ARTICLE: Is This the Team for Me?

Source: Catalyst Services

Prospective missionaries often invest considerable time and effort in choosing the right mission agency. This is essential, but joining the right team may be even more important. The June edition of Postings, Is This The Team for Me? (PDF), explores questions that can help a missionary candidate learn if a specific team is a good fit. A blog post, Is This the Team for…Them?, provides additional ideas about how church leaders can coach prospective workers in this decision process.

Catalyst’s Postings e-newsletter is a monthly publication designed for mission agency personnel and local church leaders involved in collaborative global efforts. Practical articles highlight what churches and agencies are doing to mobilize believers, especially those of younger generations, to expand the Kingdom. It’s free.

» See also the May edition, Tap into Mobilizer Expertise (PDF), which illustrates how local churches can benefit from the skills of mission agency representatives nearby.

BOOKS: Insight on World Religions

Sources: Bethany House, CrossBooks, and P&R Publishing

Three books published in 2013 have come our way in recent months (e.g., free copies from the publishers!) Would any of these interest you as well?

What Every Christian Needs to Know about the Qur’an, by James R. White. Bethany House, 2013. 320 pages.

This book, published in May, focuses on what Islam’s sacred texts teach about the key areas of conflict between Islam and Christianity, including Christ, salvation, the Trinity, and the afterlife. The author is the director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, a Christian apologetics organization. He writes with purpose, clarity, and confidence. See the Amazon reviews for praise and helpful analysis.

True Jihad: Winning the Battle for Muslims, by Mark S. Pfeiffer. CrossBooks, 2013. 130 pages.

This book, published in March, provides a brief but readable introduction to Islam’s history, central teachings, and contemporary issues, along with some helpful advice on building relationships and answering Muslims’ concerns. The author attempts to provide a balanced, respectful path for Christians to relate with Muslims and share the gospel with them. Pfeiffer directs the Christian Institute of Islamic Studies at Baptist University of the Americas. Learn more at the book’s website.

Christianity and World Religions: An Introduction to the World’s Major Faiths, by Derek Cooper. P&R Publishing, 2013. 215 pages.

This one is designed to offer students (and other readers) a guided tour of six “rival stories” of the world: Hinduism (“the story of diversity and devotion”), Buddhism (“the story of enlightenment”), Confucianism and Daoism (“the stories of order and nature”), Judaism (“the story of tradition and identity”), and Islam (“the story of submission”). It also describes the range of Christian responses to these stories. The author is a professor at Biblical Seminary in Pennsylvania, where he specializes in history and world religions.

Here’s one more resource that might interest you, and this one is a free download. The 92-page report Christianity in its Global Context, 1970-2020: Society, Religion, and Mission offers an overview of the changing demographics of Christianity and Christians’ activities since 1970 (Center for the Study of Global Christianity).

EVENT: Praying for the Muslim World

Source: 30-Days Prayer Network

30-Days of Prayer is an international movement of intercession for the Muslim world. It coincides with the Ramadan fast – this year July 9 to August 7. If you haven’t already acquired materials and made plans for how you will participate, now’s the time.

Each year a new illustrated prayer guide booklet is published in dozens of languages and locations around the world. The booklet contains daily reading pages with prayer points, informative background articles, and resources for further study and involvement.

» Order the full-color, 56-page North American edition for US$3.00 (bulk discounts and children’s versions also available). Me, I plan to pray through the email edition; sign up here.

This year another prayer campaign is happening at the same time: Open Doors is calling for 30 days of prayer for persecuted Christians. Will you do both?

» Have plans for creative prayer or outreach during this season? Share them with our readers (comments below).

EVENTS: Upcoming Training, Retreats, and Conferences

Source: Missions Catalyst Calendar

July 2013

July 8 to August 2, Strategic Institute for Muslim Studies (Boulder, CO, USA). Provided by Horizons International.

July 9 to August 7, 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World (global). Join the millions of Christians around the world who have participated in this largest ongoing international prayer focus on the Muslim world.

July 20-27, The New Wilmington Mission Conference (Western Pennsylvania, USA). Week-long multi-generational mission conference with a focus on youth 12-24. A tradition for more than 100 years.

July 21-26, ReBoot (Kitchener, ON, Canada). For missionary kids who have completed their high school education overseas and are transitioning to life in Canada.

July 22-26, LeaderLink (Bangalore, India). Five-day workshop-based leadership training program for missionaries. Provided by MissioNexus.

July 26-26, North America Refugee Roundtable (Vancouver, BC, Canada). Provided by the Refugee Highway Partnership.

August 2013

August 1-3, Connext Conference (Chicago, IL, USA). National Leadership Conference For South Asian Christian leaders.

August 1-3, All-Africa Tentmaking Conference (Dar Es Salam, Tanzania). Provided by Global Opportunities.

August 4-10, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement Leader’s Intensive Class (Pittsburgh, PA, USA).

August 5-13, MK/TCK Re-Entry Retreat (Gaston, SC, USA). Retreat designed for teens transitioning to college from missionary families.

August 8-10, 7th Annual Christian Storytelling Conference (Peoria, IL, USA). Provided by the Christian Storytelling Network.

August 20-21, Personal Support Raising Bootcamp (Albany, NY, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions.

Missions Catalyst 6.19.13 – World News Briefs

In This Issue: New multi-language Bible resource center opens in Bahrain

Missions Catalyst is a free, weekly electronic digest of mission news and resources designed to inspire and equip Christians worldwide for global ministry. Use it to fuel your prayers, find tips and opportunities, and stay in touch with how God is building his kingdom all over the world. Please forward it freely! For additional news stories, follow us on Twitter.

Pat

Pat Noble has been the “news sleuth” for Missions Catalyst since 2004. In addition to churning out the news, she is working to create a SWARM (Serving World A Regional Mobilizers) in Northern New York using the NorthernChristian.org website. You can connect with her at www.whatsoeverthings.com.

 

 

BAHRAIN: Beacon Bookshop

Beacon Bookshop

Source: United Bible Societies, May 15, 2013

Christians in northwest Bahrain have easier access to Bibles and other Christian resources thanks to the opening, earlier this month, of a new Bible resource center.

The new center is called Beacon Bookshop and aims to serve Christians from all walks of life and speaking a variety of languages. More than 40 percent of people in Bahrain are migrant workers [who] account for most of the country’s nine percent Christian population.

“The purpose of Beacon Bookshop is to gossip the gospel,” smiles Adriana, an expatriate from Holland, who volunteers at the new center. Adriana’s sentiment resonates with Hrayr Jebejian, who leads the Bible Society in the Gulf.

“Adriana is absolutely right,” Hrayr Jebejian comments. “This kind of gossip does not harm people but brings them close to Jesus. This new center’s purpose is to be a true beacon to the community, sharing the breath and light of God so that people can experience a life-giving relationship with Christ.”

The Bible Society of the Gulf is committed to partnering with churches in Bahrain and other countries in the Arabian Gulf to reach out to migrants and offer them practical and spiritual support. They run 22 [similar centers] in Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Oman.

» Read full story.

WORLD: The Gospel for the Deaf

Source: OM NewsBytes, June/July 2013

[More than] 35 million people worldwide are officially Deaf, and, tragically, about half of the cases could be prevented. The Deaf [may be] the fourth largest people group in the world who are unreached with the Gospel.

Deaf Ministries International works in 20 countries in Asia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East, helping to establish resources and facilities to bring the message of Christ and aid to Deaf people. Projects include schools and dormitories for Deaf children in the Philippines and Africa, sewing workshops for Deaf women in Burundi and Kenya, Deaf camps in Myanmar, and Deaf churches in Korea.

DOOR International is another ministry dedicated to the training of Deaf leaders and the establishing of indigenous Deaf churches.

» More NewsBytes.

See also: Will the World’s First Deaf Church Come from Japan? (Christianity Today).

ZIMBABWE: Son of Witch Doctor Finds Jesus

Source: Godreports, June 5, 2013

In his village in southern Zimbabwe, people still seek help through witch doctors who offer a portal into the darkness of the supernatural realm. But one young man found healing in the arms of Jesus after his father’s gods proved impotent.

Nhamo suffered a painful infection that rendered him unable to move from his bed. He spent many days listlessly, barely able to turn over, yet his father refused modern medical care. “He would not allow me to go to the hospital because he believed he could heal through witchcraft,” he notes.

One day a team came from a neighboring village to show the JESUS Film. When Nhamo’s father and mother left him alone, they warned him not to watch the JESUS movie on the evening it was presented in their village…

» Read the rest of the story or watch a video that tells this man’s story (YouTube).

INDIA: Seven Pastors Hospitalized

Source: Worthy News, June 10, 2013

Twenty Baptist pastors have been attacked by suspected Hindu militants in southeastern India, and several church leaders required hospital treatment for severe injuries, representatives said Friday, June 7.

The All India Christian Council (AICC), which represents churches and mission groups, said the victims were from the Telugu Baptist Church who gathered for their monthly prayer meeting.

About 50 followers of Hindu group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) stormed the gathering, “brutally attacked” the pastors “with sticks and rods causing dreadful injuries,” and verbally abused them, AICC added in a statement seen by BosNewsLife.

The mob also accused the church leaders of forcing people to convert to Christianity, the group said.

Seven of the pastors, identified only as Thimothy, Kumar, Krupaiah, Roberts, Rosaiah, Lazarus, and Thinothy, were rushed to hospital for serious injuries, according to AICC officials.

» Read full story.

» Editor’s note: Want to learn more about the forces behind violent attacks like these? You might find help in the recently published book, Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians, by Paul Marshall, Lela Gilbert, and Nina Shea.

CAMBODIA: A Killing Fields Survivor Who Learned to Forgive

Source: WEA News, June 4, 2013

As a boy of eleven [Reaksa Himm] watched villagers hack to death his father and brothers and later his mother. Eventually crossing the border to Thailand, Reaksa was sent to Canada. Here World Vision cared for him at one of their refugee centers, [and] Reaksa turned in faith to serve Christ. From there [he] studied, preparing himself for ministry.

However, plaguing his young mind was not only the memory of his family now dead, but feelings of revenge for those who had so devastated his family and life.

“I could tell that something was wrong with me, and underneath the facade I suddenly realized that I needed to forgive totally. Forgiveness is not easy, but if I allowed the big ball of fire to keep burning inside my heart, my life would not be worth living … When I could not forgive, I was actually burying myself into the grave of bitterness, anger, and hatred.”

He returned to the village of Kokpreach and there met with [those who had killed his parents], and taking a Cambodian scarf, tied it around their necks as a symbol of forgiveness. Then he gave them a Cambodian Bible and read from Luke 23:34 (“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”), and in so doing, offered his forgiveness.

» Read full story, also told in the book The Tears of My Soul.