Our Vision:
Team Expansion exists to partner with local churches to send and sustain teams of interdependent missionaries to plant indigenous churches among unreached people groups worldwide.
Team Expansion places a high value on its people. We don't desert our soldiers. Once a Team Expansion on-site worker is out on the field, we're there with them, providing communication, encouragement, and assistance as needed. International Services is the "home team" for the Team Expansion family of church planters, providing for our missionaries some of the best care in the world.
We're in the business of planting churches among the unreached. Everything we think, do and say better have that goal as its ultimate end. Regardless of the specific method or strategy -- whether radio, correspondence courses, obtaining stoves for those who are cold, or providing food for the hungry, no matter what we do, we're headed in the ultimate direction of church planting.
Why are we so strong on starting new congregations? First, because it appears that's what Paul did, alongside of those who helped him. Second, missiologists today say that it's still the most effective way to win true disciples to the Lord. Finally, we have other fields to harvest. We want to plant churches that can reproduce churches, so that local believers there will be able to continue with the work when our team of missionaries
moves on to another unreached group.
We're also in the business of working with the local church as sending agent. We don't set ourselves up as having all the answers -- because sometimes, to be honest, it's painfully obvious that we don't! So while the church provides, among other things, spiritual oversight, financial input, and moral guidance, Team Expansion seeks to pitch in with team building, pre-field orientation, logistics, and more. Together, we're building a powerful force for our Lord!
Our distinctives:
Team Expansion missionaries are all direct-support missionaries. They have to raise their support on a family-by-family basis . . . and a unique and specially trained Forwarding Agent receives gifts on behalf of the organization for each respective family.
Each Team Expansion missionary agrees to work according to seven principles or "non-negotiables:"
1) Working exclusively among the unreached
We define "unreached" as a people group where fewer than 5% of the group claim to be evangelical, Bible-believing Christians and where there are no other church-planting efforts underway by the Christian churches/churches of Christ.
This is not to say that workers in fields where these conditions do not exist do not have valid ministries. It is only our goal to focus on the very unreached of the lost.
2) Planting Churches as our major goal
All of the missionaries on the field are involved in activities that will lead to the establishment of new, indigenous churches. If an activity does not lead to establishing indigenous congregations, we don't do it. However, we believe that many people are doing support works that aid in the establishment of these congregations. When possible, we work closely with these people.
3) Working in teams
All Team Expansion missionaries serve on a team with others. The teams make decisions concerning strategy on the field with the advice and support of International Services, their Representative Elders, and expert consultants.
We do not set a rigid number for how many people form a team. It is generally accepted that a team consists of anywhere from four to twelve.
4) Coaching by experts from the outside
Special consultants are called in by teams to aid them in planning strategies and in providing expertise in ministry. In this way teams do not have to reinvent the wheel but can learn from the experience and advice of veteran missionaries and consultants.
5) Being a light, not a judge; a model, not a critic
Team Expansion missionaries affirm the diversity of personalities, spiritual gifts and perspectives on methodology in the Body of Christ. We seek to avoid a condemnational attitude toward our co-workers. Instead we strive to "be a light, not a judge; a model, not a critic."
6) Reporting monthly to supporters
To uphold integrity as servants of Christ, each missionary commits to submit regular monthly reports to each supporter. We believe that this results in more trust and understanding between the senders and the ones sent.
7) Holding to a firm biblical orientation
Each Team Expansion missionary is committed to a firm biblical orientation based on restoring the church to the model given in the New Testament.
For more infromation you can visit www.teamexpansion.com
The basis of our plan revolves on the cell method, which is basically the church meeting in homes in an intimate small group setting and coming together in a large group setting for celebration and worship. Our method assumes that every member can be a leader and every member can minister in the ways that God has shaped them through gifts, passions, abilities, personalities, experiences and education. To light an entire city on fire for God will require more than a few people. Believers will come together in small group settings to worship, build each other up, be examples, encourage one another and find out how to minister effectively for God's kingdom. God wants marriages to be healed and families to be whole under his leadership. Our team sees the need for an effective youth ministry and has a team member dedicated to that purpose. We are currently looking for others to fill full-time roles of worship, counseling, teaching English and campus outreach for the thousands of students that attend the Universities in Ancona.
