A Third of Us: What It Takes to Reach the Unreached, by Marvin J. Newell. William Carey Publishing, 2021. 136 pages.
Ever wished you had one short but sound and winsome book that makes the case for prioritizing efforts to reach the unreached? Here you go!
A Third of Us calls the body of Christ to recognize the injustice that more than a third of the world is unreached with the gospel and calls us to respond. In between, it explores the five Great Commission passages that show us the essence of the task of making disciples among all nations.
If you are a long-time Marv Newell fan like me, you will recognize some of this material; it’s adapted from his 2010 book Commissioned. Ample and current references and footnotes addressing the nuances should help this book go further.
Learn more and get the ebook for US$9.99 or the paperback for US$10.99 from William Carey or elsewhere. Find related resources including a (rebranded) podcast of the same name at Alliance for the Unreached.
Motus Dei: The Movement of God to Disciple the Nations, edited by Warrick Farah. William Carey Publishing, 2021. 376 pages.
One of the remarkable features of global mission today is the growth of more than 1,000 disciple-making movements including more than 70 million believers. Too good to be true? Too strange to be good? While the literature about disciple-making movements is growing, this book is a big step forward in compiling some of the best thinking and research on contemporary disciple-making movements. Definitely pro-movement but with plenty of critical thinking brought to bear.
Here some 30 contributors share biblical and historical perspectives, factors that contribute to or challenge movements, meaty and diverse case studies, and areas for further research and reflection. If academic or strategic research is on your mind, this book will give you a head start as it includes lots of references and detail on research methodology. A number of the authors also offer key points from their recent or soon-to-be-published work.
The book is one outcome of a 2020 virtual movements research symposium held by Motus Dei, an international network for the missiological study of global movements to Christ.
Get the ebook for US$9.99 or the paperback for US$26.99 from William Carey or elsewhere. There’s also an affordable, accredited online seminary course designed around this book. Check out Foundations for a Missiology of Movements (Ephesiology).
Learn more about the Motus Dei network. They are particularly interested in inviting more non-Western voices into the conversation.
Source: Frontiers UK
A new podcast from Frontiers UK shares authentic stories of joy and frustration from ordinary followers of Jesus with a radical call to abandon the security and comforts of home and share the Good News to Muslims across the world. Matt, the host, interviews Frontiers members (primarily) about how they have obeyed the command to go to all nations—beyond Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria—to the ends of the earth. Though a recent episode about building relationships with Muslims in the UK was great.
Head to the podcast website or just look on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. I’ve listened to several episodes and found them inspiring!
Source: Asia Harvest
Our dear friend Brother Yun, whose testimony you may have read in The Heavenly Man, was visiting Canada a few years ago when a group of pastors and mission leaders asked him to comment on the removal of crosses in China. Thinking he would express alarm at such a ghastly act, many in the room were totally shocked when Brother Yun replied:
“I am very happy that so many crosses have been torn down! The cross was never meant to be fixed to the roof of a building. Instead, the Lord Jesus called us to carry the cross on our shoulders and in our hearts. I completely agree with the government’s decision to pull down all the crosses!”
Note: The annual International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is coming up on November 7 (observed by some throughout November). Voice of the Martyrs has a new film about Sabina Wurmbrand, tortured for Christ in Nazi Germany. It will be in theaters November 8-10 only.
Source: Global Frontier Missions
Looking for a brief but transformative short-term mission? I hear good reviews of the three-day Global Missions Journey program GFM offers to give churches, students, and small groups a taste of global missions in the international microcosm of Clarkston, Georgia.
But what if instead of heading to Clarkston, you hosted a cross-cultural learning experience along the same lines in your own city or town? GFM is now offering a digital kit of materials that you can customize as needed along with a bit of coaching to help you plan a day-long or two-day experience for your group.
“A basic implementation includes a teaching and activity, a tour at a local mosque or Hindu temple, a meal at an ethnic restaurant, and a closing time to pray about next steps,” they say. “Prioritizing exposure and learning over any ostensible quick fix, our hope is that these activities and teachings challenge each participant and plant seeds for long-term involvement the Great Commission.”
Learn more about the Global Missions Experience.
Speaking of digital resources, you might want to take a look at online learning workshops on various topics from World Relief or the Global Missions Toolbox, a curated collection of resources for pastors, mission committees, supporters, and other “senders.”
Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar
November 1-5, ABIDE re-entry debriefing for global workers (online). These are now held almost once a month by TRAIN International; most in-person.
November 1 to March 13, 2022, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). New online classes begin regularly.
November 2-3, People Raising Conference (online). Be equipped for raising personal support.
November 3, The Danger of Safety (online). Webinar from Sixteen:Fifteen.
November 3-7, GO Equipped Tentmaking Course (Bratislava, Slovakia). From Tent International and Global Intent.
November 4-6, 2021 B4T Expo (Bellevue, WA, USA). Learn how you can help transform nations through business.
November 5-6, Missions Fest Seattle (Edmonds, WA, USA). Free, community-wide mission event.
November 5-6, Mission ConneXion Southwest (Scottsdale, AZ, USA). Free, community-wide mission event.
November 7, International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (global). Some will observe this on November 14.
November 8-11, Support Raising Leaders Conference (Orlando, FL, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions.
November 9, Integrating Children and Families in Mission Trips (online). Webinar from Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission.
November 9-10, The Mobilized Church (Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, USA). Workshop for church leaders from Sixteen:Fifteen.
November 11, Disciples Make Disciple-Makers (online). Nugget Training from Beyond.
November 11, The Pastor’s Hand in Missions Development (online). Greenhouse interactive workshop from Pioneers-USA.
November 11-13, Global Missions Health Conference (Louisville, KY, USA and online). An annual event focused on medical missions.
November 12-14, NWA for the Nations (Fayetteville, AR, USA). Northwest Arkansas missions conference provided by Global Outfitters.
November 16, Where Are the Unreached in North America? (online). A practical training session from Vision 5:9 and Global Gates.
November 17, Is This the End of the Send? (online). Webinar from Sixteen:Fifteen and Missio Nexus.
November 17-18, Standards Introductory Workshop (Richmond, VA, USA). Seminar on the Seven Standards of Excellence in Short-term Mission; provided in connection with the International Conference on Missions.
November 17-21, The International Conference on Missions (Richmond, VA, USA). An annual event.
November 18, A Case for the Practice of Vulnerable Mission in Ministry of Westerners amongst African People (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.
November 18-21, Mental Health and Missions Conference (Pottsboro, TX, USA). A regular event for mental health and member care professionals who work with missionaries.
November 29 to December 4, Debriefing and Renewal (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Provided regularly by Missionary Training International.
View the complete calendar. Corrections and submissions are welcome.
In this edition:
Read or share the email edition or scroll down for individual articles.
Greetings!
Lately, I have been rethinking what the Church is and how God intends it to grow. I should have seen this long ago, but now I see the family motif as the best way to think about the Church. If the Church is a family, then might there be a better way to think about the unreached? As those with no church family?
This idea is not new; you may remember the Adopt-A-People movement. But what if we think of them as not adopted until they have a church family, or are “reached.” I doubt that missiologists will adopt (pun intended) new labels but my mind is made up. These unreached peoples or frontier peoples are simply orphaned peoples who need to learn of the Father that awaits their return.
My thinking started to change on this when I read Michael Heiser’s book, What Does God Want?
Whatever way you categorize the people of the earth, this interactive map at Joshua Project is amazing! Read more about the Frontier Peoples model below.
Blessings,
Pat
Source: Joshua Project, 2021
Frontier people groups (FPGs) are unreached people groups with 0.1% or fewer Christians of any kind, and no evidence of a self-sustaining gospel movement. There are about 4,993 frontier people groups with a total population of 1,977,748,000. One-fourth of the world lives in FPGs and has almost no chance of hearing about Jesus from someone in their people group. About half the population of all FPGs live in just 33 groups, each with a population of ten million or more.
In frontier people groups, Christianity is often viewed as a competing foreign political and religious force that threatens to pull apart families and communities. Evangelism and church planting that encourage or expect individuals to leave their families reinforce these fears. FPGs are best reached through gospel movements that bring God’s blessing to heal and strengthen families and communities.
Read more about frontier people groups and access a large collection of related resources to help you understand and communicate these concepts. Be sure to check out the interactive map.
Looking for ways to inspire others for work among the unreached? Find some good tips in How to Tell a Dangerous Story (an article Missions Catalyst reader Heather Pubols wrote for Missio Nexus).
Source: International Christian Concern, October 18, 2021
Authorities in Haiti continue to search for a group of 17 Christians, including five children, who were kidnapped on October 16, 2021, while on assignment with Christian Aid Ministries.
The group of missionaries was returning home from building an orphanage and were abducted by the 400 Mawozo Gang in Ganthier, a community east of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. The gang controls the area and is well-known for extortion, abductions, and carjackings.
The Guardian writes that “one of the abducted Americans managed to send a message on WhatsApp calling for help as the kidnapping took place. ‘Please pray for us!! We are being held hostage, they kidnapped our driver. Pray pray pray. We don’t know where they are taking us.”
More recent reports add that the missionaries were being held in a safe house right outside the suburb by the gang, which has demanded US$17 million for their release.
Some updates with prayer points appear on the Christian Aid Ministries website.
