– Hi, Alliance family. I’m coming to you today from Indonesia, where I’m so grateful to be able to spend time with lots of our international workers.

One of the many things I love about The Alliance is the creative ways our family finds to take all of Jesus to all the world. We hold tightly to the unchanging gospel, while at the same time remaining open-handed about how God calls us to live that out. In many parts of the world, doors for traditional missionaries are narrowing, and that’s where marketplace ministries comes in.

Vocation as mission, using the work and skills that God has entrusted to believers as a means of gospel presence, especially where traditional ministry isn’t possible. marketplace ministries creates legitimate pathways for believers to serve and witness as educators, business owners, engineers, medical professionals, and so much more. That’s not a new idea.

Many of the disciples were fishermen. The Apostle Paul made tents while preaching the gospel and discipling believers. For centuries, followers of Jesus have carried the good news through everyday work. So, what does this look like today?

In South Asia, one of our marketplace ministries workers serves in leadership at a tech company. Her days are filled with meetings, problem solving, and managing teams. She builds trust and opens conversations that go beyond tasks—to struggles, meaning, and faith. Scripture shapes their company values—honesty, servanthood, stewardship, community—which guide decisions, especially under pressure, and prayer becomes a natural response.

One of her local colleagues, after experiencing deep loss, began asking questions about life and faith, and that curiosity led to reading Scripture together in a long journey toward belief. It didn’t happen quickly, but transformation came through faithful presence, patient love, and consistent obedience in ordinary work.

Another example: in one of the most restricted countries in Africa, where the population is almost entirely Muslim and traditional ministry isn’t permitted, a couple has spent two decades building trust through education, a training center, and ESL programs. And what began as a small English program has grown into a K–12 school serving mostly non-Christian families. Through this work, they’ve gained access not only to students, but to families and the broader community.

In this environment, people encounter the love of Christ, sometimes at great personal cost. One young man came to faith and was disowned by his family yet found support, community, and leadership opportunities through the school. Discipleship continues even where traditional ministry is forbidden.

Then, in Central Asia, another family serves through a business focused on agriculture and food production. They run an aquaponics operation, train entrepreneurs, and invest in local businesses. Their work builds dignity, credibility, sustainability, opening doors to universities, hotels, government officials, and networks that would otherwise remain closed.

One local believer, who is blind and had been tortured for his faith, realized through a training these workers helped to lead that he could still use his skills. He started a small business, gained local investment, and now provides for his family while still carrying influence in his city. His story is a reminder that God delights in using what His people already have, however small it may seem.

Across these very different contexts, the same truth remains. The gospel advances through faithful obedience lived out wherever God places His people. marketplace ministries doesn’t replace the Church, it strengthens it. It partners with local leaders, allows believers to remain when conditions grow difficult, and creates sustainable pathways for mission. It also invites every follower of Jesus to ask, “What has God already placed in my hands? What skills has He given me that can be used for His Kingdom?”

Friends, the world is changing, and the way we do missions is shifting, but Jesus is still building His Church, and He continues to call His people to go, stay, send, pray, and to live missionally wherever we are. Thank you for being part of an Alliance family that listens for where God is at work, adapts faithfully, and remains committed to bringing all of Jesus to all the world. I’m so grateful to be on mission with you.