DMM: Kairos Moments (Sovereign God-Ordained Crisis)

"...I believe that story!"

Several strong earthquakes hit a large island of Indonesia over the summer. They brought devastation, but also opened doors for workers to bring aid, comfort and hope.

Another team reports of the medical help, temporary housing, toilets and physical needs they were able to provide, but, of much greater importance, the trauma counseling, prayers for healing in the name of Isa Al Masih (Jesus the Messiah) and the Discovery Bible Studies (DBS) they were able to hold with hurting people needing a touch from God. They now report that there are over 30 continuing DBS groups with some already starting a second generation!

Mrs. Harum was caught inside her house when the earthquake hit. Her family was with her but able to run out and away from the house. Roofing, beams and walls crashed onto her. The next day her neighbors found her alive, but paralyzed. Sadly, most of her family were killed. One of our national partners counseled her, her daughter and one granddaughter who survived. 

After sharing how Isa Al Masih healed the paralyzed man in Mark 2:1-12, Mrs. Harum said, “I believe that story.” She then welcomed prayer for the healing of her leg. After praying in the name of Isa Al Masih, Mrs. H stood up and was able to move her leg! Crying, she embraced the team, amazed at the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Since then, Mrs. Harum has participated with a Discovery Group in her second Discovery Bible Study and all of her neighbors have come to her tent to hear the Good News!

Give thanks with us for the work God is doing in Indonesia and pray that many more Discovery Bible Studies which form into many more reproducing house fellowships will take place creating a disciple making movement among this people group that God loves so much.

 

 

DMM: From Persecuted to Welcomed

 DMM: Perseverance

Ibu Mun had been a young single woman when she visited her family shortly after becoming a Christian. Her home village is in an area that is nearly 100 percent Muslim, and the whole community was cold to her as she made her way to her uncle’s house. People from this village were born Muslim and were expected to stay that way.

She longed for her mother to know the transforming power of Isa Al Masih, Jesus Christ, but instead, Ibu Mun was cornered by her mother, aunt, and uncle as they interrogated her about her new faith. They told her she would have to marry a Muslim man and return to Islam. It seemed clear that they were going to force her to do just that. (Kidnapping young women and forcing them to marry is quite common here.)

Throughout the altercation, Isa al Masih proved to be her refuge and strength. Before she found an opportunity to slip away to the bus station, Ibu Mun was able to demonstrate the love of Christ to her mother though she received only insults and hatred.

Now, six years later, Ibu Mun is married to a godly man, and they have two young sons together. She has been discipled and trained to be a leader in Disciple Making Movements. Recently, that same village has welcomed her back, inviting her to set up a playgroup for 3 to 4-year-olds along with a Discovery Bible Study (DBS) on the theme of Biblical parenting.

Seeing whole Muslim households interacting with the Word of God and even forming house fellowships is richly satisfying. More than that, Ibu Mun has seen, despite what man threatens, that one can be satisfied with Christ’s sufficiency. God alone is enough.

DMM: Extraordinary Prayer Fruition

DMM: Extraordinary Prayer Fruition

Recently, Brian and Allison*, Beyond movement catalysts in Austronesia, learned of answers to prayers they and their partners began praying back in 2004! They had challenged their team to pray for several critical components of seeing a movement to Christ start among their unreached people group. Among the prayer requests, they asked their partners to pray for dreams and visions of Jesus to be granted to their focus people.

 

Earlier this year, 15 years later, Brian and Allison learned of multiple dreams of Jesus among their group – dreams dating back to 2004! One new believer had three dreams of Jesus in 2004 and 2005…the very same time that everyone began praying! One of Brian and Allison’s local teammates is now meeting with this man and his household to disciple them  face-to-face. The team is confident that there are many other answered prayers like this one that they have yet to know about!

 

Starting any ministry with prayer is vital. It is futile to launch into our work, relying on our efforts alone! How much better it would be to first ask God for His plan, His guidance, and His supernatural power to do what only He can do. We are then free to move in sync with Him as He guides us. To launch a movement of disciples who reproduce and transform their society is a God-sized goal, and only God can accomplish it. 

 

DMM: Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit Increase

DMM: Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit Increase

Evan and Anna, BEYOND’s Austronesian field leaders, recently shared tips on how they purposely go out among the lost to share the love of Christ. One of the ways they do this is by praying for the felt needs of people they meet. Anna shared this recent example from her life.

 

Anna and Tess, another Beyond movement catalyst, were in a sunny Austronesian cafe looking for the person or people they felt the Lord would lead them to talk with. Earlier that morning, they had prayed, “God, give us the sensitivity to know the exact felt need of whomever You will lead us to.”

 

Before long, a couple at the cafe caught their attention. The women started a conversation, sharing upfront that they were followers of Isa (Jesus). They found the couple to be friendly and polite. In the course of talking, Anna and Tess both noticed that the topic of last year’s earthquake sparked something in the couple.

 

Anna mentioned that she and her husband, Evan, had been on the island during the earthquake, and they too had experienced some fear because of it. They stayed, however, because of their love for the SaSumBi people and, more importantly, God’s love for the SaSumBi people. 

 

Right away, this couple teared up, and both of them began talking, expressing their thoughts and feelings on the earthquake in rapid-fire conversation. Anna and Tess looked back and forth between the husband and wife trying to keep up with what each of them was saying. “The flow was just uncorked,” Anna recalls. “Obviously, this was the felt need.”

 

So, Anna transitioned the conversation towards spiritual matters by saying, “You clearly have some intense feelings about the earthquake still. And many people are struggling with trauma. Can I tell you a story that’s been really powerful in my own life?” Eagerly, the couple responded, “Yes!” and Anna shared the story of Jesus calming the storm.

 

The couple agreed that they had heard from the Koran that Isa has the power to heal the sick and raise the dead. When Anna offered to pray for the couple in the name of Isa, therefore, they agreed. With palms up and eyes open, Anna and Tess prayed for them in the matchless name of Jesus.

 

The couple expressed a desire to hear more. Since Tess had to return to her family on another island, Anna suggested they meet with Evan and herself. “We can come here and talk with your family. Gather them, and let’s talk further about how God understands our hearts and knows our needs. He’s committed to pursue us and meet us exactly where we are.”

 

Please be praying as Evan and Anna share more about Isa with this couple and their family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DMM: Blurred Vision?

 “What happened next was a blur…”

Muharis and Ani met and married shortly after they had each been through a multi-week discipleship training on Disciple Making Movements (DMM) led by Beyond field leaders Ryan and Anna. Muharis and Ani wondered: How would Father God have them serve, in light of his desire for all peoples to hear of his Son? 

Both couples sought the Lord’s direction for Muharis and Ani’s life. The answer came. Muharis and Ani felt led to live and work among the Bimanese Muslims. Working with Ryan and Anna, they would form a new DMM team. They desired to see the knowledge of Christ and obedience to God’s Word transform this unreached people group. 

 

Muharis and Ani moved to serve the Bimanese people and soon learned of another upcoming transition. They were expecting a baby! In 2017, Muharis held his baby girl for the first time and heard the doctor pronounce that all was good. Although Ani had needed an emergency C-section to deliver the baby, she would recover as they enjoyed their precious daughter. Muharis was elated.

 

It should have been a time of pure rejoicing. 

 

What happened next was a blur to Muharis. Ani was in the recovery room when Muharis noticed a steady stream of blood oozing from his wife’s suture. 

 

He called for help. When the doctor arrived, he ordered her back into surgery. As he left to prepare, the doctor stated, “There is a 50-50 shot for me to be able to save your wife.”

 

Muharis turned, saw his newborn daughter next to him, then fell to the floor in shock. He cried out to Father God in prayer. Then he called Ryan. Ryan and Anna mobilized their entire discipleship network in prayer for Ani.

 

Ani survived the ordeal. But the doctor removed her womb. The removal was probably not necessary. A more proficient doctor might have saved Ani without removing her womb, but skilled doctors are rare in such remote places. 

 

Since that day, God has blessed Muharis and Ani. He has honored their commitment to serve him no matter the personal cost. Their team has seen 117 discovery Bible study groups form. They have four house fellowships of baptized followers who meet regularly and are facilitating a second generation of discovery Bible groups!

Jesus told his disciples that following him would not be easy. We need to count the cost of discipleship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DMM: Women as Effective Movement Catalysts?

 What is the place of women in Disciple Making Movements?

“What is the place of women in world missions? Jesus said, ‘You [and the word means all of you, male and female] are my witnesses. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.’ And there have been countless thousands who, without reference to where they came from or what they knew or who they were, have believed that Jesus meant exactly what he said and have set themselves to follow. —Elisabeth Elliot

One joy of my life is coaching and mentoring women for effective engagement in launching movements to Christ. Yet often, I discover missed opportunities surrounding the role of women.

Sometimes I hear: “I felt called to the field. I came with a passion to labor alongside my husband. I don’t want to take over. I just want to be involved! Yet my organization only makes CPM training and coaching available to men. Now that we have children, I get the subtle message that my only job is supporting my husband and caring for our kids.”

Single women have shared: Men leave us out of strategy discussions. We don’t have a lot in common with women on the team who have husbands and children, and when we talk about ministry, some moms seem jealous that we have “time” for ministry.

I see this repeatedly: Husbands and wives come to the field to make an impact, yet when the wife doesn’t feel she is contributing, this may become a reason the couple goes home.

And the problem goes deeper. A local colleague told me, “Please tell Western women not to come if they aren’t going to make reproducing disciples. When they don’t, they model disobedience to the Great Commission!”

In many cultures, men can’t interact with women. Often, especially among Muslim UPGs, women are gatekeepers for their households. Who, if not women, will seek out Women of Peace to open their oikos to the gospel? And as new movements emerge, who will equip first-generation women leaders?

Regarding equipping missionary women, I sometimes hear mission leaders say, “We don’t want to burden women or make them feel guilty.” Is the best solution to not equip them for multiplication? Isn’t it better to help women follow Jesus in ministry appropriate to their season of life and prepare them to help launch a [movement]?

Will the global mission community make stewardship of missionary women a priority? Will we equip missionary women with competence and confidence to be and do all He calls us to be, especially as catalysts in launching CPMs?

How can the Body of Christ best steward missionary women? How can we support, inspire and equip them to thrive and bear multiplying fruit in all stages of life?

Why Focus on CPM?
Kent Parks, President of Act Beyond, notes that today there are twice as many people with no access to the gospel as there were in 1980. In 1980 there were “only” one billion unevangelized. Today that figure has risen to 2.1 billion!

This unjust trend requires that we do something differently.

And we can! Since the days of Jesus and Paul, the Church has repeatedly grown faster than population growth through movements – with women playing a key role. The 1900s offer extraordinary instances of movements in China and Korea fueled by women missionaries. 

Women as DMM Practitioners

All of us (men and women) are to delight in and declare God’s glory, developing intimacy with God. Out of the overflow of this intimacy, we are to “be” and “do” in Christ and seek to reproduce Jesus in others. For all who follow Jesus, reproducing disciples is a privilege as well as a command.

Essential CPM elements include: extraordinary prayer, searching out persons of peace, discipling groups of new believers, and equipping leaders. We need missionary women as well as men for these tasks.

Being a wife and mother is one of my greatest joys and privileges. In highlighting points of engagement for women in CPMs, I don’t at all mean to suggest that women short-change their God-given roles as wives and mothers. For me, life is integrated: more like a woven tapestry than distinct compartments.

Regardless of their stage of life, the vast majority of female missionaries with whom I have interacted passionately want to have eternal impact. May this article 7654help them do so.

This article was first published in Mission Frontiers, Jan/Feb 2016 issue entitled Women Engaged in Church Planting Movements Among UPGs.

 

 

DMM: Baptized in an Irrigation Canal

 Baptized in an Irrigation Canal

 

In Disciple Making Movements approach among this Ssk Unreached People Group Cluster, Amisha led five women in reading prophet stories from the Bible: a good way to introduce the Word of God to Muslims. Participants then share the stories with their family and friends, and obey lessons God impresses on them during their time together.

Three of the women have had visions of Isa al Masih (Jesus the Messiah). In the dreams, He had instructed one to forgive her husband and encouraged another by confirming that she was studying His Truth. The third had a simple yet profound vision of being embraced by Jesus!

Before long, all five women became followers of Isa. Amisha baptized them in the irrigation canal of a nearby rice paddy.

Amisha is a layperson who has been trained in Disciple Making Movements and longs to hear and obey Jesus. All six women are in the process of learning to become reproducing disciple-makers. 

These women were the first in their families to come to Christ. Pray as they engage their husbands with the Word of God and encourage their spiritual leadership. This process can sometimes be messy, but it is so important in bringing the whole household to faith.