Good News In World Missions (October 31, 2025)

Missio Nexus is a networking organization that “catalyzes relationships, ideas and collaboration within the Great Commission Community.” They host an annual conference for people to catch up on what is happening in world missions. Last month, I attended with Quentin Valdois, a special advisor to our Completion Global board, and who is doing great work among the incarcerated, empowering the indigenous church inside prisons.

Quentin and I enjoyed several conversations about the contribution prisoners are making for the Great Commission, reaching Muslim, Hindus, and Buddhists in prison, and also serving as missionaries to foreign lands upon deportation. These disciplemakers are not only effective in the culture of prison, but have potential as cross-cultural evangelists when after their release. We were delighted to tell their stories with friends and colleagues. I also moderated a vibrant networking session for church members to share ideas about increasing participation in world missions in their congregations back home.

We attended several interesting workshops reporting how the gospel is flourishing in a changing world. Because of technology and globalization, young people around the earth are morphing into a monolithic “youth culture” that retains some of their native religious heritage but mixing with western secular thinking. And while this can be seen as a threat, we were thrilled to hear that many young people are coming to faith in Christ and becoming effective in sharing the gospel with other youth.

Another positive sign is that the church around the world increasingly engaged as part of the missions force that used to be primarily from North America. This acceleration in Africa, Asia and Latin America is amplified by the proliferation of information about least-reached people groups through ministries like Joshua Project and Unengaged Peoples.

The conference felt full of energy, hopefulness, and humility. We felt an eagerness to collaborate and innovate. I left feeling hopeful that the Church is making good progress toward Rev. 7:9, where every people, tribe, language, and tongue is represented in God’s worshipping family. All this motivates us to press into our calling to empower the incarcerated to play their part in His Story.

Despite the bad news we hear from the news and social media, the Good News is that Jesus is Lord, His Kingdom is unshakable, and this gospel is being preached to the poor, who are rich in faith and are getting the job done.