Lately, with the showing of the “Nefarious” film, a lot of emphasis in sharing about our ministry has been about trafficked women and children. This part of the ministry vision is taking the Gospel to the least-loved people. These women and children are many times looked down upon and neglected.
But what is the second part of our team vision about? When going to Romania, how can we say we are taking the Gospel to the least-reached people around the world? In terms of percentages, Romania has one of the largest (if not the largest) evangelical Christian population in all of Europe. What is interesting is that we felt drawn to ministry in Europe by seeing how un-evangelized the continent is. “In Europe, fewer than one out of 1,000 people hold an evangelical faith” (Mandryk 363). This means that the average European will NEVER in his or her lifetime encounter a Bible believing Christian.
So why go to the country with one of the highest concentrations of Christians on the continent? Multiplication and Mobilization. Jamie and I are just two people. However, if we go with the intention to multiply ourselves, then the possible numbers of Christians spreading the gospel cross-culturally are endless. “Recent reports claim that only one out of 100 believers has any meaningful involvement in the Great Commission. Imagine the difference that would result from just shifting that one to two believers out of 100. That kind of shift might seem negligible, but it would double the resources engaged in the task” (Mandryk 367). Missions mobilization is the desire to equip, train, and encourage believers to be involved with God’s kingdom work around the world. Our desire is to see God “mobilize” His body to be involved in His work.
In front of me right now sits an 800 page book on missions and God’s work around the world. It is the text book for the class “Perspectives in the world Christian movement.” Lord willing, I hope to be a part of teaching this class in Romania and seeing God raise up thousands of Romanian missionaries to take the gospel around the world. Missions mobilization is an effort to do our best to pass the torch to the next wave of missionaries that God is going to send out. In America we have years and years of research and experience in missions. Why not devote ourselves to passing on this experience to those going out so they don’t have to make the same mistakes we did?
Please be praying for the work God is doing in Romania. Our team vision is to see God raise up and send out thousands of Romanian missionaries (traditional and tent-making) all across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the world. Matthew 9:38 tells us, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." We want to ask you to join us in praying specifically that God would greatly increase the amount of workers sent out from Romania. The Christians are already there; they just need to be mobilized.
Mandryk, Jason. "The State of the Gospel." Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. 4th ed. Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009. 361-68. Print.
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