Category: Practical Mobilization

By Shane Bennett

Know that feeling of futility that often accompanies tough problems and large-scale trouble? Really, what can you or I do about train crashes in Europe, young fathers dying of cancer, or the apparently growing divide of angst and animosity between Muslims and Christians?

Well, actually there is something you can do about that third one. Let me ask you this: If with little effort on your part you could contribute just a bit to growing peace between these two camps, how likely is it you’d do so? If you’re thinking “less than a 20 percent chance,” you can skip the rest of this brief article. It will waste your time. More than 20 percent, though, read on. What I have to suggest may help you write a few notes in the great symphony of peace God is bringing about as he extends his kingdom throughout the earth.

Here’s the deal: Ramadan 2013 ends today. Today, that is, if you’re reading this article on the day it dropped into your mailbox. Thank you, by the way, we appreciate it. The Muslim month of fasting is followed promptly by Eid al Fitr, an Islamic celebration about as significant for many Muslims as Christmas is for Christians.

Eid Greetings

So, just as you might get a “Merry Christmas” from the cashier at Hobby Lobby, it would be totally cool for you to wish your Muslim friends a happy Eid. An easy way to do this is by saying, “Eid Mubarak!” (EED Moo BAR ehk: eid sounds like “need” without the “n,” and for mubarak, just remember the former Egyptian president!) Eid Mubarak means, believe it or not, pretty much, “happy Eid.” If you’re short on Muslim friends, you have my permission to say this to Muslims who are complete strangers to you! Even if it turns out they’re not Muslim, they’re more likely to be confused than angry.

If you have some Muslim friends for whom you’d like to do a little more, here are three fairly easy ideas:

1. Gifts

I asked my friend Ali in Saudi Arabia, who used to be an international student in my town, “If you were still a student in the U.S., what would you recommend as a good gift for a Muslim friend after Ramadan?” Ali kindly responded, “The gift will be very simple: perfume and candy or wristwatch and candy.” So there you go, perfume, watch, chocolate. Bazinga! When we lived in Holland and England, I gave boxed chocolates for Eid gifts. Even sans watches and perfume, they seemed to be appreciated.

2. Cards or emails

I’ve put up a poster at checkthis.com that wishes a happy Eid and quotes Jesus talking about coming so that we (which presumably includes Muslims!) might have abundant life. I’d like to invite you to forward this to your Muslim friends today or tomorrow. (Really, even a few days late would be fine!)

You might also forward it to your non-Muslim friends to send to their Muslim friends.

3. Friendship

You may also want to give a gift of relationship. Say “Eid Mubarak,” then invite your friend to coffee or dinner. Ask questions about Ramadan, God, and what may actually bring peace to troubled lands and souls. Open the conversation.

Conclusion

Are any of these ideas the silver bullet for peace between Muslims and Christian? No, sadly there is no silver bullet. Will these ideas cause your Muslims friends to instantly surrender their lives to Jesus? No more than saying Merry Christmas to your atheist friends will do that for them. But in doing this you extend grace. You bless. You help your heart feel about people they way Jesus does. And you will, for real, chip away at the dividing wall of hostility that presently separates many of us from most Muslims. Give it a try.

» Let me know how it goes (or comment on this article, below).

A couple of events are coming up that I want you to know about:

Traction Conference for Men

One is called Traction and is hosted by a Missions Catalyst reader, Dan. He says:

“If you’re a guy who serves internationally (or you know someone who is!), please keep reading. A very special gathering called Traction is coming together near Interlaken, Switzerland, September 21-27, 2013, and men who serve internationally are being invited.

“Imagine six days in the Alps surrounded by a community of men who really understand. Imagine taking time to restore your soul, refuel your passion, and refresh your body.”

» Learn more or register for Traction.

Simply Jesus Gathering 

The second event is called Simply Jesus and is being pulled together by my bud Carl Medearis. I’m psyched to go because Carl’s a great guy, but also because N.T. Wright is going to be there! (And my strong hope is that I can get him to play and sing some Dylan. If that happens, you don’t want to miss it.)

The event, to be held November 7-9 in Denver, Colorado, is focused on the person, life, and teaching of Jesus, and it’s for anyone who wants to understand more about Jesus. In the interest of full disclosure, if ten of you sign up for Simply Jesus and tell them you heard about it from me, my wife and I get to go free! I’d love to see you there.

» Learn more or register for the Simply Jesus Gathering.

» For more events, see the Missions Catalyst events calendar.

In This Issue: Seven Steps to an Excellent Mission Trip Report

• Think about it.
• You need less time than you think.
• Center on God.
• Connect with personal stories.
• Provide tangible takeaways.
• Make the tech excellent.
• Allay fear at the outset.
• Three bonus steps
• Conclusion

In This Issue: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Some Seth Godin

• Introduction
• Something Old
• Something Seth
• Something New #1: Short Term Mission Toolbox
• Something New #2: Frontiers Connect
• Something New #3: DELVE
• Something Borrowed

By Shane Bennett

June is high wedding season in the U.S. The title and framework for this month’s Practical Mobilization pay homage to the time-honored tradition of brides wearing something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Since I prefer Seth Godin to the color blue, we’ll settle for three out of four, and I’m warning you now, they won’t be in order.

May the following words encourage you, like a bride stepping down the aisle – or if you are more like me, a father escorting one of his many daughters down that aisle – moving forward to build your tribe and engage your world for the sake of God’s work among the nations.

Ready?

My historical mentor G.K. Chesterton wrote prodigiously and well. Here’s his encouragement to us to get going.

“I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.” Illustrated London News, April 29, 1922

“If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.” London Daily News, October 18, 1901

“His head was always most valuable when he had lost it. In such moments he put two and two together and made four million.” The Innocence of Father Brown, 1911

There you have it: Escape fate by action. Don’t worry that you might not be a master at your chosen action. The key thing is to begin. And finally, sometimes magic happens and your ideas go crazy!

And that brings to mind…

On the occasion of his 5000th blog post, Seth Godin reflects on the privilege and joy he has in daily sharing his thoughts with his tribe:

“My biggest surprise? That more people aren’t doing this [blogging daily]. Not just every college professor, particularly those in the humanities and business, but everyone hoping to shape opinions or spread ideas. Entrepreneurs. Senior VP’s. People who work in non-profits. Frustrated poets and unknown musicians… Don’t do it because it’s your job, do it because you can.”

I was encouraged by Seth’s words to redouble my efforts to reach out, connect, and equip the people over whom God has given me influence.

I am excited about how these three new things below have the potential to do just that…

I love it when mobilizer types launch out in new media. Like the guys at Short Term Mission Toolbox who’ve just released an app. An app!

The STM Toolbox App provides fingertip access to their mission-trip resources (which might be just the ticket to get your grounded short-term idea off the runway) and also access to free stuff, training materials, and periodicals like Brigada, Mission Network News, and Missions Catalyst!

Three questions for you:

1. How can this app be better?

2. What other mobilization apps have you seen?

3. What cool mobilization apps should someone write?

» Share your thoughts about apps.

Frontiers, the crazy great organization where I hang my staff hat, is launching a new way to build relationship with potential members. We want this event to “to bother people with the problem of the unengaged and invite them to be part of the solution.”

But here’s my concern. While I don’t know who all makes up the planning team, I’m concerned it could be a bunch of old white guys sitting around a table, asking, “So what are the youth really into these days? Hmmmm?”

Can you help me? If you’re under 35 and reading Missions Catalyst, well, first off, thanks. But also, could you weigh in on this question: How would you use 24 hours and a few hundred bucks to gather, challenge, and enlist people your age in the cause of the unengaged?

» Share your ideas for Frontiers.

A couple of times this summer I’ll have a chance to help some sharp people explore the immigrant populations in a few cool cities. The training times will be brief and intense and the output used in the real world, so the key concepts need to stick in the minds of the explorers. To describe what we’re doing, I’m kicking around the acronym, DELVE: Discover, Explore, Learn, Verify, and Express.

The “Express” part happens after the study, as the explorers find ways to get what they’ve learned into the hands of people who will act on it. “Explore, Learn, and Verify” take place on site, with explorers walking the streets and talking with immigrants about their lives.

The part that’s got me stressed is the “Discover” component. I know that tons must already be known of the peoples our explorers will learn about, but how do we find that out ahead of time?

This is where I’d like to borrow your brain again. If you wanted to know what was already known about a specific immigrant group, for instance the Afghans in an American city like Baltimore, or all the immigrants in a European city like Berlin, how would you go about finding out? Who would you ask? What websites or other resources would you consult?

» Share your tips for info gathering.

… And if some training like that would help you, let’s chat.