Following Jesus often costs more than money

Dear Friend,

This Christmas period, your inbox is going to be full of organizations sharing their end-of-year needs.

I am acutely aware that this may just be drowned out in the noise of need, I wanted to consider your gift to men and women who are risking their lives to tell the story of Jesus to their neighbours.

People just like brother Dawit who planted a church in an area both resistant and hostile to the gospel.

One evening, during a worship service, angry men burst into the meeting.

Screaming wildly and swinging knives and machetes, they attacked. One attacker swung at Dawit, cutting off his arm. Their eyes locked for a moment and Dawit recognized his attacker. As they rushed Dawit to the clinic, the Holy Spirit spoke to him, saying: “I want you and your family to love the man who did this to you.”

You and I would agree on how near enough impossible this seem. How can you forgive someone who has done the “inexcusable”?

The family prayed for God’s love and strength.

His children made friends with the attacker’s children and his wife brought bread to bless the family. They extended their love over a few months, then, one day there was a knock at the door.

His attacker stood there, demanding why his family was being so kind. Dawit answered: “We want you and your family to understand that Jesus loves you. And because Jesus loves you, we love you.”

The man was stunned. That night, Dawit introduced this man to Jesus and this man surrendered his life to Christ.

Now, when they meet for worship, Dawit and the man stand side by side, praising the name of Jesus.

At Global Disciples we work in partnership with disciple-makers like Dawit, walking alongside them as they plant a church. Our prayer is to provide the start-up funds for the church plant and help them build a sustainable financial base for the church to thrive.

Our goal is to raise $150,000 this Christmas to:

• train over 300 disciple-makers

• make 750 disciples

• plant 42 churches

We have churches and disciple-makers asking for training, but we’ve had to turn them down.

This Christmas period, give a gift of radical generosity to reach those who have never heard the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

$3,500 plants a new church. And if $3,500 is a stretch for you then $80 a month trains a disciple-maker who will walk with three new Christians over the year.

Our discipleship missions model is different.

We don’t send missionaries from the West. We train locals to reach locals, near-culture workers who are in the best position to reach their neighbours. Those who speak the language, who understand the cultural nuances, who come from the same religions many of these people come from. They understand the cost of following Jesus.

And by the way, you are in the best position to reach your neighbour this Christmas period.

How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news! Romans 10:15

Thanks for partnering with us to reach those least-reached with the gospel.

Until the Whole World Knows,


The Global Disciples Canada Team