Nepal/Senegal (MNN) — Imagine if you were a new believer who had just been exposed to the hope of Christ for the first time. You’re thrilled and are moved to commit your life to Jesus and put your salvation in His pierced hands.
Not long after this decision, you have questions, but no one to answer them. You have trials, but no other believers to help you through. You’re ready to learn more, but you have no one to teach you.
That’s the pitfall Greg Kelley of World Mission says happens in many ministries around the world. There always seem to be new ways to reach people, through apps or audio or films or tracts, but who follows up?
(Photo courtesy of World Mission)
“My concern is that the Body of Christ is getting so concerned with what’s the latest greatest piece of technology that we can reach these people, and we’re not paying attention to the need to raise up leaders who are that flesh on flesh discipleship-making machine that we have to have in place.”
Kelley says it’s important to remember that the Great Commission calls us to make disciples, not converts.
“Being a convert in the 10:40 Window, you won’t survive. It’s the most hostile, spiritually-speaking, areas of the world, and if you just kind of have a teaspoon-full of Jesus, so to speak, you won’t survive because of the hostilities,” he explains.
“We need to be committed to make disciples, and that requires raising up effective, trained, competent leaders who can then bring the Gospel to life and pour themselves into these people who are new in the faith”
The specific target World Mission is chasing are the countries of Nepal and Senegal. Nepal has a population of about 28 million, and 80 percent of them are Hindu. Meanwhile, Senegal has 12 million people, and 90 percent of them are Muslim.
(Photo courtesy of World Mission)
“There’s some five million pastors who have no access, zero, to any kind of training. So what World Mission does is we invest in what we call the Shiloh training center.”
A Shiloh training center is requested and run by local believers. Dozens, even hundreds of pastors from the country can come to be equipped and “receive training from nationals who are mature from their own walk with the Lord, and they pour into their life.”
Kelley says he wants to be sure to involve the national believers in the project, coming to them and saying, “We recognize that you are the most strategic element that is gonna make disciples in your community, and so how can we come alongside you?”
But what about you? What part can you play?
“[If] someone wants to help World Mission put more Shiloh training centers into places like Senegal and Nepal and places where there’s five million pastors with no access to training, we’d love for them to partner with us.”
We’ll connect you right here, but the biggest way you can help is through prayer.
“We need to pray that the Lord would help us be strategic as the Body of Christ to raise up leaders who can make disciples.”
