Category: Resource Reviews

Reviewed by Ted Esler, TedRead

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible, by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien. IVP Academic, 2012. 241 pages.

Not only do we have our own culture, but the Bible has its own as well. We must learn to understand the areas of our own cultural blinders and be able to see the Bible in its context. Simple enough, but rarely do I see this sort of analysis by Western theologians. This is a balanced, concise, and well-written treatment of the topic.

Richards served as a missionary in Indonesia, which colors the illustrations in a very helpful way, and O’Brien is an editor at Leadership Journal. They lead the reader through nine areas of caution in regard to understanding the Bible mono-culturally. The book is filled with excellent examples highlighting the arguments being made using both real-life experience and biblical texts.

» Read the rest of Esler’s review (which includes book notes and excerpts) and a related blog post, Read the Bible Like a Missionary.

» Browse the archives or subscribe to TedRead, which features reviews of Great-Commission-related books.

Source: Missions Catalyst Calendar

MissioNexus Webinars

Four online webinars on the following topics, designed for US mission and ministry leaders, are scheduled for February (and more throughout the spring):

February 6, Should Churches Fund Home Staff and Retirees?

February 13, Meet Your Neighbors

February 20, Seven Models for Community Ministry

February 27, Common Challenges in Conflicting Cultures

» Learn more or sign up.

Bridges Seminars (Crescent Project)

Four of these one-day seminars, designed to help participants learn to build bridges to reach Muslims, are scheduled for February (with more in March and April):

February 1, Joplin, MO, USA

February 8, Houston, TX, USA

February 15, Columbus, OH, USA

February 22, McAllen, TX, USA

» Learn more or sign up.

February Conferences

February 5-8, International Conference on Computing and Mission (Mosbach, Germany). An annual event.

February 7-9, TRACTIONwest Gathering (Rocklin, CA USA). Young adults who want the Lord to ignite our passion to be “on mission” with God.

February 7-9, Missionfest Manitoba (Winnipeg, MB, Canada). Free, annual, community-based mission festival for all ages.

February 14-17, World Christian Conference (Boulder Creek, CA, USA). An annual West-coast event sponsored by The World Christian Fellowship – mobilizing Asian-American Christians (and those who identify with them) to disciple all nations.

February 17-19, Mission America Coalition Leadership Consultation (Charlotte, NC, USA). Loving America to Christ.

February 21-22, Midwest Conference on Missionary Care (St. Paul, MN, USA).

February 21-22, The Justice Conference (Los Angeles, CA, USA). Annual event to promote dialogue around justice related issues such as human trafficking, slavery, poverty, HIV/AIDS, and human rights. Also being simulcast to venues across the USA.

February 21-23, Missions Fest Alberta (Edmonton, AB, Canada). Free, annual, community-based mission festival for all ages. (Now in its 20th year!)

Retreats, Training and Other Events

February 5-9, GO Equipped TENTmaking Course (Malaga, Spain). Provided by Global Opportunities.

February 8, Frontiers Connect (Kansas City, KS, USA). Explore work among Muslims.

February 17-20, Thrive retreat (Antalya, Turkey). Encouragement for North American women serving cross-culturally.

February 21-22, Next Steps (Kansas City, MO, USA). Learn more about God’s heart for the world and your role in making disciples of all nations. Provided by Crossworld.

February 21-23, The Journey Deepens (Greenwood, IN, USA). Explore becoming a missionary. Sponsored by MissionNext.

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

As a service to readers, Missions Catalyst compiles and maintains an online calendar of mission-related events across the US and around the world. It’s a list of upcoming conferences, seminars, classes, retreats, and more, and has just been updated for 2014.

Maybe you’d like to attend some of these events or tell a friend about them. Or perhaps you’re planning an event of your own and wonder what else might be going on those days.

If you know about an event that would interest our readers and should be added to the calendar, let us know. We’ll post and send out updates as the year goes on.

blessings,

About the Calendar

This calendar lists public or semipublic missions-oriented events in the USA and around the world, including conferences, retreats, workshops, and some classes or training events. Events are sponsored by a wide variety of organizations and are listed here for free, but at the discretion of the editor. For additional information about an event, contact the event organizers.

Submissions

• Events must be “safe” for advertisement on the web and to an unscreened list of email subscribers.
• Listings must include some point of contact (e.g., a website or email address).
• We will do our best to keep up with event changes and cancellations, but notification from event organizers is always appreciated.

To submit an item or to share your comments, questions, and concerns, contact Marti Wade.

In This Issue: The birth of the Kazakh church, devotions for advent, and prayer for the persecuted

• BOOK: Church Planting in Central Asia 
• WEB SERVICE: iCommitToPray
• BOOK: Daily Readings for Advent 
• WEB SERVICE: Visual Bible Stories in Arabic, Farsi, Mandarin, and More
• BOOK: Singles in Mission
• EVENTS: Conferences and Courses

Source: James Wright

Fields of Gold: Planting a Church among Central Asian Muslims, by James Wright. Create Space, 2013, 150 pages.

Fields of Gold tells the story of the remarkable beginnings of the Kazakh church in southern Kazakhstan. James Wright, along with his family and teammates, went to rural Kazakhstan in the early 1990s. Working to introduce the good news of the Messiah Jesus in the Central Asian context, his international church-planting team learned many valuable lessons about living as witnesses among an unreached people. A companion study guide draws upon their story to explore issues of working across cultures and offers insights for personal growth. The book provides many cultural and missiological insights, all seen through the lens of the author’s personal pilgrimage.

The real strength of this book is the way it pulls back the curtain on the struggles faced by frontline workers not only in rural 1990s Central Asia, but also in other times and places. Fields of Gold covers difficult ground frequently experienced by frontline missionaries but glossed over in missionary biographies: the mixed excitement and disappointment of raising support, painful effects of cultural immersion on one’s idealism, team tensions and breakup, conflicts and false accusations from other believers, and the bouts of depression and burnout that can bring down cross-cultural workers who may not know how to slow down or take a break. The author provides helpful reflections on ways to navigate these challenges, grow though them, and avoid missionary attrition. His experiences and what he learned from them offer insights to those who care for and support cross-cultural workers as well as those who go.

“It reminds me of 2 Corinthians 4:7,” writes Dr. Rick Love in an endorsement: “‘We have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.'”

I’d recommend this book to anyone involved in Central Asian church planting but would hope it finds a wider audience as well.

» Learn more or purchase the Kindle edition for US$4.99 (US$7.19 for the paperback). The study guide is sold separately.

Source: Voice of the Martyrs

Christians in more than 60 nations face persecution and request our prayers. The Voice of the Martyrs is introducing its newest prayer initiative at iCommitToPray.

Members can read prayer requests from around the world and post their own prayers for the persecuted Christians highlighted on the site each week. Whenever possible, Voice of the Martyrs will share those prayers with the persecuted believers.

» Learn more or sign up.

Source: Desiring God, via Doug Nichols

Good News of Great Joy: Daily Readings for Advent is designed especially for Advent 2013. With readings beginning Sunday, December 1, and going through Christmas Day, this free book of Advent devotionals aims to put Jesus at the center of your holiday season.

These short meditations are excerpted from the ministry of John Piper and correspond to the daily readings in Desiring God’s free devotional app, Solid Joys.

» Learn more or download the book.

Source: Distant Shores Media

New drafts of Open Bible Stories translations in Farsi and Arabic are now available. If you (or someone you know) can read them, please check them out. A translation in Mandarin is underway, and producers will be traveling to Europe next month to meet with believers from Central Asia to help them start Open Bible Stories translation projects into regional languages in that part of the world.

» Learn more or access materials.

Source: Condeo Press, via Brigada Today

Single Mission: Thriving as a Single Person in Cross-cultural Ministry, edited by Dr. Debbie Hawker and Rev. Tim Herbert. Condeo Press, 2013, 313 pages.

Single Mission aims to encourage and equip single missionaries and help them be strong in their faith, effective in their ministry, and resilient and content with their lives. The book is written for single missionaries as well as their supporters and member care providers. It includes contributions from more than 30 women and men from diverse backgrounds on six continents.

» Learn more or purchase the Kindle edition for US$8.95; paperback also available.

» See also Ron Kotesky’s free online articles about singles in missions (Missionary Care).

Source: Missions Catalyst Calendar