Bible passage
"I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love." - Ephesians 3:16-17

Description
Around the world, Mission Network personnel and resources support international churches in development and missional outreach. While many of these churches have roots in mission work from the outside, others are indigenous to the local setting. Mission workers walk alongside these churches, learning from their understanding of God, and participating in studying the Scriptures together for a deeper knowledge of God's word.

Philosophy
The vision statement of the Mennonite team in the Argentine Chaco says in part, "In the power of the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to pursue together with Chaco Native communities a life of wholeness, respecting the sacred spaces of life in indigenous cultures, encouraging appropriate autonomy, and giving priority to the dialogue between the word of God and daily life." The Mission Network recognizes that unity as indigenous Christians is often of higher importance than denominational identity. With these groups, Anabaptist ways of studying Scripture are utilized, but in most cases, emphasis is not given to establishing a Mennonite denomination.

Process
Indigenous church support can include visiting churches and participating in their worship and celebrations; Bible studies in which everyone is involved in learning together what God's word means; leadership development work; and helping make Scriptures more broadly available through translation work, cassettes, and subsidized Bibles and literature. Encouraging relationships among churches across a geographic area can take the form of newsletters, interdenominational training programs, and special celebrations. In some situations, churches have invited workers to also be involved in education ministries, land issues, and other realities of their context.