Needs of the Western World

Introduction

Matthew 28:18-20

evangelizing non-believers —> baptizing coverts —> gathering converts into churches —> training leaders to lead churches

evangelism —> church planting —> theological education

But there also ought to always be an emphasis on taking the gospel to new peoples. That’s why we’ll talk a lot about UPGs even though it doesn’t stop at 2%

My “mission trips” with no Great Commission work

If you saw 10 people carrying a log, with 9 on one end and 1 on the other, which side would you go help with?

Europe

Major need: diaspora ministry

Also some Bible translation, church planting, mobilization

Reviving dying churches is important, but more on scale with church planting in New England…equally important, but not equally strategic

80M refugees around the world

More Muslims now in Europe than ever before

Large migration from N African countries into Europe

Often, the European churches are so weak they’re struggling to reach their own people, much less those flooding in and could use help

North America/Australia

Major needs: diaspora ministry & mobilization

Diaspora ministry

Bible translation in Louisville

UPG caught between two countries that both wanted to wipe them out, ending up in our backyard, tried to get rid of English help as soon as they found out we were Christians because they’re so paranoid

Jeremy meeting a Bibleless African in Abilene

Chase baptizing a Middle Eastern UPG guy he met at a gas station in Tuscaloosa

Mobilization

What % of Christians do you think should be missionaries?

South Korea is the best sending country, but US sends the most

Still drastic need for greater mobilization (90M evangelicals)

There are roughly 57,000 evangelicals around the world for every 1 unreached people group

If just 1 in 1,000 went, we’d have 57 missionaries for every UPG

Be a recruiter, youth/campus minister, pastor, missions committee member that mobilizes others

South America

Major needs: mobilization & theological education

Similar to sub-Saharan Africa in some ways

Brazil has many evangelicals (but often too charismatic)

Many in Latin America are nominally Catholic

Still some unreached and lesser-reached groups in isolated jungle areas

Mobilization

Brazil has 50M evangelicals (US, 90M)

Show the Mobilization Index

One CM group focuses on sending graduates to places like S America, not to plant churches, but to raise up missionaries

Theological education

Both the pastors of churches and the missionaries sent out need good training Argentina grew by 3.2 million evangelicals in the past 15 years. At average of 100/church that means a need for 32,000 pastors in 15 years

Growing seminary programs in Portuguese and Spanish, but often in the US

Not many seminary or lower-level church leader trainings indigenous to Latin American countries

Heart for teaching God’s Word or raising up missionaries? // E.g. PBT Brazil