Pacific Partners Email Update
Radio and Beyond                                                     02 Feb 2012
Greetings!

 

I got a great email from Loni (our discipleship leader in Tonga) the other day. It's about a couple of new home Bible study groups (where our radio listeners gather to learn more about Jesus Christ).

"Another radio listener group has been start up in one of the village. They start two weeks ago. I find out from the leader last week that they already started another new group by themselves on their neighboring village." 
Quick Links
Biblical discipleship
is more . . .  

than Gospel proclamation and Bible teaching, although it includes those. 

 

According the teaching and example of Jesus, discipleship is like an apprenticeship - intense and practical. Helping people and holding them accountable as they learn to become 'doers of the Word' and not just hearers (James 1:22). 


In other words, if we first do our part and disciple people (Matthew 28:18-20), then the Lord will do His part and build His church (Matthew 16:18). 

Sadly there are many examples of getting this the wrong way around. We set out to plant churches or establish organizations for ministry, and rarely get disciples. 
 
But if we make biblical disciples then we will get churches! (New or renewed.)
 
If we make disciples like Jesus did, we'll see people coming to faith and growing spiritually. If we disciple people well, we'll get more leaders than we need and the Lord will use them to extend His Kingdom around them (plant churches, even become effective radio hosts, etc).

Biblical disciples are always active in making more disciples. (It seems our Western churches have largely forgotten about biblical discipleship.)
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Radio and beyond   
Pacific Partners has many of these small groups

Like the first one in Loni's email, many start spontaneously - without anyone from outside the village planting them. 

 

Ladies Study the Bible
These ladies are part of a home fellowship Bible study in Tonga

These groups usually start when a family invites neighbours in to their home to join a Bible study fellowship led by some of our volunteers, or by our weekly, local language Radio Bible School program. 


The people start gathering because they are hungry to know more about Jesus, and they want to start following Him. This is a key to how our style of radio can be used to plant home fellowship Bible studies, and help people in remote places grow as fruitful disciples.

 

Loni's email is significant for a second reason. 

Training in how to run a discipleship group
Training local people to lead small groups and disciple others

The people from the first group immediately went out and started a second group in the next village after only one meeting! (How often do you hear of that happening?)

Loni's email reminds me of Matthew 16:18. 
Jesus said He would build His church. And He gave us the responsibility of making disciples (Matthew 28;18-20. See left sidebar.) 

Are you concerned that these groups will be an unbiblical mess without a properly organized structure and an ordained minister to tell them what to do? 

These groups spring up in the context of weekly discipleship teaching and daily Bible discussions with testimonies over the radio, to help the listeners apply what's being learned. This all done by local people in their own languages. (See sidebar.)  
Biblical discipleship is not automatic
when we broadcast Bible teaching

But if used creatively and interactively, radio is a powerful tool to 'open the door' for personal discipleship. 

 

It gets God's Word into the minds of the listeners so the Holy Spirit can awaken their hearts to become seekers and followers of Jesus. 


This reminds me of a quote I once heard but can't quite remember (from Australia I think?). Something like - you don't build a fence to stop sheep straying, you dig a well. (Please let me know if I am misquoting it.)

 

Please pray for . . . 

  • these two new home fellowship groups in Tonga
  • Loni as he trains groups leaders in Tonga
  • Judah as he plants similar groups in Solomon Islands

And please consider 
making a donation to . . .   

help Pacific Partners continue making disciples 

the Lord can use to build His church in the Islands. 

 

Graham Carter

Thank you for praying and giving.

 

Together, we are doing what Jesus
told us to do in His Great Commission  

(of Matthew 28:18-20) -

We are making disciples
so the lord can build His church
just like He promised.  

 

May God bless you.

Graham A Carter  [ email me ]

President of Pacific Partners