Missions Catalyst – Page 143 – World Missions News, Ideas, and Resources

SOUTH KOREA: Consider Inviting the Neighbors

Source: International Mission Board, February 5, 2018

This Olympics… As you watch people compete in events like curling or skiing or shooting, let it be an opportunity to remember who we are, why we’re here, and the eternity to which we are all heading. Let it be an opportunity to remember that our big wide world is full of billions of living, breathing souls, all striving for similar things—to achieve purpose in life, to make their life count somehow.

And let it be a bridge to reach out. Many of us have neighbors or colleagues from different countries. Invite them over for a meal and to watch the Olympics together. Maybe even ask them to bring a dish from their country and share your cuisines. Talk about what sports are like in their country and what brings their countrymen together.

The Olympics are an easy topic around which to unite, talk about what we have in common, and build relationships. In some way, the Games speak to the hearts of everyone. People in every culture know what it’s like to spend their lives trying to achieve something. Every person knows what it’s like to try to find meaning and purpose.

Use these Olympic Games to ask people about their passion in life and what they’re striving for. Ask them what they want their big life achievements to be. Ask them where they find their purpose. Ask them if they’ve ever been disappointed in that quest. Ask if their accomplishments have fulfilled them like they thought they would.

The Olympics are a great bridge to enter a conversation about the race we’re running and the hope that we have—a hope that will gather the nations together one day in a way that is a million times more peaceful, a million times better.

» Read full story.

» See also Experiencing the Olympics with God in Mind (Weave). For daily devotions and activities to do with your children, join the author’s Missional Olympics Facebook group. Sound familiar? We highlighted both those things in last week’s Resource Reviews. Take a look if you missed it!

THAILAND: Sacred Ink?

Source: International Mission Board, January 29, 2018

When I moved with my family to Thailand a few years ago, I began noticing an abundance of tattoo parlors, many advertising “bamboo tattoos.” I soon learned that bamboo tattoos are known in the local language as sak yant, which translates literally, “tattoo of sacred image.”

Sak Yant has gained worldwide fame. The tattoos are considered fashionable and are sought after by many who travel to Thailand. But it is important to understand the spiritual implications of the tattoos.

Khun Pat, a Christian who once practiced sak yant extensively, cautions, “For people who want to be involved with sak yant, they need to know this—it is not an art form. You open the door for something really dark to come into you.”

Khun Pat testifies to the deliverance from sak yant he found in Christ. “What Jesus gave me is not the power to hurt people, not to harm people; but what he gave me was the power to love people. Sak yant is darkness—it will destroy you long term. But Jesus will give you life.”

» See full story with photos and a short videos to see why he says these tats are trouble.

» It may be helpful to acknowledge that tattoos send different messages in different contexts. See Tattoos Present Him With Witnessing Opportunities (Baptist Press) and other points explored in a conversation on the topic at AskaMissionary.com. Also check out Why So Many Americans Think Buddhism Is Just a Philosophy (The Conversation).

CENTRAL ASIA: Nomad Truck Venture

Source: Christian Newswire, January 23, 2018

Christians with a heart for sharing Jesus and a taste for adventure are being invited to take part in an overland trek aiming to help take the gospel to some of the world’s unreached nomadic people groups. The five-week Nomad Truck Venture co-sponsored by Frontier Ventures, will see participants travel more than 3,000 miles across rugged Central Asia in the summer, to introduce them to the special needs and challenges of sharing Jesus among communities constantly on the move.

Joint-trek organizer, the Nomadic Peoples Network (NPN), has identified 181 nomadic groups—totaling 123 million people—of which only one is known to be reached. Also, comprising 69 of the world’s 193 unengaged peoples with populations over 100,000, and more than a third of the world’s unengaged, unreached people groups, nomads represent a major priority for frontier missions

» Learn more.

» For another creative venture in Central Asia, read Team Ventures into Fruit-Drying Business (Partners International).

WORLD: Over Four Billion Online

Source: Missiologically Thinking, February 1, 2018

I want to draw your attention to Simon Kemp’s recently posted article, Eleven New People Join Social Media Every Second (and Other Impressive Stats). After reading this article, you need to download the “Digital in 2018” presentation—a massive goldmine of helpful charts and data on 230 countries and territories.

3.2 billion people are active social media users
Average user spends 6 hours per day on the internet
More than 200 million people got their first mobile device in 2017
A quarter of a billion people got online for the first time in the last 12 months
Saudi Arabia is the fastest growing country when it comes to social media users (with India close behind)

May the Lord give us grace today to see the possibilities… and to act on them.

» Read full story.

» Also read about a new app designed for the scattered Christians of India (Audio Scripture Ministries, via Mission Network News) and How Facebook’s Big Announcement Can Help Missions (World Venture).

Life-changing stats, insights from Africa, voices from Europe | Resource Reviews

Missions-Catalyst-no-tagline_large

sunrise Sunrise over an Australian beach. Wherever you are today, we hope you find something you can use in today’s edition of Missions Catalyst.
Photo by Igor Kasalovic on Unsplash.

ARTICLE: Experiencing the Olympics with God in Mind

Source: Weave Family

Do you watch the Olympics with your kids? A new article from Weave Family suggests specific ways to not only spark your children’s interest in athletics and friendly competition, but also give your family a bigger picture of God’s world.

» Read the article. For daily devotions, activities, or crafts to do with your children during the Winter Olympics, join the author’s Missional Olympics Facebook group.

BOOK: Window on the World

Window to the World: The Numbers Behind the Need, by Andrew Knight. Independently published, 2018, 45 pages.

“Numbers can change lives and destinies,” claims Andrew Knight, “A statistic can communicate more in an instant than rationale in an hour-long speech or hundreds of pages in a book. I have been told multiple times how stats and numbers have caused people to reflect and then ultimately redirect.”

Window to the World compiles 100 world mission statistics into ten categories (global economics, missionary force, money, urbanization, poverty, refugees, religion, reachedness, etc.) to illustrate needs and opportunities in our world. Each chapter is just two pages: a page of commentary and then a page of 10 striking statistics on that global topic.

This book is self-published and I can’t tell you anything about the author. But everything is footnoted, and many of the numbers are drawn from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity’s status of global Christianity, a document revised annually. That and the author’s commentary could be helpful if you want to use this book as a resource for quick numbers to easily fold into your teaching and mobilization efforts.

» Preview or purchase on Amazon. The Kindle edition is just US$.99, but you can also get it in paperback for US$3.99.

PODCAST: Voices from Europe

Source: Pioneers in Europe

Is listening to podcasts part of your commute, workout, or morning routine? Check out a new podcast featuring conversations with veteran church planters and mission leaders from various sending countries who work among the least reached in Europe.

They’re all with Pioneers (also the agency that sponsors Missions Catalyst), but they do a great job describing what it’s like to serve in their contexts and providing solid, thoughtful advice for anyone considering joining ministries in these places. Each episode is about 20 minutes long.

Episode 1: Martin, a European serving in the UK
Episode 2: Graham, an Australian serving in Italy
Episode 3: Steve, an American serving in France
Episode 4: James, a American serving in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Episode 5: Lauren, an Australian serving in France
Episode 6: Shane, an Australian serving in Spain

» Listen to the Pioneers in Europe podcast.

» I’ve also been listening to a podcast some of you might enjoy called Taking Route. It’s a bi-weekly podcast for expat women about living abroad, and it’s hilarious! What’s in your earbuds? Let me know (especially if it’s appropriate to feature in Missions Catalyst).

BOOK: African Christian Leadership

Source: African Leadership Study

African Christian Leadership: Realities, Opportunities, and Impact, edited by Robert J. Priest and Kirimi Barine. Orbis Books, 2017. 320 pages.

Wish you had a better understanding of the issues and questions African Christians face as they seek to live out their faith in their cultural context? Wonder how Africans themselves frame these questions and their answers?

Would you like access to actual research that can confirm your own experience or bring new information to your attention that would deepen and broaden your understanding?African Christian Leadership, the result of a multiyear study implemented by African scholars, offers insights on the support and training necessary to promote African Christianity and to foster the healthy development of Africa. Featuring input from over 8,000 African survey participants and dozens of in-depth interviews, it provides invaluable insight and concise analysis of the dynamics of the development of African Christian leaders today.

» Learn more or purchase the Kindle edition for US$15.12. Also available in paperback. Want to dig deeper into the data and analysis? The Africa Leadership Study website includes resources to help you engage further.

EVENT: US-Based Mission Exposure Tours

Source: Global Frontier Missions

Are you a pastor or missions leader looking for ways to help your church catch a vision for global missions or international ministry in your hometown? Looking for an opportunity to give your family or small group a cross-cultural experience that will impact their worldview? Maybe you’re a college student looking for exposure to unreached people groups and cultures without spending a fortune. Check this out.

Every month, Global Frontier Missions offers “Global Missions Journeys,” reasonably priced, thoughtfully designed, weekend experiences in multi-ethnic Clarkston, GA for missions exposure and training. They include mission education, prayer walking, interacting with people from different cultures and religions, and resources you can take home to use in engaging your local church in cross-cultural ministry at home and abroad. GFM adheres to the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission, and that’s always a good sign.

“Global Missions Tours,” scaled down to eight hours, are also available in Atlanta, Houston, and Richmond, and now in Sydney, Australia.

» Learn more. Other opportunities from GFM include internships, missionary training programs, and an online course.

» This and several other mission exposure programs are described in Start Here: First Steps to Ministry with Least-Reached Peoples (Catalyst Services).