Recent Movements and UPG Resources

If you aren’t already, you should be aware of Steve Addison’s Movements Podcast and website https://www.movements.net.

Recently, Steve interviewed Dave Coles on the episode “Telling the Story of Movements.” He has also interviewed Victor John on the episode, “Pioneering Movements in North India.” With 234 episodes and counting, you can tell Steve has done his research!

Together, Victor and Dave authored Bhojpuri Breakthrough: A Movement that Keeps Multiplying. This case study will also be featured in the upcoming Motus Dei volume.

Additionally, the Global Assembly of Pastors for Finishing the Task (GAP4FTT) held a virtual conference in October to build collaboration toward engaging unreached people groups with movements. There are about 50 plenary and workshop videos pre-recorded. You will recognize some of the names and faces from our Movements Research Symposium. This library of resources is available here for the next month. The content is also available on GAP4FTT's YouTube channel.

Excursus: Yep, I did just use the term “unreached people groups” in the above paragraph. That term and concept has fallen into disrepute in some corners of missiology. However, the recent edition of EMQ was dedicated to Rethinking People Group Missiology and has redeemed the concept for me. Easily one of the best issues of EMQ ever. I feel comfortable using the term again.

If you only have time for one article in that issue, I recommend Reimagining & Re-envisioning People Groups by Leonard N. Bartlotti (subscription required). From his section titled “Church Growth Where There is No Church”:

We need to re-envision the connection between the frontier missions and the church growth. Amidst the global flow of goods, ideas, and people, mega-, multiethnic, and urban/regional house church networks are thriving from Argentina and Chile, to Nigeria, India, and Indonesia, as well as the West. Despite common roots and exceptions, the two streams are largely disconnected professionally and missionally. Reestablishing synergy and sharing resources would advance an “all peoples” vision.

UPG enthusiasts need to deconstruct categories and recognize that church movements need not be monoethnic to engage and penetrate UPGs. Gospel freedom allows and celebrates, but does not demand, homogeneous ethnic churches. Some church movements involve ethnic blends, with homogeneity in evangelism, and heterogeneity in discipleship. Others facilitate homogeneity in smaller relational circles, and heterogeneity in larger ones. Homogeneity may suit first generation immigrants, but heterogeneity, the children of immigrants (e.g. pan-Asian and pan-Latino churches). Other churches have an ethnically dominant group plus mixed cultural groups (e.g. Persian, Arab). Mobilizing urban conglomerate churches, house church networks, and proximate believers, and purposefully connecting diaspora disciple making with other frontier initiatives, would help revitalize movement toward UPGs.

Read the whole thing.