There are regions where spreading the Gospel faces formidable challenges—legal restrictions, cultural barriers, and apathy towards Christianity. In such contexts, creativity emerges as a powerful ingredient, offering innovative ways to engage with different people groups and overcome obstacles on the path to making disciples.
Now, imagine you have this incredible recipe for spreading the Gospel. It’s a crowd favorite, it works every time. You go to another country, and want to make the same thing, and…you can’t buy any of your usual ingredients. Not only that, but you don’t even understand the labels or recognize half of the aisles. What to do now?
Alright, let’s elevate the challenge: you’re now in the Top Chef competition. You are given random ingredients, you have to work with another chef who cuts the vegetables differently, and you can only use your left hand. Plus, if the judges don’t like your meal, you’re out.
Welcome to the life of our global workers. Figuratively, and, to some extent, literally.
Every culture has its own unique palate, its own special ingredients, and its own set of rules. So, just like a chef adjusts their recipe based on what’s in the pantry, we have to get creative with how we share the Good News in different parts of the world.
Since Encompass World Partners started sending global workers out into the world over a century ago, creativity has been wielded in surprising ways. Guitar clubs, choirs, motorcycle groups, youth camps, coffee shops, philosophy discussions, outdoor sports, archery, rock-climbing, board games, meals, cooking classes, quilting, knitting, sewing, and many more passions and hobbies have been used as platforms for bridging the world and the Gospel.
But we don’t just pursue hobbies because they’re interesting and fun. We do it because traditional methods don’t always work in other parts of the world. In Europe, merely mentioning “church” can evoke negative perceptions. In Asia, the concept of church may not even exist. New means are necessary, and our global workers are breaking down barriers by using their creativity to reach people.
More than just fostering hobbies, it’s also about addressing needs: just as Jesus fed the hungry crowds, global workers show people His love by hosting soup kitchens or food banks. Reaching out to vulnerable populations, such as refugees, immigrants, and those experiencing poverty or homelessness, is a powerful recipe for disciple-making. Ministries dedicated to serving these communities offer holistic support, providing employment, shelter, food, education, medical care, counseling…through practical assistance and compassionate outreach, these ministries create spaces for spiritual growth and discipleship, demonstrating the love of Christ in tangible ways.
Now, creativity isn’t always easy. We don’t just venture into uncharted territories because we’re bored. If a pre-packaged recipe worked everywhere, believe me, we would gladly use it. It takes serious, risk-taking faith to try and do things differently. What if it doesn’t work?
If you support global workers and sometimes wonder if their new idea or project will pan out, just know that they have asked themselves the same question, and many more: what if they moved their entire family, left their jobs, and gone on full-time support, only to try something and see it fail? Trust me, we feel the pressure; we have the same doubts and questions. And yet, God has called us, so here we are. We try and try again. We might waste ingredients in the process. Precious energy will be spent. Cuts and burns may appear. The result might be disappointing. But people still need to be fed. So, we start over. We fail, we get discouraged; we avidly search in the Holy cooking book for tried-and-true meals. Always hoping, always curious. Yet also afraid, tired, and desperate for results. But God, in His grace, transforms water into wine. He multiplied the bread and the fish. He can transform our blind efforts into glorious three-star meals.
So, let’s cheer on our global workers. Celebrate each step with them. Encourage them to try again. Provide means for exploration. Reassure them that it’s all part of the process. Walk alongside them as they trudge through the desert in search of the milk and honey of their new country. Provide the manna along the way so they don’t have to worry.
Creativity is more than necessary means to fulfill Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations. It’s a testimony to God himself. He is the Creator. He created the strangest fruits, the highest mountains, and the deepest valleys. Creativity is part of Him, and we are made in His image. So let’s explore together; let’s imagine and dream up new ways of feeding the world — spiritually and literally. Can you imagine anything better than sharing a divinely-cooked meal with disciples of all nations? How glorious the international feast of the Lamb will be! I, for one, am looking forward to it.
Written by Elise Klawitter for the Year in Review 2023–2024. Elise serves full-time with Encompass World Partners as an innovation and strategy specialist for the Transformation Works Network, which focuses on using creative means to make disciples. She has lived most of her life in France, as her parents were church planters with Encompass. She worked in communications and marketing for companies, non-profits, and churches in Paris for 10 years before joining Encompass. She has a heart for the unreached and fosters deep relationships as a way to create bridges for the Gospel.