"The proof is in the pudding." Isn't that how the saying goes? Actually, the old idiom (attributed to 1600's England) was originally worded like this—"The proof is in the eating of the pudding." The meaning was obvious—the real value of something is discovered by its use.

Our goal at TITUS is to pass the "pudding test." We strive to be more than just an agency with a philosophy that embraces nationals. The success of our ministry should be measured by our impact on national Christian workers. The strategies employed by those associated with TITUS are structured to develop and multiply local workers for the world harvest.

What we do, in that endeavor, is as basic as the work of missions itself. Evangelism/discipleship, church planting and leadership training are the core elements of the mission. These elements are all inter-dependent. In other words, each is intricately entwined in the other to accomplish the intended goal. Our missionaries are committed and involved in the process of multiplying workers for the nations through the establishment of local churches. Local church ministry is the "classroom" in which national workers are prepared.

Our missionaries engage in local church ministry that invests in the lives of locals. The result has been a growing network of national workers, equipped and encouraged by the foreign missionaries that serve them. Relationships are the vital part of that component. Our missionaries love and respect the nationals with whom they serve. These mutual bonds of ministry and love are producing a network of co-laborers in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The proof is truly in the pudding.

An important underlying motive of all missionary labor is the salvation of souls. Missionaries go—so the lost can know the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ! To that end, our missionaries utilize various methods to share the good news with the locals. The list of evangelistic strategies and methods that are employed are as numerous as the cultures and places that they serve. Although missionaries engage in programmed endeavors (tract distribution, crusades, church events, youth camps, orphanage ministry, etc...) personal evangelism is absolutely essential to our particular concept of ministry. Missionaries establish relationships in the natural course of living in the community. From this perspective, the Gospel is incarnational and personal. From the grocer to the neighbor, these relationships become fertile soil for making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Notice that discipleship is inseparably linked with our concept of evangelism—by design. We desire to disciple and prepare nationals for future ministry. A missionary's ministry only begins when someone accepts Christ. We focus on the development of disciples—not merely decisions. We believe that scriptural evangelism cannot be separated from discipleship. Some, undoubtedly, lead others to Christ without any consideration for their growth. They assume that the church, pastor, or "somebody" will fill the discipling/teaching role of the Great Commission.

Evangelism without discipleship guarantees tragedy for the fulfillment of the Great Commission! We certainly believe that a parent should prepare their offspring for life. Should the Christian worker not assume the same responsibility for the convert? Those that would lead a person to Christ must assume responsibility for their spiritual growth. Any expression of evangelism that does not include discipleship is impotent in multiplying workers who will reach their world.

At TITUS, we believe that a disciple-oriented ministry grows best in an environment of personal relationships. Christ-exalting friendships are, in essence, the fabric of making disciples. It is the very method that our Lord utilized to train his own. So, where does the local church fit in our discussion? It is the natural outworking of the process. These relationships, properly focused on Christ, become the building blocks of the local church. That leads us to the next topic.

Do not misinterpret our commitment to personal discipleship as being incompatible with the local church. To the contrary, we believe that such relationships build strong local churches! Such is the example of Scripture—and the aim of our ministry. If we fail to leave behind a congregation of disciples, we have left little to impact the communities in which we've labored.

Here, as we've stated elsewhere, the proof is in the pudding. In a way, you could rightly state that building local churches is the core of our mission. The various local churches scattered throughout Eastern Europe and beyond are a testimony to our commitment to the local church. These ministries are united in their devotion to Christ, but diverse in their expression. Some are small house churches, gathering in living rooms and kitchens. Some are growing congregations, meeting in rented facilities with an ever expanding circle of influence. Others are multi-faceted ministries, meeting in their own beautiful buildings, with a vast array of ministries ranging from Sunday school to summer youth camps to Bible colleges. This diversity underscores our mission to enable and empower nationals to pursue God's calling for their ministry. These are not "TITUS" churches—these are "local churches," governed and indwelled by the Spirit of God.

When it comes to the local church, our philosophy of ministry truly comes full circle. Remember that every TITUS missionary is sent to the foreign field with the blessing and authority of their local church. In turn, they establish and/or edify local churches on the foreign field. Everything about TITUS truly reflects a core commitment to the propagation of local churches. Of course, those local churches become the breeding ground of the next generation of harvest hands, which leads us yet again to the next point.

TITUS's roots lie in the training process. As stated elsewhere, the original focus of the mission was the distribution of materials that were produced specifically for missionaries to use in training national workers. These audio-visual materials have been used by hundreds of missionaries, and are still in use around the world. Training national leadership on the foreign field is absolutely indispensible to church growth and multiplication.

There are numerous ways to train and equip nationals. Our commitment is to the process, not a method. There are differing opinions concerning methods of leadership development. On one hand is the structured model of classroom instruction—the Bible College. On the other hand is the mentor approach of training leadership in the context of ministry—an apprenticeship. Additional options fill the space between these two. We encourage whatever works for the missionary and the national.

Training nationals provides numerous opportunities for effective partnerships between missionaries and their supporting partners. Churches can create vital partnerships with their missionaries by sending pastors and teachers to supplement the training of nationals. Skilled educators from Christian colleges will also find various opportunities in overseas leadership training projects. Such partnerships are a practical and powerful tool in training national Christian workers. TITUS missionaries are always looking for such partnerships to train the next generation of nationals.

Additional information about ministry partnerships

Of course, partnerships between western Christians and national workers need not be limited exclusively to teaching and training. Great opportunities exist for financial partnerships. Many churches and Christians today have found national Christian workers to be a sound investment for their mission money.

Even though there have been some abuses of such partnerships, we believe that the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. There have been cases of unscrupulous national workers who have solicited funds under false pretenses from western churches. To be fair, we must also acknowledge that some western missionaries have been guilty of the same reprehensible conduct. Dishonesty is a matter of the heart, not ethnicity. In spite of this, we stand by our core philosophy that the national Christian worker is essential to reaching the world for Christ. Consequently, we encourage and assist the financial support of godly national workers.

TITUS seeks to limit the likelihood of financial impropriety by channeling finances to national workers by means of trusted relationships. In other words, we only help those we know. Resident missionaries on the field have come to know and trust the nationals that work in partnership with TITUS. In many cases, the missionaries have been personally involved in the training and ministry of the national workers. We believe that personal relationships are an essential component in the support of national workers.

We must also remember that there are many places in our world that only nationals can reach for Christ. Dozens of nations in the 10/40 window are restricted to foreign missionaries. Yet, these same nations are the ones that need the Gospel the most. Our financial support of national workers is essential to spreading the Gospel in these countries.

Learn more about financial partnerships.