[Today's Prayer] Indonesian Christian Community Aims to Send 30,000 Missionaries by 2033

Indonesian churches and mission organizations have established a goal of sending 30,000 Indonesian missionaries to countries around the world by 2033. The vision is for the Indonesian Christian community, which received the Gospel through foreign missionaries over the past several centuries, to now transition into a sending nation that actively participates in world missions.

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According to Dr. Budiyanto, as of 2020, there were approximately 800 Indonesian missionaries. More than half of them were ministering overseas to Indonesian diaspora communities rather than to people of other nationalities.

The goal of sending 30,000 missionaries by 2033 represents 0.1% of Indonesia's estimated 30 million Christian population. Dr. Budiyanto said that although achieving this goal would not be easy, it was possible.

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ALUSIA is not focused solely on increasing the number of missionaries. It is also working to help Indonesian churches embrace missions as a core mission of the church. Its goal is to establish at least 20% of Indonesian churches as "missional churches."

ALUSIA has proposed five criteria for identifying a missional church: financial support for world missions, sending missionaries or participating in missionary sending, praying for world missions, providing training and programs to develop missionary capabilities, and cooperating with other churches or mission organizations. Churches that practice at least four of these five criteria are classified as missional churches.

Dr. Budiyanto explained, "ALUSIA is not an organization that carries out missions on behalf of churches. Rather, it takes on the role of encouraging churches to participate in missions, connecting them with one another, and providing necessary resources and training. The church itself is the main agent of missions, while the alliance helps churches cooperate with the global church."

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ALUSIA also considers Indonesian diaspora churches scattered throughout the world to be an important missionary resource. There are estimated to be more than 500 Indonesian churches overseas, with more than half of them reportedly located in the United States.

Dr. Budiyanto said, "The experience of Indonesian believers living in multicultural and multireligious environments can help them build relationships with people from other cultural backgrounds." Through cooperation with overseas churches, ALUSIA plans to connect missionary training, sending, prayer, and financial support.

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Source: Christian Today

"He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works." (Titus 2:14)

We hear the news that the Indonesian church plans to send 30,000 missionaries by 2033 and establish 20% of all churches as missional churches, actively participating in world missions.

Lord, thank You for establishing Indonesia as a church that carries out the mission of missions rather than remaining a nation that simply receives the Gospel. May the Indonesian church joyfully fulfill the missionary calling entrusted to it by the Lord. Please empower the Indonesian church, which is going forth to do good works, with the power of the Holy Spirit and boldness.

May the Indonesian church now go beyond ministering to its own diaspora communities and reach out to unreached people groups who have not yet heard the Gospel. In particular, may the many Muslims of Indonesia also be transformed through the Gospel and, together with the Indonesian church, testify to all nations about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us.

May every church in Indonesia embrace the declared vision of sending 30,000 missionaries as its own calling. May they offer their time, finances, and lives wholeheartedly to the Lord and go forth to the nations.

May the global church also join in the vision of the Indonesian church, supporting missionary training and actively cooperating with them. In this way, may the global church and the Indonesian church unite to prepare the way for the Lord's return and faithfully fulfill the Great Commission entrusted to them until the very end.

Lord, bring about a missions revival in the Indonesian church and raise up 30,000 missionaries! Indonesia, an exceedingly great army of praise! Sing a new song and advance to the ends of the earth!