Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller
Header photo: Ulua Camp children “help” with hose during borehole drilling.
A true African church: Jombu Baptist Church
Eastern Equatoria State/South Sudan.
Jumbo Baptist Church is a truly African church.
And that’s as it should be.
Pastor Charles Remo and his fellow Kakwa believers are making a mark for the Gospel in their part of South Sudan.
I’ll never forget standing with Pastor Charles as he pointed toward a distant mountain range to the east. “We’re going to start churches all the way to those mountains. The Kuku Tribe churches will come from the other side and we’ll meet.
They are planting churches and my Louisiana home church, Dry Creek Baptist Church, is holding the rope.
Dry Creek has committed to pray for the Kakwa.
They’ve made multiple trips to walk and work alongside believers.
This process is called Engagement. It’s an American church adopting an unreached people group (such as the Bari Kakwa) and providing encouragement and boots on the ground to help.
Engagement is a big process but it can begin simply by choosing a people group or area to pray for.
Here are 5 Steps to Engaging an Unreached Unengaged People Group: 1. Begin praying about an Unreached People Group to pray for.
Our Engagement Team is happy to help you look at options.You can also consult these excellent resources at www.subsaharanafricanpeoples.imb.org
If God is leading your church toward focused prayer on one group, you’ll move forward.
- Prayerfully adopt a People Group/Region/Village to pray for.
Attend a Base Camp. Our South Sudan team will make sure “boots on the ground” research is done on your group. If we discover the group you’re praying for is actually “reached,” we’ll praise God together and help select another group!
We hope churches will move beyond Step 2 but know that focused prayer by God’s people will bear fruit.
- Become an expert on your People Group
Internet research: Find your group in a nearby major city and begin ministry there. We will help organize a “virtual prayer walk” to guide your church’s praying.
- Make a Vision Trip to your People Group.
Your church will send 2–4 members on a two-week trip to your group. We encourage the pastor/or key staff member to be on that team. Our Engagement Team will assist your team leader in planning as well as guiding your trip.
Additionally, you can find your People Group in many large American cities. Our team will connect you.
- Make a church decision to adopt an Unreached Group.
Your vision team will report to the church after which an official church decision to adopt a group can/will be made.
Everyone can help in some way.
Key Engaging Church Terms
People Group—a group of individuals, families and clans who share acommon language and ethnic identity.
UPG—Unreached People Group— a people group in which the number of evangelical Christians totals less than 2% of the population but evangelism is ongoing.
UUPG—Unengaged People Group— an unreached people group that no one is engaging or working among.
Engaging Church—a church taking on the missionary role of responsibility to ensure that a Gospel message is made available to their focus people group.
Want to learn more?
