June Update: Keeping the Great Commission a Secret

Turns out, very few Christians know about some of Jesus’ final words. Do you know the Great Commission?

Forward

From Eric Barry, VP of Outreach and Training
In a recent Disciple-Making Training in Mongolia, we had the opportunity to take a local pastor on a prayer walk. We encountered several people and quickly discovered God’s ability to orchestrate simple gestures into amazing opportunities to share the Gospel. READ NOW>>

From a worker in N Africa
I shared my testimony, the full Gospel, and explained things like God’s covenants and the theme of sacrifice through a sacrificial lamb. I explained how Scripture points to Jesus as the ultimate and final sacrificial lamb. They were on the edge of their seats the whole time! READ NOW >>

Featuring a story from a worker in Central Asia
If you’re considering cross-cultural mission work, you’ve likely found yourself completely overwhelmed as you think and pray. It’s understandable. There are a lot of factors. It’s a lot of change. We’re here to help you take it one-step at a time. READ NOW>>

From a Pathways Intern
This is a story from a Pathways intern who is serving for the summer alongside full-time Team Expansion missionaries. Pathways is a 10-week summer missions internship program that gives you the opportunity to experience a field first-hand under the mentorship of a missionary team already serving. READ NOW >>

BUSINESS AS MISSION IN NORTH AFRICA

God is doing amazing things through a business as mission partnership we have with a company in North Africa. This group is committed to changing communities (and their entire country) by equipping youth, families, and local leaders to be transformed from the inside out.

One way they do this is through experiential camps and sports.

This company is seeking interns and full-time workers in areas such as finance, marketing, experiential activities facilitators, and more. If you would like to put your training and experience to work in a creative marketplace role, contact us for more information.

View more opportunities

A Few Awesome Praises

Praise God for a good Pathways season thus far, for the host missionaries’ efforts to welcome and include the interns in their work with the unreached, and for the impact of this program.
Praise God for the Final 58 Faith Training and its successes.
Praise God for the volunteers for Connect Gathering 2018 who will teach, train, coach, counsel, and invest in our workers and their families.
Praise God for approval of a new field project for Paris, France where only 1.8% of the population is evangelical.
Praise God for a successful Disciple-Making Movement training in the Philippines. 135 people from 7 different ethnic groups and various orgs and denominations were trained.

A Few Prayer Requests

Pray for the annual Connect Gathering. Pray that everything would run smoothly and the event would be fruitful for our workers, their families, and for advancing the mission.
Pray for the special summer programming happening in many of our fields around the world to reach the youth with the Gospel.
Pray for our future sending bases. We are rapidly developing partnerships and performing training to help launch sending bases in strategic countries around the world.
Pray for Christians here in the US. Many have become numb to the urgency of the Great Commission and a majority can no longer identify what the Great Commission is.

Want to join us in daily prayer? Join prayer force

CAMPUS UPDATE

Keeping the Great Commission a Secret

In March, the Barna Group announced the completion of a major study regarding what church members nationwide knew about Jesus’ commands to make disciples of all nations. Commonly referred to as the Great Commission, these words are some of Jesus’ final marching orders for the church. In Matthew 28:19-20 (as one example), Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Barna found that over half of all church members had never heard the term The Great Commission and only 37% could identify the passage among a list of 5 verses. Many church members (especially younger adults) claimed they didn’t know the church had been given these instructions. But one thing gives us hope: You probably know the Great Commission by heart.

Statistically speaking, you’re surrounded by faithful Christians who don’t realize there’s a Great Commission. You can help get the word out. Please tell these words to your family members and friends. Make sure your church gives the Great Commission priority attention during primary meeting times.

At Emerald Hills, we are building a strong and vibrant training ministry that includes multiple options for local churches and church leaders. Each training has the same end-goal of equipping the Church to fulfill the Great Commission. Through your partnership, gifts, and prayers, churches and individuals are being led toward action steps that help accomplish Jesus’ clear command to make disciples of all nations. Thank you for your partnership, and may God bless the Great Commission steps that YOU take personally!

Doug Lucas
(Note: Read the Barna study here)

May Financial Report

Multiplying disciples and churches among the unreached