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Source: The Kendrick Brothers
Could this new faith-based film be a good one to watch with friends—including those from other cultures—to spark deeper conversations about the Father God and our varying experiences with fatherhood? Or maybe you’d want to organize a group from your church to watch it together.
Show Me the Father is the first documentary from the Kendrick Brothers, creators of Facing the Giants, War Room, Fireproof, and other films. It weaves together the twists and turns in the lives of five families, exploring the roles of fathers in today’s society, offering hope, and pointing viewers to the goodness of our Father God. The film is meant to invite the audience to rethink how they view their earthly fathers and personally relate to God.
Show Me The Father will be released in US theaters on September 10. Not sure what other distribution plans may be in the works.
Source: Mission Aviation Fellowship
Another new documentary that might interest you is Ends of the Earth. This feature-length film tells the stories of several pilots, past and present, who have served with Mission Aviation Fellowship. For more than 75 years, MAF has been a crucial partner for local believers and missionaries taking the gospel to the most remote places on earth.
Ends of the Earth will be in US theaters two nights only (Monday, October 18 and Thursday, October 21), though I presume there will be other ways to watch it later. See the trailer below.
Source: Aneko Press
Where No Roads Go, by Carin LeRoy. Aneko Press, 2021, 303 pages.
Maybe it’s a bit of a stereotype: the bushwhacking missionary who moves to a remote, primitive culture that just left cannibalism behind; lives uncomfortably close to snakes, bugs, and other unsavory wildlife; builds their own house and airstrip; and introduces people who live in fear of the spirits to the Creator God. But what if you did it as a family?
Furthermore, how would you walk with God through the challenges that way of life brings?
Carin LeRoy and her husband, missionaries with Pioneers, moved to Papua New Guinea in the 1980s as an adventurous young married couple. They stayed to pursue church-planting ministry for nearly 13 years and raised three children. Carin tells their story through a series of chronological vignettes illustrating spiritual principles that might apply to us all. Each of the 80 short chapters includes a prayer and scripture references with very thoughtful questions for personal reflection.
Where No Roads Go is not specifically written to women or parents, but it does tell stories from the author’s adventures in housekeeping, raising small children, and other aspects of missionary life most common to mothers. It’s a good read!
Purchase Where No Roads Go from the publisher (or elsewhere) for US$11.99, or get the Kindle edition for US$5.99.
Also along a devotional line, see Loving Jesus More, a series of 40 daily devotions from mission leaders reflecting on the events of 2020-21. Jump into the series by email or start at the beginning by downloading an e-book version or using the Bible app reading plan (Missio Nexus).
Source: Weave Family Ministries
Parenting with Global Vision, by Weave Family Ministries. Center for Mission Mobilization, 2021. 110 pages.
We live in a world of competing values and clamoring voices. Family schedules are filled with what feels like important things and we wonder how to intentionally disciple our children. The challenges are real, but in the midst of all this, Jesus is inviting us and our children to bless the nations and cultivate a heart for God and his global purposes.
Parenting with a Global Vision is a well-crafted study that comes alongside parents (especially parents of kids 4-12) and invites them to discover and reflect on God’s global purposes and consider their next steps in applying what they find to their own lives and families. Each lesson in the six-week curriculum includes a personal study and a group discussion guide, though you could certainly do the whole thing on your own.
One of the 80 parents from 13 countries who tested the study earlier this year said, “In just two lessons, this study has changed my parenting. I now know my children were not only saved from something but for something!”
This resource won’t come out until September 23. Normally we avoid promoting books before they are published, but if you order now, you can get a 20% discount and receive a few freebies they are throwing in. Otherwise, expect to pay $12.95 for a paper copy.
Learn more. You might also check out the Big Story Series, a set of related resources for families which you can also purchase or download on their own at no cost.
Read a new blog post from Weave about how parents or teachers can help kids understand and pray for the people of Afghanistan.
Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar
September 2, Teaching and Learning Across Cultures (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.
September 2, Prayer: Fuel for Making Reproducing Disciples (online). Nugget training from Beyond.
September 5-17, Second Language Acquisition (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided regularly by the Center for Intercultural Training.
September 6-10, ABIDE re-entry debriefing for global workers (Joplin, MO, USA). These are now held almost once a month by TRAIN International.
September 6 to October 2, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided by Missionary Training International.
September 6 to December 5, Encountering the World of Islam (online). New online classes start several times a year; also available in other formats/languages.
September 9, Mobilizing People of Color: The Asian-American Church (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.
September 9-10, People Raising Conference (online). Be equipped for raising personal support.
September 9 to October 14, Foundations of Media to Movements (online). Courses offered regularly by Mission Media U.
September 14, Making Raising Support Part of the Mission (online). Webinar from Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission.
September 15-16, Support Raising Bootcamp (Charlotte, NC, USA). Similar events are held throughout the year in various locations by Support Raising Solutions.
September 15-21, Traction (Wilderswil, Switzerland). Renewal conference for men serving cross-culturally; offered annually.
September 16, Making the Most of Your Next Event (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.
September 16, Holy Spirit: Don’t Try to Make Disciples Without Him (online). Nugget Training from Beyond.
September 17-18, Evangelical Missiological Society National Conference (online). Annual event; online again this year.
September 20-21, Standards Introductory Workshop (Dallas, TX, USA). Training in the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission. Offered in conjunction with major missions conferences as well as online.
September 22-24, Mission Leaders Conference (Dallas, TX, USA). An annual event from Missio Nexus, this time with a focus on innovation in missions. You can also participate online.
September 23 to October 1, Breathe Conference (Wilderswil, Switzerland). Rest and renewal retreat for cross-cultural workers.
September 27 to October 15, Member Care Training (Liverpool, PA, USA). Provided by Heartstream Resources, which also offers intensive care and debriefing for cross-cultural workers.
September 28 to October 1, PTM Conference (Ridgecrest, NC, USA). Pastoral training in member care (previously Pastors to Missionaries). An annual event from Barnabas International.
September 30, Be Intentional: More Disciple-makers Needed (online). Nugget Training from Beyond.
View the complete calendar. Corrections and submissions are welcome.
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Source: Open Doors, August 16, 2021
The Taliban now hold Afghanistan. Earlier, Al Jazeera released videos of Taliban fighters entering the capital city Kabul with ease, taking the reins in the Presidential Palace, and declaring an end to the 20-year war. In addition, President Ashraf Ghani reportedly fled to Tajikistan over the weekend to prevent further bloodshed (although other sources mentioned Uzbekistan).
With the collapse of the government, the expansion of extremism, food shortages, and the raging pandemic, Afghanistan needs urgent prayer from the global Church now more than ever.
Also read How to Pray for Afghanistan—and the Taliban (The Gospel Coalition), Afghan Pastors Ask for Prayer (9Marks), and A Liturgy for Responding to International Tragedy (The Upstream Collective).
Source: Haggai International, August 2021
The district of Rayagada [in the Indian state of Odisha] is like a step back in time. More than two-thirds of the population belong to indigenous tribes such as the Khonds and the Soras. And the tragic murder of a Christian missionary [Graham Staines] in the rural mountains of Rayagada years ago has left many believers wary of venturing into the community.
In 2021, after much prayer, fasting, and preparation, Ramachandran Periasamy’s team headed for one of the 22 villages [of the Dongoriakondh tribal people group in the Rayagada district]. Around 100 people live in this village, accessible only by foot.
“About 20 years ago, a local missionary went to this village to share the gospel but was killed by the tribal people. Thereafter a few attempted to reach the village but all attempts failed. For the last few years, no Christians have visited this place.”
Ramachandran’s team arrived in March and, to their surprise, were warmly welcomed. They prepared chicken curry for villagers and established connections with a few families. They were able to speak to the leader of the village who invited them back and has permitted them to implement valuable social programs.
Their warm reception has opened a door [for the team] to minister to the other villages in the locality, and years of church planting have taught them to win the favor of the people through relationship building if they want to credibly share the gospel.
Source: International Christian Concern, August 13, 2021
Iraq adopted a five-year plan for the protection and building of human rights on July 26. The new Human Rights National Action Plan was launched with the support of the Office of the President and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). For Christians who have faced persecution, genocide, displacement from varying threats, land seizures, and more, the commitment to protect human rights as the country pursues recovery can be a sign of hope.
The new initiative is “seeking to harmonize national legislation with international human rights standards, to strengthen national policies for the protection and [the] promotion of human rights and to build individual and institutional human rights capacities,” according to Danielle Bell, Chief of UNAMI’s Human Rights Office and Iraq Representative.
In her speech, Bell also highlighted the key links between the protection of human rights and the growth of sustainable development in Iraq [and said,] “The need for strong and coherent action on human rights is more essential than ever. The Human Rights National Action Plan provides a solid framework for the legislative, policy, procedural and institutional reforms which can prevent human rights violations in the future and which will therefore make a difference to the lives of all Iraqis.”
