TRIBAL # 1
Fast Fact
Unreached tribal peoples live in Central and South America, Mexico, Africa, Papua New Guinea, and Papua Indonesia.
If every tribal person on the planet held hands, they would stretch around the earth more than nine times!
If every tribal person on the planet held hands, they would stretch around the earth more than nine times!
Study
Read Psalm 67:1-7
- "May your ways be known throughout the earth." Psalm 67:2
One strategy missionaries use to make God's ways known to Tribal people is by explaining His involvement with humanity in a chronological fashion often referred to as "Creation to Christ." What seven words would you use to summarize God's involvement with humanity from beginning to end? - What other mission principles stand out to you from this amazing Psalm?
Watch
Five Things (3:14)
- “The five steps of bringing the gospel to tribal people are:
- Learn their language and culture.
- Teach them literacy by creating an alphabet.
- Teach them God’s word from beginning to end.
- Translate God’s word into their language.
- Train them to spread the gospel to others."
This process can take ten to fifteen years. What are the blessings and challenges of making this type of long term commitment as a supporter or goer?
Welcome Home (4:02)
- “There was help coming from all directions...The entire village would hike up the mountain an hour away and carry down all our lumber. They dug away the ground that our houses sit on. They were moving mountains. There is a whole network of missionaries here in Papua New Guinea whose sole job is to help us church planters in the bush stay in the bush. There are so many praying for us. It was so cool to have Northwest Church [their home church] send a team over here. My house would not have been built unless those guys had come."
Of the roles mentioned here, which would you see yourself most suited to fill?
What else stood out to you?
Wantakia Resources:
- View ReachWantakia.com
- Watch Reach Wantakia (YouTube)
Discuss
Excerpt from Jack Crabtree's description of his journey to becoming a tribal church planter.
- “I still had no clue what ‘being a missionary’ looked like. A good friend urged Lael and me to take a class called Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. This semester-long course infected us with God’s heart for the nations! We went through the biblical basis for missions, the history of missions in the church, the major cultural blocs that are still without the gospel, and strategic ways to reach them. We had our first exposure to tribal people. If every tribal person on the planet held hands, they would stretch around the globe more than nine times! Clearer vision: we want to plant churches among an unreached people group. We still had some fears about reaching tribal people, though. How could we live out in the jungle for 15 years? Are they just going to kick us out of a plane? How could we ever be Bible translators? Ultimately, I was challenged by Brad Buser with, ‘Why would not you go tribal?’ Good question? I didn’t have an answer, so I prayed, ‘God, I don’t really have a desire to do tribal missions, but if it’s what you have for us, give us that desire.’ During the next few months, God placed people in our path who answered tons of our questions. Then we toured the Missionary Training Center in Missouri, and we were sold! Ethnos 360 had the most extensive pre-field training we had ever seen! Plus, they had an amazing long-term strategy for seeing indigenous churches planted, and Scriptures translated. We are so excited to be going tribal!”
What were the key elements that gave them clarity and confidence about their role in tribal missions?
Excerpt from Bruchko by Bruce Olson.
- "My companion saw my confusion and signaled me to stop and listen. It was several minutes before I began to pick out which sounds were which—animals, birds, insects, humans. Then, slowly, the separate voices became more distinct. Finally, after more patient listening, I heard it. Behind the hue and cry of the jungle, behind the voices of my companions, behind the quiet sound of my own breathing, was the haunting, reedy voice of the piping turkey, calling out as if it were inside a hollow tube. It was a poignant moment for me. I wondered what else I'd missed— not only in the jungle but also in my own spiritual life. How much had I overlooked when I'd failed to patiently tune in to God's subtle voice in the midst of life's chaos and stresses?" (page 132-133)
Amidst all the noises of life, do you hear the piping turkey; do you hear God’s subtle voice inviting you to participate in tribal missions? Explain.
Excerpt from Cameron Townsend: Good News in Every Language by Janet Benge.
- “The following morning Cam and Francisco headed southwest towards the border of El Salvador. They stopped at over thirty villages as they went and talked to countless people. At least, Francisco Díaz did. Few of the Indians in the area spoke Spanish, making it difficult for Cam to have a conversation with any of them. The people also had no use for the Spanish Bibles Cam had with him. Indeed, one Indian man became indignant when Cam offered him a tract in Spanish. 'Do you have one in Cakchiquel?' he asked. 'There are none. I'm sorry,' replied Cam. 'Well,' retorted the man, 'if your God is so great, why can't he speak my language?'" (Kindle Locations, 510-515).
This poignant question eventually launched a Bible translation ministry called Wycliffe Bible Translators. Today it has over two thousand workers using over five hundred languages in more than twenty countries. Yet, several million tribesmen who speak thousands of languages are still asking the same question.
“The greatest missionary of all is the Bible in a person’s own language. It never needs a furlough, and it is never considered a foreigner.”
Describe how valuable it is for you to have a Bible in an easy to read translation.
Learn
Discover
If you have not done so, view REACH. A wider overview of the resource you're presently going through.
Pray
Review what you learned during this meeting. Pray together about those things.