This weekend, I’ve been speaking and leading workshops at a local church in the Great Pacific Northwest. As I wrap up the weekend, I’m left with the question — Why does this one local church seem to “get it,” without even much help? Their elders understand unreached peoples and cities and have arranged the budget in such a way that they are giving them priority. Their minister just finished a four-Sunday sermon series on the church’s responsibility for the lost. They’ve set up a special fund to adopt an unreached people group and they plan to send a survey group, in conjunction with a prayer journey initiative, in the next 90 days. There are at least 5 people who will probably step forward to volunteer to be sent full-time, even though the church hasn’t yet fully decided on which people group or city they’ll go reach. Ever since they’ve started pursuing this course, they’ve run ahead of budget — so much so that they’re now $15K ahead, which was enough to cover the cost of hosting the Wall of Unreached Peoples

http://www.U4theU.com/TheWall

as well as a special focus weekend on unreached peoples and cities. (They flew me all the way in from Louisville to speak there — in 7 sessions over the weekend, with various groups, including the elders and staff, select missions families, and 3 sessions with the entire congregation.) My guess is, Lord willing, they’ll have “boots on the ground” in a new unreached people group or city within 18 months from now.

All of which prompts me to ask — why? Why does this one church get it so well, while so many others lag behind, losing their chance to flourish and make a deep impact, both at home and abroad? Whatever they’re doing right, it makes me want to bottle it up and release it worldwide. Because if we only had more of this spirit, within one generation, the entire globe would have been exposed to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

So what’s your theory? Why do some churches ‘get it’ and others don’t? If you have an insight, please click “Comment” below the online version of this item. (And by the way, before you ask, I should probably guard the identity of the church I’m describing lest they receive 1000 requests for support from thousands of Brigada readers who are raising support. Let’s give them a chance to get out of the gate first. :-) )

Doug