Our plan to share the gospel with 500,000 people

Church planting and evangelism are at the heart of BMS World Mission’s strategy to transform one million lives in the next four years

Jesus changes lives. Every person who follows him can attest to that.
 
BMS wants to see more lives transformed by Jesus worldwide. That is why we have a bold new plan to share the message of the gospel with 500,000 people and plant 500 Christian communities by 2020.
 
What makes this faith-stretching target so challenging is not numbers – we know mission is more than maths. It’s that we will be doing it in some of the toughest and least evangelised places on earth.

Bringing Christ’s transforming love into these contexts will be hard, but we are excited what God will do as we carry out his command to go and make disciples of all nations. Disciples praising God and learning about him in ways that are culturally relevant and meaningful to their lives, not forced into a British model of church. This is our highest goal.
 

Behind the numbers

By setting such a goal for evangelism, is BMS just focused on numbers? BMS Director for Mission Peter Dunn doesn’t think so. “This is not a numbers game,” Peter says. “This is about aspiring to see many lives transformed and having the faith and God-given passion to pursue that vision. Behind the numbers lie individuals who are loved by God.”


 
But isn’t it more difficult these days, in a world that often appears hostile to the gospel message, to share about Jesus?

“Some in the UK might say that telling others about Jesus is not fashionable or that people don’t want to hear about him in a world where faith has become a private matter,” says Peter. “But people are looking for meaning in their lives, they are looking for answers. The highest goal of all we do at BMS is to bring people to faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is our duty and our privilege to tell people about what Jesus has done on the cross for them and the transforming love they can receive when they put their faith in him.”
 

 
To achieve our goal of truly reaching 500,000 people with the gospel, we will be building on the success of church planting in countries like India where BMS mission worker Ben Francis and his team have planted hundreds of small fellowships, transforming thousands of lives.
 
We will also be starting new work. From plans to plant a church community in an unreached region of northern Thailand to partnering with indigenous believers as they spread the gospel in countries like Peru, Bangladesh and France, we hope to see more people than ever before come to a transforming faith in Jesus.
 
We would love you to partner with us too, as we pursue this great goal for God. Will you stand with us, pray with us and give generously so we can transform hundreds of thousands of lives?
 

This article first appeared on the website of BMS World Mission and is used with permission