Not Forgotten in Prayer: A Year of Hope for the Local Church
- miles1727
- 19 hours ago
- 3 min read
Healthy Discipleship Hinges on the Local Church and Translated Scripture
The world may dismiss the church and ignore the Bible—but God does not.
Every generation faces the question: Is the church still relevant?
Christians wonder: Without God’s Word, how can the church be healthy?
More than 3,000 language groups remain without Scripture, but God’s promise stands:
“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” – Matthew 16:18, NIV
Our Lord empowers believers to disciple the nations, and local churches grow strong through His Word in everyone’s heart language. The local church is not forgotten.
“A healthy church is one that holds to doctrinal fidelity, has a high view of Scripture, has an outward focus, is open to the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, and is committed to prayer and to worship. But there remains a foundational need that must be met if a local church is to be a healthy one: the availability of an accurate translation of God’s Word into a language and in a format that can be clearly understood. The power of God for salvation, sanctification, and perseverance is found in His living Word.” – Healthy Local Churches Through Bible Translation, Northview Leadership Institute.
But what happens when pastors and congregations long to be faithful, yet lack God’s Word in the language they understand best?
The Role of the Local Church in God’s Mission
The local church is God’s chosen place for discipleship and growth. Within her walls, believers discover their spiritual gifts, receive shepherding, and grow through prayer, fellowship, and the faithful preaching of God’s Word. The church provides accountability, care, and a community where disciples are formed. But without Scripture in their own language, these foundations cannot hold. Discipleship loses depth, preaching loses clarity, and spiritual growth weakens. For the church to fulfill her mission, she must be rooted in God’s Word in the nations’ heart languages.
Churches Take Ownership, Then Bible Translation Advances
The local church plays a pivotal role in accelerating Bible translation. When believers take ownership, participate actively, and unite around God’s mission, translation advances and Scripture takes root in the community.
The Word for the World Responds
This is why The Word for the World comes alongside the Church—not to replace her work, but to strengthen it. Wherever believers long for Scripture, we invest in their communities, provide the tools they need, and build the infrastructure that ensures Bible translation can endure for generations.
Community Ownership: From the very beginning, churches take responsibility by identifying and appointing their own translators. This ensures Scripture stays rooted in the heart of the community.
Indigenous Infrastructure: We prioritize training and mentoring local leaders so they can manage translation independently. Our teams gradually step back, leaving the church fully equipped to carry the work forward.
Sustainable Impact: This approach ensures that God’s Word is not only translated but embraced, used, and sustained for generations.
Bible translation is the heartbeat of discipleship, and discipleship is the heartbeat of God. Neither can flourish without the local church.
God has promised to build His church, and nothing—not even the gates of hell—can prevail against it. That is why the local church is not forgotten. She is upheld in prayer, strengthened through God’s Word, and filled with hope for the future.
Join us in praying for Christ’s church through November.
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
John 17:17, NIV