Reaching The Unreached
The Lord is not slow concerning his promises as some regard slowness, but being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2Peter 3:9
Big problem
In the world we live out of 7 billion people there are more than 2 billion people who never heard about the savior Lord Jesus Christ. It also believed that there are more than 49,000 people are dying every day before they get any opportunity to meet their father at heaven.
Big vision
The vision of Global Disciples is to see everyone has an opportunity to choose and follow Jesus. The vision has come with the conviction to say this is not fair to be silent rather believing that we can do something.
Our Mission
In partnering with the clusters of churches, our mission is to make it possible for clusters of churches to multiply Christ-like disciples and locally-sustainable fellowships among least-reached people.
Short Story
In November 1995, leaders from several discipleship and mission training programs met for a day of prayer and fasting. Drawn together by a common mission, each also shared a common desire: to respond to the need expressed by clusters of churches worldwide to provide discipleship-mission training for their own young people.
As the Holy Spirit moved, these leaders began to see that the barriers separating them and their ministries from each other had fostered competition and pride instead of collaboration. Through confession, brokenness and prayer, God birthed Global Disciples and the initial training model now known as Global Disciple Training (GDT). Since then, Global Disciples has added training for trainers in small business development (SBD) and leadership development (LEAD).
Today, Global Disciples has grown to serve in partnership with over 1080 church organizations, fellowships, or denominations in 46 countries, providing training which enables them to equip and send out their own mission workers to multiply Christ-like believers and plant new, locally-sustainable fellowships and churches.
The multiplication of the Christ-like disciples and locally sustainable fellowship among least-reached people creates a huge opportunity to reach those who are stilling waiting to see the light which shines through the sharing of the Gospel. The task of mobilizing and equipping workers for the harvest has been the done for the past 21 years because of God’s faithfulness and the commitment of the children of God who generously shared their resources to advance the Gospel of which transformed us.
Essentially, we train the trainers.
When a church or group of churches in Africa, Asia, or Latin America wants to mobilize their people to multiply disciples and go out as mission workers, Global Disciples comes alongside to train and equip the men and women, chosen by their churches, who will develop and direct a training program.
We train the director with a working, proven training model. The director sets up the program and trains those who come as disciple-makers and church planters. Then they are sent out to communities and people groups where Jesus Christ is unknown and begin the work of evangelism and church planting.
We not only help a cluster or cooperating group of churches set up discipleship-mission training, but we also assist to equip these new church planters to be self-supporting, using small business to provide an income for their family, and to give them a presence or purpose in a community, opening doors to new relationships. This is especially effective in regions where the traditional type of evangelist/missionary would be unwelcome.
Our leadership training supports the church planters and other leaders in developing skills and habits as effective leaders, in the model of Jesus, to carry out their ministry, and mentor others as well.
Why do we approach reaching the least-reached this way?
Because churches in many nations now have the vision and ability to send their own missionaries. And many live near least-reached people groups, often sharing common or related languages, cultures, socio-economic status, etc. By mobilizing this enormous resource of people, we can – together – multiply the Body of Christ among those who have not yet heard the Gospel.
- 29% of the world’s population has never heard the Gospel. Global Disciples refers to these people as “least-reached.”
- Fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among people groups least-reached with the Gospel.
- 91% of those least-reached live in areas that restrict Christian witness.
- It is believed that in 40 countries, at least 50% of the population has never heard the Gospel.
Our strategies
Discipleship-mission training prepares the disciple to be a disciple-maker, equipped to go and make disciples and plant a church.
Small business training provides the new church planter with a means of support, and a way to gain access or have a presence in a community unreached with the Gospel.
Leadership training ensures the efforts of the church planter, and the new fellowship established, can grow and mature spiritually under Christ-like leaders and mentors.
At every level, the Body of Christ can multiply both believers and new churches. This is the Multiplying Churches Strategy at work!
A cluster or group of churches can begin with any training track, and add the others as they see success. When we see all three trainings working together, we also see significant and lasting multiplication and impact.
The Global Disciples model is…
Locally owned: All discipleship-mission and leadership programs are owned and operated by indigenous local churches. Global Disciples requires at least 3 churches (congregations, fellowships, denominations, etc.) to launch and fund a training program. This promotes local accountability, increases potential for support, and broadens the level of engagement. Program directors and master trainers are selected from the supporting churches and then trained by Global Disciples.
Reproducible: The discipleship-mission and leadership model can be reproduced by those who’ve participated in the training. So “graduates” who plant churches can reproduce the discipleship-mission training with the new believers in their churches, equipping and sending out a new “wave” of disciple-making church planters. A growing number of Global Disciples-affiliated programs now have “daughter” programs, and even a few “granddaughter” programs. This facilitates rapid multiplication and increases impact.
Locally Sustainable: All programs affiliated with Global Disciples are supported primarily through their local church. Leadership programs are self-funded from the beginning; discipleship-mission programs are fully supported by local resources within 4 years.
The indigenous local cluster or group of churches supports the program by providing 51% of the first year’s budget. Once that’s met, Global Disciples offers seed funds for the remaining 49%. Each year, the percentage contributed locally increases, and the percentage from Global’s seed funds decreases. By the 4th year, all funds come from the local churches and supporting partners.
Global Disciples trains Program Directors for discipleship-mission, small business and leadership.
Our result
The past 21 years Global Disciples has been growing extremely and the five charter members of mission programs from three nations grew to more than 1080 mission program in 46 countries in world. Five years ago when I was assigned as a continental director for Africa we had only 6 facilitators who work in 6 African countries. We have experienced fast growth in both with work of planting churches and staffs who directly connected to coaching mission directors. Today, Global Disciples has grown to serve in partnership with over 778 church organizations in 27 countries of Africa, providing training which enables them to equip and send out their own workers to multiply Christ-like believers and plant new, locally-sustainable fellowships and churches in the least reached area.
In the past year, we trained 321 directors and now serve 778 discipleship-mission, small business, and leadership programs.
Out of these programs, we saw 10,792 disciple-makers and leaders trained and sent out to plant churches in least-reached areas.
Their efforts have led to 1,969 churches planted where 45,078 new believers now worship and are being discipled.
Small business training assisted 235 church planters to become self-sustaining, and able to support new churches and eventually additional training programs
Our shared opportunity
Creating Local sustainability by Giving Seed Funds only for Three Years
Global Disciples encourages local ownership and sustainability of the discipleship-mission training programs. A church cluster starting a discipleship-mission training program is expected to provide 51% of program expenses the first year. In year 2, the supporting churches contribute a greater percentage of the budget, while Global seed funds are reduced. In a 3-year period, the supporting churches increase their investment while Global seed funds decrease. By the 4th year, a program is completely funded by local resources. While there are minor, ongoing maintenance costs, Global Disciples’ role in start-up funding is finished and we are able to re-allocate resources to areas of new growth.
Partnership opportunities
It is a huge opportunity for every believer to be part of what God is doing through Global Disciples in reaching the least reached people through partnering, sharing resources, prayer and support local trainings.
By Bekele Bedada
Global Disciples
Vice President for Africa
