Introduction

The global Church and most national churches have the manpower and primary ministry resources needed to complete the unfinished task of evangelization - but the Church is not mobilized! Furthermore, globally and nationally the Church is concentrated geographically in certain areas, ethnically amongst certain peoples and socially amongst particular classes. Globally the 10/40 Window is a great gap. Within countries, even those with a high percentage of Christians, invariably there are gaps geographically, ethnically and according to class. The challenge is for the Church to mobilize and effectively deploy significant ministry resources to these least evangelized areas, peoples and classes.

Within the AD 2000 & Beyond Movement two major thrusts are currently being launched to mobilize the Church globally and nation by nation to plug the gaps: Joshua Project 2000 and National AD2000 Initiatives. Joshua Project 2000 is a global cooperative strategy, focused on the least evangelized peoples of the world, that seeks to engage denominations, churches, Christian agencies and Christians from every country in an effort to see as a minimum "a church for every people... by AD2000." A National AD2000 Initiative is a national strategy focused on mobilizing and deploying the national Church to penetrate every least evangelized people within the nation by AD2000 to be significantly involved in reaching the least evangelized of the world, and aggressively involved in national saturation church planting with the ultimate goal of a gathering of Bible-believing Christians within practical and cultural distance of every person in the nation - "A church for every people and the gospel for every person...."

National saturation church planting initiatives are not new. The Church in the Philippines has, since the mid 1970's, been implementing a national strategy and today many nations have national initiatives providing excellent models of what can be done. The following outline draws from the experience of existing national strategies and places national initiatives in the context of global evangelization and the goal of "a church for every people and the gospel for every person by AD2000." Hence the term National AD2000 Initiatives.

What is a National AD2000 Initiative?

It is a bold undertaking by National Church leaders to respond to the Great Commission mandate of our Lord Jesus Christ to "make disciples of all nations," coupled with a unique opportunity through the end of the century, to mobilize the Body of Christ in the nation to complete the unfinished task of evangelization in their own country and make a significant contribution to evangelism and church planting in the least evangelized peoples and countries of the world by AD2000 and beyond.

It is an effort to encourage, nurture and facilitate, at a national level, cooperative relationships among existing and developing denominations, congregations, networks, structures, ministries, organizations, and other entities that will result in coordinated efforts for completing the task (i.e. attaining to the following vision and goals).

National AD2000 Initiative Vision: "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Habakkuk 2:14.

To visualize the Body of Christ in the nation mobilized and deployed to penetrate every least-evangelized people with the Gospel, a church for every people, and a saturation church planting movement established--by the year 2000. To see the national Church actively participating in worldwide mission.

Measurable Goals of a National AD2000 Initiative: (When these goals are reached the vision will be fulfilled)

God has revealed His intention for His Body is to provide a witness for Himself to every living person. His will is that Jesus Christ become incarnate to every person in the world. In order for this to occur there are two prerequisites:

a) See, as a priority and minimum, a pioneer church planting (PCP) movement within every major ethno- linguistic people in the nation and every country and mega-city of the world by the end of the year 2000.

b) See the establishment of a saturation church planting (SCP) movement in the nation by the end of the year 2000, where one does not already exist.

Notes:

1. The Body of Christ in each nation should also have the perspective and goal of seeing churches planted among the least evangelized peoples, countries and cities of the world.

2. Ultimately, the goal is to see a gathering of Bible-believing Christians within practical and cultural distance of every person in every class and kind of people, penetrating every neighborhood with the transforming love, care, truth and power of Jesus Christ.

Mobilizing a National AD2000 Initiative:

The most effective way for this to occur is for the whole Church to be mobilized and deployed with a common commitment to achieving these goals. This intent and process of mobilizing the whole Body of Christ toward filling the nation and every country and city of the world with the knowledge of God's glory, through contextualized and spiritually dynamic congregations, is the focus of the National AD2000 Initiative.

Basic Components of a National AD2000 Initiative include:

Note: Though the twin National AD2000 Initiatives of Pioneer Church Planting and Saturation Church Planting processes may develop differently in various parts of the world there are certain characteristics and components that will be common to most, if not all.

1. A visionary and proactive servant leader, or leaders, with the gifting and call from God, to translate vision into reality through effectively sharing the vision, and catalyzing a response resulting in mobilizing of the Body of Christ towards achieving the above stated goals.

2. A national coordinating committee (or committees) representing a wide spectrum of the Body of Christ having as its (their) focus and purpose the mobilization of the Church towards achieving the twofold goal above, with an emphasis on reaching the least-evangelized people groups, cities and areas by the year 2000.

A key function of the committee(s) is to facilitate inter-organizational cooperation, partnering, planning and goal-setting.

3. Clearly defined measurable goals (See above Goal Statement) It should be noted, that in countries where there is an SCP project underway, there still needs to be an awareness, emphasis and goal by the national Church to participate in reaching the least-evangelized peoples, cities and countries of the world.

4. Initial assessment survey of both, the harvest force (e.g. number and location of churches by ethno-linguistic group, population per church ratio, denominations, parachurch groups, etc.) and harvest field (e.g. villages/ areas/people groups with no church, demographics, vital statistics, etc.), statusing the progress of evangelization and church-planting in every area and people.

5. Consultations and National Congress, whereby the primary denomination and parachurch leaders gather to consider their commitment to, and completion of, the unfinished task in the nation in the light of the foregoing initial assessment and measurable goals. Any number of consultations can be held at various levels, and in various regions leading up to and following a National Congress, and sub-national church- planting goals set at those meetings. National Congresses, where national and possibly organizational goals are enacted, will be held periodically, as determined by the national coordinating committee.

6. Goal setting and ownership. Delegations attending a National Congress will individually and collectively consider and commit to enacting a) specific measurable goals for pioneer church planting in the least reached areas, cities, peoples and countries, b) long range goals for saturating every people group, city and area with Biblical gatherings of believers, and c) goals for involvement in reaching the least-evangelized peoples, cities and countries of the world. Local and regional level goals may be enacted at local and regional meetings.

7. Ongoing research and analysis. A permanent national research, analysis and information function (PNRF) will be established for providing the Body of Christ with accurate, up-to-date information on the Harvest Field and Harvest Force needed for strategy and planning, and for evaluation of progress and effectiveness.

8. Widespread participation and cooperation. A commitment by a broad spectrum of denominational leaders, pastors, mission agency leaders, and ministry executives to participation and cooperation in pursuing the vision and goals. A commitment to mobilizing their bodies/constituencies for involvement in pursuing the vision and goals is fundamental to the success of the National AD2000 Initiatives for nationwide and world evangelization.

9. United prayer efforts. A concerted extraordinary emphasis and involvement in personal and corporate prayer is essential to the success of national and global evangelization. The ministry and the battle is the Lord's. Ours is to be in constant communication for worship, praise, guidance, intercession, and warfare against the enemy. A recognition that the real battle is a spiritual battle, being fought in the heavenlies, is essential.

Note: 1. In countries where an initiative is underway to accomplish this goal of providing an incarnated witness of Christ within distance of every person, the AD2000 and Beyond Movement works cooperatively to serve and enhance that project. Where no such project exists the AD2000 and Beyond Movement serves National Church leaders to begin such a National AD2000 Initiative.

2. In Joshua Project 2000 the least evangelized is a list of currently approximately 1,700 peoples that mission researchers have agreed upon as needing a church planting effort. Each people listed has a population in the country greater than 10,000. In a National AD2000 Initiative the least evangelized will reflect national realities.

3. This a WORKING DOCUMENT. Comments are welcome. Send to either:

Ross Campbell, Coordinator National AD2000 Initiatives, AD 2000 Staff Associate for Countrywide Initiatives, Ph/fax NZ 64-3-343-3268, E-mail [email protected]

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11/11/99