What a year! 2020 is the year when everybody changed their plans. The familiar business motto “Innovate or die” has never been more true for more people than it has this year.

Our team has responded to the challenge in an amazing way and 2020 is becoming a turning point year for us in the growth of our ministry impact. As we come to the end of this unforgettable year and you think about your end-of-year giving, please ask God if he wants you to partner with us at AFCI as we continue to accelerate the spread of the gospel through EvangelismSHIFT and Life2Life.

Help us cover our $39,000 ministry shortfall and end this year strongly, ready to continue advancing the cause of Christ in our world. Has there ever been a more significant time across the world for believers to be activated to share Christ with those around them?

Innovate or die. Well, here at AFCI we have been in innovation mode for the past five years as we have first launched EvangelismSHIFT here in Australia and then designed an international growth strategy to begin taking it around the world. The worldwide shutdown of normal life and travel in 2020 had a massive impact on our model for EvangelismSHIFT and its growth and we have responded to this challenge with a lot of prayer and innovation.

We are trialling different approaches for bringing our training to the churches that are mid-process with EvangelismSHIFT. At the same time, we have taken Life2Life, our small group tool for training believers to be effective witnesses for Jesus, and redesigned it with a disciplemaking approach so that one person can take 2-3 others on the journey to become active witnesses. Then they each take 2-3 others on the journey.

We are training our EvangelismSHIFT leaders around the world in Life2Life and already it is beginning to multiply rapidly, since it doesn’t require large groups to meet together physically; many of these groups meet over Zoom. We are now starting to get beautiful stories of these believers leading those in their lives to Christ. In addition our EvangelismSHIFT groups have trained hundreds of church leaders in the witnessing lifestyle. God is at work turning churches into witnessing communities!

On Saturday I sat with a group of church leaders who have been going through EvangelismSHIFT and asked them how they see themselves growing in the lifestyle of a witness as a result of EvangelismSHIFT. One immediately said, “I’ll go first” and began sharing about how he is on a spiritual journey towards Christ with one of his lost friends. Someone jumped in next and shared how he is now meeting every week with two of his saved family members to pray for his three brothers who don’t know the Lord. After six or seven had shared, we were out of time. For many of these leaders, this is the first time they have seen themselves as witnesses. Their lives are changing, and that impacts every unsaved person in their circle of relationships!

We are heading into the time of Christmas parties. Make sure you are a part of this movement of people representing Jesus openly to those in their lives. Use the gatherings that put you together with family members and others who don’t know the Lord. Talk with them about what Christmas means to them. Share what Christ has meant in your own life.

As you think of what Christmas gifts you will give to those close to you, would you also consider making a sacrificial gift to the great work of evangelism that God is doing through AFCI as we look to meet AFCI’s $39,000 need for EvangelismSHIFT and Life2Life by the end of the year?

We are so excited about what 2021 holds and need your help to end 2020 on a solid financial footing as together we fulfill our part in the Great Commission!

Thanks so much for your prayers and financial support as the year moves toward its end.

For the whole AFCI–Australia team,

John North