Making Disciples of All Nations: Sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ
GFA World believes in making disciples of all nations. Jesus expresses His command through Matthew 28:19 when He tells His disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations …” (NKJV). GFA World carries out Jesus’ directive by sending GFA-supported missionaries to communities in Africa and Asia to preach the Good News of God’s love.
This directive, often called the Great Commission, represents Jesus’ final instruction to His followers before ascending into heaven.[1] Jesus gave His disciples not just a suggestion but a clear mandate with authority in heaven and on earth backing His words.[2]
The complete passage reveals Jesus’ assurance: all power in heaven and earth has been given to Him, and He promises to remain with His followers until the end of the age. This Jesus command established a foundation for the church’s mission throughout history, calling believers to active participation in spreading God’s Word to all peoples and cultures.
A GFA-supported missionary was present in the lives of Radu and Sadia.[3] At the age of 12, Radu began working to support his family. Leaving his home for another village with greater work opportunities, he spent multiple years enduring harsh working conditions to help his family. His exhausting work took a heavy toll on his body. When his father passed away, Radu assumed the responsibility of leading their household.
Sadia also had a difficult life. Her family struggled mightily after her father died, and as tweens, Sadia and her sister began working to support their family. Two childhoods were sacrificed to ensure survival.
Radu and Sadia married, and they wanted a better life for their children, but they struggled. Sadia’s health started deteriorating, and she experienced severe headaches that no doctor could treat. Radu tried to help her, but his efforts were in vain. He was desperate for a solution. That’s when God sent Haruto, a GFA-supported missionary, into their lives.
Like countless others serving across Africa and Asia, Haruto understood his role extended beyond preaching. He embodied what it means to share the gospel through both word and compassionate action, meeting physical needs while introducing people to spiritual hope.
Radu refused to consider Christianity until his wife’s illness compelled him to give faith a try. When they approached Pastor Haruto for help, he received Radu and Sadia with open arms, offered a prayer for Sadia and introduced them to God’s message. God healed Sadia, and their hearts began to open to the Good News.
This moment marked the beginning of their spiritual journey. Encountering Christ’s love through Haruto’s prayer and care opened a door they had never imagined existed. God’s transforming power became evident through tangible healing that drew this couple toward faith.
As they attended church, Radu and Sadia started to learn more about Jesus, and their faith deepened. Currently, they utilize their tragic experience to share the truth with others. The Lord used Haruto to change their lives, and He continues to build their faith each day.
Transformation like theirs reflects the ultimate goal: not merely initial belief, but helping people become mature in Christ. This maturity develops through ongoing spiritual growth, characterized by deeper knowledge of God and consistent application of biblical teachings in daily life.[4] Mature believers demonstrate Christ-like character, serve others selflessly, and reproduce themselves spiritually by helping others grow in faith.
Haruto represents the community service of GFA-supported missionaries because he serves as a local missionary who understands the language and culture of his area. Through a strong bond with the community members they serve, these missionaries gain deep insight into how best to help those around them.
The Biblical Foundation for Missions
The biblical foundation for missionary work extends beyond Matthew 28. In Acts 13, the early church commissioned Paul and Barnabas as the first formally sent missionaries, establishing a pattern of prayerful commissioning that continues today. This model shows how local congregations partnered with missionaries through prayer, fasting, and laying on of hands to reach communities that had yet to hear the Good News.
The Antioch church’s example demonstrates how believers can work together to support those called to cross-cultural ministry, creating sustainable partnerships for long-term gospel impact.
GFA-supported missionaries deliver the love of Jesus to people, and their actions exemplify the message. Haruto’s ministry encompasses assisting people in need, providing support during disasters, offering pension services to older people, and promoting children’s educational development. The service he offers enables him to earn people’s trust, which then opens opportunities for sharing the Good News.
This integrated approach recognizes that people need holistic care. Addressing physical suffering while sharing spiritual truth demonstrates the complete compassion of Christ, who healed bodies while offering eternal salvation. When missionaries meet immediate needs, they build bridges of trust that allow deeper conversations about lasting hope.
GFA-supported missionaries have a deep, personal connection with the people they serve. Reaching the nations with the Good News requires genuine love for people in their current state, accompanied by comprehensive spiritual and physical support. Missionaries connect with people on a personal level, hoping to transform their lives for eternity.
This approach aligns with how Jesus commanded his disciples to operate: teaching them to observe all that He commanded. Making disciples involves more than a single moment of decision; it requires patient, consistent instruction in the ways of Christ, helping new believers understand how to apply God’s Word to every area of life. True discipleship creates followers who themselves become teachers, perpetuating a cycle of spiritual multiplication across generations.
Reaching Unreached People Groups
Jesus’ life-changing message reached Radu and Sadia through Haruto. Had Haruto not entered their lives, they would not have known about Jesus. According to one organization, those that have yet to hear about Jesus are “people group[s] within which there is no Indigenous community of believing Christians able to [reach] this group.”[5] Who are the people groups not yet reached? They are communities where there is little to no Christian witness.
The task of reaching these communities echoes throughout Scripture. Before His ascension, Jesus instructed His followers that they would be witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. This geographic progression—from local to global—provided a framework for the early church’s missionary expansion, showing that the message would spread in concentric circles from Jerusalem outward. This pattern continues today as local believers reach their own communities before extending their witness to increasingly distant peoples.
What are people groups? People groups are defined by their culture, native language and traditional practices. To connect with them, one needs to demonstrate love, patience and a cultural understanding of their specific needs. GFA-supported national missionaries are equipped to reach these people who’ve not yet heard the name of Christ.[6]
The Holy Spirit empowers this mission work across cultural boundaries. Without divine guidance and strength, reaching diverse communities with varied languages and customs would prove impossible. The early apostles relied on God’s power to direct their steps and provide boldness to proclaim the message of salvation in the face of opposition and persecution. This same enabling presence equips modern missionaries to overcome obstacles that would otherwise seem insurmountable in their ministries.
GFA-supported missionaries undergo training to know how to establish churches in places where there are none. Because they are nationals they know the language and have cultural understanding as they show God’s love in word and deed. This relational method creates a connection between them and their communities. Hopefully, this will prepare the hearts of the people to receive the Good News!
This training equips them to fulfill the commission’s full scope: making disciples, baptizing believers in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The threefold formula represents the complete revelation of God’s nature and marks entrance into the community of believers. Through nations baptizing new converts, the church welcomes members from every tribe and language into God’s family.
This sacrament signifies both death to the old life and resurrection to new life in Christ, a visible testimony of inward transformation.
These missionaries serve as modern expressions of obedience to Christ’s mandate. Their work continues what began when Jesus sent His followers to take the message to every nation, demonstrating God’s love for all people regardless of background or location.
How You Can Support the Mission
Everyone has a role in making disciples of all nations. One way is to adopt a missionary. Through your financial support for GFA-supported missionaries, Haruto and their community can continue to meet needs while sharing Jesus’ Good News.
Supporting a missionary creates a partnership in the gospel. Your monthly commitment provides consistent resources that allow these dedicated workers to focus entirely on ministry rather than survival. This partnership extends beyond financial provision to include prayer, encouragement, and shared joy in seeing lives transformed through the message of Christ.
Adopting a missionary can benefit both individuals and communities. Missionary presence in a community becomes sustainable through your sponsorship, which helps provides access to training and relationship-building resources for the populations yet to be reached with the love of Jesus.
Your partnership enables these faithful workers to concentrate fully on their calling rather than worry about basic provisions. This support structure mirrors how the early church sustained missionaries they sent to distant regions with prayer and material support, creating networks of mutual encouragement and accountability. Such collaboration multiplies ministry effectiveness as supporters and missionaries work together toward a common vision of reaching the unreached.
Your prayer support is vital for GFA-supported missionaries as well. These workers and the people they help need our prayers as they navigate unexpected difficulties and seek God’s direction and support. Through their story, Radu and Sadia show that Jesus transforms the lives of people. Through Jesus Christ, people experience physical recovery, personal transformation, the healing of fractured relationships and the restoration of lost hope.
Prayer provides spiritual covering for those laboring in challenging environments. The apostle Paul frequently requested prayer from supporting churches, recognizing that spiritual warfare accompanies gospel advancement in unreached areas. When we pray for missionaries, we participate directly in their work, joining them in battle through intercession. These prayers sustain workers during discouragement, provide wisdom for difficult decisions, and open doors that human effort alone cannot unlock.
The message of Jesus’ love carries eternal value. Through your help, people can experience a transformation in regions that have never received the Good News message. Every person deserves the chance to feel the warmth of God’s love.
The call to make disciples remains as urgent today as two millennia ago. Millions across Africa and Asia still wait to hear the life-changing message that transformed Radu and Sadia. Through GFA-supported missionaries, that message continues spreading, fulfilling the vision of reaching all nations with God’s love and bringing hope to those who have never encountered Christ’s transforming power. Your participation in this mission—through financial support, prayer, or raising awareness—directly impacts eternity for countless individuals who desperately need to know they are loved by God.
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[1] “Globalisation of missions: An exegesis on the Great Commission.” Verbum et Ecclesia. Accessed April 13, 2026. https://scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2305-08532018000100020.
[2] “Exploring the Great Commission.” Kairos University. February 8, 2022. https://kairos.edu/2015/08/17/exploring-the-great-commission/.
[3] “A Couple’s Tragic Trail to Truth.” GFA World. September 2023. https://www.gfa.org/news/articles/a-couples-tragic-trail-to-truth-wfr23-09b.
[4] “A Call to Christian Maturity.” John Stott. February 12, 2021. https://johnstott.org/work/a-call-to-christian-maturity/.
[5] “Has Everyone Heard?” Joshua Project. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://joshuaproject.net/resources/articles/has_everyone_heard.
[6] “National Missionaries.” GFA World. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.gfa.org/sponsor/why-national-missionaries/.