Missions Catalyst

In this issue:

1. FILM: Free Burma Rangers
2. VIDEO SERIES: Off-Road Encounters
3. DATA: Status of Global Christianity
4. BOOK: Recent Titles
5. EVENTS: February Conferences and Training

Source: Lifeway Films and Deidox Films

In 1997 David Eubank, his family, and local partners in Burma (Myanmar) started a unique organization inspired in part by Eubank’s experience in US Special Forces. The Free Burma Rangers come alongside internally displaced people on relief and rescue missions. They minister to the oppressed, document atrocities, and tell their stories. Though they began serving on the front lines of the Burmese civil war, they have also conducted missions in Iraq, Syria, and Sudan. This documentary includes footage from missions in Burma and Iraq as well as interviews with the Eubank family and others.

Viewer discretion is advised due to violent and intense scenes. This is not a Sunday school missionary story and it has some ambiguous elements. It was not easy to watch. I went into it wondering what Jean Johnson, author of We Are Not the Hero, would say.

But the longer we watched it, the more we came to like Dave Eubank and respect how he and his family live out their faith in a war zone. They won us over. They may carry guns (sometimes), but their hearts are for peace and reconciliation. They wrestle with fear and forgiveness. They pray and do what God says. They love, honor, and serve their local partners. And, with humility and sincerity, they inspire viewers to do the same.

The film will be in theaters across the US for two days only on February 24-25. Bring your friends but not young children. If you take a group, I’d recommend you allow some time for discussion and debriefing.

» Learn more or purchase tickets. See also Who Are the Free Burma Rangers? (Missions Pulse).

» Interested in theater showings of Christian films with global themes? I know, those are rare! Good news: A docudrama about St. Patrick will be in theaters a few nights in March. A film about mission aviation will come out in August.

Source: Jeannie Marie

In this eight-episode video series, viewers join the (American) Richardson family on an adventure to four countries around the world to discover the truth about Muslims: how they live, what they believe, what they hope for, and what values we share.

Each episode is fun, fast-paced, and 8-10 minutes in length. Jeannie has written new discussion questions and activities to go with them. Subscribers get the material by email once a week. Looks like this is aimed for families with elementary-school aged children. You could also use it in a classroom setting. And the whole thing is free.

Sound a bit familiar? This curriculum was developed in 2014 by Frontiers in collaboration with Sonlight Curriculum before being relaunched here. Jeannie Marie, author of Across the Street and Around the World, has also collected and created many more educational resources now available on her website. Take a look.

» Learn more about Off-Road Encounters or watch the first episode.

**UPDATE: though the IMBR article mentioned below was once free, that seems to be no longer the case. It’ll set you back $37.50. For $44 you can get a subscription. Follow the other links to free items, pay the cash, or find a friend who has a subscription, e.g., a through a Christian university with a missions department. So sorry! ~MW

Source: Center for the Study of Global Christianity, January 2020

Every year the International Bulletin of Missions Research (IMBR) publishes a snapshot of global Christianity in collaboration with the leaders of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (led by Todd Johnson and Gina Zurlo). This year’s article can be downloaded for free without a subscription and reports some of the major findings of the new 1000-page World Christian Encyclopedia, Third Edition. That is due out March 1; we’ll share more about it later.

This article briefly documents and describes the rise of global Christianity, continuing shifts to the South, the exodus of Christians from the Middle East, the current makeup of the global mission force, and three unexpected trends relating to world religion (that the world is becoming more religious and more religiously diverse although religious liberty is on the decline).

» Read the IMBR article or download the one-page statistical overview. Both include much helpful data and analysis for anyone who teaches or writes about global religion and missions. You can engage with the researchers and the research more deeply by participating in The Future of Religion and Mission conference, March 30 to April 1 event at Gordon-Conwell,

» See also David Joannes’ recent interview with researcher Todd Johnson, which brings the data to life (Mission Pulse podcast).

Source: Various

I wavered too long on which book to read and review for you in this edition. But here are some to consider.

Crossing Cultures: Preparing Strangers for Ministry in Strange Places, by Stephen M. Davis (Wipf and Stock), makes a case that we need to do a better job screening and equipping missionaries, at least the kind of missionaries that do cross-cultural church planting. Can’t disagree with that. This book summarizes what he wishes he’d known before serving as a missionary. Davis also has a new book on the challenges and complexities of urban church planting (in North America).

Don’t Lose Heart: Gospel Hope for the Discouraged Soul, by Jason Meyer (Baker Books), is a “short, giftable” book on scriptural reasons to take heart. It sounds like the sort of thing you might want to put in the hands of an overwhelmed missionary or mission candidate—or read to lift your own spirits.

The Church on Mission: A Biblical Vision for Transformation Among All People, by Craig Ott (Baker Academic), “unpacks the mission statement of the church: to glorify God by multiplying transformational churches among all people.” It’s academic and likely not an easy read but could be helpful and significant for strengthening your missiological foundation.

» Got book suggestions? Respond to this email. They should be (1) related to missions, (2) published within the last year, and (3) likely to interest other Missions Catalyst readers.

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

February 2-7, ABIDE re-entry debriefing for global workers (Joplin, MO, USA). Offered regularly by TRAIN International.

February 3-4, Support Raising Bootcamp (Brea, CA, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions.

February 3-5, Field Security Seminar (Yaounde, Cameroon). Provided by Crisis Consulting International; followed by a Crisis Management Seminar February 5-7.

February 6, The Willingness of the Disciple: Counting the Cost (online). Nugget training from Beyond.

February 7-9, Missionfest Manitoba (Winnipeg, MB, Canada). Free, annual, community-based mission festival for all ages.

February 9-21, Second Language Acquisition Course (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided regularly by the Center for Intercultural Training.

February 10-12, Field Security Seminar (Dakar, Senegal). Provided by Crisis Consulting International. Followed by a Crisis Management Seminar February 12-15.

February 10-11, A Consultation on Mission Agency Church Engagement (online). Hosted by Missio Nexus and Wycliffe Bible Translators.

February 13, Proactive Prayer Training: Persevering in Praise (online). Provided by Beyond.

February 13 to March 13, Foundations of Media to Movements (online). Training course from Mission Media U.

February 19 to March 18, Story in Ministry (online). Mentored course by Mission Media U on applying elements of story to your outreach.

February 20-21, Standards Introductory Workshop (Clackamas, OR, USA). Training in the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission; connected to the Mission ConneXion short-term mission event in the same location.

February 20, Frontier People Groups (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

February 21-22, Short-term ConneXion (Clackamas, OR, USA).

February 21-22, Midwest Conference on Missionary Care (Roseville, MN, USA). An annual event.

February 21-23, Missions Fest Alberta (Edmonton, AB, Canada). Free, annual, community-based mission festival for all ages.

February 23-28, Debriefing Retreat (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided regularly by the Center for Intercultural Training.

February 23-29, Business as Mission Course (Amsterdam, The Netherlands). Intensive training from YWAM’s BAM Resource Team.

February 24-27, Thrive Retreat (Dubrovnik, Croatia). For North American women serving cross-culturally.

February 24 to March 4, Parenting Third Culture Kids (online). Provided by the Center for Intercultural Training.

February 24 to March 21, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided regularly by Missionary Training International.

February 26 to April 5, Seek God for the City (global). Annual prayer campaign coordinated by Seek God for the City.

» View complete calendar. Suggestions and submissions welcome.