This week, I’ll be gone for several days on a mission to Brazil. Along with a friend from west Georgia, I’ll be traveling to the city of Campo Grande to participate in a leadership conference for pastors in the area. The exact topic of my sessions has not been determined (or, at least, passed on to me) but I’m sure I’ll scare them all to death whatever my assignment. Another reason for my attending is that the host church has a very evangelistic cell group ministry and I hope to learn from them and be reminded, yet again, that the West doesn’t have all the answers.
God has been very gracious to have allowed me to go around the globe on various trips. With this trip, I will have been on every inhabited continent at least once; most people start in South America, but it will be my last one on the list. I’ve learned from the Brockley Baptist Church in a London suburb, the Wynnum Baptist Church in Brisbane, OZ (with pastor Peter van Donge), a bunch of Maasi evangelists in Kenya, M’s in a closed Asian country, the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary in Cochrane, Alberta, and more. It was easy to figure out that not everyone saw things the way that I did and that there were many, many believers who did things differently than me. I was challenged at each step of the way and I am more well rounded as a result of their input.
Next month, a vision team from our church will be exploring options about the engagement of an unreached people group (UPG) in Asia, something about which I am extremely excited. As far as we have been able to learn there is no church that is reflective of that people’s culture and since they are an oral culture translating scripture into their language might not be the best first step. In conjunction with other groups we hope to find some opps as to how to get the gospel to this people.
Our partnership in Europe has expanded in great ways–God has used us to involve about five other churches in that ministry effort. (More on this at a later date.) I’m beginning to wonder if God isn’t using New Bethany to go through some doors to instigate ministry, involve others and then move through another door and do the same. I realize that every person and church does not have the same giftedness, that’s why it takes all of us to be fulfilling the Great Commission.
