Editorial: Being the First to the Last?
Did you understand the title? The picture is a clue. Actually, most of the pictures in this issue include people from ethno-linguistic groups where less than 2% of the population has the kind of faith in Jesus that compels them to tell others about Him. That means they don’t have enough believers, or resources to effectively share the message of Christ with their community without outside assistance. We call these “unreached people groups” (UPGs) and they are the last people on earth to hear about Jesus.
This issue is about what it’s like to be the first Christians to work among the last people to be reached with the gospel. YWAM’s second value states that we are committed to make God known throughout the whole world. The Christian Magna Carta identifies the right to hear and understand the message of Jesus and have a Christian fellowship nearby as implicit in the gospel. Recent partnerships with movements such as Call2All have reaffirmed this focus of our efforts, and reaching the unreached is firmly on YWAM’s agenda.
In creating this issue, we found that YWAM teams don’t dream small, they dream big, and the dream God has given us for UPGs is not for one or two new believers, or even one or two new churches, in places where He is not known – but for movements (we like that word!) of churches in regions where there has been no church! A Church Planting Movement (CPM) is the rapid multiplication of indigenous churches that plant more churches throughout a people group or population segment. It’s what happened commonly in the Book of Acts, and it is still happening!
In our first article, you’ll find out what obstacles prevent CPMs from happening, and how you (yes, you!) can help overcome them. In the second article, we’re looking at principles that YWAMers are applying in order to see CPMs begin. We finish up with some inspirational stories from remote locations where people are hearing about Jesus for the first time. Imagine a community hearing about Jesus for the first time!
Imagine them never hearing.
Articles
What are some of the obstacles to telling people about Jesus and the freedom that can come to their lives and communities?
With new believers popping up all over the world what are the principles that we use for the multiplication of new believers?
It’s always great to hear the stories from YWAMers working in different ministries and locations around the world.
Over 100 teams serve among Muslims across the globe, with thousands of stories of how God is revealing Himself to all people…
Past Issues
