OUR CORE VALUES

 

1. Actively Partner with International Christian Leaders

Pioneer missionaries have been and continue to play a vital role in the advance of Christ’s Kingdom world-wide. We want to recognize those pioneer missionaries (both past and present) who have accepted this call from God. We also recognize that some are gifted to pioneer and the vast majority of believers are not – yet even those not gifted remain responsible to our Lord to fulfill his Great Commission.

The most effective form of world evangelism comes from Christians who share the gospel with people from their own culture, lifestyle and language. This opens a world of possibilities in the realm of partnership.

International believers and Christian leaders can benefit from partnership with godly American believers:

  • Encouragement from regular visits and godly attention: ex. Assistance in medical and agricultural arenas.
  • Teaching
  • Wise financial assistance – respecting dignity and encouraging generosity on site.
  • Vision casting and assistance with strategy.

2. Respect our host cultures

We categorically reject ethnocentrism – “my culture is superior” (or “the way we do things is superior”) – and replace it with a desire to understand cultures and worldviews. We use this knowledge and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to apply the word of God and faith in Jesus to the hearts of our “target” peoples. “I do not want to make you Americans; I want to take the seed of God’s Word and plant it in the hearts of African people and grow an African church.” – Tom Mullenix, Ivory Coast. This statement can be adapted for any region of the world and any people group.

Pursue understanding of culture through training, reading and adopting a “learner” mentality.
Humility and respect are indispensible character traits. Flexibility is equally valuable.

 

3. Encourage “locally owned and operated” church planting efforts

Respect for culture takes another step: Respect for the Holy Spirit’s ability to develop church planting efforts and movements from the hearts of Christ’s people. Indigenous basically means “from the hearts and wills of the people” – we like to call it “locally owned and operated.”

 

This value demands:

  • Gentle perseverance – loving, teaching and persuading our brothers and sisters into seeing the value of planting churches, their responsibility and their capability; thus encouraging them to act on this understanding.
  • Passionate patience – as we wait on our Lord to bring this goal to fruition.
  • Wisdom – Divine wisdom as we work with the Lord and our international partners toward this noble aspiration.

Indigenous by definition requires the “final product” be fully from the people (church planting efforts and movements):

  • Vision
  • Planning
  • Personnel
  • Financing

Twelve21 desires to act as a catalyst and active spiritual partner toward this end.

 

4. Maintain the tenets of the Restoration Movement

Twelve21 desires to be faithful to both the doctrine and unity principles of the Restoration Movement. We observe individual conversions and church planted in the New Testament book of Acts. Acts is our blueprint for evangelism, the appropriate response to Christ and establishing local churches.

Jesus’ prayer on the night he was arrested (John 17:20-23; 17:17) is both the foundation of our plea for all Christians to be united on the truth of God’s Word and our motivation to communicate and practice it wherever possible.

 

5. Involve American Christians in this outreach network

No one can fulfill the Great Commission alone. We desire to network with other Western Christians to develop a team of short-term mission partners dedicated to the Core Values of Twelve21 Mission. We have seen an investment of one mission trip per year, mixed with commitment, prayer and the bonds of Christ-like love and respect pay impressive eternal dividends. Twelve21 Mission is committed to the idea that such partnerships can be replicated throughout the world – to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.