God has a plan for each one of the nearly 7,000 living languages in the world today.

The worldwide rise of mobile phone technology is the greatest opportunity for the advance of the Gospel since Gutenberg's press.

But "mobile phone technology" is not the same as "smartphones", even though the marketing and industry buzz we regularly experience would suggest otherwise.

Our kids used to love going to the park in our neighborhood in Thailand, especially when the fire ants were not out! One day, the man who owned the noodle shop across the street was there with his young daughter.

The Atlas of Global Christianity (also available here) contains statistics, maps and charts about various aspects of Christianity around the world.

In a recent article on Wired.com, the following statement was made:

“Organizations that are founded to solve problems end up committed to the preservation of the problems.”

This is a true story, taking place at the time of writing. A missionary is working with a local church leader from a language group in another country. They are designing a storytelling approach to teach the Word of God to their people in their own language.

Why are unrestricted (aka "free & open") discipleship resources a key part of the future of global discipleship strategies?

Before attempting to answer this question, it is important to understand the context in which it is being addressed:

• The global church is on the rise, and wanting to grow in discipleship.

The purpose of Distant Shores Media is sometimes not easily understood, because it is focused on

• meeting a need that is often misunderstood
• by removing an obstacle that is often overlooked and
• by developing a new strategy to meet the need.

Meeting a need

The need that is often misunderstood is stated in a familiar passage:

A few years back, some friends and I watched part of a high school football game at a crowded stadium. We were only there for a few minutes but one play in particular stood out. The offense was backed up against their own goal line and were having a hard time moving the ball forward. As they prepared for the next play, one of the wide receivers ran towards the sideline as though he was going to leave the field, but he didn't. He waited by the edge of the field where some of the coaching staff stood near him, making it look as though he was no longer in the game.

This is the (very abbreviated) story of three encyclopedias: Britannica, Encarta and Wikipedia. Their stories provide a good parallel for understanding where discipleship ministry is today and the unprecedented opportunities before us for equipping the global church.