In January 2025, the vast majority of our global staff gathered in Portugal for a historic Global Staff Conference. Encompass has never had that many staff members all in the same place before, which was such a blessing. At the conference, Executive Director Mike Yoder highlighted Encompass’s future vision and four core commitments that will guide us through the coming years. 

1. Gospel Centrality

Regardless of location, role, team, or response, our staff are passionate about communicating the good news of salvation. We aim to sow this gospel seed widely, while doing so with relational winsomeness and cultural awareness. Our witness to the gospel is at the heart of what we do and who we are—ambassadors of Jesus Christ in a lost and sinful world, declaring to people as the apostle Paul once did and urges us to “be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). The love of Christ compels our desire to take this message to the nations, the least reached, and all kinds of diverse individuals. We look forward to the day in which those who embrace God’s invitation of salvation will be gathered together in worship before the Lamb, Jesus Christ Himself. The gospel is central to our labors in anticipation of that day!

2. Team Priority

Vital questions for Encompass include not only who we deploy into cross-cultural ministry and where we find such people, but also how we deploy them in gospel ministry among the nations. Specifically, what groupings of staff allow them to thrive in life and be fruitful in ministry? While there are always exceptions—a uniquely-suited individual or a partnership with another agency—the primary commitment of Encompass is to send new staff as teams or with teams in ministry settings. We see biblical patterns for this, especially the apostle Paul. We observe models of this in the history of Christian mission. And we note the many practical benefits of durable teams in a complicated and ever-changing world. In addition, we believe that the testimony of a committed team of cross-cultural workers is often exponentially more powerful than that of isolated believers. While the formation of strong teams requires significant time and effort, Encompass is committed to prioritizing teams for effective ministry over the long-haul. Join us in praying for more such teams!

3. Church Intentionality

The Great Commission calls us to bring the gospel to the nations, especially the least reached. Disciple-making opportunities lie at the center of our calling as we follow Jesus (Matthew 28:17–20), according to the timing and volume determined by God. Yet it is impossible to read the rest of the New Testament, especially in Acts and the various letters, without seeing the expected result of church expansion—the establishment and multiplication of local churches. Where the gospel bears fruit, churches emerge. This was the pattern of the first apostles, their disciples, and followers of Jesus ever since. The intentional establishment and multiplication of local churches are therefore vital to the cross-cultural ministry of Encompass. We aim to see believers connected with God and publicly committed to each other in established church communities. These churches, led by local believers in due time, represent the gospel and the transforming power of God among their people, long after cross-cultural workers have left. May the witness of those local churches “ring out” locally, regionally, and globally in their witness to Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:8).

4. Charis Partnership

For many decades, Encompass has served as the cross-cultural missions arm of the Charis Fellowship. While our Fellowship and our agency have had multiple names through the years, Encompass’s core partner has been clear: the tens of thousands of believers and hundreds of churches of the Charis Fellowship. By God’s grace, and largely through the efforts and sacrifices of Charis Fellowship churches and Encompass missionary staff, there are now thousands of churches and hundreds of thousands of believers in dozens of countries around the world. These churches and “fellowships” are now our spiritual siblings, growing and becoming established as gospel beacons among their own peoples. As part of the global Charis Alliance, they, too, are committed to biblical truth, relationships, and mission, consistent with our heritage. Of course, we gladly acknowledge that the churches and association of the Charis Alliance are but a small part of the global Church of Jesus-followers and the evangelical mission movement around the world. But small is also significant. Encompass believes that our core calling continues to be sharing the gospel, making disciples, and expanding churches among least-reached peoples. We’re glad to partner with others in North America and beyond who share our commitments, and to link arms with like-minded believers and churches elsewhere in the world. Yet we are grateful and confident that God is using the Charis movement, and we renew our commitment to extend our influence until He comes.

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Thanks for supporting us in our vision. You can partner with us further in reaching the least reached by making a contribution to our Annual Fund.