We continue to learn more about the goals of 24:14, the subject of the current issue of Mission Frontiers…
http://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/archive/are-you-in
Last week (in our item, “14) The Last Bit: What in the World is 2414?”), we expressed concern about the bold goal of finishing the task of “reaching” every unreached people and place by 2025. As we learn more, we now understand that it’s important to understand what we mean by “reach.” By “reaching” every unreached people and place by 2025, the 24:14 coalition hopes “to start kingdom movement engagements in every unreached people and place by 2025.” So, for example, a team of workers from a near-neighbor people group could start engaging an unreached people or place in 2024. It might take this new team years to launch a movement. But 24:14’s goal is that the work among each group “and in each place” would be, at least, STARTED by 2025.
Now on the one hand, it sounds easier because we aren’t specifying the kind of fruit needed by 2025. But on the other hand, please don’t miss the miracle that this goal would require. Motivating the global church to prioritize this kind of mobilization would be nothing short of a massive, sea change for fellowships near and far, all across the planet. In fact, in many ways, there have been dozens (hundreds?) of campaigns designed to bring about this end in previous years. (Can someone remind us of the book that came out in the late 90’s… “697 plans to Evangelize the World” or something similar?) We asked some of 24:14’s leaders how they thought THIS plan would be different. One (Justin Long) clarified the above goal. Once again, he reminded us of that “reach” means “start kingdom movement engagements.” (Thanks Justin.) Another (Steve Smith) stood firm in his faith that God can do this, in part by relying on the existence of so many movements in process today (hundreds). This, these leaders maintain, is one of the main differentiators from past plans. In those hundreds of previous examples (like AD2000 & Beyond Movement from the 90’s), the presumption was that the West had to be the leader. In 24:14, leadership is coming from a global coalition. Yes, the West is involved, but so are leaders from fast-growing movements from all across the globe. The idea is — if we pray hard and ask God to bind us together all around the planet, wouldn’t it be something if this could really happen by 2025. (Thanks Steve — and Curtis)
What about you? Do you believe in the goals of 24:14? Please give us YOUR opinion by clicking “Comment” following the web version of this item or in the Brigada app for iOS or Android. Thanks in advance for your thought(s).
There were two books. One was 700 Plans to Evangelize the world (see https://www.amazon.co.uk/700-Plans-Evangelize-World-2000/dp/0936625554). The other, later, was “Kaleidoscopic Global Action Plan: 2,000 plans to evangelize the world by AD 2000.” Both were by David Barrett. The KGAP plan was formative in my life. The total plans were later surveyed in a complete list as part of the book World Christian Trends, which was the “3rd volume” of the World Christian Encyclopedia. Reading through these documents is an exercise in remembering the hopefulness people eternally have, balanced with a bit of cynicism about ever getting it done. I continue to struggle on the side of hope, and learning from past failures.
Mission enthusiasts have been setting “goals” of completing the task for centuries! Thus, I am somewhat reticent to set such goals. HOWEVER, as I have watched the current Movements MOVE, and with technology as it is, I would not be surprised if this goal were met! FOR HIS GLORY, for sure! ~~~~NEAL
Hey Doug, by the way – as a followup – 2414 is not defining “reached” as “engagement”! 2414 wants to see “the task finished” and “the unreached, reached.” We see our part of the task as the “next first step” in the process, which is engagement. “How can they hear if no one goes?” – so we are right now at the stage of getting people engaging the peoples. Once all of the groups are engaged by movement strategies, that isn’t “the end of the task” or “the groups reached”: obviously after that there are many more steps. We have just seen that until unreached groups are engaged with multiplying strategies, there is very little hope that they can become effectively reached at all. But 2414 is right now just about this initial engagement part of the process. For more details on what differentiates 2414, see this article in Mission Frontiers – http://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/article/why-is-2414-different-than-previous-efforts
Thanks for clarifying, Justin. I think we’ve seen too many definitions for the word, “reached,” over the past 50 years. Appreciate you taking time to help us get it right.