My husband and I have been serving in South Asia for almost 20 years. I am sharing an article that I wrote in our very first year on the field – 2006 – as I was experiencing culture stress and adjustment, and the Lord spoke to me in a powerful way that became a spiritual marker in my life.

Brian is a non-resident missionary (NRM) to Africa. Alongside his Zambian friend Iwell, Brian has seen over 50,000 baptisms in the past four years. I recently sat down with him to hear the story of what God has been doing.

A person who would actually state that they are a Christian said they weren’t ready to be a disciple. It was almost as if they were saying that being a disciple is different from being a Christian. It left me confused.

In recent years, however, two particular callings – Business as Mission (BAM) practitioners and Sent Ones focused on church planting – have often been conflated, leading to confusion, unrealistic expectations, and sometimes frustration. Let's bring clarity to these distinct but complementary roles in God's mission.

The need for data-informed approaches has never been more crucial in the complex and challenging landscape of modern missions. When adequately contextualized for cross-cultural missions, the plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycle offers apostolic teams a robust framework for continuous improvement and adaptive strategy.

Mission drift is one of the biggest things you will encounter in the long haul of multiplying disciples. For one reason or another, your initial drive, focus, and trajectory toward the vision God has given you will get derailed. You will find yourself off track and not making any progress.

The Vital Role of Women in The Great Commission

But what does it mean to abide? At its core, abiding is joyfully being in proximity to Christ through fellowship with His Word and prayer. It means keeping His commandments and bearing fruit by partnering with His work for the Kingdom of God, all to the glory of the Father.

As disciple-makers passionate about seeing the Great Commission furthered, we often start with an admirable big-picture vision like "reaching India" or "impacting the Arab world." These massive ambitions stir our hearts, fuel prayer, and mobilize action. However, until we define a more focused entry point, the overwhelming scale can leave us unsure of where to begin.

I realized, “Wow, this Jesus guy had some pretty amazing strategies as well.” Since then, as I’ve read Scripture, additional senses of awe and wonder have helped lock me into being a Great Commission Christian for life. One of the first dominoes to fall was realizing that the Great Commission can and will be completed.