Rooted in the Word, framed by a promise

Jesus set the trajectory of our lives and our churches with one sentence. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This is not a slogan. It is a command, a promise, and a plan.

We take His Word as true, reliable, and literal. We stand under it and step forward by it. The Lord has not left us to guess our mission. He has defined it, empowered it, and guaranteed its end.

The gospel we proclaim

The message is not ours to edit. Paul summed it up with clarity: “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). This is the gospel of grace, secured by the cross and the empty tomb, promised in the Law and the Prophets, fulfilled in Jesus.

We preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem (Luke 24:47). Salvation is in Christ alone (Acts 4:12), and He is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). Any other gospel is no gospel at all (Galatians 1:8–9). We announce what God has done, call sinners to repent and believe, and urge the baptized to obey all that Christ commanded (Matthew 28:18–20).

Beginning at Jerusalem: faithful near to home

Faithfulness begins on our own streets. God placed us among neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and family members so they would seek Him and find Him (Acts 17:26–27). We walk in wisdom toward outsiders and make the most of every opportunity (Colossians 4:5–6).

- Pray by name for the lost near you (1 Timothy 2:1–4).

- Share your testimony and the gospel simply and clearly (Romans 1:16; 1 Peter 3:15).

- Practice intentional hospitality and open your home (Romans 12:13; Hebrews 13:2).

- Serve practical needs and connect mercy to the message (James 2:14–17; Titus 3:14).

Judea and Samaria: crossing barriers with love

The gospel moves across boundaries that people build. The risen Lord sends us toward those who are near yet different, just as the early church moved from Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria with the Word and the Spirit’s power (Acts 8:4–8). Christ is our peace, who has broken down the wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14).

This calls for courage and patience. It also calls for real friendships. We enter neighborhoods and networks with humility, learning and listening, while holding fast to the truth.

- Learn the stories and languages of those around you (Proverbs 18:13; 1 Corinthians 9:19–23).

- Share meals that lead to open Bibles (Luke 5:29–32; Acts 16:14–15).

- Partner with faithful churches serving different communities (Philippians 1:5; Romans 15:24).

- Address injustice and need with biblical mercy and integrity (Micah 6:8; 1 Peter 2:12).

To the ends of the earth: aiming for the unreached

The arc reaches the nations. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). God will have a blood-bought people from every tribe and language and nation standing before the Lamb (Revelation 5:9; 7:9).

We therefore prioritize those with least access to the gospel. We aspire to preach Christ where He has not been named (Romans 15:20–21), so that the Servant’s salvation reaches the ends of the earth (Isaiah 49:6).

- Pray earnestly for labors and for doors to open (Luke 10:2; Colossians 4:3–4; 2 Thessalonians 3:1).

- Send and support workers with care and accountability (Acts 13:1–3; 3 John 8).

- Go short- and long-term under healthy church oversight (Philippians 2:19–30; Acts 14:26–28).

- Welcome and disciple the nations God brings to your city (Leviticus 19:34; Acts 17:26–27).

- Fuel Bible translation and faithful resources in heart languages (Psalm 67; 2 Timothy 3:16–17).

- Adopt an unreached people group as a church and persist until a church is planted (Psalm 96:3; Matthew 28:19–20).

Powered by the Spirit, ordered by the church

Mission is not human energy or clever methods. The Lord clothes His people with power from on high (Luke 24:49) and fills them to speak with boldness and love (Acts 4:31; Romans 5:5). The Spirit glorifies Christ through the Word He inspired (John 16:14; 2 Peter 1:21).

This work is also church-shaped. The New Testament pattern is Word, prayer, fellowship, ordinances, and witness. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). Churches send, shepherd, and sustain workers, and they plant and strengthen churches among the nations (Acts 13:2–3; 14:21–23; Titus 1:5).

Disciples who make disciples

Our commission is not only to go but to make disciples who obey Jesus. We baptize them into the triune Name and teach them to observe all that He commanded, with the promise of His presence to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18–20). This is patient work, anchored in the Word and modeled in life.

Reproducibility matters. What we do should be transferable to ordinary believers in every culture. Paul’s pattern still stands: entrust the truth to faithful people who will teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).

- Open the Bible, explain it, and apply it together (Nehemiah 8:8; Colossians 3:16).

- Pray Scripture and practice obedience together (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3).

- Gather weekly as a church and often in homes (Hebrews 10:24–25; Acts 2:46–47).

- Aim for maturity in Christ, not mere decisions (Colossians 1:28–29; Ephesians 4:11–16).

Faithful witness in word and deed

The world watches our doctrine and our lives. Holiness adorns the gospel we teach (Titus 2:10–14). Good deeds shine in a dark place and push back accusations with undeniable light (1 Peter 2:12).

We do not substitute deeds for proclamation, nor proclamation for deeds. Both belong together under Christ’s Lordship. Our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods can be outposts of the kingdom where truth is spoken and mercy is practiced.

- Live visibly distinct with integrity, purity, and justice (Matthew 5:13–16; Philippians 2:14–16).

- Care for the vulnerable and keep unstained from the world (James 1:27).

- Forgive freely, reconcile quickly, and love sacrificially (Ephesians 4:32; John 13:34–35).

Endurance and hope

This mission advances through trials. Through many tribulations we enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). We do not lose heart, because our labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

We run with endurance, looking to Jesus, who endured the cross and sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 12:1–3). We sow, water, and wait, knowing God gives the growth in His time and way (1 Corinthians 3:6–7; Galatians 6:9).

Stewarding resources for the Great Commission

God supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, and He multiplies what we scatter for His glory among the nations (2 Corinthians 9:6–11). We steward money, time, skills, and relationships for the name of Jesus.

Gospel partnership is real fellowship. Churches and families can align budgets and calendars around the task so that those who go are sent in a manner worthy of God (3 John 6–8; Philippians 4:15–19).

- Build a missions pipeline for praying, training, sending, and caring.

- Align budgets to prioritize the least reached.

- Pair short-term efforts with long-term strategies and partners.

- Review methods regularly by Scripture, not by trends.

From promise to practice

The Lord who promised the Spirit has kept His Word. The gospel has run from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, and still runs. Until the last nation is reached and the last elect are gathered in, we press on in the strength He supplies, with the Book open, the church engaged, and the Name exalted.

God’s heart for the nations runs from Genesis to Revelation. The blessing promised to Abraham extends to all the families of the earth in Christ (Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:8, 16). Psalms call all peoples to praise God (Psalm 67; 96). The Servant is a light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6). Jesus commissions disciple-making among all nations (Matthew 28:18–20) and declares the global witness of the kingdom (Matthew 24:14). Revelation shows the end for which we labor, a redeemed multitude before the throne (Revelation 7:9–10).

Ethne are peoples, not modern nation-states. This clarifies why the unreached remain a priority, even in countries with access elsewhere.

Contextualization without compromise

We adapt to serve others, not to dilute truth. Paul became all things to all people to win some, while refusing to tamper with God’s Word (1 Corinthians 9:19–23; 2 Corinthians 4:2). We test practices by Scripture, not by results, and we avoid syncretism and man-pleasing (Galatians 1:10).

- Hold fast to biblical doctrine and morality in every culture (2 Timothy 1:13–14).

- Use clear, faithful language for God, Christ, sin, and atonement.

- Receive what helps people hear, reject what confuses or corrupts.

Miracle, prayer, and the Word

God authenticates the message as He wills (Hebrews 2:3–4). We pray for healing and boldness, and we rest in His sovereignty (James 5:13–18; Acts 4:29–31). The Spirit’s ordinary instrument is the preached and taught Word (Romans 10:14–17; 1 Thessalonians 1:5).

- Pray big prayers rooted in promises.

- Keep the Word central in every effort.

- Test the spirits and cling to what is good (1 John 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Suffering and perseverance in mission

All who desire to live a godly life in Christ will face persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). Peter calls suffering for Christ a cause for rejoicing and resolve (1 Peter 4:12–16). We prepare workers to endure hardship as good soldiers of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3).

- Set realistic expectations from Scripture.

- Build member care and pastoral oversight into sending.

- Train churches to stand firm under pressure.

Measuring fruit with wisdom

Numbers can mislead. God gives growth, and fruit looks like faithfulness and reproduction over time (1 Corinthians 3:6–7; John 15:5, 8). We aim for healthy churches marked by biblical DNA rather than rapid but shallow expansion.

- Evaluate by Scripture: doctrine, character, and practice (Acts 2:42–47; Titus 2).

- Prefer depth that multiplies over breadth that withers (Luke 8:15).

- Celebrate ordinary means of grace and steady obedience.

Men and women in the harvest

Women and men labor together honorably in the gospel while honoring creation order and church office as Scripture teaches (Acts 18:24–28; Romans 16; 1 Timothy 2:12; Titus 2:3–5). The whole body is needed for the whole mission.

- Deploy gifts widely in evangelism, mercy, discipleship, and support.

- Guard the office of elder for qualified men (1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9).

- Elevate and equip women as essential partners in the work.

Church planting movements and biblical health

Zeal for multiplication serves the task, but pace must never outrun Scripture. New believers and leaders need time, truth, and testing (1 Timothy 3:6; 5:22). The aim is not movement metrics, but mature, self-governing, self-supporting, self-reproducing churches rooted in the apostolic pattern (Colossians 2:6–7, 19).

- Keep preaching, sacraments, discipline, and elders central (Acts 2:42; 14:23; Matthew 18:15–20).

- Avoid shortcuts that produce fragility or confusion.

- Train leaders through Scripture, not fads.

Bible translation and doctrinal clarity

Translation serves precision and proclamation. Scripture is God-breathed and sufficient (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Faithful translation preserves meaning and doctrine, especially related to the Trinity, Sonship, and the cross.

- Commit to accuracy, clarity, and naturalness without theological loss.

- Guard against insider strategies that obscure biblical revelation.

- Pair translation with teaching to form whole-Bible discipleship.

Diaspora and digital mission

God is moving the nations into our neighborhoods. Diaspora ministry is strategic and biblical hospitality in action (Acts 17:26–27; Leviticus 19:34). Digital tools can amplify reach when used with discernment and coupled with local church life (Ephesians 5:15–16; 1 Corinthians 10:31).

- Welcome, befriend, and teach internationals at home.

- Use media to seed the Word and funnel to real relationships and churches.

- Protect integrity, security, and truth in online spaces.

Eschatology that fuels endurance

Hope propels mission. The gospel will be preached to all nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). Christ will have His inheritance among the nations (Psalm 2:8), and His Church will be complete. Until that day, we abound in the work of the Lord, steady and immovable, because He is faithful (1 Corinthians 15:58).