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In this episode Pastor Steve Foster underscores that true biblical missions prioritize indigenous church planting—churches that are self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating. This approach ensures lasting, reproducing, and resilient churches that honor God's design and promote local ownership. Moving away from dependency on foreign funds aligns with biblical principles and fosters genuine growth. The call is to return to biblical models, train nationals from the start, and trust God's provision within local communities. Bible missions matter, and adopting this indigenous strategy is essential for sustainable, impactful ministry worldwide.

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Self-Supporting Missions ft. Carl Boonstra

May 9, 2025S1 E326:42 minutes

Those who believe Bible missions matter understand the importance of indigenous church planting. We must do less so that local nationals can do more, training them to lead and support their own churches. This biblical model, seen in Acts, emphasizes self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating churches that thrive long after the missionary leaves. We understand that dependency on foreign funds hinders true multiplication. Instead, we should empower nationals to support and sustain their churches, fostering pride and spiritual growth. Poverty is not an obstacle; biblical examples like the churches in Macedonia show that even the poorest can give generously. We must prioritize the spiritual health and independence of the local church, following God's plan for global evangelism. By doing so, we ensure that His church reproduces, expands, and endures in every nation, honoring His purpose for worldwide missions.

Episode Highlights

  1. 0:00 – What is an indigenous church planter?
  2. 0:49 – The problem of socialism in missions
  3. 1:48 – Missionary understanding of indigenous church planting
  4. 2:16 – Definition and history of indigenous church planting
  5. 3:40 – Mission agency philosophy and history
  6. 4:59 – Indigenous means native
  7. 5:59 – Self-supporting, self-governing, self-propagating
  8. 7:27 – Missionary dependency vs. indigenous ownership
  9. 8:38 – The danger of dependency
  10. 10:01 – Excuses for not practicing self-support
  11. 11:59 – Examples from India and Russia
  12. 14:19 – Problems with sponsoring national preachers
  13. 15:53 – Excuses about property and poverty
  14. 17:33 – Indigenous church planting works anywhere
  15. 18:39 – Learning indigenous church planting from experience
  16. 20:54 – Why indigenous churches matter
  17. 21:49 – Conclusion and closing
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