Meet Cephas who leads a unique disciple-makers program in Zambia. They train people where they are and send them out as church planters. Cephas leads a discipleship-training program in Zambia, affiliated with Global Disciples. For five years, he’s been equipping Zambian believers to make disciples and plant churches there, and in neighboring countries too.

At a recent gathering, Cephas shared the uniqueness of the training program as his cluster of churches operates it. “We have a mobile school,” Cephas said. “We move and go out to train people where they are. And then send them out as church planters. They don’t graduate until they have planted a church!” What would happen if a Bible school or seminary here in Canada required students to plant a church in order to graduate?

Like so many places where Global Disciples training programs continue, Cephas and the disciple-makers he trains face many challenges. He told me about a recent outreach in northern Zambia. It’s a place that is a stronghold for witchcraft. “We went to this isolated place,” he said, “on an ungraded gravel road, we traveled for three hundred kilometers, and it took us all day and all night. You take extra tires along—and we blew out three of them on the way! ”

He and his team put in hours of preaching and sharing the Gospel with the community. They were also able to use the local radio. And every day, many people came to ask about salvation, and for prayer for healing and deliverance. “Many people are coming to know Jesus,” Cephas reported. And they’re seeing spiritual fruit from their ministry.

Cephas said, “Last year, we started no less than 15 churches. And each of them has more than 50 people in the fellowship. We are also in Congo, in two towns with two churches. And now we are going to move into Mozambique.”

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

What’s in your hands? This question has been the title of our Small Business Development (SBD) curriculum for more than 15 years. SBD training has helped disciple-makers and church planters launch several thousand small businesses in the last five years.

These small businesses give disciple-makers an identity that makes sense in a Muslim village or a Hindu neighborhood and provide support for their family. Through their businesses, at least 43,667 people have come to Christ in 1,407 newly churches planted.

Starting a business based on what’s in their hands has borne much fruit. This strategy makes sense. And the small business/church planting stories that have emerged are fascinating and inspiring.

“What’s in your hands?” is a good question for each of us to consider. Recently one of our Global Disciples Facilitators from Ecuador was sharing the perspective his church has on reaching least-reached people.

He said, “We tell the people of our church that everyone works in the mission: the knees of those who pray, the hands of those who give, and the feet of those who go. No matter what area of the mission you are involved in, either praying on your knees, opening your hands to give or moving your feet to go, it must be done sacrificially. Sacrificially pray, sacrificially go, and sacrificially give to reach the unreached people.”

What is your role in reaching the one-third of our world that has never had the opportunity to respond to the Good News of Jesus? What is in your hands? The Bible reminds us that God our Savior “wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

It is inspiring to read stories of the early Church after Pentecost. “They were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:45). Their engagement in God’s mission began with what they had in their hands. It’s a great place for each of us to start making God’s glory known in the nations.