In This Issue: From Visit to Vocation, Best Ideas for Conferences, and More
- Visit to Vocation
- Missions Conference Home Runs
- South Koreans, Afghanistan, and the Prayers of the Saints
Missions Catalyst is a free, weekly electronic digest of mission news and resources designed to inspire and equip Christians worldwide for global ministry. Use it to fuel your prayers, find tips and opportunities, and stay in touch with how God is building his kingdom all over the world. Please forward it freely!
Practical Mobilization by Shane Bennett is published once a month.
Dear Readers,
I’ve been ranting and carrying on for a number of months and am frankly growing a bit weary of my own voice. Does that ever happen to you? So this month I’d like to float out a few ideas, thoughts, and questions, and solicit your input. My hope is that the Practical Mobilization portion of Missions Catalyst can be more of a conversation than a monologue. So please, if you have thoughts or responses to these items below, fire back with them.
Shane
Visit to Vocation: From Going Short-term to Staying Long-term
I’m writing this month from southern Kazakhstan where I’m visiting a long-term work my new church is involved in. I feel so honored to finally visit this country. Through Caleb Project and this church, I’ve had some connection with Kazakhstan for more than 15 years. It’s great to finally show up and see the place myself. I’ve also been blessed to see encouraging signs of Kingdom growth.
Of course, being here has also brought to mind some puzzling questions, such as: “Were horses primarily invented for transportation or food?” “At what ratio do you stop saying, ‘This road has a lot of potholes,’ and begin saying, ‘These potholes seem to be joined together by a bit of road’?” And, “Will there be a lovelier group than the Kazakhs standing before God’s throne in eternity?” My tentative answers to these questions are: “Seems like both,” “80/20,” and “likely not.”
In the past couple of days a more serious question has come up. It has to do with raising up career workers from within the context of a local church. Our fellowship has sent about 350 people to Kazakhstan over the past 15 years. Of those, maybe a dozen have served in a long-term capacity. Our current number of long-termers here is three. Because we could easily put ten people to work here, I’m wondering how to invite more of those 300+ short-termers to consider a career assignment.
(You might be thinking “Hey, maybe it is time to hand things over to Kazakhs and move on.” Let me ask you to assume with me that we have some discernment about that and believe God wants us to continue. I’m not saying we can discern that, but it’s a big question, requiring significant treatment, and is not the question at hand.)
So, how have you seen short-termers transformed into long-termers? I’m thinking of good examples in which sharp people end up in significant, well-fitting roles. I’m imagining non-manipulative methods in which people are invited to recognize their gifts, are provided with proper stepping stones to long-term commitment, and are shepherded into a successful cross-cultural career. If you have ideas or experience in this, please pass it along. I’ll compile the responses in a future article.
Missions Conference Home Runs: What Are the Best Ideas You’ve Seen?
Ah, in our hemisphere it is fall, when a young mobilizer’s fancy turns to thoughts of missions conferences. This question is really just a quick poll: What are some of the best ideas you’ve seen or personally used in the context of a church’s annual missions event? To get your mind going, here’s one I’ve seen, and three I’m working on for my church:
Calvary Church in Santa Ana produces the best promo material for missions that I’ve ever seen in print. One example is a set of cards (like baseball cards) featuring the children of the missionaries the church supports. Each card is customized with the kid’s location, age, and interests. I was impressed, and I’ve got to believe that both the kids and the parents felt cared for.
Here’s what I’m working on for us this fall:
1. Changing the name. It had been called the “Missions Fair.” Thinking we could be a little more creative than that, we’re going with “Global Mela.” “Mela” is an Indian word for “big party,” and I’m hoping the event will feel like something of a party.
2. Bringing in a great speaker. While there aren’t a lot of missions speakers who generate buzz just on the weight of their name, there are some who can really make the difference in a missions conference. Jon Hardin, our speaker this fall, is one of them. Given our church’s custom of only infrequently having outside speakers in the pulpit, there aren’t many people I’d pitch to our pastor for this. But Jon is dependable and excellent. (In case you’re wondering, Jon’s not sponsoring this issue of Missions Catalyst. I’m just sharing good stuff I’m aware of!)
3. I think it would be great to screen a film after our Saturday night service. I’m thinking of a high-quality, high-interest movie that has some sort of cross-cultural theme to it. It wouldn’t have to be totally family-friendly, but we’ll need to be somewhat cautious. End of the Spear comes to mind. Can you suggest other titles?
Please pass along the best ideas you’ve implemented or seen.
Editor’s Note: See also our events calendar for ACMC conferences, Mission Fest events, and Missions-Fest-style events you could take/send people to for inspiration, connections, resources, and ideas.
South Koreans, Afghanistan, and the Prayers of the Saints: Thoughts on the Recently Resolved Hostage Situation
I imagine many of us found ourselves praying for our brothers and sisters who were in captivity. Did anyone besides me ever wonder about your own personal prayer contribution relative to the petitions being raised in South Korea? In my limited, but happy, exposure to Korean believers, I’ve been immensely impressed by their passionate, intense intercession. As I held my wife’s hand at night and said, “Father, be with our brothers and sisters who are hostages. Please let them shine as lights. Please bring about their quick release,” I couldn’t help but compare those sputtering, flickering words to the raging intercession inferno I assume to be rising from the Korean peninsula. How God hears, accounts for, and answers prayer, I have no idea. I did pray for the hostages, but usually with a sense of, “I imagine their compatriots have this one covered.”
Now that their release has been secured, what are the implications for God’s kingdom in Afghanistan and beyond? Maybe you, like me, have friends living and working there. Has the price on their heads gone up? Has Satan won a victory in the South Korean pledge to halt missionary work there?
Maybe if you have a passion for Pakistan or Iran or another nearby state, you can take some hope. My hunch is that few Korean missionaries will respond to this situation by saying, “This missions stuff is too scary. Let’s just stay at home.” They’ll go somewhere. Perhaps some will join their countrymen and distant ethnic cousins here in Kazakhstan. I, for one, would welcome their prayer and work.
If you have relevant thoughts (or polite corrections for me), please pass them on.
Questions? Problems? Submissions? Contact publisher/managing editor Marti Smith.