Good News Blog

I’m posting this to keep you informed about the Bittner family and their plans.

Hi Dan,

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner with info on our future plans.  The
wheels turn kinda slowly over here.  Fortunately, I did get a chance to sit
down with our regional chairman a few days ago and we discussed the ministry
they would like me to consider taking.

The ministry they want me to consider taking is that of “People Group
Assessment Coordinator”.  I know I’m known for long answers, so I’ll try to
keep it short and concise.  However, there is a bit of background you need
to know to understand the job.

First off, up until a couple years ago, each region of NTM in PNG (Islands,
Highlands, Madang, Sepik) was responsible to determine which tribal groups
they would send new missionary teams to.  The way which tribal groups were
selected was not really too objective.  Many times, the tribal works which
were selected were not tribes which were the most isolated from the Gospel.
There was a lack of consistency and objectivity in the selection process
because it was different people in each region who would survey the tribal
groups.

Consequently, regions would compete for new missionaries by advertising how
many tribal works that were waiting to be opened in their region.  As people
finish the missionary training, they usually want to go to someplace which
has a lot going on.  So, places which have a lot of tribal ready to be
opened will attract a large number of new missionaries.  Each field would
represent themselves at an annual “Field Fair” (similar to a College Fair)
at the language school.  The fields which had the most tribal works ready to
open usually got the majority of the attention and new recruits.

So, now the mission has created “People Group Assessment” teams in each
field.  One team of people from PNG will survey all the prospective tribal
groups in PNG.  They will use the same assessment criteria in all the
countries which NTM works in.  Therefore, it removes competition between
regions and countries and gives an objective standard which to target the
tribes which at the most isolated and needy.

Based on the data which is collected, the tribes which most closely fit
NTM’s objective and purpose statement will be the first ones to get
missionaries. regardless of which country they are in.  So, new missionaries
who are selecting a field will be doing so by being presented the tribes
which are truly the most needy.. Regardless of what country.  This process
insures the tribes which most closely match NTM’s objective are top on the
list to get missionaries.  The mission is trying to get people to choose a
tribe based on its need (regardless of country)  versus choosing a country
and then choosing a tribal work in that particular country.

SO, countries which are slow to get set up on this new program will not be
getting their data to the people who will be presenting tribal opportunities
to the new missionaries.  As a result, none of their unreached tribes will
be presented to the new missionaries.

PNG has done a lot of research in the last couple years  and we believe that
there at least 50 tribal groups (out of 800+ total tribes) which are
completely unreached.  By that we mean that there is no “christian” mission
or denomination which is in contact with them.  These 50 groups are believed
to be totally cut off from any gospel or Christian influence.

In order for these tribes to be presented to new missionary recruits, they
have to be surveyed and evaluated by the new NTM criteria.  This means a
team of people going in and actually seeing first hand what the situation
and conditions are in that tribal group.  Once they have been surveyed, they
will be evaluated by a mission-wide objective standard to see where they
place on the list of potential tribes NTM will work with.

NTM PNG would love to survey 12 tribes a year and get through these 50
groups in the next 4-5 years.  However, this requires a LOT of logistical
coordination to make that happen.  Nothing happens easily here in PNG.
First off, my job would be to assemble a “survey team” and train on what
data the mission wants them to collect.  Then, my job would be to schedule,
plan, and work out the logistical details of each tribal survey.  I would
also be responsible for compiling the data which is collected on each survey
and get it sent in to the stateside NTM people who will compare it with the
other tribal surveys going on world wide and they will then present the
needs to new missionaries heading overseas.  I would personally go on as
many surveys as I can, but I don’t know, at this point how many I would have
time to go on.
So, this is what the NTM leadership here in PNG is want me to consider.  It
is a huge job and kind of scary.  However, I think I could fit into this
ministry.  I haven’t given them a yes or no yet.  I’ll probably go on this
upcoming survey and then give them an answer.

Peg doesn’t know what ministries will be offered to her as of yet.  She
hopes to wind up in the finance office or doing some sort of job dealing
with numbers and that sort of stuff. for some odd reason, she likes that
sort of stuff.

Sorry this was so long, but I wanted to give some background on this
ministry.

Take Care,

Chris

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