In This Issue: Think God Wants You to Be a Missionary?
- Book – I think God Wants Me to Be a Missionary
- Book – Spiritual Awakening in Nagaland
- Behind the Scenes at Missions Catalyst
- Web Site – TentMaker Project
- Event – Morocco Summit 06
- Event – Training for Church Missions Leaders
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.
BOOK – I Think God Wants Me to Be a Missionary
From: Emmaus Road International
“I Think God Wants Me to Be a Missionary”
By Neal Pirolo
Prompted by the high attrition rate of missionaries who do not first ‘count the cost’ of cross-cultural ministry, Neal Pirolo offers this book to help candidates look closely at scores of issues that should be clarified long before they say goodbye. In an easy-to-read dialogue style, four young people represent thousands of others.
“I really enjoyed writing this book,” says Neal, the author of “Serving as Senders.” “I related most easily with Jason. He’s a happy-go-lucky guy about to graduates from high school. Then there is Helen, a most proper young lady who has been home-schooled since kindergarten. She attends a church that is very active in missions …”
“Kyle probably had the most difficult issues. Wonderfully, there is a young lady in his church. Just when they realized their relationship was more than ‘just friends,’ they cannot remember. But for some time now there has been an unspoken agreement that wedding bells are in their future. But one Sunday evening …”
In “I Think God Wants Me to Be a Missionary” we enter the lives of these missionary-hopefuls, their pastors, and others, and become involved in the dialogue as these young people deal with scores of issues to consider before saying goodbye.
Ordering information: San Diego, CA: Emmaus Road International, 2005, 288 pages. Order your copy for US$8.95 plus shipping and handling by e-mail, on the web, or by telephone at 858.292.7020. Be sure to check out other products and services available from Emmaus Road!
BOOK – Spiritual Awakening in Nagaland
From: Paul Hattaway, www.asiaharvest.org
“From Headhunters to Church Planters – An Amazing Spiritual Awakening in Nagaland”
By Paul Hattaway
Surely one of the greatest spiritual revivals in history happened in a remote corner of northeast India from the 1950s to 1970s, when more than one million Naga people came to Christ. For centuries the Nagas were head-hunters and lived bound by dark demonic powers. Paul Hattaway, the author of “The Heavenly Man” and “Back to Jerusalem,” is a frequent visitor to Nagaland. He has interviewed numerous eyewitnesses to the revivals, documenting how it came about, the opposition and brutal persecution that followed, and the astonishing miracles that accompanied it.
“Today, almost one million Christians live joyful lives in Nagaland. We have been conquered by God’s overwhelming grace and love … I recommend ‘From Head-hunters to Church Planters’ as an accurate and incisive account of what God has done among the Nagas. May God be glorified thorugh this book, and may your own heart be revived as you read the wonderful things that God has done in Nagaland!” – Naga Pastor Gwayhunlo Khing
Waynesboro, GA: Authentic, 2006, 144 pages. Available from Asia Harvest. Price US$13 (including postage anywhere in the world) with discounts for bulk orders.
Behind the Scenes at Missions Catalyst
From: Marti Smith, Managing Editor
Celebration! Will you celebrate with me? With almost 500 new subscribers so far in 2006, our Missions Catalyst subscription list has topped the 2500 mark! We are not after fame or fortune, but on the other hand we do want to bless as many people as we can. Let us know if you have ideas for how to get the word out. We also welcome your feedback and content submissions!
Prayer: Do you know that the staff of Caleb Project prays for you? Nearly every morning we gather for an hour of intercession, and Missions Catalyst subscribers are on the calendar about once a month. We’ll pray for you personally if you send a request.
Here are some things you can lift up for us. Several of our staff members are actively raising financial support. Will you join us in seeking God for his provision for them? If you’d like to write a note of encouragement to Shane (our practical mobilization guy), Pat (our news sleuth) or Brad (the copy-editor you never see who keeps everything clean and consistent), send it to me and I will forward it on. You can also give to any Caleb Project staff members or projects (including “Missions Catalyst”) through our web site.
Experiencing technical difficulties: While Brad takes a few months to work on his support-raising, I’m taking on his job. Watch out! Maybe you noticed everyone got three copies of the News Briefs a few weeks ago … oops, sorry! And we’ve had ongoing problems keeping our web links from breaking in the process of creating e-mails. Please let us know if you can’t access a link or file. We’ll be happy to send it to you directly.
Thanks so much for being part of this ministry. We are delighted to serve you and support you in the work to which God has called you.
WEB SITE – Tentmakerproject.org
From: Nate Wilson, The TentMaker Project
Micro-enterprise development is a fast-growing trend in mission strategies today. By extending modest loans to stimulate the productivity of small businesses, micro-enterprise development agencies offer financial help to the poor while minimizing dependency upon foreign money.
The TentMaker Project offers a model of this kind of development, using the resources of local churches to make the process work with low overhead, high repayment rates, and constant opportunities for discipleship. It grew out of a short-term mission trip to Uganda taken by a pastor in Carbondale, IL, and has been enthusiastically endorsed by long-term missionaries as they have seen the model in action.
Learn more at the ministry’s web site. Highlights include:
Profiles of micro-loan recipients: Examples (photos, text, and video interviews) show how people’s lives have been impacted by small business financing loaned church-to-church.
Simulation: This PDF describes a simple group activity that can help Westerners begin to relate to the reality of poverty and the usefulness of micro-enterprise development.
NOTE: Those who have read the “Missions Catalyst e-Magazine” for long will recognize the name of Nate Wilson, the servant-hearted man who led this ministry for its first eight years or so. Catch up with Nate and his family of ten here or send him an e-mail.
EVENT – Morocco Summit ’06
From: Arise Shine Morocco
Christians interested in reaching the nation of Morocco with the gospel will gather in Florida this November to learn from one another and explore ways in which to work more effectively. For more information or to register for the summit, visit Arise Shine Morocco.
For other missions events worldwide, visit the “Missions Catalyst” events calendar.
EVENT – Training for Church Missions Leaders
From: Tom Horn, ACMC
Institute for Church Missions Leadership
Location: Denver Seminary, Denver, Colorado
Dates: May 15-19, 2006
Presented by: ACMC (Advancing Churches in Missions Commitment), NAMP (the National Association of Missions Pastors), and Denver Seminary
Featuring: Monnie Brewer, David Mays, and Larry Walker
Where do church missions staff go to learn about mobilizing their congregation for missions? ACMC has offered conferences with such training for 30 years. A few years ago ACMC started to offer an intensive one-week training course designed especially for church staff who are responsible for missions.
In May, more than 30 church missions leaders will come together to focus on how to lead missions ministry in the church and how to mobilize a congregation for missions involvement.
Presenters include seasoned church missions leaders. Case studies from churches with great practices in the topics being covered will be presented and provide points for discussion. Small-group interaction will allow for personalization and application.
Get more information about ACMC or this event.