Jesus’ plan all along is for us ALL to work together in sharing the Gospel to every nation, tribe and tongue. Satan is terrified that if we all get together 100% in our roles for missions, that we actually WILL fulfill the Great Commission. So he brings disconnect.

Satan is terrified that if we all get together…that we actually WILL fulfill the Great Commission.
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Since I am writing from the missionary perspective, here are 10 practical ways that family, friends, co-workers, and the church back at home can support and partner with us as we share the Gospel to the whole world.

1. Believe Supportively

All missionaries experience God’s love, then His call to spread the Gospel to the nations. It’s a call that grows up so strong within us, that we can’t think of anything else but getting out to the nations. The world is dying without Jesus, and every day we stay, the realization of souls dying without even having access to the Gospel breaks our hearts. We need the church to believe that the call and power of God within us is enough to stake money, time, and prayers on.  It’s risky for us to go, and it’s risky for you to support. On both sides, we battle doubts and lies from the enemy. We need you to believe that God can do impossible and amazing things through us, and that you get to be part of it. We need you to believe in the dreams the Holy Spirit spoke to our hearts, and encourage us in those dreams. 

You get to be part of the amazing and impossible things God does through us on the mission field.
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2. Pray Powerfully

Prayers put daggers in the heart of the enemy. We don’t need people at home to pray weak prayers for us like, “And God, remember ____. Bless him/her.” We are on the “front lines” in countries where the Gospel has either never been taken or is not well-known.

It’s like living in a dragon’s cave and pulling people out of his tail daily. It takes risk, courage, creativity, and love. Sometimes we get wounded, and sometimes we get paralyzed by fear. Sometimes we battle sleeping as we hear the dragon’s deep breaths as chants from mosques, temples, and nighttime screams. Sometimes we get tempted to let go of people as the dragon roars doubts, lies, and discouragement in our faces.  Sometimes the dragon pulls out temptations of our forsaken family, country, possessions, and old life ways and dangles them between our faces and those chained to his tail, causing a great distraction.

To be a missionary is like living in a dragon’s cave and daily pulling people out of his tail.
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We need powerful prayers from you! Not just short, last-thought on a prayer list prayers. We need to be prayed for as sons and daughters on the front-lines of battlefields are prayed for. I encourage you to adopt some missionaries to battle for in prayer—prayer for faith, encouragement, continued vision, strategy, health, wisdom, protection, and harvest reaping. Then we can celebrate in joy together during the harvest!

3. Contact Frequently

Once missionaries get onto that plane going to our new host countries, we leave all familiar relationships behind. Usually, for the first 6 months, churches and friends stay in contact. After those first months, “out of sight, out of mind” becomes reality. Your lives move on in the process of normal busy life. Even when we contact you or send out newsletters, we often never receive responses (no wonder so many of us stop doing it). A simple “Like” on FaceBook is not connection.

We rely on God for relationship in ways we only said we believed and sang about in our home countries, but we also get lonely. It’s a deep, aching loneliness. We long for contact with friends and churches back home. Then we visit our home countries to big applause and you all saying how much you think of us. Honestly, it’s hard to believe if we never hear from you while we are away. One simple email or quick Skype call a month can make a huge difference in a missionary’s life. Regularly connecting with us is one of the most important ways anyone can support us while we are on the mission field.  You don’t have to be some of our past besties to connect, but you will become some of our dearest friends now. You will also reap in the joy of the harvest due to your deep connection to us and the mission.

One simple email or quick Skype call a month can make a huge difference in a missionary’s life.
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4. Give Sacrificially

We realize that there is a disconnect between giving and missionaries. We don’t want to beg and plead for your money. We dislike it so much, that often we go without needed things just so that the $20 our testimonies get out of you can pay for transportation to an unreached village.

Here is a personal testimony:

I got 3 checks/cash donations the whole 7 weeks I was home over the summer. Later, I had to plead on the internet for money to fund leadership trainings and outreaches all over Nepal and Bangladesh, and even use some of my moving countries money to see those happen. If only you knew how far your money was going to reach the nations, you would joyfully give up the iPhone 9 or 10 or whatever number there is now to pay for the Gospel to be presented in an unreached area.

We wish you knew what you’re sowing into the nations. Even when we tell you, the enemy and flesh often cause a disconnect. Just as Jesus applauded the widow for giving everything she had, we are looking for those of you who lovingly sacrifice whatever you can give to fund the Gospel going to the world. We don’t want guilt money. We desire loving, sacrificial gifts that have a passion for God and the nations behind them.

Missionaries desire loving, sacrificial gifts that have passion for God and the nations behind them.
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I once read something that said how God is looking for martyrs to share the Gospel: Some in the going, and some in the giving. It takes both. We want a deep partnership with you, as “martyrs” for the sake of the Gospel, to see the whole world saved. 

5. Remind Consistently

Did you know that one of the best ways to support us on the mission field is to be an ambassador of sorts for us? We leave for months or years, and people forget about us. Our personal supporters soon jump to the newest missionary about to go to the mission field, the newsletters don’t get mailed out, and nobody knows they can visit us here. If we have a few people back home decide to support us by reminding people to give when rent-time comes, to pray when we go to a new village, to email and encourage us, and so on….it would be an enormous blessing to us. Maybe God is speaking to some of you now to support a missionary by being a go-between and reminder of the mission that the church sent out.

6. Visit Obediently

Sometime you may want to come and see the faces you pray for, how we live, and join in the mission overseas for a short time. It is a great joy and encouragement for us to have visitors from “home” (especially when you bring us home ‘goodies’ too!).  It helps you to see what you’re praying for and giving to, and it helps us to feel better understood. If you feel the Spirit nudge you to come visit us, please obediently do it. It also helps those we reach out to realize that we are NOT the only Christians in the world. Your visit will many times confirm the words we have been teaching. 

If you feel the Spirit nudge you to go visit your missionary, please do!
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7. Help Creatively

Did you know that you can help us plan and strategize for reaching the unreached people groups, from home? We may be the ones on the ground overseas, but through your involvement and prayer, God could give you amazing ideas and dreams into how to reach the people groups we are with daily. This isn’t only our mission. This is the churches’ mission. God wants to use you and your talents that He gave you to see the whole world saved. It could also be that you find some creative way to raise support for us and our people groups, leadership trainings, travels, and gifts to the communities we serve. We also desire to see you excitedly using your creativity to partner with us in reaching to the uttermost parts of the earth. What a fun, helpful, important way to support missionaries!

We love seeing you excitedly using your creativity to partner with us in reaching to the uttermost.
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Reaching the unreached isn’t JUST the missionary’s mission. It’s the churches’ mission.
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8. Listen Compassionately

Missionaries are not superhumans. We see things no one should ever have to see—bloodied dead bodies, kids die from AIDs, violent and unjust abuse of women, and unspeakable things. We experience trauma—natural disasters such as earthquakes, police interrogations, constant loss of dear friends, us or our children being extremely ill with strange diseases, and so on. Yet, we are expected to always have it together and be the strong ones for everyone else. If we start spilling out all of our pains to those of you back at home, we are often preached to or told we should just stay home for a while. We also don’t want to scare you away from going to the mission field. So most of the time, we just don’t speak of our traumas and the ugly side of mission work. We know and believe deeply that God is with us. We have seen Him do Acts-like miracles and felt His tangible presence. Yet, we are still human and feel the effects of what we see and experience. However, experiencing those injustices is also part of what puts that fire and desperation in us to keep going. We see the paths of killing, stealing, and destroying the dragon is leaving amongst the nations, and even though we get injured, we can’t give up. We are warriors for the kingdom.

One of the best ways to support us is to simply listen with compassion about how we are really doing. Not judging. Not trying to relate—most of you can’t, and that’s ok with us. Not being worried something is desperately wrong if we burst into tears, but glad to be a compassionate ear. We are always giving out; it’s nice to have someone simply care and listen to us for us for a few minutes. 

9. Celebrate Enthusiastically

Imagine leaving all you know and love to go to a new culture, then spending months sounding stupid while learning the language, all to introduce Jesus to people who have never heard of Him. Then, breakthrough! Someone gets saved! You are so excited that you can’t sleep for days, and joyfully tell people back at home…to one little “amen”.

We know that all of heaven is rejoicing when a new language and tongue calls upon the Name of Jesus. What a joyful sound!  If we are really partnering together in the Gospel efforts as we say we are, then there should be an enthusiastic celebration from home too. We want you to see the fruit of your sending, prayers, finances, and rejoice at what God is doing.

Missionaries want you to see the fruit of your sending, and REJOICE at what God is doing.
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10. Join Courageously

After years of support and prayer for us on the mission field, God may call you to join the harvest fields amongst the nations. Maybe you came and visited us and saw the faces of the millions of unreached. Those faces haunt you while you drive to work, and you just know that you’re supposed to make that courageous move overseas to join us. One of our greatest prayers and desires is that as people witness our brokenness over the lost and faith in God, that one day they also will answer the call to be sent to the ripe harvest fields. The harvest is plenty, but the workers are few. Who wants to join us?

The harvest is plenty, but the workers are few. Who wants to courageously join us in reaping?
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The post 10 Practical and Powerful Ways to Support Missionaries appeared first on Within Reach Global.

Sure, you might be missing the bowls of spicy fish, the explosive chaos of fireworks, the family gatherings and overall festivity that marks the lunar calendar. But you can still play a part by making a special donation to our missionaries at Within Reach Global.

Make a special donation to our missionaries at Within Reach Global! @within_reach
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Red packets (also known as red envelopes or 红包 in Chinese) are monetary gifts which are given during holidays and particularly during Chinese New Year.

It’s the perfect time to make a special donation to our missionaries at Within Reach Global. And we’ve decided to make it easy for you by embedding the form below for you to give right now! Please, no pressure… although this is a cultural norm you don’t want to miss!

Giving a red packet 红包 is a cultural norm you don’t want to miss!
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Here’s why we invite you to give: our missionaries are taking the Gospel to regions where it has never gone before. They are seeing salvations, baptisms and revival among unreached ethnic tribes. There is fruit in this ministry, and we invite you to sow where the Kingdom is at hand!

There is fruit in this ministry, and we invite you to sow where the Kingdom is at hand!
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Millions of Chinese have returned home to their provinces or villages to spend time with family and friends. This year, the year of the rooster, the number of travelers have increased dramatically. Check out this incredible post by CNN.

Post highlights include the following: 

• Chinese authorities expect 2.5 billion trips by land during the “chunyun” mass migration; 
• Total distance traveled is 1.2 billion kilometers—equivalent of traveling from Earth to Saturn!

Happy Chinese New Year from all our missionaries at Within Reach Global!

The post Give Your Red Packet (红包) For Chinese New Year appeared first on Within Reach Global.

Watch these orphaned children give gifts to impoverished kids in China! #unreached
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At Orphan Home outreach center, we are discipling over 200 orphaned and underprivileged children who live in the rural regions of China. They are surrounded by extreme poverty, brokenness, and many times, deep despair. But if there’s one thing that we know God loves to do it is cause beauty to arise from the ashes.

An excerpt from David Joannes’ new book, The Space Between Memories: Recollections from a 21st Century Missionary, says it best:

I’ve heard it said that God gives beauty for ashes. So, too, He evokes holy calling from unassuming spots, pulling passion from the profane, wringing vision from vile waters. He is in the business of transformation, of altering atmospheres, taking the squalid and making it exquisite.

During the final few days of 2016, our missionaries gathered the orphans they are caring for and the children gave gifts to kids in the surrounding regions. They passed our school supplies, clothing, and smiles. But more than that, they shared the love of a Heavenly Father who is passionate for these little ones. He watches over the orphan and the widow. He is intimately concerned with these precious souls.

It’s a powerful image: orphaned children giving gifts to impoverished kids! It’s a challenge for us—we who have so much—to step out of our comfort zones to bless those in dire straights.

It’s a powerful image: orphaned children giving gifts to impoverished kids!
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This is fertile soil! This is where revival is taking place! This is where the Kingdom of God is permeating the atmosphere. So with that in mind, will you consider sowing financially into this ministry? Perhaps God is leading you to make a special donation to help reach these children. Or even better, you are being led to join our Monthly Prayer and Financial Support Team.

May your soul be stirred to understand another dimension of the Father’s love for His creation.
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In any case, may these images stir your soul to understand another dimension of the Father’s love for His creation. He will stop at nothing to see these young ones gathered under His wings. And you are a part of this powerful narrative! Join us as we bring hope to those who have never experienced the presence of God before.

The post Orphaned Children Give Gifts To Impoverished Kids In China appeared first on Within Reach Global.

• Pray for our missionary team
• Give a special Christmas donation
• Join our Monthly Prayer and Financial Support Team
• volunteer your time, passion, and expertise

The holiday season is in full swing. The masses are on a spending spree to find last minute gifts for family and friends. Shopping malls are packed. Parking lots are a pain. There is joy and jubilance in the air, not to mention a bit of irksome holiday frustration. Thoughts of family afar off prick our hearts. Considerations of our busy schedules wear us out. Everyone is on the go, go, go and some of us simply secretly wish for the return to normalcy.

The holiday season can be overwhelming at times. But back to the basics…

We all know the real reason for the season. Jesus Christ—God incarnate—entered the earth as a baby, grew into a man on mission, and He still seeks to establish His Kingdom at every geographical coordinate of the planet. He desires that worshippers would arise from every nation, tribe, people, and language, and that every human would have a chance to hear His message of grace and glory!

But that’s where the problem lies. Carl F. H. Henry said, “The Gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.” And in countless regions of the earth, the advent of the Kingdom has yet to be realized. 

“The Gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.” Carl F. H. Henry
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That’s the point of this short blog: the Kingdom of God is in the here and now, ever enveloping our earthly experience and permeating every nook and cranny of the atmosphere. This year, we want you to join us for a Christmas without borders; a moment to pause and reflect on the biggerness of God’s glorious Kingdom and how you can share in His passion for souls.

Respond to Christmas w/o Borders: #Pray, special donation, join our vision partner team, volunteer!
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Time and geographical boundaries cannot hinder the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Wherever you are in the world now, remember that you are part of the body of Christ. And as we at Within Reach Global are ministering on the opposite side of the planet, we are one in Christ. So stand with us—worship, shout, prophesy! Your praise and prayers traverse the boundaries of the time-space continuum.

Time and geographical boundaries cannot hinder the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
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We may be the hands, the feet, the mouth. But you are also an integral part of the body, uniquely fashioned for purpose, called to join God’s epic redemptive salvation plan both in your zip code, in your state, in your country, and to the ends of the earth!

[rev_slider christmas_without_borders]

Our 25 local Chinese missionaries are taking the life-transforming power of the Gospel to forgotten corners of the globe. In fact, in the last 7 months, they have plated 7 new churches! Our 10 foreign (American and Filipino) missionary families are reaching out to unreached college students, orphaned children, drug-addicted communities, and urban entrepreneurs. That’s why we need your help!

In the last 7 months, Our missionaries have planted 7 new churches!
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Remember the unreached with us—the true unreached: those with little to no access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are no missionaries where we go, no Gospel radio broadcasts, no Christian bookstores, no missionaries, and no Christians. This is hard ground! But we go joyfully to regions yet unexplored that the name of Jesus might be made famous.

Christmas is just around the corner and this is a call to take its true meaning to places that have never heard it before. This is a call for Christmas without borders!

Here’s how you can respond:

• Pray. That’s obvious. A. B. Simpson said, “Prayer is the mighty engine that is to move the missionary work.” Pray for our missionaries and for the unreached peoples we are reaching with the love of God.
• Give a special Christmas donation. I’m not talking about a guilt offering or even a year-end donation simply for tax purposes. But rather a joyful financial gift that sows into eternity and reaps a harvest of souls. Because that’s what we’re seeing in Southeast Asia!
• Join our Monthly Prayer and Financial Support Team by pledging an amount of your choice every month to the ministry of Within Reach Global. We are looking for people to “hold the ropes” for us as we are suspended in the goldmine of souls in Southeast Asia. Join the team today!
• Make a New Year’s resolution to volunteer your time, passion, and expertise toward the world of missions. We need social media content coordinators, bloggers, graphic designers, fundraisers, vision partner care coordinators, short-term missions coordinators, and prayer coordinators. Contact us today for more details. 

Join us in the divine narrative of redeeming the nations by bringing the love of Jesus to places that have never experienced it before! May your Christmas and holiday season be filled with joy as you recognize God at work in the nations.

The post Christmas Without Borders appeared first on Within Reach Global.

I am honored that ChinaSource highlighted my new book, The Space Between Memories: Recollections from a 21st Century Missionary in their recent blog. Here’s why: I have found that God does indeed delight to use the unassuming to cast His light into places that would otherwise never know it.

Here’s what ChinaSource had to say about my new book:

The Space between Memories: Recollections from a 21st Century Missionary by David Joannes. Within Reach Global, 2016, 288 pages. ISBN-10: 0692757074, ISBN-13: 978-0692757079; paperback $14.99, Kindle $9.99 at Amazon; iBooks $9.99 at iTunes.

David Joannes is a self-proclaimed “missionary,” trailblazer, and ragamuffin whose newly released memoir, The Space Between Memories, chronicles twenty years of pioneering work among the minorities of Southwest China.

At once a travelogue, a love story, and a profound reflection on the evangelistic task, David’s memoir narrates an intense odyssey of the heart. In the process, he captures a pivotal time in China’s recent history as paddy fields gave way to skyscrapers and a fledgling persecuted church matured into an outward-looking movement with a heart for the nations.

David’s journey, from the streets of Hong Kong to the jungles of Yunnan and beyond, brings you face to face with the unvarnished realities of frontier evangelism as the gospel breaks through geographical, cultural and political barriers. He relates in poignant detail the joys and struggles of ministry among the Yao, a hitherto unreached people group in which David witnessed God’s sovereign work despite many apparent setbacks. David’s missiological reflections go beyond textbook theory and probe deep into the question of what it means to have a heart for the unreached and a lifestyle to match.

The intensity of David’s arduous journey is offset by his determination to seize the “space between memories” and enjoy the moment, whether in picking flowers to be lovingly pressed and sent to his future wife, pausing to take in the urban drama unfolding on the busy streets of Kunming, or, more recently, watching his young daughter skipping across the lawn in a neighborhood park. He confesses his own tendency to dwell on former glories as he recalls, during a particularly difficult time of transition, his realization that, “God had greater things in store for us. He would bring us from glory to glory, His spectacular purposes revealed along our journey in even greater measure.”

David’s vivid descriptions of people, places and events are peppered with insightful observations growing out of his own rich and varied life experiences. Here are a few nuggets:

Poverty, like an onion, has many layers. And every layer, from its flaky outer shell to its sweetish center, will make you cry….Yet, something strange started to take place within me as I spent time among the marginalized. Compassion began to bud and grow inside my heart. The more I focused on the poor, the more I loved them.

The kingdom of God was everywhere, all around me, coursing through the city streets; down unfrequented back lanes; up hidden stairways, and into the alcoves and crannies at dead end alleyways. And I began to understand a deeper truth: that wherever my feet strode, there, too, went the kingdom.

I was like a blind man playing Pictionary with a group of distinguished painters (describing his experience as the only non-Asian in his Chinese class).

Though I felt strangely at home in Southeast Asia, the acute clashing of cultural differences brought with it the cognizance of my sheer foreignness. It was a poignant reminder of how I was simply a sojourner on the earth, longing for a more permanent eternal home.

[O]ver six-thousand distinct ethnic people groups remain untouched by a Christian presence. The Buddhist, animist, Hindu, Islamic, and unaffiliated blocs of the earth’s population are there, waiting at the other end of our obedience.

The Space between Memories is both inspirational and informative, a personal narrative that speaks to the heart and an in-depth look at God’s work among the peoples of China during the past two decades.

See original post at chinasource.org

The post The Ordinary in the Midst of the Extraordinary [ChinaSource Blog Repost] appeared first on Within Reach Global.

SHARE THIS: Want to be a #missions #mobilizer? Host a @within_reach Vision Cast!
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You want to make Jesus famous among the nations, but you can’t just up and leave your job, your church, or your hometown and move across the pond. But you can become a powerful missions mobilizer and help people learn how to sow their prayer and finances into Kingdom ministry.

How is this possible?

It’s simple really. We have compiled all the information you need to host a Within Reach Global Vision Cast in your home or church. You provide the coffee and desserts; the Holy Spirit does the rest!

What’s a Within Reach Global Vision Cast?

A Vision Cast is essentially a small group gathering or fundraising banquet. Think of it however you want. We like to call it a Vision Cast. It’s a couple of hours where you can invite your friends, family, small group, and church members to hear exciting missionary stories straight from the mission field.

Check out our Vision Cast guidelines here.

These missional videos and stories coupled alongside a personal connection with you will help people realize that it’s actually easy to take part in global missions. You can even arrange the time of the Vision Cast so that David Joannes, president of Within Reach Global, can video call in live from Southeast Asia.

What’s the point of a Vision Cast?

We need your help to grow prayer warriors and financial vision partners for the ministry among unreached people groups, Chinese college students, drug-addicted communities, and orphaned children.

We need more missions mobilizers, and we think that you are the perfect fit!

We need more #missions #mobilizers, and we think that you are the perfect fit!
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We have compiled all the information that you will need to host a Within Reach Global Vision Cast in your home. Check out the package here.

So, now you’re interested. That’s obvious. Let’s schedule a time and set up a Vision Cast! Because we know that your heart beats for those without access to the Christian Gospel.

Contact us for more information or check out our Vision Cast guidelines here.

We’re excited to joins hearts and hands to reach the unreached with you!

The post You Can Be A Missions Mobilizer By Hosting A Vision Cast! appeared first on Within Reach Global.

Voice of the Martyrs @VOM_USA just gave us 1,160 Gospel MP3 players!
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We have been partnering with Voice of the Martyrs for a few years now, and we are blessed by their generosity.

This is the third shipment of Gospel-loaded MP3 players that we have received. And they go fast! Within a few days, nearly all of these gifts were given to unreached people groups and rural house churches in Southwest China.

This blessing empowers our outreach centers to continue reaching unreached peoples who have no chance to hear the Gospel.

Pray with us for those who still remain untouched by a Christian presence. Perhaps God is calling you to take part even now.

The post Voice Of The Martyrs Just Donated Over 1,000 Gospel MP3 Players appeared first on Within Reach Global.

• 3 countries
• 6 outreach centers
• 13 local missionaries from 7 different people groups
• 10 foreign missionaries
• 9 church plants
• 10 tons of clothing given to the poor
• 150 led through our discipleship course
• 3-5 English Corners per week
• 120 students reached through Camps
• 135 college students / young professionals reached weekly
• 650 children reached, discipled, fed, and given school supplies
• 60 Burmese (scattered by war) reached and being followed up upon

Persecution. Revival. Police beatings. Underground trainings. Baptisms. Discipleship. Local missionary homes demolished by the government. Hope. Joy. Glory. You’ll be amazed at all that God has done through the ministry of Within Reach Global!

See the full scope of God at work in Southeast Asia. Get the Within Reach Global 2015 Year In Review here!

The post 2015 Year In Review appeared first on Within Reach Global.

I agree 100% with the article, the only exception being a larger church with bigger missions budget. 

But the meaning remains the same: invest time and energy into relationship, both church bodies and missionaries alike. Through this means, greater impact will take place.

Why Your Church Should Support Fewer Missionaries. @within_reach @mikepettengill
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Like many families, churches are perennially trying to balance their monthly budgets and make those valuable dollars stretch in a way that best honors God. They want to make an impact in global outreach and be good stewards of God’s resources.

Yet as they consider expanding their involvement in missions, the world map in the church lobby can too often become the benchmark for a successful missions ministry. They support missionaries so they can put pins in more countries or have a missionary on each continent. 

Frequently, churches support 10, 20, or 30 missionaries at a small monthly amount. Missions involvement for many churches is a mile wide and an inch deep. Making a broad impact is nice, but making a deep impact would result in greater influence and glory to God. Churches who support 30 missionaries at a low level might prayerfully consider reducing their number of supported missionaries to perhaps five or less—so that they can dive deeper into those ministries and lives.

Frequently, churches support 10, 20, or 30 missionaries at a small monthly amount. Missions involvement for many churches is a mile wide and an inch deep.

Churches who support missionaries at small monthly amount, involvement is mile wide inch deep.
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Deeper Impact

When investing more substantively into fewer missionaries, a church and its leadership will truly get to know their missionary partners. As the relationship grows and trust develops, a congregation can care for the needs of the missionaries it supports as it would for their own members. Missionaries are more prone to be honest and forthright with supporters they know.

Regrettably, however, the vast majority of missionaries aren’t meaningfully cared for by a church family, not even their home church. Many missionaries have few people to turn to when in need. But a church deeply invested in a missionary is uniquely positioned to extend practical grace.

A church deeply invested in a missionary is uniquely positioned to extend practical grace.
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Churches should continue to send short-term teams and interns, if that’s what the ministry needs. Additionally, church leaders should consider visiting the missionaries on their turf for a “house call”—spending time doing neglected chores in the missionary’s home, babysitting their kids, helping with their grocery shopping, even counseling them. It’s vital to get to know your missionaries in their environment. Walk in their shoes for a few days or weeks. 

As your church continues to visit the same ministry site year after year, your members will also get to know the national partners. And by better understanding the culture and people, you will have a greater (and more knowledgable) passion for them and their needs. Both parties will then be better positioned to view each other within a fraternal relationship rather than a paternal one.

More than an ATM

Over time and through regular contact, a church can have a more substantive and fruitful impact on the ministry with which it partners. As you get to know the missionaries and ministries, you can be viewed more like a partner and less like an ATM. This depth benefits not only the missionary’s ministry, but also the spiritual growth of your congregation. Everyone begins catching the vision for what it means to be a global Christian.

Churches: know your missionaries, you’ll be viewed more like a partner & less like an ATM.
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If you spend time with your missionary partners once every few years—whether during furlough or short-term trips—a substantive relationship will not be created. And without substance your missionaries will be less able and likely to open up to you; as a result, you will be less able and likely to foster their spiritual health. Call your missionaries on their VOIP phone. Almost every missionary has one, and it’s not an international call for you. Send them an e-mail to let them know the church prayed for them today. Remember their birthdays and anniversaries with electronic gift cards. Help them fund a small vacation or new electronics.

A larger financial contribution from your church to your missionaries will ensure two important things: first, their need to find fewer supporters will mean they travel less during furlough, and, second, if they have fewer supporters, they may visit your church for a couple of weeks instead of just one Sunday every four years. Many missionaries have 20 or 30 churches and dozens of individuals supporting them. Nobody can keep in contact with that many ministry partners. Missionaries with a small number of larger financial partners, however, can invest more deeply in those strategic relationships.

Missionaries with a small number of larger financial partners, however, can invest more deeply in those strategic relationships.

 

Substantive and Reciprocal

When your church supports missionaries and international ministries by writing a small check once a month, neither you nor the missionaries receive a truly substantive, life-giving benefit from the relationship. On the other hand, a generous investment of time, energy, and finances will help your missionaries feel connected and increase your church’s grasp of—and meaningful investment in—the Great Commission.

To be sure, as part of this increased investment churches must insist on reciprocation. No longer can churches tolerate missionaries who don’t communicate and interact with their sending partners. Missionaries should communicate and churches should demand it. There is no excuse today for not receiving regular contact from your missionaries.

What happens when substantive, reciprocal relationships are formed? The congregation, the missionaries, and the nationals all benefit. Above all else, God receives greater glory from churches and missionaries who are connected, invested, and healthy.

Original post by Mike Pettengill, re-post from The Gospel Coalition 

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When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside.

God aims to get all the glory in our redemption. Therefore He is adamant that He will work for us and not we for Him. He is the workman; we stand in need of His services. He is the doctor; we are the sick patient. We are the weak; He is the strong. We have the broken-down jalopy; He is the gifted mechanic. – John Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals

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