I came across the following very challenging post on 5 Stones:
The „Project“ Narrative in the Mission
By Five Stones Global
Almost every time someone in the congregation talks about missions, the stories revolve around projects.
A building was completed.
A program has been launched.
A store opened.
A center was expanded.
And that makes sense.
Projects are easy to talk about because they are visible.
People can picture them.
People can picture them.
Rally around them.
Be enthusiastic about it.
So over time, projects quietly become the language of missions.
Churches are learning to celebrate and financially support what they can see.
Missionaries learn to present their ministry in a way that supporters can understand.
The next generation of missionaries hears those stories and begins assuming this is what mission work looks like.
Around and around the cycle goes.
And eventually, many of us begin equating the Great Commission with starting and sustaining projects.
Yet Jesus’ command was remarkably simple:
Make them disciples who obey Him and help others do the same.
That becomes a problem because projects do not simply sit in the background. They reshape the daily life of ministry itself.
From Disciple-Maker to Project Manager
Most missionaries do not leave home dreaming about spreadsheets, maintenance issues, staffing concerns, fundraising updates, and organizational oversight.
They go because they want people to know and follow Jesus.
But projects have momentum.
Once something is built or launched, it must be sustained.
And slowly the missionary’s role changes.
Days once imagined around people begin revolving around responsibilities.
Instead of lingering in homes and relationships, energy gets pulled toward keeping things functioning.
Not because the missionary stopped loving people.
But because projects constantly demand attention.
And disciple-making rarely thrives in leftover time.
The Inheritance We Leave Behind
The challenge becomes even greater when local believers inherit the systems outsiders created.
What originally looked like help can quietly become a burden.
In some cases, local believers inherit systems they never would have created on their own.
Now someone must maintain the building.
Run the programs.
Managing expectations.
Find resources.
Keep everything operating.
And local believers can end up trapped in the same cycle as the missionary before them: spending enormous amounts of time sustaining ministry structures rather than building relationships and making disciples within the everyday life of their families, neighborhoods, and communities.
The very thing intended to help local disciple-making can unintentionally crowd it out.
What Begins to Multiply?
Eventually, we must ask an uncomfortable question: What are we actually reproducing?
Because local believers can usually reproduce:
- shared meals
- Prayer
- Sharing God's Word
- telling a biblical story
- Hospitality
- Conversations
- Obedience
- simple gatherings
But projects are much harder to reproduce naturally.
They often depend on outside money, leadership, or systems that ordinary believers cannot easily sustain or reproduce.
So while projects may continue, disciple-making itself often spreads slowly, if at all.
What did Jesus leave behind?
Jesus did not leave behind institutions that required endless management to survive. He left behind disciples..
People who could enter homes, share life, obey His commands, and pass them on to others.
His ministry moved relationally.
Personally.
Organically.
It spread through ordinary people living ordinary lives under the leadership of the Spirit of God.s.
A Hard Question
Is it possible that our project-centered approach to missions has slowly trained us to measure success differently than Jesus did?
Because one approach builds structures.
The other builds people.
And only one multiplies.
Perhaps the question is not what we can build, but what others can reproduce.
Who can change the Narrative?
I think it will take all of us working together—the missionary, the church, the donors, and sending organizations
But someone has to begin speaking honestly about the unintended consequences of project-centered missions.
Perhaps missionaries need to help their organizations and supporting churches see how easily projects can pull us away from the heart of the Great Commission.
Time, energy, and attention slowly drift toward managing systems, sustaining structures, and meeting organizational demands rather than making disciples in simple, reproducible ways that can take root in every culture and economic setting.
Perhaps churches also need the courage to reshape the story they celebrate and support. Missionaries should not have to justify disciple-making by attaching it to visible projects.
The Great Commission itself is enough reason to give.
Helping people make disciples who obey Jesus and help others do the same is not “less than” a project.
It is the mission Jesus gave us.
Maybe the future of missions looks more like people than projects.
Originally published by Five Stones Global. Shared with permission. View the original article HERE.
Source: https://fivestonesglobal.org/the-project-narrative-of-missions/
It's definitely worth subscribing to the 5 Stones Global blog.
As a follow-up to the blog post from last month today, I'd like to present a suggestion for a simple starter kit for Hindus. Thanks to my colleague who provided this to me:
– Jesus Heals the Lepers Luke 17:11–18
– Jesus Calms the Storm Mark 4:35–41 Jesus Heals the Possessed Man Mark 5:1–20
– Jesus Heals the Woman with the Hemorrhage and Jairus’s Daughter Luke 8:40–53
– The Man Born Blind (John 9:1–41)
– The Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25–37
– The Rich Young Ruler, Mark 10:17–31
You can find all the material, including fully developed stories, in my handbook „Stories and Oral Bibles.“ under https://www.fivefingerfood.org/en_us/download/. Since my handbook is still growing, I can only provide the current page number—page 185—though this will change. Otherwise, check the table of contents under “Stories for Hindus.”
Thanks to my colleague for providing this to me.
Panorama or Summary „From Creation to Satsang“ story;
At the very beginning of time, Bhagwan was there, and there was nothing else… only Bhagwan. He created the universe and everything in it. He created the first human beings, a man and a woman. They were not like their Creator. He alone was God, and they were his special creation. He had a perfect relationship with them—he walked with them, spoke with them, and cared for them—until one day the man and the woman disobeyed Bhagwan and severed their relationship with him. This disobedience separated them from God.
The man and the woman had children. Their children had children, and they continued to multiply until the whole earth was filled with people. But just as with the first man and the first woman, their disobedience separated them from God. Yet Bhagwan never forgot His special creation. One day, He spoke to a man named Abraham and said to him, „I will give you many descendants. I will make them into a great nation. They will be the people I have chosen for My purposes. Through these descendants of yours, I will offer the whole world the path to a restored relationship with Me.“ And although Abraham and his wife had never been able to have children, Abraham trusted in God’s promise. For this reason, Bhagwan regarded Abraham as someone who had a right relationship with Him.
God kept His promise to Abraham. Abraham had a son, and his son had sons, until God had indeed made a great nation out of Abraham’s descendants. Sometimes they trusted God and His promises, just like their forefather Abraham, but most of the time they were disobedient, just like the first man and woman. That is why God sent special messengers to the people to show them how they could restore a good relationship with Him. One of Bhagwan’s messengers was named Isaiah. Isaiah brought Abraham’s descendants a message of hope about a promised Muktidata. He said, „We have all strayed from God and His ways. We are all disobedient. But God says, ‚I am sending you a Savior, the Muktidata, who will take upon himself the full punishment for your disobedience. He will be scourged and beaten. He will die because of your rebellion against Bhagwan. But I will restore his life. And because of what the Muktidata will do, you can have a right relationship with me.‘“
From then on, they waited eagerly for this promised savior, and they waited, and she waited.
Bhagwan truly kept His promise to Abraham’s descendants. He sent the promised Savior. This was Sanatan Guru Yishu, God’s own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Guru Yishu proved that he was indeed the Muktidata by performing many miracles and healing people, and just as in the story I told you earlier, even evil spirits acknowledged his authority.
Not everyone recognized who Yishuji was, but many people followed him as the one and only Sanatan Guru. He taught his disciples. One day he said to them, „If you follow me, I will give you Amrit Jivan. You belong to me. No one can tear you away from me. God and I are one.“
Those who did not place their trust in Guru Yishu became very angry that he had claimed he and God were one. So they persuaded the government to have him executed. And just as God had said, Yishuji was flogged. He was beaten. And then he was brutally put to death. But just as God had promised, Guru Yishu was brought back to life!
After that, the Sanatan Guru appeared to his disciples and clearly proved that he had returned from the dead. For forty days, Guru Yishu taught his disciples. He said to them, „I will soon leave you, but when I do, I will send you God’s Spirit, the Pawana Aatma. And when you receive His Spirit, you will receive peace (Shanti) and also power (Shakti)—the power to tell everyone about me. Go out into the whole world and share with people what I have done in your lives and what I can do in theirs. Teach them to follow what I have taught you. And when they place their full trust in me, give them my diksha. Initiate them as my disciples by immersing them in water. Let them undergo this symbolic initiation to show that they have completely submitted themselves to me. It will signify that they have turned away from their disobedience and, through their faith in me, have turned toward God.“
One day, Yishuji actually left them. He ascended into the clouds right before their eyes. As they watched, two supernatural beings appeared and asked them why they were looking up at the sky. „Sanatan Guru Yishu will one day return in the same way that he left,“ they said.
From that moment on, Guru Yishu’s followers waited eagerly for his return. And they went everywhere, telling people about him. And when people believed in Yishuji, they were immersed in water, symbolizing their diksha as his disciples. This ceremony signified that they had turned away from their disobedience and toward a restored relationship with Bhagwan through faith in Sanatan Guru Yishu.
That is what Yishuji’s true followers continue to do even today. They tell everyone about him. They come together to worship God, pray, care for one another’s needs, and learn more about their Sanatan Guru, Yishuji.
And that is something I do as his shishya. I feel compelled to tell others about Guru Yishu and how he has changed my life.
Hindu Terminology
| Term |
German Translation |
| Aatma |
Mind / Soul |
| Amrit Jivan |
Immortal Life |
| Bhagwan |
God, the Most High Lord |
| Bhakti |
Devotion |
| Dharma |
Duty / Cosmic Order |
| Diksha |
Initiation, Ordination |
| Karma |
Action, Deed |
| Muktidata |
Rescuer |
| Moksha |
Salvation / Redemption |
| Pawana Aatma |
Holy Spirit, Pure Soul |
| Sanatan Guru |
Eternal Teacher |
| Satsang |
Spiritual Gathering |
| Shakti |
Power / Energy |
| Shanti |
Peace |
| Shishya |
Disciple / Student |
| Yatra |
Travel / Pilgrimage |
| Yishu |
Jesus |
Prayer wheel
In the following summary, we’ll explain how we can pray by following Jesus’ example. This is a version of the prayer wheel designed for people who prefer to pray verbally.
Let’s see how Jesus prayed with his disciples during the Passover meal and how we ourselves can pray every day.
As was his custom, Jesus began the celebration of liberation with praise and worship. During the celebration, he took bread and gave thanks to God for it. He broke it and gave it to his closest friends, saying, „This is my body, which is given for you. Celebrate this meal again and again, and remember what I have done for you whenever you eat this bread.“
After the meal, he took the cup of wine, passed it to his closest friends, and said, „This is my blood, through which the new covenant between God and humanity is established. It is poured out for you and for your salvation, for the forgiveness of your disobedience and your sins.“
After that, Jesus gave a long farewell speech: The main point of this speech is:
I am the vine, and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, just as I remain in him, bears much fruit. For without me you can do nothing. But if you remain firmly united with me and take my words to heart, you may ask God for whatever you wish; you will receive it.
After that, Jesus prayed at length; the heart of this prayer is: „I do not pray only for my closest friends, but for all who will hear about me through the words of my followers and believe in me. May they all be one, just as you, Father, are one with me.”.
After they had sung a hymn of praise, they went to a mountain outside the city where God was worshiped.
Luke 22:19–20
John 15:5, 7
John 17:20–21
Matthew 26:30
In this text, we can discover various forms of prayer:
In the following summary, I’ll explain how we can pray following Jesus’ example. Let’s look at how Jesus prayed with his disciples during the Passover meal and how we can pray in our daily lives.
As usual, Jesus began the celebration of liberation with Praise and Worship began. During the celebration, he took bread and thanksGod blessed it. He broke it and gave it to his closest friends, saying, „This is my body, which is given up for you. Celebrate this meal again and again, and remember what I have done for you whenever you eat this bread.“
After the meal, he took the cup of wine, passed it to his closest friends, and said, „This is my blood, through which the new covenant between God and humanity is established. It is poured out for you and for your salvation, for the forgiveness of your disobedience and your sins.“
Jesus was without sin and without disobedience, but we should and may follow Jesus confess our disobedience.
After that, Jesus gave a long farewell speech: The main point of this speech is:
I am the vine, and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, just as I remain in him, will bear much fruit. For without me you can do nothing. (Remaining in Jesus, listening to Jesus) But if you remain closely connected to me and take my words to heart (Reading and Applying God's Word), you may ask God for whatever you want; you will receive it. (Prayer and Intercession)
After that, Jesus prayed at length; the heart of this prayer is: „I do not pray only for my closest friends, but for all who will hear about me through the words of my followers and come to believe in me. May they all be one, just as you, Father, are one with me.”.
They then sang a song of praise, after which they went to a mountain outside the city where God was worshipped.
By Jean Johnson - Five Stones Global, with kind permission
Jesus was known for many things -
but one of them was this:
He kept showing up at tables.
He ate with his disciples.
He was accused of eating with sinners.
He sent his followers
into the homes of others-
to sit,
to receive,
to stay.
Discipleship, in His way,
happend around tables..
Not a church event.
Not as a program.
But as shared life.
The Table Environment
At the table
people were known.
Conversations wandered.
Questions surfaced.
Stories were told and retold.
Correction happened naturally.
Obedience was immediate.
The faith was visible.
The table held something,
that no program could manufacture - proximity.
The turning away
But slowly, almost without noticing,
we moved discipleship
away from the table.
Into buildings.
Into programs.
Into scheduled events.
And with each step away
something changed.
For every degree,
we move discipleship away
of everyday spaces
and organic relationships,
we lessen its power.
What gets lost
The moment the disciples leave the table,
it starts losing its power.
Vulnerability fades -
because people perform
more easily than they open up.
Authenticity thins-
because environments
begin to shape expectations.
Participation narrows—
because few speak,
while many listen.
And over time
discipleship becomes something,
people attend—
rather than something they live.
Why the table multiplies
Tables multiply,
because they are simple.
Everyone has access.
Everyone knows how to sit,
to eat,
to talk,
to listen.
No special training required.
No building needed.
Just people
and a willingness
to share life.
What people experience
in these spaces,
they can repeat.
And what can be repeated,
can multiply.
Returning to the Table
This is not a rejection of teaching.
It is a re-centering.
Teaching belongs
inside relationship -
not in place of it.
And often, this means more than inviting people
into our spaces of comfort.
It means entering theirs-
sitting at their tables,
in their homes,
within their rhythms of life.
Because discipleship deepens,
when it happens
where people are most at ease—
not where we are most in control.
If we want discipleship,
that actually forms people
and multiplies through others,
we must bring it back
to everyday life.
Back to homes.
Back to conversations.
Back to tables.
Food for thought
What are you modeling for those in your host culture?
Where does your discipleship live?
In a program?
In a building?
In an event?
Or in the shared lives
of people,
walking together
and learn to follow Jesus
side by side?
Source: Five Stones Global
It's worth exploring this site thoroughly.
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