USA: “I Never Expected to Be A Refugee”

Source: World Relief, June 10, 2021

I never expected to be a refugee. I joined a university when I was 18 years old, enrolling in the English department at Basra (the Port of Iraq). At the end of my time there, I graduated second in my department. After graduation, I stayed two more years as a researcher’s assistant and then five more years when I was accepted for my master’s in the linguistics program.

I became a professor in 1987 and moved to Baghdad in 1992 to teach undergraduate and postgraduate students of the English Department at Baghdad University College of Education for Women. Life felt almost perfect.

Then, in 2003, the unexpected happened. The United States invaded Iraq. This is when my life would change forever.

In hopes to rebuild my country, I stayed three years after the US military arrived. However, the targeted people were the Iraqi brains. Doctors, professors, scientists and engineers were receiving life threats daily. I knew it was only a matter of time before they reached me.

The full story describes what life was like for Amira when she and her family arrived in the US. See also 8 Things You Should Know About Refugees (free ebook).

Summer Short Shots: Five Quick, Actionable Missions Ideas

If the powers that be just laid another lockdown on you, I’m sorry. Much grace to you. For many of us, though, COVID is loosening its grip. Plus the northern hemisphere is moving headlong into summer.

Since that may mean more time outside and less devoted to email, the next three Practical Mobilization columns will be brief and action-oriented. You’re going to find four to six ideas so good, you’ll be glad you’re reading this instead of fishing, floating in the pool, or playing Frisbee! 

1. Easy Recipe for Cognitive Whiplash

Read a book that details a South Sudanese mom’s experience in a refugee camp while camping, yourself. You just need 1-2 decent tents, a cooler full of yummy food and plenty of water, and a vehicle with sufficient fuel to take you home when you’re ready to stop “roughing it.” In case you’re wondering, the mom in the book was happy to sleep on the ground with her two surviving children, having reached the camp after walking for weeks, dodging militants, and barely staying alive due to a lack of food and water. 

The book is John Grisham’s Sooley and I loved it. A few caveats: It’s also a basketball book. If you hate basketball, you’ll likely want to skim some pages. But hey, we’ve been skimming since high school, right? John Grisham might also be below your literary tastes. And what, after all, does a fantastically rich white guy have to say about the despair and success of Sudanese refugees? 

But I’m thrilled to see Grisham uses his storytelling talent to draw the attention of his vast audience to a situation so gut-wrenching I usually just look away. Read and share this book with your friends who care about refugees and those you’re nudging that way.

2. Get Your Heroes on the Big Screen

Here’s a super simple idea that will help the people at your church know the people your church supports. Ask your missionaries to shoot and send in a 90-second video introducing themselves and their work. All you need is a sincere thank you and one cool story. If they close with an invitation to visit, well, that would rock, too. 

Remember three keywords to make the video better than most.

  • Loud: Make sure the voice is clear and legible.
  • Light: Shoot outside or with plenty of artificial light.
  • Lengthwise: Make sure the video is shot on a phone held sideways. Horizontal will look tons better than vertical on Sunday morning. 

Since video files can get huge, maybe ask them to post them to a Google drive or someplace similar and then share them with you. 

3. Friends for the Fourth

The exploding apex of summer in the U.S. is the Independence Day celebration this weekend. You American? Invite internationals to join your gathering of friends and/or family. Feel a little queasy wondering what to grill and what to say? Check out a recent edition of Muslim Connect for some cooking and conversation tips. 

4. Awaken from COVID Slumber

My boss at Healing Nations said the coolest thing recently: “Let’s help churches awaken from COVID slumber!” Maybe your church isn’t snoozing, but I bet many of your people are ready to ramp up and get going with the Holy Spirit to bring God’s kingdom to bear on the Earth. My church is dreaming about an Alpha Course in the fall and maybe a trip to connect with refugees in Italy next year. If you suspect I’m jazzed about this, you’re right! 

How about your church? Maybe you’ve stayed at full steam ahead or maybe you’re ready to kick it up a notch in the missions department. If you’re a part of a medium-sized church and could use some help in connecting with vetted missions partners for long-term connection, I’d love to chat with you. If your church might be up for giving it everything you’ve got to get boots on the ground among one of the ~450 currently unengaged Muslim people groups, I want to get on a plane, bus, or boat to meet you for coffee. In either case, shoot me a quick email and let’s get cooking! 

5. Ask for the Mic

If you’ve got a missions message burning in you, now may be the time to take a risk and ask if you can share it. I don’t know your church, of course! Maybe this idea is laughable for you! But summer might be the time when your pastor wouldn’t mind a Sunday in the seats. It’s like asking someone out in high school: you won’t know if you don’t ask! If you decide to give it a go, let me know and I’ll pray for you! 

More ideas to come next month.

Website: From A Mobilizer Mom

Source: MobilizerMom.com

Are you a mission-minded mom? Married to one? Know one?

Our friend Alicia Bennett just launched a new online ministry for parents who want to help their kids grow in global awareness, starting right where they are.

She writes:

“My mission as MobilizerMom is to educate and inspire families to get involved with God and join his heart for reaching the nations by giving families simple and fun ways to learn about God and his world right where they are.

“Whether you are a homeschool family or a traditional schooling family or somewhere in between, any Christian family can find value in what I want to provide: biblical foundations with a missional focus that puts God and his mission first in their lives so that they want to join whatever God is doing in the future. As Christian parents, our greatest desire is to see our children follow Jesus too. Here are some tools to help you do that well.”

Browse the website or join the Facebook community. A series of family devotions linked to the summer Olympics will began July 1.

Visit MobilizerMom.com.

By the way, this fall, our friends at Weave family ministries will release a new resource on parenting with a global vision. We got an advance copy and it looks wonderful. Watch for our review.

Book: 40 Days from Genesis to Revelation

Source: 100 Movements Publishing

Your Part in God’s Story: 40 Days from Genesis to Revelation, by Steve Addison. 100 Movements Publishing, 2021. 289 pages.

“When Jesus rose from the dead, he found disciples who were defeated and disillusioned. Just like us. But in the 40 days between his resurrection and his ascension, Jesus restored and prepared them for their worldwide mission,” says Steve Addison. He points out that biblical perspective comes before a specific commission. This book is an invitation to explore 40 decisive moments from Genesis to Revelation and discover your part in God’s story.

The first 12 lessons are from the Old Testament, and the rest are from the New Testament. This is more of a Bible study, devotional guide, or small group resource than a book meant to be read straight through. The author recommends spending 30 minutes on each study: 10 reading specific passages in the scriptures, 10 reading his reflections, and 10 minutes responding in prayer.

Learn more or get the Kindle edition for US$8.49. You might prefer the paperback, though, since journaling and reflections are a big part of the book design.

Listen to an interview with Steve Addison on the Missionary Mobilization podcast or read another interview in Mission Frontiers, both discussing how and why he wrote the book.

Another resource to check out: Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission has a new YouVersion Bible reading plan to use in mission-trip follow-up efforts. It’s called What Next?

Podcast: Mobilizing the Global Church

Source: Global Mission Mobilization Initiative

How can we help our denominations, churches, and organizations be mobilized and equipped for the Great Commission? That’s the big question the Mission Mobilization Chats podcast addresses. Host Ryan Shaw invites listeners to rethink mission mobilization and redefine it as helping the global church align and engage with its identity as God’s missionary people—rather than focus solely on recruiting international workers.

If you are just getting started as a mission mobilizer or want to grow and strengthen your foundation, these “chats” will help.

Learn more or listen to Mission Mobilization Chats.

Want more than a chat? Consider GMMI’s online Ignite Training Course, July 19 to September 13. There’s no cost, but you must apply by July 12.

Book: Women in the Mission of the Church

Source: Baker Academic

Women in the Mission of the Church: Their Opportunities and Obstacles throughout Christian History, by Leanne M. Dzubinski and Anneke H. Stasson. Baker Academic, 2021. 256 pages.

History buff? In a position to teach or write on the history of mission and ministry? You’ll want this book in your library. It provides a wide-lens view on women in the history of the church, from the early orders of widows, virgins, and deacons to medieval monastic movements and modern missionaries.

With its emphasis on obstacles as well as opportunities, and its exploration of the dynamics that have often erased women’s stories, this book is meant to provoke as well as inspire. It also includes lots of footnotes and a great bibliography so you can go deeper on what interests you.

Get the Kindle edition for US$16.99.

To learn more about women in contemporary mission efforts rather than church ministry in general, try Women in God’s Mission: Accepting the Invitation to Serve and Lead, by Mary Lederleitner (IVP Books).

See also Co-Workers and Co-Leaders: Women and Men Partnering for God’s Work, a new multi-author work from the World Evangelical Alliance, now available as a free downloadable PDF.

Upcoming Events: Conferences, Classes, and More

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

June 24-26, NAAMC Virtual Experience (online). Provided by the National African American Missions Council; open to all.

July 5 to November 7, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). New online classes begin regularly.

July 7, Missionary Care Best Practices (online). Virtual gathering for church mission leaders. Provided by Missio Nexus.

July 8, Doing What Disciples Do (online). Nugget Training on the DMM process from Beyond.

July 8, Rebooting Short-Term Missions (online). Webinar from Sixteen:Fifteen.

July 8, Cultivating Inclusive Body Engagement (online). Greenhouse workshop for church leaders from Pioneers USA.

July 11, The GoODFATHER (online). One-night charity screening of a documentary about one man serving in the slums of Bangkok.

July 11 to August 14, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided by Missionary Training International.

July 11-16, Debrief Retreat (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided regularly by the Center for Intercultural Training.

July 12-15, Global Consultation on Arts and Music in Missions (online).

July 12-16, ABIDE re-entry debriefing for global workers (Joplin, MO, USA). These are now held almost once a month by TRAIN International.

July 16-20, New Wilmington Mission Conference (Western Pennsylvania, USA & virtual). Annual, week-long multi-generational mission conference; a tradition for more than 100 years.

July 19 to September 13, Ignite Training Course (online). Provided by the Global Mission Mobilization Initiative.

July 20, Diverse Mobilization (online). Part of The Porch, a series of conversations for mission pastors and mobilizers from the Center for Missionary Mobilization and Retention.

July 26-28, Crisis Management Seminar (Auburn, AL, USA). Provided by Crisis Consulting International.

July 27-28, Support Raising Bootcamp (Rogers, AR, USA). Similar events held throughout the year in various locations by Support Raising Solutions.

July 29, Interrogation Management Workshop (Auburn, AL, USA). Provided by Crisis Consulting International.

July 29, Being Sent Like Jesus (online). Nugget Training on the DMM process from Beyond.

View the complete calendar. Corrections and submissions are welcome.

SOMEWHERE IN ASIA: Church Simplified

Source: Beyond, June 5, 2021

During an early morning taxi ride, Amy struck up a conversation with the driver. It was obvious that Mr. Wu was a Christian from the music playing and the stickers in his cab.

“Where do you worship?” Amy asked. 

“Well,” he answered sheepishly, “not everyone understands, but we have people come into our home. The taxi drivers that I meet would probably never be willing to go into a church, but they like coming to my house and hearing stories about God. My children, too!”

“That’s wonderful!”

Mr. Wu was surprised by Amy’s affirmation of his “simplified church.” After he described a typical meeting, Amy noted its similarity to a discovery Bible study. She offered two simple suggestions: a question to help the group know God better and a reproducing step where everyone shares what they learn with others.

“Oh, that’s great! I’m going to try those this week!” Mr. Wu declared.

Mr. Wu shared that he had seen Amy before and wanted to meet her. Amy knew the Holy Spirit had orchestrated their meeting. She, too, was greatly encouraged by meeting a local believer willing to take a non-traditional approach to see more people become followers of Jesus.

Read the full story.

You might also be interested in reading Longing to Be Whole: Hannah Prepares for Story Night (Pioneers USA) or The Gospel on the Amazon River (The Navigators).