This Thursday I will leave for O’Hare airport in Chicago and fly to Asia to visit two countries in Asia. In one country I will be meeting with leaders I saw this last summer. We will be mobilizing a group of churches toward missions involvement among at least 14 unreached people groups throughout several countries. Then I will fly to Tokyo where I will take part with about 30 leaders at the Church Multiplication National Roundtable. At this gathering we will take the vital signs of the Japanese church and strategize how 50,000 new churches could be established. This will be a busy two weeks, and this likely will be the last trip to Asia in 2024. Ask God for smooth travel, adequate rest, preparations, and focusing on meeting with local leaders.
FOCUS ON REFOCUSING
John’s Asia Impact Team partner, Dr. Phu Pham and I work close together on 3 current Asia Impact Team (AIT) projects, like Japan and Vietnam. In early October, we spent quality time doing some planning and refocusing our strategy. In 2021 our AIT developed a team strategy that we all have been implementing. We are very thrilled that many of our plans have been fulfilled in making contacts with key leaders in several countries, aligning our ministries with them to form several projects throughout Asia, and beginning to equip local leaders in many ministries. Our team has several projects ongoing in about 6 countries. We are also planning additional projects in several other countries.
Well Phu and I thought we would refocus our projects’ strategy and do some long-range planning. We planned out for the next four years continuing our work and expanding it. Over these four years, God willing, we plan to make contacts with key leaders in 4 additional countries and move toward developing ministries in 3 others. As this is my last trip to Asia for 2024, we have planned up to 5 trips in 2025 and others though 2026 and 2027. These are human plans so we hold them lightly in our hands and practice the Semper Gumby principle: always being flexible.
FOCUS ON COLLABORATION
Along with partnering with local leaders, we also seek to find partners and associates to collaborate within our projects. In one country we are collaborating with partners from the Philippines. In another country we are working with partners from Cambodia.
Last week Dr. Phu and I met at Trinity Evangelical Divinity school near Chicago to talk to the head of the Doctor of Ministry program. Phu had met with him with a leader from Asia about a year ago. The school and the faculty are interested in collaborating with us in helping develop missions mobilization. We are very delighted in that progress. While I am gone in Asia, Phu will be meeting with some leaders during the Affirm Conference at Wheaton College. They are also interested in collaborating with curriculum, training, and equipping of local leaders in Asia.