Converge First Peoples Initiative
Converge International Ministries has established the First Peoples Initiative to reach Indigenous people in North America with the gospel. Initiatives are significant, cross-cultural endeavors that target a geographic area, a people group, a religious background or a large urban center. Each initiative includes local gospel endeavors called projects that contribute to the larger gospel initiative. We are asking God for a gospel movement among the First Peoples in North America so that 5% of this least-reached people group are reached for Jesus and then raised up to participate in God’s global mission.Ryan O'Leary
Getting Started in Native Ministry
As you or your church considers engaging in Native ministry, below are helpful tips for getting started and potential pathways for direct involvement.
Questions to Consider as You Begin
· What is God’s plan? How does he want to use you or your church? Pray that God places a tribe, community or geographic area on your heart and ask him how he want to use you. Consider using the Converge 2:10 Focus process to discover and confirm God’s plan.
· Are you committed to engaging a minimum of once a year for three years in the same location? It takes time and consistency to build trust. Prioritize activities that form long-term relationships over project work. Projects can come much later.
· Is there a reservation, community or ministry partner within a 4-hour driving radius from your church? Engaging there allows people to participate in a weekend activity with plenty of time for meaningful ministry and facilitates return visits.
· Do you already have connections, relationships with Native people or experience in Native ministries? God may be providing a pathway for engaging by “connecting the dots.”
· Do you have the support of the senior pastor, elders and missions team? If not, this may be a personal ministry.
Most ministry engagements occur through an on-site facilitator such as a local church, global worker, or an existing ministry. Finding an experienced facilitator is one of the first steps.
Two ways to get started: 1) Identify a people group or geographic area for engaging and then make connections, or 2) make connections to identify a people group or geographic areas that God may be leading you into.
· Native Ministries International Home - Native Ministries International www.nativemi.org has links to many useful resources, locations of and information about tribes in North America, listings of churches on or near reservations and reserves, and a listing of 34 organizations involved in Native ministry. Local churches can provide much information. Listed organizations cans as well. Research this site.
· Decide whether to pursue Native ministry as a team or with just one or two individuals called into Native ministry.
· Contact the First Peoples Leadership Councils of Converge regions to learn of opportunities.
· Contact sending agencies to identify opportunities for engaging. For remote and rural Alaska and Canada connect with SEND North, SEND Canada, Interact, and Converge churches in Anchorage AK.
· Learn of locations where other teams have been active and get contact information.
· Consider opportunities with other denominations.
· Participate in relevant conferences and seminars.
· Get newsletters and read blogs of organizations serving First Peoples.
· Attend high school sporting events and sit with the people of the Native community.
· Attend the Warrior Leadership Summit. Make connections and follow-up with potential partners.
· Attend pow-wows or observe other festivals and gatherings.
· Form a core team.
· Seek the support of the senior pastor and elders.
· Coordinate with the missions team.
· Develop a plan for communicating.
· Conduct a vision trip.
· Make a 3-time commitment.
Some Ways to Engage
· Be a consortium church and part of the First Peoples Initiative prayer network.
· Partner with a church or ministry on or near a reservation or Native community serving a significant number of Native people.
· Join a short-term team already engaged in First Peoples ministry.
· Organize a team and conduct your own short-term mission trip.
· Volunteer at a camp for First Peoples kids, youth, or families.
· Volunteer with a sports camp serving First Peoples.
· Volunteer with an organization serving a First Peoples community.
· Serve at a Bible college or Christian college for First Peoples.
· Partner with parachurch organizations with Native ministries, including Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Cru, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, YWAM, and YFC.
· Partner with organizations like the Center for Indian Ministries (CIM) to provide relevant biblical education, ministry training, and equipping of disciples and leaders.
· Arrange prayer walks via ZOOM and maintain prayer lists.
· Consider a fishing, hunting, or archery ministry.
· Consider partnering with a tribal council or community to conduct a National Night Out event.
· Consider serving Native veterans.
· Conduct event-based evangelistic outreaches.
· Respond to natural disasters impacting Indigenous communities.
· Provide Disciple Making Movement training.
· Get involved in a reconciliation and healing ministry.
· Get involved with addressing MMIW among Native communities and trafficking, addiction, suicide prevention and counseling.
· Conduct parent education seminars to enhance parenting skills.
· Provide Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) training and faith-based trauma training to build resiliency in individuals impacted by trauma and to overcome trauma.
· Provide and support Christian addiction recovery programs including Celebrate Recovery and MN Adult and Teen Challenge.
· Start a grief support group in a Native community.
· Consider involvement in initiatives that address other felt needs, special needs (poor, disabled), widows, orphans, relocated people, foster care, and broken family situations involving Native people.
· Support the recruiting of Native global workers and church planting in Native communities.
· Support the Business as a Mission movement for businesses serving First People communities.
· Consider establishing a Christian gaming social group involving First Peoples youth.
· Volunteer with a group that focuses on performing projects benefitting a First Peoples community.
If you are called to ministry with remote villages of Alaska or Canada:
· Consider an Adopt-a-Village outreach. The First Peoples Initiative can provide details.
· Support missionary aviation.
· Support with prayer and finances Christian radio, TV, and on-line ministries for First Peoples.
· Promote and support the Without Reservation radio ministry. Work to get Christian programming on radio stations serving reservations.
· Support construction of radio towers to reach remote areas presently unreached by radio.
· Get a kid in a remote village to a camp.
· Care for long-term workers in remote villages to combat loneliness, burn-out and leaving the field.
Keeping it Going
· Consider an engagement large enough that the entire church can rally around it.
· Encourage short-term teams to maintain long-term relationships through social media.
· Invite others in the church and outside your church to join you. Welcome first-timers that may be trying to decide if Native ministry is part of God’s plan for them. Invite Native people to join in your ministry.
· Commission teams and individuals when sending them out.
· Communicate results. Use testimonials and stories of how God worked to stir passion and engage others in Native ministry.
· Celebrate successes.
· Provide follow-up care for new believers and walk with them.
· Encourage missions programs and congregations to meet face to-to-face with missionaries.
· Form teams that care for long-term workers doing Native ministry.
Dale Dimitroff <firstname.lastname@example.org>
Converge International Ministries has established the First Peoples Initiative to reach Indigenous people in North America with the gospel. Ryan O'Leary