Jesus said to go and make disciples.
Building churches, holding crusades, conducting conferences are good, important, and necessary, but if discipleship is not the purpose and the end result, the church has failed to obey the Lord. |
Christian Aid assists indigenous schools of missions in Africa with this understanding of training: making disciples who make disciples. This is how churches are planted, and this is how the "Great Commission" is fulfilled. These men and women of the cross are trained first to be spiritually strong. The emphasis is always on the life of the missionary. As he identifies with the death of Christ, thereby manifesting His life, the missionary has the power of God to "bind the strong man," overcome the enemy, win souls, and make disciples.
What makes SOM unique is that they are a place for mature believers who are specifically called to missions. They learn from indigenous African missionaries with field experience.
Some courses are: strategy development (based on field surveys, including understanding culture to contextualize the gospel, spiritual mapping, and language acquisition); Islam; ATR (African tribal religions); rural development; interpersonal relationships, and many other essential subjects. There are also “practicals,“ extended periods on the field with seasoned missionaries.
Each student has a spiritual advisor, so he can biblically address and pray through any problems or concerns.
Christian Aid is currently providing support for 11 SOM, whose needs range from assisting with yearly training costs to acquiring permanent sites, buildings and furnishings.
Jesus told us that our work for Him is to make disciples and He also told us exactly what a disciple is: "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Luke 9:23 adds the word "daily," so we understand this is referring to the life of the believer, not just the born-again experience.
A disciple is a man of the cross who knows that it is only the life of Jesus in him, conforming him to the image of Christ, which enables the work of building the kingdom through him. A disciple understands that missions is spiritual warfare. It is going into enemy territory to snatch souls out of the devil’s kingdom. "No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house." (Mark 3:27)
SOM focus is not first on the work, but on the life of the missionary. The work flows from life.