Missions Catalyst 10.27.10 – Resource Reviews

In This Issue: Books, Websites, Videos, and More

• BOOK: A Guide to Getting Started
• BOOK: The Peoples of New York
• WEBSITE: Tools to Maximize Mission Trip Communication
• VIDEOS: Cape Town, in Your Church or Living Room
• EVENTS: Training and Conferences

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!

Resource Reviews, edited by Marti Smith, are published once a month.

Greetings!

Before we get into resource reviews I want to extend a warm welcome to two dozen new subscribers who signed up to join us at the recent ACMC conference in New Hampshire. We’re glad to have you!

Let me also remind everyone that our Practical Mobilization guy, Shane Bennett, is collecting your ideas for Christmas gift-giving (and getting). Any ideas for gifts our readers could give their nearest and dearest to help lift their eyes to the heavens, and the nations? What would you, as a mission activist of some flavor, be interested in receiving from others? Let Shane know as soon as possible and we’ll share the results in a future edition of Missions Catalyst.

Meanwhile, don’t forget we are standing with you and praying for you. Keep making waves!

Marti Smith | publisher and managing editor

BOOK: A Guide to Getting Started

To Timbuktu and Beyond: A Guide to Getting Started in Missions, by Marsha Woodard. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 2009. 155 pages.

“Missions is the most fulfilling career path you could possibly embark on,” says Marsha Woodard. Each year hundreds join the ranks of cross-cultural workers serving around the globe.

Yet, as she points out, “almost one third of all those heading into long-term cross-cultural missions do not even finish their first term on the field.” Lack of a clear call or support from home may bring workers back early. So may interpersonal issues, unmet expectations, and inability to adapt to a new culture. But can we anticipate these problems and prepare workers to overcome them?

Woodard, a member of Youth with a Mission, believes we can and writes this practical and encouraging book to help prepare readers for the journey. What they do before they go will have a significant impact on their future success.

Two of this book’s strengths are its emphasis on working closely together with the local church and its encouragement to consider a cyclical model of equipping and experience (e.g., arranging for an on-field internship before investing heavily in specific training and language learning). Good advice.

Not long ago we reviewed two other books that cover similar ground a bit differently, Ask a Missionary (ed. John McVay) and Global Mission Handbook (by Steve Hoke and Bill Taylor). I’d say “Timbuktu” is the easiest to digest, though sloppy in a few places. Just a few. “Ask” does the best job providing multiple perspectives on the same questions. Hoke and Taylor’s “Handbook” provides the most thorough plan for preparation, but only if the reader is dedicated to the process and probably working with a mentor. Any one of the three would be a good choice to put in the hands of the aspiring missionary in your life.

>> Purchase “To Timbuktu and Beyond” from William Carey Library (or elsewhere) for US$11.19. Bulk discounts available.

BOOK: The Peoples of New York

ethNYcity: The Nations, Tongues, and Faiths of Metropolitan New York, by Chris Clayman and Meredith Lee. New York: Metro New York Baptist Association and Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, 2010. 192 pages.

From the website: “Step into Metropolitan New York and rub shoulders with the world. Everyone knows that New York City and its environs are ethnically diverse, but how much so? And who are all of these people speaking languages other than English? Where do they come from and why are they here? Do all of the immigrant groups have their own little ethnic enclaves? What are their lives like and what are their beliefs? Is there a specific way I can pray for them?

“Built upon extensive research through field interviews and external sources, ethNYcity is an important resource for all people interested in cross-cultural missions in North America. The information, stories, and pictures provide fuel for Christians to pray strategically for the peoples of this world and for New York City in particular. For Metro New York church, mission, and denominational leaders, the book will prove to be a valuable resource for evaluating and planning outreach efforts. Suitable as a coffee table book or a reference work.”

>> Purchase this book for US$25. The website also includes a list of the 82 people groups profiled.

>> Say you wanted to research and raise awareness of the people groups in your own city. How would you go about it? Read Ed Stetzer’s interview with Chris Clayman for some clues.

WEBSITE: Tools to Maximize Mission Trip Communication

Does your church do short-term mission trips that never quite live up to their potential to include and communicate with people back home? Maybe they used to, but then the youth guy with all the tech skills left and you aren’t sure quite what to do. You need something attractive and easy to use, and some of the information ought to be kept secure.

“Most churches don’t have the budget or the time to invest in technology to tackle these challenges, and yet so much that happens on the mission field is life-changing. That alone makes solving these challenges a worthwhile endeavor,” says Robert Carpenter, of Modesto, California. So Robert partnered with programmer Caleb Cohoon to design and launch a web-based service designed just to support short-term mission trips.

MissionMakr allows churches to create their short-term mission trip sites online using drag-and-drop widgets made just for missions. People who are thinking about participating can learn about the trip. Participants can use a secure portal to begin interacting as a team, track trip details, and share other information specific to their trip. Friends and supporters can get timely and attractive personal reports from the field as well as after the trip is over.

“We’re about engaging the body of Christ and impacting those who go on a short-term trip … It’s amazing to see how quickly a trip site can be built and put online for others to browse and engage without having to hire a web designer or find a way to integrate it into a church’s existing web site,” says Carpenter.

Sound like something you can use? The cost is US$25 per trip participant with tiered pricing for larger groups, though other users (e.g., people in your church) have access to the site for free. Take a look. They also host a blog devoted to helping churches communicate about short-term missions.

>> Learn more or sign up to use this service.

>> See also The Volunteer’s Back Pocket Guide to Youth Mission Trips: 10 Necessities for Volunteer Leaders.

VIDEOS: Cape Town, in Your Church or Living Room

Did you think the recent Lausanne III meetings in South Africa might be over your head? Watching the videos these last few days I’ve noticed that while most are moving and challenging, they tend to be quite accessible. Few segments are more than 15 minutes long, too, which should make it easier to share them with your churches, schools, Sunday school classes, or small groups.

I wanted to give you a top-ten list, but I couldn’t choose; you’ll have to help me. Take a look, then write and share what you picked out and how you plan to use it.

Some places to start:

1. The opening session videos on The Growth of the Church, which explore some of the challenges and turning points of Christian history.

2. The “Multiplex” (workshop) on A Fresh Approach to Christian Witness. It includes some great segments from Archbishop Benjamin Kwashi of Nigeria and Michael Ramsden of England.

3. Pranitha Timothy of India speaking about Human Trafficking, particularly in her country (7 minutes).

4. Mark Green of the UK (I think) making a case for ministry through People at Work – and he doesn’t just mean the full-time church workers (12 minutes).

Other suggestions? Please comment below.

EVENTS: Conferences and More

Here are a few things we’ve recently added to our calendar of mission events.

Reaching Muslims – a class, a conference, and a campaign:

November 11 to 13 – Canadian Network for Ministries to Muslims (Calgary, AB, Canada). This is CNMM’s first national conference! Any Christian layperson or ministry leader who wants to learn to love Muslims more effectively is welcome.

November 14 to 17 – Four Days of Incredible Prayer (global). Join Christians worldwide in learning about and interceding for millions of Muslims taking the “hajj” pilgrimage at this time. Download the five-page prayer guide and watch a five-minute video from Praying Through the Arabian Peninsula (PTAP).

January 10 to April 3 – Encountering the World of Islam Course (online). Twelve-week course will help you discover God’s heart for Muslims. Classes also beginning across the US: Indianapolis, IN; Columbus, OH; Louisville, KY; Tyler, TX; Houston, TX; and Portland, OR. Facilitated by Encountering the World of Islam.

Three more events for 2011:

January 05 to 08 – Traction for God Conference (Rocklin, CA, USA). Mission conference for young adults, sponsored by The Harvest Group.

February 05 to 15 – Harvest Multiplication Training: Best Practices in Church-Planting Movements for Unreached Peoples (Orlando, FL, USA). Featuring trainers from YWAM, IMB, and others; designed to help equip cross-cultural church planters, mission committee members, advocates for the unreached, and new strategy coordinators.

June 22 to July 02 – “Breathe” Conference 2011 (Wilderswil, Switzerland). A ten-day retreat designed to refresh and renew cross-cultural workers. Provided by Catalyst International.

>> See our full calendar or submit items.