Category: Resource Reviews

Source: Mission Nexus

Mission Nexus, in partnership with Church-based Immigrant Ministry Coalition and World Relief, invites pastors, church planters, and mission leaders to a one-day regional event to explore approaches, resources, and partnerships for developing church-based ministry to immigrants, refugees, and international students. Meetings are planned for Baltimore (June 5), Los Angeles (June 12), Toronto (June 17), Chicago (June 19), and Atlanta (June 26).

Each event will include case studies from churches in the U.S. and Canada and presentations by leaders with on-the-ground experience as well as table-group discussions exploring practical application and next steps. Registration includes lunch  and a copy of Strangers Next Door: Migration, Immigration, and Mission by J.D. Payne (also one of the presenters).

» Learn more or register. You can also download a free, related article by World Vision’s Jenny Yang, Immigrants in the US: A Missional Opportunity.

» See also the Association of Christians Ministering to Internationals, sponsoring a national conference in Atlanta, GA May 29-31, and take a look at J.D. Payne’s recent (free) ebook, Unreached Peoples, Least Reached Places: An Untold Story of Lostness in America.

Source: Missions Catalyst Calendar

April 2-5, iDisciple Conference (Kansas City, MO, USA). Focused on Disciple Making Movements. Provided by Cityteam.

In This Issue: Seek God for the city, the not-for-parents travel book, and more

• OPPORTUNITY: Seek God for the City
• BOOK: The Not-for-parents Travel Book – Cool Stuff to Know about Every Country in the World
• WEBINAR: Reaching Muslims through Mobilized Christians
• RESEARCH REPORT: Ministry Decision Making in India
• EVENTS: March Calendar

Source: WayMakers

Seek God for the City is an annual prayer event that takes place during the the 40 days leading up to Palm Sunday (March 5 to April 13 this year). You can join followers of Jesus from around the world in seeking God’s face and his kingdom for your city and for the world by participating in this hope-filled prayer campaign.

It’s not too late to get copies of the 60-page booklet (also available in Spanish), download free materials for children, or install the app on your phone or other mobile device.

The prayers in this prayer guide are biblically grounded and easy to pray; it’s clear and well-designed. Also included are ideas for prayerwalking, nations to pray for each day, and additional resources. This could be a great way to help your family, church, ministry, or small group prepare for Easter.

» Visit WayMakers for materials and more information.

» Readers might also want to start thinking about making plans for this year’s Global Day of Prayer (June 8), and 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World, (June 28 to July 27).

Source: Lonely Planet

The Not-for-parents Travel Book: Cool Stuff to Know about Every Country in the World, by Michael Dubois, Jane Price, and Katri Hilden. Lonely Planet: 2011. 208 pages.

“Everyone knows which is the world’s highest mountain, but do you know which country banned chewing gum? Or what’s the world’s stinkiest fruit? Or who invented roller skates? Or which building leans more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Or where can you eat fried spiders as a snack?

“In this book are the epic events, amazing animals, hideous histories, funky foods, and crazy facts that make the world’s 200 countries so fascinating. Each country has a page to itself-so tiny Tuvalu gets as much space as superpower USA.”

We heard about this (secular) book in a recent blogpost from our friends at the family ministry, Weave. They recommend it as a resource for redeeming the time you and your kids spend in the car. Good plan! Reader reviews suggest some contents might not be appropriate for your youngest ones, though.

» Learn more or get a copy for US$15.02 from Amazon (or elsewhere). And check out the wide range of resources recommended by Weave.

Source: MissioNexus

Here’s an opportunity to learn more about mobilizing Christians to overcome fears and reach out in love to Muslims. In a March 6 MissioNexus webinar, UK-based Tim Green and Gordon Hickson, founders of Mahabba Networks will share about resources and strategies being used to equip ordinary believers with vision, confidence, and skills to reach their Muslim friends, neighbors, and colleagues. These networks have spread rapidly throughout the UK and are beginning to multiply internationally. You can register your interest in Mahabba through their website, currently being revamped.

» Learn more or sign up for the webinar. It will also be recorded and available through the MissioNexus store.

Source: Global Mapping International

Working in India, or partnering with Indian ministry leaders? Check out the latest research from Global Mapping on how decisions are made in an Indian context, as well as the challenges faced by Indian leaders and those with whom they collaborate.

» Learn more or purchase the report. See also a monograph for Western leaders on engaging with Indian decision-makers.

Source: Missions Catalyst Calendar

March 1, Bridges Seminar (Long Island, NY, USA). Building bridges to reach Muslims. Provided by Crescent Project.

March 1, Bridges Seminar (Bloomington, IN, USA). Building bridges to reach Muslims. Provided by Crescent Project.

March 3 to May 25, Encountering the World of Islam (online). Twelve-week class will help you discover God’s heart for Muslims.

March 5 to April 13, Seek God for the City (global). Annual 40-day prayer campaign. Materials available from WayMakers.

March 6, Mahabba Networks: Reaching Muslim People Through Mobilized Christians (online). Webinar from MissioNexus.

March 7-8, MissionNext Forum (Mesa, AZ, USA). Find insights into options in missions that are surprisingly suited to your skills and passions.

March 7-8, Next Steps (Salem, OR, USA). Learn more about God’s heart for the world and your role in making disciples of all nations. Provided by Crossworld.

March 7-8, Muslim ConneXion (Portland, OR). Learn how to engage your Muslim neighbor. A Mission ConneXion event.

March 10-21, Engaging Islam (Louisville, KY, USA). Training in evangelism and discipleship from Horizons International.

March 12, Business as Mission (online). Free webinar provided by Sixteen:Fifteen.

March 14-16, The Journey Deepens (Canby, OR, USA). Retreat for those considering missions. Sponsored by MissionNext and Mission ConneXion.

March 15, Frontiers Connect (Portland, OR, USA). Explore work among Muslims.

March 18-20, Church Partner Forum (Orlando, FL, USA). A Pioneers event for sending and supporting churches.

March 20-21, Personal Support Raising Boot Camp (Cary, NC, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions.

March 22, Bridges Seminar (Yorktown, VA, USA). Building bridges to reach Muslims. Provided by Crescent Project.

March 26-30, GO Equipped Tentmaking Course (Fort Myers, FL, USA). Provided by Global Opportunities.

March 27, An Unusual Approach to Fundraising (online). Webinar from MissioNexus.

March 28-29, Next Steps (Dallas, TX, USA). Learn more about God’s heart for the world and your role in making disciples of all nations. Provided by Crossworld.

March 28-30, Jesus to the Nations (Halifax, NS, Canada). Free, annual, community-based mission festival for all ages.

» View the complete calendar and/or submit an item.

In This Issue: Book reviews, videos you can use, and more

• BOOK: A Wind in the House of Islam
• VIDEOS: Asia, Africa, and Beyond
• NEWSLETTER: The Hub for Short-term Mission
• VIDEO/AUDIO: Great Sessions with Piper, Chandler, Platt, and Others
• BOOK: Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes
• EVENTS: February Calendar

Reviewed by Marti Wade, Missions Catalyst

A Wind in the House of Islam: How God Is Drawing Muslims around the World to Faith in Jesus Christ, by David Garrison. Monument, CO: WIGTake Resources, 2014. 314 pages.

In more than 14 centuries of Muslim-Christian relations, tens of millions of Christians have been assimilated into the Muslim religion. During this same time period, we can document only 82 Muslim movements to Christ.

What’s most remarkable about this, says researcher and strategist David Garrison, is that 69 of history’s 82 movements have occurred in the past two decades alone. “We are living in the midst of the greatest turning of Muslims to Christ in history.”

To better understand and respond to this phenomenon, Garrison and his collaborators traveled to each corner of the Muslim world (which Garrison calls the nine rooms in the house of Islam) and conducted interviews with more than 1,000 former Muslims who have come to faith in Jesus within 45 of these movements. Garrison’s definition of a movement is a fairly modest one: at least 1,000 baptisms or 100 church starts among a Muslim people over a two-decade period.

The book includes a strong emphasis on context. It includes an extensive introduction and explanation of research methods and a historic survey of Christian outreach and Muslim response to the gospel both globally and in each of nine world regions. Details of each region’s history, peoples, religion, and political dynamics provide a backdrop for the stories of the Muslim-background believers who emerged from such contexts.

The book concludes with a tentative but insightful list of ten “bridges of God” (ways God is working among Muslims today) and five barriers to seeing movements like these flourish, along with five practical steps we can take right now that will align us with God’s redemptive activity among Muslims.

I finished this book somewhat disappointed, primarily because though the history was helpful, I was left wanting more: more quotes and contemporary stories, analysis of what God is using to reach Muslims today, and suggestions for the response of the global church. If the movements Garrison describes continue to grow and multiply, however, this will certainly not be the last we hear of them.

» Purchase this book for US$13.27 from World Christian (paperback and hardback editions only; no electronic versions available). See also the book website.