Our Story

Thank you for your interest in One Challenge USA. I am privileged to write a few paragraphs about how God brought about this ministry, and the initial leading we received from Him. Our ministry is still young, and our mission continually clarified by additional team members along with opportunities God brings. While our ministry focus has sharpened since our early days, the basic principles are still being pursued today. Thank you again for visiting!

Rev. Bob Rasmussen
Director

OUR VISION FROM THE BEGINNING

In 2004 God led my wife Lyn and me to accept the challenge from our OC leaders to open the USA as a “field” of ministry. In those early days, I set aside a month for prayer and fasting in order to seek the vision God would like to pursue through the band of missionaries who would gather together to serve as OC’s U.S. team. I continue to be excited about recruiting, motivating, and directing the team toward the passionate pursuit of God’s vision.

The vision that God has placed on my heart is so large that, apart from faith, it is laughable. A small group of missionaries cannot expect to accomplish so much unless they are focused, determined, strategic, and full of faith. I believe the right kind of people will not settle for anything other than just such an outlandish vision, so (while I know some will think my forthcoming thoughts to be over-the-top) I am eager to lay out plainly what God has shown me through prayerful vision-casting.

First, God has indicated to me that, though the USA is huge and we are few, we must not shy away from a truly whole-nation vision. We will need to stay within ourselves and stay focused, growing gradually, but we must keep a national ministry as our goal. In addition, our goal must not merely be to start a ministry or build a network, but we must aim to change lives by the thousands, all across this land. Our goal ultimately is to change lives, families, churches and communities for the Kingdom of Christ. To do this, we must think strategically, and work catalytically—like firebrands setting off fires of awakening all across America.

The vision given to me at the beginning was to see

Vibrant, Multiplying churches transforming America

America is our scope (though by impacting America, we will impact the world—for it is my observation, having lived in Kenya for ten years, that the body of Christ around the world is watching to see what the Church in America will do). Transformation is our desired product. Individual churches (and fellowships or denominations of churches) are the strategic units we are committed to impact; their leaders are the most strategic ways to impact them. (And when I say “US churches” I mean Chinese-American, Hispanic, African-American, Korean-American, Brazilian-American…as well as Caucasian.) And we believe transformational churches are vibrantly alive, renewed in vision, and healthy; and they have a heart for multiplication to increase the harvest force.

WHAT OUTCOMES DO WE LONG TO SEE?

How will we be able to look back—perhaps 25 or 50 years from now—and say, “Yes, by God’s grace, One Challenge USA has been privileged to participate in the transformation of America”? Here is what I can offer:

We believe transformation will have happened when we have witnessed a distinct renewal within and a bold advance by the American Church.

The U.S. Church must wake up from its slumber, must repent of its sins, must obey what it claims to believe, must return to its first love, must grow hot instead of lukewarm. And the U.S. Church must move out, throwing off apathy and self-centeredness, and love sacrificially and share the Good News passionately.

As God accomplishes this transforming awakening and advance, what will be the specific results we expect to see? I believe some of the key results will be:

Hundreds of thousands of new disciples who make other disciples

Thousands of churches revived and captured by new, exciting vision
Thousands of vibrant new churches planted, in all sectors, and geographical areas—scores of them in ethnic groups that, though living in the US, had never heard the Gospel before
Churches partnering to bring the transforming gospel to the poor and the stranger
Hundreds of formerly mono-cultural churches transformed by intercultural unity
Hundreds of missionaries raised up and sent out, and American churches enjoying vibrant partnerships with local churches overseas

With these desired outcomes, it becomes clearer as to how we should plan our work. It is imperative that we focus our efforts so as not to merely stay busy or become known, but to strategically affect these results. We look for people who are overlooked and under-resourced.

We cannot produce any of these outcomes by ourselves. They are completely in God’s domain, empowered only by the living Spirit of the resurrected Christ. And we know that God has called many other groups to work toward these same outcomes. That’s why we honor other ministries and welcome chances to partner.

How great to know that God is committed to outcomes such as these. We are joining His agenda. We know America desperately needs transformation. It is thrilling to think that these amazing outcomes can result from the teams He will raise up at this time in history! So it is a privilege to invite others to come along and work hard together—and watch what God delights to do!

Please take a look at our current Vision and Mission statements, along with our Values and Doctrinal Statement. These will help you get to know us further.

Our Story

OUR VISION FROM THE BEGINNING

WHAT OUTCOMES DO WE LONG TO SEE?

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