Church Help 4 Completing the Great Commission

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. - 2 Corinthians 4:4

Each person has greater value than anything in and on the earth. Before God laid the foundations of the earth He knew each person by name. Each person is known and desired for an eternally good and close relationship with Him. The key is in knowing what He has said and believing Him. (Isa. 45:22, Ezek. 3:18, 1 Tim. 2:4, 2 Pet. 3:9, Romans 1 & 10, 2 Cor. 4:4) 

The best gift we can give to another person is the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. (2Cor. 4:3-6) The light of the glorious gospel of Christ is what their enemy has been hiding from them. If they believe God, if they place their faith in the finished work of Christ, that gift will keep on giving for all of eternity. 

Eternal life is wrapped up in the identity, character, and purpose of the triune God and revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.

This is the start of an eternal relationship with God; and with us believers, each other, as our family forever.

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. - John 17:3

The second best gift is to lead people to be givers of themselves. We can show people the joy of God's purpose for them as they write their own story within God's story. 

Imagine the joy of leading an entire language group of people who had no prior knowledge of the Bible to know and love Jesus! The joy is immediate, personal, widespread, and eternal; resulting in much fruit, rewards, and treasure in the heavenly layaway plan.  

On the highest authority in heaven and on earth, Jesus told His disciples to go into all of the world, teaching every ethnicity, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that He commanded. As far as we know, this work has not yet been completed. In our generation, people in thousands of language groups have no access to the Gospel. No one has taught them all that Jesus commanded. There are no believers among them. The Bible, or any portion thereof, does not exist in their language.

What if the whole church were involved in reaching an unreached, unengaged language group from beginning to end? What if, as a body, the church began praying for one of the least-reached ethnolinguistic people groups to hear the Gospel and saw laborers raised to reach them? What if, knowing the steps, the process, they actively followed and supported the ministry until their missionaries returned home to report about a thriving church that is deeply rooted in Christ, growing toward maturity, and actively engaging the world around them with the Gospel? Would this help them know the process in their own community? Would it help them live with purpose? Would it help establish the mindset of preparing people through ministering locally to serve in similar ministries abroad? What if, through intentional discipleship, the local churches intentionally equipped the whole body to serve together as a culture of people proclaiming the glory of Christ to the untold people of the world? (testimonies)(reachWantakia)

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:  - Ephesians 4:11-13

Many missionaries and their sending churches have worked together as Ethnos360 to establish thriving churches among ethnolinguistic people groups where the Gospel has not yet reached. 

Ethnos360’s official purpose statement is — 

“Ethnos360 exists to assist the ministry of the local church 

through the mobilizing, equipping, and coordinating of believers 

to evangelize unreached people groups, translate the Scriptures, 

and see indigenous churches established that glorify God.”

For each people group yet unreached with the Gospel, between now and a thriving church among them, is a path for the Christians who would seek to reach them with the Gospel. At every level, it is about establishing people in Christ and empowering them to disciple others. 

New believers are not immediately appointed as Senior Pastors of local churches in our own churches. (1 Timothy 5:22) There are some qualifications to meet. (1 Timothy 3 & Titus 1) There are things to learn before being able to teach others. (2 Peter 1, 2 Timothy 2:2)  There are some old patterns to "put to death" and new behaviors to "put on". (Colossians 3) Old thoughts may need to be crucified and minds may need to be renewed. (Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 5) In the same way, missionaries whom we send to ordain church leaders need to be qualified or on a trajectory to be qualified before they are sent. Those missionaries may then lead other people on the same Biblical paths that they have themselves followed. 

Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: - Colossians 1:28

Ethnos360 helps churches train and send career missionaries (and those who assist them) to establish thriving churches among ethnolinguistic people groups where Christ is not known.  “A Thriving Church for Every People.” 

See the resources below for training career missionaries, establishing Bible foundations, casting vision through missions retreats, options for on-field experiences such as Encounter, Interface, and Skilled Associates, and volunteers.

Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;  - Deuteronomy 4:9

Missions Paths: (Paths are generally made by preceding travelers.)

• There are paths for church leaders who would cast the vision and lead the Body toward completion of the Great Commission. To qualify to lead the local church after professing faith in Christ, leaders must first grow in knowledge, practice, and faith.  There are some qualifications before a person can be sent from the local church to teach "all things" and ordain church leaders in another country. For each of us, there is growth toward learning what God is doing in the world and toward leading people to engage with Him in His work.

  1. A Heart for Missions

  2. Bible Basis of Global Missionary Efforts

  3. Assisting Global Teamwork

• There are paths for local church disciple-makers who would prepare people who could be sent with the knowledge, relationship skills, and walk with God they will need to ordain leaders in faraway places. There are paths for preparing people to assist that work in deacon-type ministries that enable the church planting. Faith. Virtue. Knowledge...

-- See the disciple-making charts in Establish Series

• There are paths for missions committee members who would seek to engage the local body in accomplishing the mission in a particular place or people group. Vision. Knowledge. Prep. Sending. Going. Finishing.

  1. Ethnos360 Magazine: The Benefit of Missions)

  2. (https://stilluntold.org/a-missions-plan/)

• There are paths for disciples who would be prepared to be sent as career missionaries to accomplish the task. 

  1. (https://stillunold.org/randys-links/)

  2. (https://stilluntold.org/keys/)

  3. (https://stilluntold.org/missions-faq/)

  4. (https://ethnos360.org/go)

• There are paths for the members of the local church to learn about God's mission and learn to be effectively engaged senders. 

  1. (https://stilluntold.org/missions-intro/)

  2. {https://stilluntold.org/what-is-cross-cultural-church-planting/)

  3. (https://blogs.ethnos360.org/randy-smyth/what-you-can-do/)

  4. How do you send a missionary? (https://stilluntold.org/send/)

• There are paths for experienced missionary trainers who would transfer their knowledge, experience, and skills to students for long-term ministry in a cross-cultural context. (Language acquisition, culture study, linguistic analysis, alphabet development, literacy training, Bible translation, mature church planting, etc.)

  1. (https://coggle.it/diagram/X-Eh-1Qdf9KgPSph/t/local-churches)

  2. (https://stilluntold.org/well-done/)

LEADERS 

Those who are steering the "missions" ship need to know where we are going and why. Then we can work together on how. 

Part of casting vision is leading people into the Big Picture; the objectives, the obstacles, the motives, and the needs. Without that leadership, every man will do that which is right in their own eyes. In many places, this is what has happened in western churches in regard to “missions”. 

• (https://pioneers.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/When-Everything-Is-Missions.pdf)

• (https://stilluntold.org/what-is-the-goal-of-missions/)

SENDING CHURCHES

• The Benefit of Missions – (Community Baptist Church) –

https://ethnos360.org/magazine/stories/the-benefit-of-missions 

• A Portrait of a Missions-Minded Church – (Shadow Mountain Community Church) –

https://ethnos360.org/magazine/stories/portrait-of-a-missionsminded-church

• Sent by the Church – (FBC Magnolia) – https://ethnos360.org/magazine/stories/sent-by-the-church

Ethnos360 can assist you with:

• Reps ...Sending Ethnos360 Reps to your church to inform, inspire, and invite people concerning unreached people groups.

• Wayumi ...Providing an opportunity for a worldview change and exposure to the teamwork of cross-cultural church planting in Pennsylvania.

• Encounter - Casting vision by taking a team on a three-week trip overseas for education and assisting missions.

• Interface - Learning from experienced missionaries on the field overseas for six weeks in Brazil or PNG. 

• Ethnos360 Bible Institute ...Developing a working knowledge of the Bible while being taught by experienced missionaries.

• Ethnos360 Training ...Giving you an avenue to train and send career missionaries toward establishing thriving churches.

Ethnos360 Missionaries are sent from churches in 36 countries to more than 34 countries around the world. The videos below represent ministries in one of those countries.  Ethnos360 missionaries and their sending churches have engaged more than 400 ethnolinguistic people groups to plant thriving churches and translated the New Testament into one hundred languages with as many more in process. 

The Bible Translation Process - vimeo.com/718451251

The Support Team Missionaries - Use your professional skills to support tribal church planting - vimeo.com/776416168

Would you like to have a part?  stilluntold.org/intro