The Mission Matters

Matthew Ellison and Ted Esler sit down with Aaron Abramson, CEO of Jews for Jesus, to explore the organization’s mission of reaching Jewish people with the gospel while honoring their cultural and historical identity. Abramson explains how Jews for Jesus operates globally by prioritizing local, indigenous believers rather than relying on traditional sending models, creating long-term, culturally rooted ministry.  There is a perceived tension between Jewish identity and faith in Jesus, which often requires thoughtful, contextual conversations that connect the message of the gospel to Jewish history, tradition, and Scripture. 
Jews for Jesus has had some significant strategic shifts recently, particularly moving from a one-size-fits-all approach to an “audience-first” model shaped by listening, empathy, and cultural understanding. Abramson shares how this shift has led to greater innovation and effectiveness in ministry, as well as deeper engagement with Jewish communities worldwide. Drawing from personal experience, including his time in the Israeli military, he emphasizes the transformative power of the gospel in fostering reconciliation, even in deeply divided contexts. Amid rising global anti-Semitism and instability, Abramson points to a growing spiritual openness and underscores that true hope and lasting change come through the message of Jesus, which has the power to heal identity struggles and restore broken relationships.
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.
Aaron's book Mission Design https://a.co/d/08Gcsf0x
Jews for Jesus https://jewsforjesus.org/

In this episode of the The Mission Matters Podcast, Matthew Ellison and Ted Esler sit down with  Dennis Martin (of One Challenge's Sexual Wholeness Initiative) to address a largely unspoken issue in global missions: sexual sin/brokenness. Drawing from both personal experience and global research, Dennis explains how silence, shame, and isolation have allowed struggles like pornography, abuse, and other sexual challenges to persist among missionaries. He highlights that these issues are far more widespread than many assume, often intensified by the pressures of cross-cultural ministry and lack of safe, honest community. 
The conversation points toward a different path forward—one centered on grace, honesty, and restoration rather than punishment. Dennis shares how mission agencies are beginning to shift their culture by creating safe environments, equipping leaders, and walking alongside individuals through long-term healing processes. Through practical examples and real stories, he emphasizes that freedom is possible when people are no longer alone. The episode challenges churches and mission leaders to break the silence, rethink their approach, and build communities where confession leads to healing, not exit.
OC’s Sexual Wholeness Initiative (SWI), spearheaded by Dennis Martin, seeks to change the culture of silence and shame and, by bringing these secret struggles to light, offer freedom and restoration to those whose lives have been shackled by sin. By equipping our staff to create a climate of openness, safety, and redemption and integrating sexual wholeness into our ministry efforts, OC envisions a future in which generations of laborers live and minister out of sexual wholeness and relational health in Christ.
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.

[email protected]
Register for the MissioNexus Mission Leaders Conference 26
https://web.cvent.com/event/654a1d2b-f757-4491-a480-fc3f68a2ccc5/websitePage:42fd7167-2fba-4de5-9c38-1540ddbaed85?RefId=events

Matthew and Ted's conversation with Dr. Ed Stetzer explores the meaning and history of missio Dei (the idea that mission originates from God, not the church). He traces how missions thinking has shifted over the past century, from “the Church has missions” to “God’s mission has the Church,” and highlights both the biblical strength and the theological risks of that shift. While affirming that God is actively at work in the world and invites His people to join Him, the discussion emphasizes that mission must remain grounded in Scripture, with the church playing a central role in proclaiming the gospel.
The episode also addresses a growing tension in evangelical missions today: the pull between a broad, holistic view of mission and the need to prioritize evangelism and reaching unreached people groups. Stetzer warns that when everything is labeled “mission,” the urgency of gospel proclamation can fade. The conversation calls for a balanced approach-one that embraces both gospel demonstration and proclamation, while ensuring that the church does not lose focus on its core calling to make disciples among the nations. 
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.

In this episode of the Mission Matters Podcast, Sarah Breuel shares her experience as a Brazilian missionary serving in Rome and leading a university student movement across Europe. With nearly 20 years in cross-cultural missions, she discusses the growth of the Global South in missions, the rise of Brazilian missionaries, and what it looks like to reach secular, post-Christian contexts like Italy. Sarah also shares her personal calling story and how the gospel reached her family through earlier missionaries, highlighting the ongoing importance of sending and going.
The conversation addresses key questions many church and missions leaders are asking today: Are Western missionaries still needed? Has missions become outdated or harmful? Sarah offers a clear, biblical perspective on the continued need for cross-cultural missions and challenges leaders to call the next generation to sacrificial obedience. Drawing from her work with university students, she explains why Gen Z is more open to missions than many assume and why churches must raise the bar in discipleship, calling, and global engagement.
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.

What is really happening inside Iran right now, and how should the Church respond?
In this episode, Ted and Matthew sit down with Sasan Tavassoli, an Iranian pastor and leader who came to faith in Christ after being raised in a Shiite Muslim home. Now serving the Iranian underground church, Sassan shares firsthand insight into one of the most significant spiritual movements in the world today.
Despite decades of oppression, suffering, and unrest, many Iranians are searching for truth—and encountering Jesus in powerful ways. This conversation is a needed reminder: God is at work in places we often overlook—and the Church must learn to listen before it speaks.
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.
https://www.instagram.com/drsasantavassoli/?hl=en
www.youtube.com/@pastorsasan
https://sasantavassoli.com/
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:34 Sassan’s journey from Islam to Christ
05:01 Why many Iranians are disillusioned with the current regime
08:30 The surprising growth of the underground church
08:46 The role of media and discipleship in reaching a closed nation13:19 How Iranian believers view the current conflict
18:58 What the global Church often misunderstands
22:12 How we can pray, support, and stand with our brothers and sisters in Iran
23:48 Challenges to the Iranian Church in a regime change
28:21 How to get connect with Sasan

In this episode of the Mission Matters podcast, Ted and Matthew talk to Dave Jacob from Gospel Mobilization and Katy White from GoCorp. They unpack findings from the 2025 Launch Survey, a North American study of 2,400 new and aspiring missionaries.

The survey explored what motivates people toward long-term missions and what barriers hold them back. Across generations, the strongest motivators were God’s guidance through Scripture and prayer, concern for the personal salvation of others, and the desire to use specific skills and gifts to meet practical needs. For Gen Z in particular, healthy teams and organizational culture mattered deeply.
The most significant barrier across all generations was a lack of clear calling or direction, followed by role ambiguity and financial support concerns. Gen Z also expressed heightened concern about spiritual preparedness and loneliness.

The conversation challenges churches to disciple young people early, clarify a biblical understanding of calling, and actively mentor those exploring missions. For mission agencies, the findings highlight the need for organizational health, transparency, strong team environments, and intentional spiritual formation throughout the mobilization pipeline.
https://gospelmobilization.org/launchsurvey
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.

Matthew Ellison and Ted Esler welcome Michele Okimura, founder of Explicit Movement, to discuss sexual integrity as a critical and often overlooked issue in global missions. Michele shares her background as a teacher, church planter, and nonprofit leader, and explains how her ministry equips youth, parents, church leaders, and missionaries to address topics that are frequently avoided, including pornography, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, gender and LGBTQ questions, healthy dating, and God’s design for sex within marriage. Central to her approach is grounding identity in Christ, creating safe and vulnerable spaces for healing, and providing practical tools that help the body of Christ walk in both grace and truth.The conversation highlights how sexual brokenness affects missionaries, church leaders, families, and entire communities worldwide, and why addressing root causes such as trauma, shame, and loneliness is essential for long-term freedom. Michele shares powerful testimonies of transformation among youth, pastors, and families, emphasizing that healing comes not only through accountability but through encountering God’s goodness and embracing His design. She also introduces her “Brave” and “Raven” curriculum series, developed for teens and schools in both faith-based and non-faith versions, which is gaining global interest as a platform for discipleship and prevention. The episode closes with a call for mission agencies and churches to cultivate cultures of wholeness, where leaders and members alike can pursue healing, joy, and holiness for the sake of the gospel.The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.Links: Joshua's 20 minute testimony: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/uu1z9epcvutlsseti0gf5/20-min-JOSHUA-KAINA-GENDER.mp4?rlkey=tmmks5nae1eb22qj50lhq2qow&st=k0q7ukx1&dl=0Michele on Sexuality in Missions on the Modern Day Missions Podcast: http://modernday.org/podcast/sexuality-in-missions-with-michele-okimura/Brave and Beautify book series:https://www.thebraveseries.com/Explicit Movement:https://www.explicitmovement.org/

Ted Esler and Matthew Ellison revisit the story of John Chau, seven years after his death on North Sentinel Island, through a conversation with Mary Ho, International Director of All Nations. Mary reflects on John’s extraordinary preparation, his calling to an uncontacted people group, and why his story captured global attention, noting factors like his youth, his nationality, and modern anxieties about colonialism and risk. She also challenges listeners not to fixate solely on John’s name, but to remember the countless unnamed believers worldwide who faithfully suffer, serve, and sometimes die in obscurity for the sake of the gospel.
Drawing deeply from Acts 11 and Acts 13, Mary highlights the “no-namers” who helped birth the Antioch church and reminds listeners that the gospel has always advanced through ordinary, often forgotten men and women. She reframes risk as situational rather than conceptual, emphasizing that God calls specific people to specific risks at specific times, and that discernment must involve the individual, the sending church, and trusted leaders. Throughout the conversation, suffering is presented not as recklessness or failure, but as potential worship, a lived witness rooted in obedience and joy. The episode closes with a sobering yet hopeful call for believers to view witness not merely as something spoken, but as a whole-life testimony that may include sacrifice, suffering, and steadfast faithfulness to Christ.
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.

In this episode of The Mission Matters, Matthew and Ted are joined by Bradley Bell, Executive Director of Upstream Equipping, to discuss Bradley and Ted's newly released book, Missiology for Mission Pastors.
Written specifically for those leading missions within the local church, this book addresses a growing gap. Many missions pastors and directors find themselves in the role with deep passion but little formal missiological training. Rather than offering a dense academic textbook, this collaborative volume provides a gospel-centered, biblically grounded, and practically applicable framework for missions leadership.
Bradley and Ted unpack why this book was needed now, how missions leaders are currently being formed, and why mobilization inside the local church is just as critical as engagement with the field. Drawing from diverse voices, including global perspectives, the book equips missions leaders to think clearly, act wisely, and steward their role faithfully.
This conversation also explores the internal and external responsibilities of missions pastors, the role of lead pastors in shaping missions culture, and why mobilization should be viewed not as recruitment, but as an invitation into God’s redemptive story.
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.

The episode explores what Ted calls “third party partnerships,” a Kingdom model where ministries unite not for their own benefit but for the sake of a third party, illustrated through a deep collaboration to reach the Tarahumara people of northern Mexico.

Chris Nickerson of Light Shine shares how their long term work among this hard to reach, historically hope starved indigenous group has grown into indigenous church planting, after school discipleship programs, leadership development, and a staff made up of both Tarahumara believers and Mexican church members.

He explains Light Shine’s highly relational partnership model, where U.S. churches adopt a specific colonia as their primary mission field and Light Shine provides expertise, on the ground presence, and security wisdom in a cartel impacted region. Tonya Zunigha from Faith Bible Church in Edmond, Oklahoma describes how coaching from 16:15 helped reorient their missions vision and led them into a long term partnership with Light Shine that offers accessible short term trips, meaningful engagement with a least reached people group, and extensive pre-trip discipleship.

As families, elders, retirees, and children pray, give, and go together, missions has become central to Faith Bible’s DNA, reshaping their view of God, the nations, and their own calling, while Paul’s prayer that the word of God would “run swiftly” is seen fulfilled among a people known for their running.