Thank you, SDBC, for your partnership in our ministry. You have been praying for Heather and me and supporting our work since 2004, when we first went as missionaries to Africa. Since then, you have partnered with us as I led Outreach Canada for fifteen years, and more recently, when I accepted the leadership of our OC Global Alliance in 2023. Earlier this year, I was able to meet with all of our Alliance leaders for a week in Guatemala. It was a great blessing to have Phil Cox with us to provide IT support and I had a brief opportunity to meet with SDBC missionary Edwin Martinez.
The OC Global Alliance is a partnership of fifteen international Missionary Mobilizing Organizations (like Outreach Canada) spread across five continents. Collectively, we have over 1,200 missionaries working in 102 countries. It is my responsibility to ensure the partnership remains flourishing. I work closely with our national leaders and provide pastoral care for our most senior leaders. I have the privilege of visiting many of our fields to see firsthand what is going on and to serve and encourage the team leaders.
Having recently visited our OCGA missionary mobilization centres worldwide, I witnessed the extraordinary dedication of individuals answering the call to "go and make disciples." These people sacrifice everything to raise new generations of leaders focused on multiplying disciples of Jesus within their nations. Yet, I also saw the weariness, the burnout, the immense demands met with limited resources and support. God has called me to serve these frontline leaders, to care for them as they care for so many others.
My team and I stand shoulder to shoulder with these leaders, offering encouragement and support. By streamlining communication and cooperation, we can more effectively resource our leaders and seize new opportunities. The landscape of missions has shifted. Western missionaries no longer dominate it. God works powerfully in challenging regions like North Africa, the Middle East, India, Indonesia, and China. Our approach is unique: we send strategic workers to empower local believers to become the leaders, pastors, and disciple-makers in their communities. The opportunities are vast, and we are united in mobilizing people from every nation to every nation. Over the next six years, we will place a special focus on equipping the next generation of global leaders.
In 2024, our efforts led to the training of 73,000 leaders and disciple-makers, resulting in over 200,000 new disciples and nearly 30,000 new cell groups, bible studies, and churches. We empower individuals who understand their culture and use simple, innovative strategies to share the gospel. For example, one Canadian missionary started a single online Discovery Bible Study during the pandemic. It has multiplied, and now she has trained more than 4,000 leaders from over 1,000 churches in Nepal and China, reaching 50,000 participants in their studies.
I am always recruiting. We are seeking a diverse range of individuals to help us make disciples around the world. Maybe the Lord has put this on your heart. If you would like to explore how you can help us continue to expand the Kingdom of God locally or internationally, I would be delighted to speak with you. We need partners who will pray for us and for this growing work. We need individuals who can support this work through financial donations, as well as those who are willing to go. In the past, we tried to send seminary graduates, but today, some of our most effective workers are professionals. We are sending athletes, coaches, webmasters, graphic designers, teachers, and a wide range of other professionals. Some opt for a short-term approach, while others make it their career. If you would like to explore how you can be more involved in God's global mission movement, please click the button below to email me. You can also find me at the Spotlight Table on Sunday.
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