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.