I. CREATING PATHWAYS FOR THE NATIONS
Our God is a global God who desires that people from every nation, tribe and tongue know and love him. He came for all! He died to atone for the sin of all every person! His resurrection brings us hope and confirms his every claim. The truth about God’s love for all people is consistently displayed throughout Scripture. Here are a few examples:
- When God re-affirms His call on Abraham’s life he says: “No longer shall your name be called Abram. But your name shall be Abraham, for I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.” (Genesis 17:5).
- In I Kings 8:60 when Solomon Dedicates the Temple he prays this prayer: “…so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no one else.”
- Isaiah 56:7: “…for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
- Acts 1:8 reminds us: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Let’s celebrate that Christianity is truly a global movement of God and that –even in the darkest or seemingly closed-off nations—a light is shining for the Gospel!
Prolific growth of our faith globally
Take a moment to pause and reflect on some global statistics published annually by the highly respected team at the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Of the World’s approximately 8 billion people, 2.5 billion people self-identify to be Christians. Nearly 1 in every 3 people globally may not have had the opportunity to respond to the Good News.
The place where Christianity is growing the fastest is in Africa (2.77% annually) and other regions in what is termed the Global South (this term refers broadly to the regions of Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania) are experiencing the highest growth numerically (1.79% annually) when compared to the West (0.13% annually).
Christianity—a beautiful tapestry of God’s grace
Tim Keller teaches us that the Bible begins in a garden and ends in a city—we all long for the City of God in days when our streets are filled with mourning, when our homes are filled with sorrow, anxiety, and angst. The God we serve is a global God who has followers in every nation, among all people, and who celebrates diversity and expressions of worship and devotion among all people. Although we are all different, we are all connected in God’s body! There are ministries around the world committed to reaching millions of people from all nations, showcasing the diversity of the Church.
II. CREATING PATHWAYS FOR GENERATIONS
Did you know that 28% of the world’s population in 2022 have NEVER had the opportunity to hear the Good News?
We live in a unique time where the importance of elevating evangelism cannot be underestimated. We wholeheartedly affirm that it will take more than one evangelist, more than one denomination and more than one organization to reach everyone, everywhere. It will take an alliance of unity to impact the nations in perpetuity. Movements, networks, and denominations committed to helping Christians, churches, and ministries multiply to engage God’s mission more effectively will continue to thrive.
One of the ways to multiply ministry is to create national evangelism pathways through establishing and equipping country networks of evangelists. There are country networks working to create an ecosystem where the Gospel can thrive and more easily penetrate regions where it’s needed most to unify, equip, and mobilize the Body of Christ.
Africa—a shining light for Jesus
The Palau team, alongside a dozen of our strategic partner organizations recently celebrated the formal launch of our Continental Network named the Proclaim Evangelists Network (PEN) in Africa.
PEN is comprised of member evangelists, evangelistic organizations, denominational movements, and global evangelist/evangelism networks that seeks to coordinate, support, and accelerate the work of evangelism throughout Africa. These country networks of evangelists connect Africa’s cities and villages to a continental network. PEN currently represents 31 African nations in English, Portuguese, and French.
III. PATHWAYS FOR ALL
Our Impact Grows – A Model in Africa
In Africa we are seeing a great move toward unity and evangelism. African leaders are working at three levels to bring this about:
- Continental: In 2020 a large gathering of African evangelists came together and in 2025 there are plans for a follow-up continental congress in Ghana, to celebrate the fruit of united efforts and for leaders to gather to pray, plan, and strategize about saturating Africa with the Good News. Thousands of evangelists and Great Commission Christians, churches, and ministers are expected to participate with representation from all of Africa’s 54 nations.
- Country: Representatives from English, French, and Portuguese speaking Africa are in place with over 31 African nations already part of PEN working to elevate and accelerate evangelism in their respective countries. The goal is to ensure evangelism is elevated in all 54 African nations by 2025.
- City: The leading cities of our world are no longer just London, New York, Berlin and the like but now include Cairo, Buenos Aires, Lagos, among others! Global cities are becoming centers from which the Christian faith can spread. Africa’s cities are being saturated with the Good News so that all may hear!
Pray for teams and partners this year who work toward seeing the three ecosystems thrive in order to proclaim the Good News, unify the church, and impact cities worldwide.
Are you a global Christian with a global vision for the greatness of our God?
John R.W. Stott, a good friend and colleague of Billy Graham was quoted saying: ‘We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God.’ Join with us as we create pathways for evangelism around the world. Jeremiah 6:16 says: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls’.”
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