Church Planting Movements

Is Christmas Worth Celebrating?

Dec 11, 2024 | Stories

One of the great joys in Joel’s and Becky’s* work has been to see Tazig* believers celebrate Christmas and remember God incarnate in their own culturally relevant ways.

Last year one of their teammate’s sisters returned to visit her Himalayan family. Priscilla’s* sister has lived in the United States for the past ten years and has become an American citizen.

As Priscilla and the other Tazig believers were making plans for their Christmas celebration, her sister, Amrita,* asked, “Oh, you are going to celebrate the English New Year?”

Priscilla replied, “No, we are making plans to celebrate Christmas when the Creator God came to the earth and lived as a human.”

Amrita never understood Christmas. For 10 years she had heard people in the United States say, “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.” Since her people celebrate the Tibetan New Year over multiple days, she thought Christmas was just the start of our New Year’s celebrations. Amrita had never heard the Christmas story.

Thankfully, Priscilla told her about God sending His Son to the earth and all about Christmas. A few days later, Amrita joined the Tazig Christmas celebration, knowing for the first time what it was all about.

How does this happen? How does a person live near multiple churches, likely work side by side with at least a few Christians, and never hear about the reason we celebrate Christmas? Of course, BEYOND is all about sending long-term teams to unreached peoples to start movements of reproducing disciple-makers. But, we share this story as an encouragement.

There are lost people in our neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities who haven’t heard the Good News. They might look just like us, or they might look different. They may have just arrived, or they may have been born in our hometowns. They probably know what a church is and have heard the name “Jesus,” but they haven’t heard the Good News.

The honor of telling them belongs to all of us – not just pastors and missionaries. Jesus gave all His followers the responsibility to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [Jesus] commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20). Will you be obedient to Jesus’ last command? Go ask someone if they would like to hear why Christmas is really worth celebrating.

*pseudonyms

OBEDIENCE IN SPITE OF FEAR
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NO SIGN OF CHRISTMAS
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A Father’s Faith, A Son’s Impact

Dec 4, 2024 | South Asia, Stories

*Samir’s father, *Nuh, has been faithfully pastoring several churches for over 20 years. After witnessing his son Samir’s success in rapidly multiplying healthy disciples, Nuh was eager to incorporate Disciple Making Movement principles into his own churches.

Nuh began by teaching his congregations how to conduct Discovery Bible Studies. He then divided them into smaller house churches, encouraging each group to obey God’s Word. As they embraced this approach, group members shared, “This is the first time we feel we are truly learning and obeying Scripture.” Since all the members of these groups were already followers of Jesus, they are referred to as Generation Zero groups.

This month, Nuh gathered the Gen Zero leaders for further training in Disciple Making Movement (DMM) principles. As these leaders apply what they have learned and reach out to start new groups among the lost, these new groups will be known as Generation One groups. Praise God for Nuh’s willingness to relinquish control, empower others, and implement simple, reproducible, and multiplicative principles. Pray that the newly trained leaders will equip their groups to establish Generation One groups in neighboring Muslim and Hindu villages.

*pseudonym

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Ordinary People Making Disciples of Jesus

Nov 6, 2024 | South East Asia, Stories

When Peter and John addressed the Sanhedrin after Jesus’ resurrection, the assembly marveled at their boldness, noting that they were “unschooled, ordinary men.” In a world that often associates spiritual authority with advanced education, Jesus bestowed spiritual authority on ordinary people who had been with him.

Consider the incredible story of *Achara, an ordinary Isaan (Thai) villager who, with boldness and courage, shared her faith.

Achara, a shy woman with a fourth-grade education, embraced Christianity two decades ago. Despite faithfully attending every Christian gathering in her area, she had hesitated to take her faith beyond the confines of these meetings. However, last April, everything changed.

During a village outreach, Achara partnered with some bold Lao women who fearlessly explained the message of Jesus as they visited households. Inspired by their courage and testimonies, Achara, realizing their ordinary backgrounds, decided to continue sharing about Jesus upon returning home. She soon connected with *Jhi, who was grappling with severe health issues and spiritual challenges. Plagued by demonic harassment at night, she suffered from insomnia, leading to mental instability. Additionally, she had diabetes, advanced kidney failure, and swollen aneurysms in her brain.

Four years prior, Jhi’s in-laws had advised her husband, “You need to make serious merit if you expect your wife to live.” Making merit means giving food, money, cloth for robes, etc to monks and temples. Accordingly, Jhi’s husband sought to gain merit by donating six acres of rice paddy land. He raised money to build a Buddhist temple. He organized and led the temple committee and recruited monks to live in the temple. After that, he sold 20 more acres of land to raise money for doctors. Despite these efforts, Jhi’s condition worsened and she grew progressively weaker.

Praise God, Achara felt empowered to share the gospel with Jhi. Daily, Jhi would listen to Achara read the Bible aloud in an outdoor hut, finding peace in the words. With the help of Achara’s husband, they built a shelter by a nearby pond for Jhi, providing a cooler and quieter space for her to rest. Achara continued sharing about Jesus and praying for Jhi’s healing.

After a month, Jhi had gained enough strength to function normally. At this point, she prayed to receive Jesus. The transformation astounded her husband, leading him and their three adult daughters to also become Jesus’s disciples. Jhi’s husband walked away from the temple he had funded and helped build.

A few weeks later, Jhi visited her friend *Peng, who had been in a coma after a severe beating. Just as Jhi had been prayed for, she prayed for Peng’s healing, asking God to stop the trembling hand that had emerged post-coma. God answered the prayer, and Peng’s hand stopped trembling. In response, Peng and her husband decided to follow Jesus.

*Dai, a ministry partner, has trained and actively mentors leaders in the village house church which meets in the home of Achara and her husband. Jhi and Peng’s families and 30 other people regularly attend this house church, started by one ordinary woman who boldly shared her faith in Jesus.

Pray God continues to bless Anchara and Jhi as they share Jesus with other women in their village. Pray that many other women are touched by their testimonies and that God continues to answer their prayers for others.
Ask that the husbands of these women will boldly share their faith as well. Pray for Jhi’s husband in particular to be a bold witness for Jesus. Pray that his parents will become followers of Jesus.
Pray for people who supported the temple. Ask for a change of heart across the whole subdistrict, as there may be unhappy feelings since Jhi’s husband has walked away.
Ask for great joy and love to grow among members of this house church.

*pseudonyms

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Women in India Fearlessly Sharing the Gospel

Oct 16, 2024 | South Asia, Stories

The Listening Movement held its first Women Leaders meeting last year where several women gathered to learn, share and encourage each other. These stories are the fruit of that meeting.

*Mahima was already a dedicated disciple-maker before attending the meetings, but something in her heart shifted afterward. She works as a government-employed bus driver, but spends her free time leading Discovery Bible Studies (DBS) with new families. She started a DBS with three women in one village, and since then she has helped establish 46 house churches, and 146 people have received baptism because of Mahima’s Bible studies. She is driven by the belief that access to God’s word and obedience to the Scriptures is what transforms lives.

Another leader, *Daya, encouraged his wife, *Shanvi, to step into the Lord’s work. At first, Shanvi was hesitant, feeling nervous about speaking in front of large groups. She shared, “When I meet with people personally and talk to them, I can work better.” This personal approach has proven to be highly effective for her. Staying within their state, Shanvi connects with women, conducts Discovery Bible Studies, and shares Bible stories. By meeting one-on-one, she shares the Word in a way that resonates deeply with those she encounters. Shanvi has connected with 97 women from nine different villages in her state, spreading the Good News. She travels to meet people and desires that everyone come to know the Lord, which is why she dedicates much time to each woman.

*Radhika works alongside her husband to spread the gospel, undeterred by the challenges they face. The couple has endured significant persecution for their ministry, having been captured two or three times by members of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a militant right-wing Hindu nationalist organization in India) and physically assaulted on at least one occasion. They’ve also received death threats warning them to cease their work. Despite these dangers, they remain steadfast in their mission.

Radhika oversees 96 house churches and collaborates with 17 women leaders, whom she trains and meets with monthly. She reaches out to those troubled by demonic oppression, struggling with addiction, and women suffering from domestic abuse. She actively seeks out such families, offering prayers and sharing the Lord’s message. Her work primarily focuses on low-caste nomadic communities, where she brings hope and the Good News of Jesus.

*Shakila was once shy and fearful, convinced that sharing the Good News of Jesus was beyond her ability. However, after attending a women’s training session and receiving encouragement from her husband, everything changed. Now, Shakila goes from home to home in her village, inviting others to listen to Bible stories and engaging them through Discovery Bible Studies. She currently oversees 28 DBS groups, and seven of the families she has discipled have been baptized.

Pray for Mahima, Shanvi, Radhika, Shakila, and others who courageously share the Good News despite the constant threat of arrest, physical assault, and even death.

*pseudonym

From Gangster to Disciple Maker

Sep 30, 2024 | Austronesia, Stories

Pastor *Wint was from a mixed Muslim-and Hindu-background area of Bali, Indonesia. One of his concerns was the unreached tribe on the mountains bordering where he lived. He knew he couldn’t reach them. He didn’t speak their language and they were suspicious of outsiders. So he prayed.

And instead of asking “What can I do?” he pondered, “What must be done?” As he prayed and sought guidance and wisdom from God, Wint felt the Holy Spirit urging him to approach a man named *Phaing.

Phaing was notorious in the community, a feared gangster with a fierce appearance marked by tattoos and piercings. Despite Phaing’s intimidating exterior, Wint courageously shared the gospel with him.

Miraculously, Phaing accepted Jesus as his Savior and Lord. Although known for his excessive drinking, often downing a whole bottle of whiskey in one go, Phaing immediately gave up alcohol, believing God had healed him of that addiction. As his understanding of Jesus grew, so did his faith. He obeyed Scripture and was soon baptized.

As Wint continued to disciple Phaing, he began to see potential in him for a unique mission. Maybe Phaing could reach that remote and insular tribe high up in the mountains of Bali that Wint knew he couldn’t reach. They were known for speaking an ancient version of Balinese and shunning outsiders. Wint believed that if anyone could connect with this tribe, it would be the fearless Phaing.

After more prayer, Wint challenged Phaing to introduce the tribe to Jesus. Phaing knew that this task required a unique approach. He prayed for wisdom and discernment, and during his prayer, he was reminded of his large Bible with an embossed cross on the cover.

With the Bible in hand, Phaing climbed the mountain. When he met the tribespeople, he held up the Bible and asked, “What symbol do you see on the hospitals where you go for healing? What symbol is on the packages of medicine you take? Yes, it’s the cross, the same cross you see on this Bible.” He then shared his own testimony of salvation and healing, and stories from the Bible.

Moved by Phaing’s testimony, the Bible stories, and the analogy of the cross, several tribe members came to faith in Jesus. Two families were baptized, and even the tribe’s leader became a believer. Phaing is now dedicated to discipling many more in the mountains. Pray for him as he continues equipping others to read, share, and obey the Scriptures.

*pseudonyms

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