Missions Catalyst

Source: Bethany Global University

Do you believe every Christian is called to be part of fulfilling the Great Commission? Do you long to grow in your ability to mobilize others to get involved in global mission? Check out this series of 12 videos (100 minutes total) from BGU’s Kenneth Ortiz on how to be a mission mobilizer.

Topics include communication, advocacy, mission trips, fundraising, local outreach, and more. It’s not clear from the topics how BGU sees the local church in all this, but I haven’t watched all the videos yet.

» Watch the videos (YouTube playlist) or see the course page on the BGU website. Notice other free, unaccredited enrichment courses they offer. Several are directly related to missions.

Source: The Center for Mission Mobilization and Retention at Trinity Bible College and Graduate School

The Missionary Mobilization Podcast is a brand-new resource for Christian leaders who want to increase the number of missionaries around the world. Our goal is to equip and encourage missions mobilizers and missions pastors for greater Kingdom impact.

Subscribe to The Missionary Mobilization Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or your favorite podcast app. The first episode features an interview about best practices in mission mobilization with veteran mobilizer Mark Stebbins of Navigators. It’s solid.

» Learn more or listen, then check out The Center for Mission Mobilization and Retention.

Source: The Heritage Project, International Media Ministries

Lost Legacy Reclaimed is a docudrama series about the early Christian Church in North Africa, its great leaders, teachers, and martyrs. In this series, filmed on location in Spain and North Africa, you will meet these faithful Christians from the first five centuries of church history who set a high standard for future generations by sacrificing for Jesus Christ during intense persecution.

English-language versions of the series are now available in the US. Plans are in place to translate and distribute these for Christians in the Middle East and beyond. We pray that this heritage will encourage those who seek to follow Christ in places now hostile to Christianity.

Episode 1: The story of the Scillitan Martyrs, twelve Christian men and women from Carthage (modern Tunisia) who refused to deny their faith and were brutally executed by order of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

Episode 2: The story of Victor, who served as Bishop of Rome in the late second century. Victor was the first pope from North Africa and he presided over the church at a time of controversy between the western and eastern branches of the church.

3. The story of Perpetua, a Christian woman from North Africa martyred in a Roman arena along with several companions in the early third century. Her story is drawn from the personal diary she kept during her imprisonment.

4. The story of Tertullian, a prolific Christian apologist who lived in Carthage from 155 to 240 AD. He is known as “The father of Latin Christianity.”

Subsequent episodes will focus on Augustine, Anthony, Quodvultdeus, and Cyprian.

» Watch the two-minute trailer (Vimeo). Purchase half-hour episodes from Amazon for $.99 apiece (or watch via Amazon Prime). Looks like several sources offer the videos on DVD.

Sources: Various

My bookshelf overfloweth! So many new books. Here are two titles deal with persecution and perseverance, and two speak to the mission of the Church and our part in it. We don’t have space for long reviews but can give you short ones. I’ll post reviews on Amazon with further comments.

God’s Hostage: A True Story of Persecution, Imprisonment, and Perseverance, by Andrew Brunson, with Craig Borlase. Baker Books, 2019. 228 pages.

In this book Brunson describes the events of his arrest, two-year imprisonment, charges, and trials, along with the escalation of his case as a political tug-of-war and an amazing outpouring of prayer and support from surprising quarters.

Primarily, though, it’s the story of the author’s spiritual and psychological struggle while in prison. He felt abandoned by God and fought a tremendous battle against anxiety and despair, exacerbated by the expectation that he should be strong in his faith rather than broken, as was the case.

While in prison Brunson read the writings of other Christians describing their prison experiences. Some of that was helpful, but it strengthened his resolve that he decided if he ever told his own story, he’d be sure to make it a story about his weakness. Then anyone who read it and struggled like he did would know they were not alone. Very moving.

Zhejiang: The Jerusalem of China, by Paul Hattaway. SPCK/Asia Harvest, 2019. 288 pages.

This is the third volume in The China Chronicles, a province-by-province, decade-by-decade account of God’s astonishing work in China, which the author calls the “the greatest Christian revival in history.” Zhejiang is a wealthy province in eastern China and has the country’s highest percentage of Christians. Learn how it got that way while reading the stories of foreign and Chinese Christians. I find each book in this series more intriguing than the last. Well researched and well written. Paul Hattaway founded Asia Harvest Ministries.

On Mission Together: Integrating Missions into the Local Church, by Richard Noble. Fall City Press, 2019. 190 pages.

What is the mission of God, and what does it look like to partner with him, understanding missions as not just a particular program but a priority for every part of the church and each member? How do you, especially if you’re a pastor or mission leader, integrate missions into the life of your church?

Although parts of the book tend to be very directive (“every church should…”), it is thorough enough that every church can find in these pages a picture of itself, its struggles, and ways to improve. It feels like an updated version of some of ACMC’s best publications. I appreciated the helpful case studies from a diversity of churches across the US and the resource suggestions throughout the book and in its appendices. The author, who is part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, has started a ministry called The Center for Missional Engagement.

As Missio Nexus President Ted Esler says, “This is an excellent primer for mission team members, mission pastors, or any church leader who seeks to understand the issues in local church missions.”

Something Needs to Change: A Call to Make Your Life Count in a World of Urgent Need, by David Platt. Multnomah, 2019. 222 pages.

The author of Radical takes readers on a soul-searching journey through impoverished villages in the Himalayan mountains, daring them to make a difference in a world of urgent need, starting right where they live.

I just bought this book and haven’t had time to read it yet. Sounds quite compelling, doesn’t it?

Finally, two more new books others recommend but I haven’t read:

Paradigm Shift: Why International Students Are So Strategic to Global Missions, by Jack D. Burke. Leiton Chinnn says, “It is the newest publication on international student ministry (March 2019) and the most comprehensive coverage on the topic, with contributions by many ISM veteran workers.”

Getting Started, Making the Most of Your First Year in Cross-Cultural Service, by Amy Young. Young is the author of Looming Transitions and other books and co-founder of the online community Velvet Ashes (for women serving overseas). She has launched a new missionary training platform called Global Trellis.

» Read any of these books? Love to hear your thoughts.

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

November 3, International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (global).

November 3-29, Mobilizer Equipping School (Chiang Mai, Thailand). Provided by Global Mission Mobilization Initiative (formerly SVM2)

November 4 to March 5, 2020, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online).

November 5-6, Support Raising Bootcamp (Pasadena, CA, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions.

November 7-9, Global Missions Health Conference (Louisville, KY, USA). Annual event focused on medical missions.

November 12-13, Standards Introductory Workshop (Kansas City, MO, USA). Training in the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission.

November 13-17, The International Conference on Missions (Kansas City, MO, USA). An annual event.

November 21, Chinese Christianity in an Increasingly Hostile Environment (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

November 21-24, Mental Health and Missions Conference (Angola, Indiana, USA). For mental health and member care professionals who work with missionaries.

December 1-6, Debriefing Retreat (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided by the Center for Intercultural Training.

December 3-5, Finishing the Task Conference (Lake Forest, CA, USA).

December 10-11, Support Raising Bootcamp (Jacksonville, FL, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions.

December 12, Designing Mission Opportunities for Every Life Stage (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

December 27-31, Chinese Christian Mission Convention (Baltimore, MD, USA).

December 28-31, Chicago Chinese Christian Conference (Chicago, IL, USA).

» View the complete calendar. It’s also time to get started with our calendar of 2020 events. Submissions welcome.