"Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Luke 5:4

The amount of devistation and loss of life resulting from the earthquake in Haiti this past January has moved Kentucky Baptists to give in many ways. One of those ways has been short-term volunteer teams. Initially, only medical and early response disaster relief teams were allowed to enter the tiny island country. In recent weeks, however, opportunities for construction and even some evangelisitc teams have opened up.

Earlier this month, a volunteer team led by KBC‘s Missions Growth Team Leader, Larry Baker, spent a week in Haiti constructing small homes for local residents. In this episode, of DeepWater, Larry shares some of his experiences from the trip and about the challenges that remain for the people of Haiti.

For more information about how your church can plan a mission relief trip to Haiti, contact the KBC Partnership Missions Department.

 Click here to start listening!

Listen to their testimony of God’s call to missions that led them from the Phillippines to Mexico.

In Luke chapter five, Jesus led Peter to follow him gradually, first asking only a small commitment – to push his boat out a short distance from shore. Eventually, Jesus challenged him to “put out into deep water” – a call to a deeper commitment. Partnership Missions’ four levels of involvement is based on this principle of a progressive growth in commitment to overseas ministry – from the shore to deep water.

Special thanks to Brenda Smith and Larry Brannin of the KBC Media Department for their technical assistance in the production of Deep Water.

This edition of Deep Water features a phone conference between a KBC church pastor and an IMB missionary who were connected last year through our department’s ALL THE WORLD initiative. Ronnie Raines, Pastor of FBC Colds Springs, Kentucky, and Rick Thompson, IMB missionary to Brazil discuss their partnership experience. The initial project between these two was the focus of a story posted  last year, “Trip Report: FBC Cold Spring Experiences Brazilian Blessing”.

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In Luke chapter five, Jesus led Peter to follow him gradually, first asking only a small commitment – to push his boat out a short distance from shore. Eventually, Jesus challenged him to “put out into deep water” – a call to a deeper commitment. Partnership Missions’ four levels of involvement is based on this principle of a progressive growth in commitment to overseas ministry – from the shore to deep water.

Special thanks to Brenda Smith and Larry Brannin of the KBC Media Department for their technical assistance in the production of Deep Water.

If you missed the “sneak preview” last month, welcome to the launching of Deep Water podcast. 

In Luke chapter five, Jesus led Peter to follow him gradually, first asking only a small commitment – to push his boat out a short distance from shore. Eventually, Jesus challenged him to “put out into deep water” – a call to a deeper commitment.

Partnership Missions’ four levels of involvement is based on this principle of a progressive growth in commitment to overseas ministry – from the shore to deep water.

The inaugural edition of Deep Water features an interview with Jório Francillio, field coordinator for Kentucky teams going to Piauí, Brazil. Jório discusses the impact the ’09 Kentucky teams, his church plant in Teresina, and the needs and prayer requests from his ministry and family.

Listen here:

Special thanks to Brenda Smith and Larry Brannin of the KBC Media Department for their technical assistance in the production of Deep Water.

Does it Create Dependency?

Of the three important questions, creating dependency is one of the most difficult issues for volunteers to understand and, at the same time, can be the most damaging to mission work. North American volunteers who have so much to give are often lulled into dependency creating situations by their sensitivity to the overwhelming needs they see while on the mission field.

In the same sense that our bodies become dependent on certain drugs, overseas ministries can become dependent on outside help injected into them. Normally, we think of money or material goods when we talk about dependency, and obviously we need to avoid creating a welfare mentality. However, other things such as personnel, programs, and methods can stunt growth in the long run. It is very easy to become paternalistic, or in other words begin to take on a superior role and treat the nationals like children. This attitude can be very detrimental to the on-going development of national leaders as they begin to believe that they can’t do anything without first consulting the americanos.

Who’s work is it? When all is said and done will the nationals look back and say, “Look what THEY did?” Or will they be able to say, “Look what we all did together with God’s help”? We need to think through the project, beyond its mere completion to the long term effects we may produce. Does the project require at least an equal financial and/or man hour investment by the nationals? Have they given sacrificially, or are the American volunteers taking that privilege away from them? Is the church involved in the project willing to continue to actively support the it?

We do want to create a sense of dependency on God among our international brothers. Does the project require the nationals to trust in God for its successful completion? Will it require an on-going faith on their part to follow through with the long-term implications? If not, the overall effects can be short-lived.

The IMB has produced a 7-minute video on dependency that presents an inside look into some of the things we’ve been discussing in these recent posts. I urge you to take a look at it. Just click on this link:  When Help Hurts

 Conclusion

When you’re planning your strategy to reach your target people group, don’t forget to R.I.D. your strategy of negative impact by applying these three essential questions:

1. Is it Reproducible?
2. Is it Indigenous?
3. Does it produce Dependency?

The Free Greater Tokyo (FGT)  5:9 Project is a call for laborers to help reach the 33 million Japanese in Tokyo with the gospel of Jesus Christ. For the past three years, there has been an amazing outpouring of blessings from God as many Southern Baptist volunteers have responded to this call in amazing numbers. More volunteers are needed to become prayer advocates or fill short-term mission projects in 2009.

Why Tokyo, Japan?

Revelation 5:9 tells us that Jesus has purchased men from every people and nation. Tokyo is the world’s largest city and yet, the overwhelming majority have yet to hear and respond to the gospel. Only about .5% of the Japanese population is Christian. Hopelessness and degregation have overcome the society. There are 100 suicides per day around the country, 73% of young people say they are worthless human beings, sexual sin is epidemic, and confusion reigns in this place known as the land of 8 million gods.

Opportunities:

• IMB Tokyo Prayer Partner – Receive IMB Tokyo’s regular email prayer updates and pray specifically for the needs of Japanese and missionaries on the field in Tokyo.
• IMB Tokyo Prayer Advocate – In addition to praying yourself, lead others to pray for missions in Tokyo by sharing the needs from prayer updates and keeping the vision of praying for the Japanese before your circle of influence.
• Short term volunteer mission team – 10-14 day projects costing $85 per day per person, plus airfare. These projects are offered throughout the year
• College and Adult Mission Intern – This is a 2-3 month internship offered throughout the year that costs approximately $2450, plus airfare
• GO-TOKYO team – A 5 week on-the-job missions training experince for students ages 15 and up. Learn the mission basics of prayer walking, and evangelism. Average cost is $4000, plus airfare. See the website (below) for dates.
• Family Missions In Tokyo – For families that can serve for one month or longer. The average cost is $2200 per person, plus airfare. Not available from May-August.
• Others: Frontline Evangelism and Prayer Walking Teams, Frontline University Evangelism Teams, Tokyo Santa Project, Tokyo International World Changers 2009 High School students, Loving Ministry to Senior Adults, and more.

For more information call the KBC Partnership Missions Department 1-866-489-3529, visit the Tokyo Team website: www.IMBTokyo.org,  join “IMB TOKYO” on Facebook, or click here to watch the FGT: Tokyo 5:9 Project video.