If we look at the “10/40 Window”, not only do two-thirds of the world’s population live within this area, it is also characterised by extreme poverty owing to socioeconomic under-development, and by low accessibility of the gospel owing to religio-cultural resistance, socio-political restrictions, and/or environmental constraints.
In such places, not only is the traditional approach of mission agencies rendered less effective, a more holistic, regenerative, and sustainable mission-lifecycle strategy is also required to break down barriers to the gospel; plant churches; make disciples; equip church pastors and planters; build up the body of Christ; extend Kingdom blessings and impact into the community and region; prepare new unreached fields; and initiate a new mission lifecycle in those fields.
This is where Ekklesia Renaissant’s Holistic Mission Spectrum (HMS) comes in.
THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION
Theological education is Ekklesia Renaissant’s “school of Tyrannus”
Acts 19:9-10
But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
Theological education is critical to presenting pastors, leaders, and church planters approved to God as workmen who do not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. The value of theological education cannot be underestimated because it enables theological purity and theological unity in the church against errors and deception, and establishes the church as a pillar and support of truth that sanctifies the nations.
Ekklesia Renaissant has formulated a three-year course to equip students for pastoral leadership, church planting, and ministry service. This course combines classroom learning as well as field practicum in both local churches and E2/E3 fields, and it is delivered in such a way that suits both rural and urban students. We will award the Certificate in Christian Ministry, Diploma in Christian Ministry, and Bachelor of Ministry upon successful completion of each year.
This “school of Tyrannus” will also support local churches in their continuous Christian education and ministry equipping.
CHURCH MASTERBUILDING
Ephesians 4:11-16
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
The church is more than just discrete believers assembling together for weekly servicing, fellowship support, and special projects. The church is a body comprising people who are set apart from the world as God’s household and holy nation; who are relationally and functionally organised as a corporate-body unit with delegated command and control nodes for order and accountability; and who are given the mandate to embark on a missional journey towards the consummation of all things in Christ and for Christ as administrator of the Kingdom of Christ.
Thus, the building up of the church requires fivefold ministers who carry the grace of a wise master builder (1 Corinthians 3:10) to build accurately, so that the church can attain to the unity of the faith, and unity of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
As a church consultant, Ekklesia Renaissant is graced by God as a wise master builder to partner with churches for the equipping of saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ, in any religio-cultural, socioeconomic, socio-political environment; until all the families of the earth are blessed in them and through them.
MISSION EMPOWERMENT
Numbers 13:1-2, 17-20
Then the LORD spoke to Moses saying, “Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, every one a leader among them.”… When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he said to them, “Go up there into the Negev; then go up into the hill country. See what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many. How is the land in which they live, is it good or bad? And how are the cities in which they live, are they like open camps or with fortifications? How is the land, is it fat or lean? Are there trees in it or not? Make an effort then to get some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes.
Besides being a partner in theological education and church masterbuilding for effective missional empowerment, Ekklesia Renaissant will also open up new fields, survey ground conditions, prepare the strategies, execute the work, manage the resources, and account for the effectiveness of the mission on behalf of all our partners.
These fields, together with our network of managed fields in different nations, will also function as E2/E3 mission fields where Bible schools and churches can send their students, small group fellowships, and missionaries for course practicum and cross-cultural mission experience.
SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Acts 18:1-5
After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
Acts 20:33-35
“I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Besides contributions from churches, we believe that Apostle Paul continued to work with Priscilla and Aquila in making tents throughout his three years in Ephesus, and the business continued to finance his continuous work in the nations thereafter, even when he was imprisoned.
As we can see, socioeconomic development is missional in nature and purpose.
There are two key reasons why mission endeavours of churches must include leading socioeconomic development in the communities where their church plants are located.
Firstly, economic sustenance is essential for long-term mission success, especially when it includes funding-intensive orphanages and schools. Even if the church or a donor underwrites all the salaries and field expenses, it is nonetheless good to follow Apostle Paul’s model, where the hands of the pastor, church planter, or missionary minister to the needs of himself and of those who are working with him. It is by working hard in this manner that he can become a good role model to others, and truly feel more blessed to give than to receive.
Secondly, whether it is through setting up a co-operative for competitive advantage or implementing a new business infrastructure for better economic value, uplifting the socioeconomic status of the communities to whom we are reaching out is a tangible manifestation of the love, grace, and power of God in their lives. Unbelievers will bless us for blessing them when we lift them out of their poverty cycle, and give them a hope for their future generations. Picture this: Whatever their religio-cultural ideologies and socio-political powers could not do for them throughout past generations, Jesus Christ did it through His church! “Pharaoh” and “Egypt” will surely bless “Joseph” and give him the “signet ring” of authority to carry out the missional purposes of God. Surely, the manifold wisdom of God will now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places, to the praise of the glory of His grace.
Within this spectrum, Ekklesia Renaissant is graced as a socioeconomic engineer to strategise and implement socioeconomic development initiatives in the communities whom we are reaching out for Christ.
Uplifting the socioeconomic status of communities is also an integral part of “Community Transformation” in our Holistic Mission Spectrum.
COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION
Isaiah 58:6-7, 10
“Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?… And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday.”
Community transformation is the work of the salt of the earth, and the light of the world.
The purpose of community transformation is to destroy the works of Satan, loosen the bonds of wickedness, set the oppressed free from the yoke of slavery, break the vicious cycles of gloom and hopelessness, and remove the veil of darkness that covers the peoples in the world.
Since the church is the city of the living God (Hebrews 12:22-24), then community development will bring the heavenly city into the earthly city, and transform the earthly city into the image of the heavenly city. Thus, the community where the church is planted will be prevailing with human dignity, Kingdom righteousness, social justice, living hope, peaceful coming in and going out, and joyful atmosphere.
Education is one of the core foundations that Ekklesia Renaissant lays as part of its community transformation spectrum, because a man of knowledge increases power, and knowledge will fill his house with all precious and pleasant riches. Hope springs forth in communities when their children excel in studies through formal education, and in moral character through informal education that we will set up through the church plants within their communities.
Setting up public squares for communal activities is another missional endeavour that Ekklesia Renaissant will undertake through the church plants. Community-based amenities, sports competitions, festive events, and creative projects will enhance the social resilience, goodwill, and witness of the church plants in their communities.
Socioeconomic development is all the more important because community development is funding-intensive, and should be an indigenous endeavour in the long run. Once socioeconomic development initiatives begin to bear fruits, they will have the organic capacities to scale up, resource, and sustain all community transformation initiatives for the long haul.
NATIONAL PERMEATION
Matthew 13:33
He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”
The Kingdom of God is a permeating Kingdom; it is a Kingdom that leavens all the kingdoms of the world.
Successful socioeconomic development and community transformation are like good yeast starters placed into a “regional and national development” dough; their leavening effects can be felt and seen by all – from regional communities to national government. These leavening effects are what we term as people movements. Even the “Queen of Sheba” will come and inquire of the wisdom of God manifested through the church in transforming the local community (c.f. 1 Kings 10:1-13). Not only will she thank the church for doing what she could not do, and bless the name of our God who delights to set His church over the transformed community, she will also commit resources for the missions of the church in the region, and even to the rest of the nation.
Of course, there are many other aspects when strategising and executing for regional and national permeation, but this is where Ekklesia Renaissant will come in to strategise and manage in partnership with all relevant stakeholders.
Let us go make disciples of all nations, for this is the commission of Christ given to His Ekklesia. Through our God and our Holistic Mission Spectrum, we have all grace, expertise, and power abounding to us to disciple all nations.
Read more about Ekklesia For Churches, Ministries & Missional Partners
Wisdom to Build | Power to Transform | Grace to Govern | Authority to Consummate