World Missions Advance

05/01/2026

I remember the first course I took on my journey at Dallas Theological Seminary. I was so excited to get started and had the normal anxiety and anticipation that accompanies the first semester for students of any age. When it came time for our first assignment, I wasn’t totally sure what was in store. Perhaps I had heard rumors, but you never know until it happens. You wanna know what my first assignment in seminary was? Make 25 observations of Acts 1:8. 25 observations! Not interpretations or opinions or what I think would be spiritual insights…nope, just plain old observations. You wanna know what my second assignment in seminary was? Make 25 more observations of the same verse! One verse, 50 unique observations!

What’s the point? Am I suggesting you should make 50 observations of every verse of the Bible? No, but sometimes we are so quick to jump to an application of this verse or that one, that we miss what the Bible is actually saying. Using the words of the author of a given book of Scripture and making it mean whatever we want it to mean is practically tantamount to making our words equal with God’s. Can you imagine if you sent a text to someone and someone else read it and used your words to mean something that you never intended? And yet, so many of us are guilty of this when it comes to Scripture.

When we approach Scripture, it is a great idea to use the Inductive Bible Study Method:

1) Observation, 2) Interpretation, 3) Correlation, 4) Application. If we don’t end up at application then we are just engaging in an exercise of pure intellectualism. An intellectualism that doesn’t lead to transformation is just pride. But premature application, can lead to distortion of Scripture and misapplication. Over the course of the next few newsletters, I will briefly consider these steps with the hope that we can, in our own study, “arrive at Scriptural truth” that will be transformative. -Chad

“Methodical Bible study, then, is concerned with the proper path to be taken in order to arrive at Scriptural truth” -Robert A. Traina, “Methodical Bible Study”

If you would like to go deeper on this subject, check out the following fantastic books:

"How to Read the Bible Like a Seminary Professor" by Mark Yarbrough
"How to Read the Bible as Literature" by Leland Ryken
"Methodical Bible Study" by Robert, A. Traina
"Living by the Book" by Howard and William Hendricks

Be sure to check out our podcast on Exploring the Grand Narrative of the Bible here: https://youtu.be/m9sWHxI9sXM?si=Am90_qQbD0rsRPAG

04/29/2026

04/22/2026

"After God created the world and human rebellion marred it, God set out to restore what he had made: 'God did not turn his back on a world bent on destruction; he turned his face toward it in love. He set out on the long road of redemption to restore the lost people and the world as his kingdom.' The Bible narrates the story of God's journey on that long road to accomplish his creational purpose. It is a unified and progressively unfolding drama of God's action in history for the salvation of the whole world that culminates in the work of Jesus Christ. The Bible is not a mere jumble of history, poetry, lessons in morality and theology, comforting promises, guiding principles, and commands; instead, it is fundamentally coherent. Every part of the Bible—each event, book, character, command, prophecy, and poem—must be understood in the context of the one storyline.

Yet many of us have read the Bible as if it were merely a mosaic of little bits—devotional bits, theological bits, moral bits, historical-critical bits, sermon bits, narrative bits. But when we break the Bible into fragmented bits, we reduce its power to shape our lives. All human communities live out of some story that gives unity, meaning, and direction to their lives. If we allow the Bible to become fragmented, it is in danger of being absorbed into whatever other story is shaping our culture, and it will thus cease to shape our lives as it should."

Craig G. Bartholomew & Michael W. Goheen, "The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story"

04/21/2026

❕️2 Weeks To Go❕️

Once again time has moved way faster than I can keep up with! 😅

In just two weeks I'll be leaving for Greece and staying for two months! And I'm so happy to announce that this trip is FULLY FUNDED! 🥳

Thank you to everyone who gave financially to help me get to the place God is leading me to! ♥️

Please continue to support me through your prayers and encouraging messages. I can't wait to see what God has in store this summer! 🇬🇷

04/01/2026

"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." (1 Corinthians 15:1–4)

This passage in 1 Corinthians 15 is one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture. This is the gospel. We never graduate from the gospel. Paul goes on to talk about all of the people the resurrected Christ appeared to. I especially love this bit when he says, “He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now.” I love that, “most of whom remain until now.” It’s like Paul is saying, “listen, Jesus really rose from the dead, but just in case you don’t believe me, go ask these other people who are still alive...they saw Him too!”

When I have the opportunity, I like to ask atheists what proof of the resurrection would they accept? So many people like to try to justify their own unbelief by appealing to the lack of proof, but the truth is there is a lot of proof for the resurrection of Christ. Paul even says “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain” (1 Co 15:14). Everything hinges on the Resurrection. If it happened, it is of ultimate importance. If it didn’t happen, then even Paul says that our faith is in vain. This is our hope as believers. Christ is “the first fruits of those who are asleep” (1 Co 15:20). The penalty for sin, going way back all the way to Genesis is death, but praise God, for His free gift of eternal life to all who believe (Romans 3:23). As Christians, we don’t believe in some ethereal, ghostly, afterlife. No! We believe that one day, the dead in Christ will rise and live forever with Jesus as He reigns upon the throne of David forever and ever (See 2 Samuel 7).

And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:3-5a).

Jesus is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Chad

03/25/2026

We are so excited to welcome Rinaelya Nurmanova to the WMA family.

Rinaelya has been a believer her whole life and grew up as a pastor’s daughter in Kazakhstan; her father serves as the pastor of a church in Almaty. At 14, her family experienced government persecution for their faith, losing property and Bibles. Even in those difficult circumstances, they trusted God completely, and in the years that followed, the Lord faithfully restored what had been taken. Through every season, Rinaelya and her family have personally witnessed God’s hand and His enduring faithfulness.

At 16, she experienced a powerful personal encounter with God, and later, while studying at Christ For The Nations Institute (CFNI) in Dallas, she came to know Him as a close Friend and was surrounded by peers who shared her passion for Him.

After graduating, Rinaelya returned to Kazakhstan to support her parents in ministry and pursue her own calling. She serves in youth and teen ministry, mentoring and discipling young people, organizing small group meetings and Bible studies, and creating a safe, welcoming environment where non-believing youth can encounter Christ. Her work focuses on building relationships and nurturing healthy Christian communities that foster long-term spiritual growth.

Her mission is to reach the youth of Kazakhstan, where less than one percent of the population is Christian, especially within the Charismatic movement.​

In addition to her ministry in Kazakhstan, Rinaelya will participate in a short-term mission trip with Journey (May 2026), traveling to Greece, Bulgaria, and Cyprus alongside her younger brother, Tamir, and the ministry team.

She trusts God to provide through the generosity of individuals and churches who believe in the calling and purpose of this mission and warmly invites you to partner with her in serving the youth of Kazakhstan and wherever the Lord leads her.

If you would like to help support Rinaelya's ministry in Kazahstan, please go to: https://www.worldmissionsadvance.org/nurmanova

03/14/2026

Right now, I am in my brother’s truck, headed to our Uncle Loren’s funeral. He was my dad’s brother. I loved my Uncle Loren. Every family is different, I know. Some families are close, some are not so much. And most are somewhere in between. Even though we lived many miles apart, I felt quite close to my Uncle Loren. I loved talking to him on the phone. He was always a source of encouragement, wisdom, and was a man of tremendous faith.

Funerals are such a strange event. It’s always nice to see family. I’m sure we will laugh and cry and then feel that emptiness that comes when someone is gone. There is a great line in the old movie Braveheart, when William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson, says, “Every man dies, not every man really lives.” I’m quoting from by brain, but it was something like that.

Hebrews says that everyone is going to die and then comes the judgment. Paul writes in Ephesians that we were dead in our trespasses and sins, but God made us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10). You only get one shot at this thing called life. We, all of us, are either in Christ or we’re not. We will all face the judgment one day. I am so thankful, that when that day comes for me, whenever it does, that I will stand, not in my own good works, but in the completed work of Christ. No one likes funerals, but they are a good reminder, and a preview of what’s coming for all of us. May you be found in Christ, as I know, my Uncle Loren is. -Chad

“Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences. Christ’s death was also a one-time event, but it was a sacrifice that took care of sins forever. And so, when he next appears, the outcome for those eager to greet him is, precisely, salvation.”

Hebrews 9:27-28 (The MSG Paraphrase)

02/24/2026

We are so excited to welcome Ana Onorato to the WMA family.

Ana's journey with Jesus has been marked by restoration and renewed purpose. Growing up in church, she gave her life to Christ as a child, but through seasons of disappointment and brokenness, Jesus reminded her of her identity in Him. A radical turning point came when she moved to Texas and joined Christ For The Nations, where she was restored and learned to dream with God again. In 2015, God gave her 2 Kings 4:10, a Scripture she is now seeing fulfilled as she prepares to serve in Bulgaria.

Ana is passionate about caring for missionaries, pastors, and leaders who need rest and renewal. She will be working with Global Impact Network to establish a retreat ministry in Bulgaria, a peaceful, bed-and-breakfast-style environment where ministry leaders can recharge, be encouraged, receive prayer, and experience God's deep love for them. It will be a place where they can be vulnerable and be reminded of their calling.

In March, Ana will travel to Greece and Bulgaria on a vision trip to meet with ministry partners, listen to what God is saying, and gather practical information about long-term service, including visa requirements and how missionaries are currently living and serving in the region.

If you would like to support Ana and her mission to Bulgaria, please go to worldmissionsadvance.org/onorato

02/24/2026

Check out this interview with Adam Bostic, Missions Manager at Christ For The Nations Institute. Some of our WMA Associate Missionaries are graduates of CFNI. We are so grateful for our friendship with that wonderful training center whose students continue to impact the world for the Glory of God!

In this episode, I talk to Adam Bostic. Listen as he shares his journey from responding to God's call at age 13, serving as a youth pastor, training at Christ For The Nations Institute, and stepping into full-time missions in the Amazon jungle of Peru. He now oversees short-term outreaches and global missions training back at CFNI in Dallas.

We explore his dramatic calling when God's presence fell like a ton of bricks upon landing in the jungle, scouting trips that broke his wife's heart in the slums of Belén (Bethlehem), buying one-way tickets with no guaranteed housing, living in the back of a barn with a tree growing through the floor, tarantulas, snakes, rats, and a rain poncho as sheets, while raising their young son in a hammock for protection.

Adam opens up about the high missionary failure rate (50-80% worldwide and in his area), the grace God provides for extreme conditions, why proper training and expectations prevent burnout, prioritizing family day (Fridays off for pool time and games), envelope budgeting to protect kids from sacrificial over-giving, embracing separation from extended family traditions, staying focused on a clear vision list (Bible school, children's ministry, church planting, hosting teams), measuring real impact (launching 100+ pastors and missionaries), and the life-changing power of short-term missions trips (boosting long-term response from 2% to 25%).

He describes his current role at Christ for the Nations—leading short-term outreaches (including family teams to Peru in July), teaching in the Global Missions Major, and preparing students called to the nations—while still supporting ongoing work in the Amazon jungle.

A must-listen for missionary testimonies, jungle life realities, overcoming hardship with God's grace, family-first ministry in hard places, the value of short-term trips, and encouragement for anyone (young or retired) feeling called to missions—start by joining a solid sending organization!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiders-snakes-rats-missions-in-the-amazon-chad/id1814853643?i=1000751001532

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Lo1B2Hj5ZNJwsLWIJec0L?si=c8109ab2e8024903

YouTube: https://youtu.be/RSFLnCH_faI?si=8V7UPKNnByfKceEQ

In this episode, I talk to Adam Bostic. Listen as he shares his journey from responding to God's call at age 13, serving as a youth pastor, training at Chris...