The R. I. N. Strategy of Missions

This is the first of a three part series dealing with issues that directly impact the effectiveness of missions strategy by career missionaries, volunteers, and national partners. It is call the R. I. N. Strategy of Missions. R. I. N. stands for Reproducibility - Indigeneity - Non-Dependency. I hope what is expressed here will enable others to avoid many of the heartbreaking mistakes we on the field have made over the years. If you can pass an idea or strategy through this 3 phase filtering system without making any changes, then you have a greater chance of success. However, if an idea stops anywhere along the way, it would be better to stop and re-evaluate what you are going to do prior to implementation.

Several years ago at a Stateside Debriefing Conference I heard former IMB VP Dr. Don Kammerdiener state, "The sharper your vision, the more you will say no to." One of the greatest challenges for those involved in the missionary task is learning when and how to say no to good things and say yes to those strategies that will truly make an eternal difference. If we do not have a clear vision of what we are attempting to achieve, then saying yes or no really makes no difference. However, if our vision includes giving every person in our perople group, the opportunity to hear, understand, and respond to the Gospel, then our decisions become a matter of spiritual life and death for those who still have yet to believe.

Is it reproducible by others without outside assistance? This is a crucial question, especially the closer you get to evangelism, church planting, and discipleship. Actually, there are some strategies that it may not matter if it is reproducible or not. For example, we have used medical teams to open villages for church planting follow-up but we never intended these teams to be reproducible by our national partners. Also, many Gospel Saturaton projects may or may not need to be reproducible. So, how do you know if an idea or strategy needs to be reproducible. The really simple asnwer is, do you want others to do on their own what you have just modeled. If the answer is yes, then you need to be sure the entire process is reproducible. Here are two principles to help you ensure reproducibility.

Principle One: Do not do for others what they can and should do for themselves.

Principle Two: Train or teach others to do what they currently cannot do but should be able to do for themselves.

What most people do not realize is that sometimes even really good ideas can actually hinder the advancement of the Gospel to the frontiers of lostness simply because national believers are unable to reproduce the process that they saw modeled or the modeled is dependent on outside assistance. I am reminded of a request that Paul the missionary made in 2 Thessalonians 3:1; "Finally brethern, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you." We can pray for the rapid spread of the Gospel but this prayer must also be followed by actions that will accelerate the spread of the Gospel and not hinder its advancement.

There is a dark and ugly side of not following the principles of reproducibility. This is the underlying message we send when we do not model, train, and empower others in a way that they can then reproduce the same process and results. No one, of course, says these things outloud, but the message is still the same.

"You can't do what we can do."
"Even if you could do it, we can do it better."
"We are not sure that you are smart enough to learn how to do this."

Again, I have never heard anyone say this outloud and most folks would deny having thoughts anywhere close to these statements. However, as someone once wisely stated, "actions speak louder than words". And it is in our actions where we are found guilty.

So how do we avoid strategies that would lead us to implementing non-reproducible methodologies? Here are several ways to ensure reproducibility in your efforts. First, use the M.A.W.L. model as a framework for anything you want others to be able to do without you.

M.A.W.L -- Model Assist Watch & Leave

Model
by showing others how to do what you want them to do
Assist
by allowing them to do what you have modeled giving advice when needed
Watch
by observing them from a distance doing what you have modeled
Leave
them to do what they now can and should be doing without you

Another way to ensure reproducibility is to be ruthlessly critical of every aspect of your process. By this I mean constantly ask the question, can my people group do this, purchase this, make this, reproduce this without me or my resources? If your answer is ever no, they can't, then you have taken a step away from reproducibility. The problem for us is that even the smallest detail may not be a big deal for us but can mean everything to our people group in terms of their ability to reproduce what we have modeled.

I once had a missionary request addtional funds for training materials for his people group. I asked him what the materials were for. He responded that they were documents to assist them in church planting. Then I asked, if he, the missionary, was requesting funds, from where would the second generation church planters get their materials. There was a long silence. It became painfully clear that this process could not be reproduced by his people.

Then there was the missionary who arrived at training events a day early so that materials needed for the training could be purchased at local stores in the same location where the training would be held. Then when these materials were utilized in the workshop the missionary could tell participants where the item was purchased and the cost. Very reproducible.

Another principle to remember when thinking about reproducibility is, "Less is More and Simple is Better". What does someone need to know and have in hand to witness? How much does it cost to plant a church? How many study guides are needed to disciple someone? How we answer these and many other questions determines the level of reproducibility.

Americans like motivational quotes and stories that inspire us. I have heard many a strategy defended by quotes and stories such as these few examples:

1. Practice makes perfect.

WRONG!!! The "right" practice makes perfect. If you do something wrong over and over again you will become perfect at doing it wrong.

2. The seashore was covered with start fish. I came up on a man throwing them back in the water one at a time. I told the man that he would never get them all back in the water so why bother. What does it matter? Holding a starfish in his hand he looked at me and said, "it matters to this one".

Touching and heartwarming isn't it? But if our goal is to allow everyone an opportunity to hear, understand, and respond to the Gospel then non-reproducible models such as descibed in the story should not satisfy our desire to see more come into the Kingdom

3. If only one person comes to the Lord, then it was worth all the money and all the time invested.

This one makes my skin crawl. What we are doing is a matter of stewardship. If I could take that same amount of money and time and adjust the strategy so that it becomes reproducible and see 100 people saved, which is better? We have learn how to spiritualize our inability to do the right thing at the right time the right way.

It is not the missionary task to complete the task of total evangelization of a people group. The missionary task is to begin a process whereby local believers are taught how to be obedient to the commands of Christ and Scripture so that they continue to win their own people and then move out toward their Samaria, Judea, and the uttermost parts of the earth. As Steve Saint so aptly put it in his book, "The Great Omission", "The specific purpose of missions is to plant the church of Christ within every distinct people group on earth. It is then the responsibility of those churches to evangelize the rest of their group." For this to happen, our strategies for evangelization, church planting, and discipling new believers must be reproducible by those believers even after we are gone.

Is it reproducible by others without outside assistance? Remember, it's not about us!!