In This Issue: Compassion in Action, Heroes for the Holidays, and More
- NOTE TO READERS
- DVD CURRICULUM: Becoming a Good Samaritan
- KIDS’ BOOKS: Stories of Saints Nicholas, Valentine, and Patrick
- BOOK: Praying with Africa
- BOOK: One God One Message
- MUSIC: Music Videos that Mobilize
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.
DVD CURRICULUM: Becoming a Good Samaritan
What does it take to “love your neighbor” in a global community? In a world struggling with poverty, AIDS, racism and genocide, child slavery, injustice, and more, how can churches motivate the millions of potential Good Samaritans sitting in their pews to get involved?
Partnering with World Vision and The C2 Group, Zondervan has recently published a high-quality, video-based, six-week study called start>Becoming a Good Samaritan.
Session 1: Becoming a Good Samaritan
Session 2: Caring for the Sick
Session 3: Seeking Justice and Reconciliation
Session 4: Honoring the Poor
Session 5: Tending to God’s Creation
Session 6: Loving the Forsaken
Each 30-minute video session is hosted by teacher John Ortberg and includes interviews with respected Christian leaders including Eugene Peterson, Philip Yancey, Jim Cymbala, Chuck Colson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Brenda Salter McNeil, Kay Warren, Joni Eareckson Tada, Rob Bell, and many others.
You can use this curriculum with a small group or a large one. Sessions are designed for a 60-minute time frame (to include discussion, activities, and prayer).
A Missions Catalyst reader writes, “The curriculum was excellent – perfect for highlighting global issues and integrating our missions strategy into each Sunday morning service. This is by far the best mission emphasis that we have done… it was great for helping our church integrate both local and global outreach. We also taught the same topics for the Sunday messages.”
Dave’s church also used this series as a community outreach, recognizing that many in their neighborhoods were interested in these issues and didn’t know what the church (and the Bible) might have to say about them.
Learn more, view sample sessions, and download the free leader’s guide, sermon helps, and other resources from the start> website.
>> Purchase these materials from the publisher for quite reasonable rates if you qualify for “ministry pricing.” (US$19.99 for the DVD, US$7.99 for the 128-page Participant’s Guide, and US$23.99 for the leader’s pack – one DVD, one Participant’s Guide. Get multiple copies at bulk rates.) Christian Book Distributors also offers low prices.
>> Editor’s note: As we’ve mentioned before, Caleb Resources has published a curriculum for use in churches which covers some of these issues and others (those which victimize children). Red Card is an eight-week family curriculum designed for groups of parents and children (fourth grade and up) to do together. (www.redcardkids.org)
KIDS’ BOOKS: Stories of Saints Nicholas, Valentine, and Patrick
Voice of the Martyrs is offering a collection of three hardcover, fully illustrated books you can use to introduce your children or grandchildren to the heroes behind the holidays and the sacrifices they made for others. Written by Cheryl Odden and illustrated by R. F. Palavicini, published in 2007 by Voice of the Martyrs, and suitable for children between ages 5-12.
The “Holiday Heroes” collection includes The Story of St. Nicholas of Myra: More than Reindeer and a Red Suit (50 pages), The Story of St. Valentine: More than Cards and Candied Hearts (34 pages), and The Story of St. Patrick: More than Shamrocks and Leprechauns (40 pages).
>> Purchase all three from VOM for US$30. The books are also sold separately and available from a variety of sources.
>> Browse VOM’s web store for many other helpful resources for children (e.g., the animated Torchlighters video series) and adults (e.g., a set of informative books about North Korea, China, and Iran).
BOOK: Praying with Africa
Like Breath and Water: Praying with Africa, by Ciona D. Rouse. Nashville, TN: The Upper Room, 2009. 92 pages.
We haven’t actually seen this book but it sounds intriguing:
“‘If you want to learn to pray, go to Africa.’ In response to that challenge, three American young people set out to visit a place where prayer runs deep beneath everything. In Mali, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, South Africa, and Liberia, they listened to and recorded the prayers of Christian brothers and sisters.
“They had a larger purpose in doing so: to inspire people to connect across continents, to pray each other’s prayers, and to put those prayers into action. Through the Pray with Africa initiative, they hoped to involve multitudes of others in praying with the people of Africa, not just for them, to build relationships and bridges between here and there, and to change the world through prayer.
“Like Breath and Water weaves together the stories and prayers of the African people with the personal insights the team members had while on pilgrimage. Stunning color photographs draw readers into the journey.”
>> Purchase from Amazon for US$15.
>> See also the 38-minute documentary film that came out of this project, Listen: A New African Narrative (US$20). View the trailer. I also liked the free, short clip I Am African.
BOOK: One God One Message
One God One Message, 3rd edition, by P.D. Bramsen. Greenville, SC: ROCK International, 2008. 432 pages.
One God One Message blends apologetics and storytelling to answer questions people (especially Muslims) from around the world have about God and the Bible.
The book is designed to clear up the confusion that prevents people from taking the Bible seriously, and clearly present God’s age-old story and consistent message. This edition includes chapter review questions and a discussion guide.
The author, Paul Bramsen, spent many years working among Muslims in Senegal and also created a 100-lesson chronological radio teaching program called The Way of Righteousness which has been translated into scores of languages for broadcast in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
>> Purchase this book from New Tribes for US$11.51. While you’re there, check out Firm Foundations: Creation to Christ.
>> Other distribution points, languages, and additional resources can be found on the One God One Message website.
MUSIC: Music Videos that Mobilize
By Brad Koenig, Caleb Resources
There’s nothing like a good music video to stir hearts towards God’s global purposes. Here are a few to get you going.
Favorites on YouTube:
Audio Adrenaline – Hands and Feet
Newsboys – He Reigns
Sonicflood – Cry Holy
“He Reigns” is also available on the WOW Worship (Red) DVD. US$12.99 from Christianbook.com.
Two recommended concert DVDs:
1. Steven Curtis Chapman Live includes “For the Sake of the Call” and Steve Saint’s testimony. US$12.99 from Christianbook.com.
2. A golden oldie, The Keith Green Memorial Concert includes “Open Your Eyes” and a passionate missions challenge. US$17.95 from Last Days Ministries.
NOTE: Music videos and DVDs are copyrighted for private home use only and require written permission for public showing.
Two exceptional DVDs are made and sold for public showing:
1. The Shaping Eternity DVD provides three missions music videos, four other mobilization videos, and 14 printable PDF resources. US$24.95 from Caleb Resources.
2. The Assemblies of God’s 2009 Musical DVD has six missions music videos for public showing. US$10.00 from MissionsMusic.com. (View low-res versions on website.)
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
We’d be glad to get your feedback about this edition of Missions Catalyst. Leave a comment on our website or contact managing editor and publisher Marti Smith.