Day: October 23, 2013

In This Issue: More infographics, IDOP, lots of webinars and events

• WEB SERVICES: More on Infographics 
• BOOK: Cat and Dog Prayer
• EVENT: International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church 
• EVENTS: Find Your Tribe at Frontiers Connect
• EVENTS: Webinars
• EVENTS: Conferences and More 

Source: Various

Last month we told you about Missiographics, the new “infographic” newsletter due out from Global Mapping International, and many of you showed interest. It’s now been launched. You can sign up any time. And it’s free!

You might also check out a recent infographic-inspired video from our friends at Frontiers, Let’s Change the Odds. Very creative! Could your ministry use something like that? Test your infographic skills or get ideas at visual.ly.

Live in the U.S.? Get a helpful visual presentation of the demographics where you live from InstaGIS. Useful for understanding your neighbors and your community. Perhaps it could help you rethink who your church is reaching or could reach, or what their needs might be? Thanks, Brigada, for the tip.

» Readers, we’d love to hear about your visual media creations or good finds. Comment on this topic below.

Source: UnveilinGLORY

Cat and Dog Prayer: Rethinking Our Conversations with Our Master, by Bob Sjogren and Gerald Robison. Biblica Publishing, 2010. 115 pages.

It is said that dogs live to please their masters while cats think their masters exist to please them. Many of us fall into the same trap when we relate to God, and our prayers reflect it. If Christians, as the authors report, average three to seven minutes a day in prayer (much of it giving thanks for food), it looks like most of us are too busy for prayer or have lost interest.

“Our natural tendency is to be self-absorbed, especially in how we pray. Our prayers are more of a laundry list that revolves around ‘us’ and our needs and comfort. Because God rarely answers these kinds of prayers, many of us quickly give up on praying, believing that God doesn’t answer prayer.  As a result, we end up checking in from time to time making sure he knows we’re there and reminding him of our needs – hoping he’ll do something about them.”

Cat and Dog Prayer, a sequel to Cat and Dog Theology, is designed to help the reader move you from self-centered prayers to God-focused prayers. It’s a quick read, hard hitting, and  makes points you will be able to remember and put into practice.

» Learn more or purchase for US$14.99 from UnveilinGLORY (or elsewhere). Their website also includes information about related materials and workshops.

Source: Open Doors and IDOP

The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) is a global day of intercession for persecuted Christians worldwide. Its primary focus is the work of intercessory prayer on behalf of persecuted communities of the Christian faith.

This year IDOP is Sunday, November 3, November 10, or whenever you, your church, family, school, or small group can honor this important call to prayer.

» Learn more or get free resources from One With Them (Open Doors) or International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

Source: Frontiers USA, via Shane Bennett

Have you ever thought of taking the the gospel of Christ to the Muslim world? Frontiers Connect is a two-day gathering that will allow you to explore those thoughts as you:

– Meet some who have lived in the Muslim world for the sake of the gospel.

– Discover what the news won’t tell you about God’s work in the Muslim world.

– Discover what the Bible says about Muslims.

– See what you could do for the sake of the Kingdom among Muslims.

You may remember Shane asked us for input on how Frontiers could design a great event to enlist young people (and others) in the cause of the unengaged? Frontiers Connect is the result.

Locations:

October 25-26, 2013 (Fairfax, VA, USA)

November 8-9, 2013 (Easton, MA, USA)

January 24-25, 2014 (Birmingham, AL, USA)

February 7-8, 2014 (Kansas City, KS, USA)

March 14-15, 2014 (Portland, OR, USA)

April 11-12, 2014 (Houston, TX, USA)

April 25-26, 2014 (Chicago, IL, USA)

May 9-10, 2014 (Fort Collins, CO, USA)

May 30-31, 2014 (Central Coast, CA, USA)

» Register for US$20 per person.

» Editor’s note: Frontiers not your tribe after all? Scope out agencies and opportunities through the services of Mission Next.

Source: Missions Catalyst Calendar

Three of the ministries we try to keep an eye on are offering webinars in the next two months – a great low-cost way to get a taste of these topics without leaving home!

From Delta Ministries:

November 6, 13 – Should Your Youth Group Be Doing Mission Trips? (two parts)

December 4 – Getting the Most Out of The Next Mile Curriculum

From Missio Nexus: 

October 31 – Counterproductive Missions

November 7 – Better Intercultural Communication in Any Ministry

November 14 – Doing Church and Mission in Contexts of Suffering, Persecution and Martyrdom

December 5 – Church Planting as a Family – Possibilities and Problems

December 12 – Nurturing an Organizational Culture with a Developmental Bias

From Fifteen:Sixteen:

November 7 – Blazing a Trail through the Missions Strategy Maze (free, and featuring Ellen Livingood of Catalyst Services).

Source: Missions Catalyst Calendar