Via Global Vision Update 2023

Formerly the Center for Mission Mobilization (CMM)

Global Vision Update 2023

We invite you to celebrate with us the amazing work God has done across the world to make his name known among the nations.

Reaching the nations through the nations Letter from the Executive Director Did you know that more Muslims have come to faith in Jesus Christ in the past 20 years than in the past 1,400?*And as the news media tell us that 50% of polled Muslims support Hamas’s actions, that means as many as 50% are disillusioned by the atrocities carried out in their religion’s name.

As we mourn and pray for the Israelis and other innocents who are suffering from unspeakable acts, we are keenly aware that terrorism continues THANK YOU

throughout North Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and additional regions throughout the Middle East.

While nations conspire and men are entrapped into lives of terrorism, we remain vigilant to help the global church rise up, take responsibility for God’s mission, and play its role in making Christ name famous among

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every nation. We know that as people from all over the world—from many different cultures and belief systems—watch the news in horror, they are becoming more and more open to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is why we exist. For us, it’s simply unacceptable that there are entire people groups totaling over 3 billion people who have no access to the gospel and live without hope. The unreached have no Bibles, no churches, and no missionaries to reach them. For over 20 years Via (formerly the Center for Mission Mobilization) has been mobilizing believers worldwide to know, to embrace, and to put into practice the mission of God. In these twenty years of mission mobilization, God has shaped Via to identify the gaps that exist between God’s people and the unreached. In this Global Vision Update, you’ll see how we’re bridging these gaps by helping families, equipping students, empowering churches, and propelling missionaries worldwide to ensure unreached people groups receive the gospel so people who live in darkness can experience the light of Christ.

You are an integral part of these stories. We invite you to take a few minutes to read the amazing work God has done in 2023 through our dedicated staff, our global partners, and through you to reach the nations.

* A Wind in the House of Islam by David Garrison

They will know we are Christian by our love. - John 13:35

generosity of his people that more and more laborers are being sent out, and more and more people have a chance to say “yes” to the gospel of Jesus Christ. On behalf of all our staff state-side and across the world, thank you for your prayers and support, and to God be the glory!

Sincerely in Christ,

Dave Rofkahr, Executive Director

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It’s by God’s grace, through our collective prayers, and through the

THANK YOU

While tragic events unfold in Israel and the Middle East, we have launched our new Bible study, God’s Heart for Muslims: Embracing Muslims with the Love of Christ. A year and a half in the making, we pray that God will use this resource to mobilize Christians throughout Israel, Egypt, Nigeria, Indonesia, and the USA to reach out to Muslims who may be disillusioned with their Islamic religion. You can order this study today or invest in a translation to help believers bring the good news to Muslims.

Buy @ store.vianations.org or give @ vianations.org/give/translations.

Reaching the nations through families

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FAMILIES

Our Via Families team and Via field staff are training pastors worldwide to equip their church families with resources and training to implement World Christian discipleship in the home.

“Our church is better because of you,” shared Josh, a pastor at North Summit Church in North Carolina. “The resources from Via have equipped families at our church to identify their roles in God’s story. More than a next step or a plan to follow, Via resources have given us a better picture of how our present lives can sustain and catalyze what God is doing around the world. You’ve provided the book, the articles, and the creative activities our families have needed.” Josh is one of many pastors who have seen firsthand the impact our Via resources have on parents as North Carolina is home to refugees from they realize God’s invitation to their families. over 60 countries.

Our resources are designed to help make family “The awareness your discipleship simple and practical, turning the resources have brought has done daily things of life into teachable moments that more in helping our bring vision and purpose. It’s for this very reason members love their that our resources work cross-culturally, and neighbors than we could have ever are helping families across the globe embrace imagined.” a shared calling to see God known among – Josh, Summit Church unreached peoples.

Celebrating 10 years of family mobilization

SCAN FOR INVITATIONS

On September 23, we launched a yearlong celebration commemorating 10 years of family mobilization at Via. Check out 10 exclusive invitations for your church or family that take you deeper in connecting with God’s heart for the nations. In just 10 years, we’ve empowered 18,000 parents across 98 countries to take ownership of their children’s discipleship, leading them to embrace God’s heart for every people, nation, tribe, and language! Praise God!

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Pictured above: Families in Mexico embrace God’s mission

Currently there are no resources or forms of education focused on equipping leaders to bring family mobilization to their churches. Made for More aims to fill that gap and provide church leaders with the knowledge and skill sets for implementing a family mobilization strategy. More to come as we launch the training in 2024!

D6 Conference 2024 D6, the largest family ministry conference in the US, convenes over 1,500 pastors annually to explore the essential work of family ministry. Following our introduction of Via’s vision for mobilizing families, the D6 director recognized its significance. As a result, our Families Director, Carissa Potter, has been chosen as one of just eight keynote speakers for 2024, where they all will cast a compelling vision for everyday families joining in God’s mission.

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Blazing new trails with our new Made for More online pastor’s training:

FAMILIES

Families in Mexico City are jumping into God’s mission. During a Parenting with a Global Vision small group study, one family was deeply moved to learn that India is home to the most unreached people groups of any country. Their response was to host a Diwali celebration, inviting friends to experience Indian culture, cuisine, and games while praying for specific unreached people groups.

This event not only educated their community about the challenges of bringing the gospel to India, but also inspired others to join in prayer for these unreached groups, marking one of the first steps in sharing the gospel from Mexico to India.

Reaching the nations through students Our Via Students team sees students and college-aged adults across the world as the most recruitable, trainable, and sendable people on the planet. Because of their great potential, we’re equipping campus ministry leaders worldwide to propel students to radically commit their lives to Christ and challenge many to global mission.

To understand the big picture of global collegiate mobilization, you only need to look at the number and see the potential. For instance, how many of the 7,500 incoming freshman at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia will be led to Christ, discipled, mobilized, and sent as a mission-

STUDENTS

ary to the Muslims of northern Ethiopia or nearby Somalia? How many of the 8,000 Filipino freshmen at University of the Philippines in Manila will be taking the gospel to unreached people groups in Southeast Asia after graduation?

College students in these countries are being discipled right now in

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evangelism, disciple-making, and mission mobilization through our resources, The Fuel & the Flame by Steve Shadrach, and mobilized to pray for the world and go as missionaries using our Explore the World Christian Lifestyle Bible study. This is happening all over the “…pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

– Matthew 9:38

world right now through your prayers and support!

Please join us in prayer that God will raise up missionaries and future mission leaders from college campuses across Ethiopia, Philippines, Indonesia, Korea, China, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, any many other nations for the sake of the gospel to the unreached.

EvaSU National Mission Summit for Students: Ethiopia Via staff were blessed to serve the National Mission Summit hosted in July. Over 500 evangelism and mission mobilization student leaders came from all over the country for training. Every student received a free copy of The Fuel & The Flame.

EDM’23: First of its kind - National Collegiate Staff Conference

Since its first publishing in 2003, The Fuel & The Flame has become a core equipping tool among campus ministry leaders and collegiate pastors worldwide.

In partnership with Cru, Russian will be our third translation of this resource. With over a million believers, Russian Christians have a tremendous role to play in reaching the nations for Christ. This year Russian students and leaders will have access to an additional core resource in their heart language.

Campus Ministry Today with Shad & Paul A Via Podcast

Campus Ministry Today Podcast: Listeners in 55 countries with 25k annual downloads We’re laser focused on ensuring that student leaders are equipped in discipling students to embrace and put into practice evangelism and disciple-making. These two disciplines are essential for the future of missions as we mobilize students to the embrace the unreached peoples of the world.

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The Fuel & The Flame: Russian Translation

STUDENTS

While worldly forces at universities work overtime to indoctrinate college students, campus ministries across the nation and around the world are working even harder to win the hearts of students for Jesus Christ. In April, we hosted 750 collegiate staff from 325 campuses, 90 ministries, nine countries, and 40 states, pouring into their lives and ministries, encouraging them, and equipping them to stand in the gap. There is no other conference format bringing campus ministry leaders together from different organizations where they can learn from one another, network together, and sharpen their ministries together. As its name suggests, we’re committed to equipping leaders to sharpen their focus on the core of the Great Commission—evangelism, disciplemaking, and mission mobilization—on every campus across the world!

Local Sending Church in Myanmar

Reaching the nations through churches

5 Missionaries from local sending church trained and sent to the unreached tribe.

Some locations and identities are protected for security purposes.

Please do not share.

God has united Via, a church in Oklahoma, and Burmese church leaders to see the gospel planted among the unreached in Myanmar.

Faith Bible Church (FBC).

Edmond, Oklahoma These “faithful five” completed their mission training by the end of

There is an unreached tribe in Myanmar that is home to 115,000 people

March 2023…just nine months ago and reported to their assignment

and is 90% Buddhist. Just one year ago, very few of them had ever heard

• The commissioning of 5 new Burmese missionaries

among the unreached tribe with the support of nine churches – one in the US and eight in Myanmar. They, with their families, set

ship with Jesus. Out of the 50, only one woman was trying to reach her

up a home in the remote, and often hostile, village. Christianity

people with the gospel. It’s hard to imagine what it’s like for generations

is not welcomed by Buddhist families or religious leaders and the

of people to live with no Bible in their language, no churches, and no

Via Southeast Asia Regional Team

missionaries to reach them, but that is changing now for this tribe.

monks often go to extremes to protect Buddhism from anything that may threaten their power and source of income. But these faithful Burmese missionaries were steadfast, always abounding in the work they were called

mobilized churches that are sending missionaries to reach them with the funded a translation of the Bible just for them. And, they have you. Your prayers and support are making all this possible. We hope you find joy in this story and that your hearts are filled with gladness for the people of this tribe.

to. The missionaries overcame many obstacles including interrogation. They • FBC gains a passion to reach the nations and begins praying and fasting asking God for direction.

were kicked out of their homes, told to leave the village and not return, but

• A growing desire was to adopt an unreached people group, translate the Bible for a people who had never heard God’s word, and help establish a church within Myanmar.

time visit. We visited them again and again to teach the word of God. If they

• A mutual friend connects Via’s Southeast Asia Team to FBC in Edmond. In short order, Via connects FBC to a long time partner and pastor in Myanmar!

• FBC learns of the unreached Buddhist tribe and placed before their congregation the vision of reaching them through Bible translation and church planting.

• Within two weeks, FBC raises $565,000 to translate the bible for the unreached tribe.

they persevered.

The pastor from the local sending church reported, “It was not just a onewere not at home, we went to their farms or workplaces.” The rice fields of eastern Myanmar are the Burmese version of Jesus’ “highways and hedges” • Via hosts Mission Mobilization Conference in Myanmar to teach God’s heart for the nations.

• The missions director from FBC Edmond, Tonya, and a church member, Kip, attend the conference.

• Burmese attendees learned that 7,000 people groups are still unreached with the gospel, and 52 of those groups are in their own country!

• 10 pastors from local churches in Myanmar and FBC commit to partner with the local sending church and a local evangelical conference to reach the people of the Buddhist tribe with the gospel.

• Pictured above are the local Burmese missionaries sharing the gospel in homes, sharing stories of the Bible, and sitting among new believers from the unreached tribe! There are now 31 new converts to Christ within this unreached people group!

(Luke 14:23) and the faithful missionaries were searching for any who might heed the invitation to know Jesus. They began to make friends. They began to introduce people to Jesus and initiate the process of making disciples. It wasn’t long before they had 50+ children and youth attending gatherings and learning about Christ.

This is a continually-developing story of what God is doing amongst His people in Oklahoma, Myanmar, and the multiplication of churches happening amongst unreached and formerly unreached people groups. Pray with us, that “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”

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This year, this unreached tribe has new advocates. They have local gospel. They have an additional partner church in Oklahoma that has

CHURCHES

CHURCHES

of the God of the Bible and less than 50 were known to have any relation-

Reaching the nations through generosity Our Via Generosity team and Via field staff are helping churches and ministries around the globe believe that God will reach the nations through the generosity of his people.

Missionaries mobilize the body of Christ by raising support: • For every Nigerian missionary that raises local support, 100 Nigerians are mobilized to give and pray.

GENEROSITY

• For every Egyptian missionary that raises local support, 100 Egyptians are mobilized to give and pray.

• For every Chinese missionary that raises local support, 100 Chinese are mobilized to give and pray.

Unfortunately, over the last 50 years, multinational mission agencies have taken a shortcut to funding. Rather than equipping indigenous missionaries to raise support locally, they have relied on American funds, keeping local,

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indigenous ministries dependent on outside resources. In doing so, they have stagnated the mobilization and involvement of the global church.

But through your partnership, Via is bringing the biblical message of generosity and blessing to these Asian, African, Latin American, and Arabic churches and missionaries. In Philippians 4:17, Paul tells us he asked for financial support so that they may receive the blessings of partnering with his ministry as they are obedient to God’s call for generous giving.

This past year, Via and our partners have helped deploy 5,192 missionaries, most all of whom mobilized a team of partners to give and pray. We can likely assume that more than 519,200 Christians are playing a key role in supporting and praying for these Great Commission workers.

First training of its kind in Egypt This year we introduced Arabic translations of our support raising resources and equipped our first Egyptian trainer. Attendees had a heart change from complete resistance to asking for personal support, to raising funds directly from friends and family in the first week.

Support Raising Leaders Conference 2023

This group of 362 leaders represent 100,000+ missionaries worldwide!

GENEROSITY

Every 18 months we gather leaders from over a hundred ministries and 17+ countries at Via’s Support Raising Leaders Conference. Via is primarily an equipping ministry to other ministries, serving them with tools, insights, and networking that are found nowhere else, so they each are able to raise up, develop, and send out more missionaries. We are a force multiplier for these ministries—we reach the nations through these mission agencies.

First training of its kind in Korea

First training of its kind in Costa Rica Melissa Román, who serves with our Latin American Regional Team, was the lead Bootcamp Facilitator (along with our Word of Life partner, Miguel Arcila) in our first ever in-person Bootcamp in Costa Rica—her home country! There were 36 participants from 10 different Latin American countries. The commitment of these laborers for Christ is inspiring and should encourage all at the great sacrifices they are making to fund their ministries and mobilize more partners.

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For missionaries in Korea, there is no word in their language for raising support until now. This concept is brand new. Through our partnership with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, we not only have translated Bootcamp into Korean, we also have a trained Korean facilitator. Pictured left is an activity from our first Korean Bootcamp led by our dear friend and partner, Steve Ko.

2023 impact across the nations Your prayers and support are transforming lives throughout Asia, Africa, the Middle East, & Latin America At Via, our Discover - Develop - Deploy 3D mission model is propelling missionaries from local churches across the world to reach the unreached.

It’s amazing how believers worldwide are catching the vision and getting involved in God’s global plan.

Each number to the right represents real people from 50 countries.

PRAISE GOD

Ultimately, our chief aim is to see the gospel go out to the unreached, which is why we focus on the Deployment of missionaries. Praise God for the 5,192 Great Commission workers sent out this past year.

The 126,601 are becoming more familiar with and discovering God’s global mission; their journey is just beginning. The 61,987 are men, women, and even children who are becoming a “World Christian” and/or PAGE 014

being further equipped in ministry.

What is a “World Christian?” It’s people like you and me who have gained a biblical understanding of God’s heart for the world and have chosen to live their lives in a way that brings glory to God among all nations.

We’re helping people worldwide get on board by: • Praying for the world in their church groups.

• Sending missionaries by giving generously, praying for them, and loving them tangibly.

• Welcoming internationals with Christ’s love and message.

• Mobilizing their friends and families to embrace God’s heart for the nations.

• Going to the unreached to bring the light of Christ to those who live in darkness.

Praise God for this incredible work!

DISCOVER

Helping churches in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East discover how they can play a significant role in world missions.

People exposed to God’s global mission:

126,601

Providing training and discipleship to develop believers for their role in God’s global mission

PRAISE GOD

DEVELOP

People developed through trainings and discipleship:

DEPLOY

Connecting believers with opportunities to deploy as full-time mission workers.

New missionaries deployed by our staff and partners:

5,192

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61,987

k n a h T u Yo

for your partnership in advancing the gospel to the unreached.

We’re grateful for you! Your continued support of our staff is helping mobilize churches worldwide.

Via Vision Fund Help mobilize mission-sending churches globally When you invest in Via, you help mobilize churches to send national missionaries to those unreached with the gospel! Help multiply mission-sending movements from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

To give online: Scan the QR code on the right or head over to vianations.org/give/vision-fund.

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To give by check: Make the check payable to Via, PO Box 3556, Fayetteville, AR 72702 or use the enclosed envelope

PO Box 3556, Fayetteville, AR 72702 800 595 4881 + giving@vianations.org

Via (formerly the Center for Mission Mobilization) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All gifts to Via are deductible as charitable contributions for federal and state income tax purposes. As required by law, gifts are solicited with the understanding that Via has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds. ©2023 Via | C 10/19/23 M November 30, 2023 10:49 AM