Training Evangelistic Leadership
"Go quickly and tell...that He is risen from the dead!" — Matthew 28:7
Ministry News
Five Souls in Six Tries
[China: Feb 5, 2014]
There are some who say openness to the Gospel is waning in China. Any maybe that's true. Maybe the great door of opportunity is beginning to close. Maybe in some places or among some social groups. But not everywhere in China. One of our colaborers has had the chance to share the Gospel six times in two months with just two to five people at a time, and seen five people receive Christ's gift of salvation.
For years, we've had an evangelism/discipleship meeting on Thursday nights. We have half a dozen trained disciplers there who can lead someone to Christ and teach them how to continue growing in Christ. They are doctors and lawyers, photographers and businessmen. We even have one or two full-time evangelist/disciplers there every week. Teachers and students regularly share with their friends and invite them to our meeting to learn more. The influx of new students waxes and wanes throughout each year.
This year, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, there was at least one curious newcomer each week. Piqued by the zeal of other new students or the faithful testimony of older students and teachers, these newcomers came to learn about this Jesus.
With Christmas on the way and our team's Christmas celebration preparations moving into high gear, most of the trainers and long-time students used the regular study time for practice. One new teacher wasn't involved in those preparations, so each week's new seeker was handed over to him.
The first week, there were two: a couple of fresh college grads just starting out in their careers. After hearing and seeing the Bridge Illustration of the Gospel, the young man acknowledged that he had accepted Christ as Savior his last year of high school; the young woman confessed that she had never heard it before. But that didn't stop her from praying on her own, "God, I believe that Jesus is Your Son and that He died on the cross for my sins and rose again on the third day. Thank You!"
The next week, the young man, a mechanic by trade, returned to keep studying, but he would have to get the same lesson again. He brought a college classmate of his, and someone else brought a friend! Both wanted to know what made their friends believe in Jesus. So our new mechanic friend watched again as his teacher explained the Gospel using the Bridge Illustration. Our mechanic's classmate knew something about Christ, since he had brought him to a college fellowship before they graduated, but he was never sure where his friend stood. That night his classmate accepted God's forgiveness through Jesus; the young lady expressed gratitude for the clear explanation, but declined to embrace Christ.
After a Thanksgiving break, the mechanic was back and his teacher was eager to continue his training. But another two new friends showed up, and theirs was the only small group available. The mechanic would have to wait another week. Or would he? His teacher asked him to do his best to recall whatever he could of the Bridge and draw it for the group. Nervously, he began. His teacher expected only that he'd sketch out a rough approximation of the illustration, but the mechanic blew away his expectations. He drew it out step by step and explained it in enough detail for both these newcomers to understand exactly what God had done for them. In the end, it was a split decision: one believed, the other didn't. Our young mechanic bore his first fruit that night!
A doctor in town for several months of continuing education came a week later and put his trust in Christ for salvation. A college student on break from school overseas was back in town. She had been attending a church near her school, but so far had not embraced Christ. She came to our Christmas program and was stirred, but still wasn't ready. Then a couple weeks after that, she showed up on Thursday night. After a brief review of the Bridge Illustration, her heart finally opened to Christ. With tears in her eyes, she professed faith in Christ's atonement with simple but clear words.
Five new souls seated with Christ in the Heavenlies, and in only six attempts at sharing the Gospel over the span of about two months. From where we sit, it doesn't yet look like the harvest in China is drying up.
In fact, our team still feels short handed. They're overwhelmed by the opportunities to share Christ and disciple young believers. Wouldn't you like to share Christ this often? Wouldn't you like to have a steady stream of new people to disciple? Then come join our team!
If the door is beginning to close, then time is short. China needs a whole lot more people sharing Christ there right now before this incredible time of spiritual openness is truly passed.
Our Vision
Motivated by Christ’s Great Commission to preach the gospel to every creature, Training Evangelistic Leadership’s primary objective is to recruit, train, and send forth local Gospel teams that reap public decisions for Christ with personalized follow-up. In countries where public preaching is possible, teams are sent forth to publicly proclaim the gospel. In others, personal evangelism is emphasized. Emphasis is always placed on shepherding those who make decisions for Christ into local churches.
TEL teams operate with three primary ministry distinctives:
- SERVING the national culture and local society by leaving the fruit of our evangelism and follow-up within the local churches.
- BLENDING missionaries and nationals together with equal status and opportunities into a mutually uplifting relationship.
- CONTINUING our missionaries on a lifelong basis by their bonding with the language and culture and continuing to develop a living fellowship with Jesus Christ.
TEL labors to train Asian evangelists for the harvest in a home environment. We apply Mark 3:14 by inviting Asians to live “with us” in full-time training programs of several months duration, where they are quipped both in the classroom and on the job for effective evangelistic ministry. Graduates of TEL training programs serve in churches, mission agencies, and as TEL staff. TEL also helps equip church leaders in effective evangelism and disciplemaking through training seminars.
In addition to team evangelistic ministry, all TEL missionaries and national workers labor to multiply their witness through personal disciplemaking.
Latest News
» Philippines Opportunities 2014
[Philippines: Feb 8, 2014]
Are you interested in a ministry trip to the Philippines? We have lots of opportunities to experience our ministry coming up in the next few months. Individuals are easy to incorporate into whatever is happening. Teams too are welcome! more »
» Fruitful Philippines
[Philippines: Feb 7, 2014]
Our Philippines teams are rejoicing over the multiplication they are seeing among their many disciples. They are seeing disciples multiply through several means: through one-on-one and small groups, evangelism training, and training other ministries in skills and vision. more »
» Five Souls in Six Tries
[China: Feb 5, 2014]
There are some who say openness to the Gospel is waning in China. Any maybe that's true. Maybe the great door of opportunity is beginning to close. Maybe in some places or among some social groups. But not everywhere in China. One of our colaborers has had the chance to share the Gospel six times in two months with just two to five people at a time, and seen five people receive Christ's gift of salvation. more »
Upcoming Events
Current Needs
» We periodically receive requests for training from other Southeast Asian countries, but lack the laborers to respond. Pray with us for new missionaries to train and send to our existing fields or to these new fields. [United States: Nov 21, 2011]
» Lasting fruit from campus evangelism in both Shanghai and Guangzhou [China: Sep 10, 2008]
» Open doors for the Director of Development to share about TEL in new places [United States: Sep 15, 2008]
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Our Origins
Training Evangelistic Leadership (TEL) was launched in Singapore in 1970 by Rev. Roy Robertson out a recognized need to develop more full-time Asian evangelists. He invited six men from five Asian countries to live in his home for a year to receive on-the-job training in evangelistic ministry. The vision of TEL continued to expand as Roy and his wife Phyllis conducted similar training programs through homes in Japan, Indonesia, India, and the Philippines.
TEL was initially formed by Roy as a project of The Navigators but has since become an independent mission agency that operates with an international board of directors in Denton, TX. Roy, who founded and continues to serve as International Director of TEL, sailed to China in 1948 having been appointed The Navigators’ first missionary by the organization’s founder Dawson Trotman. Roy labored in the ministry of evangelism and disciplemaking through The Navigators in many Asian countries until his retirement in 1986. Upon his retirement, Roy renewed his commitment to continue the ministry of evangelism and training in Asia full-time through TEL. The resultant fruit of that commitment, TEL is now a mission agency which is blend of about half international missionaries and half national workers operating in 6 Asian countries and in the United States.
TEL continues to labor in South and Southeast Asia with a vision to preach the gospel to every creature through direct proclamation and through training others who also desire to labor in this vision. The harvest is still ripe in Asia and TEL is trusting God for full-time missionaries whom God has called to help complete the work of evangelism in Asia through serving in gospel teams and training others to do the same.
For information about serving with TEL, please see our Service Opportunities.
TEL Resources
TEL's ministry is to help equip God's people for effective ministry to others through evangelism and discipleship. Toward that end, we offer several types of materials for purchase and some of our overseas materials for direct download. Thanks to Discipleship Library (External Link), we are also pleased to make available many of Roy Robertson's messages from his 50+ years of missionary service.
May the Lord be glorified, His Gospel proclaimed and His Kingdom advanced through the use of all these resources.
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China
The world's most populous country with over 1.3 billion people, China also has one of the world's most rapidly growing Christian populations. Due to the spiritual vacuum that was left by the ideological upheaval of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960-70's, Chinese are seeking for truth to fill the void. They are responding eagerly to the peace that the gospel provides while economic advancement competes for their hearts.
Hong Kong
The Pearl of the Orient, this former British colony still enjoys the freedoms granted by the British Empire. At the 1997 handover, the Chinese government promised not to change anything for at least 50 years. So there remains total freedom to do any kind of ministry on the streets as well as in church-run schools. An incredibly busy and developed city of more than 6 million souls, it desperately needs to hear that success is measured not in terms of earthly wealth, but by the depth of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
India
The world's second-most populous country with over 1 billion people, India may have more people than China within its borders by 2025. Despite the huge number of people, India's population is still less than 3% Christian. A deeply spiritual place, India produced two of the world's major religions—Hinduism and Buddhism. Next to Indonesia, it has the 2nd highest population of Muslims in the world. Rapid economic expansion in some parts of India is loosening traditional cultural moorings and opening up hearts to the gospel. Rural Indians, who live under economic hardship, remain open to the hope that the gospel provides.
Indonesia
Indonesia is the world's 4th most-populous nation. It also has the largest population of Muslims in the world but many of them are animistic in their beliefs. Although the percentage of evangelical Christians in the country is still less than 10%, there has been consistent growth over the past few decades especially among the rural poor.
Philippines
One of the most spiritually responsive countries in Asia, the Philippines has an evangelical Christian population of 12-13%. There is a small population of Muslims concentrated primarily in the South, while the majority of Filipinos are Catholics who mix traditional animistic beliefs with the Catholic practices that were brought to them by the Spanish. The general population is ripe for the gospel while the Christians have a great need for Bible knowledge and training in outreach.
Singapore
Known as "Instant Asia," the city-state of Singapore is a mixture of Asian peoples living within a small, yet affluent urban center. Despite the spiritual mix that is a result of Singapore's multiethnic population, there is a healthy Christian population of over 8%. The receptivity to the gospel among the general as well as immigrant populations in Singapore is challenged by the pursuit of affluence.
United States
Despite its long history of Christian belief, the United States is turning away from its foundation. Christianity continues to move toward nominalism and there is interest in alternate forms of spirituality with some based on Eastern religion. The US population is also becoming multiethnic. Young people continue to be the most open to the gospel while there is also openness among people of Asian and Hispanic ethnicity who study or work in the States.
Vietnam
The Vietnamese people have suffered much through the years of conflict that they have endured. They have come out a resilient people. Many are looking to the hope of economic improvement that urban living provides while there is still much rural poverty. Vietnamese are friendly with foreigners and eager to learn English. Although the majority of the population is Buddhist, many are open to learning about the gospel.