USA (MNN) — If you’re reading this in the United States, have you noticed the mission field in your backyard? Ron Hutchcraft of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries describes “a people group [with] only 4 percent Christian [over] 400 years.
“Native American young people largely are immune to all kinds of mission efforts.”
(Photo courtesy of On Eagles’ Wings/Ron Hutchcraft Ministries)
Members of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries’ On Eagles Wings team make progress where other Gospel workers cannot.
“It’s because the messengers are from the same tribe as the people they’re reaching,” Hutchcraft says.
“It’s Native young people telling Native young people.”
In a similar way, you can break spiritual ground in places where some believers can’t go. You don’t even have to pack up the family and move.
“Tribes are not just about Native Americans. We’re all in a tribe. In fact, we’re probably in several. There are political tribes, sports tribes, and music tribes,” Hutchcraft says.
“Why is that significant in terms of the witness of Christ in the world? Because we listen to people from our tribe. We have shared life experiences.”
You might be the only Christian who can reach your “tribe.” Think of Jesus and the Samaritan woman.
“He doesn’t ride right in and have a crusade in the Samaritan village. He reaches one Samaritan woman and sends her to her people,” Hutchcraft says.
“The Bible says, ‘Many [Samaritans] believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony.’ What validated Jesus to Samaritans was someone from their tribe.”
Pray for courage to be Christ’s ambassador and start Gospel conversations. Look for helpful tools from Ron Hutchcraft Ministries in the coming weeks!
Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Bruno Millennial/Pexels.
