As the staff of Create International gathered under one roof at the beautiful Suan Bua Resort in Chiang Mai after nearly seven years, they experienced a truly joyous and meaningful reunion. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and camaraderie as more than 70 people from nine global teams renewed relationships and warmly welcomed new staff members and celebrated the arrival of new babies.
The celebration was a time of profound gratitude and rejoicing, as the staff reflected on the successful completion of the 20/20 Vision. Their unwavering dedication, coupled with fruitful partnerships with various ministries, had resulted in a significant global impact. The most heartening achievement was that over 250 of the least evangelized people groups, representing a staggering combined population of over two billion people, now had access to indigenous gospel audio-visual presentations in their own languages and cultures.
Witnessing lives transformed and hearts turned towards faith in Christ, the staff felt humbled and blessed to have been part of this global endeavor. They recognized the power of media and technology as a transformative tool to reach even the most isolated communities.
Grateful for God’s faithfulness throughout their journey, the team spent time in prayerful reflection, seeking His guidance for the future. With hearts full of hope and excitement, they wholeheartedly embraced their new theme, “Apostolic Multiplication: Receive and Release,” knowing it would chart the course for their ministry’s path ahead.
Throughout their time together, the staff earnestly sought God’s direction for the next season of their work. The opening worship session, sharing the inspiring story from 2 Chronicles 20, emphasized Jehoshaphat’s unwavering strength in God’s promises and past acts. The theme of “Receive” became evident as they humbly acknowledged God’s unwavering faithfulness and provision throughout their journey. Encouragements and heartfelt prayers for each other flowed freely throughout the gathering, fostering a sense of unity and purpose among the team.
Looking to the future, Calvin and Carol focused their attention on Vision 2033, targeting the next level of unreached people—the seventy-two groups with populations above 500,000. The challenge of accomplishing this within a shorter timeframe prompted the recognition that they needed to equip believers within unreached people groups through the “Media4Movements” initiative to reach their own contexts.
Guest speakers, Dono, and Karina, shared inspiring stories of movements in Indonesia, where hundreds of thousands of Muslims had come to faith in Christ. Witnessing even larger movements stirred their hearts, reinforcing their vital role in supporting biblical discipleship through simple, reproducible, affordable, and multilingual media. “Media4Movements” became the catalyst for further apostolic multiplication, as Create International embraced the call to partner with these movements and spread the Gospel even further.
The vision to release new apostolic teams globally included a strong focus on Africa. The continent held immense potential for spreading the Gospel, but it also presented unique obstacles with numerous unreached people groups and regions. To effectively impact this continent, Create International recognized the need to be intentional in “Releasing” new apostolic teams throughout Africa. They prayed for new Create teams and ministries led by African leaders who understood the unique challenges and opportunities within their own contexts.
As the gathering concluded, the team understood that achieving their ambitious vision for 2033 and beyond required remaining rooted in their past and remaining faithful like Jehoshaphat. They needed to “Receive” strength and guidance from God while embracing the call to “Release”—empowering and supporting local believers in unreached regions, allowing God to multiply their efforts beyond imagination.
With “Apostolic Multiplication: Receive and Release” as their unifying theme, Create International staff released colorful lanterns into the night sky. As the lanterns rose higher and higher, illuminating the darkened sky, the team felt a profound sense of unity and purpose. They knew they were not alone in their journey, as God’s Spirit would go before them, preparing the way for the Gospel to reach all peoples, even the most remote corners of the world. The staff of Create International expresses heartfelt gratitude for the partnership and support they have received over these 35 years. They extend a warm invitation to readers to view these recent audio-visual presentations:
The Create International 35th Anniversary Celebration Video (9 min)
The Create Gathering Summary video (11 min)
Thank you for your investment and interest in the ministry. Your prayers and support are a vital part of bringing the light of Christ to all peoples.
