Into All Creation: Strategic Partnerships for Gospel Outreach in a Highly Mobile World

Abstract

Our world is changing. It is smaller and more mobile than ever before. People from every part of the globe are immigrating to Canada and the United States. People come for school, work, and to be with family. Some return to their country of origin, but most have come to Canada and the United States to live permanently. This great and current immigration to North America affects not only WELS home missions and local congregations, but it also affects the way WELS does world missions. With the world at its fingertips, WELS is better poised to “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation”1 than ever before. This recent immigration presents great opportunities for world outreach as the 40 million foreign born in the United States and 7 million foreign born in Canada are part of families and communities that stretch across oceans. WELS can continue to “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” by partnering with all the world. When WELS leaders, pastors, and members embrace foreign nationals as their brothers and sisters in Christ and as partners in sharing the gospel, God’s kingdom and the lost he seeks to bring into it are greatly blessed.