Back

April 12, 2018

Changing History

Dear Friends,

This brief command changed the course of history. I’m sure you know it—perhaps by heart. Yesterday, I quoted it with 50 members of our JV team on top of a mountain in Israel, overlooking the Sea of Galilee.

“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 I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) 

The mountain we stood on, Arbel, is significant, because it could be the very place where the disciples heard these words 2,000 years ago. I reminded our team that in the original Greek, there are only two commands in this great commission. The first is to “make disciples.” The second is the word “behold,” or “look” at Jesus, because he promised to be with them always. In other words, the core of Christ’s final instructions to his team was to make disciples and always keep looking to him.

Only eleven men heard these marching orders. Yet this small band spent the rest of their lives in single-minded pursuit of Christ’s call. In one generation, they reached to the far corners of the vast Roman Empire with the gospel. Because of their faithfulness, you and I know Jesus today.

Make disciples who make disciples. Always keep looking to Jesus. For almost 25 years the Josiah Venture team has reached out to young people with a relentless focus on these two commands.

That is why 50 of us are spending this entire week walking in the steps of Jesus, learning more about how to make disciples like he did. Although we work with youth, the ancient instructions of Christ never lose their relevance.

When Stojce planted a new church in northern Serbia he focused on sharing the good news with young people and immediately equipping them to make disciples of their friends. Now pastors from across the country are coming to see how youth can be part of church-planting teams—before they even finish high school.

When Maruška understood the multiplying power of disciplemaking, she resolved never to teach something without also teaching her students to pass it on. Ten years later, she can count over 350 across Slovakia who have been impacted by the young people in her small groups, as they discipled others, who then discipled more. Maruška’s books on disciplemaking have become best sellers among the evangelical community in her country.

Make disciples who make disciples. Always keep looking to Jesus. The great commission is never out of date. Thanks for helping us change history in Central and Eastern Europe.

Dave Patty, President, Josiah Venture

Dave Patty President

Related Posts

Read Story

Discipleship, Events, Stories

The Unseen War

Three years of conflict and still no peace. The war in Ukraine has returned to the forefront of the news as world leaders clash in a spin cycle of opinions. Those in the country feel the weight of years of exhausting conflict, with no clear end in sight. But behind the scenes, another battle is raging for the spiritual soul of the nation.  Amidst pain, hardship, and struggle, God is still at work and our JV team of 27 staff are pressing forward to take ground in the fight. During the last weekend of February, they gathered 450 young people from local churches across Ukraine for an innovative “Spring Fest.” Good Bible teaching, powerful worship, and personal testimonies were woven together to point people to the resources they have in Christ. He is the only firm anchor for our souls in the midst of a raging storm. The storm is particularly fierce for these young people. Some of the youth groups meet close enough to the front lines to hear the sound of bombing all day and live with the constant threat of evacuation and displacement.   One youth group from Kharkiv, en route to the fest, had their main youth leader forcefully conscripted into the military. Can you imagine if that happened to a youth group from your church?  Yet, our sovereign God is always working to accomplish his purposes despite the evil and failures of man. In fact, he often uses these unwelcome trials to accelerate his work. Our team is experiencing an unprecedented response to the gospel and a passionate hunger in young people to grow deep in their walks with God. With the exodus of leaders out of the country or into the military, there is a huge need to equip a new generation of leaders, and our training events are packed. Other JV countries are using the crisis to mobilize their young people into mission. Recently, our JV team in Slovakia held a series of events for 250 youth leaders called “Glow and Go.” Their goal was to inspire, mobilize, and energize young leaders into personal transformation and bold outreach.  As a result, 12 Slovaks traveled into war-torn Ukraine to serve at the Spring Fest.  They led worship, organized eight workshops, and served in numerous practical ways. But most of all, they told these young people that they were not forgotten and not alone. More teams from Slovakia and the Czech Republic will be assisting with evangelistic camps. When under pressure from the enemy, the best strategy is forward motion. Thank you for joining us in the spiritual battle for Ukraine.       
Read Story

Discipleship, Stories

Fruit in Hard Soil

Dear Friends, How does the gospel bear fruit in hard soil? Montenegro is one of the most beautiful countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Sandwiched between Croatia and Albania on the Adriatic Sea, it combines stunning beaches with soaring 8000 ft mountains, rushing rivers, and the deepest canyon in Europe. But this hidden gem has very few evangelical believers. Out of a population of 600,000, less than 300 believers attend a few tiny evangelical churches. How do you make progress in such a difficult place? When Josiah Venture staff Noah and Jill Ellenwood moved to Montenegro in 2020, they immersed themselves in the local language and culture and took every opportunity to build natural relationships. Following the instructions of Jesus in Luke 10:6, they prayed that one of these new friends would be a “person of peace,” a trusted insider who would open the door to others. Noah met Slavo while playing soccer with a group of guys and invited him over to their apartment for board games. Slavo asked if he could bring his friends, and what began as a small gathering quickly grew into a weekly tradition with more than ten people attending. Slavo was always the catalyst, inviting new people while consistently building relationships. During this time, Slavo was on a personal spiritual journey. He openly shared his exploration of various paths for inner peace, including Hinduism, Buddhism, individualism, and Christianity. Noah and Jill had many candid conversations with him, sharing their own stories of God’s transformation in their lives. Still searching, Slavo embarked on a six-month backpacking trip through Europe. Along the way, he encountered people from all walks of life—Muslims who invited him to join their mosque, those who dismissed Christianity as fake, and others who loved him unconditionally. Throughout the trip, Slavo sensed that God was calling him, though he wasn’t sure what it meant at the time. When he returned, Noah spent 10 months studying the Bible with him, focusing on themes such as identity in Christ, being adopted into God’s family, and understanding sin and how it separates us from God. During this period, Slavo began experiencing dreams that seemed to be God speaking directly to him. One day, Noah received a call asking to meet on a hill where they often walked and talked. There he was greeted by a joyful Slavo, who exclaimed, “I want to do it—I want to follow Jesus!” Sitting down together, he prayed to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Slavo quickly became passionate about studying the Bible. He would often cancel plans just to keep reading, feeling unable to put the Word down. His transformation impacted his family so much that they started joining him for church services. This fall Noah had the privilege of baptizing Slavo as he publicly proclaimed his faith in Christ. Perseverance, prayer, relationships, God’s Word, time, sacrifice, and commitment—each of these is needed to bear gospel fruit in difficult soil. But then the transformation is real and spreads to others. Thank you for your part in this movement of God.
Read Story

Discipleship, Spotlight, Stories

In Harm’s Way

Dear Friends, Someone needs to protect the flock. Ukrainian troops continue to fight a grinding and exhausting war against Russian invaders on their eastern front. Many have fled the towns and villages along the front line, but some still remain, including many families with young people. Life is particularly bleak for these teenagers. In most locations a curfew kicks in at 5:00 pm, meaning civilians are confined to their homes with stores and businesses closed. In some places, the limitations only lift at noon the next day, leaving just a few hours for young people to have any connections with others. Most school classes are online, and teenagers have witnessed enough death and destruction to create a lifetime of trauma. In spite of these conditions, a handful of brave pastors and youth leaders, like Pastor Yehven, have stayed in harm’s way to bring the message of Jesus to young people, who often feel hopeless and abandoned. Pastor Yehven travels regularly to multiple villages and gathers young people in his church building for youth group during the few hours when they can congregate. Most come from unbelieving families, but there is nothing else to do in their extra time; the loving care of a shepherd is a beacon of light to them in a very dark place. Yehven leads five small groups, including a group for the blind, a youth group, and several home churches in communities where other pastors have fled. His aim is to continue serving until everyone has evacuated. But Yehven also needs support and care. That is why our Josiah Venture team travels to the front lines every couple of months to strengthen leaders like Pastor Yehven and provide resources and support to youth groups in harm’s way. This summer, we brought Yehven and his youth group out to the relative safety of the mountains in the west for an evangelistic summer camp. You can see them wearing camp t-shirts in the picture below. Yehven and his team have also been cared for by several trauma retreats our team provides to help them process the devastating experiences of war. The economy in this region is shattered, so we also send financial support to 20 key ministries and leaders who are investing in young people up and down the front lines. Our contribution of $400 a month for each of them makes it possible to continue their work in spite of the difficult circumstances. As they seek to protect the flock of young people who know Jesus and reach others whom God is calling to himself, we are working hard to protect and support them. In addition, our team is teaching young leaders how to make disciples like Jesus did at a key seminary in the region. God’s kingdom is advancing as courageous Ukrainians run toward the battle with the gospel of Jesus, rather than fleeing in self-preservation. Light always shines the brightest when it pierces through the darkness. Your gifts and prayers make this possible. On behalf of those in harm’s way, thank you.