Category: Resource Reviews

The Innovation Crisis: Creating Disruptive Influence in the Ministry You Lead, by Ted Esler. Moody Publishers, August 2021. 288 pages.

If you aren’t innovating, stagnation isn’t far away, says Missio Nexus leader Ted Esler. Ministry leaders carry the burden of keeping their organizations lean, focused, and relevant. Using missions disruptor William Carey as an example, Esler shows how you, too, can innovate and change the ministry landscape.

I haven’t read this one yet; it comes out on August 3. I’m wondering how much it might apply to those of us who are not senior leaders or executives. It looks like the book has a long list of endorsements, though, and perusing a substantial excerpt on the publisher’s website makes me want to read the rest of it.

Learn more or download an excerpt from the Moody website. You can get the book from Amazon or elsewhere. The Kindle edition is US$10.99 and the paperback is priced at US$16.99.

Note that innovation is also the topic for this year’s Missio Nexus Mission Leaders Conference in Dallas, TX September 21-23. Registration (limited due to COVID) is full, but you can participate virtually for US$149 (US$99 for Missio Nexus members).

Henan: Inside the Greatest Christian Revival in History, by Paul Hattaway. Piquant Editions, 2021. 345 pages. The China Chronicles series is an ambitious project by Paul Hattaway, founder of Asia Harvest, to document the advance of Christianity in each province of China, decade by decade, from the time the gospel was introduced to the present day. Henan is the fifth volume, and in some ways, the most important, says the author.

With more Christians than any other province, Henan is home to both the most powerful revival and the most intense persecution. Readers may gain insights that will help prepare them for when persecution comes in their nation, says Hattaway.

Like the other volumes, this one draws on sources about Western missionaries you may know, like Howard and Geraldine Taylor and Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth, but it also tells the stories of many loving and faithful Chinese saints you might not hear about otherwise. Note that some of the contents were previously published in a 2009 book by Hattaway called Henan: The Galilee of China.

Visit the Asia Harvest website. You can buy the book there, from Amazon, or elsewhere. The Kindle edition is US$9.99 and the paperback is priced at US$18.00. It looks like the cover copy may vary slightly.

How to Talk to a Missionary, by Maxine McDonald, Unlikely Publications Global, 2021, 28 pages.

You might meet a missionary at any moment. What will you say? Five furry, feathered, and scaly friends have suggestions.

This playful advice guide is written for adults, illustrated for kids. You can see some of the pictures and hear the whole book read aloud in a five-minute video on the author’s website (scroll to the bottom of the page). Pretty fun!

Get the book from Amazon. The Kindle edition is US$7.99 and the paperback is US$11.99.

If visiting missionaries or the ups and downs of missionary life are on your mind, you might want to read about five critical times when your missionary needs your church’s care (Catalyst Services). Good input.

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

August 2 to December 5, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). New online classes begin regularly, including a class August 16 to December 19.

August 4, Church and Agency Partnerships (online). Virtual gathering for church mission leaders. Provided by Missio Nexus.

August 5-7, Support Raising Bookcamp (online). From Support Raising Solutions. This one is entirely in Spanish.

August 8-30, Equipping for Cross-Cultural Life and Ministry (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided regularly by the Center for Intercultural Training.

August 9-13, ABIDE re-entry debriefing for global workers (Joplin, MO, USA). These are now held almost once a month by TRAIN International.

August 10, Practical Tools for Discipleship and Follow-through (online). Webinar from Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission.

August 12, Local OR Global vs. Local AND Global (online). Greenhouse workshop for church leaders provided by Pioneers USA.

August 12, Mobilizing the Next Generation (online). Webinar from Sixteen:Fifteen.

August 12, Member Care: Coming Attractions (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

August 23-28, Debriefing and Renewal (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Provided regularly by Missionary Training International.

August 25-28, Field Security Seminar (Lake George, CO, USA). Provided by Crisis Consulting International. Another seminar will be held in the same location, August 30 to September 2.

August 26, Women in the Mission of the Church (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

August 30-31, Support Raising Bootcamp (Orlando, FL, USA). Similar events held throughout the year in various locations by Support Raising Solutions.

August 30 to September 12, ORIENT pre-field training for global workers (Eminence, MO, USA).

View the complete calendar. Corrections and submissions are welcome.

Source: MobilizerMom.com

Are you a mission-minded mom? Married to one? Know one?

Our friend Alicia Bennett just launched a new online ministry for parents who want to help their kids grow in global awareness, starting right where they are.

She writes:

“My mission as MobilizerMom is to educate and inspire families to get involved with God and join his heart for reaching the nations by giving families simple and fun ways to learn about God and his world right where they are.

“Whether you are a homeschool family or a traditional schooling family or somewhere in between, any Christian family can find value in what I want to provide: biblical foundations with a missional focus that puts God and his mission first in their lives so that they want to join whatever God is doing in the future. As Christian parents, our greatest desire is to see our children follow Jesus too. Here are some tools to help you do that well.”

Browse the website or join the Facebook community. A series of family devotions linked to the summer Olympics will began July 1.

Visit MobilizerMom.com.

By the way, this fall, our friends at Weave family ministries will release a new resource on parenting with a global vision. We got an advance copy and it looks wonderful. Watch for our review.

Source: 100 Movements Publishing

Your Part in God’s Story: 40 Days from Genesis to Revelation, by Steve Addison. 100 Movements Publishing, 2021. 289 pages.

“When Jesus rose from the dead, he found disciples who were defeated and disillusioned. Just like us. But in the 40 days between his resurrection and his ascension, Jesus restored and prepared them for their worldwide mission,” says Steve Addison. He points out that biblical perspective comes before a specific commission. This book is an invitation to explore 40 decisive moments from Genesis to Revelation and discover your part in God’s story.

The first 12 lessons are from the Old Testament, and the rest are from the New Testament. This is more of a Bible study, devotional guide, or small group resource than a book meant to be read straight through. The author recommends spending 30 minutes on each study: 10 reading specific passages in the scriptures, 10 reading his reflections, and 10 minutes responding in prayer.

Learn more or get the Kindle edition for US$8.49. You might prefer the paperback, though, since journaling and reflections are a big part of the book design.

Listen to an interview with Steve Addison on the Missionary Mobilization podcast or read another interview in Mission Frontiers, both discussing how and why he wrote the book.

Another resource to check out: Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission has a new YouVersion Bible reading plan to use in mission-trip follow-up efforts. It’s called What Next?

Source: Global Mission Mobilization Initiative

How can we help our denominations, churches, and organizations be mobilized and equipped for the Great Commission? That’s the big question the Mission Mobilization Chats podcast addresses. Host Ryan Shaw invites listeners to rethink mission mobilization and redefine it as helping the global church align and engage with its identity as God’s missionary people—rather than focus solely on recruiting international workers.

If you are just getting started as a mission mobilizer or want to grow and strengthen your foundation, these “chats” will help.

Learn more or listen to Mission Mobilization Chats.

Want more than a chat? Consider GMMI’s online Ignite Training Course, July 19 to September 13. There’s no cost, but you must apply by July 12.

Source: Baker Academic

Women in the Mission of the Church: Their Opportunities and Obstacles throughout Christian History, by Leanne M. Dzubinski and Anneke H. Stasson. Baker Academic, 2021. 256 pages.

History buff? In a position to teach or write on the history of mission and ministry? You’ll want this book in your library. It provides a wide-lens view on women in the history of the church, from the early orders of widows, virgins, and deacons to medieval monastic movements and modern missionaries.

With its emphasis on obstacles as well as opportunities, and its exploration of the dynamics that have often erased women’s stories, this book is meant to provoke as well as inspire. It also includes lots of footnotes and a great bibliography so you can go deeper on what interests you.

Get the Kindle edition for US$16.99.

To learn more about women in contemporary mission efforts rather than church ministry in general, try Women in God’s Mission: Accepting the Invitation to Serve and Lead, by Mary Lederleitner (IVP Books).

See also Co-Workers and Co-Leaders: Women and Men Partnering for God’s Work, a new multi-author work from the World Evangelical Alliance, now available as a free downloadable PDF.