Since Converge International Ministries’ establishment in 1944, God has led us to bring the gospel where it is not and to plant churches where they are needed most. From the tea fields of India and drought-stricken Ethiopia to the islands of the Philippines and the overlooked in Latin America, our focus has been, and always will be, to deliver the gospel to the most gospel-needy places on earth.

And yet 27% of the world still has no access to the gospel. Could the greatest injustice of our world be that there are millions who are born, live, and die having never heard the name of Jesus?

Embracing this gospel opportunity

When we ask God to bring people to Jesus, we are asking for something we cannot do on our own. Gospel saturation is too big and too complex. When we approach global missions, we must be God-dependent. We must appeal to Him to help us see every people group and place embrace Christ.

As with all types of evangelism, cross-cultural mission is not about quick results. It’s about deep and lasting influence. Jesus Himself established the greatest movement ever as He invested deeply in a few, then equipped and empowered them for multiplication. This should be our objective in every place we intersect with our broken world.

At the same time, we must approach the mission with urgency. Thousands enter their eternal destiny every day. Our Great Commission task is critical! This should drive us to be strategic and intentional in everything we do, seeking the best long-term results for ongoing gospel influence in every place we serve.

God’s beautiful world

Colonial mission models of the past have, by God’s grace, accomplished some noteworthy achievements in global evangelization. However, we have learned that elevating the beauty and value of every people and culture accomplishes more enduring results for Christ’s Kingdom. This is also essential for the gospel to spread holistically among the infinite contexts of our diverse world.

Practically speaking, global missions means not Americanizing other people and places. We must not plant our kind of churches among people and cultures different from ours. We must honor the beauty of every people, culture, and context to see Christ’s Kingdom come and His will be done.

Converge global workers often start by investing in small groups of disciples who are hungry to learn more about Jesus. In places where no disciples exist, global workers begin by evangelizing and raising up initial disciples through which Christ will do His work.

As we teach these new believers about the Bible and how to share it with others, they also teach us their culture and language. Then the gospel spreads organically as those disciples tell the Good News to their family, friends, and daily relational connections. Those initial believers become leaders who plant churches in their own communities.

Good and faithful servants

As Converge—pastors, leaders, lay people, Jesus’ church—we have a significant global opportunity before us.

As we reinvigorate sending in our movement to a similar level as starting and strengthening churches, we will step into a fresh wave of Great Commission favor from God. When we integrate intentionality for the whole world into the fabric of our ministry engagements, we will find God’s favor fall afresh on us! After all, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.

At Converge International Ministries, our dream is that Converge will be a vital part of seeing the world reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray that this cause will grip Converge’s people and be integrated into every leader and church among us.

And someday, when before the throne of God there is assembled a vast crowd from every people, nation, tribe, and tongue, may Jesus say to us, “Well done! You have been good and faithful servants.” May this be so for the glory of God!