“I want the disciples I train to know what it means to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth,” Pastor Vee* said.
He’s equipping disciple-makers and church planters in a place that already seems like the ends of the earth! A place where sharing the Gospel is highly dangerous and done at great personal cost—a price he’s paid before.
Pastor Vee has a vision. It’s a vision shared by Global Disciples to see that every person has the opportunity to choose and follow Jesus. For this, he is training his people in hidden fellowships and taking them out to the tribal people on his nation’s frontiers, so that even there, Jesus will be made known!
He also shares this vision with thousands of disciples around the world, as they step out in faith to make sure others know about Jesus.
Some are experienced leaders in established churches, prompted by the Holy Spirit to see the needs of those who still need Jesus. In Brazil, Nathaniel gave up his position with a big church in Sao Paolo when God broke his heart for unreached ethnic groups. He and his family gave up security and position, to go out and share Jesus, make disciples, and plant a church within a least-reached people.
Others are first-generation believers—coming to faith in Jesus out of strong cultural and religious systems. Their hearts are burdened for their least-reached families, communities, and beyond. Ahmed* was born and raised Muslim in Ethiopia, in a community without Christian witness. He became an imam, a leader in his mosque. When he met Jesus and found salvation, his life was radically changed. His vision was to reach his Muslim brothers, and it led to other imams and entire mosques coming to faith in Jesus.
As Global Disciples, our vision is focused on the one third of our world considered least-reached: the people and places where a witness or access to the Good News of Jesus is limited or non-existent.
Vision is a wonderful thing! To see a future reality and work towards it. The vision becomes reality each day as we equip disciples like Pastor Vee, Nathaniel, and Ahmed, and send them out to give least-reached people the opportunity to choose and follow Jesus.
*Names changed for security reasons.
It was a busy day in Jerusalem. Five days before Passover, and the city was taking on visitors for the holy days. When a group of scruffy out-of-towners collided with the general traffic, a flash mob broke out.
They were shouting, singing, waving branches ripped from palm trees, tossing their cloaks to the ground, all to honor a man riding on a young donkey.
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9)
As Jesus entered Jerusalem that day—a day we remember as Palm Sunday—this happy celebration fufilled prophecy, and offered a glimpse of the future.
Many in the crowd were Jesus’ disciples who had walked closely with him for years. Perhaps they had an inkling of the significance of this moment. John, Matthew, and likely Mark, were eyewitnesses. When they later recorded their experience in the Gospels, they pointed clearly to this event as answering God’s prophetic words about the Messiah King.
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9, NIV).
Others were caught up in the color and noise and excitement. After all, Jerusalem was filling up with people from all over the world—many came to mark the Passover, recalling God’s rescue in the past, and anticipating with hope the Lamb of God who would cover their sins with his own blood.
A few days later, Jesus, as the perfect Lamb, would shed his own blood for the sins of the world. That sacrifice was still ahead of him as he rode on a humble donkey’s foal to the joyous noise of a crowd.
This moment was a glimpse of a future day—a celebration on a scale the world has never seen—when Jesus, the Eternal King, will return to earth to make it new and establish His perfect, ever-lasting Kingdom.
There before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9-10).
Today, we live between the Palm Sunday crowd and Jesus’ return. And if we are called by His name, we have a mission to accomplish. Jesus has charged us to make him known among the nations—so that people from every tribe and language and nation have an opportunity to know Him and His sacrifice that covers their sin.
Today, it’s our privilege and responsibility to go out in the name of the Lord and share the Good News, to show people the forgiveness and grace Christ gave through the cross, and to make disciples who will love and follow him, carrying this message into the world.
The flash mob on Palm Sunday was only a pale shadow of the celebration to come. One day, people from every tribe and language and nation will be part of the Kingdom, singing and shouting praise to the Savior and King. Today, let’s do all we can to add to that coming celebration!
Women on Mission: Stories that honor the women making history to build God’s Kingdom
God has fully equipped so many women and perfectly placed them to reach people with the Good News of Jesus. Like beautiful flowers in a garden, these women are faithful, compassionate, and creative about introducing people to the love of Jesus, no matter the limitations or setbacks they face. Let’s meet seven women living on mission.
In India, Rose* completed leadership training through a Global Disciples partner program. Her desire to reach least-reached people with the Gospel took her into a poor and marginalized community, but her heart focused on the children. She did what she could to meet their physical needs, providing blankets and vegetables. She also shared the Good News of Jesus, addressing their spiritual needs. Rose gathered the children together as a prayer group.
As the children came, the parents soon followed. Rose shared the love of Jesus with them too. Several came to faith and quickly the fellowship grew. When Rose and her pastor prayed for a woman suffering with seizures, she was healed! She and her whole family came to faith in Christ.
Today, that children’s prayer group has grown into a multi-generational fellowship. With Rose’s leadership, they have their own training to equip disciples to reach out to others with the hope of the Gospel.
For many churches in India, the COVID-19 lockdowns were a struggle since they couldn’t meet as larger groups. But it also created new opportunities as people opened their homes to neighbors and friends.
Lily trained with a local discipleship-mission program. She learned about making disciples, but she didn’t put her training into practice right away. When pandemic-related lockdowns forced her local church body to stop meeting corporately, Lily stepped up. She opened her home for prayer and worship. Before long, 25 people met regularly together in her home. Despite restrictions, a church was born.
Ivy and her husband completed discipleship-mission training together, but he died during the lockdowns. God gave Ivy peace and courage to continue. She started a fellowship in her home and about 25 people attend regularly!
When her church wasn’t sure what to do during the lockdown, Poppy stepped out in faith, going to people in need in a nearby slum. Ten families came to Christ! There are now 22 new and baptized believers in her fellowship.
In another community, a house fellowship of 35 women met, prayed, and saw God at work. Nineteen-year-old Violet had been deaf from birth. She came to faith in Jesus through these women and decided to fast and pray for 40 days to deepen her walk with her new Savior. And God miraculously healed her deafness! Another young woman was healed and delivered from an evil spirit. She and her family now host a new fellowship.
Iris belongs to a high caste in India and thought the disciples from a local church were too low caste for her notice. Then a debilitating back problem kept her in bed; her doctor gave little hope she would ever walk again. A local disciple came to see her, prayed for her, and God set her free from pain and an evil spirit. Iris and her entire family put their faith in Jesus!
Iris then participated in a small business training. Now she uses her physiotherapy business to help people find relief from pain—and healing and hope in Jesus Christ. Iris uses her own testimony of God’s amazing work. So far, at least 20 families have come to Christ through Iris and her work.
Daisy is another woman perfectly placed by God—in a hospital in India. She is also a church planter, trained through a Global partner program. In fact, several women in her training program worked at the hospital as nurses or support staff. As Daisy cared for a woman with end-stage cancer, she connected her with the pastor for prayer. And the woman was completely healed! Others experienced miraculous healing too, thanks to connections and prayer with Daisy. From these contacts and miracles, three fellowships were planted with 90 new believers.
These seven women are only some of the courageous, compassionate women on mission—perfectly placed by the Heavenly Father to bring others to faith in his Son. May their stories inspire you to carry on the mission God has given you. For you too, are fully equipped and perfectly placed!
*Names changed for security reasons
We hear many stories around the world that tell how God’s healing touch on a person’s life opened their heart to the Good News of Jesus. But Lalu’s story has a different twist.
A young Christian woman in Northeast India, Lalu describes herself as “a cripple girl.” A bone fracture in her hip as a child means she’s lived most of her life with limited mobility. Her father is gone, and it’s her brother, a leader in the church, who loves and cares for her.
She also participated in a discipleship-mission training program that Global Disciples partners with in her region.
Lalu said, “After the training period, I was very interested to preach the Gospel with great passion.” She went along on the outreach but due to her physical problem, she struggled because her team travelled on foot.
“I fell into the ditches several times,” she said, “and my condition worsened. I was admitted to the hospital for an operation, but it was so much money. My brother tried to get the money, but inside I was not happy—the expense was beyond imagination. So I decided to fast and pray for three days. I cried to the Lord for healing…and He healed me!”
When Lalu returned to the hospital, the doctors were amazed to see Jesus had healed her.
Now, her healing is fueling her mission.
“The desire to preach the Gospel sent me out to a village,” Lalu said. “There I shared my testimony, and the Good News of Jesus, and two families came to Christ. In another village, everyone gathered to hear the Gospel for the first time, and one family came to Christ. All glory goes to Jesus!”
Lalu continues her mission. “Pray for me—I’m a cripple girl, but I am preaching the Gospel to the poor and needy; my vision is to reach whole villages in this region,” she says.
What a testimony to the power of Jesus to heal, and to empower His people to share the Good News with least-reached people!
And God is using many disciple-makers like Lalu, in India and around the world, to multiply the Body of Christ among those still waiting to hear the Gospel.
For security reasons, names are changed and photos are only representative.
What are your non-negotiables?
What is the “hill that you’d die on”? Your “ride or die”?
However, you say it, we’re really talking about non-negotiables. The main thing in your business, or your life. The purpose or mission you’re building everything around.
Whether you’re the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, or the lead sandwich-maker for your pack of pantry emptying marauders, no matter what work you have been called to—you need standards. The principles or values or mission that you simply will not compromise on, to accomplish your task.
When we allow little compromises or distractions to creep in, when we adjust our plans or actions to take on that extra thing or accommodate a request ‘just this once’, we’re soon in a situation or circumstance that we did not plan for or would not have chosen. We have been pulled away from the main thing, investing our time, energy, and resources in ways that do not accomplish our mission or purpose.
Some call it mission creep—drifting away from your main thing. Chick-Fil-A is not going to be serving hamburgers any time soon. They just aren’t. Chicken is their mission, and they’re sticking to it.
Why is this drift away from our non-negotiables such a big deal?
I can think of a few good reasons but here’s one:
If we don’t have a clear and established framework with which to filter our decisions, it’s not only inefficient, it’s not repeatable or scalable.
Let that sink in for a minute.
If there’s no clarity, we are actually holding back the results we seek.
Solomon said it this way in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained” (AMP). It’s important to note that, in the original language, this is the same word used to describe the Israelites as they wildly worshiped a golden calf—that lack of restraint.
As Global Disciples, our non-negotiables include our mission, vision, and values, as well as our guiding principles and central focus. We refer to this as our Global Disciples Arena. Our mission is to equip leaders selected by their churches to prepare disciple-makers, who multiply churches among least-reached people. If a potential opportunity doesn’t support that mission, or if it fails to land squarely within our core values and guiding principles, it clearly lies beyond the scope of our calling and we can politely decline.
Your non-negotiables might focus on your company goals, your brand quality or identity: “We use Dave’s Killer Bread. Always.” Or what you’ve established to get the job done: “We sweep the right side of the street first and then the left. Every time.” Whatever it is that serves your mission, your goal, or your end product—and to do anything else or anything less would take you off-course—that is your non-negotiable.
Do what you do. Do it well. Clearly communicate your non-negotiables with your leaders and your team, making it easier for them to stay in their lanes and execute at a high level—knowing what they’re working towards. Keep your main thing the main thing, and stay on mission for success.
As a new year begins, what will you be praying for? Drawing on Matthew 6:9-13, and the pattern of prayer that Jesus gave us, Galen shares something he’s praying.
As I pray, I begin by worshipping our Father God as Creator and Lord of the universe. Our all-powerful and all-knowing Father knows us completely yet still loves us. And welcomes each one as a son/daughter! I enjoy taking time to bask in that reality—in his perfect and unconditional love.
Then comes this line: Your kingdom come…
Lord, may your kingdom come in my life, in my thoughts and in my attitudes—and my motivations. Father, I am so easily distracted and so quick to feel frustrated or impatient. Holy Spirit, I need you to help me keep my eyes on Jesus—to see the world as He does. I want to be more like you, Jesus! To love as you love, to be moved by your compassion, to serve as you served…
Lord, may your kingdom come in my relationship with my wife and our kids, and our grandchildren. I want to represent You to them, to have my words, my responses, my actions and interactions to be more like you—more like you in my character, in the tone of my voice, in how I spend my time…
And Lord, may your kingdom come in their lives! I long for each one—my son and our daughters, and their spouses, and all their children—to love you with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength! From generation to generation until you return, Jesus, may they be sold out and fully surrendered to you! I’m believing for that. I’m crying out for Your Glory…
And oh Lord, may your kingdom come in and through the ministry of Global Disciples. Father, thank you for every member of our team around the world. They each are amazing gifts to this ministry and in my life. You’ve put this team together in such a masterful way. You’ve brought just the right people at the right time, though not always as quickly as I had hoped. You have done us well Jesus, so well!
As I walk around my neighborhood, Lord, may your kingdom come here where you’ve planted us, where we live. I get so busy going here and there, that sometimes I feel like a real failure as a witness for you here, Jesus. I want everyone in this neighborhood to know you. Some do, but many don’t. Oh Holy Spirit, I need your strategies and your love for each one imparted in my heart. I want to be compelled by your love, not guilt driven—but convicted of the importance of my witness here.
I started with one phrase of a prayer burning on my heart, to see your kingdom come. There’s so much more I didn’t get to! I wonder if you didn’t expect that would happen, Jesus, when you gave us this sample prayer. Amen.
Where do you want to see God’s kingdom come in your life? In your family? In your community or church? In your business or labor or education? In your sphere of influence or the broader world? Then pray that, today and through the coming year.
And this year, as you pray “may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
Christmas! It’s a day we look forward to all year long. Yet, it’s more than just a day, more than a story of the baby in a manger, with shepherds and stars and angel choirs.
The birth of Jesus was the beginning of something the world had never seen! He modeled life for all of us—perfectly! And He sacrificed His life to save us from our sins—to save all people from their sin—so that each and every man, woman and child can have a personal, life-transforming relationship with God.
The birth we celebrate was only the beginning of a mission we carry on today. Jesus, the baby worshiped by shepherds and kings, grew to teach and challenge and call others to follow Him. To build His kingdom.
To those who saw and listened, Jesus never built a church building. No glorious temple. No well-tuned school, organization, or institution. He travelled with little more than his clothes on his back and shoes on his feet. He sometimes “had no place to lay his head.” Even his grave was borrowed. It was hardly the making of a Kingdom.
When Jesus returned to heaven, having accomplished the mission of eternal life to all who believe, he left nothing behind. Nothing…but people.
Just people. Men like Peter and John and Matthew. Women like Mary and Martha. Ordinary people—nothing to make them stand out in a crowd.
Except that they had walked with Jesus. Listened to Jesus. Put their life on the line to follow Him, and to live out His teaching.
Only people. Like you and me. Like the millions around the world who’ve heard the story and received the message of Jesus in faith. Those who continue to step out and follow Him, no matter where or what the cost. This Christmas, remember the blessing you have in knowing Christ. And join those who continue to build His Kingdom by sharing the Gospel with those still waiting to join us in this glorious story!
–B Gerhart, Global Disciples
Because of love, Jesus set aside the glories of heaven to come to earth, to live among the people he created, and to die for their sins. What a glorious gift to celebrate this Advent season! And now, he calls each one who follows him to carry out this mission of love to those around us.
Look at how Jesus engaged with people during his time on earth. He not only listened to their words, he heard their hearts. He looked beyond their status and reputation. He acted out of compassion. He spoke truth. He valued and loved people—enough to sacrifice Himself so that every person could have eternal life.
Nanda, from Myanmar, reflects Jesus’ heart for people—lost, hopeless, forgotten, rejected, broken people. Nanda said, “When I became a child of God, I experienced His wonderful love and I was so eager to share it with others.”
Even though his family rejected him because of Jesus, it only reinforced his belief that they needed Jesus too. “I felt myself to be appointed as a witness to my people,” Nanda said.
He’s now training disciple-makers and leading them in outreach with the Good News of Jesus. He sees people who have no hope and he’s quick to point them to Jesus. When he met a man rejected by his community because of his alcoholism, Nanda said, “As a servant of God, I knew that he was so precious before God.” Every time the man asked for money to drink, Nanda prayed for him. And the Holy Spirit’s amazing work of transformation in this alcoholic’s life opened the eyes of his community to God’s power.
At times, Nanda faced criticism from others—including other Christians—for reaching out and embracing those with spiritual needs. But he responds, “People around me sometimes say that the Burmese people are not worthy to go to heaven. But God’s love is for all people. As we are working for God, we are to see what’s on the heart of God—and people are so precious in His sight.”
As a disciple of Jesus, Nanda lives out Christ’s mission of loving others. He has developed the same heart for people that His Savior has.
–B Gerhart, Global Disciples
This Advent season, we’re reminded that Jesus came to earth with a mission: to deliver us from darkness, to provide redemption, and to forgive our sins (Colossians 1:13-14). And he charges us with a mission of forgiveness today—forgiving others as he forgave us. Even when the cost is high.
Gabriel is an evangelist and church planter among the nomadic Turkana tribe in East Africa. One day, his 3-year old son was struggling to breathe so he and his wife rushed their little guy to the nearest clinic.
With no doctor on duty, the medical staff hooked the little boy up to an oxygen tank, put the oxygen mask on him, and sent him with his parents to a hospital in the next town.
Their journey passed through the territory of an enemy tribe, where Gabriel, his wife, and young son were held up at gun-point by three men. When the robbers saw Gabriel had no money, they grabbed the oxygen tank and mask and ran!
Gabriel and his wife held their little boy as he gasped for breath, then died in their arms. Angry and distraught, they headed home to mourn and bury their precious son.
A few months later, the leader of their church movement reported that people from this enemy tribe were now coming to Christ. He invited Gabriel to travel with him into that region. Gabriel was angry. “You must be crazy,” he retorted, “These are the people who killed my son!”
But the Holy Spirit began to convict Gabriel. After a few weeks, he agreed to join the team sharing the Good News of Jesus with an unreached village among this tribe whose men had killed his son.
They met with a small group of new Christ-followers from the ‘enemy’ and Gabriel’s leader asked him to share his testimony. As he told the story of his son’s death, three men in the group stood.
“We are the ones who held you up on the road,” they confessed, raising their arms. “We deserve to die. There’s a gun in the corner. Get it and shoot us. We’re sorry.”
Gabriel paused; he had a choice to make. Then he crossed the room extending forgiveness in the name of Jesus and embracing his three new brothers in Christ. Today, forgiveness has sent Gabriel and these men free. They now work shoulder-to-shoulder to reach many with the transforming power of the Gospel.
–B Gerhart, Global Disciples
A dozen ladies with sewing machines.
When the photo crossed my desk and I read the story that came with it, the mission of Christmas was once again clearly visible.
Christmas is about mission, God’s mission of redemption. Jesus made it clear: “I came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10), so that every person in the world “may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
Pastor H believes in that mission. He leads a Global Disciples partner program in South Asia, training local believers in discipleship-mission and small business and he sent along the story
“As we were conducting our training, the Holy Spirit spoke to us to take the Gospel to the rejected and neglected people in society,” he said. “We didn’t understand, but we kept on praying, asking God to guide us to the place He wanted us to take the living Word.”
The Lord answered their prayers and directed them to a community with no witness for the Gospel. As they entered the village, they saw a group of women sitting outside their houses.
“The Lord led us to share the love of Jesus with them,” Pastor H said. “All were eager to hear the Gospel of Jesus, of His deliverance and acceptance. When we began to pray, several started crying and confessing their sins.”
The disciple-makers learned that twelve of these women were involved in prostitution, with about 14 children between them. “The Lord put a burden on us to counsel these women and help them come out from this evil experience,” Pastor H said.
For a month, the disciple-makers counseled and prayed with them, showing them how Jesus offered life and freedom. Finally, all twelve surrendered their lives to Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior! A church was planted in the community and these women are now engaged with the new fellowship, growing spiritually.
As new disciples of Jesus, this group of women knew they needed a different way to support themselves and their children. With help from Pastor H’s church, each was given a sewing machine and a teacher came to teach them. “They have learned to sew,” Pastor H shared, “and they are taking care of their families with their daily earnings. Kindly pray for them, and for the entire village that we can win the lost in this area.”
This is the redemptive mission of Jesus, to seek and save the lost, to set the captives free, to bring hope, dignity and life eternal to those trapped in sin. And a dozen women, with their sewing machines, can tell you how that mission transformed their lives.
–B Gerhart, Global Disciples