Category: Resource Reviews

Source: InterVarsity Press

From Operation World creator Patrick Johnstone and collaborator Dean Merrill come two new books on topics that demand our attention: the shifting dynamics of today’s global cities and the rise of the migrant crisis.

First published in 2015 and 2016, and now republished by InterVarsity Press, Serving God in Today’s Cities and Serving God in a Migrant Crisis are short, punchy books offering biblical perspective and practical advice. If I had to pick just one, I’d recommend the cities book. Use the preview feature on Amazon to get a taste.

» Visit the publisher’s website to learn more about both books and related titles. Looks like a long-awaited revised edition of the kid-friendly Operation World resource Window on the World is also in the works.

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

July 2 to November 4, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). Additional classes start August 6 and August 13.

July 8-27, Manarah (Detroit, MI, USA). Training for ministry to Muslims, from Christar.

July 9-13, Cubs to Lions (Boulder, CO, USA). Discipleship for Christians with a Muslim background.

July 10-15, ABIDE (Joplin, MO, USA). Debriefing and reentry help for returning missionaries.

July 20-27, New Wilmington Mission Conference (Western Pennsylvania, USA). Annual, week-long multi-generational mission conference; a tradition for more than 100 years.

July 23-25, Crisis Management Seminar (Auburn, AL, USA). Provided by Crisis Consulting International. Followed by one-day Security Orientation Workshop, July 26.

July 23 to August 3, Engaging Islam Institute (Boulder, CO, USA). Training program from Horizons International.

August 4-11, ReBoot Re-entry Program (Calgary, AB, Canada). For returning missionary kids, ages 17-20, transitioning to life in Canada.

August 5-10, Check-IT-Out Summer Conference (Charlotte, NC, USA). For IT and software professionals and students on using technology in missions, particularly Bible translation.

August 6-7, Support Raising Bootcamp (Plano, TX, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions.

August 13-17, Cubs to Lions (Edmonton, AB, Canada). Discipleship for Christians with a Muslim background.

August 23-24, Support Raising Bootcamp (Edinburg, TX, USA). In Spanish.

» View the complete calendar. Please let us know about mistakes or omissions. For more details, contact the event organizers.

Missions Catalyst Resource Reviews 05.23.18

1. PRAYER GUIDE: The 31 Largest Frontier People Groups
2. ARTICLE: 30-Day Spiritual Preparation Guide for Your Mission Trip
3. BOOKS: A Good Missions Intro
4. BOOK: Engaging the Church to Mobilize Missionaries
5. EVENTS: What’s Coming up in June

Greetings!

Samuel Zwemer said, “The history of missions is the history of answered prayer.” This video, part of a series on best practices for mission mobilization, makes a case for the priority of mobilizing prayer in our missions mobilization efforts (GlobalCAST Resources). Take a look, then check out some of their other resources.

This was on my mind when I heard from a group of like-minded people in Southeastern Europe—gearing up for focused disciple-making efforts in Bosnia—who are currently seeking at least 10,000 people to join them in prayer. Watch a short video about it or learn more at Pray4Bosnia.com.

Faithfulness in prayer can have a much more local face as well. Watch Drive-Thru Prayers to learn how one group of believers offering a unique ministry to their Texas community (Deidox Austin).

Keep reading for more tools to help you learn, grow, or equip others.

blessings,
Marti

Source: Sagemont Church, via the Traveling Team

In the midst of getting a passport, raising support, and packing a suitcase for a mission trip, it’s easy to forget the most important form of preparation: spiritual preparation. This 30-day Bible reading guide is designed to help you do just that. Take at least 15 minutes a day to read each passage, meditate on its truths, and pray for your upcoming trip.

» Get the guide. Just a web page; nothing to buy, register for, or download.

» See also these articles about mission trips (ShortTermMissions.com) and/or consider picking up a book like Cindy Judge’s Before You Pack Your Bag, Prepare Your Heart.

Source: Inherit the Nations

A quarter of the world’s people are part of what this booklet calls frontier people groups, those with virtually no believers and no evident movement to Jesus bringing God’s promised blessings to families. Half of that population belongs to these 31 groups… some of which many of us may know nothing about.

Will you pray for them? How about adopting a group to pray for this year? Looks like most of the information in this resource is drawn from the Joshua Project website, but it’s framed with additional commentary.

» Download the booklet for free from Inherit the Nations (or from partner ministries) and watch a short video about their vision for unreached peoples and places and how you can be part of it.

» See also the International Day for the Unreached website where you can watch the IDU 2018 broadcast (90 minutes), download a Great Commission Action Guide, and more.

Source: Missions Catalyst readers

Recently Brad in Michigan asked, “What book do you recommend to a church when they need a short general intro to missions? Who writes this stuff in a really good way?”

Much depends on what you hope to accomplish and the interests and attention span of your audience, but consider these 15 suggestions. I’ll just list them alphabetically by author.

1. Steve Beirn’s Well Sent: Reimagining the Church’s Missionary Sending Process (read our review)

2. Paul Borthwick’s A Mind for Missions: Ten Ways to Build Your World Vision

3. Paul Borthwick’s How to Be a World-Class Christian: Becoming Part of God’s Global Kingdom

4. Mike Breen’s Building a Discipleship Culture

5. Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert’s When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor… and Yourself

6. Kevin DeYoung’s What Is the Mission of the Church? Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission

7. J.D. Greear’s Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches that Send

8. David Horner’s When Missions Shapes the Mission: You and Your Church Can Reach the World (read our review)

9. Jason Mandryk’s Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation (read our review)

10. Paul McGuiness’ Walk This Way: A Better Path to Global Engagement (read our review)

11. Richard Noble’s On Mission Together: Integrating Missions into the Local Church (due out this fall; we’ll try to review it for you then)

12. John Piper’s Let the Nations Be Glad: The Supremacy of God in Missions

13. Denny Spitters and Matthew Ellison’s When Everything Is Missions (read our review)

14. Richard Stearns’s The Hole in Our Gospel: What Does God Expect of Us?

15. Storyline: Discovering Your Story in God’s Global Mission (read our review)

» See our Google doc for links and comments. What would you add?

Source: William Carey Library

Pipeline: Engaging the Church in Missionary Mobilization, by David and Lorene Wilson. William Carey Library, 2018. 368 pages.

This one just came out May 1. Unlike the volumes mentioned above, it’s built around contributions from some 40 cross-cultural workers and church and agency leaders, many sharing firsthand accounts from their ministry experiences.

This book addresses a wide variety of topics for sending churches, including the call to missions, obstacles to overcome, mobilizing and equipping the church to send missionaries, and partnering with organizations. One disclaimer: I haven’t read it yet. Have you? Let me know what you think.

» Purchase from William Carey for US$15.99 or get the Kindle edition from Amazon for US$9.99. See also the author’s website which includes links to resources mentioned in the book.

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

June 1-2, People Raising Conference (Oak Brook, IL, USA). Be equipped for raising personal support.

June 2-3, World Weekend of Prayer for Children at Risk (international). Coordinated by the Viva Network.

June 4-15, Engaging Islam Institute (Beirut, Lebanon). Training event from Horizons International.

June 4 to September 2, Encountering the World of Islam (online).

June 5-6, Support Raising Bootcamp (Orlando, FL, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions.

June 7-9, Emerge Business Summit (Colorado Springs, CO, USA). Be affirmed, confirmed, and empowered to do missional business in nations.

June 18-22, Christian Community Development Conference (Stuttgart, Germany).

June 20, World Refugee Day (international). Many churches observe this with prayer the Sunday before or after.

June 20-23, Field Security Seminar (Lake George, CO, USA). Prepare to live, work, and travel in high-risk environments.

June 20-30, Breath Conference (Wilderswil, Switzerland). Rest and renewal retreat for cross-cultural workers.

June 21-23, National African-American Missions Conference (McLean, VA, USA).

June 26-28, Amplify Conference (Naperville, IL, USA). Evangelism conference from the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College.

June 27-30, Illuminate Missions Conference (Greenwood, IN, USA). Sponsored by One Mission Society.

June 27-30, International Conference on Computing and Missions (Hannibal, MO, USA).

» View the complete calendar. Please let us know about mistakes or omissions. For more details, contact the event organizers.

1. CURRICULUM: WorldViews, A Children’s Introduction to Missions
2. MUSIC: Songs of Kingdom Hope
3. FILM: The Breadwinner
4. BOOKS: A Good Missions Intro?
5. EVENTS: What’s Coming up in May

This short, educational video is designed to help kids understand how Muslims see and explain the world. It’s part of a package described below.

Source: Pioneers

On the lookout for winsome ways to explain world religions to kids or introduce them to missions? Last year Pioneers and Sonlight joined forces to create an intro-to-missions resource for homeschool families. Now Pioneers has revised and relaunched it for broader use. Worldviews is designed to help the whole family enjoy learning and includes several elements:

• Brief videos about five of the world’s religious communities and God’s heart for the people in those communities are free online for anyone to use. Includes videos about tribal animists, Hindus, the unreligious, Muslims, and Buddhists (often remembered by the acronym THUMB).
• A free family devotional (downloadable PDF) goes with the videos and a 30-day email guide can help you pray for unreached peoples. A single signup will give you access to both.
• A high-quality curriculum includes crafts, games, recipes, activities, etc. Purchase one workbook for kids aged 4-9 and/or another one for kids 10-14. Each is about 100 pages long and costs US$16.99.

» Learn more and view, download, or purchase what interests you.

» Not quite what you’re looking for? Check out the many missions resources for kids from Weave.