Engage… SEND International

Visa issues?

Sometimes our work feels like…

establish reproducing churches establish reproducing churches mobilize God’s people mobilize engage the unreached engage establish reproducing churches establish reproducing churches Review

engage engage priority of evangelism little or no opportunity to hear dependence on God culturally appropriate research creative engage engage priority of evangelism new works little or no opportunity to hear

Perplexed in Paris What are the core issues? What are some key factors for engaging effectively? How would you respond to Jim? How do we engage people?

Awareness What are their needs? How can we be the “presence” of Jesus to them? How do they investigate spiritual things? What counts as “evidence”? What counts as evidence? Start where they are.

Connect and Pray Presence: Familiar; Attender; Friend; Trust Proclamation: Dialog; Scripture/Story; Study; Follower Maturity: Growing; Serving; Sharing; Leading; Reproducing Engage stages (presence, proclamation, maturity). How do these things show presence? Journey to Jesus. The connect and pray words are the journey to Jesus concepts.

Strategy Developed in the local context SEND provides guidance and values Biggest contributor in satisfaction is to initiate and sustain relationships.

Expansion People group “…the largest group within which the Gospel can spread as a church planting movement without encountering barriers of understanding or acceptance”

Unreached “…a people group among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group.” Diaspora communities

Opportunities and Discernment 1 Samuel 26:1-11 Opportunity ≠ Permission So how do we know? 1 Samuel 26:1-11. David hiding from Saul. Given opportunity to kill him. Opportunity does not equal permission. You need discernment.

Discerning Engagement  Group affirmation Need/Access Strategic opportunity Capacity of SEND Partnerships Accessibility International Council authorizes engagement Group affirmation: 2.1.1. A sense of compulsion and God’s leading, confirmed by area, regional and international leadership 2.1.2. Assumes data from the factors listed below Need: 2.2.1. Absence of an indigenous community of evangelical Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group (priority given to people groups with less than 2% evangelical Christians) 2.2.2. Population of the target people group/area Strategic opportunity:Page 48 of 92 2.3.1. Strategic role of a people group/area (ex. “gateway hubs” to multiple unreached people groups or other parts of society) 2.3.2. Natural disaster, oppression, or instability within an unreached people group which may provide an initial platform for helping with recovery physically/emotionally and reconciliation spiritually 2.3.3. Recognition of unique “timing” and opportunity Capacity of SEND: 2.4.1. Previous experience and/or contextual expertise by SEND personnel in the required ministry focus 2.4.2. Current availability of resources 2.4.3. Feasibility of further mobilization of potential resources Partnerships: 2.5.1. Invitation of host culture believers/church (if one exists) 2.5.2. Potential partnerships with other organizations Accessibility: 2.6.1. Viability of sustainable long-term ministry through access (e.g. visas, political stability) to the country and (or) people group being targeted 2.6.2. Security for personnel

Engaging Human Needs primacy of preaching the gospel Jesus taught by precept and example our responsibility to the whole person Gospel and Full person. Model community engagement? We are to be salt and light.

Engaging Business Important part of the overall strategy for establishing churches Created another organization with which we partner Journey to Jesus. The connect and pray words are the journey to Jesus concepts.

Building Trust Since TRUST is such an important bedrock for collaboration, we’d like to expand on it further. Trust is built on many factors, including the following: Understanding: We believe that the other partners understand us and our particular context. Intent or motive: We believe that they are out for our best, for the accomplishment of agreed-upon Kingdom objectives. Ability: We believe that they have the ability/competence to deliver on their promises. Character: We believe that there is sufficient alignment of our moral and ethical qualities, of the attributes which make up our individual and corporate personalities. Track record: We believe in their track record – so that together we actually can do more. (adapted from Cloud: The power of the other)

E N G A Make an acrostic by filling in words which begin with each of the following letters. Make sure the words relate to the topic of “engaging the unreached”.

Reflection time