Church Planting Movements

Moving From Evil Spirits to the Holy Spirit

May 2, 2019 | Stories

After the first visit to the village, Ryan and Jane felt there was a heavy blanket laying over the hearts and minds of the Muslims in the area. The villagers practice a type of folk Islam which embraces the animistic spirits over a given territory. “There is a strong Jin (spirit) in our area,” villagers told the couple. “That spirit is the one whom we trust to guide us in our Islamic devotion.”
Ryan and Jane continued to visit the area, endeavoring to bring the light of the gospel to its people. Though hopeful of finding a Person of Peace in an old woman believed to be the village shaman, no fruit came from any encounter with her. She met every peace-filled statement, every offer of care and prayer for her physical and spiritual needs with cantankerous and stubborn rejection.

The Lord, however, was preparing a bystander to become a Person of Peace, receptive to the gospel message. One of the woman’s adult sons and his family were drawn by the Holy Spirit and are discovering the reality of God and His Word. They meet together with one of Ryan and Jane’s national partners to read and study the Bible in a Discovery Bible Study.

Pray that this family would decide to follow Jesus. Pray that the Lord would use them to open up the entire village and its neighbors to a movement of the Holy Spirit. For when the Holy Spirit comes to them, he will guide them into all truth, bearing witness to Christ.

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WHAT HAPPENED NEXT WAS A BLUR
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Are Movements Biblical?

Apr 25, 2019 | Stories

Jesus modeled to his disciples how to build the kingdom by making disciples who could make disciples. In three years the number of Jesus’ disciples grew from 12 to 70 (or 82 – Lk 10:1 “70 others”) then to a core of 120 in an upper room (Acts 1:15) out of a total of 500 that he appeared to (1 Cor. 15:6). In three years Jesus raised up at least 500 disciples in addition to the thousands who hung on his words as he traveled from place to place.
If you developed 500 disciples in three years, not counting the thousands who attended your meetings, what would you call that—a Disciple- Making Movement?

Acts is the kingdom growth of the gospel accounts on Spirit-empowered steroids. Pentecost was a game- changer in that regard. Luke describes how kingdom movements had become normal (and viral) over a 30-year span. Kingdom movements were not a passing phenomenon.

If we come to the Acts record, laying aside our presuppositions, we are amazed at how fast, through whom, and how far the kingdom can spread.

Twenty of the 28 chapters have numerical indicators. Stop and consider what your band of 500 disciples in AD 30 would feel like in AD 35. The gospel had spread to thousands of new disciples and many new churches had started throughout all of Judea, Galilee and Samaria (9:31). What would your band of disciples call this—a church-planting or disciple-making movement?

Then consider the Jerusalem church 27 years after beginning. With most believers having fled the city earlier (8:4) there are still many thousands of new disciples (21:20). The movement is still multiplying.

Paul’s journeys over the span of only ten years defy expectations of how far and rapidly the kingdom can grow—six to eight Roman provinces penetrated with multiplying disciples and churches. Any missionary with such results in 2-3 terms would categorize this as a movement of God.

Within 30 years the eastern half of the Roman Empire is filled with kingdom witness. Acts perpetuates the expectation of kingdom movements taught and modeled by Jesus.

Examine the timeframe of Acts (especially the first five years) and ask the questions: “How rapidly does the Spirit make disciples who in turn make disciples? How quickly are new churches formed? How quickly were leaders developed?” Fruitful CPM practitioner, Nathan Shank, says, “Whoever said we set the pace? If we take credit for the pace, then we are taking credit for the growth. ” If growth is God’s responsibility (1 Cor. 3:6-7), then surely pace is also.

When the numbers are as large as the thousands given in Acts and the places for these disciples to meet are small (often meeting in homes (2:46); probably the norm once they were kicked out of the temple), then how do you interpret what is happening? Disciples are making disciples. These disciples are forming new groups and churches wherever they can – homes, public spaces, etc. When disciples are making disciples and starting churches in new homes along the way, we call that—a Church- Planting Movement.

Taken from “The Lens of Kingdom Movements in Scripture: A Biblical Exegesis of Church-Planting Movements” – Steve Smith

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Bhojpuri Girl Raised from the Dead

Apr 18, 2019 | Stories

1 Corinthians 15:20 proclaims; “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.”

In light of this verse, we celebrate our risen Lord this Easter weekend and share this excerpt from the forthcoming book, Bhojpuri Breakthrough, written by Victor John, with Dave Coles.

“About 12 years ago *Sashi was very sick with a fever, so her parents took her to the hospital. After two days her condition became more serious, and she was moved to the ICU. She had not been there long when the doctors came out and told her parents, ‘Your daughter is dead.’ When they saw the body, Sashi’s mother began crying and screaming. Her father said, ‘Don’t cry. Let’s pray.’

So they went in, knelt down by Sashi’s body and began to pray. They prayed earnestly for about 10 minutes, then suddenly they heard Sashi hiccup and start breathing again. They called for the doctor, who came and checked her over thoroughly. At last, he said, ‘She’s completely healed! She doesn’t need any more treatment. You can take her home now.’ Sashi went from the ICU with a high fever to dead to completely healthy and on her way home. This miraculous work is just one of many the Lord has done among the Bhojpuri.”

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. (Eph. 3:20)

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

*Victor John is a movement leader in India who Beyond has had the privilege of working with and learning from. Dave Coles is an encourager and supporter of Church Planting Movements at Beyond. Dave was able to meet Sashi’s father, ask further questions, and verify this story through a separate party.

*pseudonym

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Pray, Wait, Listen and Obey . . .

Apr 4, 2019 | Stories

*Tucker, a Beyond missions catalyst, arrived at the guesthouse, hoping to speak with *Shuhei. Earlier he’d had a chance to pray for some of Shuhei’s needs, and now Tucker wanted to share the Bible story of Hannah with him. Tucker was pleased to see Shuhei hanging out with some of the other lodgers. However, as the night drew on, Shuhei remained immersed in their company. Tucker prayed and sensed the Lord telling him to wait for the right moment even though he was getting pretty tired.
Knowing Shuhei didn’t sleep at the guesthouse, Tucker went out on the front porch to wait for him to leave. Finally, Shuhei left and headed straight for his motorcycle. When Tucker asked if he was going home for the night, Shuhei said he was but then turned back and thanked Tucker for his prayers.

The two struck up a conversation and Tucker was able to bring up the story of Hannah’s prayer, letting Shuhei read it in Japanese. They talked for the next 30 minutes about the God Tucker loves, prayer, faith, hope, Jesus and heaven. At one point, the owner’s wife came out and joined the conversation, listening and sharing her Buddhist beliefs.

The conversation ended that night with Shuhei commenting that he needed to start thinking more about spiritual things. The two men exchanged contact information, and Shuhei invited Tucker to call him the next time Tucker was in Tokyo.

Isn’t it great that God faithfully provides opportunities to share His words when we faithfully listen and obey? That night outside the guesthouse two people heard the gospel for the first time because Tucker chose to listen to the Lord and obey him.

Please pray that the seeds that were planted in Shuhei and the woman who joined the conversation will grow and produce the harvest of a Disciple Making Movement.

*pseudonym

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CLUSTER PROFILE: The Khmer

Mar 28, 2019 | Stories

The Khmer people group of Cambodia number over 14 million people and are ranked 36th on Joshua Project’s list of the 100 largest unreached people groups. They comprise nearly 90% of Cambodia’s population, mostly filling the central and western parts of the nation.
Most Khmer people are rural rice farmers or fishermen (49%) though more are working in the growing tourism, garment, and construction industries. Khmer people wear a garment known as a krama made of red or blue gingham fabric which can be used as a scarf, bandana, hammock for children and even as a weapon. Khmer households are based on the nuclear family though they may include other close relatives.

The Khmer people speak Khmer which is the official language of Cambodia. Among the Southeast Asian languages, they have the oldest written records which date back to the seventh century and show a link to Indian writing systems.

The link with India is not just apparent in their writing system but also their religious practices. The former Khmer empire (9th-13th centuries) adopted both Hinduism and Buddhism from India though today the Khmer people have dropped Hinduism and are approximately 90% Buddhists. Their Buddhist practices intermingle with various animistic practices which differ from region to region.

Between the years of 1969-1979 the US/Vietnam war, a Cambodian civil war followed by the iron rule of Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge decimated the country and people of Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge, in an attempt to eradicate all outside influence, murdered Buddhists and Christians alike as well as those with western educations and all who opposed them. Ultimately, it is estimated that 20-40% of the Cambodian population was eradicated during that time. Thousands more fled as refugees into refugee camps and surrounding countries. Finally, in 1979, Vietnam ousted the Khmer Rouge.

Since that time, religious practices have been reinstated, and Christian converts have returned to Cambodia from foreign countries and the refugee camps creating an avenue for the gospel to flow through. The task is very great, however, to reach the 13.75 million Khmer in Cambodia who are not believers. This war-torn people needs the Prince of Peace.

WAYS TO PRAY FOR THE KHMER

Pray that the Lord would raise up people who are willing to settle among this group and share the Gospel with them
Pray that an army of intercessors would intercede in prayer for the Khmer
Pray for the Khmer who do know the Lord, that the Holy Spirit would encourage them to boldly share the Gospel with their family and friends
Pray for the protection of the believers in this people group