In This Issue: Is Every Christian a Missionary?
Month: February 2015
VIDEO: Is Every Christian a Missionary?
Source: The Mission Table
Every follower of Christ is a missionary… or are they? Missions has traditionally consisted of international or cross-cultural ministry for spiritual purposes, says Matthew Ellison of Sixteen:Fifteen. But today in many churches missions has come to include outreach ministries that are within our own community and culture. This broadening definition of missions has inevitably led to a philosophy that says every follower of Christ is a missionary. What are the implications of this philosophy? Is it biblical? Is it helpful? Does it lead to more missions work being accomplished, or less?
This is the first in a series of free, web-based dialogues about critical, controversial claims made about missions today. Each includes a video about 15 minutes in length, followed by a live webinar discussion a few weeks later (in this case, March 3). A May episode will explore whether native missionaries are more effective, and one in July will ask, do missionaries destroy cultures? If debate is not your cup of tea, these conversations may make you squirm, but they may also make you think (and see another point of view).
» Join the conversation. Watch the first video or subscribe here to be notified when each video episode is released and registration for each live webinar begins.
BOOK: Overcoming Obstacles to Serving
Hold Fast: The Mission of God & the Obstacles of Man, by Josh Cooper. Book Villages, 2013. 160 pages.
In his ministry with The Traveling Team, Josh Cooper has visited more than 150 U.S. college campuses to teach students about God’s heart for the world and challenge them to consider their part in world missions. He came to recognize nine frequent obstacles these students faced which kept them from full-time missionary service: unawareness of God’s mission purposes, a focus on needs closer to home, materialism, romantic relationships, family opposition, theological issues (e.g., pluralism), uncertainty about their calling, the burden of debt, and concerns about raising support.
Hold Fast addresses each one of these struggles, shares stories of those who have overcome them, and provides encouragement to keep moving forward. This is the kind of book you could put into the hands of college students to help them recognize what might be holding them back and find courage to press on. Better yet, ask them to read it and then discuss the points they find most relevant. Some of the illustrations, drawn from a variety of sources, are quite powerful and memorable. I may snag some of them for my own use!
It should be noted that this book does not attempt to provide a balanced view of ways one might live a missional life; it’s really written for would-be missionaries and encourages them to consider serving among the millions of people without access to the gospel. In places it seems to assume too close an equation between following God and going to the unreached.
» See the book website to learn more. You can purchase the ebook for US$7.99; the paperback is US$14.99. Bulk discounts are available. You might also want to learn more about The Traveling Team and see if they’re coming to your region.
BOOKS: Disciple Making Movements Books on Sale
In January we reviewed Contagious Disciple Making, the new book from our friends at City Team and Thomas Nelson. The Kindle edition of this book, by David and Paul Watson, and its two companion volumes Miraculous Movements (by Jerry Trousdale) and The Father Glorified (by Patrick Robertson and David Watson) are all currently on sale at Amazon. All three tell the stories and describe the methods behind some of the world’s fast-growing disciple making movements.
» Buy Contagious Disciple Making or either of the other two books for US$2.99 (if you live in the US). We don’t know how long the sale will last.
ARTICLE: Where Do We Start?
Source: Catalyst Services
Maybe your church finds itself at a ministry crossroads, and you don’t know where do start. Where Do We Start is a thoughtful, practical article with suggestions for churches asking these questions:
- Where do we start to begin missions in our church?
- Where do we start as new mission leaders?
- Where do we start to ignite excitement if interest has waned?
- Where do we start to develop clear missions strategy?
- Where do we start to move from good to great?
» Download the PDF and share it with your church. Readers might also appreciate Catalyst Services’ list of more than 150 Short-term Ministry Ideas. This may help you brainstorm about the kinds of projects you want to pursue or support.
EVENTS: March Calendar
Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar
March 1-6, ABIDE (Joplin, MO, USA). Re-entry and debriefing for singles, couples, and families provided by TRAIN International.
March 4-8, TENTmaking Course (Fort Myers, FL, USA). Provided by Global Opportunities.
March 5, E-Care: Using Email as an Effective Tool for Member Care (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.
March 6-7, People Raising Conference (Chicago, IL, USA). Be equipped for raising personal support.
March 6-7, Muslim ConneXion (Portland, OR, USA). Learn how to engage your Muslim neighbor; an annual event.
March 7, Bridges Seminar (Indianapolis, IN, USA). Building bridges to reach Muslims. Provided by Crescent Project; regularly offered in various locations.
March 8-13, Launch Training (Richmond, VA, USA). Be equipped to work abroad and make disciples; sponsored by IMB and Skybridge, open to all.
March 11-12, Support Raising Bootcamp (Tucson, AZ, USA). From Support Raising Solutions, regularly held in various locations.
March 12, The Mapping Center (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.
March 18, Thinking and Acting Globally in Christian Mission (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.
March 20-21, Kingdom Business Conference (Charleston, SC, USA). Provided by Charleston Southern University.
March 21, Disciple Making Movements Training (Plano, TX, USA). Provided by Act Beyond.
March 23 to June 13, Encountering the World of Islam (online). Twelve-week class will help you discover God’s heart for Muslims, offered online several times a year.
March 25, Moving from a Reactive to a Proactive Mission Vision (online). Webinar from Sixteen:Fifteen; free.
March 27-29, The Journey Deepens (Farmington, MI, USA). A weekend retreat for prospective missionaries; regularly held in various locations.
March 27-29, Jesus to the Nations (Halifax, NS, Canada). Free, annual, community-based mission festival for all ages.
March 30 to April 25, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition course from Missionary Training International; held multiple times throughout the year.
Missions Catalyst News Briefs
In This Issue: Celebrating Jesus, Stories from around the World
- INDIA: Dreams from God
- WORLD: Migrant “Ghost Ships” Abandoned at Sea
- PAKISTAN: Son of Imam Follows Christ
- LIBYA: 21 Egyptian Christians Beheaded
- THAILAND: Bangkok Church Has Big Vision
Greetings!
Holidays and festivals are on my mind once again. I learned that Hindu festivals take place somewhere in India 255 days of the year! This does not include secular/national or cultural holidays like Punjab’s “rural Olympics” (don’t miss it!). I was privileged to witness the Magh Mela and Sankranti in India last month. I believe Indians know how to celebrate like no other culture.
Though Hindu extremists warn couples not to celebrate Hindu extremists warn couples not to celebrate Valentine’s Day with all of its Western trappings, some apparently celebrate a whole Valentine’s WEEK!
Mardi Gras and Lent have come while I’ve been wrapping up this edition of Newsbriefs, and the Chinese are beginning the year of the sheep/goat.
Holidays and festivals say a lot about a people. What do they value? What are the stories behind these “feast days?”
If any of this stirs your interest, check out this website. Or if you’re a little less adventurous, check out using the Christian calendar as an opportunity to throw parties. However and where ever you celebrate, though, know that the best party is yet to come!
Celebrating Jesus,
Pat
INDIA: Dreams from God
Source: ActBeyond, February 16, 2015
Two weeks ago Brother “Joshi” was leading his small congregation in Uttar Pradesh. Joshi is a young, part-time farmer, full-time leader and trainer in an ongoing movement in North India, and also pastor of his own congregation which he leads when he is in town.
During the Word discussion time in the worship service, Joshi noticed a man standing outside the door of their small meeting space. He saw the man had a skull-cap on. This man was a Muslim! There are hundreds of Muslims in this village, [but] it’s pretty much unheard of for a Muslim to show interest in a Christian worship service. Muslims in India stay pretty well segregated from both the Hindu majority and from the Christian minority.
Joshi invited the man, “Please come in and join us.” He came and sat on the floor where everyone else was. He listened to them discuss the Word together and then Brother Joshi exhorted the community about generosity and giving. Even the Muslim man participated in the discussion.
After the service, the man shared his story. “Every day for the last three days I’ve dreamt the same dream. I’ve dreamt of your building, this building where the Christians meet. I told my wife about my dream. I told her we should become Christian, but she said we can’t because we are born Muslim. That’s simply what we are. Still, I kept having the dream until finally I knew I needed to come. I feel very good being with you this morning, and I want to become a Christian.”
» See also When a Veiled Woman Visits Your Church (Mission of God blog).
WORLD: Migrant “Ghost Ships” Abandoned at Sea
Source: 24/7 Prayer, February 17, 2015
In recent months, thousands of people seeking refuge from war-torn Syria, where almost 200,000 people have been killed and millions displaced have been found on large, crewless freighters in the Mediterranean Sea.
Smugglers have found a new, wholesale means of transporting refugees who have fled to Turkey. They buy derelict freighters ready for salvage, pack their holds with refugees at $4,000-$8,000 per head, then set sail in the Mediterranean, pointed toward southern Europe. After the voyage is underway, the crew abandons the ship, leaving the refugees on their own.
Recently, a ship was set on autopilot running full speed across the sea. Fortunately, the vessel ran out of gas. When rescue crews boarded, they discovered 359 illegal migrants on board. Another freighter, with 970 people locked in the rusty hold, was found adrift near Greece.
This perilous form of human trafficking has become a profitable business for organized criminals, who fear getting caught with banned cargo such as drugs or weapons. People smuggling, an international crime, is on the rise.
- Ask God to provide safety to those seeking refuge, who are willing to risk their lives through this perilous travel.
- Pray for peace, salvation, and restoration for individuals seeking asylum. May they find shelter in legal, peaceful living conditions.
- Pray that these smugglers are identified and their criminal activity stopped.
- Please pray for these asylum seekers to be intercepted, rescued, and restored.
» See also these stories about refugees stuck in limbo: Western Sahara’s Stranded Refugees Consider Renewal of Morocco Conflict (The Guardian), Conflict-Related Displacement: A Huge Development Challenge for India (IPS News), and No-Man’s Land: the Iraqis Trapped between IS and the Kurds (IRIN News).
PAKISTAN: Son of Imam Follows Christ
Source: Mission Network News, February 5, 2015
The Operation Mobilization Pakistan team shares with people about God in towns and marketplaces, while also distributing literature that talks about how they can have a relationship with God’s Son.
One man took a leaflet. He read it and re-read it, but it did not satisfy him. He wanted to know more about the God who wants a relationship with ordinary people. So he began to search for others who knew this God.
Then he met believers in Jesus. They had a personal relationship with God and seemed to know him the way the man hungered for. It excited him, and his questions poured out.
They began to meet regularly, and soon the man learned a lot about Jesus and salvation. He read the Bible for himself and accepted Jesus as his personal savior and friend. As his faith grew, he made a public step of faith by being baptized as a Christ follower.
However, others in his village were concerned with his new faith. They went to his father and complained that his son had become a believer in Jesus. What was he, an imam—a Muslim religious leader—going to do about it?
“My son is adult and mature; he is accountable to God for his deeds, just as I am accountable to God for my deeds,” replied the father. “If he has become a follower of Jesus, he will have to give an answer to God why he did this. However, I can see he is not stealing things or not doing adultery; he is not doing any wrong thing to create problems for others. He knows what is going on, and his God knows it, too.”