Return to flip book view
Connecting You to Christ’s Kingdom Work Among the Nations| FALL 2023 |team.orgTHAT THE WORK MAY CONTINUENaima’s unlikely faith is bringing light into the darkest corners of the Indo-Malay region.
Misam is a sherman on a small island in the Indo-Malay region. One day, Darna, a national worker, told him the story in Acts 2 of the new believers sharing all their possessions to help the community. e story was translated into Misam’s language to say that these early Christians “gave all their gold.” Misam was perplexed. Why would they do this? Darna explained that all earthly possessions can be consumed or destroyed. “But God oers us ‘gold’ of even greater value,” Darna explained. “What God oers us can never be consumed.” “at is deep,” Misam said. “Can I hear more?” He began to come to a weekly Bible study and brought more shermen with him. Soon Misam began to read and memorize Scripture on his own. “He even kept His Bible open to the passage he was studying and put it under his pillow at night!” Darna shares. en one day, Misam met Darna with a radiant smile. He shared that he had trusted Christ as His Savior! He began telling whoever would listen, “I have found the gold!” From this one simple sherman, there are now eleven dierent groups in the region studying God’s Word. anks be to God for the movement of His spirit! “As Christianity reaches the ends of the earth, it starts to bounce back in every direction.” I recently had the opportunity to hear these words in a keynote address from Dr. Sam George, Director of the Global Diaspora Institute at Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. TEAM, along with dozens of other missions organizations and missional churches convened as collaborators in global Church ministry. As Dr. George shared this concept of polycentric sending in which we see God raising up workers “from everywhere, to everywhere,” I could not help but think of what TEAM is witnessing in the Indo-Malay region of the South Pacic. Just a generation ago, this region was home to over a dozen unreached, Muslim-background people groups. ese communities existed in spiritual darkness and remained closed to Western workers. Yet God in His innite wisdom had a plan. rough deeply personal and relational partnerships between long-time TEAM workers, partner organizations, and national believers (many of whom were the rst in their communities to know Christ), the Gospel has now reached every one of those 12+ people groups! ose believers in turn have a passion to see the light of the Gospel spread and are boldly taking the Word of God into other dark corners of the world. In this issue of Connect, we share just a few of those stories from the Indo-Malay region. We invite you to celebrate with us all that God has done and is doing through TEAM, its national partnerships, and through YOU as you join with us in the amazing work He has laid before us. For His Glory, Dave Hall TEAM International Director2 3CONNECT CONNECT“I HAVE FOUND THE GOLD!” REACH THE UNREACHEDDEAR PARTNER IN MISSION,© TEAM 2023 EDITOR: Suzanne PearsonGRAPHIC DESIGNER: Amber BellMARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS: Aaron CatlinWe enjoy your feedback! Please email us at communications@team.org. eEvangelicalAllianceMission @teammissions team.org/bloge names of people you’ve helped may be changed to protect their privacy. TEAM CONNECTDoes your church need a boost in its missions strategy and programming?Download this free guide to help jump start your church’s vision and goals for cross-cultural missions.Click Here
Misam is a sherman on a small island in the Indo-Malay region. One day, Darna, a national worker, told him the story in Acts 2 of the new believers sharing all their possessions to help the community. e story was translated into Misam’s language to say that these early Christians “gave all their gold.” Misam was perplexed. Why would they do this? Darna explained that all earthly possessions can be consumed or destroyed. “But God oers us ‘gold’ of even greater value,” Darna explained. “What God oers us can never be consumed.” “at is deep,” Misam said. “Can I hear more?” He began to come to a weekly Bible study and brought more shermen with him. Soon Misam began to read and memorize Scripture on his own. “He even kept His Bible open to the passage he was studying and put it under his pillow at night!” Darna shares. en one day, Misam met Darna with a radiant smile. He shared that he had trusted Christ as His Savior! He began telling whoever would listen, “I have found the gold!” From this one simple sherman, there are now eleven dierent groups in the region studying God’s Word. anks be to God for the movement of His spirit! “As Christianity reaches the ends of the earth, it starts to bounce back in every direction.” I recently had the opportunity to hear these words in a keynote address from Dr. Sam George, Director of the Global Diaspora Institute at Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. TEAM, along with dozens of other missions organizations and missional churches convened as collaborators in global Church ministry. As Dr. George shared this concept of polycentric sending in which we see God raising up workers “from everywhere, to everywhere,” I could not help but think of what TEAM is witnessing in the Indo-Malay region of the South Pacic. Just a generation ago, this region was home to over a dozen unreached, Muslim-background people groups. ese communities existed in spiritual darkness and remained closed to Western workers. Yet God in His innite wisdom had a plan. rough deeply personal and relational partnerships between long-time TEAM workers, partner organizations, and national believers (many of whom were the rst in their communities to know Christ), the Gospel has now reached every one of those 12+ people groups! ose believers in turn have a passion to see the light of the Gospel spread and are boldly taking the Word of God into other dark corners of the world. In this issue of Connect, we share just a few of those stories from the Indo-Malay region. We invite you to celebrate with us all that God has done and is doing through TEAM, its national partnerships, and through YOU as you join with us in the amazing work He has laid before us. For His Glory, Dave Hall TEAM International Director2 3CONNECT CONNECT“I HAVE FOUND THE GOLD!” REACH THE UNREACHEDDEAR PARTNER IN MISSION,© TEAM 2023 EDITOR: Suzanne PearsonGRAPHIC DESIGNER: Amber BellMARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS: Aaron CatlinWe enjoy your feedback! Please email us at communications@team.org. eEvangelicalAllianceMission @teammissions team.org/bloge names of people you’ve helped may be changed to protect their privacy. TEAM CONNECTDoes your church need a boost in its missions strategy and programming?Download this free guide to help jump start your church’s vision and goals for cross-cultural missions.Click Here
continued on the next page...that he would kill her if she did not renounce Christ. Resigned to die for her faith, Naima again refused. Miraculously, her father did not follow through on his threat. He did, however, give her one last ultimatum: “Choose Jesus or your family.” Naima knew that if she chose Jesus, she would be banished from her home and an outcast from the family she loved. Still, Naima trusted the Lord to provide and care for her, and she looked her father in the eyes as she said, “I choose Jesus.” Seeds Sown in Hard Soil Naima was disowned by her family and her access to them was limited for many years. Yet whenever small windows of opportunity to interact with her parents or siblings arose, Naima continued to boldly share the Gospel with them. Even as she studied God’s Word and began missional work in other Muslim-background communities, Naima never stopped praying for or witnessing to her family. And although the process was tedious and often discouraging, over time, those seeds began to take root in the hearts of Naima’s family. After many years, Naima’s parents and several siblings came to faith in Christ and now even support her in her missions work. Naima’s family now stands as a great encouragement to many Muslim-background Christians who face similar challenges. One of Naima’s colleagues says, “When we see what God did in Naima’s family, it gives us hope for what He can do in ours.”That the Work May Continue Naima is an agent of change and an ambassador for the Gospel well beyond her family of origin. She and other believers like her recognize that there are areas of their homeland that they can access in ways that western workers and church planters cannot. In partnership with TEAM and other organizations, Naima is one of many blazing those trails. Naima works for a non-government organization that travels around to dierent towns and villages to help with community development projects. Naima and her co-workers stay in each location for several months before moving on to the next. Doing so gives them opportunities to build relationships, share the Gospel, and then disciple the new believers. Naima said the training up of leaders in each community is essential because of the limited amount of time that she and her team can stay in any one area. “It is important that they know how to lead and disciple others, so that the work may continue with their own people.” understand that missions starts with family.” Naima knew that sharing her newfound faith with her family would not be easy. Yet she also knew the Holy Spirit was calling her to be a light into the darkness that overshadowed her parents and siblings. Choose Jesus or Your Family e response of Naima’s parents to her faith in Christ was severe. Her father locked her in her room without food or water for two weeks, telling her she must renounce her faith in Christ. Naima refused. Each night, her father would come into her room again, demanding that she turn from Christianity. Naima says the only reason she survived is that a cousin felt compassion for her and snuck a glass of water into her room every few days. en one night came the most frightening event of all for Naima. Her father came into the room, as he had done for several nights in a row. But this time he held a gun to her head and told her By Suzanne Pearson Naima was an unlikely candidate for the body of Christ. Born into a family of faith healers in the Indo-Malay region of the Pacic Islands, Naima was one of 15 children. She grew up instilled with the strong cultural value of honoring and caring for her family above herself. Yet spiritual darkness pervaded Naima’s upbringing, her parents’ belief system an intermingling of “witch doctoring” and Islamic teachings from the surrounding community. As a young adult, Naima heard the Gospel and trusted Christ as her Savior. Naima says that the joy and hope she found in Jesus quickly spilled over into a desire to share the Good News with others. “I had a heart for missions,” she shares. “But my discipleship leaders helped me THAT THE WORK MAY CONTINUE: NAIMA’S STORY “It is important that they know how to lead and disciple others, so that the work may continue with their own people.”“...my discipleship leaders helped me understand that missions starts with family.”4 5CONNECT CONNECTENDURANCE IN FAITH
continued on the next page...that he would kill her if she did not renounce Christ. Resigned to die for her faith, Naima again refused. Miraculously, her father did not follow through on his threat. He did, however, give her one last ultimatum: “Choose Jesus or your family.” Naima knew that if she chose Jesus, she would be banished from her home and an outcast from the family she loved. Still, Naima trusted the Lord to provide and care for her, and she looked her father in the eyes as she said, “I choose Jesus.” Seeds Sown in Hard Soil Naima was disowned by her family and her access to them was limited for many years. Yet whenever small windows of opportunity to interact with her parents or siblings arose, Naima continued to boldly share the Gospel with them. Even as she studied God’s Word and began missional work in other Muslim-background communities, Naima never stopped praying for or witnessing to her family. And although the process was tedious and often discouraging, over time, those seeds began to take root in the hearts of Naima’s family. After many years, Naima’s parents and several siblings came to faith in Christ and now even support her in her missions work. Naima’s family now stands as a great encouragement to many Muslim-background Christians who face similar challenges. One of Naima’s colleagues says, “When we see what God did in Naima’s family, it gives us hope for what He can do in ours.”That the Work May Continue Naima is an agent of change and an ambassador for the Gospel well beyond her family of origin. She and other believers like her recognize that there are areas of their homeland that they can access in ways that western workers and church planters cannot. In partnership with TEAM and other organizations, Naima is one of many blazing those trails. Naima works for a non-government organization that travels around to dierent towns and villages to help with community development projects. Naima and her co-workers stay in each location for several months before moving on to the next. Doing so gives them opportunities to build relationships, share the Gospel, and then disciple the new believers. Naima said the training up of leaders in each community is essential because of the limited amount of time that she and her team can stay in any one area. “It is important that they know how to lead and disciple others, so that the work may continue with their own people.” understand that missions starts with family.” Naima knew that sharing her newfound faith with her family would not be easy. Yet she also knew the Holy Spirit was calling her to be a light into the darkness that overshadowed her parents and siblings. Choose Jesus or Your Family e response of Naima’s parents to her faith in Christ was severe. Her father locked her in her room without food or water for two weeks, telling her she must renounce her faith in Christ. Naima refused. Each night, her father would come into her room again, demanding that she turn from Christianity. Naima says the only reason she survived is that a cousin felt compassion for her and snuck a glass of water into her room every few days. en one night came the most frightening event of all for Naima. Her father came into the room, as he had done for several nights in a row. But this time he held a gun to her head and told her By Suzanne Pearson Naima was an unlikely candidate for the body of Christ. Born into a family of faith healers in the Indo-Malay region of the Pacic Islands, Naima was one of 15 children. She grew up instilled with the strong cultural value of honoring and caring for her family above herself. Yet spiritual darkness pervaded Naima’s upbringing, her parents’ belief system an intermingling of “witch doctoring” and Islamic teachings from the surrounding community. As a young adult, Naima heard the Gospel and trusted Christ as her Savior. Naima says that the joy and hope she found in Jesus quickly spilled over into a desire to share the Good News with others. “I had a heart for missions,” she shares. “But my discipleship leaders helped me THAT THE WORK MAY CONTINUE: NAIMA’S STORY “It is important that they know how to lead and disciple others, so that the work may continue with their own people.”“...my discipleship leaders helped me understand that missions starts with family.”4 5CONNECT CONNECTENDURANCE IN FAITH
6 CONNECT CONNECT 7THE WHOLE GOSPEL TO THE WHOLE WORLD FRUITFULNESS IN KINGDOM WORK(continued from page 5)We Do it for Christ When Naima is asked what gives her the boldness to continue in her tireless, nomadic work, she smiles and gives two answers. First of all, she shares how close she and her e growth of Christianity in the Indo-Malay region is a beautiful example of global partnerships. While national, indigenous workers carry the Gospel to Muslim-background communities, the role of Western churches cannot be overestimated. rough the collaborative work of TEAM and other agencies, a network of U.S. churches supports the boots-on-the-ground work taking place on the other side of the world. One such church is the Ridge Church in Villa Ridge, Missouri. For over 20 years, the Ridge Church has supported near- culture workers in Indo-Malay nancially and in prayer. Over time, however, the connection has deepened into meaningful relationships. co-workers have become. “We see each other as family, not as co-workers.” e camaraderie between Naima and her team is contagious and their love for one another is evident. ey cry together, laugh together, pray together, and encourage one another on dicult days. Secondly, Naima speaks with unfaltering resolve of the calling the Lord has given her and her team. ey fully recognize and understand that this calling has risks. “We expect persecution,” she says with quiet condence. “But it’s OK because we do it for Jesus.” “rough the years, many church members have personally gone to [Indo-Malay] and worked with specic national workers,” says Associate Pastor Norm Howell. “ose trips help in developing a strong bond between the national workers and the Ridge Church.” After meeting face-to-face, congregants and national workers continue to communicate and share what God is doing. “Just recently, one of our partners shared the Gospel with one of the families on another island. ey were so happy to hear!” Norm says. “Some [local] leaders had a meeting with their elders and gave permission for the family to teach the word of God in their village. What a great testimony of God’s Word being shared in very dicult areas.” Norm says that this partnership has been invaluable in allowing his congregation to engage in the Great Commission, especially in an area where western workers cannot go. “[is partnership] has given the Ridge Church the opportunity to include the whole church in taking the whole Gospel to the whole world.” Does your church need to raise the bar on its global partnerships? Find church resources at team.org/engage-churchesCreate a new or updated Last Will and Testament, Health Care Power of Attorney, and Financial Power of Attorney free through TEAM’s partnership with: We’re pleased to offer you this complimentary resource in gratitude for your investment in the work that God is doing through TEAM! Complete your will today at https://team.org/wills. Questions? Contact Jeanne Conder at Jeanne.conder@team.org.• Protect your family • Easy online process • State-specific forms • Support TEAM after your lifetime (optional)John & Carol (far left) while on a vision trip to Africa with other TEAM partners.To read more stories of how your support impacts lives, check out TEAM’s monthly Ministry Update blogs: team.org/blog/category/ministry-updatesBearing fruit, literally and guratively, has been the passion of John and Carol Shelford throughout their married life. Having grown up on a dairy farm in the Finger Lakes region of New York, John learned to love the Lord and understand the values of hard work, responsible stewardship, and community. After attending Cornell University as an “Aggie,” he and his wife Carol developed a passion for the Gospel and Kingdom impact. eir journey led them to establish a blueberry business in Michigan. God blessed their faith-lled work, allowing John to lead Naturipe Farms to become the largest berry distributor in North America. John and Carol view success not for personal gain, but as God’s provision to support His ministries globally. Fruitfulness in the berry business has enabled them to be fruitful in Kingdom work through faithful giving. Introduced to TEAM through a friend, John and Carol embraced the organization’s vision for the Gospel. On a vision trip to Africa, they witnessed rsthand the like-mindedness of TEAM missionaries and personnel, and saw biblical values that aligned with their own. TEAM’s focus on partnering with the global Church to raise up new missionaries from around the world mirrors their own heart for the Kingdom. Condence in TEAM’s nancial accountability and wise stewardship led them to invest in God’s work through the organization. In our broken world, the Shelfords see TEAM’s mission as a beacon of hope, providing a message this desperate world needs to hear. ey pray for continued blessings upon TEAM as our organization remains steadfast in its faithful commitment to sharing the Gospel. Where there’s a will, there’s a way to leave your legacy!Click HereClick HereClick Here
6 CONNECT CONNECT 7THE WHOLE GOSPEL TO THE WHOLE WORLD FRUITFULNESS IN KINGDOM WORK(continued from page 5)We Do it for Christ When Naima is asked what gives her the boldness to continue in her tireless, nomadic work, she smiles and gives two answers. First of all, she shares how close she and her e growth of Christianity in the Indo-Malay region is a beautiful example of global partnerships. While national, indigenous workers carry the Gospel to Muslim-background communities, the role of Western churches cannot be overestimated. rough the collaborative work of TEAM and other agencies, a network of U.S. churches supports the boots-on-the-ground work taking place on the other side of the world. One such church is the Ridge Church in Villa Ridge, Missouri. For over 20 years, the Ridge Church has supported near- culture workers in Indo-Malay nancially and in prayer. Over time, however, the connection has deepened into meaningful relationships. co-workers have become. “We see each other as family, not as co-workers.” e camaraderie between Naima and her team is contagious and their love for one another is evident. ey cry together, laugh together, pray together, and encourage one another on dicult days. Secondly, Naima speaks with unfaltering resolve of the calling the Lord has given her and her team. ey fully recognize and understand that this calling has risks. “We expect persecution,” she says with quiet condence. “But it’s OK because we do it for Jesus.” “rough the years, many church members have personally gone to [Indo-Malay] and worked with specic national workers,” says Associate Pastor Norm Howell. “ose trips help in developing a strong bond between the national workers and the Ridge Church.” After meeting face-to-face, congregants and national workers continue to communicate and share what God is doing. “Just recently, one of our partners shared the Gospel with one of the families on another island. ey were so happy to hear!” Norm says. “Some [local] leaders had a meeting with their elders and gave permission for the family to teach the word of God in their village. What a great testimony of God’s Word being shared in very dicult areas.” Norm says that this partnership has been invaluable in allowing his congregation to engage in the Great Commission, especially in an area where western workers cannot go. “[is partnership] has given the Ridge Church the opportunity to include the whole church in taking the whole Gospel to the whole world.” Does your church need to raise the bar on its global partnerships? Find church resources at team.org/engage-churchesCreate a new or updated Last Will and Testament, Health Care Power of Attorney, and Financial Power of Attorney free through TEAM’s partnership with: We’re pleased to offer you this complimentary resource in gratitude for your investment in the work that God is doing through TEAM! Complete your will today at https://team.org/wills. Questions? Contact Jeanne Conder at Jeanne.conder@team.org.• Protect your family • Easy online process • State-specific forms • Support TEAM after your lifetime (optional)John & Carol (far left) while on a vision trip to Africa with other TEAM partners.To read more stories of how your support impacts lives, check out TEAM’s monthly Ministry Update blogs: team.org/blog/category/ministry-updatesBearing fruit, literally and guratively, has been the passion of John and Carol Shelford throughout their married life. Having grown up on a dairy farm in the Finger Lakes region of New York, John learned to love the Lord and understand the values of hard work, responsible stewardship, and community. After attending Cornell University as an “Aggie,” he and his wife Carol developed a passion for the Gospel and Kingdom impact. eir journey led them to establish a blueberry business in Michigan. God blessed their faith-lled work, allowing John to lead Naturipe Farms to become the largest berry distributor in North America. John and Carol view success not for personal gain, but as God’s provision to support His ministries globally. Fruitfulness in the berry business has enabled them to be fruitful in Kingdom work through faithful giving. Introduced to TEAM through a friend, John and Carol embraced the organization’s vision for the Gospel. On a vision trip to Africa, they witnessed rsthand the like-mindedness of TEAM missionaries and personnel, and saw biblical values that aligned with their own. TEAM’s focus on partnering with the global Church to raise up new missionaries from around the world mirrors their own heart for the Kingdom. Condence in TEAM’s nancial accountability and wise stewardship led them to invest in God’s work through the organization. In our broken world, the Shelfords see TEAM’s mission as a beacon of hope, providing a message this desperate world needs to hear. ey pray for continued blessings upon TEAM as our organization remains steadfast in its faithful commitment to sharing the Gospel. Where there’s a will, there’s a way to leave your legacy!Click HereClick HereClick Here
SHARE THE GOSPEL THROUGH GLOBAL OUTREACH!Your generous gift helps mobilize disciples from everywhere to everywhere! Please consider a gift to TEAM today and help bring the light of the Gospel to a world desperate for truth. Visit give.team.org/outreach to make a difference today!team.orgPO Box 969 | Wheaton, IL 60187-0969Click Here