Kingdom Partnership for the Tarahumara: Light Shine and Faith Bible Church

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.