | North East Asia | Eastern Europe | Central America | Oceania |
| Southern Africa | Central Asia | South Asia | Russia & satellites | Mexico | North America |
| West Africa | South East Asia | Western Europe | Northern S. America | Caribbean | |
| Central Africa | Brazil | ||||
| Nigeria | Southern S. America | ||||
| Islands | |||||
The papers were “waving” at him
As we near the end of a tumultuous year when the world has been so affected by the coronavirus pandemic, we are reminded that God’s power and creativity to reach people is not quarantined, isolated, or under any “stay at home” order. His Spirit is still working and active, even when we are not aware of what he is using to accomplish God’s purposes.
Members of the Global Church Planting Network facilitate rapidly multiplying house fellowships. In some parts of the world, house fellowships have birthed new house fellowships down to more than 20 generations in just a few years. Field leaders track this growth through ministry report charts. A field leader who is at high risk for COVID-19 is limiting his travel at this time. He asked another person, “DD,” to pick up some ministry report charts from a leader in his area and send them to him, but DD delayed in sending the charts. When the field leader asked for them again, DD still delayed.
Eventually, the field leader found out that DD was afraid of the papers! He told the field leader that the stack of papers would often “wave at him” like they were blown by wind, but there was no wind. He moved the papers to other places in his home, but the papers continued to “wave.” He was terrified. One day he decided he needed to get those reports out of his possession as quickly as possible. Embarrassed and fearful, DD took the papers to the field leader and asked, “What power or spirit is in these papers?” DD told the field leader that the papers “waved” no matter where in the house he placed them. He asked the field leader what the symbols in the reports meant, such as, “How do you get a star by your initials?” The field leader explained that those with a “star” by their initials were people who put their faith in Jesus as Saviour and were baptized. DD and the field leader continued their discussions, and DD recently received Jesus as Saviour and is being mentored by a group leader.
“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8, NIV)
Contents
- Best Practices
- CPM
- Training
- Global Networks
- Languages
- Mapping & Mobilization Tools
- Partnership Development
- Prayer
- Strategy
- Fruitful Practices: a Descriptive List, results of a comprehensive research process into best practices in restricted access contexts.
- Leading and Motivating Teams, a simple powerpoint to assist in identifying key issues in developing your team.
- Church Planting Essentials, reflections by Ronaldo Lidorio, a seasoned Brazilian cross-cultural planter.
- Movements that Move, a study by Dwight Marable identifying root principles of CPM (PDF)
- Towards reducing avoidable hostility, perspectives by believers planting in a challenging context.
- www.churchplantingmovements.com
- Training Resources - www.contagiousdisciplemaking.com.
- Illustrating basic principles with dominoes: 18 brief training videos - www.vimeo.com/channels/223181
- Mission Frontiers Issue 33:1 on Training for Trainers (T4T) (PDF)
- Mission Frontiers Issue 33:2 devoted to review of CPMs (PDF)
- Training Manual on CPM by Curtis Sergeant for Saddleback Church (PDF)
- Comparison of key CPM factors as identified by 7 practitioners (PDF); another effort to help understand here.
Church Planter Training Resource Sites:
Church Multiplication Training Center - www.cmtcmultiply.org
Dynamic Church Planting International - www.dcpi.org. Download CP Handbook from www.dcpi.eu/#/home/free-book
New Church Specialties - http://newchurchspecialties.org/NewStart_Churches
The Omega Course - http://www.alliancescp.org/resources/omegacourse.html (other languages: http://www.sallee.info/Omega_Course.html)
Starting Churches by Making Disciples, by David de Vries (PDF)
Global Networks or Organizations:
Call2All - focus on finishing the Great Commission
Ethne to Ethne - mobilizing missions to the remaining least reached people groups of the world
Finishing the Task - focus on unengaged unreached people groups
Global Rise - combining the insights of research and mapping to clarify the remaining task, works primarily with local/national organizations and churches.
Global Mapping International - combining the insights of research and mapping to clarify the remaining task, works largely with western agencies.
International Missions Board, Global Research Department and www.peoplegroups.org.
Jesus Film - shares the truth of Christ through the film with increasing focus on church planting.
Joshua Project - research on the nature and status of remaining unreached people groups
Operation World - the most comprehensive nation-by-nation guide for prayer mobilization
Vision 5:9 - a network of workers among unengaged 'cousin' people groups
Chinese - here
French - www.1pour10000.fr
Russian - here
Spanish - What is DAWN? by Bernardo Salcedo - here; Well Connected by Phill Butler - here
Portuguese - Movements that Change the World by Steve Addison - external website here
Mapping Tools for Saturation Church Planting:
http://e-star.ws and www.globalrize.org
http://www.1pour10000.fr/la-carte (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">If interested in a similar site contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
The DAWN Research Handbook - Roy Wingerd (PDF)
Russ Mitchell shares how to develop a 'prophetic message' here.
More research training and resources here.
Mobilization Tools: Strategic Information
From Lausanne: Partnership Field Guide (60 page PDF or online)
From VisionSynergy:
High Performance Ministry Networks (7 page article by Phill Butler)
Well Connected: Releasing Power, Restoring Hope through Kingdom Partnerships by Phill Butler (332 page book in PDF). Also in Russian and Spanish.
Audio:
"Principles of Partnership" by Dr. Richard Howell - GCPN conference Delhi 2010 (MP3... right-click, "save-as" to download before listening)
www.ethne.net - click on 'prayer' for excellent resources by region, strategy and more...
DAWN Prayer Manual - Brian Mills (PDF) - prayer strategies to support your national church planting process
www.unreachedprayer.org - Praying the Lord of the Harvest for labourers among the unreached
www.operationworld.org - Inviting you to intercede for prayer needs in a different nation each day
http://gettingthere.imbresources.org - shows locations of unreached people groups on a map as you pray
"Prioritizing the Essential Elements of the Great Commission" - Dr. Paul Eshleman (PDF, 1mb)
"Run That By Me Again" - Bringing Order to the Strategy of World Evangelization - Dr. Marvin Newell (CrossGlobal Link) (PDF)
Whole Nation Strategy (DAWN or SCP):
National Church Planting Process (leadership team manual and worksheets) - Murray Moerman (11 pages, PDF)
In a Word - What is DAWN? - Dr. James Montgomery (6 pages in English or Spanish)
13 Steps to Saturation Church Planting - Dr. James Montgomery (PDF)
Fire in the Philippines - Dr. James Montgomery (PDF)
The Discipling of a Nation - Dr. James Montgomery (PDF)
Seven Million Churches to Go - Dr. James Montgomery (PDF - text only) (PDF - full scan)
Then the End Will Come - Dr. James Montgomery (PDF)
Also by Dr. Montgomery:
13 Steps to a Successful Growth Program - Dr. James Montgomery (PDF)
Presentations:
The Contribution of Jim Montgomery - Eric Smith (PDF)
Discipling a Whole Nation - Eric Smith presentation to East Asia regional conference 2017 (manuscript, PPT)
Uncategorised