STILL BEING EQUIPPED
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| Richard and an assistant during the evaluation. |
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December 21, 2010
by Ian Fallis
For two and a half days, the questions went on and on.
"What are the perceived consequences for deviant behavior? Can it be made right?"
"What is the perceived form of afterlife or destination of the soul?"
"Describe what you know about the significance of giving, types of gifts and expected reciprocation."
Missionary Richard Rees answered every question to the best of his ability. And at the end of it all, the NTM missionaries who were asking the questions had a good idea of how well he was learning the culture and language of the Pwo Karen people of Thailand.
More importantly, they knew how they could help Richard and his teammates.
They understood where Richard and his teammates needed to go back and work on areas that had appeared to be covered. They could tell from his answers what the team needed to focus on. They knew what was going to face them soon. And they had the tools and resources the team would need.
That would help these experienced missionaries -- known within NTM as consultants -- equip Richard and his team and the other teams in Thailand.
All of these missionaries received training before arriving, but that was just the beginning. When they arrived in the country where they would serve, the training continued with gaining an understanding of its culture and learning the country's language.
And the training for church planters never really ends. Each step of the way, they encounter new hurdles and difficulties -- some of which they cannot see without the perspective of an experienced outsider. One-on-one training, visits to teams, and seminars and workshops keep them moving forward on the complex task of planting a church.
Dave Jordan, an NTM missionary with 30 years of church planting experience in Thailand, recently said, "I'm still being equipped."
New Tribes Bible Institute equips people with an understanding of the Bible as a whole. Missions is the emphasis as students cover every book. Current students have just started their Christmas break. Pray for safety as many of them -- as well as staff -- travel home for the holidays. Pray also that students and staff have many opportunities to talk about NTBI and encourage others to attend. Learn more at ntbi.org >>
It's also break time at the Missionary Training Center, where students are equipped to serve as a cross-cultural church planter or in a role in support of church planting. Pray for safe travels and opportunities to share for training center students and staff as well. Learn more at ntm.org/mtc >>
More than half the funds have been received for the next step in expanding the training center so 250 students can be trained. Your gift will be multiplied again and again, as you help equip today's men and women to expand the reach of the Gospel … and tomorrow's. And that's just the beginning of the multiplication. Those missionaries will teach tribal people to share the Gospel and establish churches, where even more tribal people will learn to be His witnesses. Find out how you can give >>
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