August 25, 2010

What in the World is BAM or a Bizzionary?

 

Question: A fellow Christian tells you, “I believe the Lord is calling me to ministry. How can I best serve him with my life?”

For your answers, choose one of the following:
(a) Go to Bible college and become a full-time minister.
(b) Become a missionary in a foreign land.
(c) Go into business.

I doubt your answer would be “Go into business.”

When we typically think of ministry, and missions in particular, business is not the first thing that comes to mind. But according to the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism, in regions where 90 percent of the world’s unreached peoples live, you also find 80 percent of the world’s poorest populations. Unemployment in these countries ranges from 30 percent to 80 percent. Over the next 20 years, more than 2 billion people will enter societies where there are few churches and very few jobs.

The poor of these countries need the gospel, but they also need a way to feed their families. But they don’t want aid—they want jobs. They want to be able to support themselves and their families with dignity. Those areas open to the gospel want missionaries to teach them, but they also want godly businessmen to help them start businesses and create jobs.

Business As Mission (BAM) meets not only spiritual needs but practical, physical needs as well. It is a holistic approach to missions that offers aid programs such as medical clinics, food and clothing distribution, and building programs. But BAM is more than meeting the needs of the poor; it’s helping them meet their own needs, through business.

Business As Mission?
Business, as explained by the Lausanne Committee, is “a mission, a calling, a ministry in its own right. Human activity reflects our divine origin, having been created to be creative, to create good things by good processes, for us to enjoy—with others.” Work is creation of goods and services that meet needs, which is good stewardship of the gifts and talents he has given us.

God calls people to work just as he calls them to other forms of ministry. Therefore, is any vocation less spiritual than any other? The patriarchs were shepherds. Joseph worked for Pharaoh. Paul continued crafting tents after his calling. It is true that some were called to full-time ministry, such as the prophets and apostles, but most Christians, even slaves, continued in their employment.

Remember the old adage, “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” BAM takes it even further.

According to Wayne McGee, founder of Ethnic International and a missionary with ACM International, this movement not only teaches men to fish, but also helps them buy boats and fishing gear, and hire employees. It mentors them to manage and grow their business. In turn, both the fishermen and their employees can feed their families, support the local church, and build their communities.

What Business As Mission Is and Is Not
Business As Mission is not business for mission. The intent is not to grow a business simply to fund ministry. BAM is not tent-making. It is not the intent for Christian professionals to support themselves financially so they can use their spare time to minister, although tent-making may be a part of an overall BAM plan. Neither is it workplace ministry, taking God’s Word to fellow employees, although, again, this may be a part of a larger plan.

The BAM movement is focused on creating “kingdom businesses” of all shapes and sizes, but especially larger-scale businesses. The enormous challenges of widespread poverty call for big plans and even bigger dreams.

Example:

The Kuzuko Game Reserve in South Africa is an example of BAM in action. The Eastern Cape Province is one of the poorest in the country, with certain areas experiencing 87 percent unemployment. The game reserve is projected to create more than 100 sustainable jobs. To increase this impact, residents are encouraged to start their own businesses complimentary to the game reserve. A fencing company that employs 70 people is one example. And, by inviting other agencies to evangelize, almost 50 percent of their employees have come to Christ.

This is a key point. Countries that are closed to missionaries sometimes welcome businessmen with open arms. John, a bizzionary in Singapore, says, “For world evangelization, the best tool may often be business. I soon discovered that carrying a business card is a conversation starter, whereas saying, ‘I am a missionary’ is a conversation-ender!”

Many in these countries are suspicious of “professional Christians,” whom they feel are there only to proselytize. But business people contribute to society, and in doing so, gain credibility.

August, 2010

Unreached People Group

Sogwo Arig of China

• Population: 45,000
• Language: Tibetian, Amdo
• Religion: Buddhism
• Evangelicals: 0%

Identity
The Sogwo Arig are a Mongolian tribe living in the midst of countless small Tibetan clans in one of the most remote locations in the world. Over the course of many centuries, the Sogwo Arig language and culture have gradually assimilated to the Tibetan. Still today, however, Tibetans in the area know the Sogwo Arig are of Mongol ancestry and view them as a separate people.

History
The Sogwo Arig claim to have been the Mongol rulers of Hunan Province. This fact was discovered by a surprised French explorer in 1906, when the Sogwo Arig prince signed a letter with the title of “King of Hunan.” Vicomte d’Ollone explains, “When the Mongols were expelled from China, the dynasty of the kings of Ho-Nan [Hunan] – kings without a kingdom – retired to their steppes; and when in their turn the Manchus seized the empire [1644] they utilized the Mongols for the purpose of holding the Tibetans in check, for which reason a horde was sent to establish itself in this region.” The Sogwo Arig continued to have a succession of kings until the 1950s, when the Communist authorities stripped the Sogwo Arig royal family of its authority, at least as far as appearances are concerned.

Customs
Today one of the few remaining Sogwo Arig cultural features is their Mongolian style of yurt. Sogwo Arig men will not leave their homes without being armed with their rifle. When they go on hunting expeditions, they take wooden tripods for resting their weapons on when firing.

Religion
All Sogwo Arig are followers of either Tibetan Buddhism or Bon. They worship at crude sacrificial altars, constructed of yak dung piled about three feet high, upon which they regularly offer animal sacrifices to various gods and demons.

Christianity
Hidden away in communities virtually inaccessible to the outside world, the Sogwo Arig are untouched by Christianity. Intrepid evangelists will need to overcome severe weather, rugged terrain, linguistic and cultural barriers, and fierce packs of dogs which the Sogwo Arig have trained to attack strangers.

Joshua Project www.joshuaproject.net

August, 2010

College Students: The powerful 1%

 

We don’t have to look far to see the incredible potential of the almost 70 million college students who currently inhabit our planet. Even though only one percent of the world’s population are collegians, what a powerful one percent they are! This small sliver of humanity provides, and will provide, leaders for every facet of society. Each country sends their best and brightest to the university for education and training. Focusing much of our evangelistic, discipling and mobilization efforts on this one percent is a very strategic way to expand the Kingdom of God and fulfill the Great Commission. Dr. Bright of Campus Crusade believed it: “If we can win the university today, we will win the world tomorrow!”

 Over 17 million university students (about 1/4th of the world’s collegians) reside in the U.S. and are some of the most reachable, recruitable, trainable, and sendable category of persons anywhere. As I travel and interact with student workers in the U.S. and other countries, I observe a new generation of students worldwide who want to give themselves unreservedly to a cause that really matters. They’re more open than ever to new ideas, philosophies and beliefs. Who and what will fill that hunger for meaning? Will it be world religions, cults, secularism, or the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ?

The challenge, as always, is the lack of workers compared to the ripened harvest. Patti Burgin, author of The Powerful Percent, tells of the need, “There are 3,300 colleges in the U.S. and 25,000 around the world. Despite the efforts of so many groups, more than a third of the world’s college campuses still do not have any contact with full time Christian workers.” How about you? Will you take some radical, tangible steps to help fill that gap?

Taking a look back, we can see that the Student Volunteer Movement (launching in 1886 a 50-year run of laborers sent to the world) had incredible impact, yes, but also produced conflicts and lessons learned. If we’re going to capture and unleash this generation’s powerful percent in a way that extends the Kingdom most effectively, we should seek to create a healthy synergy between local churches, student ministries and mission agencies. Working together with a “Kingdom” mentality, our ministry and mobilization of students needs to be:

1. Church-Based

Jesus said, “I will build My Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Mt. 16:18). Local fellowships all over the world must feel strongly enough to pray, give and send troops to the final frontiers. Just as the roots of a tree provide stability and resources for the trunk and branches, “World Christian” churches do the same for student ministries and mission agencies. View these two groups as partners, not competitors, in your efforts to identify and launch young workers. Note: The word “church” is taking on broad expressions, from the big traditional, denominational congregation all the way to the eight-student “cell church” on dorm floors. We need them all!

2. Student-Focused

Could the 70 million college students in our world today comprise one of the most powerful sources of manpower (and womanpower!) in all of history? Nearly every major mission movement in modern history had college aged young people at the forefront. Then and now, they supply the crucial personnel for the bottlenecked task of which Jesus spoke in Mt. 9, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Note: All laborers obviously don’t come from universities. Many are singles, young marrieds, mid-life, even retirees. But the Body of Christ dare not neglect the winning, building and sending of collegians and recent grads if we are to sustain students and grow the number of short- and long-term laborers on the field.

3. Agency-Linked

The roots illustrate the essential and foundational teaching, nurturing and supporting that local fellowships provide. The trunk of the tree is sunk down into those roots to sustain students, a ready and willing vast army of world changers. But the roots and trunks can’t reach up into the sky to heights unknown; only the branches are designed to do that. The branches symbolize the hundreds of excellent mission agencies spread out around the world, praying and waiting for fresh recruits to join them. They are seasoned “on-the-field” strategists who can place, guide and shepherd the workers sent their way.

Note: Some local churches are taking on the entire process of preparing and sending long-term mission teams themselves—without the aid of agencies. This is fantastic as long as they provide experienced leadership on the field and hands-on care and direction to the team. If not, you can partner with an agency, but still have a “church-based” team birthed out of your fellowship!

By Steve Shadrach (Steve.Shadrach@uscwm.org) is the Director of Mobilization for the U.S. Center for World Mission

July 1, 2010

 

New Technology Vision

Tokyo 2010

Building Global Networking Platforms to Finish the Task 

(With permission from missionfrontiers.org)

Imagine a place where intercessors, adopting churches, Christian businesses, mission agencies and funding partners can form global alliances to reach the world’s remaining unreached and unengaged peoples. Or imagine a forum where experts in technology can hear from field missionaries what their needs are and custom-design solutions for them. Or a database where Christian professionals can find tent making opportunities in the 10/40 Window. Or a resource directory where mission agencies can see what other organizations have developed across the world to address common problems.

If you keep imagining along those lines, you will probably find yourself in a place that mission strategists are calling the “Last Mile Calling” (LMC) project, an online collaborative Web application that was launched at the Tokyo 2010 Global Mission Consultation May 11-14. Unlike other global networking initiatives of the past, which have been primarily envisioned and resourced by Westerners, this one comes from the non-Western world, including the funding and programming.

In networking parlance, the “last mile” is the technical name given to the final stretch that completes a communications network. It is often the most difficult and complicated of networking tasks, involving the largest number of connections. With Tokyo 2010’s LMC platform this means just one thing: building the “last mile” connections between the global Body of Christ and the least-reached peoples of the world.

Missiologists have described global mission in the 21st century as being from everywhere to everywhere. The LMC will be a reflection of that reality, enabling adopting churches in Latin America to connect with adopting churches in Korea that can partner with local ministries in India to reach an unengaged group in Uttar Pradesh. Or the LMC will empower intercessors around the world to join with a group of on-site indigenous prayer teams entering into new territory for the Kingdom among an unengaged group in Iran. Or the LMC will connect a Christian software company in India with investors in Singapore to start a Kingdom company among a least-reached people group in China.

To facilitate this kind of strategic networking to finish the task, the LMC project has developed a special listing of the world’s remaining least-reached people groups, drawn from the three principal global databases of people groups (the World Christian Database, the International Mission Board database, and the USCWM’s Joshua Project database). Presently the LMC list consists of about 4,800 peoples with the least access to the gospel, of which about 57% are unengaged with no ongoing church planting activity. The current list can be viewed at www.fmresearch.info. It will be constantly reviewed and updated, and feedback is sought to improve the accuracy of the data.

The 30 Largest Unreached People Groups

BaseCountry	PeopleGroup	PopulationGlobal	MajorReligion
Pakistan	Eastern Pathan	14,849,789	Islam
India	Khandelwal	5,905,880	Hinduism
India	Lunia	5,324,430	Hinduism
India	Bahna	3,790,996	Ethnic Religion
India	Bagdi	3,627,470	Ethnic Religion
India	Bhar	3,307,570	Hinduism
India	Pod	3,042,089	Ethnic Religion
Sudan	Gaaliin	2,638,958	Islam
Syria	Arab, NorthSyrian	2,151,167	Islam
India	Kaikolar	2,027,001	Hinduism
Iran	Afghan Persian	2,000,000	Islam
India	Bharbhunja	1,953,431	Hinduism
India	Halwai	1,920,333	Hinduism
India	Kanet	1,870,179	Hinduism
Ethiopia	Beni Shangul	1,779,732	Islam
Libya Arab	Cyrenaican	1,673,130	Islam
Turkey	Zaza, Northern	1,515,000	Islam
Turkey	Zaza, Southern	1,515,000	Islam
India	Rathia	1,468,763	Hinduism
Sudan	Guhayna	1,377,198	Islam
China	Pingdi Yao	1,323,217	Ethnic Religion
Eritrea	Tigre	1,273,854	Islam
Madagascar	Antesaka	1,262,821	Ethnic Religion
India	Daroga	1,220,725	Hinduism
Sudan	Katcha-Kadugli	1,195,093	Islam
Syria	Shiites	1,195,093	Islam
Iran	Afshari	1,136,000	Islam
China	Zhuang,Guibian	1,109,017	Ethnic Religion
India	Taga	1,103,191	Hinduism
Indonesia	Kangean	1,100,000	Islam