Greetings!
In an effort to more meaningfully serve the churches that Sixteen:Fifteen has the privilege of coaching, we will be sending a monthly electronic missions brief that we have entitled "Tools for the Task." The concise content will be geared to providing local churches who want to be actively engaged in world missions with spiritual and practical "tools" that will help them unleash their great commission potential. We hope that "Tools for the Task" further enflames your church's missions passion and also helps in sharpening your church's missions acumen, so that you might more effectively make our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, known among all peoples.
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A Sacred Moment |
 By Matthew Ellison
Chief Ministry Officer, Coach
On November 13, 2008, I felt as if eternal history was being made as church and mission leaders from Grace Community Church in Overland Park Kansas made the decision to establish life-transforming and reproducing communities of Christ followers among the Kurds of Turkey and Iraq. Senior Pastor Tim Howey shared these words with the group: "I believe that we will look back on this time as a sacred moment in our church's journey." For the last seven months I have had the privilege of coaching Grace Community Church into a strategic missions focus. As soon as they started the process of narrowing down their focus, divine serendipities began happening. Repeatedly, members of the team (myself included) found themselves crossing paths with people who had information and connections vital to reaching the Kurds. These occurrences, months of prayer, and above all else the clear marching orders of Christ "to make disciples of all the nations" have moved Grace Church to be His channel of blessing among the Kurdish people. The Kurds remain one of the most repressed people on the planet. They have suffered some of the worst atrocities in modern history via chemical warfare, moreover, our Savior remains largely unknown and unloved among them. But the status quo will not remain the same for these precious people -- The Kurds are a forgotten people that have been remembered. In January 2009 a small delegation from Grace went to the field to survey opportunities and start building the relationships necessary for long term effectiveness. During February and March, taking into account the findings and learnings from the survey trip as well as the value propositions and expertise of our mission agency partners, we will begin helping them design the strategic road map needed to fulfill their vision. Then this fall, the strategic vision will be unveiled to the entire congregation, complete with "handles," that is, broad sets of opportunities so that anyone and everyone at Grace can grab onto this eternally significant work. I expect that Grace, like other churches we have coached, will see an incredible unleashing of generosity and compassion. During sacred moments like the one I described above, I often wish that you, our faithful ministry partners, could witness these things firsthand. Since that is seldom possible, I hope this story serves as an encouragement. Nevertheless, I am certain, that your heavenly crown will be brightened with the acclamations of praise that will redound to the Savior from Kurdish people won to Christ because of your generosity to the Greatest Cause, namely the Great Commission. "Your stock in heaven is rising, invest everything |
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Grace Church Reaching the Kurds |
By Jerrid Stelter
Director of Strategic Partnerships
Started in the basement of another church
in 1996, Grace Church of Overland Park, Kansas, is now in its own building and averaging around 1,100 people each Sunday. According to Dean Callison, who leads the church's world missions activities, for many years Grace's international efforts were mainly supporting missionaries who were referred to them by other churches. He says that the program lacked strategy and "strong personal bonds" with those they supported. Through his work with Avant Ministries (formerly known as Gospel Missionary Union), Callison was aware that many churches were feeling a desire for greater ownership of their missions' activities. Sensing the same tugging at Grace, he and other church leaders decided to build and implement a church-wide missions strategy, but admits they "didn't know how to get there." In 2007, Dean was in a meeting in which Sixteen:Fifteen's Matthew Ellison spoke about local churches moving into an "active and participatory role" in world missions. This idea resonated with him and shortly thereafter Sixteen:Fifteen helped Grace develop their strategy. Callison is quick to praise Sixteen:Fifteen for its role in helping bring the process to a "quicker and better end," adding that it was very helpful to have an experienced outsider guide them.  As they continued to seek the Lord, church leaders began to hear about - and have contact with - Kurdish people and ministries reaching them. Callison says that God kept "putting the Kurds in the middle of our work, and we couldn't ignore it!" In response to this, Callison and others recently took a "spying out the Land" trip, in which they observed the Kurdish situation, met those working in the region, and began to design strategies for church-wide involvement. Like many other local churches, Grace had learned the value of allowing Sixteen:Fifteen to serve them as they look to do their part in fulfilling the Great Commission. Would you like your church to have a more focused approach to world missions? Do you want your church unleashed to fulfill the Great Commission? Do you think missions coaching is right for your church? Contact us at info@1615.org or call 505.248.1615 and talk to someone on our team to find out how Sixteen:Fifteen can help. |
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Agency Partner Highlight: AWM |
 By Jerrid Stelter
Director of Strategic Parnerships
Each month we will be highlighting one of our many outstanding ministry partners. Each of our partners is carefully chosen for their expertise in one or more areas related to local churches and missions. Not every one of our partner agencies is an appropriate fit for every one of our churches. We introduce churches to partners only when we feel that do to so will benefit both the church and the agency.
In line with this month's focus on the Muslim world, the partner that we are highlighting is Arab World Ministries (AWM). Founded in 1881, they are perhaps the most experienced Muslim-focused ministry in existence. Before the year 1900 they had more than 100 people serving in North Africa - at that time under the name of North Africa Mission. By the 1960s they had expanded to other parts of the world, and in 1987 officially changed their name to reflect their broader scope. Today they have more than 400 workers from some 30 different nations. AWM is highly respected throughout the missions' world for their experience, quality of work and perseverance.
Of special interest to Sixteen:Fifteen and the churches we serve is AWM's Church Planting Teams (CPT's). In partnership with local church leadership, AWM helps select, train, send, and support teams of believers formed within the context of their own local church. These teams usually are made up of 3-8 people from the same home church who are committed long-term to a specific strategy for planting a church in an unreached people or area.
By partnering in this way, the local church has greater involvement and oversight of the CPT while relying on the experience, expertise, and network of contacts which AWM's rich history has provided them. AWM works together with the church in areas of investigating the region, envisioning the strategy, and preparing and deploying the CPT.
Once the team is in place, AWM continues to partner with the church to provide administrative support, prayer support, member care, and other important aspects of field oversight.
If you want to know more about AWM Church Planting Teams, please visit their website at www.awm.org or contact Sixteen:Fifteen.
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 By Jerrid Stelter Director of Strategic Parnerships
Are we really loving our enemies?The tragic events of 9/11, in many ways, have shaped the America's perception of Islam. This undoubtedly has led to faulty attitudes toward Muslims among American Christians. From a Biblical perspective, Jerrid gives a crash course on Muslims, and also shares how God broke his heart for these precious people.
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'Til all have heard,
The Sixteen:Fifteen Team | |
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| Featured Resource: The Cresent Through the Eyes of the Cross by Nabeel Jabbour
Reviewed by
Jerrid Stelter, Director of Strategic Parnerships
It is said that unless we understand our opponents' arguments, we don't fully understand our own.
In The Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross Syrian-born author and educator Nabeel Jabbour draws upon his background as a Middle Eastern Christian to offer a unique (and needed) perspective to the subject of Christianity and Islam.
In the first part of the book, Dr. Jabbour uses letters from his fictitious Muslim friend Ahmad to offer an Islamic perspective on Christianity, the gospel presentations, America, and other issues related to evangelism among Muslims. "Ahmad" explains how the Christian message has been presented to him in the past and how he feels about it. In many ways, this part of the book could have perhaps been titled The Cross Through the Eyes of the Crescent.
In the dozens of books that I have read on Islam, I don't recall such an accurate peek inside the heart of our Muslim friends. Portions of what he says may offend some readers, but we still must hear what he has to say. As "Ahmad" puts it "(Christians) did not realize that they needed to allow me to air my anguish before I could listen. I could not listen to their message because I was hindered by them, the messenger." As sobering as that thought is, my years of conversations with Muslims confirms that this is often their true feelings.
Later in the book, Jabbour offers his own observations as a Middle Easterner on how the cultural and political opinions of Westerners often hinder our witness. Again, this will not be a popular message - nor do you have to agree with all that he says - but it is a message that we need to hear and consider.
If you are in any way involved in evangelism to Muslims, I highly encourage that you read this book with an open mind and be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you about the approach that you are currently taking.
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