WWJD in the Far North? Put on a coat and make disciples
By Jim Stamberg in Alaska —
As any parent knows, raising kids to be mature adults can feel impossible at times. Are they mature just because they can pay rent, drive a car, hold a job, or cook Ramen Noodles? What is our goal?
I will consider my two boys mature when they can adequately care and provide for their own families. As a result, at times I remind them, “When you are a parent someday, you will …” or “When you are a husband, you will need to … .”
The goal is not just for them to “show up” to adulthood with a job and a place to live; they need to learn that maturity means caring for the people God has entrusted to them.
Jesus explained that making disciples meant to “baptize them” (i.e., witness to people and bring them to the point of following Jesus) and to “teach them to obey all I have commanded you.” Notice he did not simply say “teach them,” but “teach them to obey.” Jesus did not want knowledgeable students; he wanted committed followers. Furthermore, he wanted disciples who would take ALL of his commands seriously.
Take a moment and write down as many of Christ’s commands as you can remember. Did you remember to include his command to “go and make disciples?” If not, your list is incomplete.
If we are going to take Christ’s Great Commission seriously, we have to remember that the job is not done until those people whom we disciple also learn to obey Jesus’ command to make disciples. Disciple-making is not only for pastors, missionaries, and other perceived “super” Christians. Jesus expects all of his followers to grow to maturity, and maturity means learning to raise up the next generation.
For the past 15 years, SEND North has passionately focused on gospel proclamation in Alaskan and northern Canadian villages. God has grown our village church-planting presence from four families to nearly 50 people, yet we know the work is far from finished. Although many Northern people have heard the gospel, there are very few healthy churches because there are very few local people who understand their part in making disciples.
To help us focus on this reality, SEND North adopted a new vision statement:
To see every community of the 60/70 Window filled with local disciple-makers who meet together regularly and have established regional leadership.
It’s a challenging vision — but how does vision become reality in our workers’ day-to-day lives? One of our teammates shares:
One of my favorite discipleship moments included taking a younger man from our church out moose hunting. He was having a little trouble finding a bull for his family’s winter meat supply, which is a crucial thing to have in the North. I knew where to go and what to do because an older friend had shown me when we needed help getting a moose for the freezer. I was able to teach the younger man what to do after he shot the moose, and how to properly care for the 1,200-pound animal to respectfully harvest all the usable meat.
While we worked, we talked about life and faith and discussed how he could be involved in our church’s ministry. A couple of weeks later, he preached his first message at our church. God is continuing to work in his life, and I am excited to watch him as he disciples others.
Jesus was a master at using common things, such as water, wheat, and even fish, to teach Kingdom lessons to those who followed him. He gives each of us common things every day that are opportunities to teach those around us. Are we willing to take the opportunities he gives us, regardless of where we live, to advance the Kingdom and make disciple makers?
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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