Glossary

In missiological terms, Access in Missions refers to how a worker gains access to the language group in which they are hoping to see a church planted. This can include overcoming geographical, linguistic, cultural, or legal barriers to reach people with the gospel. In most E3 contexts, access requires the worker to work for or operate a business of some kind with the goal of being able to live among the target language group to learn their language and ultimately plant a church among them.

Bible study is the practice of an individual or a group reading and considering in depth the meaning of scripture and interpreting passages in light of other passages. A sound bible study will provide a Christian with a theological foundation for belief, practical insights for daily living, as well as a foundation for training in ministry roles. In a missions context, Bible studies are often a starting place for missions work, although they should not be confused for a church service.

Bible Translation is the task of translating the contents of the Bible from a source language into a distinct destination language. A good Bible translation is accurate to the original autographs (Hebrew and Greek texts) while communicating the meaning of the original authors in a natural and clear way. This process can take many years, and may even involve creating new alphabets for unwritten languages. Notable Bible translators include William Tyndale, William Carey, and Martin Luther.

The practice of operating a business to establish the long-term identity and presence of a worker in a closed access country. Good sending organizations require that workers operate legitimate businesses that: 1. do what they say they do (no “fake” or “cover” businesses), 2. operate with integrity, 3. benefit the local community, and 4. establish a long-term identity and presence for the worker(s) in the community that permits them to translate scripture and plant a healthy church.

Calling is a term that is often used to describe to full-time Christian ministry. There is a danger in this though as Scripture doesn't speak of calling in that way. But, if the term of calling is used it is wise to consider it in 3 parts––internal calling, external calling, and formal calling. Internal being the conviction that this is what God has laid on your heart to do. External being the confirmation of your church elders, those that should know you best, in this conviction that you have. Formal calling is the concrete opportunity to work in the field. For more, you can read Kevin DeYoung's insightful article.

Church planting is the process of beginning and organizing a new congregation of Christians who worship Christ and observe the sacraments/ordinances together. A church plant often begins with a team and strategy to evangelize people within a given community. Services usually begin once the team has gathered a core group that can sustain regular meetings. While there is variation in implementation between sending organizations, denominations, and cultures, healthy churches that grow in love of Christ are all characterized by the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, reading of scripture, the celebration of the Lord's Supper, baptism for the remission of sins, the giving of tithes and offerings, the exercise of church discipline, prayer, fellowship, and worship in song.

A Church Planting Movement (CPM) is a rapid and exponential increase of indigenous churches planting churches within a given people group or population segment.  A Church Planting Movement is more than "evangelism that results in churches." Its aim is to see a rapid increase of churches among a given people or language group and so everything from the teaching content, who teaches, when they call themselves churches, and a variety of other factors are tailored for rapid exponential growth. CPM is closely related to Disciple Making Movement (DMM). For more on the topic, see Chad Vegas's article, A Brief Guide to DMM.

Any country that does not regularly issue “religious worker” or “missionary” visas for long-term missions activity (including church planting and Bible translation), either for religious or political reasons. Some countries in this category do have an option to apply for visas for religious work, but do not generally issue them for long-term presence.

Contextualization refers to the considerations and actions that a missionary may take in order to remove cultural obstacles to accepting the gospel. This often means adapting to the cultural and historic norms of a language or people group. Hudson Taylor's decision to adopt Chinese dress and manners in his mission to China is a famous example of contextualization. The objects and degrees of contextualization are frequent sources of debate in missiology as many see the risk of inviting syncretism through overcontextualization.

Cross cultural ministry is a broad term for any instance in which a missionary from one language group goes on mission to another language group. However, even local evangelism can be considered cross cultural depending on the background and worldview of the individuals and groups involved.

Cultural fluency refers to familiarity with and proficiency in a given culture. This can include information on slang, economics, traditions, sports, pastimes, geography, politics, and values. Cultural fluency is a necessary complement to language fluency in navigating and adapting to new language or people groups.

A Disciple Making Movement (DMM) is a rapid and exponential increase in disciples making disciples. These movements share a distinct group of priorities which provide the environment for unhindered multiplication. Elements that are common to DMM are an emphasis on prayer, finding the Person of Peace (POP), conducting Discovery Bible Studies (DBS), and aiming for Obedience Based Discipleship (OBD). See A Brief Guide to DMM by Chad Vegas.

Following Christ and encouraging others to grow in their knowledge of and obedience to God.

Doctrine may refer to a single tenet of belief (e.g. the doctrine of original sin) or, more generally, to a collection of beliefs, often systematized for the purposes of education, for example in a systematic theology book or catechism.

The home country that a worker is sent out from, where the worker is equipped and prepared by his or her local sending church. This equipping might include discipleship and study of the Bible, as well as specialized training in the areas of linguistics, cross-cultural communication, and church planting.

The majority language context in the country where a worker serves, where with very few exceptions there is an already-existing majority language church. The equipping in this stage includes studying the majority language and culture of the country.

The minority language context where a worker serves, where there is no minority language church currently in existence. The equipping in this stage includes studying the minority language and culture where the worker intends to live and minister.

The "E-Scale" is a category developed by missiologist Ralph D. Winter to clarify distinctions between target language groups in evangelism and missions work. The scale describes E-1 (home), E-2 (foreign), and E-3 (unreached) contexts.

Sharing the good news of salvation from sin through the blood of Jesus Christ with those who have not heard it, or who have not believed. Although missionary work often requires evangelism, it is not synonymous with evangelism.

Frontier or Pioneer Missions refer to the first wave of missionary efforts directed toward unreached or least-reached people groups—communities with little to no exposure to the Gospel and where no local church exists. These missions aim to establish a Christian presence, evangelize, and plant churches in regions that may be resistant or remote. Both terms highlight the pioneering nature of this work, focusing on laying the foundation for future discipleship and church growth in areas that have not yet been engaged with the message of Christ.

In essence, frontier and pioneer missions are about breaking new ground, bringing the Gospel to people and places where it has never been preached before.

In missions, goers refers to individuals who are sent to participate in cross-cultural missions by physically going to another region or country to spread the Gospel and serve in ministry. They are often contrasted with “senders,” who support missions from home through prayer, financial giving, and other forms of logistical or emotional support.

Goers are those who respond to the call of the Great Commission by leaving their home culture to engage unreached language groups with the message of Christ. Their role involves learning new languages, understanding local worldviews, and adapting to new cultural contexts to plant churches, disciple believers, and make the Gospel known. They play a direct and hands-on role in advancing the mission of the church globally.

When a worker is directly and explicitly questioned by government authorities. This can happen either in a worker’s home or place of business, or at a police station or government office.

What people within a community, including workers, neighbors, and government and religious authorities, understand a missions worker's role to be in that community.

International church can refer to the people of God as a whole, understood as residing throughout the entire world. However, it may also refer to a foreign based congregation serving displaced persons or expats (e.g. an English speaking congregation in Barcelona, or a French speaking congregation in Mexico City).

The process of learning an entirely new language in order to become a fluent speaker and/or translator. This is not a quick process, but takes weeks and months, sometimes years, of intensive study of the language.

The ability to read, write, and speak with clarity and ease in a language. This is crucial for missionaries in communicating the gospel, translating scripture, and integrating with a new language group. Language fluency should be paired with cultural fluency for success in any missionary endeavor.

Literacy refers to basic competency in reading and writing a particular language. Literacy is necessary for basic communication and study, however missionaries should aspire to fluency (ease and precision in usage) in a language before going on mission or translating scripture. Literacy also takes different forms in different language groups as some languages do not have written alphabets.

Long Term Missions is historically the category we think of most when we think of missionaries. Missionaries in long term missions do not have a predetermined end date for their mission (as opposed to Short Term Missions). Long term missions generally demand language acquisition and training that culminates in language and cultural fluency. Driven by obedience to the Great Commission, a long term mission could take anywhere from 10 years to a lifetime, with a focus on tasks such as translating scripture and planting churches rather than time frame.

A martyr is a believer who sacrifices their life for the sake of the Gospel and their unwavering commitment to Christ. These individuals face death rather than renounce their faith, often in regions where Christianity is opposed or restricted. Martyrs are seen as witnesses to the transformative power of the Gospel, embodying the ultimate form of discipleship as they follow Christ’s example of self-sacrifice (Matthew 16:24-25).

Martyrs in missions are often regarded as catalysts for church growth, as their sacrifice inspires others to remain steadfast in the faith, even under persecution. Their legacy plays a powerful role in advancing the Gospel, particularly in hostile and unreached areas.

Ministries that work to alleviate human suffering in this world in primarily physical ways. (Example: Drilling wells, fighting human trafficking, feeding the poor, medical missions, etc.) These ministries may have additional components of evangelism and aid church planting efforts, but their primary efforts are in relieving human suffering.

Missiology is the study of the mission of the church, focusing on the biblical, theological, cultural, and strategic aspects of spreading the Gospel across different cultures. It involves understanding the methods and practices of evangelism, discipleship, and church planting, particularly in cross-cultural contexts. Missiology also emphasizes the need for effective contextualization, where the Gospel is communicated in ways that resonate with diverse cultures, while remaining faithful to biblical truth. It integrates both theological reflection and practical strategies to advance the mission of making disciples of all nations.

A missionary is a person who has been called (internally and externally) to leave their home and travels to share the gospel in a foreign nation or with a foreign language group. Their mission is to obey the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20, where Jesus tells us to go out and make disciples of all nations. Characterized by an instinct to evangelize, ability to endure hardship, they know their Bible well, and love Christ and His church. A missionary also needs to have an aptitude for language acquisition and cultural analysis. They often risk great harm to themselves but go, despite the risks, in obedience to Christ.

A general term for the emphasis that a local congregation puts on the work of missions around the world. This can include the frequency with which missions are mentioned from the pulpit, the kind of material small groups study, and the percentage of a church's budget that goes toward missions. A must for any church's mission culture is regular prayer for the Lord to raise up missionaries, as Christ commanded:

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37–38)

Obedience-Based Discipleship (OBD) is a controversial model central to Disciple Making Movements (DMM) that fundamentally redefines traditional discipleship and conversion processes. Unlike the conventional approach where conversion precedes discipleship, OBD insists on discipling individuals through strict obedience to Jesus’s commands as a precursor to conversion. This model claims to follow Jesus’s method with His apostles, asserting that discipleship involves teaching pre-converted individuals to obey everything Jesus commanded, thus leading them to eventual faith and baptism. Proponents of OBD argue that the traditional church model, which preaches for conversion and then disciples new believers, is flawed. They believe this model is contrary to Jesus’ approach, where He discipled His followers into conversion through prolonged obedience and revelation. OBD equates faith with continuous acts of obedience, a notion that undermines the essence of the biblical gospel. This approach has raised significant theological concerns, suggesting a works-based salvation model akin to Roman Catholicism’s concept of faith formed by love, rather than the Protestant understanding of faith as trust in Christ’s redemptive work, with obedience as its fruit. OBD’s emphasis on obedience as the basis for a relationship with Christ distorts the gospel and misrepresents the scriptural account of conversion and discipleship.

The Oral Proficiency Interview is a language test that evaluates how well a person can speak a language in real-world situations. It involves a conversation with an evaluator, who asks questions to determine the speaker’s ability to use the language effectively in different contexts. The test adapts to the speaker’s skill level, ranging from basic to advanced, and provides a rating based on proficiency.In the context of missions, the OPI helps assess a missionary’s ability to communicate fluently in the local language, which is crucial for building relationships, sharing the Gospel, and engaging with local communities.

Orthography refers to the standardized system of writing for a language, including its rules for spelling, punctuation, word breaks, capitalization, and sometimes accent marks. It dictates how sounds are represented by written symbols (graphemes), like letters in the alphabet, and ensures consistency in how the language is visually recorded.

In languages without a formal writing system, creating an orthography involves developing a way to represent spoken sounds in a written form, which is essential for literacy, documentation, and translation efforts, particularly in missions and Bible translation contexts. An effective orthography considers phonetics (the sounds of speech), morphology (the structure of words), and cultural practices surrounding writing and literacy.

Compromising the gospel message through excessive elevation of culture that goes against the Bible. Contextualization aims to make the gospel clear within a cultural context, but it can overemphasize a culture's ideas and beliefs and make too many allowances for ways a different culture does things, even if they are sinful.

Persecution is hostility or harassment directed toward Christians specifically because of their faith in Christ. Persecution can take a number of forms including malice, sabotage, abuse, violence, and even murder. However, like suffering more generally, scripture tells us that we ought not be surprised:

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. (1 Peter 4:12–19)

Aiding the goers through fervent and frequent prayer. Many verses in the Bible talk about the importance of prayer. Matthew 7:7-8 and Luke 11:9-10 both say that everyone who asks will receive. John 14:13-14 says that whatever is asked in Christ's name will be answered. Ephesians 6:18-20 commands us to pray at all times and make supplications for the saints. These are just the surface of verses on how we must pray.

Senders are those Christians who provide the means for the goers to go, whether through prayer, financial support, or another way. Although senders operate behind the scenes, as it were, they are crucial for the encouragement and vitalizing of those who are sharing the gospel.

Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. (3 John 5–8)

Short term missions is missions work that takes place within a purposefully limited time frame, as opposed to long term missions which are undertaken without a predetermined end date. Although short term missions may only last for a few months, they can be helpful for the encouragement and aid of long term missionaries.

When government authorities ask questions of a worker or people who know the worker and are aware of the worker's identity and activities in the country. This is distinguished from hard interrogation by the authorities concealing their own identity and reasons for asking the questions.

Sovereignty refers to the supreme authority and control over all things. God’s sovereignty means that God holds ultimate power and authority over the universe, guiding all events, decisions, and outcomes according to His divine will and purpose. This includes both the natural world and human affairs. Nothing happens outside of God’s plan or permission (Ephesians 1:11), and He exercises His rule with wisdom, justice, and love.God’s sovereignty is central to the understanding of His nature, reflecting His omnipotence (all-powerful), omniscience (all-knowing), and omnipresence (present everywhere). Scriptures such as Isaiah 46:9-10, where God declares, “I will accomplish all my purpose,” and Psalm 103:19, which states, “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all,” emphasize this belief. The sovereignty of God offers believers assurance that despite life’s uncertainties, God is in control and His purposes will ultimately prevail.

The problem of suffering is a common theme in the Christian life. This is reflected throughout in scripture, especially in the Psalms. While missionary labor can bring great joy, missionaries know that they are promised to encounter suffering in the field, sometimes of unusual and high intensity. Suffering is a constant theme in the lives of missionaries such as Amy Carmichael, Hudson Taylor, John Paton, and many many others. Death, illness, poverty, persecution, and isolation characterize much of their ministries. However, even through these trials a Christian finds comfort in the steadfast love of God, singing with the Psalmist,

Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of the children of mankind! (Psalm 31:19)

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If the goal is to see a healthy church established in E3 contexts, then this task will typically take many years (language learning, Bible translation, Bible teaching, and then discipleship and church planting). As such, it is vital that the ministry of the workers be sustainable during this time. This means that all decisions, from business planning to culture and language study, must be made with this goal in mind.

At its most basic level, syncretism is the combination or synthesis of two beliefs or belief systems. The term is most often used negatively in a missions context as efforts to synthesize Christianity with outside beliefs inevitably undermine the integrity of the gospel message and the unity of scripture. Although the motives behind syncretism may appear to be virtuous — a desire for relevance or to not to cause offense — the resulting incoherence and confusion is far more damaging than the risk of offense or irrelevance.

The term used to describe Jesus's final command to his disciples before his ascension:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20)

Christ's church are supposed to respond accordingly to his command and make disciples of all nations.

Training for the mission field includes a range of subjects. First and foremost is spiritual and theological training. However, language acquisition is essential. Additional areas of training include history, cultural education, physical fitness, and often outdoor and survival skills.

The process of rearticulating the meaning of words in one language into the words of another language. Proper translation not only captures the wording of something, but also the implications and ideas.

An unreached language group is a people group that lacks access to the Gospel in their native language. Reaching them involves creating a written form of their language and translating Scripture, allowing them to engage with the Gospel in a way they can fully understand. This work aligns with the vision in Revelation 7:9, where believers from “every nation, tribe, people, and language” will worship before God’s throne. By reaching these groups, we participate in God’s mission to ensure every tongue can hear and respond to the Gospel.

A way of categorizing unreached groups in which culture or group identifiers are primary. These groups have never heard the gospel, and know nothing about Jesus. No missionary has gone to their country, or shared the gospel in their language.

Although there are thousands of religions, sects, and denominations in the world, it is estimated that more than 75% of the global population follow one of the four largest religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. However, many scholars argue that Secularism (atheism, agnosticism, and religious "nones") could be treated as a distinct religion of its own. Furthermore, many of the smaller religions could be categorized as a subsect of Animism. Many of the world’s major religions have been found to incorporate elements of Animism, blending traditional beliefs in spirits and natural forces with religious practices.

A worldview refers to the underlying set of beliefs, values, and assumptions through which individuals interpret the world around them. In a missions context, it is crucial for missionaries to understand the local worldview of the people they are reaching in order to effectively communicate the Gospel in a way that resonates with their cultural perspectives, while remaining faithful to biblical truth. This process often involves identifying and addressing differences between the local worldview and a biblical worldview.