Category: Resource Reviews

Source: William Carey Publishing

Ephesiology: A Study of the Ephesian Movement, by Michael T. Cooper. William Carey Publishing, 2020. 347 pages.

Acts 19:10 reports all who lived in the Roman province of Asia heard the word of the Lord during the two years Paul was in Ephesus. What does that mean? How in the world did it happen? And what can we learn from it that might help us today?

Ephesiology is a thorough exploration of this movement as described primarily in Acts 19, Ephesians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Revelation 2-3. The author steers clear of contemporary models and debates; this may make this book more appealing to those who object to aspects of what they see elsewhere. What he seeks to offer is an accessible biblical missiology—or, as he puts it, a missiological theology of the Bible—for readers who want to see their world transformed as Ephesus was. This is not an easy read but a worth the effort.

» Learn more or purchase for US$9.99 (Kindle) or $15.99 (paperback) from Amazon or elsewhere. See also the Ephesiology website which includes a course, blog, and podcast.

» William Carey Publishing has also released a new, special edition of the late Steve Smith’s book Spirit Walk: The Extraordinary Power of Acts for Ordinary People. Take a look.

Source: Global Missiology

How does what we’re seeing in disciple-making movements today fit into our understanding of Missio Dei, the overarching mission of God? How much common ground might there be between those focused on catalyzing disciple-making movements and those with a broader, maybe more holistic understanding of mission?

Check out what author and missiologist Warrick Farah has to say as he explores how the topic connects with various (sometimes competing) conversations in the field of mission studies and introduces the term motus Dei, movement of God.

» Read the article. You might be interested in another from the author, A Missiology of Social Distancing: Ministry Innovation in the Midst of Biosecurity Events (Circumpolar).

Sources: Various

Some of you may have seen Free Burma Rangers, a documentary we reviewed in January. The producers are working on digital delivery to replace theater screenings. Keep an eye on their website or social media channels if interested.

I Am Patrick, CBN’s new docudrama about Ireland’s patron saint, was to debut the very day major theater chains were shutting down. So now, for US$15, you can get it on DVD with simultaneous streaming. It’s a thoughtful, interesting, and well executed film. I recommend it.

» See also St. Patrick and the Great Commission, a piece I wrote for Pioneers USA.

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

Not surprisingly, event organizers cancelled or postponed the face-to-face event on our April events calendar. But check out these webinars and courses you can still participate in. I’m including a few for late March which may be of interest.

March 25 to April 1, Guilt, Shame, Fear… and Faith (online). Training course from the Center for Intercultural Training.

March 30 to April 6, Spiritual Warfare—the Super and the Natural (online). Training course from the Center for Intercultural Training.

March 30 to April 6, Onramp (online). Training course from the Center for Intercultural Training to help launch you into cross-cultural ministry.

April 1, God, Germs and Global Missions (online). Webinar from Sixteen:Fifteen. Free.

April 2, Mobilization: Helping Others Uncover Their Dreams and Callings (online). Global update provided by Beyond.

April 6 to August 9, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). Offered regularly; another course begins May 4.

April 9, TECHnically Connected: Navigating Distance on Virtual Teams (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

April 14, Engaging the Church as Senders (online). Webinar from the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Missions.

April 16, Character vs. Skill: Biblical Paradigms for Leadership (online). Nugget training from Beyond.

April 23, Overcoming through Prayer (online). Proactive prayer training from Beyond.

April 24 to May 24, 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World (global). Annual. Consider purchasing the (paper or electronic) 2020 prayer guides for kids and adults. Watch and share the promo video.

» View complete calendar. Submissions welcome. We are starting to see May events cancelled and will continue to make updates.

» Cancelled your mission trip? Still in wait-and-see mode? Standards of Excellence in Short-term Mission has posted the recording  of a March 17 webinar on COVID-19 and Mission Trips with specialists in several areas. No cost. Check it out.

1. DATA: If There Were Only 100 Christians
2. BOOK: World Christian Encyclopedia, Third Edition
3. EVENT: On Mission Online Mission Conference
4. CURRICULUM: Dinner Party Devotions
5. ARTICLE: Every Missionary Needs Friends
6. EVENTS: March Conferences and Training

January 29, 2020, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary

• If 100 Christians represented all of global Christianity, 67 would live in Asia, Africa, Latin America, or Oceania, while 33 would live in Europe or Northern America. Most would be found in urban areas (65) as opposed to rural (35).
• Linguistically, 16 would speak Spanish as their mother tongue, 10 English, 8 Portuguese, 5 Russian and 3 Mandarin Chinese.
• Most (64) would be between the ages of 15 and 64, while 26 would be under 15.
• Eleven Christians would be illiterate, and 35 would have little to no access to secondary education. Roughly half of Christians would have access to the internet. Fourteen would have no access to safe water, and five would have malaria.
• Most Christians (79) would live in countries with moderate to high corruption; 35 would live in countries with low development.

A typical Christian today is a non-white woman living in the global South, with lower-than-average levels of societal safety and proper health care. This represents a vastly different typical Christian than that of 100 years ago, who was likely a white, affluent European.

» Read The World as 100 Christians and study the graphic. It’s inspired by The World as 100 People but uses data from the recently updated World Christian Encyclopedia (see below).

» An article from another source shows that eight in ten evangelical Christians live in Asia, Africa, or Latin America (Evangelical Focus). See also a visualization of the world’s 100 most-spoken languages.

Source: Edinburgh University Press

The World Christian Encyclopedia, now in its third edition, documents the changing status of World Christianity over the past 120 years from historical and social scientific perspectives. It records the continued shift of Christianity to the Global South and contains estimates for religious and nonreligious affiliation in every country of the world, including detail on Christianity to the denominational level. This reference work features comprehensive descriptions of all Christian traditions, including current information on the uniqueness of Christian experiences around the world.

At 1000 oversized pages and more than US$200 a copy, this encyclopedia is not for everyone. If you lead a global ministry, maintain a mission education library, or specialize in mission research, you will want a copy. The rest of us may just want to know someone who has one we can use for reference. The publisher also plans to sell the 32-page introductory overview as a separate resource, as well as allow  readers to purchase just the info about one country or region. That could be very helpful for those working in or researching a specific area.

» Learn more or buy a copy from the publisher. In the US, you can get a copy from Christianbook.com for US$213.49. No ebook edition (yet).

Source: Missio Nexus

The Church today has such great sending potential—yet current attrition statistics show an ongoing need for sending workers to unreached people groups. How can churches and agencies get people mobilized for the work of Christ?

On Mission, the annual online mission conference from Missio Nexus, will explore these questions and more. The three-hour live-streamed event will feature 15-20 short (ten-minute) video presentations from presenters from around the world.

Participate live on March 11 (12-3pm Eastern) or watch the videos on your own or with a group at your own pace. Videos from the last three years are also available online. You might want to browse through them for content to stimulate discussion with others.

» Learn more or register for the event.

Source: Wycliffe Women

God chose unlikely people throughout the Bible and hand-picked them to declare his glory. Discover stories that highlight God’s astonishing way of working paired with fun international recipes in the free PDF dinner party devotional, “Lessons from Lesser Knowns.” It’s about 30 pages long and includes material for six sessions with Bible references, devotional articles, discussion questions, and recipes for each session.

You’ll also be invited to sign-up for emails and resources geared specifically toward women.

» Learn more or download this material and find other resources at Wycliffe.org/women. Wycliffe also offers a free kids cookbook as part of Wycliffe.org/kids.

» See also You Are Always Welcome, a family activity to help you and your kids cultivate a habit of welcoming those from other cultures into your home (Weave).

Source: Catalyst Services

Jesus delivered his Acts 1:8 commission as a priority for all of his followers. In the 21st century, his Church has more ways than ever before to strategically engage every believer in fulfilling this Jerusalem-to-the-ends-of-the-earth command. A list of Great Commission roles includes goer, sender, welcomer, intercessor, and mobilizer. But there is at least one other overlooked and undervalued role to include—we’re calling it missionary “Friend” with a capital “F.”

» Read the article (PDF download) and share it with others. Missionaries will thank you!

» You may also want to check out Why, When, and How to Visit Your Missionary (Global Missions Podcast).