Category: Resource Reviews

Source: Mission Frontiers, September-October 2021

The world is a very different place than it was nearly 50 years ago when the people group paradigm was birthed. Should the missions community still view the world as a waffle? Is traditional ethnolinguistic people group thinking still relevant?

The current issue of Mission Frontiers addresses how the waffle barriers are changing. Global trends are creating new social dynamics and changing both the barriers and boundaries by which groups are defined. New hybrid, trans-national and dynamic groupings must be considered.

Read Mission Frontiers. You might want to start with Dan Scribner’s editorial, but don’t miss the articles from Asian, African, and Latin American voices sharing how people group thinking and information have impacted their ministries.  

See also a conversation with Dave Datema on The Universal Particularism of Panta Ta Ethne (The Mission Matters Podcast) or read Len Bartlotti’s 2020 article challenging the model, Reimagining and Re-envisioning People Groups (International Journal of Frontier Missiology).

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

October 3-29, Equipping for Cross-Cultural Life and Ministry (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided regularly by the Center for Intercultural Training.

October 4-9, Debriefing and Renewal (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Provided regularly by Missionary Training International.

October 4 to December 3, Trauma and Crisis Care Course (online). How children respond to trauma and how you can help. Provided by Crisis Care Training International. Additional courses are available on counseling children, restoring hope to children with disabilities, and caring for orphans and vulnerable children.

October 4 to February 13, 2022, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). New online classes begin regularly.

October 6, Media4Movements Global Gathering (online).

October 6, Mobilizing GenZ (online). Peer-to-peer virtual event from Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen.

October 7, Educational Support for Families (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

October 7, Hope Conference (online). An annual event from Crescent Project. Designed for participants in North and South America. A similar event is designed for participants in Europe, Asia, and Africa on October 14.

October 11 to December 6, IGNITE Training Course (online). Be equipped to mobilize for missions by the Global Mission Mobilization Network.

October 11-15, ABIDE re-entry debriefing for global workers (Joplin, MO, USA). These are now held almost once a month by TRAIN International.

October 12, Missions Trip Reimagined in the COVID Era (online). Webinar from the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission.

October 13-15, International Wholistic Missions Conference (Phoenix, AZ, USA). An annual event.

October 14, Sharing Good News: Let the Master Teach You to Multiply (online) Nugget Training from Beyond.

October 18-21, Standards Introductory Workshop (online). Seminar on the Seven Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission.

October 18, 21, Ends of the Earth (theaters across the US). A full-length documentary film about the work of Mission Aviation Fellowship; in theaters two nights only.

October 18-23, Debriefing and Renewal (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Provided regularly by Missionary Training International.

October 19, The Porch: Using Scripture to Mobilize (online). The Porch is a place for pastors, missionaries, and mobilizers to learn, share, encourage, and pray for one another. A Ministry of the Center for Missionary Mobilization and Retention.

October 19-20, Amplify Outreach Conference (Wheaton, IL, USA). Provided by the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College and Outreach Magazine.

October 21, The Role of Missionary Organizations in Missionary Well-Being (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

October 21 to November 18, Strategic Storytelling for Movements (online). Offered regularly by Missions Media U.

October 23, Heart for Muslims Conference (New York, NY, USA).

October 25 to November 20, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided by Missionary Training International.

October 28, Truths and Myths of Refugee Resettlement (online). Webinar from Sixteen:Fifteen.

October 29 to November 1, GO Equipped Tentmaking Course (Sinsheim, Germany) From Tent International and Global Intent.

October 31 to November 12, Second Language Acquisition (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided regularly by the Center for Intercultural Training.

View the complete calendar. Corrections and submissions are welcome.

Source: The Kendrick Brothers

Could this new faith-based film be a good one to watch with friends—including those from other cultures—to spark deeper conversations about the Father God and our varying experiences with fatherhood? Or maybe you’d want to organize a group from your church to watch it together.

Show Me the Father is the first documentary from the Kendrick Brothers, creators of Facing the Giants, War Room, Fireproof, and other films. It weaves together the twists and turns in the lives of five families, exploring the roles of fathers in today’s society, offering hope, and pointing viewers to the goodness of our Father God. The film is meant to invite the audience to rethink how they view their earthly fathers and personally relate to God.

Show Me The Father will be released in US theaters on September 10. Not sure what other distribution plans may be in the works.

Source: Mission Aviation Fellowship

Another new documentary that might interest you is Ends of the Earth. This feature-length film tells the stories of several pilots, past and present, who have served with Mission Aviation Fellowship. For more than 75 years, MAF has been a crucial partner for local believers and missionaries taking the gospel to the most remote places on earth.

Ends of the Earth will be in US theaters two nights only (Monday, October 18 and Thursday, October 21), though I presume there will be other ways to watch it later. See the trailer below.

https://youtu.be/IUq0ntZPghs

Source: Aneko Press

Where No Roads Go, by Carin LeRoy. Aneko Press, 2021, 303 pages.

Maybe it’s a bit of a stereotype: the bushwhacking missionary who moves to a remote, primitive culture that just left cannibalism behind; lives uncomfortably close to snakes, bugs, and other unsavory wildlife; builds their own house and airstrip; and introduces people who live in fear of the spirits to the Creator God. But what if you did it as a family?

Furthermore, how would you walk with God through the challenges that way of life brings?

Carin LeRoy and her husband, missionaries with Pioneers, moved to Papua New Guinea in the 1980s as an adventurous young married couple. They stayed to pursue church-planting ministry for nearly 13 years and raised three children. Carin tells their story through a series of chronological vignettes illustrating spiritual principles that might apply to us all. Each of the 80 short chapters includes a prayer and scripture references with very thoughtful questions for personal reflection.

Where No Roads Go is not specifically written to women or parents, but it does tell stories from the author’s adventures in housekeeping, raising small children, and other aspects of missionary life most common to mothers. It’s a good read!

Purchase Where No Roads Go from the publisher (or elsewhere) for US$11.99, or get the Kindle edition for US$5.99.

Also along a devotional line, see Loving Jesus More, a series of 40 daily devotions from mission leaders reflecting on the events of 2020-21. Jump into the series by email or start at the beginning by downloading an e-book version or using the Bible app reading plan (Missio Nexus).

Source: Weave Family Ministries

Parenting with Global Vision, by Weave Family Ministries. Center for Mission Mobilization, 2021. 110 pages.

We live in a world of competing values and clamoring voices. Family schedules are filled with what feels like important things and we wonder how to intentionally disciple our children. The challenges are real, but in the midst of all this, Jesus is inviting us and our children to bless the nations and cultivate a heart for God and his global purposes.

Parenting with a Global Vision is a well-crafted study that comes alongside parents (especially parents of kids 4-12) and invites them to discover and reflect on God’s global purposes and consider their next steps in applying what they find to their own lives and families. Each lesson in the six-week curriculum includes a personal study and a group discussion guide, though you could certainly do the whole thing on your own.

One of the 80 parents from 13 countries who tested the study earlier this year said, “In just two lessons, this study has changed my parenting. I now know my children were not only saved from something but for something!”

This resource won’t come out until September 23. Normally we avoid promoting books before they are published, but if you order now, you can get a 20% discount and receive a few freebies they are throwing in. Otherwise, expect to pay $12.95 for a paper copy.

Learn more. You might also check out the Big Story Series, a set of related resources for families which you can also purchase or download on their own at no cost.

Read a new blog post from Weave about how parents or teachers can help kids understand and pray for the people of Afghanistan.

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

September 2, Teaching and Learning Across Cultures (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

September 2, Prayer: Fuel for Making Reproducing Disciples (online). Nugget training from Beyond.

September 5-17, Second Language Acquisition (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided regularly by the Center for Intercultural Training.

September 6-10, ABIDE re-entry debriefing for global workers (Joplin, MO, USA). These are now held almost once a month by TRAIN International.

September 6 to October 2, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided by Missionary Training International.

September 6 to December 5, Encountering the World of Islam (online). New online classes start several times a year; also available in other formats/languages.

September 9, Mobilizing People of Color: The Asian-American Church (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

September 9-10, People Raising Conference (online). Be equipped for raising personal support.

September 9 to October 14, Foundations of Media to Movements (online). Courses offered regularly by Mission Media U.

September 14, Making Raising Support Part of the Mission (online). Webinar from Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission.

September 15-16, Support Raising Bootcamp (Charlotte, NC, USA). Similar events are held throughout the year in various locations by Support Raising Solutions.

September 15-21, Traction (Wilderswil, Switzerland). Renewal conference for men serving cross-culturally; offered annually.

September 16, Making the Most of Your Next Event (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

September 16, Holy Spirit: Don’t Try to Make Disciples Without Him (online). Nugget Training from Beyond.

September 17-18, Evangelical Missiological Society National Conference (online). Annual event; online again this year.

September 20-21, Standards Introductory Workshop (Dallas, TX, USA). Training in the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission. Offered in conjunction with major missions conferences as well as online.

September 22-24, Mission Leaders Conference (Dallas, TX, USA). An annual event from Missio Nexus, this time with a focus on innovation in missions. You can also participate online.

September 23 to October 1, Breathe Conference (Wilderswil, Switzerland). Rest and renewal retreat for cross-cultural workers.

September 27 to October 15, Member Care Training (Liverpool, PA, USA). Provided by Heartstream Resources, which also offers intensive care and debriefing for cross-cultural workers.

September 28 to October 1, PTM Conference (Ridgecrest, NC, USA). Pastoral training in member care (previously Pastors to Missionaries). An annual event from Barnabas International.

September 30, Be Intentional: More Disciple-makers Needed (online). Nugget Training from Beyond.

View the complete calendar. Corrections and submissions are welcome.

Gospel Privilege: The Unearned Advantage That’s Meant for Everyone, by David Joannes. Within Reach Global, 2021. 245 pages.

Find yourself with an unearned spiritual advantage—the grace of the gospel?

“This book is a clarion call for the gospel-privileged to stand in advocacy for and in solidarity with the gospel-deprived, to step beyond our borders, even when it’s risky or uncomfortable, and to share the rich privilege of knowing Christ,” says mission mobilizer and ministry leader David Joannes.

There’s a lot in this book. The author weaves together scripture, history, data, quotes from other books, and stories (primarily but not exclusively from people serving with his ministry in East Asia). The author also tackles moralistic therapeutic deism, consumerist and individualistic approaches to Christianity, Christian nationalism, and today’s debates about social justice.

I found chapter two particularly strong; it explains the issue of gospel access and illustrates it with the story of a woman in China whose life was transformed by the gospel. That might be just what you need as you work on a talk, lesson, or sermon on that topic. Chapter five unpacks a biblical understanding of social justice, leaning on recent work from Tim Keller, and brings it to life with a compelling story from the life of an indigenous missionary in East Asia.

Note that the book seems to assume an American readership and directly challenges American Christianity.

To learn more, visit the author’s website. You can get the book from Amazon (or elsewhere). The Kindle edition is US$9.99 while the paperback is selling for US$12.00. Joannes also wrote The Mind of a Missionary.